Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a peptide having an affinity for silicon nitride; a polynucleotide encoding the peptide; an expression vector for expressing the peptide having an affinity for silicon nitride; an expression vector for expressing a peptide fusion protein that comprises the peptide having an affinity for silicon nitride and a target protein; a transformant obtained by introducing the expression vector into a host cell; a peptide fusion protein obtained from the transformant; a silicon nitride substrate to which a peptide having an affinity for silicon nitride has been bonded; a method for immobilizing a target protein to a silicon nitride substrate; a composition for immobilizing a target protein to a silicon nitride substrate, the composition comprising a peptide having an affinity for silicon nitride; and a linker for immobilizing a target protein to a silicon nitride substrate, the linker comprising a peptide having an affinity for silicon nitride.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a peptide having an affinity for silicon nitride; a polynucleotide encoding the peptide; an expression vector for expressing the peptide having an affinity for silicon nitride; an expression vector for expressing a peptide fusion protein that comprises the peptide having an affinity for silicon nitride and a target protein; a transformant obtained by introducing the expression vector into a host cell; a peptide fusion protein obtained from the transformant; a silicon nitride substrate to which a peptide having an affinity for silicon nitride has been bonded; a method for immobilizing a target protein to a silicon nitride substrate; a composition for immobilizing a target protein to a silicon nitride substrate, the composition comprising a peptide having an affinity for silicon nitride; and a linker for immobilizing a target protein to a silicon nitride substrate, the linker comprising a peptide having an affinity for silicon nitride.

Abstract: An airbag system includes an airbag arrangement being expanded at a side of a vehicle compartment by igniting an inflator based on a signal from a collision-detecting sensor arrangement in the event of a collision of the vehicle, wherein the airbag arrangement includes a front seat-protecting airbag and a rear seat-protecting airbag, the collision-detecting sensor arrangement includes at least a front seat-detecting sensor for detecting a side impact occurring near a front seat and a rear seat-detecting sensor for detecting a side impact occurring near a rear seat, and the front seat-protecting airbag is expanded when the front seat-detecting sensor detects a side impact, the rear seat-protecting airbag is expanded when the rear seat-detecting sensor detects a side impact.

Abstract: An occupant restraint system includes an airbag and an inflator. The front end of a gas supply pipe, which extends from the inflator housed in a rear pillar to the interior of the airbag and guides the gas generated by the inflator to the airbag, is substantially vertically aligned with front portion of a rear wheel wheelhouse of the vehicle. Since the gas supply pipe can be positioned in an area in which the vehicle body rigidity has been increased by the rear pillar and the wheelhouse, it can be effectively prevented from being damaged due to the impact of a side collision of the vehicle. Moreover, since the inflator is housed in the rear pillar, which is wider and more rigid than a front pillar, it is possible to minimize or effectively prevent damage to the inflator.

Abstract: A vehicular occupant restraint system is provided with an airbag and an inflator. A front end of the folded airbag is housed within a front pillar garnish covering a side face on the occupant compartment side of a front pillar, and impact absorbing ribs are formed on the inner face of the front pillar garnish only in a section(s) that receives little deformation when the airbag is deployed. Since the front pillar garnish can be easily flexed when the air bag is deployed, there is neither inhibition to the smooth deployment of the airbag nor splitting and scattering of a part of the front pillar garnish. Moreover, since the impact absorbing ribs are formed on the front pillar garnish in the section(s) that receives little deformation, the impact of a secondary collision to an occupant can be absorbed effectively by the impact absorbing ribs.

Abstract: The airbag system 1 and 2 (a front seat-inflator double curtain system and a rear seat-inflator double curtain system) comprises an airbag being expanded at a side of a vehicle compartment by igniting the inflator 11, 12 based on a signal from a collision-detecting sensor in the event of a collision of the vehicle, wherein the airbag includes a front seat-protecting airbag 10 and a rear seat-protecting airbag 20, wherein the collision-detecting sensor includes at least a front seat-detecting sensor 14 for detecting a side impact occurred at a front seat and a rear seat-detecting sensor 24 for detecting a side impact occurred at a rear seat, and wherein the front seat-protecting airbag 10 is expanded when the front seat-detecting sensor 14 detects a side impact, the rear seat-protecting airbag 20 is expanded when the rear seat-detecting sensor 24 detects a side impact.

Abstract: A vehicular occupant restraint system is provided with an airbag and an inflator. A front end of the folded airbag is housed within a front pillar garnish covering a side face on the occupant compartment side of a front pillar, and impact absorbing ribs are formed on the inner face of the front pillar garnish only in a section(s) that receives little deformation when the airbag is deployed. Since the front pillar garnish can be easily flexed when the air bag is deployed, there is neither inhibition to the smooth deployment of the airbag nor splitting and scattering of a part of the front pillar garnish. Moreover, since the impact absorbing ribs are formed on the front pillar garnish in the section(s) that receives little deformation, the impact of a secondary collision to an occupant can be absorbed effectively by the impact absorbing ribs.

Abstract: An occupant restraint system includes an airbag and an inflator. The front end of a gas supply pipe, which extends from the inflator housed in a rear pillar to the interior of the airbag and guides the gas generated by the inflator to the airbag, is substantially vertically aligned with front portion of a rear wheel wheelhouse of the vehicle. Since the gas supply pipe can be positioned in an area in which the vehicle body rigidity has been increased by the rear pillar and the wheelhouse, it can be effectively prevented from being damaged due to the impact of a side collision of the vehicle. Moreover, since the inflator is housed in the rear pillar, which is wider and more rigid than a front pillar, it is possible to minimize or effectively prevent damage to the inflator.

Abstract: A folded-up air bag is accommodated in a module cover of a steering wheel, and a peripheral edge of an opening in the air bag is fixed to a retainer supporting an inflator. The folded-up air bag is covered from a rear side of a vehicle to a front side of the vehicle by a deployment-limiting sheet disposed along an inner surface of the module cover and fixed at one end thereof to the retainer. The deployment-limiting sheet is longer than a length of an inner periphery of the module cover in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. Thus, it is possible to inhibit the air bag from being expanded rearwards of the vehicle body at an initial stage of deployment by the deployment-limiting sheet, thereby avoiding the early interference with an occupant.

Abstract: In an occupant protecting device including an expandable bag housed within a belt for holding back an occupant upon collision of a vehicle, an outlet opening 331 in a buckle-side duct 28 and an inlet opening 183 in a tongue-side duct 18 are opposed to each other through a gap &agr;, and a seal member 35 made of a rubber and integrally provided with an outer lip portion 352 and an inner breakable portion 353 is mounted to the outlet opening 331. When a gas generated by an inflater upon collision of the vehicle is supplied to the buckle-side duct, the breakable portion 353 of the seal member 35 is broken to bring the lip portion 352 into close contact with the inlet opening 183, so that the gas is supplied from the buckle-side duct 28 through the tongue-side duct 18 to a shoulder belt, thereby expanding a bag housed in the shoulder belt. Thus, it is possible to easily and reliably perform the sealing of a gas passage in a connection between a buckle 31 and a tongue 19.