VEHICLE OCCUPANT PROTECTION APPARATUS

• US 20070138778A1
• Filed: 12/13/2006
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Isayama, Hiroyuki, Nakamura, Takashi, Ikeda, Koji, Hirayama, Hiroyuki, Takemura, Naoki
• Application Number:
  US11/610,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20070138778A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/743.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

A vehicle occupant protection apparatus for use in a vehicle includes an occupant-protecting expansion part caused to expand in the form of a curtain in the vehicle cabin along windows. The expansion part is attached to the vehicle body at two attachment points positioned forward and rearward of the windows. A tension line that joins the two attachment points is in a position where the expansion part is extended between the two points, and is positioned below the lower edges of the windows.

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant protection apparatus comprising an expansion part that is positioned in a folded state along an upper edge of a vehicle window and is capable of expanding in the form of a curtain along the window in a vehicle cabin in order to protect a vehicle occupant, the vehicle occupant protection apparatus further comprising:

a tension line for connecting two attachment points that are selected from a plurality of attachment points for attaching the expansion part to the vehicle body and that are disposed forward and rearward of the window, wherein the tension line is in a position where the expansion part is extended between the two points, and is disposed below a lower edge of the window.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a lower edge of the expansion part is substantially positioned on the tension line when the expansion part is expanded.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the expansion part further has an auxiliary secondary expansion part that expands below the tension line, and the secondary expansion part is positioned in a location other than a location facing a sitting location of the vehicle occupant.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the expansion part has a primary inflation part that is inflated by the pressure of a gas, and the secondary expansion part further has a secondary inflation part that is inflated by the pressure of the gas.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the secondary inflation part is in constant connection with the primary inflation part via a first communicating channel having a reduced diameter to adjust an internal pressure of the primary inflation part, and has a first break part, and the first break part is designed to break when subjected to a specific breaking force produced in accordance with an internal pressure of the secondary inflation part, and the capacity of the secondary inflation part is allowed to be further increased as a result of the breaking.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first break part is set to a specific length.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the secondary inflation part is stored in a folded state on a surface of the primary inflation part on the side of the vehicle cabin.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the primary inflation part has an occupant-protecting inflation part that inflates in a location facing the sitting location, and an internal-pressure-regulating inflation part that is capable of being inflated in a location set apart from the sitting location, the internal-pressure-regulating inflation part being in constant connection with the occupant-protecting inflation part via a second communicating channel having a reduced diameter to adjust the internal pressure of the occupant-protecting inflation part, and has a second break part, the second break part being designed to break when subjected to a specific breaking force produced in accordance with an internal pressure of the internal-pressure-regulating inflation part, and the capacity of the internal-pressure-regulating inflation part being allowed to be further increased as a result of the breaking.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second break part is set to a specific length.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second break part is provided to a lateral surface of the internal-pressure-regulating inflation part.

11. A vehicle occupant protection apparatus comprising an expansion part positioned in a folded state along an upper edge of a vehicle window and being capable of expanding in the form of a curtain along the window in a vehicle cabin in order to protect a vehicle occupant,

wherein the expansion part includes an auxiliary secondary expansion part for expanding below the window, and the secondary expansion part is positioned in a location other than a location that faces a sitting location of the vehicle occupant.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the expansion part has a primary inflation part that is inflated by the pressure of a gas, and the secondary expansion part further includes a secondary inflation part that is inflated by the pressure of the gas.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the secondary inflation part is in constant connection with the primary inflation part via a first communicating channel having a reduced diameter to adjust the internal pressure of the primary inflation part, and has a first break part, and the first break part is designed to break when subjected to a specific breaking force produced in accordance with an internal pressure of the secondary inflation part, the capacity of the secondary inflation part being allowed to be further increased as a result of the breaking.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first break part is set to a specific length.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the secondary inflation part is stored in a folded state on a surface of the primary inflation part on the side of the vehicle cabin.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the primary inflation part comprises:

an occupant-protecting inflation part that inflates in a location facing the sitting location; and

an internal-pressure-regulating inflation part that is capable of being inflated in a location set apart from the sitting location,

the inflation part being in constant connection with the occupant-protecting inflation part via a second communicating channel having a reduced diameter to adjust the internal pressure of the occupant-protecting inflation part, and has a second break part,

the second break part being designed to break when subjected to a specific breaking force produced in accordance with an internal pressure of the inflation part, and the capacity of the inflation part being allowed to be further increased as a result of the breaking.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second break part is set to a specific length.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein one end of the second break part faces the second communicating channel, and the second break part is extended inward within the internal-pressure-regulating inflation part.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second break part is provided to a lateral surface of the internal-pressure-regulating inflation part.