Air bag device

• US 5,069,479 A
• Filed: 08/03/1990
• Issued: 12/03/1991
• 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, Koide, Teruhiko, Shinto, Hiroaki, Buma, Kozi
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US07/562,261
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728, 280/731, 280/737, 280/741, 280/734
• 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 is equipped with a restricting member for preventing an air bag accommodated in an air bag main body from being inflated erroneously upon impact before the air bag main body is attached to a body of a vehicle inclusive of a steering wheel. This restricting member, only when a deactivating member for deactivating the operation of an acceleration sensor is in operation, allows the air bag main body to approach a designated attaching area of the body of a vehicle. After the air bag main body is secured, the operation of the deactivating member is released to the put the acceleration sensor in an operation activating condition.

Claims

1. An air bag device for a vehicle to be put in operation in case of an emergency, comprising:

(a) an air bag main body in which an air bag is accommodated,

(b) inflating means accommodated in the air bag main body for inflating the air bag,

(c) an acceleration sensor accommodated in the air bag main body for detecting a large deceleration to actuate inflating means,

(d) mounting means for mounting the air bag main body to a body of the vehicle,

(e) acceleration-sensor deactivating means which takes a first state in which the operation of the acceleration sensor is disabled even if a large acceleration is imposed and a second state in which the operation of the acceleration sensor is activated,

(f) releasing means for releasing the deactivating means to put the acceleration sensor in an activated state, and

(g) restricting means for preventing the mounting means from achieving its function of attaching the air bag main body to the body of the vehicle when the acceleration-sensor deactivating means is in the second state and allowing the mounting means to achieve its function when the acceleration-sensor deactivating means is in the first state,

whereby the air bag is prevented from being inflated accidentally in response to an impact imparted before the air bag main body is attached to the body of the vehicle.

2. An air bag device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the restricting means includes a restricting member for preventing the air bag main body from approaching a designated attaching area when the deactivating means is in the second state.

3. An air bag device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the restricting member includes a detecting portion for detecting the states of the releasing means corresponding to the first and second states of said deactivating means.

4. An air bag device for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the deactivating means changes from a first state to a second state as it moves in the axial direction thereof.

5. An air bag device for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the releasing means includes a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter disposed in axially-spaced relation correspondingly to the detecting portion wherein said first diameter is larger than said second diameter.

6. An air bag device for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the releasing means is threadedly engaged with the air bag main body, wherein the releasing means moves a distance which is proportional to the amount of engagement of the releasing means with the air bag main body.

7. An air bag device for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the detecting portion prevents the air bag main body from moving to a designated attaching area when it comes into abutment with the first portion of the releasing means.

8. An air bag device for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said releasing means is a bolt, the detecting portion being formed with a bolt accommodating hole having a narrow inlet portion through which the second portion of the bolt passes and a wide bottom portion through which the first portion of the bolt passes, whereby the detecting portion detects the axially-moved position of the bolt.

9. An air bag device for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said releasing means is a bolt and the detecting portion which, when the amount of engagement of the releasing means in the form of a bolt with the air bag main body is of a first magnitude, alignment with a periphery of the second portion of the bolt allows the air bag main body to be inserted to a designated attaching area, and when the amount of engagement of the bolt with the air bag main body is of a second magnitude, wherein the second magnitude is larger than the first magnitude, abutment with the periphery of the first portion of the bolt prevents the air bag main body from being inserted to the designated attaching area.

10. An air bag device for a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the first portion of the bolt is cylindrical, and the changing of the releasing means to the second state is allowed by the detecting portion which is inserted into the first cylindrical portion only after the air bag main body is secured to the body of the vehicle.

11. An air bag device of the type in which an air bag accommodated in an air bag main body is inflated upon actuation of an acceleration sensor, comprising

(a) an attaching means formed with an insertion hole for an attaching screw for attaching the air bag main body to a body of a vehicle,

(b) a deactivation releasing member for putting the acceleration sensor in an acceleration-detection activating state upon rotation, and

(c) a restricting means which, when the deactivating releasing member is in the acceleration-detection activating state, abuts with the deactivating releasing member to bring the insertion hole out of alignment with the attaching screw to thereby prevent the air bag main body from being attached to the body of a vehicle.

12. An air bag device according to claim 11, wherein the deactivating releasing member changes its position in alignment with the releasing means as it is threaded into the air bag main body.

13. An air bag device according to claim 12, wherein the releasing member includes a first portion having a first diameter which comes into alignment with the restricting means when the acceleration sensor is in an acceleration-detection deactivating state, and a second portion having a second diameter which comes into alignment with the restricting means when the acceleration sensor is in the acceleration-detection activating state wherein the first diameter is smaller than the second diameter.

14. An air bag device according to claim 13, wherein the restricting means, only when in an aligned state with the first portion of the releasing means, brings the insertion hole in alignment with the attaching screw after the air bag main body is attached to the body of the vehicle.

15. An air bag device according to claim 14, wherein the restricting means, when in an engaged state with the second portion of the releasing means, prevents the air bag main body from being detached, and when in the aligned state with the first portion of the releasing means after the releasing means is loosened, allows the air bag main body to be detached.

16. An air bag device according to claim 13, wherein the second portion of the releasing means is cylindrical, and the restricting means, when the air bag main body is attached to the body of the vehicle, is partially inserted into the interior of the second portion of the releasing means to prevent the air bag main body from being detached from the body of the vehicle.

17. A air bag device according to claim 13, wherein the restricting means has a restricting means accommodating hole consisting of a narrow inlet portion corresponding to the first portion of the releasing means and a wide bottom portion corresponding to the second portion of the releasing means.

18. An air bag device to be attached to the steering wheel of a vehicle, comprising

(a) a base member,

(b) an air bag for attaching to the base member,

(c) an inflator for inflating the air bag,

(d) an acceleration sensor for actuating the inflator,

(e) lock means for putting the acceleration sensor in a locked state at a first position and in an operation activation state at a second position,

(f) a screw for securing the base member to the steering wheel when the base member is at a designated attaching position relative to the steering wheel,

(g) a releasing bolt having a first portion of a first diameter provided in a first releasing bolt position in close proximity to the lock means and a second portion having a second diameter provided in a second releasing bolt position which is farther from the lock means than the first releasing bolt position, to activate the acceleration sensor when rotated wherein the first diameter is smaller than said second diameter, and

(h) restricting means projecting from the base member which, when the deactivating releasing bolt is provided in the second releasing bolt position, alignment with the first portion of the releasing bolt allows the base member to be inserted up to a designated attaching position, and when it is provided in the first releasing bolt position, alignment with the second portion of the releasing bolt prevents the base member from being inserted up to the designated attaching position.

19. An air bag device according to claim 18, wherein the retricting means is a plate member formed with a narrow inlet portion through which the first portion of the releasing bolt passes and a wide bottom hole through which the second portion of the releasing bolt passes, and the insertion of the base member in its attaching direction is restricted when the inlet portion in aligned with the second portion of the releasing bolt.

20. An air bag according to claim 18, wherein the restricting means has an arm portion which, when it comes into alignment with the first portion of the releasing bolt, allows the base member to be inserted up to the designated attaching position, and when it comes into abutment with the second portion of the releasing bolt, prevents the base member from being inserted up to the designated attaching position.