Side curtain air bag

• US 7,712,768 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2004
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Higano, Makoto, Fukuda, Masataka, Makioka, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coker; Robert A
• Application Number:
  US10/577,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20070164543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,022 Days
• Field of Search: 280/729, 280/730.2, 280/743.2, 280/749
• US Class Current: 280/729
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23316 Inner seams, e.g. creating separate compartments or used as tethering means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

The present invention provides a side curtain air bag facilitating the control of tension with the airbag. The side curtain air bag includes chambers expanded by gas supplied from a gas generator, and expands and develops into a curtain shape along a side part of a vehicle so as to protect vehicle occupants. The side curtain air bag includes primary chambers which expand to form the side curtain air bag, and a secondary chamber which expands after the primary chambers to apply additional tension across the expanded side curtain air bag. The secondary chamber includes an opening communicating with the primary chamber.

Claims

1. A side curtain air bag, which includes chambers expanded by gas supplied from a gas generator, and expands and develops into a curtain shape along a side part of a vehicle so as to protect vehicle occupants, the side curtain air bag comprising:

at least one primary chamber respectively defining an aperture that provides fluid communication between the primary chamber and the gas generator, the primary chamber being expandable by gas supplied by the gas generator so as to protect an occupant;

at least one secondary chamber immediately adjacent to the primary chamber and defining an opening that provides direct fluid communication between the primary chamber and the secondary chamber so that the secondary chamber is expandable by receiving the inflow of gas directly from the primary chamber, the aperture and the opening being sized such that the aperture is substantially larger than the opening so that the secondary chamber begins to substantially expand and develop after the primary chamber is approximately fully expanded and developed by gas from the gas generator, and when the gas is generated by the gas generator, high pressure is applied initially to the primary chamber, whereas the secondary chamber gradually increases in pressure to be about the same as pressure of the primary chamber; and

at least two tethers, each tether having one end attached to the side curtain air bag at a joint end and the other end attached to a vehicle at a fixation end,

wherein, when the side curtain air bag is expanded and developed, the primary chamber and the secondary chamber are arranged such that a portion or all of the primary chamber and a portion or all of the secondary chamber respectively overlap a virtual band, the virtual band being formed along a virtual line connecting the respective joint ends of the at least two tethers, the virtual band defining a region where tension is applied across the side curtain air bag when the primary chamber is approximately fully expanded and developed and the secondary chamber begins to substantially expand and develop.

2. The side curtain air bag according to claim 1, wherein pressure in the primary chamber has reached a maximum value before the secondary chamber begins to substantially expand and develop and the primary chamber continuously decreases in pressure as the secondary chamber expands and develops.

3. The side curtain air bag according to claim 1, wherein the pressure of the secondary chamber gradually increases to be about the same as the pressure of the primary chamber by about 4 seconds or thereafter.

4. The side curtain air bag according to claim 1 further comprising a gas supply passage formed therein extending along a forward and backward direction of the vehicle for providing fluid communication between the gas generator and the primary chamber.

5. The side curtain air bag according to claim 4 further comprising a gas supply port disposed on a trailing end side of the gas supply passage.

6. The side curtain air bag according to claim 4 wherein the secondary chamber is disposed in front of the primary chamber, which is a forefront primary chamber, and the secondary chamber and the forefront primary chamber are juxtaposed in a forward and backward direction of the vehicle.

7. The side curtain air bag according to claim 6, wherein the gas supply passage is not directly connected to the secondary chamber, and an inside of the secondary chamber is directly connected to an inside of the forefront primary chamber via the opening.

8. A side curtain air bag, which includes chambers expanded by gas supplied from a gas generator, and expands and develops into a curtain shape along a side part of a vehicle so as to protect vehicle occupants, the side curtain air bag comprising:

at least one primary chamber respectively defining an aperture that provides fluid communication between the primary chamber and the gas generator, the primary chamber being expandable by gas supplied by the gas generator so as to protect an occupant;

at least one secondary chamber immediately adjacent to the primary chamber and defining an opening that provides direct fluid communication between the primary chamber and the secondary chamber so that the secondary chamber is expandable by receiving the inflow of gas directly from the primary chamber, the aperture and the opening being sized such that the aperture is substantially larger than the opening so that the secondary chamber begins to substantially expand and develop after the primary chamber is approximately fully expanded and developed by gas from the gas generator, and when the gas is generated by the gas generator, high pressure is applied initially to the primary chamber, whereas the secondary chamber gradually increases in pressure to be about the same as pressure of the primary chamber;

at least two tethers, each tether having one end attached to an attachment point on the side curtain air bag at a joint end and the other end attached to a vehicle at a fixation end, in a forward and backward direction of the vehicle,

wherein, when the side curtain air bag is expanded and developed, the primary chamber and the secondary chamber are arranged such that a portion or all of the primary chamber and a portion or all of the secondary chamber respectively overlap a virtual band, the virtual band being formed between a first virtual line connecting respective upper ends of the attachment points of the tethers and a second virtual line connecting respective lower ends of the attachment points of the tethers, the virtual band defining a region where tension is applied across the side curtain air bag when the primary chamber is approximately fully expanded and developed and the secondary chamber begins to substantially expand and develop.

