Air belt system

• US 6,142,512 A
• Filed: 06/09/1999
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Suyama, Yoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US09/328,889
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 280/733
• US Class Current: 280/733
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/18 the inflatable member formed as a belt or harness or combined with a belt or harness arrangement

Abstract

In an air belt system, gas is introduced from the tongue to the buckle with reliability, the occurrence of an unusual noise is eliminated, and the entrance of foreign materials into the buckle is prevented. The piston 60 is pushed up by gas from the inflator 16 mounted in the buckle 12, the tip portion of the piston 60 enters in the duct 12 of the tongue, and the cover 66 is ripped to allow gas to be supplied into the duct 20. The piston 60 is provided with O-ring 72 which slides with respect to the inner surface of the piston holder 50 and comes in contact with the flange 52 of the piston holder 50.

Claims

1. An air belt system comprising:

an air belt being inflatable by the introduction of gas, a tongue connected to one end of the air belt,

a buckle to be engaged with the tongue, gas passages disposed in the buckle and the tongue respectively,

and a gas generator for supplying gas to the gas passage of the buckle;

wherein the buckle is provided with a slidably mounted piston having a gas passage therein, and

wherein the tongue is provided with an opening for receiving the piston when the piston is advanced.

2. An air belt system according to claim 1, wherein the buckle is provided with a piston holder fitted around the piston, and the piston is provided with a seal ring being slidable with respect to the inner surface of the piston holder.

3. An air belt system according to claim 2, wherein the front portion of the piston is small in diameter, the back portion of the piston is large in diameter, a shoulder is formed between the small-diameter portion and the large-diameter portion, and the seal ring is seated on the shoulder;

and

wherein the piston holder is provided with an inwardly facing flange so that the piston is stopped by the flange via the seal ring on the large-diameter portion of the piston when the piston is advanced.

4. An air belt system according to claim 1, wherein a cap which is opened by the pressure of gas when gas is injected is provided integrally on a tip portion of the piston.

5. An air belt system according to claim 4, wherein the inner surface of the cap is provided with linear grooves which are ripped by the pressure of gas to divide the cap into a plurality of flaps.

6. An air belt system according to claim 4, wherein the cap is outwardly domed out.

7. An air belt system according to claim 5, wherein the cap is outwardly domed out.