Air bag device

• US 6,685,219 B1
• Filed: 03/20/2001
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ashimori Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ashimori Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamaji, Naoki, Inanzumi, Takeshi, Konishi, Syuuhei
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rosenberg, Laura B.
• Application Number:
  US09/787,637
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/749, 280/743.1, 280/728.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• 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 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

A curtain shaped air bag having a cylindrical inflatable portion which is continuously formed from the vicinity of an upper edge to the vicinity of a lower edge. In the curtain shape air bag, both end portions of the lower edge are attached to the vehicle body so that slack S elongating across the cylindrical inflatable portion is produced in a naturally attached condition of the curtain shape air bag 1. At an operation of an inflator, the cylindrical inflatable portion vertically extends so as to apply tension to the lower edge, thereby causing a protecting inflatable portion to be inflated in a condition where the curtain shape air bag is fixed in a desired position.

Claims

1. An air bag arrangement comprising a vehicle and an air bag device including a curtain shape air bag which is developed from a front pillar side to a rear pillar side along a roof rail of an inner wall of the vehicle, by injecting a gas from an inflator which operates when a high load acts on a side portion of the vehicle, wherein a protecting inflatable portion which is inflated by an operation of said inflator to protect an occupant, and at least one cylindrical inflatable portion which communicates with said protecting inflatable portion, and which is inflated by the inflator in a continuous cylindrical manner and extends from a vicinity of an upper edge to a vicinity of a lower edge, are disposed in the curtain shape air bag,

said curtain shape air bag is accommodated in a folded or wound manner while a plurality of portions of the upper edge of said curtain shape air bag are attached to a plurality of mounting points disposed in said roof rail, one of both end portions of said lower edge is attached to a mounting point disposed in said front pillar side, and another end portion is attached to a mounting point disposed in said rear pillar side, at least one of said mounting points in said front pillar side and said rear pillar side for attaching said both end portions of said lower edge is disposed in a position lower than said mounting points of said roof rail, and said curtain shape air bag is configured so that, in a condition in which the folding or winding is released and gas is not injected, said mounting points of said both ends of said lower edge suspend said lower edge, at a position beneath said cylindrical inflatable portion, at a first distance from said roof rail which is less than a length of said air bag from said upper edge, at a position above said cylindrical inflatable portion, to said lower edge, at the position beneath said cylindrical inflatable portion, when said air bag is laid flat in an uninstalled state to thereby produce slack in said cylindrical inflatable portion, and said cylindrical inflatable portion extends to eliminate the slack at the inflation due to injection of the gas, thereby applying tension to said lower edge of said curtain shape air bag.

2. An air bag device according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said cylindrical inflatable portions is configured so as to be inflated while interfering with a center pillar at the injection of the gas.

3. An air bag device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said curtain shape air bag is accommodated in a wound manner in which said lower edge is directed to an inner side of the vehicle.

4. An air bag device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an inflatable portion that continuously extends along said lower edge is formed in said curtain shape air bag.

5. An air bag device according to claim 4, wherein said continuous inflatable portion extending along said lower edge of said curtain shape air bag forms a gas passage for linking said cylindrical inflatable portion to said inflator.

6. An air bag device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a gas passage for enabling said inflator to directly communicate with one of said cylindrical inflatable portions is formed so that the gas from said inflator is first injected into said cylindrical inflatable portion.

7. An air bag device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, in said curtain shape air bag, mounting portions to the mounting points of the vehicle excluding both end portions of said lower edge arc loosely attached to said respective mounting points via slots which are formed correspondingly to said mounting points, thereby enabling extension in inflation of said cylindrical inflatable portion.

8. An air bag device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a slit or a cutout is formed in a predetermined position of said curtain shape air bag, thereby enabling extension in inflation of said cylindrical inflatable portion.

9. An air bag device installed in a vehicle, comprising;

an air bag mounted to at least a front pillar and a roof rail of the vehicle;

an inflator;

said air bag including a protecting inflatable portion and a cylindrical inflatable portion each communicated with said inflator,

said air bag having an upper edge attached at mounting points to said roof rail;

said air bag having a lower edge with a first end portion attached at a mounting point to said front pillar at a position which is lower than said mounting points at said roof rail; and

said lower edge having a second end portion mounted such that, in an unstowed, uninflated hanging state, said second end portion is higher than said first end portion, and said lower edge is suspended by the mounting of said first and second end portions such that said lower edge, at a position beneath said cylindrical inflatable portion, is disposed at a first distance from said roof rail which is less than a length of said air bag from said upper edge, at a position above said cylindrical inflatable portion, to said lower edge, at the position beneath said cylindrical inflatable portion, when said air bag is laid flat in an uninstalled state to thereby produce slack in said cylindrical inflatable portion so that when said cylindrical inflatable portion is inflated said cylindrical inflatable portion extends to eliminate the slack and apply tension to said lower edge of said air bag.

10. The air bag device according to claim 9, wherein said cylindrical inflatable portion is inflated in a continuous manner by operation of said inflator and extends from a vicinity of the upper edge to a vicinity of the lower edge of said air bag.

11. The air bag device according to claim 10, wherein said second round end portion is disposed higher than said first end portion by mounting to said roof rail.

12. An air bag device according to claim 11, wherein said cylindrical inflatable portion interferes with a center pillar of the vehicle when inflated.

13. An air bag device according to claim 12, further comprising an inflatable portion extending along said lower edge of said air bag.

14. An air bag device according to claim 13, wherein said inflatable portion extending along said lower edge of said air bag is a gas passage for linking said cylindrical inflatable portion to said inflator.

15. The air bag device according to claim 9, wherein said second end portion is disposed higher than said first end portion by mounting to said roof rail.

16. An air bag device according to claim 15, wherein said cylindrical inflatable portion interferes with a center pillar of the vehicle when inflated.

17. An air bag device according to claim 9, wherein said cylindrical inflatable portion interferes with a center pillar of the vehicle when inflated.

18. An air bag device according to claim 9, further comprising an inflated portion along said lower edge of said air bag.

19. An air bag device according to claim 18, wherein said inflated portion extended along said lower edge of said air bag is a gas passage for linking said cylindrical inflatable portion to said inflator.

20. The air bag device according to claim 19, wherein said second end portion is disposed higher than said first end portion by mounting to said roof rail.