Airbag device for use in a vehicle

• US 20030067145A1
• Filed: 10/10/2001
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanko Gosei Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Sanko Gosei Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Yasuda, Mitsuo, Nakashima, Yoshiharu
• Granted Patent: US 6,860,505 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/728.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2172 the cover being connected to the surrounding part and to the module, e.g. floating mounts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/216 comprising tether means for limitation of cover motion during deployment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2165 characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening

Abstract

An airbag device for a passenger seat for use in a vehicle like an automobile. Reinforcement ribs 12 of rectangular horizontal cross-section protrudently extend downward from the back side of a fracture-opening section 30 of the interior cover. Mounting holes 14 are formed at the predetermined intervals in the front and rear side walls 12a of the reinforcement ribs (in the longer direction). Hooks 36 mounted to the front and rear side edge surfaces 5b of the airbag case 5 (in the longer direction) are joined to the mounting holes via a mounted section 35 extending downward from hinge sections 34 of reinforcement plate members 33. The left and right side walls 12b of the reinforcement ribs 12 are spaced from the left and right side edges 5c of the airbag case by a predetermined distance, and fracture grooves 30a of the fracture-opening section are formed at the portions positions spaced at the predetermined intervals.

Claims

1. An airbag device for a vehicle, wherein an airbag case accommodates an airbag element in its folded form which is placed at least in one of the portions of a front section covered by a interior cover of the vehicle, a central section of a steering wheel and both side columns, and which is inflated by a flow of gas from an inflator, and wherein an airbag case having an opening facing the back side of the interior cover is disposed;

comprising a fracture-opening section formed fragile sections by fracture grooves made in the back side position of the cover opposite the opening of the airbag case, and a reinforcement plate having a shape corresponding to said fracture-opening section characterized that;

the airbag device of the vehicle comprising;

a reinforcement rib rectangular protrudently provided in the horizontal cross-section extending downwards the back side of the fracture-opening section of the interior cover;

mounting holes disposed at the predetermined intervals respectively in the front and rear side walls (the longer direction) of the reinforcement ribs;

hooks firmly mounted to the front and rear side edges (the lengthwise direction) of the airbag case to said mounting holes via a mounting section extending downward from a hinge of said the reinforcement ribs;

front and rear side walls of the reinforcement ribs spaced respectively, from each of the front and rear side edges of the airbag case at the predetermined intervals to form spaced portions on both sides; and

,

fracture grooves of the fracture-opening section formed at said spaced portions.

2. An airbag device for automobiles according to claim 1, wherein a spacing is set between the left and right side walls of the reinforcement ribs and the left and right side edge surfaces of the airbag case by 10 mm to 40 mm, a spacing is set between the left and right side edges of the reinforcement plate surfaces by 5 mm to 30 mm, and fracture grooves are formed in the fracture-opening section at a position spaced from each of the left and right side walls of the reinforcement ribs by 5 mm to 20 mm.

3. An airbag device for automobiles according to claim 1 or claim 2;

wherein the fracture grooves are formed in the back side of the interior cover at the predetermined intervals by laser cutting along the outline of the fracture-opening section in leftward and rightward longer directions from the back side of the interior cover with a pulsating laser beam generated from a laser generator, while relatively moving the beam to the positions spaced at the predetermined intervals in the forward and backward shorter directions.