Side-curtain airbag assembly

• US 9,889,812 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2016
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Bauer, William Charles, Nagy, Jason Richard, Paddock, Jeffrey Charles, Bhattacharyya, Mahesh, Moceri, Salvatore Joseph, Quintana, Kattya Gabriela Miranda
• Primary Examiner(s): Freedman, Laura
• Application Number:
  US15/340,038
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• 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

Abstract

A side-curtain airbag assembly includes a body structure including a roof rail and a pillar extending downwardly from the roof rail. The roof rail has an upwardly extending side portion and a first ramped surface extending inwardly from the side portion at a downward angle. An airbag is mounted to the side portion above the first ramped surface. A trim component is mounted to the pillar below the first ramped surface and has a face, a top, and a second ramped surface extending outwardly from the top at an upward angle towards the side portion. The first and second ramped surfaces are arranged to form a ramp that guides the airbag during deployment of the airbag. The first ramped surface has a higher yield strength than the second ramped surface.

Claims

1. A side-curtain airbag assembly comprising:

a structural member including a first ramped surface extending downward and inward from the member;

an airbag mounted to the structural member; and

a trim component mounted to the structural member below the airbag and including a face, a top, and a second ramped surface extending outward from the top at an upward angle;

wherein

the first and second ramped surfaces form a ramp that guides the airbag during deployment.

2. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the structural member defines a side portion and a protruding face that is offset inboard from the side portion, wherein the first ramped surface extends from the side portion to the protruding face.

3. The airbag assembly of claim 2, wherein the protruding face defines an opening, and the trim component defines a clip extending through the opening.

4. The airbag assembly of claim 2, wherein the first ramped surface extends downwardly from the side portion at an angle defined between the first ramped surface and the side portion, wherein the angle is between 100 and 170 degrees.

5. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the first ramped surface and the second ramped surface are spaced apart to define a gap.

6. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the structural member includes a roof-rail portion and a pillar portion, and wherein the airbag is mounted to the roof-rail portion and the trim component is mounted to the pillar portion.

7. The airbag assembly of claim 1 further comprising a headliner having a longitudinal edge received in a notch defined by a top of the trim component and the airbag-deployment ramp.

8. A side-curtain airbag assembly comprising:

a roof rail defining a sidewall and a protrusion that has a face inboard of the sidewall and a first ramped surface extending at a downward angle from the sidewall to the face;

a pillar connected to the roof rail;

an airbag connected to the sidewall above the protrusion; and

a trim component connected to the pillar below the first ramped surface and including a face, a top, and a second ramped surface extending outwardly from the top at an upward angle towards the face, wherein the first and second ramped surfaces are arranged to form a ramp that guides the airbag during deployment of the airbag.

9. The airbag assembly of claim 8, wherein the protrusion and the sidewall are integrally formed portions of the roof rail.

10. The airbag assembly of claim 8, wherein the protrusion further includes a lower surface extending between the face and the sidewall.

11. The airbag assembly of claim 8 further comprising a headliner received in a notch defined by a top of the trim component and the second ramped surface.

12. The airbag assembly of claim 8, wherein the first and second ramped surfaces are spaced apart to define a gap.

13. The airbag assembly of claim 8, wherein the face defines an opening, and the trim component defines a clip disposed in the opening.

14. The airbag assembly of claim 8, wherein the protrusion has a width measured between a forward end and a rear end, and wherein the width of the protrusion is wider than a width of the trim component.

15. The airbag assembly of claim 8, wherein the trim component includes a top and the second ramped surface extends from the top at an upward angle.

16. A side-curtain airbag assembly comprising:

a body structure including a roof rail and a pillar extending downwardly from the roof rail, the roof rail having an upwardly extending side portion and a first ramped surface extending inwardly from the side portion at a downward angle;

an airbag mounted to the side portion above the first ramped surface; and

a trim component mounted to the pillar below the first ramped surface and including a face, a top, and a second ramped surface extending outwardly from the top at an upward angle towards the side portion;

wherein

the first and second ramped surfaces are arranged to form a ramp that guides the airbag during deployment of the airbag, and the first ramped surface has a higher yield strength than the second ramped surface.

17. The airbag assembly of claim 16, wherein the roof rail defines a protrusion having a face that defines an opening, the first ramped surface extends between the face and the side portion, and the trim component defines a clip that is disposed in the opening.

18. The airbag assembly of claim 16, wherein the first ramped surface is integrally formed with the upwardly extending side portion.

19. The airbag assembly of claim 16, wherein the first and second ramped surfaces are spaced apart to define a gap in the ramp.

20. The airbag assembly of claim 16 further comprising a headliner received in a notch defined by the top of the trim component and a lower edge of the second ramped surface.