Vehicle equipped with a device to prevent projection during the deployment of a curtain airbag

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle having two body sides, each extending in a longitudinal and vertical plane XZ of the vehicle and each comprising a curtain airbag (10), and a roof (1) comprising a headliner (3) having two components (4, 5) in each of which are mounted various comfort elements (8), each of said components (4, 5) having a masking panel (9) covering the curtain airbag (10). According to the invention, a stiffener (20) is placed on the masking panel (20) between each comfort element (8) and the curtain airbag (10), said stiffener (20) being intended to offset a folding zone of the masking panel (9) when it opens to allow the curtain airbag (10) to deploy during an accidental impact of the vehicle against an external obstacle, preventing said masking panel (9) from impacting the comfort element (8). Figure for the summary: Figure 6

Description

Title of the invention: Vehicle equipped with an anti-projection device during deployment of a curtain airbag

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle provided with an anti-projection device during deployment of a curtain airbag.

[0002] In order to better understand the positioning of the various parts involved in a vehicle according to the invention, the description is carried out with reference to a direct orthonormal reference frame XYZ in which X is a front-rear longitudinal axis of the vehicle oriented towards the rear, Y is a transverse axis oriented towards the right of the vehicle and Z is a vertical axis directed upwards.

[0003] Some vehicles are equipped with a roof comprising a window and a roof trim framing said window inside a passenger compartment of said vehicle. Certain elements intended to increase the comfort of the passengers of the vehicle, such as for example turning handles or lamps intended to provide internal lighting of the passenger compartment or to provide oriented lighting for a reading activity, are mounted in the roof trim. Furthermore, on each side of the vehicle body is mounted a curtain airbag which is located in the immediate vicinity of the comfort elements mentioned above. Since one of the objectives of car manufacturers is to obtain a roof glazing which is as extensive as possible, the comfort elements which are mounted in the roof trim are pushed further and further towards the curtain airbag located on their side.The consequences of such proximity between the comfort elements and the curtain airbag are that these comfort elements risk being transformed into dangerous projections for the passengers of the vehicle, when the curtain airbag is deployed in the event of an accidental impact of the vehicle against an external obstacle. Indeed, when the curtain airbag inflates, a wall of the roof lining which was used to mask said curtain airbag will suddenly open and strike the comfort elements. However, it is not necessary for the curtain airbag to fully play its safety function by inflating and cushioning a possible impact of a passenger against a door or a foot on the body side of the vehicle, and for it to create a dangerous situation by being the source of dangerous projections.

[0004] A solution for preventing dangerous projection of the safety elements when the curtain airbag inflates is to interpose a rigid screen between each comfort element and said curtain airbag. However, it turns out that if such screens have a certain effectiveness with respect to the comfort elements, in particular by preventing them from being torn from their place of installation and becoming potential dangerous projections, they hinder the proper deployment of the curtain airbag. Indeed, these interposition screens will constitute obstacles which will direct the deployment of the curtain airbag in unwanted directions, significantly degrading the effectiveness of this airbag with regard to the vehicle's passengers.

[0005] A vehicle according to the invention has comfort elements which are placed just next to a curtain airbag so as to maximize the surface area of ​​the roof glazing, but which will not constitute potential projections during deployment of this curtain airbag in the event of an accidental impact of the vehicle against an external obstacle.

[0006] The subject of the invention is a vehicle having two body sides each extending in a longitudinal and vertical plane XZ of the vehicle and each comprising a curtain airbag, and a horizontal roof connecting two upper edges of said two body sides, said vehicle comprising a roof lining placed in the vehicle and comprising two parallel components extending along each body side along a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle and in each of which are mounted different comfort elements for the use of the passengers of said vehicle, each of the components of the lining having a masking wall covering the curtain airbag and dimensioned to fold by opening towards the interior of the vehicle so as to allow deployment of the curtain airbag during an accidental impact of the vehicle against an external obstacle.

