DE112020006390T5 - protective body - Google Patents

Abstract

There is provided a technique for a ground-mounted protective body that is superior to the prior art in terms of safety and can suppress deterioration in protective performance over a long period of time. A protective body fixed to a floor to divide a space into a protection-target area and a non-protection-target area, the protective body includes a gas generator, an airbag body that is installed in the protection-target portion inflated by being expanded by gas supplied from the inflator when the inflator is actuated, and an outer shell portion accommodating the inflator and the airbag body.

Description

Technical part

The present disclosure relates to a protective body.

State of the art

A crash barrier, a fence, and the like are widely known as protective bodies that are fixed to the ground and protect a protective target such as a pedestrian. The guardrail is, for example, a protective body serving to prevent a vehicle from avoiding, and which extends along a border area between a roadway and a sidewalk to divide a space into a protection target area (e.g., a sidewalk) and a to subdivide non-protection target area (e.g. a roadway).

The guardrail typically includes a beam having adequate rigidity and toughness, and a support pillar that supports the beam and has a structure that absorbs energy by deforming the beam and the support pillar in response to an impact in a collision of a vehicle or the like. A protective body such as a crash barrier is designed so that the beam or support pillar can be deformed to some extent to absorb the impact energy when an object such as a vehicle crashes. Therefore, the protection body may deform largely when the collision object such as a vehicle collides with the protection body such as a guardrail. Therefore, the protection body is able to further improve the security of the protection target area (e.g., a sidewalk).

In this regard, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for reducing damage to a vehicle that comes into contact with a guardrail, in which a steel member is provided between support pillars or on the guardrail by attaching a cushion member filled with a cushioning material to the side surface of the steel member the roadway side to extend along the steel member.

citation list

patent document

• Patent Document 1: JP 2011-241571 A
• Patent Document 2: US 5,791,811A

Summary of the Invention

Technical problem

However, the guardrail disclosed in Patent Document 1 protects a roadside surface of the steel member through the pad member and does not protect a sidewalk side. In addition, the padding member attached to the guardrail is exposed to the outside world, so the padding member deteriorates due to ultraviolet rays, rain and the like, so it may be difficult to maintain the protective performance over a long period of time.

The technique of the present disclosure was developed in consideration of the circumstances described above, and aims to provide a technique for a protective body fixed to the ground, which is superior to the prior art in terms of safety and deterioration in protective performance over a long period of time can prevent for a period of time.

the solution of the problem

In order to solve the above problems, the technique according to the present disclosure uses the following configuration. That is, the protective body of the present disclosure is a protective body fixed to a floor to partition a space into a protection-target area and a non-protection-target area, the protective body including a gas generator, an airbag Body that is deployed in the protection-target area by being expanded by gas that is supplied from the gas generator when the gas generator is actuated, and an outer shell portion that houses the gas generator and the airbag body.

Here, the outer shell portion may include a bag outlet for deploying the airbag body outward upon actuation of the inflator, the bag outlet is provided so that the bag outlet faces the protection-target area.

In addition, the protection body according to the present disclosure may include a protection separator extending along a boundary portion between the protection-target area and the protection-non-target area, the protection separator includes a protection inner surface exposed to the protection - target area facing, and a protective outer surface facing the non-protective target area, wherein the outer shell portion may be provided on the protective separator.

In addition, the protection body according to the present disclosure may include a protection separator extending along a boundary portion between the protection-target area and the protection-non-target area, the protection separator includes a protection inner surface exposed to the protection -facing the target area, and a protection outer surface facing the non-protection target area, and a support column supporting the protection partition member, wherein the outer shell portion may be provided on the support column.

In addition, the support pillar can be connected to the protective inner surface of the protective separating element, so that the support pillar is arranged in the protection target area.

In addition, the deployment width of the airbag body in the height direction after inflation may be larger than the height dimension of the protection partition.

In addition, the outer shell portion may include a cover member that shields the bag outlet, and the bag outlet can be opened by the expansion pressure of the airbag body when the inflator is actuated.

In addition, the cover member may have a lower strength than the outer shell portion, and the inflator may be disposed in the outer shell portion at a position not facing the cover member.

In addition, the airbag body may include an introduction portion into which gas supplied from the gas generator is introduced when the gas generator is actuated, an arm portion that communicates with the introduction portion and extends in an extending direction of the protection separator, when the arm portion is inflated by the gas supplied from the insertion portion, a plurality of support portions communicating with the arm portion at a plurality of locations and extending in a direction intersecting an extending direction of the arm portion when the a plurality of support portions being inflated by the gas supplied from the arm portion, and a cushioning material attached to an outer surface of the airbag body and stretched in a region surrounded by the plurality of support portions and the arm portion, when the airbag body is inflated.

In addition, the protective body may be a crash barrier installed at a boundary between a sidewalk and a roadway.

Advantageous Effects of the Invention

With the technique described in the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a technique for a ground-mounted protective body that is superior to the prior art in terms of safety and can prevent deterioration in protective performance over a long period of time.

character list

• 1 14 is a perspective view of a crash barrier according to a first embodiment.
• 2 14 is a perspective view of the guardrail according to the first embodiment.
• 3 14 is a diagram showing the internal structure of an airbag device according to the first embodiment.
• 4 14 is a diagram showing a detailed structure of a diffuser portion and a vicinity thereof of an inflator according to the first embodiment.
• 5 FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an activation status of the airbag device according to the first embodiment.
• 6 14 is a diagram showing the activation status of the airbag device according to the first embodiment.
• 7 12 is a diagram illustrating a state where an activation piece pulled by an operation wire is separated from a support body in the airbag device according to the first embodiment.
• 8th Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of an airbag body after inflation in a protection target area in the first embodiment.
• 9 Fig. 12 is a schematic view of the airbag body after inflation in the protection target area in the first embodiment.
• 10 14 is a perspective view of a crash barrier according to a second embodiment.
• 11 14 is a diagram showing the internal structure of a support pillar of the guardrail according to the second embodiment.
• 12 FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the airbag body of the guardrail according to FIG second embodiment after inflation in the protection target area.
• 13 14 is a diagram showing an airbag body according to a modified example of the second embodiment.
• 14 14 is a diagram showing the airbag body according to the modified example of the second embodiment.
• 15 12 is a diagram showing a protective body according to another embodiment.
• 16 14 is a diagram showing the protective body according to the other embodiment.

Description of the exemplary embodiments

Embodiments of a protective body according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. It is noted that each of the configurations, combinations thereof, and the like in each embodiment is an example, and additions, omissions, substitutions, and other changes in configuration can be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The present disclosure is not limited by the example embodiments and is limited only by the claims.

First embodiment

1 and 2 12 are perspective views of a guardrail 1 as a protective body incorporating an airbag device according to a first embodiment. 1 12 is a perspective view of the guardrail 1 viewed from the front. 2 12 is a perspective view of the guard rail 1 viewed from the rear.

The crash barrier 1 includes a plurality of support columns 2, a bracket 3 supported between the support columns 2, an airbag device 4, and the like. The guardrail 1 is an example of a protective body fixed to a floor GR. The crash barrier 1 is installed at a boundary position between and extends along a sidewalk and a roadway. The guardrail 1 is a protective body that divides a space into a protection target area AR1 and a non-protection target area AR2 to protect the protection target area AR1 located on the sidewalk side and preventing entry of a vehicle or the like that has touched or collided with the protection target area AR1 on the sidewalk side. the 1 , 2 and the like show a part of the guardrail 1, namely a pair of support columns 2 and the bracket 3 provided between the support columns 2, for convenience of explanation.

