Control system for apparatus for protecting head portion of vehicle occupant

A control system for an apparatus for protecting a head portion of a vehicle occupant, the control system comprising:

• an air bag device having an air bag body for protecting the head portion of the occupant, the air bag body being (i) configured to extend from a front pillar along a roof side rail of a vehicle and, (ii) adapted to inflate and unfold between the head portion of the occupant and a side portion of the vehicle;
• a pretensioner adapted to remove slack from a seat belt fastened to the occupant;
• roll state detecting means for detecting a roll state of the vehicle, the roll state including a roll rate and a roll angle;
• and
• control means for (i) determining whether said pretensioner has already been operated, when the roll state is a predetermined roll state value, and (ii) controlling operation of said pretensioner and operation of said air bag device when said pretensioner has not been operated, said pretensioner being operated before said air bag device is operated;
• wherein said control means (i) includes a map correlating roll rates to roll angles and (ii) controls operation of said airbag device and operation of said pretensioner in accordance with the map.

A control system for an apparatus for protecting a head portion of a vehicle occupant, the control system comprising:

• an air bag device having an air bag body for protecting the head portion of the occupant, the air bag body being (i) configured to extend from a front pillar along a roof side rail of a vehicle and, (ii) adapted to inflate and unfold between the head portion of the occupant and a side portion of the vehicle;
• a pretensioner adapted to remove slack from a seat belt fastened to the occupant;
• roll state detecting means for detecting a roll state of the vehicle, the roll state including a roll rate and a roll angle;
• and
• control means for (i) controlling operation of said pretensioner when the roll state is a first roll state value and (ii) controlling operation of said air bag device when the roll state is a second roll state value;
• wherein said first roll state and said second roll state values are predetermined to operate said pretensioner before operating said air bag device.

A control system for an apparatus comprising:

• an air bag device having an air bag body for protecting a head portion of a vehicle occupant;
• a pretensioner adapted to remove slack from a seat belt fastened to the occupant;
• roll state detecting means for detecting a roll state of a vehicle, the roll state including a roll rate and a roll angle;
• and
• control means for (i) controlling operation of the pretensioner when the roll state is a first roll state value and (ii) controlling operation of the air bag device when the roll state is a second roll state value.