Curtain airbag for vehicle

A curtain airbag apparatus includes a series of main chambers formed to flatways cover an inner side structure of the vehicle upon inflation; and a head receiving region formed at a front portion of the curtain airbag concavely upwardly in a length direction of the vehicle to receive a head of an occupant when the head of the occupant comes into contact with a driver seat airbag and slide in front and lateral directions of the vehicle in an inflated state of the driver seat airbag.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a curtain airbag for a vehicle, which is configured to inflate and deploy along an interior side surface of the vehicle upon a vehicle side impact collision or rollover.

BACKGROUND ART

In recent years, high levels of safety performance of vehicles have been required. This trend is shared across countries around the world where most vehicles are currently standard-equipped with airbags as vehicle safety devices. Firms involved in vehicle development have adopted ongoing safety improvement as a major development guideline. In keeping with this, new airbags are continually being developed.

Standards for evaluating vehicle safety differ from country to country, and firms approach product development such that products can meet evaluation standards in multiple countries. In the United States, for instance, which has the largest automobile fleet in the world Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) are issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for FMVSS, a requirement is proposed that aims at “reducing the probability of occupant ejection from a vehicle through a side window using an ejection mitigation system in the event of a side impact or rollover”. The requirement can be met by providing a side curtain airbag as a device intended to reduce ejection from a vehicle, such that the side curtain airbag constitutes the ejection mitigation system.

The curtain airbag for the vehicle is installed at the upper end in the vehicle so as to inflate and deploy upon a vehicle collision. The side curtain airbag provides high levels of safety performance upon a rollover as well as a side impact collision of the vehicle.

Meanwhile, for the protection of the occupant, a driver seat airbag is designed as most often a round bag and in the inflated state covers the steering wheel, is further provided in the steering wheel of the vehicle as well. As the steering wheel naturally is arranged to perform a rotational movement, with a steering wheel hub not being fixed the airbag as well performs this rotational movement, so that the airbag itself needs to be deigned to be symmetric and in particular to be round, in order that it can fulfill its protective function independent of the position of the steering wheel.

In the event of an accident, during the occurring forward movement the occupant generally is protected by the curtain airbag and the driver seat airbag. Upon a vehicle collision, the head of the occupant collides with the driver seat airbag and may be inserted into a gap between the curtain airbag and the driver seat airbag.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Technical Problem

An object of the invention is to provide a curtain airbag for a vehicle, which can receive the head of the occupant when the head of the occupant is inserted into the gap between the curtain airbag and the driver seat airbag after coming into contact with the driver seat airbag.

Another object of the invention is to provide a curtain airbag for a vehicle, which can secondarily protect the head of the occupant by preventing the head of the occupant from being inserted into the gap between the curtain airbag and the driver seat airbag and from being rotated.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a curtain which is installed at a side portion of a roof panel in a folded state to be extended from a front pillar to a rear pillar and inflated and deployed along an inner side surface of the vehicle in a curtain shape upon side impacts or rollover of the vehicle, airbag for a vehicle configured such that, upon inflation of the curtain airbag, a front lower end of the curtain airbag can be positioned at an inner side structure below the window of the vehicle.

Solution to Problem

According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, there is provided a curtain airbag for a vehicle. The curtain airbag includes a series of main chambers; and a head receiving region concavely formed at a front portion of the curtain airbag and inclined upwardly in a length direction of the vehicle to receive a head of an occupant when the head of the occupant comes into contact with an inflated driver seat airbag and moves in front and lateral directions of the vehicle. The head receiving region may comprise a shape substantially corresponding to a contour of the head of the occupant coming into contact with the head receiving region.

Wherein a vertical length of a front end of the curtain airbag may be the same with a vertical length of a rear end of the curtain airbag, and the curtain airbag may further comprise a reinforcement structure configured to allow a front lower portion of the curtain airbag to come into contact with an inner side structure below a window of the vehicle in an inflated state of the curtain airbag.

The head receiving region may comprise a non-inflatable region formed at a front portion of the main chambers.

The reinforcement structure may be formed to define the main chambers in such a way that, at the front portion of the main chambers, inflation gas flows from a lower portion of the curtain airbag toward an upper portion of the curtain airbag.

The reinforcement structure may comprise a non-inflatable region that defines the front portion of the main chambers in a canyon shape such that, upon inflation of the curtain airbag, a front upper end of the main chambers comes into contact with a lower end of a front pillar of the vehicle, and a front lower end portion of the main chambers may be positioned at the inner side structure below the window of the vehicle.

The non-inflatable region may be defined by a chamber wall that defines the front portion of the main chambers in a “U” shape.