The support pillar 2 is, for example, a cylindrical steel pillar designed to have a hollow structure. Also, the beam 3 is a steel sheet beam formed by bending a steel sheet, for example. The beam 3 is an example of a protection partition member, and extends along a boundary between the protection-target area AR1, which is a space on the sidewalk side, and the non-protection-target area AR2, which is a space is on the lane side. The carrier 3 has a protective inner surface 31 facing the protection-target area AR1 and a protective outer surface 32 facing the non-protection-target area AR2. Furthermore, the support column 2 is connected to the protective inner surface 31 of the carrier 3, so that the support column 2 is arranged in the protection target area AR1. The carrier 3 is fastened to the support column 2 by a fitting 5, for example.

Hereinafter, a side of the protection outer surface 32 facing the non-protection target area AR2 is referred to as a front side of the crash barrier 1 (beam 3), and a side of the protection inner surface 31 facing the protection target Area AR1 facing, as the back of the crash barrier 1 (carrier 3). The direction in which the support pillar 2 extends with respect to the ground GR is referred to as the vertical direction of the guardrail 1 . The bracket 3 is formed in a central portion in the height direction with a central recessed portion 33 which is recessed toward the rear as viewed from the front. The central recessed portion 33 extends in an extending direction (longitudinal direction) of the bracket 3. However, the shapes of the bracket 3 and the support columns 2 are not particularly limited.

The guardrail 1 includes, for example, the airbag device 4 for protecting a pedestrian and the like who is on the sidewalk (protection target area AR1) when a vehicle or the like running on the roadway touches the guardrail 1 and collides with her. Details of the airbag device 4 will be described below.

3 12 is a diagram showing the internal structure of an airbag device 4 according to the first embodiment. The airbag device 4 includes an outer shell case 41 made of steel. An accommodating portion 40 as an accommodating space for accommodating various components of the airbag device 4 is formed inside the outer shell case 41 . The outer shell case 41 is an example of an outer shell portion. The outer shell case 41 (accommodating portion 40) of the airbag device 4 can be arranged inside the guardrail 1 or attached to the outside of the guardrail 1. As in the 1 and 2 1, in the present embodiment, an example in which the outer shell case 41 (accommodating portion 40) of the airbag device 4 is attached to the bracket 3 of the guardrail 1 will be described.

In the example given in the 1 and 2 1, the outer shell case 41 of the airbag device 4 is arranged in the vicinity of an instep center portion of the bracket 3 which is between the pair of support pillars 2. As shown in FIG. The outer shell case 41 of the airbag device 4 is provided at the central recessed portion 33 of the bracket 3 . The outer shell case 41 includes a front wall 411, a rear wall 412, a top wall 413, a bottom wall 414, a pair of left and right side walls 415, and the like.

Further, a bag outlet 416 is formed to be openable in the rear wall 412 of the outer shell case 41 , and the bag outlet 416 is shielded by a cover member 417 . The cover member 417 is made of a material lower in strength than each steel wall body constituting the outer shell case 41, for example, a thin-walled resin material. A part of the outer shell case 41 may be formed of a steel plate constituting the bracket 3 . In other words, a part of the steel sheet constituting the bracket 3 can also be configured as a part or the whole of the outer shell case 41 .

As in 3 1, an inflator 50, an airbag body 60, an operating mechanism 70 and the like are housed inside the outer shell case 41, that is, inside the accommodating portion 40. As shown in FIG. The airbag body 60 is arranged in a folded state at a predetermined position in the accommodating portion 40 . The appearance of the airbag body 60 in the accommodating portion 40 is not particularly limited. For example, the airbag body 60 may be folded into a bellows shape, folded into a roll shape, or folded into other shapes in the accommodation portion 40 . It is noted that, for example, the airbag body 60 can be positioned at a predetermined position of the accommodating portion 40 by being held by an appropriate holding member (not shown) provided on the inner wall surface of the outer shell case 41 . Additionally, as in 3 1, an arrangement position of the airbag body 60 and a position and size of the cover member 417 are determined so that the airbag body 60 faces the cover member 417 in a state where the airbag body 60 is accommodated in the outer shell case 41. It is to be noted that 3 shows the state of the airbag device 4 before the inflator 50 is actuated.

Also, the kind of the gas generator 50 is not particularly limited, but the gas generator 50 according to the present embodiment is a stored gas type gas generator including a charged cylinder 51 filled with pressurized gas. When the gas generator 50 is actuated, the filled bottle 51 is opened to supply the pressurized gas to the airbag body 60, whereby the airbag body 60 is expanded. As the pressurized gas to be filled in the filled bottle 51, an appropriate gas for inflating the airbag body 60, such as argon or helium, can be used. The filled bottle 51 of the gas generator 50 is fastened to the outer shell housing 41 by a suitable fastening element 53 . in the in 3 In the illustrated example, the filled bottle 51 of the gas generator 50 is fixed to an inner wall surface 411A of the front wall 411 of the outer shell housing 41 . However, the filled bottle 51 of the gas generator 50 can also be attached to another wall surface of the outer shell housing 41 .

As in the 1 until 3 As illustrated, the bag outlet 416 of the outer shell case 41 of the airbag device 4 is opened in the rear wall 412 facing the protection-target area AR1 on the sidewalk side. The bag outlet 416 is an opening for inflating the airbag body 60 to the outside of the outer shell case 41 (accommodating portion 40) when the inflator 50 is actuated. The cover member 417 shielding the bag outlet 416 of the outer shell housing 41 is removed from the rear wall 412 or broken by the expansion pressure of the airbag body 60 in the expansion of the airbag body 60 by the pressurized gas supplied from the filled bottle 51 when the gas generator 50 is actuated. As a result, the bag outlet 416 is opened. In this way, the bag outlet 416 of the outer shell case 41 is opened by the expansion pressure of the airbag body 60, and thus the airbag body 60 becomes as a result of communication between the inside and outside of the outer shell case 41 in the protection target area AR1, located on the sidewalk side inflated.

It is noted that the cover member 417 of the outer shell case 41 can be easily attached to the rear wall 412 to be removed from the rear wall 412 by the outward expansion pressure of the airbag body 60 when the inflator 50 is actuated. In addition, a fragile part (e.g a tear line) having a smaller sheet thickness than that of the other portions of the cover member 417 can be extended at an appropriate position of the cover member 417. In this case, when the inflator 50 is actuated, the cover member 417 is broken off from the breakable part by the expansion pressure of the airbag body 60, and thus the bag outlet 416 is opened.

As in 3 As shown, the gas generator 50 includes the filled bottle 51 filled with the pressurized gas, a diffuser portion 52 provided on the side of an outlet end portion 511 of the filled bottle 51, and the like. The filled bottle 51 and diffuser portion 52 are formed from a metal such as stainless steel. The filled bottle 51 and the diffuser portion 52 may be joined together by welding or the like, or formed in one piece.

