1. A door check apparatus for an automobile comprising:
a) a unitary check body containing a pair of compliant leaves and a guidance arrangement, adapted to be rigidly mounted to a vehicle door;
b) a check arm containing cam surfaces and detent features, pivotally connected to a vehicle body structure and configured to slideably interface with the guidance arrangement of the unitary check body;
wherein the unitary check body is manufactured from a resilient material so that the compliant leaves are capable of storing and releasing energy in response to the movement of the cam surfaces and detent features of the check arm relative to the guidance arrangement.
2. The door check apparatus of claim 1, wherein rotary motion of the vehicle door relative to the vehicle body structure is checked with predetermined forces at positions determined by the relationship between the detent features of the check arm relative to the guidance arrangement of the unitary check body.
3. The door check apparatus of claim 1, wherein the unitary check body resilient material is a high strength steel.
4. The door check apparatus of claim 1, wherein the unitary check body resilient material is a high strength composite material.
5. The door check apparatus of claim 1, wherein the check arm is formed from a moldable plastic material.
6. The door check apparatus of claim 5, wherein the check arm contains a reinforcement co-molded within the plastic material.
7. The door check apparatus of claim 6, wherein the check arm reinforcement is manufactured from steel, aluminum, reinforced plastic or a similar structural material.
8. The door check apparatus of claim 1, wherein the check arm is formed from a metallic material by casting, forging or similar means.
9. The door check apparatus of claim 1, wherein the unitary check body is rigidly mounted to the vehicle door via bolting, welding, bonding, riveting or similar fastening means.
10. The door check apparatus of claim 1, wherein the check arm is pivotally connected to the vehicle body structure via a mounting bracket and pivot rivet arrangement.
11. The door check apparatus of claim 10, wherein the mounting bracket is rigidly mounted to the vehicle body structure via bolting, welding, bonding, riveting or similar fastening means.
12. The door check apparatus of claim 1, wherein the check arm is adapted to accept a paint clip device.
13. The door check apparatus of claim 12, wherein the paint clip device is configured with additional detent features and cam surfaces.
14. The door check apparatus of claim 13, wherein the paint clip device is configured to be easily removable from the check arm after a painting and assembly process.
15. A door check apparatus for an automobile comprising:
a) a unitary check body containing a pair of compliant leaves and a guidance arrangement, adapted to be rigidly mounted to a vehicle door;
b) said unitary check body being manufactured from a resilient material so that the compliant leaves are capable of storing and releasing energy;
c) a check arm containing cam surfaces and detent features, pivotally connected to a vehicle body structure and configured to slideably interface with the guidance arrangement of the unitary check body;
such that rotary motion of the vehicle door relative to the vehicle body structure is checked with predetermined forces generated from the energy stored and released by the compliant leaves of the unitary check body, at positions determined by the relationship between the detent features of the check arm relative to the guidance arrangement of the unitary check body.
16. The door check apparatus of claim 15, wherein the unitary check body resilient material is a high strength steel.
17. The door check apparatus of claim 15, wherein the unitary check body resilient material is a high strength composite material.
18. The door check apparatus of claim 15, wherein the check arm is formed from a moldable plastic material.
19. The door check apparatus of claim 18, wherein the check arm contains a reinforcement co-molded within the plastic material.
20. The door check apparatus of claim 19, wherein the check arm reinforcement is manufactured from steel, aluminum, reinforced plastic or a similar structural material.
21. The door check apparatus of claim 15, wherein the check arm is formed from a metallic material by casting, forging or similar means.
22. The door check apparatus of claim 15, wherein the unitary check body is rigidly mounted to the vehicle door via bolting, welding, bonding, riveting or similar fastening means.
23. The door check apparatus of claim 15, wherein the check arm is pivotally connected to the vehicle body structure via a mounting bracket and pivot rivet arrangement.
24. The door check apparatus of claim 23, wherein the mounting bracket is rigidly mounted to the vehicle body structure via bolting, welding, bonding, riveting or similar fastening means.
25. The door check apparatus of claim 15, wherein the check arm contains a bump stop feature that is configured to contact the unitary check body at the full open swing limit of the vehicle door so as to prevent further rotation.
26. The door check apparatus of claim 25, wherein the bump stop feature is adapted to contact the unitary check body at its mounting surface so that the stop loads associated with preventing further rotation are transferred directly to the vehicle door structure.
27. The door check apparatus of claim 26, wherein the bump stop feature incorporates an energy absorbing material configured to prevent the vehicle door from bouncing closed when it reaches the full open swing limit.
28. The door check apparatus of claim 15, wherein the check arm is adapted to accept a paint clip device configured to provide additional check positions as required during a painting and assembly process.
29. The door check apparatus of claim 28, wherein the paint clip device is configured with additional detent features and cam surfaces.
30. The door check apparatus of claim 29, wherein the paint clip device is configured to be easily removable from the check arm after the painting and assembly process.
31. A door check apparatus for an automobile comprising:
a) a unitary check body containing a pair of compliant leaves and a guidance arrangement, adapted to be rigidly mounted to a vehicle door via bolting, welding, bonding, riveting or similar fastening means;
b) said unitary check body being manufactured from a high strength steel so that the compliant leaves are capable of storing and releasing energy;
c) a check arm containing cam surfaces and detent features, pivotally connected to a vehicle body structure via a mounting bracket and pivot rivet arrangement and configured to slideably interface with the guidance arrangement of the unitary check body;
d) said check arm being formed from a moldable plastic material and containing a reinforcement co-molded within the plastic material;
e) said mounting bracket being rigidly mounted to the vehicle body via bolting, welding, bonding, riveting or similar fastening means;
such that rotary motion of the vehicle door relative to the vehicle body structure is checked with predetermined forces generated from the energy stored and released by the compliant leaves of the unitary check body, at positions determined by the relationship between the detent features of the check arm relative to the guidance arrangement of the unitary check body.
