Vehicle equipped with at least one reliably functioning curtain airbag

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle (1) comprising two body sides (2), each having an upper horizontal segment (3) in which a curtain airbag (9) is housed, extending over at least a portion of the length of said upper horizontal segment (3). According to the invention, the upper horizontal segment (3) of each body side (2) comprises at least one rigid deflector (100) positioned above the curtain airbag (9), the deflector (100) having a first wall (101) positioned against the upper horizontal segment (3) and by means of which it is fixed to said upper horizontal segment (3), and a second wall (102) which is inclined relative to the first wall (101) and which prevents the curtain airbag (9) from deploying vertically upwards. Figure 2

Description

Title of the invention: Vehicle equipped with at least one reliably functioning curtain airbag

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle provided with at least one reliably functioning 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] Generally, a vehicle has two parallel body sides extending in substantially vertical and longitudinal planes XZ of the vehicle. Each of these body sides comprises a front pillar, a middle pillar and a rear pillar, as well as an upper horizontal segment joining said pillars, said pillars and said upper horizontal segment forming two openings in said body side. Two side doors are mounted in rotation about a vertical axis of rotation respectively of the front pillar and the middle pillar, the rotational connection of the doors on the corresponding pillar being configured to allow said doors to pass: - a closing position for which it completely closes the corresponding opening by finding itself in perfect continuity with the plane in which the body side is inscribed, - an open position in which it has pivoted towards the outside of the vehicle by an angle less than or equal to 90° from the closed position, said open position being sufficiently large to allow a person to exit or enter the vehicle with ease and safety.

[0004] On certain vehicles, the upper horizontal segment on each side of the body supports a curtain airbag which extends over substantially the entire length of said upper horizontal segment. This curtain airbag is folded by being rolled up on itself to form a part having the appearance of an elongated roll, which is stored along the upper horizontal segment, without protruding from it. This curtain airbag is generally hidden by a trim wall making it invisible to an occupant who would be seated inside the vehicle. When an accident occurs in which the vehicle collides with an external object which could for example be another vehicle, the curtain airbag deploys instantly in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, first expelling the trim wall before forming a lateral bead. This lateral bead has a certain shock-absorbing thickness, preventing the head of one of the affected occupants of the vehicle does not hit the upper horizontal segment and / or a side door of the vehicle.

[0005] Currently, due to their mounting characteristics in vehicles, curtain airbags have the disadvantage of deploying vertically and upwards, with the consequence of a loss of effectiveness with regard to the safety of the occupant concerned in said vehicles. Indeed, the bead formed by the curtain airbag after it has been triggered risks becoming offset relative to the head of the occupant concerned in the vehicle and therefore no longer correctly performing its safety function.

[0006] A vehicle according to the invention comprises at least one curtain airbag, the judicious mounting of which in said vehicle allows said curtain airbag to deploy in a reliable and controlled manner, systematically at the height of the head of the occupant concerned.

[0007] The subject of the invention is a vehicle comprising two body sides each comprising an upper horizontal segment in which is housed a curtain airbag extending over at least part of the length of said upper horizontal segment.

[0008] According to the invention, the upper horizontal segment on each side of the body comprises at least one rigid deflector placed above the curtain airbag, the deflector having a first wall placed against the upper horizontal segment and by means of which it is fixed to said upper horizontal segment, and a second wall which is inclined relative to the first wall and which will prevent the curtain airbag from deploying vertically upwards. More precisely, the second wall of the deflector is positioned such that it will limit, or even prevent, an upward deployment of the airbag when it is triggered. Before the curtain airbag is triggered, the second wall of the deflector may be either directly in contact with the curtain airbag or placed at a distance from it, for example less than 1 cm from it.Thanks to the presence of the first wall and the second wall which are inclined relative to each other, the deflector is a rigid part, which is firmly anchored to the horizontal upper segment. In this way, the deflector will not be able to deform or move when the curtain airbag is triggered. The deflector can for example be made of plastic or metal. Advantageously, each curtain airbag in the vehicle is associated with between two and four deflectors.

[0009] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the second wall extends in a horizontal plane. For this configuration, the second wall of the deflector has the function of a ceiling effectively preventing any upward expansion of the curtain airbag. Indeed, it is in this configuration that the second wall will have a maximum surface area with respect to the upward expansion direction of the curtain airbag and will therefore prove to be the most effective possible.

[0010] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the second wall of the deflector tangent to the curtain airbag when it is stored in the upper horizontal segment. In this way, the curtain airbag will not have time to initiate any upward deployment, since this deployment will be immediately stopped by the second wall of the deflector which is in contact with the curtain airbag. This location of the deflector is the most suitable to solve the problem of upward expansion of the curtain airbag.

[0011] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the first wall extends in a vertical plane, so that said first wall and said second wall are perpendicular to each other. Thus, the deflector has the shape of a square, presenting great robustness. Such a deflector is particularly stable, and therefore does not risk moving or deforming when the curtain airbag is about to deploy. Such a deflector constitutes a guarantee that the curtain airbag will deploy correctly and will constitute a safe and reliable safety element.

