Front passenger seat airbag apparatus

• US 7,980,586 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2009
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Okada, Yasushi, Fukurono, Kenichi, Yamauchi, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coker; Robert A
• Application Number:
  US12/588,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20100117337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/728.3, 280/732
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/21537 characterised by hinges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2172 the cover being connected to the surrounding part and to the module, e.g. floating mounts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/217 Inflation fluid source retainers, e.g. reaction canisters; Connection of bags, covers, diffusers or inflation fluid sources therewith or together

Abstract

A front passenger seat airbag apparatus 12 includes an airbag 15, a case 25 supporting the airbag 15, and an airbag cover 50 covering the airbag 15. The case 25 includes a tubular inner wall portion 29. A plurality of claw portions 37 are arranged along a vehicle widthwise direction on the upper edge of a front inner wall 31 and a rear inner wall 32 of the tubular inner wall portion 29. The airbag cover 50 includes a tubular outer wall portion 53 having a plurality of engaging holes 57. The tubular outer wall portion 53 is engaged with the case 25 by inserting and engaging the claw portions 37 in the engaging holes 57. The front inner wall 31 and the rear inner wall 32 each include connected portions 66, to each of which a claw portion 37 is connected, and non-connected portions 65, to which no claw portion 37 is connected, along the arrangement direction of the claw portions 37. Two non-connected portions 65 are located on both sides of each connected portion 66. At least one of the non-connected portions 65 has cutout portions 61, 62 that extend from the upper end of the corresponding inner wall to a position lower than the tips 37A of the claw portions 37.

Claims

1. A front passenger seat airbag apparatus installed inside an instrument panel located in front of a front passenger seat, comprising:

an airbag;

a case for supporting the airbag, wherein the case includes a bottom portion located below the airbag and a tubular inner wall portion that surrounds the airbag with three or more inner walls extending upward from the bottom portion, wherein each of at least two inner walls of the tubular inner wall portion has a plurality of claw portions, which extend at least outward of the inner wall and each have a tip, the claw portions being arranged on the wall surface of the inner wall along a horizontal direction; and

an airbag cover that covers the airbag and the case,

wherein the airbag cover includes a lid portion and a tubular outer wall portion, the lid portion forming a part of the instrument panel and covering the tubular inner wall portion, and the tubular outer wall portion extending downward from the lid portion and surrounding the tubular inner wall portion,

wherein a plurality of engaging holes are formed in the tubular outer wall portion, each claw portion being inserted in and engaged with one of the engaging holes, so that the airbag cover is engaged with the case,

wherein each of the inner walls on which the claw portions are provided includes a plurality of connected portions to each of which at least one claw portion is connected, and a plurality of non-connected portions to each of which no claw portion is connected, and wherein at least one of the non-connected portions has a cutout portion that extends from the upper end of the corresponding inner wall to a position lower than the tip of the corresponding claw portion,

wherein, in each of the inner walls on which claw portions are provided, the cutout portions are provided in non-connected portions at both ends with respect to a direction along which the claw portions are arranged, and

wherein the cutout portions extend to the bottom portion of the case or to the vicinity of the bottom portion.

2. The front passenger seat airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tubular outer wall portion is formed by a plurality of outer walls, at least two of which each have two or more of the engaging holes, wherein each of the outer walls that have engaging holes is disconnected from the adjacent outer walls on both sides.

3. The front passenger seat airbag apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, in each of the inner walls on which claw portions are provided, the cutout portions are provided in each non-connected portion between adjacent connected portions.

4. The front passenger seat airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tubular outer wall portion includes a plurality of outer walls having a higher flexibility than the inner walls of the tubular inner wall portion, each of the outer walls in which engaging holes are formed is connected to the adjacent outer walls, and

wherein, in each of the inner walls on which claw portions are provided, the cutout portions are provided in non-connected portions at a center portion with respect to a direction along which the claw portions are arranged.

5. The front passenger seat airbag apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, in each of the inner walls on which claw portions are provided, the cutout portions are provided in at least one non-connected portion located at a position different from the center portion with respect to the arrangement direction of the claw portions.

6. The front passenger seat airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cutout portions extend to the bottom portion of the case.

7. The front passenger seat airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the claw portions and the connected portions are formed integrally by processing a single plate.

8. The front passenger seat airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said three or more of the inner walls of the tubular inner wall portion include a front inner wall and a rear inner wall, which face each other, three of the claw portions and three of the connected portions are provided in each of the front inner wall and the rear inner wall, wherein the cutout portions are each provided in each of the non-connected portions located on both sides of each connected portion.

9. The front passenger seat airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of reinforcing portions extend linearly along a front-rear direction on a boundary between the bottom portion of the case and the inner wall.

10. The front passenger seat airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cutout portions provided at both ends of the inner walls extend closer to the bottom portion of the case than the cutout portion between the claw portions on a same inner wall.

11. The front passenger seat airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cutout portions provided at both ends of the inner walls extend to the bottom portion of the case and the cutout portion between the claw portions on a same inner wall extend to the vicinity of the bottom portion.

12. A front passenger seat airbag apparatus installed inside an instrument panel located in front of a front passenger seat, comprising:

an airbag;

a case for supporting the airbag, wherein the case includes a bottom portion located below the airbag and a tubular inner wall portion that surrounds the airbag with three or more inner walls extending upward from the bottom portion, wherein each of at least two inner walls of the tubular inner wall portion has a plurality of claw portions, which extend at least outward of the inner wall and each have a tip, the claw portions being arranged on the wall surface of the inner wall along a horizontal direction; and

an airbag cover that covers the airbag and the case,

wherein the airbag cover includes a lid portion and a tubular outer wall portion, the lid portion forming a part of the instrument panel and covering the tubular inner wall portion, and the tubular outer wall portion extending downward from the lid portion and surrounding the tubular inner wall portion,

wherein a plurality of engaging holes are formed in the tubular outer wall portion, each claw portion being inserted in and engaged with one of the engaging holes, so that the airbag cover is engaged with the case,

wherein each of the inner walls on which the claw portions are provided includes a plurality of connected portions to each of which at least one claw portion is connected, and a plurality of non-connected portions to each of which no claw portion is connected, and wherein at least one of the non-connected portions has a cutout portion that extends from the upper end of the corresponding inner wall to a position lower than the tip of the corresponding claw portion,

wherein, in each of the inner walls on which claw portions are provided, the cutout portions are provided in non-connected portions at both ends with respect to a direction along which the claw portions are arranged, and

wherein the cutout portion between the claw portions on a same inner wall extend to the bottom portion of the case or to the vicinity of the bottom portion, and the cutout portions provided at both ends of the inner walls extend to the bottom portion of the case.