Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-06
2001-02-13
Rice, Kenneth R. (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S732000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06186544
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The present invention relates to a method of folding an air bag which is deployed to protect an occupant in the event of vehicle emergency, and the air bag thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of folding an air bag which can provide suitable deployment to securely restrain an occupant and which is improved in smooth deployment.
There are various methods generally employed for folding an air bag.
FIG. 7
is a sectional view of an air bag for a front passenger (hereinafter, referred to as “passenger air bag”) which is folded in one of conventional folding methods. In
FIG. 7
, right and left side edges
11
of the air bag
1
are folded in bellows. The air bag
1
is folded to have a width corresponding to the width of an air bag case
2
so that the air bag
1
can be accommodated in the air bag case
2
.
Also, there is a passenger air bag, which is deployed, at first, toward an upper portion of an instrument panel, and then, extends toward an upper side of an occupant in a front passenger seat.
FIGS.
8
(A) and
8
(B) show that a passenger air bag which has been folded in a conventional method is being deployed. FIG.
8
(A) is a side sectional view, and FIG.
8
(B) is a sectional view taken along line
8
(B)—
8
(B) in FIG.
8
(A).
Referring to FIGS.
8
(A) and
8
(B), as an inflator
4
disposed in the air bag case
2
generates gas and the gas enters into the air bag
1
as shown by arrows, an air bag cover
9
arranged on an instrument panel
8
is broken by the inner pressure of the air bag
1
, so that the air bag
1
is deployed above the instrument panel
8
.
In this state, as shown in FIG.
8
(B), an upper portion la of the air bag
1
, which is positioned near a windshield glass
3
(hereinafter, referred to as “windshield” or “glass”), strikes the windshield
3
when the upper portion la is still in the folded state.
In the passenger air bag folded in the conventional method, it can not be predicted how the deploying air bag
1
strikes the windshield
3
, so that there is a possibility that the glass is subjected to undesired local pressure. In order to prevent undesired local pressure on the glass, various measures have been taken, for example, reducing the output of the inflator, adjusting the mount position of the air bag
1
and/or the angle for mounting the air bag case
2
, and increasing the strength of the windshield
3
. These measures impair the working efficiency of assembling the passenger air bag and increase the cost.
It is, therefore, desired to provide improved folding methods.
The present invention has been made to solve the above problem, and an object of the invention is to provide a method of folding a passenger air bag, which can provide suitable deployment to securely restrain an occupant and which is improved in smooth deployment.
Another object of the invention is to provide a passenger air bag, which can provide suitable and smooth deployment.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above-described problems, the first aspect of the present invention is to provide an air bag to be deployed in front of a front passenger seat, wherein the air bag is folded in such a manner to apply resistance against deployment on the opposite side of a windshield, i.e. passenger side, so that the windshield side is deployed prior to the passenger side.
Accordingly, the air bag starts to deploy from the windshield side and the windshield is struck by a portion of the air bag, which has been inflated by releasing the folding, thereby dispersing and thus reducing the pressure on the windshield.
The second aspect of the present invention is to provide a method of folding an air bag to be deployed in front of a front passenger seat, wherein the number of rolled or folded portions of the air bag on the opposite side of the windshield is larger than that of rolled or folded portions on the windshield side.
Because the larger number of the rolled or folded portions are formed on the passenger side, the air bag starts to deploy from a part of the windshield side, and the rolled or folded portions of the air bag are prevented from being directed toward the windshield directly.
The third aspect of the present invention is to provide a method of folding an air bag to be deployed in front of a front passenger seat, comprising: forming a loose portion at the center of the air bag on the windshield side in the lateral direction; folding or rolling up right and left edges of the air bag toward the center thereof on the opposite side of the windshield, i.e. passenger side; and folding or rolling up a tip of the air bag to the passenger side.
Since the loose portion is formed at the center in the lateral direction on the windshield side, and the right and left edges are folded or rolled toward the center on the passenger side, gas is likely to flow into the loose portion on the windshield side during its deployment, so that the air bag starts to deploy from the windshield side. Further, the windshield is struck by the portion of the air bag, which is sufficiently inflated by releasing the folding, thereby reducing the pressure on the windshield. Since the tip of the air bag is folded or rolled up to the passenger side, the folded or rolled portion of the air bag is prevented from being directed toward the windshield directly during the deployment of the air bag.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4169613 (1979-10-01), Barnett
patent: 5240282 (1993-08-01), Wehner et al.
patent: 5348341 (1994-09-01), Webber
patent: 5538281 (1996-07-01), Patercsak
patent: 5636861 (1997-06-01), Orsulak et al.
patent: 5873598 (1999-02-01), Yoshioka et al.
patent: 5884939 (1999-03-01), Yamaji et al.
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 018, No. 653 (M-1720), Dec. 12, 1994 & JP 06 255437 A (Takata KK; Others: 01), Sep. 13, 1994.
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 018, No. 653 (M-1720), Dec. 12, 1994 & JP 06 255438 A (Takata KK; Others: 01), Sep. 13, 1994.
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 098, No. 001 Jan. 30, 1998 & JP 09 226497 A (Toyo Tire & Amp; Rubber Co Ltd; Toyota Motor Corp), Sep. 2, 1997.
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 018, No. 544 (M-1688), Oct. 18, 1994 & JP 06 191362 A (Toyo Tire & Rubber Co Ltd), Jul. 12, 1994.
Kanesaka & Takeuchi
Rice Kenneth R.
Takata Corporation
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