Side-collision air bag device

Details Side-collision air bag device Side-collision air bag device

2000-03-23

2002-05-14

Mai, Lanni (Department: 3619)

Land vehicles

Wheeled

Attachment

C280S728100, C280S728200, C280S743100, C297S216130

Reexamination Certificate

active

06386577

ABSTRACT:

The present invention relates to a side-collision air bag device which is designed so that an air bag is deployed from an air bag module disposed in a side face of a seat back into a vehicle compartment to protect an occupant upon side-collision of a vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A side-collision air bag device of the concerned type is disclosed as second and third embodiments in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-71918. This conventional device is designed so that a lid of a module case having the air bag module accommodated therein is exposed to the side face of the seat back whereby the air bag is expanded within the module case upon collision of the vehicle and forces the lid open to become deployed into the vehicle compartment.
In such conventional side-collision air bag device, there is a possibility that, when a door or a center pillar is deformed toward the inside of the vehicle compartment due to the side collision of the vehicle and is brought into contact with the side face of the seat back, the lid of the module case may be held by such an urging force and as a result, cannot be opened, whereby the smooth expansion of the air bag is impeded.
The present invention has been accomplished with the above circumstance in view, and it is an object of the present invention to ensure that, even if the door or the center pillar is deformed toward the seat back by a shock resulting from the collision, the air bag can be reliably deployed from the air bag module accommodated in the module case.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above object, there is provided a side-collision air bag device comprising an air bag module which is accommodated in a module case including a case body and a lid and which is disposed in a side face of a seat back so that an air bag is deployed through an opening, termed the “primary opening”, defined in the lid into a vehicle compartment by opening the lid exposed to the side face of the seat back by a pressure of the air bag expanded from the air bag module. A tear line is formed in a wall of the case body and is broken by the pressure of the expanded air bag to open the wall in a direction different from a direction for opening the lid, whereby the air bag can be deployed into the vehicle compartment through a secondary opening defined in the wall.
With the above arrangement, when the air bag of the air bag module accommodated in the case body of the module case is expanded due to a side collision of the vehicle, the lid of the module case is opened by an expansion pressure, and the air bag is deployed through the primary opening defined in the case body into the vehicle compartment. If a door or a center pillar is deformed upon the collision to come close to the seat back, whereby the lid of the module case is held down so that it cannot be opened to form the primary opening, the tear line formed in the wall of the case body is broken by the pressure of expansion of the air bag to open the lid in a direction different from the direction of the primary opening formed by opening of the lid with respect to the module case and hence, the air bag can be deployed through a secondary opening defined in the case body without hindrance.
For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objectives obtained by its use, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and description which relate to a preferred embodiment thereof.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5498030 (1996-03-01), Hill et al.
patent: 5651582 (1997-07-01), Nakano
patent: 5676394 (1997-10-01), Maly
patent: 5799970 (1998-09-01), Enders
patent: 5863063 (1999-01-01), Harrell
patent: 5890734 (1999-04-01), Saderholm
patent: 5924724 (1999-07-01), Nakamura et al.
patent: 5951039 (1999-09-01), Severinski et al.
patent: 5967603 (1999-10-01), Genders et al.
patent: 10-71918 (1998-03-01), None

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