1. A roof airbag apparatus, comprising:
an inflator;
a housing mounted to an opening frame provided in a vehicle roof, the opening frame defining an opening therein to receive the housing;
an airbag cushion contained in the housing, the airbag cushion being deployed downwards by gas supplied from the inflator to protect a passenger;
an airbag door coupled to the housing by a hinge to support the airbag cushion; and
angle limiting means for limiting a rotating angle to a predetermined angle when the airbag door is rotated to open.
2. The roof airbag apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the hinge is monolithically formed to the airbag door to elastically support the airbag cushion to the housing.
3. The roof airbag apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the hinge is formed of a semicircular shape.
4. The roof airbag apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein a reinforcing member is provided on the airbag door and reinforces the hinge of the airbag door to prevent the airbag door from being damaged.
5. The roof airbag apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the predetermined angle at which the airbag door is rotated to open is within a range of an acute angle.
6. The roof airbag apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the angle limiting means comprises a stopper protruding from the airbag door, the stopper coming into contact with the opening frame to stop the airbag door when the airbag door is rotated beyond the predetermined angle.
7. The roof airbag apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the angle limiting means comprises a tether connected between the airbag door and the opening frame.
8. The roof airbag apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the tether is connected between a side perimeter of the airbag door and a side perimeter of the opening frame to prevent the airbag cushion from being disturbed by the tether when the airbag cushion is deployed towards the passenger.
9. The roof airbag apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein a first hook is provided on the airbag door, and a second hook is provided on the opening frame, first and second ends of the tether being respectively connected to the first hook and the second hook.
10. The roof airbag apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the angle limiting means further comprises a stopper protruding from the airbag door, the stopper coming into contact with the opening frame to stop the airbag door when the airbag door is rotated by the predetermined angle.
11. The roof airbag apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the angle limiting means comprises a tether connected between the airbag door and the housing.
12. The roof airbag apparatus as set forth in claim 10, wherein a first hook is provided on the airbag door, and a second hook is provided on the housing, first and second ends of the tether being respectively connected to the first hook and the second hook.
13. The roof airbag apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein the angle limiting means further comprises a stopper protruding from the airbag door, the stopper coming into contact with the opening frame to stop the airbag door when the airbag door is rotated by the predetermined angle.
14. The roof airbag apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the housing is provided in the vehicle roof in an area between a front seat and a rear seat, and the airbag cushion is deployed toward a passenger who is sitting on the rear seat.
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 article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure comprising:
a midsole formed from a polymer foam material and having an upper surface and an opposite lower surface, the upper surface being positioned adjacent to the upper, the lower surface defining a plurality of indentations extending toward the upper surface, and the upper surface defining a plurality of depressions located opposite at least a portion of the indentations; and
an outsole having an attachment surface and an opposite ground-engaging surface, the attachment surface being secured to the lower surface of the midsole, and the attachment surface forms a plurality of projections that extend into the indentations of the midsole, and the ground-engaging surface defining a plurality of grooves located opposite the projections.
2. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein a depth of the depressions is less than a depth of the indentations.
3. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the indentations extend through more than half of a distance between the lower surface and the upper surface.
4. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein an upper portion of the indentations and an upper portion of the projections each have a semi-circular shape.
5. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the indentations include:
a first indentation that extends through substantially all of a length of the sole structure; and
at least two second indentations that extend through substantially all of a width of the sole structure.
6. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the indentations include:
a first indentation that extends through substantially all of a length of the sole structure;
a second indentation that extends through a portion of the length of the sole structure; and
at least two third indentations that extend through substantially all of a width of the sole structure.
7. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the indentations include:
a first indentation that extends through substantially all of a length of the sole structure, the first indentation being located closer to a lateral side of the footwear than a medial side of the footwear in a forefoot region of the sole structure, and the first indentation being centrally-located between the lateral side and the medial side in a heel region of the sole structure;
a second indentation that extends through a portion of the length of the sole structure and is located closer to the medial side than the first indentation in at least a forefoot region of the sole structure; and
at least two third flexion indentations that extend between the lateral side and the medial side of the sole structure.
8. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the midsole defines a plurality of depressions, the depressions including:
a first depression that extends through substantially all of a length of the sole structure;
a second depression that extends through a portion of the length of the sole structure; and
at least two third depressions that extend through substantially all of a width of the sole structure, and
wherein the indentations include:
a first indentation that extends through substantially all of the length of the sole structure and is opposite the first depression;
a second indentation that extends through a portion of the length of the sole structure and is opposite the second depression; and
at least two third indentations that extend through substantially all of the width of the sole structure and are opposite the third depression.
9. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the outsole is formed from a material that is different than the polymer foam material of the midsole, and a compressibility of the outsole material is less than a compressibility of the polymer foam material.
10. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the outsole has a first thickness within the indentations and a second thickness outside of the indentations, the first thickness being less than the second thickness.
11. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure comprising:
a midsole formed from a first material and having an upper surface and an opposite lower surface, the upper surface defining a plurality of depressions extending toward the lower surface, and the lower surface defining a plurality of indentations extending toward the upper surface, at least a portion of the depressions being positioned opposite the indentations, and a depth of the depressions being less than a depth of the indentations; and
an outsole formed from a second material and at least partially located within the indentations, a compressibility of the second material being less than a compressibility of the first material.
12. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the first material is a polymer foam and the second material is rubber.
13. The article of footwear recited in claim 12, wherein the midsole is a unitary element of the polymer foam material.
14. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein a ground-engaging surface of the outsole defines a plurality of grooves that extend into the indentations of the midsole.
15. The article of footwear recited in claim 14, wherein the outsole has a first thickness within the indentations and a second thickness outside of the indentations, the first thickness being less than the second thickness.
16. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the indentations extend through more than half of a distance between the lower surface and the upper surface.
17. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein an upper portion of the indentations and an upper portion of the projections each have a semi-circular shape.
18. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the depressions include:
a first depression that extends through substantially all of a length of the sole structure; and
at least two second depressions that extend through substantially all of a width of the sole structure, and
wherein the indentations include:
a first indentation that extends through substantially all of the length of the sole structure and is positioned opposite the first depression; and
at least two second indentations that extend through substantially all of the width of the sole structure and are positioned opposite the second depressions.
19. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the depressions include:
a first depression that extends through substantially all of a length of the sole structure;
a second depression that extends through a portion of the length of the sole structure; and
at least two third depressions that extend through substantially all of a width of the sole structure, and
wherein the indentations include:
a first indentation that extends through substantially all of the length of the sole structure and is opposite the first depression;
a second indentation that extends through a portion of the length of the sole structure and is opposite the second depression; and
at least two third indentations that extend through substantially all of the width of the sole structure and are opposite the third depression.
20. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure comprising:
a midsole formed from a first material and having an upper surface and an opposite lower surface, the upper surface defining a plurality of depressions extending toward the lower surface, the depressions including:
(a) a first depression that extends through substantially all of a length of the sole structure, and
(b) at least two second depressions that extend through substantially all of a width of the sole structure,
and the lower surface defining a plurality of indentations extending toward the upper surface, the indentations including:
(a) a first indentation that extends through substantially all of the length of the sole structure and is positioned opposite the first depression, and
(b) at least two second indentations that extend through substantially all of the width of the sole structure and are positioned opposite the second depressions; and
an outsole formed from a second material that is less compressible than the first material, the outsole defining a plurality of projections that extend into the indentations of the midsole, and the outsole defining a plurality of grooves located opposite the projections, the grooves including:
(a) a first groove that extends through substantially all of the length of the sole structure and is positioned to extend into the first indentation, and
(b) at least two second grooves that extend through substantially all of the width of the sole structure and are positioned to extend into the second indentations.
21. The article of footwear recited in claim 20, wherein a depth of the depressions is less than a depth of the indentations.
22. The article of footwear recited in claim 20, wherein at least a portion of the indentations extend through more than half of a distance between the lower surface and the upper surface.
23. The article of footwear recited in claim 20, wherein an upper portion of the indentations and an upper portion of the projections each have a semi-circular shape.
24. The article of footwear recited in claim 20, wherein the first material is a polymer foam and the second material is rubber.
25. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure comprising:
a polymer foam element having a first surface and a second surface located opposite each other, the first surface and the second surface each defining a plurality of flexion lines located opposite each other; and
an outsole member secured to the foam element and defining a plurality of protrusions that extend into the flexion lines, the outsole member defining a plurality of grooves located opposite the protrusions and extending into the protrusions.
26. The article of footwear recited in claim 25, wherein the flexion lines have different depths.
27. The article of footwear recited in claim 25, wherein at least a portion of the flexion lines extend through more than half of a distance between the first surface and the second surface.
28. The article of footwear recited in claim 25, wherein at least a portion of the flexion lines have a semi-circular shape.
29. The article of footwear recited in claim 25, wherein the flexion lines include:
a first flexion line that extends through substantially all of a length of the sole structure; and
at least two second flexion lines that extend through substantially all of a width of the sole structure.
30. The article of footwear recited in claim 25, wherein the midsole is a unitary element of the polymer foam material.
31. The article of footwear recited in claim 25, wherein the outsole has a first thickness within the flexion lines and a second thickness outside of the flexion lines, the first thickness being less than the second thickness.
32. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the sole structure comprising:
a midsole formed from a unitary element of a polymer foam material and having an upper surface and an opposite lower surface, the upper surface being positioned adjacent to the upper, the lower surface defining a plurality of flexion lines, and the upper surface defining a plurality of depressions located opposite at least a portion of the flexion lines; and
an outsole secured to the midsole and having a ground-engaging surface, the, outsole defining a plurality of grooves that extend upward from the ground-engaging surface to contact the flexion lines, a portion of the outsole with the grooves having a first thickness, and a portion of the outsole separate from the grooves having a second thickness, the first thickness being less than the second thickness.
33. The article of footwear recited in claim 32, wherein a depth of the depressions is less than a depth of the flexion lines.
34. The article of footwear recited in claim 32, wherein at least a portion of the flexion lines extend through more than half of a distance between the lower surface and the upper surface.
35. The article of footwear recited in claim 32, wherein the flexion lines include:
a first flexion line that extends through substantially all of a length of the sole structure; and
at least two second flexion lines that extend through substantially all of a width of the sole structure.