Curtain airbag for vertical and angular motion of occupant in rollover

• US 9,016,717 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2014
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Palaniappan, Palaniappan, Clauser, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M
• Application Number:
  US14/309,411
• Time in Patent Office: 313 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/730.1
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23192 Roof bags, i.e. protecting the occupant in a roll-over situation
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23308 the individual compartments defining the external shape of the bag
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23388 having ends which are movable or detachable during deployment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

A side curtain-roof airbag for a motor vehicle is provided. The side curtain-roof airbag includes a side chamber, a roof chamber, and a corner chamber located between said side and roof chambers. In addition, the corner chamber is separate from the side and corner chambers when the side curtain-roof airbag is in a deployed position. The corner chamber is separate from the side and roof chambers via a chamber wall. Also, the chamber wall may or may not have a plurality of vents such that the corner chamber is in fluid communication with the side and roof chambers.

Claims

1. A side curtain-roof airbag for a motor vehicle, said side curtain-roof airbag comprising:

a side chamber;

a roof chamber;

a corner chamber located separate from said side chamber and said roof chamber, said corner chamber located between said side and roof chambers when said side curtain-roof airbag is in a deployed position; and

a tether extending across said corner chamber and between said side and roof chambers, said tether maintaining a desired shape of said corner chamber when said side curtain-roof airbag is in said deployed position.

2. The side curtain-roof airbag of claim 1, wherein said corner chamber is separate from said side and roof chambers via a corner chamber wall.

3. The side curtain-roof airbag of claim 2, wherein said corner chamber has an internal pressure that is different than internal pressures within said side and roof chambers when said side curtain-roof airbag is in said deployed position.

4. The side curtain-roof airbag of claim 3, wherein said corner chamber internal pressure is at least 1.5 times greater than a side chamber internal pressure.

5. The side curtain-roof airbag of claim 4, wherein said tether extends in a radial direction between said side and roof chambers.

6. The side-curtain airbag of claim 5, wherein said tether is a plurality of tethers, each of said plurality of tethers extending in a radial direction between said side and roof chambers.

7. The side curtain-roof airbag of claim 5, wherein said tether is a single tether that extends at least 50% of a length of the side curtain-roof airbag in a longitudinal direction.

8. The side curtain-roof airbag of claim 7, wherein said tether forms a continuous surface between said side and roof chambers along said at least 50% of said length of said side curtain-roof airbag in said longitudinal direction.

9. The side curtain-roof airbag of claim 8, further comprising a motor vehicle, said side curtain-roof airbag installed within and extending from a forward-most pillar to a rearward-most pillar of said motor vehicle.

10. The side curtain-roof airbag of claim 1, wherein said corner chamber is in fluid communication with said side and roof chambers via a plurality of vents within said corner chamber wall.

11. The side curtain-roof airbag of claim 1, wherein said roof chamber extends inwardly at least to a position vertically above an inner side of an occupant'"'"'s head for an occupant sitting in a normal position of said motor vehicle when said side curtain-roof airbag is in said deployed position.

12. The side curtain-roof airbag of claim 11, wherein said roof chamber extends generally to a centerline of said motor vehicle when said side curtain-roof airbag is in said deployed position.

13. The side curtain-roof airbag of claim 12, further comprising a jump bracket, said jump bracket guiding said roof chamber inwardly during deployment of said side curtain-roof airbag.

14. A motor vehicle with a side curtain airbag, said motor vehicle comprising:

a frame;

a side curtain-roof airbag attached to said frame, said side curtain-roof airbag having a side chamber, a roof chamber and a corner chamber located between said side and roof chambers when said side curtain-roof airbag is in a deployed position; and

a tether extending radially between said side and roof chambers, said tether maintaining a desired shape of said corner chamber when said side curtain-roof airbag is deployed.

15. The motor vehicle of claim 14, wherein said corner chamber is separate from side chamber and said roof chamber via a corner chamber wall.

16. The side-curtain airbag of claim 15, wherein said tether is a plurality of tethers, each of said plurality of tethers extending in a radial between said side and roof chambers.

17. The side curtain-roof airbag of claim 16, wherein said tether is a single tether that extends at least 50% of a length of the side curtain-roof airbag in a longitudinal direction and forms a continuous surface between said side and roof chambers.

18. The motor vehicle of claim 17, wherein said corner chamber is in fluid communication with said side and roof chambers via a plurality of vent apertures within said corner chamber wall.