Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-02
2001-09-11
Rice, Kenneth R. (Department: 2167)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S741000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286863
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an air bag device designed so that an air bag is expanded by a gas, generated by a gas generating means, upon collision of a vehicle, to hold back an occupant.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
An inflater mounted in an air bag device for an automobile is generally adapted to generate a high-pressure gas by burning of a gas generating agent. The profile of the amount of gas generated per unit time by the inflater is such that the amount of gas generated is steeply increased simultaneously with the ignition and, after reaching a peak value, gently decreased. However, when the air bag is expanded by the inflater having such an output profile, the following problem is encountered: the air bag is suddenly deployed, thereby making it difficult to gently hold back the occupant.
There are air bag devices known from Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 2-293234 and 2-310143 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 52-44094, each of which includes a plurality of inflaters mounted so that they are operated with time lags, thereby preventing the sudden deployment of the air bag.
To moderate the shock received by an occupant upon deployment of the air bag, it is preferable that the output profile of the inflater is changed from having a peaky characteristic to having a flat characteristic.
The present invention has been accomplished with the above circumstance in view, and it is an object of the present invention to ensure that in an air bag device including two gas generating means providing different outputs, the timing of the ignition of two gas generating means are appropriately controlled to moderate the shock received by an occupant upon deployment of the air bag.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above-described object, a process for deploying an air bag is provided in an air bag device comprising gas generating means having an output characteristic that the amount of gas generated per unit time subsequent to an ignition is gradually increased from zero to a peak value and then gradually decreased from the peak value to zero, so that the air bag is expanded by the gas generated by the gas generating means to hold back an occupant, wherein the gas generating means comprises a first gas generating means and a second gas generating means providing the peak value smaller than that of the first gas generating means; the process comprises steps of igniting the first gas generating means upon collision of a vehicle and then, igniting the second gas generating means; timing an ignition of the second gas generating means, so that the sum of the peak value of the output from the second gas generating means and the output from the first gas generating means at the time when such peak value of the second gas generating means is provided, is any one of equal to and smaller than the peak value outputted from the first gas generating means; and timing the ignition of the second gas generating means, before the output from the first gas generating means becomes zero.
With the above feature, the first gas generating means, providing the larger output, is first ignited upon collision of the vehicle to generate the high-pressure gas, and after such output exceeds the peak value, a first second gas generating means, providing the smaller output, is ignited to generate the high-pressure gas. Therefore, the sum of the outputs from the first and second gas generating means has the peak value, and output characteristic as a whole is flat. Moreover, the second peak value is equal to or smaller than the first peak value, and the generation of the high-pressure gas cannot be intermitted. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the sudden deployment of the air bag to moderate the shock applied to the occupant, while ensuring the smooth deployment of the air bag.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4243248 (1981-01-01), Scholz et al.
patent: 5219178 (1993-06-01), Kobari et al.
patent: 5470104 (1995-11-01), Smith et al.
patent: 5564743 (1996-10-01), Marchant
patent: 5794973 (1998-08-01), O'Loughlin et al.
patent: 5839754 (1998-11-01), Schulter et al.
patent: 5880534 (1999-03-01), Mossi et al.
patent: 5992881 (1999-11-01), Faigle
patent: 6019389 (2000-02-01), Burgi et al.
patent: 6024379 (2000-02-01), Blumenthal et al.
patent: 6032979 (2000-03-01), Mossi et al.
patent: 6142518 (2000-11-01), Butt et al.
patent: 6143103 (2000-11-01), Ryder
patent: 609 981A2 (1994-08-01), None
patent: 52-44094 (1977-11-01), None
patent: 2-293234 (1990-12-01), None
patent: 2-310143 (1990-12-01), None
Higuchi Hitoshi
Kamiji Koichi
Nagai Makoto
Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland & Naughton LLP
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Jasmin Lynda
Rice Kenneth R.
LandOfFree
Process for deploying air bag in air bag device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Process for deploying air bag in air bag device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Process for deploying air bag in air bag device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2513160