HEAD PROTECTION AIRBAG APPARATUS

• US 20140239621A1
• Filed: 02/26/2014
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: KAWAMURA, Koji, MIURA, Wataru
• Granted Patent: US 8,882,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23308 the individual compartments defining the external shape of the bag
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2346 Soft diffusers

Abstract

A head protection airbag apparatus includes an airbag that is folded and received in an upper edge of a window on an inside of a vehicle, an upper edge of which is attached and fixed to a body of the vehicle, and inflated and protruding downward from a storage region by an inflation gas flowed from an inflator to cover the inside of the window. The air bag includes an inflation shielding section that is arranged to cover the inside of the window upon completion of inflation and an overlap inflation section that is communicated with the inflation shielding section and arranged on an inside or an outside with respect to the vehicle of the inflation shielding section so that an inflation region of the overlap inflation section is overlapped with an inflation region of the inflation shielding section.

Claims

1. A head protection airbag apparatus comprising an airbag that is folded and received in an upper edge of a window on an inside of a vehicle, an upper edge of which is attached and fixed to a body of the vehicle, and inflated and protruding downward from a storage region by an inflation gas flowed from an inflator to cover the inside of the window,

wherein the air bag includes:

an inflation shielding section that is arranged to cover the inside of the window upon completion of inflation; and

an overlap inflation section that is communicated with the inflation shielding section and when the airbag is completely inflated, arranged on an inside or an outside of the vehicle of the inflation shielding section so that an inflation region of the overlap inflation section is overlapped with an inflation region of the inflation shielding section inflated by the inflation gas,

wherein the overlap inflation section is configured to be completely inflated after the inflation shielding section is completely inflated,

wherein the overlap inflation section has a generally rod-shaped exterior shape and is arranged to extend substantially along a front and rear direction on a substantially middle region of the inflation shielding section in an upward and downward direction, and

wherein the overlap inflation section is arranged to be overlapped with a pillar arranged adjacent to the window, as viewed from the inside of the vehicle.

2. The head protection airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the airbag has been completely inflated, the overlap inflation section is arranged to be overlapped with two pillars respectively arranged adjacent to the front and rear of the windows, as viewed from the inside of the vehicle.

3. The head protection airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the overlap inflation section is arranged over the substantially entire region of the inflation shielding section in the front and rear direction of the vehicle.

4. The head protection airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an airbag constitution body constituting the airbag is configured so that, in a flatly deployed state of the airbag, the overlap inflation section is arranged adjacent to a lower side of the inflation shielding section to extend substantially along the front and rear direction, and

wherein the overlap inflation section is communicated with the inflation shielding section through a communication part, and folded back at the communication part to be arranged on the inside or the outside of the vehicle of the inflation shielding section.

5. The head protection airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inflation shielding section includes a main inflation portion and a sub-inflation portion communicated with the main inflation portion to be completely inflated after the main inflation portion is completely inflated,

wherein the overlap inflation section is communicated with the sub-inflation portion, and

wherein a downstream-side communication part for communicating the overlap inflation section with the sub-inflation portion is set to have an opening area smaller than that of an upstream-side communication part for communicating the sub-inflation portion with the main inflation portion.

6. The head protection airbag apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the overlap inflation section is arranged over the substantially entire region of the inflation shielding section in the front and rear direction of the vehicle.