Occupant restraining device

• US 7,390,017 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2005
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Totani, Chiharu, Inoue, Michio, Tanase, Toshinori, Inui, Shuji, Oguchi, Shinji, Nagata, Takuji
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Toan C
• Application Number:
  US11/253,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20070001441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/748, 280/749
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/02 Internal Trim mouldings ; Internal Ledges; Wall liners for passenger compartments; Roof liners B60R13/01 takes precedence ; padded linings for the vehicle interior B60R21/04; arrangements or adaptations of floor mats or carpets in vehicles B60N3/04; internal lining for trains B61D17/18
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/08 automatically movable from an inoperative to an operative position, e.g. in a collision electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/21 in vehicle side panels, e.g. doors pillar mounted arrangements B60R21/213
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/195 with means to tension the belt in an emergency, e.g. means of the through-anchor or splitted reel typeelectrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01

Abstract

An occupant restraining device (S1) is provided with: a shielding member (41) to be let off from the peripheral edge (DW/VW) of a vehicle window (WF) arranged in a door of a vehicle, so as to shield the window; and a let-off means (81, 86, 87) for letting off the housed shielding member (41) so as to shield the window (WF). The shielding member (41) and the let-off means (81, 86, 87) are arranged in the door (FD). A garnish (21) is arranged on the peripheral edge of the door (FD) for covering the housed shielding member (41) so that the shielding member (41) is let off. An airbag device (ABM) can be arranged in the vehicle without any problem even if the occupant restraining device (S1) is mounted together with the airbag device (ABM) on the vehicle.

Claims

1. An occupant restraining device comprising:

a shielding member adapted to be released from a peripheral edge structure of a window of vehicle to shield the inner side of the window; and

a release mechanism for releasing the shielding member from a housed state to shield the window, wherein;

the shielding member is housed in a vertical portion extending generally vertically on the front side or the rear side of the window peripheral edge structure;

the release mechanism is arranged in a lower portion of the peripheral edge structure while being connected to the shielding member, and moves a connection portion to the shielding member along the lower portion of the peripheral edge structure upon deployment of the shielding member;

the occupant restraining device includes a path arranged in the lower portion of the peripheral edge structure;

the connection portion of the release mechanism and the shielding mechanism move along the path; and

a closing portion openably covers the path.

2. The occupant restraining device according to claim 1, wherein the shielding member is arranged, when housed, at the lower portion of the peripheral edge structure while being extended from the vertical portion.

3. The occupant restraining device according to claim 1, wherein:

a garnish is ranged at the vertical portion of the peripheral edge structure so as to cover the housed shielding member;

the garnish includes a door portion covering the housed shielding member; and

the door portion is pushed and opened by the shielding member when the shielding member is released.

4. The occupant restraining device according to claim 3, wherein the door portion is opened by breakage of a peripheral edge thereof when the shielding member is released.

5. The occupant restraining device according to claim 1, wherein:

the closing portion is constructed of a removable cap arranged at the lower portion of the peripheral edge structure; and

at the time the shielding member is released, the cap is pushed out of the lower portion of the peripheral edge structure, by a moving member in the vicinity of the connection portion, to form an opening.

6. The occupant restraining device according to claim 1, wherein:

the closing portion is constructed of an openable door arranged at the lower portion of the peripheral edge structure; and

at the time the shielding member is released, the door portion is pushed and opened by a moving member in the vicinity of the connection portion, to form an opening.

7. The occupant restraining device according to claim 1, wherein:

the closing portion is constructed of a portion to be broken arranged at the lower portion of the peripheral edge structure; and

at the time the shielding member is released, the portion to be broken is pushed and broken by a moving member in the vicinity of the connection portion, to form an opening.

8. The occupant restraining device according to claim 1, wherein:

a surface skin is arranged on the surface of the lower portion of the peripheral edge structure;

the surface skin includes a body and a cover-shaped surface skin peelable from the body;

the closing portion is constructed of the cover-shaped surface skin; and

at the time the shielding member is released, the cover-shaped surface skin is pushed by a moving member in the vicinity of the connection portion and is peeled from the body, to form an opening.