Abstract: A belt-like protruding portion 34d extending longitudinally is provided on an air bag cover 34 which covers a folded air bag 21. In the event that the air bag 21 is twisted when the air bag 21 is mounted on a vehicle body, a longitudinal dimension of the air bag 21 is contracted largely, whereby an interval between adjacent mounting portions 21a is decreased, thereby the fixing of the air bag 21 being disabled. As a result, the fixing of the air bag 21 in the twisted state is prevented assuredly, and the smooth deployment of the air bag 21 is enabled. A rod-like twist preventing member may be fixed longitudinally along the folded air bag 21 instead of the belt-like protruding portion 34d.

Abstract: In the automobile sun visor 8 of the present invention, a body 10 of the sun visor is placed on a shaft 9 connected to a bracket fitted to a ceiling surface of a cabin of the automobile body in a rotable manner. A bearing member into which the shaft 9 is inserted is provided on an end portion of the body 10. On the bearing member 13, a communicating member 14 coming into contact with a stopper provided on the shaft is provided. A key shaped groove which can pass through the stopper 9e is engaged with the stopper at a place deviating from the rotation range of the body 10 to insert the shaft 9 into the bearing member 14.

Abstract: An occupant restraint system includes an airbag having at least one vent hole and an inflator. The airbag is inflated by a gas generated by the inflator when there is a vehicle collision, and deploys into a curtain shape along an inner side face of an occupant compartment. Since the vent holes, through which gas is discharged from an inflatable part of the airbag, are made to open downward at the lower edge of the airbag, not only is it possible to reliably prevent the inflatable part from being excessively inflated, and thereby from becoming hard resulting in a failure to gently restrain an occupant, but also it is possible to prevent the vent holes from being blocked by the vehicle body or an occupant, thus reliably exhibiting a gas discharge function and preventing the gas discharged though the vent holes from directly impinging on the occupant.

Abstract: A passenger protecting apparatus is composed so that an airbag is provided above a door opening of a vehicle body in a folded situation, is inflated and unfurled downward in gas inflow, is fixed to said vehicle body by a fitting through a bracket and the bracket positions a through-hole, through which the fitting to fix the bracket to the vehicle body is inserted, below the airbag attached to and housed in the vehicle body.

Abstract: A sun-visor provided in a vehicle includes a sun-visor body, a shaft, and low strength region. The sun-visor body is used for blocking off the outside light. One end of the shaft is inserted into the sun-visor body and another end of the shaft is rotatably supported at the roof of the vehicle through a base. The low strength region of the shaft permits the sun-visor to be readily deformed by a side air bag deployed into the vehicle cabin, thereby achieving a certain inflation of the air bag irrespective of the position of the sun-visor.

Abstract: An air bag device includes a control valve capable of opening and closing a vent hole provided in a retainer, and a sufficient opening degree of the control valve can be ensured by use of a small-sized and inexpensive actuator. For this purpose, the control valve for opening and closing the vent hole defined in the retainer supporting an inflator and an air bag in the air bag device is opened and closed by plural valve members each operated by a piezoelectric element serving as an actuator. The plurality of divided valve members of the control valve are used and hence, even if the size of the piezoelectric element for operating each of the valve members is reduced to provide a reduction in cost, a sufficient opening degree of the entire control valve is ensured.

Abstract: An occupant restraint system includes a side airbag and an inflator. The airbag includes six cells that are defined by stitching and are adapted to be inflated by a gas generated by the inflator. Among six end parts a to f of these cells, four end parts b to e are positioned on top of or in the vicinity of a center pillar garnish and a rear pillar garnish that include respective impact absorbing ribs. When the airbag is deployed, even if the end parts b to e cannot be inflated sufficiently due to the stitching, thereby exhibiting no impact-absorbing effect, the center pillar garnish and the rear pillar garnish instead exhibit an impact-absorbing effect, thereby protecting an occupant.

Abstract: An occupant restraint system includes an airbag and an inflator. A gas supply pipe extending from the inflator is inserted into the interior of the airbag and immovably fixed in a manner in which the gas supply pipe is clamped from above and below by a pipe support formed in the airbag from a part of stitching defining a plurality of cells. The gas supply pipe can thus be fixed without employing any special fixing member, thereby reliably preventing blockage of the gas nozzle that would cause interference with smooth issuing of the gas and preventing damage to a base fabric of the airbag by the heat and pressure of the gas.