[0012] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the first wall has at least one through-hole intended for the passage of a screw. The fixing lug is thus fixed to the upper segment by means of at least one screw passing through the first wall.

[0013] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the first wall comprises an anti-rotation means in the form of a protrusion projecting from said first wall. This anti-rotation means will interact with a relief of the horizontal upper segment, to prevent said deflector from rotating around the fixing screw passing through the first wall.

[0014] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the deflector comprises a third curved wall connecting the first wall to the second wall. The presence of this third curved wall will prevent the presence of a protruding edge between the first wall and the second wall, which would constitute a source of breakage of the deflector in the event of deployment of the airbag. This third curved wall will soften the contact zone between the first wall and the second wall and will prevent a breakage between said two walls when the curtain airbag is triggered.

[0015] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the deflector is metallic. It is important that the deflector is stable and robust so that it does not deform or break when the airbag deploys. Preferably, the first wall and the second wall are made of the same metal.

[0016] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the upper horizontal segment on each side of the body comprises two deflectors placed above the curtain airbag, said deflectors being separate and being distributed homogeneously along the curtain airbag. A single deflector will have a limited effect on the upward deployment of the airbag. On the other hand, it is important that the number of deflectors per curtain airbag is limited, so that the set of said deflectors is not too bulky or too heavy. A homogeneous distribution of the two deflectors means that said two deflectors will delimit three segments of the curtain airbag which will have similar lengths.

[0017] According to a possible characteristic of the invention, the vehicle comprises a trim wall fixed to the horizontal upper segment on each side of the body and covering the curtain airbag and said at least one deflector. For reasons of safety and aesthetics, the deflectors must not protrude towards the interior of the vehicle, otherwise they would disturb the occupants of said vehicle. In addition, since the deflectors are made up of unattractive parts, they must not be visible from inside the vehicle to the occupants of said vehicle, as they would risk harming the visual appearance of the vehicle.

[0018] A vehicle according to the invention has curtain airbags with controlled deployment, thanks to a mounting trick involving at least one deflector which prevents said two curtain airbags from deploying upwards. In addition, these deflectors are compact and are easy to manufacture due in particular to a simple geometry.

[0019] A detailed description of a preferred embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention is given below, with reference to the following figures:

[0020] [Fig.l] [Fig.l] is a front view of one side of the body of a vehicle according to the invention,

[0021] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a perspective view of a deflector of a vehicle according to the invention.

[0022] Referring to [Fig.l], a vehicle 1 according to the invention conventionally comprises two parallel body sides 2, each extending in a vertical and longitudinal plane XZ of said vehicle. These two body sides 2 border the vehicle laterally, and each comprise an upper horizontal segment 3, a front pillar laterally bordering a windshield of the vehicle 1, a middle pillar 5 and a rear pillar 6. These three pillars 5, 6 originate on the upper horizontal segment 3 and extend downwards from said upper horizontal segment 3. The front pillar, the middle pillar 5 and a part of the upper horizontal segment 3 delimit a first opening 7, while the middle pillar 5, the rear pillar 6 and a complementary part of the upper horizontal segment 3 delimit a second opening 8 which is located behind the first opening 7.The first opening 7 and the second opening 8 are therefore separated by the center pillar 5, and are located in continuity with each other in the vertical and longitudinal plane XZ of the vehicle in which the body side 2 is inscribed. The first opening 7 and the second opening 8 are present on each body side 2. Each of said openings 7, 8 is closed by a door which is mounted to rotate around a vertical axis of rotation belonging to the pillar. front for the first opening 7, and belonging to the middle pillar 5 for the second opening 8. Each of these doors can thus pass by rotation around its associated axis of rotation, from a closing position for which it closes the corresponding opening 7, 8, to an opening position for which it has pivoted by an angle less than or equal to 90° around its vertical axis of rotation to allow access to said opening 7, 8.

[0023] Each side of the body 2 comprises a curtain airbag 9 which is fixed both to the upper horizontal segment 3. Schematically, this curtain airbag 9 is folded by being rolled up on itself, thus forming a part similar to an elongated roller extending over substantially the entire length of the upper horizontal segment 3. The curtain airbag 9 is fixed to a vertical and internal surface 106 of the upper horizontal segment 3.

[0024] Currently, a problem encountered with this curtain airbag 9 is that it tends to deploy vertically and upwards, when the vehicle accidentally collides with an external obstacle. However, such deployment is not satisfactory, because the curtain airbag 9 will at least partially find itself offset relative to the head of the occupant concerned that it is supposed to protect.

[0025] In order to limit or even cancel this upward expansion of the curtain airbag 9, a vehicle according to the invention comprises, for each of the two curtain airbags 9 that it carries, two identical deflectors 100 placed just above said curtain airbag 9.

