Air bag structure and method of forming
First Claim
1. An inflatable air bag for use in a vehicle occupant restraint system,said air bag being formed of flexible material and having an interior fluid cavity into which fluid under heat and pressure can be directed to inflate said air bag,said air bag including a base portion of said flexible material which surrounds a central axis and which defines a gas inlet opening for receiving fluid into said interior cavity to inflate said air bag;
- said air bag also including a plurality of deflectable flaps which are formed from the flexible material, said flaps being disposed at predetermined locations about said gas inlet opening and being deflectable outward with respect to said central axis when fluid is directed against said deflectable flaps and into said interior cavity;
said air bag further having mounting structure which enables said air bag to be attached to a portion of a vehicle occupant restraint system, said mounting structure being located in a portion of said flexible material which surrounds said central axis and which is located outward of said base portion of said flexible material;
said air bag further including (i) reinforcement structure which reinforces said base portion, said deflectable flaps and said mounting structure, and (ii) heat protection structure which protects said base portion, said deflectable flaps, said mounting structure and said reinforcement structure from the heat of the fluid which is directed into the fluid cavity to inflate the air bag; and
each of said deflectable flaps extending inward from the base portion toward the central axis a sufficient distance such that when deflected outward with respect to said central axis said deflectable flaps and said heat protection structure associated therewith covers a selected portion of said mounting structure.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An inflatable vehicle air bag is formed of flexible material. A fluid inlet opening is defined by a base portion of the flexible material which circumscribes a central axis. A plurality of deflectable flaps and a plurality of mounting holes are formed in the flexible material. The mounting holes are located radially outward from the deflectable flaps. Segments of reinforcement and resistant materials overlie the gas inlet opening and are secured to the flexible air bag material by concentric seams which surround the central axis. The segments of reinforcement and heat resistant materials have mounting holes located between the concentric seams and aligned with the mounting holes in the air bag material. Moreover, the segments of reinforcement and heat resistant materials form deflectable portions which overlie the deflectable flaps of the flexible air bag material. The air bag is adapted to be secured to a structural part of an occupant restraint system by fasteners (e.g., bolts, rivets) which extend through the mounting holes. The configuration of the fluid inlet opening, the location of the mounting holes, and the reinforcement and heat resistant materials combine to redirect fluid from the inflator into the air bag and to resist tearing of the air bag away from the occupant restraint system under the heat and pressures which are applied to the air bag during its deployment.
61 Citations
41 Claims
-
1. An inflatable air bag for use in a vehicle occupant restraint system,
said air bag being formed of flexible material and having an interior fluid cavity into which fluid under heat and pressure can be directed to inflate said air bag, said air bag including a base portion of said flexible material which surrounds a central axis and which defines a gas inlet opening for receiving fluid into said interior cavity to inflate said air bag; -
said air bag also including a plurality of deflectable flaps which are formed from the flexible material, said flaps being disposed at predetermined locations about said gas inlet opening and being deflectable outward with respect to said central axis when fluid is directed against said deflectable flaps and into said interior cavity; said air bag further having mounting structure which enables said air bag to be attached to a portion of a vehicle occupant restraint system, said mounting structure being located in a portion of said flexible material which surrounds said central axis and which is located outward of said base portion of said flexible material; said air bag further including (i) reinforcement structure which reinforces said base portion, said deflectable flaps and said mounting structure, and (ii) heat protection structure which protects said base portion, said deflectable flaps, said mounting structure and said reinforcement structure from the heat of the fluid which is directed into the fluid cavity to inflate the air bag; and each of said deflectable flaps extending inward from the base portion toward the central axis a sufficient distance such that when deflected outward with respect to said central axis said deflectable flaps and said heat protection structure associated therewith covers a selected portion of said mounting structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A vehicle occupant restraint system comprising:
-
