Head protecting airbag system

• US 7,806,433 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2007
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nogami, Mitsuo, Narui, Akihiko, Mitsuo, Tetsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Freedman; Laura
• Application Number:
  US11/892,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20080054605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/730.2, 280/743.1
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0225 self supporting head liners
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0275 comprising removable or hinged parts for accessing storage compartments B60R7/04; for airbag deployment B60R21/215
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2013/0287 integrating other functions or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2013/0293 Connection or positioning of adjacent panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• 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

A supplemental inflation part is formed in a portion of an upper-end side inflation section of an airbag, the portion overlapping a B-pillar garnish. The supplemental inflation part has a semicircular shape that forms a push-out part. Folding the push-out part allows the upper-end side inflation section to be inflated largely at the initial stage of deployment of the airbag. Thus, the airbag is pushed toward the passenger compartment with greater force upon its deployment. Therefore, a terminal part of a headliner that covers the folded airbag is largely opened so that the airbag deploys smoothly downward along the side of the vehicle body in the passenger compartment without interference from the top end of the B-pillar garnish.

Claims

1. A head protecting airbag system comprising:

an inflator located in a predetermined position on a vehicle, that is activated upon at least one of a side collision and a rollover of the vehicle;

an airbag including a gas supply path connected to the inflator, and an inflation section connected to the gas supply path to protect a head of an occupant, wherein the airbag is folded up in a vehicle height direction and stored along a roof side rail section of the vehicle, and is deployed by gas from the inflator downward along a side of a vehicle body in a passenger compartment;

a pillar garnish provided on a side of the vehicle body in the passenger compartment; and

an airbag guide mechanism, provided at a location above the pillar garnish, that guides the deployment of the airbag toward the passenger compartment, wherein;

the gas supply path includes a pillar covering part provided at a location corresponding to an upper part of the pillar garnish and a window covering part provided at a location corresponding to an upper part of a side window of the vehicle;

when the airbag is deployed, the pillar covering part protrudes further into the passenger compartment than the window covering part;

the airbag is folded in a manner so that a lower part of the airbag deployed is rolled and an upper part of the airbag deployed is folded; and

a folded part of the pillar covering part is larger in dimension than a folded part of the window covering part, and is folded more times than the folded part of the window covering part.

2. The head protecting airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the pillar covering part is provided with a supplemental inflation section to deploy upward from the gas supply path when the airbag is deployed.

3. The head protecting airbag system according to claim 2, wherein:

the airbag guide mechanism is a plate member formed into an approximately L-shape and that includes a longitudinal wall fixed to the roof side rail section and a lateral wall;

the lateral wall protrudes inward towards the passenger compartment from a point connected to the longitudinal wall;

the airbag is folded in a manner such that the airbag is rolled upward on the side away from a center line of the vehicle extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the airbag is stored in the roof side rail section; and

a top end of the pillar covering part is located between the longitudinal wall and a rolled part of the airbag.

4. The head protecting airbag system according to claim 3, wherein the airbag is stored in the roof side rail section such that:

in the window covering part, a position that is the top end of the gas supply path of the airbag in the deployed state is located immediately above a rolled part of the airbag; and

in the pillar covering part, a position that is the top end of the gas supply path of the airbag in the deployed state is located between a rolled part of the airbag and the longitudinal wall of the airbag guide mechanism.

5. The head protecting airbag system according to claim 3, wherein the airbag is stored in the roof side rail section such that:

a fold portion is formed between a position at the top end of the gas supply path of the airbag in the deployed state and a position at the bottom end of the gas supply path of the airbag in the deployed state; and

the fold portion of the airbag is located between a rolled part of the airbag and the longitudinal wall of the airbag guide mechanism.

6. The head protecting airbag system according to claim 3, wherein the airbag is stored in the roof side rail section such that:

fold portions are formed between a position at the top end of the gas supply path of the airbag in the deployed state and a position at the bottom end of the gas supply path of the airbag in the deployed state; and

the fold portions of the airbag are located between a rolled part of the airbag and the longitudinal wall of the airbag guide mechanism.

7. The head protecting airbag system according to claim 2, wherein:

the airbag guide mechanism is a plate member formed into an approximately L-shape and that includes a longitudinal wall fixed to the roof side rail section and a lateral wall;

the lateral wall protrudes inward towards the passenger compartment from a point connected to the longitudinal wall;

the airbag is folded in a manner such that the airbag is rolled upward on the side away from a center line of the vehicle extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the airbag is stored in the roof side rail section; and

the airbag is stored in the roof side rail section such that;

in the window covering part, a first fold portion is formed between a position at the top end of the gas supply path of the airbag in the deployed state and a position at the bottom end of the gas supply path of the airbag in the deployed state, and a second fold portion is formed at the inflation portion of the airbag; and

in the pillar covering part, the first and second fold portions are formed between a position at the top end of the gas supply path of the airbag in the deployed state and a position at the bottom end of the gas supply path of the airbag in the deployed state.

8. The head protecting airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the pillar covering part is provided with a supplemental inflation section to deploy downward from the gas supply path when the airbag is deployed.

9. The head protecting airbag system according to claim 1, wherein:

the airbag guide mechanism is a plate member formed into an approximately L-shape including a longitudinal wall fixed to the roof side rail section and a lateral wall; and

the lateral wall protrudes inward towards the passenger compartment from a portion connected to the longitudinal wall.

10. The head protecting airbag system according to claim 9, wherein:

the pillar covering part is provided with a supplemental inflation section to deploy downward from the gas supply path when the airbag is deployed;

the supplemental inflation section is disposed on one of forward and rearward sides of the vehicle relative to the pillar garnish; and

a lowest peripheral point of the supplemental inflation part is located on an axis of the supplemental inflation part, the axis extending in the vehicle height direction, and the lowest peripheral point is at a location corresponding to the upper part of the pillar garnish.

11. The head protecting airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the inflation section further comprises:

a first cell having an upper-end opening that communicates with the gas supply path through the upper-end opening;

a second cell having an upper-end opening that communicates with the gas supply path through the upper-end opening; and

a third cell, provided between the first cell and the second cell, wherein;

the third cell has a first gas introducing part and a second gas introducing part;

the first gas introducing part is provided at a vertical center of the third cell, on a side closer to the first cell, that connects the first cell and the third cell; and

the second gas introducing part is provided at a vertical lower end of the third cell, on a side closer to the second cell, that connects the second cell and the third cell.

12. The head protecting airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the airbag is deployed from the roof side rail section toward a space between a seat of the vehicle and the pillar garnish.

13. The head protecting airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the airbag is stored in the roof side rail section with the gas supply path being folded.