Safety Device for the Protection of Vehicle Occupants

• US 20090115170A1
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv Development AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv Development AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hjerpe, Erik
• Granted Patent: US 7,938,439 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/728.200
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/165 reusable, e.g. in case of multiple collisions
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23388 having ends which are movable or detachable during deployment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

A safety device for protection of vehicle occupants is described. The safety device exhibits a curtain airbag (10) located in the area of the roof frame, with an upper edge (10a), which is rolled up in quiescent state and unrolled in the case of an accident. The curtain airbag can be filled with gas. In order to enable the safety device to be used reversibly, the curtain airbag (10) is rolled up to roll around its upper edge (10a) when in quiescent state, and the upper edge is held by fixing elements in a manner which the airbag is rotatable.

Claims

1. A safety device for the protection of vehicle occupants, comprising a curtain airbag located in the area of the roof frame along the side of the vehicle interior, which is rolled up in an undeployed state and which is unrolled in case of a potential accident and which can be filled with gas, the curtain airbag forming a top edge, and wherein the curtain airbag when in the undeployed state is rolled around the upper edge into a roll and that fixing elements support the upper edge such that the airbag is rotatable between the undeployed state and a deployed state in which the airbag is unrolled.

2. A safety device according to claim 1, wherein the return elements are present which can urge the curtain airbag from the unrolled deployed airbag into the undeployed rolled-up state.

3. A safety device according to claim 1, wherein the curtain airbag is wound onto a shaft when in the undeployed state.

4. A safety device according to claim 3, wherein the shaft is a hollow shaft.

5. A safety device according to claim 1, wherein the means are present which act on a lower area of the curtain airbag in case of a potential accident for unrolling the airbag.

6. A safety device according to claim 4, wherein the means are in the form of a piston-cylinder-units which can be loaded with compressed air.

7. A safety device according to claim 1, wherein a lower section of the curtain airbag is connected with a pressure source by means of a filling hose to inflate the airbag.

8. A safety device according to claim 7, wherein the curtain airbag forms a horizontally-running chamber which is connected to filling hose, and a plurality of vertically-running chambers which extend from the horizontally-running chamber.