Air bag device for use in a passenger's seat

Claim 1

An air bag device for use in a passenger's seat comprising: a retaining box having a front face, lateral sides, an opening disposed at the front face, and air intake ports formed in the lateral sides of said retaining box, a gas generator disposed in the retaining box at a side opposite to the front face, an air bag folded and contained in the retaining box between the gas generator and the opening, a lid for covering the opening of the retaining box, and valves disposed in said retaining box for covering said lateral sides to close said air intake ports, said valves being formed of a material with a melting point temperature lower than an igniting temperature of said gas generator by heat so that when the gas generator is actuated upon detection of a predetermined deceleration, gas from the gas generator enlarges the air bag together with air passing through the air intake ports while allowing the valves to move to an inside of the retaining box without melting of the valves, and when heat is applied to the air bag device, the valves melt before the gas generator is actuated by the heat to thereby allow the gas from said gas generator to discharge through said air intake ports.