Passenger airbag apparatus

• US 8,500,165 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2011
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kwon, Hae Wook
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, TOAN C
• Application Number:
  US13/311,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20130076012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 280/738, 280/739, 280/743.1, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 280/743.2
• 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 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

Disclosed is a passenger airbag apparatus that can suppress the deployment pressure of an airbag cushion when the airbag cushion and a passenger are excessively close to each other and maintain the deployment pressure of the airbag cushion when the airbag cushion and the passenger keep an appropriate distance from each other.

Claims

1. A passenger airbag apparatus, comprising:

an airbag cushion expanded by receiving gas;

a vent tube placed in an outer part of the airbag cushion, through which the gas received into the airbag cushion is discharged;

a guide panel placed to correspond to the vent tube in the airbag cushion; and

a tether fastening and closing the vent tube as the airbag cushion is expanded by penetrating the guide panel.

2. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 1, wherein a communication hole which is in communication with the vent tube is formed on the guide panel.

3. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 1, wherein one end of the tether is coupled to the circumference of the vent tube and the other end is coupled to the airbag cushion.

4. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vent tube includes:

a base portion that protrudes from the airbag cushion; and

a tether coupled portion that is formed at the end of the base portion and coupled with the tether on the circumference thereof.

5. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 4, wherein as the airbag cushion is expanded, the tether coupled portion is pulled by the tether to move in a normal direction with respect to the circumference to the tether coupled portion.

6. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the vent tube is fastened by the tether, the vent tube is caught by the guide panel to be closed outside the airbag cushion.

7. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 1, wherein a through-hole penetrated by the tether is formed on the guide panel.

8. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 7, wherein as the airbag cushion is expanded, the tether has a diameter or a thickness larger than the through-hole so as to rub against the guide panel.

9. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 7, wherein the through-hole is formed at the center of the guide panel.

10. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of communication holes are formed on the guide panel, and

the guide panel includes at least one bridge portion placed between the plurality of communication holes.

11. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 10, wherein when the vent tube is fastened by the tether, the vent tube is caught by the bridge portion to be closed outside the airbag cushion.

12. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 10, wherein a through-hole penetrated by the tether is formed on the bridge portion.

13. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 12, wherein as the airbag cushion is expanded, the tether has a diameter or a thickness larger than the through-hole so as to rub against the bridge portion.

14. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 12, wherein the through-hole is formed at the center of the bridge portion.

15. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the airbag cushion is fully expanded, the tether has a length to close the vent tube, and as a result, when the expansion is restrained by an obstacle while the airbag cushion is expanded, the vent tube is opened.

16. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a vent hole formed in the airbag cushion, through which the gas received into the airbag cushion is discharged.

17. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tether is placed by surrounding the circumference of the vent tube plural times.

18. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 1, wherein a shielding unit shielding the vent tube closed by the tether is formed in the vent tube.

19. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 18, wherein a tether coupled portion that is coupled with the tether on the circumference thereof to be fastened and closed by the tether, and shield by the shielding unit is further formed in the vent tube.

20. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 19, wherein the tether coupled portion protrudes from the airbag cushion and is placed between the airbag cushion and the shielding unit.

21. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 18, wherein the shielding unit is formed at the end of the vent tube.

22. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 18, wherein the shielding unit is inclined to the guide panel.

23. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 19, wherein the shielding unit and the tether coupled portion are inclined to the guide panel.

24. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 23, wherein as the airbag cushion is expanded, the tether pulls a higher portion of the inclined tether coupled portion.

25. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 18, wherein a communication hole which is in communication with the vent tube is formed on the guide panel.

26. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 18, wherein one end of the tether is coupled to the circumference of the vent tube and the other end is coupled to the airbag cushion.

27. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 18, wherein when the vent tube is fastened by the tether, the vent tube is caught by the guide panel to be closed outside the airbag cushion.

28. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 18, wherein a through-hole penetrated by the tether is formed on the guide panel.

29. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 28, wherein as the airbag cushion is expanded, the tether has a diameter or a thickness larger than the through-hole so as to rub against the guide panel.

30. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 28, wherein the through-hole is eccentric to the guide panel.

31. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 25, wherein the plurality of communication holes are formed on the guide panel, and

the guide panel includes at least one bridge portion placed between the plurality of communication holes.

32. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 31, wherein when the vent tube is fastened by the tether, the vent tube is caught by the bridge portion to be closed outside the airbag cushion.

33. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 31, wherein a through-hole penetrated by the tether is formed on the bridge portion.

34. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 33, wherein as the airbag cushion is expanded, the tether has a diameter or a thickness larger than the through-hole so as to rub against the bridge portion.

35. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 33, wherein the through-hole is eccentric to the bridge portion.

36. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 35, wherein the bridge portion includes:

a first bridge portion with the through-hole; and

a second bridge portion having a thickness smaller than the first bridge portion and extending from the first bridge portion.

37. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 18, wherein when the airbag cushion is fully expanded, the tether has a length to close the vent tube, and as a result, when the expansion is restrained by the obstacle while the airbag cushion is expanded, the vent tube is opened.

38. The passenger airbag apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a vent hole formed in the airbag cushion, through which the gas received into the airbag cushion is discharged.