WO2007061817A2

WO2007061817A2 - Anti recoil rod for throat liner of inflatable curtain

Info

Publication number: WO2007061817A2
Application number: PCT/US2006/044612
Authority: WO
Inventors: Brian Fulmer; Makoto Iwana
Original assignee: Autoliv Asp, Inc.
Priority date: 2005-11-17
Filing date: 2006-11-16
Publication date: 2007-05-31
Also published as: JP2009515775A; JP5038324B2; WO2007061817A3

Abstract

An inflatable curtain airbag including a throat liner and a stiffening member is disclosed. The stiffening member has a stiffness greater than the throat liner and is configured to minimize recoil of the throat liner into inflatable chambers of the curtain airbag.

Description

ANTI RECOIL ROD FOR THROAT LINER OF INFLATABLE CURTAIN

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of automotive protective systems. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to inflatable curtain airbag devices to limit recoil of the throat liner during inflation.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0002] The present embodiments will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that the accompanying drawings depict only typical embodiments, and are, therefore, not to be considered to be limiting of the present disclosure, the embodiments will be described and explained with specificity and detail in reference to the accompanying drawings in which: [0003] Figure 1 is a side elevation view of an embodiment of an inflatable curtain containing a throat liner;

[0004] Figure 2 is a side elevation view of an embodiment of a throat liner including a stiffening member; and

[0005] Figure 3 is a side cross sectional view of the throat liner of Figure 2 as shown from along the plane 3-3.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

[0006] It will be readily understood that the components of the embodiments as generally described and illustrated in the Figures herein could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of various embodiments, as represented in the Figures, is not, intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, but is merely representative of various embodiments. While the various aspects of the embodiments are presented in drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale unless specifically indicated.

[0007] The phrases "connected to," "coupled to" and "in communication with" refer to any form of interaction between two or more entities, including mechanical, electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, fluid, and thermal interaction. Two components may be coupled to each other even though they are not in direct contact with each other.

[0008] Figure 1 represents one embodiment of an inflatable curtain 100 as shown from a side elevation view as it would appear in a deployed state. Inflatable curtains 100 are a sub-set of side impact airbag systems that provide protection from lateral impacts between a passenger and the side of a vehicle's interior during a collision event. Inflatable curtains 100 are typically mounted on or near the roof rail of the vehicle, or the portion of the frame that extends along a length of the vehicle between the side windows and the roof.

[0009] Inflatable curtains 100 also may provide roll-over protection as well as side impact protection. During a roll-over accident, the vehicle occupants can be jostled considerably, thereby causing the occupant to impact various parts of the vehicle interior. Even worse, the occupant may be ejected from the vehicle. Alternatively, a head or limb of an occupant may extend outside the vehicle during the roll-over. Such "occupant excursion" during roll-over accidents is a common cause of automotive fatality, particularly in the case of vehicle occupants that are not wearing a seat belt during the roll-over.

[0010] Inflatable curtain airbags 100 address the problems associated with side impact or roll-over accidents by providing impact protection and occupant retention for the vehicle occupants. The inflatable curtain 100 is typically compacted, i.e., folded, rolled, or processed through a combination of folding and rolling, to stow the cushion behind a headliner covering the interior of the roof of the vehicle. The curtain 100 may be designed to unroll or unfold downward from the roof of the vehicle and then inflate beside the person in order to help prevent the person from hitting the door, window, or lateral side of the vehicle. Since a vehicle occupant may be leaning forward, reclined in the seat, or at any position in between, some embodiments of inflatable curtain airbags 100 are designed to be long enough to cover the whole interior side of the vehicle, protecting occupants in both front and rear passenger compartments.

[0011] According to the embodiment depicted, the inflatable curtain 100 includes several inflatable chambers 101 that provide impact protection for the vehicular occupant. Internal seams along with the curtain edges define the inflatable chambers 101. [0012] The inflatable curtain 100 assembly also includes an inflator 102 coupled to the inflatable curtain 100 optionally through a gas guide 103 that interconnects the inflatable curtain 100 and the inflator 102. The inflator 102 is a device for rapidly inflating the curtain 100 in a lateral collision or rollover situation. The inflator 102 could be a pyrotechnic that uses the combustion of gas-generating material to rapidly generate inflation gas.

