Upper interior structure of cabin

Abstract

To achieve both load bearing performance when a curtain airbag is deployed and energy absorption performance when luggage is impacted. The upper interior structure of a cabin (1) is provided with a pillar trim (5) and a roof trim (6) in a B-pillar part (4). A defined space (P) has a curtain airbag (10) and a jump bracket (20). The jump bracket (20) has a rib (23) extending downward from the back surface of an upper surface (21), and a protruding part (25) positioned on the vehicle-lower side of a rib (23) with a facing gap (T) therebetween. In the rib (23) and the protruding part (25), a mutual facing gap (T) undergoes approaching deformation in response to a deployment load (Ft) of a curtain airbag (10), and the mutual facing gap (T) undergoes widening deformation in response to a load (Fn) from the cabin (1) side.

Description

Upper interior structure of the passenger compartment

[0001] The present invention relates to an upper interior structure for a passenger compartment of an automobile.

[0002] The technology described in Patent Document 1 discloses an upper interior structure for a vehicle cabin that includes a curtain airbag and a jump bracket that guides the deployment of the curtain airbag within a space defined by a pillar of an automobile. The curtain airbag is arranged to be deployable into the vehicle cabin between a pillar trim that constitutes the pillar and a roof trim above the pillar trim. In the technology described in this document, the jump bracket is provided with a rib that protrudes toward the outside of the vehicle, and when the curtain airbag deploys, the rib can prevent the curtain airbag from expanding toward the outside of the vehicle.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-50165

[0004] However, with the technology described in Patent Document 1, when a vehicle is impacted, the stiffness of the jump bracket increases with respect to the load from the vehicle interior toward the roof trim, aided by the support stiffness of the ribs that protrude toward the outside of the vehicle. As a result, there is a risk that the impact energy of luggage from the vehicle interior may not be sufficiently absorbed when the vehicle is impacted.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made with an eye on such problems, and its object is to provide an upper interior structure for a vehicle interior that can achieve both the load-bearing performance of a jump bracket and the ability to absorb the impact energy of luggage from inside the vehicle interior when a curtain airbag equipped in a vehicle is deployed.

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one embodiment of the present invention provides an upper interior structure for a passenger compartment comprising: a pillar trim attached to a pillar portion that defines an opening in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle and covering the pillar portion from the passenger compartment side; and a roof trim that is arranged above the pillar trim and covers the ceiling from the passenger compartment side. The upper interior structure for a passenger compartment comprises: a curtain airbag that is stored above the roof trim and can be deployed toward the passenger compartment; and a jump bracket that is arranged below the curtain airbag, within a defined space of the pillar portion. The jump bracket has a rib that extends downward into the passenger compartment from the back surface of the upper surface of the bracket that is arranged opposite the curtain airbag, and a protrusion that is arranged below the rib with a facing gap between them, and the rib and the protrusion are formed so that when the curtain airbag deploys, the facing gap between them is deformed closer together in response to the deployment load of the curtain airbag, and the facing gap is deformed wider in response to a load from the passenger compartment side.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve both the load-bearing performance of the jump bracket and the ability to absorb the impact energy of luggage from inside the vehicle compartment when a curtain airbag equipped in a vehicle is deployed.

[0008] 1 is a schematic side view of an embodiment of a vehicle equipped with an upper interior structure for a vehicle compartment according to one aspect of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram of a Z-Z cross section in the vicinity of the B-pillar portion in FIG. 1. It is a view of the jump bracket of FIG. 2 as seen from the direction of the X arrow in the same figure. It is a diagram (a) and (b) explaining the action and effect of the upper interior structure for a vehicle compartment according to this embodiment, each diagram corresponding to FIG. 2, where (a) shows an image of deformation when a curtain airbag is deployed and (b) shows an image of deformation when a load is applied from the vehicle compartment side.

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an upper interior structure for a vehicle cabin according to one aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. Note that the drawings are schematic. Therefore, it should be noted that the relationships and ratios between thicknesses and planar dimensions differ from those in reality, and the relationships and ratios between dimensions differ between the drawings. Furthermore, the embodiments shown below are merely examples of devices and methods for embodying the technical concept of the present invention, and the technical concept of the present invention does not limit the materials, shapes, structures, arrangements, etc. of component parts to the following embodiments.

