Airbag device

• US 6,173,988 B1
• Filed: 04/29/1999
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Igawa, Tadahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Application Number:
  US09/301,610
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/731, 280/732, 280/740, 280/741, 280/728.1
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2171 specially adapted for elongated cylindrical or bottle-like inflators with a symmetry axis perpendicular to the main direction of bag deployment, e.g. extruded reaction canisters B60R21/2176 takes precedence

Abstract

An airbag device is provided which allows the required strength of a container to be reduced, thus lightening the weight of the container. A holding plate 18 is inserted into an airbag 20 through an opening 24 of the airbag 20. A flange 18b of the holding plate 18 is superposed on a peripheral portion of the opening 24 and stud bolts 22 are inserted through bolt-through holes formed in the peripheral portion of the airbag 20. The stud bolts 22 are further inserted through bolt-through holes 26 formed in the bottom of a container 10. After an inflator 16 is fitted into a housing portion 18a of the holding plate 18 through an opening 12 of the container 10, a mounting bracket 14 is superposed on the bottom of the container 10 and the stud bolts 22 are inserted through bolt-through holes of the mounting bracket 14. Then, nuts 30 are screwed up-onto the bolts 22. After the airbag 20 is folded and accommodated in the container 10, a lid 32 is put on the container 10.

Claims

1. An airbag device comprising:

a container having a bottom,

an air bag disposed inside the container and having an opening confronting the bottom of the container,

a lid for covering the container,

an inflator disposed in the container for generating gas to inflate the airbag,

a holding plate disposed inside the airbag for mounting the inflator and the airbag to the container, and

a mounting bracket disposed under the container and the inflator for supporting the container and a substantial area of the inflator thereon to secure the container and the inflator to a structural member of a vehicle, a peripheral portion of the opening of the airbag and the container being clamped between the holding plate and the mounting bracket.

2. The airbag device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said container is provided with an opening formed in the bottom thereof and wherein said mounting bracket and said inflator are in contact with each other through the opening of said container and the opening of said airbag.

3. The airbag device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bottom of said container lies between said inflator and said mounting bracket.

4. The airbag device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said holding plate comprises a housing portion covering said inflator and a flange portion projecting from an entire periphery of said housing portion and superposed on a peripheral portion of said opening of said airbag, and the housing portion is provided with gas holes for allowing gas spouted from said inflator to pass therethrough.

5. The airbag device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said flange portion has stud bolts fixed thereto, end portions of said stud bolts protrude through the airbag, the container and the mounting bracket, and nuts are screwed onto the end portions of said stud bolts outside said mounting bracket, whereby the holding plate, the peripheral portion of the opening of the airbag, the inflator, the container, and the mounting bracket are integrated together.

6. The airbag device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said container is made of synthetic resin and said holding plate and said mounting bracket are made of metal.

7. The airbag device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inflator is substantially entirely disposed inside the airbag and is held between the holding plate and the mounting bracket.