Side air bag apparatus for vehicle

• US 6,378,896 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2000
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Tanaka, Hideaki, Sakakida, Masafumi, Nishiguchi, Sadamu, Nobumoto, Shouji
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Lanna
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Application Number:
  US09/537,406
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/728.2, 280/743.2, 280/743.1, 296/146.6, 296/146.7
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/21 in vehicle side panels, e.g. doors pillar mounted arrangements B60R21/213

Abstract

The present invention provides a side air bag apparatus including an air bag unit. The air bag unit contains a side air bag and an inflator in its upper and lower portions, respectively. The air bag unit is attached to an inner panel of a side door through upper attaching portions and lower attaching portions. The air bag unit is configured to move in parallel toward a vehicle occupant compartment during a side impact collision by way of a difference in distance between a side impact input position corresponding to a impact bar and each attaching portion. This enables the side air bag unit to avoid damage during the collision. Further, the side air bag can reliably be expanded between an occupant and the side door. A structure for attaching the air bag unit to the side door can also be simplified.

Claims

1. A side air bag apparatus comprising:

a single air bag unit mounted in a side door of a vehicle including

a side air bag expandable between an occupant in a vehicle occupant compartment and said side door when a side impact detecting means of said vehicle detects a side impact;

an inflator providing a gas for expansion of said side air bag, said side air bag and said inflator being respectively contained in an upper portion and a lower portion of said air bag unit,

upper attaching means and lower attaching means for securing said air bag unit to an inner panel of said side door;

a reinforcing member provided between said air bag unit and said inner panel covering an upper attaching portion to which said air bag unit is attached by said upper attaching means and a lower attaching portion to which said air bag unit is attached by said lower attaching means;

wherein said air bag unit is located inside an impact bar in a width direction of said vehicle and a distance between said impact bar and said lower attaching means in a vertical direction is smaller than a distance between said impact bar and said upper attaching means in the vertical direction and wherein said air bag containing portion of said air bag unit is formed to protrude toward said inner panel more than said inflator-containing portion, and a first opening portion is formed in said inner panel and opposed to the resultant protruding portion of the air bag containing portion, and said reinforcing member is formed in a frame shape surrounding said first opening portion.

2. A side air bag apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said air bag unit is located between said inner panel and a door trim, said inflator containing portion being formed to protrude toward said vehicle occupant compartment more than said air bag containing portion, at least part of said inflator-containing portion being located in an internal space of an armrest, said air bag unit being secured to said inner panel through said lower attaching means at a position corresponding to a gas passage forming portion in which a gas passage portion is formed for providing a gas from said inflator to said side air bag.

3. A side air bag apparatus as defined in claim 2 which further includes a first displacement allowable portion located between said gas passage forming portion and said armrest to allow said gas passage forming portion to displace toward said vehicle occupant compartment during a side impact collision.

4. A side air bag apparatus as defined in claim 3 which further includes a second displacement allowable portion provided between said inflator-containing portion and said armrest to allow said inflator-containing portion to displace toward said vehicle occupant compartment during a side impact collision.

5. A side air bag apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said side air bag includes

a lower bag portion expanded inside a door body of said side door with respect to the width direction of said vehicle,

an upper bag portion expanded inside a wind sealed glass portion positioned above a belt line corresponding to an upper end of said door body, said lower portion and said upper portion being integrated, and

a partition line partitioning said lower bag portion from said upper bag portion except for a predetermined area for a vent passage, said partition line being formed in a longitudinal direction of said vehicle so as to slant with respect to the horizontal direction in the expanded condition of said side air bag.

6. A side air bag apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said partition line is formed to allow a part of said partition line to be positioned under the belt line in the expanded condition of said side air bag.

7. A side air bag apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said partition line is slanted downwardly in a forward direction of the vehicle in the expanded condition of said side air bag.

8. A side air bag apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said vehicle is an open-roof automobile including a pillar positioned on the side of a front seat and vertically positioned in a rear portion of said side door, said pillar including an upper end portion having the same height as a belt line.

9. A side air bag apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said side air bag is configured to make a distance between said inflator and a rear end of said air bag larger than a distance between said inflator and a front end of said air bag in longitudinal direction in the expanded condition of said side air bag.

10. A side air bag apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said side air bag is configured to make a distance between said inflator and a rear end of said air bag larger than a distance between said inflator and a front end of said air bag in a longitudinal direction in the expanded condition of said side air bag, said air bag including a tether portion located at a front side extending over more than a gas nozzle of said inflator and formed by joining a door bag film member and an occupant bag film member of said side air bag to control an expansion in width direction of said vehicle.

