Airbag and airbag apparatus

• US 20040145161A1
• Filed: 09/29/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hasebe, Masahiro, Narimoto, Yukitoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,121,584 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• 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 21/233 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 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2342 Tear seams
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2346 Soft diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

An airbag has an inflator at a base side thereof, and the inflator ejects gas to inflate the airbag such that a distal side thereof is deployed in a direction away from the base side. The airbag includes a left half airbag to be deployed on a left side of an occupant and a right half airbag to be deployed on a right side of the occupant. The airbag further includes a constraining device for constraining lateral widths of the left half airbag and the right half airbag when the airbag is deployed.

Claims

1. An airbag for protecting an occupant, comprising:

a left half airbag to be deployed on a left side of the occupant,

a right half airbag to be deployed on a right side of the occupant, and

width constraining means attached to the left half airbag and right half airbag, respectively, for constraining lateral widths thereof when the left half airbag and the right half airbag are inflated.

2. An airbag according to claim 1, wherein said width constraining means is formed of a string.

3. An airbag according to claim 1, wherein said width constraining means includes joining means for directly joining panels for constituting the left half airbag and the right half airbag, respectively.

4. An airbag according to claim 1, wherein said left half airbag and right half airbag have distal ends facing the occupant, said distal ends being separated from each other so that a space is formed between the distal ends facing the occupant when the left half airbag and the right half airbag are inflated.

5. An airbag according to claim 1, wherein said left half airbag is connected to the right half airbag at midsections thereof in a direction that the left half airbag and the right half airbag deploy.

6. An airbag according to claim 1, further comprising vertical width constraining means for constraining vertical widths of the left half airbag and the right half airbag when the left half airbag and the right half airbag are deployed.

7. An airbag according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said left half airbag and said right half airbag includes an inclined upper portion so that the one of the left half airbag and the right half airbag does not contact an interior of a vehicle when the left half airbag and the right half airbag are inflated.

8. An airbag according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said left half airbag and said right half airbag includes a portion having a thickness gradually decreasing upwardly when the left half airbag and the right half airbag are inflated.

9. An airbag according to claim 1, wherein said left half airbag and said right half airbag have distal ends thereof separated by a distance of 150-350 mm when the left half airbag and the right half airbag are deployed.

10. An airbag according to claim 1, further comprising a base communicating with the left and right half airbags, said left and right half airbag separately projecting outwardly from the base.

11. An airbag apparatus comprising the airbag according to claim 1 and an inflator for inflating the airbag.