The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 01, 2000
Filed:
Sep. 23, 1998
Hidetsugu Okazaki, Wako, JP;
Osamu Kyogoku, Wako, JP;
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
To enhance an external appearance of a buckle-side duct and to prevent the entry of dust into an opening in the buckle-side duct in an occupant protecting device including an expandable bag accommodated within a belt for holding back an occupant upon collision of a vehicle, an outlet opening defined in a tip end of the buckle-side duct and turned outwards of a vehicle body is connected with inlet openings defined in a tip end of a tongue-side duct and turned inwards of the vehicle body. A gas generated by an inflater upon collision of the vehicle is supplied from the buckle-side duct via the tongue-side duct to a shoulder belt to expand the bag accommodated in the shoulder belt. The outlet opening in the buckle-side duct opens sideways away from the occupant sitting in a seat, rather than upwards. Therefore, the outlet opening is not directly visible to the occupant, leading to the enhanced external appearance. Also, when there is no lid in the outlet opening it is difficult for dust to enter through the outlet opening.