Vehicle air bag system

• US 6,474,679 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2001
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Miyasaka, Hiroyuki, Maki, Tetsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Campbell, Kelly E.
• Application Number:
  US09/891,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20020014761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: B60/R 2.134, 280/728.1, 280/734, 280/748, 280/751, 280/752, 180/274, 180/271, 296/189
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/36 using airbags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/38 using means for lifting bonnets

Abstract

A vehicle air bag system is provided with an air bag that inflates and unfolds to cover the entire front surface of a front pillar 3. When it is judged based on the detection operation of a collision detection device 10 that there is a risk of colliding with a pedestrian, a hood pop-up device 11 is actuated and the rear end part of the engine hood 1 moves up, widening the gap between the rear end part and the front windshield 2. Simultaneously, the air bag module 15 is actuated and the air bag 18 expands out from the gap. The air bag inflates and unfolds so as to cover the entire front surface of the front pillar 3 from the base to the upper end thereof.

Claims

1. A vehicle air bag system comprising:

a collision detection device that produces a detection signal upon detection of a collision between a front of a vehicle and an obstacle;

a hood pop-up device that is arranged under a rear end part of an engine hood to move up the rear end part of the engine hood when actuated based on the detection signal from the collision detection device;

a first air bag module that is arranged on a cowl top underneath a first rear lateral end of the rear end part of the engine hood, the air bag module comprising a first air bag located between the cowl top and the rear end part of the engine hood at the first rear lateral end of the rear end part of the engine hood, the first air bag being configured and arranged to inflate and expand out toward a front windshield from between the cowl top and the rear end part of the engine hood when the hood pop-up device is actuated, the first air bag being configured and arranged to cover a first region ranging from a base part to an upper end part of a front surface of a first front pillar; and

a second air bag module that is arranged on a cowl top underneath a second rear lateral end of the rear end part of the engine hood, the air bag module comprising a second air bag located between the cowl top and the rear end part of the engine hood at the second rear lateral end of the rear end part of the engine hood, the second air bag being configured and arranged to inflate and expand out toward the front windshield from between the cowl top and the rear end part of the engine hood when the hood pop-up device is actuated, the second air bag being configured and arranged to cover a second region ranging from a base part to an upper end part of a front surface of a second front pillar.

2. A vehicle air bag system as recited in claim 1, further comprising

a bottom guide extending from an upper surface of the cowl top to a lower part of the front windshield to guide a lower surface of the air bag when the air bag inflates.

3. A vehicle air bag system comprising:

a collision detection device that produces a detection signal upon detection of a collision between a front of a vehicle and an obstacle;

a hood pop-up device arranged under a rear end part of an engine hood to move up the rear end part of the engine hood when actuated based on the detection signal from the collision detection device; and

an air bag module arranged on a cowl top underneath the rear end part of the engine hood, the air bag module having an air bag that is inflated to expand out toward a front windshield from between the cowl top and the rear end part of the engine hood when the hood pop-up device is actuated, the air bag being configured to cover a region ranging from a base part to an upper end part of a front surface of a front pillar,

the rear end part of the engine hood is provided with a deformation prevention member that is configured and arranged in relation to the air bag module to prevent the rear end part from being deformed by the inflation of the air bag.

4. A vehicle air bag system as recited in claim 3, wherein the deformation prevention member comprises a circular folded edging part formed by expanding the rear end edge of an outer hood panel of the engine hood downward in a curved shape.

5. A vehicle air bag system comprising:

a collision detection device that produces a detection signal upon detection of a collision between a front of a vehicle and an obstacle;

a hood pop-up device arranged under a rear end part of an engine hood to move up the rear end part of the engine hood when actuated based on the detection signal from the collision detection device; and

an air bag module arranged on a cowl top underneath the rear end part of the engine hood, the air bag module having an air bag that is inflated to expand out toward a front windshield from between the cowl top and the rear end part of the engine hood when the hood pop-up device is actuated, the air bag being configured to cover a region ranging from a base part to an upper end part of a front surface of a front pillar,

the rear end part of the engine hood has an upper guide that is configured and arranged in relation to the air bag module to prevent the air bag from arching up when the air bag expands on a lower side of the rear end part of the engine hood.

