Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-16
2003-07-22
Culbreth, Eric (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S728100, C280S731000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06595548
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND ART
An example of conventional air bag systems is an air bag system incorporated in the steering wheel of a vehicle. This air bag system essentially comprises a flat, pouch-shaped air bag, a cover that covers said air bag, and an inflator adapted to eject gas. Under normal circumstances, the air bag is folded compactly and stored in the cover. The air bag system is adapted to cause gas to be ejected from the inflator in order to inflate the air bag when a shock resulting from a collision of the vehicle is detected, so that the pressure of the expansion of the air bag tears the cover and projects the air bag towards the front of the driver, where the air bag continues to be unfolded and inflated at the same time to reduce the shock received by the driver.
An example of air bag systems of this type is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 137591/1995, which calls for folding an air bag into a wave-like pattern along a plurality of annular creases that coaxially surround the generally cylindrical inflator, and then compressing the air bag by pushing it toward the inflator. Thus, the air bag is folded into a given shape that can be stored in the steering wheel. An air bag system having this configuration is adapted to enable the air bag to tear the cover rapidly at a low pressure and expand smoothly.
However, the above structure offered in Japanese Patent Publication No. 137591/1995 presents problems in that the configuration of a folding apparatus used for folding an air bag tends to be complicated; it is difficult to reduce production costs of the system; and that it is not always easy to fold an air bag into a compact shape, because irregular wrinkles tend to be formed in radial and other directions when the air bag folded into a wave-like pattern is pushed and compressed.
In order to solve the above problems, the present invention relates to an air bag system which is capable of folding an air bag easily into a compact shape, as well as a method and an apparatus for folding an air bag which are capable of folding an air bag easily into a compact shape, simplifying the structure of a system, speeding up of the folding process, reducing production costs and enabling the air bag to be smoothly inflated.
An air bag system according to the present invention includes an inflator adapted to eject gas and a pouch-shaped air bag adapted to be unfolded and inflated toward an occupant of the seat equipped with the air bag system by the gas injected from said inflator, wherein said air bag includes an occupant's side portion positioned in front of the inflator, three or more side portions which are folded into a wave-like pattern, located outside the occupant's side portion and continuously connected to the same, and three or more excess portions, each of which is located between each two adjacent side portions and placed along the outer face of either or both the adjacent side portions. As the side portions at which the air bag is folded into a wave-like pattern are disposed around the outer face of the inflator according to the invention, the air bag can be smoothly unfolded and expanded toward the occupant from the occupant's side portion when gas is injected. In addition, by connecting the side portions, which are folded in a wave-like pattern, to one another through the excess portions and positioning these excess portions along the outer faces of the side portions, the device according to the invention is capable of folding the air bag compactly while arranging creases in an orderly fashion and reducing irregular wrinkles which may be formed during the folding operation. Furthermore, providing three each or more side portions and excess portions enables the air bag to be easily folded into a shape which is suitable to be housed in a space having a polygonal or circular outline. In addition, the configuration also makes it possible to inject gas smoothly and rapidly into the excess portions.
By providing each excess portion with a release line portion that extends continuously from the occupant's side portion to the end of the excess portion, the invention is capable of separating the folds that constitute each side portion from those which constitute the adjacent side portions and smoothly feeding the gas along these release line portions to the portion surrounding the outer perimeter of the inflator, so that the air bag may be smoothly inflated outward.
As the excess portions can be easily formed by winding them in a uniform direction around the outer faces of the respective side portions, the invention simplifies a folding operation.
According to another feature of the invention, an air bag system includes an inflator adapted to eject gas and a pouch-shaped air bag adapted to be unfolded and inflated by the gas injected from said inflator, wherein said air bag includes a bottom portion in which a gas inlet opening is formed, and three or more side portions which are located outside the bottom portion, integrally connected to the same and folded nearly perpendicularly to the bottom portion into a wave-like pattern, the peripheral end of each side portion placed along the outer face of the side portion. With the configuration as above, the air bag can be folded compactly into a given shape in a substantially orderly fashion. Furthermore, as three or more side portions are provided, the air bag can be easily folded into a shape which is suitable to be housed in a space having a polygonal or circular outline, and it is also possible to inject gas smoothly and rapidly into the entire air bag.
By forming the bottom portion into a generally rectangular shape, the air bag can be easily folded along the edges of the bottom portion in a substantially orderly fashion into a compact shape.
By providing a release line portion between each two adjacent side portions in such a manner that each release line portion extends continuously from the bottom portion to the outer end of the side portion, the invention is capable of separating the folds that constitute each side portion from those which constitute the adjacent side portions and smoothly feeding the gas along these release line portions to the portion surrounding the outer cylindrical face of the inflator, so that the air bag may be smoothly inflated outward.
A method of folding an air bag for an air bag system according to the invention is a method of folding an air bag adapted to be unfolded and inflated by gas flown thereinto, said method calling for folding said air bag in such a manner as to form three or more side portions, and placing each excess portion formed between each two adjacent side portions along the outer face of each side portion. By folding said air bag to form a plurality of side portions and placing each excess portion formed between each two adjacent side portions along the outer face of each side portion, the method according to the invention is capable of easily folding the air bag neatly into a shape which comprises side portions and excess portions. Furthermore, by forming three or more side portions, the air bag can be easily folded into a shape which is suitable to be housed in a space having a polygonal or circular outline, and it is also possible to inject gas smoothly and rapidly into the entire air bag.
By providing a release line portion between each two adjacent side portions in such a manner that each release line portion extends continuously from the portion into which the gas is injected to the outer end of the side portion, the invention is capable of easily folding an air bag which is adapted to be smoothly unfolded and inflated outward.
According to yet another feature of the invention, the air bag folding method calls for spreading out of an air bag flatly, folding the air bag by pushing the same at a plurality of locations, from the peripheral edge towards the center while limiting the height of the folds of the air bag, and placing the portions that protrude outward along the peripheral face of the folded portion. According to the method described above, as th
Horikawa Naoki
Kamano Yoshifumi
Kaneko Kazuhiro
Mochizuki Keiji
Mochizuki Naoko
Culbreth Eric
Mochizuki Naoko
Nihon Plast Co. Ltd.
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