Vehicular curtain air-bag device, and mounting structure for same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9487180-B2
Application number	US-201414891430-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2014
Priority date	May 23, 2013
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

A vehicular curtain airbag apparatus and an attachment structure configured not to interfere with a driver seat airbag and being able to appropriately provide occupant protection performance either in normal and small overlap collision modes, and the curtain airbag having a simple configuration. The apparatus includes a main chamber having a front end to be deployed and inflated at a position near a front pillar, and an additional chamber further toward a vehicle front side and to be deployed and inflated, and separated from the main chamber by a partition portion between the front pillar and an inflation area of a driver seat airbag. The additional chamber is folded back near the partition portion toward the vehicle interior and a rear of the vehicle to overlap the main chamber, and parts of a resultant overlapping portion corresponding to upper portions of the main and additional chambers or vicinities of the parts are coupled together to form a chamber coupling portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicular curtain airbag apparatus having a vehicular curtain airbag that is deployed and inflated along a side surface portion of a vehicle interior from an upper side to a lower side of the side surface portion, the vehicular curtain airbag apparatus comprising:
a main chamber formed in the curtain airbag and having a front end enabled to be deployed and inflated downward at a position near a front pillar of the vehicle;
an additional chamber being enabled to be deployed and inflated, formed in the curtain airbag and positioned further toward a vehicle front side than the front end of the main chamber, and separated from the main chamber by a partition portion set between the front pillar and an inflation area of a driver seat airbag or a passenger seat airbag; and
a communication portion formed in the partition portion so as to penetrate the partition portion thereby allowing the main chamber and the additional chamber to communicate with each other,
wherein the additional chamber is folded back near the partition portion toward the vehicle interior and toward a rear of the vehicle so as to overlap the main chamber, and parts of a resultant overlapping portion corresponding to upper portions of the main chamber and the additional chamber or vicinities of these parts are coupled together to form a chamber coupling portion, wherein the vehicular curtain airbag apparatus comprises a bridge member defining the chamber coupling portion and having an appropriate length provided between the additional chamber and the main chamber folded back so as to face each other, to bridge the additional chamber and the main chamber by a desired distance, and
the additional chamber is deployed and inflated in a predetermined area in front of the inflation area of the driver seat airbag or the passenger seat airbag in the vehicle.

2. The vehicular curtain airbag apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bridge member is a tether that is a band-like cloth material.

3. The vehicular curtain airbag apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a first tab that allows a vicinity of an upper end of the partition portion to be attached and fixed to the vehicle when the additional chamber is folded back near the partition portion toward the vehicle interior and toward the rear of the vehicle so as to overlap the main chamber.

4. The vehicular curtain airbag apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising an additional tab provided at an upper end of the additional chamber at a position away from the first tab, the additional tab anchoring the additional chamber to the vehicle when the additional chamber is laid on top of the main chamber.

5. The vehicular curtain airbag apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the curtain airbag includes a second tab that allows the main chamber to be attached and fixed to the vehicle near a position where the additional tab is anchored to the vehicle.

6. The vehicular curtain airbag apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein at least parts of the additional tab and the second tab are attached and fixed to the vehicle so as to overlap each other.

7. The vehicular curtain airbag apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the additional chamber is folded back at a position in front of the partition portion in the vehicle.

8. The vehicular curtain airbag apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the communication portion is positioned above a door trim line of the vehicle when the vehicular curtain airbag apparatus is deployed and inflated.

9. The vehicular curtain airbag apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a strap provided in front of the main chamber and having a front end coupled to the front pillar at a first attachment point to apply a tension to the main chamber when the main chamber is deployed.

10. The vehicular curtain airbag apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the communication portion is positioned above a door trim line of the vehicle when the vehicular curtain airbag apparatus is deployed and inflated.

11. A vehicular curtain airbag apparatus having a vehicular curtain airbag that is deployed and inflated along a side surface portion of a vehicle interior from an upper side to a lower side of the side surface portion, the vehicular curtain airbag apparatus comprising:
a main chamber having a plurality of main chamber tabs disposed along an upper edge of the main chamber for attachment and fixation to the upper side of the side surface portion of the vehicle, a front end of the main chamber being enabled to be deployed and inflated downward at a position near a front pillar of the vehicle;
an additional chamber positioned further toward a vehicle front side than the front end of the main chamber and enabled to be deployed and inflated, and separated from the main chamber by a partition portion set between the front pillar and an inflation area of a driver seat airbag or a passenger seat airbag;
a communication portion formed in the partition portion so as to penetrate the partition portion thereby allowing the main chamber and the additional chamber to communicate with each other; and
a first tab that allows a vicinity of an upper end of the partition portion to be attached and fixed to the vehicle when the additional chamber is folded back near the partition portion toward the vehicle interior and toward a rear of the vehicle so as to overlap the main chamber, wherein the first tab allows upper portions of front ends of both the additional chamber and the main chamber to be fixed to the vehicle when the additional chamber is folded back and the vehicular curtain airbag is deployed,
wherein the additional chamber is deployed and inflated in a predetermined area in front of the inflation area of the driver seat airbag or the passenger seat airbag in the vehicle.

12. The vehicular curtain airbag apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising an additional tab provided at an upper end of the additional chamber at a position away from the first tab, the additional tab anchoring the additional chamber to the vehicle when the additional chamber is laid on top of the main chamber.

13. The vehicular curtain airbag apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the plurality of main chamber tabs include a second tab that allows the main chamber to be attached and fixed to the vehicle near a position where the additional tab is anchored to the vehicle.

14. The vehicular curtain airbag apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein at least parts of the additional tab and the second tab are attached and fixed to the vehicle so as to overlap each other.

15. The vehicular curtain airbag apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the first tab is provided at a position at which the first tab is folded back together with the additional chamber in a vicinity of a position further toward a vehicle front side than the position, where the additional chamber is folded back.

16. The vehicular curtain airbag apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the first tab is provided in a vicinity of a position further toward a vehicle rear side than the position, where the additional chamber is folded back.

17. The vehicular curtain airbag apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising a strap provided in front of the main chamber and having a front end coupled to the front pillar at a first attachment point to apply a tension to the main chamber when the main chamber is deployed.

18. The vehicular curtain airbag apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the strap extends through an exterior side of the additional chamber

Assignees

• Autoliv Dev

Inventors

• Nakashima Atsushi

Classifications

• B60R21/232 Primary

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

• B60R2021/23324

  Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents · CPC title

• B60R21/233

  comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other (B60R21/232 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60R2021/23161

  specially adapted for protecting at least two passengers, e.g. preventing them from hitting each other · CPC title

• B60R21/23138

  specially adapted for side protection (B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence) · CPC title