JP2014125091A - Vehicle exterior-mounted airbag device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an airbag device capable of ensuring preventing a deviation of an airbag expanded and deployed on the upper surface of a front pillar, and constraining a pedestrian or the like without increasing the size of the airbag.SOLUTION: An airbag 10 includes: an airbag main body 11 that includes a vehicle body-side wall portion 13 opposed to a front pillar 2b, and a vehicle exterior-side wall portion 12 arranged on an opposite side to the vehicle body-side wall portion 13 and constraining a pedestrian or the like; and a lateral tether 14 arranged within the airbag main body 11 so as to partition an interior of the airbag main body 11 into the vehicle exterior-side wall portion 12 and the vehicle body-side wall portion 13. An end portion 14a of the lateral tether 14 is coupled to outer peripheral edges of the vehicle exterior-side wall portion 12 and the vehicle body-side wall portion 13, and a central portion thereof is coupled to a coupling portion 15 of the vehicle body-side wall portion 13. This coupling portion 15 enables a recess portion 13b to be formed only in the vehicle body-side wall portion 13, and the vehicle exterior-side wall portion 12 to be expandable hemispherically.

Description

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle-installed airbag device that can reliably prevent the displacement of the airbag inflated and deployed on the upper surface of the front pillar.

  Conventionally, as a technique for preventing the displacement of the airbag inflated and deployed on the upper surface of the front pillar, a strap is disposed along the longitudinal direction inside the airbag to form a groove-like depression in the airbag, 2. Description of the Related Art There is known a vehicle-installed airbag device in which a hollow portion is disposed at a position where it enters an upper surface of a front pillar (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

JP 2006-335173 A JP 2003-306100 A

  However, the strap placed inside the airbag connects the vehicle body side wall and the vehicle outer side wall, so the thickness of the airbag is reduced, and the strap is It is necessary to secure the thickness of the airbag to be arranged, and there is a need to enlarge the entire airbag.

  The present invention solves the above-described problems, and can prevent the displacement of the airbag inflated and deployed on the upper surface of the front pillar without enlarging the airbag, and can reliably restrain a pedestrian or the like. An object of the present invention is to provide a standing airbag device.

The present invention is a vehicle-installed airbag device comprising airbags (10, 20) inflated and deployed on the surface of a front pillar (2b),
The airbag (10, 20) includes a vehicle body side wall portion (13, 23) facing the front pillar (2b) side and a vehicle outer side wall portion disposed on the opposite side of the vehicle body side wall portion (13, 23). (12, 22), and an airbag body (11, 21) comprising:
The vehicle outer side wall portions (12, 22) swell in a hemispherical shape, and the vehicle body side wall portions (13, 23) are recessed portions (13b) formed at positions where they enter the upper surface of the front pillar (2b). , 23b)

As a preferred embodiment, the airbag main body (11) includes a lateral tether (14) disposed so as to partition the vehicle outer wall portion (12) and the vehicle body side wall portion (13). And
The recess (13b) is formed by being drawn inward by a connecting portion (15) formed by directly connecting an intermediate portion of the lateral tether (14) and an intermediate portion of the vehicle body side wall (13). The configuration is preferable.

According to the airbag of the first aspect of the present invention, the recessed portion 13b formed in the vehicle body side wall portion 13 (rear panel 13) enters the upper surface of the front pillar 2b. Part 13) can be locked to the front pillar 2b, and a sufficient contact area between the airbag body 11 (vehicle body side wall part 13) and the upper surface of the vehicle 2 can be ensured. The shift of the bag body 11 can be reliably prevented, and the state in which the front pillar 2b is covered with the airbag 10 can be maintained. On the other hand, the vehicle outer side wall portion 12 (front panel 13) does not have the above-described depression portion and the like, and thus swells in a hemispherical shape. Therefore, the thickness of the airbag 10 is ensured without enlarging the airbag 10, and the impact applied to a pedestrian or the like can be reliably absorbed and reduced.

According to the airbag device of the second aspect of the present invention, the groove-like depression 13b is formed by connecting the vehicle body side wall 13 with the connecting portion 15 between the airbag body 11 (vehicle body side wall 13) and the lateral tether 14. Since it is formed by being pulled inward, the above-described effects can be achieved with a small number of parts such as the airbag body 11 and the lateral tether 14 alone.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a vehicle-mounted air bag device according to the present embodiment, where (a) is a plan view before the airbag is inflated and deployed, and (b) is a plan view after the airbag is inflated and deployed. It is. It is AA sectional drawing of Fig.1 (a). It is BB sectional drawing of FIG.1 (b). It is CC sectional drawing of FIG.1 (b). It is CC sectional drawing which showed the other structure of FIG.1 (b).

