Air bag module with partial external hood or tether
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An air bag assembly (20) comprising:
- a folded air bag (24) having a first half and a second half, each half positioned opposite an imaginary plane generally bisecting the folded air bag, the folded air bag capable of being inflated, the folded air bag having a top, a bottom, an upper side portion, a lower side portion side and at least one lateral side portion and means for inflating the air bag, anda partial hood enveloping substantially all of only one of the first or second half of the folded air bag, configured to cause the air bag to inflate in an asymmetric manner during inflation in a direction away from that half of the folded air bag covered by the hood, the hood being operatively disengageable from the folded air bag as the air bag continues to inflate, the hood configured to interact with the inflating air bag to be moved from a position enveloping a portion of the folded air bag toward a disengaged position at the lateral side portion of the inflated air bag.
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Abstract
An air bag assembly (20) comprising: an air bag (24) and means for inflating the air bag, and a partial hood or tether (40) for causing the air bag to inflate in an asymmetric manner during inflation, the hood or tethers operatively disengageable from the air bag.
42 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An air bag assembly (20) comprising:
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a folded air bag (24) having a first half and a second half, each half positioned opposite an imaginary plane generally bisecting the folded air bag, the folded air bag capable of being inflated, the folded air bag having a top, a bottom, an upper side portion, a lower side portion side and at least one lateral side portion and means for inflating the air bag, and a partial hood enveloping substantially all of only one of the first or second half of the folded air bag, configured to cause the air bag to inflate in an asymmetric manner during inflation in a direction away from that half of the folded air bag covered by the hood, the hood being operatively disengageable from the folded air bag as the air bag continues to inflate, the hood configured to interact with the inflating air bag to be moved from a position enveloping a portion of the folded air bag toward a disengaged position at the lateral side portion of the inflated air bag. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An air bag assembly (20) comprising:
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a folded air bag (24) capable of being inflated and means for inflating the air bag, a hood or tether (40) configured to interact with only one half of the inflating air bag to thereby inhibit the inflation of this one half of the air bag relative to other portions of the air bag, during initiation of inflation; wherein as the air bag continues to inflate, the hood is configured to be moved laterally off from the air bag. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. An air bag assembly comprising:
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an air bag foldable into a folded configuration, when in the folded configuration the air bag has a first portion and a generally opposing second portion, the first and second portions are contiguous portions of the air bag, both the first portion and the second portion of the air bag inflatable to about the same size; means for inflating the air bag including inflating the first and second portions of the air bag, and first means, operatively enveloping only the first portion of the folded air bag while in a folded configuration and interacting with only the first portion of the air bag as the first portion begins to inflate, for retarding the size of the first portion of the inflating air bag relative to the size of the second portion, as the air bag initially expands from its folded configuration;
the first means subsequently laterally disengaging from the air bag. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An air bag assembly including:
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a folded air bag having a first side portion and a second side portion, means for inflating the air bag, and a partial, external catch mechanism placed only about the first side portion of the folded air bag to retard inflation of the first side portion of the air bag relative to inflation of the second side portion of the air bag during the first moments of inflation of the air bag, the external catch directing the air bag to inflate away from the location of the catch;
wherein the catch mechanism includes a hood or tether (40) configured to interact with one side of the inflating air bag to thereby inhibit the inflation of this one side of the air bag;wherein the hood or tether is configured to be pushed laterally off from the air bag as the air bag continues to inflate. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification