Airbag device for rollover countermeasure of vehicle

• US 7,581,750 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2005
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Akihiro, Hirata, Motoharu
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Toan C
• Application Number:
  US11/291,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20060138754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/735, 280/736, 280/743.1
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0018 Roll-over
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01327 Angular velocity or angular acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23153 specially adapted for rear seat passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23192 Roof bags, i.e. protecting the occupant in a roll-over situation
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

A rear window curtain airbag device comprises an airbag placed at the portion near the upper edge of the rear window, an inflator to inject gas for the airbag, and a connecting pipe to supply the gas injected from the inflator to the airbag. Accordingly, the passenger'"'"'s protection can be further improved by properly preventing part of the passenger'"'"'s body from getting out of the rear window when the vehicle having the rear window being located above the seat back is rolled over.

Claims

1. An airbag device for rollover countermeasure of a vehicle, in which a rear window is disposed so as to slant gently and thereby be substantially located above a seat back in a use position of a rear seat that is disposed in a cabin in such a manner that an upper edge of the rear window is located in front of an upper end of the seat back in the use position of the rear seat, comprising:

a rollover judging device operative to judge a vehicle rollover by detecting or predicting the vehicle rollover; and

an inflatable airbag, the airbag being placed at a portion near the upper edge of the rear window so as to extend at least in a vehicle width direction in a folded state thereof,

wherein said airbag is configured so as to be inflated toward a vehicle rear along the rear window in a curtain shape from the portion near the upper edge of the rear window so as to cover at least a front-half portion of the rear window from the upper edge of the rear window, beyond a position of the rear window that is located right above the upper end of the seat back in the use position of the rear seat, to a position of the rear window that is located behind the upper end of the seat back in the use position of the rear seat when the vehicle rollover is judged by said rollover judging device.

2. The airbag device for rollover countermeasure of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said airbag comprises an attaching portion at both sides thereof in the vehicle width direction that attaches the both sides of airbag to a portion near both side edges of the rear window.

3. The airbag device for rollover countermeasure of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said airbag comprises an attaching portion at both sides thereof in the vehicle width direction that attaches the both sides of airbag to a portion near both side edges of the rear window, and an inflating portion to be inflated by supply gas, the inflating portion is comprised of a plurality of parts that extend downward from an upper end portion of the airbag so as to be located in the vehicle width direction, and a gas supply portion is provided at around the center of the upper end portion of the airbag.

4. The airbag device for rollover countermeasure of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is equipped with a seatbelt device comprising a tension applying device to apply a tension to a belt for restraining a torso of a passenger, and the tension applying device of the seatbelt device is configured so as to operate prior to an inflation of the airbag of said airbag device when the vehicle rollover is judged by the rollover judging device.

5. An airbag device for rollover countermeasure of a vehicle, in which a rear window is disposed so as to slant gently and thereby be substantially located above a seat back in a use position of a rear seat that is disposed in a cabin in such a manner that an upper edge of the rear window is located in front of an upper end of the seat back in the use position of the rear seat, comprising:

a rollover judging device operative to judge a vehicle rollover by detecting or predicting the vehicle rollover; and

an inflatable airbag, the airbag being placed at a portion near the upper edge of the rear window so as to extend at least in a vehicle width direction in a folded state thereof,

wherein said airbag is configured so as to be inflated toward a vehicle rear along the rear window in a curtain shape from the portion near the upper edge of the rear window so as to cover at least a front-half portion of the rear window from the upper edge of the rear window, beyond a position of the rear window that is located right above the upper end of the seat back in the use position of the rear seat, to a position of the rear window that is located behind the upper end of the seat back in the use position of the rear seat when the vehicle rollover is judged by said rollover judging device,

said airbag comprises an attaching portion at both sides thereof in the vehicle width direction that attaches the both sides of airbag to a portion near both side edges of the rear window, and at least one inflating portion to be inflated by supply gas, and the inflating portion is configured such that when being inflated, a vertical-direction thickness of a portion thereof located behind the upper end of the seat back in the use position of the rear seat is smaller than that of a portion thereof located in front of the upper end of the seat back in the use position of the rear seat.

6. The airbag device for rollover countermeasure of a vehicle of claim 5, wherein said airbag comprises an attaching portion at both sides thereof in the vehicle width direction that attaches the both sides of airbag to a portion near both side edges of the rear window.

7. The airbag device for rollover countermeasure of a vehicle of claim 5, wherein said airbag comprises an attaching portion at both sides thereof in the vehicle width direction that attaches the both sides of airbag to a portion near both side edges of the rear window, and an inflating portion to be inflated by supply gas, the inflating portion is comprised of a plurality of parts that extend downward from an upper end portion of the airbag so as to be located in the vehicle width direction, and a gas supply portion is provided at around the center of the upper end portion of the airbag.

8. The airbag device for rollover countermeasure of a vehicle of claim 5, wherein the vehicle is equipped with a seatbelt device comprising a tension applying device to apply a tension to a belt for restraining a torso of a passenger, and the tension applying device of the seatbelt device is configured so as to operate prior to an inflation of the airbag of said airbag device when the vehicle rollover is judged by the rollover judging device.

9. An airbag device for rollover countermeasure of a vehicle, in which a rear window is disposed so as to slant gently and thereby be substantially located above a seat back in a use position of a rear seat that is disposed in a cabin in such a manner that an upper edge of the rear window is located in front of an upper end of the seat back in the use position of the rear seat, comprising:

a rollover judging device operative to judge a vehicle rollover by detecting or predicting the vehicle rollover; and

an inflatable airbag, the airbag being placed at a portion near the upper edge of the rear window so as to extend at least in a vehicle width direction in a folded state thereof,

wherein said airbag is configured so as to be inflated toward a vehicle rear along the rear window in a curtain shape from the portion near the upper edge of the rear window so as to cover at least a front-half portion of the rear window from the upper edge of the rear window, beyond a position of the rear window that is located right above the upper end of the seat back in the use position of the rear seat, to a position of the rear window that is located behind the upper end of the seat back in the use position of the rear seat when the vehicle rollover is judged by said rollover judging device,

said airbag comprises an attaching portion at both sides thereof in the vehicle width direction that attaches the both sides of airbag to a portion near both side edges of the rear window, and at least one inflating portion to be inflated by supply gas, and at least a rear part of the inflating portion is configured such that when being inflated, a vertical-direction thickness of lateral side portions thereof corresponding to passenger-sitting positions is relatively small, whereas a vertical-direction thickness of a central portion thereof corresponding to the center of vehicle is relatively large.

10. The airbag device for rollover countermeasure of a vehicle of claim 9, wherein said airbag comprises an attaching portion at both sides thereof in the vehicle width direction that attaches the both sides of airbag to a portion near both side edges of the rear window.

11. The airbag device for rollover countermeasure of a vehicle of claim 9, wherein said airbag comprises an attaching portion at both sides thereof in the vehicle width direction that attaches the both sides of airbag to a portion near both side edges of the rear window, and an inflating portion to be inflated by supply gas, the inflating portion is comprised of a plurality of parts that extend downward from an upper end portion of the airbag so as to be located in the vehicle width direction, and a gas supply portion is provided at around the center of the upper end portion of the airbag.

12. The airbag device for rollover countermeasure of a vehicle of claim 9, wherein the vehicle is equipped with a seatbelt device comprising a tension applying device to apply a tension to a belt for restraining a torso of a passenger, and the tension applying device of the seatbelt device is configured so as to operate prior to an inflation of the airbag of said airbag device when the vehicle rollover is judged by the rollover judging device.