Airbag system

• US 8,365,857 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated), Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated), Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Okamoto, Yutaka, Drake, Eric, Pipkorn, Bengt
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sliteris, Joselynn Y
• Application Number:
  US12/789,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20110291391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 180/274, 180/271, 280/728.2
• US Class Current: 180/274
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23184 Tubular air bags connected to the vehicle at their two extremities
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/36 using airbags

Abstract

In an airbag system, an airbag obtained by closing each of opposite end portions of a folded metal tube with an end cap is attached to an attachment surface of a front pillar, and the airbag is deployed along the front pillar with a gas produced by an inflator. Therefore, a pedestrian who collides with the front pillar can be protected by the airbag. Since the portion of the airbag, which is away from the end cap toward an intermediate part of the airbag in a longitudinal direction of the airbag by a predetermined distance, is connected to the attachment surface, which is located outside the end cap in the longitudinal direction of the airbag, with a stay being interposed in between, the difficulty in an inflation in a part of the airbag in the vicinity of each end cap, due to the end cap being pressed against the attachment surface when the airbag is inflating, is prevented. Accordingly, the airbag is allowed to inflate uniformly throughout the entire length of the airbag, and the intermediate part of the airbag in the longitudinal direction of the airbag is prevented from bending in a way that the intermediate part thereof moves away from the attachment surface of the front pillar; thus, a portion of the airbag which is located inward in the bending direction is prevented from being buckled. Accordingly, the deployed shape of the airbag can be stabilized, and thus the shock absorbing capability of the airbag is enhanced.

Claims

1. An airbag system comprising an airbag obtained by closing each of opposite end portions of a folded metal tube with an end cap and attached to an attachment surface of a front pillar, the airbag system protecting a pedestrian by deploying the airbag along the front pillar with a gas produced by an inflator, wherein

the airbag is attached to the attachment surface by connecting a portion of the airbag to the attachment surface with a stay interposed therebetween, said airbag portion being located away from the end cap towards an intermediate part of the airbag by a predetermined distance in a longitudinal direction of the airbag, the attachment surface is spaced a distance from the end cap in the longitudinal direction of the airbag, wherein:

said stay extends in the longitudinal direction of the airbag and includes a first fixation part, a second fixation part, and a connecting part, said first fixation part is fixed to the attachment surface and extends in the longitudinal direction of the airbag past the end cap and toward the second fixation part, said second fixation part is fixed to the airbag portion and extends in the longitudinal direction of the airbag toward the first fixation part, and the connecting part connects the first and second fixation parts together.

2. The airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance is not less than a half of a diameter of the airbag after being deployed.

3. The airbag system according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined distance is substantially equal to the diameter of the airbag after being deployed.

4. The airbag system according to claim 3, wherein

an open end of the end cap faces toward the second fixation part.

5. The airbag system according to claim 4, wherein the stay is formed by a metal plate, and bent flanges are formed respectively along opposite side edges of the stay.

6. The airbag system according to claim 2, wherein

an open end of the end cap faces toward the second fixation part.

7. The airbag system according to claim 6, wherein the stay is formed by a metal plate, and bent flanges are formed respectively along opposite side edges of the stay.

8. The airbag system according to claim 1, wherein

an open end of the end cap faces toward the second fixation part.

9. The airbag system according to claim 8, wherein the stay is formed by a metal plate, and bent flanges are formed respectively along opposite side edges of the stay.

10. The airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the front pillar comprises an outer panel that is situated on an outer side of a vehicle body and an inner panel that is situated on an inner side of the vehicle body, and the attachment surface is provided on the outer panel of the front pillar.