Protective cushion for vehicle occupant's head

• US 6,860,507 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Issued: 03/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Masuda, Yasushi, Uchiyama, Atsuyuki, Nakanishi, Ryosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Assistant Examiner(s): To, Toan C
• Application Number:
  US10/382,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20030160434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/730.2, 280/743.1, 280/749
• 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 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2342 Tear seams
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2346 Soft diffusers

Abstract

To provide a protective cushion for a vehicle occupant'"'"'s head which can introduce gas into chambers simultaneously or with desired time lags among the chambers. A cushion 1 comprises an occupant-side sheet 2 and a body-side sheet 3 which are superposed on each other and sewn together so as to form vacant chambers 11 through 14 between the sheets 2 and 3. A cylindrical member 20 is disposed between upper portions of the sheets 2, 3. Gas supplied through a rear end 21 of the cylindrical member 20 is introduced into the chambers 11 through 14 through openings 22, 23 and a front end 24 of the cylindrical member 20.

Claims

1. A cushion for protecting a vehicle occupant, the cushion being disposed along the side surface of a vehicle cabin and comprising:

an occupant-side sheet and a body-side sheet superposed on the occupant side sheet, the sheets being joined together to form a plurality of inflatable chambers between the sheets;

wherein the chambers are positioned along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle;

a gas passage formed by a cylindrical member extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle along the entire length of the sheets;

wherein the cylindrical member is separate from and provided between the occupant and body-side sheets;

wherein the cylindrical member includes first and second ends and has at least one opening between first and second ends for providing fluid communication between the gas passage and at least one of the inflatable chambers.

2. The cushion of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical member is formed from a folded sheet.

3. The cushion of claim 2, wherein the cylindrical member, the occupant-side sheet, and the body-side sheet are sewn together by a common yarn.

4. The cushion of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical member extends to the forward most edge of the occupant and body-side sheets so that the first end of the cylindrical member is coextensive with the edge of the occupant and body-side sheets.

5. The cushion of claim 1, wherein the first end of the cylindrical member is closed so that gas cannot escape the cylindrical member through the first end.

6. The cushion of claim 5, wherein the cylindrical member includes an additional opening between the first and second ends.

7. The cushion of claim 6, a control device disposed in the cylindrical member at a portion between the at least one opening and the additional opening, wherein the control device closes or reduces the cross-sectional area of the passage of the cylindrical member until gas pressure supplied in the cylindrical member reaches a predetermined value, and enlarges the cross-sectional area of the passage of the cylindrical member when the gas pressure in the cylindrical member exceeds the predetermined value.

8. The cushion of claim 7, wherein the control device comprises yarn which can be broken.

9. The cushion of claim 1, further comprising a control device disposed in the cylindrical member at a portion upstream from the opening in a gas flowing direction, for reducing a cross-sectional area of the passage of the cylindrical member.