# US 10,501,046 B2 · Airbag apparatus for vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,501,046 B2 - Document ID: US10501046B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/800,385 - Filed: 2017-11-01 - Published: 2018-11-22 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-19 - Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corporation - Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Motors Corp. - Inventors: Kyung Taek Lim; Jun Yeol Choi; Jae Ho Choi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501046B2 ## CPC - B60R 21/239: characterised by their venting means - B60R 21/2338: Tethers - B60R 2021/2161: {the cover being displaced towards the occupant during deployment} - B60R 2021/23382: {Internal tether means} - B60R 2021/2395: {comprising means to control the venting} - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract An airbag apparatus for a vehicle may include an airbag cushion configured to be provided with a vent hole for discharging inflation gas therein to the outside; a flap configured to have an external circumferential surface partially coupled to the airbag cushion along a rim of the vent hole; and a tether configured to have one end portion penetrating through the vent hole of the airbag cushion to be coupled to an internal side surface of the flap and be partially supported on an internal side surface of the airbag cushion to pull the flap when the airbag cushion is fully deployed, to close the vent hole and release a tensile force when the airbag cushion is loaded to deploy the flap outwardly of the airbag cushion by the inflation gas, to open the vent hole. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An airbag apparatus for a vehicle, the airbag apparatus comprising: an airbag cushion provided with a vent hole for discharging an inflation gas therein to outside; a flap having an external circumferential surface partially coupled to the airbag cushion along a rim portion of the vent hole; a tether having a first end portion penetrating through the vent hole of the airbag cushion to be coupled to an internal side surface of the flap and be partially supported on an internal side surface of the airbag cushion to pull the flap when the airbag cushion is fully deployed, to close the vent hole and release a tensile force when the airbag cushion is loaded to deploy the flap outwardly of the airbag cushion by the inflation gas, to open the vent hole; and a tether guide fixed to the internal side surface of the airbag cushion and be prepared to slide the tether in a state that the tether passes therethrough to be supported, wherein a second end portion of the tether is fixed to a gas inlet of the airbag cushion, wherein the tether guide is provided on an internal side surface of a portion of the airbag cushion where a passenger's head H contacts, wherein the tether guide includes: a first guide panel formed in a rectangular shape and having an external circumferential surface provided on the internal side surface of the airbag cushion; and a second guide panel having an external circumferential surface provided on the first guide panel and an inlet hole and an outlet hole provided on an intermediate side thereof, and wherein the tether is allowed to pass through a space between the second guide panel and the first guide panel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The airbag apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tether guide includes the first guide panel having an inlet hole and an outlet hole provided on an intermediate side thereof, wherein the tether is allowed to pass through a space between the first guide panel and the airbag cushion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The airbag apparatus of claim 2, wherein the inlet hole and the outlet hole of the first guide panel are formed to be distanced from each other by a predetermined distance. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The airbag apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inlet hole and the outlet hole of the second guide panel are formed to be distanced from each other by a predetermined distance. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The airbag apparatus of claim 2, wherein the vent hole is respectively formed on first and second side surfaces of the airbag cushion to form a pair of vent holes, the flap and the tether are provided in pairs to correspond to the pair of vent holes, respectively, and the first guide panel is provided in a single body. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The airbag apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vent hole is respectively formed on both side surfaces of the airbag cushion to form a pair of vent holes, the flap, the tether, and the second guide panel are provided in pairs to correspond to the pair of vent holes, respectively, and the first guide panel is provided in a single body. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The airbag apparatus of claim 5, wherein the tether guide is provided with the inlet holes and the outlet holes through which the tether enters and exits, and a distance between a central portion of the tether guide and the outlet holes is longer than a distance between the central portion of the tether guider and the inlet holes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The airbag apparatus of claim 6, wherein the tether guide is provided with the inlet hole and the outlet hole through which the tether enters and exits, and a distance between a central portion of the tether guide and the outlet hole is longer than a distance between the central portion of the tether guider and the inlet hole. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The airbag apparatus of claim 7, wherein a pair of the inlet hole and the outlet hole of the first guide panel through which one tether enters or exits are formed to be distanced from each other by a predetermined distance. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The airbag apparatus of claim 7, wherein a pair of the inlet hole and the outlet hole of the second guide panel through which one tether enters or exits are formed to be distanced from each other by a predetermined distance. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The airbag apparatus of claim 1, further including: a fixing device configured to fix a portion of the tether to the internal side surface of the airbag cushion between the tether guide and the second end portion of the tether. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The airbag apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vent hole is formed in plural to include a plurality of vent holes, and wherein the flap includes: coupling portions having external circumferential surfaces coupled to the plurality of the vent holes at a first side and a second side of the coupling portions; and a concave portion configured to be mounted between the coupling portions to be connected to the first end portion of the tether and have upper and lower portions formed in a concave shape to discharge the inflation gas inside the airbag cushion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The airbag apparatus of claim 12, wherein the coupling portions of the flap are prepared to be continuously exposed outwardly of the airbag cushion, and the concave portion is deployed inwardly or outwardly of the airbag cushion depending on whether the airbag cushion is fully deployed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The airbag apparatus of claim 13, wherein the concave portion of the flap is provided with a first auxiliary vent hole to additionally discharge the inflation gas inside the airbag cushion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The airbag apparatus of claim 13, wherein the coupling portions of the flap are provided with a second auxiliary vent hole to discharge the inflation gas inside the airbag cushion even when the airbag cushion is fully deployed.