Abstract:
A curtain airbag bracket is used to assemble a curtain airbag having an attaching piece, and an inflator connected to the curtain airbag, and to attach the same to a vehicle body. The inflator is connected to the curtain airbag for supplying a pressurized fluid for developing the curtain airbag. The curtain airbag bracket includes an airbag bracket having an airbag-attaching portion for attaching the attaching piece of the curtain airbag to hold the curtain airbag, and an inflator bracket coupled with the airbag bracket for holding the inflator so that the inflator is substantially in parallel with and adjacent to the curtain airbag. The airbag-attaching portion faces the inflator bracket with a gap therebetween.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a bracket for use in a curtain airbag for attaching a curtain airbag to be developed in a curtain-like manner along a side of a vehicle body of an automobile or the like and a curtain airbag apparatus provided with the same. 
         [0002]    Hitherto, as one of airbags to be expanded and developed in the event of collision of a vehicle such as an automobile or the like, a so-called curtain airbag to be developed in a curtain-like manner along a side of a vehicle body is well known. This curtain airbag is configured such that, normally, the same is housed along an intersecting corner portion of a ceiling portion and a side surface portion of an interior of the vehicle body while being folded back into an elongated shape, and upon receiving an impact from the side by a side collision or the like, the gas is introduced into an inside thereof, and the curtain airbag is expanded and developed downward along the side of the vehicle body. 
         [0003]    In general, this curtain airbag is attached to the vehicle body on both lateral sides in a vehicle width direction by fixing a plurality of attaching pieces (attaching piece portions) provided at an edge portion of an airbag at a predetermined pitch to a plurality of respective attaching portions provided at the intersecting corner portion of the aforementioned vehicle interior via brackets for use in the curtain airbag, for holding the attaching pieces with bolts or the like. 
         [0004]    Further, there is sometimes a case that the bracket for use in the curtain airbag to be attached to one place is formed to have a large dimension in a front-and-rear direction of the vehicle for the purpose of securing a holding strength and/or a fixing strength of the curtain airbag corresponding to an attaching position in the vehicle interior, and so forth. As for a bracket having such a large-length construction, there is one having a construction in which brackets, which are previously divided into plurality in the front-and-rear direction of the vehicle in consideration of making small for transportation and easiness for attaching to vehicles, are attached to a vehicle as one bracket while being integrally combined as one bracket. Such a bracket for use in a curtain airbag is described in, for example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-12976 (FIG. 12 etc.)) 
         [0005]    In recent years, along with a trend of multi-row seats in a vehicle interior (three rows or more), it is required to develop a curtain airbag across an entire interior in a front-and-rear direction of the vehicle, and therefore it becomes difficult to arrange an inflator on an extension of the curtain airbag. Consequently, a construction, wherein the inflator is provided so as to overlap with the curtain airbag, is frequently adopted. Further, size reduction of an entire apparatus including the curtain airbag, the inflator, and a bracket is required. 
         [0006]    An object of the present invention is to provide a bracket for use in a curtain airbag and a curtain airbag apparatus capable of arranging an inflator in an overlapping manner with the curtain airbag, thereby reducing the size of the entire apparatus. 
         [0007]    Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    In order to achieve the aforementioned object, a bracket for use in a curtain airbag according to a first aspect of the invention is that in a bracket for use in a curtain airbag for attaching a curtain airbag developing in a curtain-like manner along a side of a vehicle body and an inflator for supplying a pressurized fluid for expanding and developing the curtain airbag, to the vehicle body upon combining the curtain airbag and the inflator, the bracket includes an airbag bracket including an airbag-fixing-and-attaching portion for attaching an attaching piece formed at an edge portion of the curtain airbag, and an inflator bracket holding the inflator in an arrangement approximately in parallel with and adjacent to the curtain airbag upon being coupled with the airbag bracket. The airbag-fixing-and-attaching portion of the airbag bracket is formed in an arrangement facing an outer peripheral portion of the inflator held by the inflator bracket, while being spaced apart therefrom. 
         [0009]    In general, a curtain airbag to be developed in a curtain-like manner along a side of a vehicle body is attached to the vehicle body by fixing a plurality of attaching pieces provided at an edge portion of the curtain airbag at predetermined pitch to an airbag-fixing portion provided at an intersecting corner portion of the ceiling portion and a side surface portion of an interior of the vehicle body via the bracket for use in the curtain airbag. At this moment, the attaching piece of the curtain airbag is configured to be attached to an airbag-fixing-and-attaching portion of the bracket for use in the curtain airbag. 
         [0010]    Here, in the first aspect of the invention, the airbag-fixing-and-attaching portion of the airbag bracket is formed in the arrangement facing the outer peripheral portion of the inflator held by the inflator bracket while being spaced apart therefrom. Thereby, even when the bracket for use in the curtain airbag composed of the airbag bracket and the inflator bracket has a construction for supporting and combining the inflator and the curtain airbag in an arrangement in parallel with each other and adjacent thereto, an appropriate separating distance can constantly be secured between the airbag-fixing-and-attaching portion of the airbag bracket and the outer peripheral portion of the inflator, and a normal attaching state of the curtain airbag to the vehicle body can be maintained. As a result, the inflator can be arranged so as to overlap with the curtain airbag, and a reduction of size of an entire apparatus can be realized. 
         [0011]    The bracket for use in the curtain airbag of a second aspect of the invention is such that in the aforementioned first invention, the aforementioned inflator bracket is provided with a latching pawl capable of latching for temporarily fixing the inflator bracket to the vehicle body at an overlapping portion with the aforementioned airbag bracket, and the aforementioned airbag bracket is provided with a visual confirmation hole capable of visually confirming a latching state of the aforementioned latching pawl at an overlapping portion with the aforementioned inflator bracket. 
         [0012]    Thereby, since an attaching operation (or assembling operation) for the entire bracket for use in the curtain airbag including the inflator bracket can be performed while constantly and visually confirming the temporarily fixing state of the airbag bracket through a visual confirmation hole by previously latching the same to the vehicle body with the latching pawl, the attaching workability for the curtain airbag can be improved. 
         [0013]    According to a third aspect of the invention, in the aforementioned first or second aspects, the aforementioned inflator bracket is provided with a retainer for holding the aforementioned inflator, and a retainer bracket fastened to the retainer with a fastening implement and coupled with the aforementioned airbag bracket. At a fastening position in the aforementioned retainer bracket to which the aforementioned retainer is fastened, a displacement fastening portion formed of a step-like shape capable of housing a projecting dimension of the aforementioned fastening implement is formed, relative to an installation surface at which the retainer bracket is installed to the aforementioned vehicle body while facing the vehicle body. 
         [0014]    Thereby, even in a case that the retainer is coupled with the displacement fastening portion of the retainer bracket via a bolt, the end portion of the bolt can be suppressed to be projected from the installation surface at which entire retainer bracket is installed to the vehicle body. Thereby, the entire bracket for use in the curtain airbag can appropriately be attached. 