[0010] As shown in a schematic side view of a vehicle in FIG. 1, an opening A for passengers to get in and out of the front seat 1a and an opening B for passengers to get in and out of the rear seat 1b are provided on the sides of the passenger compartment 1. Side doors (not shown) are attached to these openings A and B, respectively. The passenger compartment 1 has, in order from the front of the vehicle, an A-pillar 2, a B-pillar 4, and a C-pillar 3 as pillar sections that define the openings A and B. Each of the pillar sections 2, 3, and 4 is provided on each side in the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, the vehicle has a B-pillar 4 that defines the space between the openings A and B in the passenger compartment 1. FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of the Z-Z cross section near the B-pillar 4. As shown in the figure, the B-pillar portion 4 is provided with a roof panel 8 that is provided at the top of the passenger compartment 1 and forms the outer surface of the ceiling portion, a roof trim 6 that covers the ceiling of the passenger compartment 1 from below the roof panel 8, and a pillar trim 5 that covers the lower portion of the roof trim 6 from the passenger compartment 1 side.

[0011] The defined space P inside the B-pillar portion 4 is equipped with a curtain airbag 10 that is stored above the roof trim 6 and can be deployed toward the vehicle interior 1, and a jump bracket 20 (deployment direction restricting means) that is disposed below the curtain airbag. The pillar trim 5 is a part that forms the vehicle body frame in the B-pillar portion 4, and in cooperation with the roof trim 6, contains the curtain airbag 10 in the defined space P inside and exhibits an impact absorbing function. The jump bracket 20 can be molded from a hard resin or metal. The jump bracket 20 of this embodiment is molded from a hard resin and can guide the deployment posture of the folded curtain airbag 10 so that it deploys smoothly in the desired deployment direction toward the vehicle interior 1.

[0012] The curtain airbag 10 of this embodiment is an airbag mounted along the roof line above the openings A and B. The curtain airbag 10 is provided so as to be deployable into the vehicle compartment 1 from between the pillar trim 5 constituting the B-pillar portion 4 and the roof trim 6 above the pillar trim 5. In the event of a vehicle collision, the curtain airbag 10 deploys into the vehicle compartment 1 so as to cover the side windows of the openings A and B from the upper part on the vehicle compartment 1 side, thereby protecting the occupants.

[0013] Here, the jump bracket 20 in this embodiment has a bracket upper surface 21 disposed opposite the curtain airbag 10, a protruding portion 25 disposed opposite and spaced apart from the bracket upper surface 21 in the vertical direction, and a second surface 22 connecting the bracket upper surface 21 and the protruding portion 25 to each other. The rib 23 extends downward from the rear surface of the bracket upper surface 21. The protruding portion 25 is integrally formed on the vehicle lower side of the rib 23 with a facing gap T between it and the lower end of the rib 23.

