Source: https://insight.rpxcorp.com/pat/US6460879B2
Timestamp: 2020-03-29 06:06:52
Document Index: 602861606

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 16', 'arts 16', 'arts 16', 'arts 16', 'arts 16', 'arts 16', 'arts 16', 'art 12', 'arts 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 17', 'arts 16', 'arts 17', 'arts 16', 'arts 17', 'art 22', 'arts 17', 'arts 16', 'art 25', 'arts 16', 'arts 16', 'arts 17', 'art 25', 'art 25', 'arts 17', 'art 25', 'art 17', 'art 22', 'arts 21', 'arts 17', 'art 25', 'art 25', 'art 25', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 25', 'arts 17', 'art 22', 'art 25', 'art 25', 'art 25', 'art 25', 'art 12', 'art 21', 'art 12', 'art 21', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 25', 'art 21', 'art 12', 'arts 21', 'art 12', 'art 21', 'art 12', 'art 12', 'art 12']

Patent US 6,460,879 B2
1. An air bag in use for a head protection air bag device, said air bag being stored along a peripheral edge of an upper fringe of an opening on an indoor side of a vehicle in a state that said air bag is covered with a door of an air bag cover and folded, and when receiving inflation gas, said air bag forcibly opening said door, and developing and inflating downward so as to cover said opening, said air bag comprising:
a cabin-inside side wall;
a cabin-outside side wall;
an inflating section formed between said cabin-inside side wall and said cabin-outside side wall, into which gas for inflation flows; and
a plurality of thickness defining members each formed by partially coupling said cabin-inside side wall and said cabin-outside side wall in a region of said inflating section, each of said thickness defining members being arranged side by side in a front and rear direction and extending in the vertical direction;
wherein a first thickness defining member disposed near an unsmooth development part of said door is disposed such that an upper end thereof is located at a position lower than an upper end of a second thickness defining member which is disposed adjacent to said first thickness defining member as well as farther than said first thickness defining member from said unsmooth development part in a state that said air bag is developed flat.
A-Hamid Hakki, Sam Hakki
US 7,611,162 B2
US 20070080524A1
US 7,213,835 B2
US 20050046160A1
Apparatus and method for airbag inflation gas distribution
US 6,755,436 B2
US 20040150198A1
US 6,786,506 B2
US 20020096863A1
2. An air bag in use for a head protection air bag device according to claim 1, wherein the upper end of said first thickness defining member is located at the position lower than the upper end of said second thickness defining member by about 30 mm to 50 mm.
an inflating section formed between said cabin-inside side wall and said cabin-outside side wall, into which gas for inflation flows;
a plurality of thickness defining members each formed by partially coupling said cabin-inside side wail and said cabin-outside side wall in a region of said inflating section, each of said thickness defining members being arranged side by side in a front and rear direction and extending in the vertical direction; and
a plurality of inflow ports formed between upper ends of two said thickness defining members or an upper end of one of said thickness defining members and a peripheral edge part of said inflating section;
wherein an opening width of a first inflow port located near an unsmooth development part of said door is larger than an opening width of a second inflow port which is disposed adjacent to said first inflow port as well as farther than said first inflow port from said unsmooth development part in a state that said air bag is developed flat.
5. An air bag in use for a head protection air bag device according to claim 4, wherein the opening width of said first inflow port is larger than the opening width of said second inflow port by about 20 mm.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the mounting bracket 32 made with a metal sheet sandwiches two mounting parts 16 to be described later. The mounting bracket 32 includes an inner plate 32a on the cabin inside IN and an outer plate 32b on the cabin outside OU. Mount holes 32c are formed in those inner and outer plates 32a and 32b, while corresponding to the mounting parts 16. The mounting parts 16 are mounted on the inner panel in a manner that a mount bolt 35 is inserted into mount holes 16a and 32c, and screwed into a nut 2b fastened to the circumferential edge of a mount hole 2a of the inner panel.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the mounting bracket 33 made with a metal sheet sandwiches the mounting parts 16 provided on the center pillar CP, which is located at a mid position of the air bag 15 as viewed in the front/rear direction. The mounting bracket includes an inner plate 33a located on the cabin inside IN, like the inner plate 32a of the mounting bracket 32, and an outer plate 33b located on the cabin outside OU. The outer plate 33b supports a surface of the air bag 15 on the car outside and a lower surface thereof. It is shaped like L in cross section so as to prevent it from entering the cabin outside OU of a garnish 7 of the center pillar CP when the air bag 15 is developed and inflated. And, it is disposed extending in the front/rear direction so that it ranges over the entire region above the center pillar CP. Mount holes 33c are through formed in the inner and outer plates 33a and 33b at a position corresponding to the mount holes 16a of the mounting parts 16. The mount bolt 35 will be inserted into the mount holes 33c.
