Roof Rail Side Air Bag With Tensioning Tether

摘要

A side airbag has a top edge mounted on the roof rail and is normally furled along the roof rail and stored within a housing. An inflator inflates the airbag so that the airbag unfurls downwardly from the roof rail and across the window opening. A tether is attached to at least one of the front edge and rear edges of the airbag. A tether tensioner mounted on one of the front pillar and rear pillar closest to the edge of the airbag having the tether. The tensioner has a piston slidable therein with a cylinder piston rod attached to the tether. An actuator slides the piston to tension and retract the tether, and a one-way ratchet mechanism locks the piston. Thus the tether will retain the airbag in its inflated position across the window opening and against the occupant force applied thereagainst.