4 14 is a diagram showing a detailed structure of the diffuser portion 52 and its vicinity of the inflator 50 according to the first embodiment. A compressed gas chamber 510 is formed inside the filled bottle 51 and the compressed gas is filled in the compressed gas chamber 510 . In addition, the outlet end portion 511 of the filled bottle 51 has a cylindrical shape, and a gas outlet port 512 is opened at the outlet end portion 511 . Further, the outlet end portion 511 of the filled bottle 51 is provided with a closure member 513 such as a rupture disc for closing the gas outlet port 512 . The sealing member 513 is formed of, for example, a thin disk made of metal such as iron or stainless steel, and seals the gas discharge port 512 . In addition, in the in 4 In the illustrated example, the shutter member 513 is deformed into a bowl shape toward the diffuser chamber 523 side of the diffuser portion 52 by the pressure of the pressurized gas filled in the pressurized gas chamber 510 .

The diffuser portion 52 is a member having a bottomed cylindrical shape, for example, and includes a cylindrical wall portion 521 and a bottom wall portion 522 that closes an end portion of the cylindrical wall portion 521 to form a hollow diffuser chamber 523 therein. As in 4 As shown, the closure member 513 that closes the gas outlet port 512 of the filled bottle 51 is positioned so that an outer surface 513A thereof faces the diffuser chamber 523 . Here, when the sealing member 513 is broken to open the gas discharge port 512, the pressurized gas in the compressed gas chamber 510 flows out of the gas discharge port 512 into the diffuser chamber 523.

Here, an exhaust pipe 524 having a hollow cylindrical shape for exhausting the pressurized gas from the diffuser chamber 523 has one end connected to the cylindrical wall portion 521 of the diffuser portion 52 . Inside the exhaust pipe 524, an internal passage for allowing the pressurized gas to flow through is formed. However, the outlet pipe 524 is only required that, from the diffuser chamber 523, the pressurized gas supplied from the filled bottle 51 is discharged to the airbag body 60, and may be connected to the bottom wall portion 522, for example. In addition, in the cylindrical wall portion 521 of the diffuser portion 52, a communication hole 521A is formed at a position where the exhaust pipe 524 is connected, and the inner passage of the exhaust pipe 524 and the diffuser chamber 523 communicate with each other through the communication hole 521A.

In addition, a gas discharge port 524A that discharges the pressurized gas flowing out of the diffuser chamber 523 toward the airbag body 60 is formed at the other end of the discharge pipe 524. As shown in FIG. The airbag body 60 includes a gas introduction port 61 for introducing the pressurized gas, and the gas outlet port 524A of the outlet pipe 524 and the gas introduction port 61 of the airbag body 60 are airtightly coupled by the flexible coupling pipe 54 (see FIG 3 ). The coupling tube 54 can be, for example, a bellows-type flexible hose.

Next, the detailed construction of the operating mechanism 70 will be described. The operating mechanism 70 includes a support body 71, an activating piece 72 as an activating portion, an operating wire 73 as a transmission member, a pulley 74 and the like. The support body 71 is a member that supports the activation piece 72 and is fixed to the cylindrical wall portion 521 in the diffuser portion 52 . The support body 71 extends from the cylindrical wall portion 521 toward the radial center side in the diffuser chamber 523, and the activating piece 72 is integrally connected to a breakable part 711 formed at a tip of the support body 71. The fragile part 711 formed at the tip of the support body 71 is made of a material that is brittle against external forces, and its cross section is smaller than the cross section of the activation piece 72.

In addition, the activation piece 72 has a first surface 721 which corresponds to the outer surface 513A of the Closure member 513 faces, and a second surface 722 facing the opposite side thereof. In the present embodiment, the first surface 721 and the second surface 722 of the activation piece 72 are formed as flat surfaces.

As in 4 shown, in a condition prior to actuation of the inflator 50, the outer surface 513A of the closure member 513 is in contact with the first surface 721 of the activation piece 72 of the actuation mechanism 70. Here the strength of the closure member 513 is adjusted so that the burst pressure upon rupture of the closure member 513 has a value that is smaller than the filling pressure of the compressed gas. In other words, the strength of the sealing member 513 is adjusted so that it cannot withstand the filling pressure of the compressed gas. The activation piece 72 supported by the support body 71 of the operating mechanism 70 supports the shutter member 513 from the diffuser chamber 523 side, thereby preventing the shutter member 513 from breaking. In other words, the locking member 513 is suppressed from being ruptured as long as the locking member 513 is supported by the activating piece 72, but the locking member 513 is ruptured when the supporting force of the activating piece 72 is lost. It is noted that, as in 4 1, the position where the activation piece 72 is placed in the initial state before the inflator 50 is actuated is defined as “initial position P1”. That is, in the initial state where the activating piece 72 is located at the initial position P1, the breakage of the shutter member 513 is suppressed by the activating piece 72 supporting the shutter member 513 from the diffuser chamber 523 side. On the other hand, with, as a trigger, the activating piece 72 shifting from the initial position P1 to a predetermined activating position P2 different from the initial position P1, the supporting force of the activating piece 72 for supporting the shutter member 513 is lost. As a result, the sealing member 513 ruptures, and thus the gas discharge port 512 of the filled bottle 51 is opened, and the pressurized gas is discharged from the gas discharge port 512. FIG.

In addition, a first end portion 731 of the operating wire 73 is attached to the second surface 722 of the activation piece 72 of the operating mechanism 70 . The first end portion 731 of the actuation wire 73 can be anchored to a mount 723 , such as a circular ring member, that is attached to the second face 722 of the actuation piece 72 . In addition, a sealing member 75 is provided at the first end portion 731 of the operating wire 73 . The sealing member 75 may be in the form of a disc, for example. On the other hand, a second end portion 732, which is an end portion of the operating wire 73 opposite to the first end portion 731, is fixed to the inner wall surface of the outer shell case 41 (see Fig 3 ). in the in 3 In the illustrated example, the second end portion 732 of the operation wire 73 is fixed to the bracket 76 provided on the inner wall surface 411A of the front wall 411 of the outer shell case 41 . In the present embodiment, the bracket 76 is an example of a fixing portion. The bracket 76 may be, for example, a round ring member provided on the inner wall surface of the outer shell case 41, or the second end portion 732 of the operation wire 73 may be anchored to the bracket 76. It should be noted that in the present embodiment, the operating wire 73 is formed of a metal wire, but may be formed of other materials. As in 3 As shown, the operating wire 73 runs around the deflection roller 74 which is provided on the receiving portion 40 of the outer shell housing 41 . The idler pulley 74 is a stationary idler pulley and includes a disc which guides the direction of the operating wire 73 passing therearound and a rotary shaft which rotatably supports the disc. The rotation shaft of the idler pulley 74 is fixed to the top wall 413 or the bottom wall 414 of the outer shell case 41, for example.

As in 4 As shown, an insertion hole 522A through which the operation wire 73 is inserted is formed in the bottom wall portion 522 of the diffuser portion 52. As shown in FIG. The insertion hole 522A penetrates the bottom wall portion 522 in the material thickness direction. In addition, the insertion hole 522A has an inner diameter larger than the diameter of the operation wire 73, so that the operation wire 73 can slide along the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 522A. In addition, the inner diameter of the insertion hole 522A in the diffuser portion 52 is set to be smaller than the diameter of the sealing member 75.

