Airbag apparatus
First Claim
1. An airbag apparatus for use in a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
- an inflation fluid generator accommodated in an accommodation portion formed in a space over a ceiling of a passenger compartment of the vehicle, the inflation fluid generator jetting out inflation fluid in response to an impact on the vehicle from behind; and
an airbag that is accommodated in the accommodation portion in a folded state and has a proximal portion fixed to the vehicle, wherein the airbag is connected to the inflation fluid generator and, by receiving at the proximal portion the inflation fluid supplied from the inflation fluid generator in response to the impact on the vehicle from behind, shoots out of the accommodation portion toward a rear portion of the passenger compartment and in a diagonally downward direction, and deploys and inflates behind a rearmost seat with the proximal portion maintained in the accommodation portion,wherein a plurality of inflatable portions and a plurality of non-inflatable portions are defined in the airbag, wherein the inflatable portions are deployed and inflated by the inflation fluid in the vicinity of a lateral side of a headrest of the rearmost seat, and each non-inflatable portion is made of a fabric sheet, arranged between an adjacent pair of the inflatable portions, and deployed behind the headrest without being inflated by the inflation fluid, andwherein the inflatable portions include a pair of side inflatable portions arranged at both outer sides in a direction of the width of the vehicle, and wherein each non-inflatable portion is provided with a displacement permitting portion permitting outward displacement of the corresponding one of the side inflatable portions in the direction of the width of the vehicle.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An airbag 33 has a plurality of vertical inflatable cells 37 to 40 each serving as an inflatable portion and non-inflatable portions 41, 45, each of which is arranged between a corresponding adjacent pair of the vertical inflatable cells 37 to 40 and formed by a fabric sheet 34B. The vertical inflatable cells 37 to 40 are deployed and inflated by inflation gas at positions beside corresponding headrests 14L, 14R of the rearmost seat. In contrast, the non-inflatable portions 41, 45 deploy behind the headrests 14L, 14R without inflating. The vertical inflatable cells 37 to 40 include vertical inflatable cells 38, 39 located at the center of the direction of the width of the vehicle and side vertical inflatable cells 37, 40 arranged at both sides of the direction of the width of the vehicle. A slit 43 and a slit 47, each serving as a displacement permitting portion that permits outward displacement of the corresponding side vertical inflatable cell 37, 40 in the direction of the width of the vehicle, are defined in the non-inflatable portion 41 and the non-inflatable portion 45, respectively. The slits 43, 47 each extend from a distal edge 42, 46 of the corresponding non-inflatable portion 41, 45 toward a proximal portion 33A of the airbag 33.
21 Citations
14 Claims
-
1. An airbag apparatus for use in a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
-
an inflation fluid generator accommodated in an accommodation portion formed in a space over a ceiling of a passenger compartment of the vehicle, the inflation fluid generator jetting out inflation fluid in response to an impact on the vehicle from behind; and an airbag that is accommodated in the accommodation portion in a folded state and has a proximal portion fixed to the vehicle, wherein the airbag is connected to the inflation fluid generator and, by receiving at the proximal portion the inflation fluid supplied from the inflation fluid generator in response to the impact on the vehicle from behind, shoots out of the accommodation portion toward a rear portion of the passenger compartment and in a diagonally downward direction, and deploys and inflates behind a rearmost seat with the proximal portion maintained in the accommodation portion, wherein a plurality of inflatable portions and a plurality of non-inflatable portions are defined in the airbag, wherein the inflatable portions are deployed and inflated by the inflation fluid in the vicinity of a lateral side of a headrest of the rearmost seat, and each non-inflatable portion is made of a fabric sheet, arranged between an adjacent pair of the inflatable portions, and deployed behind the headrest without being inflated by the inflation fluid, and wherein the inflatable portions include a pair of side inflatable portions arranged at both outer sides in a direction of the width of the vehicle, and wherein each non-inflatable portion is provided with a displacement permitting portion permitting outward displacement of the corresponding one of the side inflatable portions in the direction of the width of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method for folding an airbag used in an airbag apparatus installed in a vehicle,
wherein a plurality of inflatable portions and a plurality of non-inflatable portions each formed of a fabric sheet are defined in the airbag, wherein the inflatable portions are deployed and inflated by inflation fluid, and wherein the non-inflatable portions are each arranged between adjacent pair of the inflatable portions, and deployed without being inflated by the inflation fluid, wherein the inflatable portions include a pair of side inflatable portions, and each non-inflatable portion is provided with a displacement permitting portion permitting displacement of the corresponding one of the side inflatable portions, and wherein a plurality of engagement portions are provided in the vicinity of the displacement permitting portion of each non-inflatable portion, the engagement portions are aligned along the displacement permitting portion and used to position the corresponding non-inflatable portion when an airbag in an spread state is folded, the method comprising: -
mounting the airbag in the spread state on a table having one or more engaging portions; positioning the airbag in the spread state by engaging the engaging portions of the table with the engagement portions of the airbag; and folding the airbag in a volute shape from the distal edge of each non-inflatable portion toward the proximal portion of the non-inflatable portion using an elongated folding assist tool as a core, the non-inflatable portion being engaged with the engagement portions until immediately before the airbag is folded back. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
-
Specification