a storage device, an inflatable air bag disposed in said storage device, and a fluid source for use in inflating said air bag, said fluid source having a gas dispensing portion provided with gas dispensing nozzles; said air bag being formed of flexible material and having an interior fluid cavity; said air bag being designed to be forced out of said storage device and inflated to a predetermined configuration when gas under heat and pressure is directed from said fluid source into said interior cavity; a gas inlet opening formed in said flexible material and designed to enable gas under pressure to be directed into said interior cavity to inflate said air bag to its predetermined configuration; said gas inlet opening being defined by a base portion of said flexible material which surrounds a central axis and a plurality of deflectable flaps which are formed from the flexible material and extend inward from said base portion, toward said central axis, said deflectable flaps at least partially covering said gas dispensing nozzles of said fluid source, said deflectable flaps being disposed at predetermined locations about said gas inlet opening and being deflectable outward with respect to said central axis when gas under pressure is directed against said deflectable flaps and into said interior cavity; mounting structure which attaches said air bag to a portion of said storage device, said mounting structure being located in a portion of said flexible material which surrounds said central axis and which is located outward of said base portion of said flexible material; said air bag further including (i) reinforcement structure which reinforces said base portion, said deflectable flaps and said mounting structure, and (ii) heat protection structure which protects said base portion, said deflectable flaps, said mounting structure and said reinforcement structure from the heat of the fluid which is directed into the fluid cavity to inflate the air bag, and each of said deflectable flaps extending inward from the base portion toward the central axis a sufficient distance such that when deflected outward with respect to said central axis said deflectable flaps and said heat protection structure associated therewith covers a selected portion of said mounting structure. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A method of forming a vehicle air bag, comprising the steps of:
-
providing a rear panel formed of flexible material; attaching a segment of flexible reinforcement material and a segment of heat resistant material to opposite sides of a base portion of said rear panel; providing a front panel formed of flexible material; forming in said portion of said rear panel and the segments of reinforcement material and heat resistant material on the opposite sides thereof a fluid inlet opening defined by a base portion of said rear panel which surrounds a central axis; forming in said rear panel and the segments of reinforcement material and heat resistant material on the opposite sides thereof a plurality of mounting holes disposed around the perimeter of said fluid inlet opening, each of said plurality of mounting holes being positioned radially outward from said flaps; and fastening said rear panel to said front panel to complete an inflatable air bag with an interior cavity, said inflatable bag being inflatable by fluid directed through said fluid inlet opening and into said interior cavity so as to restrain a vehicle occupant in an emergency situation; wherein said step of forming said fluid inlet opening comprises the step of forming a plurality of flaps which extend inward from the base portion toward the central axis a sufficient distance such that when deflected outward with respect to the central axis the flaps and portions of the heat restraint material associated therewith cover the mounting holes.
-
-
22. An inflatable air bag for use in a vehicle occupant restraint system;
-
said air bag being formed of flexible material and having an interior fluid cavity into which fluid under heat and pressure can be directed to inflate said air bag; said air bag including a base portion of said flexible material which surrounds a central axis and which defines a gas inlet opening for receiving fluid into said interior cavity to inflate said air bag; said air bag also including a plurality of deflectable flaps which are formed from the flexible material, each of said deflectable flaps having a pair of edges extending radially inward from spaced apart locations on said base portion toward said central axis whereby said flaps are disposed at predetermined locations about said gas inlet opening, said flaps being deflectable outward with respect to said central axis when fluid is directed against said deflectable flaps and into said interior cavity; said air bag further having mounting structure which enables said air bag to be attached to a portion of a vehicle occupant restraint system, said mounting structure comprising a plurality of mounting holes formed in a portion of said flexible material which surrounds said central axis and which is located outward of said base portion of said flexible material, each mounting hole being located radially outward from a respective one of said deflectable flaps and about equidistant from the edges of the respective one of said deflectable flaps; said air bag further including (i) reinforcement structure which reinforces said base portion, said deflectable flaps and said mounting structure, and (ii) heat protection structure which protects said base portion, said deflectable flaps, said mounting structure and said reinforcement structure from the heat of the fluid which is directed into the fluid cavity to inflate the air bag; said air bag comprising front and rear panels each of which is formed of flexible material, said front and rear panels having peripheral edges which are joined together to form said inflatable air bag, said gas inlet opening and said mounting holes being formed in said rear panel; and said plurality of deflectable flaps being formed by one or more slits in said rear panel at localized sites about the gas inlet opening, the remainder of the gas inlet opening having an inner edge with an arcuate configuration. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
-
-
23. An inflatable air bag for use in a vehicle occupant restraint system;
-