In the following, the details of deployment of the airbag device 4 provided on the guard rail 1 will be described. In the airbag device 4 according to the present embodiment, for example, when a vehicle or the like running on the roadway (non-protection target area AR2) touches or collides with the guardrail 1, the inflator 50 is actuated to to inflate the airbag body 60 in the protection target area AR1 located on the sidewalk side, thereby killing pedestrians and the like protection. More specifically, in the airbag device 4, the operating mechanism 70 works with, as a trigger, deformation of the bracket 3 and the outer shell case 41 installed on the bracket 3 by the external force caused by, for example, the contact and the collision of the vehicle or the like having the guardrail 1 from the road side, and the operating mechanism 70 operates the inflator 50 using the external force applied to the outer shell case 41 .

5 12 is a diagram showing the activation status of the airbag device 4 according to the first embodiment. For example, in a case where a vehicle running on the roadway collides with the protective outer surface 32 of the bracket 3 of the guardrail 1, the outer shell case 41 attached to the bracket 3 deforms due to the external force, associated with the vehicle collision. For example, in the outer shell case 41, the front wall 411 facing the roadway side (non-protection target area AR2) is mainly deformed to curve toward the protection target area AR1 side. Thus, when the outer shell case 41 (mainly the front wall 411) is so deformed by the external force, the relative position between the activating piece 72 to which the first end portion 731 of the operating wire 73 is connected and the bracket 76 to which the second end portion 732 of the operation wire 73, and the length of travel of the operation wire 73 (hereinafter referred to as “length of wire”) increases compared to the length of travel before the outer shell case 41 is deformed.

The wire path length of the operating wire 73 is the path length of the operating wire 73 from the bracket 76 provided on the inner wall surface 411A of the outer wall 411 of the outer shell case 41 to the bracket 723 provided on the activation piece 72. In the present embodiment, since the operating wire 73 is stretched around the pulley 74, the wire path length of the operating wire 73 is approximately equal to the sum of the straight distance between the bracket 76 and the pulley 74 and the straight distance between the bracket 723 and the pulley 74.

As described above, both end portions of the operation wire 73 are fixed to the bracket 723 of the activation piece 72 and the bracket 76 of the front wall 411, and therefore when the wire path length increases due to the deformation of the outer shell case 41, the operation wire 73 is strained and the tension occurs in the path length direction of the operation wire 73 (also referred to as the extension axis direction of the operation wire 73). In this way, the tension applied to the operation wire 73 is transmitted to the bracket 723 of the activation piece 72 via the operation wire 73 . That is, the operating wire 73 transmits the stress (external force) associated with the collision of the vehicle with the guardrail 1 from the bracket 76 of the front panel 411 to the bracket 723 of the activating piece 72. Thus, the activating piece 72 shown in of the diffuser chamber 523, by the operating wire 73 in the direction of the arrow F shown in 6 is pulled, that is, in the direction away from the locking member 513. As a result, the fragile part 711 of the supporting body 71 is torn and destroyed, and the activating piece 72 is separated (removed) from the supporting body 71. As a result, the activation piece 72 is moved from the home position P1, in 4 is shifted to the activation position P2, which is different from the initial position P1.

7 14 is a diagram illustrating a state where the activation piece 72 pulled by the operation wire 73 is separated from the support body 71 in the airbag device 4 according to the first embodiment. As in 7 shown, when the activating piece 72 is shifted from the starting position P1 to the activating position P2, the supporting force is lost by the activating piece 72, which supports the closure element 513 up to that point, the closure element 513 can withstand the filling pressure of the compressed gas entering the filled bottle 51 (compressed gas chamber 510) cannot withstand the filling, and the closure element 513 is torn. As a result, the gas outlet port 512 of the filled bottle 51 is opened, and the pressurized gas of the pressurized gas chamber 510 is discharged from the gas outlet port 512 into the diffuser chamber 523 . That is, the gas generator 50 is actuated.

In the present embodiment, the sealing member 75 is attached to the first end portion 731 of the operating wire 73, and the inner diameter of the insertion hole 522A in the bottom wall portion 522 of the diffuser portion 52 is smaller than the diameter of the sealing member 75. Accordingly, after separating the activating piece 72 from the support body 71 , as in 7 As shown, the sealing member 75 provided at the first end portion 731 of the operation wire 73 serves as a stopper for closing the insertion hole 522A in the bottom wall portion 522 of the diffuser portion 52.

In addition, the pressurized gas discharged from the gas discharge port 512 of the filled bottle 51 into the diffuser chamber 523 is discharged from the gas introduction port 61 of the airbag body 60 via the communication hole 521A formed in the cylindrical wall portion 521, the discharge pipe 524 and the coupling pipe 54 (see 3 and the like) into the inside of the airbag body 60. In this way, the supply of the pressurized gas to the airbag body 60 arranged at the receiving portion 40 starts, and thus the expansion of the airbag body 60 starts.

In the process of expanding the airbag body 60 in the accommodating portion 40 of the outer shell case 41 , the expansion pressure of the airbag body 60 is applied to the cover member 417 shielding the bag outlet 416 of the outer shell case 41 . As a result, the cover member 417 is pushed outwards from the inside and detaches from the rear wall 412 or breaks. As a result, as in 5 As shown, the bag outlet 416 is opened, and the airbag body 60 expanded by the supply of pressurized gas can be inflated from the bag outlet 416 to the outside of the outer shell case 41 (accommodating portion 40). In addition, the bag outlet 416 of the outer shell case 41 faces the protection-target area AR1 (walkway), so that the airbag body 60 can be inflated in the protection-target area AR1 (walkway). It is to be noted that 5 12 shows a state where the airbag body 60 is inflated in the protection-target area AR1 (walkway).

8th and 9 12 are diagrams schematically showing the airbag body 60 after inflation in the protection-target area AR1 (walkway) in the first embodiment. 8th FIG. 12 schematically shows a state in which the guardrail 1 is viewed from the top, and FIG 9 FIG. 12 schematically shows a state in which the guardrail 1 is viewed from the side surface.

The guardrail 1 according to the present embodiment actuates the airbag device 4 (gas generator 50) and inflates the airbag body 60 in the protection target area AR1 (walkway) when a large external force acts on the guardrail 1, for example, when a collision object such as a vehicle hits. This makes it possible to appropriately protect a protection object such as a pedestrian in the protection target area AR1 (walkway). That is, according to the guard rail 1, the safety of the protection target area AR1 (walkway) can be further secured.

In addition, according to the guardrail 1 of the present embodiment, since the airbag body 60 is compactly and folded accommodated in the outer shell case 41 in the normal state (before deployment of the airbag device 4), the guardrail 1 can also be made less bulky. As a result, the passage of pedestrians is not so easily impeded. In addition, as described above, since the airbag body 60 is accommodated in the outer shell case 41 in the normal state (before the airbag device 4 is actuated), the airbag body 60 can be prevented from being exposed to ultraviolet rays, rain, exposed to wind and the like. Accordingly, even if the guardrail 1 is used for a long period of time, the airbag body 60 can be prevented from being deteriorated. Accordingly, it is possible to design the crash barrier 1 so that the protective performance does not drop over a long period of time.

Furthermore, since the guardrail 1 according to the present embodiment is of a type in which the airbag body 60 is expanded and inflated using the gas supplied from the gas generator 50, it is possible to avoid an excessive increase in the weight of the guardrail 1 to avoid. Therefore, it is not necessary to increase the mounting structure for fixing the bracket 3 to the support column 2 or to increase the strength, and thus the material cost is hardly increased excessively. As described above, according to the guardrail 1 of the present embodiment, the safety of the protection target area AR1 can be further ensured compared to the prior art, and in addition, the protection body fixed to the ground and its protection performance over a long period of time cannot subsides can be provided without unduly increasing the size and weight of the crash barrier 1 .

