Airbag apparatus

• US 6,340,174 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2000
• Issued: 01/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Takagi, Takeshi, Ishikawa, Toshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US09/603,346
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 238/736, 238/740, 238/741, 238/742, 238/737, 238/728.1, 238/728.2, 238/732, 238/739
• US Class Current: 280/736
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26058 using a combination of inflators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/26094 characterised by fluid flow controlling valves
• 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 21/2346 Soft diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/26 characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow arrangement or mounting thereof to the vehicle B60R21/20; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure in general F42B3/04; initiators or igniters therefor F42B3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/261 with means other than bag structure to diffuse or guide inflation fluid

Abstract

A rectifying plate (53) is inserted between gas outlets of a first inflator (51a) and/or a second inflator (51b) and a diffuser (55), and is formed with a plurality of openings which have different areas and uniform gas flows released from the gas outlets, and the opening area corresponding to the inactive second inflator (51b) of the first and second inflators (51a, 51b) is larger than the opening area corresponding to the active first inflator (51a).

Claims

1. An airbag apparatus, which has a plurality of inflators and deploys an airbag by changing activation states of said inflators, the inflators being disposed adjacently in the direction vertical to the deploying direction of the airbag, comprising:

a gas flow deflection member which is provided on the downstream of gas outlets of said inflators and deflects directions of gas flows from said inflators sideward; and

a rectifying member which is inserted between the gas outlets and said gas flow deflection member and uniforms gas flows released from the gas outlets;

wherein said rectifying member has a plurality of openings having different areas, and the area of the opening corresponding to an inactive inflator is larger than the area of the opening corresponding to an active inflator,

wherein said gas flow deflection member has a plurality of openings which are formed on side portions thereof and have different areas, and the area of the opening corresponding to an inactive inflator is larger than the area of the opening corresponding to an active inflator, and

wherein said gas flow deflection member breaks upon activating said plurality of inflators.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said rectifying member comprises a varying member that varies an opening area of said rectifying member.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said varying member is a varying plate which varies the opening area of said rectifying member upon being moved by the gas flow.

4. An airbag apparatus, which has a plurality of inflators and deploys an airbag by changing activation states of said inflators, the inflators being disposed adjacently in the direction vertical to the deploying direction of the airbag, comprising:

a gas flow deflection member which is provided on the downstream of gas outlets of said inflators and deflects directions of gas flows from said inflators sideward; and

a rectifying member which is inserted between the gas outlets and said gas flow deflection member and uniforms gas flows released from the gas outlets,

wherein said gas flow deflection member breaks upon activating said plurality of inflators.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said rectifying member has a plurality of openings having different areas, and the area of the opening corresponding to the inactive inflator is larger than the area of the opening corresponding to the active inflator.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said rectifying member comprises a varying member that varies an opening area of said rectifying member.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said varying member is a varying plate which varies the opening area of said rectifying member upon being moved by the gas flow.

8. An airbag apparatus, which has a plurality of inflators and deploys an airbag by changing activation states of said inflators, the inflators being disposed adjacently in the direction vertical to the deploying direction of the airbag, comprising:

gas flow deflection means, provided on the downstream of gas outlets of said inflators, for deflecting directions of gas flows from said inflators sideward; and

uniforming means, inserted between the gas outlets and said gas flow deflection means, for uniforming gas flows released from the gas outlets,

wherein said gas flow deflection means breaks upon activating said plurality of inflators.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said gas flow deflection means has a plurality of openings which are formed on side portions thereof and have different areas, and the area of the opening corresponding to an inactive inflator is larger than the area of the opening corresponding to an active inflator.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said uniforming means comprises a plurality of openings formed on side portions of said gas flow deflection means, and an area of the opening corresponding to an inactive inflator is larger than an area of the opening corresponding to an active inflator.

11. An airbag apparatus, which has a plurality of inflators and deploys an airbag by changing activation states of said inflators, the inflators being disposed adjacently in the direction vertical to the deploying direction of the airbag, comprising:

a gas flow deflection member which is provided on the downstream of gas outlets of said inflators and deflects directions of gas flows from said inflators sideward; and

a rectifying member which is inserted between the gas outlets and said gas flow deflection member and uniforms gas flows released from the gas outlets,

wherein said rectifying member has a plurality of openings having different areas, and the area of the opening corresponding to an inactive inflator is larger than the area of the opening corresponding to an active inflator, and

wherein said gas flow deflection member has an inclined member of which distance to an inactive inflator is larger than the distance to an active inflator, the inclined member forms a plurality of openings which are formed on side portions thereof and have different areas, and the area of the opening corresponding to an inactive inflator is larger than the area of the opening corresponding to an active inflator.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said rectifying member comprises a varying member that varies an opening area of said rectifying member.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said varying member is a varying plate which varies the opening area of said rectifying member upon being moved by the gas flow.