Airbag device

• US 20080061536A1
• Filed: 09/13/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2006
• 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 7,712,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/729
• 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 21/201 Packaging straps or envelopes for inflatable members
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

An airbag device is provided in which the airbag is made by folding an airbag having a left airbag section and a right airbag section and wrapping the folded airbag by a shape-retaining sheet. In one form, an airbag includes a left airbag section and a right airbag section that are inflated on the left and right, respectively, in front of a passenger, and a base chamber that communicates base ends of the airbag sections with each other. The airbag is folded so as to have reduced vertical and longitudinal widths, and is wrapped by a shape-retaining sheet. An opening is provided in the shape-retaining sheet so as to face a lateral face of a folded body of the airbag on the passenger side.

Claims

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

a base airbag section;

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 folded body including the first and second lateral airbag sections folded in a predetermined configuration;

a shape-retaining panel connected to the base airbag section and being wrapped around the folded body to cover only an outer surface of the folded body; and

at least one viewing opening in the shape-retaining panel for viewing the folded body, the opening being configured and arranged such that a portion of both the first and second lateral airbag sections of the folded body can be viewed through the viewing opening.

2. The airbag of claim 1 wherein the base airbag section and the folded body have a predetermined orientation relative to the vehicle occupant and the shape-retaining panel is connected to the base airbag section at a side of the base airbag section arranged to be facing away from the vehicle occupant.

3. The airbag of claim 1 wherein the base airbag section and the folded body have a predetermined orientation relative to the vehicle occupant and the at least one viewing opening is arranged to be located on a portion of the shape-retaining panel covering at least one of:

a lateral face of the folded body facing the vehicle occupant;

a lateral face of the folded body facing away from the vehicle occupant;

a lateral face of the folded body facing the first lateral airbag section;

a lateral face of the folded body facing the second lateral airbag section;

a top face of the folded body.

4. The airbag of claim 1 wherein the base airbag section is substantially flattened with the folded body placed thereon and wherein a flap portion of the flattened base airbag section is pulled out therefrom to extend beyond a periphery of the overlying folded body adjacent thereto and folded so that at least a portion of the flap portion can be viewed through the at least one viewing opening.

5. The airbag of claim 1 wherein the opening is of a predetermined size such that the folded body can be manipulated through the at least one viewing opening.

6. The airbag of claim 1 wherein the at least one viewing opening is generally of a circular shape.

7. The airbag of claim 1 wherein the base airbag section and the folded body have a predetermined configuration and orientation relative to the vehicle occupant and the shape-retaining panel includes a plurality of side portions for covering the folded body including a first side portion that extends over a lateral face of the folded body opposite the vehicle occupant, a second side portion that extends over the top of the folded body toward the vehicle occupant, and a third side portion that extends down over a lateral face of the folded body facing the vehicle occupant.

8. The airbag of claim 7 wherein the shape-retaining panel includes slits for being ruptured upon airbag inflation, with the slits being distinct and spaced from the viewing opening.

9. The airbag of claim 8 wherein the slits are generally located in the middle of one of the side portions.

10. The airbag of claim 8 wherein the viewing opening is located in one of the side portions and the slits are located on one of the side portions not containing the viewing opening.

11. The airbag of claim 7 wherein the viewing opening is located on the third side portion and the slits are located in the second side portion.

12. The airbag of claim 7 wherein the predetermined configuration of the folded body is generally cubical, including corners between the lateral faces thereof, and the viewing opening is located in one of the side portions spaced from the corners of the folded body.

13. The airbag of claim 7 wherein the shape-retaining panel further includes a fourth side portion that extends over a lateral face of the folded body facing the first lateral airbag section and a fifth side portion that extends over a lateral face of the folded body facing the second lateral airbag section.

14. The airbag of claim 1 wherein the shape-retaining panel includes a leading edge that extends from the base airbag section out from one side thereof to be wrapped around the folded body and under the opposite side of the base airbag section at which the leading edge is anchored.

15. An airbag device comprising:

an airbag;

an inflator for inflating the airbag;

first and second lateral sections of the inflated airbag;

a folded body including the airbag lateral sections folded in a predetermined configuration;

a shape-retaining panel wrapped about the folded body to maintain the predetermined configuration thereof prior to airbag deployment;

perforations in the panel having a predetermined arrangement thereof so that deployment of the airbag ruptures the panel along the perforations; and

a viewing opening in the panel to allow for viewing of both of the airbag lateral sections of the folded body.

16. The airbag device of claim 15 wherein the viewing opening is larger than any one of the perforations.

17. The airbag device of claim 15 wherein the perforations are narrow slit openings and the viewing opening is wider than the narrow slit openings.

18. The airbag device of claim 15 wherein the viewing opening is spaced from the predetermined arrangement of the perforations.

19. The airbag device of claim 15 wherein the shape-retaining panel includes a plurality of side portions for covering the folded body and a plurality of corner portions between adjacent side portions and the viewing opening is located on the panel wrapped about the folded body so as to not intersect any of the plurality of corner portions thereof.

20. The airbag of claim 15 wherein the folded body includes a plurality of lateral faces and the viewing opening is located in the middle of one of the lateral faces so that at least a portion of both the first lateral airbag section and the second lateral airbag section can be viewed through the viewing opening.

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

forming a base airbag section of the airbag;

connecting first and second lateral airbag sections to the base airbag section;

folding the first lateral airbag section and the second lateral airbag section to form a folded body having a predetermined configuration;

connecting a shape-retaining panel to the base airbag section, with the shape-retaining panel having a viewing opening;

wrapping the shape-retaining panel around the folded body to cover only an outer surface of the folded body and to locate the viewing opening at a predetermined position relative to the folded body.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

upon viewing an abnormal folding of the folded body through the viewing opening, unwrapping the shape-retaining panel;

refolding the folded body; and

rewrapping the shape-retaining panel around the folded body to cover only an outer surface of the folded body.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the shape-retaining panel is wrapped to locate the viewing opening on a lateral face of the folded body.

24. The method of claim 21 including sizing the opening is so that a portion of both the first and second lateral airbag sections of the folded body can be viewed through the opening.

25. The method of claim 21 including pulling a rear end of the base airbag section rearwardly and folding the rear end toward the folded body, and the shape-retaining panel is wrapped to locate the viewing opening so that a portion of the panel rear end can be viewed through the opening.

26. The airbag of claim 21 including anchoring a leading edge of the shape-retaining panel at a bottom face of the base airbag section under the folded body.