Vehicle occupant safety apparatus

• US 6,457,740 B1
• Filed: 06/19/1998
• Issued: 10/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Incorporated (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Vehicle Safety Systems Incorporated (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Altamore, Paul F., Vaidyaraman, Srinivasan, Nayef, Ayad G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, David R.
• Application Number:
  US09/099,707
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/748, 280/749, 280/756, 280/728.2, 296/214
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/21531 using a strechable wall liner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23192 Roof bags, i.e. protecting the occupant in a roll-over situation
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2615 for diverting the gas into a plurality of bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2617 Curtain bag nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

An apparatus (10) for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle (12) having a roof (60) and a side structure (40) includes an inflatable device (16) having a deflated condition and having an inflated condition. In the inflated condition, a head portion (22) of the inflatable device is inflated between the occupant'"'"'s head and the vehicle roof and a side portion (20) of the inflatable device is inflated between the occupant and the vehicle side structure. The apparatus (10) further includes an actuatable inflation fluid source (14) for upon actuation directing inflation fluid into the inflatable device (16) to inflate the inflatable device from the deflated condition to the inflated condition. The head portion (22) of the inflatable device (16) is inflated by inflation fluid flow in a direction transverse to the vehicle side structure (40). In a preferred embodiment, the head portion (22) of the inflatable device (16) when in the deflated condition has panels (86, 96) which lie generally parallel to a headliner (62) between the headliner and the roof (60) and which extend from the vehicle side (40) approximately to the vehicle centerline (64).

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant safety apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle having a roof, a headliner underlying the roof, and a side structure including side window openings, said apparatus comprising:

an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device including a side curtain portion inflatable between the side structure of the vehicle and a vehicle occupant and a headliner portion inflatable between a roof of the vehicle and the vehicle headliner; and

an inflation fluid source actuatable to provide inflation fluid for inflating said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device,

said side curtain portion having a trapezoidal configuration with spaced parallel upper and lower edges and spaced front and rear edges extending between said upper and lower edges, said front edge extending at an acute angle to said lower edge, said upper edge lying entirely above the side window openings of the vehicle along the intersection of the side structure of the vehicle and the vehicle roof and said lower edge extending along the vehicle side structure adjacent a lower edge of a front side window opening and a lower edge of a rear side window opening when said side curtain portion is inflated,

said headliner portion having a rectangular configuration including spaced parallel forward and rearward edges and spaced parallel inner and outer edges extending perpendicular to said forward and rearward edges and between said forward and rearward edges, said outer edge of said headliner portion extending parallel to and merging with said upper edge of said side curtain portion, said forward and rearward edges extending perpendicular to said upper edge at locations intermediate the terminal ends of said upper edge.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said side curtain portion when inflated extends from adjacent the intersection of the side structure of the vehicle and the vehicle roof to below the lower edges of the front and rear side window openings.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said side curtain portion overlies at least a portion of an A-pillar, B-pillar, and C-pillar of the vehicle.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said headliner portion extends from the vehicle side structure approximately to the vehicle centerline.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device comprises inner and outer panels each made from a single piece of material, said inner and outer panels having substantially identical shapes and being interconnected to define said side curtain portion and said headliner portion.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said headliner portion of said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device comprises a headliner section of said inner panel and a headliner section of said outer panel that lie generally parallel to each other and to a headliner of the vehicle between the headliner and the vehicle roof.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said side curtain portion comprises a side curtain section of said inner panel and a side curtain section of said outer panel.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said headliner portion comprises at least one tether for controlling the thickness of said head portion when said head portion is inflated, said at least one tether connecting an inner surface of said headliner section of said inner panel to an inner surface of said headliner section of said outer panel.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said headliner portion of said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device extends over a front seat area and a rear seat area of the vehicle.

10. Apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said side curtain portion comprises:

an inflatable front window segment inflatable adjacent a front side window opening of the vehicle, said front window segment when inflated having an upper edge extending adjacent an upper edge of the front side window opening from adjacent an A-pillar of the vehicle to a position near a B-pillar of the vehicle, and a lower edge extending adjacent a lower edge of the front side window opening;

an inflatable rear window segment inflatable adjacent a rear side window opening of the vehicle, said rear window segment when inflated having an upper edge extending adjacent an upper edge of the rear side window opening and a lower edge extending adjacent a lower edge of the front side window opening; and

an inflatable pillar segment inflatable adjacent a B-pillar of the vehicle, said pillar segment when inflated extending from just forward of the B-pillar to just rearward of the B-pillar and extending from adjacent the vehicle roof to a position less than half the distance between the upper and lower edges of the side window openings.

11. Apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said side curtain portion further comprises a front non-inflatable segment having a generally triangular shape, said front non-inflatable segment comprising:

a front edge comprising a portion of said front edge of said side curtain portion, said front edge of said front non-inflatable segment being connected to the A-pillar of the vehicle;

a lower edge intersecting said front edge of said front non-inflatable portion at a location on the A-pillar adjacent the lower edge of the front side window opening, said lower edge of said front non-inflatable segment comprising a portion of said lower edge of said side curtain portion and extending parallel and adjacent the lower edge of the front side window opening from the A-pillar to said inflatable front window segment; and

a rear edge extending between ends of said front and lower edges of said front non-inflatable segment opposite the intersection of said front and lower edges of said front non-inflatable segment, said rear edge of said front non-inflatable segment defining a portion of a front edge of said inflatable front window segment.

12. Apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said side curtain portion further comprises a rear non-inflatable segment having a generally triangular shape, said rear non-inflatable segment comprising:

an upper edge comprising a portion of said upper edge of said side curtain portion, said upper edge of said rear non-inflatable segment having a first portion connected to the vehicle roof above the rear side window opening of the vehicle and a second portion connected to the C-pillar of the vehicle;

a rear edge connected to the C-pillar of the vehicle and intersecting said second portion of said upper edge of said rear non-inflatable portion at a location on the C-pillar, said rear edge of said rear non-inflatable segment comprising a portion of said rear edge of said side curtain portion extending from the C-pillar to said inflatable rear window segment; and

a forward edge extending between ends of said upper and rear edges of said rear non-inflatable segment opposite the intersection of said upper and rear edges of said rear non-inflatable segment, said forward edge of said rear non-inflatable segment defining a portion of a rear edge of said inflatable rear window segment.

13. Apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said side curtain portion further comprises a middle non-inflatable segment extending from forward of the B-pillar adjacent a seatback portion of a front vehicle seat to rearward of the B-pillar, said middle non-inflatable segment comprising:

an upper edge comprising a portion of said upper edge of said side curtain portion, said upper edge of said middle non-inflatable segment having a first portion extending adjacent the upper edge of the front side window opening forward of the B-pillar, a second portion extending adjacent the upper edge of the rear side window opening rearward of the B-pillar, and a third portion extending between said first and second portions of said upper edge of said middle non-inflatable portion having a U-shaped configuration and overlying the B-pillar;

a lower edge comprising a portion of said lower edge of said side curtain portion extending from an intersection of a rear edge of said inflatable front window segment and the lower edge of said inflatable front window segment to an intersection of a front edge of said inflatable rear window segment and the lower edge of said inflatable rear window segment;

a forward edge extending between said upper and lower edges of said middle non-inflatable segment, said forward edge of said middle non-inflatable segment defining said rear edge of said inflatable front window segment; and

a rearward edge extending between said upper and lower edges of said middle non-inflatable segment, said rearward edge of said middle non-inflatable segment defining said forward edge of said inflatable rear window segment.

14. Apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device further includes an inflator receiving channel for receiving said inflation fluid source, said inflator receiving channel extending parallel to said upper edge of said side curtain portion and said outer edge of said headliner portion along the length of said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device where said upper edge of said side curtain portion merges with said outer edge of said headliner portion.

15. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said inflation fluid source comprises a plurality of first and second outlet apertures,

said first outlet apertures being for directing inflation fluid to flow in a first direction from said inflation fluid source, said first direction being perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said inflation fluid source,

said second outlet apertures being for directing inflation fluid to flow in a second direction from said inflation fluid source, said second direction being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said inflation fluid source and perpendicular to said first direction,

said inflation fluid source being positioned such that inflation fluid flowing from said first outlet apertures in said first direction is directed parallel to the vehicle roof to inflate said headliner portion of said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device,

said inflation fluid source also being positioned such that inflation fluid flowing from said second outlet apertures in said second direction is directed parallel to the vehicle side structure to inflate said side curtain portion of said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device.

16. A vehicle occupant safety apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle having a roof, a headliner underlying the roof, and a side structure including side window openings, said apparatus comprising:

an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device and an inflation fluid source actuatable to provide inflation fluid for inflating said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device from a deflated condition to an inflated condition, said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device consisting essentially of overlying inner and outer panels each constructed of a single piece of material and having a substantially identical shape and stitching interconnecting said inner panel with said outer panel to define portions of said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said portions comprising;

a side curtain portion having a trapezoidal configuration with spaced parallel upper and lower edges and spaced front and rear edges extending between said upper and lower edges and extending at acute angles relative to said lower edge, said upper edge extending entirely above the side window openings of the vehicle along the intersection of the side structure of the vehicle and the vehicle roof, said lower edge extending along the vehicle side structure adjacent a lower edge of a front side window opening and a lower edge of a rear side window opening when said side curtain portion is inflated, and

a headliner portion having a rectangular configuration including spaced parallel forward and rearward edges and spaced parallel inner and outer edges extending perpendicular to said forward and rearward edges and between said forward and rearward edges, said outer edge of said headliner portion extending parallel to and merging with said upper edge of said side curtain portion.