Air bag, air bag apparatus, and steering wheel

• US 6,224,101 B1
• Filed: 07/06/1999
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nihon Plast Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nihon Plast Company Limited
• Inventors: Watanabe, Tsuyoshi, Endo, Tetsuji, Kaneko, Kazuhiro, Nishijima, Kazuyoshi, Sugiyama, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US09/269,357
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.1, 280/728.2, 280/743.1, 280/731, 280/743.2, 280/739, 280/738
• US Class Current: 280/743.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/217 Inflation fluid source retainers, e.g. reaction canisters; Connection of bags, covers, diffusers or inflation fluid sources therewith or together
• 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

Abstract

An middle fabric portion (43) is disposed between a first fabric portion (41) and a second fabric portion (42) that constitute a pouch-shaped air bag (1). The middle fabric portion (43) divides the interior of the air bag (1) into a first compartment (45) and a second compartment (46). The two compartments (45,46) communicate by communicating openings (51) formed at locations near the outer edge of the middle fabric portion (43). A center communicating portion (53) at the center of the middle fabric portion (43) is fastened to a retainer (14). The first fabric portion (41) and the second fabric portion (42) communicate by a middle communicating portion (57) formed between the center communicating portion (53) and an outer edge portion (44). The communicating openings (51) are formed in the middle fabric portion (43), at locations near the outer edge of the middle fabric portion (43). When gas is introduced into the first compartment (45), the gas inflates the first compartment (45) into a flat shape and then flows through the communicating openings (51) into the second compartment (46) located at the occupant'"'"'s side. The gas exits to the outside through a first gas outlet opening (58), which is formed in the second compartment. The second compartment (46) is provided with one or more second gas outlet openings, which serve as auxiliary gas outlets. Even if an air bag apparatus (2) is actuated in a situation where the occupant is at an out of the ordinary position, such that the occupant is in contact with the air bag apparatus (2), the invention ensures the reduction of the pressure applied to the occupant.

Claims

1. An air bag comprising:

a first fabric portion facing an object to be protected;

a second fabric portion adapted to form, in combination with said first fabric portion, an outer skin of the air bag, and be fastened to a supporting member;

one or more middle fabric portions to be disposed between the first fabric portion and the second fabric portion so as to form a plurality of compartments that are arranged in layers such that the planar surfaces face an object to be protected;

a center connecting portion at which the one or more middle fabric portions are connected to said supporting member;

one or more middle connecting portions located between the center connecting portion and an outer edge portion and adapted to connect the one or more middle fabric portion to the second fabric portion;

gas communicating portions located between the one or more middle connecting portions and the outer edge portion and adapted to communicate the compartments; and

a gas inlet portion which is adapted to permit a gas to be introduced therethrough and communicates with any one of said compartments other than the compartment that is located closest to the object to be protected.

2. An air bag according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more middle connecting portions is provided with a gas outlet portion adapted to communicate an outside of the air bag with any one of the compartments other than the compartment that is located closest to the supporting member.

3. An air bag according to claim 1, wherein the air bag includes a second gas outlet portion which is located between the one or more middle connecting portions and the outer edge portion and permits any one of said compartments other than the compartment that is located closest to the object to be protected to communicate with the outside of the air bag.

4. An air bag according to claim 2, wherein the air bag includes a second gas outlet portion which is located between the at least one or more of the middle connecting portions and the outer edge portion and permits any one of said compartments other than the compartment that is located closest to the object to be protected to communicate with the outside of the air bag.

5. An air bag according to claim 3, wherein a ventilation resistance of the second gas outlet portion is greater than a ventilation resistance of the gas communicating portions.

6. An air bag according to claim 4, wherein a ventilation resistance of the second gas outlet portion is greater than a ventilation resistance of the gas communicating portions.

7. An air bag according to claim 3, wherein the air bag includes a plurality of second gas outlet portions.

8. An air bag according to claim 4, wherein the air bag includes a plurality of second gas outlet portions.

9. An air bag according to claim 5, wherein the air bag includes a plurality of second gas outlet portions.

10. An air bag according to claim 6, wherein the air bag includes a plurality of second gas outlet portions.

11. An air bag apparatus comprising:

an air bag including;

a first fabric portion facing an object to be protected;

a second fabric portion adapted to form, in combination with said first fabric portion, an outer skin of the air bag, and be fastened to a supporting member;

one or more middle fabric portions to be disposed between the first fabric portion and the second fabric portion so as to form a plurality of compartments that are arranged in layers such that the planar surfaces face an object to be protected;

a center connecting portion at which the one or more middle fabric portions are connected to said supporting member;

one or more middle connecting portions located between the center connecting portion and an outer edge portion and adapted to connect the one or more middle fabric portion to the second fabric portion;

gas communicating portions located between the one or more middle connecting portions and the outer edge portion and adapted to communicate the compartments; and

a gas in let portion which is adapted to permit a gas to be introduced therethrough and communicates with any o one of said compartments other than n the compartment that is located closest to th e object to be protected;

a cover adapted to cover said air bag when the air bag is in an uninflated state; and

a supporting member to which the air bag and the cover are attached,

wherein the one or more middle fabric portions are designed such that when the air bag inflates, the distance by which a portion of each middle fabric portion corresponding to the center connecting portion, at which the one or more middle fabric portions are connected to the supporting member, projects toward the object to be protected is limited within a range such that a maximum projection plane does not go beyond a plane where an object-side end of the cover is located when the air bag is in the uninflated state.

