Curtain airbag device

• US 20070046001A1
• Filed: 08/14/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Hirata, Motoharu
• Granted Patent: US 7,661,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.200
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0011 Rear collision or recoiling bounce after frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23192 Roof bags, i.e. protecting the occupant in a roll-over situation
• 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 21/233 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 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

According to the inflation of the curtain, its tip portion moves away from the first window side and comes to engages with support portions. At the same time, a tether moves from the side of the window side to the support portions and comes to be positioned across the window portion. Thereby, the window portion can be properly covered by the curtain airbag.

Claims

1. A curtain airbag device, which is applicable to a window portion having one or more windows, comprising:

a curtain including an inflatable portion, the curtain being configured to be accommodated at least at a first window side of a periphery of the window portion in a folded state and to be inflated so as to cover at least part of the window portion with the inflatable portion to which gas is supplied;

a gas supply device operative to supply the gas to the inflatable portion of the curtain;

a support portion provided at a specified portion of a second window side that is provided next to the first window side, the specified portion being located away from the first window side;

an engagement portion provided at a side portion of the curtain that is located on a side of the second window side, the engagement portion being configured so as to be located at a position that is closer to the first window side relative to the support portion in the folded state of the curtain and to be moved toward the support portion so as to engage with the support portion as a tip portion of the curtain moves in an inflation direction according to the inflation of the curtain; and

a tether, one end of which is connected to the engagement portion or a portion near the engagement portion of the curtain and the other end of which is connected to a specified portion of the periphery of the window portion other than the second window side or a peripheral portion of the curtain that is restrained by the specified portion of the periphery of the window portion when the curtain is in the inflated state, the tether being configured so as to be accommodated at the periphery of the window portion with the curtain and to extend according to the inflation of the curtain from a side of the support portion to a side of the specified portion of the periphery of the window portion across the window portion, whereby a tension can be provided to the curtain.

2. The curtain airbag device of claim 1, wherein said support portion comprises a second-window-side support portion and a third-window-side support portion, the second-window-side support portion being provided at the specified portion of the second window side, the third-window-side support portion being provided at another specified portion of a third window side that is provided next to the first window side on an opposite side to the second window side and the specified portion of the third window side being located away from the first window side, the engagement portion comprises a second-window-side engagement portion and a third-window-side engagement portion, the second-window-side engagement portion being provided at the side portion of the curtain that is located on the side of the second window side and being configured so as to be located at the position that is closer to the first window side relative to the second-window-side support portion in the folded state of the curtain and to be moved toward the second-window-side support portion so as to engage with the second-window-side support portion as the tip portion of the curtain moves in the inflation direction according to the inflation of the curtain, the third-window-side engagement portion being provided at a side portion of the curtain that is located on a side of the third window side and being configured so as to be located at a position that is closer to the first window side relative to the third-window-side support portion in the folded state of the curtain and to be moved toward the third-window-side support portion so as to engage with the third-window-side support portion as the tip portion of the curtain moves in the inflation direction according to the inflation of the curtain, and said tether connects the second-window-side engagement portion or a portion near the second-window-side engagement portion of the curtain to the third-window-side engagement portion or a portion near the third-window-side engagement portion of the curtain, the tether being configured so as to be accommodated at the periphery of the window portion with the curtain and to extend according to the inflation of the curtain across the window portion from the second window side to the third window side, whereby a tension can be provided to the curtain between the second-window-side support portion and the third-window-side support portion.

3. The curtain airbag device of claim 1, wherein the curtain is configured to be accommodated at least at the first window side and the second window side of the periphery of the window portion in the folded state, said engagement portion is provided at the curtain, a length of said tether extending across the window portion is configured to be shorter than a length of a corresponding part of the curtain in a state in which the curtain is inflated without the inflation of the inflatable portion.

4. The curtain airbag device of claim 1, wherein the curtain is configured to cover the window portion of a vehicle, and said tether is configured to extend outside the inflatable portion of the curtain in the inflated state.

5. The curtain airbag device of claim 1, wherein said tether is configured to extend beside the inflatable portion of the curtain in the inflated state.

6. The curtain airbag device of claim 1, wherein a band is provided at a side portion of the curtain, a base-end portion of the band is connected to a middle portion of the side portion of the curtain and a tip-end portion of the band is connected to a portion that is located at a side of the tip portion of the curtain relative to the middle portion of the side portion of the curtain, said support portion is configured to be located between the side portion of the curtain and the band such that the tip-end portion of the band is located on a side of the support portion that is opposite to the first window side in the folded state of the curtain and the base-end portion of the band as said engagement portion is moved toward the support portion so as to engage with the support portion according to the inflation of the curtain.

7. The curtain airbag device of claim 1, wherein a band is provided at a side portion of the curtain, a base-end portion of the band is connected to a fixed portion that is fixed at the periphery of the window portion or a portion near the fixed portion of the periphery of the window portion and a tip-end portion of the band is connected to the tip portion of the side portion of the curtain, said support portion is configured to be located between the side portion of the curtain and the band such that the tip end of the band is located on a side of the support portion that is opposite to the first window side in the folded state of the curtain and a middle portion of the band as said engagement portion is moved toward the support portion so as to engage with the support portion according to the inflation of the curtain.

8. The curtain airbag device of claim 1, wherein the curtain is configured to cover the window portion of a vehicle, and said gas supply device is operative to supply the gas to the inflatable portion of the curtain at least when a crash of the vehicle is predicted, the crash of the vehicle is detected, or a rollover the vehicle is determined.

9. The curtain airbag device of claim 1, wherein the inflatable portion of the curtain is provided near said engagement portion.

10. The curtain airbag device of claim 1, wherein the curtain is configured to be inflated in such a manner that the tip portion moves beyond an edge of the window portion.

11. The curtain airbag device of claim 1, wherein an angle formed between the first window side and the second window side is approximately 130 degrees or less, and the curtain is configured to be accommodated at the first window side and the second window side of the window portion.

12. The curtain airbag device of claim 1, wherein the other end of said tether is connected to a specified portion of the first window side, which is located on a side that is away from the first window side relative to a center of the first window side, or a specified portion of a third window side that is provided next to the first window side on an opposite side to the second window side, or a peripheral portion of the curtain that is restrained by the specified portion of the first window side or third window side when the curtain is in the inflated state.

13. The curtain airbag device of claim 1, wherein the curtain is configured to cover the window portion of a side window of a vehicle, and said tether is configured to extend longitudinally at a specified level that is higher than a belt line of the vehicle and lower than an upper end of a headrest of a vehicle seat.

14. The curtain airbag device of claim 7, wherein a length of the band from a point of said support portion to a point connecting to the tip portion of the curtain at the inflation of the curtain is configured to be a half or more of a length of the side portion of the curtain from said fixed portion to a tip end of the curtain.

15. The curtain airbag device of claim 14, wherein the fixed portion of the side portion of the curtain is fixed to the first window side or a border of the first window side with the second window side.