         [0015]    A fourth aspect of the invention is that in the aforementioned first through third aspects of the invention, a vibration-limiting portion for limiting a vibration at a combining portion by surrounding at least a part of an outer periphery of the combining portion of the aforementioned inflator and the aforementioned curtain airbag is provided, and that a limitation-holding bracket coupled with at least one of the aforementioned inflator bracket and the aforementioned airbag bracket is provided. 
         [0016]    Thereby, when a pressurized fluid is supplied into the curtain airbag by an ignition activation of the inflator, an excessive vibration of the combining portion of the inflator and the curtain airbag can be limited by the vibration-limiting portion. This results in reduction of a load applied to the curtain airbag. 
         [0017]    In order to achieve the aforementioned object, the curtain airbag apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the invention is that a curtain airbag apparatus includes a curtain airbag to be developed in a curtain-like manner along a side of a vehicle body, an inflator for supplying a pressurized fluid for expanding and developing the aforementioned curtain airbag, and a bracket for use in the curtain airbag for attaching the aforementioned curtain airbag and the aforementioned inflator to the aforementioned vehicle body upon combining the bracket and the inflator, in which the bracket for use in the aforementioned curtain airbag includes an airbag bracket including an airbag-fixing-and-attaching portion for attaching an attaching piece formed at an edge portion of the aforementioned curtain airbag, and an inflator bracket holding the aforementioned inflator in an arrangement approximately in parallel with the aforementioned curtain airbag upon being coupled with the aforementioned airbag bracket, and in which the aforementioned airbag-fixing-and-attaching portion of the aforementioned airbag bracket is formed to face an outer peripheral portion of the aforementioned inflator held by the aforementioned inflator bracket, while being spaced apart therefrom. 
         [0018]    In the curtain airbag apparatus, a curtain airbag is housed along an intersecting corner portion of a ceiling portion and a side surface portion of an interior of the vehicle body in a state of folded back into an elongated shape. Upon receiving an impact from a side by a side collision or the like, the gas is introduced into an inside of the curtain airbag from the inflator, and the curtain airbag is expanded and developed downward along the side of the vehicle body. 
         [0019]    Here, a general curtain airbag apparatus is attached to the vehicle body by fixing a plurality of attaching pieces provided at respective edge portions of the curtain airbag at a predetermined pitch to an airbag-fixing portion provided at the intersecting corner portion of the ceiling portion and the side surface portion of the interior of the vehicle body via the bracket for use in the curtain airbag. The attaching piece of the curtain airbag is configured to be attached to the airbag-fixing-and-attaching portion of the bracket for use in the curtain airbag. 
         [0020]    In the fifth aspect of the invention, the airbag-fixing-and-attaching portion of the airbag bracket is formed to face an outer peripheral portion of the inflator held by the inflator bracket while being spaced apart therefrom. Thereby, even when the bracket for use in the curtain airbag composed of the airbag bracket and the inflator bracket has a construction for supporting and combining the inflator and the curtain airbag in an arrangement in parallel with each other and adjacent thereto, an appropriate separating distance can constantly be formed between the airbag-fixing-and-attaching portion of the airbag bracket and the outer peripheral portion of the inflator. Also, a normal attaching state of the curtain airbag to the vehicle body can be maintained. As a result, the inflator can be arranged so as to overlap with the curtain airbag, and the reduction of the size of the entire apparatus can be realized. 
         [0021]    According to the present invention, an inflator can be arranged to overlap with a curtain airbag, and the reduction of size of the entire apparatus can be achieved. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0022]      FIG. 1  is an explanatory view schematically illustrating a state in which a curtain airbag apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to an automobile. 
           [0023]      FIG. 2  is an outline side view illustrating the entire curtain airbag apparatus. 
           [0024]      FIG. 3  is a partially broken perspective view illustrating a state where a curtain airbag is housed. 
           [0025]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged view illustrating a portion  4  in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0026]      FIG. 5  is a view illustrating a state in which an attaching piece is developed while breaking a band of the portion  4  in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0027]      FIGS. 6(   a ),  6 ( b ) and  6 ( c ) are a front view, a top plan view, and a side view, respectively, illustrating a detailed structure of a bracket. 
           [0028]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged view illustrating a portion  5  in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0029]      FIGS. 8(   a ),  8 ( b ) and  8 ( c ) are a front view, a top plan view, and a side view, respectively, illustrating a detailed structure of a bracket. 
           [0030]      FIGS. 9(   a ) and  9 ( b ) are a side view and an exploded view illustrating a peripheral portion of a structure bracket in the curtain airbag apparatus. 
           [0031]      FIG. 10(   a ) is an exploded view illustrating the inflator bracket  52 , and  FIG. 10(   b ) is a cross-sectional view illustrating the inflator bracket  52  taken along line  10 ( b )- 10 ( b ) in  FIG. 10(   a )  FIGS. 11(   a ) and  11 ( b ) are views illustrating a concrete work process for holding an airbag-holding body by coupling three bracket elements. 
           [0032]      FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the curtain airbag apparatus taken along line  12 - 12  in  FIG. 9(   a ). 
           [0033]      FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the curtain airbag apparatus taken along line  13 - 13  in  FIG. 9(   a ). 
           [0034]      FIG. 14  is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a part of a third row bracket looking from an arrow Z in  FIG. 9(   b ). 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0035]    Hereinbelow, embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings. 
         [0036]      FIG. 1  is an explanatory view schematically illustrating a state in which a curtain airbag apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is attached to an automobile. Further,  FIG. 2  is an outline side view illustrating the concrete entire curtain airbag apparatus of the embodiment. Incidentally, in the description below, as a matter of convenience for explanation, a curtain airbag apparatus and a part thereof attached to a driver&#39;s seat side of a vehicle body will be explained while illustrating the same. Unless explained otherwise, the explanation is made such that a left side in the drawing corresponds to a front side of the vehicle body, a right side in the drawing corresponds to a rear side, and an upper and lower direction in the drawing corresponds to an upper and lower direction of the vehicle body. Furthermore,  FIG. 3  is a partially broken perspective view illustrating a state at a time when a curtain airbag is housed, and specifically, in this drawing, a direction headed for a lower left of a front side corresponds to a front side of the vehicle body. 
         [0037]    In these  FIGS. 1-3 , in an interior of a vehicle body  1  of the automobile in the illustrated embodiment, three seat rows are provided in a front-and-rear direction, and at an intersecting corner portion of a ceiling portion and a side surface portion of the interior of the vehicle body  1 , a curtain airbag apparatus  21  is provided. 
         [0038]    The curtain airbag apparatus  21  is provided with an airbag-holding body  30  (described later in detail) having a construction held by being covered with a covering member  22  capable of rupturing a folded-back entire curtain airbag  20 , an inflator  10  for supplying a pressurized gas (pressurized fluid) into the curtain airbag  20  to a position overlapping with the airbag-holding body  30  at a rear side of the curtain airbag apparatus  21 , a plurality of brackets  40 A,  40 B,  40 C and  40 D for attaching the airbag-holding body  30  to the vehicle body  1 , and a structure bracket  40 E (bracket for use in a curtain airbag, described later in detail) for attaching the airbag-holding body  30  and the inflator  10  upon coupling with each other to the vehicle body  1 . Moreover, in the event of a side collision, an overturn, or the like of the automobile, a sensor (not shown) for sending an ignition signal to the inflator  10  upon detecting the collision detects the collision, and a start signal is inputted from an inflator control circuit (not shown) to an initiator (not shown) of the inflator  10 . Then, the aforementioned initiator starts, the inflator  10  is activated, the pressurized gas for expanding an airbag is blown out, the curtain airbag  20  is expanded and developed in a lower direction as indicated by a chain double-dashed line  20 ′ illustrated in  FIG. 1 , and a head portion of an occupant is restrained. 
