Air bag device

• US 5,080,394 A
• Filed: 09/04/1990
• Issued: 01/14/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Mori, Shinji, Kawaguchi, Teruhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US07/577,117
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 280/731, 280/732, 280/734
• US Class Current: 280/734
• 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 body to be mounted on a vehicle has a built-in acceleration sensor. A restriction apparatus prevents the acceleration sensor from activating before the air bag body is fixed to a vehicle. After the air bag body is fixed to a vehicle, an operator screws a press member in, and the press body directly comes in contact with the restriction apparatus, rotates the restriction apparatus, and makes the acceleration sensor operational. As the press member directly comes in contact with and rotates the restriction apparatus, the pressing force is transmitted without fail.

Claims

1. An air bag device for inflating an air bag when an acceleration is detected above a predetermined level comprising:

(a) an acceleration sensor having an inertial mass;

(b) a drive shaft contacting said acceleration sensor;

(c) restriction means for preventing said acceleration sensor from operating, said restriction means being axially rotatable between a first rotation position for immobilizing said drive shaft by contacting said drive shaft even when acted upon by said interial mass, and a second rotation position for enabling rotation of said drive shaft, so as to render said acceleration sensor operational; and

(d) a press member which directly comes in contact with said restriction means and rotates said restriction means from said first rotation position to said second rotation position by being pushed in, whereby said acceleration sensor is made operational without fail.

2. An air bag device according to claim 1, further comprising an urging means for urging said restriction means in the direction of said first rotation position to lock said acceleration sensor.

3. An air bag device according to claim 1, wherein said air bag device includes a pin such that when said restriction means is positioned in said second rotation position, said acceleration sensor is rendered operational by means of said drive shaft releasing said pin of said air bag device from a movement restricted state, so that said pin is capable of colliding with a percussion cap when an inertial force acts on said acceleration sensor.

4. An air bag device according to claim 1, wherein said inertial mass lies on one side of said drive shaft and said restriction means lies on an opposite side thereof.

5. An air bag device according to claim 1, wherein said restriction means is comprised of a lock shaft and an arm extended from said lock shaft and said inertial mass includes a locus of movement of a center of gravity of said inertial mass, wherein a contact portion between said arm of said restriction means and said drive shaft is positioned on the locus of movement of the center of gravity of said inertial mass.

6. An air bag device according to claim 1, wherein a pair of said inertial masses and a pair of drive shafts each of which corresponds to each of said inertial masses are disposed and a center of rotation of said restriction means is disposed between said pair of drive shafts so that arms of said restriction means protruding in the opposite directions from each other may engage with said drive shaft, respectively.

7. An air bag device according to claim 1, wherein said restriction means has a first plane including a locus of rotation of one contact portion where said restriction means contacts said drive shaft, and said drive shaft has a second plane including a locus of movement of a second contact portion where said drive shaft contacts said restriction means, wherein said first and second planes are generally at right angles to each other.

8. An air bag device according to claim 1, wherein said press member rotates said restriction means by coming in contact with a radially protruding arm of said restriction means.

9. An air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said press member axially moves and rotates said restriction means in the direction of said second rotation position to release said acceleration sensor.

10. An air bag device wherein an air bag inflates and comes in contact with an occupant during rapid deceleration of a vehicle comprising:

(a) an air bag body to be attached to a vehicle body;

(b) inflating means accommodated in said air bag body having an explosive mixture to inflate said air bag;

(c) an acceleration sensor accommodated in said air bag body to activate said explosive mixture of said inflating means, said acceleration sensor including a drive shaft driven by an inertial mass, said explosive mixture being activated by rotation of said drive shaft;

(d) restriction means being engaged with said drive shaft of said acceleration sensor to prevent said acceleration sensor from being activated; and

(e) a screw press member which, by being screwed in after said air bag body is fixed to said vehicle body, comes in contact with said restriction means, rotates said restriction means to a position not corresponding to the position of said acceleration sensor, makes said acceleration sensor movable, and rotates without fail said restriction means by directly coming in contact with said restriction means.

11. An air bag device according to claim 10, wherein said restriction means includes a protruding arm which prevents said drive shaft and said inertial mass from moving by coming in contact with a portion of said drive shaft wherein said protruding arm contacts said drive shaft on one side of said drive shaft and said inertial mass contacts said drive shaft on a side opposite thereof.

12. An air bag device according to claim 11 wherein said arm includes an axis of rotation and said drive shaft includes an axis of rotation wherein a plane including the axis of rotation of said arm and a plane including the axis of rotation of said drive shaft are substantially at right angles to each other.

13. An air bag device according to claim 10, wherein said acceleration sensor comprises a plurality of inertial masses, said restriction means having protruding arms corresponding to said inertial masses, respectively, to prevent said inertial masses from moving.

14. An air bag device according to claim 13, wherein said restriction means includes a center of rotation which is disposed among or between said plurality of inertial masses and said arms radially protrude respectively corresponding to said inertial masses.

15. An air bag device according to claim 10, further including an arm for coming in contact with said screw press member wherein said restriction means includes a center of rotation and said arm radially protrudes from said center of rotation of said restriction means.

16. An air bag device according to claim 15, wherein a contact portion with said screw press member of said arm protruding from said restriction means has a curved surface.

17. An air bag device which is attached substantially at a center portion of a steering wheel of a vehicle comprising:

(a) an air bag body;

(b) an air bag accommodated in said air bag body in a folded state;

(c) gas generatng means which inflates said air bag;

(d) a percussion cap which ignites said gas generating means;

(e) a firing pin which is urged in a colliding direction with said percussion cap;

(f) a support shaft which keeps said firing pin away from said percussion cap;

(g) a drive shaft for rotating said support shaft, said drive shaft being fixed to said support shaft.

(h) urging means for maintaining an engaging state of said support shaft with said firing pin by imparting an urging force to said drive shaft;

(i) an inertial mass which, when acceleration above a predetermined level acts on said inertial mass, moves and rotates said drive shaft, causing said support shaft to detach from said firing pin;

(j) a restriction means, which is rotatably supported by said air bag and which prevents said drive shaft from moving by coming in contact with a portion of said drive shaft on the side opposite to a contact portion of said drive shaft with said inertial mass and rotates to a portion where it does not correspond to said drive shaft; and

(k) screw push-in means which is rotated by an assembly operator after said air bag is fixed to said steering wheel and which rotates and detaches said restriction means from said drive shaft.

18. An air bag device which inflates an air bag when an acceleration sensor therein detects acceleration above a predetermined level comprising:

(a) restriction means for preventing said acceleration sensor from moving, which is rotatable around its axis and prevents said acceleration sensor from moving at a first rotation position and makes said acceleration sensor movable at a second rotation position; and

(b) a press member which directly comes in contact with said restriction means and rotates said restriction means from said first rotation position to said second rotation position by being pushed in,

whereby said acceleration sensor is made operational without fail and wherein said restriction means includes a first and a second axis coaxially and relatively immovably connected with each other, an arm raidally protruding from said first axis capable of contacting said acceleration sensor, and an arm radially protruding from said second axis capable of contacting said press member.

19. An air bag device according to claim 18, wherein said first and second axes are coaxially connected with each other by fitting a protrusion whose section is not a circle protruding from one end of one of said axes into a hole formed at one end of the other of said axes.