The head receiving region may be formed together with the chamber wall by modifying a distance between middle portions of the chamber wall and the lengths of the middle portions of the chamber wall during forming the chamber wall.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the head of the occupant can be primarily stopped by the head receiving region concavely formed at the front portion of the curtain airbag and inclined upwardly in a length direction of the vehicle in the event that the head of the occupant is rotated while being inserted into the gap between the curtain airbag and the driver seat airbag, thereby protecting the head of the occupant.

According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the protruding chamber is provided parallel with the head receiving region formed at the curtain airbag upwardly in the length direction of the vehicle, thereby secondarily preventing the movement of the head of the occupant.

According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the front portion of the main chamber of the curtain airbag includes the canyon shape. Accordingly, upon inflation of the curtain airbag, the front upper end of the main chamber comes into contact with the lower end of the front pillar, thereby relatively lowering the front portion of the curtain airbag. As a result, an overlapping area between the interior surface of the door below the side window of the vehicle and the curtain airbag is relatively increased, and the supporting strength of the curtain airbag against the inner side structure of the vehicle is increased, thereby improving the protection effect of the head of the occupant.

MODE FOR THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, but various modifications may be realized. The present embodiments are provided to make the disclosure of the present invention perfect and to make those skilled in the art perfectly comprehend the scope of the present invention.

In the following description, side curtain airbags for a vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention, which are substantially installed at a side portion of a roof panel in a folded state to be extended from a front pillar to a rear pillar and inflated and deployed along an inner side surface of the vehicle in a curtain shape upon side impacts or rollover of the vehicle, will be described.

FIG. 1is a side view showing the interior of a vehicle with a curtain airbag mounted in the vehicle in a folded state according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Referring toFIG. 1, a curtain airbag apparatus1is installed at a roof side rail17located at an upper edge above a window of a vehicle body10in a folded state along the longitudinal direction.

The vehicle body10includes a front pillar11, a center pillar13, a rear pillar15, and a roof side rail17coupled to the respective upper ends of the pillars11,13, and15. The roof side rail17extends in the forward-rearward direction of the vehicle10to support a roof19. The roof side rail17is installed along the edge of the roof19.

The vehicle body10includes a front side door21installed between the front pillar11and the center pillar13and a rear side door22installed between the center pillar13and the rear pillar15. A front window23is arranged at an upper portion of the front side door21, and a rear window24is arranged at an upper portion of the rear side door22.

The curtain airbag apparatus1is installed in the roof side rail17. The curtain airbag apparatus1includes a curtain airbag100mounted to the roof side rail17in a folded state along upper edges of the front and rear side windows23and24, and an inflator3to generate gas upon a vehicle collision.

The inflator3is coupled to an upper central portion of the airbag100between the front side seat and the rear side seat. In another embodiment, the inflator3may be coupled to an upper rear end or an upper front end of the curtain airbag100.

When the impact of more than a predetermined level is applied to the lateral part of the vehicle10, the gas is generated from the inflator3, and the gas generated from the inflator3is supplied into the curtain airbag100. The airbag100covers the inner side structures, such as front/rear side windows23and24, front/rear side doors21and22while being downwardly deployed.

FIG. 2is a side view showing a curtain airbag according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, andFIG. 3is a perspective view showing the interior of a vehicle with an inflated curtain airbag and driver seat airbag according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Referring toFIGS. 2 and 3, the curtain airbag100is formed in a sack shape formed to include a length extending in the front and rear directions of the vehicle. The curtain airbag100is made with two fabric layers or a single fabric layer which is woven in one piece according to a one-piece woven technology.

The curtain airbag100includes a series of main chambers103defined by a plurality of chamber walls101formed along the edges of the curtain airbag100and formed in a transversal and/or vertical direction. The main chamber103flatways covers the inner side structure of the vehicle, such as insides of the windows and doors.

A gas introduction portion105is provided at the central upper portion of the curtain airbag100. The gas introduced through the gas introduction portion105flows into main chambers103through an upper passage formed by the chamber walls. A plurality of mounting tabs107are provided at the upper edge of the curtain airbag100, which are mounted to the inner side structures of the vehicle through a fastening member (not shown).

The curtain airbag100includes a head receiving region109formed in the front portion of the curtain airbag100for receiving the head H of the occupant when a vehicle collision occurs.

The head receiving region109is provided at the front portion of the curtain airbag100such that, upon a vehicle collision, the head H of the occupant, which is ejected in the front and lateral directions of the vehicle, can be received in the head receiving region109and prevented from being rotated.

The head receiving region109is concavely formed and inclined upwardly in a length direction of the curtain airbag100and has a substantially oval shape. The slope of the head receiving region109is defined to receive the head H of the occupant when the head H of the occupant comes into contact with the driver seat airbag50and is inserted into the gap G between the curtain airbag100and the driver seat airbag50.

