Inflatable protection device for protecting head and chest areas of passengers in an automobile during a side collision

• US 6,224,091 B1
• Filed: 06/09/1999
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG, Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Stutz, Michael, Eyrainer, Heinz
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Lanna
• Assistant Examiner(s): JASMIN, LYNDA C
• Application Number:
  US09/319,681
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/730.1, 280/728.2, 280/749, 280/729
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• 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

Abstract

An airbag device for a motor vehicle which includes an airbag (20) consisting of an inflatable gas cushion, a gas generator (26) for filling the airbag (20), a gas conduit tube (18) extending through a divided-off portion of the airbag, exhaust ports in the gas conduit tube (18), a profiled ledge (10) having an ejection channel configured therein and in which the airbag (20) arranged in stacked folds is accommodated along with the gas conduit tube (18), and fasteners for holding the modular unit comprised of the profiled ledge (10), the airbag (20) and the gas conduit tube (18).

Claims

1. An inflatable vehicle occupant protective means mounted in the roof edge of a vehicle for helping to protect the head and thorax of a vehicle occupant in a side impact collision, said protective means comprising:

an elongated receiving housing having a channel-shaped cross-section,

at least one inflatable gas bag which is folded and stored in said receiving housing,

a source of compressed gas to provide gas for inflating said gas bag, and

a gas inlet tube extending substantially into said gas bag and having a plurality of spaced-apart gas exit ports through which gas flows to inflate said gas bag,

said channel-shaped cross-section including a first flat leg, a second leg having a first flat strip and a second strip which is angled relative to said first strip, and a web for joining said first and second legs,

said second strip having an oblique orientation relative to said first leg, and

at least one lead-through sleeve passing through said receiving housing for receiving a fastener for attachment to the vehicle,

said lead-through sleeve passing through a defined portion of said gas bag which does not inflate,

said defined portion of said gas bag being a slot extending in the longitudinal direction of the gas bag.

2. An inflatable vehicle occupant protective means mounted in the roof edge of a vehicle for helping to protect the head and thorax of a vehicle occupant in a side impact collision, said protective means comprising:

an elongated receiving housing having a channel-shaped cross-section,

at least one inflatable gas bag which is folded and stored in said receiving housing,

a source of compressed gas to provide gas for inflating said gas bag, and

a gas inlet tube extending substantially into said gas bag and having a plurality of spaced-apart gas exit ports through which gas flows to inflate said gas bag,

said channel-shaped cross-section including a first flat leg, a second leg having a first flat strip and a second strip which is angled relative to said first strip, and a web for joining said first and second legs,

said second strip having an oblique orientation relative to said first leg, and

at least one lead-through sleeve passing through said receiving housing for receiving a fastener for attachment to the vehicle, and

two pairs of lead-through sleeves for receiving two pairs of grab-handle fastener studs.

3. An inflatable vehicle occupant protective means mounted in the roof edge of a vehicle for helping to protect the head and thorax of a vehicle occupant in a side impact collision, said protective means comprising:

an elongated receiving housing having a channel-shaped cross-section,

at least one inflatable gas bag which is folded and stored in said receiving housing,

a source of compressed gas to provide gas for inflating said gas bag, and

a gas inlet tube extending substantially into said gas bag and having a plurality of spaced-apart gas exit ports through which gas flows to inflate said gas bag,

said channel-shaped cross-section including a first flat leg, a second leg having a first flat strip and a second strip which is angled relative to said first strip, and a web for joining said first and second legs,

said second strip having an oblique orientation relative to said first leg, and

at least one lead-through sleeve passing through said receiving housing for receiving a fastener for attachment to the vehicle,

said lead-through sleeve having a widened portion located flush with said first strip of said second leg.

4. An inflatable vehicle occupant protective means mounted in the roof edge of a vehicle roof for helping to protect the head and thorax of a vehicle occupant in a side impact collision, said protective means comprising:

an elongated receiving housing having a channel-shaped cross-section,

at least one inflatable gas bag which is folded and stored in said receiving housing,

a source of compressed gas to provide gas for inflating said gas bag, and

a gas inlet tube extending substantially into said gas bag and having a plurality of spaced-apart gas exit ports through which gas flows to inflate said gas bag,

said channel-shaped cross-section including a first flat leg, a second leg having a first flat strip and a second strip which is angled relative to said first strip, and a web for joining said first and second legs,

said second strip having an oblique orientation relative to said first leg, and

at least one lead-through sleeve passing through said receiving housing for receiving a fastener for attachment to the vehicle,

said lead though sleeve having a flange recessed in said first leg.

5. An inflatable vehicle occupant protective means mounted in the roof edge of a vehicle for helping to protect the head and thorax of a vehicle occupant in a side impact collision, said protective means comprising:

an elongated receiving housing having a channel-shaped cross-section,

at least one inflatable gas bag which is folded and stored in said receiving housing,

a source of compressed gas to provide gas for inflating said gas bag, and

a gas inlet tube extending substantially into said gas bag and having a plurality of spaced-apart gas exit ports through which gas flows to inflate said gas bag,

said channel-shaped cross-section including a first flat leg, a second leg having a first flat strip and a second strip which is angled relative to said first strip, and a web for joining said first and second legs,

said second strip having an oblique orientation relative to said first leg,

said gas bag including a sail projection which is tensed in response to inflating said gas bag,

said receiving housing including a flat profile part and a slot-shaped receiving conduit formed in said flat profile part.

