DESC:TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The embodiments herein generally relate to headliners in vehicles and more particularly, but not exclusively to a sunroof headliner assembly for a vehicle, which facilitates effective deployment of curtain airbags in event of side collision between the vehicle and another vehicle.

BACKGROUND
[002] Generally, a headliner of a vehicle is used for covering a roof BIW (body in white) of the vehicle. The headliner is used for mounting various components such as roof lamp, grab handles, roof console, reinforcement brackets and so on. Proper deployment of the curtain airbags is influenced by many parameters such as position of airbag, airbag packaging, headliner section, pillar trims etc., Headliner design plays a major role in the proper deployment of airbags such that in event of collision, airbag first interacts with the headliner. Hence, proper deployment of the air bags is necessary for meeting safety requirements of occupants in the vehicle. Conventional headliner assembly includes a base headliner, support brackets and structural members that are typically connected or adhesive bonded (pasted) to back side of the base headliner. The structural members are used to guide or deflect the curtain airbags thereby resulting in deployment of curtain airbags in event of side collision. However, the aforementioned headliner assembly incurs high cost due to usage of separate structural members and has higher assembly time due to connection of structural members to the base headliner. Further, the aforementioned headliner assembly increases an overall weight of the vehicle.
[003] Therefore, there exists a need for a headliner assembly for a vehicle, which facilitates effective deployment of curtain airbag modules in event of side collision between the vehicle and another vehicle. Further, there exists a need for a headliner assembly for a vehicle, which obviates the aforementioned drawbacks.

