Airbag device

• US 8,448,984 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2009
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ashimori Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ashimore Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Azuma, Hidetaka, Konishi, Shuhei
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilhelm, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US12/921,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20110042927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/736, 280/742
• US Class Current: 280/742
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2612 Gas guiding means, e.g. ducts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/26 characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow arrangement or mounting thereof to the vehicle B60R21/20; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure in general F42B3/04; initiators or igniters therefor F42B3/10

Abstract

Gas supplied from gas discharge ports is guided without providing a metal guide tube on the inflator of an airbag device, and the airbag is protected from the gas. An inner tube (50) is connected to a gas inlet (13) formed in an airbag (10), and an inflator (40) around which a fabric member (60) is wound is inserted into and attached to a gas passage (54) formed in the inner tube (50). The fabric member (60) is wound around the inflator (40) several times into a tubular shape such that it covers a plurality of gas discharge ports (42) provided in the inflator (40) and such that one end thereof opens to the inside of the airbag (10), and the fabric member (60) is inserted into the inner tube (50). When the inflator (40) is activated, gas from the gas discharge ports (42) is guided to the inside of the inner tube (50) by the fabric member (60) and is guided and supplied to air chambers (31) and (32) through the gas passage (54), thereby inflating and deploying the airbag (10).

Claims

1. An airbag device comprising:

an airbag that can be inflated and deployed so as to cover a wall of a vehicle by introducing gas; and

an inflator, having a main body, that discharges gas radially from a plurality of gas discharge ports disposed at one end of said body to supply the gas into an air chamber inside of the airbag,

wherein the airbag has a gas inlet to which the inflator is attached and the air chamber is inflated by the gas from the gas inlet,

wherein the airbag device has a fabric member that is formed of a single belt-like piece and is wound around the inflator several times in sequentially layered manner such that the fabric member encloses the plurality of gas discharge ports and opens to the inside of the airbag and is inflated by the gas pressure acting thereon and shifted in the circumferential direction thereof when the inflator is activated, and

wherein the fabric member and the plurality of gas discharge ports of the inflator being inserted together into the gas inlet towards the air chamber inside of the airbag.

2. The airbag device according to claim 1, further comprising an inner tube that is disposed in the airbag and is connected to the gas inlet to guide gas from the gas inlet to the air chamber.

3. The airbag device according to claim 2,

wherein the inner tube is disposed such that it extends to the inside of the gas inlet.

4. The airbag device according to claim 3,

wherein the fabric member is made of a base fabric for airbags.

5. The airbag device according to claim 3,

wherein the fabric member has a coating layer composed of a heat resistant material.

6. The airbag device according to claim 5,

wherein the fabric member is wound around the inflator such that the coating layer is located inside.

7. The airbag device according to claim 2,

wherein the fabric member is made of a base fabric for airbags.

8. The airbag device according to claim 2,

wherein the fabric member has a coating layer composed of a heat resistant material.

9. The airbag device according to claim 8,

wherein the fabric member is wound around the inflator such that the coating layer is located inside.

10. The airbag device according to claim 1,

wherein the fabric member is made of a base fabric for airbags.

11. The airbag device according to claim 10,

wherein the fabric member has a coating layer composed of a heat resistant material.

12. The airbag device according to claim 11,

wherein the fabric member is wound around the inflator such that the coating layer is located inside.

13. The airbag device according to claim 1,

wherein the fabric member has a coating layer composed of a heat resistant material.

14. The airbag device according to claim 13,

wherein the fabric member is wound around the inflator such that the coating layer is located inside.

15. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein said inflator is secured to said gas inlet by a clamp, and

wherein said plurality of gas discharge ports are disposed in a position with respect to said clamp that is toward the air chamber.

16. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein said airbag device has no metal guide tube fixed to an outer circumference of said inflator main body.

17. An airbag device comprising:

an airbag that can be inflated and deployed so as to cover a wall of a vehicle by introducing gas; and

an inflator, having a main body, that discharges gas radially from a plurality of gas discharge ports disposed at one end of said body to supply the gas into an air chamber inside of the airbag,

wherein the airbag has a gas inlet to which the inflator is attached and the air chamber is inflated by the gas from the gas inlet,

wherein the airbag device has a fabric member that is formed of a single belt-like piece and is wound around the inflator several times in a sequentially layered manner such that it encloses the plurality of gas discharge ports and opens to the inside of the airbag and is inflated by the gas pressure acting thereon and shifted in the circumferential direction thereof when the inflator is activated,

wherein a thread grain of said fabric member is inclined at an angle with respect to a winding direction of the fabric member, and

wherein the fabric member and the plurality of gas discharge ports of the inflator being inserted together into the gas inlet.

18. The airbag device according to claim 17,

wherein the angle of the thread grain of the fabric member with respect to the winding direction is in the range of 15 degrees to 75 degrees.

19. The airbag device according to claim 18,

wherein the fabric member has a coating layer composed of a heat resistant material.

20. The airbag device according to claim 17,

wherein the fabric member is formed by cutting a braided tube having a spiral thread grain.

21. The airbag device according to claim 20,

wherein the fabric member has a coating layer composed of a heat resistant material.

22. The airbag device according to claim 17,

wherein the fabric member has a coating layer composed of a heat resistant material.

23. The airbag device according to claim 17, wherein said inflator is secured to said gas inlet by a clamp, and

wherein said plurality of gas discharge ports are disposed in a position with respect to said clamp that is toward the air chamber.

24. The airbag device according to claim 17, wherein said airbag device has no metal guide tube fixed to an outer circumference of said inflator main body.