Airbag apparatus having easily-bending portion formed in back-side cover

• US 7,694,998 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2006
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hidaka, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): CULBRETH, ERIC D
• Application Number:
  US11/464,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20070052220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/728.3, 280/730.2, 280/749, 296/39.1, 296/214
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/215 characterised by the covers for the inflatable member B60R21/2176 takes precedence

Abstract

An airbag apparatus includes a back-side cover provided at a roof side rail which is provided on a side of a roof of a vehicle and extends in a front-back direction of the vehicle, wherein the back-side cover is arranged on a side of the roof side rail, which faces an interior of the vehicle; an interior-side cover for covering a side of the back-side cover, which faces the interior; and an airbag contained in a case formed by the back-side cover and the interior-side cover. An easily-bending portion is formed in the middle of the back-side cover along vertical directions thereof, and the easily-bending portion bends when receiving a pushing pressure from the airbag which is deploying, and the airbag deploys toward the interior through a space between the back-side cover and the interior-side cover which open in accordance with the bending of the easily-bending portion.

Claims

1. An airbag apparatus, comprising:

a back-side cover provided at a roof side rail, said roof side rail being on a side of a roof of a vehicle and extending in a front-back direction of the vehicle, wherein the back-side cover is arranged on a side of the roof side rail that faces an interior of the vehicle;

an interior-side cover for covering a side of the back-side cover that faces the interior of the vehicle; and

an airbag contained in a case formed by the back-side cover and the interior-side cover, wherein

a bending portion is formed in a middle portion of the back-side cover along a vertical direction thereof, and the bending portion bends when receiving a pushing pressure from the airbag that is deploying; and

the airbag deploys toward the interior through a space between the back-side cover and the interior-side cover that opens in accordance with the bending of the bending portion such that the interior-side cover maintains a constant shape before and after the deploying of the airbag.

2. The airbag apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein upper end portions of the back-side cover and the interior-side cover are overlapped and joined to each other, and the bending portion is formed along a line under the upper end portions.

3. The airbag apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein portions other than the upper end portions and the bending portion of the back-side cover are fastened to a body of the vehicle.

4. The airbag apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the back-side cover has a rib, and the bending portion is formed along an upper end of the rib.

5. The airbag apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein an interior finishing member is fastened to a body of the vehicle, and is detachably engaged with the interior-side cover.

6. The airbag apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein the interior-side cover has an opening through which the interior finishing member fastened to the body of the vehicle can pass.

7. The airbag apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein the interior finishing member is a passenger'"'"'s handle.

8. An airbag apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a back-side cover provided at a roof side rail, said roof side rail being on a side of a roof of the vehicle and extending in a front-back direction of the vehicle, wherein the back-side cover is arranged on a side of the roof side rail that faces an interior of the vehicle, and wherein said back-side cover includes a bending portion of reduced thickness with an arc shape that protrudes toward the roof side rail and is formed in a middle portion of the back-side cover along a vertical direction thereof;

an interior-side cover that covers a side of the back-side cover that faces the interior of the vehicle; and

an airbag for deploying toward the vehicle interior, said airbag being contained in a case formed by the back-side cover and the interior-side cover, wherein

the back-side cover includes a first end that is attached to a first portion of the interior-side cover at a location above the airbag, the first end extending into the bending portion, the back-side cover further includes an inclined plate part extending from the bending portion to a main plate part, the main plate part of the back-side cover cooperating with a second portion of the interior-side cover to provide a space through which the airbag deploys, and wherein

said space is created by flexing of the back-side cover at the bending portion due to a pushing pressure from the deploying airbag.

9. The airbag apparatus in accordance with claim 8, wherein the first end of the back-side cover and the first portion of the interior-side cover are overlapped, and the bending portion is formed along a line under the first end and the first portion.

10. The airbag apparatus in accordance with claim 9, wherein portions other than the first end and the bending portion of the back-side cover are fastened to a body of the vehicle.

11. The airbag apparatus in accordance with claim 8, wherein the back-side cover has a rib, and the bending portion is formed along an upper end of the rib.

12. The airbag apparatus in accordance with claim 8, wherein an interior finishing member is fastened to a body of the vehicle, and is detachably engaged with the interior-side cover.

13. The airbag apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein the interior-side cover has an opening through which the interior finishing member fastened to the body of the vehicle can pass.

14. The airbag apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein the interior finishing member is a passenger'"'"'s handle.