Takata Corporation

Ichiro Amamori

Akira Kokeguchi

Hiroaki Fujii

Hiroki Shibata

Tadahiro Igawa

Daisuke Kashiwagi

Provided are a mounting structure of driver airbag unit and a steering wheel of a simple structure, but which allow the driver airbag unit to be easily mounted on the steering wheel so as to slightly move. A driver airbag unitis mounted on the steering wheelso as to move toward and away from the driver, and biased toward the driver by coil springs. The driver airbag unitis mounted on the steering wheelby connection of leg members, projecting from a retainerin a direction away from the driver, to the steering wheel. The leg membersare allowed to slightly move with respect to the retainerat least away from and toward the driver.

Mounting structure of driver airbag unit, and steering wheel

A driver-airbag-apparatus-attaching structure is provided having a simple configuration and with which space can be saved. A snap-lock mechanism includes brackets projecting from the front surface of a steering hub portion, attachment pieces projecting from the bottom surface of a retainer of a driver airbag apparatus in such a manner as to overlap the brackets, openings provided in the brackets, and projecting portions projecting from surfaces of the respective attachment pieces that are to face the respective brackets. The projecting portions are continuous with the attachment pieces with respective elastically deformable portions interposed therebetween. When the driver airbag apparatus is bought near to the steering hub portion, the attachment pieces move along the brackets, and the projecting portions receive reactive forces from the brackets, whereby the elastically deformable portions elastically deform. When the projecting portions reach the openings, the elastically deformable portions elastically restore the original forms, and the projecting portions engage with the openings.

Driver-airbag-apparatus-attaching structure and steering wheel

An airbag apparatus includes an airbag, a retainer, a bag ring to sandwich a periphery of an opening of the airbag between the retainer and the bag ring, and a gas-generating device inserted into the airbag for discharging a gas for development of the airbag. The bag ring includes an airbag-holding portion to sandwich the periphery of the base end portion of the airbag, an engaging portion provided at an end portion of the airbag-holding portion adjacent to the stitching portion and engaging the stitching portion when the base cloth panel is displaced from the bag ring, and a gas flow-regulating portion provided on an inner side of the airbag-holding portion. The flow-regulating portion has an inclined portion relative to a gas blowing direction for protecting the stitching portion from the gas ejecting from the gas-generating device.

Airbag apparatus

An inflator securing structure for securing an inflator having substantially cylindrical shape to a retainer in an airbag system includes a fixed shaft having a substantially D-shaped cross section and formed at one end of the inflator along an axial direction of the inflator; and a locking structure forming a locking hole having a substantially D shape and formed in the retainer so that the locking hole is engaged with the fixed shaft. One of the fixed shaft and the locking hole has at least one groove, and other of the fixed shaft and the locking hole has at least one convex portion so as to engage with the groove.

Inflator securing structure and airbag system

To improve the appearance of the steering apparatus and the operability of the horn operating cover in a steering apparatus mounted in a vehicle, a steering apparatus and airbag device are disclosed. In form of a steering apparatus, a module cover for operating a horn turns in a direction of the initial position and the horn operating position with respect to a fulcrum independently from the retainer which is fixedly mounted on the cover counter-surface of the steering wheel.

Steering apparatus

An airbag system includes an airbag, a retainer for retaining the airbag, a module cover having a vertical wall for covering an outer periphery of the airbag and capable of moving forward to approach the retainer and moving backward to return to an initial position, and a plate spring member mounted under the retainer and having an upper outer periphery portion for supporting the vertical wall of the module cover and for urging the module cover in a backward direction. A moving contact of a horn switch is provided to the module cover and brought into conduction when the module cover moves forward.

Airbag system

An emblem is disposed on an external surface of a module cover of an airbag apparatus. The emblem has a narrow width portion and at least two wide width portions with the narrow width portion in between. The emblem includes a reinforcing member disposed on a backside thereof and extending through the narrow width portion to the wide width portions.

