Curtain airbag device

• US 9,487,175 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2013
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Noma, Hiroshi, Murayama, Takashi, Kobayashi, Kazuaki, Oikawa, Tomokazu, Tomichi, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): GOODEN JR, BARRY J
• Application Number:
  US14/434,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20150291119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/201 Packaging straps or envelopes for inflatable members
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/214 in roof panels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/215 characterised by the covers for the inflatable member B60R21/2176 takes 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 having a cushion portion connected to a bracket. The airbag includes a cushion portion that is accommodated in a long and narrow form, a bracket attached to a wall of a vehicle cabin, and a wrapping member that is wrapped around the cushion portion and the bracket. The bracket includes a base portion having an insertion hole, a vehicle fixing portion extending upward from the base portion, and protruding portions formed on both sides at a lower height than the vehicle fixing portion. The wrapping member has a root portion connected to the cushion portion and has hooking holes formed in a distal end thereof. The wrapping member is inserted into the insertion hole from the vehicle interior, folded back downward, and wrapped around the cushion portion toward the interior, and the hooking holes are hooked on the protruding portions.

Claims

1. A curtain airbag device comprising:

a cushion portion mounted on a vehicle in an accommodated form having a long and narrow shape by being rolled or folded;

a bracket attached to a portion inside a cabin of the vehicle; and

a wrapping member having a strip shape, the wrapping member being wrapped around the cushion portion in the accommodated form and the bracket and connecting the cushion portion to the bracket, wherein

the bracket includes;

a base portion having an elongated insertion hole extending longitudinally with respect to the vehicle;

a vehicle fixing portion which extends upward from the base portion and makes contact with and is fixed to the portion inside the cabin; and

protruding portions that protrude upward from the base portion on both sides in a width direction of the vehicle fixing portion, the protruding portions being located at a height from the base portion that is lower in height than the vehicle fixing portion is from the base portion, wherein the bracket has a flat planar portion that includes the protruding portions and the base portion extending together in a plane that is transverse to a direction towards an interior of the cabin of the vehicle,

the wrapping member including a root portion connected to an upper edge of the cushion portion and further including hooking holes provided in a width direction on both lateral sides of a distal end of the wrapping member, and

the wrapping member extending from the root portion into the insertion hole and then being folded back toward a lower side of the bracket from the insertion hole, rolled inwardly of the vehicle from the lower side of the bracket, wrapped around the cushion portion in the accommodated form, and hooked by the hooking holes on the protruding portions.

2. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein each of the protruding portions has a neck portion which is formed close to the base portion and has a smaller width than that of an adjacent end part of the protruding portion.

3. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the wrapping member is stretchable.

4. The curtain airbag according to claim 1, wherein the wrapping member is formed of a non-woven fabric.

5. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein, when mounted to the vehicle, the cushion portion in the accommodated form is in contact with a vehicle interior side of the base portion.

6. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the insertion hole is elongated in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and longitudinal ends of the insertion hole are curved upward.

7. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the curtain airbag device includes a cover that covers a portion of the cushion portion along a longitudinal direction of the cushion portion in the accommodated form, and

after the wrapping member is wrapped about the cushion portion, the protruding portions are inserted into and connected to the cover.

8. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the curtain airbag device includes a cover that covers a portion of the cushion portion along a longitudinal direction of the cushion portion in the accommodated form, and

each of the protruding portions has a hole in a distal end thereof so that, after the wrapping member is wrapped, a pin of the cover inserted into the hole connects the cover to the protruding portion.

9. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein each of the protruding portions has a hole in a distal end thereof, a clip attached to the hole after the wrapping member is wrapped secures the wrapping member to the protruding portions.

10. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the wrapping member has a weakened portion configured to break with inflation and deployment of the cushion portion.

11. The curtain airbag device according to claim 10, wherein the weakened portion is a slit formed in a broken line shape.

