Diffuser pocket for airbag and method of manufacturing the same

• US 9,393,928 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2014
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jong Seob
• Primary Examiner(s): Gooden, Jr., Barry
• Application Number:
  US14/253,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20140306435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2617 Curtain bag nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2346 Soft diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/261 with means other than bag structure to diffuse or guide inflation fluid

Abstract

A diffuser pocket for an airbag according to the present invention includes: an insertion portion into which a tip portion of an inflator is inserted; and a gas discharging portion which guides and discharges high-pressure gas injected from the inflator to an airbag cushion, in which the insertion portion has front and rear insertion portions in which lower portions are folded and upper portions are sewn, and the gas discharging portion has front and rear gas discharging surfaces in which a left line is folded, and upper portions and left portions are sewed, thereby preventing damage due to high-temperature and high-pressure gas injected from the inflator.

Claims

1. A diffuser pocket for an airbag, comprising:

an insertion portion into which at least a tip portion of an inflator, which injects high-pressure gas at the time of a vehicle collision, is inserted; and

a gas discharging portion which guides and discharges the high-pressure gas injected from the inflator to an airbag cushion,

wherein the insertion portion includes front and rear insertion surfaces that are folded upward based on a first folding line positioned at a center of the insertion portion, and upper portions of the front and rear insertion surfaces are joined with each other by an attaching means,

wherein the gas discharging portion includes front and rear gas discharging surfaces that are folded to one side based on a second folding line positioned at a center of the gas discharging portion, the second folding line forms a right line of the gas discharging portion, and upper portions and left portions of the front and rear gas discharging surfaces are joined with each other by a second attaching means,

wherein a third folding line forming a left line of the insertion portion and perpendicular to the first and second folding lines, prior to folding, is provided between the insertion portion and the gas discharging portion, wherein the discharging portion is folded downward based on the third folding line with respect to the insertion portion.

2. The diffuser pocket of claim 1, wherein the diffuser pocket is manufactured using a single fabric.

3. The diffuser pocket of claim 1, wherein sewing is used as the attaching means.

4. The diffuser pocket of claim 1, wherein the insertion portion is formed in a quadrangular shape,

the first and second superposition surfaces are formed in a triangular shape, and the discharging portion is formed in a polygonal shape having five vertices or more.

5. The diffuser pocket of claim 1, wherein a first superposition surface is positioned between portions where the front insertion surface and the front gas discharging surface overlap each other, and a second superposition surface is positioned between portions where the rear insertion surface and the rear gas discharging surface overlap each other.

6. The diffuser pocket of claim 5, wherein the first and second superposition surfaces are positioned between the front and rear insertion surfaces and the front and rear gas discharging surfaces by folding superposition portions positioned between the insertion portion and the gas discharging portion.

7. The diffuser pocket of claim 6, wherein the first and second superposition surfaces are formed by folding the third folding line, so that a sixth folding line, which is positioned between the first and second folding lines, is in contact with a part of the first folding line, and folding fourth and fifth folding lines that connects portions where front and rear ends of the third folding line are in contact with the second and sixth folding lines.

8. The diffuser pocket of claim 1, wherein a reinforcing fabric, which has a gas guide portion that is extended downward from the diffuser pocket, is coupled to the diffuser pocket.

9. The diffuser pocket of claim 8, wherein the gas guide portion of the reinforcing fabric has a lower end that is closed by being sewed, and gas discharging openings that are formed at both sides of the gas guide portion.

10. A method of manufacturing a diffuser pocket for an airbag, comprising:

a cutting process for cutting a single fabric so as to form an insertion portion into which a tip portion of an inflator is inserted, and a gas discharging portion which is disposed at a left side of the insertion portion so as to guide and discharge high-pressure gas injected from the inflator to an airbag cushion;

a folding process for folding the gas discharging portion to a bottom side of the insertion portion based on a first folding line that is a left line of the insertion portion, folding front and rear insertion surfaces of the insertion portion upward based on a second folding line that is positioned in a horizontal direction at a center of the insertion portion, and folding front and rear gas discharging surfaces of the gas discharging portion to one side based on a third folding line that is positioned in the horizontal direction at a center of the gas discharging portion, wherein the first folding line is perpendicular to the second and third folding lines, prior to folding; and

a sewing process for sewing and joining upper portions of the front and rear insertion surfaces, and upper portions and left portions of the front and rear gas discharging surfaces.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein in the cutting process, the insertion portion is formed in a quadrangular shape, the gas discharging portion is formed in a polygonal shape having six vertices or more that has a width in a forward and rearward direction wider than that of the insertion portion.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein in the folding process, the insertion portion and the gas discharging portion are folded so that parts of the insertion portion and the gas discharging portion overlap each other.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the insertion portion and the gas discharging portion are folded so that a superposition surface is positioned between portions where parts of the insertion portion and the gas discharging portion overlap each other.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the superposition surface is positioned between portions where the insertion portion and the gas discharging portion overlap each other, by folding the diffuser pocket based on a fourth folding line that is connected between the second folding line positioned at the center of the insertion portion and the third folding line positioned at the center of the gas discharging portion, and based on a fifth folding line that is inclinedly connected to front and rear ends of the first folding line which is the left line of the insertion portion and the third folding line positioned at the center of the gas discharging portion.