초록 ▼

An apparatus (10) for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle (12) having a roof (60) and a side structure (40) includes an inflatable device (16) having a deflated condition and having an inflated condition. In the inflated condition, a head portion (22) of the inflatable device is inflated bet

An apparatus (10) for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle (12) having a roof (60) and a side structure (40) includes an inflatable device (16) having a deflated condition and having an inflated condition. In the inflated condition, a head portion (22) of the inflatable device is inflated between the occupant's head and the vehicle roof and a side portion (20) of the inflatable device is inflated between the occupant and the vehicle side structure. The apparatus (10) further includes an actuatable inflation fluid source (14) for upon actuation directing inflation fluid into the inflatable device (16) to inflate the inflatable device from the deflated condition to the inflated condition. The head portion (22) of the inflatable device (16) is inflated by inflation fluid flow in a direction transverse to the vehicle side structure (40). In a preferred embodiment, the head portion (22) of the inflatable device (16) when in the deflated condition has panels (86, 96) which lie generally parallel to a headliner (62) between the headliner and the roof (60) and which extend from the vehicle side (40) approximately to the vehicle centerline (64).

대표청구항 ▼

1. A vehicle occupant safety apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle having a roof, a headliner underlying the roof, and a side structure including side window openings, said apparatus comprising:an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device including a side curtain portion infl

1. A vehicle occupant safety apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle having a roof, a headliner underlying the roof, and a side structure including side window openings, said apparatus comprising:an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device including a side curtain portion inflatable between the side structure of the vehicle and a vehicle occupant and a headliner portion inflatable between a roof of the vehicle and the vehicle headliner; and an inflation fluid source actuatable to provide inflation fluid for inflating said inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said side curtain portion having a trapezoidal configuration with spaced parallel upper and lower edges and spaced front and rear edges extending between said upper and lower edges, said front edge extending at an acute angle to said lower edge, said upper edge lying entirely above the side window openings of the vehicle along the intersection of the side structure of the vehicle and the vehicle roof and said lower edge extending along the vehicle side structure adjacent a lower edge of a front side window opening and a lower edge of a rear side window opening when said side curtain portion is inflated, said headliner portion having a rectangular configuration including spaced parallel forward and rearward edges and spaced parallel inner and outer edges extending perpendicular to said forward and rearward edges and between said forward and rearward edges, said outer edge of said headliner portion extending parallel to and merging with said upper edge of said side curtain portion, said forward and rearward edges extending perpendicular to said upper edge at locations intermediate the terminal ends of said upper edge.