Head-protecting airbag

• US 7,322,600 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2004
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Michio, Tanase, Toshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sliteris; Joselynn Y.
• Application Number:
  US10/994,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20050121887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/743.2
• 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 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 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

A head-protecting airbag of the present invention includes an airbag body having a gas admissive portion for covering side windows upon deployment, and a belt for pulling a lower part of the airbag body toward exterior of vehicle during deployment. The gas admissive portion includes an initially inflatable portion located along upper edge of the airbag body, and a protective portion located at side of an occupant'"'"'s head. The protective portion includes a main cell that inflates thickly when a temporary joint joining the inner wall and the outer wall is separated. The airbag body folded together with the belt and housed above the windows is provided, in the initially inflatable portion, with a folded and piled portion folded and piled in vertical direction, and below the folded and piled portion, with a roll-folded portion rolled toward exterior of vehicle from lower edge side. The head-protecting airbag of the present invention is developed smoothly and stably in a clearance between the side windows and occupants'"'"' heads, even if the clearance is narrow.

Claims

1. A head-protecting airbag folded and housed in upper edges of side windows and deployable downwardly when fed with inflation gas, the airbag comprising:

an airbag body for covering the side windows upon deployment and a belt,

the airbag body including a gas admissive portion and a non-admissive portion which admits no inflation gas, wherein;

the non-admissive portion includes a peripheral portion located in an outer edge of the airbag to encircle the gas admissive portion;

the gas admissive portion inflates by admitting inflation gas between an airbag'"'"'s inner wall and an airbag'"'"'s outer wall;

the gas admissive portion includes an initially inflatable portion located along an upper edge of the airbag body and admitting inflation gas in the initial stage of inflation, and a protective portion located below the initially inflatable portion and to be disposed at a side of an occupant'"'"'s head as the airbag is completely inflated;

the protective portion includes a main cell having a temporary joint;

the temporary joint joins the inner wall and the outer wall together, and separates the inner wall and the outer wall when internal pressure of the protective portion rises along with inflation after the airbag is completely unfolded,

the temporary joint includes a vertical portion disposed substantially along the vertical direction;

a lower end of the vertical portion ends halfway down an area of the protective portion such that the vertical portion is not connected with the peripheral portion at a lower edge of the airbag;

separation of the temporary joint proceeds from the lower end thereof to an upper end thereof

whereby the main cell is inflated thinly before the separation of the inner wall and outer wall by the temporary joint, and inflated thickly after the separation;

the belt is located in an exterior side of the airbag body, an upper end of the belt being connected to the vicinity of an upper edge of the airbag body, and a lower end of the belt being connected to a position below the initially inflatable portion of the airbag body, whereby the belt pulls a lower part of the airbag body toward an exterior of a vehicle during deployment; and

the airbag body is provided;

in at least part of the initially inflatable portion, with a folded and piled portion formed by folding and piling the inner wall and outer wall on folds together with the belt; and

, below the folded and piled portion, with a roll-folded portion rolled toward the exterior of the vehicle from a lower edge side,

whereby the initially inflatable portion pushes out the protective portion downwardly when inflated with inflation gas.

2. The head-protecting airbag according to claim 1, wherein the main cell includes a gas inlet port at a lower part thereof, such tat the main cell admits inflation gas from a lower side thereof.

3. The head-protecting airbag according to claim 1, wherein the temporary joint in the main cell adjoins the initially inflatable portion at an upper end part thereof.

4. The head-protecting airbag according to claim 1, wherein an entire area of the initially inflatable portion is the folded and piled portion formed by folding and piling the inner wall and outer wall on folds, and an entire area below the initially inflatable portion is the roll-folded portion rolled toward the exterior of the vehicle from lower edge side.

5. The head-protecting airbag according to claim 4, wherein the folded and piled portion is formed by a bellows-folding method that folds and piles overlapped inner and outer walls in the vertical direction.

6. The head-protecting airbag according to claim 4, wherein the folded and piled portion is formed by folding and piling each of the inner and outer walls in the vertical direction.

7. The head-protecting airing according to claim 4, wherein the folded and piled portion is formed by folding and piling each of the inner and outer walls in an exterior-interior direction of the vehicle.

8. The head-protecting airbag according to claim 1, wherein:

the folded and piled portion is formed by bellows-folding a part of the initially inflatable portion in the vertical direction from a state in which the inner wall and outer wall are overlapped; and

a remaining portion of the initially inflatable portion below the folded and piled portion is located to encircle the roll-folded portion from an exterior side to a lower side thereof.

9. The head-protecting airbag according to claim 1, wherein:

the folded and piled portion is formed by bellows-folding overlapped inner and outer walls, and the roll-folded portion is located along a folding direction of the folded and piled portion; and

the airbag body is housed above side windows with the roll-folded portion located obliquely below and toward an exterior of the folded and piled portion.

10. The head-protecting airbag according to claim 1, wherein:

the folded and piled portion is formed by bellows-folding overlapped inner and outer walls, and the roll-folded portion is located along a folding direction of the folded and piled portion; and

the airbag body is housed above side windows with the roll-folded portion located obliquely below and toward an interior of the folded and piled portion.

11. The head-protecting airbag according to claim 1, wherein the tipper end of the belt is connected to either longitudinal end of the airbag body, and the lower end is connected to the vicinity of a longitudinal center in the lower edge of the airbag body.

12. The head-protecting airbag according to claim 1, wherein:

the airbag body covers an interior side of a plurality of side windows and a pillar located between the side windows; and

the upper and lower ends of the belt are located in the vicinity of the pillar.

13. The head-protecting airbag according to claim 1, wherein the temporary joint further includes:

a horizontal portion joining the inner and outer walls together and located at an upper end part of the main cell, and

two vertical portions, including the vertical portion, joining the inner and outer walls together and extending downwardly from the horizontal portion,

wherein the horizontal portion is located along a lower edge of the initially inflatable portion and disposed so that the initially inflatable portion and the protective portion are partitioned,

wherein each of the vertical portions extends straightly and vertically and ends substantially halfway down the protective portion whereby stress from inflation gas concentrates on a lower end of the temporary joint when the main cell is inflated.

14. The head-protecting airbag according to claim 13, wherein the vertical portions are spaced apart to partition the main cell into three equal parts.