JP2004256000A - Curtain air bag - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a curtain air bag to secure the protection of an occupant without storing the air bag into a front pillar garnish in the curtain air bag. <P>SOLUTION: This curtain air bag has a main expansion part 10 to protect a lower part corresponding to a roof side rail part and an extended expansion part 11 to protect a vehicle front side lower part by being extended to a vehicle front side over the lower part corresponding to the roof side rail part. Both of the extended expansion part 11 and the main expansion part 10 are stored in the roof side rail part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
[Prior art]
In the event of a vehicle collision, gas generated from an inflator (gas generator) is sensed by injecting the gas into the airbag, inflated and deployed, and interposed between the occupant and the vehicle body, causing a 2. Description of the Related Art Airbag devices that alleviate impact and protect it have become widespread.
In recent years, in order to protect the passenger's face and upper body, it is equipped not only on the steering wheel and instrument panel but also on the door side so that it can be deployed in the event of a side collision or vehicle fall More safety is ensured to protect the public.
[0002]
As such an airbag for the side surface, there is a curtain airbag that is mounted on a roof side rule portion of a vehicle and that deploys like a curtain under a collision to protect a passenger. However, in a curtain airbag, it is not enough to deploy the airbag in a lower portion corresponding to the roof side rail portion in order to fully protect the occupant. It is necessary to inflate and deploy the airbag also on the front side.
As such an airbag, there is an airbag proposed in JP-A-2000-355261.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in this airbag, an inflatable portion that is deployed forward of the roof side rail portion is housed inside the front pillar garnish. In this case, since the front pillar garnish is in a positional relationship facing the occupant's face, measures should be taken to reinforce this part so that it is not damaged when the airbag is deployed, or to provide a structure to disperse the stress. Is required, and in any case, it causes a cost increase.
An object of the present invention is to provide a curtain airbag that secures protection of a passenger without storing the airbag inside the front pillar garnish in order to avoid such a cost increase factor. .
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present inventors have conducted intensive studies, and as a result, the inflatable portion extending to the front portion of the lower portion corresponding to the roof side rail portion is also folded back on the inflatable portion expanding to the lower portion and overlapped with the roof side rail portion. The present inventors have found out that the problem can be solved by housing, and have reached the present invention.
[0005]
That is, the present invention
(1) A main inflatable portion that protects a lower portion corresponding to the roof side rail portion, and an extension that protects a lower portion corresponding to an extended portion extending in the vehicle front direction or the vehicle front and rear direction beyond the roof side rail portion. In a curtain airbag having an inflatable section, the extended inflatable section is housed in a roof side rail section together with a main inflatable section,
(2) The above-mentioned (1), wherein the extended inflatable portion is folded back toward the main inflatable portion along the deployment direction (vertical direction) and is housed in the roof side rail portion together with the main inflatable portion. Curtain airbags,
(3) One end of the tension belt is fixed to the main inflatable portion, and the other end is fixed to the vehicle body so as to extend downward when gas is injected into the main inflatable portion. The curtain airbag according to the above (1) or (2),
About.
[0006]
As already mentioned, curtain airbags discharge gas from the inflator in response to a signal from a sensor attached to the vehicle body at the time of side collision or fall of the vehicle, and the airbag folded on the roof side rail part Is deployed downward to protect the head, chest, etc. from interfering directly with the window glass of the door between the occupant and the door window glass.
[0007]
In the airbag of the present invention, it is important that the inflatable portion extending from the main inflatable portion is folded back on the main inflatable portion, overlapped, folded by an appropriate method, and stored in the roof side rail portion. When gas is injected from the inflator into the airbag folded in such a manner, the folded portion is unfolded by the appropriate method, and at the same time, the folded portion of the extended inflatable portion is also unfolded. Therefore, the downward deployment of the airbag is smoothly performed, and the airbag can be smoothly expanded to the portion corresponding to the front pillar by expanding from the roof side portion. In the roof side rail portion, almost the same inflation as a normal (unfoldable) airbag is performed, and the effect on the headlining can be made equal. Therefore, even in the case of the folded airbag of the present invention, it is not necessary to reinforce or change the structure around the folded airbag.
In addition, one end of the tension belt is mainly used so that the airbag inflates and pushes out the headlining covering the airbag at the roof side rail, and smoothly and stably deploys from the opening formed there. It is preferable to fix to the inflated portion and fix the other end to the vehicle body, particularly to the vehicle body in the front pillar garnish.
[0008]
Since the airbag is stretched downward by the belt when the airbag is deployed, the airbag can be smoothly and stably deployed including the extended inflatable portion that is overlapped and folded as described above. One end of the belt may be fixed to either the window side of the main inflatable portion or the inside of the vehicle, but is preferably fixed to the inside of the vehicle. As a result, the movement of the extended inflatable portion of the airbag toward the inside of the vehicle can be restricted. In addition, the turning may be performed toward the window or toward the inside of the vehicle, but it is preferable to be performed toward the window.
In addition, there is no particular limitation on the curtain airbag in the present invention.
