Abstract: An airbag apparatus includes an airbag having an occupant-side surface and a vehicle-body-side surface opposite to the occupant-side surface when the airbag is inflated, and at least an upper chamber and a lower chamber separated from each other; a gas generator for deploying the airbag; and a gas distributor enclosing the gas generator and having outlet ports for allowing gas from the gas generator to flow into the upper chamber and the lower chamber. A check valve is provided for preventing the gas from flowing from the lower chamber to the upper chamber.

Abstract: An inflator having at least first and second gas outputs and configured to generate gas. The inflator releases the gas through the first gas output with a fist gas flow rats and to release the gas through the second gas output with a second gas flow rate different from the first gas flow rate.

Abstract: An occupant protection device is provided which protects an occupant by inflating a seat bag and a lap bag. When a vehicle collision is detected, gas generators are activated and discharge gas. The gas from one of the gas generators inflates a tube. As a result, a front portion of a cushion pad of a seat cushion is pushed upward or hardened and the hips of the occupant are prevented from moving forward. A lap bag also inflates and restrains the hips of the occupant. In one form, a lap anchor inflates so that pretension is applied to a lap portion and the hips of the occupant are pushed downward. Therefore, the thighs and hips of the occupant are pushed between the lap portion and the front portion of the cushion pad which is pushed upward or hardened and are strongly restrained in the seat.

Abstract: A knee-bag to be inflated in front of legs of an occupant includes a first member facing the occupant, a second member facing a side opposite to the occupant, and a tether provided in the knee-bag for connecting the first member and the second member. The tether extends in a lateral direction and has a middle portion and end portions in a thickness direction of the knee-bag. The middle portion has a width in the lateral direction smaller than that of the end portions, so that air-flow spaces are formed between a left end of the tether and a left side of the airbag and between a right end of the tether and a right side of the airbag.

Abstract: A curtain airbag device and a guide unit to allow quick deployment of the curtain airbag are provided. When an inflator is activated, a curtain airbag is deployed downward. During the deployment, the rear portion of the curtain airbag is guided by a guide rod via a link strap. The curtain airbag is provided with a first vertical chamber extending along the guide rod from the upper edge to the lower edge of the curtain airbag. An opening area A of an upper portion of the first vertical chamber is equal to or greater than an opening area B of a gas-entrance portion for a vertical chamber and a bag chamber, which are adjacent to the first vertical chamber.

Abstract: An airbag device is provided to prevent an airbag from being deployed or to reduce the deployment force of an airbag when an airbag device or a vehicle-body component adjacent to the airbag device is leaned against by a vehicle occupant. In one form, a passenger-seat airbag device is set in an instrument panel and includes a bracket which is fixed to a vehicle-body member with, for example, a bolt. A strain gauge is attached to the bracket. When a lid covering the front side of a retainer is leaned against by a vehicle occupant, the weight of the occupant is transmitted to the bracket via the retainer, such that a small strain is generated in the bracket. Such a strain is detected by the strain gauge to allow the deployment force of the airbag to be reduced.

Abstract: A leg-protection device is disposed under a steering column for protecting a vehicle occupant. The leg-protection device includes an airbag to be inflated upwardly along a bottom surface of a steering-column cover and a projecting member provided at the airbag and projecting from a front end portion of the airbag in a inflating direction when the airbag is inflated.

Abstract: An airbag device is provided to reduce the deployment force of an airbag when a vehicle occupant or a child seat is positioned adjacent to an airbag device or a vehicle-body component adjacent to the airbag device. In one form, a passenger-seat airbag device is set in an instrument panel and includes a bracket which is fixed to a vehicle-body member with, for example, a bolt. A strain gauge is attached to the bracket. If a vehicle occupant or a child seat is positioned adjacent to the airbag device, and when an airbag in the process of inflation comes into contact with, for example, a vehicle occupant, the opposing force is transmitted to the bracket via a retainer, such that a strain which is different from that of the normal deployment process is generated in the bracket and detected by the strain gauge for reducing airbag deployment force.

Abstract: A kneebag is arranged to be inflated upwardly from below in front of legs of an occupant in a vehicle. In an inflated state, the kneebag has a thickness at an upper portion thereof larger than that of a middle portion in a vertical direction of the kneebag except left and right side portions thereof.

Abstract: A curtain airbag device and a guide unit allow quick deployment of a curtain airbag. When an inflator is activated, the curtain airbag is deployed downward along a vehicle interior side of a pillar garnish. During the deployment, the rear portion of the curtain airbag is guided by a guide rod via a link strap. The curtain airbag is provided with a first vertical chamber extending along the guide rod from the upper edge to the lower edge of the curtain airbag. A center line C of the first vertical chamber is substantially parallel to the guide rod.