[0007] According to the invention, a stiffener is placed on the masking wall between each comfort element and the curtain airbag, said stiffener offsetting a folding zone of the masking wall when the latter is about to open to allow the curtain airbag to deploy during an accidental impact of the vehicle against an external obstacle, to prevent said masking wall from impacting the comfort element. The purpose of this stiffener is to prevent the masking wall from folding at said stiffener, and therefore to offset the folding zone of the masking wall. Usually, without the addition of the stiffener, when an accidental impact of the vehicle against an external obstacle occurs, the curtain airbag inflates, causing a folding of the masking wall, said folding causing the masking wall to come into sudden contact with a comfort element which may, for example, be a turn handle.The presence of the stiffener will move the folding zone of the masking wall, which can no longer bend at the level of this stiffener, this movement preventing the masking wall from striking the comfort element. By no longer being struck by the masking wall, the comfort element will remain in place and will not constitute a potentially dangerous projection likely to injure the occupants of the vehicle. The stiffener can, for example, be represented by a rigid and non-deformable part made or not from the same material as that of the masking wall. The masking wall covers the curtain airbag so that it is no longer. visible from inside the vehicle. When stored in the vehicle, the curtain airbag is similar to an elongated part which is wound on itself around a longitudinal axis of said elongated part, and which would extend along a horizontal and longitudinal axis X of the vehicle over almost the entire side of the body. The stiffener is dimensioned as precisely as possible to ensure local stiffness to the masking wall and to move the folding zone of said masking wall when the vehicle accidentally hits an external obstacle. It is therefore compact and is rather made of a lightweight material with good mechanical strength, such as for example a plastic material. The stiffener can be either unique, extending over the entire length of the masking wall considered along a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle, or be composed of several separate sections interposed between the curtain airbag and each comfort element in the roof trim.

[0008] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the stiffener is a stiffening part which is superimposed on the masking wall and which tends to increase the thickness of said masking wall. This stiffening part, having the purpose of moving the folding zone of the masking wall, therefore does not completely cover said masking wall. This stiffening part can be made either with the same material as that of the masking wall, or with a material different from that of said masking wall. Preferably, the thickness of the stiffening part is less than or equal to the thickness of the masking wall.

[0009] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the masking wall extends along the entire component of the roof lining considered along a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle, the stiffening part extending over the entire length of said masking wall. In this way, when the vehicle accidentally hits an external obstacle, the curtain airbag will inflate, causing a folding of the masking wall which will be effective over the entire length of said masking wall considered along a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle. The displacement of the folding zone of the masking wall linked to the presence of the stiffener will be uniform along the entire length of said masking wall.

[0010] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the stiffening part is an added part which is fixed to the masking wall once the latter has been manufactured. For this configuration, the masking wall is manufactured in the usual manner, without modifying anything in the manufacturing method of masking walls of the prior art. For this configuration, an additional step of fixing the stiffening part is implemented to obtain a masking wall provided with the stiffening part.

[0011] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the stiffening part is glued to the masking wall. This technique of fixing the stiffening part to the masking wall is particularly suitable for a vehicle according to the invention, but is in no way limiting within the scope of the present invention.

[0012] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the stiffening part is overmolded in the masking wall. For this configuration, the final assembly consisting of the masking wall and the stiffening part is obtained during the same manufacturing step, simplifying the manufacturing process of this assembly.

[0013] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the masking wall extends to the comfort elements, the stiffening part originating at the level of said comfort elements and extending over a reduced width in a transverse and vertical plane YZ of the vehicle. Usually, when the vehicle accidentally hits an external obstacle, the curtain airbag deploys, causing the folding of the masking wall in its part which is in contact or in the immediate vicinity of the comfort element. The presence of the stiffening part almost in contact with the comfort element will tend to move the folding zone of the masking wall away from the comfort element, thus preventing said masking wall from hitting the comfort element and causing it to be torn off and then being sent into motion inside the vehicle.

[0014] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the stiffening part is placed on an internal surface of the masking wall, which is not visible from the inside of the vehicle. The stiffening part not being a particularly aesthetic part, it is camouflaged inside the headliner and will therefore not be visible from the inside of the vehicle.

[0015] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the comfort elements are to be chosen from turning handles and lamps intended to illuminate the interior of the vehicle and / or to allow passengers to read. These comfort elements are not limiting. They are fixed to the roof lining in a rather light manner, because they are never really stressed in a marked manner during the lifetime of the vehicle.

[0016] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the masking wall is made of polymer.

[0017] A vehicle according to the invention has the advantage of comprising a curtain airbag whose deployment will not create dangerous situations through the emission of dangerous projections, thanks to a judicious addition of a lightweight and compact stiffening part on a masking wall of the roof lining. The stiffening part also has the advantage of being able to be manufactured at the same time as the masking wall during the same molding operation, thus avoiding lengthening the vehicle manufacturing process and causing additional costs.

