Airbag with vent hole

• US 7,240,918 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2004
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Asaoka, Michihisa, Yamada, Ikuo, Usami, Hironori
• Primary Examiner(s): Culbreth; Eric
• Application Number:
  US10/752,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20040150200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 280/739, 280/743.1
• US Class Current: 280/739
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

An airbag includes a fabric forming the airbag. The fabric has a vent hole for discharging some of gas introduced into the airbag to the outside. The vent hole is located at a position where the vent hole is not blocked when the airbag protects an occupant. This smoothly discharges gas, thereby improving the occupant protection performance.

Claims

1. An airbag tat is deployed and inflated to protect an occupant in a front passenger seat of a vehicle, the airbag comprising a fabric forming the airbag, wherein the fabric has first and second sides extending along the sides of the vehicle and opposite to each other in a lateral direction of the vehicle, wherein the fabric has a single vent hole formed only in the first side and a single vent hole formed only in the second side for discharging some gas introduced into the airbag to the outside, and wherein each vent hole is located at a position where the vent hole is unlikely to be blocked by the occupant or members forming the vehicle when the airbag, when inflated, protects the occupant, and wherein the opening area of the single vent hole in the first side is greater than the opening area of the single vent hole in the second side.

2. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein, when the airbag is expanded, the first side is located closer to a center of the vehicle in the lateral direction of the vehicle than the second side.

3. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of the vent hole in the first side is in a range between 60 mm and 90 mm, inclusive.

4. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of the vent hole in the second side is less than 60 mm.

5. An airbag tat is deployed and inflated to protect an occupant in a front passenger scat of a vehicle, the airbag comprising a fabric forming the airbag, wherein the fabric has first and second sides extending along the sides of the vehicle and opposite to each other in a lateral direction of the vehicle, wherein the fabric has a plurality of vent holes formed only in the first and second sides for discharging some gas introduced into the airbag to the outside, at least two of the vent holes being formed in the first side and only one of the vent holes being formed in the second side, and wherein each vent hole is located at a position where, when the airbag is inflated, the vent hole is unlikely to be blocked by the occupant or members forming the vehicle, and wherein the total opening area of the at least two vent holes in the first side is greater than the opening area of the one vent hole in the second side.

6. The airbag according to claim 5, wherein, when the airbag is expanded, the first side is located closer to a center of the vehicle in the lateral direction of the vehicle than the second side.

7. An airbag that is deployed and inflated to protect an occupant in a front passenger seat of a vehicle, the air bag comprising:

a fabric forming the airbag, wherein the fabric has first and second sides extending along the sides of to vehicle and opposite to each other in a lateral direction of the vehicle, wherein the fabric has at least two vent holes, formed only in the first and second sides, for discharging some of gas introduced into the airbag to the outside, each vent hole being formed in different one of the first and second sides, wherein each vent hole is located at a position where the vent hole is unlikely to be blocked by the occupant or members forming the vehicle when the inflated airbag protects the occupant, and wherein the vent holes are designed such that the total amount of gas discharged from the vent hole in the first side is greater than the total amount of gas discharged from the vent hole in the second side.

8. The airbag according to claim 7, wherein, when the airbag is expanded, the first side is located closer to a center of the vehicle in the lateral direction of the vehicle than the second side.

9. An airbag that is deployed and inflated to protect an occupant in a front passenger seat of a vehicle, the airbag comprising a fabric forming the airbag, wherein the fabric has first and second side surfaces extending along the sides of the vehicle and facing in the opposite directions with respect to a lateral direction of the vehicle, wherein, when the airbag is expanded, the first side surface is located closer to a center of the vehicle in the lateral direction of the vehicle than the second side surface, wherein the fabric has at least one vent hole formed only in the first side surface and at least one vent hole formed only in the second side surface for discharging some of gas introduced into the airbag to the outside, and wherein each vent hole is located at a position where the vent hole is unlikely to be blocked by the occupant or members forming the vehicle when the airing, when inflated, protects the occupant, wherein the at least one vent hole in the first side surface and the at least one vent hole in the second side surface are oriented in opposite directions, and wherein the total opening area of the at least one vent hole in the first side surface is greater than the total opening area of the at least one vent hole in the second side surface.