Side curtain airbag directional deployment apparatus

• US 7,766,377 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Elliott-Rumberger, Kristi, Osterhout, Neal, Downey, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): BECK, KAREN JANE AMORES
• Application Number:
  US11/694,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20080238054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/728.3, 280/728.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

At least one guide member extends longitudinally along at least a portion of a stowed side curtain airbag. At least one guide ramp directs deployment of the side curtain airbag toward the openable passage defined at least in part by one or more trim pieces. The guide member surrounds the side curtain airbag on three sides to define an airbag deployment opening facing a rear surface of the one or more trim pieces adjacent the openable passage. The interior trim structure covers the stowed side curtain airbag and allows deployment of the side curtain airbag through an interface joint to a position along a sidewall of a passenger compartment adjacent a rear seat location of a two-door coupe style vehicle. The interface joint defines an openable passage along the first and second abutting edges allowing deployment of a side curtain airbag through the interface joint.

Claims

1. An apparatus for guiding deployment of a stowed side curtain airbag along a side wall of a passenger compartment of a vehicle comprising:

a first trim piece exposed to the passenger compartment and having a first peripheral edge;

a second trim piece exposed to the passenger compartment and having a second peripheral edge;

an interface joint defined by the first peripheral edge and second peripheral edge, the interface joint defining at least a portion of an openable passage allowing deployment of the side curtain airbag, wherein the first peripheral edge and the second peripheral edge are adjacent when the openable passage is closed, and wherein the first peripheral edge and the second peripheral edge are spaced apart when the openable passage is open, and further wherein the first trim piece includes at least one aperture along the first peripheral edge, and the second trim piece includes at least one projection receivable within the aperture formed in the first trim piece, the projection formed along the second peripheral edge and located in a complementary position with respect to the aperture of the first peripheral edge to temporarily secure the interface joint defined between the first and second peripheral edges; and

at least one guide member extending along at least a portion of the interface joint and including at least one guide ramp directing deployment of the side curtain airbag toward the openable passage defined at least in part by the interface joint, the guide member surrounding the side curtain airbag on three sides to define an airbag deployment opening configured and arranged such that the side curtain airbag extends through at least the majority of the portion of the openable passage defined by the interface joint upon deployment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one guide member positions the side curtain airbag at a constant distance from a back side of the first and second trim pieces along a corresponding length of the guide member.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one guide member extends inwardly from a structural pillar of a vehicle toward a back side of one of the first trim piece or the second trim piece, and includes a generally U-shaped cross section.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the U-shaped cross section of the guide member includes a rear wall portion spaced from the first and second trim pieces and two side wall portions extending from opposite edges of the rear wall portion toward the first and second trim pieces, each side wall portion defining an obtuse angle with respect to the rear wall portion of the guide member.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one guide member is formed with an energy absorbing guide ramp of sufficient strength to guide deployment of the side curtain airbag toward an interior passenger compartment of the vehicle, while being formed to absorb energy from an impact originating internally from within the vehicle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the includes at least one projection of the second trim piece is a low retention force projection.

17. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the U-shaped cross section of the guide member includes a rear guide ramp, an upper guide ramp, and a lower guide ramp defining a guide surface for directing deployment of the side curtain airbag toward the openable passage, the rear guide ramp spaced from the first and second trim pieces, the upper guide ramp and the lower guide ramp extending from opposite edges of the rear guide ramp toward the first and second trim pieces, the upper guide ramp and the lower guide ramp each defining an obtuse angle with respect to the rear wall portion of the guide member, and the lower guide ramp defining a plane that passes through one of the first rigid trim panel or the second trim panel at an obtuse angle.

7. An interior trim structure for guiding deployment of a stowed side curtain airbag along a side wall of a passenger compartment of a vehicle comprising:

a first trim piece exposed to the passenger compartment and having a first edge;

a second trim piece exposed to the passenger compartment and having a second edge and located in a complementary position with respect to the first edge;

an interface joint defined between the first and second edges, the interface joint defining at least a portion of an openable passage wherein the first and second edges are adjacent to each other when the openable passage is closed and the first and second edges are spaced apart allowing deployment of the side curtain airbag when the openable passage is open, and further wherein the first trim piece includes at least one aperture along the first edge, and the second trim piece includes at least one projection receivable within the aperture formed in the first trim piece, the projection formed along the second edge and located in a complementary position with respect to the aperture of the first edge to temporarily secure the interface joint defined between the first and second edges; and

at least one guide member extending longitudinally along at least a portion of the interface joint and including at least one guide ramp directing deployment of the side curtain airbag toward the first and second rigid trim pieces, the guide member surrounding the side curtain airbag on three sides to define an opening facing the first and second rigid trim pieces and configured and arranged so that the side curtain airbag extends over the second trim panel upon deployment.

