Air bag apparatus for motorcycle, method of manufacturing air bag apparatus for motorcycle, and motorcycle with air bag apparatus

• US 20030214122A1
• Filed: 05/15/2003
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Miyata, Yasuhito
• Granted Patent: US 7,404,570 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 27/20 Airbags specially adapted for motorcycles or the like

Abstract

An air bag apparatus is provided on a motorcycle. The apparatus includes an air bag that is restricted so as not to be expanded toward a body constituent part, and is guided to be expanded toward a rider protection region in the expansion direction by providing the air bag so it is rolled and folded outwardly from the body constituent part of the motorcycle, allowing it to be expanded and inflated toward the rider protection region, which is formed in front of a motorcycle rider, and above the body constituent part of the motorcycle in the case of the forward collision of the motorcycle.

Claims

1. An air bag apparatus for a motorcycle having a frame for supporting a seat in which a rider sits rearwardly of handle bars of the motorcycle, the air bag apparatus comprising:

a retainer mounted to a portion of the frame; and

an air bag housed in the retainer for being deployed in the event of forward crash conditions generally occurring forwardly of the handle bars;

the air bag having a stowed state in the retainer and an expanded state for protecting a rider during forward crash conditions with the airbag having a predetermined configuration in the stowed state that guides and causes the air bag to smoothly inflate in a predetermined direction that extends away from the frame portion and to an area between the seat and the handle bars as the air bag shifts between the stowed and expanded states thereof.

2. The air bag apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined stowed configuration of the air bag comprises a rolled configuration of at least a portion of the air bag.

3. The air bag apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined stowed configuration of the air bag comprises a bellows-shaped configuration of at least a portion of the air bag.

4. The air bag apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined stowed configuration of the airbag comprises distinct configurations for at least two portions of the air bag.

5. The air bag apparatus of claim 4 wherein the distinct configurations comprise a rolled configuration and a bellows-shaped configuration.

6. The air bag apparatus of claim 5 including an inflator, and wherein the air bag portion having the bellows-shaped configuration is between the inflator and the air bag portion having the rolled configuration.

7. The air bag apparatus of claim 5 including an inflator, and wherein the air bag portion having the rolled configuration is between the inflator and the air bag portion having the bellows-shaped configuration.

8. The air bag apparatus of claim 1 in combination with the motorcycle, the portion of the motorcycle frame in which the retainer is mounted being generally below the seat and the predetermined direction of inflation of the air bag due to the predetermined stowed configuration thereof is generally forwardly and upwardly into the area between the seat and handle bars and generally toward the handle bars.

9. A method of manufacturing an air bag apparatus on a motorcycle, the method comprising:

assembling an airbag into a retainer so that the air bag has a predetermined stowed configuration;

mounting a retainer for the air bag to a frame portion of the motorcycle;

deploying the air bag in the event of forward crash conditions; and

expanding the air bag out from the retainer in a predetermined direction away from the frame portion and to an area between a seat and handle bars of the motorcycle with the predetermined direction of expansion being dictated by the predetermined stowed configuration of the airbag.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the retainer is mounted to a frame portion generally below the seat, and the predetermined direction of air bag expansion is forwardly and upwardly generally toward the handle bars.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the air bag is assembled into the retainer by rolling at least a portion of the air bag so that the stowed air bag portion has a predetermined rolled configuration.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the air bag is assembled into the retainer by bending at least a portion of the air bag so the stowed air bag portion has a predetermined bellows-shaped configuration.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the air bag is assembled into the retainer by rolling one portion of the air bag and bending another portion of the air bag so the stowed air bag has two portions, one with a rolled configuration and the other with a bellows-shaped configuration.