United States Patent [19]
`Kolb
`
`[73] Assignee:
`
`[54] INFLATABLE GAS BAG FOR A VEHICULAR
`RESTRAINING SYSTEM
`Andreas Kolb, Schwäbisch-Gmünd,
`[75] Inventor:
`Germany
`TRW Repa GmbH, Alfdorf,
`Germany
`[21] Appl. No.: 125,425
`[22] Filed:
`Sep. 22, 1993
`[30]
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`Sep. 29, 1992 [DE] Germany ........................ 42 32 658.3
`[51] Int. Cl." .............................................. B60R 21/22
`[52] U.S. Cl. ................................. 280/730.2; 280/729;
`280/743.1
`[58] Field of Search ........... 280/730 A, 730 R, 743 R,
`280/748, 749, 751, 753, 728 R, 729, 743 A, 731
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`3,731,949 5/1973 Radke .
`3,752,501 8/1973 Daniel et al. ........................ 280/729
`3,762,741 10/1973 Fleck et al. ......................... 280/729
`
`[56]
`
`
`
`16
`
`160.
`
`US0054392.47A
`[11] Patent Number:
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`5,439,247
`Aug. 8, 1995
`
`3,773,350 11/1973 Shibamoto .......................... 280/729
`3,784,225 1/1974 Fleck et al. ......................... 280/729
`5,072,966 12/1991 Nishitake et al. .............. 280/730 A
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`2137579 2/1972 Germany ............................ 280/751
`2222621 11/1972 Germany .
`3032444 4/1982 Germany .
`3833889 4/1990 Germany .
`63-301144 12/1988 Japan .............................. 280/743 R
`2244496 2/1991 United Kingdom ............ 280/743 R
`2268.128 1/1994 United Kingdom .
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 14, No. 262, Jun. 6, 1990;
`JP–A–02 074 440, published Mar. 14, 1990.
`Primary Examiner—Eric D. Culbreth
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Tarolli, Sundheim & Covell
`[57]
`ABSTRACT
`The gas bag (10) for a vehicular restraining system is
`formed by an annular hose (14). It is intended to protect
`against side impact and is characterized by fast inflation.
`
`3 Claims, 2 Drawing Sheets
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`Page 1 of 4
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`KSS 1010
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`U.S. Patent
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`Aug. 8, 1995
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`Sheet 1 of 2
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`5,439,247
`
`FIG 1
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`Page 2 of 4
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`KSS 1010
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`U.S. Patent
`
`Aug. 8
`
`3.
`
`1995
`
`Sheet 2 of 2
`
`5,439,247
`
`FIG
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`2
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`
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`FIG,
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`4.
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`Page 3 of 4
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`KSS 1010
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`1
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`5,439,247
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`2
`volumeand, therefore, the gas generator can be config-
`ured smaller.
`FIG. 3 showsa section view of the gas bag 10 along
`the line ITI—II in FIG. 2 and makesit clear that the
`cross-section ofthe hose 14 changesoverits length, thus
`making it possible to configure and optimize the shape
`and gas volumeof the hose 14 in accordance with the
`application. The stitchings on the fabric part 16 are
`schematically shown in FIG. 3. Further as schemati-
`cally shown in FIG.3, two wails of the gas bag 10 are
`stitched together to provide the quilted structure 16a
`(FIG.2) of the internal region. The two walls are super-
`imposed andstitched along lines traversing the internal
`region.
`Thefabric part 16 connects the mutually facing outer
`tegions of the wall of the hose 14, thus permitting im-
`proved positioning of the gas bag 10.
`In FIG. 4 a further embodimentof an inflatable gas
`bag 10 is illustrated. With the exception of the fabric
`part 16 this gas bag 10 substantially correspondsto the
`gas bag 10 described above. Here, the fabric part 16
`comprises namely a plurality of parallel tubular or hose-
`shaped webs 165 which are formed similar to those of
`an air bed. These are formed bya plurality of parallel
`stitchings and are in communication with the hose 14.
`The gas bag 10 can be produced in the way as de-
`scribed above. However, another embodimentis also
`feasible in which the hose 14is stitched, after which the
`fabric part 16is stitched to the wall of the hose 14.