         [0039]    In the airbag-holding body  30 , as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the curtain airbag  20  is held by the covering member  22  in a state of being folded back upon overlapping in an upper and lower direction in a bellows-like manner so as to have a rectangular shape in cross-section. An ear-shaped attaching piece  23  projecting from an edge portion at an upper end of the curtain airbag  20  is projected upward while passing through an elongated opening portion (a slot)  25  that is provided on a vehicle side of an upper surface portion of the covering member  22 . 
         [0040]    The attaching piece  23  is provided in plurality along a longitudinal direction of the curtain airbag  20 , and at each attaching piece  23 , an insertion hole  24  for an attaching implement (for example, a rivet  81 , an attaching bolt, or the like illustrated in  FIG. 7  and  FIGS. 9(   a ),  9 ( b ), described later) is provided. At a side surface portion on a vehicle interior side of the covering member  22 , a plurality of openings  26  in an upper and lower direction is provided along the longitudinal direction. The folded-back state of the curtain airbag  20  can be visually observed from outside the covering member  22  through the opening  26 . 
         [0041]    At a corner portion of the covering member  22  on the vehicle interior side where a side surface portion and a bottom surface portion on the vehicle interior side intersect, a rupturing portion  27  serving as a rupturing point of the covering member  22  at a time when the airbag  20  is expanded is provided. An outer periphery of the covering member  22  is wound and held at a predetermined pitch by a plurality of rupturable bands  29 . Further, as described above, an entire structure of the covering member  22  and the curtain airbag  20  held inside thereof constructs the airbag-holding body  30 . 
         [0042]    The airbag-holding body  30  is formed to have a shape inflected in an approximately bow-like manner in a longitudinal direction, and fixed to an airbag-fixing portion  28  provided at the intersecting corner portion of the ceiling portion and the side surface portion of the interior of the vehicle body  1 , in concrete terms, at a bow-shaped portion from an A-pillar  11  (front pillar) along a roof side rail  2  via the brackets  40 A,  40 B,  40 C,  40 D, and the structure bracket  40 E. 
         [0043]    The bracket  40 A is fixed to an inside of the A-pillar  11  while being attached to the attaching piece  23  that is positioned at a tip end on the front side of the vehicle body of the airbag-holding body  30 . In this bracket  40 A, although a detailed structure thereof is not specifically shown, a turn-back hole for inserting and turning back the attaching piece  23  provided at a tip end portion on the front side of the vehicle body of the curtain airbag  20  in the airbag-holding body  30 , is formed. The bracket  40 A is attached to a tip end of the curtain airbag  20  by inserting the attaching piece  23  into the turn-back hole, and turning back, and riveting the portion that is thereby overlapped, using a riveting implement (for example, a rivet or the like). 
         [0044]    The bracket  40 C is, in this embodiment, provided at a B-pillar  12  positioned at the second place from the front side of the vehicle body  1  in the aforementioned airbag-fixing portion  28 , and two brackets  40 B,  40 B are, in this embodiment, provided between the bracket  40 A and the bracket  40 C in the airbag-fixing portion  28 . Incidentally, the bracket  40 C is, although illustration of a detailed structure thereof is not shown, a bracket provided with two airbag-attaching portions  43  for attaching the attaching piece  23  of the curtain airbag  20 . Furthermore, in the bracket  40 B, although description is made later in detail, a turn-back hole for inserting and tuning back the attaching piece  23  of the curtain airbag  20  in the airbag-holding body  30  is formed in a similar manner as that of the aforementioned bracket  40 A. The bracket  40 B is attached to the tip end of the curtain airbag  20  by turning back the attaching piece  23  that is inserted into the turn-back hole, and riveting the portion of the attaching piece  23  that is turned back and thereby overlapped, using the riveting implement (refer to  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 5 , and  FIGS. 6(   a ),  6 ( b ),  6 ( c ) described later). 
         [0045]    Two brackets  40 D,  40 D are provided between the B-pillar  12  (second pillar) positioned at the second place from the front side of the vehicle body  1  and a C-pillar  13  (third pillar) positioned at the third place from the front side of the vehicle body  1  in the aforementioned airbag-fixing portion  28  in this embodiment. This bracket  40 D is, although description is made later in detail, provided with a plurality of (two in this embodiment) airbag-attaching portions  43  for attaching the attaching piece  23  of the curtain airbag  20  in the airbag-holding body  30 , and is constructed such that the attaching piece  23  can be selectively attached to a plurality of airbag-attaching portions  43  (refer to  FIG. 7  and  FIGS. 8(   a ),  8 ( b ),  8 ( c ) described later). 
         [0046]    The structure bracket  40 E is, in this embodiment, provided between the C-pillar  13  (third pillar) positioned at the third place from the front side of the vehicle body  1  and a D-pillar (rear pillar)  14  at the rear side of the vehicle body  1  in the aforementioned airbag-attaching portion  28 . This structure bracket  40 E is, although detailed description is made later, provided with the airbag-attaching portions  43  in plurality (four in this embodiment) for attaching the attaching piece  23  of the curtain airbag  20  in the airbag-holding body  30 , and is further constructed such that the inflator  10  can be held and fixed in an arrangement in parallel with and adjacent to the airbag-holding body  30  (refer to  FIGS. 9(   a ),  9 ( b ),  FIG. 12 , and  FIG. 13  described later). 
         [0047]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged view illustrating a portion  4  including the bracket  40 B in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 5  is a view illustrating a state in which the attaching piece  23  is developed while breaking a band  29  of a portion  5 .  FIG. 6(   a ) is a front view illustrating a detailed structure of only the bracket  40 B,  FIG. 6(   b ) is a top view of the bracket  40 B looking from a direction X 1  in  FIG. 6(   a ), and  FIG. 6(   c ) is a side view of the bracket  40  looking from a direction Y 1  in  FIG. 6(   a ). 
         [0048]    As illustrated in  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 5 , and  FIGS. 6(   a ),  6 ( b ),  6 ( c ), the bracket  40 B is provided with a vehicle-body-attaching portion  45 , which is formed by bending upward on a vehicle-interior outside (one side in the width direction, and a backside of a paper surface in  FIG. 6(   a ), an upper side in  FIG. 6(   b ), and a right side in  FIG. 6(   c )) of a bottom plate portion  41  formed to have an approximately rectangular shape, for attaching the bracket  40 B to the vehicle body  1 . Thereby, an entire bracket  40 B is formed to have an approximately L shape looking from a side as illustrated in  FIG. 6(   c ). In the vehicle-body-attaching portion  45 , a width dimension of a part of a lower side thereof has the same dimension as a length in a longitudinal direction of the bottom plate portion  41 , and most part on the upper side in relation thereto is formed to have a relatively narrow width dimension at a center position of the aforementioned part of the lower side. 
