Airbag arranged on the vehicle roof

• US 8,240,706 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2005
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dalphi Metal Espana SA (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: Dalphi Metal Espana SA (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Bustos Garcia, Alfonso, Gonzalo López, Alfredo, Peyre, Jean-Christophe
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOODEN JR, BARRY J
• Application Number:
  US11/989,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20100225096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,569 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.1, 280/728.2, 280/728.3, 280/730.1, 280/730.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0004 Frontal collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/214 in roof panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2165 characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/261 with means other than bag structure to diffuse or guide inflation fluid

Abstract

A airbag arranged on a vehicle roof for protecting the occupant located under which includes a cushion (11), a gas generator (13) and an outer cover (17) with a weakened area (45) to allow cushion (11) exit, further comprising an inner casing (23) including a fixing area (31) for fixing it to a vehicle roof header (29), an area (33) for housing the generator (33) and a diffusion channel (35) for diffusing the gas into the cushion (11), having a first portion (51) of the cushion (11) located along the inner contour of the inner casing (33) such that the gas is received in the initial area of the diffusion channel (35) and a second portion (53) located, in the folded state, in an enclosure demarcated by at least portions of the inner casing (33) and outer cover (17).

Claims

1. An airbag arranged on a roof (21) of a vehicle for protecting an occupant (15) located under it, the airbag comprising a cushion (11), a gas generator (13) which supplies gas to the cushion (11) when an impact occurs in order to inflate and deploy the cushion in front of the occupant (15), and an outer cover (17) including a front portion and a base portion separated by a weakened area (45) for exit of the cushion (11),

an inner casing (23) including a fixing area (31) for fixing the cushion (11) to a vehicle roof header (29), an area (33) for housing the generator (13) and a diffusion channel (35) for diffusing the gas into the cushion (11);

wherein a first portion (51) of the cushion (11) is disposed along an inner contour of the inner casing (23) such that the gas is received in an initial area of the diffusion channel (35), and wherein a second portion (53) of the cushion is disposed in a folded state in an enclosure (57, 77) demarcated by at least a portion of the inner casing (23), the front portion of the outer cover (17) and a portion of the vehicle roof header (29);

wherein the weakened area (45) of the outer cover (17) is disposed close to an end of the diffusion channel (35) and wherein the front portion of the outer cover includes hinge means for facilitating deployment of the cushion when the weakened area has broken.

2. An airbag according to claim 1, which further comprises a sleeve (47) made of a flexible material for protecting the cushion (11).

3. An airbag according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner casing (23) also includes a prefixing means (59) on the roof header (29), separated from the fixing area (31).

4. An airbag according to claims 1, wherein the diffusion channel (35) is located close and parallel to the roof header (29), and the outer cover (17) includes two portions (71, 73) separated by the weakened area (45), a larger portion (73) being the portion of the outer cover (17) demarcating the enclosure (77).

5. An airbag according to claim 1, wherein the outer cover (17) is fixed to the inner casing (23).

6. An airbag according to claim 1, wherein the outer cover (17) is part of a roof headliner (19) of the vehicle.

7. An airbag according to claim 1, wherein the airbag is located between the vehicle roof header (29) and a windshield (61) of the vehicle, and the diffusion channel (35) is positioned such that in a deployed state, the cushion (11) is disposed between the occupant (15), the windshield (61) and a dashboard (63) of the vehicle.