KNEE AIRBAG

• US 20130015646A1
• Filed: 02/02/2011
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Okamoto, Masakazu, Hanawa, Akifumi, Ohshima, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 8,714,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2171 specially adapted for elongated cylindrical or bottle-like inflators with a symmetry axis perpendicular to the main direction of bag deployment, e.g. extruded reaction canisters B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2346 Soft diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

An airbag in which no choking occurs and which can be rapidly deployed. A cushion section of the airbag internally accommodates a cylinder-type inflator that includes an insertion hole for inserting the inflator from an outside to an inside, and a diffuser into which the inflator is inserted, and a diffuser having a tubular portion obtained by folding back a section of cloth to form symmetrical portions with an upper base formed by the folded back part and a lower base formed by adjacent ends of the symmetrical portions. The cushion section is folded back at both lateral sides of the along first folding lines that are substantially orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the diffuser.

Claims

1. A knee airbag internally accommodating a cylinder-type inflator, comprising:

a cushion section;

an insertion hole defined in the cushion section for inserting the inflator from an outside to an inside of the cushion section; and

a diffuser located within the cushion section and into which the inflator that has been inserted from the insertion hole is inserted, the diffuser having a tubular portion obtained by folding a hexagonal cloth back along a diagonal of the hexagonal cloth thereby forming substantially congruent and left-right symmetrical trapezoidal cloths by taking the diagonal as an upper base and sewing a portion corresponding to a lower base of the trapezoidal cloths to a foundation cloth of the cushion section, and the inflator being inserted into the tubular portion adjacent to the lower base, wherein

the cushion section being folded back at both outer sides along creases that are substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the diffuser and located longitudinally beyond the lower base of the diffuser.

2. The knee airbag according to claim 1, wherein the creases obtained by folding back are positioned longitudinally between both ends the upper base of the diffuser.

3. A knee airbag in which a cylinder-type inflator is accommodated, comprising

a cushion section having an internal diffuser with outlet ports defined therein,

a roll section formed in the cushion section by folding or winding in an accordion-like or roll-like configuration in the knee airbag, and both ends of the roll section being folded back to a center thereof to define folds, and

the folds being formed in a position wherein the outlet ports of the diffuser are not closed by the folds.

4. The knee airbag according to claim 3, wherein the folds are formed in a position wherein the outlet ports of the diffuser are partially closed by the folds.

5. An airbag internally accommodating a cylinder-type inflator, the airbag being one of a knee airbag, a driver seat airbag, a passenger seat airbag, a side airbag and a curtain airbag, the airbag comprising:

a cushion section having lateral sides;

an insertion hole defined in the cushion section for inserting the inflator from an outside to an inside of the cushion section; and

a diffuser located within the cushion section and into which the inflator that has been inserted from the insertion hole is inserted, the diffuser having a tubular portion obtained by folding a cloth portion back along itself at an upper base thereby forming substantially congruent cloth sections and sewing adjacent end portion defining a lower base of the cloth sections to a foundation cloth of the cushion section, and the inflator being inserted into the tubular portion adjacent to the lower base, and

the cushion section being folded back at both lateral sides along creases that are substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the diffuser and located longitudinally beyond of the lower base of the diffuser.

6. The airbag according to claim 5, wherein the creases define a line traversing through the upper base.

7. The airbag according to claim 5, wherein the creases define a line traversing through the upper base but not the lower base.

8. The airbag according to claim 5, wherein the cloth portion is of a rectangular shape.

9. The airbag according to claim 5, wherein the cloth portion is of a hexagonal shape.

10. An airbag in which a cylinder-type inflator is accommodated, the airbag being one of a knee airbag, a driver seat airbag, a passenger seat airbag, a side airbag and a curtain airbag, the airbag comprising:

a cushion section having an internal diffuser with outlet ports defined therein,

a roll section formed in the cushion section by folding or winding in an accordion-like or roll-like configuration in the airbag, and both ends of the roll section being folded back to a center thereof to define folds, and

the folds being formed in a position wherein the outlet ports of the diffuser are not closed by the folds.

11. The airbag according to claim 10, wherein the folds are formed in a position wherein the outlet ports of the diffuser are partially closed by the folds.