Airbag and airbag apparatus
First Claim
1. An airbag, comprising:
- an outer panel for forming the airbag;
an inner panel disposed inside the outer panel and partitioning an inner part of the outer panel into a plurality of chambers;
a gas-discharging device for absorbing a shock by discharging gas from at least one of the chambers to an outside of the chamber, said gas discharging device comprising a venthole which has an essentially constant shape and size; and
a limiting device for limiting the gas discharge by the gas-discharging device via the venthole until the chamber is expanded more than a predetermined amount, said limiting device comprising an attaching portion and a lid member which is in contact with and guided by the attaching portion in a manner wherein the lid member is maintained in a position with respect to the venthole by the attaching portion to maintain the venthole effectively closed until the lid member is moved with respect to the attaching portion in response to the chamber being expanded by more than a predetermined amount.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An inner part of an airbag is partitioned into a first chamber and a second chamber by first and second inner panels. In a rear panel, a venthole for allowing the second chamber to communicate with an outer part of the airbag is provided. A lid member covers the venthole and is combined with the rear panel in a vicinity of the venthole by a tear seam. The lid member is connected to the second inner panel by a tether. At an initial stage of airbag expansion, the venthole is covered by the lid member. When the airbag is expanded more than a predetermined amount, the lid member is stretched by the second inner panel via the tether, and released from the venthole so as to open the venthole. The airbag facilitates prompt deployment without a loss in shock-absorbing characteristics.
37 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An airbag, comprising:
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an outer panel for forming the airbag; an inner panel disposed inside the outer panel and partitioning an inner part of the outer panel into a plurality of chambers; a gas-discharging device for absorbing a shock by discharging gas from at least one of the chambers to an outside of the chamber, said gas discharging device comprising a venthole which has an essentially constant shape and size; and a limiting device for limiting the gas discharge by the gas-discharging device via the venthole until the chamber is expanded more than a predetermined amount, said limiting device comprising an attaching portion and a lid member which is in contact with and guided by the attaching portion in a manner wherein the lid member is maintained in a position with respect to the venthole by the attaching portion to maintain the venthole effectively closed until the lid member is moved with respect to the attaching portion in response to the chamber being expanded by more than a predetermined amount. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 15, 16, 17)
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4. An airbag partitioned into a plurality of chambers in an inner part thereof, comprising:
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a venthole as a gas-discharging device for absorbing a shock by discharging gas from at least one of the chambers to an outside of the chamber, a limiting device for limiting the gas discharge by the gas-discharging device until the chamber is expanded more than a predetermined amount, and a panel for providing the partitioning, wherein the limiting device is a lid member for enabling the venthole to be substantially closed until the chamber is expanded more than the predetermined amount, and for enabling the venthole to be substantially open when the chamber is expanded more than the predetermined amount, the lid member is connected to the panel, is releasably combined with the airbag in a vicinity of the venthole, and covers the venthole so that when the airbag is expanded more than the predetermined amount, the lid member is stretched by the panel so as to release the lid member from the vicinity of the venthole and to enable the venthole to be substantially open, and the lid member is releasably combined with the vicinity of the venthole by a tear seam.
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10. An airbag apparatus comprising:
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an airbag partitioned into a plurality of chambers in an inner part thereof; a rigid retainer to which the airbag is attached; an inflator for supplying gas to the airbag, the inflator being connected with the rigid retainer; a gas-discharging device for absorbing a shock by discharging gas to an outside of the airbag, the gas-discharging device being provided in the rigid retainer and being in communication with at least one of the chambers; and a limiting device for limiting the gas discharge via the gas-discharging device until the chamber is expanded more than a predetermined amount. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19)
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Specification