Air bag for protecting passenger from side collision which has uniform inflation characteristics

• US 6,062,594 A
• Filed: 02/27/1998
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Hiroyuki, Asano, Masakazu, Sakamoto, Nobuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, J. J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZEENDER, FLORIAN M
• Application Number:
  US09/031,707
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/730.1, 280/729, 280/728.1, 280/742, 280/743.1
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2342 Tear seams
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

An air bag for side collision is arranged substantially in the vertical direction between a vehicular inner wall and a passenger in an expanded state of the air bag. A lower side of the air bag is folded to be incorporated into the lower side in the expanded state. The lower side of the air bag in the expanded state is the upstream side of flow of expansion gas. The air bag has a narrowed gas flow port for regulating the flow of the expansion gas between the lower side and the upper side of the air bag in the expanded state so that the lower side can ensure sufficient inner pressure even when the passenger interferes with expansion of the lower side of the air bag during expansion, since the flow of the expansion gas is regulated by the gas communication port provided between the lower side and the upper side of the air bag. As a result, an inflator having small output can be used.

Claims

1. An air bag for side collision being arranged substantially in a vertical direction between a vehicular inner wall and a passenger in an expanded state of said air bag, a lower side of which in said expanded state constitutes an upstream side of a flow of an expansion gas and which can be folded into said lower side, said air bag comprising:

a narrowed gas flow port for restricting flow of the expansion gas between said lower side and an upper side of said air bag in the expanded state;

a lower chamber on said lower side of said air bag in said expanded state.

an upper chamber said the upper side of said air bag in said expanded state, wherein said lower chamber and said upper chamber are partitioned by a weir in which said gas flow port is arranged on a side of a front portion of a vehicle; and

an emergency communication port in said weir on a side of a rear portion of the vehicle, wherein said emergency communication port opens to connect said lower chamber with said upper chamber only when an inner pressure of said lower chamber increases to a level higher than a normal inner pressure value.

2. The air bag for side collision according to claim 1, wherein the weir is opposed portions of a base cloth for forming the air bag which are stitched together.

3. The air bag for side collision according to claim 2, wherein an end portion of the weir bends in a circular arc shape when expanded.

4. The air bag for side collision according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fragile portion formed by stitching together opposed portions of a base cloth forming said air bag and arranged on said side of said rear portion of the vehicle of said weir,

wherein said fragile portion closes said emergency communication port.

5. The air bag for side collision according to claim 4, wherein an end portion of said fragile portion, which is formed by stitching together said base cloth, can be abruptly bent.

6. An air bag for side collision being arranged substantially in a vertical direction between a vehicular inner wall and a passenger in an expanded state of the air bag, a lower side of which in said expanded state constitutes an upstream side of a flow of an expansion gas and which can be folded into said lower side, said air bag comprising a narrowed gas flow port for restricting said flow of the expansion gas between said lower side and an upper side of said air bag in said expanded state;

a lower chamber on a side of a lower portion of said air bag in said expanded state of said air bag;

an upper chamber on a side of an upper portion of said air bag in said expanded state,

wherein said lower chamber and said upper chamber are partitioned by a weir in which said gas flow port is arranged on a side of a rear portion of a vehicle; and

an emergency communication port on a side of a front portion of said vehicle of said weir, wherein said emergency communication port opens such that said lower chamber is connected to said upper chamber only when an inner pressure of said lower chamber increases to a level higher than a normal inner pressure value.

7. The air bag for side collision according to claim 6, further comprising:

a fragile portion formed by stitching together opposed portions of a base cloth forming said air bag and arranged on a side of a front end of the vehicle, wherein said fragile portion closes said emergency communication port.

8. The air bag for side collision according to claim 7, wherein an end portion of the seamed fragile portion can bend abruptly.

9. An air bag for protecting a passenger from a side collision, said air bag comprising:

an air bag body having an inflation inlet; and

a restriction means, disposed in said air bag body and defining a first chamber on a side of said air bag body proximate to said inflation inlet and a second chamber on a side of said air bag body opposite said inflation inlet, for restricting flow of gas from said first chamber to said second chamber, wherein said restriction means is a weir, said weir including an overpressure relief means for providing an additional port connecting said first and second chambers responsive to an overpressure condition in said air bag body,

whereby even when gas is provided through said inflation inlet and inflation of said first chamber is interfered with, flow of gas into said second chamber is restricted to ensure inflation of said first chamber.

10. The air bag according to claim 9, wherein said weir and said air bag body collectively define a gas flow port connecting said first and second chambers.

11. The air bag according to claim 10, wherein said gas flow port is on a side of said air bag proximate to said inflation inlet.

12. The air bag according to claim 10, wherein said gas flow port is on a side of said air bag opposite said inflation inlet.

13. The air bag according to claim 10, wherein said gas flow port is in a substantially central portion of said air bag body.

14. The air bag according to claim 10, further comprising an additional port, said ports being on opposite sides of said air bag body.

15. The air bag body according to claim 9, wherein

said overpressure relief means is an area of said weir weaker than an adjacent portion of said weir,

said area of said weir rupturing when pressure in said first chamber is higher than a nominal inflation pressure of said air bag.

16. An air bag for protecting a passenger from a side collision, said air bag comprising:

an air bag body having an inflation inlet; and

a restrictor, disposed in said air bag body and defining a first chamber on a side of said air bag body proximate to said inflation inlet and a second chamber on a side of said air bag body opposite said inflation inlet, for restricting flow of gas from said first chamber to said second chamber, wherein said restrictor is a weir, said weir including an overpressure reliever for providing an additional port connecting said first and second chambers responsive to an overpressure condition in said air bag body,

whereby even when gas is provided through said inflation inlet and inflation of said first chamber is interfered with, flow of gas into said second chamber is restricted to ensure inflation of said first chamber.

17. The air bag according to claim 16, wherein said weir and said air bag body collectively define a gas flow port connecting said first and second chambers.

18. The air bag according to claim 17, wherein said gas flow port is on a side of said air bag proximate to said inflation inlet.

19. The air bag according to claim 17, wherein said gas flow port is on a side said air bag opposite said inflation inlet.

20. The air bag according to claim 17, wherein said gas flow port is in a substantially central portion of said air bag body.

21. The air bag according to claim 17, further comprising:

an additional port, said ports being on opposite sides of said air bag body.

22. The air bag body according to claim 16, wherein

said overpressure reliever is an area of said weir weaker than an adjacent portion of said weir,

said area of said weir rupturing when pressure in said first chamber is higher than a nominal inflation pressure of said air bag.