Air bag with groove or recess, open or partially covered

• US 7,625,008 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Coon, Jeffery S., Kim, Soonsik, Pang, Hyunsok
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming; Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US11/550,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20070108753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 280/743.1, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0004 Frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0044 Chest
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• 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 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/272 with means for increasing the pressure of the gas just before or during liberation, e.g. hybrid inflators

Abstract

An air bag (100) has an inflatable chamber (101, 301) defined by a main front panel (102, 212) and a pair of side panels (104a, b; 224, 226). The air bag (100) has a vertically oriented recessed portion (110, 220) spanning along most of the length of the main panel or a limited section thereof. The recessed portion (110, 220) divides the air bag (100, 210) into two lower lobe portions (112a, b, 240, 242) on each side of the recessed portion. Upon inflation an internal tether (180, 250) is attached to the recessed portion and is anchored at or adjacent to the gas inlet passageway thereby limiting forward movement of the recessed portion upon inflation. The air bag is useful as a frontal air bag, particularly a passenger frontal air bag.

Claims

1. An air bag assembly (100a) comprising:

a single inflatable chamber (101) having sides and a face portion;

a groove, indent or recess (110), formed in the face portion, separating adjacent portions of the air bag into opposite inflatable lobes, an upper section of the face portion extends between a respective upper part of each lobe, the upper section, upon inflation of the air bag, facing in a direction of an occupant to be protected;

wherein a top portion of the groove extends under and behind the upper section relative to the occupant and wherein a lower portion of the groove extends downwardly relative to the upper section.

4. The air bag assembly according to claim 1 wherein multiple cross-sections through the groove are each one of rectangular, oval or trapezoidal in shape.

2. An air bag assembly (100a) comprising:

a single inflatable chamber (101) having sides and a face portion, wherein no additional material crosses over the face portion;

a groove, indent or recess (110), formed in the face portion, separating adjacent portions of the air bag into opposite inflatable lobes;

wherein a top portion of the groove is located under an adjacent part of the face portion which bridges over a top portion of the groove;

wherein at least one tether is internal to the air bag, and at least one end is connected to the groove for limiting movement of the material forming the groove.

3. An air bag assembly (100a) comprising:

a single inflatable chamber (101) having sides and a face portion, the face portion formed by a single material panel;

a groove, indent or recess (110) formed in the face portion separating adjacent portions of the air bag into opposite inflatable lobes, the groove, indent or recess extending generally vertically across the face portion when the air bag is inflated;

the air bag configured so that only a top portion of the groove is bridged by one of the material panel and another piece of material which is other than the single material panel, the material panel having ends operatively part of each lobe;

wherein a tether is secured to various portions of material forming the groove as well as secured to a generally fixed portion of a housing or to a portion of the air bag and wherein the tether is disposed generally behind a rear portion of the groove, indent or recess.

5. An air bag assembly (100a) comprising:

a single inflatable chamber (101) formed by a main panel and pair of side panels integral to or otherwise attached along mating edges wherein the main panel has a top portion, a front portion and a bottom portion and the inflatable chamber has a gas inlet passageway anchored at an end for allowing inflation gases to enter to fill the inflatable chamber;

a vertically oriented recessed portion or groove formed on a forward facing portion of the air bag, the main panel covering a top region of the recessed portion, the recessed portion dividing the inflatable chamber into two lobe portions (112a, 112b); and

at least one internal tether having one end attached to the recessed portion and a second end which is also anchored thereby limiting forward movement of the recessed portion upon inflation of the inflatable chamber;

further comprising a second upper internal tether attached to the top portion of the main panel and anchored proximate the gas inlet passageway thereby limiting forward movement of an upper portion of the inflatable chamber.

6. The air bag of claim 5 further comprising an internal diffuser element (160), the diffuser element spanning across the gas inlet passageway to redirect incoming inflation gases toward each side panel.

7. The air bag of claim 5 wherein the at least one tether is attached to the center recess panel at least two locations.

8. The air bag of claim 7 wherein the length of the upper tether is greater than or equal to the sum of the length of the tether attached to the center recess panel and the distance from the location the tether is attached to the center recess panel to the main panel extending along the side panels.

9. A method of forming an air bag, the air bag of the type having:

a single inflatable chamber (101) having sides and a face portion;

a groove, indent or recess (110) formed in the face portion of the single inflatable chamber, the groove, indent or recess separating adjacent portions of the air bag into opposite inflatable lobes;

the air bag configured so that a top portion of the groove, indent or recess is covered by and spanned by a niece of material, the material having ends operatively part of each lobe, the method including the steps of a) forming the inflatable chamber, b) forming the recess, groove or indent in the face portion of the air bag, and covering and spanning the top portion of the groove, indent or recess with the material; and

including a step of securing a tether to portions of the material forming the groove.

10. The method of claim 9 including the step of forming the groove into one of a three-dimensional rectangular, oval or trapezoidal shape.

