Driver side air bag

• US 6,209,911 B1
• Filed: 09/11/1998
• Issued: 04/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Igawa, Tadahiro, Ohashi, Akiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, J. J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHRIVER II, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US09/151,446
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 280/743.1, 280/743.2, 280/740, 280/728.2, 280/729, 280/731, 280/732
• US Class Current: 280/740
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2346 Soft diffusers

Abstract

A driver side air bag, in which the impact applied to tether belts during the deployment of the air bag is small, and comprising a member, of which structure is quite simple, for controlling the direction of the flow of gases in the air bag is provided. Ends of tether belts 68 are inserted between tether belt connecting fabrics 64 and 66 and are sewn by sewing yarn. Each tether belt 68 is an elongated band and is sewn to the tether belt connecting fabrics 64, 66 at both ends of the tether belt 68 and sewn to the front panel at the center in the longitudinal direction of the tether belt 68. A sheet 70 is made in a loop configuration to overlap an opening 72 with an opening 74 and a ring-like flametight fabric 80 is disposed between the sheet 70 and a holding ring 82. Reinforcing fabrics 60, 62, the tether belt connecting fabrics 64, 66, and an air bag 34 are disposed between the sheet 70 and a retainer 46, then stud bolts 90 of the holding ring 82 are inserted into bolt through holes 86, 76, 42, 50, 54h, and nuts (not shown) are screwed onto the respective ends of the stud bolts 90. In this way, the sheet 70, the air bag 34, and the inflator 54 are fixed to the retainer 46.

Claims

1. A driver side air bag comprising

a bag body to be deployed in a circular shape;

an inflator-fitting opening formed in a rear face of said bag body at the center of the rear face; and

a rectangular sheet having a central portion facing to said inflator-fitting opening and ends arranged around said inflator-fitting opening, said sheet being disposed inside said bag body;

wherein each end of said sheet includes an inflator-inserting opening, said sheet being positioned so that the inflator-inserting openings overlap and overlie the inflator-fitting opening.

3. A driver side air bag as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a holding member positioned around said inflator-fitting opening and passing through each end of said sheet and a front face of said bag body.

2. A driver side air bag comprising

a bag body to be deployed in a circular shape;

an inflator-fitting opening formed in a rear face of said bag body at the center of the rear face; and

a cruciform sheet having a central portion facing to said inflator-fitting opening and extended portions extending in four directions from said central portion and being arranged around said inflator-fitting opening, said sheet being disposed inside said bag body;

wherein each extended portion includes an inflator-inserting opening said sheet positioned so that the inflator-inserting openings overlap and overlie the inflator-fitting opening.

4. A driver side air bag as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a holding member positioned around said inflator-fitting opening and passing through each extended portion of said sheet and a front face of said bag body.

5. An air flow controlling member for an airbag comprising:

a sheet having opposite ends and adapted to be placed in a first condition and a second condition;

wherein in the first condition the sheet is flat; and

wherein in the second condition the sheet is folded so that the opposite ends are positioned adjacent each other to form an inflator-fitting opening, and a central portion of the sheet overlies the inflator-fitting opening

wherein one end of the sheet includes a first opening and the other end of the sheet includes a second opening and when the sheet is in the second condition the first and second openings overlap to form the inflator-fitting opening.

6. The air flow controlling member of claim 5, wherein the sheet is rectangular shaped.

7. The air flow controlling member of claim 5, wherein the sheet is cross-shaped.

8. The air flow controlling member of claim 5, wherein in the first condition the central portion does not overlie the inflator-fitting opening.

9. The air flow controlling member of claim 5, wherein the ends include a plurality of through holes wherein, in the first condition, a surface of the ends and a surface of the central portion of the sheet lie in a common plane.