Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-29
2002-04-16
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S728200, C280S743100, C280S749000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06371512
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a head-protecting airbag apparatus provided with a head-protecting airbag body which is accommodated from a pillar portion along a roof side rail portion and is inflated in a curtain shape by gas injected from an inflator when at least predetermined high load acts on a vehicle side body.
2. Description of the Related Art
For the purpose of improvement in performance for protecting the head of a vehicle occupant sitting on a front seat when at least predetermined load acts on a vehicle side body, there has been proposed a head-protecting airbag apparatus where an airbag body accommodated in a folded state from a front pillar portion along a roof side rail portion is inflated in a curtain shape along a side window glass. A configuration of a head-protecting airbag apparatus disclosed in WO 96/26087 will be explained below.
As shown in
FIG. 21
, a head-protecting airbag apparatus
400
is configured as main elements with an elongated duct
406
disposed from a front pillar portion
402
along a roof side rail portion
404
, an airbag body
412
accommodated in its folded state within the duct
406
and fixed at a front end fixing point and a rear end fixing point on a vehicle body side, an inflator connected to a rear end of the duct
406
through a hose
414
, for injecting gas when a predetermined or higher high load acts on a vehicle side portion, and a strip-like strap whose one end portion is fixed at a vehicle body side and the other end thereof is fixed to a rear end portion of the airbag body
412
. Further, the airbag body
412
is configured by connecting a plurality of cells
420
in parallel, each cell being formed in an almost cylindrical shape and disposed such that its longitudinal direction is directed to an almost vertical direction.
According to the above configuration, when a predetermined or higher load acts on the vehicle body side portion, gas is injected from the inflator
416
. For this reason, the gas injected flows into the respective cells
420
of the folded airbag body
412
through the hose
414
and the duct
406
. As a result, the respective cells
420
are inflated in an almost cylindrical shape whose longitudinal direction corresponds to an almost vertical direction of a vehicle, so that the airbag body
412
is inflated in a curtain configuration. Furthermore, since the rear end portion of the airbag body
412
is connected to the vehicle body side through the strap
418
, the rear side of the airbag body
412
is securely positioned inside an upper portion of a center pillar portion
424
of the vehicle.
However, in such a head-protecting airbag apparatus, when a folded airbag body is inflated, a lower portion of the airbag body is moved downwardly along a pillar garnish disposed at an inside portion of a center pillar portion in an occupant compartment. At this time, in a vehicle where an occupant compartment projection such as a slip joint is disposed, it is considered that a lower portion of the airbag body during its expansion may be caught up by the vehicle occupant compartment projection so that an appropriate expansion of the airbag body may be prevented.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above fact, an object of the present invention is to provide a head-protecting airbag apparatus which is difficult to be caught up by an occupant compartment projection and is capable of improving an expansion performance.
A first aspect of the present invention is a head-protecting airbag apparatus where an airbag body inflated in a curtain shape is mounted in a folded state along a roof side rail across at least a center pillar, wherein an upper portion of the airbag body projects in an occupant compartment before expansion of a lower portion of the airbag body.
Accordingly, when the airbag is inflated, gas introduced into the airbag body from the upper portion inflates the upper portion and inflates the lower portion of the airbag body downwardly in the occupant compartment. At this time, since the airbag body is folded such that the upper portion is inflated earlier than the lower portion at the expansion time, the lower portion of the airbag body is pushed out by the upper portion which has projected in the occupant compartment. As a result, the lower portion of the airbag body with a pushed-out state is inflated and expanded towards a lower portion of the vehicle body. Therefore, the lower portion of the airbag body is moved downwardly at a position where it is spaced from such an occupant compartment projection as a slip joint. Accordingly, in a vehicle where there is the occupant compartment projection at an area where the airbag body is inflated, it becomes hard that the lower portion of the airbag body may be caught up by the occupant compartment projection during the expansion, thereby improving a expansion performance of the airbag body.
A second aspect of the invention is a head-protecting airbag apparatus where an airbag body inflated in a curtain shape is mounted in a folded state along a roof side rail across at least a center pillar, wherein the airbag body comprises:
an upper portion folded in a bellows shape; and
a lower portion subjected to one of turning-back performed toward an occupant compartment inner side and rolling-up performed towards the occupant compartment inner side.
According to this aspect, when the airbag body is inflated, the lower portion which has been subjected to the turning-back/rolling-up is pushed out inward the occupant compartment by the upper portion which has projected in the occupant compartment. Next, when the lower portion of the airbag body is turned back, the lower portion with a pushed-out state towards the occupant compartment inner side is inflated and expanded so as to pivot downwardly about the turned-back portion from the occupant compartment inner side towards an occupant compartment outer side. Therefore, the lower portion of the airbag body is moved downwardly at a position where it is spaced from such an occupant compartment projection as a slip joint inward the occupant compartment. That is, the lower portion is moved so as to cover the occupant compartment projection from an occupant compartment inner side. Alternatively, when the lower portion is rolled or folded in a rolling-up manner, the lower portion is unrolled downwardly from the occupant compartment inner side. As a result, the lower portion of the airbag body can easily ride over a occupant compartment projection such as a slip joint. Accordingly, in a vehicle where there is an occupant compartment projection at an area where the airbag body is inflated, it is hard that the lower portion of the airbag body is caught up by the occupant compartment projection during expansion, thereby improving expansion performance of the airbag body.
A third aspect of the invention can be configured in the second aspect such that the turning-back is performed so as to position a distal end portion of the airbag body on an upper face of the upper portion, it is performed so as to position the distal end portion on a occupant compartment inner side of the upper portion, or it is performed so as cover the upper portion from the occupant compartment inner side. The airbag body is thus turned back so that the upper portion folded in the bellows is substantially covered with the lower portion. As a result, in a stage where the airbag body is delivered prior to assembling the airbag body, a drawback is reduced that foreign matters are caught up into the bellows portion.
A fourth aspect of the invention can be structured in the second aspect such that the turning-back is performed so as to position a portion of the airbag body positioned below a turning-back line set at an intermediate portion, in a vertical direction, of the lower portion at the occupant compartment inner side and the rolling-up is performed upwardly from the turning-back line towards the occupant compartment inner side.
According to this aspect, when the airbag body is inflated, gas introduced
Asano Toshiyuki
Chida Minoru
Nagai Kazuhiro
Okamoto Hiroyuki
Saito Etsuji
Draper Deanna
Johnson Brian L.
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
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