Side airbag device

• US 6,082,761 A
• Filed: 01/16/1998
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kato, Hisaaki, Ochiai, Yasuo, Tanase, Toshinori, Yasuda, Hiroshi, Nakajima, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRITTON, MICHAEL NMN
• Application Number:
  US09/008,503
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/730.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/215 characterised by the covers for the inflatable member B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/26 characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow arrangement or mounting thereof to the vehicle B60R21/20; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure in general F42B3/04; initiators or igniters therefor F42B3/10

Abstract

A side air bag device has an air bag and a substantially cylindrical inflator for supplying inflation gas to the air bag. The air bag includes a cloth bag and is installed in a vehicle interior in a folded state along the edge of a door opening. The air bag deploys so as to cover the door opening when it inflates. The air bag has a substantially cylindrical tubular gas inflow portion. This gas inflow portion is connected to the inflator so that it covers the inflator. The gas inflow portion is clamped to the outer circumferential surface of the inflator. With a side air bag device according to the invention it is not necessary to use a long pipe that from the inflator and it is possible to increase the freedom of installation of the device and also reduce its weight and cost.

Claims

1. A side air bag device in combination with an edge of a door opening comprising:

an air bag; and

an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the air bag,

wherein the air bag includes a cloth bag that is installed in a folded state in a vehicle interior along the edge of the door opening so as to cover the door opening upon inflation, the air bag having a tubular gas inflow portion,

wherein said tubular gas inflow portion is sealed by being clamped to an outer surface of the inflator.

2. A side air bag device according to claim 1, further comprising a mounting bracket that connects the gas inflow portion to the inflator, the mounting bracket having a tubular clamping surface and a mounting portion that is fixable to a vehicle housing, the tubular clamping surface being fitted around the gas inflow portion that has been fitted over the inflator, an internal diameter of the tubular clamping surface being reduced so as to clamp the gas inflow portion onto the inflator.

3. A side air bag device according to claim 2, wherein the mounting bracket is made of sheet metal and includes a tubular portion, the mounting portion extending from the tubular portion, the tubular clamping surface having the shape of a belt and covering the inflator;

the tubular portion comprising the tubular clamping surface and a linking portion that links the tubular clamping surface, and the internal diameter of the tubular clamping surface being reduced by plastically deforming the linking portion.

4. A side air bag device according to claim 2, wherein the mounting bracket is made of sheet metal and includes a tubular portion, the mounting portion extending from the tubular portion, the tubular clamping surface having the shape of a belt and covering the inflator, the tubular portion comprising the tubular clamping surface and a platelike linking portion that links together ends of the tubular clamping surface with ends of the tubular portion, which are spaced radially apart from one another, the platelike linking portion circumferentially overlapping the tubular portion, the internal diameter of the tubular clamping surface being reduced and the tubular clamping surface being plastically deformed by deforming the platelike linking portion.

5. A side air bag device according to claim 1, wherein the inflator comprises an inflation housing that has a gas delivery opening disposed in a circumferential face thereof and a tubular diffuser that has:

at one end thereof a mating portion that mates with the inflator housing,

at another end thereof a gas emission opening that emits inflation gas, and

an intermediate portion disposed between the mating portion and the gas emission opening so as to face the gas delivery opening.

6. A side air bag device according to claim 5, wherein the gas inflow portion is clamped onto an outer surface of the diffuser.

7. A side air bag device according to claim 5, wherein the mating portion of the diffuser is plastically deformed against the inflator housing so as to create an irregularity in an outer surface of the diffuser, and the gas inflow portion is clamped onto the outer surface of the diffuser where the irregularity is created.

8. A side air bag device in combination with an edge of a door opening comprising:

an air bag; and

an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the air bag,

wherein the air bag includes a cloth bag that is installed in a folded state in a vehicle interior along the edge of the door opening so as to cover the door opening upon inflation, and

wherein the inflator comprises an inflator housing that includes a gas delivery opening in a circumferential face thereof and a tubular diffuser that includes;

at one end thereof a mating portion that mates with the inflator housing,

at another end thereof a gas emission opening that emits inflation gas, and

an intermediate portion disposed between the mating portion and the gas emission opening so as to face the gas delivery opening,

wherein the mating portion of the diffuser includes a female screw thread on an inner surface of the diffuser, the inflator housing includes a male screw thread on an outer surface thereof, the male screw thread being matable with the female screw thread, and the diffuser is fixed to the inflator housing by mating the male and female screw threads and

wherein the intermediate portion of the diffuser provides a gas flow path between the outer circumferential surface of the inflator housing and the intermediate portion, in an area from the gas delivery opening to the gas emission opening, such that inflation gas flowing from the gas emission opening flows substantially uniformly around the inflator housing.

9. A side air bag device according to claim 8, further including gripping surfaces by which the inflator housing and the diffuser are gripped when the male and female screw threads are being mated, the gripping surfaces being formed on outer surfaces of the inflator housing and the diffuser.

10. A side air bag device according to claim 8, wherein the gas delivery opening is disposed on an end of the inflator housing that is opposite from the gas emission opening of the diffuser.