said air bag being formed of flexible material and having an interior fluid cavity into which fluid under heat and pressure can be directed to inflate said air bag; said air bag including a base portion of said flexible material which surrounds a central axis and which defines a gas inlet opening for receiving fluid into said interior cavity to inflate said air bag; said air bag also including a plurality of deflectable flaps which are formed from the flexible material, each of said deflectable flaps having a pair of edges extending radially inward from spaced apart locations on said base portion toward said central axis whereby said flaps are disposed at predetermined locations about said gas inlet opening, said flaps being deflectable outward with respect to said central axis when fluid is directed against said deflectable flaps and into said interior cavity; said air bag further having mounting structure which enables said air bag to be attached to a portion of a vehicle occupant restraint system, said mounting structure comprising a plurality of mounting holes formed in a portion of said flexible material which surrounds said central axis and which is located outward of said base portion, each mounting hole being located radially outward from a respective one of said deflectable flaps and about equidistant from the edges of the respective one of said deflectable flaps; said air bag further including (i) reinforcement structure said air bag comprising front and rear panels each of which is formed of flexible material, said front and rear panels having peripheral edges which are joined together to form said inflatable air bag, said gas inlet opening and said mounting holes being formed in said rear panel; and said plurality of deflectable flaps being formed by one or more slits in said rear panel at localized sites about the gas inlet opening, the remainder of the gas inlet opening having an inner edge with an arcuate configuration.
-
-
27. A vehicle occupant restraint system comprising a storage device, an inflatable air bag disposed in said storage device, and a fluid source for use in inflating said air bag;
- mounting structure which attaches said air bag to a portion of said storage device
said air bag being formed of flexible material and having an interior fluid cavity; said air bag being designed to be forced out of said storage device and inflated to a predetermined configuration when gas under heat and pressure is directed from said fluid source into said interior cavity; a gas inlet opening formed in said flexible material and designed to enable gas under pressure to be directed into said interior cavity to inflate said air bag to its predetermined configuration; said gas inlet opening being defined by a base portion of said flexible material which surrounds a central axis and a plurality of deflectable flaps which are formed from the flexible material and extend inward from said base portion, toward said central axis, said deflectable flaps being disposed at predetermined locations about said gas inlet opening and being deflectable outward with respect to said central axis when gas under pressure is directed against said deflectable flaps and into said interior cavity; said mounting structure being located in a portion of said flexible material which surrounds said central axis and which is located outward of said base portion of said flexible material; said air bag further including (i) reinforcement structure which reinforces said base portion, said deflectable flaps and said mounting structure, and (ii) heat protection structure which protects said base portion, said deflectable flaps, said mounting structure and said reinforcement structure from the heat of the fluid which is directed into the fluid cavity to inflate the air bag; said base portion of said flexible material circumscribing said central axis, and each of said deflectable flaps having a pair of edges extending radially inward from spaced apart locations on said base portion of said flexible material; said mounting structure comprising a plurality of mounting holes formed in said flexible material and a plurality of fasteners; each mounting hole being located radially outward from a respective one of said deflectable flaps and about equidistant from the edges of the respective one of said deflectable flaps; each fasteners extending through a respective mounting hole and couples a respective part of said flexible material to said portion of said storage device; said air bag comprising front and rear panels each of which is formed of flexible material, said front and rear panels having peripheral edges which are joined together to form said inflatable air bag, said gas inlet opening and said mounting holes being formed in said rear panel; said plurality of slits formed at localized sites about the gas inlet opening and the remainder of the gas inlet opening having an inner edge with a predetermined configuration; said remainder of said gas inlet opening having an inner edge having an arcuate configuration. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
- mounting structure which attaches said air bag to a portion of said storage device
-
31. A vehicle occupant restraint system comprising a storage device, an inflatable air bag disposed in said storage device, and a fluid source for use in inflating said air bag;
- mounting structure which attached said air bag to a portion of said storage device
