Air bag apparatus

• US 7,699,340 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2008
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Go., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Tadashi, Shigemura, Takashi, Okuhara, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coker; Robert A
• Application Number:
  US12/314,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20090134607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/730, 280/736, 280/740, 280/730.2
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2171 specially adapted for elongated cylindrical or bottle-like inflators with a symmetry axis perpendicular to the main direction of bag deployment, e.g. extruded reaction canisters B60R21/2176 takes precedence

Abstract

According to the air bag apparatus, for example, a side air bag apparatus 20, in a mode in which a portion on a side of a connector portion 33 of an inflator 30 is exposed from a cylindrical portion 51 of a retainer 50, the inflator 30 is contained in the retainer 50. Further, an exposed portion of the inflator 30, that is, a portion thereof exposed from the cylindrical portion 51 of the retainer 50 is fastened together with an extended portion 52 substantially in a shape of a half cylinder extended from the cylindrical portion 51 of the retainer 50 by a clamp mechanism 60 in a state of being covered by an extraneous portion of a base cloth extended from an opening portion 41 of the air bag 40.

Claims

1. An air bag apparatus in which an inflator is contained in a retainer, and an end of the inflator at which a harness is located is exposed from the retainer, wherein the end of the inflator that is exposed from the retainer is covered by a base end portion of an airbag at an opening of the airbag and is fastened to the retainer by a fastener;

the retainer is provided with an extended portion, which corresponds with the portion of the inflator that is exposed from the retainer, and the extended portion of the retainer is fastened to the inflator by the fastener when the inflator is covered by the air bag; and

the extended portion of the retainer, which is fastened to the inflator by the fastener, is provided with a slit, wherein the slit is a hole in the extended portion, and a portion of the fastener is inserted into the hole, to facilitate fastening the base end of the air bag to the inflator with the fastener.

2. The air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the retainer includes a cylindrical portion, and a terminal portion of the cylindrical portion of the retainer is provided with a flange for preventing the inflator from escaping from the retainer, and a front end portion of the extended portion of the retainer is provided with a piece for preventing the inserted inflator from escaping from the retainer.

3. The air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the retainer includes a cylindrical portion and the cylindrical portion of the retainer is formed with a pressing portion for pressing the inflator by being projected in an inner direction of the retainer, so that the inflator is press-fitted to the cylindrical portion of the retainer, and the pressing portion is elastically deformed by the inflator.

4. The air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fastener comprises a clamp mechanism subjected to crimping.

5. An air bag apparatus comprising:

a retainer, which includes a cylindrical portion and an extended portion, and the extended portion extends in an axial direction from one end of the cylindrical portion;

an inflator, which is contained by the retainer, wherein the inflator has a first end that is exposed from the retainer and is adapted to connect to a harness;

an airbag, which has a base end at which an opening is formed; and

a clamp for clamping the base end of the airbag to the inflator,

wherein the first end of the inflator is covered by the base portion of an airbag, and the base portion of the airbag is fastened to the retainer by a clamp;

the extended portion corresponds with the first end of the inflator, and the extended portion of the retainer is fastened to the inflator by the clamp when the inflator is covered by the air bag; and

an opening is formed in the extended portion of the retainer, and an air bag-pressing section of the clamp is fitted in the opening, such that the air bag-pressing section of the clamp presses the base portion of the airbag against the inflator through the opening to fasten the base end of the air bag to the inflator, and another section of the clamp engages the extended portion.

6. The air bag apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a terminal portion of the cylindrical portion of the retainer is provided with a flange for preventing the inflator from escaping from the retainer, and a front end portion of the extended portion of the retainer is provided with a piece for preventing the inserted inflator from escaping from the retainer.

7. The air bag apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the cylindrical portion of the retainer is formed with a pressing portion for pressing the inflator by being projected in an inner direction of the retainer, so that the inflator is press-fitted to the cylindrical portion of the retainer, and the pressing portion is elastically deformed by the inflator.

8. The air bag apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the opening is spaced from an end of the extended portion.

9. The air bag apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the clamp is a band-like member that is crimped.