Specific Confinement Structure Patents (Class 280/743.1)
  • Patent number: 8544877
    Abstract: Airbag cushions are provided that mitigate the potential for injury to an occupant's neck via a sloped face, a particular cushion height, and/or a relatively flat top portion. These airbag cushions can be used with seat belt systems that moderates the seat belt loads acting on the occupant to allow an improved synchronization of the occupant torso and head rebound timing, which in turn limits head and torso differential loading (frontal whiplash) and therefore occupant neck loads and neck, based on the position of the occupant, loads on the seatbelt, or a predetermined time in the crash event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Williams, Patrick Dee Jamison, Akihiro Yamada
  • Patent number: 8540279
    Abstract: Provided is a curtain airbag cushion folded such that an airbag cushion can be developed inside the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Jong Hyub Jun
  • Patent number: 8540276
    Abstract: An airbag assembly can include a housing and an airbag cushion within the housing in a packaged state. The airbag cushion can include a rolled region and an accordion fold. The rolled region and the accordion fold can be positioned within the housing so as to provide a desired trajectory when the airbag cushion is inflated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Autoliv ASP, Inc.
    Inventors: David W. Schneider, John F. Whitt, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20130241183
    Abstract: An airbag comprises a textile substrate and a coating on at least a portion of the surface of the textile substrate. The coating comprises a polyurethane polymer and a phosphorous compound. The phosphorous compound can be selected from the group consisting of esters of phosphoric acid, esters of phosphonic acid, esters of phosphinic acid, and mixtures thereof. An airbag module comprises the above-described airbag, a gas generator, and a cover at least partially enclosing the airbag and gas generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Inventors: Ramesh Keshavaraj, Michael D. Hurst
  • Publication number: 20130241184
    Abstract: An air bag includes: a gas introduction opening portion; and a bag-shaped air bag main body portion; the air bag main body portion in the folded state including a first accumulated portion folded in a state where at least a portion of the first accumulated portion is turned over on a counter-occupant side toward the gas introduction opening, and a second accumulated portion which includes a face confronting portion confronting a face of the occupant in a normal position, and which is folded in a state where the face confronting portion is superimposed on the first accumulated portion so that the inflation gas introduced from the gas introduction opening directly flows into the face confronting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: NIHON PLAST CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoto SAKAI, Akito URUSHIBATA, Chiari SAITO, Hidenobu SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 8523223
    Abstract: A folding method of an airbag having a left airbag portion and a right airbag portion is disclosed. In one form, the method includes the steps of: a primary folding step for forming a primary folded body in which said airbag is flattened along a top-bottom direction and along a right-left direction by folding said airbag in a manner that decreases a thickness of said left airbag portion and said right airbag portion along a front-back direction and at least partially separates a left surface of said left airbag portion and a right surface of said right airbag portion along the right-left direction; and a secondary folding step for forming a final folded body by folding said primary folded body in a manner that decreases its width along the top-bottom direction and along the right-left direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuhito Miyata
  • Patent number: 8517417
    Abstract: An airbag apparatus is provided including an airbag which is formed as a bag body by connecting a plurality of panels via seaming and is folded and housed in an instrument panel, and an inflator, wherein: in one form the airbag includes: a multi-layered connecting portion that connects at least three layers of the panels; and a height regulating portion that regulates a dimension of a height direction of the airbag from an upper surface of the instrument panel in an initial stage of an inflation and deployment process of the airbag; and the multi-layered connecting portion is positioned further toward a vehicle rear than the height regulating portion, in a state where the airbag apparatus is mounted to a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventor: Takafumi Fujita
  • Patent number: 8517415
    Abstract: The invention provides an airbag apparatus including an airbag that is folded toward an inflator attaching part and that is accommodated within a pad functioning as a case such that the airbag is provided with first and second folded parts arranged on a cabin side from an inflator. A tear line is formed on the pad at a position deviated from a center of the inflator toward the first folded part and divides the case into a first door and a second door. In the airbag apparatus, the second folded part that is covered by the first door is folded in a bellows shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Iida, Nobuaki Okamura, Mikine Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20130214517
