Interior structure of vehicle equipped with curtain airbag device

• US 7,810,838 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2007
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Onishi, Ikuko, Iwayama, Yukio
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Toan C
• Application Number:
  US11/940,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20080122206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/730.1, 280/743.1, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0206 Arrangements of fasteners and clips specially adapted for attaching inner vehicle liners or mouldings devices for fastening or securing F16B
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0225 self supporting head liners
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/025 Pillars; Roof rails
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2013/0287 integrating other functions or accessories
• 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

There is provided a restricting portion to restrict a movement of a roof trim at an upper end portion of a pillar trim behind the roof trim. Accordingly, there can be provided a structure that can properly restrain the roof trim from being deformed, for example, even if the passenger inadvertently pushes the roof trim toward a vehicle outside.

Claims

1. An interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag device, comprising:

a pillar trim;

a roof trim;

a curtain airbag operative to inflate out of a boundary between said pillar trim and said roof trim so as to cover a window of the vehicle when a specified requirement is met; and

a restricting portion provided at an upper end portion of said pillar trim behind said roof trim so as to restrict a movement of said roof trim,

wherein near said boundary at an upper end portion of a body portion of the pillar trim is provided a guide portion operative to guide said airbag inflating toward a vehicle compartment side, below a vehicle-compartment-side end portion of the guide portion is provided an engagement portion to accept a side end portion of the roof trim for engagement, whose engagement with the side end portion of the roof trim being releasable when the airbag inflates, and said restricting portion is provided so as to extend from the guide portion or the engagement portion.

2. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag device of claim 1, wherein said restricting portion is provided so as to project beyond a periphery of a notch portion that is formed at said roof trim when the pillar trim is attached to a vehicle body in such a manner that the upper end potion of the pillar trim is covered, and an amount of projection of the restring portion toward the vehicle compartment side is reducible.

3. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag device of claim 2, wherein said restricting portion comprises an upright portion that extends obliquely upward from the upper end portion of the body portion of the pillar trim beyond the notch portion substantially along the side end portion of the roof trim and a slant portion that extends obliquely upward from an upper end of the upright portion.

4. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag device of claim 1, wherein said restricting portion is formed at said guide portion to be slant downward such that said guide portion can guide the airbag toward the vehicle compartment side.

5. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of said restricting portions are provided at front and rear sides of said upper end portion of the body portion of the pillar trim.

6. An interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag device, comprising:

a pillar trim;

a roof trim;

a curtain airbag operative to inflate out of a boundary between said pillar trim and said roof trim so as to cover a window of the vehicle when a specified requirement is met; and

a restricting portion provided at an upper end portion of said pillar trim behind said roof trim so as to restrict a movement of said roof trim,

wherein said restricting portion comprises an upright portion that extends upward from the upper portion of a body portion of said pillar trim and a slant portion that extends obliquely downward from an upper end of the upright portion beyond a periphery of a notch portion that is formed at the roof trim.

7. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag device of claim 6, wherein said slant portion is configured to be longitudinally rotatable around an upper end thereof, and the roof trim is positioned outside a rotational locus of the slant portion.

8. An interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag device, comprising:

a pillar trim;

a roof trim;

a curtain airbag operative to inflate out of a boundary between said pillar trim and said roof trim so as to cover a window of the vehicle when a specified requirement is met; and

a restricting portion provided at an upper end portion of said pillar trim behind said roof trim so as to restrict a movement of said roof trim,

wherein near said boundary at an upper end portion of a body portion of the pillar trim is provided a guide portion operative to guide said airbag inflating toward a vehicle compartment side, and the guide portion is provided behind said roof trim such that a vehicle-compartment-side end portion thereof is located close to the roof trim.

9. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag device of claim 8, wherein below a vehicle-compartment-side end portion of the guide portion at the pillar trim is provided an engagement portion to accept a side end portion of the roof trim for engagement, whose engagement with the side end portion of the roof trim being releasable when the airbag inflates.

10. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag device of claim 9, wherein said guide portion is provided above the body portion of the pillar trim via a connecting portion that is configured to fall down toward the vehicle compartment side such that the guide portion moves toward the vehicle compartment side when the airbag inflates.

11. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag device of claim 10, wherein said engagement portion includes a groove that is formed with an upper opening thereof to extend along an upper edge of the body portion of the pillar trim for the engagement with the side end portion of the roof trim, and an outside groove wall of the engagement portion is formed by a lower portion of said connecting portion.

12. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag device of claim 11, wherein said connecting portion is configured such that a vehicle-compartment-side end portion of the guide portion is away from an upper end of a vehicle-compartment-side wall portion of the groove of the engagement portion even when the guide portion is moved toward the vehicle compartment side.

13. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag device of claim 9, wherein the vehicle-compartment-side end portion of said guide portion is located inward from a vehicle-compartment-side end of the engagement portion.

14. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag device of claim 8, wherein the vehicle-compartment-side end portion of said guide portion has an extending portion that extends toward the vehicle compartment side.

15. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag device of claim 8, wherein said pillar trim is configured to be attached to an inner face of a vehicle body by being made slide upward along the inner face, and a guide face of said guide portion is configured to be slant and have an angle of approximate 90 degrees or greater relative to the side end portion of said roof trim.