Curtain airbag device

• US 9,283,917 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Taguchi, Hiroyuki, Nakashima, Atsushi, Nakamura, Yuki
• Primary Examiner(s): GOODEN JR, BARRY J
• Application Number:
  US14/114,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20140054879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.1, 280/728.2, 280/730.2, 280/743.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• 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 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

A curtain airbag device that can be applied to a small-width pillar. The curtain airbag device is accommodated in a region extending from at least an A-pillar to an upper portion of a window frame, and includes an airbag that is deployed in a curtain form near a side window of a vehicle interior in order to protect an occupant; and a gas generator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag. The accommodated airbag is formed in a rod shape by being folded in a roll form. When the airbag is accommodated, the airbag is partially compressed toward the center of the airbag at a narrow portion where an installation area of the A-pillar is narrow, in order to partially decrease a diameter of the airbag.

Claims

1. A curtain airbag device mounted on and extending upward along at least part of an A-pillar from a front end of a vehicle cabin to an upper portion of a window frame of a side window of a vehicle,

the device comprising:

an airbag having a curtain form in a deployed state near the side window of a vehicle interior in order to protect an occupant; and

a gas generator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag,

the airbag being formed in a rod shape by being provided in a roll form when the airbag is accommodated in a non-deployed state, and

part of the airbag mounted on the A-pillar and extending upwardly along the A-pillar, the A-pillar having a normal-width installation area and a narrow installation area, the normal-width installation area and the narrow installation area being longitudinally adjacent to each other along the A-pillar, and in the non-deployed state the part of the airbag extending upwardly along the A-pillar having a large-diameter portion in the normal-width installation area and having a small-diameter portion in the narrow installation area, the small-diameter portion of the airbag being partially compressed relative to the large-diameter portion toward a center of the roll form of the airbag to form the small-diameter portion by partially decreasing a diameter of a localized portion of the part of the airbag extending upward along the A-pillar, with tape bordering the small-diameter portion, the tape placed in a location where the small-diameter portion transitions into the large-diameter portion.

2. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein an initial inflating portion of the airbag is positioned on a body structure side of the A-pillar.

3. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein when the diameter of the airbag is partially decreased, the diameter is reduced from upper and lower sides of the airbag in the non-deployed state.

4. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein a garnish clip is disposed adjacent to the small-diameter portion.

5. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the small-diameter portion of the airbag is pushed toward the center of the roll from a lower side so that the airbag has a U-shaped cross-section.

6. The curtain airbag device according to claim 5, wherein the U-shaped cross-section is formed on a side of a connecting structure that connects an A-pillar garnish and a weather strip.

7. In a motor vehicle having an A-pillar extending from a front end of a vehicle cabin upward to an upper portion of a window frame of a side window of the vehicle, an airbag device comprising:

an airbag having a rolled form in a non-deployed state and a curtain form in a deployed state;

a gas generator coupled to the airbag, the gas generator configured to generate inflation gas and inflate the airbag from the non-deployed state to the deployed state where the airbag extends along an interior of the side window of the vehicle; and

in the non-deployed state, at least part of the airbag being installed on the A-pillar and extending upward along at least a portion of the A-pillar between opposing ends of the A-pillar, the part of the airbag installed on and extending upward along the at least a portion of the A-pillar between the opposing ends of the A-pillar including both a large-diameter portion and a small-diameter portion longitudinally adjacent to each other between the opposing ends of the A-pillar, the small-diameter portion of the airbag having a localized reduced diameter relative to the large-diameter portion of the airbag between the opposing ends of the A-pillar, with tape bordering the small-diameter portion, the tape placed in a location where the small-diameter portion transitions into the large-diameter portion.

8. The airbag device of claim 7, wherein the small-diameter portion is formed by a radially compressed portion of the airbag.

9. The airbag device of claim 7, wherein the A-pillar has a reduced width portion along a length thereof and the small-diameter portion of the airbag is located in the reduced width portion of the A-pillar.

10. The airbag device of claim 7, further comprising a garnish and the small-diameter portion being provided adjacent to a garnish clip configured to attach the garnish to the A-pillar.

11. The airbag device of claim 7, wherein the airbag includes an initial inflation portion and the initial inflation portion is located on a body structure side of the A-pillar.

12. The airbag device of claim 7, wherein the small-diameter portion of the airbag has a U-shaped cross-section.

13. The airbag device of claim 12, wherein the U-shaped cross-section has an open end, the open end being oriented in a downward direction relative to the vehicle.

14. The airbag device of claim 12, wherein the small-diameter portion of the airbag has a dual U-shaped cross-section.

15. The airbag device of claim 14, wherein the dual U-shaped cross section has opposed open ends, one of the opposed open ends being oriented in a downward direction relative to the vehicle.