         [0049]    One vehicle-body-attaching portion  45  is provided so that the center position thereof is located on a center surface A. In the vehicle-body-attaching portion  45 , an insertion hole  46  for inserting an attaching implement (for example, a rivet, an attaching bolt, or the like) for fixing the bracket  40 B to the vehicle body  1  is provided in a manner such that the center position thereof is located on a center line of an entire vehicle-body-attaching portion  45 . By inserting the aforementioned attaching implement into the insertion hole  46  of the vehicle-body-attaching portion  45 , and fitting into the fitting hole (not shown) provided in the aforementioned airbag-fixing portion  28  on the vehicle body  1  side (in a case of the attaching bolt, by fastening to the screw hole), the bracket  40 B is fixed to the vehicle body  1 . 
         [0050]    Furthermore, in the bracket  40 B, a turn-back hole  48  formed to have a slit shape having a length shorter than an entire length in a longitudinal direction of the bottom plate portion  41  is formed at a center position in a width direction of the bottom plate portion  41  in an arrangement in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate portion  41 . The bracket  40 B is attached to the curtain airbag  20  by inserting the attaching piece  23  of the curtain airbag  20  in the airbag-holding body  30  into the turn-back hole  48  and turning back, and riveting the portion that is thereby overlapped, using the riveting implement (for example, a rivet or the like) (refer to  FIG. 4 ). Moreover, the bracket  40 B can be attached to the airbag-holding body  30  being in close contact therewith (refer to  FIG. 4 ) by fixing a remainder portion of the attaching piece  23  upon folding back the same and winding the band  29  therearound. 
         [0051]    When the pressurized gas supplied from the inflator  10  flows into the curtain airbag  20  in the event of the side collision, the overturn, or the like of the automobile, the band  29  and the covering member  22  are ruptured first, and the folded-back attaching piece  23  is stretched, and the curtain airbag  20  is expanded and developed downward. A reaction due to rapid tension force is applied to the bracket  40 B, however the tension force of the reaction is directly applied to the bottom plate portion  41  where the attaching piece  23  is attached, and the bottom plate portion  41  is a portion that is bent perpendicularly to the vehicle-body-attaching portion  45 , which is fixed to the vehicle body  1 . Therefore, the tension force of the reaction can be absorbed by a plastic deformation of the bottom plate portion  41 . As a result, an appropriate attaching state of the curtain airbag  20  to the vehicle body  1  can be maintained. 
         [0052]    Further, by forming the turn-back hole  48  of the bottom plate portion  41  in the arrangement that is spaced apart from the bending portion between the bottom plate portion  41  and the vehicle-body-attaching portion  45  by a distance L, a point where the tension force of the reaction is applied can be spaced apart from the bending portion. That is, a sufficient width of the plastic deformation can be applied to the bottom plate portion  41 . 
         [0053]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged view illustrating a portion  5  including the bracket  40 D in  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 8(   a ) is a front view illustrating a detailed structure of only the bracket  40 D,  FIG. 8(   b ) is a top view illustrating the bracket  40 D looking from a direction X 2  in  FIG. 8(   a ), and  FIG. 8(   c ) is a side view illustrating the bracket  40 D looking from a direction Y 2  in  FIG. 8(   a ). 
         [0054]    As illustrated in  FIG. 7 ,  FIG. 8(   a ) through  FIG. 8(   c ), the bracket  40 D is formed to have an approximately bilaterally-symmetric shape with respect to a center surface A serving as a center position in the front-and-rear direction of the vehicle (a left and right direction in  FIG. 8(   a ) and  FIG. 8(   b )) corresponding to a longitudinal direction of the curtain airbag  20  in an attaching state of the curtain airbag  20  (a state shown in  FIG. 1) . This bracket  40 D is provided with a plurality of airbag-attaching portions  43  (two brackets  40 D,  40 D are provided in this embodiment), which is formed by bending upward on the inside of the vehicle interior of the bottom plate portion  42  (front side of the paper surface in  FIG. 8(   a ), lower side in  FIG. 8(   b ), and left side in  FIG. 8(   c )), for attaching the attaching piece  23  that is formed in the curtain airbag  20 . The airbag-attaching portions  43 ,  43  are provided in the same number (one each in this embodiment) at each position having the same distance from the center surface A in each of the left and right sides so as to form the bilaterally symmetric shape with respect to the aforementioned center surface A. In the respective airbag-attaching portions  43 , insertion holes  44  for inserting the attaching implement (for example, rivet  81 , attaching bolt, or the like illustrated in  FIG. 7  or in later-described FIGS.  9 ( a ),  9 ( b )) for fixing the attaching piece  23  of the curtain airbag  20  to the airbag-attaching portions  43  are respectively provided at positions having the same distance from the aforementioned center surface A. The attaching piece  23  of the curtain airbag  20  can be selectively attached to two of the airbag-attaching portions  43  of the bracket  40 D by inserting the aforementioned attaching implement into the insertion hole  24  of the attaching piece  23  and the insertion hole  44  of the airbag-attaching portion  43  (in a case of the attaching bolt, by screwing with the nut (not shown) after insertion) in a state that the attaching piece  23  of the curtain airbag  20  is selectively overlapped with either one of two airbag-attaching portions  43  (in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 , the front side of the vehicle body and the right side in the drawing). 
         [0055]    Furthermore, the bracket  40 D is provided with the vehicle-body-attaching portion  45 , which is formed by bending upward in the same manner as the aforementioned airbag-attaching portion  43  on the vehicle body side of the bottom plate portion  42  (back side of the paper surface in  FIG. 8(   a ), upper side in  FIG. 8(   b ), and right side in  FIG. 8(   c )), for attaching the bracket  40 D to the vehicle body  1 . One vehicle-body-attaching portion  45  is provided so that the center position thereof is located on the aforementioned center surface A. In the vehicle-body-attaching portion  45 , an insertion hole  46  for inserting the attaching implement (for example a rivet, an attaching bolt, or the like) for fixing the bracket  40 D to the vehicle body  1  is provided in a manner such that the center position thereof is located on the aforementioned center surface A. The bracket  40 D is fixed to the vehicle body  1  by inserting the aforementioned attaching implement into the insertion hole  46  of the vehicle-body-attaching portion  45  and fitting into the fitting hole (not shown) provided in the aforementioned airbag-fixing portion  28  on the vehicle body side (in a case of the attaching bolt, by screwing into the screw hole). 
         [0056]    Moreover, the bracket  40 D is provided with projecting portions  47 ,  47  which are formed in the same number (one each in this embodiment) on each of the left and right sides of the vehicle-body-attaching portion  45  by bending toward the vehicle body side, and which can be fitted into fitting holes (not shown) provided in the aforementioned airbag-fixing portion  28  on the vehicle body side. When the curtain airbag  20  in the airbag-holding body  30  is attached to the vehicle body  1  via the bracket  40 D, the aforementioned projecting portion  47  is fitted to the fitting hole provided in the aforementioned airbag-fixing portion  28  on the vehicle body side. Thereby, the bracket  40 D can be prevented from rotating about the vehicle-body-attaching portion  45  (in more accurate terms, around the insertion hole  46 ) due to rotation force generated by the attaching piece  23  of the curtain airbag  20 , which is fixed to any one of the left and right airbag-attaching portions  43  of the bracket  40 D. 
