Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-18
2001-10-16
Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S743100, C280S730200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302431
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an-airbag apparatus which instantaneously expands to protect a passenger of his/her own automobile at a time of a collision of an automobile, particularly so-called a lateral collision where another automobile collides against a side portion of his/her own automobile.
BACKGROUND ART
As an airbag apparatus for protecting a passenger, there is, for example, one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,782 or one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
8-207689.
The former, namely an airbag apparatus for lateral collision (DUAL PRESSURE SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG) disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,782, is configured such that, at a time of a lateral collision of an automobile, an electrical signal is transmitted to an inflator via a harness for ignition when the collision is detected, gas generated from the inflator ignited is introduced from a gas discharging hole into an airbag folded to be accommodated within a case body in a backrest in an ordinary situation of the automobile to expand the same, the expanded airbag presses and opens a lid of the case body, and the airbag is spread between a passenger and a passenger compartment side wall, so that an impact generated when the passenger secondarily collides against the passenger compartment side wall is absorbed by the airbag.
The airbag is structured such that a bag body formed in a generally L-shaped configuration with a head protecting portion and a chest protecting portion is divided into a gas passage to the head protecting portion and a gas passage to the chest protecting portion by a dividing plate or a sewn portion, and the gas discharged from the inflator is filled into the respective protecting portions in a short time.
Also, the latter, namely an airbag for lateral collision disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-207689, is structured such that an airbag is folded and accommodated within a backrest in an ordinary situation of an automobile, like the former, and at a time of a lateral collision of an automobile the airbag is abruptly expanded by discharged gas rapidly from an inflator into the airbag via a supporting pipe so that an impact generated when a passenger secondarily collides against a passenger compartment side wall is absorbed by the airbag.
However, in a structure of such a conventional airbag apparatus, as the inflator (the former) or the supporting pipe (the latter) is housed in the airbag of the airbag apparatus from an opening portion thereof, there is a risk that an inner face of the airbag may be injured by friction between the airbag and an edge portion of the inflator or a holder for holding the inflator inside the airbag.
Also, the gas discharged from the inflator tends to concentrate on the vicinity of an inflator-mounting portion positioned at the opening portion of the airbag, which is required to be improved.
The present invention has been achieved in view of the problems in such a conventional art, and an object thereof is to provide an airbag apparatus which prevents the friction between the airbag and the edge portion of the inflator or the holder for holding the inflator inside the airbag and the injury of the airbag due to a high temperature gas discharged from the inflator.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
In order to achieve the above object, the invention of a first aspect comprises: an inflator; and an airbag accommodating the inflator at its opening portion and folded in an ordinary situation to be expandable by a gas discharged from the inflator, wherein a protecting cloth distinct from the airbag is arranged on an inner face of the opening portion of the airbag.
According to the invention of the first aspect, the airbag can be prevented by means of the protecting cloth from being injured by friction between the airbag and an edge portion of the inflator and a high temperature gas discharged from the inflator.
The invention of a second aspect comprises: an inflator; a cylindrical holder inside which the inflator is accommodated; and an airbag accommodating the inflator at its opening portion and folded in an ordinary situation to be expandable by the gas discharged from the inflator, wherein a protecting cloth distinct from the airbag is arranged on an inner face of the opening portion of the airbag.
According to the invention of the second aspect, the airbag can be prevented by means of the protecting cloth from being injured by friction between the airbag and an edge portion of the holder for holding the inflator inside and a high temperature gas discharged from the inflator.
As a preferred aspect, a portion of the protecting cloth positioned at a side which is supported by an inside part of an automobile is thicker than a portion of the protecting cloth positioned at a side which is not supported by the inside part.
According to this aspect, even when friction occurs between the airbag and an edge portion of the inflator or the holder, there is a margin where the friction can freely be avoided in the portion of the protecting cloth positioned at the side which is not supported by the inside part, whereby the airbag itself can securely be protected by making thick the portion of the airbag positioned at the side where there is not the margin. Also, the portion of the protecting cloth positioned at the side which is supported by the inside part which is apt to be influenced by the high temperature gas discharged from the inflator is made thick, so that the airbag itself can securely be protected.
Also, as a preferred aspect, a heat resistant temperature at a portion of the protecting cloth positioned at a side which is supported by an inside part of an automobile is higher than that at a portion of the protecting cloth positioned at a side which is not supported by the inside part.
According to this aspect, even when friction occurs between the airbag and the edge portion of the inflator or the holder, as the portion of the protecting cloth positioned at the side which is not supported by the inside part is apt to be air-cooled, the heat resistant temperature of the portion of the protecting cloth positioned at the side which is supported by the inside part is made high, so that the airbag itself can securely be protected.
As a further preferred aspect, the opening portion of the airbag is formed so as to be overlapped at its supporting portion for supporting the inflator or the holder accommodating the inflator inside thereof, and a reinforcing cloth which is to resist against the heat of the gas discharged from the inflator is held on the overlapped portion.
According to this aspect, as the airbag is prevented from being injured by direct discharge of the inflator without increasing the number of component parts, the number of airbag forming steps such as sewing can remarkably be reduced.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5149130 (1992-09-01), Wooley et al.
patent: 5308110 (1994-05-01), Kokeguchi
patent: 5566972 (1996-10-01), Yoshida et al.
patent: 5586782 (1996-12-01), Zimmerman, II et al.
patent: 5791682 (1998-08-01), Hiramitsu et al.
patent: 5848804 (1998-12-01), White, Jr. et al.
patent: 6074003 (2000-06-01), Umezawa et al.
patent: 2-169344 (1990-06-01), None
patent: 3-112746 (1991-05-01), None
patent: 5-178150 (1993-07-01), None
patent: 7-108890 (1995-04-01), None
patent: 7-205749 (1995-08-01), None
patent: 8-207689 (1996-08-01), None
Sasaki Hiroshi
Seo Kasumi
Dickson Paul N.
Fleming Faye M.
McDermott & Will & Emery
Nissan Motor Co,. Ltd.
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