Curtain airbag

• US 6,626,457 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2001
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Masuda, Yasushi, Nakazawa, Wataru, Nakanishi, Ryosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, David R.
• Application Number:
  US10/005,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20020074779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/730.2, 280/743.1, 280/728.3
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

Hangers of the curtain airbag are used to hang a bag body from a structural member of a vehicle. The hangers restrict the deployment direction of the bag body, and receive reaction force produced when the bag body is deployed downwards. The hanger is mounted to an ear of the bag body, and includes a strip-shaped flat plate portion and a sandwiching plate portion formed integrally with the corresponding flat plate portion. The ears of the bag body are sandwiched between inner plates and outer plates of the corresponding sandwiching plate portions. By the flat plate portion of each hanger, the bag body deploys smoothly along an inner surface of the window glass.

Claims

1. A curtain airbag to be deployed along an inner surface side of a window glass, comprising:

a bag body having an ear projecting upwardly from the bag body;

an inflator connected to one end of the bag body for supplying deployment gas;

a sleeve-shaped cover for covering and encircling an outer periphery of the bag body in a folded state, said cover having a slit at an upper portion thereof through which the ear protrudes outwardly from the cover;

at least one hanger formed of inner and outer plates, said inner and outer plates sandwiching the ear of the bag body therebetween to hold and hang the bag body from a structural member of the vehicle; and

a restricting member integrally formed with the at least one hanger and disposed adjacent to the bag body to restrict a deployment direction of the bag body so that the bag body deploys along the inner surface of the window glass when the inflator is actuated.

2. A curtain airbag according to claim 1, wherein the restricting member is a plate provided along a top end of the bag body to extend substantially perpendicular to the window glass.

3. A curtain airbag according to claim 2, further comprising an inner-surface-side member extending from an occupant-side edge of the plate.

4. A curtain airbag according to claim 3, wherein said restricting member has a length extending along a longitudinal direction of the bag body, which is greater than that of the hanger.

5. A curtain airbag according to claim 1, wherein said cover substantially entirely covers the outer periphery of the bag body along a longitudinal direction thereof and has a tear line at a bottom side to allow the bag body to expand therethrough upon inflation of the inflator.

6. A curtain airbag to be deployed along an inner surface side of a window glass, comprising:

a bag body having an ear projecting upwardly from the bag body;

an inflator connected to one end of the bag body for supplying deployment gas;

a sleeve-shaped cover for covering and encircling an outer periphery of the bag body in a folded state, said cover having a slit at an upper portion thereof through which the ear protrudes outwardly from the cover;

at least one hanger formed of inner and outer plates, said inner and outer plates sandwiching the ear of the bag body therebetween to hold and hang the bag body from a structural member of the vehicle; and

a receiving member integrally formed with the at least one hanger and provided along a top end of the bag body, said receiving member receiving a reaction force produced when the bag body deploys downwards.

7. A curtain airbag according to claim 6, wherein the receiving member is a plate provided along the top end of the bag body to extend substantially perpendicular to the window glass.

8. A curtain airbag according to claim 7, further comprising an inner-surface-side member extending down from an occupant-side edge of the plate.

9. A curtain airbag according to claim 8, wherein said receiving member has a length extending along a longitudinal direction of the bag body, which is greater than that of the hanger.

10. A curtain airbag according to claim 6, wherein said cover substantially entirely covers the outer periphery of the bag body along a longitudinal direction thereof and has a tear line at a bottom side to allow the bag body to expand therethrough upon inflation of the inflator.