Side impact air bag system

• US 5,924,721 A
• Filed: 04/08/1997
• Issued: 07/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Yoshioka, Akira, Nakamura, Junichi, Nagayama, Noritaka, Shimoda, Mikiharu, Ookochi, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US08/833,648
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/730.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23146 seat mounted
• 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 21/2342 Tear seams
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

In a side impact air bag system having a bag comprising a main body, an upper inflation unit, and a lower inflation unit, the boundaries of the main body and the upper inflation unit and the lower inflation unit are joined and temporally sewn by sewn portions. The main body is inflated without having the upper and lower units inflated until the blowing gas from an inflator into the bag reaches a pressure above a predetermined pressure, and when the pressure inside the bag reaches the pressure above the predetermined pressure, the sewn portions are separated therefrom to flow gas into the upper and lower inflation units to deploy the upper and lower inflation units. Thus, the bag is positively inflated in a narrow space between a passenger and a vehicle without excessively increasing impact against a chest portion of the passenger.

Claims

1. A side impact air bag system having a bag inflating between a side of a vehicle and a passenger by a gas blown out from a gas generating device, said bag comprising:

a first portion facing an abdomen portion of said passenger when inflated;

a second portion facing a chest portion of said passenger when inflated, said second portion being connected to said first portion;

gas flow adjusting means for allowing flow of the gas from said first portion into said second portion when the pressure of said gas blowing into said first portion reaches a predetermined pressure;

an inflation portion contained within said first portion prior to the inflation of the bag and deployed in a downward direction when the bag is inflated; and

second gas glow adjusting means for allowing flow of the gas from said first portion into said inflating portion when the pressure of said gas blowing into said first portion reaches the predetermined pressure.

2. The side impact air bag system of claim 1, wherein said second portion is contained within said first portion prior to the inflation of the bag, and deployed from said first portion when said bag is inflated.

3. A side impact air bag system of claim 2, wherein said gas flow adjusting means includes a releasably joined boundary between said first portion and said second portion which is separated when the pressure of said gas in said first portion reaches the predetermined pressure.

4. A side impact air bag system of claim 3, wherein said boundary is joined by sewing.

5. A side impact air bag system of claim 3, wherein said boundary is joined by an adhesive.

6. A side impact air bag system of claim 3, wherein said boundary is joined detachable fastener means.

7. A side impact air bag system of claim 2, wherein said gas flow adjusting means includes a film member provided in said first portion, said film member being formed to be separated therefrom when the pressure of said gas in said first portion reaches the predetermined pressure.

8. A side impact air bag system of claim 2, wherein said gas flow adjusting means and said second gas adjusting means are disposed within said first portion, both adjusting means having shapes corresponding to said first portion and combined into a single inner bag which ruptures when the pressure of said gas in said first portion reaches the predetermined pressure.

9. A side impact air bag system of claim 2, wherein said second gas flow adjusting means includes a releasably joined boundary between said first portion and said inflation portion which is separated when the pressure of said gas in said first portion reaches the predetermined pressure.

10. A side impact air bag system of claim 9, wherein said boundary is joined by sewing.

11. A side impact air bag system of claim 9, wherein said boundary is joined by an adhesive.

12. A side impact air bag system of claim 9, wherein said boundary is joined by detachable fastener means.

13. A side impact air bag system of claim 2, wherein said second gas flow adjusting means includes an inner bag having a shape corresponding to said first portion, said inner bag being disposed in said first portion and formed to rupture when the pressure of said gas in said first portion reaches the predetermined pressure.

14. A side impact air bag system of claim 2, wherein said second gas flow adjusting means includes a film member provided in said first portion, said film member being formed to be separated therefrom when the pressure of said gas in said first portion reaches the predetermined pressure.

15. A side impact air bag system having a bag that inflates between a side of a vehicle and a passenger by a gas blown out from a gas generating device, said bag comprising:

a first portion facing an abdomen portion of said passenger when inflated;

more than one second portions connected to said first portion and facing areas of said passenger other than said abdomen portion when inflated; and

gas flow adjusting means corresponding to each of said second portions for enabling gas flow from said first portion thereto based on whether pressure within said first portion reaches a predetermined threshold.

16. A side impact air bag system, comprising:

an inflator which generates gas; and

a bag which includes;

a first portion which protects an abdomen portion of a passenger inside a vehicle when inflated, said first portion being connected to said inflator;

a second portion which protects a chest portion of the passenger when inflated, said second portion begin connected to said first portion;

a gas flow adjusting unit which prohibits flow of gas from said first portion to said second portion until a pressure inside said first portion reaches a predetermined values;

an inflation portion contained within said first portion prior to the inflation of the bag and deployed in a downward direction when the bag is inflated; and

second gas flow adjusting means for allowing flow of the gas from said first portion into said inflating portion when the pressure of said gas blowing into said first portion reaches the predetermined pressure.

17. A side impact air bag system of claim 16, wherein said inflator is attached to a seat of the vehicle.

18. A side impact air bag system of claim 16, wherein said gas adjusting unit is disposed inside said bag between said first portion and said second portion.

19. The side impact air bag system of claim 16, wherein said second portion is contained within said first portion prior to the inflation of the bag, and deployed from said first portion when said bag is inflated.

20. A side impact air bag system having a bag inflating between a side of a vehicle and a passenger by a gas blown out from a gas generating device, said bag comprising:

a first portion facing an abdomen portion of said passenger when inflated;

a second portion facing a chest portion of said passenger when inflated, said second portion being connected to said first portion; and

gas flow adjusting means for allowing flow of the gas from said first portion into said second portion when the pressure of said gas blowing into said first portion reaches a predetermined pressure,

wherein said gas flow adjusting means includes an inner bag having a shape corresponding to said first portion, said inner bag being disposed in said first portion sand formed to rupture when the pressure of said gas in said first portion reaches the predetermined pressure.

21. The side impact air bag system of claim 20, wherein said second portion is contained within said first portion prior to the inflation of the bag, and deployed from said first portion when said bag is inflated.