Occupant restraint system

• US 20030006590A1
• Filed: 06/11/2002
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Saito, Yuichi, Aoki, Takashi, Ochiai, Fumiharu, Utsumi, Hidetoshi, Saita, Naohiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,011,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0414 using energy absorbing ribs
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0435 associated with the side or roof pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2617 Curtain bag nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/04 Padded linings for the vehicle interior ; Energy absorbing structures associated with padded or non-padded linings
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

An occupant restraint system includes an airbag and an inflator. A gas supply pipe extending from the inflator is inserted into the interior of the airbag and immovably fixed in a manner in which the gas supply pipe is clamped from above and below by a pipe support formed in the airbag from a part of stitching defining a plurality of cells. The gas supply pipe can thus be fixed without employing any special fixing member, thereby reliably preventing blockage of the gas nozzle that would cause interference with smooth issuing of the gas and preventing damage to a base fabric of the airbag by the heat and pressure of the gas.

Claims

1. An occupant restraint system comprising:

an airbag for placement in a folded state along an upper edge of a door opening of a vehicle body; and

an inflator that is adapted to generate a gas when the vehicle is involved in a collision, the gas inflating the airbag so that it is deployed into a curtain shape along an inner face of a side of an occupant compartment; and

a gas supply pipe for routing gas from the inflator into the interior of the airbag in the event of a collision;

wherein the airbag comprises a pipe support formed from a part of stitching defining a plurality of cells, and wherein a portion of the gas supply pipe is supported by the pipe support.

2. An occupant restraint system comprising:

an airbag for placement in a folded state along an upper edge of a door opening of a vehicle body;

an inflator that is adapted to generate a gas when the vehicle is involved in a collision, the gas inflating the airbag so that it is deployed into a curtain shape along an inner face of a side of an occupant compartment; and

an impact absorbing member for absorbing energy from an impact;

wherein the folded airbag and the impact absorbing member are integrated into an assembly, which is fixable to the vehicle body such that the impact absorbing member is in contact with a metal panel of the vehicle.

3. An occupant restraint system comprising:

an airbag for placement in a folded state along an upper edge of a door opening of a vehicle body;

an inflator that is adapted to generate a gas when the vehicle is involved in a collision, the gas inflating the airbag so that it is deployed into a curtain shape along an inner face of a side of an occupant compartment; and

a flexible impact absorbing member;

wherein the folded airbag and the flexible impact absorbing member are integrated into an assembly which is fixable to the vehicle body.

4. The occupant restraint system according to claim 3 wherein the impact absorbing member is formed from a corrugated pipe.

5. An occupant restraint system comprising:

an airbag that is adapted to open a border between a roof garnish and a pillar garnish in a vehicle, the roof garnish being the innermost layer on the occupant compartment side of a vehicle roof, and the pillar garnish being the innermost layer on the occupant compartment side of a vehicle pillar;

wherein the system comprises a bracket for positioning and fixing the airbag, and the bracket comprises a projection that projects toward at least one of the roof garnish and the pillar garnish in order to control the direction in which the airbag deploys when it is inflated,

and wherein the bracket projection is displaceable from an upper position where a line extending from the upper face of the projection is disposed above the border, to a lower position where the line is substantially aligned with the border.

6. The occupant restraint system according to claim 5 wherein the system includes connecting means that extends from the pillar garnish and provides a connection between the projection and the pillar garnish in order to restrict movement of the pillar garnish.

7. An occupant restraint system, comprising:

an airbag for placement in a folded state along an upper edge of a door opening of a vehicle body; and

an inflator that is adapted to generate a gas when the vehicle is involved in a collision, the gas inflating the airbag so that it is deployed into a curtain shape along an inner side face of an occupant compartment; and

a gas supply pipe for routing gas from the inflator into the interior of the airbag in the event of a collision;

wherein the airbag comprises a pipe support formed from stitching thereon, and wherein a portion of the gas supply pipe is supported by the pipe support.