Driver side air bag

• US 6,345,841 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2001
• Issued: 02/12/2002
• 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:
  US09/776,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20010015545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 280/743.1, 280/743.2, 280/740, 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 method of assembling an air bag comprising the following steps:

sewing the peripheries of a front panel and a rear panel together to form a bag;

providing a flat sheet having opposite ends;

folding the flat sheet to form an inflator-fitting opening;

wherein one opposite end of the flat sheet includes a first opening and the other opposite end of the flat sheet includes a second opening and the step of folding the flat sheet includes overlapping the opposite ends of the sheet so that the first and second openings are aligned to thereby form the inflator-fitting opening;

placing the sheet inside of the bag so that a portion of the sheet overlies the inflator-fitting opening; and

securing the sheet, and the rear panel to a retainer.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

sewing one end of each of a pair of tether belts to the front panel; and

connecting the opposite ends of the tether belts to the retainer.

3. A method of assembling an air flow controlling member for an air bag comprising the steps of:

providing a flat sheet having opposite ends;

folding the flat sheet so that an inflator-fitting opening is formed and a portion of the sheet overlies the opening;

wherein one opposite end of the flat sheet includes a first opening and the other opposite end of the flat sheet includes a second opening and the step of folding the flat sheet includes overlapping the opposite ends of the sheet so that the first and second openings are aligned to thereby form the inflator-fitting opening.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

forming holes in each end of the sheet for receiving a holding member for retaining the sheet in position.