Curtain airbag for a vehicle

• US 8,998,250 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2011
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kruse, Dion, Mazanek, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): FRISBY, KEITH J
• Application Number:
  US13/996,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20130270805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/730.1, 280/729, 280/743.1, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23547 one piece weaving
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23576 Sewing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• 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

Abstract

A curtain airbag for a vehicle includes a main chamber shaped in such a way that, in a position being mounted on the vehicle, in the inflated state the main chamber covers an inner side structure of the vehicle. The curtain airbag further includes an additional chamber which, in the mounting position, is located on the in driving direction of the vehicle front portion of the main chamber, and deploys in the direction of the interior of the vehicle when the curtain airbag is inflated.

Claims

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

a main chamber extending in a longitudinal direction and adapted to cover an inner side structure of the vehicle;

an additional chamber forwardly positioned relative to the main chamber in a driving direction and in communication with the main chamber through a flow channel; and

a separation line separating flow of inflation gas between the main chamber and the additional chamber, the separation line oriented obliquely relative to the longitudinal direction, the separation line defining an obliquely oriented hinge about which the additional chamber rotates relative to the main chamber upon inflation, the separation line formed into the curtain airbag and separating a flow of inflation gas between the main chamber and the additional gas chamber independent of rotation of the additional chamber relative to the main chamber.

2. The curtain airbag according to claim 1, wherein the additional chamber shows such a shaping that the inflation length of the curtain airbag, in the mounting position, is longer at a lower edge than at an upper edge.

3. The curtain airbag according claim 1, wherein, the additional chamber in the inflated state shows an obliquely directed orientation sloping upwards in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

4. The curtain airbag according to claim 1, wherein the additional chamber is formed by a chamber volume being at least partially separated from the main chamber, which volume is separated from the main chamber by the separation line which, in the inflated state of the curtain airbag, in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle runs obliquely upwards.

5. The curtain airbag according to claim 4, wherein at least two additional chambers are provided, which are separated from the main chamber or from each other by obliquely directed separation lines.

6. The curtain airbag according to claim 4, wherein the separation line separates flow between the main chamber and the additional chamber both prior to and after rotation of the additional chamber relative to the main chamber.

7. The curtain airbag according to claim 1, further comprising a tightening strap having a first end fastened to the main chamber at a first attachment point and a second end fastened to the additional chamber at a second attachment point, the tightening strap being shorter than a maximum distance between the first and the second attachment point, which would result from the curtain airbag being inflated without the tightening strap.

8. The curtain airbag according to claim 7, wherein the second attachment point and the first attachment point are located on the curtain airbag in such a way that, when the curtain airbag is inflated, the second attachment point is located beneath the first attachment point and, in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, is located in front of the first attachment point.

9. The curtain airbag according to claim 1, wherein the additional chamber inflates substantially perpendicular to the main chamber.

10. The curtain airbag according to claim 1, wherein the curtain airbag is shaped in such a way, that at least the additional chamber is extending with a section downwardly from a lower rim of the main chamber.

11. The curtain airbag according to claim 1, wherein the additional chamber is folded backwards onto the main chamber using the separation line as a hinge.

12. The curtain airbag according to claim 11, wherein the additional chamber includes an attachment tab which is folded onto an attachment tab of the main chamber and fixed with the attachment tab of the main chamber with a common fixation element for fixing both tabs together at an inner side structure of the vehicle.

13. The curtain airbag according to claim 11, wherein the separation line is a vertical running separation line.

14. The curtain airbag according to claim 1, wherein the additional chamber is separated from the main chamber or from another additional chamber by two distanced separation lines which enclose a non-inflatable section.

15. The curtain airbag according to claim 1, wherein the additional chamber is separated from the main chamber by a separation line which runs in a closed loop.

16. The curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein upon inflation of the curtain airbag, the additional chamber extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and is upwardly angled in the forward direction and the additional chamber is transformed into an oblique surface sloping upward in the driving direction.

17. The curtain airbag of claim 1, wherein the curtain airbag includes a downwardly extending portion at a forward end, the downwardly extending portion extends downward beyond a lower rim of the main chamber.

18. The curtain airbag of claim 1, further comprising a tightening strap having a first end fastened to the main chamber at a first attachment point and a second end fastened to the additional chamber at a second attachment point, the strap oriented obliquely downward from the first attachment point to the second attachment point.