Additionally, as in 9 As shown, the airbag body 60 is designed so that the inflation width (height dimension) Ha in the height direction after inflation is greater than the height dimension Hb of the bracket 3 as a protective partition member. According to such an airbag body 60, the entire carrier 3 in the height direction can be covered by the airbag body 60 after inflation. As a result, pedestrians in the protection target area AR1 (sidewalk) can be protected more securely.

Likewise, as in 3 1, in the airbag device 4 according to the present embodiment, the gas generator 50 accommodated in the outer shell case 41 (accommodating portion 40) is disposed at a position not facing the cover member 417. In this way, by arranging the gas generator 50 so that it does not face the cover member 417 is walled whose strength is lower than that of the wall body constituting the outer shell case 41, even in a case where the case (in the present embodiment, the filled bottle 51) of the gas generator 50 is accidentally damaged when a vehicle or the like violently collides with the guardrail 1, possible to properly ensure the safety of the surroundings.

In addition, in the crash barrier 1 according to the present embodiment, the airbag body 60 is arranged at the receiving portion 40 so as to face the cover member 417 of the outer shell case 41, so that the expansion pressure of the airbag body 60 can be easily applied to the cover member 417 and the bag outlet 416 of the outer shell case 41 can be opened smoothly when the airbag body 60 in the accommodating portion 40 is expanded.

The airbag device 4 of the guardrail 1 according to the present embodiment includes the operating mechanism 70 for operating the gas generator 50 by a mechanical mechanism utilizing an external force to deform the outer shell case 41 when the outer shell case 41 is deformed by the external force when a collision object how a vehicle collides with the crash barrier 1. Thus, it is not necessary to secure a power supply for the actuation of the gas generator 50. Accordingly, the airbag device 4 according to the present embodiment is particularly suitable for an airbag device that is installed on a protective body fixed to the floor and in which a power supply is not easy to secure. Furthermore, in the airbag device 4 in the present embodiment, a sensor for detecting the collision of the collision object with the guardrail 1 is not required. In addition, according to the airbag device 4 and an operating method for the same according to the present embodiment, the operation can be performed without using electric power, and the airbag body 60 can be expanded and inflated, and thus the guardrail 1 can be installed without restrictions to be subject to the place of installation. That is, by applying the airbag device 4 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the guardrail 1 with a very high degree of freedom in mounting location.

Furthermore, in the airbag device 4 according to the present embodiment, the arrangement position of the bracket 76 and the initial position P1 of the activation piece 72 (activation portion) in the outer shell case 41 (the outer shell portion) are set at different positions in the extending direction of the bracket 3 (protection separator). and the operation wire 73 (transmission member) is provided so as to extend in the extending direction of the bracket 3 (protection partition member). In this way, when the outer shell case 41 is deformed in connection with the collision of the vehicle with the bracket 3, tension easily acts on the operating wire 73. As a result, the activating piece 72 can be easily shifted from the initial position P1 to the activating position P2 when the vehicle collides with the beam 3, and the airbag device 4 (inflator 50) can be deployed accurately.

In addition, the airbag device 4 according to the present embodiment as shown in FIG 7 1 is configured so that when the operating mechanism 70 operates the inflator 50, the seal member 75 provided at the first end portion 731 of the operating wire 73 serves as a stopper to close the insertion hole 522A in the bottom wall portion 522. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the pressurized gas leaking from the filled bottle 51 into the diffuser chamber 523 from leaking from the introduction hole 522A. At this time, the sealing member 75 positioned at the insertion hole 522A in the diffuser section 52 is pressed against the bottom wall section 522 by the pressurized gas while the pressurized gas is led from the filled bottle 51 into the diffuser chamber 523 . Therefore, the insertion hole 522A is more reliably closed by the sealing member 75, and the leakage of the pressurized gas can be suppressed. Accordingly, the pressurized gas from the gas generator 50 (filled bottle 51) can be quickly supplied to the airbag body 60, and the airbag body 60 can be expanded. In addition, it is possible to suppress the decrease in the amount of pressurized gas supplied from the gas generator 50 (filled bottle 51) to the airbag body 60.

In addition, in the airbag device 4 according to the present embodiment, as described above, the gas exhaust port 524A of the exhaust pipe 524 and the gas introduction port 61 of the airbag body 60 are coupled by the coupling pipe 54 having flexibility. Therefore, even in a case where the outer shell case 41 is largely deformed when the vehicle or the like collides with the guardrail 1, it is possible to close or excessively narrow the flow path of the pressurized gas discharged from the inflator 50 side to the airbag -Body 60 is fed to prevent in a suitable manner. However, the coupling tube 54 does not necessarily have to be flexible. For example, the outlet pipe 524 may be directly connected to the gas introduction port 61 of the airbag body 60 without interposing the coupling pipe 54 between the outlet pipe 524 of the diffuser portion 52 and the gas introduction port 61 of the airbag body 60.

In addition, in the operating mechanism 70 of the airbag device 4 according to the present embodiment, the idler pulley 74 may be an idler pulley (tensioner) that applies tension to the operating wire 73 . Since the operating mechanism 70 includes the idler pulley 74 functioning as a tensioner, it is possible to suppress the deflection of the operating wire 73 . As a result, when the vehicle or the like collides with the guardrail 1, tension can be easily generated in the operating wire 73, and the airbag device 4 (inflator 50) can be deployed precisely. It is noted that when a tension pulley is used as the deflection pulley 74, the tension (initial tension) applied to the operating wire 73 by the deflection pulley 74 (tensioner) in the initial state before the vehicle or the like collides with the guardrail 1, is set smaller than the tension applied to the operating wire 73 during operation when the activating piece 72 arranged in the diffuser chamber 523 is shifted from the initial position P1 to the activating position P2. Thereby, it is possible to suppress erroneous deployment of the airbag device 4 (inflator 50) before the vehicle or the like collides with the guardrail 1. It should be noted that the tensioner that applies the tension to the operating wire 73 may of course be arranged separately from the idler pulley 74 in the initial state.

It is noted that in the crash barrier 1 including the airbag device 4 according to the present embodiment, the aspect of inflation of the airbag body 60, for example, the aspect of the shape, position and size of the airbag body 60 after inflation , is not particularly limited. In addition, the installation location of the airbag device 4, the number of the airbag devices 4 installed, and the like of the guard rail 1 are not particularly limited. Further, in the present embodiment, the operation wire 73 made of a wire material is used as the transmission member of the operation mechanism 70, but the transmission member is not limited to this. For example, a band material may be used instead of the operation wire 73 to transmit the external force applied to the outer shell case 41 from the bracket 76 provided on the outer shell case 41 to the activation piece 72, and various forms may be adopted as long as the transfer function is given.

