Patent ID: 7370880
Filing Date: 2008-05-13
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
1. An airbag apparatus comprising: a folded airbag and an inflator configured to expand the airbag in which a distal side of the airbag is expanded in the direction away from a proximal side by injected gas from the inflator disposed on the proximal side of the airbag, the airbag including a left airbag section which expands on the left side in front of the occupant and a right airbag section which expands on the right side in front of the occupant, wherein the left airbag section and the right airbag section are not connected at distal ends thereof, thereby defining a void space which is opened toward the occupant between the distal ends of the left airbag section and the right airbag section in the expanded state, in that the midsection of the left airbag section and the right airbag section in the direction of expansion are connected, and in that the left airbag section and the right airbag section are respectively formed into a first folded body elongated in the fore-and-aft direction by a first folding step, then into a second folded body by the steps of moving portions of the left airbag section and the right airbag section on the distal sides from a joint portion away from each other and folding rear sides from the joint portion so as to be narrowed in width in the for-and-aft direction, and subsequently, into a final folded body by reducing the lateral width by a third folding step.