Airbag apparatus

• US 7,552,941 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2007
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Bito, Kazuaki, Yamauchi, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; John Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coker; Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US12/000,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20080143087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 280/738, 280/739, 280/740, 280/741, 280/742
• US Class Current: 280/742
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/276 with means to vent the inflation fluid source, e.g. in case of overpressure B60R21/30 takes precedence; venting means on inflatable member walls B60R21/239

Abstract

The airbag apparatus includes a case for housing and holding an airbag and an inflator. The case includes a vent opening for releasing inflation gas filled inside the airbag and a lid operated by an actuator for closing and opening the vent opening. The lid is pivotally supported at a periphery of the vent opening for rotation about its rotary shaft disposed across the vent opening, and includes an outward-opening area adapted to rotate outward of the case and an inward-opening area adapted to rotate inward of the case, with a border of the outward-opening area and inward-opening area disposed on the rotary shaft. A sliding element is connected to the actuator for holding the lid to keep the vent opening closed when the actuator is inactive and for sliding movement to release the lid and open the vent opening upon operation of the actuator.

Claims

1. An airbag apparatus comprising:

an airbag inflatable with inflation gas;

an inflator supplying inflation gas to the airbag;

a case, housing and holding the airbag and the inflator; and

a vent mechanism operated by an actuator exhausting inflation gas filled inside the airbag, the vent mechanism including;

a vent opening formed on the case releasing the inflation gas filled inside the airbag;

a lid formed on the case to close off the vent opening, the lid being pivotally supported at a periphery of the vent opening by a rotary shaft thereof disposed across the vent opening to rotate about the rotary shaft to open the vent opening, the lid including on one side of the rotary shaft an outward-opening area configured to rotate outward of the case and on an other side of the rotary shaft an inward-opening area configured to rotate inward of the case; and

a closing mechanism connected to the actuator and holding the lid to keep the vent opening closed when the actuator is inactive and releasing the lid to open the vent opening upon operation of the actuator,

wherein;

the vent mechanism includes a plurality of the lids;

the lids are arranged in such a relation to an inlet opening of the airbag to admit inflation gas that the lids provide equal areas permitting inflation gas to be exhausted relative to the center of the inlet opening of the airbag at opening the vent opening;

the closing mechanism conducts the hold and release of all the lids at the same time;

the closing mechanism includes a sliding element disposed on an outer side of the case for sliding movement in parallel with opening planes of the vent openings upon operation of the actuator;

each of the lids includes an engaging strip for engagement with the sliding element, the engaging strip being disposed at a leading end of the outward-opening area of the lid facing away from the rotary shaft and located outside of the case; and

the sliding element includes slots engageable with the engaging strips;

each of the slots having a regulating surface for regulating the engaging strip to keep the outward-opening area of the lid closing off the vent opening before the sliding movement of the sliding element and a guide surface extending diagonally with respect to the opening plane of the vent opening for sliding on the engaging strip to guide the outward-opening area of the lid to open upon the sliding movement of the sliding element.

2. The airbag apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the rotary shaft of the lid is disposed to extend across a center of the vent opening; and

the outward-opening area and inward-opening area close off equal areas of the vent opening.

3. The airbag apparatus of claim 1, wherein an arrangement of gas discharge ports of the inflator with respect to the inlet opening of the airbag is such that areas permitting discharge of inflation gas are even relative to the center of the inlet opening of the airbag.

4. The airbag apparatus of claim 1, wherein a rib for guiding the opening of the inward-opening area is formed on a periphery of an area to be closed by the inward-opening area of each of the vent openings on an inner side of the case.

5. The airbag apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

when the lid closes off the vent opening, an outer edge of the outward-opening area is pressed against a periphery of the vent opening on an outer side of the case while an outer edge of the inward-opening area is pressed against a periphery of the vent opening on an inner side of the case.

6. The airbag apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outward-opening area and inward-opening area of the lid include reinforcing ribs formed along respective outer edges.