Air bag device for a passenger

• US 5,301,966 A
• Filed: 02/25/1993
• Issued: 04/12/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sakata, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Focarino, Margaret A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Application Number:
  US08/022,262
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728 B, 280/728 R, 280/732, 280/728 A
• US Class Current: 280/728.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/21537 characterised by hinges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/215 characterised by the covers for the inflatable member B60R21/2176 takes precedence

Abstract

An air bag device for a passenger is formed of a box-shaped container having its front face opened, an air bag fitted in a folded shape in the container, an inflater mounted in the container, a lid covering the open face of the container, and a hinge adapted to turn on a hinge pin and hinging one side of the lid to one side of the front edge of the container. The lid is opened on the hinge pin when the inflater operates.

Claims

1. An air bag device for a passenger adapted to be installed in an air bag device mounting window of an instrument panel of a vehicle, comprising:

a box-shaped container having an open front face and a front edge at one side thereof;

an air bag fitted in a folded shape in said container;

an inflater mounted in said container;

a lid for covering the open front face of said container and having at one side a lid brim protruded from the front edge of the container, said lid brim having a fragile portion and being arranged at a back side thereof with an edge portion of the air bag device mounting window; and

a hinge having a hinge pin and turning around the hinge pin, said hinge hinging one side of said lid in a vicinity of said fragile portion to the one side of the front edge of said container so that said lid is opened on said hinge pin and is bent along the fragile portion when said inflater operates.

2. An air bag device according to claim 1, wherein said hinge is positioned along an upper side of said lid so that a lower side of said lid is turned upward when said inflater is energized.

3. An air bag device according to claim 1, wherein said lid has a soft cover and a backup plate, on which are attached said hinge.

4. An air bag device according to claim 3, wherein said backup plate is formed with a fragile portion in the vicinity of said hinge.

5. An air bag device according to claim 4, wherein said fragile portion is at least one of perforations and a slit.

6. An air bag device according to claim 4, wherein said fragile portion is corrugations.