Airbag system

• US 6,991,254 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2002
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2001
• 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: Namiki, Hideo, Tanaka, Akiko, Kuroe, Takeshi, Akiyama, Hideki, Yanagibashi, Yoshitaka, Yamamoto, Takenori
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FREEDMAN, LAURA
• Application Number:
  US10/252,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20030132616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/733, 280/736, 280/742
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2171 specially adapted for elongated cylindrical or bottle-like inflators with a symmetry axis perpendicular to the main direction of bag deployment, e.g. extruded reaction canisters B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 27/20 Airbags specially adapted for motorcycles or the like

Abstract

An inflator unit provided on a main frame of a motorcycle is provided with an inflator case having an inflator stored therein. Gas generated by the inflator flows through the interior of the main frame and is supplied to the airbag. The inflator case includes the left and right case halves divided along the parting plane and joined with each other by two bolts and the internal space thereof narrows towards an exit opening in the funnel shape. The axis Li of the inflator is shifted to the side opposite from the exit opening with respect to the axis Lc of the inflator case. A main frame may be formed with an atmosphere communication hole for communicating the interior of the main frame with the atmosphere at the position near the inflator case so that the atmosphere is introduced through the atmosphere communication port into the interior of the main frame by the negative pressure generated when gas flows from the inflator to the airbag. Thus, a large-volume airbag can be deployed by a small-capacity inflator.

Claims

1. An airbag system comprising:

an airbag unit for storing a folded airbag;

an inflator unit for storing an inflator for generating gas for inflating the airbag;

the airbag unit and the inflator unit being connected to each other via a gas supply member; and

an inflator case for storing and protecting the inflator hermetically, said inflator case being divided into a pair of two case halves along a flat parting plane,

the gas supply member being an interior portion of a main frame member of a vehicle, the main frame member extending rearwardly from a head pipe,

wherein the inflator case is disposed in a space surrounded by the main frame member, a seat rail and a lower pipe of the vehicle and connected to a rearward portion of the main frame member, and the airbag unit is disposed on and connected to an upper surface of the main frame member in the vicinity of the head pipe,

wherein an interior portion of the main frame member is used as a gas passage for introducing gas generated by the inflator into the airbag unit, and

wherein an L-shaped gas guiding plate is provided in the main frame member near the airbag to deflect gas flow to the airbag.

2. The airbag system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of supporting portions projecting from the inflator are held and supported between a pair of case halves of the inflator case along the parting plane.

3. The airbag system according to claim 2, wherein a harness extending from the inflator is drawn out of the inflator case through the interior of any one of a plurality of supporting portions.

4. The airbag system according to claim 2, wherein the inflator case is provided with a gas supply member connecting unit disposed between the inflator unit and the gas supply member for supplying the gas to the airbag unit.

5. The airbag system according to claim 4, wherein the interior of the inflator case is tapered towards the gas supply member connecting unit.

6. The airbag system according to claim 1, wherein a harness extending from the inflator is drawn out of the inflator case through the interior of any one of a plurality of supporting portions.

7. The airbag system according to claim 6, wherein the inflator case is provided with a gas supply member connecting unit disposed between the inflator unit and the gas supply member for supplying the gas to the airbag unit.

8. The airbag system according to claim 7, wherein the interior of the inflator case is tapered towards the gas supply member connecting unit.

9. The airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the inflator case is provided with a gas supply member connecting unit disposed between the inflator unit and the gas supply member for supplying the gas to the airbag unit.

10. The airbag system according to claim 9, wherein the interior of the inflator case is tapered towards the gas supply member connecting unit.

11. The airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the inflator case is hermetically sealed.

12. An airbag system comprising:

an airbag unit for storing a folded airbag;

an inflator for generating gas for inflating the airbag; and

the airbag unit and the inflator being disposed separately;

wherein an interior portion of a pipe member constituting a part of a vehicle body frame (F) is used as a gas passage for introducing gas generated by the inflator into the airbag unit,

wherein the inflator is disposed in an inflator storage section eccentrically and an exit opening for allowing gas to exit from the inflator storage section towards the pipe member is provided on a side far from the inflator.

13. The airbag system according to claim 12, wherein a one-way valve for allowing gas to flow only in the direction from the inflator towards the airbag unit is provided in the pipe member.

14. The airbag system according to claim 13, wherein an atmosphere communication hole in communication with the atmosphere is provided on the pipe member.

15. The airbag system according to claim 13, and further including gas guiding plates for limiting the direction of flow of gas into an airbag case, said gas guiding plates being provided at a connecting portion between the airbag case of the airbag unit and the pipe member.

16. The airbag system according to claim 12, wherein an atmosphere communication hole in communication with the atmosphere is provided on the pipe member.

17. The airbag system according to claim 16, and further including gas guiding plates for limiting the direction of flow of gas into an airbag case, said gas guiding plates being provided at a connecting portion between the airbag case of the airbag unit and the pipe member.

18. The airbag system according to claim 12, and further including gas guiding plates for limiting the direction of flow of gas into an airbag case, said gas guiding plates being provided at a connecting portion between the airbag case of the airbag unit and the pipe member.

19. The airbag system according to claim 12, wherein the inflator case is hermetically sealed.

20. An airbag system comprising:

an airbag unit for storing a folded airbag;

an inflator for generating gas for inflating the airbag; and

the airbag unit and the inflator being disposed separately;

wherein an interior portion of a main frame member constituting a part of a vehicle body frame (F) is used as a gas passage for introducing gas generated by the inflator into the airbag unit, and

wherein at least one L-shaped gas guiding plate is disposed inside the main frame member for deflecting the gas into the airbag, the gas guiding plate facing a through hole formed on the main frame member for supporting the airbag such that the gas flow is introduced through the through hole to the interior of the airbag.

21. The airbag system according to claim 20, wherein a front end portion of the main frame member adjacent to a head pipe is closed by a parting strip.