         [0057]      FIG. 9  ( a ) is a side view illustrating an outline of a peripheral portion of a structure bracket  40 E in the curtain airbag apparatus  21 , and  FIG. 9(   b ) is an exploded view illustrating the peripheral portion of the structure bracket  40 E as well. Incidentally in  FIG. 9(   a ), a combination state of the airbag-holding body  30  with the inflator  10  is illustrated upon breaking a part of the airbag-holding body  30 . 
         [0058]    As illustrated in  FIG. 9(   a ) and  FIG. 9(   b ), an entire structure bracket  40 E is a structure that is elongated in the front-and-rear direction of the vehicle body (left and right direction in the drawing), and is mainly formed to have a construction in which three bracket elements of a third row bracket (limitation-holding bracket)  51 , an inflator bracket  52 , and a rear pillar bracket (airbag bracket)  53  respectively elongated in the front-and-rear direction of the vehicle body are coupled and assembled in an approximately straight line-like arrangement. 
         [0059]    The third row bracket  51  is a bracket element constituting a front side portion of the vehicle body (left side portion in the drawing) in the entire structure bracket  40 E, and is to be attached to a position corresponding to an upper part of the third seat row (alternatively, a position corresponding to the C-pillar  13 ) in the vehicle body  1  (refer to  FIG. 1 ). Further, the third row bracket  51  is provided for holding a periphery of a fluid-supplying inlet  20   a  of the curtain airbag  20  at which the curtain airbag  20  in the airbag-holding body  30  is combined with the inflator  10  via a fluid-supplying pipe  82 . 
         [0060]    The rear pillar bracket  53  is a bracket element constituting a portion on the rear side of the vehicle body in relation to the third row bracket  51  (right side in the drawing) in the entire structure bracket  40 E, and is to be attached to a position corresponding to a rear side of the C-pillar  13  to the D-pillar  14  (rear pillar) in the vehicle body  1 . Further, the rear pillar bracket  53  is provided for holding an end portion on the rear side of the vehicle body of the airbag-holding body  30  (end portion on the right side in the drawing). 
         [0061]    The inflator bracket  52  is a bracket element arranged on the rear side of the vehicle body (right side in the drawing) of the aforementioned third row bracket  51  while being overlapped with the aforementioned rear pillar bracket  53  in the front-and-rear direction of the vehicle body, and the inflator  10  is held at an upper part thereof. Furthermore, as described later in detail, the inflator bracket  52  is composed of a retainer  61  holding the inflator  10  at the upper part thereof and a retainer bracket  62  fastened to the retainer  61  at a lower part thereof (refer to  FIGS. 10(   a ),  10 ( b ) described later). 
         [0062]    One coupling hole  83  is formed in each of both ends in the front-and-rear direction of the vehicle body of the retainer bracket  62 . Coupling holes  83  are formed at positions in the rear pillar bracket  53 , respectively corresponding to the two of the coupling holes  83  of the retainer bracket  62 . A coupling hole  83  is formed at an end portion on the rear side of the vehicle body of the third row bracket  51  corresponding to the coupling hole  83  at the end portion on the front side of the vehicle body of the retainer bracket  62 . Moreover, the third row bracket  51 , the inflator bracket  52 , and the rear pillar bracket  53  are integrally coupled with each other. And, the structure bracket  40 E is constructed by penetrating rivets  84  (in this embodiment, resin-made clips on which a thread for preventing dropping off is formed) to a position where the respectively corresponding coupling holes  83  are individually overlapped and conformed, and by fixing the same with rivets  84 . 
         [0063]    Further, in the vicinity of the respective coupling holes  83  of the respective bracket elements  51 ,  52 , and  53 , attaching holes  85  are formed, and the corresponding coupling holes  85  form the attaching hole  85  for fixing the structure bracket  40 E to the vehicle body  1  in conformity with each other in a state where the respective bracket elements  51 ,  52 , and  53  are coupled to serve as the structure bracket  40 E. Furthermore, an attaching hole  85  is also formed in each of the bracket elements itself, and the structure bracket  40 E is fixed to the vehicle body  1  by inserting an attaching implement (for example, a rivet, an attaching bolt, or the like, not specifically shown) through the attaching hole  85  and fitting into a fitting hole (not shown) provided in the aforementioned airbag-fixing portion  28  on the vehicle body side (in a case of the attaching bolt, by screwing to the screw hole). 
         [0064]    Moreover, the third row bracket  51  and the rear pillar bracket  53  are provided with the airbag attaching portions  43 , respectively, for attaching the attaching piece  23  formed in the curtain airbag  20  in the airbag-holding body  30  at appropriate places (two places each in this embodiment), respectively. In the respective airbag-attaching portions  43 , the insertion holes  44  for inserting the attaching implement (for example, rivet  81 , attaching bolt, or the like in the illustrated example) for fixing the attaching piece  23  of the curtain airbag  20  to the airbag-attaching portions  43  are respectively provided. The attaching piece  23  of the curtain airbag  20  is attached to each of the airbag-attaching portions  43  of the structure bracket  40 E by inserting the rivet  81  serving as an attaching implement into the insertion hole  24  of the attaching piece  23  and the insertion hole  44  of the airbag-attaching portion  43  in a state of overlapping the attaching pieces  23  of the curtain airbag  20  with the respectively corresponding airbag-attaching portions  43 , and swaging the same (in a case of the attaching bolt, by screwing with the nut (not shown) after inserting). 
         [0065]    The inflator  10  having a tubular shape as a whole is, as described above, held in an inside of the retainer  61  positioned above the inflator bracket  52 . Thereby, the inflator  10  is fixed in the arrangement in parallel with and adjacent to the airbag-holding body  30  (and the curtain airbag  20  inside thereof). Further, one end of the aforementioned fluid-supplying pipe  82  having a tight-lipped mouth-shape as a whole is inserted into a side end portion of the front side of the vehicle body of the inflator  10 , and the other end thereof is inserted into the fluid-supplying inlet  20   a  of the curtain airbag  20 . Thereby, the inflator  10  and the curtain airbag  20  are formed to have a state in which each of the insides thereof is allowed to communicate with. 
         [0066]      FIG. 10(   a ) is an exploded view illustrating the inflator bracket  52  and  FIG. 10(   b ) is a cross-sectional view illustrating the inflator bracket  52  taken along a line  10 ( b )- 10 ( b ) in  FIG. 10(   a ). 
         [0067]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 10(   a ),  10 ( b ), as described above, the inflator bracket  52  is composed of the retainer  61  holding the inflator  10  at the upper part thereof and the retainer bracket  62  fastened to the retainer  61  at the lower part thereof. 
         [0068]    The retainer  61  is provided with a retainer body portion  61   a  having an approximately tubular shape by bending a thin plate, and a retainer-attaching portion  61   b  having an approximately rectangular shape by bending both ends of the thin plate downward and adjusting the same. 