    Abstract: An airbag for a motor vehicle includes a support structure moveable from a storage position into a restraint position and a covering by means of which a restraint volume of the airbag formed by the support structure in its restraint position is surrounded. The covering is formed as an element separate from the support structure and having passage regions in which the covering is at least substantially permeable to air in at least one direction of flow, and connecting regions that are reinforced relative thereto, in which the covering is connected to the support structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Ralf Bogenrieder, Christian Burczyk, Andreas Hirth, Friedrich Reiter
  • Patent number: 8511710
    Abstract: An airbag device capable of reducing the volume of an airbag while still securing occupant restraining capability. The occupant seat airbag device is disposed inside a vehicle front-rear direction curved section of an instrument panel facing both towards the vehicle top-bottom direction top side and vehicle front-rear direction rear side. The airbag is configured including a pair of outer deployment sections that receive gas supplied from an inflator and inflate and deploy separately from each other in the vehicle width direction, and an inner deployment section formed by a connecting a cloth around substantially the entire periphery of the outer edges of the pair of outer deployment sections. An occupant side deployment section of the inner deployment section does not receive gas supplied from the inflator and deploys as the pair of outer deployment sections deploy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Osamu Fukawatase
  • Patent number: 8505965
    Abstract: A vehicle occupant restraint system has an airbag, which provides a predetermined support force distribution in the filled (unfolded) state, and at least one energy-absorbing element that is attached to the airbag in order to unfold it or to locally increase the support force thereof. The energy-absorbing element(s) are arranged such that at least one energy absorbing element may apply itself to an occupant, and may at least partially follow the movements of the same at least to a certain extent. The energy-absorbing element has an occupant-protective function, and/or the airbag has a funnel function relative to an occupant to be supported. The occupant is guided toward the center of the airbag during an impact by means of the funnel function, and is possibly also protected laterally by means of the side walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Andreas Hirth, Lutz Quarg, Friedrich Reiter, Clark Ruedebusch
  • Patent number: 8505969
    Abstract: A knee airbag module for protecting a vehicle occupant comprising a housing containing an inflatable airbag and an inflator for providing gas for inflating the airbag; and wherein the airbag is configured to inflate and deploy out of the housing into a position forward of the knees of the occupant; where the airbag includes front and rear panels that are connected together to form an inflatable chamber; wherein when the airbag deploys the front panel is positioned adjacent to an instrument panel of the vehicle and the rear panel is positioned adjacent to the occupant; wherein the cross-sectional vertical length of the front panel is shorter than the cross-sectional vertical length of the rear panel thereby causing the airbag to deploy upwardly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: TK Holdings Inc.
    Inventor: Gerardo Mendez
  • Publication number: 20130200602
    Abstract: An airbag for a motor vehicle, having a housing and at least one restraining element, which has at least one receptacle space for a gaseous medium, in particular air, and which can be moved, in the case of an accident-induced application of force to the motor vehicle, into a restraining position by the flowing of medium into the receptacle space from a storage position within the housing. At least one wall of the housing has at least one inflow opening for the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Applicant: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Ralf Bogenrieder, Christian Burczyk, Andreas Hirth, Lutz Quarg, Friedrich Reiter
  • Patent number: 8500160
    Abstract: Provided is a knee airbag apparatus including an airbag cushion that develops upward without sagging downward to protect the passenger's knee.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Jung Su Lee
  • Patent number: 8500159
    Abstract: An airbag for a vehicle occupant restraint system is provided. The airbag comprising a first and a second chamber, which can be inflated for the protection of a vehicle occupant; having an outflow element with an outflow duct via which the gas can flow out of the first chamber when the internal pressure in the first chamber exceeds the internal pressure in the second chamber and which can be compressed under the action of the internal pressure in the second chamber such that an outflow of gas out of the second chamber is counteracted, when the internal pressure in the first chamber is lower than the internal pressure in the second chamber, the outflow element has a two-layer material piece and the outflow duct is formed by folding in a portion of the material piece between the material layers of the material piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Takata AG
