Airbag apparatus for a small size vehicle

• US 6,971,666 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2003
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2002
• 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: Kurata, Norihiro, Yamagiwa, Toshio, Akiyama, Hideki, Nakamura, Toyokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): CULBRETH, ERIC D
• Application Number:
  US10/406,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20030189323A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/730.1, 280/743.1
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0088 Cycles, e.g. motorcycles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23504 characterised by material
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 27/20 Airbags specially adapted for motorcycles or the like

Abstract

An airbag apparatus for a small size vehicle that includes an airbag, for constraining a driver on a seat from forward motion through an inflation expansion, that reduces the number of parts and achieves miniaturization of the apparatus while constraining the driver on the seat. The airbag includes a main bag portion and an auxiliary bag portion communicating with the inside of the main bag portion through a connecting hole. The auxiliary bag portion is inflated and expanded with gas exhausted from the main bag portion through the connecting hole.

Claims

1. An airbag apparatus for a vehicle which includes an airbag for constraining a driver on a seat from forward motion through an inflation expansion of the airbag, comprising:

a main bag portion and an auxiliary bag portion; and

a connecting hole for communicating with an inside of said main bag portion

wherein said auxiliary bag portion is inflated and expanded with gas exhausted from said main bag portion through said connecting hole,

and when the main air bag portion and the auxiliary bag portion are both inflated and expanded, the auxiliary bag portion is positioned further in a forward and upward direction than is the main bag portion.

wherein the auxiliary bag portion constrains the driver after the main bag portion initially constrains the driver.

2. The airbag apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein an exhaust hole having a smaller diameter than that of said connecting hole is provided in said auxiliary bag portion.

3. The airbag apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein at least a portion of said airbag for contacting with the driver on said seat is formed from a material having a higher coefficient of friction than other portions of said airbag which the driver does not contact.

4. The airbag apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein an upper section of the auxiliary air bag portion inflates to have a larger forward-to-rear dimension than does a lower section of the auxiliary air bag portion.

5. The airbag apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, and further including an airbag module disposed in a forward position on said vehicle for storing the airbag during non-use.

6. The airbag apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 5, and further including a cover member disposed to cover said airbag module when said airbag is stored therein.

7. The airbag apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 5, and further including a tank disposed in a forward position of said vehicle wherein said airbag module is disposed within said tank.

8. The airbag apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 7, and further including mounting pieces secured to said tank and in engagement with a lower portion of said main bag for securing said main bag relative to said tank.

9. The airbag apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein prior to expansion of the auxiliary bag portion, the driver on the seat is initially constrained by the main bag portion during the forward motion.

10. An airbag for a vehicle for constraining a driver on a seat from forward motion through an inflation expansion of the airbag, comprising:

a main bag portion being of a first predetermined size and including an interior portion for receiving a gas for expansion of said main bag portion;

an auxiliary bag portion being mounted relative to said main bag portion and being of a second predetermined size, said auxiliary bag portion including an interior portion; and

a connecting hole for communicating gas contained within the interior portion of the main bag portion with the interior portion of the auxiliary bag portion;

wherein said auxiliary bag portion is inflated and expanded with gas exhausted from said main bag portion through said connecting hole, and when inflated the auxiliary air bag portion extends in a direction substantially upward and forward with respect to the main air bag portion, and

wherein the auxiliary bag portion constrains the driver after the main bag portion initially constrains the driver.

11. The airbag apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein an exhaust hole having a smaller diameter than that of said connecting hole is provided in said auxiliary bag portion.

12. The airbag apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein at least a portion of said airbag for contacting with the driver on said seat is formed from a material having a higher coefficient of friction than other portions of said airbag which the driver does not contact.

13. The airbag apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein an upper section of the auxiliary air bag portion inflates to have a larger forward-to-rear dimension than does a lower section of the auxiliary air bag portion.

14. The airbag apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 10, and further including an airbag module disposed in a forward position on said vehicle for storing the airbag during non-use.

15. The airbag apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 14, and further including a cover member disposed to cover said airbag module when said airbag is stored therein.

16. The airbag apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 14, and further including a tank disposed in a forward position of said vehicle wherein said airbag module is disposed within said tank.

17. The airbag apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 16, and further including mounting pieces secured to said tank and in engagement with a lower portion of said main bag for securing said main bag relative to said tank.

18. An airbag apparatus for a vehicle which includes an airbag for constraining a driver on a seat from forward motion through an inflation expansion of the airbag, comprising:

a main bag portion and an auxiliary bag portion; and

a connecting hole for communicating with an inside of said main bag portion;

wherein upon inflating said main air bag portion, said connecting hole is positioned at an arc-shaped section of the main air bag portion which faces in an upward and forward direction, and said auxiliary bag portion is inflated and expanded with gas exhausted from said main bag portion through said connecting hole, and

wherein the auxiliary bag portion constrains the driver after the main bag portion initially constrains the driver,

wherein prior to expansion of the auxiliary bag portion, the driver on the seat is initially constrained by the main bag portion during the forward motion.