Roof side garnish peripheral structure of automobile

• US 7,240,914 B1
• Filed: 01/25/2007
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nihon Plast Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nihon Plast Company Limited
• Inventors: Kamano, Yoshifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming; Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US11/626,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20070176400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 166 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/730.2
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• 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

A roof side garnish peripheral structure of an automobile includes: a roof side garnish (9) mounted on an inner side of a side roof rail (1) from an inner side of a passenger room, the roof side garnish (9) being provided at its outer side in a widthwise direction of the vehicle with a cover portion (11) capable of opening inward of the passenger room; a duct member (12) bonded to an outer side of the roof side garnish (9) at an upper location than the cover portion (11) of the roof side garnish (9); a duct passage (13) of closed cross section formed by the duct member (12) and the roof side garnish (9); a support portion (25) extending from an outer end of the duct member (12) in the widthwise direction of the vehicle, the support portion (25) having a tip end extending close to the side roof rail (1); and an accommodation space (S) defined by the support portion (25), the side roof rail (1) and the cover portion (11) so as to accommodate an air-bag (4).

Claims

1. A roof side garnish peripheral structure of an automobile, comprising:

a roof side garnish mounted on an inner side of a side roof rail from an inner side of a passenger room, the roof side garnish being provided at its outer side in a widthwise direction of the vehicle with a cover portion capable of opening inward of the passenger room;

a duct member bonded to an outer side of the roof side garnish at an upper location than the cover portion of the roof side garnish;

a duct passage of closed cross section formed by the duct member and the roof side garnish;

a support portion extending from an outer end of the duct member in the widthwise direction of the vehicle, the support portion having a tip end extending close to the side roof rail; and

an accommodation space defined by the support portion, the side roof rail and the cover portion, and an air-bag being accommodated in the accommodation space.

2. The roof side garnish peripheral structure according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rib to connect the duct member and the support portion to each other.

3. The roof side garnish peripheral structure according to claim 1, further comprising:

a holding portion formed outside of the cover portion so that the holding portion is in contact with and along a side surface of the folded air-bag.

4. The roof side garnish peripheral structure according to claim 1, further comprising:

an engaging portion formed outside of the duct member; and

a to-be engaged portion formed at a portion corresponding to the engaging portion of the side roof rail, wherein

the roof side garnish can be mounted on the side roof rail by inserting and engaging the engaging portion into and with the to-be engaged portion from inside of the passenger room.