    Inventors: Jens Feller, Torsten Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8500165
    Abstract: Disclosed is a passenger airbag apparatus that can suppress the deployment pressure of an airbag cushion when the airbag cushion and a passenger are excessively close to each other and maintain the deployment pressure of the airbag cushion when the airbag cushion and the passenger keep an appropriate distance from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Hae Wook Kwon
  • Publication number: 20130187366
    Abstract: An airbag for a motor vehicle includes a support structure moveable from a stowage position into a restraint position and a covering that surrounds a restraint volume of the airbag formed by the support structure in its restraint position. The covering is an element that is separate from the support structure and joined to the support structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2011
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: DAIMLER AG
    Inventors: Ralf Bogenrieder, Christian Burczyk, Andreas Hirth, Friedrich Reiter
  • Publication number: 20130187367
    Abstract: Disclosed is a polyester yarn, wherein a room-temperature strength-elongation index (X0) indicating a ratio (T0/S0) of tensile strength (T0) to tensile elongation (S0) of the polyester yarn, measured at room temperature, and a primary high-humidity strength-elongation index (X1) indicating a ratio (T1/S1) of tensile strength (T1) to tensile elongation (S1) of the polyester yarn, measured after heat-treating the polyester yarn under conditions of a temperature of 85° C. and a relative humidity (RH) of 95±5% for 168 hours, are optimized in a predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: KOLON INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Jae-Hyung Kim, Dong-Jin Kwak, Ki-Jeong Kim, Hee-Jun Kim, Jung-Hoon Youn, Sang-Mok Lee
  • Publication number: 20130187368
    Abstract: An airbag for a vehicle comprising an inflatable portion and lugs arranged at the periphery of the inflatable portion. The airbag is made of a one-piece-woven technology having a structure made of warp threads and weft threads. The airbag further comprises a marking for enabling a detection of an incorrect attachment of the airbag at the vehicle. The marking is realized by a coded weaving structure in at least one lug.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: AUTOLIV DEVELOPMENT AB
    Inventors: Mark Donais, Bryan Walston, Ugo Zanier, Pamela Knight
  • Patent number: 8491001
    Abstract: An air bag device for a people protection system of a vehicle, having a folded air bag which forms an air bag package having a length and a height. An inlay element, directly connected to and/or placed into the air bag, is provided having a length which essentially corresponds to the length of at least a section of the air bag package and having a height which essentially corresponds to the height of the air bag package. The inlay element is provided and arranged to define the folded air bag regarding its cross-section dimensions and to thereby fix it with desired cross-section dimensions. The inlay element is designed as an elongated flat section and is made of multiple segments, succeeding one another in the longitudinal direction of the air bag. At least one segment of the inlay element has a bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Takata AG
    Inventors: Peter Baumgartner, Thomas Steck
  • Patent number: 8491006
    Abstract: An airbag device is provided in which since part of a base fabric of the airbag (16) excluding an occupant restraining face (16d) is joined by stitchings (S1 to S3) having breaking strengths that increase in going from an already deployed portion toward a not yet deployed portion, during the process of deploying the airbag by gas generated by an inflator, the stitchings (S1 to S3) of the airbag (16) break from the already deployed portion toward the not yet deployed portion, and the airbag (16) is continuously inflated from the occupant restraining face (16d) side toward the inflator side. As a result, it is possible to stabilize the shape of the airbag (16) during the process of deployment and to inflate the occupant restraining face (16d) of the airbag (16) at an early stage, thus ensuring occupant restraining performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Nagai
  • Patent number: 8485548
    Abstract: An airbag arrangement in a vehicle seat, especially in a backrest, comprising an airbag module composed of an airbag housing, an airbag, and a charge for unfolding of the airbag, and a guide pocket attached to a covering of the vehicle seat in the region of an opening line of the covering. The guide pocket guides the airbag, as it unfolds, to the opening line, and wraps around the airbag module and a component secured to the vehicle seat. The two front ends of the guide pocket are attached in the region of the opening line of the covering. The airbag module is secured to the component, and the guide pocket is placed from above or from below about the component and the airbag module and extends about the airbag module in a loop-shaped manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Faurecia Autositze GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Gumprecht, Thomas Frank
  • Patent number: 8485549
