Abstract: An airbag main body is divided into a first inflation chamber, a second inflation chamber, and a third inflation chamber. The third inflation chamber is inflated beside the lumbar region of an occupant. The vertical partition has a communication hole that connects the first inflation chamber and the second inflation chamber to each other. The airbag main body has a gas passage, which extends in the up-down direction and surrounds at least the gas outlet of an inflator. The gas passage bridges the first inflation chamber and the third inflation chamber. The gas passage has an upper opening, which faces a part of the first inflation chamber that is inflated beside the shoulder region of the occupant. The gas passage also has a lower opening, which faces the third inflation chamber.

Abstract: An airbag is manufactured as follows. In a first joining step, peripheral portions of structural fabric portions that are located closer to the main body fabric portions at the installation are joined to the main body fabric portions in a spread state. In a second joining step, a part that is not overlaid onto the structural fabric portions is joined to the main body fabric portions, and a part that is overlaid onto the structural fabric portions is joined only to the structural fabric portions. In a third joining step, peripheral portions of the structural fabric portions that are separated away from the main body fabric portions at the installation are joined to each other.

Abstract: An inflation portion of an airbag, which is inflated by inflation gas, is partitioned into an upstream inflation portion and a downstream inflation portion via a partition member. When being tensioned in a planar manner, the partition member has a length in a longitudinal direction that is longer than a length in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. A pressure regulating valve that is closed at an early stage of a supply period of the inflation gas to the inflation portion and is opened from the middle of the supply period includes a slit-like inner opening that is provided on the partition member and extends in the transverse direction and a pair of valve body portions that are provided around the inner opening and are selectively positioned close to and separated from each other.

Abstract: An inflation portion of an airbag, which is inflated by inflation gas, is partitioned into an upstream inflation portion and a downstream inflation portion via a partition member. When being tensioned in a planar manner, the partition member has a length in a longitudinal direction that is longer than a length in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. A pressure regulating valve that is closed at an early stage of a supply period of the inflation gas to the inflation portion and is opened from the middle of the supply period includes a slit-like inner opening that is provided on the partition member and extends in the transverse direction and a pair of valve body portions that are provided around the inner opening and are selectively positioned close to and separated from each other.

Abstract: An airbag includes a high pressure expansion chamber, a low pressure expansion chamber, and a communication passage, which connects the high pressure expansion chamber and the low pressure expansion chamber to each other. A gas supply port, which supplies inflation gas into the airbag, is located inside the low pressure expansion chamber to discharge the inflation gas toward the inside of the communication passage. The communication passage extends from the edge of a communication port, which connects the high pressure expansion chamber and the low pressure expansion chamber, toward the inside of the high pressure expansion chamber. At deployment and inflation of the airbag, the communication passage is located between a seam formed at the outer periphery of the base fabric sheet of the airbag and the gas supply port.

Abstract: An airbag is manufactured as follows. In a first joining step, peripheral portions of structural fabric portions that are located closer to the main body fabric portions at the installation are joined to the main body fabric portions in a spread state. In a second joining step, a part that is not overlaid onto the structural fabric portions is joined to the main body fabric portions, and a part that is overlaid onto the structural fabric portions is joined only to the structural portions. In a third joining step, peripheral portions of the structural fabric portions that are separated away from the main body fabric portions at the installation are joined to each other.

Abstract: An inflation portion of an airbag main body is divided into a first inflation chamber, a second inflation chamber in front of and adjacent to the first inflation chamber with a vertical partition in between, and a third inflation chamber below the first inflation chamber with a lateral partition in between. The vertical partition has a pressure regulator valve. Before the first inflation chamber restrains an occupant, the pressure regulator valve restricts flow of inflation gas from the first inflation chamber to the second inflation chamber. When the first inflation chamber restrains the occupant, the pressure regulator valve opens in response to a change in the tensed state of the vertical partition due to the applied external force generated by the restraint, thereby cancelling the restraint. The lateral partition has a check valve, which restricts flow of inflation gas from the third inflation chamber to the first inflation chamber.