11. A side air bag apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said side air bag is formed into a bursiform product by joining both peripheral end portions of a door side film member and an occupant side film member, said side air bag being configured to make a distance between said inflator and a rear end of said air bag larger than a distance between said inflator and a front end of said air bag in a longitudinal direction in the expanded condition of said side air bag, and

said side air bag further including;

a lower bag portion expanded inside a door body of said side door;

an upper bag portion expanded inside a wind sealed glass portion positioned above a belt line corresponding to an upper end of said door body, said lower portion and said upper portion being integrated;

a dividing line dividing said lower bag portion from said upper bag portion except for two vent passages located at front side and rear side of said dividing line, and

a tether coupling said both bag film members at a position located on a straight line connecting a gas nozzle of said inflator and said front side vent passage in a gas passage between said dividing line and said inflator in the expanded condition of said side air bag.

12. A side air bag apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein said dividing line slants upwardly going in a rearward direction of the vehicle.

13. A side air bag apparatus comprising:

a single air bag unit mounted in a side door of a vehicle including

a side air bag expandable between an occupant and said side door when a side impact detecting means of said vehicle detects a side impact;

an inflator providing a gas for expansion of said side air bag, said side air bag and said inflator being respectively contained in an upper portion and a lower portion of said air bag unit,

an impact bar positioned in the door;

a shock-absorbing member provided between said air bag unit and said impact bar;

upper attaching means and lower attaching means for securing said air bag unit to an inner panel of said side door;

a first opening formed in said inner panel;

wherein said air bag unit is located inside said impact bar in a width direction of said vehicle and a distance between said impact bar and said lower attaching means in a vertical direction is smaller than a distance between said impact bar and said upper attaching means in the vertical direction; and

a second opening is formed in said inner panel opposed to a lower portion of said inflator-containing portion, wherein at least part of said shock-absorbing member is located between said impact bar and a lower attaching portion of said inner panel to which said air bag unit is attached by said lower attaching means.

14. A side air bag apparatus as defined in claim 13 which further includes a second shock-absorbing member provided at a position corresponding to said air bag containing portion of said air bag unit, said second shock-absorbing member being separated from or integrated with said shock-absorbing member, said position being located outside said air bag containing portion in the width direction of said vehicle.

15. A side air bag apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said side air bag includes

a lower bag portion expanded inside a door body of said side door with respect to the width direction of said vehicle,

an upper bag portion expanded inside a wind sealed glass portion positioned above a belt line corresponding to an upper end of said door body, said lower portion and said upper portion being integrated, and

partition line partitioning said lower bag lower bag portion from said upper bag portion except for a predetermined area for a vent passage, said partition line being formed in a longitudinal direction of said vehicle so as to slant with respect to the horizontal direction in the expanded condition of said air bag.

16. A side air bag apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein said partition line is formed to allow a part of said partition line to be positioned under the belt line in the expanded condition of said side air bag.

17. A side air bag apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein said partition line is slanted downwardly in a forward direction of the vehicle in the expanded condition of said side air bag.

18. A side air bag apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said vehicle is an open-roof automobile including a pillar positioned on the side of a front seat and vertically positioned in a rear portion of said side door, said pillar including an upper end portion having the same height as a belt line.

19. A side air bag apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said side air bag is configured to make a distance between said inflator and a rear end of said air bag larger than a distance between said inflator and a front end of said air bag in longitudinal direction in the expanded condition of said side air bag.

20. A side air bag apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said side air bag is configured to make a distance between said inflator and a rear end of said air bag larger than a distance between said inflator and a front end of said air bag in a longitudinal direction in the expanded condition of said side air bag, said air bag including a tether portion located at a front side extending over more than a gas nozzle of said inflator and formed by joining a door bag film member and a occupant bag film member of said side air bag to control an expansion in the width direction of said vehicle.

21. A side air bag apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said side air bag is formed into a bursiform product by joining both peripheral end portions of a door side film member and an occupant side film member, said side air bag being configured to make a distance between said inflator and a rear end of said air bag larger than a distance between said inflator and a front end of said air bag in a longitudinal direction in the expanded condition of said side air bag, and

said side air bag further including;

a lower bag portion expanded inside a door body of said side door;

an upper bag portion expanded inside a wind sealed glass portion positioned above a belt line corresponding to an upper end of said door body, said lower portion and said upper portion being integrated;

a dividing line dividing said lower bag portion from said upper bag portion except for two vent passages located at front side and rear side of said dividing line, and

a tether coupling said both bag film members at a position located on a straight line connecting a gas nozzle of said inflator and said front side vent passage in a gas passage