Air bag apparatus

• US 7,547,041 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2006
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahara, Isamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming; Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US11/583,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20070035112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/740, 280/742, 280/736
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2617 Curtain bag nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/26 characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow arrangement or mounting thereof to the vehicle B60R21/20; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure in general F42B3/04; initiators or igniters therefor F42B3/10

Abstract

In an air bag apparatus structured such that an air bag (11) housed in a part of a vehicle in a folded manner is inflated and deployed by a gas supplied from an inflator (14) so as to protect an occupant, the gas supplied from the inflator (14) is dispersed in a three-dimensional direction by a shower head (13a) so as to be supplied to a gas passage (11b) of the air bag (11).

Claims

1. An air bag apparatus structured such that an air bag housed in an air bag side of a vehicle in a folded manner is inflated and deployed by a gas supplied from an inflator so as to protect an occupant, comprising:

a diffusing means provided in the air bag side, and for diffusing the gas supplied from the inflator in three-dimensional directions;

wherein;

a diffuser pipe is assembled in the inflator and the diffuser pipe is formed in a substantially J shape, and

the diffusing means includes at least a triangular bag base fabric in a view of the vehicle width direction, a top portion of the triangular bag base fabric being disposed immediately below an opening of the diffuser pipe.

2. An air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a seal agent is applied onto the triangular bag base fabric that forms the diffusing means.

3. An air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the air bag is a sewn air bag that is produced by two base fabrics,

the triangular bag base fabric that forms the diffusing means is gripped between the two base fabrics and is sewed along a triangular peripheral edge of the triangular bag base.

4. An air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air bag is housed along a roof side rail and is inflated and deployed in a curtain-like shape along a vehicle compartment side wall due to the gas supplied from the inflator that is disposed outside of the air bag so as to protect a head portion of the occupant, the air bag is provided with an inflating portion for a front seat and an inflating portion for a rear seat, a gas passage for communicating upper portions of the both of these inflating portions and a single gas supply port that opens into the gas passage from upward, and the diffuser pipe is disposed so as to face the gas supply port.

5. An air bag apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the top portion of the triangular bag base fabric is separated from the center axis of the diffuser pipe in accordance with capacities of expansion chambers in the front seat inflating portion and the rear seat inflating portion.

6. An air bag apparatus according to claim 4, wherein two edges of the triangular bag base fabric extend toward a front portion and a rear portion of the vehicle from the top portion has different angles of inclination.

7. An air bag apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the inflator is arranged in a longitudinal direction along the roof side rail above the air bag.

8. An air bag apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the inflator is arranged in a vehicle width direction along a roof panel above the air bag.

9. An air bag apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the gas supply port of the air bag to which the diffuser pipe is inserted is formed in a shape expanding at predetermined angles toward the gas passage.

10. An air bag apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined angles are different in vehicular front side and vehicular rear side.

11. An air bag apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the inflator is arranged in a center portion in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

12. An air bag apparatus structured such that an air bag housed in an air bag side of a vehicle in a folded manner is inflated and deployed by a gas supplied from an inflator so as to protect an occupant, comprising:

a diffusing means provided in the air bag side, and for diffusing the gas supplied from the inflator,

wherein;

a diffuser pipe is assembled in the inflator and the diffuser pipe is formed in a substantially J shape,

in a view of the vehicle width direction, the diffusing means is a non-inflating portion that protrudes toward upstream side of gas supplied from the inflator, and

a portion of the triangular bag base fabric being disposed immediately below an opening of the inflator.

13. An air bag apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a top of the non-inflating portion is disposed immediately below an opening of the diffuser pipe.

14. An air bag apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a seal agent is applied onto a triangular bag base fabric that forms the diffusing means.

15. An air bag apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

the air bag is a sewn air bag that is produced by two base fabrics, and

a triangular bag base fabric that forms the diffusing means is gripped between the two base fabrics and is sewed along a triangular peripheral edge of the triangular bag base.