Mazda Motor Corporation

Kazuya Fukutani

Naoki Kaneko

Yoshikazu Nishimura

Noboru Yoshii

Hideharu Saiki

Seigo Taguchi

Kei Ikeda

Hideharu Kaeriyama

Masaki Motoki

Katsuhito Kouno

Takashi Niseki

Motoki Yoshida

Nobuo Inoue

An opening portion is formed at a specified portion of a roof gusset which covers part of a panel joint portion from below. A pair of center-pillar side joint portions is provided at an outward end portion of the roof gusset, which is joined to a center pillar directly or via another panel member. A pair of first high-rigidity portions is provided at specified portions of the roof gusset which overlap the opening portion in a vehicle width direction and overlap the center-pillar joint portions in the vehicle longitudinal direction, respectively. A second high-rigidity portion is provided at an inward end portion of the roof gusset to extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

Upper vehicle-body structure of vehicle

A center pillar includes a first reinforcement panel which is arranged between an outer panel and an inner panel, comprises a bottom wall portion, both-side vertical wall portions extending in a vehicle width direction from the bottom wall portion, and both-side flange portions, and has a cross section formed in substantially a hat shape. A second reinforcement panel comprising a bottom wall portion and both-side vertical wall portions and having a cross section formed in substantially a U shape is arranged inside the first reinforcement panel. The second reinforcement panel is joined to the first reinforcement panel such that only the bottom wall portion and one of the both-side vertical wall portions are joined to the bottom wall portion and one of the both-side vertical wall portions, respectively.

Vehicle-body side portion structure of vehicle

A cell of a curtain airbag is configured such that its upper portion is closed in an inflated state of the curtain airbag, whereas its lower portion is open and connected to a gas flowing passage from an inflator. Accordingly, a passenger protection device of a vehicle which can properly prevent an interior material from being broken and scattered can be provided.

Passenger protection of vehicle

A side airbag unit disposed in a side support of a seat capable of absorbing collision energy sufficiently during a side collision of a vehicle is described. In one example, the airbag unit comprises: a low expansion member disposed inside of a front skin of the seat, wherein one end of the low expansion member is attached to the inside of the front skin in the vicinity of a fragile part of the seat and the other end of the low expansion member is attached to the seatback frame through a slit. The low expansion member inhibits the front skin from expanding due to the inflation of the airbag, and a cushion pad located outside of the slit in the vehicle width direction and inside of the fragile part in the vehicle width direction is moved outward and frontward by the inflation of the airbag in a vehicle collision.

Side airbag structure

A side airbag device provided at a seat back of a seat, comprises an airbag including a chest-abdomen protection portion to protect a chest and abdomen of an occupant seated and a waist protection portion to protect a waist of the occupant, and an inflator to supply gas to the airbag for an inflation at a vehicle side crash or a vehicle turnover, wherein the portions are partitioned by a partition portion that at least extends substantially rearward from an front edge of the airbag, and a recess is provided at an upper portion of the chest-abdomen protection portion. Accordingly, a whole part of side body including the chest, abdomen and waist can be properly protected regardless of the body size of the occupant, even for the occupant having the relatively small body size.

Side airbag device

A pin having an enlarged head is fixed to a lower end portion of a sliding rear side door. The pin is disposed at a point corresponding to a door slide opening formed in a side sill, and the enlarged head of the pin is goes into a box member incorporated in the side sill through the door slide opening when the sliding rear side door is closed. A lower rail having a downward-opening U-shaped cross section is welded to a top plate portion of the box member. A lower roller unit fixed to the sliding rear side door fits into the lower rail, whereby the lower rail guides the sliding rear side door during opening and closing operation thereof. A vertical wall portion of the box member is welded to a first reinforcement member which passes generally vertically through the side sill.

Growing community of inventors

Hiroshima, Japan

Kazuya Fukutani