`Whatis claimed is:
`1. An inflatable gas bag for a passengerrestraintsys-
`tem in vehicles, comprising, when inflated, a generally
`flat inner portion having a generally polygonal periph-
`ery with rounded corners, and an outer tubular portion
`connected to the periphery of and surrounding said
`inner portion forming a closed loop, said outer portion
`projecting on opposed sides of said inner portion and
`having an outer periphery of a generally polygonal
`shape with rounded corners, and said outer portion
`being designed to extend in the inflated condition along
`a portion of a vehicle side window to protect the pas-
`senger against lateral impact, wherein said inner and
`outer portions are defined by a pair of superimposed
`layers of fabric interconnected by stitches along lines
`and wherein said inner portion is formed by a plurality
`of straight tubular webs in communication with said
`outer portion.
`2. An inflatable gas bag for a passengerrestraint sys-
`tem in a vehicle comprising, when inflated, a generally
`flat portion having a first thickness and a tubular annu-
`lus circumscribing said flat portion with a second thick-
`ness larger than the first thickness, wherein said flat
`portion includes a pair of superimposedlayers of fabric
`and wherein said flat portion includes a plurality of
`tubular websin fluid communication with said tubular
`annulus.
`3. An inflatable gas bag for a passengerrestraint sys-
`tem in a vehicle comprising, when inflated, a generally
`flat portion having a first thickness and a tubular annu-
`lus circumscribing said flat portion with a second thick-
`ness larger than the first thickness, wherein said flat
`portion includes a pair of superimposed layers of fabric
`and wherein said flat portion is quilted and in fluid
`communication with said tubular annulus.
`*
`*
`*
`*
`*
`
`INFLATABLE GAS BAG FOR A VEHICULAR
`RESTRAINING SYSTEM
`
`The invention relates to a gas bag for a vehicular
`restraining system.
`Such a gas bagis inflated in an emergency and serves
`the vehicle occupant as an impact protective cushion.
`Known gas bags are formed in the shape of a balloon
`connected to an inlet opening for a gas generator. It is
`important that in the case of vehicle collision the gas
`bag is inflated quickly, ie. within a few milliseconds.
`This is done by the gas bag being filled with gas from
`the gas generator. The timeit takes to fill the gas bag
`with gas is highly significant particularly in the case of
`a side impact as compared toa frontal impact. Since the
`available space for deformation of the vehicle structure
`and thus for energy adsorption is very small a particu-
`larly fast fillng of the gas bag is necessary.
`The present invention provides a gas bag forlateral
`impact protection wherein the time required to fill the
`gas bag is considerably reduced.
`According to the invention, the gas bag has the form
`of a hose, it having been found outthat this hose config-
`uration reduces the volume which needsto befilled
`with gas, one the one hand, and thus, on the other,
`making it possible to design the gas bag in many and
`varied ways and thusalso better adapted to the purpose
`in a particular vehicle.
`An embodiment of the invention will now be de-
`scribed in more detail with reference to the drawingsin
`which
`FIG.1 is a schematic side view of an inflated gas bag
`for a restraining system on a side doorofa vehicle,
`FIG.2 is a side view of the gas bag withoutside door,
`FIG.3 is a section view of the gas bag along the line
`TIJ—Iin FIG.2, and
`FIG.4 is a schematic side view of a further embodi-
`ment of an inflatable gas bag.
`FIG.1 illustrates an inflated gas bag 10 as part of a
`vehicular restraining system which is secured to a side
`door 12 orin the roof area of the vehicle and serves in
`particular to protect the occupant against side impact.
`To enable the gas bag 10 to be inflated it is connected to
`a gas generator (not shown) whichfills the gas bag 10
`with gas within a few milliseconds.
`Asalso shown by FIG.2, the gas bag 10 has the form
`of an annular, endless hose 14. A fabric part 16 con-
`nected to the hose 14 extends across the internal region
`of the annular hose 14. This fabric part 16 and the wall
`ofthe hose 14 are madeofthe same material, the gas bag
`10 namely being produced by applyingstitches to a bag.
`These stitches run along the inside of the hose 14, thus
`forming the hose 14 and the fabric part 16. Accordingly
`the fabric part 16 comprises two walls of the bag
`stitched on each other and to each other. The fabric
`part 16 comprises further a quilted structure 16a similar
`to that producedin an air bed by stitching. The internal
`region of the fabric part 16 communicates with the hose
`14 for the purposeoffilling this internal region with gas.
`This configuration of the gas bag 10 achieves a pre-
`cise and stable orientation whilst reducing the filling
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