Head protection airbag

• US 20100084841A1
• Filed: 09/22/2009
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ochiai, Yasuo, Suemitsu, Taizo
• Granted Patent: US 8,006,999 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.200
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23514 coated fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23566 Nesting of panels, i.e. for material utilisation
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/201 Packaging straps or envelopes for inflatable members
• 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 21/2342 Tear seams
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2346 Soft diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/235 characterised by their material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A head protection airbag according to the invention includes: a shielding main body portion which is manufactured by double weaving, is configured to have a substantially rectangular plate shape when the shielding main body portion is flatly deployed so that a vehicle inside-facing wall and a vehicle outside-facing wall overlap with each other, and covers a window on the inside when the inflation is completed; a plurality of mounting portions which protrude upward from an upper edge of the shielding main body portion and mount the upper edge of the shielding main body portion on an upper edge of the window; and a connection port which has a substantially tubular shape, protrudes upward from the upper edge of the shielding main body portion and allows an inflow of inflation gas into the shielding main body portion. The mounting portions and the connection port are separate from the double-woven shielding main body portion and are connected to the shielding main body portion.

Claims

1. A head protection airbag which is configured to be folded and stored by the upper edge of a window on the inside of a vehicle, the upper edge side of the airbag being mounted and fixed to the body of the vehicle, so as to protrude downward from where it is stored due to an inflow of inflation gas from an inflator, and to be deployed and inflated so as to cover the window on the inside, the head protection airbag comprising:

a shielding main body portion which is configured to cover the window on the inside when the inflation is completed;

a plurality of mounting portions which protrude upward from an upper edge of the shielding main body portion and mount the upper edge of the shielding main body portion on the upper edge of the window; and

a connection port which has a substantially tubular shape, protrudes upward from the upper edge of the shielding main body portion, and has an insertion opening for connection to the inflator at the upper end, so as to allow the inflow of inflation gas to an inflation portion of the shielding main body portion,

wherein the shielding main body portion has an inflation portion, which is inflated due to the inflow of inflation gas between a vehicle inside-facing wall and a vehicle outside-facing wall, and a non-inflation portion into which there is no inflow of inflation gas, is manufactured by double weaving, and has a shape when the shielding main body portion is flatly deployed so that the vehicle inside-facing wall and the vehicle outside-facing wall overlap with each other which is a substantially rectangular, and

wherein the mounting portions and the connection port are separate from the double-woven shielding main body portion and are connected to the shielding main body portion.

2. The head protection airbag according to claim 1,

wherein a connection port material constituting the connection port is formed from coated cloth having a coating layer on one side thereof, and the connection port is formed so that the coating layer is disposed on the inner side of the port.

3. The head protection airbag according to claim 1,

wherein an opening for connecting the connection port is formed at the upper edge of the shielding main body portion, and

wherein the connection port is connected to the shielding main body portion by reversing its lower edge which is to communicate with the shielding main body portion so that the lower edge is turned upward, and sewing the lower edge to the peripheral edge of the opening.

4. The head protection airbag according to claim 1,

wherein a connection port material constituting the connection port is formed by being cut out from the non-inflation portion in the shielding main body portion.

5. The head protection airbag according to claim 4,

wherein the outer surface of the shielding main body portion is covered with a coating layer which is formed by applying a coating agent for preventing gas leakage, and

wherein the connection port material is formed into the connection port so that the coating layer is disposed on the inner side of the port.

6. The head protection airbag according to claim 4,

wherein in the non-inflation portion, an opening which is formed by cutting out the connection port material is blocked by a separate blocking member.

7. The head protection airbag according to claim 1,

wherein the mounting portion is configured to include a mounting main body and a belt-like wrapping portion extending downward from the lower end of the mounting main body, and the lower end of the mounting main body is coupled to the upper edge of the shielding main body portion, and

wherein the wrapping portion is configured to include a connection piece, which is disposed at the end separate from the mounting main body and is fastened together with the mounting main body with a mounting bracket for mounting the mounting main body on the upper edge of the window, and a rupture portion, which can be ruptured when the airbag is deployed and inflated, and is wound around the folded shielding main body portion so as to prevent collapsing when the airbag is folded so as to be stored.

8. The head protection airbag according to claim 7,

wherein when the airbag is installed in a vehicle, the rupture portion is positioned below the folded shielding main body portion.

9. The head protection airbag according to claim 1,

wherein an inner tube is disposed in the connection port so as to cover both the connection port and the area below the connection port in the shielding main body portion.

10. A method of manufacturing a head protection airbag which is configured to be folded and stored at the upper edge of a window on the inside of a vehicle, the upper edge side of the airbag being mounted and fixed to the body of the vehicle, so as to protrude downward from where it is stored due to an inflow of inflation gas from an inflator, and to be deployed and inflated so as to cover the window on the inside,

wherein the airbag includes:

a shielding main body portion which is configured to cover the window on the inside when the inflation is completed,

a plurality of mounting portions which are formed so as to protrude from the upper edge of the shielding main body portion and mount the shielding main body portion on the upper edge of the window are separate from the shielding main body portion and are coupled to the shielding main body portion, and

a connection port which has a substantially tubular shape, protrudes upward from the upper edge of the shielding main body portion and has an insertion opening for connection to the inflator at its upper end so as to allow the inflow of inflation gas to the inflation portions of the shielding main body portion, and

wherein the shielding main body portion has inflation portions which are inflated by inserting an inflation gas between a vehicle inside-facing wall and a vehicle outside-facing wall, and a non-inflation portion, which is configured so that the vehicle inside-facing wall and the vehicle outside-facing wall are coupled to each other and there is no inflow of inflation gas therein, is manufactured by double weaving, and is a substantially rectangular plate when the shielding main body portion is flatly deployed so that the vehicle inside-facing wall and the vehicle outside-facing wall overlap,

the method comprising;

cutting an airbag material, which is woven so that a plurality of shielding main body portion materials are continuously provided in parallel rows side by side, to produce shielding main body portions in which a part of the upper edge is opened;

coupling the mounting portions to the upper edge of the shielding main body portion;

inserting a connection port material, which constitutes the connection port, into the shielding main body portion from the opening thereof with the connection port material reversed so that its upper edge constituting the insertion opening is positioned downward, and sewing its lower edge to be connected to the shielding main body portion to the peripheral edge of the opening in the shielding main body portion by using suture threads; and

making the connection port material to protrude from the shielding main body portion so it is no longer in the reversed state, coupling the connection port material edge portions along the front-back direction, and coupling the remaining opened parts of the shielding main body portion, thereby forming the connection port and connecting the connection port to the shielding main body portion.

11. The method of manufacturing a head protection airbag according to claim 10,

wherein the connection port material is formed by being cut out from the non-inflation portion in the shielding main body portion.

12. The method of manufacturing a head protection airbag according to claim 10,

wherein an inner tube is disposed in the connection port so as to cover both the connection port and the area below the connection port in the shielding main body portion, and

wherein the inner tube is connected with the connection port when the edge portions in the front-back direction of the connection port material are mutually coupled.