[0014] 2, the rib 23 is provided with a gap 24 extending in the input direction of a load Fn from inside the vehicle compartment 1 due to luggage N placed in the vehicle compartment 1, and a substantially V-shaped opposing gap T is formed between the rib 23 and the protruding portion 25, opening outward in the vehicle width direction. In other words, the gap 24 for forming the opposing gap T is formed between the rib 23 and the protruding portion 25 in the input direction of the load Fn applied during a collision with the B-pillar 4. As a result, the rib 23 and the protruding portion 25 are formed such that, when the curtain airbag 10 is deployed, the opposing gap T is deformed closer to each other in response to the deployment load Ft, and the opposing gap T is widened in response to the load Fn from the vehicle compartment 1.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 3 , the jump bracket 20 of this embodiment has multiple sets of ribs 23 and protrusions 25. In the example shown in the figure, there is one set in the center and two sets at symmetrical positions on the left and right, for a total of three sets of ribs 23 and protrusions 25. The jump bracket 20 of this embodiment has a bracket upper surface 21 that is a first surface 21 facing the curtain airbag 10 and a second surface 22 facing the vehicle interior 1, and multiple holes 26 are formed in the second surface 22 and penetrate the bracket in the vehicle width direction. In the example shown in the figure, the multiple holes 26 include two horizontally elongated through-holes 26a that penetrate the bracket in a rectangular shape and are provided on both left and right ends, and two vertically elongated through-holes 26b that penetrate the bracket in a rectangular shape and are provided on the left and right sides near the center, spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0016] Next, the effects of the upper interior structure for the vehicle compartment 1 of this embodiment will be described. In the upper interior structure for the vehicle compartment 1 of this embodiment, the curtain airbag 10 and the jump bracket 20 are incorporated in the space P defined by the B-pillar portion 4, and the jump bracket 20 can smoothly deploy the curtain airbag 10 in a desired deployment direction toward the vehicle compartment 1. Therefore, according to the upper interior structure for the vehicle compartment 1 of this embodiment, in an emergency such as a vehicle collision, the curtain airbag 10 is smoothly deployed on the inner side along the roof line above the openings A and B, thereby absorbing impact on luggage N in the vehicle compartment 1 during a side collision, etc. In particular, as described above, the jump bracket 20 has the rib 23 extending downward from the jump bracket upper surface 21 toward the vehicle, and the protrusion 25 located below the rib 23 with a facing gap T therebetween. Therefore, in the upper interior structure for the vehicle compartment 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4( a), the rib 23 and the protrusion 25 can deform to reduce the facing gap T between them in response to the deployment load Ft of the curtain airbag 10.

[0017] That is, in the upper interior structure for the vehicle compartment 1 of this embodiment, when the curtain airbag 10 deploys, the opposing gap T between the rib 23 and the protrusion 25 narrows and they come into contact with each other, maintaining the guide surface, thereby reliably guiding the deployment posture of the curtain airbag 10. Therefore, the expected load-bearing performance required for the jump bracket 20 can be exhibited when the curtain airbag 10 deploys. As a result, the upper interior structure for the vehicle compartment 1 of this embodiment can withstand the deployment load Ft of the curtain airbag 10 and prevents or suppresses excessive deformation due to the load input when the curtain airbag 10 deploys. Therefore, in terms of load-bearing performance against the deployment load Ft, the structure has sufficient strength and rigidity against the input from the curtain airbag 10, and can prevent the curtain airbag 10 from deploying inside the pillar.

[0018] In the event of a collision of luggage N, as shown in FIG. 4B , the luggage N in the passenger compartment 1 collides with the jump bracket 20, generating a load Fn from the passenger compartment 1. In contrast, in the upper interior structure for the passenger compartment 1 of this embodiment, the rib 23 and the protruding portion 25 deform in response to the load Fn from the passenger compartment 1, widening the gap T between them. This effectively absorbs the load Fn caused by the luggage N in the passenger compartment 1 colliding from the passenger compartment 1 toward the roof trim 6, thereby reducing the impact value of the collision of the luggage N in the passenger compartment 1. In other words, the rib 23 and the protruding portion 25 deform in response to the load Fn from the passenger compartment 1 caused by the luggage N in the passenger compartment 1, widening the gap T between the rib 23 and the protruding portion 25 of the jump bracket 20. Therefore, the kinetic energy of the luggage N in the passenger compartment 1 is converted into strain energy of the jump bracket 20, allowing the energy to be absorbed. As a result, the upper interior structure for the passenger compartment 1 of this embodiment effectively reduces the impact value of the luggage N in the passenger compartment 1.

[0019] 2 and 4(a) and (b), the upper interior structure for the vehicle compartment 1 of this embodiment can withstand the deployment load Ft when the curtain airbag 10 is deployed, and can reduce the impact value of a load Fn from the vehicle compartment 1 during a collision caused by luggage N inside the vehicle compartment 1. Therefore, the upper interior structure for the vehicle compartment 1 of this embodiment can achieve both load-bearing performance when the jump bracket 20 is deployed and energy absorption performance against the impact of the luggage N by preventing an increase in the impact value caused by the luggage N [Invention 1].

