Airbag apparatus

• US 8,740,246 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hotta, Masashi, Sato, Yuji, Honda, Kensaku
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coker, Robert A
• Application Number:
  US13/833,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20130341896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/730.2, 280/736, 280/742
• US Class Current: 280/742
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23146 seat mounted
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• 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 21/239 characterised by their venting means

Abstract

An inflation portion of an airbag is divided by a partitioning member into an upstream inflation portion and a downstream inflation portion. Part of the partitioning member forms a pair of overlapping portions overlapped with each other in a band-like shape inside the upstream inflation portion. The overlapping portions are joined to each other by a joint portion located at a boundary between the overlapping portions and non-overlapping portions. The partitioning member includes an opening, which is formed by cancelling the joint between the overlapping portions by the joint portion, and a pressure regulating valve, which includes a pair of valve bodies, which sandwiches the opening. Stress relaxation portions are provided at the overlapping portions. The stress relaxation portions relax stress acting on parts of the joint portion that are adjacent to the opening as the pressure regulating valve is opened.

Claims

1. An airbag apparatus comprising:

an airbag having an inflation portion that is deployed and inflated by inflation gas supplied in response to an impact to a vehicle; and

a partitioning member arranged in the inflation portion, wherein the partitioning member divides at least part of the inflation portion into an upstream inflation portion, to which the inflation gas is supplied, and a downstream inflation portion, to which the inflation gas is supplied via the upstream inflation portion, wherein

the partitioning member includes a pair of overlapping portions and a pair of non-overlapping portion each being continuous with one of the overlapping portions, wherein, in the upstream inflation portion, the overlapping portions are overlapped with each other in a band-like shape and joined to each other by a joint portion located at the boundary between the overlapping portions and the non-overlapping portions,

the partitioning member further includes

an opening that is formed at a portion of the overlapping portions where the overlapping portions are not joined to each other by the joint portion,

a pair of valve bodies sandwiching the opening, and

a pressure regulating valve, wherein, before the upstream inflation portion restrains an occupant, the pressure regulating valve is closed by the valve bodies being pushed against each other in the upstream inflation portion by the inflation gas, and wherein, when the upstream inflation portion restrains the occupant, external force generated by the restraint flexes the valve bodies via the partitioning member and separates the valve bodies from each other, so that the pressure regulating valve is opened, and

a stress relaxation portion arranged in the overlapping portions, wherein, when the pressure regulating valve is opened, the stress relaxation portion relaxes stress acting on part of the joint portion that is adjacent to the opening.

2. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stress relaxation portion is provided as a part of the joint portion.

3. The airbag apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the part of the joint portion that is adjacent to the opening is formed to be curved at the overlapping portions to form the stress relaxation portion.

4. The airbag apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the part of the joint portion that is adjacent to the opening is formed to curve and bulge toward parts of the overlapping portions that are adjacent to the non-overlapping portions and toward the inside of the opening, so as to form the stress relaxation portion.

5. The airbag apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, when the upstream inflation portion restrains the occupant, the valve bodies are pushed out from the upstream inflation portion and into the downstream inflation portion via the opening and are separated from each other in the downstream inflation portion to be opened.

6. The airbag apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, when the upstream inflation portion restrains the occupant, the valve bodies are pushed out from the upstream inflation portion and into the downstream inflation portion via the opening and are separated from each other in the downstream inflation portion to be opened.

7. The airbag apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, when the upstream inflation portion restrains the occupant, the valve bodies are pushed out from the upstream inflation portion and into the downstream inflation portion via the opening and are separated from each other in the downstream inflation portion to be opened.

8. The airbag apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a pair of extended overlapping portions, each of which is extended from one of the overlapping portions in a direction opposite to the non-overlapping portions, wherein the extended overlapping portions are overlapped with each other in a band-like shape in the upstream inflation portion; and

an extended joint portion, which is extended from the stress relaxation portion in a direction opposite to the non-overlapping portions and joins the extended overlapping portions to each other.