Curtain airbag for a vehicle

• US 10,081,328 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2017
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: Choi, Jun Yeol
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Toan C
• Application Number:
  US15/483,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20180126944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 2807302, 2807431, 2807432
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/21525 the lid being fixed on the bag, or forming part of the bag wall, or the bag itself being used as wall liner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23153 specially adapted for rear seat passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/214 in roof panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/215 characterised by the covers for the inflatable member B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/216 comprising tether means for limitation of cover motion during deployment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

A curtain airbag for a vehicle is configured to prevent a driver'"'"'s neck from being broken by preventing a driver'"'"'s head from being excessively rotated upon a crash of the vehicle in a state in which the driver'"'"'s head contacts an airbag tube. The curtain airbag is also configured to prevent the driver'"'"'s head from slipping through or between the curtain airbag and a driver airbag by removing a gap between the curtain airbag and the driver airbag when the driver'"'"'s head moves forward during a crash of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A curtain airbag for a vehicle, the curtain airbag comprising:

an airbag tube configured to include a main chamber that is inflated by being supplied with a gas from an inflator and to absorb an impact when a driver'"'"'s head moves laterally and to include an auxiliary chamber that is bendably connected to the main chamber and supplied with the gas from the main chamber to be inflated later than the main chamber; and

a guide panel configured to be fixedly installed on a vehicle body and connected to the airbag tube to support the main chamber and the auxiliary chamber so that the main chamber and the auxiliary chamber are inflated inwardly when the airbag tube is inflated,

wherein when the driver'"'"'s head moves laterally upon a crash of the vehicle to collide with the main chamber, as the gas within the main chamber moves to the auxiliary chamber, the auxiliary chamber is inflated and is bent inwardly by the guide panel to prevent the gas within the auxiliary chamber from reflowing to the main chamber,

wherein the airbag tube further includes a rear chamber bendably connected to a back end of the main chamber,

wherein the auxiliary chamber is bendably connected to a front end of the main chamber, and

wherein the airbag tube is provided with a first depression part in which an upper end of a boundary line in which the rear chamber and the main chamber are connected is depressed downward.

2. The curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein the inflator is installed on the rear chamber whereby, when the airbag tube is inflated, the auxiliary chamber is supplied with the gas from the main chamber to be inflated last after the main chamber and the rear chamber are unfolded.

3. The curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein the airbag tube is provided with a first chamber wall non-inflated at a boundary line in which the rear chamber and the main chamber are connected and is provided with a second chamber wall non-inflated at a boundary line in which the main chamber and the auxiliary chamber are connected.

4. The curtain airbag of claim 3, wherein the airbag tube is provided with a first communication hole through which the gas flows from the boundary line between the rear chamber and the main chamber to both ends of the first chamber wall and is provided with a second communication hole through which the gas flows from the boundary line between the auxiliary chamber and the main chamber to both ends of the second chamber wall.

5. The curtain airbag of claim 4, wherein a diameter of the first communication hole is formed to be larger than a diameter of the second communication hole.

6. The curtain airbag of claim 3, wherein the first chamber wall is extended vertically and a central portion of the first chamber wall is extended to be bent backward.

7. The curtain airbag of claim 3, wherein a longitudinal width of the second chamber wall is formed to be wider than a width of the first chamber wall.

8. The curtain airbag of claim 3, wherein the guide panel is disposed at an outside with respect to the airbag tube, wherein a back end of the guide panel is connected to a boundary line in which the rear chamber and the main chamber are connected and a front end of the guide panel is fixed to a vehicle body.

9. The curtain airbag of claim 8, wherein the back end of the guide panel is formed to correspond to a shape of the first chamber wall to be connected to the first chamber wall.

10. The curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein a back end of the guide panel is connected to a boundary line in which the main chamber and the auxiliary chamber are connected and a front end of the guide panel is fixed to a vehicle body.

11. The curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein the guide panel is provided with a first panel part configured to have a back end connected to a boundary line in which the main chamber and the auxiliary chamber are connected and to have a front end connected to a central portion of the auxiliary chamber and the guide panel and disposed at an inside of the main chamber, and is provided with a second panel part configured to have a back end connected to a front of the auxiliary chamber along with the first panel part and to have a front end fixed to the vehicle body.

12. The curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein when the airbag tube is unfolded, the rear chamber is positioned to correspond to a head of a passenger on a rear seat, the main chamber is positioned to correspond to a driver'"'"'s head, and the auxiliary chamber is positioned in front of a driver airbag provided at a driver'"'"'s seat.

13. A curtain airbag for a vehicle, the curtain airbag comprising:

an airbag tube configured to include a main chamber that is inflated by being supplied with a gas from an inflator and to absorb an impact when a driver'"'"'s head moves laterally and to include an auxiliary chamber that is bendably connected to the main chamber and supplied with the gas from the main chamber to be inflated later than the main chamber; and

a guide panel configured to be fixedly installed on a vehicle body and connected to the airbag tube to support the main chamber and the auxiliary chamber so that the main chamber and the auxiliary chamber are inflated inwardly when the airbag tube is inflated,

wherein when the driver'"'"'s head moves laterally upon a crash of the vehicle to collide with the main chamber, as the gas within the main chamber moves to the auxiliary chamber, the auxiliary chamber is inflated and is bent inwardly by the guide panel to prevent the gas within the auxiliary chamber from reflowing to the main chamber,

wherein the airbag tube further includes a rear chamber bendably connected to a back end of the main chamber, and wherein the auxiliary chamber is bendably connected to a front end of the main chamber, and

wherein the airbag tube is provided with a second depression part in which a lower end of a boundary line in which the auxiliary chamber and the main chamber are connected is depressed upward.

14. A curtain airbag for a vehicle, the curtain airbag comprising:

an airbag tube configured to include a main chamber that is inflated by being supplied with a gas from an inflator and to absorb an impact when a driver'"'"'s head moves laterally and to include an auxiliary chamber that is bendably connected to the main chamber and supplied with the gas from the main chamber to be inflated later than the main chamber; and

a guide panel configured to be fixedly installed on a vehicle body and connected to the airbag tube to support the main chamber and the auxiliary chamber so that the main chamber and the auxiliary chamber are inflated inwardly when the airbag tube is inflated,

wherein when the driver'"'"'s head moves laterally upon a crash of the vehicle to collide with the main chamber, as the gas within the main chamber moves to the auxiliary chamber, the auxiliary chamber is inflated and is bent inwardly by the guide panel to prevent the gas within the auxiliary chamber from reflowing to the main chamber,

wherein the airbag tube further includes a rear chamber bendably connected to a back end of the main chamber, and wherein the auxiliary chamber is bendably connected to a front end of the main chamber, and

wherein the guide panel is provided with a first tether, the first tether having a back end connected to a boundary line in which the main chamber and the auxiliary chamber are connected and having a front end connected to the front of the auxiliary chamber, the first tether disposed at the outside of the main chamber, and wherein the guide panel is provided with a second tether configured to have a back end connected to a front of the auxiliary chamber along with the first tether and to have a front end fixed to the vehicle body.