Roof airbag for vehicles

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle roof airbag that protects passengers who strike the ceiling during a collision or rollover accident in a vehicle not equipped with a sunroof. The present invention provides a vehicle roof airbag characterized by having an airbag cushion deployed between a roof panel and a headlining; and gas being injected into the airbag cushion to inflate it while the airbag cushion is mounted on the roof panel.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle roof airbag that protects passengers who strike the roof in the event of a collision or rollover accident in a vehicle not equipped with a sunroof. Background Technology

[0003] Airbags are installed inside the vehicle to protect passengers from the impact generated during a collision.

[0004] The airbag cushion is normally stored in a folded state within the airbag housing, but when a sensor detects a vehicle collision, gas is rapidly supplied to the airbag cushion through an inflator to instantly deploy the cushion, thereby protecting the occupants from the impact.

[0006] Meanwhile, in the case of vehicles equipped with sunroofs, there is a risk that passengers may be ejected through the opening in the roof as the roof glass shatters in the event of a rollover accident. Therefore, installing a roof airbag in the roof area prevents passengers from being ejected from the vehicle, thereby reducing passenger injuries.

[0008] However, even in the case of a standard vehicle without a sunroof, if a rollover accident occurs, passengers may collide with the roof trim and suffer head injuries or fatal injuries such as broken necks.

[0009] Therefore, a device is needed to protect passengers even in standard roof vehicles without sunroofs in the event of a rollover accident.

[0011] The matters described above as background technology are intended only to enhance understanding of the background of the present invention and should not be construed as an acknowledgment that they constitute prior art already known to those skilled in the art. Prior art literature

[0013] (Patent Document 0001) EP 1607277 A2(Patent Document 0002) KR 1047620 B1 The problem to be solved

[0014] The present invention has been devised to solve the aforementioned problems and provides a vehicle roof airbag that protects passengers who strike the roof during a collision or rollover accident in a vehicle not equipped with a sunroof. means of solving the problem

[0016] The configuration of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned purpose comprises an airbag cushion being provided in an unfolded state between a roof panel and a headlining; and gas being injected into the airbag cushion to inflate it while the airbag cushion is mounted on the roof panel.

[0017] The above airbag cushion can be mounted on the roof cross panels joined to the left and right sides of the roof panel.

[0018] The rim of the above airbag cushion can be mounted on the roof panel.

[0019] The dead zone area of ​​the above airbag cushion, where gas is not injected, can be mounted on the roof panel.

[0020] A portion of the above airbag cushion is folded, and the folded portion can unfold and deploy during the inflation process of the airbag cushion.

[0021] The above folding portion can be formed in a dead zone area where gas of the airbag cushion is not injected.

[0022] The above folding part is sewn in a temporary bonded state, so that the temporary bonded part can unfold when the airbag cushion is inflated.

[0023] The length of the airbag cushion in the inflated state may be formed to be longer than or equal to the length of the airbag cushion in the folded state. Effects of the invention

[0025] Through the above-described means for solving the problem, the present invention safely protects passengers by reducing injuries to passengers hitting the roof when a passenger's head hits the roof, as the airbag cushion inflates between the roof panel and the headlining, and has the effect of safely protecting passengers hitting the roof even in ordinary vehicles that are not equipped with a sunroof.

[0026] In addition, since the airbag cushion is assembled into the vehicle in an deployed state, parts such as brackets and bolts required to assemble the airbag cushion in a folded state are not needed, which has the effect of reducing the cost of the airbag device by decreasing the number of parts.

[0027] In addition, since assembling the airbag cushion to the headlining is disadvantageous in terms of transport and packaging, a structure that combines the airbag cushion to the roof panel has the advantage of resolving these transport and packaging issues. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0029] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a loop airbag according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a drawing showing the state in which an airbag cushion according to the present invention is mounted between a roof panel and a headlining. FIG. 3 is a drawing showing the airbag cushion inflated state in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the shape of an airbag cushion according to the present invention when inflated, viewed from the interior side. FIGS. 5A and 5B are drawings illustrating the pre-inflation and post-inflation states of the airbag cushion along the A-A line cross-section of FIG. 4. FIGS. 6A and 6B are drawings illustrating the pre-inflation and post-inflation states of the airbag cushion along the cross-section of line B-B in FIGS. 4. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0030] Specific structural or functional descriptions of the embodiments of the present invention disclosed in this specification or application are merely illustrative for the purpose of explaining embodiments according to the present invention, and embodiments according to the present invention may be implemented in various forms and should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments described in this specification or application.

[0031] Since embodiments according to the present invention may be subject to various modifications and may take various forms, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in this specification or application. However, this is not intended to limit embodiments according to the concept of the present invention to specific disclosed forms, and it should be understood that they include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0033] Terms such as "first," "second," etc., may be used to describe various components, but said components shall not be limited by said terms. For the sole purpose of distinguishing one component from another, for example, without departing from the scope of rights according to the concept of the present invention, the first component may be named the second component, and similarly, the second component may be named the first component.

