Airbag, airbag system and vehicle

• US 7,458,605 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2004
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hasebe, Masahiro, Narimoto, Yukitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; John Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Spisich; George D.
• Application Number:
  US10/771,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20040195807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/743.1, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23538 Sewing
• 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 21/2346 Soft diffusers
• 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 airbag is inflated with gas ejected from an inflator disposed at a base-end thereof in a direction that a front end of the airbag moves away from the base-end of the airbag. The airbag includes a left half airbag to be inflated on a front left side of an occupant and a right half airbag to be inflated on a front right side of the occupant. The airbag is formed of an inner panel extending from a front end of the right half airbag to a front end of the left half airbag; a right outer panel forming an outer surface of the right half airbag; a left outer panel forming an outer surface of the left half airbag; and a base-end panel forming a base-end chamber. The gas from the inflator is supplied into the left and right half airbags through the base-end chamber.

Claims

1. An airbag for protecting an occupant, comprising:

a left half airbag to be inflated on a front left side of the occupant, and having a front end,

a right half airbag to be inflated on a front right side of the occupant, and having a front end, said right half airbag being spaced from the left half airbag with an atmosphere therebetween when inflated, and

a base-end chamber attached to each rear end portion of the left and right half airbags to communicate therewith,

wherein said airbag consists essentially of one inner panel, one left outer panel portion, one right outer panel portion and one base-end panel, respectively formed separately and connected together;

said one inner panel having upper and lower edges and extending from the front end of the left half airbag to the front end of the right half airbag while forming inner surfaces of the left and right half airbags facing each other,

said left outer panel portion forming an outer surface of the left half airbag,

said right outer panel portion forming an outer surface of the right half airbag, and

said one base-end panel forming the base-end chamber for the left and right half airbags so that the left and right half airbags are inflated with gas passing through the base-end chamber.

2. An airbag according to claim 1, wherein said upper edge of the inner panel is connected to upper edges of the left and right outer panel portions;

said lower edge of the inner panel is connected to lower edges of the left and right outer panel portions;

respective front edges of the left and right outer panel portions are connected to front edges of the inner panel; and

said base-end panel is connected to rear edges of the left and right outer panel portions, and the upper and lower edges at a rear end of the inner panel.

3. An airbag according to claim 1, further comprising a tether for connecting a rear end of the inner panel with a base end of the base-end panel.

4. An airbag according to claim 1, further comprising a gasbag disposed in the base-end chamber for receiving gas from an inflator, said gasbag having openings for discharging the gas from the base-end chamber into the left half airbag and the right half airbag.

5. An airbag according claim 1, wherein said front ends of the left and right half airbags are spaced apart from each other without connection when the airbag is inflated so that a space facing the occupant is formed between the front ends of the left and right half airbags.

6. An airbag according to claim 5, wherein said front ends of the left and right half airbags are spaced apart by a distance from 150 mm to 450 mm when the airbag is inflated, and said front ends of the left and right half airbags are located away from a deepest part of the space by a horizontal distance from 280 mm to 480 mm when the airbag is inflated.

7. An airbag according to claim 1, further comprising width restricting devices disposed in the left and right half airbags, respectively, for restricting lateral widths of the left and right half airbags when the airbag is inflated.

8. An airbag according to claim 1, further comprising a connecting device disposed between the left and right half airbags for connecting the left and right half airbags.

9. An airbag system comprising the airbag according to claim 1 and an inflator disposed in the base end chamber of the airbag for inflating the airbag.

10. A vehicle comprising the airbag system according to claim 9.

11. A vehicle according to claim 10, wherein said airbag system is mounted on an instrument panel in front of a passenger seat of the vehicle such that a rear end of the base-end chamber of the airbag is located closer to a front side of the vehicle than a rear end of the instrument panel in a front-to-rear direction of the vehicle when the airbag is inflated.

12. An airbag according to claim 1, consisting of said left and right half airbags, and said base-end chamber communicating with said left and right half airbags at the rear end portions thereof.

13. An airbag according to claim 1, wherein said left and right half airbags have an elongated shape extending outwardly from the base-end chamber, and are arranged side by side without the gas for inflating the left and right half airbags in between.

14. An airbag for protecting an occupant, comprising:

a left half airbag to be inflated on a front left side of the occupant, and having a front end,

a right half airbag to be inflated on a front right side of the occupant, and having a front end, said right half airbag being spaced from the left half airbag with an atmosphere therebetween when inflated, and

a base-end chamber attached to each rear end portion of the left and right half airbags to communicate therewith,

wherein said airbag comprises;

an inner panel having upper and lower edges and extending from the front end of the left half airbag to the front end of the right half airbag while forming inner surfaces of the left and right half airbags facing each other,

a left outer panel portion for forming an outer surface of the left half airbag,

a right outer panel portion for forming an outer surface of the right half airbag, and

a base-end panel for forming the base-end chamber for the left and right half airbags so that the left and right half airbags are inflated with gas passing through the base-end chamber, said base-end panel having an elongated shape and comprising a center area forming a bottom of the base-end chamber, two triangular middle areas laterally outside the bottom for forming side surfaces of the base-end chamber, two end areas further laterally outside the middle areas for forming flaps at an upper portion of the base-end chamber,

wherein said base-end panel are arranged such that the flaps are located above the bottom, are connected to the upper edge of the inner panel, are connected to the bottom at a side opposite to the inner panel, and are connected together at longitudinal edges of the base-end panel;

the bottom is connected to the lower edge of the inner panel; and

the side surfaces are connected to the left and right outer panel portions.

15. An airbag according to claim 14, further comprising a connection panel for connecting a rear edge of the left outer panel with a rear edge of the right outer panel to divide the left and right half airbags from the base-end chamber.

16. An airbag according to claim 14, further comprising a tether for connecting a rear end of the inner panel with a base end of the base-end panel, said tether being integrally formed with a connection panel for connecting a rear edge of the left outer panel portion with a rear edge of the right outer panel portion.

17. An airbag according to claim 14, wherein said upper edge of the inner panel is connected to upper edges of the left and right outer panel portions;

said lower edge of the inner panel is connected to lower edges of the left and right outer panel portions;

respective front edges of the left and right outer panel portions are connected to front edges of the inner panel.

18. An airbag according to claim 17, further comprising a tether connecting the inner panel and the bottom at a side away from the inner panel.