Abstract:
A roof liner assembly for cushioning vehicle occupants is disclosed. A folded fabric liner is anchored at one edge to the inside of the vehicle roof above the occupants&#39; heads and stored above the passenger compartment head liner. Extendible means, such as a piston/cylinder, is stored in a body pillar and connected through a cable to the liner. The extendible means is activated to draw the stored liner over the head and shoulders of an occupant(s) in the event of a vehicle rollover or side impact collision.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention pertains to occupant protection devices for automobile vehicle bodies. More specifically this invention pertains to a folded fabric liner that is stored against the vehicle roof and is pulled down around vehicle occupants upon a substantial vehicle side impact or a vehicle rollover. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The passenger compartment of the modern automobile includes many devices that are provided for the safety of the driver and passengers. In general, the devices are designed to restrain vehicle occupants when the vehicle experiences a sudden and rapid deceleration due to a collision or the like. Seat belts restrain an occupant especially during a deceleration due to a front-end collision. Properly engaged seat belts provide passive protection, i.e., they do not require activation by a vehicle collision detection system. Air bags stored in the steering wheel and instrument panel provide additional protection to front seat occupants in such emergencies. These inflatable restraints remain folded in their storage position until an inflation charge is activated. The inflation charge is usually activated by a signal from a suitably located accelerometer that senses the emergency. Air bags stored in a vehicle door or in a body pillar perform a like function in the event of side impacts that might result in penetration of the occupant space. 
     There remains a need for protection against side impacts to the vehicle that can cause the vehicle to roll over or that otherwise cause an occupant to be displaced toward a side of the vehicle body. It is an object of this invention to provide a vehicle passenger compartment construction that can be activated to cushion the driver and passengers in such a side impact or rollover condition. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A vehicle may experience a driving maneuver or a side impact that causes it to roll on its side. This sudden, often high-speed sideways or lateral motion of the vehicle can abruptly thrust an occupant against the side or door of the passenger compartment. This invention provides a strong pliable cushioning liner that is anchored to the vehicle roof and stored there during normal vehicle operation. If the vehicle experiences a severe rolling motion, the stored liner is pulled around the head and shoulders of an underlying occupant to prevent that person from contacting the side of the vehicle. 
     Automotive vehicle bodies have a roof that is generally rectangular and defines the top of the passenger compartment. The roof is normally supported by two front body pillars and two rear pillars as well as two side pillars against which the front doors latch. These particular body features are utilized in the practice of this invention. 
     The interior of the passenger compartment defined by the vehicle body contains front seating for a driver and at least one passenger. The passenger compartment of most vehicles also contains rear seating. The fore-aft direction of the body has a central axis. Occupants seated to the left of that axis usually enter and exit by a left side door and right side passengers use a right side door. Considering the problems to be managed by this invention, should the vehicle roll to the left, the left side occupants may contact the left side, and vice versa, should the vehicle roll to the other side. This invention provides a fabric liner that is attached to and stored against at least one side of the roof. Preferably, such a liner is used on both sides of the passenger compartment. 
     One edge of the liner sheet is anchored to the inside of the vehicle roof. Preferably, the sheet is anchored along a fore-aft line above the heads of the front and rear passengers. The sheet is folded for storage above the roof liner of the passenger compartment. The shape of the liner is such that it can be drawn toward the adjacent side of the passenger compartment if the vehicle rolls. In a preferred embodiment, the liner is pulled over the heads and shoulders of occupants seated in the front and rear on that side of the vehicle. Left side occupants are thus cushioned by a liner drawn to the left side. Likewise, right side occupants are protected by a liner drawn to their side. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the fabric liner is generally trapezoidal in shape. It is folded for storage within the area of the roof but when pulled and unfolded it extends fore and aft over both front and rear seat passengers on one side of the passenger compartment. The shorter base side is attached to the vehicle roof. In the folded and stored position of the liner, the longer base side lies near the adjacent side of the compartment and the liner is hidden from view by the headliner that decorates the interior roof of the compartment. The liner is drawn from its stored position by a cylinder/piston mechanism and cable/pulley mechanism that are activated by a vehicle crash mode requiring occupant protection. 
     In a first embodiment, a piston/cylinder mechanism is located in the middle pillar of the vehicle. Two cables are attached to the piston rod. One cable runs up the pillar to the roof and over pulleys that lead the cable to the front corner of the liner. The second cable is similarly led to the rear corner of the liner. The piston rod is rapidly stroked one time in the cylinder by a high pressure, gas generating charge activated by an accelerometer of other suitable sensor of a rollover condition. The rod quickly pulls the cables and, thus, unfolds the liner and draws it laterally and downwardly over the heads and torsos of the occupants. 
