Air belt and air belt assembly

• US 6,402,194 B1
• Filed: 10/25/2000
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DRAPER, DEANN L
• Application Number:
  US09/695,057
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 280/733, 280/730.1, 280/729
• US Class Current: 280/733
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/18 the inflatable member formed as a belt or harness or combined with a belt or harness arrangement

Abstract

An air belt that is smoothly passed through an anchor and is retracted directly by a retractor is provided. A belt of an air belt includes a single layer portion having a relatively small width, which is formed by a belt, a flat tubular multiple layer portion, and an intermediate portion. The width of the belt is gradually reduced from the multiple layer portion to the single layer portion. A bag is provided only in the multiple layer portion. A distal end of the bag is connected to a tongue, together with a distal end of the belt. The single layer portion is passed through a through anchor and is connected to a retractor. The retractor retracts and extends the belt. The belt is an integral body extending continuously from the single layer portion to a hardly expanding portion of the intermediate portion and the multiple layer portion. An easily expanding portion, which is provided along each side of the intermediate portion and the associated side of the multiple layer portion, is easily expanded sideward when the bag is inflated.

Claims

1. An air belt comprising:

a belt having a hollow expandable portion;

a bag provided in the hollow expandable portion;

wherein the air belt is expanded by introducing gas into the bag;

wherein the hollow expandable portion includes a pair of expandable sections positioned along the outside edges in a longitudinal direction of the belt; and

wherein the hollow expandable portion includes a less expandable section positioned between the pair of expandable sections.

2. The air belt of claim 1, wherein:

the belt extends continuously from one end of the air belt to the other; and

wherein the belt includes a non-expandable portion formed by a solid belt.

3. The air belt of claim 2, wherein a width of the hollow expandable portion is larger than a width of the non-expandable portion when the hollow expandable portion is not expanded.

4. The air belt of claim 3, wherein a width of the belt is gradually reduced from the hollow expandable portion to the non-expandable portion.

5. The air belt of claim 4, wherein the width of the less expanding section when the belt is not expanded is substantially equal to the width of the non-expandable portion.

6. An air belt assembly including the air belt of claim 1 and further comprising a gas generator supplying gas to the bag of the air belt.

7. The air belt assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein the non-expandable portion of the air belt passes through an anchor.

8. The air belt assembly of claim 7, further comprising a tongue to which one end of the air belt is connected.

9. The air belt assembly of claim 8, further comprising a retractor for retracting the other end of the air belt.

10. The air belt assembly as set forth in claim 6, wherein the non-expandable portion of the air belt is inserted in an air belt insert.

11. An air belt comprising:

a belt having a hollow expandable portion;

a bag provided in the hollow expandable portion of the belt;

wherein the hollow expandable portion includes a pair of expandable sections positioned along the outside edges in a longitudinal direction of the belt;

wherein the hollow expandable portion includes a less expandable section positioned between the pair of expandable sections;

wherein the air belt is expanded by introducing gas in the bag; and

wherein the belt extends continuously from one end of the air belt to the other and includes a non-expandable portion formed by a solid belt.

12. An air belt assembly including the air belt of claim 11 and further comprising a gas generator supplying gas to the bag.