EP-4737227-A1 - CURTAIN AIRBAG DEVICE

EP4737227A1EP 4737227 A1EP4737227 A1EP 4737227A1EP-4737227-A1

Abstract

To maintain the stowed form of an airbag cushion and ensure smooth expansion and deployment with a simple and cost-effective configuration. RESOLUTION MEANS The curtain airbag device 100 includes a mini-wrap 138 and a deployment-assisting fabric 152 that are wrapped around the airbag cushion 102 in the stowed form, a connecting part 168 that connects the mini-wrap 138 and the deployment-assisting fabric 152 to the airbag cushion 102, and a cover member 136 that covers the airbag cushion 102 in the stowed form. A first region 172 of the deployment-assisting fabric 152 has a dimension L1 from the connecting part 168 to a second side 172b that falls within a range H1 from the connecting part 168 of the mini-wrap 138 to an opening part 140. A second region 174 has a dimension L2 from the connecting part 168 to a second side 174b that is larger than that of the first region 172. The deployment-assisting fabric 152 is arranged so that the second region 174 overlaps the end part 176 of the cover member 136.

Inventors

KOBAYASHI, Yuto
OKA, SHINYA

Assignees

Autoliv Development AB

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20240605

Claims (15)

A curtain airbag device, comprising: an airbag cushion that is wound or folded into a stowed form elongated in a vehicle front-to-back direction and mounted to an upper part of a vehicle cabin side wall; and an inflator that supplies gas to the airbag cushion, wherein the curtain airbag device further includes: a tab having a band shape, the tab protruding upward from the airbag cushion in the stowed form and being secured to the vehicle cabin side wall; a deployment-assisting fabric having a fabric shape with a first side connected to the airbag cushion in the stowed form and a second side that is free; a connecting part that connects the first side of the deployment-assisting fabric to the airbag cushion; a mini-wrap protruding from a prescribed location on the second side of the deployment-assisting fabric; an opening part formed in the mini-wrap and configured to be hooked onto the tab; and a cover member extending along a prescribed area in a longitudinal direction of the airbag cushion in the stowed form and covering the vehicle cabin side wall side of the airbag cushion, wherein the deployment-assisting fabric is maintained in a state wrapped around the airbag cushion in the stowed form by hooking the opening of the mini-wrap onto the tab, the deployment-assisting fabric includes: a first region formed in an area in which the mini-wrap is provided; and a second region provided adjacent to the first region in the longitudinal direction of the airbag cushion in the stowed form, the second region having a dimension from the connecting part to the second side that is greater than that of the first region, and the deployment-assisting fabric is arranged such that the second region overlaps at least an end part of the cover member.
The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the mini-wrap is strip-shaped and attached to the deployment-assisting fabric such that the opening part protrudes from the second side of the deployment-assisting fabric.
The curtain airbag device according to claim 2, wherein the connecting part connects the mini-wrap to the airbag cushion together with the first side of the deployment-assisting fabric, and the first region has a dimension from the connecting part to the second side that falls within an area from the connecting part of the mini-wrap to the opening part.
The curtain airbag device according to claim 3, wherein the mini-wrap has a weakened part provided in an area between the connecting part and the opening part, the weakened part enabling rupture of the mini-wrap during expansion and deployment of the airbag cushion, and the second side of the first region is positioned, in a circumferential direction of the airbag cushion in the stowed form, between the weakened part of the mini-wrap and the opening part.
The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the mini-wrap is formed integrally with the deployment-assisting fabric.
The curtain airbag device according to claim 4, wherein the mini-wrap has a weakened part provided at a prescribed location, the weakened part being configured to rupture during expansion and deployment of the airbag cushion and to separate an area including the opening part from the deployment-assisting fabric.
A curtain airbag device, comprising: an airbag cushion that is wound or folded into a stowed form elongated in a vehicle front-to-back direction and attached to an upper part of a vehicle cabin side wall; and an inflator that supplies gas to the airbag cushion, wherein the curtain airbag device further includes: an inflator insertion part into which the inflator is inserted; and a deployment-assisting fabric having a fabric shape with a first side connected to the airbag cushion in the stowed form by a prescribed connecting part and a second side that is free, and the deployment-assisting fabric includes: a first region formed, in a longitudinal direction of the airbag cushion in the stowed form, on the inflator insertion part side; and a second region provided, in the longitudinal direction, on a side opposite to the inflator insertion part as viewed from the first region, the second region having a dimension from the connecting part to the second side that is greater than that of the first region.
The curtain airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the second side of the second region protrudes in a stepped shape from the second side of the first region.
The curtain airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the second side of the second region is tapered so that a dimension of the second region gradually widens from the first region.
The curtain airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the second side of the first region is tapered so that a dimension of the first region gradually widens toward the second region.
