Curtain airbag

• US 8,025,308 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2008
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Acquisition, LLC
• Original Assignee: TK Holdings Incorporated (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wiik, Richard A., Pitonyak, Andrew J., Kirby, Jesse B., Wipasuramonton, Pongdet P., Lane, Keith P., Fletcher, James R., Steinbach, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan; Ruth
• Application Number:
  US12/247,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20090243267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

A curtain airbag assembly comprises an inflatable curtain airbag configured to prevent egress of an occupant out of a window during a collision or rollover event. When the curtain airbag is inflated, a bottom edge of the curtain airbag extends below a window sill in a vehicle. A distance the inflated curtain airbag extends below the window sill is greater than a radius of curvature of the inflated curtain airbag.

Claims

1. A curtain airbag assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

an inflatable curtain airbag configured to prevent egress of an occupant out of a window during a collision or rollover event,

wherein, when the curtain airbag is inflated, the inflated curtain airbag includes;

a bottom edge extending along a majority of a bottom of the inflated curtain airbag that extends toward a bottom edge of the window and ends before reaching a bottom edge of the window;

an outer edge comprising an upper edge portion and a lower edge portion, wherein the upper and lower edge portions extend towards a side edge of the window and end before reaching the side edge of the window;

at least a first tab inflatable extension extending below the bottom edge of the curtain airbag, a bottom edge of the first tab inflatable extension extending below the window; and

a second tab inflatable extension extending outward from the outer edge and between the upper and lower edge portions, a distal edge of the second tab inflatable extension extending beyond the side edge of the window.

2. The curtain airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein a distance the inflated curtain airbag extends below a window sill is greater than a radius of curvature of the inflated curtain airbag.

3. The curtain airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the second tab inflatable extension is disposed at a central edge part of the outer edge.

4. The curtain airbag assembly of claim 1, further comprising an inflator to inflate the curtain airbag.

5. The curtain airbag assembly of claim 4, wherein the inflator inflates the first and second tab inflatable extensions.

6. The curtain airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the curtain airbag includes non-inflated areas, and wherein the non-inflated areas comprise non-circular shapes.

7. The curtain airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the inflated curtain airbag is at least 1.5 inches.

8. The curtain airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein a width of the inflated curtain airbag is in a range of 2.75 inches to 6.0 inches.

9. The curtain airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the inflated curtain airbag has a minimum cushion pressure to inflated curtain airbag width ratio of 0.1 kPa/mm to 1.5 kPa/mm.

10. The curtain airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the ratio is about 0.1 kPa/mm for the inflated curtain airbag with a width equal to or greater than 150 mm.