Vehicle occupant protection apparatus

Abstract

A vehicle occupant protection apparatus for use in a vehicle includes an occupant-protecting expansion part caused to expand in the form of a curtain in the vehicle cabin along windows. The expansion part is attached to the vehicle body at two attachment points positioned forward and rearward of the windows. A tension line that joins the two attachment points is in a position where the expansion part is extended between the two points, and is positioned below the lower edges of the windows.

1 . A vehicle occupant protection apparatus comprising an expansion part that is positioned in a folded state along an upper edge of a vehicle window and is capable of expanding in the form of a curtain along the window in a vehicle cabin in order to protect a vehicle occupant, the vehicle occupant protection apparatus further comprising: 
 a tension line for connecting two attachment points that are selected from a plurality of attachment points for attaching the expansion part to the vehicle body and that are disposed forward and rearward of the window, wherein the tension line is in a position where the expansion part is extended between the two points, and is disposed below a lower edge of the window.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a lower edge of the expansion part is substantially positioned on the tension line when the expansion part is expanded.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the expansion part further has an auxiliary secondary expansion part that expands below the tension line, and the secondary expansion part is positioned in a location other than a location facing a sitting location of the vehicle occupant.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the expansion part has a primary inflation part that is inflated by the pressure of a gas, and the secondary expansion part further has a secondary inflation part that is inflated by the pressure of the gas.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the secondary inflation part is in constant connection with the primary inflation part via a first communicating channel having a reduced diameter to adjust an internal pressure of the primary inflation part, and has a first break part, and the first break part is designed to break when subjected to a specific breaking force produced in accordance with an internal pressure of the secondary inflation part, and the capacity of the secondary inflation part is allowed to be further increased as a result of the breaking.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the first break part is set to a specific length.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the secondary inflation part is stored in a folded state on a surface of the primary inflation part on the side of the vehicle cabin.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the primary inflation part has an occupant-protecting inflation part that inflates in a location facing the sitting location, and an internal-pressure-regulating inflation part that is capable of being inflated in a location set apart from the sitting location, the internal-pressure-regulating inflation part being in constant connection with the occupant-protecting inflation part via a second communicating channel having a reduced diameter to adjust the internal pressure of the occupant-protecting inflation part, and has a second break part, the second break part being designed to break when subjected to a specific breaking force produced in accordance with an internal pressure of the internal-pressure-regulating inflation part, and the capacity of the internal-pressure-regulating inflation part being allowed to be further increased as a result of the breaking.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the second break part is set to a specific length.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the second break part is provided to a lateral surface of the internal-pressure-regulating inflation part.  
   
   
       11 . A vehicle occupant protection apparatus comprising an expansion part positioned in a folded state along an upper edge of a vehicle window and being capable of expanding in the form of a curtain along the window in a vehicle cabin in order to protect a vehicle occupant, 
 wherein the expansion part includes an auxiliary secondary expansion part for expanding below the window, and the secondary expansion part is positioned in a location other than a location that faces a sitting location of the vehicle occupant.    
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the expansion part has a primary inflation part that is inflated by the pressure of a gas, and the secondary expansion part further includes a secondary inflation part that is inflated by the pressure of the gas.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the secondary inflation part is in constant connection with the primary inflation part via a first communicating channel having a reduced diameter to adjust the internal pressure of the primary inflation part, and has a first break part, and the first break part is designed to break when subjected to a specific breaking force produced in accordance with an internal pressure of the secondary inflation part, the capacity of the secondary inflation part being allowed to be further increased as a result of the breaking.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the first break part is set to a specific length.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the secondary inflation part is stored in a folded state on a surface of the primary inflation part on the side of the vehicle cabin.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the primary inflation part comprises: 
 an occupant-protecting inflation part that inflates in a location facing the sitting location; and    an internal-pressure-regulating inflation part that is capable of being inflated in a location set apart from the sitting location,    the inflation part being in constant connection with the occupant-protecting inflation part via a second communicating channel having a reduced diameter to adjust the internal pressure of the occupant-protecting inflation part, and has a second break part,    the second break part being designed to break when subjected to a specific breaking force produced in accordance with an internal pressure of the inflation part, and the capacity of the inflation part being allowed to be further increased as a result of the breaking.    
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the second break part is set to a specific length.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein one end of the second break part faces the second communicating channel, and the second break part is extended inward within the internal-pressure-regulating inflation part.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the second break part is provided to a lateral surface of the internal-pressure-regulating inflation part.