Airbag Device

• US 20070018437A1
• Filed: 07/25/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• 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 7,631,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/201 Packaging straps or envelopes for inflatable members
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

An airbag device is provided in which an airbag having a left airbag section and a right airbag section is folded by a new folding method. An airbag includes a left airbag section inflated on the left in front of a passenger; a right airbag section inflated on the right in front of the passenger; and a base chamber that connects ends of the left airbag section and the right airbag section. When the left airbag section and the right airbag section are folded, the lower halves of the bags and from a connecting band are folded back upward along a line L₁ that connects the lower edge of the connecting band and the lower edge of the fixing plate.

Claims

1. An airbag for being deployed toward a vehicle occupant, the airbag comprising:

a first lateral airbag section for being deployed in a forward longitudinal direction toward one side of the vehicle occupant;

a second lateral airbag section for being deployed in a forward longitudinal direction toward the other side of the vehicle occupant;

a connector for interconnecting middle portions of the first and second lateral airbag sections;

a first elongated body formed by folding of the first lateral airbag section about a plurality of fold lines in a predetermined fold sequence;

a second elongated body formed by folding of the second lateral airbag section about a plurality of fold lines in a predetermined fold sequence;

a predetermined one of the fold lines of each of the lateral airbag sections generally extending in the longitudinal direction between a rearward position and the connector with the lateral airbag sections being folded first about the predetermined ones of the fold lines in the predetermined fold sequence for forming the first and second elongated bodies.

2. The airbag of claim 1 wherein the rearward position is an edge of a fixing plate mounted in a base airbag section connected to the first and second lateral airbag sections.

3. The airbag of claim 2 wherein the predetermined one of the fold lines extends between a lower edge of the fixing plate and a lower edge of the connector.

4. The airbag of claim 1 wherein the rearward position and the connector defining the predetermined ones of the fold lines are offset from each other in the longitudinal direction.

5. The airbag of claim 1 wherein a plurality of fold indicia on outer surfaces of the first and second lateral airbag sections indicates the predetermined ones of the fold line.

6. The airbag of claim 5 wherein the plurality of fold indicia comprise at least one of:

printed indicia;

embroidered indicia;

a sticker;

stamped indicia;

through openings.

7. The airbag of claim 1 wherein additional predetermined fold lines for the first and second lateral airbag sections are parallel to the predetermined ones of the fold lines.

8. The airbag of claim 7 wherein the additional predetermined fold lines are indicated by a plurality of fold indicia on outer surfaces of the first and second lateral airbag sections.

9. The airbag of claim 1 wherein the lateral airbag sections each have an upper portion above the connector and a lower portion below the connector and only one of the upper and lower portions is folded first about the predetermined ones of the fold lines generally extending in the longitudinal direction between the rearward position and the connector.

10. The airbag of claim 9 wherein the other of the upper and lower portions is roll folded.

11. The airbag of claim 9 wherein the one of the upper and lower portions is the lower portion that is folded first about the predetermined ones of the fold lines generally extending in the longitudinal direction between the rearward position and the connector.

12. The airbag of claim 9 wherein additional predetermined fold lines of the one of the upper and lower portions all intersect the connector.

13. The airbag of claim 1 further comprising at least one vent hole located at a predetermined position on each of the first and second lateral airbag sections and wherein the predetermined ones of the fold lines extend along the at least one vent hole.

14. The airbag of claim 13 wherein the at least one vent hole serves as fold indicia on an outer surface of each of the first and second lateral airbag sections to indicate the predetermined ones of the fold lines.

15. An airbag device for deploying an airbag toward a vehicle occupant, the airbag device comprising:

a case for accommodating the airbag;

a lid for covering said case;

an inflator for inflating said airbag toward a vehicle occupant;

the airbag comprising;

a base airbag section having an opening for receiving gas from the inflator and a fixing plate mounted in the base airbag section to fix the airbag and the inflator to the case;

a first lateral airbag section connected to the base airbag section for being deployed along one side of the vehicle occupant;

a second lateral airbag section connected to the base airbag section for being deployed along the other side of the vehicle occupant;

a connector for interconnecting portions of the first and second lateral airbag sections;

a first elongated folded body formed by folding of the first lateral airbag section;

a second elongated folded body formed by folding of the second lateral airbag section;

a first of a predetermined plurality of fold lines for the lateral airbag sections generally extending from the fixing plate to the connector.

16. The airbag device of claim 15 wherein the first predetermined fold line generally extends from a forward edge of the fixing plate to the connector.

17. A method of manufacturing an airbag, the method comprising:

forming a rear base section of the airbag;

connecting first and second lateral airbag sections to the base airbag section forwardly thereof, interconnecting portions of the first and second lateral airbag sections with a connector;

folding both the first lateral airbag section and the second lateral airbag section about predetermined fold lines with the initial fold being about one of the fold lines generally extending in a fore and aft direction and intersecting at least a portion of the connector.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the base section is formed by mounting a fixing plate in the base section and the initial fold extends from the fixing plate.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising marking outer surfaces of the first and second lateral airbag sections with a plurality of fold indicia to indicate the fold lines.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein folding the first lateral airbag section and the second lateral airbag sections further comprises folding the first and second lateral airbag sections about additional predetermined fold lines that are parallel to the initial fold line.