Patent ID: 9434343
Filing Date: 2016-09-06
CPC Classification: B60R

Claim Text:
1. An airbag structure, comprising: an airbag; an instrument panel that the airbag is folded and housed therein, and the airbag is inflated and deployed therefrom, having a surface thereon; and a windshield arranged apart from the airbag, wherein the airbag that is folded and housed in an opening portion of the instrument panel during a normal state and is inflated and deployed on a surface of the instrument panel by gas supplied in an emergency, the airbag comprising: a lower portion including an opening portion through which the gas is supplied, and a flat portion having two sides parallel to each other and in which the opening portion is formed, the flat portion being adapted to contact the surface of the instrument panel when the airbag is inflated and deployed; an occupant contact surface adapted to contact an occupant; an upper surface; and concave portions formed at the two sides of the lower portion and dented from the flat portion toward the upper surface when the airbag is inflated and deployed, the concave portions being adapted to avoid contacting a convex portion of the instrument panel, wherein the airbag has at least a pair of side panels that is arranged at the two sides of the lower portion, and a center panel that connects each of lower parts of the pair of side panels, and includes a narrow width portion to form the concave portions, the center panel has a lower surface forming portion that includes the flat portion of the airbag, a front surface forming portion that includes the occupant contact surface adapted to contact the occupant, and an upper surface forming portion that includes the upper surface of the airbag, the narrow width portion is formed adjacent to the flat portion and has a width narrower than those of the front surface forming portion and the upper surface forming portion to partially pull the pair of side panels inwardly, thereby the airbag has a cross-section shape pulled inwardly adapted to avoid the convex portion formed in the instrument panel, each of outer peripheries of the pair of side panels includes a flat portion, a first curved portion extending from the flat portion and curved inwardly to form a dent, a second curved portion extending from the first curved portion and curved outwardly to form a lowest endpoint, and a third curved portion extending from the second curved portion to the flat portion and curved outwardly to substantially form a semi-circle, the pair of side panels is respectively connected to side portions of the center panel along the outer peripheries of the pair of side panels such that the first curved portion is connected to the narrow width portion to form the concave portion in each of the pair of side panels, when the airbag is inflated and deployed, the dent of the first curved portion is located above the flat portion, and the lowest endpoint of the second curved portion is located under the flat portion, the front surface forming portion has a width wider than that of the upper surface forming portion adapted to widely cover the occupant, wherein the lower surface further includes a reduced width portion extending between the flat portion and the narrow width portion to reduce a width of the flat portion to that of the narrow width portion, and a widened portion extending between the narrow width portion and the front surface forming portion and having a width wider than that of the flat portion; and the concave portions are each formed at a portion connecting the first curved portion and a side portion of the lower surface between the reduced width portion and the widened portion.