Takata Corporation

Yoshiyuki Nakano

Tadahiro Nakayama

Hiroshi Tomita

Masahiko Iwai

Yutaka Yamaguchi

Tadayuki Asako

Yoshihiko Minami

Tadayuki Ato

Shuji Kusaka

Toshiyuki Konishi

Norihiko Kitagishi

A pre-tensioner capable of effectively absorbing kinetic energy exerted on a coupling member connected to a piston during operation. As a gas generator is actuated to generate gas in the event of emergency, the gas is introduced into a pressure chamber. By gas pressure of the gas, a piston moves at high speed toward a taper portion of a cylinder to reach the taper portion. According to the movement of the piston, a buckle is pulled toward a bracket so that the buckle is about to reach the bottom. After that, the piston further moves to the left while deforming the taper portion. The deformation of the taper portion absorbs kinetic energy of the piston. Therefore, kinetic energy of the buckle is absorbed so as to stop the buckle softly and the impact is buffered.

Pre-tensioner

A kinetic-energy absorbing member absorbs the kinetic energy of a pull-in member such as a buckle or a lap anchor when reaching a bottom position. The kinetic-energy absorbing member, which includes a thin-walled tubular member that may be made of metal such as iron or aluminum, is arranged between a bracket and buckle. As the pretensioner is actuated, the buckle is pulled by a wire, thereby depressing the kinetic-energy absorbing member against the bracket so that the kinetic-energy absorbing member collapses and the kinetic energy of the buckle is absorbed when reaching the bottom position.

Seat belt apparatus

A buckle device that includes a buckle with which a tongue supported by a seat belt becomes engaged, and buckle-moving device which moves the buckle between a storage position at which the buckle is stored when the buckle is not used and a use position at which the buckle is retained in a used state in which the seat belt is fastened. The buckle may be hidden in the vehicle seat at the storage position. The buckle does not obstruct the occupant when the occupant sits on or gets off the vehicle seat, and the occupant can smoothly sit on or get off the vehicle seat.

Seat belt buckle

A pretensioner including a cylinder in which a piston slides. A side of the pipe attached to a bracket is curved at a predetermined angle. One linear portion of the pipe serves as the cylinder, and the other linear portion of the pipe serves as a gas-generator accommodating portion that accommodates a gas generator. A wire passing hole through which a wire passes is bored coaxially with the center axis of the piston sliding portion of the pipe. The piston sliding portion and the gas-generator accommodating portion can be formed of the single pipe, and the gas generator and the wire can be prevented from interfering with each other.

Pretensioner

A seat belt device including a shock absorbing mechanism to gently stop a pull-in member and to prevent a large impact force from being exerted on the pull-in member when the pull-in member is pulled in by a pre-tensioner. The device may include a wire pulled by operation of a buckle pre-tensioner at the time of an emergency, a buckle is pulled in towards a bracket while a cover contracts. Before the cover contracts to a maximum permissible contraction position, the buckle comes into contact with the free end of a shock absorbing member, and, then, is pulled in while the shock absorbing member is caused to contract. By the contraction of the shock absorbing member, the shock absorbing member absorbs impact energy of the buckle.

Seatbelt device

A boot is disposed between two members movable relative to each other. The boot includes a plurality of contracting portions situated adjacent to each other. In an unloaded condition, the contracting portions extend in a longitudinal direction and are gradually offset in a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. In a contracted condition when at least one of the members moves toward the other member along the longitudinal direction, the contracting portions are overlapped with each other in the lateral direction.

Boot and seat belt device employing the same

An inflator is formed of a cylindrical casing, and a partition situated in the casing to be offset from a middle in a longitudinal direction of the casing to one end side of the casing. Thus, the casing has a first chamber on the one end side and a second chamber on the other end side. A gas generant is filled in the first and second chambers for generating gases. First holes are formed in the casing only near the partition to communicate with the first chamber. When the gas generant in the first chamber is ignited, a gas is ejected through the first holes near the partition to inflate the airbag as equal as possible in the longitudinal direction. Second holes are formed in the casing only at the middle in the longitudinal direction of the casing to communicate with the second chamber. When the gas generant in the second chamber is ignited, a gas is ejected through the second holes at the middle of the casing to equally inflate the airbag in the longitudinal direction.

Inflator and airbag device

An airbag device is formed of a retainer having a center opening, an air bag, and at least one inflater fixed to the retainer. The air bag includes an outer bag having an outer bag opening, and an inner bag arranged inside the outer bag and having an inner bag opening. The peripheries of the outer and inner bag openings are directly or indirectly fixed to the retainer so that the inner bag communicates with an outside through the outer bag opening and the center opening. The inflater has a main body containing a gas generating agent therein and faces a space between the outer and inner bags to directly supply gas to the space when the inflater is actuated. When the gas is supplied to the space between the outer and inner bags, air is inspired into the inner bag through the center opening.

Growing community of inventors

Hikone, Japan

Yoshiyuki Nakano