Air bag device for side collision of automobile

• US 6,561,539 B1
• Filed: 07/09/1999
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Sasaki, Hiroshi, Seo, Kasumi, Sunabashiri, Yukisada
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Lanna
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Toan C
• Application Number:
  US09/308,344
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/728.1
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23153 specially adapted for rear seat passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

In an airbag 3, a rear end 6a of a partitioning wall cloth 6 is positioned in the vicinity of the shoulder S of a vehicle occupant M, and the partitioning wall cloth 6 extends forward at a more downward angle θ1 than a perpendicular direction Y to the longitudinal direction of an inflator 4. As the partitioning wall cloth 6 is formed downwardly, the volume of a chest protecting portion A is small, so that a speed of the chest protecting portion A spread forward by gas G is increased.

Claims

1. An airbag apparatus for lateral collision of an automobile, comprising:

an inflator having a discharging hole at a side face thereof, the inflator being adapted to discharge a gas from the discharging hole during a lateral collision;

an airbag accommodating the inflator, the airbag being adapted to be spread forward in a generally L-shaped configuration, the airbag having a head protecting portion and a chest protecting portion, the chest protecting portion receiving directly the gas discharged from the inflator; and

a partition cloth provided inside the airbag, the partition cloth separating the airbag into the head protecting portion and the chest protecting portion, the partition cloth comprising;

a rear end defining one vent hole;

a remaining portion, except for the rear end, the remaining portion being totally closed off so that, during the lateral collision, the gas is introduced from the chest protecting portion to the head protecting portion only through said one vent hole, the rear end positioned in a vicinity of a shoulder of a vehicle occupant, and the partition cloth extends forward at a downward angle relative to a perpendicular direction to the longitudinal direction of the inflator; and

a width-restricting cloth connecting left and right faces of the airbag in the chest protecting portion to restrict an expansion of the airbag in left and right directions thereof, wherein

said width-restricting cloth extends forward at a first downward angle relative to said perpendicular direction, wherein said partition cloth extends forward at a second downward angel relative to the perpendicular direction, and wherein the first downward angle is larger than the second downward angle.

2. An airbag apparatus for lateral collision of an automobile according to claim 1, wherein said discharging hole is formed at a lower end portion of said side face of said inflator.

3. An airbag apparatus for lateral collision of an automobile according to claim 1, wherein a tuck portion is provided on a face of said airbag at a vehicle occupant compartment inner side, and said tuck portion is formed by overlapping and sewing a portion of said airbag over a predetermined front and rear direction width.

4. An airbag apparatus for protecting vehicle occupants during a lateral collision of an automobile, the airbag apparatus comprising:

an inflator that discharges a gas;

an airbag that houses the inflator in a bottom portion of the airbag and that is adapted to expand during the lateral collision in a generally L-shapecd manner, the airbag including a partition cloth extending in rearward and forward directions at a downward angle relative to a direction that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the inflator, wherein the partition cloth separates the airbag into a chest protecting portion and a head protecting portion, wherein the partition cloth defines a vent hole in a rearward end of the airbag, wherein a rear portion of the partition cloth is adapted to be positioned in a shoulder region of a vehicle occupant; and

a width restricting cloth connected to lateral faces of the airbag to restrict expansion of the airbag in a lateral direction,

wherein the width restricting cloth extends forward and rearward at a downward angle relative to a direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the inflator that is greater than the downward angle at which the partition cloth extends relative to the perpendicular direction.

5. An airbag apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the vent hole is adapted to be positioned in a neck region of a vehicle occupant.

6. An airbag apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a tuck portion on an inner lateral face of the airbag, the tuck portion being formed by overlapping and connecting a predetermined length and width of the inner lateral face of the airbag.

7. An airbag apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the tuck portion causes the inner lateral face to be shortened, thereby causing the inner lateral face to be inclined toward an interior of the vehicle during a lateral collision.