Airbag, method of manufacturing the same, airbag apparatus and vehicle

• US 20060282203A1
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hasebe, Masahiro, Narimoto, Yukitoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,334,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0004 Frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0044 Chest
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• 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

Abstract

An airbag is provided in which connecting belts extending from opposed surfaces of a left airbag section and a right airbag section can be connected easily to each other and which can be manufactured easily. In one form, the airbag is composed of four panels; an inside panel, a right outside panel, a left outside panel and a proximal panel. Connecting belts are connected to the inside panel. The respective connecting belts are each formed with an insertion portion by folding a cloth fabric having a pair of end sides at about a midsection thereof. Rod-shaped jigs are inserted into the respective insertion portions. In a state in which the connecting belts are overlapped, the jibs are fixed in parallel at a predetermined distance, and width control tethers are pulled in the directions away from each other. Accordingly, a tensile force is applied to the respective connecting belts, and hence a tensed flatly extended state is achieved. Therefore, the connecting belts can be stitched with respect to each other easily.

Claims

1. An airbag comprising:

opposing airbag portions;

connecting members for interconnecting the opposing airbag portions; and

holding portions of the connecting members having predetermined configurations so that the connecting members are adapted to be held at the holding portions thereof for connecting the connecting members together.

2. The airbag of claim 1 wherein the predetermined configurations of the holding portions are loop configurations thereof.

3. The airbag of claim 1 wherein the predetermined configurations of the holding portions are enlarged ends of the connecting members in which openings are formed for receipt of respective holding members therein.

4. The airbag of claim 1 wherein the connecting members are connecting belts with the holding portions being loop end portions of the connecting belts.

5. The airbag of claim 1 wherein the opposing airbag portions have internal control members connected thereto to be generally aligned with one of the connecting members adjacent thereto.

6. The airbag of claim 5 wherein the connecting members each have overlapping portions at a connection location where the connecting members are connected to the airbag portions with the control members connected to the airbag portions at the connecting locations so that the overlapping portions and control members have material of the airbag portions therebetween at the connecting locations.

7. The airbag of claim 1 wherein the connecting members comprise connecting belts, and the airbag portions have internal chambers and tethers extending across the internal chambers and attached to the airbag portions at ends of the tethers, the connecting belts each being connected to the associated airbag portion adjacent one of the tether ends therein so that holding the connecting members at the holding portions thereof and pulling the airbag portions at the tether end opposite to the adjacent tether end tensions the connecting belts for ease of stitching overlapping portions of the connecting belts together.

8. The airbag of claim 1 in combination with an inflator for inflating the airbag portions.

9. An airbag comprising:

a left airbag section having a chamber for receipt of inflation gas therein;

a right airbag section having a chamber for receipt of inflation gas therein;

a left connecting belt connected to the left airbag section extending external of the chamber thereof;

a right connecting belt connected to the right airbag section extending external of the chamber thereof; and

insertion portions of the connecting belts configured for receipt of jigs therein to hold the connecting belts for application of tensile forces thereto as the left and right connecting belts are interconnected.

10. The airbag of claim 9 wherein the insertion portions are loops of the connecting belts that fit over the jigs.

11. The airbag of claim 9 wherein the left and right airbag sections include tethers in the respective chambers thereof.

12. The airbag of claim 11 wherein the tethers each have opposite ends connected in the airbag sections to generally align the tethers with the connecting belts and allow tension applied to the tethers to be efficiently transmitted to the connecting belts for sewing the belts together.

13. A method of forming an airbag having interconnected, opposing inflated portions, the method comprising:

fitting portions of connecting members of the airbag portions with fixed holding jigs so that the connecting members are held by the jigs;

applying a tensile force to the connecting members so that the connecting members are in a tensed state; and

connecting overlapping portions of the tensed and held connecting members to interconnect the opposing airbag portions.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the connecting member portions are fitted with the fixed holding jigs by inserting the holding jigs into the connecting member portions.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the connecting member portions are fitted with the fixed holding jigs by fitting loops of the connecting members over rod-shaped jigs.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein a tensile force is applied to the connecting members by exerting a pulling force on control members of the airbag portions in opposite directions.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein overlapping portions of the tensed and held connecting members are connected by stitching the overlapping portions together.