12. A curtain airbag device comprising:

a cushion portion mounted on a vehicle in an accommodated form having a long and narrow shape by being rolled or folded;

a bracket attached to a wall inside a cabin of the vehicle;

a fabric tab that connects the bracket and the cushion portion; and

a wrapping member having a strip shape, wrapped around the bracket and the cushion portion in the accommodated form so as to connect the cushion portion and the bracket, wherein

the bracket further including;

a base portion having an insertion hole;

a vehicle fixing portion which extends upward from the base portion and makes contact with and is fixed to the wall; and

protruding portions that protrude upward from the base portion on both sides of the vehicle fixing portion in a width direction, the protruding portions being located at a position lower in height from the base portion than the vehicle fixing portion is from the base portion, wherein the bracket has a flat planar portion that includes the protruding portions and the base portion extending together in a plane that is transverse to a direction towards an interior of the cabin of the vehicle,

the tab being inserted into the insertion hole of the bracket and connected to an upper edge of the cushion portion,

the wrapping member having a root portion connected to at least one of the upper edge of the cushion portion and the tab, the wrapping member also having hooking holes provided on both lateral sides in a width direction of a distal end of the wrapping member, and

the wrapping member being rolled toward the interior of the cabin of the vehicle from the root portion about a lower side of the bracket, being wrapped around the cushion portion in the accommodated form, and being hooked by the hooking holes on the protruding portions.

13. The curtain airbag device according to claim 12, wherein each of the protruding portions has a neck portion which is formed close to the base portion and has a smaller width than that of an adjacent end part of the protruding portion.

14. The curtain airbag device according to claim 12, wherein the wrapping member is stretchable.

15. The curtain airbag according to claim 12, wherein the wrapping member is formed of a non-woven fabric.

16. The curtain airbag device according to claim 12, wherein, when mounted to the vehicle, the cushion portion in the accommodated form is in contact with a vehicle interior side of the base portion.

17. The curtain airbag device according to claim 12, wherein the bracket has a generally planar shape and includes a step formed in a lower portion of the vehicle fixing portion, the step extending in the width direction of the vehicle so that the base portion is separated from the wall in a direction toward the interior of the cabin of the vehicle.

18. The curtain airbag device according to claim 12, wherein the insertion hole is elongated in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and longitudinal ends of the insertion hole are curved upward.

19. The curtain airbag device according to claim 12, wherein the curtain airbag device includes a cover that covers a portion of the cushion portion along a longitudinal direction of the cushion portion in the accommodated form, and

after the wrapping member is wrapped about the cushion portion, the protruding portions are inserted into and connected to the cover.

20. The curtain airbag device according to claim 12, wherein the curtain airbag device includes a cover that covers a portion of the cushion portion along a longitudinal direction of the cushion portion in the accommodated form, and

each of the protruding portions has a hole in a distal end thereof so that, after the wrapping member is wrapped, a pin of the cover inserted into the hole connects the cover to the protruding portion.

21. The curtain airbag device according to claim 12, wherein each of the protruding portions has a hole in a distal end thereof, a clip attached to the hole after the wrapping member is wrapped secures the wrapping member to the protruding portions.

22. The curtain airbag device according to claim 12, wherein the wrapping member has a weakened portion configured to break with inflation and deployment of the cushion portion.

23. The curtain airbag device according to claim 22, wherein the weakened portion is a slit formed in a broken line shape.

24. A curtain airbag device comprising:

a cushion portion mounted on a vehicle in an accommodated form having a long and narrow shape by being rolled or folded;

a bracket attached to a portion inside a cabin of the vehicle; and

a wrapping member having a strip shape, the wrapping member being wrapped around the cushion portion in the accommodated form and the bracket and connecting the cushion portion to the bracket, wherein

the bracket includes;

a base portion having an elongated insertion hole extending longitudinally with respect to the vehicle;

a vehicle fixing portion which extends upward from the base portion and makes contact with and is fixed to the portion inside the cabin; and

protruding portions that protrude upward from the base portion on both sides in a width direction of the vehicle fixing portion, the protruding portions being located at a height from the base portion that is lower in height than the vehicle fixing portion is from the base portion,

the wrapping member including a root portion connected to an upper edge of the cushion portion and further including hooking holes provided in a width direction on both lateral sides of a distal end of the wrapping member, and

the wrapping member extending from the root portion into the insertion hole and then being folded back toward a lower side of the bracket from the insertion hole, rolled inwardly of the vehicle from the lower side of the bracket, wrapped around the cushion portion in the accommodated form, and hooked by the hooking holes on the protruding portions, wherein the bracket has a generally planar shape and includes a step formed in a lower portion of the vehicle fixing portion, the step extending in a width direction of the vehicle so that the base portion is separated from the wall in a direction toward an interior of the cabin of the vehicle.