Nihon Plast Co., Ltd.

Nissan Motor Company Limited

Kazuyoshi Nishijima

Kazuhiro Kaneko

Toshiyuki Sugiyama

Tetsuji Endo

Mikio Ochiai

Masahito Ishizuka

Yoshinori Goto

Masaki Ueno

Michitaka Suzuki

Naoki Yamamoto

Masami Tonooka

Shuji Yamada

Takahiro Suwama

Yoshifumi Kamano

Masatoshi Ishigaki

Satoshi Kitazawa

Sadayuki Kawakami

Hiroshi Yakushiji

Ryuji Hori

Naoki Horikawa

Tsuyoshi Watanabe

Kazuo Inaba

Kevin Dominic Delaney

Keiji Mochizuki

Tomokazu Sugiyama

Michiyoshi Takahara

Nobuo Saegusa

Tatsuro Doi

Harumi Mochizuki

Kumiko Mochizuki

Naoko Mochizuki

Yoshitaka Mochizuki

Tetugi Endo

A cover body of a vehicle air bag apparatus, including a covering portion which is formed integrally with an interior panel body and which has a door portion defined by a tear seam formed in a back of the interior panel body, and, a backing portion joined to a back of the covering portion. The covering portion is made of polyolefin resin having a flexual elastic modulus of from 1500 to 3500 MPa, a tensile strength of from 17 to 40 MPa, an Izod impact strength of from 3.0 to 15.0 kJ/m2, and an elongation of 400% or less. The backing portion is made of thermoplastic olefin which is softer and has a greater elongation. The backing portion includes a reinforcing portion at a back of the door portion, a surrounding base at the back of the covering portion, and a hinge portion joining the reinforcing portion and the surrounding base.

Cover body for air bag apparatus

A cover body of a vehicle air bag apparatus, being comprised of a covering portion which is formed integrally with an interior panel body and which has a door portion defined by a tear seam formed in a back of the interior panel body, and, a backing portion joined to a back of the covering portion. The covering portion is made of polyolefin resin having a flexual elastic modulus of from 1500 to 3500 MPa, a tensile strength of from 17 to 40 MPa, an Izod impact strength of from 3.0 to 15.0 kJ/m, and an elongation of 400% or less. The backing portion is made of thermoplastic olefin which is softer and has a greater elongation. The backing portion is comprised of a reinforcing portion at a back of the door portion, a surrounding base at the back of the covering portion, and a hinge portion joining the reinforcing portion and the surrounding base.

An air bag is unfolded on a planar surface and is inflated with air. The air bag is loosely sandwiched between the upper and lower blades that are arranged in a radial configuration. Movable blocks progress toward the center to fold the upper and lower panels of the air bag against the central part of the air bag. The resulting central folded part of the air bag has a wave-like configuration, and the upper and lower panels are separated from each other. The ear-like portions of the air bag are wound around the central folded part of the air bag that is folded in a wave-like configuration. Then, the central part of the air bag is pressed downward to complete the folding process. Gas can be supplied smoothly from the inlet port to the periphery when the air bag is reinflated. The method for folding the air bag is simple, and the air bag can be inflated quickly.

Method and device for folding up air bag, and air bag

Method for folding up an air bag

A core bar includes upper and lower half shells, each having a boss portion including a boss-edge coupling part for coupling the shells along the edges, a shaft fixing part placed substantially in the center of the boss portion and mounted to a steering shaft, and a weak part placed between the boss-edge coupling part and the shaft fixing part and wherein the shells face each other without being coupled; and a rim portion including a rim-edge coupling part for coupling the shells along the edges and a rim hollow part defined between the shells. A spoke portion is interposed between the boss and the rim portions, and includes a spoke-edge coupling part for coupling the shells along the edges and a spoke hollow part defined between the shells.

Core bar for steering wheels

A pouch-shaped air bag ( ) is spread out in a circle. Then, the portion of the air bag ( ) located outside the inflator ( ) is folded into a wave-like pattern from four directions so that four side portions ( ) are formed along the inflator ( ). Next, each one of the four excess portions ( ), which are continuously formed between each two adjacent side portions ( ) and protrude outward, is placed along the outer face of each side portion ( ). Thus, the air bag ( ) can be easily folded compactly that can be smoothly unfolded.