The curtain airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the second side of the deployment-assisting fabric is tapered so that a dimension of the deployment-assisting fabric gradually widens from an end part on the first region side toward an end part on the second region side.
The curtain airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mini-wrap is formed of nonwoven fabric.
The curtain airbag device according to claim 4 or 6, wherein the weakened part is formed as a slit.
The curtain airbag device according to claim 3, wherein the connecting part integrally joins the mini-wrap, a first side of the deployment-assisting fabric, a first end of the tab, and a non-expandable part of the airbag cushion.
The curtain airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: tapes provided on both sides of the mini-wrap and configured to wrap the deployment-assisting fabric around the airbag cushion in the stowed form, wherein the tapes can be ruptured by the expansion pressure of the airbag cushion.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a curtain airbag device that protects an occupant in the event of a vehicle side collision or rollover. BACKGROUND ART In recent years, airbag devices have become standard equipment in most vehicles as a safety device. A typical airbag device senses an impact with a sensor and activates an inflator, which is a gas generator, causing an airbag cushion to expand and deploy with the gas pressure. The airbag cushion, for example, in a front airbag device, is folded and stowed at a center of a steering wheel, and, in a curtain airbag device, is stowed in a wound state or the like in the vicinity above side doors of a vehicle cabin. In the curtain airbag device described above, since the airbag cushion has a long shape, the stowed form is maintained using a strip-shaped fabric material, tape, or the like. Furthermore, for example, in the head protection airbag device of Patent Document 1, as described in paragraph 0060 and FIG. 13, a resin guide plate 45 and a fabric belt 56 are used as means for regulating the deployment direction of the airbag body. In the technology of Patent Document 1, as described in paragraphs 0044, 0060, and the like, a fabric belt 56 is used to cover the upper end part 49A of a garnish 49, thereby preventing an airbag body 16 from entering gaps around this upper end 49A. RELATED ART DOCUMENTS PATENT DOCUMENTS Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application 2000-33845 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the technology of Patent Document 1, as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, a metal plate 42 is provided above a center pillar garnish 49, and then the above-mentioned guide plate 45 and fabric belt 56 are provided. However, the configuration of the Cited Document 1 uses a large number of metal and resin members. Currently, there is a demand for simpler and less costly means to avoid interference between the airbag cushion and surrounding structures. PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION In light of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a curtain airbag device that has a simple and low-cost configuration and is capable of maintaining the stowed form of the airbag cushion and achieving smooth expansion and deployment. MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM To resolve the problem described above, a typical configuration of a curtain airbag device according to the present invention includes: an airbag cushion that is wound or folded into a stowed form elongated in a vehicle front-to-back direction and attached to an upper part of a vehicle cabin side wall; andan inflator that supplies gas to the airbag cushion, whereinthe curtain airbag device further includes: a tab having a band shape, the tab protruding upward from the airbag cushion in the stowed form and being secured to the vehicle cabin side wall;a deployment-assisting fabric having a fabric shape with a first side connected to the airbag cushion in the stowed form and a second side that is free;a connecting part that connects the first side of the deployment-assisting fabric to the airbag cushion;a mini-wrap protruding from a prescribed location on the second side of the deployment-assisting fabric;an opening part formed in the mini-wrap and configured to be hooked onto the tab; anda cover member extending along a prescribed area in a longitudinal direction of the airbag cushion in the stowed form and covering the vehicle cabin side wall side of the airbag cushion, whereinthe deployment-assisting fabric is maintained in a state wrapped around the airbag cushion in the stowed form by hooking the opening of the mini-wrap onto the tab,the deployment-assisting fabric includes: a first region formed in an area in which the mini-wrap is provided; anda second region provided adjacent to the first region in the longitudinal direction of the airbag cushion in the stowed form, the second region having a dimension from the connecting part to the second side that is greater than that of the first region, andthe deployment-assisting fabric is arranged such that the second region overlaps at least an end part of the cover member. With the above configuration, when the stowed form of the airbag cushion is released and the airbag cushion expands and deploys, the second region of the deployment-assisting fabric covers gaps, steps, and the like between the cover member and surrounding vehicle cabin side wall and pillars, thereby enabling prevention of interference of the airbag cushion with these gaps and the like. Therefore, with the above configuration, the deployment behavior of the airbag cushion can be smoothly maintained, and the airbag cushion can be quickly expanded and deployed within a desired area. In addition, with the above configuration, the configuration is simple and the use of parts made of other materials is suppressed; thereby suppressing increases in manufacturing costs. The mini-wrap may be belt-shaped and attached to the deployment-assisting fabric so that the opening