Air bag system

• US 6,846,008 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2001
• Issued: 01/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company), TS Tech Company Limited
• Inventors: Okumura, Tomoyuki, Kawamura, Nobuyuki, Kamiji, Kouichi, Saito, Kenichi, Higuchi, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Assistant Examiner(s): TO, TOAN C
• Application Number:
  US09/996,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20020063416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.1, 280/729, 280/730.1, 280/732, 280/740
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration

Abstract

In an air bag system in which an air bag is placed under an upper surface of an instrument panel for restraining a passenger by igniting an inflator by a signal from an acceleration sensor when a vehicle is crashed and deploying the air bag with gas generated by the ignition of the inflator, a method for forming a pocket in a lower surface of the air bag when it is inflated.

Claims

1. An air bag system comprising:

an air bag for placement in a folded state under an upper surface of an instrument panel of a vehicle, and for being inflated by an inflator when the vehicle is crashed,

wherein the air bag has a pocket for extending inwardly inside of the air bag at a lower surface of the air bag when the air bag is fully inflated, and

wherein the pocket has an opening portion disposed at the lower surface of the air bag.

2. The air bag system according to claim 1, wherein the pocket is located in a position corresponding to a top portion of a child safety seat when the air bag is inflated.

3. The air bag system according to claim 1, wherein the pocket is located in a position corresponding to a top portion of a child safety seat mounted on an occupant seat while facing rearward of the vehicle when the air bag is inflated.

4. The air bag system according to claim 1, wherein the air bag further comprises an exhaust hole located in the vicinity of the pocket for exhausting a gas.

5. The air bag system according to claim 1, wherein the pocket is housed inside of the air bag when the air bag is in said folded state.

6. The air bag system according to claim 1, wherein the pocket is recessed from the lower surface of the air bag, and wherein the pocket comprises:

a pocket bag portion having a predetermined depth when the air bag is inflated;

a pocket opening portion for receiving a top of a child safety seat, said pocket opening portion having a predetermined opening area; and

a strap connecting an inside of an upper surface of the air bag with a bottom of the pocket bag portion.

7. The air bag system according to claim 6, wherein the depth of the pocket bag portion is between 5 cm and 30 cm.

8. The air bag system according to claim 6, wherein the opening area of the pocket opening portion is in the range from 450 to 900 cm².

9. The air bag system according to claim 6, wherein the strap is sewed to the bottom of the pocket bag portion at one and thereof and to the inside of the upper surface of the air bag at the other end thereof.

10. The air bag system according to claim 6, wherein the pocket opening portion is formed in one of a slit shape, a circular shape, a rectangular shape and an oval shape.

11. The air bag system according to claim 1, wherein the pocket is formed in a conical shape.

12. The air bag system according to claim 1, wherein the pocket is formed in a semi-oval shape.

13. The air bag system according to claim 1, wherein the pocket is formed in a cylindrical shape with a circular bottom opposing a pocket opening portion.

14. The air bag system according to claim 1, wherein the pocket is convexed from the lower surface of the air bag.

18. The air bag system according to claim 1, wherein the pocket includes a pocket opening portion for receiving an obstacle therein, said pocket opening portion having a predetermined opening area.

15. An air bag for placement in a folded state under an upper surface of an instrument panel of a vehicle, and for being inflated by an inflator when the vehicle is crashed,

wherein the air bag is constructed and arranged to have a pocket formed in a lower surface thereof when the air bag is fully inflated, the pocket comprising:

a pocket bag portion having a predetermined depth when the air bag is inflated;

a pocket opening portion for receiving an obstacle therein, said pocket opening portion having a predetermined opening area and being disposed at the lower surface of the air bag; and

a strap connecting an inside of an upper surface of the air bag with the pocket bag portion.

16. The air bag of claim 15, wherein the air bag further comprises an exhaust hole located in the vicinity of the pocket for exhausting a gas.

17. The air bag of claim 15, wherein the pocket is located in a position corresponding to a top portion of a child safety seat when the air bag is inflated.

19. The air bag of claim 15, wherein the pocket extends inwardly inside of the air bag at a lower surface of the air bag when the air bag is fully inflated.

20. The air bag system according to claim 15, wherein the pocket opening portion is formed in one of a slit shape, a circular shape, a rectangular shape and an oval shape.

21. An air bag system comprising:

an air bag for placement in a folded state under an upper surface of an instrument panel of a vehicle, and for being inflated by an inflator when the vehicle is crashed,

wherein the air bag has an outer surface and a pocket provided for extending inwardly inside of the air bag at a lower portion of the air bag'"'"'s outer surface when the air bag is fully inflated, and

wherein the pocket comprises

an opening portion disposed at the lower portion of the air bag'"'"'s outer surface, and

a body portion having sidewalls for extending inwardly from the opening portion in a fully inflated configuration of the airbag, such that the sidewalls are spaced apart and distinet from the outer surface of the air bag.

22. The air bag system of claim 21, wherein the sidewalls of the pocket form a closed shape such that a cross section of the sidewalls provides a closed section, and the closed section is spaced apart from the outer surface of the air bag.