Air bag system, method of folding air bag and air bag folding apparatus

A core bar for a steering wheel includes an upper shell and a lower shell coupled to the upper shell. Each half shell includes a boss core-bar portion coupled to a steering shaft, a rim core-bar portion, and a spoke core-bar portion interposed between the two. An insertion is received in a hollow defined by the upper and lower shells.

An air bag body ( ) is expanded by charging an air therein after being expanded in a flat surface shape. Next, by gently gripping the air bag body ( ) by upper and lower blades ( ) radially arranged in a radial direction of the air bag body ( ), a height in a radial direction of the air bag body ( ) is linearly restricted along the upper and lower blades ( ). Next, a plurality of movable blocks ( ) are forward moved toward a center of the air bag body ( ), and upper and lower panels ( ) of the air bag body ( ) are accumulated. At this time, the upper and lower panels ( ) of the air bag body ( ) are folded in a state of being apart from each other so as to form a wave shape. Next, the air bag body ( ) is rotated, a portion left in a tab shape is wound around a periphery, and a center protruding portion of the air bag body ( ) is pressed from an upper side, whereby a front surface deploying portion ( ) is formed. When supplying gas to the folded air bag body ( ), the front surface deploying portion ( ) rapidly deploys so as to break a cover ( ) and the gas is smoothly supplied to a peripheral edge portion ( ), whereby it is possible to smoothly and rapidly deploy the air bag body ( ).

Apparatus for folding air bag body

An air bag body ( ) is expanded by charging air therein after being expanded in a flat surface shape. Next, by gently gripping the air bag body ( ) by upper and lower blades ( ) radially arranged in a radial direction of the air bag body ( ), height in a radial direction of the air bag body ( ) is linearly restricted along the upper and lower blades ( ). Next, a plurality of movable blocks ( ) are forward moved toward a center of the air bag body ( ), and upper and lower panels ( ) of the air bag body ( ) are accumulated. At this time, the upper and lower panels ( ) of the air bag body ( ) are folded in a state of being apart from each other so as to form a wave shape. Next, the air bag body ( ) is rotated, a portion left in a tab shape is wound around a periphery, and a center protruding portion of the air bag body ( ) is pressed from an upper side, whereby a front surface deploying portion ( ) is formed. When supplying gas to the folded air bag body ( ), the front surface deploying portion ( ) rapidly deploys so as to break a cover ( ) and the gas is smoothly supplied to a peripheral edge portion ( ), whereby it is possible to smoothly and rapidly deploy the air bag body ( ).

Air bag and air bag apparatus

Air bag system of folding an air bag

An air bag device mounted on a steering wheel comprises a holding unit connected to a boss portion of the steering wheel. An inflater is held by the holding unit. The inflater includes a gas ejection portion. First and second fabrics have peripheral portions sewed together to constitute a bag structure. A gas inlet opening is formed in the first fabric. The gas inlet opening has the gas ejection portion of the inflater passed therethrough, so that the gas inlet opening is exposed to the interior of the bag structure. A third fabric is smaller in size than the first and second fabrics. The third fabric is installed in the bag structure in a manner to cover over the gas ejection portion of the inflater. A plurality of sewed points are provided by which the first and third fabrics are sewed together. A plurality of gas flow passages are provided between the first and third fabrics. Each gas flow passage is defined between neighboring two of the sewed points. A vent opening extends through one of the sewed points to provide a communication between a major portion of the interior of the bag structure and the outside of the same.

Air bag device

An airbag includes first and second base cloths and a middle base cloth arranged therebetween for defining first and second compartments in the airbag. Gas communicating ports are arranged in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the middle base cloth to ensure gas communication between the two compartments. Four ring-shaped fixing portions are arranged around a gas introduction port to connect the second and middle base cloths, one of which has an exhaust port formed inside.

Airbag and airbag arrangement

Method of folding air bag body

A pouch-shaped air bag (,) is spread out in a circle. Then, the portion of the air bag (,) located outside the inflator (,) is folded into a wave-like pattern from four directions so that four side portions (,) are formed along the inflator (,). Next, each one of the four excess portions (,), which are continuously formed between each two adjacent side portions (,) and protrude outward, is placed along the outer face of each side portion (,). Thus, the air bag (,) can be easily folded compactly that can be smoothly unfolded.

Air bag apparatus, air bag folding method, and air-bag folding device

Growing community of inventors

Shizuoka, Japan

Kazuyoshi Nishijima