JPH04278860A - How to fold an airbag - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a polygonal shape as a final folding shape and expand an air bag to a desired shape from the initial period of spreading by spreading the air bag, having a gas suction port as center and successively folding the peripheral edge part of the air bag so that the folded-back edge can be turned in one direction. CONSTITUTION:When an air bag 3 is folded, the air bag 3 is spread flat, setting a gas suction port 3a at the center, and the peripheral edge part of the air bag 3 is folded inward, along a folding-back line (a) which is formed by extending a piece of a final folding shape. After the peripheral edge part of the air bag 3 is folded on a turned-back line (b) which is formed by extending the piece which is positioned in the clockwise direction for the folding-back line (a) and contiguous to one piece of the final folding shape, the peripheral edge of the air bag 3 is folded on a folding-back line (c) which is positioned in the clockwise direction for the folding-back line (b). Then, the peripheral edge of the air bag 3 is folded on the folding line positioned in the clockwise direction for the turning-back line (c), and a rectangular folding shape is obtained finally.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for folding an air bag.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Airbags are well known which inflate in front of an occupant to protect the occupant from injury when a vehicle has a head-on collision. Such an airbag has its gas suction port attached to a gas generator, and is stored in a folded state within a steering wheel.

[0003] By the way, various methods for folding airbags have been proposed.
Publication No. 7 discloses a method in which an airbag is folded from two directions to form a long part, and this long part is wrapped around a filling part of a gas generator.

[0004] Furthermore, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 51-25225, the gas inlet of an airbag is attached to the filling part of a gas generator, and the center is lifted upward to make it elongated. There is a method disclosed in which the paper is twisted and then sequentially folded from the top downward.

[0005]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in either method, when the airbag is activated, the airbag 30 initially extends in a long and slender cylindrical shape toward the occupant, as shown in FIG. 11A, and then as shown in FIGS. It spreads laterally (direction perpendicular to the passenger direction). Therefore, when the airbag 30 hits the occupant, it is in a cylindrical state as shown in A, and in such a state, the airbag may shift upward or sideways.

[0006] In addition, both methods require two types of work: one to fold the airbag and the other to wrap it around the inflated portion, which makes it difficult to manufacture the airbag.

Furthermore, in the latter method, since the airbag is made into a long shape and then folded sequentially from the top downward, it is difficult to fold the airbag into a fixed shape, and it is also difficult to make it compact.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the first invention expands the airbag approximately centering on the gas suction port, and then rotates the peripheral portion of the airbag so that the folding line rotates in one direction. The final folded shape of the airbag is rectangular.

[0009] Also, the second invention spreads the airbag stored and fixed in the airbag storage container with the bag fixing part as the center, and then the airbag peripheral part is rotated so that the folding line rotates in one direction. The airbag is folded in sequence, and the final folded shape of the airbag is polygonal.

0010

[Operation] The airbag periphery is folded sequentially so that it rotates in one direction, so when the airbag is activated, the airbag expands along this folding order, and at this time, gas flows inside the airbag along this sequential direction. Rotate. Therefore, the airbag expands in the lateral direction (direction perpendicular to the passenger direction) at the same time as the passenger direction, and maintains a preferable oval spherical shape from the initial stage of airbag deployment until the end of its deployment. In addition, the airbag is easy to manufacture because the only work required to store it is folding it.
Easy to make into a certain shape and compact.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an airbag device,
In the figure, 1 is a base plate and a retainer plate that partially form an airbag storage container, 2 is a gas generator fixed to this base plate 1, and this gas generator 2 has a plurality of gas generators. The air outlet 2a... is formed.

3 is an airbag, and this airbag 3 is
The lower edge of the gas suction port 3a is formed as a fixed part, and like the flange 2b of the gas generator 2, a base plate is formed.
1.

Numeral 4 forms an air bag storage container together with the base plate 1. It is a cover member, and the open end 4a of this cover member 4 is the open end 1 of the base plate 1.
It sticks to a.

As shown in FIG. 1, the airbag device 5 constructed as described above is compactly assembled and housed in, for example, a steering wheel.

Next, a method for folding the airbag 3 will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 2, the airbag 3 is spread flat around the gas inlet 3a. In addition, A in this figure 2
The line indicated by indicates the final folded shape.

