Head protecting airbag device

• US 6,811,184 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2002
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Michio, Yamamoto, Takashi, Ogata, Tetsuya, Ikeda, Takanobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, David R.
• Application Number:
  US10/291,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20030090093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/736, 280/742, 280/743.1, 280/729
• US Class Current: 280/742
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2346 Soft diffusers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/261 with means other than bag structure to diffuse or guide inflation fluid

Abstract

A head protecting airbag device comprises an airbag folded and housed above the upper edge of a window on the interior side. The airbag includes an airbag body and a current regulating cloth. The airbag body includes: an inflation shielding portion; a gas feed passage portion arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle above the upper edge of the inflation shielding portion; and one gas inlet port protruded upward from a portion of the gas feed passage portion removed from the front end and the rear end. The current regulating cloth includes an inlet side portion and an outlet side portion. The outlet side portion includes first and second gas outlet holes capable of releasing the inflating gas from the inflator to the front and the rear along the gas feed passage portion.

Claims

1. A head protecting airbag device comprising:

an airbag folded and housed above the upper edge of a window on the interior side of a vehicle and adapted to be inflated downward, when the airbag admits an inflating gas, to cover the interior side of said window,

wherein said airbag includes an airbag body and a flexible current regulating cloth,

wherein said airbag body includes;

an inflation shielding portion for shielding the interior side of said window;

a gas feed passage portion for guiding the inflating gas discharged from an inflator into said inflation shielding portion; and

one gas inlet port constructed to be connected to said inflator,

wherein said inflation shielding portion is inflated to separate an interior side wall portion and an exterior side wall portion of said airbag by admitting the inflating gas,

wherein said gas feed passage portion is arranged above the upper edge of said inflation shielding portion and in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle,

wherein said gas inlet port is arranged to communicate with a portion in said gas feed passage portion at a position removed from the front end and the rear end and protruded upward from said gas feed passage portion,

wherein said current regulating cloth includes an inlet side portion arranged in said gas inlet port and connected with said inflator, and an outlet side portion arranged near said gas inlet port of said gas feed passage portion, and

wherein said outlet side portion includes a first gas outlet hole and a second gas outlet hole capable of releasing the inflating gas discharged from said inflator to the front and the rear along said gas feed passage portion, the first gas outlet hole and the second gas outlet hole being arranged proximate to the gas inlet port.

2. A head protecting airbag device according to claim 1,

wherein said outlet side portion is formed into a generally cylindrical shape having front and rear ends opened to respectively form said first and second gas outlet holes, and

wherein said outlet side portion is made to have an external diameter size smaller than the internal diameter size of said gas feed passage portion in said airbag body.

3. A head protecting airbag device according to claim 1,

wherein said outlet side portion further includes a third gas outlet hole formed in the lower side between said first gas outlet hole and said second gas outlet hole for injecting the inflating gas downward.

4. A head protecting airbag device according to claim 2,

wherein joint portions are arranged near the lower edges of said first and second gas outlet holes of said current regulating cloth in said airbag body and lined up in the longitudinal direction to construct the lower edge side of said gas feed passage portion and are constructed by being joined to said interior side wall portion and to said exterior side wall portion.

5. A head protecting airbag device according to claim 1,

wherein the opening faces of said first and second gas outlet holes in said outlet side portion are oblique to the vertical direction when the inflating gas flows out, and

wherein the inflating gas spurting from said first and second gas outlet holes are released in two directions, downward and to the front, and downward and to the rear, in the longitudinal direction of said airbag body.

6. A head protecting airbag device according to claim 1,

wherein said inflator includes a generally column-shaped body portion, and a generally cylindrical diffuser capable of being mounted on said body portion,

wherein said body portion includes gas discharge ports capable of discharging the inflating gas,

wherein said diffuser is provided in its circumference with an injection port for injecting the inflating gas discharged from said gas discharge ports, and holds shape better than said current regulating cloth,

wherein said diffuser is so assembled with said body portion as to inject the inflating gas discharged from said gas discharge ports, from said injection port,

wherein said inflator is inserted, when assembled with said airbag, into said inlet side portion in said current regulating cloth so as to support said current regulating cloth, and

wherein said injection port is arranged to inject the inflating gas downward toward said outlet side portion.

7. A head protecting airbag device according to claim 6,

wherein said diffuser is provided with two injection ports capable of injecting the inflating gas in two directions, downward and to the front side, and downward and to the rear side, in the longitudinal direction of said airbag body toward said outlet side portion.

8. A head protecting airbag device according to claim 1,

wherein said gas feed passage portion is arranged substantially along the entire length, in the longitudinal direction, of said airbag body.

9. A head protecting airbag device according to claim 1, wherein said inlet side portion of said current regulating cloth further comprises a portion arranged to cover and be supported by an upper surface of said inflator.

10. A head protecting airbag device according to claim 1, wherein a longitudinal dimension of said outlet side portion of said current regulating cloth is equal to or greater than a longitudinal opening width of a lower side of said gas inlet port.

11. A head protecting airbag device according to claim 1, wherein a longitudinal dimension of said outlet side portion of said current regulating cloth is less than a longitudinal opening width of a lower side of said gas inlet port.