Curtain airbag device for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11084450-B2
Application number	US-201916551801-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2019
Priority date	Oct 3, 2018
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

When a curtain airbag inflates and expands, an independent portion inside a slit portion inflates and expands toward a vehicle lower side toward a gap between a seat back and a center pillar garnish. If the independent portion interferes with the seat back, the independent portion inflects in the vehicle width direction. Meanwhile, regions of the curtain airbag other than the independent portion inflate and expand toward the vehicle lower side without being affected by the position of the independent portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A curtain airbag device for a vehicle, comprising:
a curtain airbag including:
an inflating portion that, in a case in which an inflator activates at a time of vehicle collision and supplies gas into the inflating portion, is inflated and deployed toward a vehicle lower side from an end portion of a vehicle width direction outer side of a ceiling, and
a center pillar non-inflating portion that is provided at a vehicle lower side of a region of the inflating portion that overlaps, in a vehicle side view, with a center pillar garnish in a case in which the inflating portion is inflated and deployed, the center pillar non-inflating portion spanning across the center pillar garnish and not being inflated and deployed in a case in which gas is supplied from the inflator; and

a slit portion provided at the center pillar non-inflating portion, the slit portion including:
a front slit that extends substantially in a vehicle vertical direction at a vehicle front side of the center pillar garnish,
a rear slit that extends substantially in the vehicle vertical direction at a vehicle rear side of the center pillar garnish, and
a bottom slit that extends substantially in a vehicle front-rear direction, wherein:

between respective lower end portions of the front slit and the rear slit, the slit portion is formed substantially in a “U” shape that opens toward a vehicle upper side in the vehicle side view, and
where the slit portion and the inflating portion overlap in the vehicle front-rear direction, the slit portion is disposed below the inflating portion in the vehicle vertical direction such that the inflating portion is not below the slit portion in the vehicle vertical direction.

2. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the center pillar non-inflating portion includes:
a front side non-inflating portion that extends substantially in the vehicle vertical direction, the front side non-inflating portion protruding toward the inflating portion from a lower end of the curtain airbag at the vehicle front side of the center pillar garnish,
a rear side non-inflating portion that extends substantially in the vehicle vertical direction, the rear side non-inflating portion protruding toward the inflating portion from the lower end of the curtain airbag at the vehicle rear side of the center pillar garnish, and
a bottom non-inflating portion that extends substantially in the vehicle front-rear direction between respective lower end portions of the front side non-inflating portion and the rear side non-inflating portion;

the front slit is formed at the front side non-inflating portion, the rear slit is formed at the rear side non-inflating portion, and the bottom slit is formed at the bottom non-inflating portion; and
the curtain airbag includes an independent portion that includes the inflating portion that is surrounded by the front slit, the rear slit and the bottom slit.

3. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1 , wherein, during inflation and deployment of the curtain airbag, respective upper end portions of the front slit and the rear slit of the slit portion are disposed at the vehicle upper side in the vehicle side view relative to a shoulder aperture at a vehicle width direction outer side of a seat back of a vehicle seat.

4. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1 , wherein, during inflation and deployment of the curtain airbag, respective upper end portions of the front slit and the rear slit of the slit portion are disposed at the vehicle upper side in the vehicle side view relative to a shoulder belt anchor that is provided and exposed at a shoulder aperture at a vehicle width direction outer side of a seat back of a vehicle seat.

5. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1 , wherein the slit portion is discontinuous in a direction of extension of the slit portion.

6. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1 , further comprising a connecting member that is a separate body at a vehicle lower side of the center pillar non-inflating portion, the connecting member connecting respective lower end portions of the center pillar non-inflating portion at the vehicle front side of the front slit and the vehicle rear side of the rear slit with one another substantially in the vehicle front-rear direction.

7. A curtain airbag device for a vehicle, comprising:
a curtain airbag including:
an inflating portion that, in a case in which an inflator activates at a time of vehicle collision and supplies gas into the inflating portion, is inflated and deployed toward a vehicle lower side from an end portion of a vehicle width direction outer side of a ceiling, and
a center pillar non-inflating portion that is provided at a vehicle lower side of a region of the inflating portion that overlaps, in a vehicle side view, with a center pillar garnish in a case in which the inflating portion is inflated and deployed, the center pillar non-inflating portion spanning across the center pillar garnish and not being inflated and deployed in a case in which gas is supplied from the inflator; and

a slit portion provided at the center pillar non-inflating portion, the slit portion including:
a front slit that extends substantially in a vehicle vertical direction at a vehicle front side of the center pillar garnish,
a rear slit that extends substantially in the vehicle vertical direction at a vehicle rear side of the center pillar garnish, and
a bottom slit that extends substantially in a vehicle front-rear direction,

between respective lower end portions of the front slit and the rear slit, the slit portion being formed substantially in a “U” shape that opens toward a vehicle upper side in the vehicle side view, and
during inflation and deployment of the curtain airbag, respective upper end portions of the front slit and the rear slit of the slit portion being disposed at the vehicle upper side in the vehicle side view relative to a shoulder aperture at a vehicle width direction outer side of a seat back of a vehicle seat.

8. The curtain airbag device according to claim 7 , wherein, during inflation and deployment of the curtain airbag, respective upper end portions of the front slit and the rear slit of the slit portion are disposed at the vehicle upper side in the vehicle side view relative to a shoulder belt anchor that is provided and exposed at the shoulder aperture at the vehicle width direction outer side of the seat back of the vehicle seat.

9. A curtain airbag device for a vehicle, comprising:
a curtain airbag including:
an inflating portion that, in a case in which an inflator activates at a time of vehicle collision and supplies gas into the inflating portion, is inflated and deployed toward a vehicle lower side from an end portion of a vehicle width direction outer side of a ceiling, and
a center pillar non-inflating portion that is provided at a vehicle lower side of a region of the inflating portion that overlaps, in a vehicle side view, with a center pillar garnish in a case in which the inflating portion is inflated and deployed, the center pillar non-inflating portion spanning across the center pillar garnish and not being inflated and deployed in a case in which gas is supplied from the inflator; and

a slit portion provided at the center pillar non-inflating portion, the slit portion including:
a front slit that extends substantially in a vehicle vertical direction at a vehicle front side of the center pillar garnish,
a rear slit that extends substantially in the vehicle vertical direction at a vehicle rear side of the center pillar garnish, and
a bottom slit that extends substantially in a vehicle front-rear direction,

between respective lower end portions

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ohno Mitsuyoshi
• Okuhara Masaaki

Classifications

• B60R21/232 Primary

  Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge · CPC title

• B60R21/213

  in vehicle roof frames or pillars · CPC title

• B60R2021/161

  characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory · CPC title

• B60R21/237

  characterised by the way they are folded · CPC title