JP2002220023A - Head protection airbag device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase the force of a head protection airbag device to restrain an occupant's head from moving outwardly of a vehicle by devising the shape of an airbag. SOLUTION: An approximately triangular non-inflating portion 11e, having an end mounting hole 11e1 in a position below the upper edge mounting portion (mounting piece 11f) of the airbag 11 when the airbag is singly deployed, is provided behind the inflating portion 11c of the airbag 11. The airbag 11 is vertically deployably folded and is fixed to a roof siderail at the end mounting hole 11e1 in the non-inflating portion 11e and the upper edge mounting portion (mounting hole 11f1 in mounting piece 11f) and fixed to the lower portion of a front pillar at the front end mounting portion (mounting hole 11d) of the airbag 11. When the airbag 11 is inflated and deployed, the non-inflating portion 11e is pulled at its lower end to loosen its upper portion like a hammock.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a head protection airbag device mounted on a vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As one type of head protection airbag device of this type, an airbag which is folded and stored in a vertically deployable manner along a front pillar and a roof side rail is supplied from a gas supply device to an inflation portion. There is a structure in which the gas is inflated and deployed along the side wall of the vehicle cabin to protect the occupant's head.
2460.

[0003]

In the head protection airbag device disclosed in the above publication, a substantially triangular non-inflating portion is provided behind the inflating portion of the airbag. The upper edge of the non-inflating portion is substantially linear with the upper edge of the inflating portion, and the mounting hole provided at the front end (rear end) of the airbag when the airbag is deployed alone is air-tight. It is located substantially linearly with the mounting portion provided on the upper edge of the inflatable portion of the bag.
For this reason, when the airbag is mounted on the vehicle body, the front end mounting portion of the non-inflating portion and the upper edge mounting portion of the inflating portion, which are located substantially in a straight line, are fixed to the roof side rail, and the front end mounting portion of the airbag is connected to the front. Fixed to the bottom of the pillar.

In an airbag having such a configuration, when a gas is supplied from a gas supply device to an airbag folded and stored in the up-down direction and the airbag is inflated and deployed, the airbag is contracted in the front-rear direction due to the inflation of the inflatable portion. Although tension is obtained in the bag, the tension is obtained at a position approximating a straight line connecting the front end mounting portion of the airbag and the front end mounting hole of the non-inflating portion. Therefore, in the rear lower part of the airbag, there is a possibility that a sufficient restraining force in the vehicle exterior direction cannot be obtained.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an airbag which is folded and stored in a vertically expandable manner along a front pillar and a roof side rail from a gas supply device to an inflation portion. The head protection airbag device, which is inflated and deployed in the form of a curtain along the side wall of the cabin by the gas supplied to the airbag to protect the head of the occupant, In the deployed state, a substantially triangular non-inflating portion having a tip mounting hole is provided at a position below the upper edge mounting portion of the airbag, and the airbag is folded up and down in a vertical direction,
The airbag is fixed to the roof side rail at the front end mounting hole of the non-inflating portion and the upper edge mounting portion, and is fixed to the lower part of the front pillar at the front end mounting portion of the airbag, and the airbag is mounted on the vehicle body. There is a feature in doing. In this case, it is desirable that the expansion section has a plurality of substantially parallel expansion chambers extending vertically.

[0006]

In the head protection airbag device according to the present invention, the airbag is normally housed along the front pillar and the roof side rail in a state of being folded up and down in the vertical direction. At the time of side collision, rollover, or the like, gas is supplied to the inflation chamber of the airbag from the gas supply device, and the airbag is inflated and deployed in a curtain shape along the side wall of the vehicle compartment. At this time, in the airbag, the gas supplied from the gas supply device causes the inflatable portion to inflate and deploy toward the head protection inflation area located on the side of the occupant's head.

In the present invention, a substantially triangular non-inflatable portion having a tip mounting hole at a position below the upper edge mounting portion of the airbag when the airbag is deployed alone is provided behind the inflating portion of the airbag. The airbag is foldable so that it can be deployed in the vertical direction, fixed to the roof side rail at the tip mounting hole of the non-inflating portion and the upper edge mounting portion, and the front pillar is mounted at the front end mounting portion of the airbag. The airbag is fixed to the lower part of the vehicle and the airbag is mounted on the vehicle body.

