Patent ID: 7597343
Filing Date: 2009-10-06
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
1. An airbag apparatus mounted on a vehicle comprising: an airbag; an airbag housing portion for housing the airbag in a folded-back condition folded back in a predetermined configuration, and including an airbag opening for allowing the airbag to be developed and expanded therefrom; an airbag cover for covering the airbag opening; a gas-supplying portion for supplying gas to the airbag for developing and expanding the airbag in a developing and expanding area when a motor vehicle accident occurs; an airbag-holding member formed of a film sheet comprising a plurality of resin layers stacked together, said airbag-holding member having a bag-shape and directly wrapping all around entire external surfaces of the airbag in the folded-back condition; and a thin thickness portion formed at a predetermined portion of the film sheet, and having a thickness less than the other portion of the film sheet, wherein the airbag-holding member is constructed to hold a folded-back shape of the airbag while wrapping around the entire external surfaces of the airbag in the folded-back condition housed in the airbag housing portion in a partitioned area between the airbag housing portion and the airbag cover, and to be ruptured at the thin thickness portion by receiving developing and expanding force of the airbag from the gas supplied from the gas supplying portion when a vehicle accident occurs, while releasing the hold of the folded-back shape of the airbag, the airbag holding member comprises a lower film sheet and an upper film sheet between which the airbag folded in a predetermined shape is completely held, and each of the upper and lower film sheets comprises a first resin layer having a heat-welding characteristic, and a second resin layer having high strength, said upper and lower film sheets being arranged such that the first resin layers face inwardly to contact each other outside the folded airbag.