    Abstract: An airbag apparatus mountable on a vehicle having a side window, a first pillar adjoining the window and a second pillar adjoining the window on the opposite side is disclosed. The airbag apparatus includes an airbag adapted to be housed in an upper edge of the window, and the airbag includes a shutter section that covers the window. The shutter section includes mounting portions that are located above the first and second pillars, an inflatable region comprised of a first pillar side region, a supporting region and a preventing region, and a thin panel region. The thin panel region includes therein a catching point that is intended to catch a vehicle occupant during a rollover event of the vehicle, and the supporting inflatable region and preventing inflatable region surround the catching point continuously at the lower side and on a side of the second pillar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Yamamura, Yuji Sato, Shoichi Ibe, Jun Sato
  • Patent number: 8480126
    Abstract: An airbag including first and second sheets joined along outer peripheral parts. The second sheet includes a plurality of base cloths. The plurality of base cloths are arrayed around the circumferential direction, and include overlapping parts where adjacent ends are overlapping. At least one of the overlapping parts includes unjoined sections that are not joined together, and the gas inside the airbag can be ejected through the unjoined sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hitoshi Higuchi
  • Patent number: 8480123
    Abstract: A center airbag cushion installed between left and right seats of a vehicle to protect a passenger from a shock generated by a side collision of the vehicle may include a first chamber part, a second chamber part comprising a left second chamber part and a right second chamber part respectively coupled to left and right sides of an upper end of the first chamber part to fluid-communicate therebetween, and a tension member provided on inner facing surfaces of the left and right second chamber parts, wherein the inner facing surfaces of the left and right second chamber parts face each other with a gap, and wherein the tension member has a rear end extending in a predetermined length rearwards and is fixed to a rear end of the first chamber part or the second chamber part therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Jae Ho Choi, Hyeong Ho Choi
  • Patent number: 8480128
    Abstract: A vehicle side airbag apparatus has an inflator that discharges gas when a lateral collision occurs, a side airbag that is formed by sewing a passenger-side base fabric to a vehicle body-side base fabric, that is folded when it is stored and is inflated when gas is supplied from the inflator to be deployed into a space between a passenger seated in a vehicular seat and a vehicle body side portion, and a tether that couples a middle region of the passenger-side base fabric in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle with either a rear region of the passenger-side base fabric or the vehicle body-side base fabric in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and partitions the side airbag into a main chamber, which comes into contact with a lateral portion of the passenger, and a rear chamber, which comes into contact with a rear portion of the passenger, during deployment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Osamu Fukawatase, Yusuke Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 8474861
    Abstract: Interior panels having integrated airbag deployment doors for motor vehicles, and methods for making such interior panels are provided herein. In one example, an interior panel comprises a substrate that comprises a first PP/TPO material. An airbag chute-door assembly comprises a chute portion that has a chute wall. The chute wall at least partially surrounds an interior space that is sized to permit passage of an airbag during deployment. A first door flap portion is disposed adjacent to the interior space. The first door flap portion comprises a first door flap section and at least one first weld feature. The at least one first weld feature comprises a second PP/TPO material and attaches the first door flap section to the substrate. A first hinge pivotally connects the first door flap section to the chute portion. The first hinge comprises a TPE material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Faurecia Interior Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Twork
  • Patent number: 8474864
    Abstract: An inflator that supplies gas in the event of a vehicle emergency and a curtain airbag that is inflated and deployed by gas introduction from the inflator are included. The curtain airbag includes an airbag body obtained by sewing a pair of base cloths together. The airbag body has, in the portion in which the gas is introduced from the inflator, a sewn part obtained by sewing a pair of edges of the base cloths. The airbag body further includes a protective cloth sewn to each of the pair of edges along the sewn part such that the sewn part is covered from the inside of the airbag body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Ashimori Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidetaka Azuma, Shuhei Konishi
  • Patent number: 8474863
