Occupant restraint system

• US 7,159,895 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Aoki, Takashi, Takemura, Naoki, Utsumi, Hidetoshi, Saito, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn; David R.
• Application Number:
  US10/750,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20040212179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/743.1, 280/729
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

In an occupant restraint system C, an airbag 21 is inflated by using gas, which is generated by an inflator 35 upon a vehicle collision, to be deployed into a shape of curtain along the inner surface of a side of a vehicle compartment. The occupant restraint system C includes pluralities of cells 21c and 21d, which are inflated along the inner surfaces of a B-pillar 15 and a C-pillar 16. By inclining axes S1 to S4 of the cells 21c and 21d with respect to an axis P1 of the B-pillar 15 or an axis P2 of the C-pillar 16, the lower ends of these cells 21c and 21d are hardly trapped by the B-pillar 15 or the C-pillar 16. Thus, the cells of the airbag are prevented from being trapped by the pillars to thereby enable the smooth deployment of the airbag.

Claims

1. An occupant restraining system for a vehicle, in which an airbag including a plurality of cells branching downward from a gas distribution path extending along an upper rim of a base cloth is folded and disposed on a side of a roof, gas generated by an inflator upon a vehicle collision is supplied to the cells through the gas distribution path, and the airbag is inflated and deployed into a shape of curtain along an inner surface of a side of a vehicle compartment,

wherein at least two adjacent ones of the cells inflated along an inner surface of a pillar have axes thereof extending parallel with each other, said adjacent ones of the cells each comprising an upper portion which extends from the gas distribution path downwardly in a vertical direction, and a lower portion which extends from the upper portion in a direction inclined with respect to both of an extension direction of the pillar and the vertical direction, said extension direction being the direction of an axis of the pillar in a region from the roof to a bottom of a window adjacent to the pillar, said at least two adjacent ones of the cells having lower ends ending at a lower end of the curtain.

2. The occupant restraint system according to claim 1, including another pillar and another at least two adjacent ones of the cells inflated along an inner surface of said another pillar having axes thereof extending parallel with each other and inclined with respect to an extension direction of said another pillar, said extension direction of said another pillar being the direction of an axis of the another pillar in a region from the roof to a bottom of a window adjacent to the another pillar.

3. The occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein said at least two adjacent ones of the cells are provided at least in a first inflatable portion of the airbag which is located, upon deployment of the airbag, sidewardly of a front seat of the vehicle.

4. The occupant restraint system according to claim 3, wherein said airbag has a second inflatable portion and a third inflatable portion which are located, upon deployment of the airbag, sidewardly of a center seat and a rear seat of the vehicle, respectively, and non-inflatable portions are formed in the airbag between said first and second inflatable portions and between said second and third inflatable portions, respectively, and said inflator is connected to the gas distribution path of the airbag at a location between said first and second inflatable portions.