초록 ▼

In the head-protecting airbag device according to the present invention, an airbag folded and housed in the upper edge of an opening inside the vehicle deploys downward to cover the opening. The airbag includes a plurality of cells juxtaposed in the front-rear direction each of which, when fed with

In the head-protecting airbag device according to the present invention, an airbag folded and housed in the upper edge of an opening inside the vehicle deploys downward to cover the opening. The airbag includes a plurality of cells juxtaposed in the front-rear direction each of which, when fed with inflation gas, extends downward from the upper edge of the opening and inflates to separate its interior and exterior walls. Above the cells is located a gas passage extending in the front-rear direction, via which the cells are communicated with one another. The gas passage includes a joint port for introducing inflation gas into the airbag. In each of the cells, the interior wall and exterior wall are respectively bellows-folded on alternate crest folds projecting in the surface and valley folds recessing inside the cell, such that the airbag is folded to bring its lower edge close to its upper edge. The head-protecting airbag device is able to deploy the airbag swiftly.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A head-protecting airbag device comprising: an airbag folded and housed in the upper edge of an opening inside the vehicle and deployable downward for covering the opening; and an inflator for supplying inflation gas to the airbag; wherein: the airbag includes an interior wal

What is claimed is: 1. A head-protecting airbag device comprising: an airbag folded and housed in the upper edge of an opening inside the vehicle and deployable downward for covering the opening; and an inflator for supplying inflation gas to the airbag; wherein: the airbag includes an interior wall and an exterior wall, and a gas admissive portion provided between the interior wall and the exterior wall and capable of admitting inflation gas; the gas admissive portion includes: a plurality of cells juxtaposed in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, each of the cells, when fed with inflation gas, extending downward from the upper edge of the opening and inflating while separating the interior wall and exterior wall in the interior-exterior direction of the vehicle; a gas passage extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle above the cells, the gas passage communicating each of the cells with one another; and a joint port connected with the inflator and located in the gas passage; the airbag includes each one slit between the contiguous cells, each of the slits extending from the lower edge of the airbag to the vicinity of the gas passage; in each of the cells, the interior wall and exterior wall are respectively folded in a bellows fashion on alternate crest folds projecting in the surface and valley folds recessing inside the cell and disposed to provide a first bellows-folded portion in the interior wall, a second bellows-folded portion in the exterior wall, and third folded portions in front and rear edge portions of the cell, whereby the airbag is folded to bring the lower edge thereof close to the upper edge, and is housed in the upper edge of the opening; and the first and second bellows-folded portions are disposed so that the bottoms of valley folds of the first and second bellows-folded portions lead to the tops of crest folds of the third bellows-folded portion, wherein the first and second bellows-folded portions are symmetric in the interior-exterior direction of the vehicle; and each pair of the contiguous cells is joined together by at least one first joint member joining the tops of the crest folds of the third bellows-folded portions at a position above the lower edge of the airbag such that the contiguous cells are not separated in the front-rear direction. 2. The head-protecting airbag device according to claim 1, wherein each pair of contiguous cells is joined together at the lower edge of the airbag by a second joint member. 3. The headprotecting airbag device according to claim 2, wherein: the airbag is provided along an upper edge thereof with a plurality of mounting portions for attachment to the vehicle body; and a foremost mounting portion and a rearmost mounting portion out of the mounting portions are formed in band shapes extending from lower ends of a foremost cell and a rearmost cell as the airbag is completely deployed, respectively, forward and rearward and away from the airbag. 4. The head-protecting airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the first joint member joins each pair of the contiguous cells at more than one positions in the vertical direction of the airbag as completely deployed. 5. The head-protecting airbag device according to claim 1, wherein: when the airbag is folded-up, each of the cells has bellows-folded portions thereof piled in the interior-exterior direction of the vehicle; and in the gas passage, the interior and exterior walls of the airbag are individually folded on folds along the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and located to wrap the bellows-folded portions of the cell in the interior and exterior of the cell. 6. The head-protecting airbag device according to claim 1, wherein, when the airbag is folded-up, the interior wall and exterior wall in the gas passage are closely overlaid on each other and folded in a bellows fashion together as a single sheet alternately on crest and valley folds. 7. The head-protecting airbag device according to claim 1, wherein each of the cells of the airbag is elongate in the front-rear direction and includes a tether therein for restraining a clearance between the interior wall and exterior wall. 8. The head-protecting airbag device according to claim 7, wherein; the tether of each of the cells is formed into either a linear shape extending in the front-rear direction or a plurality of points arranged in the front-rear direction; in a part of each of the cells below the tether, each of the interior wall and exterior wall is folded in a bellows fashion alternately on crest folds projecting in the surface and on valley folds recessing inside the cell; and in a part of each of the cells above the tether, each of the interior wall and exterior wall is folded on alternate crest folds and valley folds in the interior and exterior of the bellows-folded portion of the lower part, respectively.