Structure for arrangement of occupant protective apparatus for vehicle

• US 6,079,732 A
• Filed: 11/06/1997
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Miura, Shuji, Yamada, Nobuyasu, Tajima, Hiroyuki, Shibata, Minoru, Nagai, Yutaka, Nakajima, Hiroki, Kobayashi, Fumitake
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, J. J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US08/965,187
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 280/727, 280/728.1, 280/728.2, 280/730.2, 280/728.3, 280/751, 280/752
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0206 Arrangements of fasteners and clips specially adapted for attaching inner vehicle liners or mouldings devices for fastening or securing F16B
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/025 Pillars; Roof rails
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/06 Sealing strips sealing arrangements for vehicle windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors, or similar devices B60J10/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2013/0287 integrating other functions or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0414 using energy absorbing ribs
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0435 associated with the side or roof pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/04 Padded linings for the vehicle interior ; Energy absorbing structures associated with padded or non-padded linings
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/215 characterised by the covers for the inflatable member B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

A structure for arrangement of an occupant protective apparatus for a vehicle includes: an inflator disposed at a predetermined position of a vehicle body and adapted to eject a gas at a time of a side collision when a high load is applied to a side of the vehicle body; a bag stored in a folded state in such a manner as to extend between a front pillar and a roof side rail and adapted to be inflated in a shape of a curtain below the roof side rail in a vehicle compartment by a gas supplied from the inflator, the bag being disposed in a space formed between a body panel and an interior member disposed on an inner side of the vehicle compartment with a predetermined interval with the body panel; and an energy absorbing member provided in the space and disposed in close proximity to the bag so as to absorb an impact from the inner side of the vehicle compartment.

Claims

1. A structure for arrangement of an occupant protective apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

an inflator disposed at a predetermined position of a vehicle body that ejects a gas at a time of a side collision when a high load is applied to a side of the vehicle body;

a bag stored in a folded state in such a manner as to extend between a front pillar and a roof side rail and inflatable in a shape of a curtain below the roof side rail in a vehicle compartment by the gas supplied from said inflator, said bag being disposed in a space formed between a body panel and an interior member disposed on an inner side of the vehicle compartment with a predetermined interval with the body panel; and

an energy absorbing member provided in said space and disposed in close proximity to said bag so as to absorb an impact from the inner side of the vehicle compartment,

wherein said bag is located closer to a door opening of the vehicle than said energy absorbing member.

2. A structure for arrangement of an occupant protective apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the height of said energy absorbing member extending from the body panel toward an inner side of the vehicle compartment is set to be larger than the height of said bag in the folded state.

3. A structure for arrangement of an occupant protective apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein at least said bag and said energy absorbing member are integrally assembled in advance, and at least said bag and said energy absorbing member which have been integrally assembled in advance are jointly fastened to the body panel.

4. A structure for arrangement of an occupant protective apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said energy absorbing member has an extending portion which is provided in such a manner as to extend between said bag and a pillar inner panel which is a portion of the body panel in a vicinity of the front pillar.

5. A structure for arrangement of an occupant protective apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a case disposed in the space formed between the body panel and the interior member disposed on the inner side of the vehicle compartment with the predetermined interval with the body panel, said case being formed in an elongated shape to accommodate said bag.

6. A structure for arrangement of an occupant protective apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said energy absorbing member is a rib made of a resin.

9. A structure for arrangement of an occupant protective apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said interior member and said energy absorbing member are disposed at least along the front pillar.

7. A structure for arrangement of an occupant protective apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

an inflator disposed at a predetermined position of a vehicle body that ejects a gas at a time of a side collision when a high load is applied to a side of the vehicle body;

a bag stored in a folded state in such a manner as to extend between a front pillar and a roof side rail and inflatable in a shape of a curtain below the roof side rail in a vehicle compartment by the gas supplied from said inflator, said bag being disposed in a space formed between a body panel and an interior member disposed on an inner side of the vehicle compartment with a predetermined interval with the body panel; and

an energy absorbing member provided in said space and disposed in close proximity to said bag so as to absorb an impact from the inner side of the vehicle compartment,

wherein said energy absorbing member is constituted by a base member formed of a foam material and disposed on the inner side of the vehicle compartment with respect to the front pillar, and said bag is accommodated in a recessed portion provided in said base member.

8. A structure for arrangement of an occupant protective apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein said energy absorbing member is provided with an energy absorbing member disposed in a portion of said base member and having an energy absorption characteristic different from that of said base member.