Head-protecting air bag apparatus

• US 6,155,596 A
• Filed: 09/01/1998
• Issued: 12/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1997
• 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: Nakajima, Hiroki, Terazawa, Choko
• Primary Examiner(s): CULBRETH, ERIC D
• Application Number:
  US09/145,024
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/743.1
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• 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 head-protecting air bag apparatus includes an air bag which is adapted to be fixed to a vehicle body so that the air bag extends from a pillar along a roof side rail and one of a front end and a rear end of which is fixed to an inflator. The air bag includes, at an intermediate portion thereof, a plurality of first noninflatable portions which intersect a tension line connecting the front and rear ends when the air bag is expanded, extend in a substantially vertical direction, and are located at a roof side region corresponding to the roof side rail. The air bag also includes a guide portion. The guide portion has a portion corresponding to the pillar and an extended portion extending to a first noninflatable portion of the plurality of first noninflatable portions which is adjacent to the one end.

Claims

1. A head-protecting air bag apparatus comprising:

an air bag; and

an inflator which supplies gas to said air bag,

wherein said air bag comprises;

a main body, attachable to a roof side rail of a vehicle body, having a peripheral edge, said main body including a plurality of first non-inflatable portions and a plurality of first inflatable portions disposed substantially parallel to each other, and

a guide portion connected to said peripheral edge and integrally formed with said main body so as to allow gas supplied by said inflator to be introduced into said main body, said guide portion including an extended portion defined by a second non-inflatable portion disposed between said peripheral edge of said main body and an end of one of said plurality of first non-inflatable portions,

wherein a second inflatable portion is defined by one of said first non-inflatable portions and said second non-inflatable portion, and is connected to said first inflatable portion via a bottom of the first non-inflatable portion.

2. The head-protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said extended portion extends substantially parallel to the roof side rail, and said one of said plurality of first non-inflatable portions is inclined toward said extended portion.

3. The head-protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said head-protecting air bag is covered by a pillar garnish and by a cover made of a material which is softer than the pillar garnish.

4. The head-protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said cover is a roof head lining.

5. The head-protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the other plurality of first non-inflatable portions is formed in a bow shape in which a central portion bulges toward said guide portion.

6. The head-protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said head-protecting air bag is covered by a pillar garnish and by a cover made of a material which is softer than the pillar garnish.

7. The head-protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said cover is a roof head lining.

8. The head-protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said second inflatable portion intersects a tension line connecting a front end and a rear end of said air bag.

9. The head-protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 8, wherein an end portion of said extended portion continuous with said one of said plurality of first non-inflatable portions is disposed in a vicinity of a fixing portion at which the roof head lining is fixed to the vehicle body.

10. The head-protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 9, wherein each of the other plurality of first non-inflatable portions is formed in a bow shape in which a central portion bulges toward said guide portion.

11. The head-protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a shape of said air bag, when expanded, is substantially of a parallelogram.

12. The head-protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said extended portion extends substantially parallel to the roof side rail, and said one of said plurality of first non-inflatable portions is inclined toward said extended portion.

13. The head-protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 7, wherein an end portion of said extended portion continuous with said one of said plurality of first non-inflatable portions is disposed in a vicinity of a fixing portion at which the roof head lining is fixed to the vehicle body.

14. The head-protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a shape of said air bag, when expanded, is substantially of a parallelogram.

15. The head-protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second inflatable portion intersects a tension line connecting a front end and a rear end of said air bag.

16. The head-protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first inflatable portions are formed at both front and rear sides of said plurality of first non-inflated portions.

17. The head-protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said guide portion is provided at a pillar.

18. The head-protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of first non-inflatable portions intersect a tension line of said air bag when said air bag is expanded, and extend in a substantially vertical direction.

19. The head-protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 18, wherein each of the plurality of first non-inflatable portions which is not connected to said second non-inflatable portion is provided at an intermediate portion in a vertical direction of said main body and the gas supplied from said inflator passes through said guide portion and flows smoothly in separate upward and downward directions along said plurality of first non-inflated portions.