Side curtain air bag

• US 7,922,192 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2010
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Higano, Makoto, Fukuda, Masataka, Makioka, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coker; Robert A
• Application Number:
  US12/702,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20100133795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/730.2, 280/743.2, 280/749
• 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 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

The present invention provides a side curtain air bag facilitating the control of tension with the air bag. The side curtain air bag includes chambers expanded by gas supplied from a gas generator, and expands and develops into a curtain shape along a side part of a vehicle so as to protect vehicle occupants. The side curtain air bag includes primary chambers which expand to form the side curtain air bag, and a secondary chamber which expands after the primary chambers to apply additional tension across the expanded side curtain air bag. The secondary chamber includes an opening communicating with the primary chamber.

Claims

1. A side curtain air bag, which has chambers expanded by gas supplied from an inflator, and expands and develops in a curtain shape at side part of a vehicle so as to protect vehicle occupants, the side curtain air bag comprising:

a primary chamber which expands so as to protect an occupant;

a secondary chamber which applies tension on the side curtain air bag after the side curtain air bag is expanded and developed; and

a set of tethers, each having one end attached to the side curtain air bag at a joint end and the other end attached to the vehicle at a fixation end, in a forward and backward direction of the vehicle,

wherein, the primary chamber has a first opening through which gas is supplied from the inflator, and is expanded by the inflow of the gas from the inflator,

the secondary chamber has a second opening through which gas is supplied from the inflator, and is expanded by the inflow of the gas from the inflator,

the second opening is smaller in size than the first opening so that the secondary chamber expands later than the primary chamber,

when the side curtain air bag is expanded and developed, the primary chamber and the secondary chamber are disposed such that a portion or all of the primary and secondary chambers overlap one of a virtual band region formed of a first virtual line connecting the respective fixation ends of the one set of tethers and a second virtual line connecting the respective joint ends of the one set of tethers, the virtual band region formed of the first virtual line connecting respective upper ends of attachments parts of the one set of tethers and the second virtual line connecting respective lower ends of the attachment parts of the one set of tethers, and the virtual band region formed of the first virtual line connecting the upper end of the attachment part of one tether and the fixation end of the other tether, and the second virtual line connecting the respective lower ends of the attachment parts of the one set of tethers, and

the secondary chamber is, in the virtual band region, disposed in front of or behind the primary chamber in a forwardmost portion or a rearmost portion of the airbag.

2. The side curtain air bag according to claim 1 further comprising a gas supply passage formed therein extending along the forward and backward direction of the vehicle for providing fluid communication between the inflator and the primary chamber, wherein the secondary chamber is disposed further behind the primary chamber, which is a rear most chamber, and the secondary chamber and the rear most primary chamber are juxtaposed in the forward and backward direction of the vehicle.

3. The side curtain air bag according to claim 2, wherein the gas supply passage is not directly connected to the secondary chamber, and an inside of the secondary chamber is directly connected to an inside of the rear most primary chamber via the second opening.

4. The side curtain air bag according to claim 1, wherein the second opening is connected to the primary chamber, and the secondary chamber is expanded by the inflow of the gas from the primary chamber.

5. The side curtain air bag according to claim 1, wherein at an initial stage of a collision, the primary chamber expands and develops and an internal pressure of the primary chamber is maximized from the initial stage to a latter stage of the collision, the internal pressure of the primary chamber is decreased as the gas is continuously supplied to the secondary chamber and hence the secondary chamber develops;

and in the latter stage of the collision, the secondary chamber develops and expands so that the internal pressure of the primary chamber becomes substantially identical with an internal pressure of the secondary chamber.

6. The side curtain air bag according to claim 5, wherein the initial stage of the collision is between 0 and 100 milliseconds after the collision is detected, and wherein the latter stage of the collision is between 4 and 6 seconds after the collision is detected.

7. A side curtain airbag, which has chambers expanded by gas supplied from an inflator, and expands and develops in a curtain shape at side part of a vehicle so as to protect vehicle occupants, the side curtain air bag comprising:

a primary chamber which expands so as to protect an occupant;

a secondary chamber which applies tension on the side curtain air bag after the side curtain air bag is expanded and developed; and

a set of tethers, each having one end attached to the side curtain air bag at a joint end and the other end attached to the vehicle at a fixation end, in a forward and backward direction of the vehicle,

wherein, the primary chamber has a first opening through which gas is supplied from the inflator, and is expanded by the inflow of the gas from the inflator,

the secondary chamber has a second opening through which gas is supplied from the inflator, and is expanded by the inflow of the gas from the inflator,

the second opening is smaller in size than the first opening so that the secondary chamber expands later than the primary chamber,

when the side curtain air bag is expanded and developed, the primary chamber and the secondary chamber are disposed such that a portion or all of the primary and secondary chambers overlap one of a virtual band region formed of a first virtual line connecting the respective fixation ends of the one set of tethers and a second virtual line connecting the respective joint ends of the one set of tethers, the virtual band region formed of the first virtual line connecting respective upper ends of attachment parts of the one set of tethers and the second virtual line connecting respective lower ends of the attachment parts of the one set of tethers, and the virtual band region formed of the first virtual line connecting the upper end of the attachment part of one tether and the fixation end of the other tether, and the second virtual line connecting the respective lower ends of the attachment parts of the one set of tethers, and

the secondary chamber protrudes into a non-inflation part of the airbag.

