Curtain airbag arrangement structure

• US 20060082108A1
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Fukutani, Kazuya, Watanabe, Tsutomu, Hidaka, Shouichirou, Hirata, Motoharu, Yamanishi, Mitsutoshi, Funahashi, Ryoji, Kodama, Kazuhisa, Wahara, Sachio, Sugimura, Yuichi, Ohmori, Tomohisa, Oda, Yoshio, Miyamura, Nobuo
• Application Number:
  US11/214,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20060082108A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.200
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0225 self supporting head liners
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/025 Pillars; Roof rails
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2013/0293 Connection or positioning of adjacent panels
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/215 characterised by the covers for the inflatable member B60R21/2176 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed is an arrangement structure for a curtain airbag, which comprises a bracket plate 20 for attaching a curtain airbag to a vehicle body inner panel 1b, and a pillar trim 30 formed with a trim engagement-plate potion 31 in the vicinity of an upper end thereof. The trim engagement-plate potion 31 has a trim engagement surface 32 oriented toward a vehicle interior space in an orthogonal direction relative thereto. The bracket plate 20 is formed with a bracket engagement-plate portion 21 having a bracket engagement surface 22 which is disposed on the side of the vehicle interior space relative to the trim engagement surface 32 and in adjacent and opposed relation to the trim engagement surface 32 without contact with the trim engagement surface 32 when a vehicle 1 has no side-impact collision, and adapted to come into contact with the trim engagement surface 32 in conjunction with a displacement of the trim engagement-plate potion 31 in the upward or inward direction of the vehicle interior space during a side-impact collision against the vehicle 1.

Claims

1. An arrangement structure for a curtain airbag, which includes an airbag cushion disposed along a roof side rail of a vehicle having a pillar, and adapted to be inflated in a curtain-like manner during a side-impact vehicle collision, comprising:

a bracket plate for attaching said curtain airbag to a vehicle body panel; and

a pillar trim formed with a trim engagement-plate potion in the vicinity of an upper end thereof, said trim engagement-plate potion having a trim engagement surface oriented toward a vehicle interior space in an orthogonal direction relative thereto,

wherein said bracket plate is formed with a bracket engagement-plate portion having a bracket engagement surface which is disposed on the side of the vehicle interior space relative to said trim engagement surface and in adjacent and opposed relation to said trim engagement surface without contact with said trim engagement surface when the vehicle has no side-impact collision, and adapted to come into contact with said trim engagement surface in conjunction with a displacement of said trim engagement-plate potion during a side-impact vehicle collision.

2. The arrangement structure as defined in claim 1, wherein said pillar trim is integrally formed with an engagement member extending towards the body panel from a given position of said pillar trim away from the upper end of said pillar trim in a downward direction or in a laterally outward direction by a given distance, wherein said trim engagement-plate potion is formed in said engagement member.

3. The arrangement structure as defined in claim 2, wherein said engagement member and said pillar trim define a V-shaped engagement portion which allows said trim engagement-plate potion to be brought into contact and engagement with an edge of said bracket engagement-plate portion when said trim engagement-plate potion is displaced in the upward or inward direction of the vehicle interior space during the side-impact vehicle collision.

4. The arrangement structure as defined in claim 3, wherein said given distance between the upper end of said pillar trim and the proximal end of said engagement member is determined to minimize the interference between the upper end of said pillar trim and said bracket plate during the side-impact vehicle collision.

5. The arrangement structure as defined in claim 4, which includes a rib connecting between said trim engagement-plate potion and a portion of said pillar trim which define said V-shaped engagement portion.