Air bag

• US 8,011,691 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nihon Plast Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nihon Plast Company Limited
• Inventors: Uchida, Yasuhiro, Urushibata, Akito
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILHELM, TIMOTHY
• Application Number:
  US11/727,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20070252365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.1, 280/743.1, 280/743.2, 280/729
• US Class Current: 280/743.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• 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

An air bag deployed from a mounted member mounted with the air bag toward an occupant by an insertion of a gas, the air bag includes a front surface portion confronting the occupant, the front surface portion being arranged to be deployed toward the occupant. The front surface portion includes a lower expansion portion arranged to inflate to abut on a breast portion of the occupant, a pair of side expansion portions arranged to inflate to left and right sides of a head portion of the occupant to avoid the head portion of the occupant, and a recessed portion surrounded by the lower expansion portion and the side expansion portions, and recessed toward the mounted member.

Claims

1. An air bag deployable from a mounted member mounted with the air bag toward an occupant by an insertion of a gas, the air bag comprising:

a front surface portion confronting the occupant, the front surface portion being arranged to be deployed toward the occupant, the front surface portion including;

a lower expansion portion arranged to inflate to abut on a breast portion of the occupant;

a pair of side expansion portions arranged to inflate to left and right sides of a head portion of the occupant to avoid the head portion of the occupant; and

a recessed portion surrounded by the lower expansion portion and the side expansion portions, and recessed toward the mounted member; and

a connection section having a predetermined length, and extending from a first end connected to a bottom portion at a base end of the recessed portion to a second end which connects to the mounted member,

wherein the air bag is deployed towards the occupant in a deploying direction, and

wherein an opening of the recess portion extends further in an upward and downward direction in a direction of gravity than in a left to right direction which is perpendicular to both the deploying direction and the gravitational direction.

2. The air bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front surface portion includes an upper expansion portion arranged to inflate on an upper side of the head portion of the occupant to avoid the head portion.

3. The air bag as claimed in claim 2, wherein the recessed portion is surrounded by the upper expansion portion, lower expansion portion and the side expansion portions.

4. The air bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connection section separates the bottom portion of the recessed portion from the mounted member.

5. The air bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower expansion portion abuts the breast portion of the occupant before the head portion comes into contact with the bottom portion of the recessed portion.

6. The air bag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front surface portion is formed of a base fabric and the recessed portion is formed by folding back the base fabric at a center of the front surface towards the first end of the connection section such that the base cloth forms a pair of sides of recessed portion in a V-shape which connects at the bottom portion of the recessed portion.

7. The air bag as claimed in claim 2, wherein the upper expansion portion, the lower expansion portion, and the pair of side expansion portions enfold the head portion of the occupant such that only the recessed portion allows the head and a neck of the occupant to maintain a normal posture.

8. The air bag as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the front surface portion comprises a first base cloth and a second base cloth which are attached to each other, and

wherein the first and second base cloths comprise a right side and a left side, in a direction which is perpendicular to both the deploying direction and the gravitational direction, of an opening of the recessed portion, respectively.

9. A method of restraining an occupant using an air bag comprising:

providing an air bag mounted to a vehicle, the air bag comprising;

a front surface portion confronting the occupant, the front surface portion being arranged to be deployed toward the occupant, the front surface portion including;

a lower expansion portion arranged to inflate to abut on a breast portion of the occupant;

a pair of side expansion portions arranged to inflate to left and right sides of a head portion of the occupant to abut shoulder portions of the occupant; and

a recessed portion surrounded by the lower expansion portion and the side expansion portions, and recessed toward the mounted member; and

a connection section having a predetermined length, and extending from a first end connected to a bottom portion at a base end of the recessed portion to a second end which connects to the mounted member; and

expanding the air bag such that at least one of the lower expansion portion and the pair of side expansion portions abut at least one of the breast portion and the shoulder portions of the occupant before the head portion comes into contact with the recessed portion.