[0018] A detailed description of a preferred embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention, with reference to the following figures:

[0019] [Fig-1] [Fig. 1] is a perspective view of a headliner of an existing vehicle,

[0020] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a sectional view in a transverse and vertical plane YZ of a state-of-the-art vehicle showing the positions of a curtain airbag and a turning handle,

[0021] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a sectional view in a transverse and vertical plane YZ of a state-of-the-art vehicle showing an untimely interaction between the deploying curtain airbag and the turning handle placed right next to it,

[0022] [Fig.4] [Fig.4] is a sectional view in a transverse and vertical plane YZ of a State-of-the-art vehicle showing the positions of a curtain airbag and a turn handle, as well as a solution for preventing unwanted interaction between the curtain airbag and the turn handle,

[0023] [Fig.5] [Fig.5] is a sectional view in a transverse and vertical plane YZ of a vehicle according to the invention, showing the positions of a curtain airbag in the storage position and of a turning handle, as well as the solution proposed within the framework of the present invention to prevent untimely interaction between the curtain airbag and the turning handle,

[0024] [Fig.6] [Fig.6] is the view of [Fig.5], with the curtain airbag being deflated. folding.

[0025] Referring to [Fig.l], a vehicle according to the invention comprises a roof 1 provided with a glazing 2 and a roof trim 3 placed inside the vehicle and framing said glazing 2. This roof trim 3 is similar to a rectangular frame having two large rectilinear and parallel segments 4, 5, extending along a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle, and two small rectilinear and parallel segments 6, 7 extending along a transverse axis Y of the vehicle. The two large segments 4, 5 are therefore perpendicular to the small segments 6, 7 and serve in particular as a support for comfort elements which may for example consist of turning handles 8 or lamps intended to provide internal lighting of the passenger compartment or to provide oriented lighting for a reading activity.

[0026] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, each large segment 4, 5 of the roof trim 3 has a masking wall 9 intended in particular to camouflage a curtain airbag 10 which is inserted between a bodywork element 11 on one side of the vehicle body, and said masking wall 9. Indeed, this masking wall 9 covers the curtain airbag 9 so that it is not visible from inside the vehicle. As this masking wall 9 is caused to open when the curtain airbag 10 inflates induced by an accidental impact of the vehicle against an external obstacle, a first upper end 14 of said masking wall 9 is in contact with the comfort elements 8, and a second lower end 15 is weakly fixed to a wall of the bodywork element 11 delimiting the housing of the curtain airbag 10.

[0027] Referring to [Fig. 2], since a current trend in automobile construction is to obtain a roof 1 having a glazing 2 which is as extensive as possible, the comfort elements 8 are increasingly pushed towards the outside of the large segments 4, 5 of the trim 3, getting closer to the curtain airbag 10. As a result, when the curtain airbag 9 is deployed due to an accidental impact of the vehicle against an external obstacle, the masking wall 9 opens by folding close to the comfort elements 8, before striking these comfort elements 8 because of this poorly placed fold, as illustrated in [Fig. 3]. The comfort element 8 affected by this brutal impact of the masking wall 9 is then torn from its place of attachment on the large segment 4, 5 of the trim 3, and transforms into a dangerous projection whose trajectory will be poorly controlled inside the vehicle.This torn comfort element 8 becomes a dangerous element which is likely to injure the occupants of the vehicle.

[0028] This situation is unacceptable, because it is not normal for a curtain airbag 10 which is supposed to cushion an impact of a passenger of the vehicle against a structural element of this vehicle, to be the source of a dangerous situation through the emission of projections at fairly high speed, likely to injure people placed in said vehicle.

[0029] Referring to [Fig. 4], to remedy this dangerous situation, one solution consisted of interposing a rigid screen 13 extending in a longitudinal and vertical plane XZ of the vehicle, between the curtain airbag 10 and the comfort element 8 fixed to the roof trim 3. This rigid screen 13 is fixed to a wall of the bodywork element 11 delimiting the housing of the curtain airbag 10. If this solution provides a certain satisfaction by effectively preventing the masking wall 9 from impacting the comfort element 8 and transforming this comfort element 8 into a dangerous projection, it significantly degrades the conditions for deployment of the curtain airbag 10 following an accidental impact of the vehicle against an external obstacle. In fact, this screen 13 will itself play the role of an obstacle, which will direct the deployment of the curtain airbag 10 in an uncontrolled manner, significantly distorting its function of protecting passengers.