[0034] When it is stated that one component is "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that while it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, there may also be other components in between. Conversely, when it is stated that one component is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between. Other expressions describing the relationship between components, such as "between" and "exactly between," or "adjacent to" and "directly adjacent to," should be interpreted in the same way.

[0036] The terms used herein are merely for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as “comprising” or “having” are intended to specify the existence of the described features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0037] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this specification.

[0039] Meanwhile, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings as follows.

[0041] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a roof airbag according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a drawing showing the state in which an airbag cushion (100) according to the present invention is mounted between a roof panel and a headlining (300), and FIG. 3 is a drawing showing the state in which the airbag cushion (100) is inflated in FIG. 2.

[0043] Referring to the drawings, the vehicle roof airbag of the present invention is provided with an airbag cushion (100) unfolded between a roof panel (200) and a headlining (300); and is configured so that gas is injected into the airbag cushion (100) to inflate it while the airbag cushion (100) is mounted on the roof panel (200).

[0045] For example, an inflator (140) is used as a gas generating device, and the inflator (140) is mounted on a roof panel (200) and connected to an airbag cushion (100).

[0046] And, the airbag cushion (100) is attached to the roof panel (200) in a state where it is spread out in the front-rear and left-right directions between the roof panel (200) and the headlining (300). Accordingly, when the airbag is activated, gas supplied from the inflator (140) is injected into the airbag cushion (100), and the airbag cushion (100) expands while in the deployed state.

[0047] For reference, the airbag cushion (100) is manufactured from a polymer compound capable of withstanding the expansion pressure of the gas by being expanded by gas, and the headlining (300) can also be manufactured from a composite polymer material to withstand the impact caused by the airbag cushion (100) when the airbag is deployed.

[0049] That is, in the event of a collision or rollover accident of a vehicle, the airbag cushion (100) deployed between the headlining (300) and the roof panel (200) inflates, thereby reducing injury to a passenger hitting the roof and safely protecting the passenger, and thus safely protecting a passenger hitting the roof even in a regular vehicle that is not equipped with a sunroof.

[0050] In addition, since the airbag cushion (100) is assembled to the vehicle in an unfolded state, parts such as brackets and bolts required to assemble the airbag cushion (100) in a folded state are not needed, thereby reducing the cost of the airbag device through a reduction in the number of parts.

[0051] In addition, when the airbag cushion (100) is assembled to the headlining (300), it is disadvantageous in terms of transportation and packaging of the headlining (300). By attaching the airbag cushion (100) to the roof panel (200), the disadvantages of transportation and packaging are resolved.

[0053] Meanwhile, in the present invention, the airbag cushion (100) can be mounted on a roof cross panel (210) that is joined to the left and right sides of the roof panel (200).

[0054] Referring to FIG. 2, the airbag cushion (100) can be fixed to the vehicle by mounting it to the roof panel (200) and / or the roof cross panel (210) by means of fasteners or bolts.

[0056] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the shape of an airbag cushion (100) according to the present invention when inflated, viewed from the indoor side.

[0057] Referring to the drawing, the edge of the airbag cushion (100) is mounted to the roof panel (200).

[0058] That is, the airbag cushion (100) is structured to unfold along the front-to-rear longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and is partially mounted to the left and right edges of the airbag cushion (100) through bolting and fasteners, and can be mounted not only to the roof panel (200) but also to the roof cross panel (210).

[0060] Preferably, the structure is such that a dead zone area (110) in which gas is not injected into the airbag cushion (100) among the airbag cushions (100) is mounted on the roof panel (200).

[0061] That is, during the process of gas being supplied into the airbag cushion (100) and inflating, a partially dead zone area (110) is formed in the middle of the airbag cushion (100), and this dead zone area (110) can be mounted on a roof panel (200) or a roof cross panel (210).

[0062] For reference, a cutting section (130) is formed in the middle of the airbag cushion (100) in a shape where the airbag cushion (100) is partially cut. Through the cutting section (130), interference between the electrical component (400) (room lamp, etc.) and the airbag cushion (100) is avoided when assembling the electrical component (400) of the headlining (300).

[0064] In particular, FIGS. 5a and 5b are drawings showing the pre-inflation and post-inflation states of the airbag cushion (100) along the A-A line of FIGS. 4, and FIGS. 6a and 6b are drawings showing the pre-inflation and post-inflation states of the airbag cushion (100) along the B-B line of FIGS. 4.

[0066] Referring to the drawing, the present invention allows a part of the airbag cushion (100) to be folded, and the folded folding part (120) to be unfolded during the inflation process of the airbag cushion (100).

[0068] Specifically, the folding portion (120) is structured to be formed in a dead zone area (110) where gas is not injected into the airbag cushion (100).

[0069] For example, in the dead zone area (110) of the airbag cushion (100) that is not connected to the roof panel (200) or the roof cross panel (210), the airbag cushion (100) is folded in a zigzag shape in the corresponding part.

