Tethered air bag

• US 5,676,395 A
• Filed: 03/27/1996
• Issued: 10/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Sato, Koki, Oe, Naoki, Tamura, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US08/623,398
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 280/743.2, 280/743.1, 280/730.1, 280/729, 280/731, 280/730.2, 280/732, 280/728.1, 280/728.2, 74/552
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2032 the inflator or inflatable member not being rotatable with the steering wheel; Arrangements using the steering column or steering wheel rim for storing, supplying or evacuating the inflation gas or for storing the inflatable member
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/105 Non-rotatable hubs, e.g. the central part of the steering wheel not rotating

Abstract

An air bag apparatus mounted in a vehicle in an immovable state comprises an inflator for expelling gas during a sudden deceleration of a vehicle, a bag disposed in a folded state on the occupant side of the inflator and a restricting member made of a soft material with both ends thereof being fastened to the inner circumferential surface of the bag so as to restrict the expansion height of the bag which expands in the form of a sphere toward the occupant by the gas expelled upon sudden deceleration of the vehicle. Thus, the fastening position of one end of the restricting member is defined in the vicinity of the inflator and the fastening position of the other end of the restricting member is displaced by a predetermined length on the upper side in the direction of the radius of the inflator with reference to the axis of the inflator. Therefore, the bag is able to ensure protection of the head of an occupant, without being caused to inflate upward more than necessary.

Claims

1. An air bag apparatus to be mounted in a vehicle in an immovable state, said air bag apparatus comprising:

a stationary pad mounted with a steering wheel, said pad being stationary relative to a turning movement of said steering wheel;

a heteromorphic bag accommodated in a folded state in said stationary pad;

an inflator having means for jetting gas into said bag when said vehicle is subjected to sudden deceleration, said inflator being mounted on said stationary pad in said bag; and

a restricting member formed by a soft material having first and second ends thereof mounted on a surface of an inner circumference of said bag so as to restrict an expanding height of said bag which tends to expand in the form of a sphere relative to an axis of said inflator toward an occupant of said vehicle by said gas jetting upon sudden deceleration of said vehicle, wherein a mounting position of said first end of said restricting member is fixed to a lower side of said inflator, and a mounting position of said second end of said restricting member is fixed to a position on an inner surface of said bag displaced a predetermined length from a center of a front face of said bag, whereby said bag is restricted to form a flat sphere offset from said axis or said inflator.

2. An air bag apparatus to be mounted in a vehicle in an immovable state, said air bag apparatus comprising:

a heteromorphic bag accommodated in a folded state in a door of the vehicle;

an inflator having means for jetting gas into said bag when said vehicle is subjected to sudden deceleration, said inflator being mounted in said bag; and

a restricting member formed by a soft member having first and second ends thereof mounted on a surface of an inner circumference of said bag so as to restrict an expanding height of said bag which tends to expand in the form of a sphere relative to an axis of said inflator toward a side of an occupant of said vehicle by said gas jetting upon sudden deceleration of said vehicle, wherein a first mounting position of said first end of said restricting member is fixed to a lower side of said inflator and a second mounting position of said second end of said restricting member is fixed to a position on an inner surface of said bag displaced a predetermined length from a center of a front face of said bag, whereby said bag is restricted to form a flat sphere offset from said axis of said inflator.