Abstract: Inside of an airbag is partitioned by a partitioning member into an upstream inflation portion, which is inflated by a supply of gas, and a downstream inflation portion, which is inflated by inflow of the gas from the upstream inflation portion. The partitioning member includes a wide portion where an external force to be applied accompanying an occupant restraint by the airbag becomes largest. In the partitioning member, slits are formed at portions other than the wide portion. The slits cause the gas to flow into the downstream inflation portion from the upstream inflation portion upon the inflation of the airbag. The slits are opened by the force to increase the flow rate of the gas into the downstream inflation portion from the upstream inflation portion during the occupant restraint by the airbag compared to the gas flow rate before the occupant restraint by the airbag.

Abstract: A lateral partition is formed by a pair of structural fabric portions, each of which has a first peripheral portion and a second peripheral portion. The first peripheral portions of the structural fabric portions are each joined to one of main body fabric portions. The second peripheral portions of the structural fabric portions are joined to each other by a joint portion provided along the second peripheral portions. An inner tube extends over the upper inflation chamber and the lower inflation chamber, while intersecting with the lateral partition. A rear peripheral portion of a part of the inner tube is joined to the main body fabric portions by a part of the peripheral joint portion, and a front peripheral portion of the part is joined to the structural fabric portions by the joint portion.

Abstract: An airbag of a side airbag apparatus includes an upstream inflation portion, which inflates by inflation gas, and deploys frontward at a side of a vehicle seat. An opening is provided at a wall portion of the upstream inflation portion. A pressure regulator valve closes before an occupant is restrained by the upstream inflation portion, thereby restricting the inflation gas in the upstream inflation portion from flowing through the opening. Upon the occupant restraint, the pressure regulator valve cancels the restriction in response to a change in a tensed state of the dividing portion by an external force applied due to the restraint. A tear seam that connects valve body portions of the pressure regulator valve delays the opening time of the pressure regulator valve upon the occupant restraint by the upstream inflation portion relative to the opening time set only by the pressure regulator valve.

Abstract: An inflation portion of an airbag is divided by a partitioning member into an upstream inflation portion and a downstream inflation portion. Part of the partitioning member forms a pair of overlapping portions overlapped with each other in a band-like shape inside the upstream inflation portion. The overlapping portions are joined to each other by a joint portion located at a boundary between the overlapping portions and non-overlapping portions. The partitioning member includes an opening, which is formed by cancelling the joint between the overlapping portions by the joint portion, and a pressure regulating valve, which includes a pair of valve bodies, which sandwiches the opening. Stress relaxation portions are provided at the overlapping portions. The stress relaxation portions relax stress acting on parts of the joint portion that are adjacent to the opening as the pressure regulating valve is opened.

Abstract: An airbag includes an airbag body and an inner tube. The inner tube includes a gas upstream section located in an upstream region of an inflation gas stream fed from a gas generator and a gas outlet section that opens toward an inflatable region of the airbag body and feeds an inflation gas to the inflatable region. The gas outlet section includes a check valve section. The check valve section has a flexible and a generally tubular shape extending and opening toward the inflatable region due to pressure of an inflation gas so as to stream the inflation gas into the inflatable region. After the gas generator has finished discharging the inflation gas, the check valve section folds back toward the gas upstream section due to an internal pressure of the inflatable region and closes off the gas outlet section.

Abstract: A side airbag apparatus has an inflatable portion, which is deployed and inflated on a side of a seat of a vehicle by inflation gas. The inflatable portion is divided into upstream and downstream sections by a partitioning member including a valve having an opening and a pair of valve body elements. Immediately after the beginning of the supplying of the gas, the valve body elements remain in contact with each other to close the valve. When the upstream section restrains an occupant, a force is exerted to the partitioning member by the occupant, which causes the partitioning member to warp and the valve body elements to be separated from each other to open the valve. The upstream section has a shoulder-protecting portion, which is deployed and inflated on a side of a region of the occupant including a rear end part and a middle part of a shoulder.