Abstract: An occupant restraint system includes an airbag and an inflator. An impact absorbing member is disposed at an upper part of the folded airbag, which is disposed along a roof side rail, at positions other than that of a center pillar, and an impact absorbing member is disposed at a lower part of the folded airbag at the position of the center pillar. This arrangement ensures that there is a distance between the airbag and the upper end of a center pillar garnish, thereby making it difficult for the deploying airbag to catch on the upper end of the garnish, and the impact absorbing member can guide the deploying airbag toward the occupant compartment, thereby more reliably preventing it from catching on the upper end of the garnish.

Abstract: A vehicular occupant restraint system includes an airbag, an inflator, and a seat belt system including a shoulder belt and a pre-tensioner. The airbag is disposed in a folded state along an upper edge of a door opening of a vehicle body. When the vehicle is involved in a side collision, the airbag is inflated by a gas generated by the inflator so that it is deployed into a curtain shape along an inner face of a side of an occupant compartment. Unlike conventional pre-tensioner systems that only tension a seatbelt when the vehicle is involved in a front collision, the pre-tensioner of the present invention also applies a tension to the shoulder belt of the seat belt system when the vehicle is involved in a side collision.

Abstract: The present invention is provided for achieving the certain inflation of the air bag irrespective of the position of the sun-visor. For attaining this object, there is provide a sun-visor provided in a vehicle comprising a sun-visor body, a shaft, and low strength region. The sun-visor body is used for blocking off the outside light. One end of the shaft is inserted into the sun-visor body and another end of the shaft is rotatably supported at the roof of the vehicle through the base. The shaft has a L-like shape and has a low strength part formed by giving heat treatment to the shaft.

Abstract: A vent hole disposed in a retainer, which supports an inflator and an air bag of an air bag device, is opened and closed by a control valve including a plate-shaped valve member. The valve member of the control valve includes a body reinforced by a flange, and a piezoelectric element operates as an actuator affixed to a hinge portion provided at one end of the body. The piezoelectric element is supplied with an electric current and is contracted to bend the hinge portion, whereby the vent hole is opened by movement of the body. The piezoelectric element is provided on the hinge portion of the valve member and hence, the size of the piezoelectric element can be reduced, whereby the amount of expensive piezoelectric element used can be reduced to contribute to a reduction in cost, as compared with a case in which the piezoelectric element is superposed on the entire valve member of the valve member.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to ensure that in an air bag device including a control valve capable of opening and closing a vent hole provided in a retainer, a sufficient opening degree of the control valve can be ensured by use of a small-sized and inexpensive actuator. For this purpose, the control valve for opening and closing the vent hole defined in the retainer supporting an inflator and an air bag in the air bag device is opened and closed by eight valve members each operated by a piezoelectric element serving as an actuator. The plurality of divided valve members of the control valve are used and hence, even if the size of the piezoelectric element for operating each of the valve members is reduced to provide a reduction in cost, a sufficient opening degree of the entire control valve can be ensured.

Abstract: An air bag of an inflatable curtain device includes a first cell group and a second cell group whose internal spaces are independent from each other. A high-pressure gas discharged from opposite ends of a common inflater disposed between both of the first and second cell groups and is supplied to a high-pressure gas supply port in the first cell group and a high-pressure gas supply port in the second cell group. The first and second cell groups can be expanded simultaneously by the common inflater, whereby the entire air bag can be deployed promptly, but also even when one of the first and second cell groups and is damaged, the deployment of the other cell group can be achieved without hindrance.

Abstract: In a retainer 19 which supports an inflator 20 and an air bag 21 of an air bag device Rd, disposed are a control valve 30 configured by bonding a plate-like piezoelectric element 31 to a protector 21 made of a metal, vent holes 29 which are opened and closed by the control valve 30, and internal-pressure detecting means 35d for detecting the internal pressure of the air bag 21. The piezoelectric element 31, which, when not energized, closes the vent holes 29, is caused to bend by energization, so as to open the vent holes 29, thereby allowing a gas in the air bag 21 to be discharged to the outside. The opening degree of the vent holes 29 is feedback controlled in accordance with the air bag internal pressure detected by the internal-pressure detecting means 35d, so that the change of the air bag internal pressure with respect to the elapse of time coincides with a preset internal-pressure pattern.

Abstract: A vehicle steering handle comprises a boss portion disposed centrally thereof for accommodating an air bag, right and left grip portions disposed vertically on right and left sides of the boss portion for allowing gripping by a driver, and upper and lower horizontal connector portions connecting respective upper and lower ends of the right and left grip portions to thereby make the handle generally rectangular in shape. At least the upper connector portion extends substantially linearly. As a result, it becomes possible for the air bag to suitably deform to thereby support a collision load of a driver. Further, with the upper connector portion extending linearly, improved view to vehicle instruments is provided.