Air bag device
First Claim
1. An air bag device including an inflator accommodated in a retainer to which a peripheral edge of an opening of a folded-up air bag is fixed, so that said air bag is deployed by a gas generated by said inflator upon collision of a vehicle to restrain an occupant, wherein a vent hole defined in said retainer can be opened and closed by a control valve operated by an actuator, said control valve including a plurality of divided valve members, and said actuator includes a plurality of actuator elements and said divided valve members are individually operable by said actuator elements associated with the divided valve members, respectively.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An air bag device includes a control valve capable of opening and closing a vent hole provided in a retainer, and a sufficient opening degree of the control valve can be ensured by use of a small-sized and inexpensive actuator. For this purpose, the control valve for opening and closing the vent hole defined in the retainer supporting an inflator and an air bag in the air bag device is opened and closed by plural valve members each operated by a piezoelectric element serving as an actuator. The plurality of divided valve members of the control valve are used and hence, even if the size of the piezoelectric element for operating each of the valve members is reduced to provide a reduction in cost, a sufficient opening degree of the entire control valve is ensured.
38 Citations
17 Claims
- 1. An air bag device including an inflator accommodated in a retainer to which a peripheral edge of an opening of a folded-up air bag is fixed, so that said air bag is deployed by a gas generated by said inflator upon collision of a vehicle to restrain an occupant, wherein a vent hole defined in said retainer can be opened and closed by a control valve operated by an actuator, said control valve including a plurality of divided valve members, and said actuator includes a plurality of actuator elements and said divided valve members are individually operable by said actuator elements associated with the divided valve members, respectively.
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2. An air bag device including an inflator accommodated in a retainer to which a peripheral edge of an opening of a folded-up air bag is fixed, so that said air bag is deployed by a gas generated by said inflator upon collision of a vehicle to restrain an occupant, wherein a vent hole defined in said retainer can be opened and closed by a control valve operated by an actuator, said control valve including a plurality of divided valve members, and said actuator includes a plurality of piezoelectric elements and said divided valve members are individually operable by said piezoelectric elements associated with the divided valve members, respectively.
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3. An air bag device including an inflator accommodated in a retainer to which a peripheral edge of an opening of a folded-up air bag is fixed, so that said air bag is deployed by a gas generated by said inflator upon collision of a vehicle to restrain an occupant, wherein a vent hole defined in said retainer can be opened and closed by a control valve operated by an actuator, said control valve including a plurality of divided valve members, the plurality of valve members are curved when opened, and the direction of curving of at least one of said valve members being different from that of at least one of the remaining valve members.
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4. An air bag device including an inflator accommodated in a retainer to which a peripheral edge of an opening of a folded-up air bag is fixed, so that said air bag is deployed by a gas generated by said inflator upon collision of a vehicle to restrain an occupant, wherein the opening degree of a vent hole defined in said retainer can be controlled by a control valve operated by an actuator, said control valve including a valve member, which is formed of an elastomer material and supported to cover said vent hole from the outside, so that when said vent hole is opened by a gas generated by said inflator, said actuator generates a load in a direction to close or open the vent hole by said valve member of said control valve;
said valve member being of an elongated shape and carried pivotally at an intermediate portion thereof on said retainer, said valve member having a first portion on one side of said intermediate portion and a second portion on the other side of the intermediate portion, the first portion opens and closes the vent hole while the second portion receives the load from the actuator in a direction urging the valve to pivot to close the vent hole. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
- 5. An air bag device including an inflator accommodated in a retainer to which a peripheral edge of an opening of a folded-up air bag is fixed, so that said air bag is deployed by a gas generated by said inflator upon collision of a vehicle to restrain an occupant, wherein a vent hole defined in said retainer can be opened and closed by a control valve having a valve member operated by an actuator, and said air bag device includes a stopper for limiting the maximum opening degree of said valve member of said control valve to an amount less than that achievable using the actuator in an unrestrained condition.
Specification