Side air bag providing enhanced coverage

• US 6,338,498 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2000
• Issued: 01/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Welch, Jeffrey Allen, Niederman, Robert Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Application Number:
  US09/697,000
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/730.1, 280/730.2
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• 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

Abstract

An inflatable curtain structure for deployment within the interior of a transportation vehicle. The curtain structure includes a main body portion and an inflatable portion above the main body portion. The curtain structure is attached to the roof rail of the vehicle at locations of attachment extending in a hinge forming pattern between the main body portion and the inflatable portion above the main body portion such that upon inflation of the inflatable curtain structure the inflatable portion disposed above the main body portion expands in cushioning relation between the roof rail and the occupant.

Claims

1. An inflatable curtain structure adapted to be deployed within the interior of a transportation vehicle so as to cover an area below a roof and adjacent to an occupant within the vehicle during a collision event, the curtain structure comprising:

a main body portion including an impact surface facing towards the occupant upon inflation of the curtain structure and a rear surface facing away from the occupant upon inflation of the curtain structure;

a plurality of attachment zones of restricted inflatable expansion adapted to be operatively connected to the vehicle at locations disposed substantially along a roof rail of the vehicle; and

an inflatable portion disposed substantially above the attachment zones and in fluid communication with the main body portion such that upon inflation of the inflatable curtain structure the main body portion expands in covering relation to a portion of the interior of the vehicle below the roof rail and the inflatable portion disposed above the attachment zones expands in cushioning relation between the roof rail and the occupant.

2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the attachment zones extend in a hinge forming pattern between the main body portion and the inflatable portion disposed above the attachment zones such that upon contacting the vehicle roof, the inflatable portion disposed above the attachment zones rotates around the hinge forming pattern in cushioning relation between the occupant and the roof rail.

3. The invention according to claim 2, wherein the impact surface and the rear surface are joined together to form regions of substantially noninflatable character extending in a predetermined pattern across the main body portion.

4. An inflatable curtain structure adapted to be deployed within the interior of a transportation vehicle so as to cover an area below a roof and adjacent to an occupant within the vehicle during a collision event, the curtain structure comprising:

a main body portion including an impact surface facing towards the occupant upon inflation of the curtain structure and a rear surface facing away from the occupant upon inflation of the curtain structure; and

an inflatable portion disposed above the main body portion and in normal fluid communication with the main body portion such that upon inflation of the inflatable curtain structure the inflatable portion disposed above the main body portion expands in cushioning relation between a structural roof rail of the vehicle and the occupants wherein the curtain structure is adapted to be attached to an underlying support structure at a plurality of attachment zones extending in a segmented pattern at least partially across the length of the curtain structure such that upon inflation of the curtain structure the attachment zones comprise a hinge between the main body portion and the inflatable portion disposed above the main body portion.

5. The invention according to claim 4, wherein the main body portion and the inflatable portion disposed above the main body portion are inflatable by a single common inflator.

6. The invention according to claim 4, wherein apertures for acceptance of fastening elements are disposed through the attachment zones.

7. The invention according to claim 4, wherein the impact surface and the rear surface are joined together to form regions of substantially noninflatable character extending in a predetermined pattern across the main body portion.

8. The invention according to claim 7, wherein the impact surface and the rear surface are joined together by sewing.

9. The invention according to claim 7, wherein the impact surface and the rear surface are joined together by welding.

10. The invention according to claim 7, wherein the impact surface and the rear surface are joined together by adhesive bonding.

11. An inflatable curtain structure adapted to be deployed within the interior of a transportation vehicle so as to cover an area below a roof and adjacent to an occupant within the vehicle during a collision event, the curtain structure comprising:

a main body portion including an impact surface facing towards the occupant upon inflation of the curtain structure and a rear surface facing away from the occupant upon inflation of the curtain structure;

an inflatable portion disposed above the main body portion,

a plurality of attachment zones disposed in a discontinuous hinge-forming pattern at least partially along the length of the curtain structure between the main body portion and the inflatable portion disposed above the main body portion, wherein at least a portion of the attachment zones are adapted for acceptance of fastening elements therethrough for operative attachment of the curtain structure to a structural roof rail of the vehicle; and

a gas inlet opening feeding into the main body portion;

the inflatable portion disposed above the main body portion being in normal fluid communication with the main body portion across the pattern of attachment zones such that upon introduction of an inflation gas through the gas inlet opening and into the main body portion the main body portion expands downwardly away from the roof rail and a portion of the inflation gas travels into the inflatable portion disposed above the main body portion whereby the inflatable portion disposed above the main body portion expands in cushioning relation between the roof rail and the occupant.

12. The invention according to claim 11 wherein the pattern of attachment zones includes an elongate blocking segment extending a distance along the length of the curtain structure between the main body portion and the inflatable portion disposed above the main body portion, the elongate blocking segment being disposed adjacent to the gas inlet opening such that the inflation gas travels a distance past the elongate blocking segment before passing into the inflatable portion disposed above the main body portion.

13. The invention according to claim 11, wherein the impact surface and the rear surface are joined together to form regions of substantially noninflatable character extending in a predetermined pattern across the main body portion.

14. The invention according to claim 11, wherein the impact surface and the rear surface are joined together by sewing.

15. The invention according to claim 11, wherein the impact surface and the rear surface are joined together by welding.

16. The invention according to claim 11, wherein the impact surface and the rear surface are joined together by adhesive bonding.