Window airbag device and adaptation method thereof to vehicles

• US 20040026906A1
• Filed: 06/13/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahara, Isamu
• Granted Patent: US 7,278,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

According to a small number of types classified among all passenger vehicle models on the basis of a distance between front and rear seats (Sf, Sr), supply parts for an airbag module (10, 110) including an airbag (11, 111), a tension cloth (12) and an inflator (14) include a small number of types of the airbags (11, 111) including an expansion portion for front seat (11c, 111c) which covers protection ranges for the front seats (Sf) of a plurality of vehicle models included in the respective types and an expansion portion for rear seat (11d, 111d) which covers protection ranges for the rear seats (Sr) of a plurality of vehicle models included in the respective types, a small number of types of tension clothes (12) a shape of which is determined to cover a plurality of vehicle models to be equipped with the respective airbags (11, 111), and a single type of inflator (14) connected with a gas inlet (11a, 111a) provided in the respective airbags (11, 111). Consequently, the airbag module (10, 110) can be applied to all passenger vehicle models within a fleet of vehicles and the cost can be lowered thereby.

Claims

1. A Window air bag device for a vehicle to protect the head of passengers sitting on a front seat and a rear seat of the vehicle in the event of a side collision, the air bag device comprising:

an inflatable air bag (11;

111) having a front expansion portion (11c;

111c) for protecting the head of a front seat passenger, a rear expansion portion (11d;

111d) for protecting the head of a rear seat passenger and a gas passage (11b;

111b) connecting a gas chamber of said front expansion portion with a gas chamber of said rear expansion portion;

a tension cloth (12) to apply a tension to the inflated air bag; and

an inflator (14) connected with a gas inlet (11a;

111a) of said air bag to inflate it;

wherein the air bag device for a selected vehicle within a fleet of vehicles may be constructed by an air bag (11;

111) selected from a small number of air bags having different dimensions, a tension cloth (12) selected from a small number of tension clothes having different dimensions and a single inflator (14).

2. A Window air bag device according to claim 1, characterized in that one end of the tension cloth (12) is connected with the A pillar (22) of the vehicle and the other end is connected with a front end of the air bag (11, 111).

3. A Window air bag device according to claim 2, characterized in that shapes of the small number of types of tension clothes (12) are determined based on a longitudinal length between the A pillar (22) of the vehicle and the front end portion of the airbag (11, 111).

4. A Window air bag device according to any one of claims 1 through 3, characterized in that the gas inlet (11a) is provided between the expansion portion for front seat (11c) and the expansion portion for rear seat (11d) of the airbag (11).

5. A Window air bag device according to any one of claims 1 through 3, characterized in that the gas inlet (111a) is provided in the rear of the rear expansion portion (111d) of the airbag (111).

6. A Window air bag device according to any one of claims 1 through 5, characterized in that vertical dimensions of the airbag (11, 111) of a plurality of airbags having different dimensions are substantially the same.

7. An adaptation method for adapting a window air bag device to a plurality of vehicle models, characterized by the steps of:

determining a shape and number of types of the airbags (11, 111) comprising a front expansion portion (11c, 111c) for protecting the head of a front seat passenger, a rear expansion portion (11d, 111d) for protecting the head of a rear seat passenger and a gas passage (11b;

111b) connecting a gas chamber of said front expansion portion with a gas chamber of said rear expansion portion;

determining a shape and number of types of tension clothes (12) on the basis of a longitudinal length between the respective airbags (11, 111) and A pillars (22) of the respective vehicle models to be provided with the airbags; and

adapting an airbag module (10, 110) constructed by combining one airbag (11, 111) conformable to the vehicle model, selected from a small number of types of airbags, one tension cloth (12) conformable to the vehicle model, selected from a small number of types of tension clothes, and a single type of inflator (14) connected with a gas inlet provided in the respective airbags (11, 111), to the vehicle model.

8. An adaptation method for adapting a window air bag device to the vehicle model to be equipped with the airbag according to claim 7, characterized in that the gas inlet (11a) is provided between the expansion portion for front seat (11c) and the expansion portion for rear seat (11d) of the airbag (11).

9. An adaptation method for adapting a window air bag device to the vehicle model to be equipped with the airbag according to claim 7, characterized in that the gas inlet (111a) is provided in the rear of the rear expansion portion (111d) of the airbag (111).

10. A production method of a hollow member according to any one of claims 7 through 9, characterized in that the vertical dimensions of the respective airbags (11, 111) are substantially the same.