Patent ID: 7487994
Filing Date: 2009-02-10
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
1. An airbag device for front passenger seat of a vehicle, the airbag comprising: an airbag deployable up and rearward from top face of instrument panel for protecting a passenger when fed with inflation gas; a case for housing the folded airbag; and an airbag cover arranged in top face of the instrument panel, the airbag cover including a door pushed and opened by the airbag when the airbag deploys therefrom; wherein: the airbag includes a passenger's side wall and a circumferential wall extending from outer edge of the passenger's side wall; when the airbag is deployed, the passenger's side wall is arranged generally vertically to confront a passenger, and the circumferential wall narrows in a generally conical shape toward a front of the vehicle; the airbag includes a gas inlet port in a lower front part of the circumferential wall as deployed, the inlet port being arranged generally horizontally; the airbag is attached to the case at a periphery of the gas inlet port; when housed in the case and mounted on the vehicle, the airbag has preparatory folds that place the airbag in a preparatorily folded state and a regular folds, the regular folds include transverse folds to reduce a longitudinal dimension of the preparatorily folded airbag and longitudinal folds to reduce a transverse dimension of the preparatorily folded airbag; in the preparatorily folded state, an airbag portion near an upper edge of the passenger's side wall is located in a position to confront the gas inlet port, and the passenger's side wall is flatly developed to overlap with a lower part of the circumferential wall; the transverse folds are configured such that a portion of the preparatorily folded airbag located rearward of the gas inlet port is folded back toward a lower side of the lower part of the circumferential wall such that a rear end thereof is located closer to the gas inlet port, thus forming a folded-back portion, which overlaps with a remainder of the rear portion of the gas inlet port; the folded-back portion and the remainder of the rear portion of the gas inlet port are roll-folded on the circumferential wall from a fold on which the folded-back portion of folded and located over the vicinity of the gas inlet port; when housed in the case and mounted on a vehicle, a leading end of the folded-back portion is located within a range from the gas inlet port to a hinge portion of the door of the airbag cover in an inner surface of a rear part of the case; and when housed in the case and mounted on a vehicle, the leading end of the folded-back portion is located immediately above a portion of the rear portion most proximate to the gas inlet port and located at a lowermost position of the rear portion of the gas inlet port, except for the portion of the rear portion most proximate to the gas inlet port, and at a rearmost position of the rear portion.