Air bag apparatus

• US 6,129,374 A
• Filed: 02/24/1998
• Issued: 10/10/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Suzuki, Keizo, Yamada, Hisao
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Application Number:
  US09/028,951
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/728.1, 280/731
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2032 the inflator or inflatable member not being rotatable with the steering wheel; Arrangements using the steering column or steering wheel rim for storing, supplying or evacuating the inflation gas or for storing the inflatable member

Abstract

An bag apparatus wherein an inflator portion is disposed at a steering column side, a bag portion is disposed at a steering wheel side and in a state in which the inflator portion and the bag portion are relatively rotatable by connecting means, gas which has been generated at the inflator portion is introduced to the bag portion side, and superior effects are achieved in that a space for providing the air bag apparatus at the steering wheel is reduced so as to improve the designing abilities, the mass of the air bag apparatus is decreased so as to improve the vibration characteristics, and a roll connector for transmitting a control signal is not required.

Claims

1. An air bag apparatus, comprising:

an inflator portion which is fixedly disposed at a vehicle body and which surrounds a steering shaft of a steering column;

a bag portion which is attached to a steering wheel and which rotates along with the steering wheel; and

a rotatable connecting portion for rotatably and sealingly connecting said inflator portion and said bag portion, said connecting portion being provided with a circular, rotatable plate having at least one gas passage portion, the circular plate being movable with respect to one of said inflator portion and said bag portion and sealingly engaged thereto so as to keep airtightness, the gas passage portion being in communication with gas discharged from said inflator portion so as to inflate and unfold a bag when said inflator portion generates gas,

wherein the circular plate is rotatable attached to said inflator portion, and the gas passage portion includes a first pipe-shaped body and a second pipe-shaped body, the first pipe-shaped body being connected to an opening in the circular plate and provided parallel to an axial direction of the steering shaft, and the second pipe-shaped body being provided at said bag portion parallel to an axial direction of the steering shaft wherein the first and second pipe-shaped bodies interfit with each other.

2. An air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gas passage portion of said circular plate introduces gas from said inflator portion to said bag portion through an interval between spokes of the steering wheel.

3. An air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said inflator portion has an annular opening portion which opens in an annular shape around an axis of the steering shaft, and the circular plate is rotatably connected to the annular opening portion.

4. An air bag apparatus comprising:

an inflator portion which is fixedly disposed at a vehicle body around a steering shaft of a steering column;

a bag portion which is attached to a steering wheel and which rotates along with the steering wheel; and

a connecting portion which is provided with a rotational connecting member and a gas passage portion, the rotational connecting member being rotatably attached to at least one of said inflator portion and said bag portion so as to keep airtightness, the gas passage portion being connected to an opening of the rotational connecting member such that the gas flow between said inflator portion and said bag portion in a relatively rotatable state, and which introduces the gas generated at said inflator portion to said bag portion so as to inflate and unfold a bag,

wherein said inflator portion has an annular opening portion which opens in the annular shape around an axis of the steering shaft, and the rotational connecting member is rotatably attached to the annular opening portion, and

wherein said inflator portion includes a case which has an outer pipe-shaped portion, and a first presser portion, an inner pipe-shaped portion, and a second presser portion, the first presser portion is plate annular-shaped and is formed from the outer pipe-shaped portion toward the center, the inner pipe-shaped portion is formed within the outer pipe-shaped portion, and the second presser portion is flat annular-shaped and is formed outwardly from the inner pipe-shaped portion, and the annular-shaped opening portion is formed between the first presser portion and the second presser portion.

5. An air bag apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first presser portion is formed by a large-diameter ring nut which is fit with a screw groove on an outer circumferential surface of the outer pipe-shaped portion, and the second presser portion is formed by a small-diameter ring nut which is fit with a screw groove on an inner circumferential surface of the inner pipe-shaped portion.

6. An air bag apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the outer pipe-shaped portion and the inner pipe-shaped portion are connected by a flat annular-shaped bottom plate having connecting portions, and the connecting portions are stood upright at both edges of the bottom plate.

7. An air bag apparatus, comprising:

an inflator portion which is fixedly disposed at a vehicle body and which surrounds a steering shaft of a steering column;

a bag portion which is attached to a steering wheel and which rotates along with the steering wheel; and

a rotatable connecting portion for rotatably and sealingly connecting said inflator portion and said bag portion, said connecting portion being provided with a circular, rotatable plate having at least one gas passage portion, the circular plate being movable with respect to one of said inflator portion and said bag portion and sealingly engaged thereto so as to keep airtightness, the gas passage portion being in communication with gas discharged from said inflator portion so as to inflate and unfold a bag when said inflator portion generates gas,

wherein the circular plate is attached to said inflator portion, and the gas passage portion includes a pipe-shaped body which is provided at said bag portion and which is provided so as to be able to fit with an opening of the circular plate.

8. An air bag apparatus, comprising:

an inflator portion which is fixedly disposed at a vehicle body and which surrounds a steering shaft of a steering column;

a bag portion which is attached to a steering wheel and which rotates along with the steering wheel; and

a rotatable connecting portion for rotatably and sealingly connecting said inflator portion and said bag portion, said connecting portion being provided with a circular, rotatable plate having at least one gas passage portion, the circular plate being movable with respect to one of said inflator portion and said bag portion and sealingly engaged thereto so as to keep airtightness, the gas passage portion being in communication with gas discharged from said inflator portion so as to inflate and unfold a bag when said inflator portion generates gas,

wherein the circular plate is attached to said inflator portion, and the gas passage portion includes a pipe-shaped body which is connected to an opening of the circular plate and which is interfittable with an opening provided at said bag portion.