Side-collision air bag device

Abstract

A module case having an air bag module accommodated therein is disposed in a side face of a seat back, so that a lid of the module case is opened by a pressure of an air bag expanded upon a side collision of a vehicle, and the air bag is deployed through the resulting opening, termed the “primary” opening into a vehicle compartment. As a result of a tear line provided in the module case, even if the lid is held down by the door which has been deformed by a shock resulting from the collision, so that the lid cannot be opened to provide the primary opening, the tear line in a case body of the module case is broken, whereby a front wall is pivoted forwardly to form an alternate or “secondary” opening from the module case. Therefore, the air bag can be deployed without hindrance through the alternate secondary opening defined in the front wall of the module case into the vehicle compartment.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.