Side airbag apparatus, motor vehicle seat, and gas distributor of inflator

• US 7,597,351 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2007
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kashiwagi, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan; Ruth
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRISBY, KEITH J
• Application Number:
  US11/806,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20070284862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/730.2, 280/736, 280/740, 280/742
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2171 specially adapted for elongated cylindrical or bottle-like inflators with a symmetry axis perpendicular to the main direction of bag deployment, e.g. extruded reaction canisters B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• 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
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/261 with means other than bag structure to diffuse or guide inflation fluid

Abstract

A side airbag apparatus includes a side airbag having a plurality of partitioned chambers therein to be inflated and deployed in a space between a side wall portion of a body of a motor vehicle and an occupant seated on a seat disposed inside the body. An inflator has an approximately cylindrical shape and blows gas out for inflating and deploying the side airbag from one side in a longitudinal direction of the inflator. A cylindrical member is disposed in a manner so as to cover the one side in the longitudinal direction of the inflator and has a squeezing portion for restricting a flow path of the gas blown out from the inflator.

Claims

1. A side airbag apparatus comprising:

a side airbag including a plurality of partitioned chambers therein, adapted to be inflated and deployed in a space between a side wall portion of a motor vehicle and an occupant seated on a seat disposed inside the motor vehicle;

an inflator having an approximately cylindrical shape, and including a gas ejecting portion formed only at one side in a longitudinal direction thereof and an inflator attaching portion adapted to attach the inflator to the motor vehicle, said inflator blowing gas for inflating and deploying the side airbag from one side in the longitudinal direction of the inflator; and

a sleeve including a cylindrical member disposed to only cover the gas ejecting portion of the inflator and having a squeezing portion for squeezing a flow path of the gas blown out from the inflator, and a tongue piece projecting from the cylindrical member in a direction opposite to the squeezing portion, said tongue piece engaging the inflator attaching portion,

wherein the squeezing portion is a ring-shaped member, provided at an end portion of one side in an axis direction of the cylindrical member,

the cylindrical member has an inner diameter greater than an outer diameter of the inflator at a predetermined value so that a flow path of the gas is formed in a space between an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member and an outer peripheral surface of the inflator, and

the tongue piece extends to an end portion of the other side in the longitudinal direction of the inflator, and includes a hooking portion capable of contacting the end portion of the other side of the inflator when the gas of the inflator is blown out.

2. The side airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical member is made of solid material.

3. The side airbag apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cylindrically shaped base cloth provided at an outer periphery side of the cylindrical member.

4. The side airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the side airbag has a bag shape and is formed of at least two sheets of base cloths stitched together;

and

the side airbag comprises a fitting portion therein to fit on the cylindrical member, the fitting portion forming a passageway so that an inner diameter of the fitting portion is approximately equal to an outer diameter of the cylindrical member by stitching.

5. The side airbag apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the side airbag comprises a circular-ring shaped stitching portion where the base cloth is stitched into approximately circular-ring shape at least at one side of the fitting portion.

6. A motor vehicle seat comprising a seat back portion, the side airbag apparatus according to claim 1 installed in the seat back portion.

7. The side airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said inflator attaching portion comprises a clip and a bolt projecting outwardly from the clip, said tongue piece having a rectangular shape with a hole engaging the bolt.

8. The side airbag apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said inflator attaching portion comprises two sets of the clip and the bolt spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the inflator, said tongue piece having two holes engaging the bolts.

9. A gas distributor for an inflator for distributing gas to an airbag, comprising a cylindrical member having a squeezing portion for restriction of a flow path of the gas blown from the inflator, the cylindrical member covering only one side in a longitudinal direction of the inflator, and a tongue piece projecting from the cylindrical member in a direction opposite to the squeezing portion, said tongue piece being adapted to engage an inflator attaching portion,

wherein the cylindrical member further comprises an engaging portion for engaging the inflator, and

the engaging portion faces an end portion of the other side in the longitudinal direction of the inflator, and includes a hooking portion capable of contacting the end portion of the other side in the longitudinal direction of the inflator when the gas of the inflator is blown out.

10. The gas distributor according to claim 9, wherein the tongue piece projecting from the cylindrical member has the engaging portion, said gas distributor being made of a solid material.

11. A side airbag apparatus comprising:

a side airbag including a plurality of partitioned chambers therein, adapted to be inflated and deployed in a space between a side wall portion of a motor vehicle and an occupant seated on a seat disposed inside the motor vehicle;

an inflator having an approximately cylindrical shape, and including a gas ejecting portion formed only at one side in a longitudinal direction thereof and an inflator attaching portion adapted to attach the inflator to the motor vehicle, said inflator blowing gas for inflating and deploying the side airbag from one side in the longitudinal direction of the inflator; and

a sleeve including a cylindrical member disposed to only cover the gas ejecting portion of the inflator and having a squeezing portion for squeezing a flow path of the gas blown out from the inflator, and a tongue piece projecting from the cylindrical member in a direction opposite to the squeezing portion, said tongue piece engaging the inflator attaching portion,

wherein said inflator includes a concave portion, and said tongue piece includes a concave portion fitting onto the concave portion of the inflator.