Airbag device for front passenger's seat

• US 7,487,994 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2005
• Issued: 02/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Asai, Masako, Okada, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; John Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilhelm; Timothy
• Application Number:
  US11/045,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20050167958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.3, 280/732, 280/728.1, 280/728.2, 280/731, 280/743.1
• US Class Current: 280/732
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23514 coated fabric
• 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 21/217 Inflation fluid source retainers, e.g. reaction canisters; Connection of bags, covers, diffusers or inflation fluid sources therewith or together
• 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

Abstract

In the airbag device for front passenger'"'"'s seat of the present invention, an airbag before being housed in the case and mounted on vehicle is folded up through a preparatory folding step and a regular folding step, the regular folding step further including a transverse folding step and a vertical folding step. In a preparatorily folding step, a portion near an upper edge of the passenger'"'"'s side wall is located to confront the gas inlet port, and the passenger'"'"'s side wall is flatly developed so as to overlap with a lower part of the circumferential wall. In the transverse folding step, a portion of the preparatorily folded airbag located rearward of the gas inlet port is folded back in two toward a lower side of a lower part of the circumferential wall to bring a rear end thereof closer to the gas inlet port. The airbag device of the present invention shifts an entire rear face of the deploying airbag rearward in a generally vertical condition.

Claims

1. An airbag device for front passenger seat of a vehicle, the airbag comprising:

an airbag deployable up and rearward from top face of instrument panel for protecting a passenger when fed with inflation gas;

a case for housing the folded airbag; and

an airbag cover arranged in top face of the instrument panel, the airbag cover including a door pushed and opened by the airbag when the airbag deploys therefrom;

wherein;

the airbag includes a passenger'"'"'s side wall and a circumferential wall extending from outer edge of the passenger'"'"'s side wall;

when the airbag is deployed, the passenger'"'"'s side wall is arranged generally vertically to confront a passenger, and the circumferential wall narrows in a generally conical shape toward a front of the vehicle;

the airbag includes a gas inlet port in a lower front part of the circumferential wall as deployed, the inlet port being arranged generally horizontally;

the airbag is attached to the case at a periphery of the gas inlet port;

when housed in the case and mounted on the vehicle, the airbag has preparatory folds that place the airbag in a preparatorily folded state and a regular folds, the regular folds include transverse folds to reduce a longitudinal dimension of the preparatorily folded airbag and longitudinal folds to reduce a transverse dimension of the preparatorily folded airbag;

in the preparatorily folded state, an airbag portion near an upper edge of the passenger'"'"'s side wall is located in a position to confront the gas inlet port, and the passenger'"'"'s side wall is flatly developed to overlap with a lower part of the circumferential wall;

the transverse folds are configured such that a portion of the preparatorily folded airbag located rearward of the gas inlet port is folded back toward a lower side of the lower part of the circumferential wall such that a rear end thereof is located closer to the gas inlet port, thus forming a folded-back portion, which overlaps with a remainder of the rear portion of the gas inlet port;

the folded-back portion and the remainder of the rear portion of the gas inlet port are roll-folded on the circumferential wall from a fold on which the folded-back portion of folded and located over the vicinity of the gas inlet port;

when housed in the case and mounted on a vehicle, a leading end of the folded-back portion is located within a range from the gas inlet port to a hinge portion of the door of the airbag cover in an inner surface of a rear part of the case; and

when housed in the case and mounted on a vehicle, the leading end of the folded-back portion is located immediately above a portion of the rear portion most proximate to the gas inlet port and located at a lowermost position of the rear portion of the gas inlet port, except for the portion of the rear portion most proximate to the gas inlet port, and at a rearmost position of the rear portion.

2. The airbag device for front passenger'"'"'s seat according to claim 1, wherein a resistance increasing means is arranged at least either in portions on which the folded-back portion slides during unfolding and development, or in the folded-back portion itself, whereby sliding resistance is increased when the folded-back portion slides on surrounding members.

3. The airbag device for front passengers seat according to claim 2, wherein the resistance increasing means is a concavo-convex portion arranged in portions of the airbag cover on which the folded-back portion slides.

4. The airbag device for front passenger'"'"'s seat according to claim 2, wherein the resistance increasing means is a coating layer arranged in the folded-back portion for increasing friction resistance.

5. The airbag device for front passenger'"'"'s seat according to claim 2, wherein the resistance increasing means is constituted by a belt portion formed in the vicinity of the gas inlet port for holding the folded-back portion onto a lower side of the lower part of the circumferential wall.

6. The airbag device for front passenger'"'"'s seat according to claim 5, wherein a leading end of the folded-back portion is further folded back over the belt portion.

7. The airbag device for front passenger'"'"'s seat according to claim 5, wherein:

a reinforcing cloth is joined to a lower surface of the lower part of the circumferential wall, the reinforcing cloth including two slits into which the folded-back portion is inserted; and

a portion between the two slits constitutes the belt portion.

8. The airbag device for front passenger'"'"'s seat according to claim 5, wherein the belt portion is constructed by joining a belt-shaped member to a lower surface of the lower part of the circumferential wall with left and right ends of the member folded back toward transverse center.

9. The airbag device for front passenger'"'"'s seat according to claim 2, wherein:

the airbag cover includes;

a door opening rearward around a hinge portion located in rear part thereof upon airbag deployment;

a joint wall located around the door for attachment to the case; and

a ceiling wall projected forward from a rear part of the joint wall, and having the hinge portion of the rear-opening door at front end thereof;

whereby the ceiling wall constitutes the resistance increasing means.

10. The airbag device for front passenger'"'"'s seat according to claim 1, wherein:

in a preparatorily folded state,

a generally entire area of the passenger'"'"'s side wall is flatly developed while the circumferential portion is in a folded state;

left and right portions of the gas inlet port in the circumferential wall are folded in on valley folds extending along front-rear direction such that generally intermediate portions between the gas inlet port and left and right edges of the flatly developed pasSenger'"'"'s side wall are located closer to the gas inlet port and at side of the passenger'"'"'s side wall in the gas inlet port periphery; and

a portion of the circumferential wall near the upper edge of the passenger'"'"'s side wall is folded in on a valley fold extending in a transverse direction.