US 4,076,277 AGranted

Gas column type air bag system

AssigneesNippon Soken, Inc., Arakawa Autobody Co., Ltd.

InventorsSatosi Kuwakado, Takao Kasagi, Toshihiro Takei

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Abstract

A gas column type air bag system of the type in which an air bag includes a main gas column with a relatively large volume when inflated and a plurality of auxiliary gas columns with a relatively small volume when inflated, branched from the main column and extended toward a passenger, thereby rapidly expanding the air bag to inflate in case of a collision. The ratios both in volume and length among the air bag and the main and auxiliary gas columns are so selected that the air bag may be almost instantaneously expanded to the full by the inflation of the main and auxiliary columns and may be securely maintained in the desired stable inflated shape. The inflated main column serves as a knee restraining pad. The high pressure gas requirement for inflating the air bag may be considerably reduced as compared with the conventional systems.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A gas column air bag system for restraining an occupant in a vehicle having a compartment, upon collision of the vehicle compartment, comprising:

a gas source for supplying a high pressure gas in case of said collision;
inflatable bag means adapted for being mounted in said compartment said bag means having a bag wall;
means defining a first gas column provided inside said inflatable bag means for expansion by the high pressure gas from said gas source and adapted to be mounted in said compartment said first gas column being expansible to a relatively large volume and effective to restrain when expanded, the knees of the occupant;
means defining a second gas column of relatively large diameter extending from a substantially axially central portion of said first gas column and having an outer end, said second gas column being expansible within said inflatable bag means toward the occupant concurrently with said first gas column;
and
four third gas columns extending from the outer end of said second gas column in four diverging directions and having diameters smaller than the diameter of said second gas column, each said third gas column having an outer end jointed in each corner portion of the bag wall and being expansible concurrently with said first and second gas columns;
and
means for drawing air in said compartment of the vehicle into the interior of said bag means when said bag is expanded by said columns, thereby enabling said bag means to restrain the torso of the occupant.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.