The mounting bracket 34 made with a metal sheet, as shown in FIG. 1, sandwiches two mounting parts 16 located at the rear part of the air bag 15. The mounting bracket, like the mounting bracket 33, includes two inner plates 34a located on the cabin inside IN and one outer plate 34b located on the cabin outside OU of the inner plates 34a. The outer plate 34b also supports the car-outside surface of the folded air bag 15, and is shaped like L in cross section so as to prevent it from entering the car outside of a garnish 6 of the rear pillar RP when the air bag 15 is developed and inflated. Mount holes (not attached with reference numeral) through which the mount bolt 35 will be inserted are formed in the inner and outer plates 34a and 34b at a position corresponding to the mount holes 16a of the mounting parts 16.
The door 12 is formed with a general part 12a easy to open, and unsmooth development parts 12b and 12d hard to open. The unsmooth development part 12b is located above the center pillar CP. As shown in FIG. 2, the unsmooth development part 12b is disposed such that the lower end 12c of the unsmooth development part 12b is bent to the cabin outside OU and joined to the upper end 7a of a center pillar garnish 7. The unsmooth development part 12b is hard to open since it must ride over the upper end 7a when it opens. As shown in FIG. 3, the unsmooth development part 12d interferes with an assist grip 9 when it opens. Accordingly, it is difficult to secure a large opening angle of it, and hence it is hard to open.
The air bag 15, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, includes a main body 18, a gas inflow part 17, and a plurality of mounting parts 16. The main body 18 receives gas for inflation from the inflator 37, and develops the folded air bag into an inflated one to cover the opening W. The gas-inflow parts 17 introduces the inflation gas from the inflator 37 to the main body 18. The mounting parts 16 are provided on the upper edge 15a of the main body 18.
The gas-inflow parts 17 project rearward from the main body 18, and reaches a position near an inflow port 20a of a rear-seat inflation section 20 to be described later. And those communicate with the rear end of a communication expansion part 22. Portions of the gas-inflow parts 17, which project rearward from the main body 18, are externally applied to the inflator 37.
The plurality of mounting parts 16 are disposed projecting above a peripheral edge part 25 on the upper edge 15a side of the main body 18 and a plate-like member 30, which will be described later. The mounting brackets 32, 33 and 34 used for the mount on the inner panel 2 are secured to the mounting parts 16. The mount holes 16a through which the mount bolt 35 will be inserted are formed in the mounting parts 16.
The main body 18 is formed with an inflating section 19 which communicates with the gas-inflow parts 17, receives the inflation gas, and inflates to separate a cabin-inside side wall 19a and a cabin-outside side wall 19b, and a non-inflating portion 24 which rejects the incoming gas for inflation.
The non-inflating portion 24 is formed such that the cabin-inside side wall 19a and the cabin-outside side wall 19b are coupled together. In the embodiment, it is formed with a peripheral edge part 25, thickness defining members 26, 27, 28 and 29, and a plate-like member 30. The peripheral edge part 25 is disposed surrounding the peripheral edges of the inflating section 19 and the gas-inflow parts 17. Further, it includes a partitioning part 25a parting the space into the gas-inflow part 17 and the rear-seat inflation section 20.
The plate-like member 30 includes a triangular plate portion 30a provided on the front side of the main body 18, and a rectangular plate portion 30b provided under the communication inflation part 22 between the front and rear seat inflation parts 21 and 20. The plate-like member 30 defines an overall configuration of the main body 18 ranging from he gas-inflow parts 17 to the front end of the main body 18. Further, it reduces a time taken till the inflating operation ends.
The thickness defining members 26 to 28 are substantially shaped like T or inverse J while vertically extending within a region of the front-seat inflation section 21. Those parts are arranged side by side as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, while being separated from the peripheral edge part 25. The thickness defining members 29, shaped like I, extend downward from the partitioning part 25a of the peripheral edge part 25 into a region of the rear-seat inflation section 20, while being arranged side by side as viewed in the longitudinal direction.
Of the thickness defining members 26 to 28 disposed within a region of the front-seat inflation section 21, the thickness defining member 28, which is located right under and near the unsmooth development part 12b of the door 12 of the air bag cover 11, is disposed such that the upper end 28a of the thickness defining member is located at position lower than the upper ends 26a and 27a of the remaining thickness defining members 26 and 27 by a dimension H of about 30 mm to 50 mm (35 mm in the embodiment in a state that the air bag 15 is developed flat.
An opening width B2 (as viewed in the front/rear direction) of an inflow port 21b allowing the inflation gas to flow downward, which is between the thickness defining members 26 and 27 being located right under and near the unsmooth development part 12d, is selected to be larger than an opening width B3 (as viewed in the front/rear direction) of an inflow port 21c between the thickness defining members 27 and 28, and an opening width B1 (as viewed in the front/rear direction) of an inflow port 21a between the thickness defining member 26 and the peripheral edge part 25 in a state that the air bag 15 is developed flat. The thickness defining member 27 is shaped like an inverse J, while the other thickness defining members 26 and 28 are shaped like T. In the embodiment, the opening width B1 (B3)=about 90 mm, and the opening width B2=about 110 mm.
