Air bag device

• US 5,039,125 A
• Filed: 08/03/1990
• Issued: 08/13/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Ogasawara, Takashi, Buma, Kozi, Mori, Shinji, Shinto, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US07/562,257
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728, 280/731, 280/734, 280/735, 180/282
• US Class Current: 280/734
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2035 using modules containing inflator, bag and cover attachable to the steering wheel as a complete sub-unit steering wheel covers with tear lines B60R21/21656; assembling of modules B60R21/217
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/33 Arrangements for non-electric triggering of inflation electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01

Abstract

An air bag device in which an internal acceleration sensor is prevented from operating a main body of an air bag device is mounted on a vehicle. The device is provided with a stopper for interlinking a fixing bolt for mounting the main body of the air bag device on the vehicle with a canceling screw for canceling the state of preventing the actuation of the acceleration sensor. Before the main body of the air bag device is threadingly inserted into the vehicle by means of the fixing screw and is thereby secure, the stopper keeps the canceling screw from being threadingly inserted.

Claims

1. An air bag device mounted on a vehicle and having a bag adapted to be inflated in front of an occupant of a vehicle upon actuation of an acceleration sensor, said air bag device comprising:

a main body having said bag and said acceleration sensor;

mounting means for mounting said main body onto the vehicle;

preventing means for preventing the actuation of said acceleration sensor;

prevention canceling means for canceling the preventing action of said preventing means and adapted to be operated during assembly; and

restraining means for rendering said prevention canceling means operable after said main body is mounted on said vehicle by said mounting means,

whereby the operation of said acceleration sensor is prevented by an impact applied to said air bag body during the mounting of said air bag body onto said vehicle.

2. An air bag device according to claim 1, wherein said prevention canceling means has a canceling screw which is threadingly inserted into said main body by an operation, and said restraining means prevents said screw from being threadingly inserted before said main body is mounted onto said vehicle by said mounting means.

3. An air bag device according to claim 2, wherein said canceling screw is inserted through said restraining means, and said restraining means is swingable about said screw.

4. An air bag device according to claim 3, wherein said restraining means permits the threading insertion only at a predetermined swinging positioned.

5. An air bag device according to claim 4, wherein said restraining means prevents said screw from being threadingly inserted, by being engaged with an enlarged-head portion of said screw.

6. An air bag device according to claim 5, wherein said restraining means is opposed to a head of a fixing screw of said mounting means at said predetermined swinging position, and said fixing screw prevents the movement of said restraining means so as to render impossible the threading insertion of said canceling screw of said prevention canceling means before said main body is secured to said vehicle by threadingly inserting said fixing screw.

7. An air device according to claim 6, wherein said restraining means covers said head of said fixing screw in a state in which said canceling screw of said prevention canceling means is threadingly inserted, said restraining means rendering impossible the operation of removing said fixing screw before said canceling screw of said prevention canceling means is loosened.

8. An air bag device according to claim 4, wherein said restraining means is provided with a shaft portion which is movable in an axial direction of said canceling screw only at said predetermined swinging position.

9. An air bag device according to claim 8, wherein a hole into which said shaft portion is inserted is formed in said main body.

10. An air bag device according to claim 7, wherein a cover is disposed in correspondence with a periphery of said fixing screw of said mounting means into which cover said restraining means is fitted with said canceling screw of said prevention canceling means threadingly inserted therein and which cover is adapted to prevent said swinging of said restraining means.

11. An air bag device for a vehicle, comprising:

an main body incorporating a bag and means for inflating said bag;

mounting means for securing said main body onto the vehicle;

a canceling screw which can be threadingly inserted in parallel with said mounting means, said canceling screw, when threadingly inserted, being capable of operating said inflating means inside said main body at a predetermined acceleration; and

restraining means which is rotatable about said canceling screw and is movable in it axial direction after said main body is secured to said chassis by said mounting means, thereby allowing said canceling screw to be threadingly inserted.

12. An air bag device according to claim 11, wherein said restraining means has a plurality of cover portions respectively corresponding to a plurality of fixing screws of said mounting means.

13. An air bag device according to claim 11, wherein said restraining means is a tabular member through which said canceling screw is inserted.

14. An air bag device according to claim 13, wherein said tabular restraining means is brought into contact with a large-diameter head of said canceling screw so as to prevent the axial movement of said canceling screw.

15. An air bag device according to claim 11, wherein a pin projecting from said restraining means corresponds to a notch formed in said main body, whereby said restraining means allows the threading insertion of said canceling screw only at a predetermined rotational angle.

16. An air bag device according to claim 15, wherein said cover portions formed on said restraining means cover said mounting means at said predetermined rotational angle.

17. An air bag device according to claim 11, wherein said mounting means is provided with fixing screw, and when said main body is secured to said vehicle by the threading insertion of said fixing screw, said restraining means is rendered movable in an axial direction of said canceling screw, thereby making it possible to threadingly insert said canceling screw.

18. An air bag device in which an acceleration sensor is provided in an main body, a gas is supplied to a bag upon actuation of said acceleration sensor so as to inflate said bag in front of a driver of a vehicle, said air bag device comprising:

preventing means disposed in said air bag body and adapted to prevent the operation of said main body even if an acceleration has occurred;

a fixing screw for fixing said main body onto a steering wheel of said vehicle;

a canceling screw which is supported by said main body coaxially with said fixing screw and is adapted to cancel the actuation of said preventing means by being threadingly inserted so as to render said bag inflatable by the action of an acceleration; and

a stopper which is rotatable about an axis of said canceling screw, but abuts against an enlarged-diameter portion of said canceling screw, and prevents the threading insertion of said canceling screw as said stopper abuts against a head of said fixing screw before the threading insertion of said fixing screw.

19. An air bag device according to claim 18, wherein said stopper is provided with a pin which makes said stopper movable about said axis of said canceling screw in an axial direction of said canceling screw only at a predetermined position.

20. An air bag device according to claim 18, wherein a portion of said stopper which abuts against said fixing screw has a sufficient size for covering said head of said fixing screw.