In addition, in the exemplary embodiment described above, the bursting pressure of the closure element 513, which seals the gas outlet port 512 of the filled bottle 51 of the gas generator 50, is set to a value which is smaller than the filling pressure of the compressed gas, and the closure element 513 is directly activated by the activation piece 72 supported to suppress the breakage of the locking member 513 in the initial state before the vehicle or the like collides with the guard rail, but the embodiment is not limited to this aspect. For example, the initial position P1 where the activating piece 72 of the operating mechanism 70 is located in the initial state may be separated from the shutter member 513. In this case, the bursting pressure of the sealing member 513 is set to be larger than the filling pressure of the compressed gas, so that the sealing member 513 is not ruptured by the filling pressure of the compressed gas in the initial state. In such an aspect, the operating mechanism 70 preferably includes an opening mechanism that breaks the locking member 513 in association with the displacement of the activation piece 72 when the vehicle or the like collides with the guardrail and then breaks the activation piece 72 from the initial position P1 to the activation position P2 by the Voltage transmitted through the operating wire 73 is shifted.

The opening mechanism described above may include, for example, a squib containing a primary explosive and a firing pin (trigger) urged by a spring or the like to collide with the squib, and the activation piece 72 may be in the initial state with the firing pin of the opening mechanism in engaged to prevent the firing pin from colliding with the fuze against the compressive force of the spring. For example, the primary explosive housed in the detonator's chamber is an explosive that combusts when exposed to pressure.

With such an opening mechanism, when the firing pin strikes the igniter forcefully by the urging force of the spring, the primary explosive of the igniter is burned, and the shutter member 513 can be opened by the thermal energy of the flame or the combustion gas generated by the combustion of the primary explosive , break. Further, the opening mechanism may include a booster charge chamber for accommodating a booster charge different from the primary explosive of the detonator, and the chamber of the The igniter and the transfer charge chamber may communicate with each other through a flame transfer hole (flash hole). In this case, the flame or combustion gas generated by the combustion of the primary explosive in the igniter can be introduced into the explosive chamber through the flame transmission hole, and the booster charge can be ignited by the thermal energy of the primary explosive. Then, the sealing member 513 may be broken by the thermal energy of the flame or the combustion gas generated by the combustion of the booster charge.

In the opening mechanism, as long as the activation piece 72 is in the home position P1 before the vehicle or the like collides with the guardrail, the collision of the firing pin with the igniter is restricted. As a result, the gas outlet port 512 of the filled bottle 51 is kept in a state of being closed by the closing member 513 . On the other hand, when the vehicle or the like collides with the guardrail and the activating piece 72 is shifted from the initial position P1 to the activating position P2 by the operating wire 73, the engagement between the activating piece 72 and the striker pin is released. As a result, the firing pin violently collides with the igniter by the urging force of the spring, detonating the primary explosive of the igniter and breaking the shutter member 513 . This allows the gas outlet port 512 of the filled bottle 51 to open and actuate the gas generator 50 .

In addition, as another aspect of the opening mechanism, for example, an aspect can be adopted in which, when a vehicle or the like collides with the guardrail, a rupture member formed of a rod member having a pointed tip, an arrowhead member or the like by the urging force of a spring or the like collides with the locking member 513 and the locking member 513 is directly broken by the impact. In this case, in the initial state before the vehicle or the like collides with the guardrail, for example, a stopper member configured as an activation portion may be engaged with the rupture member to release the rupture member toward the shutter member 513 against the urging force of the spring to limit. In addition, the stopper (activation portion) is connected to the first end portion 731 of the operation wire 73 and is shifted from the initial position P1 where the stopper (activation portion) is engaged with the rupture member to the activation position P2 at which the engaged state is released by pulling the operating wire 73 is released when the vehicle or the like collides with the guardrail. With this as a trigger, the rupture member can be shot toward the closure member 513 by the urging force of the spring, and the rupture member can violently collide with the closure member 513 to rupture the closure member 513 and open the gas outlet port 512 of the filled bottle 51 .

Second embodiment

Next, a guardrail 1A as a protective body including an airbag device according to the second embodiment will be described. 10 14 is a perspective view of the guardrail 1A according to the second embodiment. 10 FIG. 14 shows a state in which the guardrail 1A is viewed from the rear, and the same components as in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description is omitted.

In the guardrail 1A according to the present embodiment, the bracket 3 is supported by the support column 2, similarly to the guardrail 1 according to the first embodiment. Furthermore, the support column 2 is connected to the protective inner surface 31 of the carrier 3, so that the support column 2 is arranged in the protection target area AR1. In the crash barrier 1A according to the present embodiment, an airbag device 4A is provided not on the bracket 3 but on the support pillar 2. As shown in FIG. The support pillar 2 has a hollow structure, and the accommodating portion 40 accommodating various components of the airbag device 4A is formed inside the support pillar 2 . A reference numeral 20 appearing in 10 1 denotes a cylindrical wall in the support column 2, and the receiving portion 40 is formed inside the cylindrical wall 20. As shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the cylindrical wall 20 in which the receiving portion 40 is formed is an example of the outer shell portion. In addition, the bag outlet 416 is formed to be opened at a position facing the protection target area AR1 in the cylindrical wall 20 of the support column 2 , and the bag outlet 416 is shielded by the cover member 417 .

As in 10 As shown, the guard rail 1A includes a photovoltaic power generation unit 85. In the photovoltaic power generation unit 85, a photovoltaic power generation panel that generates power from solar energy is arranged on an upper surface, and the photovoltaic power generation unit 85 is fixed to the guard rail 1A in a state in which it is supported by an upper end of a rod-shaped support rod 86. The support rod 86 can be fastened, for example, to the fitting 5 with which the carrier 3 is fastened to the support column 2 . The electric power generated by the photovoltaic power generation unit 85 is used to actuate the airbag device 4A provided on the support pillar 2. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the support bar 86 supporting the photovoltaic power generation unit 85 is installed in the vicinity of the support pillar 2 accommodating the airbag device 4A.

11 14 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the support pillar 2 of the guard rail 1A according to the second embodiment. The accommodating portion 40 formed inside the cylindrical wall 20 accommodates the inflator 50A, the airbag body 60, a control unit 80, a power supply 81, a collision detection sensor 82 and the like. The gas generator 50A, the airbag body 60, the control unit 80, the power supply 81 and the collision detection sensor 82 are fixed in the accommodating portion 40 by suitable fixing members (not shown) provided on the inner wall surface of the cylindrical wall 20.

Here, the type of the gas generator 50A is not particularly limited. Here, as an example, a case where a pyro-inflator using a solid gas generant is applied to the inflator 50A will be described. The gas generator 50A includes an electric igniter which is not shown, ignites the gas generating agent by operating the electric igniter, cools the generated gas by a coolant, and then discharges the gas through the gas discharge port 512A formed on the housing. Of course, the gas generator 50A may be a stored gas type gas generator including the charged bottle 51 filled with pressurized gas as in the first embodiment.

The airbag body 60 is arranged in the vicinity of the inflator 50A in a folded state in the accommodating portion 40 . Then, when the inflator 50A is actuated, the gas discharged from the gas discharge port 512A of the inflator 50A is supplied to the airbag body 60, and thus the airbag body 60 is expanded. As in 11 1, the airbag body 60 is arranged in a position facing the bag outlet 416 and the cover member 417 formed on the cylindrical wall 20 of the support column 2. As shown in FIG.

The control unit 80 is a control unit for controlling the gas generator 50A, and is connected to the electric igniter of the gas generator 50A, the power supply 81 and the collision detection sensor 82 via lead wires and the like. The collision detection sensor 82 is a sensor for detecting that a collision object such as a vehicle collides with the guardrail 1A, and a well-known airbag sensor can be applied. The power supply 81 is, for example, a secondary battery (storage cell). The power supply 81 is connected to the photovoltaic power generation unit 85 via a feed line and stores the electric energy generated by the photovoltaic power generation unit 85 .