     Depending upon the design of the passenger compartment it may be preferred to draw the liner from a position other than the middle pillar. Accordingly, in other embodiments, cylinder/piston rod mechanisms are located in one or both of the front and rear pillars and are activated in a like manner to draw the liner to its occupant protecting position. 
     Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a detailed description of preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view in phantom lines of the passenger compartment portion of a vehicle body schematically showing the position of a sheet pulling piston/cylinder and associated cable system in a first embodiment for pulling a liner assembly from its stored position. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view like FIG. 1 showing a roof liner in its extended and operative position as well as the piston/cylinder and cable system in the liner operative position. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective phantom view of a vehicle body, showing in perspective a left side, folded and stored roof liner and piston/cylinder and cable system. 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the left side of the vehicle body and stored roof liner assembly of FIG. 1 taken in direction  4 — 4  of that figure. 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view like that of FIG. 4 showing the roof liner assembly in its unfolded, extended and activated position. 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the left middle pillar of the car body of FIG.  1  and the sheet pulling piston and cylinder of the roof liner assembly taken in direction  6 — 6  of that figure. 
     FIG. 7 is an elevation view of an isolated sheet pulling piston rod and cylinder tube for a roof liner assembly. The cylinder and position are shown in their stored position. 
     FIG. 8 is an elevation view like that of FIG. 7 showing the piston and cylinder partly in section and in their activated position. 
     FIG. 9 is a side phantom view of the passenger compartment portion of a vehicle body showing a schematic view of a second embodiment of the piston/cylinder location and cable arrangement when the liner assembly is in its stored position. 
     FIG. 10 is a side view like FIG. 9 showing the piston/cylinder and cable arrangement when roof liner is in its extended and operative position. 
     FIG. 11 is a view of an isolated cylinder and pulley system for unfolding and extending the roof liner in a second embodiment of this invention. 
     FIG. 12 is a side phantom outline view of the passenger compartment portion of a vehicle body showing a schematic view of the cable arrangement and cylinder/piston location in a third embodiment of the invention with the roof liner assembly in its stored position. 
     FIG. 13 is a side view like FIG. 12 showing the piston/cylinder and cable arrangement with the roof liner in its extended and operative position. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Three embodiments of the vehicle body/roof liner/liner drawing mechanism combination will be described. Each is intended for occupant protection in vehicle side impacts and rollover situations. The first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1-8 of the drawings. 
     In FIGS. 1-3 a portion of an automotive vehicle body  10  is shown in phantom outline. In FIG. 3 the engine compartment  12  and the trunk compartment  14  are shown only sketchily. Referring further to FIG. 3 the vehicle body comprises a roof  16  (only the left side shown and in phantom lines) that is generally rectangular in configuration. The roof has a front edge  18  at the vehicle windshield  20 . Roof  16  also has a rear edge  22  and, as perceived looking toward the front of the vehicle, a right side (not shown) and a left side  24 . Roof  16  may be formed of outer  25  and inner  26  stamped sheets of metal such as steel or aluminum as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. Outer sheet  25  and inner sheet  26  are generally complementary in shape except at side  24  where they form a front to rear channel  27 . 
     The vehicle roof  16  is usually supported on each side by three pillars. The left side pillars are illustrated in FIGS. 1,  2  and  3 . There is a forward pillar  28 , a middle pillar  30  and a rear pillar  32 . In the terminology of the automotive body engineer the front pillar is called the A-pillar, and the middle and rear pillars, the B- and C-pillars respectively. Not shown are the corresponding pillars on the right side of the vehicle. 
     The vehicle passenger compartment has a left side door  34  and front window  36 . The vehicle depicted in these drawing figures has only two doors, left side  34  and right side, not shown. The outer left rear portion of the occupant compartment of the body is enclosed by a quarter panel  38  and rear window  40 . Most vehicles have front seating for a driver and at least one passenger and rear seating for additional passengers. Front seats would be aligned with the front door  34  and the rear seat with rear window  40 . An object of this invention is to prevent vehicle occupants from contacting the vehicle interior, or from being ejected from the vehicle. 
     Roof  16  has a generally central fore-aft axis that is not specifically shown in FIG.  3 . However, attached along a parallel fore/aft axis of roof  16 , above the head of the driver (not seen) and the head  29  of the rear passenger (FIGS. 4 and 5) is a folded, generally flat, roof liner sheet  42 . As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5, secured edge  45  of folded liner  42  is attached to the inner surface of roof  16 . Attachment may be made using rivets  44 , screws, or the like as shown in FIGS. 3,  5  and  11 . Preferably, the liner  42  is attached along a single secured edge  45  so that, when needed, it can be unfolded and extended toward the left side of the vehicle for the protection of occupants on that side. A like liner (not shown) may also be attached to the right side of roof  16  for the protection of the right side passengers. Further description of the function of the roof liners of this invention will be in connection with the left side liner  42 . It is understood, however, that the operation of a right side liner is essentially the mirror image of the storage and operation of liner  42 . 