Upon a vehicle collision, the occupant is moved in the front direction of the vehicle due to rapid reduction of speed of the vehicle, the head of the occupant is inserted into the gap G between the curtain airbag100and the driver seat airbag50after colliding with the driver seat airbag50. As a result, the head H of the occupant is moved between the curtain airbag100and the driver airbag50in a state the head H of the occupant is inclined toward the front of the vehicle.

The head receiving region109receives the head H of the occupant, which protrudes toward the front of the vehicle, so that the head H of the occupant is prevented from being rotated. The head receiving region109has an inclined shape upwardly in front and rear directions of the vehicle, so that, upon a vehicle collision, the head receiving region109is aligned with the inclined head H of the occupant.

The head receiving region109may have any shapes corresponding to the contour of the head of the occupant, which is inclined upon a vehicle collision, so that the inclined head of the occupant can be received in the head receiving region109. The head receiving region109may have an oval shape.

The head receiving region109may be formed by a sewing line S1formed in an oval shape. In another embodiment, the head receiving region109may be made in one step when manufacturing the curtain airbag100with the one-piece woven technology.

FIG. 4is a top view showing a vehicle with an inflated curtain airbag and a driver seat airbag according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Referring toFIGS. 2 and 4, the curtain airbag100further includes a protruding chamber110provided below the head receiving region109so as to improve the effect for stopping the movement of the head H of the occupant.

The protruding chamber110is formed by folding a front lower corner108of the curtain airbag100toward the head receiving region109of the curtain airbag100.

The protruding chamber110relatively protrudes toward the interior of the vehicle relative to the main chambers103. As a result, upon a collision, the head H of the occupant is secondarily restricted after the head H of the occupant is primarily restricted by the head receiving region109. Accordingly, the head H of the occupant is additionally prevented from protruding toward the front of the vehicle, thereby effectively protecting the head H of the occupant.

The front portion of the curtain airbag100may be fixed to a vehicle body, such as the front pillar11by a connecting strap130. One end of the connecting strap130is connected to head receiving region109in an outer panel of the curtain airbag100, which faces the inner side structure of the vehicle, and the other end of the connecting strap130is connected to the front pillar11.

In such a configuration, upon inflation of the curtain airbag100, the curtain airbag100is pulled toward the front of the vehicle, thereby firmly supporting the inflated curtain airbag100.

In the following description, a configuration for reinforcing the supporting strength of the protruding chamber110will be described.

FIG. 5is a side view showing a state in which a protruding chamber of a curtain airbag of a vehicle is supported by a reinforcement strap according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Referring toFIG. 5, upper and lower portions of the protruding chamber110that is substantially folded in a triangular shape are supported to an inner panel of the curtain airbag by a reinforcement strap111. Upon inflation of the curtain airbag100, the reinforcement strap111tightly pulls the protruding chamber110toward the main chamber103, so that the protruding chamber110is supported at a predetermined position.

The reinforcement strap111supports the protruding chamber110protruding toward the interior of the vehicle by a certain force, so that the movement of the protruding chamber110is restricted. In other words, the reinforcement strap111tightly pulls the protruding chamber110toward the main chamber103, thereby supporting the protruding chamber110at a certain positon.

The protruding chamber110supported by the reinforcement strap111effectively prevents the head of the occupant, which is primarily restricted by the head receiving region109, from being moved in front and lateral directions of the vehicle.

FIG. 6is a side view showing a state in which a protruding chamber of a curtain airbag of a vehicle is supported by a reinforcement strap according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Referring toFIG. 6, the protruding chamber110is fixed to the inner panel of the curtain airbag110by a reinforcement strap113. One end of the reinforcement strap113is connected to an upper central portion of the protruding chamber110, i.e. a front lower corner of the curtain airbag100, and the other end of the reinforcement strap113is connected to an upper edge of the inner panel of the curtain airbag100.

The above mentioned reinforcement straps111and113may be configured with the fabric materials that are the same with the materials of the curtain airbag100or tether.

In the following description, a configuration for improving the protection effect of the occupant will be described. In the configuration, a front lower end portion of the curtain airbag is relatively downwardly positioned at lower portion below the window side of the vehicle, so that, upon inflation of the curtain airbag, the curtain airbag is firmly supported to the inner side structure of the vehicle.

Hereinafter, the curtain airbag is given with numbers of200s, and repeated description about components similar with the components as described above will be omitted.

FIG. 7is a side view showing a curtain airbag for a vehicle according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention, andFIG. 8is a side view showing the interior of a vehicle with an inflated curtain airbag for the vehicle according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Referring toFIGS. 7 and 8, the vertical lengths L1and L2of front and rear ends of the airbag200are the same with each other, and the curtain airbag200includes a reinforcement structure240configured to allow the front lower end portion of the curtain airbag200to make contact with the lower portion side below the window of the vehicle, such as an inner side of the door upon inflation of the curtain airbag100.

