Automotive outboard air bag system

• US 6,880,666 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2003
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Okamoto, Yutaka, Kikuchi, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sliteris, Joselynn Y.
• Application Number:
  US10/405,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20030192731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: B60/R02.1/34, 180/271, 180/274, 280/730.1, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 180/274
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/36 using airbags

Abstract

An automotive outboard air bag system (30) is provided in which an elongate tubular air bag (33) is inflated to deploy upwardly from the vicinity of a front pillar lower end portion (18a), the air bag so inflated to deploy is made to extend along an outer surface (18b) of a front pillar (18), and a strap (35) which is shorter than the overall length (L2) of the air bag (33) is allowed to extend from an upper end (33b) to a lower end (33a) of the air bag (33) so as to face the outer surface (18b) of the front pillar (18).

Claims

1. An automotive outboard air bag system comprising:

an elongate tubular air bag operable to be inflated to deploy upwardly from the vicinity of a lower end portion of a front pillar along an outer surface of the front pillar; and

a strap being shorter than the overall length of the air bag and extending from an upper end to a lower end of the air bag in such a manner as to face the outer surface of the front pillar.

2. The automotive outboard air bag system according to claim 1, wherein the air bag and the strap are received within a cowl formed in the vicinity of the lower end portion of the front pillar, and the strap is disposed closed to the front pillar with respect to the air bag.

6. The automotive outboard air bag system according to claim 1 wherein the air bag is deployed in a curved fashion so as to approach the outer surface of the front pillar.

7. The automotive outboard air bag system according to claim 1 wherein the strap is deployed between the air bag and the front pillar.

8. The automotive outboard air bag system according to claim 1 wherein the strap comprises two straps disposed at an interval on the lower end of the air bag and overlap together at the upper end of the air bag.

3. An automotive outboard air bag system comprising:

an air bag operable to be inflated to deploy upwardly from the vicinity of a lower end portion of a window glass front pillar along an outer surface of a window glass; and

a strap being shorter than the overall length of the air bag and extending from an upper end to a lower end of the air bag in such a manner as to face the outer surface of the window glass when the air bag is inflated to deploy.

4. The automotive outboard air bag system according to claim 3, wherein the window glass is a windshield.

5. The automotive outboard air bag system according to claim 3, wherein the air bag and the strap are received within a cowl formed in the vicinity of the lower end portion of the window glass, and the strap is disposed close to the window glass front pillar, with respect to the air bag.