     Liner  42  is formed of a suitably pliable and strong fabric material, e.g., a 400 denier nylon fabric. As viewed in FIGS. 1,  3  and  4 , liner  42  is in its folded arrangement for storage. The leading edge  50  (FIGS. 2 and 5) of stored liner  42  is under the folded package adjacent the left side of the vehicle. In its folded condition, liner  42  is stored against roof  16  above decorative headliner  52  and hidden from the view of vehicle occupants. 
     FIGS. 2 and 5 illustrate liner  42  in its drawn position so that the liner leading edge  50  extends well down the inner portion of the left side of the vehicle. Preferably the length of the liner is such that it can be pulled down adjacent the head and shoulders of both the front and rear passengers to the bottom of windows  36  and  40  (sometimes called the belt line of the vehicle). As shown in FIG. 2, the generally trapezoidal liner  42  has a grommet  54  at the front end of leading edge  50  and a similar grommet  56  at its rear end. These grommets  54 ,  56  permit cables, described in detail below, to be attached to the liner  42  for drawing of the liner  42  from its stored position to its occupant protecting position. 
     The reason for the trapezoidal shape of liner  42  is illustrated in FIG.  2 . The liner is stored under roof  16  but the length of the roof is shorter than the length of the underlying passenger compartment. The trapezoidal shape permits the unfolded and drawn liner  42  to protect both front and rear seat passengers in a roll-over situation. The folded liner package is best illustrated in FIGS. 3,  4  and  11 . FIG. 1 is intended to show the liner pulling system and shows the folded liner only as a line for simplicity of illustration. 
     The pulling or drawing of liner  42  from its stored position is accomplished by means of a piston/cylinder and cable/pulley arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 8. In a first embodiment of the invention, the piston/cylinder mechanism  60  is located in the B or middle pillar  30 . In summary, the mechanism is actuated to draw two cables  62 ,  64  that are led over suitably located pulleys to attach to grommets  54  and  56  of the liner  42 . 
     The piston/cylinder mechanism  60  is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 7 (stored position) and  8  (activated position). The mechanism  60  includes piston rod  66  within cylinder tube  68 . At the upper end of cylinder  68  is attached an inflator device, whose output nozzle is at  70 . This inflator  70  closes the upper end of cylinder tube  68  so as to form a closed pressurizable chamber  78  with the interior of the tube and the piston rod  66 . The inflator  70  is electrically activated by a control system, not shown, in response to a sensor signal indicating a lateral impact or impending vehicle rollover sufficient to require occupant protection from liner  42 . The inflator may be of a type suitable for inflating air bags or the like and has the capacity of rapidly generating a piston moving pressure of, e.g., 100 kPa, with sufficient moles of gas to displace and stroke piston rod  66 . 
     In its stored or inactivated position, one end  72  of piston rod  66  lies within cylinder  68  close to inflator  70 . The other end  74  of piston rod  66  extends beyond the open end of cylinder tube  68 . Affixed to rod end  74  is an optional plate  76  to which one end of each of cables  62  and  64  are securely attached if not attached directly to the end of piston rod  66 . The cables  62 ,  64  extend upwardly along cylinder tube  68  through cable guides  80  and  82  within the recess  96  in B pillar  30 , FIG.  6 . The further path of cables  62  and  64  is best seen in FIGS. 1-3. 
     Forward cable  62  leads from plate  76  on piston rod  74  upward within B pillar to pulley (or similar routing device)  84  at the side edge of roof  16 . Cable  62  then leads forwardly along the roof edge to pulley  86  at the top of the A pillar  28 . Cable  62  turns on pulley  86  and is led down the A pillar to a third pulley  88  where it is turned and led back up the A pillar to attach to the forward grommet  54  of liner  42 . The rear cable likewise extends from plate  76  on the bottom of piston rod  66  at  74  up the B pillar  30  and is turned rearwardly along the roof and down the C pillar  32  of the vehicle by pulleys  90 ,  92 , and  94 . Rear cable  64  is led to the rear grommet  56  of liner  42 . 
