Externally-developed air bag device

Details Externally-developed air bag device Externally-developed air bag device

2002-11-26

2004-12-07

Fleming, Faye M. (Department: 3616)

Motor vehicles

With means for promoting safety of vehicle, its occupant or...

Responsive to engagement of portion of perimeter of vehicle...

C280S743100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06827171

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an externally-developed air bag device for protecting a pedestrian, an occupant of a bicycle or a motorcycle (hereinafter referred to as “pedestrian or the like”) when a car in running collides with the pedestrian, the bicycle, or the motorcycle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIG.
14
(
a
) is a perspective view showing the front portion of the body of a car equipped with a conventional externally developed air bag device, and FIGS.
14
(
b
) and
14
(
c
) are sectional views thereof taken along the line B—B in FIG.
14
(
a
). Here, FIG.
14
(
b
) shows a normal aspect of this externally-developed air bag device (i.e., the aspect thereof when the car is not in a state colliding with a pedestrian or the like), and FIG.
14
(
c
) shows the aspect thereof when the air bag of this externally-developed air bag device has been developed.
The above-described externally-developed air bag
100
comprises an air bag
102
and an inflator
104
for inflating this air bag
102
. The inflator
104
is disposed in a case (cowl top)
108
provided below the windshield (front window glass)
106
of the car, and normally the air bag
102
is accommodated in the cowl top
108
in a folded-up state.
The cowl top
108
includes a cowl top outer panel
112
exposed on the top surface of the front portion of the car body, and a cowl top inner panel
114
constituting the bottom portion of the cowl top
108
. An opening for bulging out the air bag onto the top surface of the front portion of the car body is provided in the cowl top outer panel
112
. The opening is disposed above the air bag
102
accommodated in the cowl top
108
. Normally, a lid
116
is mounted over the opening so as to close the opening.
A contact detecting sensor
120
for detect that the car in running has collided with a pedestrian, a bicycle, or a motorcycle, is provided at the front end of the car body, such as the front bumper
118
of the car. The externally-developed air bag
100
is arranged so that, once the contact detecting sensor
120
has detected the occurrence of a collision, the inflator
104
comes into operation, and that a gas is introduced into the air bag
102
from the inflator
104
, thereby inflating the air bag
102
.
More specifically, once the car equipped with the externally-developed air bag
100
has collided with a pedestrian, a bicycle, or a motorcycle when the car is running, the contact detecting sensor
120
detects the occurrence of this collision, and the gas is introduced into the air bag
102
from the inflator
104
, thereby inflating the air bag
102
. The air bag
102
forces open the lid
116
mounted over the opening in the top surface of the cowl top
108
, and bulges out onto the top surface of the front portion of the car body. Then, as shown in FIG.
14
(
c
), the air bag
102
develops along the outer surface of the windshield
106
from the rear portion of a hood
110
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an externally-developed air bag device in which the air bag thereof is quickly inflated up to the completely developed shape.
The externally-developed air bag device according to the present invention comprises an air bag developable along the outer surface of a car; a case for accommodating the air bag; a lid for covering the case; an inflator for inflating the air bag. The above-described air bag has a long side direction and a short side direction intersecting the long side direction, in a flatly unfolded state. In this externally-developed air bag device, the air bag is made an intermediate folded body that is formed by folding back both end sides in the long side direction that run over from the case, toward the central side of the air bag. Then, the air bag is folded up in the short side direction and is accommodated into the case.
In this externally-developed air bag device, once the inflator has come into operation, a gas from the inflator is also directly introduced into both end sides of the air bag in the longitudinal direction (i.e., the portions running over from the case), thereby quickly inflating not only the central portion of the air bag but also both end sides thereof in the longitudinal direction.
In the present invention, it is preferable that the intermediate folded body of the air bag be folded up in the short side direction in a bellows shape or in a roll shape. This air bag folded up in a bellows shape or in a roll shape is smoothly inflated when the gas from the inflator is introduced thereinto.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5538281 (1996-07-01), Patercsak
patent: 5806879 (1998-09-01), Hamada et al.
patent: 5957486 (1999-09-01), Taguchi et al.
patent: 6176509 (2001-01-01), Kawaguchi et al.
patent: 6182782 (2001-02-01), Matsuura et al.
patent: 6244624 (2001-06-01), Kumagai
patent: 6467563 (2002-10-01), Ryan et al.
patent: 6474679 (2002-11-01), Miyasaka et al.
patent: 6547279 (2003-04-01), Amamori
patent: 0 734 911 (1999-02-01), None
patent: 9277895 (1997-10-01), None

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