Patent Application
20150239416
The present exemplary embodiment relates to an automotive vehicle airbag. It finds particular application in conjunction with a curtain airbag and more specifically with a mounting structure for a curtain airbag, and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the present exemplary embodiment is also amenable to other similar applications.
Modern vehicles are designed to provide a substantial degree of safety to passengers. One way in which this is accomplished is by including air bags to cushion the passengers during collisions. Air bags were first employed in front of either the driver, front seat passenger or both. Side curtain air bags have also been introduced and protect the vehicle occupants from injury during a side impact collision, rollover collision, or other accident where the passengers are more likely to move laterally.
Because a side curtain airbag must cover more area that a typical dashboard air bag, the side curtain air bag is larger in size. However, such an air bag must be inflated at a speed that is comparable to a dashboard-configured air bag. As a result, the inflator size and gas output velocity used for the side curtain air bag is typically much larger than that of a dashboard-configured inflator and must be strategically placed. Also, because the side curtain air bag is larger than dashboard-configured airbags, the direction of the deployment must be controlled to optimize its effectiveness during a collision. Controlling placement and deployment direction is rendered more difficult due to limited space along a vehicle's roofline, where the air bag is stored.
Unlike dashboard mounted air bags that deploy directly toward a vehicle occupant, it is desirable for a side curtain air bag to deploy downward, and as close to the side of the vehicle interior wall as possible. This path avoids an inadvertent collision with the vehicle occupant while the airbag is in the process of deploying and also ensures the most significant coverage.
One exemplary side curtain airbag assembly is shown in
A curtain airbag is typically attached to a vehicle roof rail along a vehicle interior side portion above a door opening of the vehicle body. In a normal state (when the curtain airbag is not deployed), the lower side of the curtain airbag is covered with a terminal portion of roof lining on a vehicle interior side. When an impact caused by collision or the like is experienced, the curtain airbag is unfolded downward from the roof side portion by the high-pressure gas (inflating gas), to form a passenger protective wall between the passenger and the vehicle body side portion. However, during a side impact, it is feasible for the vehicle side pillar (e.g. the vehicle b-pillar) or the pillar garnish to deform, wherein the side curtain airbag deployment could be effected by the displaced pillar or pillar garnish.
It would be desirable to provide a curtain air bag mounting arrangement wherein the air bag can be deployed within the passenger compartment with minimal likelihood of the airbag being undesirably impacted by a vehicle pillar or pillar garnish in the event the vehicle frame is distorted by the impact.
Various details of the present disclosure are hereinafter summarized to provide a basic understanding. This summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure and is neither intended to identify certain elements of the disclosure, nor to delineate scope thereof. Rather, the primary purpose of this summary is to present some concepts of the disclosure in a simplified form prior to the more detailed description that is presented hereinafter.
According to a first embodiment, an arrangement structure for a curtain airbag, which includes an airbag cushion disposed along a roof side rail of a vehicle having a side pillar, and adapted to be inflated in a curtain-like manner during a side-impact vehicle collision is provided. The arrangement structure includes an airbag bracket for attaching the airbag to the vehicle body, and a support member having a first end secured to the vehicle side pillar and a second end receiving the airbag bracket.
According to a second embodiment, an automotive vehicle including a passenger restraint assembly having a side pillar, a roof rail, and a side curtain airbag assembly adapted to be inflated in a curtain-like manner during a side-impact vehicle collision is provided. A bracket secures the side curtain airbag assembly directly to the side pillar of the vehicle. The side curtain airbag assembly includes a mounting frame having a region joined to the bracket and a chamber configured to receive the folded side curtain.
Current technology may not maintain a desirable relationship between a side curtain airbag, the vehicle side pillar, and the side pillar garnish during a crash. The result is that current side curtain airbags are being designed to deploy more inboard to clear the garnish during a crash. A more inboard trajectory can deploy in the direction of an occupants head and/or become hung up on a vehicle head rest. The present disclosure sets forth a mechanism of attaching a side curtain airbag to a vehicle which maintains its preferred placement adjacent the roof rail and minimizes the likelihood that a displace side pillar garnish will influence proper deployment.
A first exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to
Referring now to
Since the airbag module 10 is similar to what is conventional art, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Similarly, although a particular airbag bracket configuration is depicted herein, the intent of the disclosure is not believed to be limited to that specific design. Rather, it is anticipated that a variety of airbag bracket shapes can benefit from the present disclosure.
The support member 12 includes a first end 20 fixed to a side pillar 22 of the vehicle and a second end 24 disposed between the roof arch stiffener 16, roof rail 18, and roof lining 8. The side pillar can be, for example, either or both of what are typically referred to as the vehicle B and/or C pillar.