    Abstract: A side airbag system is provided with a side airbag for protecting the upper thorax and head area of a vehicle passenger between a lateral vehicle structure and the vehicle passenger, and with a gas generator that is fluidically connected with the side airbag. The side airbag is planar in the deployed condition, and protectively covers a path of motion for the head, along with various seated positions for small and large vehicle passengers. In order to realize an expanded protective potential for the head in semi-convertibles and compact cars, the side airbag, viewed from the lateral vehicle structure, has an outer contour with an essentially continuous bead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Ulrich Rick
  • Publication number: 20130154246
    Abstract: There is provided an airbag folding method for folding an airbag. The method includes in the following order: (a) folding the inner panel and the outer panel into a symmetrical substantially rectangular shape such that a groove of the concave region is located along a center line, wherein the center line passes through a center of the introduction port and symmetrically divides the inner and outer panels; (b) folding the inner and outer panels along fold lines from right and left edges thereof toward the center line, wherein the fold lines are substantially parallel to the center line; and (c) folding and rolling up the inner and outer panels from both ends of the center line toward the introduction port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Inventor: Yoshitaka MATSUI
  • Publication number: 20130147170
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a base fabric suitable for the production of a general purpose airbag having a higher airtight performance with reduced air permeability, a high pressure resistance in the boundary portion between the inflating part and the non-inflating part, and a high impact absorption for an occupant, and a base fabric for an airbag of the present invention comprises a woven fabric formed of a multifilament synthetic fiber having a total fineness of 200 to 550 dtex and a single filament fineness of 2.0 to 7.0 dtex, wherein the elongation is, on average of warp and weft, from 5 to 15% and from 15 to 30% under loads of 50 N/cm and 300 N/cm, respectively, and the pullout resistance of the constituent yarn is from 50 to 200 N/cm/cm on average of warp and weft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Inventors: Takeshi Tanaka, Fumiaki Ise, Tokio Okuno, Masato Enoki
  • Patent number: 8459691
    Abstract: An inflatable curtain airbag is secured along an upper edge to a body structure of the motor vehicle and deploys downwardly when inflated. Prior to deployment, the lower edge of the curtain is not tethered to the vehicle body. When nearly or fully deployed, the lower edge of the curtain engages an adjacent part of the motor vehicle so as to form a virtual tether therebetween resisting relative movement between the curtain and the adjacent part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Marcus John Scott Ward, Barry Grindle
  • Patent number: 8459690
    Abstract: A vehicle seat arrangement for a motor vehicle is provided. The vehicle seat arrangement comprising a vehicle seat, which comprises at least one inflatable element for protecting a vehicle occupant residing on the vehicle seat. The inflatable element is formed and arranged such that said element expands predominantly in direction towards the vehicle occupant when inflated. The inflatable element is integrated into a backrest of the vehicle seat unfolded or provided with only one fold or a protuberance, wherein the inflatable element is arranged between a cushion of the vehicle seat and a cover of the vehicle seat or inside the cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Takata AG
    Inventors: Martin Breuninger, Christian Weyrich, Hans-Peter Sendelbach, Werner Geiselhart, Mirko Korth, Michael Kraft, Edwin Miller
  • Publication number: 20130140799
    Abstract: An example trajectory control envelope includes a trajectory control envelope configured to receive an airbag and to control deployment of the airbag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Inventors: Adam Hardin, Peter L. Vigeant
  • Publication number: 20130140800
    Abstract: An airbag having an outer skin enclosing at least one gas chamber is disclosed. The outer skin is made at least in parts of polymer material with the polymers of the polymer material being made by polymerisation of monomers. In order to reduce the total consumption of fossil based raw materials during the life cycle of a vehicle, at least a part of the monomers are sustainable based monomers being produced from a renewable raw material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Ralf Koehnen, David Stow, Hugh Finn
  • Patent number: 8454051
    Abstract: An airbag module including an airbag, a gas generator introduced into an opening in the airbag, and a gas generator support on which the gas generator is fixed. The gas generator is arranged with respect to the gas generator support such that in case of activation the airbag pulls the gas generator onto the gas generator support. The gas generator support has an opening through which the non-inflated airbag is pulled such that a first region of the airbag, which does not surround the gas generator, is located on the one side of the opening and a second region of the airbag, which surrounds the gas generator, is located on the other side of the opening, and the opening is dimensioned such that the gas generator cannot be pulled through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Takata AG
    Inventor: Steffen Weigand
  • Patent number: 8448980
