Airbag

• US 8,955,879 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2009
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aranzulla, Daniele, Burkhardtsmaier, Martin, Werner, Nico, Pys, Tomasz
• Primary Examiner(s): FRISBY, KEITH J
• Application Number:
  US13/126,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20120098242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,919 Days
• Field of Search: 280/732, 280/743.1, 280/728.1
• US Class Current: 280/743.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0048 Head
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01238 control of expansion shape
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23533 characterised by the manufacturing process
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23571 characterised by connections between panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration

Abstract

An airbag, especially a passenger airbag, comprises a rear injection orifice, a front wall (14) for the impact of the occupant as well as two opposed sidewalls (16, 18) and an upper wall and a lower wall. Each of the upper and lower walls is split and consists of side portions (50, 52) which are juxtaposed and are connected to each other along opposite margins (40, 42).

Claims

1. An airbag, comprising:

a rear injection orifice (12);

first and second opposed sidewalls (16, 18), an upper wall (20), and a lower wall (22), the sidewalls (16, 18) the upper wall (20) and the lower wall (22) defined by a single cloth part that includes first and second margins (40, 42) that are connected to one another to form the lower wall (22), the first and second margins (40, 42) having a non-linear configuration when the airbag is in an uninflated, unassembled state, the non-linear configuration selected to shape the lower wall (22) to follow a contour of a front side of an instrument panel when the airbag is viewed from the side in an inflated state; and

a front wall (14) adapted for impact by an occupant, the front wall (14) being defined by a cloth part that is separate from the single cloth part that defines the sidewalls (16, 18) the upper wall (20) and the lower wall (22).

2. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the connected margins (40, 42) have an outwardly extending curvature (80) and the airbag has an outwardly directed bulge (82) at at least one of its upper and lower walls (20, 22).

3. The airbag according to claim 2, wherein the bulge (82) is positioned so that it projects into a triangle which is formed, viewed in a side view of the inflated airbag, by the front side of the instrument panel (84) and thighs of an average occupant.

4. The airbag according to claim 2, wherein the bulge (82) is positioned so that it contacts thighs of an average occupant.

5. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the lower wall (22), viewed in a side view of the inflated airbag, includes two portions, the two portions comprising a largely horizontal portion which contacts thighs of an average occupant and an upwards slanting portion which is backed by the front side of the instrument panel (84).

6. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the airbag has a filling volume of between 70 and 130 liters.

7. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the sidewalls (16, 18) are designed to be seamless.

8. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein inside the airbag in the area of the injection orifice (12) a gas deflecting means is provided for deflecting injected gas laterally to the sidewalls (16, 18).

9. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein a cloth part forming the front wall (14) includes at least one of an upper and a lower margin (28, 30) extending in an outwardly curved manner.

10. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein, viewed in the cut of the airbag, side portions (50, 52) of at least one of the upper and the lower wall (20, 22) have a margin (32, 34) which is attached to upper and lower margins (28, 30) of the front wall (14), the margin (32, 34) of the side portions (50, 52) extending preferably outwardly curved and arched.

11. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein a portion of an injection orifice edge (46) is formed at a cloth portion by a V-shaped indentation (44), viewed in the cut of the airbag.

12. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein, viewed in the cut of the airbag, margins (32, 34) of a side portion (50, 52) of at least one of the upper and the lower wall (20, 22), which are attached to upper and lower margins (28, 30) of the front wall (14), and the connected margins (40, 42) are preferably tapered toward each other while forming a triangle.

13. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the airbag, viewed in the cut of the airbag, includes a centric axis of symmetry (60).