Vehicular air bag, air bag module having the vehicular air bag and method of folding the air bag

• US 20070075530A1
• Filed: 09/18/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nihon Plast Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nihon Plast Company Limited
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Aki
• Granted Patent: US 7,766,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.200
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

An air bag, includes 1) a roll part configured to be wound in a form of a roll when the air bag is in a folded state to be installed in a vehicle. The roll part includes a pushed part formed by pushing a part of an outer face of the air bag inward to the roll part in a certain pushing direction, such that the roll part has a decreased cross section by the pushing.

Claims

1. An air bag, comprising:

1) a roll part configured to be wound in a form of a roll when the air bag is in a folded state to be installed in a vehicle, the roll part including;

a pushed part formed by pushing a part of an outer face of the air bag inward to the roll part in a certain pushing direction, such that the roll part has a decreased cross section by the pushing.

2. The air bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein on a base end side of the roll part, a return part is so formed as to extend along the roll part.

3. The air bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein on a base end side of the roll part, a pair of return parts are so formed as to wrap the roll part.

4. An air bag module, comprising:

1) an air bag configured to be installed, in a folded state, in a space which is defined in one of the followings;

i) between a vehicular body and an interior material, and

ii) between a seat frame and an exterior material,

wherein,

the air bag is so configured that, when expanded at a collision of a vehicle, the air bag opens any one of the interior material and the exterior material in an opening direction, thereby developing the any one of the interior material and the exterior material outward from the space,

the air bag installed in the space, including;

i) a roll part configured to be wound, from a leading end side of the air bag, in a form of a roll when the air bag is in the folded state, the roll part including;

a pushed part formed by pushing a part of an outer face of the air bag inward to the roll part in a certain pushing direction, such that the roll part has a decreased cross section by the pushing,

wherein,

when the air bag is installed in the space, an anti-pushing direction of the roll part is substantially consistent with the opening direction for opening the any one of the interior material and the exterior material when the air bag is expanded.

5. The air bag module as claimed in claim 4, wherein

the air bag in the folded state is configured to be installed in the space defined between a side roof rail and a head lining of the vehicular body, and

the air bag which is expanded at the collision of the vehicle is so configured as to push a lower end part of the head lining toward a vehicular interior side and thereby open the lower end part, such that the air bag is developed downward in a form of a curtain.

6. The air bag module as claimed in claim 4, wherein

the pushed part of the roll part is configured to be held by a holder which is collapsible at the expanding of the air bag.

7. An air bag module adapted to be mounted along a side roof rail of a vehicular body and over a center pillar or a hand grip, the air bag module comprising:

1) an air bag produced by the following operations;

i) rolling the air bag, and

ii) pushing the air bag in a position substantially corresponding to the center pillar, such that the air bag has a decreased cross section.

8. A method of folding an air bag, comprising:

1) flattening the air bag, to thereby form one of the followings on a base end side of the air bag;

a single return part, and

two return parts;

2) winding a remaining part of the air bag from a leading end of the air bag, to thereby form a roll part having an outer face of the air bag;

3) wrapping the roll part with the single return part or the two return parts in such a manner as to form a space part in a center of the roll part, to thereby form a first cross section of the roll part; and

4) pushing a lower end center part on the outer face in a pushing direction toward the center of the roll part, to thereby form a pushed part on the roll part.

9. The method of folding the air bag as claimed in claim 8, wherein

in the forming of the pushed part, the air bag is stretched in the pushing direction, thereby increasing a winding density of the roll part, thus causing a second cross section smaller than the first cross section.

10. A method of folding an air bag, comprising:

1) flattening the air bag, to thereafter fold a base end of the air bag in such a manner that the base end forms a corrugated part;

2) folding a remaining part of the air bag, in a form of a roll, from a leading end of the air bag to the base end of the air bag, to thereby form a roll part such that the corrugated part is disposed on a rear side in a developing direction of the air bag; and

3) forming a pushed part by pushing the roll part from a front side to the rear side in a pushing direction opposite to the developing direction.

11. A method of folding a curtain-type air bag which has a base end as a mounting part and is adapted to be developed along a side part of a vehicle, the method comprising:

1) flattening the air bag;

2) folding the air bag toward a base end of the air bag, to thereby form a roll part; and

3) pushing an outer face of a roll part, to thereby form a pushed part which is pushed inward from the outer face.