[0030] Referring to Figures 5 and 6, in order to prevent the comfort elements 8 from becoming dangerous projections in the event of deployment of the curtain airbag 10 following an accidental impact of the vehicle against an external obstacle, a vehicle according to the invention uses a stiffener 20 which is fixed to the masking wall 9 and which will move the folding zone 16 of said masking wall 9. This stiffener is a stiffening part 20 which is superimposed on the masking wall 9. Preferably, this stiffening part 20 extends over the entire length of said masking wall 9, the length constituting the dimension of said masking wall 9 considered along a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle. This stiffening part 20 extends from the first upper end 14 of the masking wall 9 which is in contact or almost in contact with the comfort element 8, to an end which is located set back from the second lower end 15 of said masking wall 9. This stiffening wall 20 can: - either be made up of an added part which is then fixed to the masking wall 9 by means of a fixing technique which may for example consist of gluing, - or be overmolded in the masking wall 9 and in this case, said masking wall 9 and said stiffening part 20 form a resulting part which is manufactured during a common manufacturing step.

[0031] Advantageously, the masking wall 9 is made of plastic material and the stiffening part 20 is also made of plastic material, the plastic materials of these two elements 9, 20 being able to be identical or different from each other.

[0032] Referring to [Fig. 6], when the curtain airbag 10 deploys following a collision of the vehicle against an external obstacle, it pushes back the masking wall 9 which opens at its second lower end 15 which is weakly fixed to the wall of the bodywork element 11 delimiting the housing of the curtain airbag 10. The masking wall 9 then folds around one end of the stiffening piece 20, the one which is furthest from the comfort elements 8, preventing said masking wall 9 from coming into contact with said comfort elements 8. Indeed, since the masking wall 9 cannot fold at the stiffening piece 20, it folds as soon as it is outside this stiffening piece 20, that is to say as soon as it has passed this stiffening piece 20.The purpose of this stiffening part 20 is to offset the folding zone 16 of the masking wall 9, so that said masking wall 9 does not impact the comfort elements 8, which will then no longer be transformed into dangerous projections under the effect of an impact of said masking wall 9 against them.

[0033] The stiffening wall 20 is placed on an internal face of the masking wall 9, so that it is not visible from inside the vehicle.

Claims

Claims

1. Vehicle having two body sides each extending in a longitudinal and vertical plane XZ of the vehicle and each comprising a curtain airbag (10), and a horizontal roof (1) connecting two upper edges of said two body sides, said vehicle comprising a roof lining (3) placed in the vehicle and comprising two parallel components (4, 5) extending along each body side along a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle, in each of which are mounted different comfort elements (8) for the use of passengers of said vehicle, each of the components (4, 5) having a masking wall (9) covering the curtain airbag (10) and dimensioned to fold by opening towards the inside of the vehicle so as to allow deployment of the curtain airbag (10) during an accidental impact of the vehicle against an external obstacle,characterized in that a stiffener (20) is placed on the masking wall (9) between each comfort element (8) and the curtain airbag (10), and in that said stiffener (20) will move a folding zone of the masking wall (9) when the latter opens to allow the curtain airbag (10) to deploy during an accidental impact of the vehicle against an external obstacle, to prevent said masking wall (9) from impacting the comfort element (8).,

2. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the stiffener is a stiffening part (20) which is superimposed on the masking wall (9) and which tends to increase the thickness of said masking wall (9).

3. Vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the masking wall (9) extends along the entire component (4, 5) of the roof trim (3) considered along a longitudinal axis X of the vehicle, and in that the stiffening part (20) extends over the entire length of said masking wall (9).

4. Vehicle according to any one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the stiffening part (20) is an added part which is fixed to the masking wall (9) once the latter has been manufactured.

5. Vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that the stiffening part is glued to the masking wall (9).

6. Vehicle according to any one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the stiffening part (20) is overmolded in the masking wall (19).

7. Vehicle according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the masking wall (9) extends to the comfort elements (8), and in that the stiffening part (20) originates at the level of said comfort elements (8) and extends over a reduced width in a transverse and vertical plane YZ of the vehicle.

8. Vehicle according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the stiffening part (20) is placed on an internal surface of the masking wall (9) which is not visible from the interior of the vehicle.

9. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the comfort elements are to be chosen from turning handles (8) and lamps intended to illuminate the interior of the vehicle and / or to allow passengers to read.

10. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the masking wall (9) is made of polymer.

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