STRUCTURE FOR PLACEMENT OF HEAD PROTECTING AIR BAG APPARATUS

• US 20010040360A1
• Filed: 05/12/1999
• Published: 11/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha
• Inventors: ISHIYAMA, HIROSHI, TOTANI, CHIHARU, TANASE, TOSHINORI, FURUKAWA, YOSHIHARU
• Granted Patent: US 6,305,707 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars

Abstract

A guide plate 45 is placed at a guiding and holding member 42 which is fixed to a region of an inner panel 34 adjacent to the upper end portion 49A of a B pillar garnish. The guide plate 45 has a base end portion 45A which extends from the vehicle interior side to the vehicle exterior side. The base end portion 45A is fixed to the guiding and holding member 42. The cross sectional configuration of the guide plate 45 when viewed from the vehicle front is formed in a substantial U shape which surrounds the folded air bag body and whose opening portion faces the outer side of the vehicle interior. When the air bag body is expanded, the guide plate 45 is extended as well so as to cover the upper end portion 49A of the center pillar garnish 49. As a result, the air bag body can expand more smoothly, and the displacement of the center pillar garnish from the vehicle body can be prevented.

Claims

1. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus whose one end portion is connected to an inflator and which expands into a curtain-like form so as to span over to a B pillar along a roof side rail, comprising:

an air bag body expanding direction regulating member whose base end portion is fixed to a region of the roof side rail adjacent to the upper end portion of a B pillar garnish, and which is located at the vehicle interior side of said folded air bag body, and whose extending portion at the edge portion side thereof extends toward a position at which the extending portion covers the upper end portion of said B pillar garnish at the time of expansion of said air bag body.

2. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said air bag body expanding direction regulating member is a plate whose cross section is formed in a substantial U shape, and a portion of said plate extends in accordance with the expansion of said air bag body.

3. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said air bag body expanding direction regulating member is a cloth belt.

4. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said air bag body expanding direction regulating member is an annular member which is able to break at the time of expansion of said air bag body.

5. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein a position at which an inflator which ejects gas by being operated is disposed, corresponds to the front end portion of said air bag body.

6. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein the end portion of said air bag body expanding direction regulating member is fixed to a roof side member inner panel.

7. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein a guiding and holding member, which fixes the base end portion of said air bag body expanding direction regulating member thereto and guides the direction in which said air bag body expands, is a bending member that has a storing portion which surrounds a portion of said folded air bag body.

8. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said air bag body expanding direction regulating member is mounted to said roof side rail through a bending member having a storing portion.

9. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said air bag body is fixed by using loop-shaped, long, narrow fixing members which can be broken at the time of expansion of said air bag body.

10. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to

claim 4

, wherein said annular member is a member for maintaining a folded shape of said air bag body.

11. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to

claim 4

, wherein a portion of said air bag body is wrapped by said annular member.

12. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to

claim 8

, wherein a vehicle longitudinal direction substantially central portion of said air bag body is held at the end portion to which said holding and guiding member is mounted.

13. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to

claim 7

, wherein the end portion of said guiding and holding member is fixed to the roof side member inner panel.

14. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to

claim 8

, wherein the base end portion of said air bag body expanding direction regulating member is connected to a bottom wall portion of a bent member.

15. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus whose one end portion is connected to an inflator and which expands into a curtain-like form so as to span over to a B pillar along a roof side rail,

wherein an air bag body expanding direction regulating member whose base end portion is fixed to a region of the roof side rail adjacent to the upper end portion of a B pillar garnish and which is located at the vehicle interior side of said folded air bag body, and whose extending portion at the edge portion side thereof extends toward a position at which the extending portion covers the upper end portion of said B pillar garnish at the time of expansion of said air bag body is a plate whose cross-section is formed in a substantial U-shape, at least one of:

(i) a plurality of parallel concave grooves formed in an inner wall surface of said plate and running along the vehicle longitudinal direction; and

(ii) at least one oblique concave groove which, when the plate extends, is directed from an inflator-side end portion of the plate toward a vehicle longitudinal direction intermediate portion of a side opposite the fixed side of the B pillar garish,

being formed in said plate.

16. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus whose one end portion is connected to an inflator and which expands into a curtain-like form so as to span over to a B pillar along a roof side rail,

wherein an air bag body expanding direction regulating member whose base end portion is fixed to a region of the roof side rail adjacent to the upper end portion of a B pillar garnish, and which is located at the vehicle interior side of said folded air bag body, and whose extending portion at the edge portion side thereof extends toward a position at which the extending portion covers the upper end portion of said B pillar garnish at the time of expansion of said air bag body is a resin plate which is formed from an extrusion molding product having a substantially U-shaped cross section and which is made from soft resin.

17. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to

claim 16

, wherein said resin plate has a plurality of hollow portions at the base end portion which extends from the vehicle interior side to the vehicle exterior side.

18. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to

claim 16

, wherein a portion of said resin plate extends in accordance with the expansion of said air bag body.

19. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to

claim 16

, wherein the tip end portion of said resin plate has a protrusion which is able to push a ceiling portion interior member in accordance with the expansion of said air bag body.

20. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to

claim 17

, wherein the tip end portion of said resin plate has a protrusion which is able to push a ceiling portion interior member in accordance with the expansion of said air bag body.