6. The protective means according to claim 5 wherein said flat profile part includes a molded-on receiving conduit having a U-shaped cross-section.

7. The protective means according to claim 6 wherein said receiving conduit is defined by two elastically deflectable legs.

8. The protective means according to claim 5 further including at least one latching pin molded on said profile part.

9. The protective means according to claim 5 wherein said profile part is movably connected to an adjacent end of said receiving housing.

10. An inflatable vehicle occupant protective means mounted in the roof edge of a vehicle for helping to protect the head and thorax of a vehicle occupant in a side impact collision, said protective means comprising:

an elongated receiving housing having a channel-shaped cross-section,

at least one inflatable gas bag which is folded and stored in said receiving housing,

a source of compressed gas to provide gas for inflating said gas bag, and

a gas inlet tube extending substantially into said gas bag and having a plurality of spaced-apart gas exit ports through which gas flows to inflate said gas bag,

said channel-shaped cross-section including a first flat leg, a second leg having a first flat strip and a second strip which is angled relative to said first strip, and a web for joining said first and second legs,

said second strip having an oblique orientation relative to said first leg,

said gas bag in an inflated condition covering a side pane portion between an A pillar of the vehicle and a C pillar of the vehicle,

said gas bag including a sail-type projection anchored to the A pillar, a first chamber portion adjoining the projection, said chamber portion extending up to a B pillar of the vehicle, a second chamber portion spaced away from the C pillar, and a third chamber portion spaced away from said second chamber portion towards the C pillar and connected by a tensioning strap.

11. An inflatable vehicle occupant protective means mounted in a roof edge of the vehicle for helping to protect the head and thorax of a vehicle occupant in a side impact collision, said protective means comprising:

an elongated receiving housing having a channel-shaped cross-section,

at least one inflatable gas bag which is folded and stored in said receiving housing,

a source of compressed gas to provide gas for inflating said gas bag, and

a gas inlet tube extending substantially into said gas bag and having a plurality of spaced-apart gas exit ports through which gas flows to inflate said gas bag,

said channel-shaped cross-section including a first flat leg, a second leg having a first flat strip and a second strip which is angled relative to said first strip, and a web for joining said first and second legs,

said second strip having an oblique orientation relative to said first leg,

said receiving housing having hook-shaped hang-in elements molded onto one of said first and second legs.

12. An inflatable vehicle occupant protective means mounted in the roof edge of a vehicle for helping to protect the head and thorax of a vehicle occupant in a side impact collision, said protective means comprising:

an elongated receiving housing having a channel-shaped cross-section,

at least one inflatable gas bag which is folded and stored in said receiving housing,

a source of compressed gas to provide gas for inflating said gas bag, and

a gas inlet tube extending substantially into said gas bag and having a plurality of spaced-apart gas exit ports through which gas flows to inflate said gas bag,

said channel-shaped cross-section including a first flat leg, a second leg having a first flat strip and a second strip which is angled relative to said first strip, and a web for joining said first leg to said second leg at a first end, said first and second legs having free opposite ends which are not joined together,

said second strip having an oblique orientation relative to said first leg,

said second leg deflecting from said oblique orientation relative to said first leg to a displaced orientation relative to said first leg during inflation of said gas bag due to the force exerted by the gas through the gas exit ports, said second leg deflecting against the resistance due to the stiffness of said receiving housing.

13. The protective means according to claim 12 wherein said web joining said first and second legs has a contour shape which is adapted to an outer contour shape of said gas inlet tube.

14. The protective means according to claim 12 further comprising at least one lead-through sleeve passing through said receiving housing for receiving a fastener for attachment to a vehicle.

15. The protective means according to claim 14 wherein said lead-through sleeve passes through a defined portion of said gas bag which does not inflate.

16. The protective means according to claim 14 wherein said gas inlet tube is retained between said web connecting said first and second legs and said lead-through sleeve.

17. The protective means according to claim 12 wherein said gas bag includes a sail projection which is tensed in response to inflating said gas bag.

18. The protective means according to claim 12 wherein said gas bag in an inflated condition covers a side panel portion between an A pillar and a C pillar of a vehicle.

19. The protective means according to claim 18 wherein said gas inlet tube protrudes from said receiving housing and extends to the gas source arranged in said C pillar.

20. The protective means according to claim 18 wherein said gas bag in the inflated condition covers a side panel portion between said A pillar and a B pillar of said vehicle, and that said gas inlet tube protrudes from said receiving housing and extends to the gas source arranged in said C pillar.

21. The protective means according to claim 12 wherein said receiving housing comprises an injection molded synthetic material.

22. The protective means according to claim 12 wherein said first and second legs of said receiving housing are elastically movable.