Interior structure of vehicle equipped with curtain airbag

• US 8,033,569 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2009
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Amano, Fumio, Yamanishi, Mitsutoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Freedman; Laura
• Application Number:
  US12/480,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20100032928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/728.3, 280/730.2, 280/733, 280/743.1, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/195 with means to tension the belt in an emergency, e.g. means of the through-anchor or splitted reel typeelectrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01

Abstract

A curtain member has a bending portion which is formed by a rear portion of the curtain member in a folded stored state being bent forward, i.e., toward an opposite side to the vertically-extending vehicle-body pillar. A second tether member is made of a long cloth member. Its rear end is fixed to a specified lower-side position of a fifth pillar which is located below the middle portion of this pillar in the vertical direction via a fixing pin. Its front end is fixed to a body portion of a curtain member via a seam portion. Accordingly, there can be provided the interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag which can properly form the tension line at the curtain member.

Claims

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

a roof trim provided to form a ceiling portion of a vehicle compartment below a roof panel;

a pillar trim provided to cover a vertically-extending vehicle-body pillar from an inside of the vehicle compartment and extend vertically, the pillar trim being made from synthetic resin;

a vehicle-body opening provided beside the vertically-extending vehicle-body pillar, an upper edge of which is positioned near an outer end portion of the roof trim; and

a curtain-airbag means provided to be fixed to a vehicle body along the upper edge of the vehicle-body opening, the curtain-airbag means including a curtain member which has an inflatable portion to be inflated by gas supplied, the curtain member inflating into the vehicle compartment from a folded stored state, deforming the roof trim, so as to cover the vehicle-body opening when the gas is supplied into the inflatable portion on a specified condition,

wherein said curtain member has a bending portion near the vertically-extending vehicle-body pillar in the folded stored state, the bending portion being formed by a rear portion of the curtain member in the folded stored state being bent forward, toward an opposite side to the vertically-extending vehicle-body pillar, and there is provided a connecting member which has a front end portion fixed to a specified portion of the curtain member and a rear end portion fixed to a specified portion of the vertically-extending vehicle-body pillar.

2. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein said specified portion of the curtain member to which said front end portion of the connecting member is fixed is located forward, on the opposite side to the vertically-extending vehicle-body pillar relative to a bend position of said bending portion of the curtain member when the curtain member inflates.

3. The interior structure of a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag of claim 2, wherein said specified portion of the curtain member is located near said bend position.

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

a roof trim provided to form a ceiling portion of a vehicle compartment below a roof panel;

a pillar trim provided to cover a vehicle-body pillar from an inside of the vehicle compartment and extend vertically, the pillar trim being made from synthetic resin;

a vehicle-body opening provided beside the vehicle-body pillar, an upper edge of which is positioned near an outer end portion of the roof trim; and

a curtain-airbag means provided to be fixed to a vehicle body along the upper edge of the vehicle-body opening, the curtain-airbag means including a curtain member which has an inflatable portion to be inflated by gas supplied, the curtain member inflating into the vehicle compartment from a stored state thereof, deforming the roof trim, so as to cover the vehicle-body opening when the gas is supplied into the inflatable portion on a specified condition,

wherein said curtain member has a bending portion near the vehicle-body pillar in the stored state, the bending portion being formed so as to bend toward a specified side, and there is provided a connecting member which connects a specified portion of the curtain member to a specified middle portion of the vehicle-body pillar or connects two separate specified portions of the curtain member,

said bending portion bends toward an opposite side to the vehicle-body pillar or toward the vehicle compartment, and said connecting member connects the specified portion of the curtain member to a specified lower-side position of the vehicle-body pillar, and

said connecting member is configured to be located on a vehicle-body outward side relative to the curtain member when the curtain member inflates.