Airbag device

1. An airbag device comprising:

an airbag having airbag panels that cooperate to form an interior space for being supplied with inflation gas to inflate the airbag;

a base section of the airbag;

an inflator for inflating the airbag with inflation gas;

first and second lateral sections of the inflated airbag;

a folded body of the airbag including the base section and the airbag lateral sections folded in a predetermined generally cubicle configuration having opposite top and bottom faces, opposite side faces, and opposite front and rear faces with the base section substantially flattened and the lateral sections accordion folded on top of the flattened base section so that multiple layers of adjacent, inner ends of the folded lateral sections form an interface therebetween extending up vertically from the base section therebelow at the opposite front and rear faces of the folded body;

a shape-retaining panel directly connected to one of the airbag panels used for forming the base section and extending out rearwardly therefrom for being wrapped forwardly about the folded body to maintain the predetermined cubicle configuration thereof prior to airbag deployment;

a fixing plate in the interior space of the airbag in the base section thereof for mounting the inflator thereto outside the airbag interior spaces so that the inflator does not extend therein with the fixing plate having spaced front and rear fasteners extending out from the interior space of the airbag;

opposite sides of the panel that define a width of the panel thereacross which is substantially the same as spacing between outside ends of the folded lateral sections at the opposite side faces of the folded body so that with the shape-retaining panel being forwardly wrapped about the folded body, the opposite side faces of the folded body are exposed and not covered by the panel;

a free end of the panel extending between the opposite sides thereof with a length of the panel defined between the panel free end and the flattened base section sized so that the panel can only reach to the front fastener with only a single layer of the panel forwardly wrapped to completely cover the rear face, the top face, and the front face of the folded body;

a fastener aperture adjacent to the panel free end with the panel length sized and the fastener aperture positioned to allow the front fastener to be inserted through the fastener aperture with the single layer of the panel forwardly wrapped about the folded body to completely cover the rear face, the top face, and the front face thereof;

perforations in the panel arranged lengthwise along the panel between the base section and the fastener aperture so that with the panel forwardly wrapped about the folded body the perforations extend across the top face thereof, and deployment of the airbag causes the inflating lateral sections to rupture the panel along the perforations; and

a viewing opening in the panel that is defined by a perimeter that is completely spaced from the panel sides and free end and which is arranged lengthwise along the panel between the perforations and the fastener aperture and disposed centrally between the opposite sides so that with the panel secured to the forward fastener, the viewing opening will be generally aligned over the interface between the adjacent, inner ends of the folded lateral sections at the front face of the folded body.

2. The airbag device of claim 1 wherein the viewing opening is larger than any one of the perforations with the perforations being narrow slit openings and the larger viewing opening being wider than the narrow slit openings.

3. The airbag device of claim 1 wherein the perforations are narrow slit openings and the viewing openings is wider than the narrow slit openings.

4. The airbag device of claim 1 wherein the forwardly wrapped shape-retaining panel includes corner portions extending about corresponding corner portions of the folded body, and the viewing opening is located on the panel wrapped about the folded body so as to not intersect any of the panel corner portions.

5. A method of forming a folded airbag, the method comprising:

flattening a base section of an airbag;

folding lateral sections of the airbag on top of the flattened airbag base section to form a generally cubical folded airbag body with opposite bottom and top faces, opposite side faces, and opposite front and rear faces;

orienting inner ends of the folded lateral sections adjacent to each other so that a central interface therebetween extends vertically up from the flattened base section thereunder at the opposite front and rear faces of the cubicle folded airbag body;

connecting a protector cloth to the bottom face of the cubicle folded airbag body to extend out rearwardly therefrom;

wrapping the protector cloth forwardly about the folded airbag body by pulling the protector cloth initially up vertically along the rear face, then forwardly along the top face, and finally down vertically along the front face to completely cover the rear face, the top face, and the front face of the folded body; and

securing a leading end portion of the protector cloth to a forward fastener spaced from a rearward fastener that project down from the bottom face of the folded body so that only a single layer of the protective cloth is wrapped about the rear, top and front faces of the folded airbag body leaving the opposite side faces uncovered by the protector cloth and exposed therefrom.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the protector cloth is forwardly wrapped to arrange perforations therein to extend over the top face of the folded body.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the protector cloth is forwardly wrapped to arrange a central opening thereon to be over the front face of the folded body for being generally aligned with the central interface between the adjacent inner ends of the airbag lateral sections.