8. The side curtain air bag according to claim 7 further comprising a gas supply passage formed therein extending along the forward and backward direction of the vehicle for providing fluid communication between the inflator and the primary chamber, wherein the secondary chamber is disposed further behind the primary chamber, which is a rear most chamber, and the secondary chamber and the rear most primary chamber are juxtaposed in the forward and backward direction of the vehicle.

9. The side curtain air bag according to claim 8, wherein the gas supply passage is not directly connected to the secondary chamber, and an inside of the secondary chamber is directly connected to an inside of the rear most primary chamber via the second opening.

10. The side curtain air bag according to claim 7, wherein the second opening is connected to the primary chamber, and the secondary chamber is expanded by the inflow of the gas from the primary chamber.

11. The side curtain air bag according to claim 7, wherein at an initial stage of a collision, the primary chamber expands and develops and an internal pressure of the primary chamber is maximized from the initial stage to a latter stage of the collision, the internal pressure of the primary chamber is decreased as the gas is continuously supplied to the secondary chamber and hence the secondary chamber develops;

and in the latter stage of the collision, the secondary chamber develops and expands so that the internal pressure of the primary chamber becomes substantially identical with an internal pressure of the secondary chamber.

12. The side curtain air bag according to claim 11, wherein the initial stage of the collision is between 0 and 100 milliseconds after the collision is detected, and wherein the latter stage of the collision is between 4 and 6 seconds after the collision is detected.

13. A side curtain air bag, which has chambers expanded by gas supplied from an inflator, and expands and develops in a curtain shape at side part of a vehicle so as to protect vehicle occupants, the side air bag comprising:

a primary chamber which expands so as to protect an occupant;

a secondary chamber which applies tension on the side curtain air bag after the side curtain air bag is expanded and developed; and

a set of tethers, each having one end attached to the side curtain air bag at a joint end and the other end attached to the vehicle at a fixation end, in a forward and backward direction of the vehicle,

wherein, the primary chamber has a first opening through which gas is supplied from the inflator, and is expanded by the inflow of the gas from the inflator,

the secondary chamber has a second opening through which gas is supplied from the inflator, and is expanded by the inflow of the gas from the inflator,

the second opening is smaller in size than the first opening so that the secondary chamber expands later than the primary chamber,

when the side curtain air bag is expanded and developed, the primary chamber and the secondary chamber are disposed such that a portion or all of the primary and secondary chambers overlap one of a virtual band region formed of a first virtual line connecting the respective fixation ends of the one set of tethers, and a second virtual line connecting the respective joint ends of the one set of tethers, the virtual band region formed of the first virtual line connecting respective upper ends of attachment parts of the one set of tethers, and the second virtual line connecting respective lower ends of the attachment parts of the one set of tethers, and the virtual band region formed of the first virtual line connecting the upper end of the attachment part of one tether and the fixation end of the other tether, and the second virtual line connecting the respective lower ends of the attachment parts of the one set of tethers, and

at least one secondary chamber protrudes into a front non-inflation part or a back non-inflation part of the airbag.

14. The side curtain air bag according to claim 13 further comprising a gas supply passage formed therein extending along the forward and backward direction of the vehicle for providing fluid communication between the inflator and the primary chamber, wherein the secondary chamber is disposed further behind the primary chamber, which is a rear most chamber, and the secondary chamber and the rear most primary chamber are juxtaposed in the forward and backward direction of the vehicle.

15. The side curtain air bag according to claim 14, wherein the gas supply passage is not directly connected to the secondary chamber, and an inside of the secondary chamber is directly connected to an inside of the rear most primary chamber via the second opening.

16. The side curtain air bag according to claim 13, wherein the second opening is connected to the primary chamber, and the secondary chamber is expanded by the inflow of the gas from the primary chamber.

17. The side curtain air bag according to claim 13, wherein at an initial stage of a collision, the primary chamber expands and develops and an internal pressure of the primary chamber is maximized from the initial stage to a latter stage of the collision, the internal pressure of the primary chamber is decreased as the gas is continuously supplied to the secondary chamber and hence the secondary chamber develops;

and in the latter stage of the collision, the secondary chamber develops and expands so that the internal pressure of the primary chamber becomes substantially identical with an internal pressure of the secondary chamber.

18. The side curtain air bag according to claim 17, wherein the initial stage of the collision is between 0 and 100 milliseconds after the collision is detected, and wherein the latter stage of the collision is between 4 and 6 seconds after the collision is detected.