Method of folding airbag for front passenger

• US 6,196,585 B1
• Filed: 04/29/1999
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Igawa, Tadahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DRAPER, DEANN L
• Application Number:
  US09/301,614
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.1, 280/743.1, 280/732, 280/730.1
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

In a passenger airbag, a loose portion is provided on a windshield side when an airbag is accommodated into an airbag case. In addition, a tip portion of the airbag is folded or rolled up on the counter-windshield side. As a result, a gas first flows into the loose portion during the deployment of the airbag. Therefore, the airbag starts to deploy from a part on the windshield side, and a portion of the airbag, which has already been inflated with its folded portion being unfolded, comes to contact with the windshield, thereby reducing the pressure applied onto the windshield. The airbag can provide suitable deployment to securely restrain an occupant, and is improved in smooth deployment. The air bag prevents undesirable pressure on the windshield without increasing the cost.

Claims

1. A folding method of an airbag to be deployed in front of a front passenger seat, comprising:

placing the airbag so that an airbag opening is located at one side and a tip of the airbag is located at the other side,

folding two lateral sides of the airbag inwardly to form flaps between upper and lower portions of the airbag, said flaps extending in a longitudinal direction of the airbag,

folding said upper and lower portions with the flaps therebetween such that the tip of the airbag is located inside and a windshield side portion of the airbag faces outwardly to thereby form a loose portion at the windshield side portion near the airbag opening,

folding the loose portion of the airbag in bellows,

folding a counter-windshield side portion of the airbag in bellows to form a loose portion, the length of the loose portion in the windshield side portion being greater than that of the loose portion in the counter-windshield side portion, and

disposing the folded upper and lower portions and the loose portions in bellows in an airbag case so that upon inflation of the airbag, a gas first flows into the loose portion of the windshield side portion to be deployed prior to the counter-windshield side portion.

2. A folding method of an airbag according to claim 1, wherein an airbag in bellows to form a loose portion, a number of the bellows in the windshield side portion is greater than that of the bellows in the counter-windshield side portion.

3. A folding method of an airbag according to claim 1, wherein the length of the loose portion at the windshield side portion is at least twice longer than that of the loose portion at the counter-windshield side portion.

4. A folding method of an airbag according to claim 1, wherein said flaps extending direction of the airbag so that the flaps on one side do not overlap the flaps on the other side.

5. A folding method of an airbag to be deployed in front of a front passenger seat, comprising:

placing the airbag so that an airbag opening is located at one side and a tip of the airbag is located at the other side,

folding two lateral sides of the airbag inwardly to form flaps between upper and lower portions of the airbag, said flaps extending in a longitudinal direction of the airbag,

folding said upper and lower portions with the flaps therebetween such that the tip of the airbag is located inside and a windshield side portion of the airbag faces outwardly to thereby form a loose portion at the windshield side Portion near the airbag opening,

folding the loose portion of the airbag in bellows, and

disposing the folded upper and lower portions and the loose portion in bellows in an airbag case so that upon inflation of the airbag, a gas first flows into the loose portion to allow the windshield side portion to be deployed prior to a counter-windshield side portion, a part of the airbag first abuts against the windshield, and then, the windshield side portion of the airbag is deployed along the windshield and at a same time the tip portion is deployed toward an upper area of the counter-windshield side portion.