Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-13
2003-04-08
Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S732000, C280S743100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06543802
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to air bag devices mounted in vehicles, and more particularly relates to an air bag apparatus suitable for a passenger seat.
In the air bag apparatus for the passenger seat, an air bag is stored in a container-type retainer, which is covered by a lid. The air bag apparatus is disposed in an instrument panel of a vehicle. When the vehicle collides, an inflator expels a gas, which inflates the air bag. The inflated air bag pushes and opens the lid into the interior of a vehicle cabin, and then expands into the interior of the vehicle cabin.
As for the air bag apparatus of this type, a construction is known in which the lid is connected to the retainer with a belt and is movable in a direction in which the air bag goes out from the instrument panel. In the descriptions hereof, the direction in which the air bag goes out from the instrument panel is referred to as the “vertical direction”.
FIG. 3
is a sectional view of such a conventional-type air bag apparatus for the passenger seat. A retainer
20
contains an air bag
21
and an inflator
22
which is disposed under the air bag
21
. The retainer
20
is open at the upper surface and is covered by a lid
23
. The retainer
20
is provided with hooking members
24
at both sides. The hooking members
24
have hook portions
24
a
which are inserted into through holes
26
formed in leg portions
25
of the lid
23
. The hooking members
24
provided at both sides of the retainer
20
are connected to each other with a belt
30
, which is attached to the retainer
20
at the bottom thereof with a rivet
31
. The leg portions
25
are provided with attachments
27
at the external surfaces. The attachments
27
clamp an instrument panel
28
at the peripheral portion around an opening
29
formed for receiving the air bag apparatus. Accordingly, the lid
23
is fixed to the instrument panel
28
.
According to the above-described air bag apparatus of the conventional type shown in
FIG. 3
, the belt
30
is attached to the retainer
20
with the rivet
31
. Thus, the lid
23
attached to the instrument panel
28
may receive an opposing force from the belt
30
, so that the peripheral portion around the opening
29
of the instrument panel
28
and the edge portion of the lid
23
constantly receive stress. In addition, the belt
30
may apply upward pressure to the lid
23
and lift the lid
23
by some amount corresponding to the clearance provided between the attachments
27
and the peripheral portion around the opening
29
of the instrument panel
28
. In such a case, the lid
23
slightly protrudes relative to the instrument panel
28
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an air bag apparatus which has a construction such that the lid is not supported by the retainer in practice.
An air bag apparatus of the present invention comprises a retainer having the shape of an open container, an air bag which is stored inside the retainer and of which a peripheral portion around an aperture for receiving a gas is attached to the retainer, a lid which covers the open surface of the retainer, and attaching means formed in an instrument panel for attaching the lid to an opening for receiving the lid, wherein one or more members are led around the external surfaces of the retainer, and are attached to the lid with both ends of the members, and wherein the members are not restrained by the retainer so that the lid is movable in the vertical, the longitudinal, and the widthwise directions.
As described above, the members are not restrained by the retainer, so that the lid does not receive the external force generated by elasticity of the members. Thus, the lid is completely free from the retainer while it is attached to the instrument panel by the attaching means. Accordingly, even when there is a positioning error between the retainer and the peripheral portion around the opening of the instrument panel, the lid may easily be fitted into the opening in the regular position.
The attaching member may be combined with the members, and may be formed as extending portions of the members which extend to the bottom surface of the peripheral portion around the opening for receiving the lid. Such a construction makes the lid simpler.
Alternatively, the lid may be provided with leg portions which are disposed along the external surfaces of a pair of walls of the retainer, and the attaching means may be formed as protrusions provided on the leg portions behind the peripheral portion around the opening for receiving the lid. According to such a construction, the members may simply be attached to the lid, so that the construction of the members becomes simpler.
Preferably, a predetermined amount of clearance is provided between the members and the retainer over the entire region of the external surfaces of the retainer. In such a construction, the members are not restrained by the retainer.
The members may be belts, elastic materials such as springs, etc. Various non-elastic materials may also be used as the members. Belts have simple construction, and they are inexpensive.
The belts may be attached to the lid by fixing members. By increasing the number of attachment points for attaching the fixing members, stress applied to the lid from the belts when the air bag apparatus is activated would be distributed.
The lid may be reinforced at parts where the belts are attached. Accordingly, even when the lid receives a large amount of force from the belts when the air bag apparatus is activated, the lid would be sufficiently resistant.
The belts may be provided with non-woven fabrics or sponges on the surface facing the retainer. Such a construction prevents unusual noise when the belts contact the retainer.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.
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patent: 5072967 (1991-12-01), Batchelder et al.
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patent: 5398958 (1995-03-01), Taggart
patent: 5460402 (1995-10-01), Rhodes, Jr.
patent: 5472228 (1995-12-01), Bentley et al.
patent: 5533746 (1996-07-01), Whited
patent: 5542698 (1996-08-01), Ichino et al.
patent: 5738366 (1998-04-01), Phillion
patent: 5848803 (1998-12-01), Tonooka et al.
patent: 5887891 (1999-03-01), Taquchi et al.
patent: 6170857 (2001-01-01), Okada et al.
patent: 6203056 (2001-03-01), Labrie et al.
patent: 6325415 (2001-12-01), Zelinski et al.
patent: 07-117609 (1995-05-01), None
patent: 08-310326 (1996-11-01), None
patent: 10-157544 (1998-06-01), None
patent: 2001030863 (2001-02-01), None
Kobayashi Ichizo
Uchiyama Atsuyuki
Draper Deanna
Takata Corporation
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