12. The air bag apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the one or more middle connecting portions is provided with a gas outlet portion adapted to communicate an outside of the air bag with any one of the compartments other than the compartment that is located closest to the supporting member.

13. The air bag apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the air bag includes a second gas outlet portion which is located between the one or more middle connecting portions and the outer edge portion and permits any one of said compartments other than the compartment that is located closest to the object to be protected to communicate with the outside of the air bag.

14. The air bag apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the air bag includes a second gas outlet portion which is located between the at least one or more of the middle connecting portions and the outer edge portion and permits any one of said compartments other than the compartment that is located closest to the object to be protected to communicate with the outside of the air bag.

15. The air bag apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a ventilation resistance of the second gas outlet portion is greater than a ventilation resistance of the gas communicating portions.

16. The air bag apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a ventilation resistance of the second gas outlet portion is greater than a ventilation resistance of the gas communicating portions.

17. The air bag apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the air bag includes a plurality of second gas outlet portions.

18. The air bag apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the air bag includes a plurality of second gas outlet portions.

19. The air bag apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the air bag includes a plurality of second gas outlet portions.

20. The air bag apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the air bag includes a plurality of second gas outlet portions.

21. A steering wheel comprising:

an air bag apparatus having an air bag including;

a first fabric portion facing an object to be protected;

a second fabric portion adapted to form, in combination with said first fabric portion, an outer skin of the air bag, and be fastened to a supporting member;

one or more middle fabric portions to be disposed between the first fabric portion and the second fabric portion so as to form a plurality of compartments that are arranged in layers such that the planar surfaces face an object to be protected;

a center connecting portion at which the one or more middle fabric portions are connected to said supporting member;

one or more middle connecting portions located between the center connecting portion and an outer edge portion and adapted to connect the one or more middle fabric portion to the second fabric portion;

gas communicating portions located between the one or more middle connecting portions and the outer edge portion and adapted to communicate the compartments; and

a gas inlet portion which is adapted to permit a gas to be introduced therethrough and communicates with any one of said compartments other than the compartment that is located closest to the object to be protected;

a cover adapted to cover said air bag when the air bag is in an uninflated state, and a supporting member to which the air bag and the cover are attached; and

a steering wheel body adapted to permit said air bag apparatus to be mounted thereon;

wherein the one or more middle fabric portions are designed such that when the air bag inflates, a distance by which a portion of each middle fabric portion corresponding to the center connecting portion, at which the one or more middle fabric portions are connected to the supporting member, projects toward an object to be protected is limited within a range such that a maximum projection plane does not go beyond a plane where an object-side end of the steering wheel body is located when the air bag is in the uninflated state.

22. The steering wheel according to claim 21, wherein at least one of the one or more middle connecting portions is provided with a gas outlet portion adapted to communicate an outside of the air bag with any one of the compartments other than the compartment that is located closest to the supporting member.

23. The steering wheel according to claim 21, wherein the air bag includes a second gas outlet portion which is located between the one or more middle connecting portions and the outer edge portion and permits any one of said compartments other than the compartment that is located closest to the object to be protected to communicate with the outside of the air bag.

24. The steering wheel according to claim 22, wherein the air bag includes a second gas outlet portion which is located between the at least one or more of the middle connecting portions and the outer edge portion and permits any one of said compartments other than the compartment that is located closest to the object to be protected to communicate with the outside of the air bag.

25. The steering wheel according to claim 23, wherein a ventilation resistance of the second gas outlet portion is greater than a ventilation resistance of the gas communicating portions.

26. The steering wheel according to claim 24, wherein a ventilation resistance of the second gas outlet portion is greater than a ventilation resistance of the gas communicating portions.

27. The steering wheel according to claim 21, wherein the air bag includes a plurality of second gas outlet portions.

28. The steering wheel according to claim 22, wherein the air bag includes a plurality of second gas outlet portions.

29. The steering wheel according to claim 23, wherein the air bag includes a plurality of second gas outlet portions.

30. The steering wheel according to claim 24, wherein the air bag includes a plurality of second gas outlet portions.