Airbag Apparatus And Motorcycle Having The Same

• US 20070052214A1
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), Joyson Safety Systems Japan GK (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.), Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Miyata, Yasuhito
• Granted Patent: US 7,780,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0088 Cycles, e.g. motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 27/20 Airbags specially adapted for motorcycles or the like

Abstract

A technique is provided that is effective in smoothing the airbag deploying motion of an airbag apparatus to be mounted to a motorcycle. In one form, an airbag apparatus mounted to a motorcycle is constructed to hold the loose portions of elongated webbings that join an airbag to the vehicle body in a predetermined bunched state as a folded portion while the airbag is housed, and to release the hold upon the deployment of the airbag.

Claims

1. An airbag apparatus to be mounted to a motorcycle and having an airbag for being deployed from a housing thereof and inflated upon detection of a collision of the motorcycle and an inflator for supplying inflation gas to the airbag, the airbag apparatus comprising:

an elongated webbing having spaced ends, the webbing having a loose portion between the ends thereof, with one end secured to the airbag and the other end secured to the motorcycle; and

a webbing holder of the elongated webbing for temporarily holding the loose portion of the webbing in a bunched state while the airbag is housed, with the webbing holder configured to release the webbing from the bunched state upon deployment of the airbag, with the webbing holder including at least one of;

a hook-and-loop fastener that secures opposing surfaces of the webbing loose portion together in the bunched state;

stitching that detachably sews together the webbing loose portion in the bunched state; and

a binding member that detachably binds the webbing loose portion in the bunched state.

2. The airbag apparatus of claim 1 wherein the webbing holder is operable so that the bunched state in which the webbing loose portion is held is a folded state of the webbing loose portion.

3. The airbag apparatus of claim 1 wherein the webbing comprises a pair of webbings each with loose portions and the webbing holder comprises a pair of webbing holders that are at symmetric locations on each of the webbings for even and smooth airbag deployment.

4. The airbag apparatus of claim 3 wherein the bunched portions of each webbing are identically folded in the same manner and direction.

5. The airbag apparatus of claim 1 including a webbing cover that covers the elongated webbing including the bunched loose portions thereof prior to airbag deployment.

6. The airbag apparatus of claim 1 wherein the binding member comprises an adhesive member.

7. A motorcycle comprising:

a body;

a seat of the body for supporting a rider seated thereon;

an airbag for being deployed and inflated rearwardly upon detection of a front collision;

first and second elongated webbings, with each webbing secured at a first end to the airbag and at a second end to the body;

folded portions of the first and second elongated webbings; and

releasable fasteners for the folded portions of each webbing that temporarily secure the folded portions in a folded state, with the fasteners configured to release the folded portions upon deployment of the airbag.

8. The motorcycle of claim 7 wherein the releasable fasteners include at least one of:

a hook-and-loop fastener that secures opposing surfaces of the webbing folded portions together;

stitching that detachably sews the folded portions together; and

a binding member that detachably binds the folded portions together.

9. The motorcycle of claim 7 including first and second webbing covers that cover an upper portion of the first and second elongated webbings respectively when the airbag is in an inoperative state.

10. The motorcycle of claim 7 including a fuel tank and the first and second webbings extend along opposite lateral sides of the fuel tank.

11. The motorcycle of claim 7 wherein the first and second webbings extend substantially linearly between the first end secured to the airbag and the second end secured to the body to restrict motion of the deployed and inflated airbag.

12. The motorcycle of claim 7 wherein the folded portions are intermediate the first and second end of the elongated webbings.