Fixing devices for a curtain air bag in a vehicle

• US 10,399,532 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ma, Qingsong, Wang, Bob, Yin, Laurence, Yan, Sophie
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M
• Application Number:
  US15/787,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20180126943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/215 characterised by the covers for the inflatable member B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A fixing device for a curtain airbag is provided. The fixing device comprises a bracket extending substantially along a lengthwise direction and configured to receive a portion of folded curtain airbag, a leg connected to and pivotable to the bracket and a joint. The leg is positioned at a predetermined position along a lengthwise direction of the bracket. The joint is located between the bracket and the leg, and configured to break to separate the bracket from the leg when an applied force exceed a predetermined level.

Claims

1. A fixing device for a curtain airbag, comprising:

a bracket extending substantially along a lengthwise direction of the fixing device, wherein the bracket is configured to receive a portion of the folded curtain airbag;

a leg connected to and pivotable relative to the bracket, wherein the leg is positioned at a predetermined position at the lengthwise direction,

a joint, wherein the joint is located between the bracket and the leg and configured to be torn to separate the bracket from the leg when an applied force exceeds a predetermined value;

wherein a connection of a distal end of the leg with the bracket secures the curtain airbag in the bracket, and wherein the bracket, the leg and the joint are formed integrally.

2. The fixing device of the curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein one of the bracket and the leg comprises an integrally formed metal piece.

3. The fixing device of the curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the joint is smaller than a thickness of the bracket and a thickness of the leg.

4. The fixing device of the curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein the leg comprises a first branch and a second branch spaced from the first branch wherein the first and second branches extend in a main plane of the leg, and wherein the first and second branches are connected to the bracket via a first joint and a second joint, respectively.

5. The fixing device of the curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein the leg comprises a protrusion generally extending away from the bracket at an installed position to facilitate a pre-installation of the fixing device.

6. The fixing device of the curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein the connection of the bracket and the leg forms a closed cross section.

7. The fixing device of the curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein the bracket has a U-shaped cross section and includes a main wall, a first side wall and a second side wall opposed to the first side wall, and a flange extending from and substantially perpendicular to the second side wall, the leg is located at an edge of the first side wall, wherein at an installed position, a main plane of the leg is substantially parallel to the main wall;

wherein the flange is positioned corresponding to a location of the joint, and the flange includes a metal piece having an aperture for insertion of a fastener, and the distal end of the leg includes a corresponding aperture; and

wherein at the installed position, the flange and the distal leg are connected via the fastener.

8. The fixing device of the curtain airbag of claim 7, wherein the bracket and the distal end of the leg are connected via a snap fit connection.

9. The fixing device of the curtain airbag of claim 7, wherein the leg has a projection facing the bracket, wherein the flange has a receiving aperture to receive the projection, and the projection is configured to secure a tail portion of the curtain airbag and connect the leg.

10. The fixing device of the curtain airbag of claim 7, wherein the joint is located substantially at a top of the bracket and a top of the leg at an installed position, wherein the joint is torn at a deployed position, such that the bracket pivots toward an interior of vehicle and blocks a gap between a vehicle body and a trim part.

12. The curtain airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the joint is located at a top of the airbag at an installed position, and the joint tears when an applied force exceeds a predetermined value such that a gap between the sheet metal part and a vehicle body trim part concealed by the bracket at a deployed position.

11. A curtain airbag assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

an airbag extends along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle;

an integrally formed airbag fixing device, wherein the fixing device comprises;

a bracket extending substantially along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a joint, and a leg connected to and pivotable relative to the bracket via the joint;

wherein the leg has a first end distal from the joint, and the bracket includes a flange extending away from the joint and along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the flange of the bracket and the first end of the leg are connected via a fastener to a sheet metal part of a vehicle body, a portion of airbag is received between the bracket and the leg, and wherein the joint has a tearing strength smaller than those of the bracket and the leg.

13. The curtain airbag assembly of claim 11, wherein the airbag comprises a flexible tail portion, and the tail portion is connected between the flange of the bracket and the leg.

14. The curtain airbag assembly of claim 11, wherein one of the bracket and the leg comprises an integrally formed metal piece, and wherein the metal piece includes an aperture to receive the fastener.

15. The curtain airbag assembly of claim 11, wherein the leg comprises a protrusion extending away from the bracket at an installed position to facilitate a pre-installation of the curtain airbag fixing device.

16. A curtain airbag fixing device, comprising:

a bracket having a U-shaped cross section, wherein the bracket has a first lengthwise edge and a second lengthwise edge and is configured to receive at least a portion of a folded curtain airbag;

at least one joint disposed along a segment of the first lengthwise edge of the bracket;

at least one leg connected to the joint, and a length of the leg is greater than a distance between the first and second lengthwise edges;

wherein the bracket is pivotable relative to the leg via the joint, and is separable from the leg at the joint when a force applied to the joint exceeds a predetermined value; and

a connection of the bracket and the leg forms a substantially closed cross section at a direction substantially perpendicular to the lengthwise direction.

17. The curtain airbag fixing device of claim 16, wherein the bracket, the leg and the joint are formed integrally and a thickness of the joint is smaller than that of the bracket and that of the leg.

18. The curtain airbag fixing device of claim 16, wherein the bracket comprises a flange extending from the second lengthwise edge and away from the bracket along a direction substantially perpendicular to the second lengthwise edge, wherein the flange includes a metal piece and a through aperture formed on the flange and the metal piece, and the first end of the leg distal to the joint includes a fixing aperture corresponding to the through aperture, and wherein the flange and the first end are connected via a fastener at an installed position.

19. The curtain airbag fixing device of claim 18, wherein the flange and the first end of the leg each include projections and corresponding receiving apertures, the receiving apertures are aligned with locating apertures on a tail portion of the curtain airbag such that the curtain airbag is secured to the bracket.