32. The door check apparatus of claim 31, wherein the check arm contains a bump stop feature that is configured to contact the unitary check body at the full open swing limit of the vehicle door so as to prevent further rotation.
33. The door check apparatus of claim 32, wherein the bump stop feature is adapted to contact the unitary check body at its mounting surface so that the forces associated with preventing further rotation are transferred directly to the vehicle door structure.
34. The door check apparatus of claim 33, wherein the bump stop feature incorporates an energy absorbing material configured to prevent the vehicle door from bouncing closed when it reaches the full open swing limit.
35. The door check apparatus of claim 34, wherein the energy absorbing material is co-molded with the plastic material of the check arm.
36. The door check apparatus of claim 31, wherein the check arm is adapted to accept a paint clip device configured to provide additional check positions as required during a painting and assembly process.
37. The door check apparatus of claim 36, wherein the paint clip device is configured with additional detent features and cam surfaces.
38. The door check apparatus of claim 37, wherein the paint clip device is configured to be easily removable from the check arm after the painting and assembly process.
39. A door check apparatus for an automobile comprising:
a) a unitary check body containing a pair of compliant leaves and a guidance arrangement, adapted to be rigidly mounted to a vehicle door via bolting, welding, bonding, riveting or similar fastening means;
b) said unitary check body being manufactured from a high strength steel so that the compliant leaves are capable of storing and releasing energy;
c) a check arm containing a bump stop, cam surfaces and detent features, pivotally connected to a vehicle body structure via a mounting bracket and pivot rivet arrangement and configured to slideably interface with the guidance arrangement of the unitary check body;
d) said check arm being formed from a moldable plastic material and containing a reinforcement co-molded within the plastic material;
e) said bump stop feature incorporating an energy absorbing material co-molded with the plastic material of the check arm;
f) said mounting bracket being rigidly mounted to the vehicle body via bolting, welding, bonding, riveting or similar fastening means;
such that rotary motion of the vehicle door relative to the vehicle body structure is checked with predetermined forces generated from the energy stored and released by the compliant leaves of the unitary check body, at positions determined by the relationship between the detent features of the check arm relative to the guidance arrangement, and the vehicle door is prevented from further rotation at its full open swing limit by the bump stop feature contacting the unitary check body at its mounting surface so that stop loads associated with preventing further rotation are transferred directly to the vehicle door structure, and the vehicle door is prevented from bouncing closed by the energy absorbing material.
40. The door check apparatus of claim 39, wherein the check arm is adapted to accept a paint clip device configured to provide additional check positions as required during a painting and assembly process.
41. The door check apparatus of claim 40, wherein the paint clip device is configured with additional detent features and cam surfaces.
42. The door check apparatus of claim 41, wherein the paint clip device is configured to be easily removable from the check arm after the painting and assembly process.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An airbag comprising:
a front panel for facing an occupant;
a rear panel opposite the front panel, wherein, when the airbag is expanded, at least one part of the front panel is caved from a peripheral portion of the airbag in a direction so as to be spaced from the occupant to form a concave portion;
a traverse panel traversing the concave portion, and
an internal bag connecting a deepest section of the concave portion to the rear panel.
2. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the traverse panel traverses the front panel at a position closest to the occupant.
3. An airbag comprising:
a front panel for facing an occupant,
a rear panel opposite the front panel connected to the front panel,
first tethers spaced apart from each other and connected between a vicinity of a center of the front panel and a vicinity of a center of the rear panel so that when the airbag is expanded, the center of the front panel is caved from a peripheral portion of the airbag in a direction so as to be spaced from the occupant to form a concave portion having a concave portion face and a peripheral portion surrounding the concave portion,
a lid panel connected to the concave portion face at a middle position between an entrance side of the concave portion and a deepest point of the concave portion so that the concave portion face is entirely spaced apart, and
second tethers connecting the concave portion face adjacent a deepest point of the concave portion to a side face of the airbag so that the concave portion is surrounded by the peripheral portion annularly.
4. An airbag apparatus comprising:
an airbag capable of being expanded in a direction facing an occupant of a motor vehicle; and
a gas generator for expanding the airbag, wherein the airbag is the airbag according to claim 3.
5. The airbag apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the airbag apparatus is for use in a driver-side seat of a motor vehicle.
6. The airbag apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the motor vehicle comprises an A-pillar located in front of the driver-side seat, and when the airbag is in a state of being expanded, at least one of the peripheral portions of the airbag is interposed between a head portion of the occupant seated in a regular seating position of the driver-side seat, and the A-pillar.
7. The airbag according to claim 3, wherein said first tethers have a length substantially corresponding to a distance between the entrance side to the deepest side of the concave portion.
8. The airbag according to claim 7, wherein said peripheral portion has an annular shape and projects outwardly from a portion where the second tethers are provided.
9. An airbag comprising:
a front panel for facing an occupant;
a rear panel opposite the front panel, wherein, when the airbag is expanded, at least one part of the front panel is caved from a peripheral portion of the airbag in a direction so as to be spaced from the occupant to form a concave portion;
a traverse panel traversing the concave portion, and
an internal chamber comprising first and second inner panels, and connecting a deepest section of the concave portion to the rear panel.