Vehicle occupant protection device

• US 7,172,212 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2005
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Saito, Yuichi, Aoki, Takashi, Totsuka, Hirofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming; Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US11/231,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20060061074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/801.1
• 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 2022/1818 Belt guides
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2342 Tear seams
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2346 Soft diffusers

Abstract

An occupant protection device is provided which includes a roof side airbag mounted to a roof side rail of a vehicle to be inflated and deployed along the insides of side glasses by gas generated by an inflator. A slit is formed in a seatbelt interfering area of the roof side airbag which is interfered with by a seatbelt when the roof side airbag inflates and deploys. When the roof side airbag is inflated and deployed, the seatbelt enters the slit, dividing the interfering area into two parts.

Claims

1. A vehicle occupant protection device comprising:

an inflator for generating gas;

a roof side airbag mounted to a roof side rail between a front pillar and a rear pillar of a vehicle, to be inflated and deployed by the gas along the insides of side glasses of the vehicle; and

a seatbelt which interferes with the roof side airbag when the airbag inflates and deploys,

wherein the roof side airbag includes a seatbelt interfering area to interfere with the seatbelt, the interfering area is formed with a slit which the seatbelt enters when the roof side airbag inflates and deploys, and the interfering area is divided into two parts by the slit when the roof side airbag inflates and deploys.

2. An occupant protection device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the slit includes a torn portion formed in a rear end portion of the slit to be torn when the roof side airbag inflates and deploys.

3. An occupant protection device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the roof side airbag has a rear portion including the seatbelt interfering area to interfere with the seatbelt.

4. An occupant protection device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the slit formed in the interfering area extends forward of the vehicle from a rear end portion of the interfering area.

5. An occupant protection device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the roof side airbag is provided with strap fixing brackets to which strap bodies are connected to provide tension to front and rear portions of the roof side airbag when the roof side airbag is inflates and deploys;

and the strap fixing brackets each include a round hole formed for hooking the strap bodies thereto, and are disposed with a space between the brackets and a vehicle body of the vehicle so that the strap bodies can move therebetween.