Patent ID: 7614656
Filing Date: 2009-11-10
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
1. An airbag apparatus comprising: a bag-shaped airbag folded and housed in a housing and inflatable with inflation gas, the airbag being attached to the housing and including an occupant side wall arranged toward a seat upon airbag inflation and a vehicle body side wall arranged toward the housing upon airbag inflation; a first elongated tether element and a second elongated tether element that are provided inside the airbag, the first tether element including a first link portion, the second tether element being joined to a side of the housing and including a second link portion, the first tether element and the second tether element being slidably engaged at a link defined by the first and second link portions, the first tether element extending in a bifurcate or radial fashion from the link, and ends of the first tether element being joined to an area of the occupant side wall configured to provide a central area of a protection plane for arresting the occupant such that the central area is encircled by the ends of the first tether element; a control device configured to determine a preferred mode of the airbag and to output a control signal; and a retaining mechanism controlled by the control signal from the control device, wherein when the retaining mechanism holds a part of the second tether element at the side of the housing in which the part is disposed between the side of the housing and the link, a clearance in the second tether element between the housing and the first tether element is reduced, and when the retaining mechanism releases the part of the second tether element, the clearance in the second tether element between the housing and the first tether element is increased, whereby the retaining mechanism is configured to vary the clearance between the occupant side wall and the housing at full inflation of the airbag, and the central area of the protection plane of the occupant side wall when the clearance between the occupant side wall and the housing is reduced and the central area of the protection plane when the clearance between the occupant side wall and the housing is increased are generally parallel to each other at full inflation of the airbag.