Side airbag for automobile and method of folding the same

• US 20030006587A1
• Filed: 03/04/2002
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv Development AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Automotive Systems Sungwoo Corp. (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: Jang, Jin-soo, Jang, Myun-reun, Lee, Hyun-joong
• Granted Patent: US 6,827,368 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23123 Heat protection panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2171 specially adapted for elongated cylindrical or bottle-like inflators with a symmetry axis perpendicular to the main direction of bag deployment, e.g. extruded reaction canisters B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2342 Tear seams
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2346 Soft diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

There is provided a side airbag for an automobile having airbag modules 100, 200, 300, which selectively includes reinforcing pads, an inner cushion pad, a tube-type tether and a tear seam, all of which are piled in multi-layers, so that the side airbag may be developed with regulating the gas pressure duration without eccentricity, in a useful and effective manner to successfully protect a driver and passengers seated in the vehicle. The cushion pads used in the side airbag require a small amount of materials, are easily seamed and easily folded, so as to reduce costs.

Claims

1. A side airbag for an automobile installed to the side of a chair back of an automobile and having an inflator which supplies gas by explosion upon receiving of a signal through an electric wire when the automobile crashes, the side airbag comprising:

a first airbag module (100) including first and second cushion pads (130, 140) having extensions (133, 143) with a plurality of insert holes (132, 142) on one side and combined each other to form a second chamber (131) for filling gas therein, and an inner cushion pad (150), which is folded in a half to form a first chamber (151) between the first and second cushion pads (130, 140) and has a plurality of first gas exhaust holes (152) formed upward thereon and an inflator-mounting portion (158) which is piled with the extensions (133, 143); and

an inflator module (170) including a fixing member (180) having first and second mounting holes (182, 186) into which both sides of the inflator are inserted, the fixing member (180) fixing the first airbag module (100) to the inside of the side of the chair back by inserting outwardly protruded screws (184) thereof into the insert holes (132, 142) of the first and second cushion pads (130, 140) and into an insert hole (156) of the inner cushion pad (150).

2. The side airbag for an automobile as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the first airbag module (100) is seamed to open the inflator-mounting portion (158) when the first and second cushion pads (130, 140) are piled with the inner cushion pad (150) so that the first airbag module (100) has a seam line (136) sealing the gas supplied from the inflator and fill up in the first and second chambers (151, 131).

3. The side airbag for an automobile as claimed in claim 2, wherein the seam line (136) is formed in two lines.

4. The side airbag for an automobile as claimed in claim 2,

wherein the first airbag module (100) further includes first and second reinforcing lines (137, 138) having an oval shape transformed at an end of the seam line (136) so as to prevent the first and second cushion pads (130, 140) and the inner cushion pad (150) from being torn.

5. The side airbag for an automobile as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the first and second cushion pads (130, 140) include a cushion seam line (146) for seaming a center of the first and second cushion pads (130, 140) in order to prevent the first and second chambers (151, 131) from being excessively inflated with the supplied gas.

6. The side airbag for an automobile as claimed in claim 5,

wherein the cushion se am line (146) has circular portions (147) formed in a semicircular shape at both ends thereof and a straight portion (148) to connect the circular portions (147).

7. The side airbag for an automobile as claimed in claim 4, wherein the cushion seam line (146) are formed in two lines.

8. The side airbag for an automobile as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the first and second cushion pads (130, 140) and the inner cushion pad (150) are stacked with each warp thread being arranged perpendicular to each other so as to prevent gas from flowing out of the inner side of the first and second cushion pads (130, 140) when the inner cushion pad (150) is inflated.

9. The side airbag for an automobile as claimed in claim 8,

wherein the warp threads of the first and second cushion pads (130, 140) are identically oriented to a longitudinal direction, while the warp thread of the inner cushion pad (150) is oriented to a horizontal direction.

10. The side airbag for an automobile as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of reinforcing pads (160) seamed to an inner side of the inflator-mounting portion (158) of the inner cushion pad (150), each reinforcing pad (160) having a thread hole (162) into which the screws (184) of the fixing member (180) is inserted.

