Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Patent
1991-12-16
1993-08-31
Rice, Kenneth R.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
280731, 280732, 280743, B60R 2124
Patent
active
052402835
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION
This invention relates to an air bag or an air bag type occupant protector which operates at the time of crash of a vehicle and protects an occupant of the vehicle. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an auxiliary bag which is fitted to an air bag for protecting an occupant.
PRIOR ART
The air bag type protector of the present invention, for protecting an occupant includes a gas generator which ignites and burns instantaneously a gas generant inside the gas generator upon sensing an impact at the time of crash of an vehicle, to inflate an air bag by the resulting gas and to protect an occupant.
As is well known, the air bag type protector for an occupant includes the gas generator in combination with a bag which is flexible, a volume of the bag being 40 to 60 1 for a driver-side seat and 150 to 180 1 for passenger-side seats. The gas generator ignites and burns instantaneously the gas generant in the gas generator upon sensing an impact at the time of crash of the vehicle. The air bag inflates and expands by the resulting gas and restrains and protects the occupant. In such an air bag, the bag foundation cloth is temporarily inflated and expanded completely within the time of about 30 msec after the crash. It continuously discharges part of the internal gas through a plurality of vent holes having ordinarily an inner diameter of 20 to 60 mm and disposed at the bottom of the air bag. Such discharges normally occur when the restrained occupant bends forward and presses the air bag such discharges are directed into the vehicle compartment in a direction such that the discharged gas does not blow against the occupant. By discharge of the internal gas, the occupant is prevented from the rebound of the inflated air bag and from a high impact force due to energy absorption. The gas generant in the form of a pellet or a disc is generally used for the gas generator in order to inflate extremely rapidly the air bag. The combustion pressure of the gas generator is elevated to high level in order to shorten the combustion time and for this reason, mist like or fine particulate matter is simultaneously discharged ordinarily with the combustion gas.
According to the prior art technology, since the gas inside the bag is rapidly discharged into the vehicle compartment through the vent holes, the buffer effect against the impact occurring at the time of secondary and tertiary impact or rolling after the first crash is lost completely.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing the construction of an example of a bag apparatus for a driver-side seat of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the state immediately after expansion of the bag;
FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the state of expansion of an auxiliary bag;
FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing the construction of an example of a bag apparatus for passenger-side seats of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the state immediately after expansion of a bag;
FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the state at the time of expansion of an auxiliary bag;
FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view showing the principal portions of the bag apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 8 is a partial schematic sectional view of the auxiliary bag of the invention fitted to the air bag for a driver-side seat;
FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing the auxiliary bag of the invention fitted to the air bag for passenger-side seats; and
FIG. 10 is a schematic sectional view taken along line A--A of FIG. 9.
FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing a bag for absorbing impact under an expanded state in another embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a foundation cloth of the bag of FIG. 11, wherein (a) represents a foundation cloth of an auxiliary bag, (b) does a foundation cloth of an upper portion and (c) does a foundation cloth of a lower portion.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an air bag type protector for an occupant which
REFERENCES:
patent: 3642303 (1972-02-01), Irish et al.
patent: 4262931 (1981-04-01), Strasser et al.
patent: 4722551 (1988-02-01), Adams
patent: 4943086 (1990-07-01), Cunningham
Kato Jun
Kishi Kazuo
Daicel Chemical Industries Ltd.
Rice Kenneth R.
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