Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Japan Energy Corporation

Minoru Kanda

Yukihiro Yamaguchi

Akihiro Ikeya

Toshiya Sakai

Takashi Aoki

Fumiharu Ochiai

Takeshi Kai

Koichi Kamiji

Kazuhiro Saito

Kazuhiro Seki

Naohiko Saita

Nobuo Imazeki

Satoshi Takizawa

Tatsushi Shimizu

Hidehiro Yamamoto

Kazuhiro Seiki

Toshihiko Okazaki

An air bag of an inflatable curtain device includes a first cell group and a second cell group whose internal spaces are independent from each other. A high-pressure gas discharged from opposite ends of a common inflater disposed between both of the first and second cell groups and is supplied to a high-pressure gas supply port in the first cell group and a high-pressure gas supply port in the second cell group. The first and second cell groups can be expanded simultaneously by the common inflater, whereby the entire air bag can be deployed promptly, but also even when one of the first and second cell groups and is damaged, the deployment of the other cell group can be achieved without hindrance.

Occupant restraint device

A shock absorbing vehicle body structure in a vehicle includes a substantially quadrilateral front subsidiary frame comprised of left and right side members extending in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle body and connected at their front and rear ends to each other by a front cross member and a rear cross member. The front subsidiary frame is supported at its four corners on main frames for the vehicle body through rubber mounts and bolts. Upon full-lap collision of the vehicle, the left rear bolt is first broken, whereby the rear end of the left side member is separated from the main frame and then, the right rear bolt is broken, whereby the rear end of the right side member is separated from the main frame. The right and left side members are formed with different rigidities to a longitudinal load applied thereto, which causes the right and left rear bolts to break at different times, or with a time lag therebetween. Such a time lag decreases the peak value of deceleration of the vehicle at a time when the front subsidiary frame is separated from the main frames due to a full-lap collision of the vehicle.

Shock absorpting vehicle body structure

An airbag module is provided at a central portion of a steering wheel, and includes an inflator, an airbag and a front steering cover. A steering boss having an arm is secured to a steering shaft. A side wall of the front steering cover is supported by the arm through an energy-absorbing support arrangement. When the developing airbag contacts with an occupant in a vehicle and a reaction force from the occupant is applied to the airbag module, the support arrangement is caused to plastically deform to move the airbag module in a direction opposite from the developing direction of the airbag. With this arrangement, when the airbag develops and holds the occupant, it is possible to hold him or her as soft as possible.

Airbag system

At least the first chamfered portion 22 for forming the apex portion 8 has a surface roughness (R.sub.p-p) of 0.6 .mu.m or under. This first chamfered portion 22 is formed through grinding with a #2500 or #1500 grinding stone.

Improved magnetic head having smoothed chamfered surface for reducing

In an inflatable air bag system for restraining a vehicle occupant in case of a high acceleration situation such as a vehicle crash comprising a casing accommodating a folded air bag therein, the casing is adapted to be installed into an opening of an instrument panel facing the vehicle occupant. The casing is relatively securely attached to the vehicle body at its lower end, but is simply secured to the instrument panel at its upper end by means of a slot and projection engagement structure which is adapted to be engaged as a result of fully inserting the casing in the opening. Thus, the work involved in installing the air bag system is simplified, but the casing is secured in a sufficiently stable fashion because the slot and projection engagement structure is highly effective in restraining the rotating movement of the casing around its fixedly secured lower end. In use, this structure allows the casing to be securely supported against the reaction caused by the deployment of the air bag.

Inflatable air bag system

In a passive restraint system for a vehicle occupant using an inflatable air bag, an open base end of the air bag is clamped between an air bag housing for accommodating the air bag in its folded state and an inflator housing for receiving an inflator for producing the inflating gas therein. Thus, the base end of the air bag can be attached securely and tightly to the air bag system in a highly simple manner. The air bag housing diverges toward the opening for deploying the air bag, and the air bag can be therefore rapidly deployed without encountering any substantial resistance from the air bag housing. Also, the diverging shape of the air bag housing allows the air bag housing to be laterally deformed to absorb the energy of impact applied thereto.

Passive restraint system for a vehicle occupant using an air bag

An air bag device for use in front of a passenger seat of an automobile includes a casing disposed in the instrument panel of the automobile, a folded air bag housed in the casing and inflatable through the upper opening upon impact, and a lid openably joined to the casing in covering relationship to the upper opening. An air bag restraint guide or protective cloth is joined to the casing for preventing the air bag from directly contacting an edge of the upper opening when the air bag is inflated through the upper opening.

Air bag device for passenger seat

A turning center line is provided at a front edge side of a lid mounted on an upper surface of an instrument panel for permitting spreading of an air bag, and the lid is provided at a rear edge side thereof with a free end which is adapted to abut against a front windshield when the lid is opened. By contructing the lid-turning center line to be substantially parallel to the widthwise line of the front windshield, and the free end of the lid to be, in its closed position, substantially parallel to a line extending in a widthwise direction of the vehicle, or by constructing the lid-turning center line to be substantially parallel to the line extending in the widthwise direction of the vehicle, and the free end of the lid to be, in its closed position, substantially symmetrical to the widthwise line of the front windshield with respect to the lid-turning central line, it is ensured that the free end of the lid is permitted to abut against the front windshield substantially concurrently over the widthwise entire length. This avoids application of a localized load to the lid, thereby preventing any deformation or breaking of the lid.

Lid structure of air bag system

An inflatable bag assembly is suitable for a seat of a vehicle such as an assistant driver's seat and has a bag which is inflatable in a curved configuration offset to one side. The bag is accommodated in a retainer case in a folded position. A gas generator has a gas outlet which is offset to one side with respect to the bag. Alternatively, the bag itself may be distributed less to one side of the retainer case than to the other side. Such a configuration of the gas generator or the bag allows the bag to begin inflating at the particular side mentioned above.

Growing community of inventors

Wako, Japan

Minoru Kanda