  The objective of securing the thickness of the airbag deployed and inflated on the pillar and reliably preventing the airbag from shifting is realized with a simple configuration.

  1A and 1B are views showing an air bag device mounted outside a vehicle according to the present embodiment, in which FIG. 1A is a plan view of a state before the airbag is inflated and deployed, and FIG. 1B is a diagram after the airbag is inflated and deployed. It is a top view of a state. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1A, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 4 is a CC cross-sectional view of FIG. 1B, and FIG. 5 is a CC cross-sectional view showing another configuration of FIG. 1B.

  In this embodiment, when a vehicle, which is an automobile, collides with a pedestrian or the like while traveling, the impact force applied to the pedestrian or the like is absorbed and reduced when the pedestrian or the like collides with the upper surface of the front portion of the vehicle. In order to do so, a vehicle outside air bag device mounted on the front of the vehicle will be described as an example.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle-mounted airbag device 1 includes a collision determination device (not shown) that detects or predicts a collision between the vehicle 2 and a pedestrian or the like, and a collision determination device that detects a collision with the vehicle 2. An air bag 10 that inflates and deploys on the upper surface of the vehicle 2 when detected or predicted.

  The collision determination device is configured by an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that detects or predicts a collision between the vehicle 2 and a pedestrian based on a signal from a sensor or radar (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 2. When a collision with the vehicle 2 is detected or predicted, the inflators 18 and 18 that generate gas for inflating and deploying the airbag 10 are operated.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the airbag 10 is a cylindrical bag body, and is disposed inside the airbag body 11 and an airbag body 11 that inflates and deploys along the front pillar 2 b of the vehicle 2. And a horizontal tether 14.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the airbag 10 before being inflated and deployed is stored in a state of being folded inside a retainer 2e disposed in front of the front window glass 2a of the vehicle 2 and below the hood 2c. Yes. The retainer 2e opens at the front of the cowl top 2d, and the opening is closed by a lid 2f that forms the same surface as the cowl top 2d.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A, an inflator 18 is attached to each airbag body 11, and the airbag 10 is configured to be inflated and deployed by gas generated in the inflator 18. ing.
When the airbag 10 is inflated and deployed, as shown in FIG. 3, the lid 2 f is separated from the opening of the retainer 2 e by the inflating force and inflated and deployed on the upper surface of the vehicle 2.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the airbag main body 11 includes a front panel 12 (vehicle outer wall portion) that contacts a pedestrian and the like, and a rear panel 13 (vehicle body side wall portion) that faces the front pillar 2b. The outer peripheral edges 12a and 13a are sewn. A horizontal tether 14 is disposed between the front panel 12 and the rear panel 13 in the left-right direction of the vehicle, and is formed to extend in the longitudinal direction of the airbag body 11 so as to partition the upper and lower sides (the front panel 12 and the rear panel 13). Yes. Each end 14a of the horizontal tether 14 is joined to the outer peripheral edges 12a, 13a of the panels 12, 13 by sewing. Further, the rear panel 13 and the lateral tether 14 are directly sewn by a connecting portion 15 at the center in the left-right direction of the airbag body 11, and the connecting portion 15 is formed to extend in the longitudinal direction of the airbag body 11.

As described above, since the rear panel 13 is coupled to the lateral tether 14 at the connecting portion 15, when the airbag body 11 is inflated and deployed to the front pillar 2 b, the rear panel 11 a corresponding to the connecting portion 15 is inward. It will be in the state pulled in.
Thereby, in the airbag main body 11 inflated and deployed, a groove-like depression 13 b drawn inward by the connecting portion 15 is formed along the longitudinal direction of the airbag main body 11. By forming the hollow portion 13b, the rear panel 13 becomes flat, so that the width of the region overlapping the upper surface of the vehicle 2 is widened.
Further, when the airbag main body 11 is inflated and deployed, the groove-like depression 13b is formed at a position where the upper surface of the front pillar 2b enters.

The vehicular air bag apparatus 1 configured as described above operates as follows and exhibits the effects of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 4, in the airbag main body 11 inflated and deployed along the front pillar 2 b, a groove-like recess 13 b that is drawn inward by a connecting portion 15 between the airbag main body 11 and the lateral tether 14 is provided. Will be formed.
By forming the recess 13b, the inflated and deployed airbag body 11 has a wider axial cross-sectional shape, and the lower surface side of the airbag body 11 becomes flat, so that the region 13c overlapping the upper surface of the vehicle 2 is formed. The width can be increased. Thereby, the shift | offset | difference of the airbag main body 11 by the wind pressure which acts after expansion | deployment deployment and the pressing force from a pedestrian etc. can be prevented.
Furthermore, since the upper surface of the front pillar 2b enters the recess 13b, the airbag body 11 (rear panel 13) can be locked to the front pillar 2b, and the airbag body 11 (rear panel 13) and the vehicle 2 Since a sufficient contact area with the upper surface of the airbag body 11 can be ensured, displacement of the inflated and deployed airbag body 11 can be reliably prevented, and the airbag 10 can keep the front pillar 2b covered. it can.

