Head-protecting airbag apparatus

• US 7,766,378 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Miura, Wataru, Ochiai, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): CULBRETH, ERIC D
• Application Number:
  US11/819,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20080007033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/743.1, 280/749, 280/729
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• 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 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

The airbag of the head-protecting airbag apparatus includes a rear inflatable portion deployed at the interior side of the rear pillar. The rear inflatable portion includes an upper side portion extending rearward from a gas feed passage disposed at the upper periphery of the airbag, a main body disposed below the upper side portion and partitioned from the upper side portion by a partitioning portion, and a branched portion extending downward from the gas feed passage. The main body inflates with inflation gas fed from an inlet opening disposed at the lower end of the branched portion. At least a front lower area of the upper side portion is located below a parting line between a rear pillar garnish and an airbag cover at full inflation of the airbag. The upper side portion and the gas feed passage are folded and housed at exterior side of the folded-up main body and branched portion such that the main body is pushed out toward an interior of the vehicle getting over the upper end of the rear pillar garnish by the upper side portion and the gas feed passage.

Claims

1. A head-protecting airbag apparatus comprising:

an airbag for being folded and housed in an upper periphery of a window inside a vehicle that has a rear pillar and a window adjoining the rear pillar in front of the rear pillar;

a pillar garnish being provided to cover an interior side of the rear pillar; and

an airbag cover,

the airbag pushing and opening the airbag cover and being deployable downward to cover the window when fed with inflation gas,

the airbag being attachable to a vehicle body at an upper edge thereof,

the airbag having;

a rear inflatable portion disposed at a rear area of the airbag, the rear inflatable portion for being housed in the vicinity of an upper area of the rear pillar and arranged to get over an upper end of the pillar garnish when covering the interior side of the rear pillar while pushing and opening the airbag cover, and arranged to deploy to cover interior sides of the rear pillar and the window adjoining the rear pillar in front of the rear pillar at full inflation of the airbag; and

a gas feed passage arranged along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle at an upper edge of the airbag in front of the rear inflatable portion for supplying inflation gas to a rear region of the airbag,

the rear inflatable portion comprising;

an upper side portion extending from the gas feed passage to a rear end of the airbag along the longitudinal direction at an upper edge region of the rear inflatable portion;

a main body disposed below the upper side portion, the main body being deployed to cover the interior sides of the rear pillar and the window adjoining the rear pillar in front of the rear pillar;

a partitioning portion extending continuously forward from a rear edge of the airbag for partitioning the upper side portion and the main body; and

a branched portion disposed in a region from a front edge to a lower edge of the rear inflatable portion and in front of the main body, the branched portion being deployed in front of the rear pillar and below a lower edge of the airbag cover disposed on the upper periphery of the window adjoining the rear pillar in front of the rear pillar at full inflation of the airbag, and the branched portion including an opening for admitting inflation gas flowing downward from the gas feed passage at the front of a front end of the partitioning portion and below a rear end of the gas feed passage,

the main body is formed to admit inflation gas from an inlet opening disposed at a rear edge of the branched portion, between a front end area of the partitioning portion and a lower edge of the airbag in the lower edge of the rear inflatable portion,

a whole lower edge, or a part of a front end area of the lower edge, of the upper side portion is located below a parting line between the upper end of the pillar garnish and the lower edge of the airbag cover on a vehicle cabin side before the airbag cover is opened, at full inflation of the airbag, and

the upper side portion and the gas feed passage are folded and housed at an exterior side of the folded-up main body and branched portion such that the main body is pushed out toward an interior of the vehicle getting over the upper end of the pillar garnish by the upper side portion and the gas feed passage upon airbag deployment.

2. The head-protecting airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upper side portion of the airbag has a uniform inner diameter generally all along its longitudinal length at full inflation.

3. The head-protecting airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an inner diameter of the upper side portion of the airbag is gradually reduced from a front side toward a rear thereof at full inflation.

4. The head-protecting airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the partitioning portion comprises;

a transverse portion extending forward from the rear edge of the airbag; and

a vertical portion extending downward from a front end of the transverse portion and serving as the front end area of the partitioning portion;

the branched portion is comprised of a region of the rear inflatable portion disposed in front of the vertical portion; and

the inlet opening of the main body of the rear inflatable portion is formed between a lower end of the vertical portion and the lower edge of the airbag.

5. The head-protecting airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a region of the partitioning portion extending continuously forward from the rear edge of the airbag is formed to be deployed below and along the parting line at full inflation of the airbag.