Protection bag and protection apparatus for protecting head of automobile passenger

• US 20010035633A1
• Filed: 04/17/2001
• Published: 11/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nakazawa, Wataru, Kobayashi, Ichizo
• Granted Patent: US 6,450,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2617 Curtain bag nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

A protection bag for an automobile includes an introducing chamber extending along an upper side of the bag, and a plurality of small chambers disposed parallel to each other at a lower side of the introducing chamber. Some of the small chambers have a spiral shape. Gas inlet of the spiral small chamber faces a pass through port. The length of a gas flowing path of the small chamber is greater than the width of the small chamber. The protection bag can avoid outflow of gas from the small chambers and sufficiently absorb the impact on the passenger'"'"'s head.

Claims

1. A protection bag for protecting a head of an automobile passenger disposed in an area between a ceiling and a side face of an automobile, comprising:

a main bag section extending downwardly along a side face of an automobile upon introduction of a gas, and having a gas inlet section, and

a plurality of small chambers formed in the main bag section and communicating with the gas inlet section to be inflated by gas introduced therein, at least one of the small chambers being curved along a direction of flow of the gas.

2. A protection bag for protecting a head of an automobile passenger according to

claim 1

, wherein the small chamber which is curved includes two ends, and at least one gas inlet formed at one of the two ends, said direction of flow of the gas extending along a central line between said two ends through intermediate points in a lateral direction of the small chamber.

3. A protection bag for protecting a head of an automobile passenger according to

claim 2

, wherein the length of the central line between the two ends is greater than a maximum width thereat in a direction perpendicular to the central line and a tangent to the central line.

4. A protection bag for protecting a head of an automobile passenger according to

claim 1

, wherein the small chamber which is curved has a spiral shape.

5. A protection bag for protecting a head of an automobile passenger according to

claim 4

, wherein the small chamber is formed with a passenger-side sheet and an automobile-body-side sheet connected to each other by a connection line, said connection line being disposed to surround a centripetal point of the spiral.

6. A protection bag for protecting a head of an automobile passenger according to

claim 4

, wherein said small chamber with the spiral shape includes a gas-introducing part at an inner part thereof for introducing gas by short-cutting.

7. A protection bag for protecting a head of an automobile passenger according to

claim 6

, further comprising a duct provided along an upper side of the main bag section for introducing the gas from an inflator and having a pass-through port for ejecting the gas, said gas-introducing part provided at the inner part of the spiral small chamber being positioned near the pass-through port.

8. A protection bag for protecting a head of an automobile passenger according to

claim 1

, wherein the small chamber which is curved in the direction of flow of the gas is curved substantially into a J-shape, a C-shape, or an S-shape.

9. A protection bag for protecting a head of an automobile passenger according to

claim 1

, wherein said at least one of the small chambers which is curved in the direction of flow of the gas includes an extending member extending in a longitudinal direction of the automobile.

13. A protection bag for protecting a head of an automobile passenger according to

claim 1

, wherein a cross-sectional area of a gas-flowing path connected to the gas inlet of each small chamber is set so that expansion speeds of the small chambers are substantially same.

14. A protection bag for protecting a head of an automobile passenger according to

claim 1

, further comprising a duct provided along an upper side of the main bag section for receiving the gas from an inflator and distributing the gas to the small chambers, said duct having a bent part bent downward in a middle of the duct.

15. A protection bag for protecting a head of an automobile passenger according to

claim 14

, wherein at least one gas inlet of the small chamber is disposed in a vicinity of the bent part.

16. A protection apparatus for protecting a head of an automobile passenger, comprising:

a protection bag prepared according to

claim 1

; and

a gas generator for supplying the gas into the protection bag.

10. A protection bag for protecting a head of an automobile passenger disposed in an area between a ceiling and a side face of an automobile, comprising:

a main bag section extending downwardly along a side face of the automobile upon introduction of a gas, and having a gas inlet section, and

a plurality of small chambers formed in the main bag section and having a gas inlet at an upper part of the bag to communicate with the gas inlet section of the main bag to be inflated by gas introduced therein, said small chamber extending from the gas inlet to a lower side of the bag.

11. A protection bag for protecting a head of an automobile passenger according to

claim 10

, wherein said main bag section includes a gas-introducing chamber extending along an upper side thereof and having a gas outlet facing the gas inlet of the small chamber.

12. A protection bag for protecting a head of an automobile passenger according to

claim 10

, wherein said main bag section includes a gas-introducing chamber extending along an upper side thereof and having a gas inlet section directly connected to the gas inlet of the small chamber.