         [0069]    The retainer bracket  62  is a thin plate having an approximately rectangular shape as a whole, and as described above, the coupling holes  83  and the attaching holes  85  are respectively formed at both ends thereof. Further, in this embodiment, a latching pawl  62   a  is formed by bending a part of the retainer bracket  62 , which is punching-processed, between the coupling hole  83  and the attaching hole  85  on the rear side (right side in the drawing) of the vehicle body of the retainer bracket  62 . Furthermore, at a center position in a longitudinal direction of the retainer bracket  62 , a displacement fastening portion  62   b  at which the retainer-attaching portion  61   b  of the aforementioned retainer  61  is fastened by a bolt (fastening implement)  86  and a nut (fastening implement)  87  is formed (incidentally, although the construction is individually illustrated in  FIG. 10(   a ) for concretization, in this embodiment, the bolt  86  is integrally formed with the displacement fastening portion  62   b  by welding). The displacement fastening portion  62   b  is formed to have a size slightly larger than the retainer-attaching portion  61   b  of the retainer  61 , and is formed to have an approximately similar shape, and is also formed to have a step relative to a flat surface therearound. 
         [0070]    Incidentally, as described above, in the retainer  61 , the retainer body portion  61   a  is formed by bending a thin plate into an approximately tubular shape, and two retainer-attaching portions  61   b ,  61   b  are formed by bending both ends of the retainer body portion  61   a  downward, respectively. However, each of two sheets of the retainer-attaching portions  61   b ,  61   b  is spaced apart at a sufficient distance, as indicated by a chain line in the drawing, before the retainer  61  is attached to the retainer bracket  62 , and an inner diameter of the retainer body portion  61   a  is formed slightly larger than an outer diameter of the inflator  10  so that the inflator  10  (not specifically shown) is inserted in a loosely fitting manner into an inside thereof with ease. Further, after the inflator  10  is inserted into the inside of the retainer body portion  61   a , an inner peripheral surface of the retainer body portion  61   a  fixes the inflator  10  upon appropriately grabbing the same by firmly attaching and overlapping the two sheets of retainer-attaching portion  61   b ,  61   b  as indicated by an arrow B in the drawing. 
         [0071]    In this embodiment, the displacement fastening portion  62   b  is formed with a step-like shape capable of housing a projecting dimension of a head portion  86   a  of the bolt  86  (the thickness dimension of the head portion  86   a ), relative to an installation surface  62   c  on a side where the retainer bracket  62  is installed while facing the vehicle body  1  (the backside in  FIG. 10(   a ), and the left side in  FIG. 10(   b )), when the structure bracket  40 E is attached to the vehicle body  1 . 
         [0072]    Two sheets of the retainer-attaching portions  61   b ,  61   b  of the retainer  61  are overlapped with the displacement fastening portion  62   b  on a surface of an opposite side of the aforementioned installation surface  62   c  of the retainer bracket  62 . (the front side in  FIG. 10(   a ), and the right side in  FIG. 10(   b )) remaining firmly attached with each other. A stud  86   b  of the bolt  86  is inserted into each of fastening holes  88  formed at three places of the respective retainer-attaching portions  61   b  and the displacement fastening portion  62   b  respectively adjusted in an arrangement of even distances from the aforementioned installation surface  62   c  side of the retainer bracket  62 . Further, the head portion  86   a  of the bolt  86  is fixed to the displacement fastening portion  62   b  by welding. Then, the retainer  61  and the retainer bracket  62  are fastened by fastening the stud  86   b  that is projected toward an opposite side with the nut  87 . 
         [0073]      FIGS. 11(   a ),  11 ( b ) are views illustrating a concrete work process for holding the airbag-holding body  30  by coupling three bracket elements  51 ,  52 , and  53 . 
         [0074]    Firstly, in  FIG. 11(   a ), the inflator bracket  52  is previously assembled upon fastening the retainer  61  and the retainer bracket  62  with the bolts  86  and the nuts  87 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 10(   a ),  10 ( b ) earlier, and the inflator  10  where the fluid-supplying pipe  82  is inserted is attached thereto. 
         [0075]    On the other hand, the coupling holes  83  of the respective third row bracket  51  and the rear pillar bracket  53  corresponding to each other (the coupling hole  83  on the rear side of the vehicle body of the third row bracket  51  and the coupling hole  83  on the front side of the vehicle body of the rear pillar bracket  53 ) are adjusted, and both of the bracket elements  51  and  53  are fixed on a working table (not specifically shown) in a state of arranging on an appropriately one straight line, and the airbag-holding body  30  is held at an appropriate position thereof. 
         [0076]    At this point, the third row bracket  51  holds three surfaces of a side surface of the airbag-holding body  30  facing toward an outside of the vehicle interior (backside of the paper surface in  FIGS. 11(   a ),  11 ( b )) and both surfaces in the upper and lower directions thereof in a surrounding manner, and the rear pillar bracket  53  holds three surfaces of both side surfaces of the airbag-holding body  30  respectively facing toward the outside of the vehicle interior and an inside of the vehicle interior, and an upper surface thereof in a surrounding manner. In addition, the insertion holes  44  of the airbag-attaching portion  43 , which are provided in plurality on the side of the bracket elements  51  and  53 , and the respectively corresponding insertion holes  24  of the attaching pieces  23  on the side of the airbag-holding body  30  are adjusted. 
         [0077]    Next, as illustrated in  FIG. 11(   b ), a tip end of the fluid-supplying pipe  82  is inserted into the fluid-supplying inlet  20   a  provided in the curtain airbag  20  in the airbag-holding body  30  and combined therewith by fastening an outer periphery thereof using an appropriate clamp (not specifically shown) or the like. Incidentally, at this stage, the inflator  10  and the inflator bracket  52  are still rotatable in the fluid-supplying inlet  20   a  as a base point by plasticity of the fluid-supplying inlet  20   a  and the periphery thereof. 
         [0078]    Further, in this state, the rivet  81  serving as the attaching implement is penetrated into the insertion holes  44  of the respective airbag-attaching portions  43  on the side of the bracket elements  51  and  53 , and the insertion holes  24  of the respective attaching pieces  23  on the side of the airbag-holding body  30 , which are adjusted to each other corresponding thereto, and further, the rivet  81  is swaged. Thereby, the airbag-holding body  30  is fixed to the bracket elements  52  and  53 . Incidentally, in the swaging work for each of the rivets  81  performed at this time, since the inflator bracket  52  is freely rotatable as described above, the swaging work can easily be performed without receiving any interference. 
         [0079]    Finally, the rivets  84  are penetrated into the portions where the coupling holes  83  of the respective bracket elements  51 ,  52 , and  53  corresponding to each other are overlapped and adjusted, and riveted. Thereby, the structure bracket  40 E is constructed by integrally coupling the third row bracket  51 , the inflator bracket  52 , and the rear pillar bracket  53 , and the airbag-holding body  30  is held and fixed thereto. Incidentally, as for an arrangement relationship in which the bracket elements  51 ,  52 , and  53  are overlapped with each other, the inflator bracket  52  is positioned at an outermost side of the vehicle interior (backside of the paper surface in  FIGS. 11(   a ),  11 ( b )), and the third row bracket  51  and the rear pillar bracket  53  are overlapped in order on the inside of the vehicle interior (front side of the paper surface in  FIGS. 11(   a ),  11 ( b )). 
