Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-16
2001-03-20
Mai, Lanna (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S728100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203062
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 when a vehicle comes into collision. More particularly, the present invention discloses a method of folding an air bag which can provide suitable deployment of the air bag to securely and sufficiently restrain an occupant and which is improved to provide smooth deployment of the air bag.
The present invention can be applied to any type of air bags for a driver, a front passenger and a rear passenger.
One of conventional methods of folding an air bag in which the side edges of the air bag are folded toward an occupant has the following problems. In the initial stage of the deployment, a central portion of the air bag contacting an inflator is rapidly inflated, so that a mass of folded portions is pushed out of the cover toward the occupant. In the final stage of the deployment, the air bag is inflated forward at a high speed, so that the mass of folded portions is further pushed forward. Therefore, there is a fear that the occupant is subjected to receive a pressure due to the folded portion of the air bag.
The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problem, and an object of the invention is to provide a method of folding an air bag which can provide suitable deployment of the air bag to securely and sufficiently restrain an occupant.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method of folding an air bag which is improved to provide a 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 provides a method of folding an air bag comprising a front panel on an occupant side and a rear panel on a side opposite to the occupant, wherein the air bag is folded by the combination of vertical, lateral and vertical directions or by the combination of lateral, vertical and lateral directions.
This enables the folded air bag to have a loosing portion in the vertically or laterally direction, thereby providing a suitable deployment of the air bag to securely and sufficiently restrain an occupant and improving the smooth deployment.
In the method of folding the air bag as mentioned above, it is preferable that side edges of the air bag are rolled up or folded in bellows on the side opposite to the occupant. The air bag can be folded in a square or rectangular shape so that the air bag can be securely accommodated in a box-like cover. In addition, the air bag is deployed relatively equally as a whole from the central portion thereof. The rolls or folded portions of the side edges of the air bag are prevented from advancing directly toward the occupant.
The second embodiment of the present invention provides a method of folding an air bag comprising a front panel on an occupant side and a rear panel on the side opposite to the occupant, which comprises (a) a step of forming a loosing portion to extend vertically or laterally about a center portion of the air bag, and (b) a step of rolling or folding like bellows upper, lower, left and right side portions of the air bag on the side opposite to the occupant.
The loosing portion in the center portion of the air bag prevents the air bag as a whole from easily rapidly projecting outwardly, so that the air bag starts to inflate from the central portion thereof gradually. The operation of the edges rolled up or folded in bellows are the same as the case of the aforementioned first embodiment.
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Ato Tadayuki
Kusaka Shuji
Ilan Ruth
Kanesaka & Takeuchi
Mai Lanna
Takata Corporation
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