11. The side airbag for an automobile as cl aimed in claim 10,

wherein the reinforcing pad (160) is combined by a double seam line (164), which is formed in a circular shape around the insert hole (156) of the inner cushion pad (150).

12. The side airbag for an automobile as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the first gas exhaust hole (152) of the inner cushion pad (150) has a diameter of 15 mm˜

40 mm so that the first airbag module (100) is fully developed within {fraction (1/1000)}˜

{fraction (4/1000)} second.

15. The side airbag for an automobile as claimed in claim 14,

wherein the tear seam (246) is to be ruptured so that the fourth cushion pad (240) arranged in the first chamber (151) may be punched out by the gas supplied from the inflator with less bag rotation, and the tear seam (246) having a shorter length than the vertical width of the third cushion pad (230).

17. The side airbag for an automobile as claimed in claim 16,

wherein the tube-type tether (350) is weaved to a direction perpendicular to the fifth and sixth cushion pads (330, 340).

18. The side airbag for an automobile as claimed in claim 16,

wherein the passage (359) has a reinforcing pad (358) seamed at an end thereof and a combining hole (356) into which a screw of the inflator is inserted.

19. The side airbag for an automobile as claimed in claim 18,

wherein the tube-type tether (350) is weaved to a direction perpendicular to the fifth and sixth cushion pads (330, 340).

13. A method of folding a side airbag for an automobile comprising the steps of:

folding ends (a) of first and second pads (130, 140), positioned at an opposite side to an inner cushion pad (150), to a position near a cushion seam line (146);

folding right portions (b) of the first and second folded cushion pads (130, 140) leftward so that an upper side of an inflator-mounting portion (158) becomes perpendicular to a right side of the right portion (b);

folding left portions (c) of the first and second folded cushion pads (130, 140) rightward to be partially piled with the right portion (b) so that the upper side of the inflator-mounting portion (158) becomes perpendicular to a left side of the left portion (c);

folding lower portions (d) of the first and second cushion pads (130, 140) upward so that a lower side of the lower portion (d) becomes substantially parallel to the upper side of the inflator-mounting portion (158), making the first airbag module (100) folded in a rectangular shape; and

partitioning the first airbag module (100) into three sections (e, f, g) to be folded so that the first airbag module has a size identical to a finally folded section (i).

14. A side airbag for an automobile installed to the side of a chair back of the automobile and having an inflator which supplies gas by explosion on the receipt of a signal through an electric wire when the automobile crashes, the side airbag comprising a second airbag module (200) which includes:

third cushion pads (230, 230′

) for forming a first chamber (151), to an inflator-mounting portion (158) of which reinforcing pads (160, 161) are attached along a seam line (290) for heat-blocking and structural reinforcing, the third cushion pads (230, 230′

) having a tear seam (246) at a center thereof; and

a fourth cushion pad (240) to form a second chamber (131) by seaming both ends (243, 244) to combining lines (293, 294) marked at a center of the third cushion pad (230) and then seaming an outer seam line (291),

wherein the second airbag module (200) is folded by folding the fourth cushion pad (240) in advance to be arranged in the first chamber (151), and then piling the third cushion pad (230) and seaming the third cushion pad (230) along seam lines (292, 295) so that the inflator-mounting portion (158) is opened.

16. A side airbag for an automobile installed to a side of a chair back of the automobile and having an inflator which supplies gas by explosion up on receiving a signal through an electric wire when the automobile crashes, the side airbag comprising a third airbag module (300) which includes:

fifth and sixth cushion pads (330, 340) having lateral tether-attaching portions (335, 345) at inner centers thereof; and

a tube-type tether (350) seamed at the tether-attaching portions (335, 345) to form a center chamber (141),

wherein the tube-type tether (350) forms a plurality of gas exhaust holes (352, 353′

) and a passage (359) so that the third airbag module (300) supplies from the center thereof to a lower first chamber (151) and an upper second chamber (131), respectively.