Air bag device

• US 5,566,972 A
• Filed: 11/01/1994
• Issued: 10/22/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1993
• 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: Kokeguchi, Akira, Yanagi, Eiji, Minami, Yoshihiko, Yoshida, Ryoichi, Kosugi, Noriyuki, Tanaka, Yoshihiko, Atoh, Tadayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Application Number:
  US08/332,760
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728 R, 280/728 A, 280/728 B, 280/731, 280/732, 280/739, 280/743 R, 280/730 A, 280/730 R, 280/728.1, 280/728.2, 280/728.3, 280/743.1 , 280/730.1, 280/730.2
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23123 Heat protection panels
• 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 21/23 Inflatable members B60R21/18 takes precedence; connection to inflation fluid source retainers B60R21/217
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2342 Tear seams
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

An air bag for a passenger seat or a rear seat which is produced by easy sewing and is assembled into an air bag device easily is structured by superposing a lower panel and an upper panel and sewing up the peripheral portions of the panels. The lower panel is provided with an opening for an inflator and vent holes. The opening is provided with a cloth sewed on the outside of the periphery thereof. The rod-shaped inflator is inserted between the cloth and the opening. The both ends of the inflator are fixed to a casing.

Claims

1. An air bag attached to an air bag device having a casing and an inflator situated inside the casing, comprising:

a panel member for constituting the air bag and having an elongated opening for allowing gas to flow therethrough from the inflator to inflate the panel member upon actuation of the inflator, and

a one piece retaining member having a main portion and two side portions on opposite sides of the main portion, said side portions being fixed to the panel member at side areas of the elongated opening, said main portion projecting outwardly from the panel member and forming an elongated hole with side openings between the panel member and the retaining member, said main portion facing the elongated opening so that when the air bag is assembled with the air bag device, only the inflator is located in the elongated hole while projecting outwardly through the side openings and faces the elongated opening to thereby easily attach the panel member to the inflator.

2. An air bag according to claim 1, further comprising a protective material to be disposed between the inflator and the main portion of the retaining member to protect the retaining member from heat when the inflator is actuated.

3. An air bag according to claim 2, wherein said retaining member is made of one material selected from a group consisting of cloth, resin and metal.

4. An air bag according to claim 2, wherein said protective material is a heat resisting cloth situated inside the retaining member and fixed to the panel member.

5. An air bag according to claim 2, wherein said protective material is a heat insulating material fixed on an outer surface of the inflator.

6. An air bag attached to an air bag device having a casing and an inflator situated inside the casing, comprising:

a panel member for constituting the air bag and having a lower portion, said lower portion having two openings spaced apart from each other at a distance shorter than a longitudinal length of the inflator, both openings having sizes greater than a diameter of the inflator to allow the inflator to pass through the openings, and

a protective material situated inside the lower portion of the panel member at an area around and between the two openings to protect the panel member from heat when the inflator is actuated, said air bag being assembled with the air bag device such that only the inflator is located in the lower portion of the panel member while end portions of the inflator project outwardly through the openings and are fixed to the casing to thereby easily and securely attach the panel member to the inflator.