Air bag apparatus with movably mounted door

• US 5,887,891 A
• Filed: 03/26/1997
• Issued: 03/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ohnishi, Jun, Ori, Takaaki, Taquchi, Masahiro, Nakane, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US08/824,732
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.3, 280/732, 280/728.2, 280/740, 280/736, 280/741, 280/742, 280/737
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2172 the cover being connected to the surrounding part and to the module, e.g. floating mounts
• 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

Abstract

In an air bag apparatus which is installed at an opening of a dashboard, a case fixed to a vehicle dashboard has an opening and side walls having through holes. A door to cover the opening of the case has connecting portions having through holes. The connecting portions of the door are connected to the side walls of the case by stays. In this case, one end of each of the stays is fixed to the outer face of one of the side walls and the other end penetrates both the respective through holes of one of the side walls and one of the connecting portions so that the door can move in three dimensions with respect to the case. As a result, the door can be disposed at the opening of the dashboard without tilting with respect to the upper surface of the dashboard.

Claims

1. An air bag apparatus provided in a dashboard where an opening is formed, for protecting a passenger from an impact of a vehicle, the air bag apparatus comprising:

a case fixed to the vehicle in the dashboard, the case having an opening and a pair of side walls opposite to each other, each of the side walls having a first through hole portion at a predetermined position;

an inflator held in the case for generating gas upon detecting the impact of the vehicle;

a bag held in a folded state in the case, which expands by the gas generated from the inflator in order to protect the passenger;

a door having a door portion for closing the opening of the case in a normal state and for allowing the bag to expand outside of the door when the bag is expanded, and connecting portions which are connected to the side walls of the case, the connecting portions vertically extending from a back face of the door portion so as to face the side walls of the case, each of the connecting portions having a second through hole portion at a position corresponding to the predetermined position of the first through hole portion of one of the side walls; and

engaging members for connecting each of the connecting portions of the door and the respective side walls of the case by penetrating the respective first through hole portion and the respective second through hole portion together so that the door has degrees of freedom in three dimensions with respect to the case, the engaging members being fixed to the side walls with a specific distance from the respective first through hole portion.

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

each of the connecting portions is disposed at an outer side of one of the side walls;

one end of each of the engaging members is fixed to an outer face of one of the side walls at the outside of the case; and

each of the engaging members is bent so that another end of each of the engaging members faces an inner face of one of the side walls at the inside of the case.

3. An air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the first through hole portion of each of the side walls includes several first through holes; and

the second through hole portion of each of the connecting portions includes several second through holes so that each of the second through holes is opposed to one of the first through holes.

4. An air bag apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a fixing member held in the case and fixed to the side walls with the engaging members, the fixing member having a plurality of vent holes for diffusing the gas from the inflator to the bag, wherein

the bag is sandwiched between the fixing member and the case to be fixed to the case.

5. An air bag apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fixing member of a cylindrical shape held in the case for receiving the inflator and for holding the bag with the case to fix the bag to the case, the fixing member having a vent hole for introducing the gas from the inflator to the bag and a guide elongated in an axial direction at an inner circumferential side of the fixing member for arranging the inflator into a predetermined position.

6. An air bag apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

the inflator has a flange at an end thereof and the bag is sandwiched between the flange and the fixing member, and between one side wall and the fixing member.

7. An air bag apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a fixing member of a cylindrical shape held in the case for receiving the inflator, the fixing member having a vent hole for introducing the gas from the inflator to the bag, wherein;

the inflator has a flange at an end thereof;

an end of the fixing member contacts the flange; and

the other end of the fixing member contacts one of the side walls.

8. An air bag apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising:

a fastening member for fastening the inflator to the case, wherein;

the flange formed at the end of the inflator contacts the outer face of one of the side walls;

the inflator has a groove at the other end thereof; and

the other end of the inflator having the groove protrudes outside from the case to be fastened by the fastening member, so that the inflator is fixed to the case.

9. An air bag apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the inflator is fastened by the fastening member through an elastic member.

10. An air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the engaging members are fixed to the side walls by fixing parts penetrating the engaging members and the side walls.

