Airbag device

• US 7,021,656 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2002
• 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): Dunn, David R.
• Application Number:
  US10/652,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20040051282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 280/731, 280/732, 280/739, 280/743.1, 280/743.2, 180/271, 180/274
• US Class Current: 280/739
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2165 characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

An airbag device has a bag housing case, an airbag housed in the bag housing case, a plate member provided within the airbag, and a bag pressure release mechanism. When the internal pressure of the airbag reaches a predetermined pressure, the bag pressure release mechanism opens the airbag to prevent an increase in the internal pressure of the airbag. The plate member covers the bag pressure release mechanism when the airbag is in a deflated state. When the airbag is inflated, the plate member is released from coverage of the bag pressure release mechanism by an inflating force.

Claims

1. An airing device for a vehicle, comprising:

a bag housing case adapted to be disposed below a rear end of a bonnet in proximity to a bottom portion of a windshield of the vehicle, the bag housing case having an opening and a cover mounted to close the opening;

an airbag housed in a deflated, folded state within the bag housing case for deployment forward of the windshield to mitigate an impact on an obstacle when the obstacle collides with the airbag being deployed;

a plate member disposed within the bag housing case and connected to the airbag;

a strap connecting the plate member to a sidewall of the airbag inside the bag housing case; and

a bag pressure release mechanism disposed in a confronting relation to an inside of the airbag, said mechanism being designed to release an internal pressure of the airbag when the internal pressure of the airbag reaches a predetermined pressure after the airbag is inflated, thereby preventing an increase in the internal pressure of the airbag,

wherein the cover is designed to open the opening of the bag housing case when subjected to a force produced when the internal pressure of the airbag reaches a given pressure less than the predetermined internal pressure, as the airbag is inflated,

wherein the plate member is designed such that the plate member covers the bag pressure release mechanism when the airbag is in the deflated, folded state within the airbag and continues to cover the bag pressure release mechanism to thereby prevent the bag pressure release mechanism from being subjected to the given pressure created inside the airbag until the plate member is released from coverage of the bag pressure release mechanism when pulled by the strap as the sidewall of the airbag uprises due to continuing inflation and deployment of the airbag occurring after the cover opens the opening of the bag housing case, and

wherein the bag pressure release mechanism is designed to release internal pressure of the airbag when the internal pressure of the airbag is caused to increase from the given pressure to the predetermined pressure due to collision of the obstacle with the airbag being deployed.

2. An airbag device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the bag housing case has at least one vent hole formed in a bottom thereof.

3. An airbag device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the plate member is detachably mounted to an inside surface of the bottom of the bag housing case for covering the at least one vent hole, and the bag pressure release mechanism is mounted to an outside surface of the bottom of the bag housing case for covering the vent hole.

4. An airbag device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the bag pressure release mechanism is designed to release gas within the airbag outside through the vent bole when at least the predetermined pressure is formed within the airbag.

5. An airbag device as set forth in claim 4, the bag pressure release mechanism comprising:

a resin plate;

a v-shaped notch provided on a surface of the resin plate opposite the plate member;

a pair of brackets securing the resin plate to the bag housing case and over the vent hole; and

a sealing member provided adjacent to the vent hole, between the resin plate and the bag housing case,

wherein upon the internal pressure of the airbag reaching the predetermined pressure, the resin plate breaks at the v-shaped notch, thereby opening the vent bole and releasing the gas within the airbag.

6. An airbag device as set forth in claim 4, the bag pressure release mechanism comprising:

a rectangular resin plate;

a first pair of parallel notches provided on a surface of the resin plate opposite the plate member;

a second pair of parallel notches provided on the surface of the resin plate orthogonal to the first pair of parallel notches; and

a mounting hole provided in each corner of the rectangular resin plate,

wherein upon the internal pressure of the airbag reaching the predetermined pressure, the rectangular resin plate breaks at the first and second pair of notches, thereby opening the vent hole and releasing the gas within the airbag.

7. An airbag device as set forth in claim 4, the bag pressure release mechanism comprising:

a rectangular resin plate;

a circular notch provided on a surface of the resin plate opposite the plate member;

a mounting hole provided in each corner of the rectangular resin plate,

wherein upon the internal pressure of the airbag reaching the predetermined pressure, the resin plate breaks at the circular notch, thereby opening the vent hole and releasing the gas within the airbag.

8. An airbag device as set forth in claim 4, the bag pressure release mechanism comprising:

a cap secured to the outside surface of the bottom of the bag housing case;

a spring provided within the cap;

a valve plate disposed within the cap and biased to die bottom of the bag housing case by the spring; and

a sealing member disposed between the bottom of the bag housing case and the valve plate,

wherein upon the internal pressure of the airbag reaching the predetermined pressure, the valve plate is pushed downward against the spring, thereby opening the vent hole and releasing the gas within the airbag.

9. An airing device as set forth in claim 4, the bag pressure release mechanism comprising:

a cap secured to the outside surface of the bottom of the bag housing case;

a rubber plug with a peripheral portion interposed between the bottom of the bag housing case and the cap; and

a piercing needle integral with the cap and facing the rubber plug,

wherein upon the internal pressure of the airbag reaching the predetermined pressure, the center portion of the rubber plug is resiliently deformed, contacting the piercing needle, thereby breaking the rubber plug, opening the vent hole, and releasing the gas within the airbag.

10. An airbag device as set forth in claim 4, the bag pressure release mechanism comprising:

a thin plate secured to the outside surface of the bottom of the bag housing case, opposing to the vent hole,

wherein upon the internal pressure of the airbag reaching the predetermined pressure, the thin plate deforms into a downward curve, thereby detaching from the bottom of the bag housing case, opening the vent hole, and releasing the gas within the airbag.

11. An airbag device as set forth in claim 4, the bag pressure release mechanism comprising:

a rectangular hollow body secured to the bottom of the bag housing case and opposing to the vent hole; and

a plate spring secured in a distal end opening of the rectangular hollow body with a central portion of the plate spring resiliently deformed in an upward curve,

wherein upon the internal pressure of the airbag reaching the predetermined pressure, the internal pressure acts on the central portion of the plate spring, thereby pushing the plate spring downward, resiliently deforming the plate spring in a downward curve, and detaching the central portion from the vent hole, and releasing the gas within the airbag.

12. An airbag device as set forth in claim 4, the bag pressure release mechanism comprising:

a cap secured to the outside surface of the bottom of the bag housing case;

a plug member disposed in a bottom portion of the cap, adapted to press an upper plate of the plug member against the bottom of the bag housing case; and

a sealing member provided between the upper plate of the plug member and the bag housing case,

wherein upon the internal pressure of the airbag reaching the predetermined pressure, the internal pressure acts on the upper plate of the plug member, thereby pressing and deforming the upper plate of the plug member downward, opening the vent hole, and releasing the gas within the airbag.

13. An airbag device as set forth in claim 4, the bag pressure release mechanism comprising:

a plugging member provided within the vent hole;

a tubular outlet protruding downward from and integral to the bottom of the bag housing case,

wherein upon the internal pressure of the airing reaching the predetermined pressure, the internal pressure acts on the plugging member, pressing the plugging member downward and thereby removing the plugging member from the vent hole, and releasing the gas within the airbag.