[0020] In particular, in the upper interior structure of the vehicle compartment 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, a gap 24 is formed between the rib 23 and the protrusion 25 to form the opposing gap T in the input direction of the load Fn applied during a collision with the B-pillar portion 4. As a result, according to the upper interior structure of the vehicle compartment 1 of this embodiment, the curtain airbag 10 undergoes approximate deformation in response to the deployment load Ft when it is deployed, and in response to a collision with luggage N inside the vehicle compartment 1, the opposing gap T between the upper surface 21 of the jump bracket 20 and the bracket lower surface is widened and deformed in the input direction of the load Fn, which is suitable for reducing the impact value during a collision with luggage N inside the vehicle compartment 1 [Invention 2].

[0021] Furthermore, in the upper interior structure of the passenger compartment 1 of this embodiment, the jump bracket 20 is made of resin, which is suitable for widening or narrowing the opposing gap T between the rib 23 and the protrusion 25 [Invention 3].

[0022] Furthermore, in the upper interior structure of the vehicle interior 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the jump bracket 20 has multiple sets of ribs 23 and protrusions 25, which is more suitable for withstanding the deployment load Ft of the curtain airbag [Invention 4].

[0023] Furthermore, in the upper interior structure of the vehicle interior 1 of this embodiment, the jump bracket 20 has a first surface 21, which is the upper surface of the bracket facing the curtain airbag 10, and a second surface 22 facing the vehicle interior 1, as shown in Figure 2, and the second surface 22 has a plurality of holes 26 formed therethrough in the vehicle width direction, as shown in Figure 3, which is more suitable for reducing the impact value of luggage N in the vehicle interior 1 in the event of a collision [Invention 5].

[0024] As described above, this interior structure for the upper part of the vehicle compartment 1 can achieve both load-bearing performance against deployment of the curtain airbag 10 in the jump bracket 20 and energy absorption performance against impact from luggage N inside the vehicle compartment 1. The interior structure for the upper part of the vehicle compartment according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0025] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Vehicle interior 2 A-pillar portion 3 C-pillar portion 4 B-pillar portion 5 Pillar trim 6 Roof trim 8 Roof panel 10 Curtain airbag 20 Jump bracket 21 First surface (upper surface of bracket) 22 Second surface 23 Rib 24 Rib gap 25 Protrusion 26 Multiple holes N Luggage in vehicle interior T Opposing gap P Defined space of pillar portion Ft Deployment load of curtain airbag Fn Load from vehicle interior side

Claims

1. An upper interior structure for a vehicle cabin comprising a pillar trim attached to a pillar section that defines an opening to the cabin of an automobile and covering the pillar section from the cabin side, and a roof trim that is located above the pillar trim and covers the ceiling from the cabin side, wherein the upper interior structure for a vehicle cabin comprises, within the defined space of the pillar section, a curtain airbag that is stored above the roof trim and can be deployed toward the cabin, and a jump bracket that is located below the curtain airbag, wherein the jump bracket has a rib that extends downward into the cabin from the back of the upper surface of the bracket that is located opposite the curtain airbag, and a protrusion that is located below the rib and leaves a gap between them below the cabin, and wherein the rib and the protrusion are formed so that, when the curtain airbag deploys, the deployment load of the curtain airbag causes the gap between them to close together and deform, and the gap between them to widen and deform in response to a load from the cabin side.

2. An upper interior structure for a vehicle cabin as described in claim 1, wherein the gap between the rib and the protrusion to form the opposing gap is formed along the input direction of the load from the vehicle cabin side that is applied to the pillar portion during a collision.

3. The upper interior structure for a vehicle compartment according to claim 1, wherein the jump bracket is made of resin.

4. The upper interior structure of a vehicle compartment according to claim 1, wherein the jump bracket has a plurality of sets of the ribs and the protrusions.

5. The upper interior structure of a vehicle compartment as described in claim 1, wherein the jump bracket has a first surface which is the upper surface of the bracket facing the curtain airbag, and a second surface which faces the vehicle compartment, and the second surface has a plurality of holes which penetrate in the vehicle width direction.

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