Airbag device

• US 8,382,154 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nihon Plast Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nihon Plast Company Limited
• Inventors: Suzuki, Masato, Iwamoto, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US13/240,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20120068444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 280/739, 280/736, 280/740, 280/741, 280/743.1
• US Class Current: 280/739
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2395 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

The present invention provides an airbag device that is capable of restraining a rectification cloth that switches a vent hole to an opened or closed state so as not to be twisted, and that is capable of switching the vent hole from an opened state to a closed state, and further, switching to the opened state. At an initial stage at which an airbag main body inflates and expands, the vent hole 8 is arranged between the leg portions 5, and when the airbag main body is in a predetermined internal pressure state, the vent hole is closed by means of the band-shaped portion 4. If an occupant or the like comes into contact with the airbag main body, a tense state of each of the leg portions is released, the rectification cloth is established in a slackened state, and the vent hole 8 is established in an opened state.

Claims

1. An airbag device comprising an airbag that is inflated and expanded by means of gas supplied from a gas generator to constrain a target to be protected, wherein

the airbag includes:

an airbag main body having a vent hole for gas evacuation, a rectification cloth arranged at the airbag main body and configured to switch the vent hole from an opened state to a closed state and further to the opened state; and

a guide base cloth having an opening, being engaged with the airbag main body, and guiding slide movement in a longitudinal direction of the rectification cloth, the opening being superimposed on the vent hole,

the rectification cloth having a band-shaped portion and leg portions separately extending in a V-shape, from a partway in a longitudinal direction of the band-shaped portion, an end portion of the rectification cloth is engaged with the airbag main body, each of end portions of the leg portions is engaged with the airbag main body so that a partial portion of the rectification cloth can be protruded through the vent hole to an outside of the airbag main body, between the airbag main body and the guide base cloth, the band-shaped portion is configured to have a horizontal width dimension enough to open or close the vent hole or an opening of the guide base cloth,

the guide base cloth has a first guide passageway configured to guide the band-shaped portion and one pair of second guide passageways, a respective one of which is configured to guide said each leg portion, the opening of the guide base cloth is formed in the first guide passageway,

when the rectification cloth is in a state before inflation and expansion of the airbag main body, the vent hole or the opening of the guide base cloth is arranged between the leg portions of the rectification cloth, when an internal pressure of the airbag main body reaches a predetermined internal pressure after inflation and expansion of the airbag main body, the vent hole or the opening is closed by the band-shaped portion, and when the airbag main portion constrains the target and the rectification cloth slackens, the partial portion of the rectification cloth is protruded from the vent hole to the outside to make the vent hole in the opened state.

2. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein

a length dimension of the band-shaped portion from an end part of the band-shaped portion that is engaged with the airbag main body to a branch portion that is divided into the leg portions is formed of a length dimension that is equal to a length dimension from a position at which the end part of the band-shaped portion in the airbag main body is engaged to the branch portion of said one pair of second guide passageways in the guide base cloth.

3. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein

the vent hole is formed at a back face side of the airbag main body,

the guide base cloth is engaged with the back face side of the airbag main body,

the end part of the band-shaped portion is engaged between a boundary region between the back face side of the airbag main body and an occupant side of the airbag main body and a site at which the guide base cloth is engaged, and

each of the end portions of the leg portions is engaged with a site of an occupant constraint face in the airbag main body.

4. The airbag device according to claim 2, wherein

the vent hole is formed at a back face side of the airbag main body,

the guide base cloth is engaged with the back face side of the airbag main body,

the end part of the band-shaped portion is engaged between a boundary region between the back face side of the airbag main body and an occupant side of the airbag main body and a site at which the guide base cloth is engaged, and

each of the end portions of the leg portions is engaged with a site of an occupant constraint face in the airbag main body.