Passenger protection device for vehicle

Details Passenger protection device for vehicle Passenger protection device for vehicle

2001-03-15

2003-07-15

Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3611)

Land vehicles

Wheeled

Attachment

C280S730100, C280S748000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06592143

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for protecting passengers of a vehicle when the vehicle collides with something. Particularly, the present invention pertains to a device for preventing a secondary collision of a passenger against the structure of a vehicle or to a device for reducing the shock that accompanies a secondary collision. The device is particularly suitable for front pillars and roof side rails of vehicles.
Several measures have been devised for protecting passengers of a vehicle when a vehicle collides with something, or when a primary collision occurs. One of the measures is to absorb shock due to a primary collision by the vehicle. Another measure is to reduce shock due to a secondary collision. In a secondary collision, which occurs subsequent to a primary collision, a passenger hits a structure of a vehicle due to a reaction of a primary collision.
FIG. 6
illustrates a passenger protection device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-203264. The device is installed in a vehicle front pillar and includes an inner panel
130
and a pillar garnish panel
140
. The pillar garnish panel
140
faces the inner panel
130
. A resin shock absorber
190
is accommodated in a space S defined between the inner panel
130
and a pillar garnish panel
140
. The shock absorber
190
has a lattice structure and is coupled to the pillar garnish panel
140
. When a passenger collides with the pillar garnish panel
140
, the shock absorber
190
absorbs the shock.
However, the pillar garnish panel
140
and the shock absorber
190
may be disengaged from the inner panel
130
due to the reaction of a primary collision of the vehicle. In such a case, shock due to a secondary collision between a passenger and the inner panel
130
is not reduced.
A passenger protection device shown in
FIG. 5
includes an air bag
180
. The air bag
180
is accommodated in a space S, which is defined between an inner panel
130
and a pillar garnish panel
140
. When a primary collision occurs, the air bag
180
inflates toward a passenger while deforming a part of the pillar garnish panel
140
. The air bag
180
receives the passenger and prevents a secondary collision between the passenger and the front pillar.
However, depending on the condition of a primary collision, the air bag
180
may not inflate. In this case, the passenger will collide with the front pillar. Even if the air bag
180
inflates, the timing is not appropriate for receiving a passenger. If the inflation of the air bag
180
is too late, a passenger may collide with the center pillar before the air bag
180
inflates. After inflating, the air bag
180
starts deflating. Therefore, if the inflation occurs too early, a passenger may hit the deflating air bag
180
. In this case, the air bag
180
may not sufficiently absorb the shock and the passenger may collide with the front pillar.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a passenger protection device that reliably protects passengers of a vehicle from shock due to a collision of the vehicle.
To achieve the foregoing and other objectives and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, a passenger protection device of a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a body frame and a garnish that covers the body frame. The device includes an air bag and a shock absorber. The air bag is located between the body frame and the garnish. When the vehicle collides with something, the air bag inflates into the passenger compartment to receive a passenger. The shock absorber is located between the body frame and the garnish. The shock absorber is fixed to the body frame and is separated from the garnish. The shock absorber absorbs shock applied to the shock absorber.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5163730 (1992-11-01), Welch
patent: 5575500 (1996-11-01), Mimura et al.
patent: 5836641 (1998-11-01), Sugamoto et al.
patent: 5992924 (1999-11-01), Noritake et al.
patent: 6079732 (2000-06-01), Nakajima et al.
patent: 6257616 (2001-07-01), Nowak et al.
patent: 6296269 (2001-10-01), Nagai et al.
patent: 6302477 (2001-10-01), Satou
patent: 10-203264 (1998-08-01), None

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