Therefore, when the airbag is inflated and deployed,
The tension is obtained in the same manner as in the prior art, and the substantially triangular rear non-inflated portion is pulled down at the lower end and relaxed at the upper portion to form a hammock, thereby effectively restraining the occupant's head. Further, in the substantially triangular rear non-expandable portion, since the middle portion is also pulled, it is possible to suppress a phenomenon in which the middle portion at the rear end of the expanded portion is bent in a square shape and the lower end of the rear end of the expanded portion is pulled upward. . Therefore, in this airbag, not only the restraining force of the occupant's head can be improved but also the occupant's body can be expected to be received.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The head protection airbag device 10 according to the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is inflated and deployed in a curtain shape along the side wall of the passenger compartment, and the front seat S1 (the seat provided corresponding to the B pillar 23). ) And the head of the occupant sitting on the rear front seat S2 (the seat provided corresponding to the C-pillar 24); Is provided with an inflator 12 as a gas supply device for supplying the gas.

The airbag 11 is formed by applying a coating for maintaining airtightness to a base cloth (woven fabric). The airbag 11 includes a front inflatable portion 11b and a rear inflatable portion 11c in front of and behind a central non-inflatable portion 11a. And has a substantially triangular non-expandable portion 11d in front of the front seat expandable portion 11b, and a substantially triangular non-expandable portion 11e behind the rear seat expandable portion 11c. Also,
The airbag 11 has a plurality of mounting pieces 11f at an upper edge portion, and mounting holes 11f provided in each of the mounting pieces 11f.
Roof side rail 2 using bolts (not shown) at 1
It is fixed to 1.

The front seat inflatable portion 11b protects the head of the front seat occupant from the side during inflation and deployment. As shown in FIG. 2, four inflation chambers (cells) R1 to R4 are provided. And a gas introduction passage P1 communicating these at the upper edge.
The rear-seat inflatable portion 11c protects the head of the rear-seat occupant from the side during inflation and deployment, and includes four expansion chambers R5 to R5.
R8 and a gas introduction passage P2 connecting these at the upper edge.
have.

Each of the inflation chambers R1 to R8 is formed so as to extend in the vertical direction and is substantially parallel to each other. When the airbag 11 is inflated and deployed, it inflates in a columnar shape and contracts in the front-rear direction. The rear gas introduction passage P2 is open at the rear end, and communicates with the front gas introduction passage P1 at the front end through the central gas introduction passage P3. In addition, the front-seat inflatable portion 11b and the rear-seat inflatable portion 11c communicate with each other at a lower end through a gas communication passage P4.

The front, substantially triangular, non-expandable portion 11d is formed from the lower end to the upper end of the foremost expansion chamber R1 in the front-seat expansion portion 11b, and has a mounting hole provided at the front end (front end). At 11d1, it is fixed to the lower part of the A pillar (front pillar) 22 using a bolt (not shown). The rear substantially triangular non-expandable portion 11e is formed from the lower end to the upper end of the rearmost expansion chamber R8 in the rear-seat expansion portion 11c, and is provided in a mounting hole 11e1 provided at the front end (rear end). And is fixed to the roof side rail 21 using bolts (not shown).

The A-pillar 22 and the roof side are arranged in a state where the airbag 11 having the above configuration is folded in advance so that it can be deployed in the vertical direction by bellows folding, roll folding or the like (it is also possible to combine both folding). The lower edge is housed along the rail 21 and is covered by an elastically deformable A-pillar garnish 32 and a peripheral edge (side edge) of the roof head lining 31 that is elastically deformable.

The inflator 12 is for injecting and supplying gas toward the airbag 11 at the time of a side collision or rollover of the vehicle, and is disposed along the roof side rail 21 and includes a bracket and a bolt ( (Both not shown) are mounted on the roof side rail 21, and the front end thereof is located at the rear gas introduction passage P of the airbag 11.
2 are hermetically connected. Also, the inflator 12
Is the roof head lining 3 together with the airbag 11
1 to be covered by the peripheral portion.