[0071] That is, when the airbag cushion (100) expands, the length in the front-to-back width direction as well as the length in the rear-to-back length direction of the airbag cushion (100) expand while contracting.

[0072] At this time, the folded portion of the airbag cushion (100) unfolds during the process of the airbag cushion (100) expanding, thereby compensating for the length of the airbag cushion (100) contracting with the unfolded length of the folded portion, thus preventing the reduction of the deployment area of ​​the airbag cushion (100) and thereby protecting the passenger more safely.

[0074] In addition, the above folding part (120) can be sewn in a temporary bonded state so that the temporary bonded part unfolds when the airbag cushion (100) is inflated.

[0075] For example, in the part where the dead zone area (110) is formed long in the left-right width direction, the folding part (120) can be sewn in a temporary state, and in the part where the dead zone area (110) is formed short in the left-right width direction, the folding part (120) can be maintained only in a folded form without being sewn.

[0076] That is, as the folding part (120) is sewn in a temporary bonded state, it remains in a folded state during normal times, but as the temporary bonded part is released and unfolded during the process of inflating the airbag cushion (100), the unfolded area of ​​the airbag cushion (100) can be stably secured.

[0078] Furthermore, the length of the airbag cushion (100) in the inflated state may be formed to be longer than or equal to the length of the airbag cushion (100) in the folded state.

[0080] That is, as shown in FIGS. 5a, 5b and FIGS. 6a, 6b, the left-right width length L2 of the airbag cushion (100) when the airbag cushion (100) is inflated can be formed to be longer than the width length L1 of the airbag cushion (100) when the airbag cushion (100) is folded.

[0081] Additionally, L2, which is the left-right width length of the airbag cushion (100) when the airbag cushion (100) is in an inflated state, may be formed to be equal to L1, which is the width length of the airbag cushion (100) when the airbag cushion (100) is in a folded state.

[0083] To explain the operation of deploying a roof airbag for a vehicle according to the present invention, when an activation signal for the roof airbag is applied due to a collision or rollover accident of the vehicle, the inflator (140) explodes and the gas generated from the inflator (140) is supplied into the airbag cushion (100) spread between the roof panel (200) and the headlining (300).

[0084] Accordingly, the airbag cushion (100) is inflated between the roof panel (200) and the headlining (300) to fill the space between the roof panel (200) and the headlining (300).

[0085] Therefore, in the event that a passenger's head hits the roof, the injury to the passenger is reduced, thereby safely protecting the passenger.

[0086] In addition, the airbag cushion (100) is installed in an unfolded state between the roof panel (200) and the headlining (300), thereby safely protecting passengers who collide with the roof even in a regular vehicle that is not equipped with a sunroof.

[0087] In addition, since the airbag cushion (100) is assembled to the vehicle in an unfolded state, parts such as brackets and bolts required to assemble the airbag cushion (100) in a folded state are not needed, thereby reducing the cost of the airbag device through a reduction in the number of parts.

[0088] In addition, when the airbag cushion (100) is assembled to the headlining (300), it is disadvantageous in terms of transportation and packaging of the headlining (300). Therefore, the disadvantages of transportation and packaging are resolved through a structure in which the airbag cushion (100) is combined with the roof panel (200).

[0090] Meanwhile, although the present invention has been described in detail only with respect to the specific examples mentioned above, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the technical spirit of the invention, and it is natural that such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the appended claims. Explanation of the symbols

[0092] 100 : Airbag cushion 110: Dead zone area 120 : Folding part 130 : Cutting section 140 : Inflator 200 : Roof panel 210 : Roof Cross Panel 300 : Headlining 400 : Battlefield

Claims

Claim 1 A roof airbag for a vehicle, characterized in that an airbag cushion is provided in an unfolded state between a roof panel and a headlining; gas is injected into the airbag cushion and inflated while the airbag cushion is mounted on the roof panel, a part of the airbag cushion is folded, and the folded part unfolds and deploys during the inflation process of the airbag cushion, and the folded part is formed in a dead zone area where gas is not injected into the airbag cushion. Claim 2 A vehicle roof airbag according to claim 1, characterized in that the airbag cushion is mounted on a roof cross panel joined to the left and right sides of the roof panel. Claim 3 A vehicle roof airbag according to claim 1, characterized in that the edge of the airbag cushion is mounted to a roof panel. Claim 4 A vehicle roof airbag characterized by having an airbag cushion deployed between a roof panel and a headlining; gas being injected into the airbag cushion to inflate it while the airbag cushion is mounted on the roof panel, and a dead zone area of ​​the airbag cushion where gas is not injected being mounted on the roof panel. Claim 5 delete Claim 6 delete Claim 7 A vehicle roof airbag according to claim 1, characterized in that the folding portion is sewn in a tacked state, and the tacked portion unfolds when the airbag cushion is inflated. Claim 8 A vehicle roof airbag according to claim 1, characterized in that the length of the airbag cushion in an inflated state is longer than or equal to the length of the airbag cushion in a folded state.

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