Abstract: An airbag includes a check valve in a communication passage connecting a lumbar-region-protecting inflatable portion and a shoulder-protecting inflatable portion. The check valve restricts outflow of inflation gas from the lumbar-region-protecting inflatable portion to the shoulder-protecting inflatable portion. A pressure regulation valve, which has an internal opening and a pair of valve body elements, is provided in a partitioning member between the shoulder-protecting inflatable portion and a thorax-protecting inflatable portion. Before an occupant is restrained by the shoulder-protecting inflatable portion, the valve body elements are pressed and contact with each other by inflation gas in the shoulder-protecting inflatable portion, thereby restricting flow of inflation gas at the internal opening.

Abstract: A gas generator includes an inflator and a retainer. The retainer includes a holding portion, which partially covers the inflator. The inflator has an attaching protrusion for determining the position relative to the retainer. The retainer includes an engagement base and a tongue piece. The tongue piece extends in an axial direction of the inflator and from a position separated from the engagement base in the circumferential direction of the holding portion. The engagement base and the tongue piece each have an engagement portion. The engagement portions face each other to form an engagement space therebetween, into which the attaching protrusion enters. The engagement space has an inlet the width of which is less than the size of the positioning protrusion. When the inflator causes the positioning protrusion to increase the width of the inlet, the tongue piece is elastically deformed about a basal end of the tongue piece.

Abstract: The airbag has a front portion, in which a front chamber is formed, a rear portion, in which a rear chamber is formed, and a partition, which partitions the front and rear chambers from each other. The partition has a communication passage for connecting the front and rear chambers to communicate to each other. A pressure regulating valve is located in the passage. At an early stage of a supply period during which an inflator supplies inflation gas to the airbag, the valve is closed to restrict flow of the inflation gas from the rear chamber to the front chamber via the passage. The valve is opened during the supply period to permit the inflation gas to flow therethrough. A front portion of the airbag is roll-folded, while a rear portion is accordion-folded. The airbag front portion and the airbag rear portion are located in front of the inflator.

Abstract: Inside of an airbag is partitioned by a partitioning member into an upstream inflation portion, which is inflated by a supply of gas, and a downstream inflation portion, which is inflated by inflow of the gas from the upstream inflation portion. The partitioning member includes a wide portion where an external force to be applied accompanying an occupant restraint by the airbag becomes largest. In the partitioning member, slits are formed at portions other than the wide portion. The slits cause the gas to flow into the downstream inflation portion from the upstream inflation portion upon the inflation of the airbag. The slits are opened by the force to increase the flow rate of the gas into the downstream inflation portion from the upstream inflation portion during the occupant restraint by the airbag compared to the gas flow rate before the occupant restraint by the airbag.

Abstract: An airbag apparatus includes an airbag, a retainer secured to the airbag, and an elongated inflator attached to the retainer. The inflator discharges gas for inflating the airbag. The retainer includes an attaching protrusion, which protrudes in a direction intersecting an axis of the inflator and secures the retainer to a vehicle together with the airbag. The inflator includes an attaching protrusion, which protrudes in the direction intersecting the axis and secures the inflator to the vehicle together with the retainer.

Abstract: An inflation portion of an airbag, which is inflated by inflation gas, is partitioned into an upstream inflation portion and a downstream inflation portion via a partition member. When being tensioned in a planar manner, the partition member has a length in a longitudinal direction that is longer than a length in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. A pressure regulating valve that is closed at an early stage of a supply period of the inflation gas to the inflation portion and is opened from the middle of the supply period includes a slit-like inner opening that is provided on the partition member and extends in the transverse direction and a pair of valve body portions that are provided around the inner opening and are selectively positioned close to and separated from each other.

Abstract: An airbag includes a high pressure expansion chamber, a low pressure expansion chamber, and a communication passage, which connects the high pressure expansion chamber and the low pressure expansion chamber to each other. A gas supply port, which supplies inflation gas into the airbag, is located inside the low pressure expansion chamber to discharge the inflation gas toward the inside of the communication passage. The communication passage extends from the edge of a communication port, which connects the high pressure expansion chamber and the low pressure expansion chamber, toward the inside of the high pressure expansion chamber. At deployment and inflation of the airbag, the communication passage is located between a seam formed at the outer periphery of the base fabric sheet of the airbag and the gas supply port.