Air bag device for passenger seat

• US 5,429,385 A
• Filed: 09/01/1993
• Issued: 07/04/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kanda, Minoru, Kamiji, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US08/115,007
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728 B, 280/732, 280/743 R
• US Class Current: 280/728.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/201 Packaging straps or envelopes for inflatable members
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/215 characterised by the covers for the inflatable member B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2171 specially adapted for elongated cylindrical or bottle-like inflators with a symmetry axis perpendicular to the main direction of bag deployment, e.g. extruded reaction canisters B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

An air bag device for use in front of a passenger seat of an automobile includes a casing disposed in the instrument panel of the automobile, a folded air bag housed in the casing and inflatable through the upper opening upon impact, and a lid openably joined to the casing in covering relationship to the upper opening. An air bag restraint guide or protective cloth is joined to the casing for preventing the air bag from directly contacting an edge of the upper opening when the air bag is inflated through the upper opening.

Claims

1. An air bag device for use in front of a passenger seat of an automobile having an instrument panel, comprising:

a casing adapted to be disposed in the instrument panel, said casing having an upper opening;

a folded air bag housed in said casing and inflatable through said upper opening upon impact;

a lid openably joined to said casing in covering relationship to said upper opening;

said lid being attached at a front end thereof to the instrument panel through a member which is tearable by the pressure of the air bag alone when inflated such that inflation of said air bag creates sufficient force to tear said member and enable said lid to open;

means joined to a front side of said casing for preventing said air bag from directly contacting an front edge of said upper opening at said front side, closest to the passenger, when said air bag is inflated so as to extend through said upper opening;

said means comprising a restraint guide fastened at a fixed position to a front panel of said casing nearest to the passenger for guiding the air bag out of contact with said front edge of said opening when the air bag is inflated; and

said restraint guide comprises a base fastened to said panel of said casing and an overhanging member bent from said base into said upper opening.

2. An air bag device according to claim 1, wherein said restraint guide is in the form of a thin plate which is positioned between said front edge and said air bag and is forcibly bent upwardly over said front edge and towards the front side by the air bag during inflation such as to be interposed between said front edge and said air bag when inflated.

3. An air bag device according to claim 2, wherein said restraint guide is made from a resin material.

4. An air bag device according to claim 2, wherein said restraint guide is made from a metal material.

5. An air bag device for use in front of a passenger seat of an automobile having an instrument panel, comprising:

a casing adapted to be disposed in the instrument panel, said casing having an upper opening;

a folded air bag housed in said casing and inflatable through said upper opening upon impact;

a lid openably joined to said casing in covering relationship to said upper opening;

said lid being attached at a front end thereof to the instrument panel through a member which is tearable by the pressure of the air bag alone when inflated such that inflation of said air bag creates sufficient force to tear said member and enable said lid to open;

means joined to a front side of said casing for preventing said air bag from directly contacting an front edge of said upper opening at said front side, closest to the passenger, when said air bag is inflated so as to extend through said upper opening;

wherein said means comprises a only a single front protective cloth fastened to a front panel of said casing at a front side thereof, nearest the passenger, for keeping the air bag out of contact with said front edge of said upper opening when the air bag is inflated;

said protective cloth being positioned between said front edge and said air bag, and being forcibly bent around towards the front side by the air bag during inflation such as to be interposed between the front edge and said air bag when inflated.

6. An air bag device according to claim 5, wherein said protective cloth is placed over said air bag in said casing before said air bag is inflated.

7. An air bag device for use in front of a passenger seat of an automobile having an instrument panel, comprising:

a casing adapted to be disposed in the instrument panel, said casing having an upper opening;

a folded air bag housed in said casing and inflatable through said upper opening upon impact;

a lid openably joined to said casing in covering relationship to said upper opening;

said lid being attached at a front end thereof to the instrument panel through a member which is tearable by the pressure of the air bag alone when inflated such that inflation of said air bag creates sufficient force to tear said member and enable said lid to open;

an air bag restraint guide joined to said casing at a fixed position at a front side thereof and forcibly bendable by said air bag into a position between said air bag and a front edge of the upper opening, nearest a passenger, when the air bag is inflated, for guiding said air bag out of direct interference with said front edge of said upper opening when said air bag is inflated so as to extend through said upper opening.

8. An air bag device according to claim 7, wherein said air bag restraint guide comprises is base fastened to said panel of the casing and an overhanging member bent from said base into said upper opening.

9. An air bag device for use in front of a passenger seat of an automobile having an instrument panel behind a front windshield, comprising:

a casing adapted to be disposed in the instrument panel, said casing having an upper opening;

a folded air bag housed in said casing and inflatable through said upper opening upon impact;

a lid openably joined to said casing in covering relationship to said upper opening; and

a lid having a hinge portion on a front windshield side thereof so as to be one-sided openable with respect to said upper opening; and

a sheet-like member joined to a front side of said casing and capable of being easily bendable more than 180°

, upon inflation of said air bag, to be interposed between a front edge of said upper opening and said air bag for preventing said air bag from directly contacting said front edge of said upper opening when said air bag is inflated through said upper opening.

10. An air bag device according to claim 9, wherein said sheet-like member comprises a restraint guide fastened to a panel of said casing near a passenger compartment of the automobile, for guiding the air bag out of contact with said edge of said upper opening when the air bag is inflated.

11. An air bag device according to claim 10, wherein said restraint guide comprises a base fastened to said panel of the casing and an overhanging member bent from said base into said upper opening.

12. An air bag device according to claim 9, wherein said sheet-like member comprises a protective cloth fastened to a panel of said casing near a passenger compartment of the automobile, for keeping the air bag out of contact with said edge of said upper opening when the air bag is inflated.

13. An air bag device according to claim 12, wherein said protective cloth is placed over said air bag in said casing before said air bag is inflated.