     The method of drawing liner  42  from its stored position is now readily understood. When the inflator is activated it generates a gas under high pressure (illustrated schematically in FIG. 8) that drives the piston rod  66  downwardly and out the end of tube  68 . The stroke of rod  66  pulls the front  62  and rear  64  cables down to draw the folded liner  42  to its occupant protecting position illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5. 
     The liner  42  is held in its in its occupant protecting position, by an anti-reverse stroke mechanism built into piston rod, similar to those used in pyrotechnic buckle pretensioners. This mechanism is shown in FIG.  8 . The upper end of rod  66  has a machined annular ramp  98  that accommodates several metal balls  100 . During the downward stroke of rod  66  the balls  100  roll freely within the space between ramp  98  and the inner surface of tube  68 . Once the piston has completed its stroke any force exerted by an occupant on the liner  42  acts to pull the piston rod back into the cylinder tube  68  and reduce the cushioning effect of the liner. This motion is resisted because the balls  100  then are wedged between the ramp  98  and the tube  68  wall. 
     When such a liner  42  has been drawn to its operative position it provides isolation for the head of an occupant in side impacts of the vehicle with fixed poles and like collisions. In the event of a vehicle roll-over the drawn liner retains the head and torso of the occupant within the passenger compartment and reduces the likelihood of impact with the side or ejection from the vehicle. When a liner is provided on both sides of the compartment as is preferred, a tent-like occupant cushion structure is formed within the compartment. 
     FIGS. 9,  10  and  11  illustrate a second embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment the piston/cylinder mechanism  260  is located either in the A pillar  28  or the C pillar  32 . A “C” pillar  32  version is illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10. An “A” pillar version is illustrated in FIG.  11 . The main difference from the first embodiment is the cabling and pulley arrangement. The piston rod and cylinder tube may be of the same constriction and actuated in the same manner as in the first described embodiment of the invention. 
     Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the piston/cylinder mechanism  260  is suitably located in a recess (not shown) in the C pillar. Cable  262  attaches directly to the rear grommet  56  on liner  42 . Cable  264  is led over pulley  292  at the C pillar and over pulleys  286  and  288  in the A pillar. After cable  264  is turned around pulley  288  it connects to the front grommet  54  of liner  42 . Upon suitable actuation of the piston/cylinder mechanism  260  as described with mechanism  60 , the piston rod is simply extended to pull cables  262  and  264  so that the vehicle liner  42  is drawn from its stored position (FIG. 9) into its occupant protecting position as illustrated in FIG.  10 . For simplified illustration the cylinder  260  is not shown with its piston rod  266  fully extended in FIG.  10 . 
     In FIG. 10, liner  42  is shown with an optional slot  295  to permit the liner  24  to be easily drawn past a seat belt anchored to the B pillar. In this view the leading edge  50  of liner  42  has a tab or folded portion  297  to stiffen the drawn liner for its protective function. 
     FIG. 11 is an isolated view of the piston/cylinder system and pulley/cable arrangement of this embodiment. It also shows a side view of a liner  42  in its folded storage condition. Because of the trapezoidal shape of the illustrated liner  42  the folded package is thicker at the fore and aft sides. The leading side portions of the liner to which cables  262  and  264  are attached (at grommets  54  and  56 ) are on the bottom of the folded package. As seen in the phantom lines of the unfolding liner, the drawing of the liner commences from the bottom of the folded package. 
     In FIG. 11, the liner withdrawal cylinder  260  is shown positioned for location in the A pillar to illustrate this embodiment. In this version of the second embodiment, cable  262  is directly connected to the front grommet  54  of liner  42 . Cable  264  is led over pulley  286  in the A pillar and over pulleys  292  and  294  in the C pillar to rear grommet  56 . 
     FIGS. 12 and 13 show a third embodiment of the invention. Two piston/cylinder mechanisms are employed, one mechanism  361  with piston rod  366  in the A pillar, one mechanism  360  with its piston rod  366  in the C pillar. Each piston/cylinder mechanism  360 ,  361  requires only one cable. In each case, two relatively short cables,  362  in the front and  364  in the back, connect directly to liner grommets  54  and  56 , respectively. Although this embodiment requires a two-piston cylinder mechanisms there is less cabling involved and no pulleys involved in the drawing of the roof liner into its occupant cushioning. Liner  42  is shown with slot  395  and tab  397  corresponding to the like parts of liner  42  described in connection with the second embodiment and referring to FIG.  10 . FIG. 12 shows grommets  54  and  56  in their stored position and FIG. 13 shows the grommets  54 ,  56  and leading edge  50  in their extended position. 
     Thus, a few different embodiments have been illustrated of a useful vehicle occupant device. Obviously, other arrangements could readily be adapted by those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be considered limited only by the following claims.