    Abstract: An active bolster for protecting an occupant during a crash event of a motor vehicle includes a back wall and a front wall forming an inflatable bladder. The back wall includes a stationary central mounting section and a pleated section with generally-circumferential pleats that unfold during bladder inflation. The pleats provide a transverse curve length that is radially variable with a greatest transverse curve length toward a first end of the wall and a smallest transverse curve length toward an opposite end of the wall so that expansion of the wall is biased toward the to first end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Raymond E. Kalisz
  • Patent number: 8448981
    Abstract: An object is to be able to more appropriately restrain respective portions of an upper body, including a waist portion, of a passenger by a side airbag at a time of a side collision. At a time of a side collision, a side airbag receives a supply of gas and deploys between a passenger and a vehicle body side portion, and an upper bag portion restrains from a head portion to a shoulder portion, and a lower bag portion restrains a waist portion, and an intermediate portion, that connects a lower edge portion of the upper bag portion and an upper edge portion of the lower bag portion, restrains a chest portion. Load, that is imparted toward a vehicle transverse direction inner side from the upper bag portion to the shoulder portion of the passenger at this time, decreases at a latter stage of restraint of the shoulder portion by the upper bag portion, and therefore, an amount of movement of the shoulder portion toward a vehicle transverse direction inner side is suppressed to an appropriate degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Osamu Fukawatase
  • Publication number: 20130127142
    Abstract: An airbag device capable of reducing the volume of an airbag while still securing occupant restraining capability. The occupant seat airbag device is disposed inside a vehicle front-rear direction curved section of an instrument panel facing both towards the vehicle top-bottom direction top side and vehicle front-rear direction rear side. The airbag is configured including a pair of outer deployment sections that receive gas supplied from an inflator and inflate and deploy separately from each other in the vehicle width direction, and an inner deployment section formed by a connecting a cloth around substantially the entire periphery of the outer edges of the pair of outer deployment sections. An occupant side deployment section of the inner deployment section does not receive gas supplied from the inflator and deploys as the pair of outer deployment sections deploy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2010
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Osamu Fukawatase
  • Publication number: 20130119649
    Abstract: An airbag apparatus having an airbag, which is formed into a bag shape by sewing a base fabric, is disclosed. The airbag includes a seam having a first seam section and a second seam section, which is formed after the first seam section is formed. The second seam section has an extremity and an overlapped portion, which is a section between the extremity and an intersected portion. The first seam section has an end part, which includes an overlapping portion. The overlapping portion is located at a position inside of the overlapped portion of the second seam section and extends along the overlapped portion. The overlapping portion includes an intersecting portion, which intersects the intersected portion of the second seam section. The end part of the first seam section further includes an extension, which extends from the intersecting portion to a position that is outside of the second seam section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
  • Patent number: 8439395
    Abstract: An airbag and an airbag device, which are capable of readily improving expansion characteristics of the airbag and reducing manufacturing cost, are provided. An airbag 11 for occupant at passenger's seat includes a first bag 21 and a second bag 22 which is provided inside of the first bag 21. An outside top face portion 36 of the first bag 21 and an inside top face portion 46 of the second bag 22 are brought into a sheet-like intimate contact with each other, and are detachably jointed at the jointing portion 51. The jointing portion 51 is comprised of a breakable seam line 52. Gas is supplied into the second bag 22 to thereby expand the first bag 22, and is supplied into the first bag 21 via a gas distributing portion 48 to thereby expand the first bag 21. In a case where an occupant exists at a predetermined position, the jointing portion 51 breaks away, and the first bag 21 then expands to its maximum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Nihon Plast Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Nagai, Akihiro Barasawa, Ryuji Sagisaka
  • Publication number: 20130113190
    Abstract: An airbag assembly can include a housing and an airbag cushion within the housing in a packaged state. The airbag cushion can include a rolled region and an accordion fold. The rolled region and the accordion fold can be positioned within the housing so as to provide a desired trajectory when the airbag cushion is inflated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2011
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: AUTOLIV ASP, INC.
    Inventors: David W. Schneider, John F. Witt, JR.
