Curtain airbag device and occupant protecting device

• US 9,463,764 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2015
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukawatase, Osamu, Taguchi, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sliteris, Joselynn Y
• Application Number:
  US14/794,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20150307054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• 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 21/233 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 curtain airbag device comprising: a main deploying portion that, at a time when at least one of a small overlap impact or an oblique impact arises, receives a supply of gas and expands, and is deployed in a shape of a curtain along a side window glass; an auxiliary deploying portion that is provided at a front side with respect to the main deploying portion, and that, at a time of at least one of a small overlap impact or an oblique impact, receives a supply of gas and is expanded and deployed; and a tension structure that connects a front end side portion of a front pillar and a rear end side portion of the front pillar, and that is deployed while receiving tension such that an intermediate portion of the tension structure passes by a vehicle width direction outer side of the auxiliary deploying portion.

Claims

1. A curtain airbag device comprising:

a main deploying portion that, at a time when a side impact arises, and at a time when at least one of a small overlap impact or an oblique impact arises, receives a supply of gas and expands, and the main deployment portion is deployed in a shape of a curtain along a side window glass;

an auxiliary deploying portion that is structured by a plurality of chambers that are deployed so as to be adjacent in a vehicle front-rear direction, the plurality of chambers being connected to one another by a connecting body at a vehicle width direction outer side, the auxiliary deploying portion is provided at a front side, in the vehicle front-rear direction, with respect to the main deploying portion, and the auxiliary deploying portion, at a time of at least one of a small overlap impact or an oblique impact, receives a supply of gas and is expanded and deployed; and

a tension structure that connects a front end side portion in the vehicle front-rear direction of a front pillar and a rear end side portion in the vehicle front-rear direction of the front pillar, and the tension structure is deployed while receiving tension such that an intermediate portion of the tension structure in the vehicle front-rear direction passes by a vehicle width direction outer side of the auxiliary deploying portion.

2. The curtain airbag device of claim 1, wherein the tension structure is connected respectively to the front end side portion in the vehicle front-rear direction of the front pillar, and the rear end side portion in the vehicle front-rear direction of the front pillar, and a front end side portion in the vehicle front-rear direction of the main deploying portion, and the tension structure is structured to include a triangular cloth tether that is deployed in a triangular shape as seen in side view.

3. The curtain airbag device of claim 2, wherein the connecting body is a connecting tether that is structured so as to connect a portion, that faces toward the vehicle width direction outer side in the deployed state, of the plurality of chambers, and make a surface, that faces outwardly in the vehicle width direction, of the auxiliary deploying portion be a substantially flat surface.

4. The curtain airbag device of claim 3, wherein the auxiliary deploying portion is structured so as to support a load inputted to the auxiliary deploying portion in a state in which the connecting tether is overlapped with the triangular cloth tether.

5. The curtain airbag device of claim 3, wherein the plurality of chambers are structured as independent bags that are partitioned by a seam that extends vertically,

the connecting tether has a length such that the auxiliary deploying portion is deployed in a state in which a rear side chamber of the plurality of chambers is overlapped at a front side chamber with the seam being a folded-over portion.

6. The curtain airbag device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of chambers are structured as independent bags that are partitioned by a seam that extends vertically, and the plurality of chambers are structured so as to be supplied with gas from the main deploying portion through a gas passage that is positioned further downward than the seam.

7. An occupant protecting device comprising:

an airbag device for a front seat that, at a time when a frontal impact arises, and at a time when, among a small overlap impact and an oblique impact, an impact of a form in which the main deploying portion is deployed arises, causes an airbag for a frontal impact to expand and deploy by a supply of gas; and

the curtain airbag device of claim 1, which is structured such that the auxiliary deploying portion is expanded and deployed at a front side, in the vehicle front-rear direction, with respect to the airbag for a frontal impact as seen in side view.