An inflation gas G flows into the air bag through the gas-inflow parts 17. Then, a main stream GM of the gas flows forward within the communication inflation part 22, and forward above the front-seat inflation section 21. Branch streams G1 to G4 of the gas, which are branched out from the main stream GM, flow downward via the inflow port 2la between the peripheral edge part 25 and the thickness defining member 26, the. inflow port 21c between the thickness defining members 26 and 27, the inflow port 21c between the thickness defining members 27 and 28, and the inflow port 21d between the thickness defining member 28 and the peripheral edge part 25, and inflates the front-seat inflation section 21. The branch stream G5 flows downward from the inflow port 20a between the peripheral edge part 25 and the partitioning part 25a to inflate the rear-seat inflation section 20.
Mounting of the airbag 15 to the vehicle will be described. An air bag is hollow woven, cut into a predetermined shape, bored to form mount holes 16a, coated to form a coating layer, and folded by a folding machine. In the embodiment, as indicated by two-dot chain lines in FIG. 5, folding is repeated in opposite directions and holding edges C are formed at the crests and troughs, whereby the air bag is formed like bellows acting so as to move the lower edge of the 15b to the upper edge 15a.
After folded, the air bag is wrapped with a tape 31, which may be broken, in order to prevent its re-expansion. Then, the inflator 37 and the mounting brackets 32 to 34, and 38 are mounted on it, whereby an air bag assembly is formed. A tape 31, which may be broken, is further applied to the areas of the mounting brackets 33 and 34 so as to prevent those mounting brackets 33 and 34 from separating from the air bag 15.
The mounting brackets 32 to 34, and 38 are located at predetermined positions of the inner panel 2; The mount holes 16a or the like are passed therethrough and fastened by bolts 35 and 39; and the mounting brackets 32 to 34; and 38 are fastened to the inner panel 2, whereby the air bag assembly is mounted to the vehicle body 1. Thereafter, the pillar garnish 4 and the roof head lining 5 are attached to the vehicle body 1. Further, a rear pillar garnish 6, a center pillar garnish 7, an assist grip 9 and the like are attached to the vehicle body 1. Here, the air bag 15, together with the head protection air bag device M, has been mounted on the vehicle.
In the air bag 15, the upper end 28a of the thickness defining member, which is located at position lower than the upper end 27a of the remaining thickness defining member 27 by the dimension H, is disposed near of the unsmooth development part 12b (whose development is unsmooth) of the door 12 of the air bag cover 11. With provision of the dimension H, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, an inflation part 21e which expands in the front/rear direction in a region above the thickness defining member 28 is also vertically expanded more largely by a volume corresponding to the dimension H of the lowering of the upper end 28a. Accordingly, a large force to forcibly open the unsmooth development part 12b of the door 12 is secured. The inflation part 21e is disposed above the front-seat inflation section 21 which has approached the unsmooth development part 12b. The force to forcibly open the unsmooth development part 12b of the door 12 is further increased. Therefore, even when at the time of opening of the unsmooth development part 12b, its lower end 12c is deformed so as to ride over the upper end 7a of the center pillar garnish 7, it is rapidly and forcibly opened. As a result, the time for the air bag 15 to complete the development and expansion is reduced.
In the air bag 15 of the embodiment, the opening width B2 of the inflow port 21b between the thickness defining members 26 and 27, which is located near the unsmooth development part 12d and provided for flowing downward the inflation gas, is selected to be larger than the opening width B3 of the inflow port 21c between the thickness defining members 27 and 28, and the opening width B1 of the inflow port 21a between the thickness defining member 26 and the peripheral edge part 25. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a vertically expanding inflation part 21f of the inflow port 21b, which is located near of the unsmooth development part 12d, expands in the front/rear direction more largely than expansion parts 21h and 21g, which vertically expand in the adjacent inflow ports 21c and 21a, by a distance (about 20 mm in the embodiment) corresponding to the opening width B2 of the inflow port 21b. Accordingly, a large force to forcibly open the unsmooth development part 12d is secured. The inflation part 21f is also disposed above the front-seat inflation section 21 having approached the unsmooth development part 12d. Accordingly, the force to forcibly open the unsmooth development part 12d is more increased, as a matter of course. As a result, even when the unsmooth development part 12d interferes with the assist grip 9 when it opens, its opening angle is increased by a rapid and strong force and it is opened. Accordingly, the time for the air bag 15 to complete the development and expansion is reduced.
Tanase, Toshinori, Ohno, Mitsuyoshi, Urushi, Norio, Tanabe, Choko
US 20020017775A1
280/730.2, 280/730.1, 280/743.1