[0009]
【Example】
Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an embodiment of a mounted state of a curtain airbag of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an airbag provided on a roof side rail portion, which is covered with a headlining (ceiling material). Reference numeral 2 denotes an inflator housed in a rear pillar garnish, and reference numeral 3 denotes a front pillar garnish. Reference numeral 5 denotes a window glass. In FIG. 1, the head lining and the rear pillar garnish are not shown.
[0010]
FIG. 2 is a view for explaining a state when the airbag of the present invention attached as shown in FIG. 1 is deployed. As shown in FIG. 2, the airbag is inflated by injecting gas from an inflator, and is expanded downward by spreading a headlining covering the airbag. The seat expansion chamber 7 is formed so as to be interposed between the passenger and the window. At this time, the extended portion, which has been folded back on the airbag for the front seat inflation chamber along the folding line X, is also inflated while returning to the original state from the folded state by gas injection, and the vehicle is moved by the tension belt 4. While being restricted from unstable inward movement, it extends from the lower part corresponding to the roof side rail part to the front lower part, thus protecting the occupant. The space between the expansion chambers 6 and 7 is a non-expansion part.
[0011]
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the airbag 1 in the state of FIG. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 10 denotes a main inflation portion, 11 denotes an extended inflation portion, and these form an inflation chamber 6 for a front seat. In addition, the Y line is an edge line of the folded portion, 8 is a non-inflated portion, 9 is a conduit, and 12 is an airbag thickness regulating portion, which is a portion where front and back airbag base fabrics are sewn. Further, the rear-seat expansion chamber 7 can be used as the main expansion section 10 and, if necessary, an extended expansion section can be provided similarly to the front-seat section. That is, in a mode in which the airbag protects the lower portion corresponding to the rear pillar garnish, an extended portion is provided as in the case of the front seat, and the airbag can be folded back along the folding line and folded and housed in the roof side rail portion. In this case, if necessary, one end of the tension belt is fixed to the main expansion portion, and the other end is fixed to the vehicle body in the rear pillar garnish. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional explanatory view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1, reference numeral 13 denotes a head lining that covers an airbag that is entrapped and stored here, and a phantom line indicates a state when the airbag is deployed. ing.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional explanatory view taken along the line in FIG. 3A, and illustrates the folding modes (1), (2), and (3) of the extension portion.
[0012]
In the curtain airbag of the present invention, the airbag corresponding to this portion can be folded back and stored in the roof side rail portion without storing the airbag inside the front pillar garnish. As a result, since the front pillar garnish can avoid a large load when the airbag is inflated and deployed, it is not necessary to take any special reinforcing means or means for dispersing stress. If the airbag is also stored inside the front pillar garnish, it will be subjected to a large force to push it when inflating and deploying, but the front pillar garnish is in a positional relationship facing the occupant. Therefore, in order to ensure safety, it is necessary to take measures to prevent damage to this portion as described above.
[0013]
On the other hand, in the curtain airbag of the present invention, only the tension belt is fixed inside the front pillar garnish. In this case, unlike the case where an airbag that inflates from inside and pushes the front pillar garnish is housed, it is pulled out by slightly turning the end of the front pillar garnish. In the curtain airbag, it is not necessary to provide a structure for reinforcing or dispersing stress in the front pillar garnish.
[0014]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, since the airbag is not housed inside the front pillar garnish, it is necessary to take measures for reinforcing to prevent damage to this portion and for dispersing the stress. It is cost-effective. In addition, when the airbag is inflated and deployed, the necessary extended inflatable portion is folded back and housed from the roof side rail portion, which can be smoothly and stably deployed and formed, so that the reliability as a safety device is sufficiently high. Things.
[0015]
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an embodiment of a mounted state of a curtain airbag of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a state when the airbag shown in FIG. 1 is deployed.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of the airbag 1 in the state of FIG.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional explanatory view taken along the line of FIG. 3A, illustrating the folded state of the extended portion.
[0016]
[Explanation of symbols]
1: airbag 2: inflator 3: front pillar garnish 4: tension belt 5: window glass 6: front seat inflation chamber 7: rear seat inflation chamber 8: non-inflation section 9: conduit 10: main inflation section 11: Extended inflation part 12: Thickness regulation part 13: Head lining (airbag cover)

Claims (3)

A main inflatable portion for protecting a lower portion corresponding to the roof side rail portion, and an extended inflatable portion for protecting a lower portion corresponding to an extended portion extending in the vehicle front direction or the vehicle front and rear direction beyond the roof side rail portion. The extended inflatable portion is housed in the roof side rail portion together with the main inflatable portion. 2. The curtain airbag according to claim 1, wherein the extended inflatable portion is folded back toward the main inflatable portion along the deployment direction (vertical direction) and is housed in the roof side rail together with the main inflatable portion. 3. 2. A tension belt having one end fixed to the main inflatable portion and the other end fixed to the vehicle body so as to extend downward when gas is injected into the main inflatable portion. Or the curtain airbag according to 2.

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