Occupant protective arrangement and a vehicle therewith

• US 20040000776A1
• Filed: 03/28/2003
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Yamamura, Daisuke, Nagayama, Noritaka
• Granted Patent: US 6,942,241 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/02 Internal Trim mouldings ; Internal Ledges; Wall liners for passenger compartments; Roof liners B60R13/01 takes precedence ; padded linings for the vehicle interior B60R21/04; arrangements or adaptations of floor mats or carpets in vehicles B60N3/04; internal lining for trains B61D17/18
• 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

A vehicle has an occupant protective arrangement, which a bracket. The bracket has a holding part that holds an airbag on a pillar panel and a mounting part that is mounted on the pillar panel. The mounting part is located below the lower end of a side roof panel, and the airbag is positioned above the bracket mounting part. With this arrangement, it is possible to inflate the airbag in a reliable manner while preventing the pillar trim and the airbag from interfering with each other.

Claims

1. An occupant protective arrangement for a vehicle, comprising:

a side roof panel constituting an upper part of a side of a vehicle body;

a pillar panel extending below said side roof panel;

a pillar trim covering said pillar panel;

an airbag for inflating and spreading into a vehicle compartment, said airbag being fixed to said pillar panel and disposed above said pillar trim; and

a bracket having a holding part that holds said airbag and a mounting part mounted to said pillar panel,

wherein the mounting part is positioned below a lower end of said side roof panel.

2. An occupant protective arrangement for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said airbag is disposed farther inwardly in the vehicle compartment than an upper end of said pillar trim.

3. An occupant protective arrangement for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein an outer-side surface of said airbag is disposed farther inwardly in the vehicle compartment than an inner-side surface of the upper end of said pillar trim.

4. An occupant protective arrangement for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein one end of said pillar panel comprises an overlapping part that overlaps said side roof panel, and a lower end edge of said side roof panel is located below the overlapping part.

5. An occupant protective arrangement for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said pillar panel comprises an outer pillar panel disposed on an outer side of the vehicle compartment and an inner pillar panel disposed on an inner side of the vehicle compartment, and said bracket is mounted on said inner pillar panel.

6. An occupant protective arrangement for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said airbag is positioned above said mounting part.

7. An occupant protective arrangement for a vehicle, comprising:

a first side member constituting an upper part of a side of a vehicle;

a second side member extending below said first side member and having a lower stiffness than said first side member;

a third side member disposed farther inwardly in a vehicle compartment than said second side member, and covering said second side member; and

an airbag for inflating and spreading into the vehicle compartment, said airbag being disposed farther inwardly in the vehicle compartment than said first side member and located above said third side member,

wherein said airbag is fixed to said second side member, such that a relative positional relation between said airbag and said third side member is substantially maintained while said second side member is deformed inwardly in the vehicle compartment.

8. An occupant protective arrangement for a vehicle according to claim 7, further including a bracket having a holding part that holds said airbag and a mounting part mounted to said pillar panel.

9. An occupant protective arrangement for a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein said airbag is positioned above said mounting part.

10. A vehicle comprising:

a first side member constituting an upper part of a side of a vehicle;

a second side member extending below the first side member;

a third side member covering the second side member; and

an airbag for inflating and spreading into the vehicle compartment, the airbag being fixed to the second side member and disposed above the third side member; and

a bracket having a holding part that holds the airbag and a mounting part mounted to the pillar panel,

wherein the mounting part is positioned below a lower end of the side roof panel.

11. A vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the airbag is disposed farther inwardly in a vehicle compartment than the first side member and located above the third side member.

12. A vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the airbag is positioned so that a relative positional relation between the airbag and the third side member is substantially maintained while the second side member is deformed inwardly in the vehicle compartment.