Air bag

Claim 2

An air bag for an air bag system to be mounted on a vehicle for protecting a passenger and having an inflator, comprising: an air-impermeable cloth disposed at least at a side facing the passenger when inflated, an air-permeable cloth disposed at least at a side of the vehicle when inflated, said air-permeable cloth being connected to the air-impermeable cloth to constitute the air bag with an inside portion, and a free member made of a material to at least restrict air passing therethrough, said free member being connected to the air bag and located adjacent the air-permeable cloth at the inside portion of the air bag so that when the inflator is actuated upon detection of a predetermined acceleration, the air bag is inflated by gas ejected from the inflator and air inhaled through the air permeable cloth while the free member is moved away from the air-permeable cloth, and when the passenger hits the inflated air bag, the free member inside the air bag is disposed on the air-permeable cloth to partly prevent air and gas inside the air bag from escaping from the air bag to thereby control passage of air into and from the air bag.

Claim 3

An air bag according to claim 1, wherein said air-permeable cloth includes an opening for receiving the gas ejected from the inflator.

Claim 4

An air bag according to claim 2, wherein said air-permeable cloth is arranged around said opening.

Claim 5

An air bag according to claim 3, further comprising a ring-shaped patch cloth sewn to said air-permeable cloth from an outside of said air bag and arranged concentrically of said opening.

Claim 6

An air bag according to claim 3, wherein said free member is so ring-shaped that it is disposed around and concentrically of said opening.

Claim 7

An air bag according to claim 4, wherein said free member is ring-shaped to have a larger diameter than that of said patch cloth and is disposed around and concentrically of said opening.

Claim 8

An air bag according to claim 6, wherein an inner circumferential edge of said free member, an inner circumferential edge of said patch cloth, and said air-permeable cloth are so sewn to one another with a thread that an outer circumference of said free member can come into and out of contact with said air-permeable cloth.

Claim 9

An air bag according to claim 7, wherein an outer circumferential edge of said patch cloth, said air-permeable cloth and said free member are so sewn to one another with a thread that said free member can come into and out of contact with said air-permeable cloth at an outer circumference of the sewn portions.

Claim 10

An air bag according to claim 1, wherein said air-impermeable cloth at the side of the passenger has at least its one side coated with a silicone resin.

Claim 11

An air bag according to claim 1, wherein said air-impermeable cloth at the side of the passenger is coated with a soft synthetic resin.

Claim 12

An air bag according to claim 1, wherein said air-permeable cloth is a plain weave fabric of polyamide fibers.

Claim 13

An air bag according to claim 2, wherein said air-permeable cloth is arranged substantially all over the regions of said air bag at the side of the vehicle.

Claim 14

An air bag according to claim 2, wherein said air-permeable cloth is arranged in a major portion of said air bag at the side of the vehicle body.

Claim 15

An air bag according to claim 2, wherein said air-permeable cloth is arranged only around said opening of said air bag at the side of the vehicle

Claim 16

An air bag according to claim 2, wherein said air-permeable cloth at the side of the vehicle and said air-impermeable cloth at the side of the passenger are sewn with a thread.

Claim 17

An air bag according to claim 2, wherein the air permeability of the cloth forming said free member is one half or less than that of said air-permeable cloth at the side of the vehicle.

Claim 18

An air bag according to claim 2, wherein the air permeability of the cloth forming said free member is one quarter or less than that of said air-permeable cloth at the side of the vehicle.

Claim 19

An air bag according to claim 2, wherein the air permeability of the cloth forming said free member is one eighth or less than that of said air-permeable cloth at the side of the vehicle.

Claim 20

An air bag for an air bag system to be mounted on a vehicle for protecting a passenger and having an inflator, comprising: an air-impermeable cloth disposed at a side facing the passenger when inflated, an air-permeable cloth disposed at a side of the vehicle when inflated, said air-permeable cloth being connected to the air-impermeable cloth to constitute the air bag and having an opening in a center thereof, gas from the inflator being ejected into the air bag through the opening, and a free member made of a material to restrict air passing therethrough, said free member being connected to the air-permeable cloth around the opening thereof and located inside the air bag to be placed over the air-permeable cloth so that when the inflator is actuated upon detection of a predetermined acceleration, the air bag is inflated by gas ejected from the inflater and air inhaled through the air permeable cloth while the free member is moved away from the air-permeable cloth to allow air to pass through the air-permeable cloth, and when the passenger hits the inflated air bag, the free member inside the air bag is disposed on the air-permeable cloth to partly prevent air and gas inside the air bag from escaping from the air bag to thereby control passage of air into and from the air bag.

Claim 21

An air bag for an air bag system to be mounted on a vehicle for protecting a passenger and having an inflator, comprising: an air-impermeable cloth disposed at a side facing the passenger when inflated, an air-permeable cloth disposed at a side of the vehicle when inflated, said air-permeable cloth being connected to the air-impermeable cloth to constitute the air bag and having an opening in a center thereof, gas from the inflator being ejected into the air bag through the opening, and a free member made of a material to restrict air passing therethrough, said free member being connected to the air-permeable cloth around the opening thereof and located inside the air bag to be placed over the air-permeable cloth so that when the inflator is actuated upon detection of a predetermined acceleration, the air bag is inflated by gas ejected from the inflater and air inhaled through the air permeable cloth while the free member is moved away from the air-permeable cloth to allow air to pass through the air-permeable cloth, and when the passenger hits the inflated air bag, the free member inside the air bag is disposed on the air-permeable cloth to partly prevent air and gas inside the air bag from escaping from the air bag to thereby control passage of air into and from the air bag.