Airbag apparatus for head-protecting

• US 6,371,512 B1
• Filed: 07/29/1999
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Okamoto, Hiroyuki, Nagai, Kazuhiro, Asano, Toshiyuki, Chida, Minoru, Saito, Etsuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DRAPER, DEANN L
• Application Number:
  US09/362,902
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/730.1, 280/728.1, 280/728.2, 280/743.1, 280/749
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• 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 21/215 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/195 with means to tension the belt in an emergency, e.g. means of the through-anchor or splitted reel typeelectrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01

Abstract

In a head-protecting airbag apparatus where an airbag body inflated in a curtain configuration is mounted in a folded state along a roof side rail across at least a center pillar, the airbag body includes an upper portion folded in a bellows, and a lower portion subjected to one of turning-back performed toward an occupant compartment inner side and rolling-up performed towards the occupant compartment inner side. Accordingly, even when there is a vehicle occupant compartment inner side protrusion such as a slip joint in a vehicle, the airbag body is inflated and expanded so as to cover the vehicle occupant compartment inner side protrusion from the above or ride on the same. As a result, the lower portion of the airbag body is hard to be caught up by the vehicle occupant compartment inner side protrusion, thereby improving a expanding performance of the airbag body.

Claims

1. A head-protecting airbag apparatus comprising an airbag body expanding in a curtain shape is disposed in a folded state along a roof side rail across at least a center pillar, wherein the airbag body is folded such that an upper portion of the airbag body in a state in which the air bag body is attached to a vehicle body projects in a vehicle occupant compartment while pressing out a lower portion of the air bag body before the lower portion of the air bag body in the state in which the air bag body is attached to the vehicle body projects in the vehicle occupant compartment when expanding, wherein the airbag body includes the upper portion which is folded in a bellows shape and the lower portion subjected to one of turning-back performed toward an occupant compartment inner side and rolling-up performed towards the occupant compartment inner side.

2. A head-protecting airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upper portion is provided with a generally linear gas introducing path, and the gas introducing path is one of (1) not folded or (2) folded along the longitudinal direction of the gas introducing path.

3. A head-protecting airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lower portion is subjected to the rolling-up and

a lower part of the lower portion is turned back by a turning-back line, which is formed in a substantially intermediate portion of the lower portion in a vertical direction of the lower portion, such that the lower part of the lower portion is positioned on the vehicle occupant compartment inner side, and

the lower portion in which the lower part of the lower portion is turned back is rolled up from the turning-back line such that a rolling-up of the lower portion in which the lower part of the lower portion is turned back is subject toward the vehicle occupant compartment inner side.

4. A head-protecting airbag apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the turning-back line of the lower portion is set at a position above a predetermined vehicle occupant compartment inside protrusion disposed at an inside of the vehicle occupant compartment of the center pillar.

5. A head-protecting airbag apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a guide portion for guiding the airbag body inside a vehicle occupant compartment when the airbag inflates.

6. A head-protecting airbag apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an inflator for generating gas;

a gas guide tube for connecting the inflator and the airbag body and for guiding the gas from the inflator to the airbag body; and

straps, one ends of which are respectively connected to a lower and front end and a lower and rear end of the airbag body, the other ends thereof being fixed to portions of a vehicle body.

7. A head-protecting airbag apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a guide portion for guiding the airbag body when the airbag inflates.

8. A head-protecting airbag apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said guide portion is formed at a lower end portion of a plate member which has a substantially L-shaped cross sectional configuration, said plate member being provided such that said guide portion projects toward an interior of the occupant compartment and said guide portion is positioned below the lower end portion of the air bag body.

9. A head-protecting airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when expanding, while the air bag body is pressed out from a position, in which folded air bag body is attached to the vehicle body, toward the vehicle occupant compartment, the upper portion expands before the lower portion expands.

10. A head-protecting airbag apparatus comprising an airbag body expanding in a curtain shape is disposed in a folded state along a roof side rail across at least a center pillar, wherein the airbag body comprises a gas introducing path formed only on a region positioned below the roof side rail generally linearly along the roof side rail, one end of the gas introducing path communicating with an inflator, and a plurality of inflating chambers formed in only a region positioned below the roof side rail, one end of the inflating chambers communicating with the gas introducing path, and the gas introducing path is one of (1) not folded or (2) folded along the longitudinal direction of the gas introducing path, wherein a portion of the airbag body except for the gas introducing path has a bellows-folded portion and a turned-back portion toward a vehicle compartment inner side formed sequentially and downwardly along a vertical direction.

11. A head-protecting airbag apparatus comprising an airbag body expanding in a curtain shape is disposed in a folded state along a roof side rail across at least a center pillar, wherein the airbag body is folded such that an upper portion of the airbag body in a state in which the air bag body is attached to a vehicle body projects in a vehicle occupant compartment while pressing out a lower portion of the air bag body before the lower portion of the air bag body in the state in which the air bag body is attached to the vehicle body projects in the vehicle occupant compartment when expanding, wherein the upper portion of the air bag body is folded in a bellows shape and the lower portion of the airbag body is subjected to turning-back performed toward an occupant compartment inner side.

12. A head-protecting airbag apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the lower portion subjected to turning-back has a distal end that is positioned on an upper face of the upper portion.

13. A head-protecting airbag apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the lower portion subjected to turning-back has a distal end that is positioned on a vehicle occupant compartment inner side.

14. A head-protecting airbag apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the turning-back is positioned so as to cover the upper portion from the vehicle occupant compartment inner side.