Air bag system

• US 6,808,203 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2002
• Issued: 10/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahara, Isamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Toan C
• Application Number:
  US10/288,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20030090095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.1, 280/730.2, 280/736, 280/739, 280/740, 280/742, 280/743.1
• US Class Current: 280/740
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2617 Curtain bag nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/26 characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow arrangement or mounting thereof to the vehicle B60R21/20; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure in general F42B3/04; initiators or igniters therefor F42B3/10

Abstract

An air bag system is provided which includes an inflator serving as a gas generator, an air bag which is stored in a folded state in a certain portion of a vehicle and is adapted to be inflated by the gas supplied from the inflator to protect a vehicle occupant or occupants, and a diffuser serving to guide gas from the inflator into the air bag. In the air bag system, a preliminary inflatable portion is formed in a gas supply port of the air bag and a gas distribution portion formed in the end of the diffuser is arranged within the preliminary inflatable portion.

Claims

1. An air bag system, comprising:

an inflator serving as a gas generator;

an air bag which is stored along an A-pillar and a roof side rail in a folded state in a portion of a vehicle and is adapted to be inflated into a curtain along a side wall of a passenger compartment of the vehicle by gas supplied from the inflator to protect at least one vehicle occupant; and

a diffuser serving to guide the gas from the inflator into the air bag, wherein

a preliminary inflatable portion is formed in a gas supply port of the air bag, the preliminary inflatable portion being disposed in a longitudinally middle portion of the air bag and a gas distribution portion is formed in an end of the diffuser and is arranged within the preliminary inflatable portion, the gas distribution portion of the diffuser including a plurality of gas feed holes in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the gas feed holes distributing gas in at least two different directions.

2. The air bag system according to claim 1, wherein

the gas distribution portion of the diffuser is disposed substantially in a center of a width of the preliminary inflatable portion.

3. The air bag system according to claim 1, wherein

the preliminary inflatable portion is stored in an unfolded state in the vehicle.

4. The air bag system according to claim 3, wherein

the gas distribution portion of the diffuser is disposed substantially in a center of a width of the preliminary inflatable portion.

5. The air bag system according to claim 1, wherein

the preliminary inflatable portion is adapted to be inflated into a substantially cylindrical shape.

6. The air bag system according to claim 1, wherein

a width of the preliminary inflatable portion is substantially equal to a width of a gas passage serving to guide gas from the preliminary inflatable portion to an inflatable portion of the air bag.

7. The air bag system according to claim 1, wherein

the gas distribution portion of the diffuser is disposed substantially in a center of a width of the preliminary inflatable portion.

8. The air bag system according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of gas feed holes have a same shape.

9. The air bag system according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of the plurality of gas feed holes has a different shape.

10. The air bag system according to clam 1, wherein

the diffuser is formed substantially in the form of the letter “

L”

including a connecting portion that has a substantially straight shape and is connected to the inflator and a gas distribution portion that extends in a curved shape from the connecting portion and is arranged within the gas supply port of the air bag.

11. The air bag system according to claim 10, wherein

the gas supply port of the air bag includes an attaching portion to be airtightly attached onto a periphery of the connecting portion of the diffuser.