Curtain air bag device for vehicle

• US 7,607,686 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Park, Sung-Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): VERLEY, NICOLE T
• Application Number:
  US11/647,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20080111352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/749, 280/728.2, 280/731
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• 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

The present invention provides a curtain air bag device for vehicle that can protect passengers with different heights by automatically shifting unfolded-positions of an air bag cushion of a curtain air bag in accordance with passenger heights.

Claims

1. A curtain air bag device for vehicle comprising:

at least one sensor mounted to detect a passenger head position;

an air bag cushion;

an inflator connected with the air bag cushion;

height-adjusting means connected with the upper end of the air bag cushion to change the height of the upper end of the air bag cushion; and

a controller receiving signals from the sensor and actuating the height-adjusting means before the air bag cushion unfolds,

wherein the height-adjusting means comprises;

a motor controlled by the controller;

a rotating bar connected to the motor; and

a plurality of tethers each of which has one end fixed to the rotating bar and the other end fixed to the upper end of the air cushion bag.

2. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the rotating bar is mounted inside a stopper box, and each of the tethers passes through the downside of the stopper box and connects the rotating bar with the upper end of the air bag cushion.

3. The device as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a gas guide that is extendible between the air bag cushion and the inflator and steadily supplies gas from the inflator into the air bag cushion moving downward.

4. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein the sensor is a supersonic sensor.

6. A motor vehicle comprising the curtain air bag device of claim 1.

5. A method of protecting passengers with different heights in a vehicle equipped with a curtain air bag device which includes an air bag cushion;

a rotating bar; and

tethers each of which has one end fixed to the rotating bar and the other end fixed to the upper end of the air cushion bag, comprising the steps of;

detecting the height of a passenger;

unrolling the tethers out of the rotating bar in a predetermined amount according to the detected height; and

adjusting the height of the air bag cushion in response to the unrolling amount of the tether.