said air bag being formed of flexible material and having an interior fluid cavity; said air bag being designed to be forced out of said storage device and inflated to a predetermined configuration when gas under heat and pressure is directed from said fluid source into said interior cavity; a gas inlet opening formed in said flexible material and designed to enable gas under pressure to be directed into said interior cavity to inflate said air bag to its predetermined configuration; said gas inlet opening being defined by a base portion of said flexible material which surrounds a central axis and a plurality of deflectable flaps which are formed from the flexible material and extend inward from said base portion, toward said central axis, said deflectable flaps being disposed at predetermined locations about said gas inlet opening and being deflectable outward with respect to said central axis when gas under pressure is directed against said deflectable flaps and into said interior cavity; said mounting structure being located in a portion of said flexible material which surrounds said central axis and which is located outward of said base portion of said flexible material; said air bag further including (i) reinforcement structure which reinforces said base portion, said deflectable flaps and said mounting structure, and (ii) heat protection structure which protects said base portion, said deflectable flaps, said mounting structure and said reinforcement structure from the heat of the fluid which is directed into the fluid cavity to inflate the air bag; said base portion of said flexible material circumscribing said central axis, and each of said deflectable flaps having a pair of edges extending radially inward from spaced apart locations on said base portion of said flexible material; said mounting structure comprising a plurality of mounting holes formed in said flexible material and a plurality of fasteners; each mounting hole being located radially outward from a respective one of said deflectable flaps and about equidistant from the edges of the respective one of said deflectable flaps; each fasteners extending through a respective mounting hole and couples a respective part of said flexible material to said portion of said storage device; said air bag comprising front and rear panels each of which is formed of flexible material, said front and rear panels having peripheral edges which are joined together to form said inflatable air bag, said gas inlet opening and said mounting holes being formed in said rear panel; said plurality of slits formed at localized sites about the gas inlet opening and the remainder of the gas inlet opening having an inner edge with a predetermined configuration; said remainder of said gas inlet opening having an inner edge having an arcuate configuration. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
- mounting structure which attached said air bag to a portion of said storage device
-
35. A method of forming a vehicle air bag, comprising the steps of:
-
providing a rear panel formed of flexible material; attaching a segment of flexible reinforcement material and a segment of heat resistant material to opposite sides of a portion of said rear panel; providing a front panel formed of flexible material; forming in said portion of said rear panel and the segments of reinforcement material and heat resistant material on the opposite sides thereof a fluid inlet opening defined by a base portion of said rear panel which surrounds a central axis and from which a plurality of flaps extending inward toward said central axis, each of said flaps having side edges which intersect said base portion at spaced apart locations, forming in said rear panel and the segments of reinforcement material and heat resistant material on the opposite sides thereof a plurality of mounting holes disposed around the perimeter of said fluid inlet opening, each of said plurality of mounting holes being positioned radially outward from said flaps; and fastening said rear panel to said front panel to complete an inflatable air bag with an interior cavity, said inflatable bag being inflatable by fluid directed through said fluid inlet opening and into said interior cavity so as to restrain a vehicle occupant in an emergency situation; wherein said step of forming said fluid inlet opening includes the step of forming a plurality of intersecting slits in said rear panel; wherein said plurality of slits and said plurality of mounting holes are simultaneously formed in said rear panel and the segments of reinforcement material and heat resistant material on the opposite sides thereof. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
-
-
38. A method of forming a vehicle air bag, comprising the steps of:
-
providing a rear panel formed of flexible material; attaching a segment of flexible reinforcement material and a segment of heat resistant material to opposite sides of a portion of said rear panel; providing a front panel formed of flexible material; forming in said portion of said rear panel and the segments of reinforcement material and heat resistant material on the opposite sides thereof a fluid inlet opening defined by a base portion of said rear panel which surrounds a central axis and from which a plurality of flaps extending inward toward said central axis, each of said flaps having side edges which intersect said base portion at spaced apart locations, forming in said rear panel and the segments of reinforcement material and heat resistant material on the opposite sides thereof a plurality of mounting holes disposed around the perimeter of said fluid inlet opening, each of said plurality of mounting holes being positioned radially outward from said flaps; and fastening said rear panel to said front panel to complete an inflatable air bag with an interior cavity, said inflatable bag being inflatable by fluid directed through said fluid inlet opening and into said interior cavity so as to restrain a vehicle occupant in an emergency situation; wherein said step of forming said fluid inlet opening includes the step of forming a plurality of intersecting slits in said rear panel and the segments of reinforcement material and heat resistant material on the opposite sides thereof, said slits extending diametrically with respect to said base portion and defining the side edges of said deflectable flaps, and forming said mounting holes at locations which are substantially equidistant from the side edges of said deflectable flaps. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
-
Specification