Air bag of air bag device

• US 5,857,696 A
• Filed: 01/08/1997
• Issued: 01/12/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakashima, Mariko, Inoue, Michio
• Primary Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US08/778,221
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 280/743.1, 280/728.1, 280/730.2, 280/732, 280/730.1, 280/728.2
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23576 Sewing
• 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

Abstract

An air bag is made by forming a base cloth into the shape of a bag by stitching. The air bag is expanded by gas supplied from an inflator. Stitching of areas of the base cloth in the vicinity of the inflator is made non-extendable stitching, and stitching of areas of the base cloth distant from the inflator is made extendable stitching. As a result, even if the output of the inflator is high, gas leakage in the vicinity of the inflator can be prevented. Also, even if the output of the inflator is high, it is possible to suppress damage suffered by stitching thread in areas of stitching in the vicinity of the inflator.

Claims

1. An air bag of an air bag device, said air bag being capable of being coupled to an inflator and expanded when gas is supplied thereto by said inflator, said air bag comprising;

a base cloth formed by stitching a plurality of portions of said base cloth together to thereby form said base cloth into the shape of a bag, wherein said stitching includes both non-extendable stitching and extendable stitching, the stitching employed on portions of said base cloth adjacent to where said inflator can be coupled to said air bag comprises a non-extendable stitching, and the stitching elsewhere on said base cloth comprises an extendable stitching.

2. An air bag according to claim 1, wherein said air bag comprises:

a greatly expandable main body part;

a connecting part provided at an end of said main body part; and

a substantially cylindrical insertion part connected to said connecting part and having ends open so as to be capable of inserting said inflator therein;

wherein said connecting part is formed so as to be constricted from said ends of said insertion part and stitching of portions of said base cloth forming said main body part, said insertion part and said connecting part which is capable of being arranged in the vicinity of said inflator is non-extendable stitching and stitching in an area of said main body part which is capable of being arranged distant from said inflator is extendable stitching.

3. An air bag according to claim 1, wherein said air bag further comprises:

a main body part shaped substantially like a rectangular tube; and

two pairs of mutually facing attachment flaps provided at an end of the main body part;

wherein said base cloth includes two small base cloth portions and a large base cloth portion;

said two small base cloth portions constitute one of said two pairs of mutually facing attachment flaps and side faces of said main body part, and have in the vicinity of each of their attachment flaps a through hole through which said inflator is capable of being inserted; and

said large base cloth portion constitutes the other of said two pairs of mutually facing attachment flaps and the remainder of said main body part; and

said small base cloth portions are each attached by said stitching to a side edge of said large base cloth portion and the stitching is non-extendable stitching in an area in the vicinity of the attachment flaps and is extendable stitching in an area distant from the attachment flaps.

4. An air bag according to claim 1, wherein said base cloth of said air bag further comprises:

a substantially rectangular, folded base cloth having doubled edges which are joined together by said stitching,

wherein the stitching is non-extendable stitching in an area which is capable of being arranged in the vicinity of said inflator and is extendable stitching in an area which is capable of being arranged distant from said inflator.

5. An air bag device comprising:

an inflator;

an air bag, said air bag being coupled to said inflator and being expandable by gas supplied from said inflator, said air bag comprising;

a base cloth formed by stitching a plurality of portions of said base cloth together to thereby form said base cloth into the shape of a bag, wherein said stitching includes both non-extendable stitching and extendable stitching, the stitching employed on portions of said base cloth adjacent to said inflator is non-extendable stitching, and the stitching elsewhere on said base cloth is extendable stitching.

6. An air bag device according to claim 5, further comprising:

pressing members; and

a cylindrical diffuser;

wherein said inflator is a cylindrical inflator which is covered by said cylindrical diffuser; and

said air bag comprises;

a greatly expandable main body part;

a connecting part provided at an end of said main body part;

a substantially cylindrical insertion part connected to said connecting part and having ends open for inserting said diffuser covering said inflator and having said ends attached using said pressing members to said diffuser; and

said connecting part is formed so as to be constricted from said ends of said insertion part and stitching of portions of said base cloth forming said main body part, said insertion part and said connecting part in the vicinity of said inflator is non-extendable stitching and said stitching in an area of said main body part distant from said inflator is extendable stitching.

7. An air bag device according to claim 5, said air bag of said air bag device comprising:

a main body part shaped substantially like a rectangular tube; and

two pairs of mutually facing attachment flaps provided at an end of said main body part; and

wherein said base cloth includes two small base cloth portions and a large base cloth portion;

said two small base cloth portions constitute one of two pairs of mutually facing attachment flaps and side faces of said main body part, and have in the vicinity of each of their attachment flaps a through hole through which said inflator is inserted;

said large base cloth portion constitutes the other of said two pairs of mutually facing attachment flaps and the remainder of said main body part; and

said small base cloth portions are each attached by said stitching to a side edge of said large base cloth portion and the stitching is non-extendable stitching in an area in the vicinity of the attachment flaps and is extendable stitching in an area distant from the attachment flaps.

8. An air bag device according to claim 5, said base cloth of said air bag comprising:

a substantially rectangular, folded base cloth having doubled edges joined together by said stitching;

wherein the stitching is non-extendable stitching in an area in the vicinity of said inflator and is extendable stitching in an area distant from said inflator.

9. An air bag of an air bag device, said air bag being capable of being coupled to an inflator and extended when gas is supplied thereto by said inflator, said air bag comprising:

a base cloth formed by stitching into the shape of a bag;

wherein the stitching employed adjacent to where said inflator can be coupled to said air bag comprises non-extendable stitching, and the stitching elsewhere on said base cloth is an extendable stitching; and

said air bag further comprises a main body part shaped substantially like a rectangular tube and two pairs of mutually facing attachment flaps provided at an end of said main body part;

said base cloth includes two small base cloth portions and a large base cloth portion;

said two small base cloth portions constitute one of said two pairs of mutually facing attachment flaps and side faces of said main body part, and have in the vicinity of each of their attachment flaps a through hole through which said inflator is capable of being inserted;

said large base cloth portion constitutes the other of said two pairs of mutually facing attachment flaps and the remainder of said main body part; and

said small base cloth portions are each attached by said stitching to a side edge of said large base cloth portion and the stitching is non-extendable stitching in an area in the vicinity of the attachment flaps and is extendable stitching in an area distant from the attachment flaps.