Air bag device having a minimized cone depth

• US 5,577,768 A
• Filed: 04/26/1994
• Issued: 11/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Taguchi, Masahiro, Ohashi, Masayuki, Nakane, Naoki, Kobayashi, Shigenori, Sakakibara, Kazuo, Katoh, Kazutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Application Number:
  US08/233,882
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 280/735, 280/731, 280/728.1, 280/741, 280/728.2
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01006 Mounting of electrical components in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01095 optical
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2035 using modules containing inflator, bag and cover attachable to the steering wheel as a complete sub-unit steering wheel covers with tear lines B60R21/21656; assembling of modules B60R21/217
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/217 Inflation fluid source retainers, e.g. reaction canisters; Connection of bags, covers, diffusers or inflation fluid sources therewith or together

Abstract

An inflater and a control unit are integrally formed so that connector cables for electrically connecting the inflater and the control unit can be shortened to the minimum required length. In some cases, the inflater and the control unit are directly connected by soldering their terminals, and a space for disposing the connector cables is not provided in a steering wheel. Thus, the cone depth can be made as small as possible.

Claims

1. An air bag device comprising:

a housing having an electronic control unit control circuit mounting surface monolithically formed with the housing, an inflater mounting surface, and a mounting portion monolithically formed with the outer periphery of the housing;

an inflater for generating gas for expanding a bag, said inflater being disposed directly on the inflater mounting surface of the housing, the inflater having a squib for igniting the inflater;

an acceleration sensor for detecting an acceleration of a vehicle during a collision of the vehicle;

an electronic control unit control circuit for making a collision judgment in response to a signal from the acceleration sensor, said electronic control unit control circuit being mounted on the electronic control unit control circuit mounting surface of the housing, the squib being electrically connected to the electronic control unit control circuit; and

a cover-like pad disposed on the housing such that the pad covers the inflater and the bag, the cover-like pad being disposed onto the mounting portion.

2. An air bag device according to claim 1, wherein the mounting portion extends substantially perpendicularly to the inflater mounting surface so that the electronic control unit is surrounded by the mounting portion.

3. An air bag device according to claim 2, wherein the housing has an opening opposite the inflater mounting surface, and wherein said air bag device further comprises a cover which closes the opening and is fixed to said housing.

4. An air bag device according to claim 3, wherein said cover has an outer peripheral bent portion, and said pad is attached to the perpendicular mounting portion of the housing by pressing said pad against the housing by the bent portion.

5. An air bag device according to claim 4, wherein said pad has a projecting end portion which projects toward the bent portion, and said bent portion has an engaging portion which engages with the projecting end portion.

6. An air bag device according to claim 4, wherein the pad has a hole, the bent portion has a projecting portion at a position corresponding to the hole, and said projecting portion is closely fitted in said hole.

7. An air bag device according to claim 4, wherein the pad has a fixing portion which projects toward said housing, and the perpendicular mounting portion of said housing has an end portion contacting with said fixing portion.

8. An air bag device according to claim 1, wherein the inflater has a flange portion, and said bag is clamped and secured between the flange portion and said electronic control unit.

9. An air bag device according to claim 2, wherein the perpendicular mounting portion is constructed and arranged for fixing the housing onto a steering-wheel.

10. An air bag device according to claim 2, wherein the inflater mounting surface has a through hole formed substantially in a center thereof for passing a connector cable therethrough so that a squib in said inflater is electrically connectable to said electronic control unit by the connector cable.

11. An air bag device according to claim 2, wherein the inflater mounting surface has a through hole formed substantially in a center thereof for passing therethrough a connector terminal with a predetermined rigidity such that a squib in said inflater is directly connectable to said electronic control unit.

12. An air bag device according to claim 2, wherein the inflater mounting surface has a through hole formed substantially in a center thereof, and wherein the squib is electrically connected to said electronic control unit, said squib being set into a predetermined position in said inflator and passing through said through hole.

13. An air bag device according to claim 11, wherein the inflater has a flange portion at an outer periphery thereof, said flange portion being fixed to the housing so that the inflater is fixed to the housing.

18. An air bag device according to claim 1, wherein the inflater mounting surface and the electronic control unit control circuit mounting surface face in opposite directions.

14. An air bag device comprising:

a housing having a mounting surface monolithically formed with the housing;

an inflater for generating gas for expanding a bag, said inflater being disposed on the housing;

an acceleration sensor for detecting an acceleration of a vehicle during a collision of the vehicle;

an electronic control unit control circuit for making a collision judgment in response to a signal from the acceleration sensor, said electronic control unit control circuit being disposed on the mounting surgace;

a plate having a shoulder portion at an outer periphery of the plate, said housing being fixed to the plate; and

a cover-like pad disposed on the shoulder portion so that the pad covers the inflater and the bag,

wherein said housing defines gas injection hole through which gas from the inflater is discharged and wherein said mounting surface is constructed and arranged so that the electronic control unit control circuit is substantially adjacent to the inflater.

15. An air bag device according to claim 14, wherein the housing has a flange portion at an outer periphery of the housing extending monolithically from the housing, said flange portion being fixed to the plate.

16. An air bag device comprising:

a housing having a mounting surface monolithically formed with the housing and a mounting portion monolithically formed with the housing, said mounting portion being disposed on the outer periphery of the housing;

an inflater for generating gas for expanding a bag, said inflater being disposed on the housing;

an acceleration sensor for detecting an acceleration of a vehicle during a collision of the vehicle;

an electronic control unit for making a collision judgment in response to a signal from the acceleration sensor, said electronic control unit being disposed on the mounting surface;

a cover-like pad disposed on the mounting portion so that the pad covers the inflater and the bag,

wherein said housing defines a gas injection hole through which gas from the inflater is discharged and wherein said mounting surface is constructed and arranged so that the electronic control unit is substantially adjacent to the inflater.

17. An air bag device according to claim 16, further comprising an electronic circuit substrate on which the electronic control unit is disposed, the electronic circuit substrate being fixed directly to the mounting surface of the housing, and comprising a squib for igniting the inflater, said squib being electrically connected to the electronic circuit substrate.