Head protection airbag device

• US 7,731,227 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2008
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ochiai, Yasuo, Hotta, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): VERLEY, NICOLE T
• Application Number:
  US12/076,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20080238055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0048 Head
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/217 Inflation fluid source retainers, e.g. reaction canisters; Connection of bags, covers, diffusers or inflation fluid sources therewith or together
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence

Abstract

In a head protection airbag device according to the invention, non-inflating portions of an airbag includes a blocking portion which covers the vehicle interior side of windows when inflation of the airbag is completed. One blocking portion includes a downward movement inhibiting portion catching a passenger'"'"'s head and inhibiting its downward movement when the head moves downward while moving toward the vehicle exterior and touches the blocking portion when inflation of the airbag is completed. The blocking portion comprises overlapping vehicle interior side and the vehicle exterior side portions which are mutually connected, with a portion of a vehicle interior member by the upper edge made to be the downward movement inhibiting portion. The downward movement inhibiting portion is connected at both the front and rear edges to the vehicle exterior member of the blocking portion, allowing the upper edge of the downward movement inhibiting portion to be a catching edge which can be separated from the vehicle exterior member when catching the head.

Claims

1. A head protection airbag device, comprising;

an airbag folded and housed at the upper edge of windows on the vehicle interior side; and

an inflator supplying inflation gas to the airbag, and

wherein the upper edge of the airbag is installed on and fixed to the vehicle body, and the airbag is configured to deploy and inflate so as to cover the vehicle interior side of the windows while projecting downward from the position in which the airbag is housed by allowing inflation gas from the inflator to flow therein,

wherein the airbag includes an inflating portion which inflates by allowing inflation gas to flow therein, and a non-inflating portion into which the inflation gas does not flow,

wherein the inflating portion has plural head protection portions provided at the sides of the seats and aligned in the vehicular front-rear direction, which protect passengers'"'"' heads when inflation is completed,

wherein the non-inflating portion includes blocking portions extending from the lower edge toward the upper edge of the airbag between the head protection portions and covering the vehicle interior side of the windows at the completion of inflation of the airbag,

wherein at a blocking portion a downward movement inhibiting portion is formed which catches the passenger'"'"'s head and inhibits downward movement of the head when the head moves downward while moving toward the vehicle exterior and touches the blocking portion, at the completion of inflation of the airbag,

wherein the blocking portion comprises sheets of flexible material overlapping each other at the vehicle interior side and the vehicle exterior side and mutually connected, and configuring a portion near the upper edge of a vehicle interior member arranged at the vehicle interior to be the downward movement inhibiting portion,

wherein the downward movement inhibiting portion is connected at both its front and rear edges to a vehicle exterior member of the blocking portion arranged facing the vehicle exterior, the downward movement inhibiting portion arranged at a position higher than the lower edge of the window but lower than the center of the airbag in the up-down direction when inflation of the airbag is completed, and

wherein the upper edge of the downward movement inhibiting portion is made to be a catching edge which can be separated from the side of the vehicle exterior member at the time it catches the head.

2. The head protection airbag device according to claim 1,

wherein the airbag is manufactured with a hollow weave, and a portion of the non-inflating portion forming the blocking portion is cut out so as to be used to make another member, and

wherein a separate covering member formed from a sheet material having flexibility and covering the cutout portion cut out from the non-inflating portion is arranged so as to cover the cutout portion and is connected to the periphery of the cutout portion and

wherein the covering member includes a vehicle exterior portion comprising the vehicle exterior member and a vehicle interior portion comprising the vehicle interior member.

3. The head protection airbag device according to claim 2,

wherein the covering member is arranged so as to cover the vehicle interior side of the cutout portion.

4. The head protection airbag device according to claim 1,

wherein the vehicle interior member forming the downward movement inhibiting portion is connected, at the lower edge below the catching edge, to the vehicle exterior member.

5. The head protection airbag device according to claim 1,

wherein the vehicle interior member forming the downward movement inhibiting portion is separated from the vehicle exterior member at the lower edge side positioned below the catching edge.

6. The head protection airbag device according to claim 1,

wherein the airbag is manufactured with a hollow weave, and a non-inflating portion forming the blocking portion has a portion cut out so as to be used for another member, and

wherein the downward movement inhibiting portion comprises a portion at the lower periphery of the cutout portion in the non-inflating portion.