001
7] Next, as shown in FIG. 3, fold the peripheral edge of the airbag 3 inward along the folding line a, which is an extension of one piece of the final folded shape, and then fold the circumferential edge of the airbag 3 inward along the folding line a, as shown in FIG. The peripheral edge of the airbag 3 is folded along a folding line b which is located in a clockwise direction with respect to the final folded shape and is an extension of a piece adjacent to one piece of the final folded shape.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the airbag 3
Fold the periphery of the c
The periphery of the airbag 3 is folded along a folding line d located clockwise relative to the folding line d. Similarly, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the airbag 3 is folded along the folding lines e and f, and the folding lines a, b, c, d, e, and f are in the clockwise order as described above. . FIG. 8 shows the final folded shape of the airbag 3, which is square in this embodiment.

In this embodiment, the folding lines a, b, c
, d, e, f are in the clockwise direction.
, but this can also be done in a counterclockwise direction. Further, the final folded shape is not limited to a quadrilateral, but may be any polygonal shape.

[0020] In the above, when the air bag device 5 is activated, gas is ejected from the blow-off ports 2a of the gas generator 2, and this gas flows into the air bag 3 from the suction ports 2a.

When gas flows into the airbag 3, as shown in FIG.
, the airbag 3 instantaneously expands toward the occupant, forming a short cylindrical shape, as shown in A of FIG. The peripheral edge of the airbag 3 expands in the lateral direction (direction perpendicular to the passenger direction). Along with this, the gas rotates in the clockwise direction within the airbag 3, and the airbag 3 therefore spreads in the lateral direction as well as in the passenger direction, and finally assumes an oval spherical shape as shown in c.

As described above, according to the folding method of this embodiment, the airbag 3 does not inflate only in the direction of the occupant at the initial stage of deployment, as in the conventional case, but expands laterally as well as in the direction of the occupant, and forms an elliptical spherical shape. Therefore, when the vehicle hits an occupant, it is possible to stably support the occupant.

Furthermore, since the air bag 3 only needs to be folded in one direction, the air bag 3 can be easily stored.
In addition, it is easy to form a certain shape, and it is also easy to make it compact. In particular, when the folding lines are sequentially folded so that they rotate in one direction as in this example, and the final folded shape is a square, the folding angle is easy to see because the adjacent folding lines are at 90 degrees to each other. . Furthermore, if the number of angles is increased to make it polygonal, rotation of the inflowing gas becomes smoother, and the bag can easily spread in the lateral direction.

[0024]

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, when the airbag is activated, the airbag is moved in both the passenger direction and the lateral direction (
The airbag also spreads out (in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the occupant) and maintains a desirable oval spherical shape, so that when the airbag hits the occupant, the occupant is stably supported by the airbag. In addition, since the only work required to store the airbag is folding, it is easy to manufacture, and it is also easy to form a certain shape and make it compact.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

[Figure 1] Longitudinal cross-sectional view of the airbag device

[Figure 2] Diagram showing the airbag folding procedure

[Figure 3] Diagram showing the airbag folding procedure

[Figure 4] Diagram showing the airbag folding procedure

[Figure 5] Diagram showing the airbag folding procedure

[Figure 6] Diagram showing the airbag folding procedure

[Figure 7] Diagram showing the airbag folding procedure

[Figure 8] Diagram showing the airbag folding procedure

[Figure 9] Diagram showing the airbag folding procedure

[Figure 10] Diagram showing the folding procedure of the airbag

[Fig. 11] Longitudinal cross-sectional view of a conventional airbag device

[Explanation of symbols]

3...Airbag 3a...Gas suction port a, b, c, d, e, f...folding line

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claim 1: Expand the airbag approximately centering on the gas inlet, then fold the airbag periphery in sequence so that the folding line rotates in one direction, so that the final folded shape of the airbag is square. A method for folding an airbag, which is characterized by: [Claim 2] The airbag stored and fixed in the airbag storage container is expanded around the airbag fixing part,
A method for folding an airbag, characterized in that the peripheral edge of the airbag is sequentially folded so that the folding line rotates in one direction, so that the final folded shape of the airbag becomes a polygon.