Interior structure of vehicle equipped with curtain airbag

• US 20080073889A1
• Filed: 08/28/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Nakao, Hiroaki, Hirata, Motoharu
• Granted Patent: US 7,815,217 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0243 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/025 Pillars; Roof rails
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2013/0287 integrating other functions or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/21537 characterised by hinges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/1818 Belt guides
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/24 secured to the side, door, or roof of the vehicle

Abstract

There is provided a slant face at an upper portion of a seatbelt anchor. The slant face is formed in such a manner that its lower portion is located inward. There is provided an uneven portion that is formed near an upper edge portion of the seatbelt anchor so as to overhang. Accordingly, the curtain airbag can be prevented from catching on the seatbelt anchor even if the curtain airbag inflates downward contacting the inner face of the center pillar during its inflation.

Claims

1. An interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag, comprising:

a roof trim forming a ceiling;

a rear pillar trim forming an inner face of a rear pillar that is located at a rear portion of the vehicle, the rear pillar trim being made of synthetic resin that is harder than a material making the roof trim;

a seatbelt anchor provided at an inner face of a center pillar of the vehicle that is located in front of the rear pillar, the seatbelt anchor projecting inside of the vehicle; and

a curtain airbag provided inside a side edge portion of the roof trim and the rear pillar trim along at least from an upper front portion of the center pillar to a lower portion of the rear pillar, the curtain airbag being configured to inflate covering at least an inner face of a side window portion of the vehicle that is located in front of a front edge portion of the rear pillar including the center pillar, when inflatable gas is supplied thereto under a specified condition,

wherein said curtain airbag is configured to inflate substantially contacting the inner face of the center pillar, and there is provided a restraint structure operative to restrain the curtain airbag inflating from catching on said seatbelt anchor.

2. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein there is provided a slant face at an upper portion of the seatbelt anchor, the slant face being formed in such a manner that a lower portion thereof is located inward, which constitutes said restraint structure.

3. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag of claim 2, wherein said seatbelt anchor is provided at the inner face of the center pillar so as to rotate around an axis that extends substantially in a vehicle width direction, and said slant face is provided at the upper portion of the seatbelt anchor in such a manner that a clear rearview from a deriver'"'"'s seat is not substantially deteriorated by the seatbelt anchor rotating by a specified rotational angle for application of a seatbelt to a passenger.

4. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag of claim 3, wherein said center pillar comprises a center pillar body and a center pillar trim that covers the center pillar body and form an inner face of the center pillar, the center pillar is formed in such a manner that a central portion thereof projects toward inside of the vehicle, and a gap in a vehicle width direction between an inner face of the center pillar trim and a face of the seatbelt anchor that faces said inner face of the center pillar trim when the seatbelt anchor rotates due to the application of the seatbelt is configured not to become larger than the gap at the time of an non-application of the seatbelt.

5. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag of claim 2, wherein said curtain airbag is configured in such a manner that the inflatable gas is supplied thereto from a specified location in front of the center pillar, said seatbelt anchor is configured such that an incline of the upper portion thereof is gentler than that of a front portion thereof, the seatbelt anchor is provided so as to rotate around an axis that extends substantially in a vehicle width direction, and there is provided a seatbelt holding member to hold the seatbelt anchor at a specified rotational position such that a vertical direction of the seatbelt anchor has a specified angle or less relative to an inflation direction of the curtain airbag when the seatbelt is not applied.

6. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein said inner face of the center pillar has an uneven portion that is formed near an upper edge portion of said seatbelt anchor so as to overhang in such a manner that an upper overhanging portion is located inward from an outside end portion of the upper edge portion of the seatbelt anchor, which constitutes said restraint structure.

7. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag of claim 6, wherein said uneven portion of the center pillar is formed so as to located at least at a rear part of the center pillar.

8. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag of claim 6, wherein said curtain airbag is configured in such a manner that the inflatable gas is supplied thereto from a specified location in front of the center pillar, there is provided an additional center pillar in front of the center pillar, and at an inner face of the additional center pillar is provided an interior member to project inward of the vehicle.

9. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag of claim 8, wherein said interior member is provided below a line that interconnects an upper end of said rear pillar trim and a front-end fixing portion of said curtain airbag and above a line that interconnects a rear end of said uneven portion and the front-end fixing portion of the curtain airbag.

10. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag of claim 6, wherein said curtain airbag is configured in such a manner that the inflatable gas is supplied thereto from a specified location in front of the center pillar, and a rear end of said uneven portion is positioned at substantially the same height level as or below a front portion of the uneven portion that is located above the seatbelt anchor.

11. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein said seatbelt anchor is located above a tension line that is generated at the curtain airbag so as to extend substantially in a vehicle longitudinal direction when the curtain airbag is in a specified inflation state, which constitutes said restraint structure.

12. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag of claim 11, wherein said curtain airbag provides a specified tension on a line that interconnects a specified portion of a lower edge portion of the airbag that is located below a gas inlet and an upper end portion of the rear pillar trim when the curtain airbag is in a specified inflation state, and said seatbelt anchor is located above said line of the specified tension.

13. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag of claim 11, wherein a front end portion of said curtain airbag is fixed to a vehicle body at a point below an upper end portion of the rear pillar trim, the curtain airbag provides a specified tension on a line that interconnects said fixing point and an upper end portion of the rear pillar trim when the curtain airbag is in a specified inflation state, and said seatbelt anchor is located above said line of the specified tension.

14. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein there is provided means for facilitating movement of the rear pillar trim to allow the curtain airbag to inflate outside.

15. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein said curtain airbag is configured to inflate with a first pressing force against a specified upper portion of the inner face of the center pillar when the curtain airbag inflates pressing outward the roof trim in front of an upper end portion of the rear pillar trim and inflate with a second pressing force against a portion below said specified upper portion of the inner face of the center pillar when the curtain airbag inflates downward from the upper end portion of the rear pillar trim, the second pressing force being greater than the first pressing force, and said seatbelt anchor is located at said specified upper portion of the inner face of the center pillar, which constitutes said restraint structure.