Passenger protection of vehicle

• US 8,641,087 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2011
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Saiki, Hideharu, Fukutani, Kazuya, Kaeriyama, Hideharu
• Primary Examiner(s): ENGLISH, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US13/290,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20120119476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/743.1
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• 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 21/2346 Soft diffusers

Abstract

A cell of a curtain airbag is configured such that its upper portion is closed in an inflated state of the curtain airbag, whereas its lower portion is open and connected to a gas flowing passage from an inflator. Accordingly, a passenger protection device of a vehicle which can properly prevent an interior material from being broken and scattered can be provided.

Claims

1. A passenger protection device of a vehicle, comprising:

a curtain airbag arranged in a folded state on a vehicle-compartment inside along a vehicle-body side portion, the curtain airbag arranged in the folded state extending along a front pillar portion from a roof side portion;

an interior material provided at the vehicle-body side portion to cover the curtain airbag in the folded state, the interior material comprising a top ceiling covering a part of the curtain airbag in the folded state which is arranged at the roof side portion and a front pillar trim covering another part of the curtain airbag in the folded state which is arranged at the front pillar portion, a rigidity of the top ceiling being set to be lower than that of the front pillar trim;

an inflator to generate inflatable gas in a vehicle collision;

wherein said curtain airbag is made of two sheets of cloth which are joined together by seams, an inside of which is partitioned into plural inflatable cells comprising a front cell, a middle cell, and a rear cell, the front and middle cells being positioned for protection of a head portion of a front-seat passenger, the rear cell being positioned for protection of a head portion of a rear-seat passenger,

said curtain airbag includes a connection portion, which is connected to said inflator and through which the inflatable gas from the inflator is supplied thereto so as to inflate the curtain airbag downwardly in the vehicle collision, the connection portion being provided to directly connect to said middle cell of the curtain airbag such that the inflatable gas from the inflator is supplied into the middle cell first,

said front cell is configured such that an upper portion thereof is closed and the front cell is connected to said middle cell only via a lower-located gas flowing passage, and said rear cell is connected to said middle cell only via an upper-located gas flowing passage extending longitudinally,

said front cell is covered with said front pillar trim in the folded state of the curtain airbag, and said middle and rear cells are covered with said top ceiling in the folded state of the curtain airbag, and

said front cell is an end-side cell which is positioned on a vehicle front-end side, said plural inflatable cells of the curtain airbag further comprises an adjacent cell which is provided between said end-side cell and said middle cell so as to be adjacent to but separate from the end-side cell and the middle cell, respectively, the adjacent cell being covered with a front portion of said top ceiling in the folded state of the curtain airbag, the adjacent cell being configured such that an upper portion thereof is closed independently from the end-side cell and a lower portion thereof is located below a vertically-center of the curtain airbag and open to said lower-located gas flowing passage such that the adjacent cell is connected to said middle cell only via the lower-located gas flowing passage.

2. The passenger protection device of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said curtain airbag is configured to be inflated along a side portion of a vehicle compartment comprised of a front-seat space and a rear-seat space, said connection portion is positioned between the front-seat space and the rear-seat space, and part of the curtain airbag which corresponds to a rear-seat side is covered with the top ceiling in the folded state of the curtain airbag.

3. The passenger protection device of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein a guide member which encloses part of said curtain airbag in the folded state which corresponds to an adjacent portion of the front pillar trim and the top ceiling and guides an inflation of the curtain airbag in the inflated state is provided, and said guide member is fixed to the vehicle-body side portion and covered with the top ceiling and the front pillar trim.

4. The passenger protection device of a vehicle of claim 3, wherein said adjacent portion of the front pillar trim and the top ceiling is configured such that part of a front end portion of the top ceiling and part of an upper end portion of the front pillar trim are overlapped, the part of the front end portion of the top ceiling being positioned on a vehicle outside with respect to the part of the upper end portion of the front pillar trim.

5. The passenger protection device of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said curtain airbag is configured such that a lower end thereof in the inflated state is located below a level of a beltline of the vehicle.