Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-09
2001-10-16
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S730100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302434
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag body of a head protecting air bag apparatus in which, at the time when a predetermined high load is applied to a vehicle side portion, gas is ejected from an inflator such that the head protecting air bag body, which is accommodated along a roof side rail portion from a pillar portion, expands to form a curtain-like form due to the ejected gas.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to improve the protection of the head of a vehicle occupant seated in the front seat when a predetermined high load is applied to a vehicle side portion, there have been proposed head protecting air bag apparatuses in which an air bag body, which is accommodated in a folded state along a front pillar portion and a roof side rail portion, is inflated so as to expand into a curtain-like form. The structure of such a head protecting air bag apparatus is disclosed in International Publication No. WO 96/26087, and will be described hereinafter.
As shown in
FIG. 5
, the head protecting air bag apparatus
100
comprises, as main components, an elongated duct
106
which is disposed so as to extend from a front pillar portion
102
along a roof side rail portion
104
, an air bag body
112
which is accommodated in the duct
106
in a folded state and which is fixed to the vehicle body at a front end fixing point
108
and a rear end fixing point
110
, an inflator
116
which is connected to the rear end portion of the duct
106
by a hose
114
and which ejects gas when a predetermined high load is applied to the vehicle side portion, and a strap
118
whose one end portion is fixed to the vehicle body and whose other end portion is fixed to the rear end portion of the air bag body
112
. Further, the air bag body
112
is formed by connecting together a plurality of cells
120
, each of which is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape whose longitudinal direction corresponds to a substantially vertical direction of the vehicle.
In accordance with the above-described structure, when a predetermined high load is applied to a vehicle side portion, gas is ejected from the inflator
116
. The ejected gas flows into each of the cells
120
of the folded air bag body
112
via the hose
114
and the duct
106
. As a result, each of the cells
120
is inflated so as to form a substantially cylindrical shape whose longitudinal direction substantially corresponds to the vertical direction of the vehicle. Accordingly, the air bag body
112
is inflated to form a curtain-like form along a window glass
122
. Further, because the rear end portion of the air bag body
112
is connected to the vehicle body by the strap
118
, the rear end portion of the air bag body
112
is reliably disposed at the inner side of the upper portion of a center pillar
124
.
However, in this head protecting air bag apparatus
100
, because the air bag body
112
is disposed so as to span between the front pillar portion
102
and the roof side rail portion
104
, the air bag body
112
is covered with, for example, a front pillar garnish and a roof head lining. As a result, at the time of expansion of the air bag body, portions adjacent to the edge portions of the front pillar garnish and the roof head lining are deformed, and the air bag body expands forwards the vehicle interior from the deformed portions. Further, an opening trim is fitted into a vehicle door opening portion for the purpose of protecting the respective edge portions of the front pillar panel, the roof side rail panel, and the like. For this reason, at the time of expansion of the air bag body, the air bag body directly contacts the mounting portion of the opening trim which is fitted into the vehicle door opening portion, and a large amount of force is applied to the mounting portion of the opening trim. As a result, the mounting portion of the opening trim is made to deform as if opening, or the like, and the opening trim may come away from the vehicle door opening portion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the aforementioned, it is an object of the present invention to provide a structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag body which prevents an opening trim from coming away from an opening portion of a vehicle door at the time of expansion of the air bag body.
The first aspect of the present invention is a structure for the placement of a head protecting bag body which is provided from a front pillar to along a roof side rail and expands into a curtain-like form, comprising an opening trim which is fixed to a mounting portion of a vehicle door opening portion at which the opening trim is mounted to the vehicle door opening portion; and an air bag body expansion guide means which guides the expansion of the air bag body such the air bag body expands without contacting the mounting portion of the vehicle door opening portion.
Accordingly, at the time of expansion of the air bag body, the air bag body is guided by the air bag body expansion guide means in a direction in which the air bag body does not contact the mounting portion at which the opening trim is mounted to the vehicle door opening portion. For this reason, the air bag provided at the vehicle door portion does not contact the mounting portion for the opening trim so that a large load is not applied to the mounting portion. As a result, at the time of expansion of the air bag body, the opening trim is prevented from coming away from the vehicle door opening portion.
In the second aspect of the present invention, in the structure for the placement of a head protecting air bag body of the first aspect, wherein the air bag body expansion guide means is a protruding portion which is provided at at least one of an inner panel of the front pillar and an inner panel of the. roof side rail, at a region adjacent to the opening trim.
Accordingly, the protruding portion which serves as the air bag body expansion guide means can be formed by slightly changing the structure of the inner panel, and it is possible to mold the protruding portion at the same time the inner panel is being press molded. As a result, the manufacturing of the inner panel is facilitated, and decrease in the strength of each of the front pillar and the roof side rail can be prevented.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5238263 (1993-08-01), Sinnhuber
patent: 5265903 (1993-11-01), Kuretake et al.
patent: 5322322 (1994-06-01), Bark et al.
patent: 5462308 (1995-10-01), Seki et al.
patent: 5480181 (1996-01-01), Bark et al.
patent: 5540459 (1996-07-01), Daniel
patent: 5588672 (1996-12-01), Karlow et al.
patent: 5605346 (1997-02-01), Cheung et al.
patent: 5660414 (1997-08-01), Karlow et al.
patent: 5791683 (1998-08-01), Shibata et al.
patent: 5899491 (1999-05-01), Tschaeschke
patent: 2191450 (1987-12-01), None
patent: 06227340 (1994-08-01), None
patent: 6-227340 (1994-08-01), None
patent: 9-207701 (1997-08-01), None
patent: 96/26087 (1996-08-01), None
patent: 9626087 (1996-08-01), None
Nakajima Hiroki
Watanabe Toshimitu
Johnson Brian L.
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
Sliteris Joselynn Y.
Toyota Jidosha & Kabushiki Kaisha
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