  • Patent number: 8434784
    Abstract: An airbag apparatus is mounted on a vehicle as housed in a housing and includes an airbag inflatable with inflation gas for catching an object of protection. The airbag includes a sheet-shaped circumferential wall made from synthetic resin. The circumferential wall is plastically deformable in such a manner as to be elongated due to increase of internal pressure caused by being pressed by the object of protection when arresting the object of protection at full inflation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kensaku Honda, Yasushi Okada, Yuji Sato, Masakazu Hashimoto, Daisuke Yamamura
  • Publication number: 20130106085
    Abstract: An air bag formed from a one piece woven air bag material having warp threads (10) and weft threads (20) composed of different polymeric fibres. The air bag in accordance with this invention is inexpensive to fabricate without compromises on strength by providing the weft threads (20) and the warp threads (10) have the same thread linear density.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Inventors: Altay Kismir, Denis Jimmy Bray
  • Publication number: 20130106084
    Abstract: The various embodiments a safety device for a motor vehicle is provided. The safety device includes an elastic membrane, which partially or completely delimits a hollow space, which is provided for an accident-initiated filling subject to elastically expand the membrane. The elastic membrane is covered by a separate envelope in a gas-tight manner, which provides an opening through the expansion of the membrane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
  • Patent number: 8430425
    Abstract: An airbag assembly for a motor vehicle has an airbag 10 that is inflated by an inflator 12 when the airbag 10 is deployed in accordance with a control signal from an electronic controller 6. A portion of the airbag 10 in a region where an expected head impact with the airbag 10 will occur is formed by a soft panel portion 25 which provides a softer or more compliant structure that can expand or stretch to an increased surface area condition to thereby reduce the risk of injury to an occupant. The soft panel portion 25 is constructed so as to provide increased give or stretch relative to the other parts of the fabric bag 9 when a head of an occupant impacts against it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Mark Marable, Allen Charles Bosio, Timothy Scott
  • Patent number: 8430422
    Abstract: An airbag has an airbag envelope (10) having two side walls (12, 14) enclosing a gas chamber. The first side wall (12) constitutes herein the impact surface and the second side wall (14) constitutes the support surface. A traction element (20) furthermore extends from a first end to a second end, whose first end is connected to the outer side of the second side wall (14) in order to force the inflated airbag to assume a curved shape. In order to achieve an easy production and assembly, the second end of the traction element (20) is also connected to the outer side of the second side wall (14), wherein the operating length of the traction element (20) is smaller than the length of the section of the second side wall (14) that is spanned thereby.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Autoliv Development AB
    Inventors: Katharina Wehner, Nico Wallat, Thomas Reiter
  • Patent number: 8419051
    Abstract: Both ends of a sack-like body are fixed to fastening sections provided in a pillar-like frame in the rearmost part of a vehicle, and the sack-like body is housed along an air bag housing space in a portion of a roof. The sack-like body is composed of a fabric-made article that shrinks longitudinally when extended widthwise. At the time of a rear-end collision, the air bag is inflated by gas supplied from an inflator, and turns into an inflated body, starting from a housed state in the air bag housing space, in such a way that both ends of the air bag are supported by the fastening sections, the inflated shape of the inflated body being restricted by the sack-like body. This inflated body constrains the head sections of vehicle cabin occupants who move rearward due to the rear-end collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Kobayashi, Tadahiro Igawa
  • Patent number: 8419055
    Abstract: An airbag, wherein gas is appropriately discharged from a vent hole by preventing a vent hole cover from being positionally displaced relative to the vent hole. An airbag (30) is provided with a cover guide member (70) which allows a vent hole cover (60) to move at a predetermined bag inner pressure to open a vent hole (34). The cover guide member has an opening (77) formed at a position corresponding to the vent hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Chida, Makoto Nagai, Hiroyuki Nozaki
  • Patent number: 8419058
    Abstract: An air bag module (30) includes an air bag (14) having a deflated condition and an inflated condition and a structure (34) for supporting the air bag. A first tether (106) has a first end connected to the structure via an actuatable fastener (122) and an opposite second end connected to the air bag (14). A second tether (104) having a first end secured to the first tether (106) by a releasable connection (132) at a location between the first and second ends of the first tether. The second tether has a second end connected to a deployable portion of the air bag (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt F. Fischer, Douglas M. Gould, Simon Kramer, Daniele Aranzulla, Martin Burkhardtsmaier, Jochen Weiss, Bernd Issler