  On the other hand, since the front panel 12 (the vehicle outer wall portion) is not coupled to the lateral tether 14, it swells in a hemispherical shape. Therefore, the thickness of the airbag 10 is ensured without enlarging the airbag 10, and the impact applied to a pedestrian or the like can be reliably absorbed and reduced.

As described above, in the vehicle-mounted airbag device 1, the airbag 10 that has been inflated and deployed can be reliably prevented from shifting, and the thickness of the airbag 10 can be reliably ensured. When a collision occurs, the impact force applied to the pedestrian or the like can be reliably absorbed and relaxed. Further, when ensuring the thickness of the airbag, since the airbag 10 is not enlarged, the airbag 10 can be reduced in size, and the inflator 18 that supplies gas for inflating and deploying the airbag 10 can be reduced. can do. Furthermore, the above-described effects can be achieved with only a small number of parts, that is, only the airbag body 11 and the lateral tether 14.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the airbag 20 showing another configuration of the vehicle-mounted airbag device in the present embodiment.

The airbag 20 includes an airbag body 21 made of a single base fabric, and a first tether 24 and a second tether 25 that constitute a lateral tether. As shown in FIG. 5, in the inflated state of the airbag 20, the end portions 24 a and 25 a of the first tether 24 and the second tether 25 are respectively intermediate portions of the airbag body 21 and the first coupling portion 26 and the second tether 24. They are connected by sewing at the connecting portion 27. The first tether 24 and the second tether 25 are joined by sewing at the first connecting portion 28 at their respective intermediate portions, and the other end 24b of the first tether 24 and the second tether 25, 25b is joined by sewing at the second connecting portion 29 at both end portions 21a, 21a of the airbag body 21.
As described above, the airbag main body 21 can restrain a pedestrian or the like on the side of the front pillar 2b on the side of the vehicle body side wall 23 and on the side opposite to the side wall of the vehicle body 23, with the first coupling portion 26 and the second coupling portion 27 as a boundary. The vehicle outer wall portion 22 is defined by the vehicle outer wall portion 22 and the vehicle body side wall portion 23 by the first tether 24 and the second tether 25. In this other configuration, the first tether 24 and the second tether 25 are formed with communication holes 24c and 25c, respectively, so that the gas can communicate with the vehicle outer side wall portion 22 and the vehicle body side wall portion 23.

As described above, the airbag main body 21 is sewn by the second connecting portion 29 between the first tether 24 and the second tether 25, and the groove-like depression drawn inward by the second connecting portion 29. A portion 23b is formed. Accordingly, even in such a configuration, the vehicle outer side wall portion 22 swells in a hemispherical shape, and the thickness of the airbag 10 can be reliably ensured, and the vehicle body side wall portion 23 is also formed with a recess portion 23b. Deviation of the airbag 10 from the front pillar 2b can also be prevented.

  It is possible to provide an airbag capable of restraining traffic weak persons such as pedestrians and bicycles.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle exterior airbag apparatus 2 Vehicle 2b Front pillar 10 Air bag 11 Air bag main body 12 Front panel (vehicle outer wall part)
13 Rear panel (body side wall)
13b Depressed part 14 Horizontal tether 15 Connecting part 18 Inflator 20 Airbag 21 Airbag body 22 Outer wall part 23 Car body side wall part 23b Depressed part 24 First tether 25 Second tether 26 First coupling part 27 Second coupling part 28 Second 1 connection part 29 2nd connection part

Claims (2)

A vehicle-installed airbag apparatus comprising airbags (10, 20) inflated and deployed on the surface of the front pillar (2b),
The airbag (10, 20) includes a vehicle body side wall portion (13, 23) facing the front pillar (2b) side and a vehicle outer side wall portion disposed on the opposite side of the vehicle body side wall portion (13, 23). (12, 22), and an airbag body (11, 21) comprising:
The vehicle outer side wall portions (12, 22) swell in a hemispherical shape, and the vehicle body side wall portions (13, 23) are recessed portions (13b) formed at positions where they enter the upper surface of the front pillar (2b). , 23b). The airbag main body (11) includes a lateral tether (14) disposed so as to partition the vehicle outer side wall (12) and the vehicle body side wall (13).
The recess (13b) is formed by being drawn inward by a connecting portion (15) formed by directly connecting an intermediate portion of the lateral tether (14) and an intermediate portion of the vehicle body side wall (13). The airbag device according to claim 1.

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