The reinforcement structure240is formed to define the main chamber203in such a way that, at the front portion of the main chamber203, the inflation gas can flow from a lower portion of the curtain airbag200to an upper portion of the curtain airbag200.

The reinforcement structure240may include a non-inflatable region241that defines the front portion of the main chamber203in a canyon shape, so that, upon inflation of the curtain airbag200, a front upper end of the main chamber203comes into contact with a lower end of the front pillar11of the vehicle, and a front lower end part of the main chamber203is positioned at the inner structure side below the window of the vehicle.

The non-inflatable region241may be defined by a chamber wall243that defines the front portion of the main chamber203in a “U” shape.

The chamber wall243may be formed with a sewing line. In another embodiment, the non-inflatable region241can be formed when manufacturing the curtain airbag200in the one-piece woven technology.

In the curtain airbag200configured as described above, the inflation gas introduced through the gas introduction portion205flows toward the front of the curtain airbag200, and then substantially in a U shape through the front chamber defined by the non-inflatable region241.

Since the inflation gas is supplied in the U shape, a front upper end203aof the main chamber203comes into contact with a lower end of the front pillar11. As a result, the front portion of the curtain airbag200is relatively downwardly moved, thereby relatively increasing an area overlapping with the door21below the window23. The curtain airbag200is firmly supported to the inner side structure of the vehicle by the increased overlapping area, thereby improving the inflation and protection characteristics of the curtain airbag200. In particular, the head H of the occupant can be prevented from being inserted between the lower portion of the curtain airbag200and the side door21of the vehicle.

Since the overlapping area of the lower part of the curtain airbag200is increased, the supporting strength of the curtain airbag200is increased. Accordingly, the occupant is prevented from colliding directly with the inner side structure of the vehicle, thereby, preventing the occupant from being severely injured or being thrown out of the window. That is, the increased overlapping area firmly supports the lower portion of the head receiving region209also when the head of the occupant is received in the head receiving region209, thereby enhancing the protection effect of the head of the occupant.

In the above configuration, even if the vertical lengths L1and L2of the curtain airbag200are the same with each other, the front lower portion of the curtain airbag200can be relatively downwardly positioned when the curtain airbag200is inflated. Accordingly, it is not necessary to provide a special extended portion at the front lower portion of the curtain airbag200. In this case, when cutting out a plurality of curtain airbags in a single material, a portion to be wasted can be minimized, thereby reducing the material costs.

The head receiving region209may partially overlap with the non-inflatable region241. The head receiving region209is formed with an oval non-inflatable region, which is upwardly inclined in a length direction of the curtain airbag200. Like the chamber walls243defining the non-inflatable region241, the head receiving region209may be defined with a sewing line. In another embodiment, the head receiving region209may be also formed when manufacturing the curtain airbag200in the one-piece woven technology.

The head receiving region209may be formed by modifying a distance D between middle portions of the chamber walls243and lengths H1and H2of the middle portions of the chamber walls243when the chamber walls243is formed. In some embodiments, when the curtain airbag200is manufactured in the one-piece woven technology, the head receiving region209may be formed together.

The head receiving region209is configured to receive the head of the occupant, which is inserted in the gap between the driver seat airbag50and the curtain airbag200, so that the rotation of the head of the occupant can be prevented. The head receiving region209may be formed by modifying the distance D between the middle portions of the chamber walls243and lengths H1and H2of middle portions of the chamber walls243that defines the non-inflatable region241. The head receiving region209may be variously changed by variously modifying the distance D and the lengths H1and H2, and curved lengths of chamber walls within the length (H1and H2) regions.

One end of the connecting strap230is coupled to a region between the chamber walls243, i.e. the head receiving region209on the outer panel of the curtain airbag200, and the other end of the connecting strap230is coupled to the vehicle body, such as the front pillar, so that the supporting strength of the curtain airbag200is reinforced. The connecting strap230pulls the curtain airbag200toward the front of the vehicle upon inflation of the curtain airbag200, so that the inflated curtain airbag200is firmly supported.

As a result, the head H of the occupant is firmly received in the head receiving region209, thereby effectively preventing the rotation of the head H of the occupant.

The reinforcement structure240may be configured in an extension chamber extending from the front lower end of the curtain airbag200(see the marked portion in the dotted line inFIG. 7). In this case, the material consumption for the curtain airbag is increased, and the wasted portion is increased to some extent.

Although the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described, it is understood that the exemplary embodiments help one ordinary skilled in the art to easily realize the present invention should not be limited to these exemplary embodiments and accompanying drawings. Therefore, various changes and modifications can be apparently made by the skilled in the art without departing from the technical sprit of the present invention. In addition, it is understood that parts that can be easily changed by the skilled in the art are within the spirit and scope of the present invention as hereinafter claimed.