Head protecting airbag device

• US 6,860,506 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2002
• Issued: 03/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanase, Toshinori, Ogata, Tetsuya, Nakamura, Eishichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Application Number:
  US10/299,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20030094798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/736, 280/740, 280/742, 280/728.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/261 with means other than bag structure to diffuse or guide inflation fluid

Abstract

In a head protecting airbag device, an airbag includes an inflation portion and a connection port portion. The connection port portion includes: an outlet side portion having a communication port to the inflation portion at its lower end; and an inlet side portion for inserting an inflator therein. The inflator includes a body portion having a gas discharge port, and a diffuser having a gas outlet port. The diffuser is connected with the body portion so as to cover the gas discharge port, having its two ends forced into contact with the outer circumference of the body portion. The inflator is connected to a connection port portion with good sealing properties and the gas outlet port faces toward the communication port of the connection port portion and thus toward the inflation portion. This head protecting airbag device simplifies the connection structure between the inflator and the airbag while retaining the quick expansion and inflation of the airbag.

Claims

1. A head protecting airbag device comprising:

an airbag folded and housed in the upper longitudinal edge of the window on the interior side of a vehicle and adapted to expand and inflate downward, when it admits an inflating gas, to cover the interior side of said window; and

an inflator for feeding said airbag with the inflating gas,

wherein said airbag includes;

an inflation portion to inflate, when admitting the inflating gas, to separate an interior side wall portion and an exterior side wall portion of the airbag, thereby to shield said window; and

one tubular connection port portion arranged close to the longitudinal middle of an upper edge side of said airbag and formed to communicate with said inflation portion and to protrude upward from said inflation portion, for guiding the inflating gas from said inflator to said inflation portion,

wherein said connection port portion includes;

an outlet side portion having a communication port at the lower end thereof for communicating with said inflation portion and releasing the inflating gas to said inflation portion; and

an inlet side portion arranged above said outlet side portion and connected to said inflator for admitting the inflating gas from said inflator,

wherein said inflator includes;

a cylinder body portion having a gas discharge port opened on the outer circumference side for discharging the inflating gas; and

a diffuser formed of a metal into a cylindrical shape to extend over said gas discharge port of said body portion and to be connected with said body portion by forcing a root end of the diffuser onto a head portion of said body portion, and having a gas outlet port opened on the outer circumference for releasing the inflating gas, and

wherein said diffuser of said inflator is;

inserted into the inlet side portion of the connection port portion of said airbag and connected to said connection port portion with good sealing properties; and

arranged so that said gas outlet port faces toward said communication port of said connection port portion and thus toward said inflation portion;

the head protecting airbag device further comprising;

a mounting bracket holding the body portion of the inflator, the mounting bracket being positioned apart from the gas discharge port;

wherein the inflator is arranged so that said diffuser is disposed away from said mounting bracket and is disposed to cover said gas discharge port.

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

wherein said diffuser has two of said gas outlet ports for releasing the inflating gas in two oblique directions, forward and downward, and rearward and downward.

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

said gas discharge port is arranged close to an end portion of said body portion, and

said gas outlet port is arranged at the side of the center or another end portion of said inflator away from said gas discharge port.

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

wherein the inlet side portion of the connection port portion of said airbag is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

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

wherein said inlet side portion is opened at both front and rear ends and is formed to protrude to the front and rear sides above said outlet side portion, and

wherein said inlet side portion is sealed on said inflator at two positions of the front and rear sides on either side of said outlet side portion by being pressed against the outer circumference of said inflator along the circumferential direction.

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

wherein the gas outlet port of said diffuser is arranged to project into said outlet side portion toward said inflation portion.

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

wherein the inflation portion of said airbag includes:

a feed passage portion arranged on the upper edge side of said airbag in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, to communicate with said connection port portion; and

a shielding body portion arranged below said feed passage portion for substantially covering the interior side of said window when inflated, and

wherein said shielding body portion includes a plurality of vertical cells lined up in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle to inflate in vertical rod shapes with the inflating gas introduced through said feed passage portion into said inflation portion.

8. A head protecting airbag device according to claim 7, wherein:

the inflation portion of said airbag includes a communication passage portion arranged on the lower edge side of said airbag along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle for providing communication between said individual vertical cells and the lower end,

one of said vertical cells is arranged near just below said connection port portion in said airbag with the opening narrowed on the side of said feed passage portion, and

adjacent vertical cells at the front and rear sides of said vertical cell arranged near just below said connection port portion are closed at their upper ends.