Airbag device

• US 7,584,993 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2008
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ashimori Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ashimori Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Azuma, Hidetaka, Yamaji, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coker; Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US12/137,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20080246259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 280/739, 280/742, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 280/736
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2342 Tear seams
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

In an airbag (2), a length extending from a sewn portion (10) to a right periphery of a presser plate (13) is set such that a length (L1) is shorter than a length (L2) wherein the length (L2) is at an attachment side base cloth (3) side and the length (L1) is at a cloth-like piece (9) side. When the airbag (2) is expanded in emergency situations, the attachment side base cloth (3) is expanded while it moves away outwardly from the cloth-like piece (9), thereby opening a vent hole (8), so that the airbag (2) is eased in abrupt expansion directing toward an occupant. When the airbag (2) becomes a sufficient size to protect the occupant, it bends instantaneously a retaining plate (17) to release the parallel portion (9B) of the cloth-like piece (9) from the presser plate (13), so that the cloth-like piece (9) is brought into intimate contact with the attachment side base cloth (3) to close the vent hole (8), thereby protecting the occupant with reliability.

Claims

1. An airbag device comprising an inflator for generating gas and an airbag expandable by the gas, wherein said airbag includes an attachment side base cloth attached to an opposed side base cloth, said airbag device is provided with

a gas inflow port provided in the airbag through which the gas flows in,

a vent hole provided in the airbag for discharging the gas flown in the airbag,

a cloth-like piece connected to a vicinity of the vent hole at one end thereof with a sewn portion, and to a vicinity of the gas inflow port at the other end thereof releasably,

wherein said cloth-like piece does not close the vent hole in a state where the other end is retained, and closes the vent hole due to an internal pressure of the airbag in a state where the other end is released,

an arc-like pocket defined between the sewn portion and the vent hole functioning as a gas reservoir for interrupting a flow of gas directed from the gas inflow port toward the opposed side base cloth to guide the interrupted gas into the vent hole,

a retaining device for retaining the other end of the cloth-like piece, and

releasing means for releasing retention of the retaining device.

2. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein a length of the cloth-like piece from one end to the other end is shorter than a length of the airbag from one end to the other end.

3. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the cloth-like piece is connected to an inside of the airbag at one end at a position in the vicinity of the vent hole and remote from the gas inflow port.

5. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag is provided with a tether belt for restraining expansion of the airbag, and one end of the tether belt is retained by the retaining device.

4. An airbag device comprising an inflator for generating gas and an airbag expandable by the gas, said airbag device is provided with

a gas inflow port provided in the airbag through which the gas flows in,

a vent hole provided in the airbag for discharging the gas flown in the airbag,

a cloth-like piece connected to an inside of the airbag at both ends thereof and spaced apart from an edge of the vent hole;

an extension cloth having one end connected to the cloth-like piece and an other end connected to the vicinity of the gas inflow port so as to be releasable,

wherein said extension cloth does not close the vent hole in a state where the other end is retained, and closes the vent hole due to an internal pressure of the airbag in a state where the other end is released,

a retaining device for retaining the other end of the cloth-like piece, and

releasing means for releasing retention of the retaining device.