Patent Abstract:
A motor vehicle body is provided with a side airbag system that has a gas generator of the side airbag system and a handle mounted adjacently to a side window. The gas generator is inserted in a mounting frame between the handle and the roof frame, which connects the handle to a roof frame of the body.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. 102010014050.3, filed Apr. 7, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The technical field relates to a motor vehicle body with a side airbag system, which serves to prevent that an occupant of the motor vehicle strikes a side window or body parts adjacent to the latter with his head in the event of an accident. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A motor vehicle body with side airbag system is known for example from U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,767 A. This conventional side airbag system comprises a plurality of airbags which are accommodated in a channel that is open towards the bottom on a roof frame of the vehicle body and are supplied by gas generators which are mounted on the upper end of a B-pillar or on the foot of an A-pillar of the body. The channel impairs the stability of an anchorage of a handle mounted on the roof frame. The mounting of the gas generators and of the handle requires a lot of work and a large number of individual parts. 
     Therefore, at least one object is to state a motor vehicle body that allows simplified mounting of a side airbag system and of a handle on a roof frame. In addition, other objects, desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background. 
     SUMMARY 
     A motor vehicle body is provided having a side airbag system. A gas generator of the side airbag system and a handle are mounted adjacently to a side window, and the gas generator is inserted between the handle and the roof frame of the body in a mounting frame connecting the handle to a roof frame. Thus, through the attachment of the handle and its mounting frame on the roof frame the place of installation for the gas generator is created. It is not necessary to mount a separate mounting frame for the gas generator in a separate operation as a result of which working time and fastening parts can be saved. 
     The mounting frame can comprise a base plate which in the installed state faces the passenger cell on which the handle is fastened, two first feet offset against the base plate for fastening to the roof frame and wall portions connecting the feet to the base plate. A clearance accommodating the gas generator is preferentially formed in at least one of the wall portions. The clearance facilitates the insertion of the gas generator after the attachment of the handle and mounting frame to the roof frame. A clamping strap wrapped about the gas generator can serve for the final fixing. 
     A rail extending in longitudinal direction of the gas generator can form an extended contact surface or at least contact points spaced far from one another through which an installation position of the gas generator is exactly determined. In order to fix the gas generator to the rail the clamping strap can be wrapped about the gas generator and the rail. In order to reduce the number of the individual parts to be mounted, the rail and the clamping strap are preferentially formed continuously in one piece. 
     It is also preferable that the mounting frame is constructed in two parts with a first frame part connecting the handle to the body and a second frame part on which the gas generator is fixed. The frame parts are not necessarily interconnected in a fixed manner but at least so interlaced so that they can be jointly mounted to the roof frame in a single operation. If the abovementioned base plate, the wall portions and the first feet are part of the first frame part, the second frame part for this purpose practically comprises second feet which, when fastened to the roof frame, bear against the first feet. To this end, a first and a second foot each are preferentially fastened to the roof frame by a common screw. 
     A rail of the second frame part, which more preferably can be the abovementioned rail, can cross the two edge portions of the first frame part and in the process more preferably run through its clearances. A connecting piece between the rail and one of the second feet preferentially rests on an upper edge of one of the first feet so that when the two frame parts are held in an orientation suitable for mounting, the second frame part rests on the first one in a stable manner, even without both being interconnected in a fixed manner. 
     Airbags fed by the gas generator can be arranged on opposite sides of the gas generator. Thus, despite the central positioning of the gas generator behind the handle, the side window can be completely covered by airbags before and behind the handle when required. In order to provide continuous protection an airbag of the system can also extend along a pillar, more preferably an A-pillar of the body. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and: 
         FIG. 1  is a part view of a motor vehicle body according to a first embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a part view similar to  FIG. 1  according to a second embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a first frame part used for fastening a handle to a roof frame of the body according to  FIG. 1  or  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a second frame part provided as holder for a gas generator; 
         FIG. 5  is the two frame parts in the state joined into each other; 
         FIG. 6  is the two frame parts according to a first modification, together with a gas generator fixed therein; and 
         FIG. 7  is a second frame part according to a further modification. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to application and uses. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background or summary or the following detailed description. 
       FIG. 1 , in a schematic view, seen out of the passenger cell, shows A, B and C-pillars  1 ,  2 ,  3  of a motor vehicle body and a roof frame  4  connecting the upper ends of the pillars  1 ,  2 ,  3 . The body has front and rear door openings  5 ,  6 . In the front door opening  5  the outline of a side window is drawn in interrupted line. On the roof frame  4  a plurality of airbags  7 ,  8  are mounted above the door openings  5 ,  6 . A handle  9  above the rear door opening  6  divides the airbags into a front group  7  and a rear group  8 . Both groups substantially extend over the same length or comprise the same number of airbags. The handle  9  is fastened to the roof frame  4  by means of a mounting frame  10 , which simultaneously also carries a gas generator  11  for supplying the airbags  7 ,  8 . 
