Air bag apparatus

• US 7,404,575 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2004
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Bito, Kazuaki, Hayashi, Kazutoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Culbreth; Eric
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROCCA, JOSEPH M
• Application Number:
  US10/889,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20050029779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• Field of Search: 280/732, 280/729, 280/743.1, 280/743.2, 280/731
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards
• 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 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

An air bag apparatus having a constitution of developing an air bag folded to contain in a case to a rear side of a vehicle by making an expanding gas flow from a gas flow inlet in expanding to develop the air bag. The air bag is arranged with a through hole. The air bag is constituted by a ring-like member arranged with a lower expanded portion arranged with a gas flow inlet, an upper expanded portion arranged to an upper side of the lower expanded portion to communicate with a front side of the lower expanded portion, and a rear expanded portion arranged to connect to a rear part of the lower expanded portion and a rear part of the upper expanded portion at a surrounding of the through hole. The air bag is constituted to finish to expand by closing the through hole.

Claims

1. An air bag apparatus comprising:

a case; and

an air bag folded in the case, wherein the air bag includes

an outer sheet and an inner sheet, wherein the inner sheet and the outer sheet have substantially the same shape and are seamed to one another; and

a front inner sheet and a front outer sheet, which are seamed with edges of the outer sheet and the inner sheet, wherein

the air bag, when inflated, includes a through hole, which extends through the air bag such that a gas injected within the air bag flows annularly around the through hole,

the air bag includes at least a first expanded portion and a second expanded portion, which are formed between the outer sheet and the inner sheet, and a third expanded portion, which is formed between the front inner sheet and the front outer sheet and at a rear end of the air bag,

the gas is injected into the air bag at a front end of the air bag, which is opposite to the rear end of the air bag,

when the air bag is inflated, a gas is supplied to the first and second expanded portions so that the first and second expanded portions inflate and oppose one another, and then the gas is supplied to the third expanded portion through the first and second expanded portions, and

the air bag is constructed so that a tension of the inner sheet, which forms the through hole, is less than a tension of the outer sheet, such that the through hole is substantially closed when the air bag is inflated.

2. The air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the through hole extends substantially in an up and down direction of the air bag apparatus.

3. The air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the air bag further includes a fourth expanded portion communicated with a gas injection port of an inflator, and

the gas is supplied to the first and second expanded portions to be inflated to oppose each other through the fourth expanded portion.

4. The air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air bag further includes a restricting member for restricting expansion of the air bag in a left and right direction of the air bag apparatus.