Inflator bag for occupant restraint device and method of manufacturing the inflator bag

• US 7,431,330 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2003
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Korechika, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis; Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROCCA, JOSEPH M
• Application Number:
  US10/522,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20050173899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,901 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.1, 280/743.1, 297/216.1
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0004 Frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23519 Resin for coating fabric B60R2021/23514
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23528 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 characterised by their material
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

By forming a resin sheet or a metal sheet, an angular-box-shaped bag main body (51) having gore portions (54) on surrounding side faces to ensure its height is formed. A folded line (55) to be folded, in a manner to form a valley line, toward an inside of the box-shaped bag main body (51) is formed in an intermediate portion of each of the gore portions (54) in a height direction. A triangular overlaid and folded portion (56) is formed in an end of each of the gore portions (54a) on each of the surrounding side faces with each corner portion of the angular-box-shaped bag main body (51) being sandwiched between one surrounding side face and another surrounding side face adjacent to the one surrounding side face in which the gore portion (54b) is folded in an overlaid manner in the overlaid and folded portion (56) at a same time when another gore portion on another surrounding side face is folded. The angular box-shaped bag main body (51) is folded so as to be in a flat state by allowing each of the gore portions to be folded in a manner to form a valley line along the folded line (55). By blocking a bottom face being opposite to a ceiling plate (52) with a bottom plate (53), the box-shaped bag main body (51) has a hermetically sealed structure. By configuring above, an inflator bag (50) for a vehicle occupant restraining apparatus is obtained. Thus, the inflator bag (50) is able to be housed in a compact manner and to be developed so as to be in a stable state with a sufficient developing stroke being ensured and able to be processed easily.

Claims

1. An inflator bag for a vehicle occupant restraining apparatus being able to expand and develop by a high-pressure gas filled in said inflator bag and is capable of restraining a vehicle occupant by being expanded and developed, comprising:

a box-shaped bag main body having gore portions on surrounding side faces to ensure a height of said box-shaped bag main body, wherein, in said gore portions, a folded line to be folded toward an inside of said box-shaped bag main body is formed in an intermediate portion in a height direction of said gore portions, which is used to allow said gore portions to be folded; and

an overlaid and folded portion formed in an end of said gore portions on said surrounding side faces with corner portions of said box-shaped bag main body being sandwiched between one surrounding side face and another surrounding side face adjacent to said one surrounding side face, wherein said gore portions are folded in a overlaid manner in said overlaid and folded portions at a same time when another gore portion on another surrounding side face is folded,

wherein said box-shaped bag main body is folded in a manner so as to be in a flat state when said gore portions are folded in a manner to form a valley line along said folded line,

wherein said box-shaped main body comprises a flat bottom plate and a ceiling plate opposite said bottom plate, and

wherein the ceiling plate is slanted with respect to the bottom plate.

2. The inflator bag for the vehicle occupant restraining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said box-shaped bag main body comprises a hermetically sealed structure by blocking a bottom face of said box-shaped bag main body being opposite to a ceiling plate with a bottom plate.

3. The inflator bag for the vehicle occupant restraining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said box-shaped bag main body and said bottom plate are integrally formed.

4. The inflator bag for the vehicle occupant restraining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said box-shaped bag main body includes a resin sheet or a metal sheet.

5. The inflator bag for the vehicle occupant restraining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said box-shaped main body has a rectangular cross-section,

wherein a longitudinal side of said box-shaped main body is smaller than a horizontal side of said box-shaped main body, and

wherein opening faces on both sides of a tube-shaped body are blocked with end face plates and side face plates serving as said longitudinal side of said tube-shaped body and said end face plates make up gore portions.

6. The inflator bag for the vehicle occupant restraining apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said tube-shaped body comprises plates having unequal wall thicknesses, wherein wall thicknesses of an upper-face plate and a lower-face plate both serving as horizontal sides of said tube-shaped body are large, and wall thicknesses of side face plates serving as longitudinal sides are smaller than said wall thicknesses of said upper-face plate and said lower-face plate and wall thicknesses of said end face plates are equal to said wall thicknesses of said side face plates.

7. The inflator bag for the vehicle occupant restraining apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said tube-shaped body is angularly tube-shaped.

8. The inflator bag for the vehicle occupant restraining apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said tube-shaped body is circularly tube-shaped.

9. The inflator bag for the vehicle occupant restraining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said inflator bag restrains a hip portion of a vehicle occupant which is mounted in a front lower portion of a seat cushion in a vehicle and expands and develops by being filled with a high-pressure gas at a time of sharp reduction of speed of a vehicle to raise a front seat face of said seat cushion which prevents a vehicle occupant being seated on a seat from being moved forward.

10. The inflator bag for the vehicle occupant restraining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said inflator bag is used for restraining a leg portion of a seated vehicle occupant which is placed in a lower portion of an instrument panel of a vehicle and expands and develops at time of being filled with a high-pressure gas at a time of sharp reduction of speed of a vehicle.

11. The inflator bag for a vehicle occupant restraining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said box-shaped bag main body comprises an angular-box shaped bag main body.

12. The inflator bag for the vehicle occupant restraining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said folded portion comprises a triangular folded portion.

13. The inflator bag according to claim 1, wherein said overlaid and folded portion formed on a front side of the main body is thicker than said overlaid and folded portion formed on a rear side of the main body.

14. The inflator bag according to claim 1, wherein said ceiling plate comprises a first end that contacts said flat bottom plate and a second end separated from said flat bottom plate, and

wherein a slope of said ceiling plate continuously increases from said first end to said second end.

15. The inflator bag according to claim 1, wherein opening faces on both sides of a tube-shaped body are blocked with end face plates and side face plates serving as a longitudinal side of said tube-shaped body and said end face plates make up gore portions.