Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Patent
1992-01-17
1993-06-08
Rice, Kenneth R.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
280743, B60R 2120
Patent
active
052172546
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an assistant driver's or passenger's air bag system which is mounted on a vehicle for expanding at an instant of collision of the vehicle to protect the assistant driver.
BACKGROUND TECHNIQUE
In the assistant driver's or passenger's air bag system of this kind, an air bag and an inflater are attached to a holding member (e.g., a container), and a module cover is further attached to cover the air bag. At the collision of a vehicle, the inflater operates so that the air bag expands. The module cover is opened into the compartment as it is pushed by the expanding air bag until the air bag largely expands in the compartment to protect the assistant driver.
This module cover is formed with a tear starting line (or tear line) or a bend starting line so that it is pushed by the air bag, when the inflater operates. Then, the module cover is torn or bent along that starting line until it is opened into the compartment.
The assistant driver's air bag system of this kind has to be firmly fixed to the vehicle and to constitute a container which will not be deformed by the gas pressure of the inflater. Thus, the container is frequently made of a thick metal. To the container, moreover, there is fixed the inflater having a heavy weight before the assembly of the air bag. As a result, the weight of the container is so high that heavy works are required for assembling the air bag system (especially for fitting the folded air bag in the container). Specifically, the folded air bag is snugly accommodated in the container while changing the direction of the container many times. This requires manual works for handling the heavy container. Thus, a high man power is required for charging the air bag to thereby raise problems that the working fatigue is serious and that the assembling efficiency is low.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In an assistant driver's or passenger's air bag system of the present invention, a holding member is constructed of a main container and a sub-container such that an inflater is fixed to the main container whereas an air bag is accommodated in the sub-container.
According to the present invention, there is provided an assistant driver's air bag system of the type, in which a folded air bag and an inflater for inflating the air bag are held by a holding member and in which a module cover for covering the air bag is attached to the holding member, wherein the holding member includes a main container fixing the inflater thereto and fixed to a vehicle, and a sub-container inserted into the main container and having a hole for allowing a gas from said inflater to pass therethrough, and wherein the air bag is accommodated in the sub-container.
The assistant driver's air bag system of the present invention is assembled by accommodating an air bag in the light sub-container and subsequently by accommodating the sub-container in the main container. This makes it unnecessary to move the heavy main container many times so that the labors can be lightened.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1a is a perspective view showing an air bag system according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 1b is a perspective view showing the same embodiment when the air bag expands;
FIG. 2 is a section taken along line II--II of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the assembly;
FIGS. 4 and 5 are perspective views showing the assembly of essential portions;
FIG. 6 is a view taken in the direction of arrow VI from FIG. 2;
FIG. 7 is a section taken along line VII--VII of FIG. 6; and
FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing the engagement and disengagement of a slot and a rivet.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
An embodiment will be described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIGS. 1 to 8 show an air bag system according to the embodiment of the present invention.
In this air bag system 10, a holding member is constructed of a main container 12 and a sub-container 20. A module cover 14 is attached to the front face of
REFERENCES:
patent: 3801123 (1974-04-01), Jira
patent: 3944250 (1976-03-01), Wulf et al.
patent: 3945665 (1976-03-01), Tsutsumi et al.
patent: 5004266 (1991-04-01), Miller et al.
Rice Kenneth R.
Takata Corporation
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