Support member 12 can be formed of any suitable material, of which steel, aluminum or fiber reinforced plastic are examples. In addition, although one specific airbag bracket and one specific airbag module is depicted, it is envisioned that the support member 12 of the present disclosure is functional with most if not all traditional airbag modules and their associated airbag bracket(s).
The first end 20 of support member 12 can be attached to the side pillar 22 by any means known in the art, including for example spot welding or bolting. In the event bolting is utilized, it may be desirable to perform the attachment using existing through holes, such as those used for attachment of a seat belt assembly. In fact, it is envisioned that the present support bracket can form a further element of a seat belt D-ring adjustment bracket (see
The support member 12 can have a first generally vertical and substantially planar region 30 that is mated to the side pillar 22. In this regard, the side pillar 22 can have a generally vertical orientation and a generally elongated shape with a generally planar inner surface 32 receiving planar region 30 of the support member 12. At least a portion of planar region 30 of support member 12 and at least a portion of the planar inner surface 32 of side pillar 22 can reside in at least substantially parallel planes. As used herein, the term planar is intended to encompass a planar region 30 having edges 31 which are at least substantially coplanar. Moreover, it is envisioned that the support member 12 could include a protrusion 33 that is received within a channel 35 formed in side pillar 22. This configuration can provide increased torsional strength in each of the side pillar 22 and the support member 12.
Alternatively, the surfaces of the side pillar and support member which are in contact in the region of the bolted or welded connection may not be generally planar but can include complimentary surfaces which facilitate the formation of a desirable interface. For example, it is envisioned that the support member can be in the form of a tube received within a correspondingly shaped channel in the side pillar.
Support member 12 also includes an angled intermediate wall 34 which joins planar region 30 to a head region 36. Head region 36 can be shaped to cooperatively mate with a portion of airbag bracket 14. Angled intermediate wall 34 can be tangential to region 30 of the support member or may have an angle departing from 90 degrees. Head region 36 which receives airbag bracket 14 can similarly be angled relative to intermediate wall 34. According to an exemplary embodiment, the included angle “A” between region 30 and wall 34 can be at least substantially the same as the included angle “A” between head region 36 and wall 34. In this manner, region 30 and head region 36 can lie in at least substantially parallel planes.
The airbag bracket 14 can include a generally vertical area 40 contacting the first planar region 30 of the support member 12. The airbag bracket 14 can be bolted 42 (or otherwise secured via welding for example) at this point of contact. The airbag bracket 14 can further include generally horizontally extending shelves 44 and 45 defining a receptacle 46 that receives and retains airbag module 10. Head region 36 of the support member 12 can include at least several points of contact (see 50 and 52) with a rear side 54 airbag bracket 14 adjacent to the area in which the receptacle 46 is formed to provide mechanical support thereto. In this manner airbag module 10 can best retain its alignment with the longitudinal axis of the side pillar during displacement thereof.
With particular reference to
As demonstrated by arrow A, in an original position, release of the airbag from module 110 travels to the vehicle inboard side of side pillar garnish 106 to provide effective lateral passenger protection. However, if the vehicle were to experience a side impact force in a direction depicted by arrow I, the side pillar 122′ and the side pillar garnish 106′ can be forced inwardly (shifted components are depicted in solid line). Since the airbag bracket 114 is affixed to the roof rail 118, and the roof rail 118 can be prevented from significant inward deformation by roof arch stiffener 116, the airbag bracket 114 does not shift inward to the same extent as the side pillar 122 and side pillar garnish 106. As demonstrated by arrow A, the shifted side pillar garnish 106′ can prove to be an impediment to proper airbag deployment. More particularly, the roof arch stiffener can prevent the inner roof rail from deforming to the same extent as the side pillar and side pillar garnish, causing miss-alignment of the side curtain airbag bracket and the pillar garnish.
However, by utilizing support bracket 112 to join side curtain airbag bracket 114′ directly to the side pillar 122′, the airbag bracket 114′ travels inboard in conjunction with the force I. Accordingly, the proper deployment relationship between the airbag and the side pillar garnish 106′ can be maintained and the side curtain airbag will still properly deploy within the passenger compartment. This relationship between airbag deployment and the inwardly shifted position of the side pillar garnish 106′ can be discerned from the direction of arrow “A′”. As a result, the airbag can be rapidly and stably deployed into the automobile to cover the entire inner side part of the automobile, thereby protecting a driver/passenger from injury.
Referring now to
Advantageously, the present disclosure provides a side curtain airbag attachment that helps to maintain the relative relationship of the airbag, side pillar, and the pillar garnish during a vehicle side impact. The present support bracket helps to maintain a desired spacial relationship between the side pillar, side pillar garnish, and airbag allowing the side curtain airbag to deploy correctly.
The exemplary embodiment has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the exemplary embodiment be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.