       FIG. 2  in a view similar to  FIG. 1  shows a part of a motor vehicle body according to second embodiment. A rear door opening is not shown here, it can either be present or not. The handle  9 , the frame  10  and the gas generator  11  are located above the front door opening  5 . The front gas generators  7  extend from the roof frame  4  along the A-pillar  1 ; the rear gas generators reach along the roof frame at least as far as to the B-pillar  2 . Handle  9 , frame  10  and gas generator  11  are identically constructed with those shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a first frame part  12  of the mounting frame  10  in a perspective view. The frame part  12  formed of steel plate comprises a base plate  13  which in the state mounted to the roof frame  4  faces the passenger cell, two plate-shaped feet  14  offset parallel to the base plate  13  and wall portions  15  which unitarily join the base plate to the feet  14 . The wall portions  15  each have a clearance  16  that is open towards the top and approximately semi-circular in shape. The base plate  13  is stiffened by a rounding-off at its lower edge  17 . A strap  18  standing away from the lower edge, which at its free end comprises a further foot for fastening to the roof frame  4 , can serve for the further stabilization of the frame part  12 . The handle  9  in a manner known per se can be pivoted against a base concealed behind the base plate  13  in  FIG. 1 . The base is positioned in the base plate  13  with the help of pins  19  which penetrate bores of the base plate  13  and are fastened by sheet metal screws  20 . 
     A second frame part  21  shown in  FIG. 4  serves as holder of the gas generator  11  (not shown). It comprises an elongated rail  22  from the lower edge of which a plurality of tongues  23  stand away. The tongues  23  are curved in the shape of a semicircle over an angle of more than approximately 180° with a slightly smaller diameter than the gas generator  11  in order to elastically clamp the latter. From an upper edge of the rail  22  two L-shaped angled hooks  24  stand away, whose vertical leg distant from the rail  22  likewise forms a foot  25  for the fastening of the second frame part  21  on the roof frame  4  and is substantially congruent with a foot  14  of the first frame part  12 . 
       FIG. 5  shows the frame parts  12 ,  21  in a configuration joined into each other. Proximal legs  27  of the hooks  24  rest on the upper edges of the feet  14 , the feet  14 ,  25  touch each other and fastening holes  26  of the feet  14 ,  25  are aligned with each other. In this configuration the two frame parts  12 ,  21  can be mounted to the roof frame  4  in a single operation in that they are screwed to the roof frame  4  with the help of screws extending through the fastening holes  26  which are not shown. In the process, the feet  25  of the second frame part  21  are clamped in between the feet  14  of the first frame part  12  and the roof frame  4 . 
     The gas generator  11  can be placed in a mounting frame  10  mounted thus in that it is pushed into the clearances  16  from the top until it engages in the tongues  23  or, if the spacing between the base plate  13  and the vehicle roof is not adequate for this, in that it is pushed between the tongues  23  and into the clearances  16  in longitudinal direction. 
       FIG. 6  shows the mounting frame  10  with the gas generator  11  fixed therein according to another embodiment. The proximal legs  27  of the second frame part  21  in this case are provided with an opening or notch  28  through which a holding strap, for example a cable tie  29  extends. By tensioning the cable tie  29  the gas generator  11  is sustainably fixed on the second frame part  21 . The elastic tongues  23  can support the gas generator  11  also with this configuration, but if they are absent, the cable ties  29  however are adequate to securely fix the gas generator  11  in the shown position. 
     A third configuration of the second frame part  21  is shown in  FIG. 7  in a schematic view. The hooks  24  are the same as with the configurations of  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 6 . The rail  22  in this case is extended slightly beyond the hooks  24  and the tongues  23  are offset in longitudinal direction of the rail  22  against the hooks  24 . Because of this it is possible to form additional tongues on the frame part  21  unitarily cut to size and shaped from sheet metal to form tongues  30  located opposite the tongues  23  on the upper edge of the rail  22 . These tongues  30  at their free end are provided with an eye  31  with a flat T-shaped cross section. The tips  32  of the tongues  32  to this end have a complementary T-shape, which allows latching the tip  32  in the eye  31  under tension as is shown in  FIG. 7  on the example of the rear-most pair of tongues  23 ,  30 . The mounting of the gas generator  11  is performed in that, after the second frame part  21  has been joined together with the first frame part  12  of  FIG. 3  and mounted to the roof frame, it is pushed in longitudinal direction of the rail  22  between the as yet unconnected tongues  23 ,  30  and subsequently clamped into the eyes  31  of the gas generator  11  through inter-latching of the tips  32 . 
     While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing summary and detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration in any way. Rather, the foregoing summary and detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1