11. An air bag assembly (100a) comprising:

a single inflatable chamber (101) having sides and a face portion, wherein no additional material crosses over the face portion;

a groove, indent or recess (110), formed in the face portion, separating adjacent portions of the air bag into opposite inflatable lobes;

wherein a top portion of the groove is located under an adjacent part of the face portion which bridges over a top portion of the groove;

including at least two tethers, internal to the air bag, having ends connected to the groove for limiting movement of the material forming the groove.

12. An air bag assembly (100a) comprising:

a single inflatable chamber (101) formed by a main panel and pair of side panels integral to or otherwise attached along mating edges wherein the main panel has a top portion, a front portion and a bottom portion and the inflatable chamber has a gas inlet passageway anchored at an end for allowing inflation gases to enter to fill the inflatable chamber;

a vertically oriented recessed portion or groove formed on the front portion of the air bag, a portion of the front portion of the main panel bridging over and covering a top region of the recessed portion or groove, the recessed portion or groove dividing the inflatable chamber into two lobe portions (112a, 112b); and

at least one internal tether having one end attached to the recessed portion and a second end which is also anchored thereby limiting forward movement of the recessed portion upon inflation of the inflatable chamber;

including at least two tethers, internal to the air bag, having ends connected to the recessed portion for limiting movement of the material forming the recessed portion.

13. An air bag assembly (100a) comprising:

a single inflatable chamber (101) formed by a main panel and pair of side panels integral to or otherwise attached along mating edges wherein the main panel has a top portion, a front portion and a bottom portion and the inflatable chamber has a gas inlet passageway anchored at an end for allowing inflation gases to enter to fill the inflatable chamber;

a vertically oriented recessed portion or groove formed on a forward facing portion of the air bag, the main panel laterally bridging over and covering a top region of the recessed portion, the recessed portion dividing the inflatable chamber into two lobe portions (112a, 112b); and

at least one internal tether aligned along a vertical direction of the recessed portion or groove having one end attached to the recessed portion and a second end which is also anchored thereby limiting forward movement of the recessed portion upon inflation of the inflatable chamber;

wherein the recessed portion extends from near a top portion of the main panel to about the bottom portion of the main panel;

including at least two tethers, internal to the air bag, having ends connected to the recessed portion for limiting movement of the material forming the recessed portion.

14. An air bag assembly (100a) comprising:

a single inflatable chamber (101) having sides and a face portion;

a groove, indent or recess (110) creating a void or space on the face portion separating adjacent portions of the air bag into opposite inflatable lobes;

the groove, indent or recess having a top, middle and bottom portion;

wherein

the air bag is configured so that the top portion of the void or space is bridged by a piece of material, the material which bridges the groove, indent or recess being operatively part of each lobe, wherein a top portion of the groove is covered by the piece of material and is rearward of the piece of material.

15. An air bag assembly (100a) comprising:

a single inflatable chamber (101) having sides and a face portion;

a groove, indent or recess (110) a portion of which is formed in the face portion separating adjacent portions of the air bag into opposite inflatable lobes;

the groove, indent or recess having a top, middle and bottom portion;

wherein

the air bag is configured so that the top portion of the groove, indent or recess is bridged by a piece of material, the material which bridges the groove, indent or recess being operatively part of each lobe, the top of the groove being behind and under the niece of material.

16. An air bag assembly (100a) comprising:

a single inflatable chamber (101) having sides and a face portion facing when the air bag is inflated an occupant to be protected, wherein an additional piece of material crosses over the face portion;

a groove, indent or recess (110), formed in the face portion, separating adjacent portions of the air bag into opposite inflatable lobes;

wherein a top portion of the groove is located rearward and under the additional piece of material.

17. An airbag comprising:

a single inflatable chamber defined by a various panels integral to or otherwise attached along edges of a main panel wherein the main panel has a top portion, a front portion and a bottom portion and the inflatable chamber has a gas inlet passageway configured to receive inflation gas therethrough to fill the inflatable chamber; and

at least one internal tether attached to the single inflatable chamber configured to form, in the inflatable chamber when the chamber is inflated, a groove having a component located at or near a bottom of the inflatable chamber, the groove beginning on part of the inflatable chamber configured to face an occupant and extending away from this part.

18. An airbag comprising:

a single inflatable chamber defined by a main panel and pair of side panels integral to or otherwise attached along edges of the main panel wherein the main panel has a top portion, a front portion and a bottom portion and the inflatable chamber has a gas inlet passageway anchored at an end for allowing inflation gases to enter to fill the inflatable chamber;

the chamber configured to form two small lobes with a groove therebetween when inflated, at least part of each of these lobes is located proximate a lower portion of the single chamber when inflated, the groove having a lower component located at or near a bottom of the inflatable chamber;

the groove beginning on part of the inflatable chamber configured to face an occupant and extending away from this part, wherein an upper portion of each lobe is linked by a piece of material, the groove having an upper portion located underneath and rearward of the niece of material when the air bag is inflated.