Structure for placement of head protecting air bag apparatus

• US 6,305,707 B1
• Filed: 05/12/1999
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1998
• 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: Totani, Chiharu, Tanase, Toshinori, Ishiyama, Hiroshi, Furukawa, Yoshiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US09/310,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20010040360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.1, 280/728.2, 280/730.1, 280/730.2
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars

Abstract

A guide plate 45 is placed at a guiding and holding member 42 which is fixed to a region of an inner panel 34 adjacent to the upper end portion 49A of a B pillar garnish. The guide plate 45 has a base end portion 45A which extends from the vehicle interior side to the vehicle exterior side. The base end portion 45A is fixed to the guiding and holding member 42. The cross sectional configuration of the guide plate 45 when viewed from the vehicle front is formed in a substantial U shape which surrounds the folded air bag body and whose opening portion faces the outer side of the vehicle interior. When the air bag body is expanded, the guide plate 45 is extended as well so as to cover the upper end portion 49A of the center pillar garnish 49. As a result, the air bag body can expand more smoothly, and the displacement of the center pillar garnish from the vehicle body can be prevented.

Claims

1. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus in a vehicle, the apparatus being connected to an inflator that is configured to expand an air bag to extend the air bag over to a center pillar of the vehicle, the structure including an air bag expanding direction regulating member having a base end portion that is coupled to a portion of a vehicle roof side member inner panel that is adjacent to an upper end portion of a garnish of the center pillar, at least a portion of said air bag expanding direction regulating member being located at a vehicle interior side of the air bag, the air bag expanding direction regulating member having an edge portion side, of which an extending portion thereof extends downwardly from a first position where a part of the extending portion is above the upper end portion of said center pillar garnish to a second position where the part of the extending portion is beneath the upper end portion of said center pillar garnish, at which the extending portion covers the upper end portion of said center pillar garnish at the time of expansion of said air bag.

2. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said air bag expanding direction regulating member is a plate having a cross section that is formed in a substantial U shape, a portion of said plate extends in accordance with the expansion of the air bag.

3. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said air bag expanding direction regulating member is a cloth belt.

4. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said air bag expanding direction regulating member is an annular member which is configured to break at the time of expansion of said air bag.

5. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inflator is positioned at a front end portion of said air bag.

6. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said air bag expanding direction regulating member includes at least one mounting flange portion that is fixed to the roof side member inner panel.

7. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a guiding and holding member, which fixes the base end portion of said air bag expanding direction regulating member thereto and guides the direction in which said air bag expands, is a bending member that has a storing portion which surrounds a portion of said air bag.

8. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said air bag expanding direction regulating member is coupled to a portion of a vehicle roof inner panel via a bending member having a storing portion.

9. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air bag expanding direction regulating member comprises a loop-shaped cloth belt configured to be broken at the time of expansion of said air bag.

10. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said annular member is a member that is configured to maintain a folded shape of said air bag.

11. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a portion of said air bag is wrapped by said annular member.

12. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said guiding and holding member is coupled to an end portion of a portion of said air bag that is substantially central in a vehicle longitudinal direction.

13. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said guiding and holding member is coupled to the roof side member inner panel.

14. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the base end portion of said air bag expanding direction regulating member is connected to a bottom wall portion of the bending member.

15. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus in a vehicle, one end portion of the apparatus being configured to be connected to an inflator, an air bag being configured to expand to extend over to a center pillar of the vehicle, wherein an air bag expanding direction regulating member having a base end portion that is coupled to a portion of a vehicle roof side member inner panel that is adjacent to an upper end portion of a center pillar garnish, the base end being located at a vehicle interior side of said air bag, the air bag expanding direction regulating member having an edge portion side, of which an extending portion thereof extends downwardly from a first position where a part of the extending portion is above the upper end portion of said center pillar garnish to a second position where the part of the extending portion is beneath the upper end portion of said center pillar garnish, at which the extending portion covers the upper end portion of said center pillar garnish at the time of expansion of said air bag, and wherein the air bag expanding direction regulating member is a plate having a cross-section formed in a substantial U-shape, and the air bag expanding direction regulating member, comprises at least one of:

a plurality of parallel concave grooves formed in an inner wall surface of said plate and running along the vehicle longitudinal direction; and

at least one oblique concave groove which, when the plate extends, is directed from an inflator-side end portion of the plate toward a vehicle longitidinal direction intermediate portion of a side opposite the fixed side of the center pillar garnish, being formed in said plate.

16. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus in a vehicle, an air bag being configured to have one end portion connected to an inflator and configured to expand so as to extend over to a center pillar of the vehicle,

wherein an air bag expanding direction regulating member having a base end portion that is coupled to a portion of a vehicle roof side member inner panel that is adjacent to an upper end portion of a garnish of the center pillar is located at a vehicle interior side of said air bag, wherein the air bag expanding direction regulating member includes an edge portion side, an extending portion thereof extends downwardly from a first position where a part of the extending portion is above the upper end portion of said center pillar garnish to a second position where the part of the extending portion is beneath the upper end portion of said center pillar garnish, at which the extending portion covers the upper end portion of the center pillar garnish at the time of expansion of said air bag, and wherein the air bag expanding direction regulating member is a resin plate which is formed from an extrusion molding product having a substantially U-shaped cross section and which is made from soft resin.

17. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said resin plate has a plurality of hollow portions at the base end portion which extend from a vehicle interior side to a vehicle exterior side.

18. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 16, wherein a portion of said resin plate extends in accordance with the expansion of said air bag.

19. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 16, wherein a tip end portion of said resin plate has a protrusion which is configured to push a ceiling portion interior member in accordance with the expansion of said air bag.

20. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus according to claim 17, wherein a tip end portion of said resin plate has a protrusion which is configured to push a ceiling portion interior member in accordance with the expansion of said air bag.

21. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus in a vehicle, the apparatus being connected to an inflator that is configured to expand an air bag to extend the air bag over to a center pillar of the vehicle, the structure including:

an air bag expanding direction regulating member whose one end portion is coupled to a member of the vehicle which member is adjacent to an upper end portion of a garnish of the center pillar, at least a portion of said air bag expanding direction regulating member being located at a vehicle interior side of the folded air bag,

wherein an extending portion, which is a portion of said air bag expanding direction regulating member located at another end portion of said air bag expanding direction regulating member and which extends at the time of expansion of the air bag, extends downwardly from a first position where the extending portion is above the upper end portion of said center pillar garnish to a second position where the extending portion is beneath the upper end portion of said center pillar garnish, such that said extending portion covers the upper end portion of a garnish of the center pillar at the time of expansion of the air bag.

22. The structure according to claim 21, wherein said air bag expanding direction regulating member is disposed such that at least a portion of the folded air bag is surrounded by said air bag expanding direction regulating member.

23. The structure according to claim 21, wherein said extending portion is extended due to an expansion force of said air bag.

24. The structure according to claim 21, further comprising:

a guiding and holding member which is fixed to a roof side member inner panel of the vehicle, holds the folded air bag, and guides an expanding direction of the air bag at the time of expansion of the air bag,

wherein the one end portion of said air bag expanding direction regulating member is coupled to the roof side member inner panel via said guiding and holding member.

25. The structure according to claim 21, wherein the one end portion of said air bag expanding direction regulating member is fixed to a roof side member inner panel of the vehicle.

26. The structure according to claim 25, wherein said air bag expanding direction regulating member holds the folded air bag, and guides an expanding direction of the air bag at the time of expansion of the air bag.

28. The structure according to claim 21, wherein said air bag expanding direction regulating member comprises a rigid portion which holds the folded air bag, guides an expanding direction of the air bag at the time of expansion of the air bag, and is substantially L-letter shaped cross section,

wherein the one end portion of said air bag expanding direction regulating member, which is an one end portion of said rigid portion, is fixed to a roof side member inner panel of the vehicle, and said extending portion is coupled to another end portion of said rigid portion.

27. A structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag apparatus in a vehicle, the apparatus being connected to an inflator that is configured to expand an air bag to extend the air bag over to a center pillar of the vehicle, the structure including:

an air bag expanding direction regulating member,

which is coupled to a member of the vehicle which member is adjacent to an upper end portion of a garnish of the center pillar,

which is an annular shape surrounding the folded air bag, and

which includes a breakable portion which breaks at the time of expansion of the air bag,

wherein said air bag expanding direction regulating member extends downwardly at the time of expansion of the air bag from a first position where a part of the extending portion is above the upper end portion of said center pillar garnish to a second position where the part of the extending portion is beneath the upper end portion of said center pillar garnish, such that a portion of said air bag expanding direction regulating member covers the upper end portion of a garnish of the center pillar by the breakable portion being broken at the time of expansion of the air bag.