6. A vehicle air bag system as recited in claim 5, wherein

the upper guide includes a circular folded edging part, a protruding part and a recessed part, the circular folding edging part having a curved shape extending downwardly from the rear end edge of the engine hood, the protruding part being formed at the front side of the circular folded edging part so as to expand downward in a curved shape, and the recessed part being formed between the circular folded edging part and the protruding part.

7. A vehicle air bag system as recited in claim 5, wherein

the upper guide is arranged to span between an upper surface of a module case and the rear end part of the engine hood, and to undergo elastic deformation such that it expands and contracts freely, the upper guide having a connecting member that has a downwardly projecting protruding part with a stepped shape in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

8. A vehicle air bag system comprising:

a collision detection device that produces a detection signal upon detection of a collision between a front of a vehicle and an obstacle;

a hood pop-up device arranged under a rear end part of an engine hood to move up the rear end part of the engine hood when actuated based on the detection signal from the collision detection device; and

an air bag module arranged on a cowl top underneath the rear end part of the engine hood, the air bag module having an air bag that is inflated to expand out toward a front windshield from between the cowl top and the rear end part of the engine hood when the hood pop-up device is actuated, the air bag being configured to cover a region ranging from a base part to an upper end part of a front surface of a front pillar,

the rear end part of the engine hood has a lateral guide on its lower side that is configured and arranged in relation to the air bag module to prevent the air bag from shifting sideways toward a lateral side of the vehicle when the air bag expands.

9. A vehicle air bag system as recited in claim 8, wherein

the lateral guide comprises a circular folded edging part extending downwardly in a curved shape from on a lateral edge of the rear end of an outer hood panel of the engine hood, and a protruding part extending downwardly in a curved shape from a lateral part of a rear end part of an inner hood panel.

10. A vehicle air bag system comprising:

a collision detection device that produces a detection signal upon detection of a collision between a front of a vehicle and an obstacle;

a hood pop-up device arranged under a rear end part of an engine hood to move up the rear end part of the engine hood when actuated based on the detection signal from the collision detection device; and

an air bag module arranged on a cowl top underneath the rear end part of the engine hood, the air bag module having an air bag that is inflated to expand out toward a front windshield from between the cowl top and the rear end part of the engine hood when the hood pop-up device is actuated, the air bag being configured to cover a region ranging from a base part to an upper end part of a front surface of a front pillar,

a stopper disposed laterally outside of the air bag module with respect to a transverse direction of the vehicle to prevent the air bag from shifting sideways when the air bag inflates in a vertical direction of a front surface of the front pillar.

11. A vehicle air bag system as recited in claim 10, wherein

the stopper comprises a stay of the hood pop-up device that extends upward when the rear end part of the engine hood is moved up.

12. A vehicle air bag system as recited in claim 10, wherein the air bag includes

a substantially rectangular central part that inflates and unfolds long and at a slant from a module case toward the front pillar, and

upper and lower sleeve parts extending from the central part in a continuous manner, each of the upper and lower sleeve parts having a substantially triangular shape with a base side forming a lateral side an upper section of the central part such that the upper and lower sleeve parts inflate to form a substantially rectangular shape that extends in the vertical direction and cover the front surface of the front pillar from the base part to the upper end part, the lower sleeve part being sized to wrap around the stopper when the air bag inflates.

13. A vehicle air bag system as recited in claim 11, wherein

the stay of the hood pop-up device has a vertically oriented projection with undulation on an arc-shaped circumferential surface on a rear edge of the stay.

14. A vehicle air bag system as recited in claim 11, wherein

the stay of the hood pop-up device is covered with a cylindrical cover having a flexible elastic member.

15. A vehicle air bag system as recited in claim 14, wherein

the cover has a recessed part extending in a vertical direction which is formed at substantially a center portion of a rear lateral surface of the cover.

17. A vehicle air bag system as recited in claim 12, wherein

the air bag is housed inside the module case by folding the upper and lower sleeve parts onto substantially the upper half of the central part such that at least the lower sleeve part is on a bottom side of the upper half of the central part, and folding the central part from its upper end so that the upper end is folded on top of an upwardly facing surface of an inner end of the central part.

