Curtain airbag system

• US 8,590,926 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2012
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Saimura, Kazuya, Katsumata, Shunichi, Kawabe, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Rocca, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilhelm, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US13/479,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20120299275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.1, 280/728.2, 280/730.2, 280/743.1, 280/742
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2346 Soft diffusers

Abstract

A curtain airbag of a curtain airbag system includes a gas supply passage that extends in a longitudinal direction in an upper portion of the airbag and guides gas from an inflator toward the front of the vehicle, a front main chamber deployed downward in the event of a side impact or rollover when supplied with gas from the gas supply passage, a front auxiliary chamber deployed when supplied with gas from the gas supply passage or the front main chamber at least in the event of rollover, and an uninflatable portion (gas-flow guide portion) that blocks forward gas flow at a front side of a gas passage communicating with the gas supply passage and the front main chamber, and guides the gas to the front main chamber.

Claims

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

an inflator that generates gas; and

a curtain airbag that is stored in a folded state in an upper edge portion of an opening of a vehicle body through which a passenger gets in or off, the curtain airbag being operable to be inflated with gas supplied from the inflator, and deployed downward from the upper edge portion of the opening of the vehicle body, wherein

the curtain airbag comprises;

a gas supply passage that is deployed in a cylindrical shape that extends in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, along the upper edge portion of the opening, in the event of a side impact and rollover of the vehicle, so as to guide at least a part of the gas supplied from the inflator, toward the front of the vehicle;

a first deployment portion to which gas is supplied from the gas supply passage in the event of a side impact or rollover of the vehicle, so that the first deployment portion is deployed downward in a vertical direction of the vehicle, so as to cover a region below the gas supply passage and above a belt line of the vehicle, the first deployment portion is a front main chamber;

a second deployment portion to which gas is supplied from the inflator at least in the event of rollover of the vehicle, so that the second deployment portion is deployed at a vehicle front side of the first deployment portion, such that a lower end portion of the second deployment portion is located below the belt line; and

a gas-flow guide portion located at the vehicle front side of a communicating portion that communicates with the gas supply passage and the front main chamber, and the gas-flow guide portion is located above the front main chamber, such that at least a part of the gas-flow guide portion projects downward beyond an imaginary line that extends from a lower end of the gas supply passage in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the gas-flow guide portion is operable to block gas flowing toward the front of the vehicle through the gas supply passage, and guide the gas toward the front main chamber, such that most of the gas is directed toward the front main chamber.

2. The curtain airbag system according to claim 1, wherein

the front main chamber comprises a front-seat development portion operable to be deployed in a cylindrical shape that extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, at one side of an occupant seated in a front seat of the vehicle and above the belt line, such that a rear end portion of the front main chamber overlaps a center pillar as seen in a side view.

3. The curtain airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the gas-flow guide portion comprises an uninflatable portion of the curtain airbag which is not inflated with gas supplied from the inflator.

4. The curtain airbag system according to claim 3, wherein the uninflatable portion includes an edge portion adjacent to the gas supply passage, and the edge portion is formed in a semicircular shape as seen in a side view.

5. The curtain airbag system according to claim 3, wherein the curtain airbag further includes an inflatable portion operable to be inflated with gas supplied thereto, at a location above the uninflatable portion and at the front side of the communicating portion that communicates with the gas supply passage and the front main chamber, so that the inflatable portion and the gas supply passage overlap the upper edge portion of the opening as seen in a side view.

6. The curtain airbag system according to claim 3, wherein at least a part of the second deployment portion of the curtain airbag is deployed later than the front main chamber, in the event of a side impact or rollover of the vehicle.

7. The curtain airbag system according to claim 1, wherein the second deployment portion is a front auxiliary chamber that communicates with the front main chamber.

8. The curtain airbag system according to claim 7, wherein the curtain airbag further comprises:

a rear main chamber operable to protect a head of a rear-seat occupant against a side impact; and

a rear auxiliary chamber that communicates with the rear main chamber and is operable to be deployed at a vehicle front side of the rear main chamber such that a lower end portion of the rear auxiliary chamber overlaps a side door as seen in a side view.