Airbag arrangement for a closeable or openable roof opening of a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9610915-B2
Application number	US-201314411761-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2013
Priority date	Jul 10, 2012
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

An airbag arrangement for closeable or openable roof opening 2 of a motor vehicle has a gas cushion arrangement which is to be anchored to the vehicle roof 1 and which is suitable in the inflated state for covering the surface of the roof opening 2 , wherein the gas cushion arrangement has two inflatable gas cushions 3, 4 which are suitable in the non-inflated state for being arranged along lateral inside edges 5, 6 of the roof opening 2 , that extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An airbag arrangement for a closeable or openable roof opening ( 2 ) of a motor vehicle, comprising a gas cushion arrangement which is to be anchored to the vehicle roof ( 1 ) and which is suitable in the inflated state for covering the surface of the roof opening ( 2 ), wherein
the gas cushion arrangement has two inflatable gas cushions ( 3 , 4 ) which are suitable in the non-inflated state for being arranged along lateral inside edges ( 5 , 6 ) of the roof opening ( 2 ), that extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and
upon inflation into the inflated state for moving two front cushion edges ( 7 , 8 ) extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle towards each other,
wherein when the two front cushion edges ( 7 , 8 ) meet they are stably connected to each other, and
wherein lateral cushion edges ( 9 , 10 ) of the two gas cushions ( 3 , 4 ) extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle are suitable to be moved during inflation beneath the vehicle roof along two frontal inside edges ( 11 , 12 ) of the roof opening, that extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and are guided thereat,
wherein the lateral cushion edges extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle when the two gas cushions are in the inflated state are held by the filling pressure of the inflation gas with an overlap region beneath roof regions extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and adjacent to the roof opening.

2. The airbag arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the two front edges ( 7 , 8 ) of the inflated gas cushions ( 3 , 4 ) are connected by means of a form locking interconnection.

3. The airbag arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the two gas cushions ( 3 , 4 ) are arranged in the non-inflated state between a vehicle body member ( 13 ) and an interior lining ( 14 ) in the respective lateral roof edge region.

4. The airbag arrangement according claim 1 , wherein the two gas cushions ( 3 , 4 ) are arranged in the non-inflated state in a roof section having the roof opening ( 2 ), which roof section can be fitted as a roof section module ( 15 ) in the vehicle roof ( 1 ).

5. The airbag arrangement according to 1 , wherein the two gas cushions ( 3 , 4 ) are adapted to be installed from outside through the open vehicle roof ( 1 ).

6. The airbag arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the two gas cushions ( 3 , 4 ) are adapted to be installed from inside the vehicle.

7. The airbag arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the front cushion edges ( 7 , 8 ) are connected to each other by hooking engagement when the two gas cushions ( 3 , 4 ) are in the inflated state.

8. The airbag arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the front cushion edges ( 7 , 8 ) overlap each other entirely or partially when the two gas cushions ( 3 , 4 ) are in the inflated state.

9. The airbag arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the front cushion edges ( 7 , 8 ) are pushed into each other when the two gas cushions ( 3 , 4 ) are in the inflated state.

10. The airbag arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the cushion edges extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle ( 9 , 10 ) are connected to guide and anchoring means ( 32 ) which during inflation guide the cushion edges along the inside frontal edges ( 11 , 12 ) of the roof opening, that extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and in the inflated state anchor the lateral cushion edges ( 9 , 10 ) to the vehicle roof ( 1 ).

11. The airbag arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein straps ( 33 ) which are tensioned during inflation of the gas cushion are arranged inside the gas cushions ( 3 , 4 ).

12. The airbag arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the two gas cushions ( 3 , 4 ) are adapted to cover the roof opening ( 2 ) of a panoramic vehicle roof when they are in the inflated state.

13. The airbag arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein each of the two gas cushions ( 3 , 4 ) has an L-shaped cross-section with two cushion limbs when in the inflated state, wherein the one respective cushion limb ( 19 ) is adapted to cover the roof opening ( 2 ) and the respective other cushion limb ( 20 ) is adapted to provide side impact protection.

14. The airbag arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the filling gas is fed into the interior of the respective gas cushion by way of an associated gas lance ( 21 ) having inflation openings.

15. The airbag arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two gas cushions has a cushion limb ( 30 ) at the front cushion edge ( 7 ), which in the inflated state extends downwardly between two seat positions in the vehicle.

16. The airbag arrangement according to claim 4 , wherein the gas cushions ( 3 , 4 ) and at least one associated filling gas source ( 24 ) are adapted to be pre-mounted from above (top mounted) or from below (bottom mounted) in the roof opening ( 2 ) provided in the roof section module ( 15 ).

Assignees

• Key Safety Systems Inc

Inventors

• Specht Martin
• Meiler Klaus

Classifications

• B60R21/213 Primary

  in vehicle roof frames or pillars · CPC title

• B60R21/214 Primary

  in roof panels · CPC title

• B60R2021/23192

  Roof bags, i.e. protecting the occupant in a roll-over situation · 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