Airbag apparatus

• US 7,654,559 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2008
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nihon Plast Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), Nihon Plast Company Limited
• Inventors: Kamio, Kenichi, Honda, Takashi, Nakamura, Tatsuhiko, Inazu, Tadashi, Hidaka, Nobuyuki, Fukuda, Takeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming; Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US12/237,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20090079176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/728.3, 280/728.2
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars

Abstract

An airbag apparatus equipped with an airbag, a garnish, a hinge, a protector and a bracket fixed to a vehicle body. An upper side of the garnish is supported by the bracket via the hinge. An engaging part protruding from the lower part of a garnish main part is engaged with an engagement receiving part disposed at the protector. Normally, the engaging part is engaged with the engagement receiving part, thereby retaining the shape of the garnish. On expansion of the airbag, the airbag presses the engaging part, by which the engaging part is disengaged from the engagement receiving part, and the garnish is opened smoothly. The airbag can be covered with the garnish, thereby allowing the garnish to move smoothly on expansion of the airbag.

Claims

1. An airbag apparatus comprising:

an airbag which is inflated and expanded from a state of being folded into a long-thin shape upon introduction of gas;

a supporting body fitted to a to-be-fitted member;

a cover body comprising;

a main part covering the airbag in a folded state along a longitudinal direction,

a fitting part disposed on one side of the main part along the longitudinal direction and supported by the supporting body, and

an engaging part disposed on the other side of the main part along the longitudinal direction;

an engagement receiving part disposed on the supporting body, engaged with the engaging part in a disengageable manner, supporting the main part via the engaging part at folded state of the airbag, and releasing the engagement of the engaging part on expansion of the airbag, thereby allowing for movement of the main part; and

a hinge provided on the supporting body and separate from the cover body supporting the fitting part, wherein the hinge is plastically deformable on expansion of the airbag.

2. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the supporting body is equipped with a bracket fitted to the to-be-fitted member, a protector equipped with a guide part fitted to the bracket and disposed along the longitudinal direction of the airbag in a folded state and the engagement receiving part.

3. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the engaging part is equipped with an airbag receiving part pressed by the airbag on inflation and expansion of the airbag.

4. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the cover body is an interior trim material of a vehicle, the bracket is located on the side part of a cabin of a vehicle and fixed to the vehicle body, and the airbag is expanded along the side part of the cabin.

5. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hinge is “

U”

shaped.

6. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cover body is elastically deformable.