9. The side curtain air bag according to claim 8, wherein pressure in the primary chamber has reached a maximum value before the secondary chamber begins to substantially expand and develop and the primary chamber continuously decreases in pressure as the secondary chamber expands and develops.

10. The side curtain air bag according to claim 8, wherein the pressure of the secondary chamber gradually increases to be about the same as the pressure of the primary chamber by about 4 seconds or thereafter.

11. The side curtain air bag according to claim 8 further comprising a gas supply passage formed therein extending along a forward and backward direction of the vehicle for providing fluid communication between the gas generator and the primary chamber.

12. The side curtain air bag according to claim 11 further comprising a gas supply port disposed on a trailing end side of the gas supply passage.

13. The side curtain air bag according to claim 11 wherein the secondary chamber is disposed in front of the primary chamber, which is a forefront primary chamber, and the secondary chamber and the forefront primary chamber are juxtaposed in a forward and backward direction of the vehicle.

14. The side curtain air bag according to claim 13, wherein the gas supply passage is not directly connected to the secondary chamber, and an inside of the secondary chamber is directly connected to an inside of the forefront primary chamber via the opening.

15. A side curtain air bag, which includes chambers expanded by gas supplied from a gas generator, and expands and develops into a curtain shape along a side part of a vehicle so as to protect vehicle occupants, the side curtain air bag comprising:

at least one primary chamber respectively defining an aperture that provides fluid communication between the primary chamber and the gas generator, the primary chamber being expandable by gas supplied by the gas generator so as to protect an occupant;

at least one secondary chamber immediately adjacent to the primary chamber and defining an opening that provides direct fluid communication between the primary chamber and the secondary chamber so that the secondary chamber is expandable by receiving the inflow of gas directly from the primary chamber, the aperture and the opening being sized such that the aperture is substantially larger than the opening so that the secondary chamber begins to substantially expand and develop after the primary chamber is approximately fully expanded and developed by gas from the gas generator, and when the gas is generated by the gas generator, high pressure is applied initially to the primary chamber, whereas the secondary chamber gradually increases in pressure to be about the same as pressure of the primary chamber; and

at least two tethers, each tether having a joint end attached to the side curtain air bag at an attachment point on the side curtain air bag and a fixation end attached to a vehicle, in a forward and backward direction of the vehicle,

wherein, when the side curtain air bag is expanded and developed, the primary chamber and the secondary chamber are arranged such that a portion or all of the primary chamber and a portion or all of the secondary chamber respectively overlap a virtual band, the virtual band being formed between a first virtual line connecting an upper end of the attachment point of one tether and the fixation end of the other tether, and a second virtual line connecting respective lower ends of the attachment points of the tethers, the virtual band defining a region where tension is applied across the side curtain air bag when the primary chamber is approximately fully expanded and developed and the secondary chamber begins to substantially expand and develop.

16. The side curtain air bag according to claim 15, wherein pressure in the primary chamber has reached a maximum value before the secondary chamber begins to substantially expand and develop and the primary chamber continuously decreases in pressure as the secondary chamber expands and develops.

17. The side curtain air bag according to claim 15, wherein the pressure of the secondary chamber gradually increases to be about the same as the pressure of the primary chamber by about 4 seconds or thereafter.

18. The side curtain air bag according to claim 15 further comprising a gas supply passage formed therein extending along a forward and backward direction of the vehicle for providing fluid communication between the gas generator and the primary chamber.

19. The side curtain air bag according to claim 18 further comprising a gas supply port disposed on a trailing end side of the gas supply passage.

20. The side curtain air bag according to claim 18 wherein the secondary chamber is disposed in front of the primary chamber, which is a forefront primary chamber, and the secondary chamber and the forefront primary chamber are juxtaposed in a forward and backward direction of the vehicle.

21. The side curtain air bag according to claim 20, wherein the gas supply passage is not directly connected to the secondary chamber, and an inside of the secondary chamber is directly connected to an inside of the forefront primary chamber via the opening.