16. A vehicle air bag system comprising:

a collision detection device that produces a detection signal upon detection of a collision between a front of a vehicle and an obstacle;

a hood pop-up device arranged under a rear end part of an engine hood to move up the rear end part of the engine hood when actuated based on the detection signal from the collision detection device; and

an air bag module arranged on a cowl top underneath the rear end part of the engine hood, the air bag module having an air bag that is inflated to expand out toward a front windshield from between the cowl top and the rear end part of the engine hood when the hood pop-up device is actuated, the air bag being configured to cover a region ranging from a base part to an upper end part of a front surface of a front pillar, the air bag including

a substantially rectangular central part that inflates and unfolds long and at a slant from a module case toward the front pillar, and

upper and lower sleeve parts extending from the central part in a continuous manner, each of the upper and lower sleeve parts having a substantially triangular shape with a base side forming a lateral side an upper section of the central part such that the upper and lower sleeve parts inflate to form a substantially rectangular shape that extends in the vertical direction and cover the front surface of the front pillar from the base part to the upper end part.

18. A vehicle air bag system as recited in claim 16, wherein

the air bag is housed inside the module case such that the upper and lower sleeve parts fold onto the upper half of the central part about the base sides, and the central part is folded up from its upper end so that the upper end is folded on top of an upwardly facing surface of an inner end of the central part.

19. A vehicle air bag system as recited in claim 18, wherein

the upper and lower sleeve parts of the air bag fold onto the upwardly facing surface of the upper half of the central part.

20. A vehicle air bag system comprising:

collision detection means for detecting a collision between a front of a vehicle and an obstacle and for producing a detection signal upon detection upon detecting the collision;

hood pop-up means for moving up both sides of a rear end part of an engine hood when actuated based on the detection signal from the collision detection means; and

air bag means for covering forwardly facing regions of front pillars, when the hood pop-up means is actuated, the air bag means being arranged on a cowl top underneath both sides of the rear end part of the engine hood to inflate towards a front windshield from between the cowl top and the rear end part of the engine hood.

21. A vehicle air bag system comprising:

a collision detection device that produces a detection signal upon detection of a collision between a front of a vehicle and an obstacle;

a hood pop-up device arranged under a rear end part of an engine hood to move up the rear end part of the engine hood when actuated based on the detection signal from the collision detection device;

a first air bag module arranged on a cowl top underneath a first lateral end part of the rear end part of the engine hood, the first air bag module having a first air bag that is inflated to expand out toward a front windshield from between the cowl top and the rear end part of the engine hood when the hood pop-up device is actuated, the first air bag being configured to cover a first region ranging from a base part to an upper end part of a front surface of a first front pillar; and

a first lateral positioning member configured and arranged laterally in relation to the first air bag module to support a first lower end of the first air bag when the first air bag expands along the front surface of the first front pillar.

22. A vehicle air bag system as recited in claim 21, further comprising

a second air bag module arranged on a cowl top underneath a second lateral end part of the rear end part of the engine hood, the second air bag module having a second air bag that is inflated to expand out toward a front windshield from between the cowl top and the rear end part of the engine hood when the hood pop-up device is actuated, the second air bag being configured to cover a second region ranging from a base part to an upper end part of a front surface of a second front pillar; and

a second lateral positioning member configured and arranged laterally in relation to the second air bag module to support a second lower end of the second air bag when the second air bag expands along the front surface of the second front pillar.

23. A vehicle air bag system as recited in claim 21, wherein

the first air bag includes a substantially rectangular portion with the first lower end supported by the first lateral positioning member when the first air bag expands along the front surface of the first front pillar;

and

the second air bag includes a substantially rectangular portion with the second lower end supported by the second lateral positioning member when the second air bag expands along the front surface of the second front pillar.

24. A vehicle air bag system as recited in claim 21, wherein

the first lateral positioning member supports the first air bag along an area of the vehicle between the base part of the front surface of the first front pillar and a first lateral end of the cowl top;

and

the second lateral positioning member supports the second air bag along an area of the vehicle between the base part of the front surface of the second front pillar and a second lateral end of the cowl top.

25. A vehicle air bag system as recited in claim 21, wherein

the first air bag includes a substantially rectangular portion with the lower end supported by the first lateral positioning member when the first air bag expands along the front surface of the first front pillar.

26. A vehicle air bag system as recited in claim 21, wherein

the first lateral positioning member supports the first air bag along an area of the vehicle between the base part of the front surface of the first front pillar and a first lateral end of the cowl top.