The control unit 80 includes a microcomputer and the like for determining a collision level detected by the collision detection sensor 82 based on a signal inputted from the collision detection sensor 82 . The control unit 80 determines the collision level based on the signal received from the collision detection sensor 82 and sends an actuation signal to the electric igniter of the inflator 50A to actuate the electric igniter when it is determined that the airbag body 60 is expanding must become. For example, when the impact level received by the collision detection sensor 82 is greater than a reference impact level for determination, the control unit 80 may determine that the vehicle collides with the guardrail 1A and inflate the inflator 50A. In this case, the control unit 80 preferably sets, for example, the reference impact level for the determination so that the gas generator 50A is not triggered in such an impact, which is given, for example, by a person kicking the guardrail 1A. When the inflator 50A is actuated based on the actuation signal from the control unit 80, the gas generated in the inflator 50A is discharged from the gas discharge port 512A, and the gas is supplied to the airbag body 60. FIG. It is noted that the collision detection sensor 82 may be attached to the control unit 80 .

When the supply of the gas from the gas generator 50A to the airbag body 60 starts, the airbag body 60 is expanded in the accommodating portion 40 first. Then, in the process of expanding the airbag body 60 in the accommodating portion 40 , the expanding pressure of the airbag body 60 is applied to the cover member 417 shielding the bag outlet 416 of the cylindrical wall 20 of the support column 2 . When the cover member 417 is detached or broken from the cylindrical wall 20, the bag outlet 416 is opened. As a result, the airbag body 60 can be pushed from the bag outlet 416 to the outside of the cylindrical wall 20 (accommodating portion 40) are inflated. Furthermore, the bag outlet 416 of the cylindrical wall 20 of the support pillar 2 faces the protection-target area AR1 (walkway) so that the airbag body 60 can be inflated in the protection-target area AR1 (walkway).

12 12 is a schematic diagram showing the airbag body 60 of the guardrail 1A according to the second embodiment after inflation in the protection-target area AR1 (walkway). 12 shows a state in which the guardrail 1 is viewed from above. For convenience, the photovoltaic power generation unit 85 and the support rod 86 are in 12 not shown.

As in 12 1A, in the guardrail 1A in the present embodiment, when a collision object such as a vehicle collides with the guardrail 1A, the airbag device 4A (inflator 50A) is actuated, and the airbag body 60 becomes the protection target -Area AR1 (walkway) inflated. This makes it possible to adequately protect pedestrians in the protection target area AR1 (walkway) and further ensure the safety of the protection target area AR1.

It is noted that in the airbag device 4A according to the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the power supply 81 is a secondary battery (storage cell) and the electric power generated by the photovoltaic power generation unit 85 is used as the actuation power supply of the airbag Device 4A is used. However, the airbag device 4A is not limited to this. For example, the airbag device 4A can be supplied with electric power from an external power supply. In addition, in the present exemplary embodiment, the support pillar 2 is connected to the protection inner surface 31 of the carrier 3, so that the support pillar 2 is arranged in the protection-target area AR1. Arrangement of the support pillar 2 in this manner is advantageous in that the airbag body 60 in the protection target area AR1 can be easily inflated from the accommodating portion 40 formed inside the support pillar 2 when the airbag device 4A operates will.

In addition, in the crash barrier 1A according to the present embodiment, the cylindrical wall 20 of the support pillar 2 supporting the bracket 3 is configured as an outer shell portion, and the inflator 50A, the airbag body 60 and the like are housed in the accommodating portion 40 which is formed inside the cylindrical wall 20, but the guardrail 1A is not limited to this. For example, the outer shell case 41 may be attached to the outside of the support pillar 2 as in the first embodiment, and the airbag body 60 may be inflated in the protection target area AR1 (sidewalk) when the vehicle collides with the guardrail 1A.

<modified example>

Next, a modified example of the second embodiment will be described. 13 and 14 12 are diagrams showing an airbag body 60A according to the modified example of the second embodiment. 13 FIG. 12 schematically shows a state in which the airbag body 60A according to the modified example after inflation is viewed from the rear side of the guardrail 1A, and 14 12 schematically shows a state in which the airbag body 60A according to the modified example after inflation is viewed from above the guardrail 1A. It is noted that the photovoltaic power generation unit 85 and the support rod 86 in the 13 and 14 are also omitted.

The airbag body 60A, which is 13 and 14 1 includes an introduction portion 62 into which the gas supplied from the gas generator 50A is introduced when the gas generator 50A is actuated, an arm portion 63 communicating with the introduction portion 62, a plurality of support portions 64 which connected to the arm portion 63 at a plurality of locations, and a cushioning material 65 attached to the outer surface of the airbag body 60A, and the like. The arm portion 63 is a portion extending in the extending direction of the bracket 3 as a protective partition member when inflated by the gas supplied from the introducing portion 62 . In addition, the support portions 64 are portions that extend in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the arm portion 63 when inflated by the gas supplied from the arm portion 63 .

In the example given in the 13 and 14 As shown, the three support portions 64 extend from both end portions 63A and 63B and a middle portion 63C of the arm portion 63 upward. Here, the support portion 64 extending upward from the middle portion 63C of the arm portion 63 is referred to as a middle support portion 64A. The support portion 64 extending upward from the end portion 63A of the arm portion 63 is referred to as a first support portion 64B, and the support portion 64 extending upward from the end portion 63B of the arm portion 63 is referred to as a second support portion 64C. Farther In the arm portion 63, an area from the end portion 63A to the middle portion 63C is referred to as a first arm portion 631, and an area from the end portion 63B to the middle portion 63C is referred to as a second arm portion 632. The introduction portion 62, the arm portion 63 and each support portion 64 of the airbag body 60A communicate with each other, and the gas supplied from the gas generator 50A flows from the introduction portion 62 into the interior of the airbag body 60A and is discharged from the Insertion section 62 is fed to the arm section 63 and the support sections 64 in sequence. As a result, as in the 13 and 14 1, the insertion portion 62, the arm portion 63, and the support portions 64 of the airbag body 60A are unfolded and inflated in the protection-target area AR1 (walkway).

Furthermore, the cushioning material 65 is attached to the outer surface of the airbag body 60A according to the present modified example. Then, when the airbag body 60A is inflated, the cushioning material 65 in the area surrounded by each support portion 64 and the arm portion 63 is stretched. The material of the cushioning material 65 is not particularly limited, but is preferably formed of a fabric material or a mesh material having flexibility and durability. For example, the cushioning material 65 may be made of the same material as the fabric for the air bag (base fabric) constituting the support members 64, the arm portion 63, and the like. It is noted that the cushioning material 65 attached to the outer surface of the airbag body 60A has a structure into which gas is not introduced.

The airbag device 4A including the airbag body 60A according to the present modified example can protect pedestrians and the like in the protection target area AR1 (walkway) not only by the introduction portion 62, the arm portion 63 and the support portions 64 but also by the padding material 65 stretched in the area surrounded by each support portion 64 and the arm portion 63. Since the airbag body 60A does not need to be gassed in the area where the cushioning material 65 is stretched after inflation, it is possible to sufficiently secure an area that can be protected by the airbag body 60A. without supplying a large amount of gas from the inflator 50A to the airbag body 60A. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the airbag body 60A. It is also possible to reduce the size of the gas generator 50A that supplies the gas to the airbag body 60A.