         [0080]      FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the curtain airbag apparatus  21  taken along a line  12 - 12  in  FIG. 9(   a ). In  FIG. 12  and  FIG. 9(   a ), in an example of the curtain airbag apparatus  21  of the present embodiment, one of two airbag-attaching portions  43  provided in the rear pillar bracket  53  is provided in an arrangement of overlapping with the retainer  61  of the inflator bracket  52  in the front-and-rear direction of the vehicle body, and this airbag-attaching portion is hereinbelow specifically called as a retainer-overlapping position-attaching portion (airbag-fixing-and-attaching portion)  89 . 
         [0081]    A general inflator  10  is formed to have a tubular shape whose dimension in an axial direction is sufficiently long, and the structure bracket  40 E including the inflator bracket  52  in this embodiment holds the inflator  10  in the arrangement in parallel with and adjacent to the airbag-holding body  30 . Furthermore, as described above, the structure bracket  40 E including the third row bracket  51  holds the peripheral portion of the fluid-supplying inlet  20   a  in the curtain airbag  20 , through which the pressurized gas is supplied. Therefore, it is required to arrange the airbag-attaching portions  43  at relatively narrow and consistent pitch in the structure bracket  40 E, and it is also required to fix the attaching piece  23  of the curtain airbag  20 . Consequently, in many cases, the retainer-overlapping position-attaching portion  89  is provided in an arrangement of overlapping with the retainer  61  in the front-and-rear direction of the vehicle body. Moreover, in the structure bracket  40 E of the present embodiment, the retainer-overlapping position-attaching portion  89  is arranged to face an outer peripheral portion of the inflator  10  held by the inflator bracket  52  while being spaced apart therefrom. 
         [0082]    As described above, in this embodiment, the retainer-overlapping position-attaching portion (airbag-fixing-and-attaching portion)  89  of the rear pillar bracket  53  and the attaching piece  23  of the curtain airbag  20  corresponding thereto are fixed by swaging with the rivet (attaching implement)  81 . Moreover, in this embodiment, a position of a rivet-fixing point in the retainer-overlapping position-attaching portion  89  is in conformity with one of positions of respective fastening points for the retainer  61  and the retainer bracket  62  by the bolt  86  on the inflator bracket  52  in the front-and-rear direction (left and right direction in  FIG. 9(   a ) and  FIG. 11  ( a )) of the vehicle body. 
         [0083]    Even in a case that the rivet-fixing point and a bolt-fastening point have an arrangement relationship in proximity to each other in the thus completed structure bracket  40 E, since the structure bracket  40 E has a construction in which each of the bracket elements  51 ,  52 , and  53  originally divided is coupled and assembled, the swaging work using the rivets and the fastening work using the bolts for the inflator bracket  52  and the rear pillar bracket  53  can be performed in a big space at the stage before the same are coupled. This results in a construction having high assembling workability. 
         [0084]    Further, as described above, since the retainer-overlapping position-attaching portion  89  is arranged to face the outer peripheral portion of the inflator  10  held by the inflator bracket  52  while being spaced apart therefrom, an appropriate separating distance can constantly be secured between the retainer-overlapping position-attaching portion  89  and the outer peripheral portion of the inflator  10 . As a result, a normal attaching state can be maintained while avoiding a contact interference of the rivet  81  of the retainer-overlapping position-attaching portion  89  and the bolt  86  of the inflator bracket  52 . 
         [0085]    Furthermore, as illustrated in  FIG. 12 , in a state that the inflator bracket  52  is assembled, the head portion  86   a  of the bolt  86  is housed in the step of the displacement fastening portion  62   b , there is no possibility that a part of the bolt  86  is projected from the installation surface  62   c  of the retainer bracket  62 . Even in a case that the bolt  86  is inserted in an opposite direction (namely, the bolt  86  and the nut  87  are located at positions opposite to each other), the same result can be obtained if the dimension of the step of the displacement fastening portion  62   b  is appropriately set. Moreover, as illustrated in the drawing, in a case that an outer peripheral side surface of the retainer body  61   a  is circumscribed on an extension plane of the installation surface  62   c  of the retainer bracket  62 , the structure bracket  40 E can be installed in close contact with a front surface  28   a  (imaginarily illustrated by a chain double-dashed line) of the airbag-fixing portion  28  of the vehicle body  1 . 
         [0086]      FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the curtain airbag apparatus  21  taken along line  13 - 13  in  FIG. 9(   a ). In  FIG. 13 ,  FIG. 9(   a ), and  FIG. 9(   b ), the latching pawl  62   a  is formed on the rear side of the vehicle body of the retainer bracket  62  on the inflator bracket  52  as described above (refer to  FIG. 10(   a ),  10 ( b )), and a visual confirmation hole  53   a  is formed at a portion overlapping with the latching pawl  62   a  of the retainer bracket  62  corresponding thereto, in the rear pillar bracket  53 . Further, in a state that the structure bracket  40 E is assembled by coupling the inflator bracket  52  and the rear pillar bracket  53 , as illustrated in  FIG. 13 , the latching pawl  62   a  of the retainer bracket  62  and the visual confirmation hole  53   a  of the rear pillar bracket  53  are overlapped, and the latching pawl  62   a  can easily be visually confirmed from a side surface illustrated in  FIG. 9(   a ). 
         [0087]    The latching claw  62   a  of the retainer bracket  62  is configured to be able to be inserted and latched, and temporarily fixed to a latching hole  28   b  (square hole for example) formed in the aforementioned airbag-attaching portion  28  on the vehicle body  1  side so that even one worker can easily attach the structure bracket  40 E to the airbag-attaching portion  28  on the vehicle body  1  when attaching the structure bracket  40 E to the airbag-attaching portion  28 . Furthermore, since the worker can constantly and visually confirm the latching state of the latching pawl  62   a  through the visual confirmation hole  53   a , a stable attaching work can be performed. 
         [0088]      FIG. 14  is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a part of the third row bracket looking from an arrow Z in  FIG. 9(   b ). In  FIG. 14 ,  FIG. 9(   a ), and  FIG. 9(   b ), as described above, the third row bracket  51  holds the periphery of the fluid-supplying inlet  20   a  of the curtain airbag  20 , and in the third row bracket  51 , a vibration-limiting portion  51   a  having a shape that surrounds an upper side and a lateral side (backside in  FIG. 9(   a )) in the outer periphery of the fluid-supplying pipe  82  to be inserted into the fluid-supplying inlet  20   a  is formed. In this embodiment, a reinforcing plate  90  is further fastened via a rivet  91  to an upper surface of the vibration-limiting portion  51   a , and an edge portion of the reinforcing plate  90  is bent downward. Thereby, the fluid-supplying pipe  82  is surrounded from a front side in  FIG. 9(   a ) as well. 
         [0089]    According to the curtain airbag apparatus  21  of the present embodiment having the thus explained construction, below described advantages can be obtained. 
