Safety bag device for vehicle

• US 4,021,058 A
• Filed: 10/28/1975
• Issued: 05/03/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nippon Soken, Inc. (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippon Soken, Inc. (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Hattori, Yoshiyuki, Suzuki, Mikio
• Primary Examiner(s): Betts, Kenneth H.
• Application Number:
  US05/626,565
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 280/736, 280/741, 280/742, 280/737, 137/68 A, 137/71, 137/516.11, 137/543.15, 222/3
• US Class Current: 280/737
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26094 characterised by fluid flow controlling valves
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2612 Gas guiding means, e.g. ducts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/26 characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow arrangement or mounting thereof to the vehicle B60R21/20; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure in general F42B3/04; initiators or igniters therefor F42B3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/261 with means other than bag structure to diffuse or guide inflation fluid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1647 Explosive actuation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1789 Having pressure responsive valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7859 Single head, plural ports in parallel

Abstract

In a safety bag device for use in a vehicle and of the type wherein a rupture plate is interposed between a high pressure gas container and a conduit leading to an inflatable safety bag. A nozzle having a plurality of nozzle holes opened into the conduit is interposed between the rupture plate and the conduit. A spool is slidably fitted to the nozzle in such a way that it may normally close a predetermined number of nozzle holes, but may be displaced away from the nozzle to open them in response to the increase in pressure in the nozzle chamber when the rupture plate is ruptured in case of a collision, whereby the flow rate of the high pressure gas flowing into the inflatable safety bag may be suitably controlled so as to prevent very rapid expansion of the bag resulting in the injury to an occupant.

Claims

1. In a safety bag device for use in a vehicle and of the type comprising an inflatable safety bag, a high pressure gas source, a conduit for leading the gas discharged from said gas source into said bag, and rupture plate means interposed between said gas source and said conduit for normally interrupting the communication between said gas source and said conduit unless said rupture plate means is ruptured in case of a collision of the vehicle, the improvement comprising:

a nozzle member interposed between said rupture plate means and said conduit and having a nozzle chamber and a plurality of nozzle holes opening into said conduit from said nozzle chamber for conducting gas from said source to said conduit following rupture of said rupture plate means, said nozzle member also having a head portion and at least one communication hole formed in said head portion and opening into said nozzle chamber;

spool means fitted to said nozzle member so as to define outside the head portion of said nozzle member a spool chamber communicating with said nozzle chamber through said communication hole, said spool means closing a predetermined number of said nozzle holes when said rupture plate is not ruptured and being slidable with respect to said nozzle member and in a first direction to open the predetermined number of nozzle holes when pressure in said spool chamber reaches a predetermined value as gas is introduced through said communication hole into said chamber in response to an increase in pressure in said nozzle chamber as a result of the rupture of said rupture plate means;

guide means attached to said conduit for guiding sliding movement of said spool means; and

a bias spring disposed between said spool means and said guide means for urging said spool in a direction opposite to said first direction, whereby the flow rate of the high pressure gas into said safety bag may be controlled to be low at the intitial stage and higher thereafter.

2. An improvement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plurality of said nozzle holes are arrayed in a plurality of rows.

3. An improvement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rows comprises a first row and a second row, the first row includes a plurality of small diameter nozzle holes while the second row, a plurality of large diameter holes.

4. An improvement as set forth in claim 1, wherein a space is formed in said nozzle at one end portion thereof in opposed relation with the inlet port thereof, whereby the fragments produced by the rupture of said rupture plate means may be carried by the high pressure gas flow and received in said space.