As in 14 1, the airbag body 60A according to the present modified example is configured such that the arm portion 63 has a V-shape in plan view after inflation, and the arm portion 63 is separated from the support pillar 2 and the bracket 3 after inflation. That is, in the plan view, the first arm portion 631 and the second arm portion 632 in the arm portion 63 are connected to form an angle of less than 180 degrees with respect to the central support portion 64A. Thus, the cushioning material 65 of the airbag body 60A can be stretched at a position separated from the support pillar 2 and the beam 3 of the guardrail 1A. That is, a buffer space As can be formed between the substrate 3 and the cushioning material 65 of the airbag body 60A deployed in the protection-target area AR1 (walkway).

As a result, when a vehicle or the like collides with the guardrail 1</b>A and a pedestrian is caught by the cushioning material 65 , the pedestrian can be protected more securely by forming the buffer space As between the cushioning material 65 and the bracket 3 . It should be noted that the reference D1 appearing in 14 is an angle (hereinafter referred to as “arm portion angle”) formed by the first arm portion 631 and the second arm portion 632 in the arm portion 63 . The angle D1 of the arm portion can be adjusted in a range of 150 degrees or less, so it is possible to sufficiently secure the buffer space As between the cushioning material 65 of the airbag body 60A and the bracket 3 after inflation.

<Other embodiments>

In the above-described embodiments and modified examples, a case where the protective body according to the present disclosure is attached to a guardrail installed along a road was described as an example, but the protective body according to the present disclosure may be attached to another protective body installed as a crash barrier. That is, the protective body according to the present disclosure can be attached to various fences, protective fences, and the like that are fixed to the ground and divide a space into the protection-target area and the non-protection-target area. Of course, the protection target area and the non-protection target area into which the space is divided by the protection body are not limited to the sidewalk and the roadway. The protective body can be, for example, a fence, a protective fence or the like, along a border area between a work area in which a forklift or the like and is installed in a non-work area in a facility such as a factory or warehouse.

15 and 16 12 are diagrams showing a protective body 1B according to another embodiment. 15 12 is a rear view of the protective body 1B, and 16 14 is a plan view of the protection body 1B. The same components as those of the guardrail according to each of the above-described embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and thus a detailed description is omitted.

The protection body 1B includes a protection separator 3B extending along a boundary portion between the protection target area AR1 and the protection non-target area AR2, and a plurality of support pillars 2B supporting the protection separator 3B . The protection partition member 3B includes a plurality of horizontal rail members 300 extending along the boundary portion between the protection target area AR1 and the non-protection target area AR2, and the respective horizontal rail members 300 are, for example, at regular intervals in arranged in vertical direction. Note that each horizontal rail member 300 has the protection inner surface 31 facing the protection target area AR1 and the protection outer surface 32 facing the non-protection target area AR2. The protective body 1B is, for example, a protective fence that is attached to a ground surface (floor) in a facility such as a factory or a warehouse. Then, the protective body 1</b>B is installed along the boundary position between a work area where work is performed with a forklift and the like and a passage area where workers and the like pass.

The protective body 1B contains an airbag device 4B, and the outer shell case 41 of the airbag device 4B is fixed to the protective inner surface 31 of the protective partition 3B. The internal structure of the outer shell housing 41 may be the same as that in FIG 3 , 4 and the like of the first embodiment or may be the same as that in FIG 11 and the like described structure of the second embodiment. Such a protective body 1B can also securely protect a person in the protection target area AR1 by supplying gas from the gas generator to the airbag body accommodated in the outer shell case 41 and inflating the airbag body in the protection target area AR1 is when a collision object collides with the protective body 1B.

It is noted that in the example given in the 15 and 16 1, an aspect in which the outer shell case 41 is fixed to the protective separator 3B of the protective body 1B has been described as an example, but the present embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, the protective partition 1B of the protective body 3B may have a hollow structure, and the accommodating portion for accommodating the airbag body, inflator and the like constituting the airbag device 4B may be formed inside the protective partition 3B. Furthermore, instead of arranging the outer shell case 41 on the protective separator 3B in the protective body 1B, the outer shell case 41 may be arranged on the support column 2B.

Any aspect disclosed in the present specification may be combined with any other feature disclosed herein.

Reference List

1

crash barrier

2

support column

3

carrier

4

Airbag device

40

recording section

41

outer shell housing

50

gas generator

51

filled bottle

52

diffuser section

60

airbag body

70

operating mechanism

71

supporting body

72

activation piece

73

operating wire

74

pulley

75

sealing element

76

bracket

QUOTES INCLUDED IN DESCRIPTION

This list of documents cited by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent Literature Cited

• JP 2011241571A [0004]
• US5791811A [0004]

Claims (10)

A protective body attached to a floor for dividing a space into a protection target area and a non-protection target area, the protective body comprising: a gas generator; an airbag body deployed in the protection-target area by being expanded by gas supplied from the gas generator when the gas generator is actuated; and an outer shell portion accommodating the inflator and the airbag body. The protective body according to claim 1 wherein the outer shell portion includes a bag outlet configured to deploy the airbag body outward when the inflator is actuated, the bag outlet being provided such that the bag outlet faces the protection target area. The protective body according to claim 2 comprising: a protection partition member extending along a boundary portion between the protection target area and the non-protection target area, the protection partition member including a protection inner surface facing the protection target area and a protection outer surface facing the non-protection target area, wherein the outer shell portion is provided on the protection separator. The protective body according to claim 2 comprising: a protection partition member extending along a boundary portion between the protection target area and the non-protection target area, the protection partition member including a protection inner surface facing the protection target area and a protection outer surface facing the non-protection target area; and a support column that supports the protective separator, wherein the outer shell portion is provided on the support column. The protective body according to claim 4 , wherein the support pillar is connected to the protection inner surface of the protection partition member, so that the support pillar is arranged in the protection target area. The protective body according to any of claims 3 until 5 wherein a deployment width of the airbag body in a height direction after inflation is larger than a height dimension of the protection separator. The protective body according to any of claims 2 until 6 wherein the outer shell portion includes a cover member that shields the bag outlet, and the bag outlet is opened by the expansion pressure of the airbag body when the inflator is actuated. The protective body according to claim 7 wherein the cover member has a lower strength than the outer shell portion, and the gas generator is disposed in the outer shell portion at a position not facing the cover member. The protective body according to any of claims 3 until 6 wherein the airbag body includes an introduction portion into which the gas supplied from the gas generator is introduced when the gas generator is actuated; an arm portion communicating with the insertion portion and extending in an extending direction of the protective separator when the arm portion is inflated by the gas supplied from the insertion portion; a plurality of support portions communicating with the arm portion at a plurality of locations and extending in a direction intersecting an extending direction of the arm portion when the plurality of support portions is inflated by the gas supplied from the arm portion; and a cushioning material attached to an outer surface of the airbag body and stretched in a region surrounded by the plurality of support portions and the arm portion when the airbag body is inflated. The protective body according to any of Claims 1 until 9 wherein the protective body is a guardrail installed at a boundary between a sidewalk and a roadway.

Images