Air bag in use for head protection air bag device

• US 20020017775A1
• Filed: 07/19/2001
• Published: 02/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited and Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Ohno, Mitsuyoshi, Tanabe, Choko, Tanase, Toshinori, Urushi, Norio
• Granted Patent: US 6,460,879 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/215 characterised by the covers for the inflatable member B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

An air bag is stored along the peripheral edge of the upper fringe of an opening on the indoor side in a state that it is covered with a door of an air bag cover and folded. When receiving inflation gas, the air bag forcibly opens the door and develops and inflates downward so as to cover the opening. In a region of an inflating section to which gas for inflation flows, a plurality of thickness defining members, which couple the cabin-inside side wall with the cabin-outside side wall to make a thickness of the inflating section uniform, are arranged side by side in the front/rear direction, while extending in the vertical direction. The thickness defining member disposed near the unsmooth development part of the door is disposed such that the upper end thereof is located at a position lower than the upper end of the thickness defining member.

Claims

1. An air bag in use for a head protection air bag device, said air bag being stored along a peripheral edge of an upper fringe of an opening on an indoor side of a vehicle in a state that said air bag is covered with a door of an air bag cover and folded, and when receiving inflation gas, said air bag forcibly opening said door, and developing and inflating downward so as to cover said opening, said air bag comprising:

a cabin-inside side wall;

a cabin-outside side wall;

an inflating section formed between said cabin-inside side wall and said cabin-outside side wall, into which gas for inflation flows; and

a plurality of thickness defining members each formed by partially coupling said cabin-inside side wall and said cabin-outside side wall in a region of said inflating section, each of said thickness defining members being arranged side by side in a front and rear direction and extending in vertical direction;

wherein a first thickness defining member disposed near an unsmooth development part of said door is disposed such that an upper end thereof is located at a position lower than an upper end of a second thickness defining member which is disposed adjacent to said first thickness defining member as well as farther than said first thickness defining member from said unsmooth development part in a state that said air bag is developed flat.

2. An air bag in use for a head protection air bag device according to claim 1, wherein the upper end of said first thickness defining member is located at the position lower than the upper end of said second thickness defining member by about 30 mm to 50 mm.

3. An air bag in use for a head protection air bag device according to claim 1, wherein said first thickness defining member is substantially shaped like T.

4. An air bag in use for a head protection air bag device, said air bag being stored along a peripheral edge of an upper fringe of an opening on an indoor side of a vehicle in a state that said air bag is covered with a door of an air bag cover and folded, and when receiving inflation gas, said air bag forcibly opening said door, and developing and inflating downward so as to cover said opening, said air bag comprising:

a cabin-inside side wall;

a cabin-outside side wall;

an inflating section formed between said cabin-inside side wall and said cabin-outside side wall, into which gas for inflation flows;

a plurality of thickness defining members each formed by partially coupling said cabin-inside side wall and said cabin-outside side wall in a region of said inflating section, each of said thickness defining members being arranged side by side in a front and rear direction and extending in vertical direction; and

a plurality of inflow ports formed between upper ends of two said thickness defining members or an upper end of one of said thickness defining members and a peripheral edge part of said inflating section;

wherein an opening width of a first inflow port located near an unsmooth development part of said door is larger than an opening width of a second inflow port which is disposed adjacent to said first inflow port as well as farther than said first inflow port from said unsmooth development part in a state that said air bag is developed flat.

5. An air bag in use for a head protection air bag device according to claim 4, wherein the opening width of said first inflow port located is larger than the opening width of said second inflow port by about 20 mm.

6. An air bag in use for a head protection air bag device according to claim 4, wherein said first inflow port is formed between two said thickness defining members each being substantially shaped like T and inverse J.