Device for delaying passenger air bag expansion

• US 7,789,423 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2007
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: Kim, Yongsun
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sliteris; Joselynn Y.
• Application Number:
  US11/955,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20090102174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 280/743.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23384 having ends which are movable or detachable during deployment
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for delaying a passenger air bag expansion, including a winding, shaft which is partially wound by a rear end of a tether. A support bracket rotatably supports both ends of winding shaft and is fixed to a bottom of an air bag housing. Winding shaft and support bracket are connected to each other through at least a pin to fix the winding shaft. Pin is broken by expansion force of the tether after a predetermined time period at an early stage of expansion of an air bag. Therefore, the expansion of the airbag cushion is delayed for a predetermined time. Since initial expansion force of airbag cushion is not strong, it prevents a child on a passenger seat from being struck by the airbag cushion.

Claims

1. A device for delaying a passenger air bag expansion, comprising:

a winding shaft which is partially wound by a rear end portion of a tether of an air bag cushion;

at least a support bracket which rotatably supports both distal ends of the winding shaft and is fixed to a bottom of an air bag housing; and

at least a pin which couples the winding shaft and the support bracket to each other to prevent the winding shaft from rotating and which is broken after a predetermined time period by the tether according to expansion force of the airbag cushion to permit a rotation of the winding shaft.

2. The device for delaying a passenger air bag expansion as defined in claim 1, wherein the winding shaft, the support bracket, and the pin are provided in a space separated from an inflator by a partition in the air bag housing.

3. The device for delaying a passenger air bag expansion as defined in claim 2, wherein a lower portion of the support bracket is fixed to a bottom portion of the air bag housing, a winding shaft support hole is formed in a perpendicular portion thereof to insert a distal end portion of the winding shaft into the winding shaft support hole to rotatably support the winding shaft, a disk type flange having at least a first pin insertion hole is provided at each distal end portion of the winding shaft, at least a second pin insertion hole is formed around the winding shaft support hole of the support bracket so that the pins are inserted into the first and second pin insertion holes of the winding shaft and support bracket.

4. The device for delaying a passenger air bag expansion as defined in claim 1, wherein the tether comprises an expansion delaying portion and an initial expansion portion and the expansion delaying portion includes the rear end portion of the tether that is wound around the winding shaft.

5. The device for delaying a passenger air bag expansion as defined in claim 1, wherein the tether is an angle tether, a front end of which is perpendicularly sewed between distal end portions of an upper tether and a lower tether horizontally spread when the airbag cushion folded in the air bag housing is fully expanded so that the angle tether is substantially perpendicularly spread when the airbag cushion is fully expanded.

6. The device for delaying a passenger air bag expansion as defined in claim 1, wherein a drawing opening is formed in an upper portion of the winding shaft of the air bag housing, and a tether guide having a slit transversely formed around the tether is provided at the drawing opening.

7. The device for delaying a passenger air bag expansion as defined in claim 1, wherein the predetermined time period is determined by the total shearing force of the pins.