OBJECTS
[004] The principal object of the embodiments of this invention is to provide a headliner assembly for a vehicle, which facilitates effective deployment of curtain airbag modules in event of side collision between the vehicle and another vehicle.
[005] These and other objects of the embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[006] The embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, throughout which like reference letters indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following description with reference to the drawings, in which:
[007] FIG. 1 depicts an exploded view of a headliner assembly of a vehicle, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[008] FIG. 2 depicts an exploded view of the headliner assembly, a sunroof assembly and a plurality of curtain airbag modules, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[009] FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of the headliner assembly, the sunroof assembly and the plurality of curtain airbag modules in assembled condition, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0010] FIG. 4 depicts a cross-sectional view of the headliner assembly and a curtain airbag module in assembled condition, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein; and
[0011] FIG. 5 depicts a partial perspective view of the headliner assembly, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
[0013] The embodiments herein achieve a headliner assembly for a vehicle, which facilitates effective deployment of curtain airbag modules in event of side collision between the vehicle and another vehicle. Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 5, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown embodiments.
[0014] FIG. 2 depicts an exploded view of the headliner assembly 100, a sunroof assembly S and a plurality of curtain airbag modules A, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the vehicle includes a headliner assembly 100, a sunroof assembly S, a plurality of curtain airbag modules A (as shown in fig. 2, fig. 3 and fig. 4) and may include other standard components/systems as present in standard vehicle.
[0015] FIG. 1 depicts an exploded view of a headliner assembly 100 of a vehicle, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the headliner assembly 100 includes a base headliner 102, a plurality of grab handles 104, a roof console 106, a roof lamp 108, at least one wiring harness 110, a plurality of reinforcement brackets 112, a foam 114 and may include other standard components as present in standard headliner assembly of the vehicle.
[0016] FIG. 5 depicts a partial perspective view of the headliner assembly 100, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. The base headliner 102 is used for covering a roof BIW (body in white) of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the base headliner 102 includes a first deflecting portion 102a, a second deflecting portion 102b, a roof console receiving portion 102c (as shown in fig. 1), a sunroof mounting portion 102d and a sunroof opening 102e. The first deflecting portion 102a of the base headliner 102 is adjacent to the left side of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the first deflecting portion 102a of the base headliner 102 is used to deflect/guide corresponding curtain airbag module A thereby facilitating deployment of corresponding curtain airbag module A in event of left side collision between the vehicle and another vehicle or obstacle. The second deflecting portion 102b of the base headliner 102 is adjacent to the right side of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the second deflecting portion 102b of the base headliner 102 is used to deflect/guide corresponding another curtain airbag module A thereby facilitating deployment of corresponding curtain airbag module A in event of right side collision between the vehicle and another vehicle or obstacle. The roof console receiving portion 102c of the base headliner 102 is used for receiving the roof console 106. The roof console receiving portion 102c of the base headliner 102 is at least an opening. The sunroof mounting portion 102d of the base headliner 102 is used to facilitate mounting of the sunroof assembly S. The sunroof opening 102e of the base headliner 102 is used to provide a view of the outside environment.
[0017] The plurality of grab handles 104 is assembled at predetermined position to an inner portion of the base headliner 102, where some of the grab handles 104 are adjacent to the left side of the vehicle and the other grab handles 104 are adjacent to the right side of the vehicle. Each grab handle 104 assists an occupant for holding while sitting inside the vehicle.
[0018] The roof console 106 is received by the roof receiving portion 102c of the base headliner 102. The roof console 106 is used for housing accessories like google holder, mood lights, control switches and so on. The roof lamp 108 is provided at a predetermined position to an inner portion of the base headliner 102. The roof lamp 108 is used for interior lighting purpose. The wiring harness 110 is used for electrical wiring routing to components such as roof lamp 108 and so on. The plurality of reinforcement brackets 112 is provided along the periphery of the sunroof opening 102e of the base headliner 102. Each reinforcement bracket 112 is used to provide stiffness to the base headliner 102. The foam 114 is provided at predetermined position to an outer portion of the base headliner 102.
[0019] The sunroof assembly S is mounted to the sunroof mounting portion 102d of the base headliner 102. The sunroof assembly S allows the occupant of the vehicle to have a view of the outside environment. Each curtain airbag module A is used to protect the occupants of the vehicle in event of side collision between the vehicle and another vehicle or obstacle. Each curtain air bag module A is connected to corresponding BIW (body in white) side rail portion of the vehicle and interfaces with corresponding first deflecting portion 102a and the second deflecting portion 102b of the base headliner 102, where one of the curtain airbag module A is adjacent to the left side of the vehicle and the other curtain airbag module A is adjacent to the right side of the vehicle.
[0020] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
,CLAIMS:CLAIMS
We claim,
1. A headliner assembly 100 for a vehicle, said headliner assembly 100 comprising:
a base headliner 102 having a first deflecting portion 102a adjacent to the left side of the vehicle, and a second deflecting portion 102b adjacent to the right side of the vehicle,
wherein
the first deflecting portion 102a of said base headliner 102 is adapted to deflect corresponding curtain airbag module A of the vehicle thereby facilitating deployment of corresponding curtain airbag module A in event of left side collision between the vehicle and another vehicle, and the second deflecting portion 102b of said base headliner 102 is adapted to deflect corresponding another curtain airbag module A thereby facilitating deployment of corresponding curtain airbag module in event of right side collision between the vehicle and another vehicle.
2. The headliner assembly 100 as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of grab handles 104 assembled at predetermined position to an inner portion of said base headliner 102.

3. The headliner assembly 100 as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a roof console 106 adapted to be received by a roof console receiving portion 102c of said base headliner 102.
4. The headliner assembly 100 as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a roof lamp 108 provided at a predetermined position to an inner portion of said base headliner 102.
5. The headliner assembly 100 as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a wiring harness 110 adapted to provide electrical wiring routing to said roof lamp 108.
6. The headliner assembly 100 as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of reinforcement brackets 112 provided along the periphery of a sunroof opening 102e of said base headliner 102, wherein each of said reinforcement bracket 112 is adapted to provide stiffness to said base headliner 102.
7. The headliner assembly 100 as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base headliner 102 having a sunroof mounting portion 102d adapted for mounting a sunroof assembly S.