Head-protecting airbag

• US 7,963,552 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2009
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Motoyuki, Mizuno, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan; Ruth
• Assistant Examiner(s): BECK, KAREN JANE AMORES
• Application Number:
  US12/382,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20090236833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/736, 280/743.1, 280/742, 280/740
• 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 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

A head-protecting airbag is deployable downward from an upper periphery of a window of vehicle to cover the window. The airbag includes a primary inflatable portion that includes a protection portion for receiving an occupant'"'"'s head and a secondary inflatable portion that admits inflation gas of the primary inflatable portion and is inflatable secondarily for preventing a pressure increase of the primary inflatable portion. The primary inflatable portion and the secondary inflatable portion are communicated with a tubular conduit that is arranged along the lower periphery of the airbag. The protection portion includes an inlet-side inflatable portion communicated with the conduit and an upper inflatable portion located above the conduit. The conduit includes a main region located facing the outlet port and an enlarged-diameter region that is located facing the inlet port and has a greater opening dimension than the main region.

Claims

1. A head-protecting airbag adapted to be mounted on an upper periphery of a window of a vehicle inside the vehicle for deployment downward to cover the window, the airbag comprising:

a gas admissive portion inflatable with inflation gas by separating an inner panel and an outer panel, the gas admissive portion including;

a primary inflatable portion inflatable in an early stage of airbag deployment, the primary inflatable portion including a protection portion that receives and protects a head of an occupant and a conduit that is tubular in shape and extends from the protection portion; and

a secondary inflatable portion that is communicated with the protection portion of the primary inflatable portion by the conduit and admits inflation gas from the protection portion for restraining a pressure increase of the protection portion; and

a non-admissive portion that admits no inflation gas and keeps the inner panel and outer panel attached together, the non-admissive portion including;

a peripheral portion located on an outer periphery of the gas admissive portion; and

a partitioning portion that defines boundaries of the secondary inflatable portion and the conduit, the partitioning portion including an upper boundary portion that extends from a periphery of the secondary inflatable portion and defines an upper boundary of the conduit,

wherein the conduit extends along an anteroposterior direction of the airbag and adjacent a bottom area of the peripheral portion in a lower periphery of the airbag from an inlet port from the protection portion to an outlet port to the secondary inflatable portion;

wherein the conduit includes;

a main region that is located on a side of the outlet port; and

an enlarged-diameter region that is located on a side proximate the inlet port and extends straightly, the enlarged-diameter region having an opening dimension in a vertical direction greater than that of the main region, the opening dimension in a vertical direction being equal to or greater than a length in an anteroposterior direction thereof;

wherein the protection portion includes;

an inlet-side inflatable portion adjoining the inlet port of the conduit in an anteroposterior direction, the inlet-side inflatable portion including an opposing region that is located to oppose and communicated with the inlet port of the conduit and an upper extending region that extends upward from the opposing region up to a higher level relative to the inlet port of the conduit; and

an upper inflatable portion that is located above the conduit and partitioned from the conduit by the upper boundary portion, the upper inflatable portion being communicated with the upper extending region of the inlet-side inflatable portion so as to be inflatable generally simultaneously with the inlet-side inflatable portion upon inflation of the primary inflatable portion and having an opening dimension in a vertical direction that is greater than that of the enlarged-diameter region

wherein the secondary inflatable portion is surrounded by the partitioning portion and the bottom area of the peripheral portion in the lower periphery of the airbag, and the secondary inflatable portion is communicated with the protection portion of the primary inflatable portion by only one of said conduit.

2. The head-protecting airbag of claim 1, wherein:

the inlet-side inflatable portion is located in an area ranging from the bottom area of the peripheral portion in the lower periphery of the airbag to a top area of the peripheral portion in an upper edge of the airbag; and

the opening dimension in a vertical direction of the enlarged-diameter region is configured in a range of ¼

to ⅙

of an opening dimension in a vertical direction of the inlet-side inflatable portion.

3. The head-protecting airbag of claim 2 wherein the opening dimension in a vertical direction of the enlarged-diameter region is 70 to 120 mm.

4. The head-protecting airbag of claim 3 wherein the opening dimension in a vertical direction of the enlarged-diameter region is 80 to 120 mm.

5. The head-protecting airbag of claim 1 wherein an opening dimension in a vertical direction of the main region of the conduit is 30 to 70 mm.

6. The head-protecting airbag of claim 5 wherein the opening dimension in a vertical direction of the main region of the conduit is 30 to 60 mm.

7. The head-protecting airbag of claim 1, wherein:

the airbag includes two of the protection portions that are located in front and at the rear of the secondary inflatable portion; and

the conduit is communicated with the inlet-side inflatable portion of either one of the protection portions and is located at a vicinity of a center of the airbag in an anteroposterior direction together with the secondary inflatable portion.

8. The head-protecting airbag of claim 7, wherein:

the two protection portions are so configured as to cover two windows of the vehicle located in front and rear of a pillar of the vehicle; and

the conduit is deployable on an inboard side of the pillar.

9. The head-protecting airbag of claim 1, wherein:

the conduit is located adjacent a central region of the bottom area of the peripheral portion in the lower periphery of the airbag.

10. The head-protecting airbag of claim 1, wherein:

the conduit is configured to have a restrained opening area in a direction orthogonal to an axial direction from the inlet port to the outlet portion.