Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-08
2002-06-04
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S739000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06398258
ABSTRACT:
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. HEI 9-338846 filed on Dec. 9, 1997 including the specification, drawings and abstract is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air bag apparatus for a passenger seat for protecting an occupant in the passenger seat in a vehicle such as a motor vehicle and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known air bag apparatus for a passenger seat is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 7-215151.
In conjunction with the air bag apparatus for a passenger seat, the laid-open patent application proposes an air bag folding manner such that the air bag will be deployed toward an occupant's torso during an early period of deployment. Furthermore, in this air bag apparatus for a passenger seat, the resistance or drag that occurs when the air bag is unfolded from the folded state is utilized to reduce the deploying speed of the air bag.
However, in a typical air bag apparatus for a passenger seat, the air bag needs to be tightly folded in order to minimize the size of the entire apparatus. Therefore, there is a danger that at the time of an impact on the vehicle, the air bag may not completely unfold but may remain partially folded or packed when an occupant moves forward by inertia and contacts the air bag. Also, in a typical air bag arrangement, gas is directly jetted into the air bag from the inflator, so that it is difficult to control the direction of gas flow in the air bag. Therefore, it is difficult to control the direction of deployment of the air bag.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a passenger seat air bag arrangement having a reduced deploying speed.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an air bag apparatus for a passenger seat disposed in a passenger seat-side instrument panel. The air bag apparatus includes an air bag folded and disposed in a case having at one side thereof an opening, and an inner bag disposed in the air bag so that the inner bag is inflated prior to inflation of the air bag. The inner bag is designed to press a portion of the air bag against at least one of a front glass pane and an instrument panel when inflated.
With this construction, the air bag is inflated and deployed, dragging between the inner bag and the front glass pane and/or between the inner bag and the instrument panel. Sliding friction that occurs at the dragging portions reduces the deploying speed of the air bag with respect to conventional air bag arrangements. Therefore, even if an occupant comes into contact with the air bag before the deployment is completed (during the deployment), the air bag will not strongly contact the occupant.
One alternative construction features providing a supply hole in the inner bag for supplying gas to the air bag.
This construction makes it possible to adjust the deploying speed of the air bag by suitably selecting the size and number of supplying holes formed in the inner bag.
According to an alternative construction, the inner bag may be designed to press a portion of the air bag against each of the front glass pane and the instrument panel. The air bag is inflated and deployed, dragging between the inner bag and the front glass pane and between the inner bag and the instrument panel. Sliding friction that occurs on the dragging portions further reduces the deploying speed of the air bag. According to another alternative construction, the inner bag may have an upper inflating portion and a lower inflating portion. The upper inflating portion is formed so as to inflate to a greater size than the lower inflating portion.
This optional construction ensures that a large area of the inner bag presses against the front glass pane even if the front glass pane is far apart from the instrument panel. Therefore, the deploying speed of the upper portion of the air bag can be effectively reduced.
According to an alternative construction, a restriction member may be disposed in the inner bag. The restriction member restricts inflation of a central portion of the inner bag to a predetermined amount and defines, at least partially, two inflating portions in the inner bag.
This construction enhances the pressing of the inner bag against the front glass pane and the instrument panel, thereby more reliably reducing the deploying speed of the air bag.
The inner bag may be formed by sewing an upper face to a lower face cloth. The upper face cloth is inflated and deployed in an upward direction relative to the vehicle. The lower face cloth is inflated and deployed in a downward direction relative the vehicle.
This construction ensures that the upper face cloth will press a portion of the air bag against the front glass pane and the lower face cloth will press another portion of the air bag against the instrument panel. Therefore, the deploying speed of the air bag can be reliably reduced.
The restriction member may extend from an end of at least one of the upper face cloth and the lower face cloth. This construction facilitates production of the inner bag.
The restriction member may be disposed in the inner bag at a lower position therein so that an upward deploying portion of the inner bag is inflated and deployed to a greater size than a downward deploying portion of the inner bag.
This construction ensures that the upper face cloth will press a portion of the air bag against the front glass pane, thereby reliably reducing the deploying speed of the air bag.
The inner bag may be formed by two base cloths so that when the inner bag is inflated and deployed, the base cloths face each other in transverse directions relative to the vehicle and the inner bag is inflated and deployed in upward and downward directions relative to the vehicle.
This construction makes it possible to sufficiently inflate and deploy the inner bag in the upward and downward directions relative to the vehicle and therefore reduce the deploying speed of the air bag, without requiring a restriction member or the like that is disposed in the inner bag for restricting the amount of inflation of a central portion of the inner bag. Therefore, the structure of the inner bag can be simplified.
The inner bag may assume a generally gourd shape in a side view when it is inflated. With this construction, when the inner bag is inflated and deployed, the tensions on the bag portions of the inner bag repel each other at a constricted portion therebetween and therefore resist collapse in vertical directions. Therefore, the inner bag continues pressing portions of the air bag against the front glass pane and the instrument panel until the inflating deployment of the bag
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is completed. Consequently, the deploying speed of the air bag will be more effectively reduced.
The inner bag may contact the front glass pane and the instrument panel so as to curve into a generally crescent shape in a side view when it is inflated. When the inner bag contacts the front glass pane and the instrument panel, gas pressure inside the inner bag urges the inner bag to inflate into a designed deployment shape, so that the force of the inner bag pressing against the front glass pane and the instrument panel is increased. Since the sliding friction caused on portions of the air bag that drag between the inner bag and the front glass pane and between the inner bag and the instrument panel is also increased, the deploying speed of the air bag will be more effectively reduced.
The inner bag may have an extension portion that extends in a rearward direction relative to the vehicle. The extension portion presses a portion of the air bag against the instrument panel. The extension portion actively presses a portion of the air bag against the instrument panel, so that a portion of the air bag will be reliably sandwiched between the extension portion and the instrument panel. Therefore, the deploying speed of the air bag will be reliably reduce
Fukawatase Osamu
Hamada Makoto
Kumagai Koushi
Johnson Brian L.
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
Winner Tony
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