Air bag device

• US 5,630,612 A
• Filed: 02/16/1996
• Issued: 05/20/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Tadashi, Nagata, Norinari
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Application Number:
  US08/602,447
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/731, 280/728.1, 280/743.1, 280/728.3
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/217 Inflation fluid source retainers, e.g. reaction canisters; Connection of bags, covers, diffusers or inflation fluid sources therewith or together

Abstract

An air bag cover is held by the bag holder in such a manner that the respective side walls of the cover are secured to their corresponding securing piece portions of the vertical walls of the bag holder. The front and rear side walls of the cover respectively include securing grooves to which the front and rear securing piece portions of the bag holder are to be secured. The opening width dimension of the securing groove is set a little smaller than the height dimension of its corresponding securing piece portion, while the opening width dimension of the securing groove is set a little larger than the height dimension of its corresponding securing piece portion. The right and left side walls respectively include securing projecting strips to which the right and left securing piece portions of the bag holder can be secured.

Claims

1. An air bag device comprising:

(A) a folded air bag;

(B) a cover for covering said air bag comprising;

a top wall including a predetermined breakable portion that will be broken when said air bag is expanded; and

four side walls including front, rear, right and left side walls respectively disposed about the periphery of said predetermined breakable portion and respectively extending downwardly from the lower surface of said top wall, there being formed securing grooves on the inner peripheral side surfaces of said front and rear side walls; and

(C) a bag holder for holding said air bag comprising;

a bottom wall; and

four vertical walls extending upwardly from the respective front, rear, right and left peripheral edges of said bottom wall and disposed on the inner peripheral side surfaces of said respective side walls, said respective vertical walls including on the upper ends thereof securing piece portions that are bent downwardly on the outer peripheral surface sides of said respective vertical walls, said front and rear securing piece portions being inserted and secured to said securing grooves so that said cover being held by said bag holder;

wherein the width dimension of an opening in said securing groove of one of said front and rear side walls is set to be substantially smaller than the height dimension of said securing piece portion, while the width dimension of said securing groove of the other of said front and rear side walls is set to be substantially larger than the height dimension of said securing piece portion, and securing projection strips are provided on the inner peripheral surface sides of said right and left side walls of said cover to which said right and left securing piece portions are secured.

2. The air bag device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said predetermined breakable portion of said cover is arranged in a substantially H-like shape as viewed from the top surface thereof, brackets fixed to said bag holder are respectively inserted into the lower end faces of said front and rear side walls of said cover, and said cover is held by said bag holder by securing said respective securing piece portions to said respective securing grooves as well as by holding said front and rear vertical walls and said brackets to said front and rear side walls.

3. The air bag device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said predetermined breakable portion of said cover is arranged in a substantially H-like shape as viewed from the top surface thereof, brackets fixed to said bag holder are respectively inserted into the lower end faces of said securing projecting strips, and said cover is held by said bag holder by securing said respective securing piece portions to said respective securing grooves as well as by holding said brackets to said securing projection strips.

4. The air bag device as set forth in claim 1, wherein a guide surface is formed adjacent the upper edge of said securing groove of the other of said side walls of said cover for guiding said securing piece portion of said corresponding vertical wall of said bag holder to said securing groove of the other of said side walls.

5. The air bag device as set forth in claim 1, wherein in said securing piece portions of said right and left vertical walls of said bag holder, there are provided securing projections which respectively project downward, and in said securing projecting strips of said right and left side walls of said cover, there are formed penetration holes into which said securing projections can be inserted.

6. An air bag device comprising:

a folded air bag;

a cover for covering said air bag, said cover having a top wall and four of front, rear, right and left side walls, said front and rear side walls respectively having securing grooves on the inner peripheral surface thereof; and

a bag holder for holding said air bag, said bag holder having four of front, rear, right and left vertical walls, disposed on the inner surface of said respective side walls, and respectively having securing piece portions at the upper end thereof;

wherein said rear securing piece portion is inserted into and secured to said rear securing groove so as to be rotatable with a secured portion thereof as a fulcrum, and said front securing piece portion is inserted into and secured to said front securing groove so that said cover is held by said bag holder;

wherein the width dimension of the opening of said rear securing groove is substantially smaller than the height dimension of said rear securing piece portion and the width dimension of the opening of said front securing groove is substantially larger than the height dimension of said front securing piece portion.

7. The air bag device as set forth in claim 6 further comprising:

brackets fixed to said bag holder, said brackets being respectively inserted into the lower end faces of said front and rear side walls of said cover, and said cover is held by said bag holder by securing said respective securing piece portions to said respective securing grooves as well as by holding said front and rear vertical walls and said brackets to said front and rear side walls.

8. The air bag device as set forth in claim 6 further comprising:

securing projection strips formed on the inner peripheral surface of said right and left side walls of said cover, said right and left securing piece portions being secured to said securing projection strips.

9. The air bag device as set forth in claim 8 further comprising:

brackets fixed to said bag holder, said brackets being respectively inserted into the lower end faces of said securing projecting strips, and said cover is held by said bag holder by securing said respective securing piece portions to said respective securing grooves as well as by holding said brackets to said securing projection strips.

10. The air bag device as set forth in claim 6, wherein a guide surface is formed adjacent the upper edge of said front securing groove for guiding said front securing piece portion to said front securing groove.

11. The air bag device as set forth in claim 6, wherein in said securing piece portions of said right and left vertical walls of said bag holder, there are provided securing projections which respectively project downward, and in said securing projecting strips of said right and left side walls of said cover, there are formed penetration holes into which said securing projections can be inserted.