Head-protecting airbag device

• US 9,145,103 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2015
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kashio, Atsushi, Ikenohata, Sho
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, TOAN C
• Application Number:
  US14/595,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20150210241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 259 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/743.1, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/201 Packaging straps or envelopes for inflatable members
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

An airbag is housed in a housing area in the shape of a folded-up body which is obtained as a result of folding the airbag by bringing the lower edge close to the upper edge and elongated in a front and rear direction. A displacement-preventing means is provided at a peripheral portion of the airbag constituting an outer peripheral edge of the airbag for preventing a tape member wrapped around the folded-up body from supping against the folded-up body. The means is formed at an upper end region of the peripheral portion which will be an upper edge of the airbag at deployment and at least either in front of or at the rear of the tape member. The means is comprised of a recessed region or a projecting region that is formed on the airbag itself so as to be engageable with an end edge of the tape member.

Claims

1. A head-protecting airbag device having an airbag that is adapted to be housed in a folded-up configuration in a housing area located at an upper periphery of a window of a vehicle on an inboard side of a vehicle, the airbag being inflatable with an inflation gas and deployable over an inboard side of the window, the airbag comprising:

a folded-up body that is a state of the airbag obtained as a result of folding the airbag in such a fashion as to bring a lower edge of the airbag close to an upper edge of the airbag, the folded-up body being so elongated as to extend generally along a front and rear direction of a vehicle, and being to be wrapped by a tearable tape member that is formed into a flexible band and is wrapped generally along a circumferential direction of the folded-up body in order to prevent a folded-up configuration of the folded-up body from collapsing;

a gas admissive portion that is inflatable with an inflation gas in such a fashion as to separate an inboard side wall deployable at an inboard side from an outboard side wall deployable at an outboard side;

a non-admissive portion that admits no inflation gas, the non-admissive portion including a peripheral portion that constitutes an outer peripheral edge of the airbag; and

displacement-preventing means for preventing the tape member from being displaced relative to the folded-up body, the displacement-preventing means being formed at an upper end region of the peripheral portion which will be an upper edge of the airbag at deployment, the displacement-preventing means comprising a recessed region or a projecting region that is formed on the airbag itself at least either in front of or at the rear of a location at which the tape member is to be wrapped so as to be engageable with an end edge of the tape member and prevent the tape member from being displaced.

2. The head-protecting airbag device of claim 1, wherein the displacement-preventing means comprises a bound region at which the tape member is wrapped around the folded-up body and a pair of rising regions that are so configured as to rise from the bound region in front of and at the rear of the tape member, such that end surfaces of the rising regions facing towards the tape member serve as regulating surfaces that are engageable with the end edges of the tape member and prevent the displacement of the tape member.

3. The head-protecting airbag device of claim 2, wherein:

the displacement-preventing means is formed by cutting an edge portion out of the upper end region of the peripheral portion; and

the regulating surfaces of the rising regions located in front of and at the rear of the tape member are so inclined relative to a left and right direction that leading ends of the regulating surfaces are directed toward the tape member, toward a center in a front and rear direction between the regulating surfaces.

4. The head-protecting airbag device of claim 3, wherein an inclined angle of each of the regulating surfaces relative to the bound region is 45°

.

5. The head-protecting airbag device of claim 2, wherein:

the displacement-preventing means is composed of a pair of projecting regions that are formed at the upper end region of the peripheral portion in such a manner as to be disposed side by side and protrude upward from the upper end region;

a region of the upper end region between the projecting regions constitutes the bound region;

the projecting regions constitute the rising regions; and

edge regions of the projecting regions opposing each other in a front and rear direction constitute the regulating surfaces.

6. The head-protecting airbag device of claim 5, wherein the edge regions of the projecting regions opposing each other in a front and rear direction and constituting the regulating surfaces are so inclined relative to a left and right direction that upper ends thereof are directed toward a center in a front and rear direction between the edge regions.

7. The head-protecting airbag device of claim 2, wherein:

the displacement-preventing means is composed of a pair of slits that are formed by slitting the upper end region of the peripheral portion from an end edge of the upper end region so as to be disposed side by side in a front and rear direction;

a region between the slits constitutes the bound region;

regions located in front of and at the rear of the slits constitute the rising regions; and

end edges of the regions located in front of and at the rear of the slits constitute the regulating surfaces.

8. The head-protecting airbag device of claim 7, wherein the slits are so inclined relative to a left and right direction as to separate away from each other toward lower ends thereof.