Guide member for curtain airbag

• US 20040012174A1
• Filed: 07/17/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Tadashi, Kumagai, Masayoshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,896,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

A guide member for a curtain airbag that a pipe or rod shaped guide extending vertically relative to the vehicle body along a C pillar. The guide member includes, upper and lower fixing sections for fixing the upper and lower ends of the guide to the C pillar. The guide member also includes temporarily tacking sections for tacking the upper and lower fixing sections to the C pillar, when the guide member is mounted to the C pillar. The C pillar has temporarily-tacking-section insertion openings corresponding to the temporarily tacking sections. When the guide member is mounted to the C pillar, the temporarily tacking sections are inserted into the corresponding temporarily-tacking-section insertion openings for engagement, so that the guide member can be temporarily tacked to the C pillar.

Claims

1. A guide member for guiding a curtain airbag during deployment downward along a side structure of a vehicle compartment, wherein in the guide member extends vertically and is mounted to a pillar of the vehicle, each of an upper part and a lower part of the guide member includes a temporarily tacking section for tacking the guide member to the pillar.

2. The guide member of claim 1, wherein the temporarily tacking section extends in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the guide member.

3. The guide member of claim 1, further comprising a mooring section including a bend or curve in the lower part of the guide member, wherein the mooring section prevents the ends of the curtain airbag from returning upward after deployment of the airbag.

4. A guide member for a guiding curtain airbag which is deployed downward along a side structure of the compartment of a vehicle, wherein in the guide member extends vertically and is mounted to a pillar of the vehicle, wherein the guide member includes a mooring section formed by a bend or curved section of the guide member so as to prevent the ends of a deployed curtain airbag from returning upward.

5. A guide member for an airbag configured to deploy downward along a side of a vehicle compartment comprising a section that is configured to be temporarily connected to the vehicle prior to permanent installation of the guide member in the vehicle.

6. The guide member of claim 5, further comprising a section of the guide member that is configured to be permanently connected to the vehicle during installation of the guide member.

7. The guide member of claim 6, wherein the section of the guide member that is configured to be permanently connected to the vehicle during installation of the guide member includes openings for fasteners to pass through.

8. The guide member of claim 5, further comprising a mooring section configured to retain the airbag in a downwardly deployed condition.

9. The guide member of claim 8, wherein the mooring section includes a looped section of the guide member.

10. The guide member of claim 8, wherein the mooring section includes a section of the guide member that is bent at least ninety degrees.

11. The guide member of claim 5, wherein the section of the guide member that is configured to be temporarily connected to the vehicle includes a projection that is configured to extend through openings in a vehicle pillar.

12. The guide member of claim 11, wherein the projection is hook shaped.

13. The guide member of claim 5, wherein the guide member is a pipe.