8. The interior trim structure of claim 7, wherein the at least one guide member positions a stowed side curtain airbag at a constant distance from a back side of the first and second trim pieces along a corresponding length of the guide member.

9. The interior trim structure of claim 7, wherein the at least one guide member extends inwardly from a structural pillar of a vehicle toward a back side of the first and second trim pieces, and includes a generally U-shaped cross section, wherein the U-shaped cross section of the guide member includes a rear wall portion spaced from the first and second trim pieces and two side wall portions extending from opposite edges of the rear wall portion toward the first and second trim pieces, each side wall portion defining an obtuse angle with respect to the rear wall portion of the guide member.

18. The interior trim structure of claim 7, wherein the first edge is positioned above the second edge.

19. The interior trim structure of claim 7, wherein the at least one projection of the second trim piece is a low retention force projection.

10. An interior trim structure for guiding deployment of a stowed side curtain airbag along a side wall of a passenger compartment of a vehicle comprising:

a first trim piece exposed to the passenger compartment and having a first peripheral edge;

a second trim piece exposed to the passenger compartment and having a second peripheral edge;

an interface joint defined by the first peripheral edge and second peripheral edge, the interface joint defining at least a portion of an openable passage allowing deployment of the side curtain airbag, wherein the first peripheral edge and the second peripheral edge are adjacent when the openable passage is closed, and wherein the first peripheral edge and the second peripheral edge are spaced apart when the openable passage is open, and further wherein the first trim piece includes at least one aperture along the first peripheral edge, and the second trim piece includes at least one projection receivable within the aperture formed in the first trim piece, the projection formed along the second peripheral edge and located in a complementary position with respect to the aperture of the first peripheral edge to temporarily secure the interface joint defined between the first and second peripheral edges; and

at least one guide member extending along at least a portion of the interface joint and having a generally U-shaped cross section including a rear guide ramp, an upper guide ramp, and a lower guide ramp defining a guide surface for directing deployment of the side curtain airbag toward the openable passage,

wherein a distal end of the lower guide ramp is spaced apart from the first and second trim panels.

11. The interior trim structure of claim 10, wherein the upper and lower guide ramps each define an obtuse angle with respect to the rear guide ramp of the guide member.

12. The interior trim structure of claim 10, wherein the lower guide ramp is free from attachment to the first and second trim panels.

13. The interior trim structure of claim 10, wherein the lower guide ramp defines a plane that passes through one of the first and second rigid trim panels at an obtuse angle.

14. An interior trim structure for guiding deployment of a stowed side curtain airbag along a side wall of a passenger compartment of a vehicle comprising:

a first trim piece exposed to the passenger compartment and having a first peripheral edge;

a second trim piece exposed to the passenger compartment and having a second peripheral edge;

an interface joint defined by the first peripheral edge and second peripheral edge, the interface joint defining at least a portion of an openable passage allowing deployment of the side curtain airbag, wherein the first peripheral edge and the second peripheral edge are adjacent when the openable passage is closed, and wherein the first peripheral edge and the second peripheral edge are spaced apart when the openable passage is open, and further wherein the first trim panel is a rear pillar trim piece that conceals at least a portion of a rear structural pillar of the vehicle, the second trim panel is a center pillar trim piece that conceals at least a portion of a center structural pillar of the vehicle as well as at least a portion of the rear structural pillar of the vehicle, the interface joint extends longitudinally along the rear structural pillar of the vehicle, and the openable passage is configured and arranged such that the side curtain airbag extends downward through the openable passage and substantially overlies the second trim panel along at least the majority of the portion of the openable passage defined by the interface joint upon deployment; and

at least one guide member that is concealed behind the first-rigid trim panel and the second trim panel such that the guide member is not exposed to the passenger compartment of the vehicle when the openable passage is closed, the guide member extending along at least a portion of the interface joint and having a generally U-shaped cross section including a rear guide ramp, an upper guide ramp, and a lower guide ramp defining a guide surface for directing deployment of the side curtain airbag toward the openable passage;

wherein the lower guide ramp defines a plane, the plane passing through one of the first and second trim panels at a point spaced apart from the interface joint.

15. The interior trim structure of claim 14, the plane defined by the lower guide ramp passes through one of the first trim panel or the second trim panel at an obtuse angle.

16. The interior trim structure of claim 14, wherein the upper and lower guide ramps each define an obtuse angle with respect to the rear guide ramp.