A device includes an airbag and an outer cover. The airbag is accommodated between a body and a rear seat of a vehicle. The outer cover covers a space defined between the body and the rear seat from the passenger compartment and is exposed to the passenger compartment. When an impact greater than a predetermined level is applied to the vehicle body, a thin portion of the outer cover is ruptured by the pressure from inflation of the airbag. This forms an opening in the outer cover. The airbag is then inflated into the passenger compartment from the opening of the outer cover. The end at the part of the outer cover corresponding to the opening and facing toward the rear seat is entirely formed by the end of the outer cover.

Side airbag device

An airbag of a side airbag apparatus includes an upstream inflation portion, which inflates by inflation gas, and deploys frontward at a side of a vehicle seat. An opening is provided at a wall portion of the upstream inflation portion. A pressure regulator valve closes before an occupant is restrained by the upstream inflation portion, thereby restricting the inflation gas in the upstream inflation portion from flowing through the opening. Upon the occupant restraint, the pressure regulator valve cancels the restriction in response to a change in a tensed state of the dividing portion by an external force applied due to the restraint. A tear seam that connects valve body portions of the pressure regulator valve delays the opening time of the pressure regulator valve upon the occupant restraint by the upstream inflation portion relative to the opening time set only by the pressure regulator valve.

Side airbag apparatus

There is disclosed an insert suitable for use within a seating system of an automotive vehicle.

Automotive vehicle seat insert

There is disclosed an automotive vehicle seating comfort system for providing heating, cooling, ventilation or a combination thereof to an individual in an automotive car seat. The system typically includes an insert, a blower and a tubular structure for providing fluid communication between the insert and blower for providing ventilation and/or cooling for the individual. Preferably, the insert includes a heater or heater layer for providing heat for the individual.

Automotive vehicle seating comfort system

In a knee protecting airbag device of the present invention, an airbag is folded and housed on the front side of the knees of a seated passenger. The airbag is protruded rearward of a vehicle from a protruding opening and expanded and inflated upward, when an inflating gas flows in. And, the airbag is arranged on the front side of the knees of the passenger between a member on the body side and the knees of the passenger thereby to protect the knees of the passenger. The protruding opening has a transverse width size set within a range of ⅛ to ⅔ of the transverse width size of the airbag having completed its expansion and inflation.

Knee protecting airbag device

An inflatable restraint module mounting mechanism is disclosed for use in mounting an inflatable restraint module to a support structure such as the hub portion of a steering wheel or a dashboard, on a vehicle. The inflatable restraint module is provided with a plurality of pin members which are adapted to pass through and be retained within apertures in a support plate. The pin members are slidable through the apertures and include clip members for engaging the support plate to thereby retain the restraint module on the support plate. The clip members are formed of a resilient material whereby the clip members are adapted to bias locking members radially outwardly for engaging the support plate and to prevent the pin members from separating from the apertures.

Snap lock pin inflatable restraint module mounting mechanism

A side impact air bag with a self-tensioned lower edge to prevent the occupant from ejection during a rollover event or subsequent impact is secured to the vehicle roof rail between the front and rear pillars (121, 122). A pair of tethers (125, 126) are secured to the air bag at a lower portion thereof and to the front and rear pillars. A plurality of substantially inverted V-shaped zero length tethers (108) extend from the lower portion to define a plurality of chambers (109), which when inflated cause the lower portion of the air bag to shrink and induce tension therein and to the tethers. When the side impact air bag is inflated the air bag positions itself between the occupant and vehicle window and is held in place by the tension created by the inflated sections.

Inflatable air bag for an automotive vehicle

An inflatable restraint cushion for restraining a vehicle occupant is used in a vehicle having a vehicle side structure including a door having a beltline portion defining a lower boundary of a side window opening. The cushion includes an inboard contact face for inflation adjacent the vehicle occupant and an opposite outboard contact face for inflation adjacent the vehicle door. The outboard contact face includes a generally horizontally extending beltline notch portion shaped for matably aligning with and engaging the beltline portion of the door when the cushion is inflated. Upon engagement of the cushion by the occupant, the beltline notch portion of the cushion reacts against and is laterally and vertically supported by the beltline portion of the door to provide lateral stability to the cushion.

Inflatable restraint cushion

A hybrid air bag inflator is provided including an elongated first pressure chamber storing a compressed gas with first and second apertures; a first membrane sealing the first aperture; a second membrane for sealing the second aperture; a tube fluidly connecting with the first aperture and extending a substantial portion of the length of the first pressure chamber; a second pressure chamber mounted adjacent the first pressure chamber exposed to the first membrane; an igniter within the second chamber; a pyrotechnic material packaged within the second pressure chamber; a piston with a first end mounted in the tube and a second end for puncturing the second membrane, the piston being held in position within the central opening of the diffuser cap by a rupturable retainer; and a deflector ring mounted on the piston and encircling the same.

Supplemental inflation restraint inflator

An inflatable air bag assembly is designed for installation to a vehicle support structure in a variety of differently-configured passenger vehicle instrument panels. This assembly comprises a cylindrical inflator, a steel reaction canister, an air bag and a deployment chute. The canister comprises an elongated U-shaped housing including integral bottom and side walls closed at the ends by end walls defining a rectangular top opening bounded by a mounting flange. The ends of the inflator mount an aluminum lug and collar received in mating mounting apertures in the canister end walls for engagement by steel spring tabs. A retainer ring comprising a peripheral flange, which is secured to the air bag periphery and surrounds an opening corresponding to the canister top opening. An air bag deployment chute is provided which comprises a unitary plastic housing having a bottom opening corresponding to the canister top opening that is bounded by an integral mounting flange. The housing may have any of many different structural configurations which enable connection of a standard canister to an instrument panel opening in many different instrument panel configurations. The mounting flanges all have a plurality of corresponding mounting apertures. Fasteners extend through the mounting apertures into engagement with the canister and chute mounting flanges to clamp the chute, retainer ring, air bag and canister together.

James L. Webber

Papers

Snap lock pin inflatable restraint module mounting mechanism

Inflatable air bag for an automotive vehicle

Inflatable restraint cushion

Supplemental inflation restraint inflator

Mounting for air bag assembly