Airbag

• US 6,460,877 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2001
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishii, Mikihito, Nakamura, Eisiti, Yamamoto, Takashi, Tanase, Toshinori, Takei, Yoshinari, Tanabe, Choko
• Primary Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US09/793,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20010026066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/730.2, 280/730.1, 280/743.1, 280/743.2, 280/728.1
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23504 characterised by material
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23509 Fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23542 Weaving
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23547 one piece weaving
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 characterised by their material

Abstract

An airbag including an expansion part accommodating inflow of expansion gas to expand a peripheral wall, and linear joining portions arranged in a region of the expansion part and constituted by joining facing portions of the peripheral wall in a linear manner. The linear joining portions include a linear base, curved portions and swelling portions. Each of the curved portions is connected to the base and curvilinearly extends and bends toward the respective base thereof. The swelling portions are arranged at tip ends of the curved portions to smoothly connect outer peripheral edges thereof to outer peripheral edges of the curved portions. With this airbag, stress concentration is reduced around the swelling portions and the curved portions at the time of development and expansion. Thus, the linear joining portions can be arranged without causing breakage of the peripheral wall during development and expansion, and reduction in volume and expansion area held down as much as possible.

Claims

1. An airbag comprising:

an expansion part permitting an expansion gas to inflow to expand a peripheral wall; and

linear joining portions arranged in a region of the expansion part and constituted by joining facing portions of the peripheral wall in a linear manner;

each of the linear joining portions comprising a base, curved portions and swelling portions;

each base being arranged to be substantially straight;

each of the curved portions being connected to the respective base and curvilinearly extending from the respective base thereof;

the swelling portions being arranged at tip ends of the respective curved portions to smoothly connect outer peripheral edges thereof to outer peripheral edges of the curved portions; and

the linear joining portions being arranged in accordance with B0<

R2<

R1 where B0 is a widthwise dimension near portions of each base connected to the respective curved portions, R1 is a radius of curvature of the outer peripheral edges of the curved portions, and R2 is a radius of curvature of the outer peripheral edges of the swelling portions.

2. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the portions of each base near the respective curved portions are arranged substantially in parallel to a main flow of the inflowing expansion gas.

3. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the swelling portions are arranged offset from the respective base in a direction substantially perpendicular to a main flow of the expansion gas.

4. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the swelling portions are arranged offset from the respective base toward branching flow passages branching from a main flow passage, through which a main flow of the expansion gas flows.

5. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the airbag is formed by hollow-weaving.

6. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the radius of curvature R1 of the outer peripheral edges of the curved portions is in the range of 15 to 100 mm, and the radius of curvature R2 of the outer peripheral edges of the swelling portions is in the range of 10 to 15 mm.

7. An airbag disposed along a roof side rail portion of a vehicle comprising:

an expansion part permitting an expansion gas to inflow to expand a peripheral wall; and

linear joining portions arranged in a region of the expansion part and constituted by joining facing portions of the peripheral wall in a linear manner;

each of the linear joining portions comprising a base, curved portions and swelling portions;

each base being arranged to be substantially straight;

each of the curved portions being connected to the respective base and curvilinearly extending from the respective base thereof;

the swelling portions being arranged at tip ends of the respective curved portions to smoothly connect outer peripheral edges thereof to outer peripheral edges of the curved portions; and

the linear joining portions being arranged in accordance with B0<

R2<

R1 where B0 is a widthwise dimension near portions of each base connected to the respective curved portions, R1 is a radius of curvature of the outer peripheral edges of the curved portions, and R2 is a radius of curvature of the outer peripheral edges of the swelling portions;

wherein the portions of each base near the respective curved portions are arranged substantially in parallel to a main flow of the inflowing expansion gas; and

the main flow of the inflowing expansion gas is arranged at an upper edge side along the roof side rail portion of the vehicle.