Dashboard top mounted vehicle air bag assembly

摘要

A inflatable vehicle air bag has a single fluid chamber and is specially designed to bend around a vehicle instrument panel to form an effective occupant restraint in front of a vehicle occupant. The air bag is formed from a single continuous loop of flexible air bag material. The air bag is designed to be inflated to a predetermined three dimensional configuration when fluid under pressure is directed into the fluid chamber. The air bag comprises a pair of main panels which are connected with each other in a manner which allows them to bow outwardly relative to each other as the air bag is inflated to its predetermined three dimensional configuration, and a special bend pleat which is formed in one of the main panels. Moreover, respective portions of the main panels are preferably connected with each other by one or more expansible end pleats which allow the portions of the main panels to separate from each other as the air bag is inflated to its three dimensional configuration. The bend pleat enables the air bag to bend around a vehicle instrument panel as the air bag is being inflated to its predetermined three dimensional configuration. The air bag is particularly useful for a top mounted air bag assembly in which the air bag (i) is deployed through the top of a vehicle instrument panel and (ii) bends about the instrument panel and forms an inflated cushion between a vehicle occupant and the front of the instrument panel.