PASSENGER PROTECTION OF VEHICLE

• US 20120119476A1
• Filed: 11/07/2011
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: KAERIYAMA, Hideharu, SAIKI, Hideharu, FUKUTANI, Kazuya
• Granted Patent: US 8,641,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• 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 21/2346 Soft diffusers

Abstract

A cell of a curtain airbag is configured such that its upper portion is closed in an inflated state of the curtain airbag, whereas its lower portion is open and connected to a gas flowing passage from an inflator. Accordingly, a passenger protection device of a vehicle which can properly prevent an interior material from being broken and scattered can be provided.

Claims

1. A passenger protection device of a vehicle, comprising:

a curtain airbag arranged in a folded state on a vehicle-compartment inside along a vehicle-body side portion;

an interior material provided at the vehicle-body side portion to cover the curtain airbag in the folded state;

an inflator to generate inflatable gas in a vehicle collision;

wherein said inflator is connected to said curtain airbag such that the inflatable gas is supplied to the curtain airbag so as to inflate the curtain airbag downwardly in the vehicle collision, and said curtain airbag comprises plural cells and at least one of the plural cells of the curtain airbag is configured such that an upper portion thereof is closed in an inflated state of the curtain airbag, whereas a lower portion thereof is open and connected to a gas flowing passage from the inflator in the inflated state of the curtain airbag.

2. The passenger protection device of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said curtain airbag is arranged in the folded state along a front pillar portion from a roof side portion and covered with a top ceiling provided at least at the roof side portion and a front pillar trim provided at least at the front pillar portion, and said at least one of the plural cells of the curtain airbag is covered with the front pillar trim in the folded state of the curtain airbag.

3. The passenger protection device of a vehicle of claim 2, wherein a rigidity of said top ceiling is set to be lower than that of said front pillar trim.

4. The passenger protection device of a vehicle of claim 2, wherein said cell covered with the front pillar trim is an end-side cell which is positioned on a vehicle front-end side, said plural cells of the curtain airbag further comprises an adjacent cell which is provided adjacent to said end-side cell and covered with a front portion of said top ceiling in the folded state of the curtain airbag, and the end-side cell and the adjacent cell are configured such that respective upper portions thereof are closed in the inflated state of the curtain airbag, whereas respective lower portions thereof are open and connected to the gas flowing passage from the inflator in the inflated state of the curtain airbag.

5. The passenger protection device of a vehicle of claim 2, wherein said curtain airbag comprises a connection portion which is connected to said inflator, and a vertically-extending gas flowing passage which constitutes part of said gas flowing passage is directly connected to said connection portion.

6. The passenger protection device of a vehicle of claim 2, wherein said curtain airbag is configured to be inflated along a side portion of a vehicle compartment comprised of a front-seat space and a rear-seat space, the curtain airbag comprises a connection portion which is connected to said inflator and positioned between the front-seat space and the rear-seat space, and part of the curtain airbag which corresponds to a rear-seat side is covered with the top ceiling in the folded state of the curtain airbag and has an upper portion which is configured to be open in the inflated state of the curtain airbag.

7. The passenger protection device of a vehicle of claim 2, wherein a guide member which encloses part of said curtain airbag in the folded state which corresponds to an adjacent portion of the front pillar trim and the top ceiling and guides an inflation of the curtain airbag in the inflated state is provided, and said guide member is fixed to the vehicle-body side portion and covered with the top ceiling and the front pillar trim.

8. The passenger protection device of a vehicle of claim 7, wherein said adjacent portion of the front pillar trim and the top ceiling is configured such that part of a front end portion of the top ceiling and part of an upper end portion of the front pillar trim are overlapped, the part of the front end portion of the top ceiling being positioned on a vehicle outside with respect to the part of the upper end portion of the front pillar trim.

9. The passenger protection device of a vehicle of claim 2, wherein said curtain airbag is configured such that a lower end thereof in the inflated state is located below a level of a beltline of the vehicle.

10. A passenger protection device of a vehicle, comprising:

a curtain airbag arranged in a folded state on a vehicle-compartment inside along a front pillar portion from a roof side portion, the curtain airbag in the folded state being covered with a top ceiling provided at least at the roof side portion and a front pillar trim provided at least at the front pillar portion; and

an inflator to generate inflatable gas in a vehicle collision;

wherein said inflator is connected to said curtain airbag such that the inflatable gas is supplied to the curtain airbag so as to inflate the curtain airbag downwardly in the vehicle collision, and said curtain airbag comprises plural cells which are partitioned from each other longitudinally, at least a foremost cell of which is configured such that an upper portion thereof is closed in an inflated state of the curtain airbag, whereas a lower portion thereof is open and connected to a gas flowing passage from the inflator in the inflated state of the curtain airbag, whereby the inflatable gas from the inflator flows into said foremost cell from the lower portion of the foremost cell through the gas flowing passage in the vehicle collision.