Gas bag for a car passenger-protecting system

• US 20060145459A1
• Filed: 11/19/2003
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Breuninger, Martin, David, Patrick A, Sendelbach, Hans-Peter, Sievers, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,594,677 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/743.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0044 Chest
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0048 Head
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

The invention relates a gas bag (5) which is used for a car passenger-protecting system and comprises a gas generator (20) in which at least a part of the envelop of the bag sac is incorporated in the remaining segment of the envelop of the gas bag. The aim of said invention is to obtain a target positioning of said gas bag prior to blowing it. For this purpose, the segment of the envelop (10) forms a narrow filling channel (15) which extends in a predefined discharge direction (70) and can be connected to the gas generator.

Claims

1-27. -27. (canceled)

28. A passenger protecting system, comprising:

a gas generator; and

a gas bag including an envelope portion and a narrow filling channel which extends along a predefined deployment direction, wherein the system is configured so that inflation gas from the gas generator directly enters the filling channel;

wherein at least part of the envelope portion is turned back into the filling channel.

29. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the filling channel is connected to the gas generator.

30. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein one end of the filling channel is adapted to be connected to the gas generator and the part of the envelope portion that is turned back is located immediately in front of a connection point of the gas generator.

31. The system as claimed in claim 30, wherein the filling channel forms a side pocket which is located laterally beside the connection point of the gas generator.

32. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the part of the envelope portion that is turned back is stuffed into the filling channel unfolded.

33. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the part of the envelope portion that is turned back is at least partly zigzag-folded, pleated and/or rolled together.

34. The system as claimed in claim 33, wherein the part of the envelope portion that is turned back is zigzag-folded, pleated and/or rolled together at an end of the envelope facing away from the filling channel to form a zigzag-folded, pleated and/or rolled together envelope pack, wherein the envelope pack is folded together at least once to form an envelope pack with a U-shaped cross section, wherein the U-shaped envelope pack is pushed into the filling channel.

35. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the gas bag has two or more gas bag chambers.

36. The system as claimed in claim 35, wherein the gas bag has at least one inner gas bag chamber that is surrounded by an outer gas bag chamber.

37. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the filling channel is formed laterally, at least partly, by a seam in the envelope of the gasbag.

38. The system as claimed in claim 35, wherein the filling channel is formed, at least partly, by side walls of associated gas bag chambers.

39. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the filling channel is formed, at least partly, by a diffuser layer fitted in the gas bag and/or by retaining straps.

40. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the filling channel is at least partly tubular.

41. The system as claimed in claim 40, wherein a cross section of the filling channel widens like a funnel at an open end of the filling channel.

42. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the gas bag is a pelvis-thorax gas bag that includes a pelvis region and a thorax region.

43. The system as claimed in claim 42, wherein the pelvis region of the gas bag is turned back into the filling channel.

44. The system as claimed in claim 42, wherein the gas bag is accommodated in a backrest of a motor vehicle seat so that the predefined deployment direction extends parallel to the backrest of the motor vehicle seat, in a direction of the vehicle seat area.

45. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the gas bag is a head-thorax gas bag that includes a head region and a thorax region.

46. The system as claimed in claim 45, wherein the head region of the gas bag is turned back into the filling channel.

47. The system as claimed in claim 45, wherein the gas bag is accommodated in a backrest of a motor vehicle seat so that the predefined deployment direction extends parallel to the backrest of the motor vehicle seat, in a direction of the vehicle roof.

48. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the gas bag is a head-thorax-pelvis gas bag that includes a head region, a thorax region, and a pelvis region.

49. The system as claimed in claim 48, wherein the head region and/or the pelvis region of the gas bag is in each case turned back into a filling channel.

50. The system as claimed in claim 49, wherein the gas bag is fitted in a backrest of a motor vehicle seat so that the predefined deployment direction of the filling channel for the head region extends parallel to the backrest of the motor vehicle seat, in a direction of the vehicle roof, and/or the predefined deployment direction of the filling channel for the pelvis region extends parallel to the backrest of the motor vehicle seat, in a direction of the vehicle seat area.

51. A method for folding a gas bag, comprising:

turning back at least a part of a gas bag envelope of the gas bag into an envelope section of the gas bag envelope; and

inserting a part of the gas bag envelope into a narrow filling channel;

wherein the filling channel is party formed by the gas bag envelope;

wherein the filling channel extends along a predefined deployment direction.

52. The method as claimed in claim 51, wherein the part of the gas bag envelope that is turned back is stuffed into the filling channel unfolded.

53. The method as claimed in claim 51, wherein the part of the gas bag envelope that is turned back is at least partly zigzag-folded, pleated and/or rolled together.

54. The method as claimed in claim 53, wherein the part that is turned back is firstly zigzag-folded, pleated and/or rolled together at an end of the envelope facing away from the filling channel to form a zigzag-folded, pleated and/or rolled together envelope pack, wherein the envelope pack is folded together at least once to form an envelope pack with a U-shaped cross section, wherein the U-shaped envelope pack is pushed into the filling channel.

55. A system for protecting passengers of a vehicle, comprising:

a gas generator; and

an air bag, including a folded section and a filling channel;

wherein the filling channel is adjacent to the gas generator;

wherein the folded section is inserted in the filling channel so that when inflation gas from the gas generator enter the filling channel, gas pressure builds up, expelling the folded section in a predetermined direction.