11. An air bag apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the fixing parts are rivets.

12. An air bag apparatus provided in a dashboard where an opening is formed, for protecting a passenger from an impact of a vehicle, the air bag apparatus comprising:

a case fixed to the vehicle in the dashboard, the case having an opening and a pair of side walls opposite to each other, each of the side walls having a first through hole portion at a predetermined position;

an inflator held in the case for generating gas upon detecting the impact of the vehicle;

a bag held in a folded state in the case, which expands by the gas generated from the inflator in order to protect the passenger;

a door having a door portion for closing the opening of the case in a normal state and for allowing the bag to expand outside of the door when the bag is expanded, and connecting portions which are connected to the side walls of the case, the connecting portions vertically extending from a back face of the door portion so as to face the side walls of the case, each of the connecting portions having a second through hole portion at a position corresponding to the predetermined position of the first through hole portion of one of the side walls; and

engaging members for connecting each of the connecting portions of the door and the respective side walls of the case by penetrating the respective first through hole portion and the respective second through hole portion together so that the door has decrees of freedom in three dimensions with respect to the case, wherein;

the first through hole portion of each of the side walls includes several first through holes; and

the second through hole portion of each of the connecting portions includes several second through holes so that each of the second through holes is opposed to one of the first through holes;

each of the engaging members is formed into a comb shape having a base portion and several tooth portions which are integrally connected to the base portion at one end thereof;

each of the tooth portions penetrates both the respective first through hole and the respective second through hole and is bent to contact with the inner face of one of the side walls at the inside of the case; and

each of the base portions is fixed to the respective side wall at the outside of the case.

13. An air bag apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

each of the connecting portions is disposed at an outer side of one of the side walls; and

an end of the base portion of each engaging member is fixed to the respective side wall where the respective wall is not covered by the respective connecting portion.

14. An air bag apparatus according to claim 13, wherein:

the end of the base portion of each engaging member is fixed to the respective side wall where a convex portion protruding outward is formed on the outer side of the respective side wall.

15. An air bag apparatus provided in a dashboard where an opening is formed, for protecting a passenger from an impact of a vehicle, the air bag apparatus comprising:

an inflator for generating gas upon detecting the impact of the vehicle;

a bag which expands by the gas generated in the inflator for protecting the passenger;

a case for holding the inflator and the bag in a folded state, the case having an opening and a pair of side walls opposite to each other, each of the side walls having a first through hole portion;

a door composed of a door portion which covers the opening of the case and connecting portions vertically extending from the door portion, each of the connecting portions having a second through hole portion at a position corresponding to a respective one of the first through hole portions; and

engaging members for connecting the side walls of the case and the connecting portions of the door by penetrating both the first and the second through hole portions so as to make a space between the side walls and the connecting portions, the engaging members being fixed to the side walls of the case with a specific distance from the respective first through hole portion,

wherein a width of the engaging members is smaller than a diameter of the second through hole portions so as to make a space between each of the engaging members and a periphery of the respective second through hole portion.

16. An air bag apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the engaging members are fixed to the side walls by fixing parts penetrating the engaging members and the side walls.

17. An air bag apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the fixing parts are rivets.

18. An air bag apparatus for protecting a passenger from an impact of a vehicle, the air bag apparatus comprising:

a case fixed to the vehicle and having an opening and a side wall, the side wall having a first through hole portion;

an inflator held in the case for generating gas upon detecting the impact of the vehicle;

a bag held in a folded state in the case, which expands by the gas generated from the inflator in order to protect the passenger;

a door having a door portion which covers the opening of the case and a connecting portion protruding from the door portion to face the side wall, the connecting portion having a second through hole portion at a position corresponding to the first through hole portion and an end portion provided on an opposite side of the second through hole portion with respect to the door portion; and

an engaging member having a base portion fixed to the side wall, an engaging portion for penetrating the first and second through hole portions to connect the side wall and the connecting portion, and a covering portion provided between the base portion and the engaging portion, for covering the end portion of the connecting portion.

19. An air bag apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the covering portion of the engaging member protrudes further than the base portion in a direction perpendicular to the side wall.

20. An air bag apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

the connecting portion of the door faces an outer surface of the side wall of the case; and

the base portion of the engaging member is fixed to the outer surface of the side wall.

21. An air bag apparatus according to claim 20, wherein:

the engaging member has a claw portion at an end on an opposite side of the base portion, the claw portion being for abutting a surface of the side wall.

22. An air bag apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

the first through hole portion has a first plurality of through holes;

the second through hole portion has a second plurality of through holes at positions corresponding to the first plurality of through holes; and

the engaging member includes the base portion fixed to a surface of the side wall and a plurality of tooth portions, each of the tooth portions being for penetrating one of the first plurality of through holes and a corresponding one of the second plurality of through holes and being bent to contact another surface of the side wall at an end thereof.

23. An air bag apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the base portion is fixed to the side wall where a convex portion protruding outward is formed on an outer side of the side wall.

24. An air bag apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

the case has first and second side walls opposed to one another, each having a first through hole portion;

the door has first and second connecting portions opposed to one another, each having a second through hole portion; and

the engaging member is one of first and second engaging members, each penetrating respective ones of the first and second through hole portion.

25. An air bag apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the engaging member movably connects the side wall and the connecting portion.