Occupant restraint system

• US 7,213,835 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• 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, Totsuka, Hirofumi, Takemura, Naoki, Utsumi, Hidetoshi, Saito, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown; Drew J.
• Application Number:
  US10/742,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20040150198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/728.2, 280/728.1, 280/743.1
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/025 Pillars; Roof rails
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2013/0287 integrating other functions or accessories
• 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

Abstract

An occupant restraint system in which an air bag is inflated with a gas generated by an inflator so as to be deployed along an inner surface of a side portion of a passenger compartment in a curtain-like fashion when a vehicle is involved in a collision, wherein a portion of the air bag in a folded state which is located in the vicinity of an end portion thereof is disposed within a space between a pillar and a pillar garnish mounted on a side of the pillar which faces a passenger compartment. By accommodating the air bag within an air bag accommodation chamber formed by partitioning the space with a bulkhead formed integrally on the pillar garnish, the bulkhead is allowed to be interposed between other members residing within the pillar garnish such as clips and brackets and the air bag.

Claims

1. An occupant restraint system comprising:

an air bag in a folded state being arranged in such a manner as to extend along a side portion of a roof and a pillar, the air bag being inflated with a gas generated by an inflator so as to be deployed in a curtain-like fashion along an inner surface of a side portion of a passenger compartment when a vehicle is involved in a collision; and

a pillar garnish mounted on a side of a pillar which faces the passenger compartment, the pillar garnish having a bulkhead for partitioning a space formed between the pillar and the pillar garnish where an end portion of the bulkhead is apart from the pillar so as to define an air bag accommodation chamber for accommodation of the air bag,

wherein an opening where the air bag is deployed is an end portion of the pillar garnish at the side the bulkhead side,

wherein the pillar garnish has a mounting member for mounting the pillar garnish on the side of the pillar, the mounting member being disposed in a chamber defined by the bulkhead and different from the air bag accommodation chamber,

wherein the pillar garnish has a first portion which bends at deployment of the airbag, and a second portion on which a mounting seat is formed, the mounting member is attached to the mounting seat, and the bulkhead is disposed at a location spaced apart from the mounting seat; and

wherein the bulkhead protrudes more than the mounting member relative to the pillar garnish.

2. An occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the bulkhead is formed on the second portion, and the first portion and the bulkhead define the air bag accommodation chamber.

3. An occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the bulkhead is formed integrally with the pillar garnish.

4. An occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the bulkhead is molded integrally with the pillar garnish.

5. An occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein said bulkhead is interposed between said air bag and said at least one mounting member.

6. An occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the bulkhead is formed on the first portion, and the first portion and the bulkhead define the air bag accommodation chamber.

7. An occupant restraint system according to claim 1, wherein the pillar comprises a bracket which protrudes inward from the side of a pillar which faces the passenger compartment such that a side face of the bracket faces and confronts a side face of the bulkhead, said side face of the bulkhead being opposed to the airbag accommodation chamber, and

wherein the bracket supports the mounting member.

8. An occupant restraint system comprising:

an air bag in a folded state being arranged in such a manner as to extend along a side portion of a roof and a pillar, the air bag being inflated with a gas generated by an inflator so as to be deployed in a curtain-like fashion along an inner surface of a side portion of a passenger compartment when a vehicle is involved in a collision; and

a pillar garnish mounted on a side of a pillar which faces the passenger compartment, the pillar garnish having a bulkhead for partitioning a space formed between the pillar and the pillar garnish where an end portion of the bulkhead is apart from the pillar so as to define an air bag accommodation chamber for accommodation of the air bag;

wherein an opening where the air bag is deployed is an end portion of the pillar garnish at the side the bulkhead side;

wherein the pillar garnish has a mounting member for mounting the pillar garnish on the side of the pillar, the mounting member being disposed in a chamber defined by the bulkhead and different from the air bag accommodation chamber;

wherein the pillar garnish has a first portion which bends at deployment of the airbag, and a second portion on which a mounting seat is formed, the mounting member is attached to the mounting seat, and the bulkhead is disposed at a location spaced apart from the mounting seat; and

wherein the bulkhead is formed on the first portion, and the first portion and the bulkhead define the air bag accommodation chamber.

9. An occupant restraint system comprising:

an air bag in a folded state being arranged in such a manner as to extend along a side portion of a roof and a pillar, the air bag being inflated with a gas generated by an inflator so as to be deployed in a curtain-like fashion along an inner surface of a side portion of a passenger compartment when a vehicle is involved in a collision; and

a pillar garnish mounted on a side of a pillar which faces the passenger compartment, the pillar garnish having a bulkhead for partitioning a space formed between the pillar and the pillar garnish where an end portion of the bulkhead is apart from the pillar so as to define an air bag accommodation chamber for accommodation of the air bag;

wherein an opening where the air bag is deployed is an end portion of the pillar garnish at the side the bulkhead side;

wherein the pillar garnish has a mounting member for mounting the pillar garnish on the side of the pillar, the mounting member being disposed in a chamber defined by the bulkhead and different from the air bag accommodation chamber;

wherein the pillar garnish has a first portion which bends at deployment of the airbag, and a second portion on which a mounting seat is formed, the mounting member is attached to the mounting seat, and the bulkhead is disposed at a location spaced apart from the mounting seat;

wherein the pillar comprises a bracket which protrudes inward from the side of a pillar which faces the passenger compartment such that a side face of the bracket faces and confronts a side face of the bulkhead, said side face of the bulkhead being opposed to the airbag accommodation chamber, and

wherein the bracket supports the mounting member.