Abstract: A knee bag to be inflated upwardly from below in front of legs of a vehicle occupant includes an upper part constituting a constant width portion having a substantially constant lateral width, and a lower part below the constant width portion having a lateral width decreasing toward a lower end. Tethers extending laterally are provided vertically in the knee bag in multistage, and an upper tether has a longer lateral length. Vent spaces are formed between respective lateral ends of the tethers and lateral edges of the knee bag. The uppermost tether is located in the vicinity of or above a boundary between the constant width portion and a narrow width portion.

Abstract: A guide member for a curtain airbag that a pipe or rod shaped guide extending vertically relative to the vehicle body along a C pillar. The guide member includes, upper and lower fixing sections for fixing the upper and lower ends of the guide to the C pillar. The guide member also includes temporarily tacking sections for tacking the upper and lower fixing sections to the C pillar, when the guide member is mounted to the C pillar. The C pillar has temporarily-tacking-section insertion openings corresponding to the temporarily tacking sections. When the guide member is mounted to the C pillar, the temporarily tacking sections are inserted into the corresponding temporarily-tacking-section insertion openings for engagement, so that the guide member can be temporarily tacked to the C pillar.

Abstract: An occupant protection apparatus protects an occupant sitting on a seat adjacent to a side door of a vehicle when a side collision or a rollover occurs. The occupant protection apparatus includes a push-up device for pushing up a part of a hip portion of the occupant adjacent to the side door when the side collision or the rollover occurs. In the occupant protection apparatus, when the side collision of the vehicle occurs, the push-up device pushes up the part of the occupant's hip to tilt an upper body of the occupant away from the side door. It is preferable that the push-up device includes an inflatable bag and a gas generator for inflating the bag.

Abstract: An occupant leg protection apparatus includes an airbag arranged in front of a vehicle seat, and a gas generator for inflating the airbag. An instrument panel in front of the vehicle seat has an outer layer movable toward an occupant and a base member behind the outer layer. The airbag is disposed between the outer layer and the base member so that the airbag pushes the outer layer to move toward the occupant when the airbag is inflated.

Abstract: A leg protection device includes an airbag to be inflated in front of a leg portion of an occupant for protecting the leg portion; a casing for storing a folded airbag; and a gas generating device for inflating the airbag. The airbag is formed of a front panel facing the occupant and a rear panel at the opposite side of the front panel when the airbag is inflated. The airbag has a folded portion folded into the airbag between the front panel and the rear panel at a perimeter of the airbag.

Abstract: A guide member for a curtain airbag that a pipe or rod shaped guide extending vertically relative to the vehicle body along a C pillar. The guide member includes, upper and lower fixing sections for fixing the upper and lower ends of the guide to the C pillar. The guide member also includes temporarily tacking sections for tacking the upper and lower fixing sections to the C pillar, when the guide member is mounted to the C pillar. The C pillar has temporarily-tacking-section insertion openings corresponding to the temporarily tacking sections. When the guide member is mounted to the C pillar, the temporarily tacking sections are inserted into the corresponding temporarily-tacking-section insertion openings for engagement, so that the guide member can be temporarily tacked to the C pillar.

Abstract: An occupant protection apparatus protects an occupant sitting on a seat adjacent to a side door of a vehicle when a side collision or a rollover occurs. The occupant protection apparatus includes a push-up device for pushing up a part of a hip portion of the occupant adjacent to the side door when the side collision or the rollover occurs. In the occupant protection apparatus, when the side collision of the vehicle occurs, the push-up means pushes up the part of the occupant's hip to tilt an upper body of the occupant away from the side door. It is preferable that the push-up device includes an inflatable bag and a gas generator for inflating the bag.

Abstract: A curtain airbag includes a curtain airbag body folded to have a long substantially elliptic-cylindrical sectional shape and a cover covering the curtain airbag body. On a side surface of the cover, openings are formed at intervals in the longitudinal direction of a folded formation of the curtain airbag body. Through the openings, the curtain airbag body can be visually observed from outside the cover.

Abstract: An airbag apparatus includes an airbag having an interior divided into a plurality of chambers, and a gas generator for inflating the airbag so that gas is guided directly to each chamber from the gas generator. Further, a gas distributor having a plurality of gas outlets is attached to a gas outlet of the gas generator. The gas is supplied to the respective chambers through the gas outlets of the gas distributor.

Abstract: An airbag device including an airbag that provides more effective protection of an occupant. The airbag has an indentation located approximately in the center of a contact surface thereof. The indentation is formed in the shape of a recess or a valley to form the airbag into a heart-like shape. The area including the indentation is at least greater than an area where comes in contact with the face of an occupant. The deepest point of the dent (the farthest point from the occupant in the contact surface) is positioned below the jaw of the occupant. The contact surface extending from the deepest point of the dent to the upper projection top thereof overhangs toward the occupant to have an angle between 0° and 45° (preferably, between 15° and 25°) relative to the cervical vertebrae axis of the occupant.