         [0090]    That is, in the curtain airbag apparatus  21  of the present embodiment, the retainer-overlapping position-attaching portion  89  of the rear pillar bracket  53  is arranged to face the outer peripheral portion of the inflator  10  that is held by the inflator bracket  52  while being spaced apart therefrom. Therefore, even in a construction in which the rear pillar bracket  53  and the structure bracket  40 E including the inflator bracket  52  support and fasten the inflator  10  and the airbag-holding body  30  (curtain airbag  20 ) in the arrangement in parallel with each other and adjacent thereto, an appropriate separating distance can constantly be secured between the retainer-overlapping position-attaching portion  89  of the rear pillar bracket  53  and the outer peripheral portion of the inflator  10 . As a result, a normal attaching state of the curtain airbag  20  to the vehicle body  1  can be maintained. Consequently, the inflator  10  can be arranged to be overlapped with the curtain airbag  20 , and a small sizing for an entire apparatus can be aimed at. 
         [0091]    Further, in the present embodiment, an attaching operation (or assembling operation) for the entire structure bracket  40 E including the inflator bracket  52  can be performed while constantly and visually confirming the temporarily fixing state of the rear pillar  53  through the visual confirmation hole  53   a  by previously latching the same to the vehicle body  1  with the latching pawl  62   a . Therefore, the attaching workability for the curtain airbag apparatus  21  can be improved. 
         [0092]    Furthermore, in the present embodiment, even in a case that the retainer-attaching portion  61   b  of the retainer  61  is coupled with the displacement fastening portion  62   b  of the retainer bracket  62  using the bolt  86 , the end portion of the bolt  86  can be suppressed to be projected from the installation surface  62   c  at which entire retainer bracket  62  is installed to the vehicle body  1 . Thereby, the entire structure bracket  40 E can appropriately be attached. 
         [0093]    Moreover, in the present embodiment, when the pressurized gas is supplied to the fluid-supplying inlet  20   a  of the curtain airbag  20  through the fluid-supplying pipe  82  by an ignition activation of the inflator  10 , an excessive vibration of the fluid-supplying pipe  82  serving as a combining portion of the inflator  10  and the curtain airbag  20  can be limited by the vibration-limiting portion  51   a . This results in reduction of a load applied to the curtain airbag  20 . 
         [0094]    Further, in the bracket  40 B in the present embodiment, although the tension force of the reaction generated at a time when the curtain airbag  20  is expanded and developed is directly applied to the bottom plate portion  41 , since the bottom plate portion  41  is a portion that is bent orthogonally to the vehicle-body-attaching portion  45 , which is fixed to the vehicle body  1 , the tension force of the reaction can be absorbed by a plastic deformation of the bottom plate portion  41 . As a result, an appropriate attaching state of the curtain airbag  20  to the vehicle body  1  can be maintained. 
         [0095]    Furthermore, in the bracket  40 B of the present embodiment, the turn-back hole  48  of the bottom plate portion  41  is formed to be spaced apart from the bending portion between the bottom plate portion  41  and the vehicle-body-attaching portion  45  by a distance L. Thereby, the portion where the tension force of the reaction is applied can be separated from the bending portion. That is, a sufficient width of the plastic deformation can be given to the bottom plate portion  41 . 
         [0096]    Moreover, the bracket  40 D of the present embodiment has a construction where two airbag-attaching portions  43  to which the attaching piece  23  of the curtain airbag  20  is attached are provided, and the attaching-piece  23  of the curtain airbag  20  can be selectively attached to any one of two airbag-attaching portions  43 . Thereby, the attaching piece  23  can be attached to the airbag-attaching portions  43  while selecting the airbag-attaching portion  43  at a position corresponding to the attaching piece  23  in two of the airbag-attaching portions  43 ,  43  of the bracket  40 D corresponding to a distance between the attaching pieces  23  formed in the curtain airbag  20 . That is, for example, in a case that a distance between the attaching pieces  23  of the curtain airbag  20  is relatively narrow, the attaching pieces  23 ,  23  are respectively attached to the airbag-attaching portions  43 ,  43  located insides of each of the brackets  40 D,  40 D (a state shown in  FIG. 1 ), alternatively, for example, in a case that the distance between the attaching pieces  23  of the curtain airbag  20  is relatively wide, the attaching pieces  23  are respectively attached to the airbag-attaching portions  43  located outsides of each of the brackets  40 D,  40 D. As a result, the same bracket  43 D can be applied to a plurality of curtain airbags  20  whose respective attaching pieces  23  have a distance different to each other, thereby improving general versatility. 
         [0097]    Moreover, the bracket  40 D is formed to have a bilaterally-symmetric shape. Thereby, the same bracket  40 D can be applied to both sides in a vehicle-width direction of the vehicle body  1 , thereby further improving the general versatility of the bracket  40 D. 
         [0098]    Further, the bracket  40 D is provided with the same number of airbag-attaching portions  43  (one in the aforementioned embodiment) at respective left and right sides. Thereby, while maintaining the bilaterally-symmetric shape of the bracket  40 D, a bracket construction including a plurality of (two in the aforementioned embodiment) airbag-attaching portions  43  can be realized. 
         [0099]    Furthermore, the bracket  40 D is provided with one vehicle-body-attaching portion  45  for attaching the bracket  40 D to the vehicle body  1 , on the center surface A serving as an approximately center position in the left and right direction. Thereby, while maintaining the bilaterally-symmetric shape of the bracket  40 D, the bracket construction including the vehicle-body-attaching portion  45  can be realized. Moreover, since the one vehicle-body-attaching portion  45  is provided, the attaching work for attaching the curtain airbag  20  to the vehicle body  1  can be easier performed compared to a case that the curtain airbag  20  is attached to the vehicle body  1  using a bracket including a plurality of vehicle-body-attaching portions  45 . 
         [0100]    Moreover, the bracket  40 D is provided with the projecting portions  47 ,  47  for fitting into a fitting hole (not shown) provided in the aforementioned airbag-fixing portion  28  on the vehicle body side on both of left and right sides of the vehicle-body-attaching portion  45 . That is, when the attaching piece  23  of the curtain airbag  20  is fixed to any one of left and right airbag-attaching portions  43  of the bracket  40 D, rotation force for rotating the bracket  40 D about the vehicle-body-attaching portion  45  at an approximately center position in the left and right direction due to the weight thereof is generated. However, in this embodiment, the bracket  40 D is prevented from rotating about the vehicle-body-attaching portion  45  by the aforementioned rotation force, by the projecting portions  47 ,  47  of the bracket  40 D that are fitted into the respective fitting holes provided in the vehicle body  1 . Further, there is also an advantage that a positioning work can be easily performed when attaching the bracket  40 D to the vehicle body side by fitting the projecting portion  47  of the bracket  40 D into the fitting hole of the vehicle body  1 . 
         [0101]    Incidentally, although the above-described embodiment is an example of the preferred configuration of the present invention, the invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications may be embodied within the scope not departing from the spirit of the present invention. 
         [0102]    The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-122796 filed on May 8, 2008 is incorporated as a reference. 
         [0103]    While the invention has been explained with reference to the specific embodiments of the invention, the explanation is illustrative and the invention is limited only by the appended claims.