Vehicle with side curtain, multi-compartment airbag

• US 20060273558A1
• Filed: 08/17/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1994
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: American Vehicular Sciences LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Technologies International Incorporated
• Inventors: Sanders, Thomas, Sanders, Sylvia, Breed, David S.
• Application Number:
  US11/506,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20060273558A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.200
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0004 Frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23153 specially adapted for rear seat passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23192 Roof bags, i.e. protecting the occupant in a roll-over situation
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23308 the individual compartments defining the external shape of the bag
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23504 characterised by material
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23514 coated fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23519 Resin
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23523 Composite
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2636 The volume of gas being continuously adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2032 the inflator or inflatable member not being rotatable with the steering wheel; Arrangements using the steering column or steering wheel rim for storing, supplying or evacuating the inflation gas or for storing the inflatable member
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/206 in the lower part of dashboards, e.g. for protecting the knees
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/214 in roof panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 characterised by their material
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/239 characterised by their venting means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/264 : using instantaneous generation of gas, e.g. pyrotechnic B60R21/268 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/30 : with means to draw ambient air into the flow line and mix such air with the inflation fluid

Abstract

Airbag module arranged in or mounted to a ceiling of a passenger compartment of a vehicle alongside the left or right side of the passenger compartment and including a side curtain airbag arranged to deploy downward from the airbag module to a position alongside one or more windows on the left or right side of the passenger compartment. The side curtain airbag includes interconnected compartments receivable of an inflating medium. An inflator is in flow communication with an interior of the side curtain airbag and generates an inflating medium to inflate the side curtain airbag to provide the side curtain airbag with an inflated state in which the compartments contain the inflating medium and are situated alongside the window(s) along the left or right side of the passenger compartment.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a frame defining a passenger compartment and a ceiling defining a top of said passenger compartment;

windows on left and right sides of said passenger compartment;

an airbag module arranged in or mounted to said ceiling alongside the left or right side of said passenger compartment, said airbag module including a side curtain airbag arranged to deploy downward from said airbag module to a position alongside one or more windows on the left or right side of said passenger compartment, said side curtain airbag including a plurality of interconnected compartments receivable of an inflating medium; and

an inflator arranged in flow communication with an interior of said side curtain airbag and which generates an inflating medium to inflate said side curtain airbag to provide said side curtain airbag with an inflated state in which said compartments contain the inflating medium and are situated alongside the one or more windows along the left or right side of said passenger compartment.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said side curtain airbag comprises at least one sheet of material.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein said at least one sheet of material comprises two opposed sheets of material, said compartments being formed between said opposed sheets of material.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said side curtain airbag comprises at least one sheet of film.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said compartments are interconnected at a bottom of said side curtain airbag.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said side curtain airbag includes one or more lines at which said side curtain airbag has only a single layer.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein at least one of said one or more lines is situated between an adjacent pair of said compartments.

8. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein at least one of said one or more lines is vertical and straight such that a plurality of substantially straight, vertically oriented compartments are defined by said side curtain airbag.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said compartments are arranged in a longitudinal row.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said airbag module has a length substantially coextensive with a length of said side curtain airbag.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said side curtain airbag is arranged to extend longitudinally alongside substantially the entire left or right side of said passenger compartment.

12. A vehicle, comprising:

a frame defining a passenger compartment;

windows on left and right sides of said passenger compartment;

an airbag module including a side curtain airbag arranged to deploy to a position alongside substantially the entire left or right side of said passenger compartment, said side curtain airbag including a plurality of interconnected compartments receivable of an inflating medium; and

an inflator arranged in flow communication with an interior of said side curtain airbag and which generates an inflating medium to inflate said side curtain airbag to provide said side curtain airbag with an inflated state in which said compartments contain the inflating medium and said side curtain airbag is positioned alongside substantially the entire left or right side of said passenger compartment.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, further comprising a ceiling defining a top of said passenger compartment, said airbag module being arranged in or mounted to said ceiling alongside the left or right side of said passenger compartment, said side curtain airbag being arranged to deploy downward from said airbag module to the positioned alongside substantially the entire left or right side of said passenger compartment.

14. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein said side curtain airbag comprises two opposed sheets of material, said compartments being formed between said opposed sheets of material.

15. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein said side curtain airbag comprises at least one sheet of film.

16. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein said compartments are interconnected at a bottom of said side curtain airbag.

17. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein said side curtain airbag includes one or more lines at which said side curtain airbag has only a single layer.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein at least one of said one or more lines is situated between an adjacent pair of said compartments.

19. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein at least one of said one or more lines is vertical and straight such that a plurality of substantially straight, vertically oriented compartments are defined by said side curtain airbag.

20. A method for protecting an occupant in a vehicle during an accident involving the vehicle, comprising:

arranging an airbag module in a ceiling defining a passenger compartment of the vehicle alongside a left or right side of the passenger compartment;

arranging an uninflated side curtain airbag in the airbag module in a position in which it will, when inflated, deploy downward from the airbag module to a position alongside one or more windows on the left or right side of the passenger compartment;

forming the side curtain airbag to include a plurality of interconnected compartments receivable of an inflating medium;

sensing an accident for which deployment of the side curtain airbag is desired; and

then

generating an inflating medium to inflate the side curtain airbag to provide the side curtain airbag with an inflated state in which the compartments contain the inflating medium and are situated alongside the one or more windows along the left or right side of the passenger compartment.