Emblem, module cover and airbag apparatus

An airbag device is provided with a retainer, an airbag mounted on the retainer, an airbag-mounting ring to mount the airbag to the retainer, an inflator to inflate the airbag, a shape-maintaining component to maintain a folded shape of the airbag, and a module cover covering the folded airbag. The shape-maintaining component is fixed to bolts. A central portion of the shape-maintaining component is attached to a central portion of a front panel of the airbag with a seam thread. When the inflator is mounted on the retainer, since a space is provided in the retainer, a front-end side of the inflator is smoothly inserted.

Airbag device

An occupant protection device includes an airbag to be deployed in front of a vehicle occupant and a gas generator for inflating the airbag. The airbag includes a thorax-protection airbag to be deployed in front of a thorax of the occupant and a head-protection airbag to be deployed in front of a head of the occupant. Since the occupant protection device includes the thorax-protection airbag and the head-protection airbag, the individual airbag has a small capacity and requires an inflator with an output lower than that in the conventional airbag device.

Occupant protection device

An airbag has the first bag expanding from an upper portion of an instrument panel toward a passenger, and the second bag disposed at a front part of the first bag. The first and second bags are respectively formed of two panels. The first bag has a length smaller than that of the second bag in the lateral width direction. When the second bag expands, the second bag abuts against a windshield or a ceiling of a passenger compartment, and contacts the upper body of the passenger for supporting.

Passenger-side airbag apparatus

A passenger-seat airbag device for a vehicle includes an instrument panel for the vehicle, a windshield extending upwardly from the instrument panel, and an airbag installed in an upper surface of the instrument panel to be inflated between the windshield and an occupant. The airbag includes a first surface facing the windshield, a second surface facing the occupant, and an internal member connecting the first and second surfaces. When the airbag is fully inflated, a top of the first surface contacts the windshield, a rest of the first surface is separated from the windshield, and a part of the first surface under the top is pulled toward the second surface by the internal member so that the airbag has a concave depression extending toward the second surface.

Passenger-seat airbag device

An automobile has a head protection device including a curtain-type airbag, wherein a distribution pipe inside the airbag does not interfere with any of projecting members on a peripheral side portion of a vehicle ceiling so that the airbag can be easily installed. The head protection device further includes an inflator for spouting gas into the pipe along a side rail of a vehicle body. The airbag are positioned not to interfere with a belt anchor stalk and a striker mounting bracket. To correspond this, the pipe inserted in the airbag is provided with a curved portion.

Automobile head protection device for vehicle occupant

An airbag retainer houses and holds an airbag and an inflator for supplying gas for inflating the airbag. The retainer is formed of an upper retainer as a bag-housing member made of a resin having a plurality of flange-shaped fastening portions, and a lower retainer as an inflator-holding member attached to the bag-housing member to have surface-to-surface contact and having a fastening portion. At least one fastening portion of the upper retainer among the plurality of fastening portions underlies the corresponding fastening portion of the lower retainer.

Airbag retainer

An airbag apparatus configured so that an amount of gas introduced into an airbag is varied by shifting the position of a closing member to open vent openings. The apparatus includes a mechanism for preventing gas generated by a gas generator from leaking through the vent openings when the closing member is closed. A base of the airbag is clamped between a heat shield plate and a retainer. The retainer includes vent openings and the base of the airbag covers the vent openings. The heat shield plate has openings corresponding to the vent openings for allowing gas to flow out of the retainer. The closing member has a plurality of openings, for allowing the gas to flow out, at the same disposing interval as that of the vent openings. When the airbag is not inflated, the openings are positioned so as to be out of line with the vent openings.

An air bag is folded and accommodated in a container to be inflated by an inflator. An end portion of a gas inlet of the air bag is fastened to the container. The air bag has left and right side portions folded in a form of bellows to form an elongated intermediate folding body. Two sides of the intermediate folding body are folded in a form of bellows or a roll and accommodated in the container. The air bag can be inflated very smoothly.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Ichiro Amamori