[0026] Referring to [Fig. 2], a deflector 100 of a vehicle according to the invention schematically comprises a first wall 101 and a second wall 102 connected to each other by means of a third curved wall 103. The first wall 101 and the second wall 102 extend perpendicular to each other, so that the deflector is a part which has a general L-shape. The first wall 101 has a rounded end 105 and comprises in its center a through orifice 104, preferably of circular shape, intended for the passage of a screw to secure the deflector 100 to a vertical and internal surface 106 of the upper horizontal segment 3 of a body side 2 of the vehicle. This first wall 101 has a lateral appendage 107 in the form of a rounded tab extending perpendicular to an axis passing through the orifice 104 and extending a central and curved line of the third tab 103.This lateral appendage 107 acts as an anti-rotation means once the deflector 100 is fixed to the upper horizontal segment 103. The second wall 102 of the deflector 100 is similar to a rectangular cup having three raised edges 108, 109, 110. The edge of the second wall 102 which is not raised is that on which the third curved wall 103 originates.

[0027] For a given body side 2 of the vehicle, two deflectors 100 are placed at- above the curtain airbag 9 while respecting the following rules: -each deflector 100 is fixed to an internal and vertical surface 106 of the upper horizontal segment 3 by means of a screw passing through the through hole 104 of the first wall, and -once the deflector 100 is fixed to the upper horizontal segment 3, the first wall 101 is in contact with the vertical and interior surface 106 of said segment 3, extending in a longitudinal and vertical plane XZ of the vehicle, and the second wall 102 is placed under said first wall 101 extending horizontally towards the interior of the vehicle, -the second wall 102 of the deflector 100, which extends horizontally, is placed above the curtain airbag 9, tangent to it. According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the second wall 102 of the deflector 100 is in contact with the airbag 9. According to another alternative embodiment of the invention, the second wall 102 of the deflector 100 is distant from the curtain airbag 9, by a maximum distance not exceeding 1 cm, -the two deflectors 100 are distributed homogeneously along the curtain airbag 9. In other words, the two deflectors 100 delimit a central section of the curtain airbag 9 and reveal two end sections thereof, said three sections having substantially equal lengths.

[0028] Advantageously, the deflectors 100 are made of metal.

[0029] When a vehicle according to the invention accidentally hits an external obstacle, the curtain airbag 9 is triggered instantly before deploying. Thanks to the presence of the two deflectors 100 above the curtain airbag 9, it is unable to deploy upwards. Indeed, these two deflectors 100 act as stops, which will prevent the curtain airbag 9 from deploying upwards.

[0030] These two deflectors 100 are particularly robust thanks to their square-shaped geometry and the presence of the third curved wall 103 which will eliminate a potential breaking line between the first wall and the second wall. Consequently, at the time of deployment of the curtain airbag 9, the deflectors 100 are therefore not at risk of breaking, nor of moving or of deforming inside the vehicle.

[0031] The lateral appendage 107 on the first fixing wall 101 cooperates with reliefs of the upper horizontal segment 3, to prevent the deflector 100 from pivoting around the fixing screw passing through the through-hole 104 of the first wall 101, when the curtain airbag 9 is about to be triggered and is about to deploy.

[0032] It should be noted that the two upper horizontal segments 3 of the vehicle are covered by a trim wall which will mask both the curtain airbag 9 and the deflectors 100, which will therefore not be visible from inside the vehicle.

Claims

Claims

1. Vehicle (1) comprising two body sides (2) each comprising an upper horizontal segment (3) in which is housed a curtain airbag (9) extending over at least part of the length of said upper horizontal segment (3), characterized in that the upper horizontal segment (3) of each body side (2) comprises at least one rigid deflector (100) placed above the curtain airbag (9), and in that the deflector (100) has a first wall (101) placed against the upper horizontal segment (3) and by means of which it is fixed to said upper horizontal segment (3), and a second wall (102) which is inclined relative to the first wall (101) and which will prevent the curtain airbag (9) from deploying vertically upwards.

2. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the second wall (102) extends in a horizontal plane.

3. Vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the second wall (102) of the deflector (100) is tangent to the curtain airbag (9) when it is stored in the horizontal upper segment (3).

4. Vehicle according to any one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the first wall (101) extends in a vertical plane, so that said first wall (101) and said second wall (102) are perpendicular to each other.

5. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the first wall (101) has at least one through orifice (104) intended for the passage of a screw.

6. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the first wall (101) comprises an anti-rotation means (107) in the form of a protrusion projecting from said first wall (101).

7. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the deflector (100) comprises a third curved wall (103) connecting the first wall (101) to the second wall (102).

8. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the deflector (100) is metallic.

9. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the upper horizontal segment (3) of each side (2) of the body comprises two deflectors (100) placed above the curtain airbag (9), and in that said deflectors (100) are separate and are distributed homogeneously along the curtain airbag (9).

10. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it comprises a trim wall fixed to the horizontal upper segment (3) on each side (2) of the body and covering the curtain airbag (9) and said at least one deflector (100).

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