Airbag with gas distribution pipe

• US 20060138760A1
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Jang, Jin-soo
• Application Number:
  US11/312,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20060138760A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/742
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/26 characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow arrangement or mounting thereof to the vehicle B60R21/20; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure in general F42B3/04; initiators or igniters therefor F42B3/10

Abstract

A gas distribution pipe for balanced inflation and deployment of a side curtain airbag. The pipe has an end gas discharge opening and side gas discharge openings. The side discharge openings are configured to deflect the exiting gas so that at least a portion of the gas flows backwards along the outside of the pipe before entering the adjacent chamber of the airbag. An end cap for the pipe may contain both the end discharge opening and gas diverting and deflecting elements that direct gas to and through the side discharge openings.

Claims

1. A safety system comprising:

an airbag including a plurality of inflatable cells;

a gas distribution pipe located in the airbag and including an end discharge opening and a side discharge opening;

wherein the distribution pipe includes a deflecting mechanism for directing a portion of the inflation gas away from the end discharge opening and toward the side discharge opening so that the cells inflate in a balanced manner.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of side discharge openings distributed along the length of the pipe.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of side discharge openings distributed radially around the circumference of the pipe.

4. A side curtain airbag device comprising a gas distribution pipe having an end discharge opening and at least one side discharge opening, the side discharge opening having associated therewith a deflector that directs at least a portion of the gas exiting the side discharge opening generally backwards along the outside of the pipe

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the pipe includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced side discharge openings at one lengthwise position on the pipe.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein two of the side discharge openings are diametrically opposed.

7. The device of claim 4, further comprising an internal flow divider that divides a portion of the gas from the main axial flow and diverts it toward the side discharge opening.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the flow divider diverts gas to all of the side discharge openings located at one lengthwise position along the pipe.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the flow divider is part of an end cap for the pipe.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the end discharge opening is formed in the end cap and the flow divider extends into the pipe up to the lengthwise position of the side discharge opening.

11. A method of deploying a side curtain airbag comprising the steps of:

introducing inflation gas into one airbag chamber through a discharge opening at the end of a gas distribution pipe, and

introducing inflation gas to an upstream airbag chamber through at least one side discharge opening such that at least a portion of the gas that emerges from the side discharge opening flows generally backwards along the outside of the pipe toward an entrance of the upstream airbag chamber.