[0013] In the embodiment depicted, the inflator 102 is shown proximate the top edge of the inflatable curtain 100, between and above the various chambers 101 of the inflatable curtain 100. However, the inflator could be disposed at various locations adjacent the inflatable curtain 100, such as near the curtain's front edge or rear edge.

[0014] Deployment timing of inflatable curtains 100 are typically fast compared to conventional airbags. Therefore, the inflation gas generated by the inflator 102 may enter the inflatable curtain 102 at a high velocity. The high onset of inflation gas into the curtain 100 may stress the fabric of the curtain 100 during deployment. Accordingly, inflation gas may first be directed into a throat liner 104 disposed within the inflatable curtain 100. According to some embodiments, the throat liner 104 is a fabric reinforcement that protects the inflatable curtain 100 fabric or material from potential damage.

[0015] In some instances, it has been observed that the throat liner 104 may recoil from the throat section of the inflatable curtain 100 into an inflatable chamber 101 during deployment. Consequently, the inflatable curtain 100 assembly disclosed includes a stiffening member 106. The stiffening member 106 could be a rod, bar, plate or similar structure that is disposed within or adjacent to the throat liner 104 to minimize bending of the throat liner 104 and to help prevent the throat liner 104 from recoiling into the inflatable chambers 101 of the curtain 100.

[0016] In some embodiments, more than one stiffening member 106 may also be used. The stiffening member 106 could be constructed of a plastic or other polymer, metal or any substance that has a stiffness greater than the throat liner 104, which is typically constructed of a tightly woven textile material. The stiffening member 106 will be described in greater detail in conjunction with the discussion accompanying Figures 2 and 3.

[0017] Figure 2 represents one embodiment of a throat liner 204 that may be used in conjunction with an inflatable curtain as heretofore described. The throat liner 204 includes a gas inlet end 208 that may be coupled directly to the inflator (not shown) or a gas guide interconnecting the inflator and the inflatable curtain. The throat liner 204 also may include a gas outlet end 210, where inflation gas may be directed into the chambers of the inflatable curtain. In addition to the gas outlet end 210, some throat liner 204 embodiments may also include an outlet orifice 212, so a portion of the inflation gas may exit the throat liner 204 before it reaches the gas outlet end 210.

[0018] The stiffening member 206 may be disposed within the throat liner 204 in a channel created between the top edge of the throat liner 204 and seam 214, or in a separately attachable channel coupled to the throat liner 204 through sewing, bonding, welding, and the like. Alternatively, the stiffening member 206 may be affixed to the throat liner 204 without the use of a channel. The stiffening member 206 may also be affixed by sewing, adhesives, welding, and the like. [0019] Figure 3 represents the throat liner 204 of Figure 2, as shown in a side cross-sectional view along the plane 3-3. The throat liner 204 is illustrated in an uninflated state. The stiffening member 206 associated with the throat liner 204 in this embodiment may be a rod 206 that is disposed within channel 216. The channel 216 may extend the entire length of the throat liner 204, or a portion of its length as would be apparent to those having skill in the art.

[0020] Without further elaboration, it is believed that one skilled in the art can use the preceding description to utilize the disclosure to its fullest extent. The examples and embodiments disclosed herein are to be construed as merely illustrative and not a limitation of the scope of the present disclosure in any way. It will be apparent to those having skill in the art that changes may be made to the details of the above- described embodiments without departing from the underlying principles of the disclosure. In other words, various modifications and improvements of the embodiments specifically disclosed in the description above are within the scope of the appended claims. The scope of the invention is therefore defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. An airbag assembly, comprising: an inflatable curtain to provide impact protection for a vehicular occupant in a collision event; a throat liner disposed within the inflatable curtain adjacent an inflation gas entrance of the inflatable curtain; and a stiffening member disposed adjacent the throat liner, the stiffening member having a stiffness greater than the throat liner.

2. The airbag assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stiffening member minimizes recoil of the throat liner into inflatable chambers of the inflatable curtain during deployment.

3. The airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the stiffening member is disposed within a channel formed in the throat liner.

4. The airbag assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stiffening member is a rod.

5. The airbag assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stiffening member minimizes bending of the throat liner.