In the head protection airbag device 10 of the present embodiment configured as described above, the A-pillar 22 and the roof side are normally in a state where the airbag 11 is folded so as to be fully deployable in the vertical direction. It is housed along the rail 21 and is covered by the A-pillar garnish 32 and the periphery of the roof head lining 31.

In the event of a side collision or rollover of the vehicle, gas is blown from the inflator 12, and this gas flows through each of the gas introduction passages P1 to P3 to inflate each of the folded and stored airbags 11. Rooms R1-R
When the airbag 11 is supplied to the airbag 8, the corresponding portions of the roof head lining 31 and the A-pillar garnish 32 are deformed toward the vehicle interior and deployed downward, and as shown in FIG. Expands and expands in a curtain shape along. At this time, in the airbag 11, the inflatable portions 11b and 11c are inflated and deployed toward the head protection inflatable areas located on the sides of the heads of the front and rear occupants.

In the present embodiment, as shown by the solid line in FIG.
The tip mounting hole 11e is located below the upper edge mounting piece 11f.
1 is provided, and the airbag 11 is folded so as to be deployable in the up-down direction, and the tip mounting hole 11e1 of the rear non-inflating portion 11e and each mounting piece 11f are provided.
The airbag 11 is fixed to the roof side rail 21 at the mounting hole 11f1 and fixed to the lower part of the A-pillar 22 at the front end mounting hole 11d1 of the front non-inflating portion 11d. The folding of the airbag 11 is performed by a dedicated folding machine, and the state is fixed and held by a breakable tape when the airbag 11 is inflated and deployed.

Therefore, when the airbag 11 is inflated and deployed, each of the inflation chambers R1 to R1 in the inflatable portions 11b and 11c is provided.
8, the front non-expandable portion 1
A tension is obtained at a position approximating a straight line connecting the tip mounting hole 11d1 of 1d and the tip mounting hole 11e1 of the rear non-expandable portion 11e, and the rear non-expandable portion 11e developed as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. However, the lower end is pulled as shown by the arrow in FIG. 2 and the upper part is loosened to form a hammock, and it is possible to effectively restrain the occupant's head.
Further, the rear non-expandable portion 11 in the state shown by the imaginary line in FIG.
In e, since the middle portion is also pulled, the rear seat inflatable portion 1
It is possible to suppress a phenomenon in which the middle of the rearmost portion of the rear portion 1c (the middle portion of the expansion chamber R8) is bent in a square shape and the lower end of the rearmost portion of the rear inflatable portion 11c is pulled upward. Therefore, in the airbag 11, not only the restraining force of the occupant's head is improved but also the occupant's body can be expected to be received.

In the above embodiment, the airbag 11
As shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, the rear end of the inflatable portion 11c is mounted above the lower end of the inflation chamber R8 at a position below the upper edge mounting piece 11f of the airbag 11 in the deployed state of the airbag alone. A substantially triangular non-expandable portion 1 having a hole 11e1
1e, but as shown by the solid line in FIG.
In the deployed state of the airbag alone, a substantially triangular non-inflating portion 11e having a distal end mounting hole 11e1 is provided below the upper edge mounting piece 11f of the airbag 11 and below the lower end of the inflation chamber R8. It is also possible.

In this case, the tension generated at the lower end of the rear non-expandable portion 11e which expands as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 3 can be increased as compared with the above-described embodiment.
The restraining force of the occupant head toward the outside of the vehicle can be increased as compared with the above embodiment. Note that the position of the tip mounting hole 11e1 of the non-expandable portion 11e may be higher than the solid line position in FIG. 2, and in this case, the tension generated at the lower end of the rear non-expandable portion 11e. Can be reduced as compared with the above embodiment.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, in the airbag 11, the front substantially triangular non-inflation portion 11d is integrally formed in front of the front seat inflation portion 11b, and the rear substantially triangular non-inflation portion 11b is formed. Although the inflatable portion 11e is integrally formed behind the rear seat inflatable portion 11c, the non-inflatable portions 11d and 11e may be formed separately and integrated by sewing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of a head protection airbag device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of the airbag shown in FIG. 1 and an inflator for supplying gas to the airbag.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a modified embodiment of the airbag.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Head protection airbag device, 11 ... Airbag, 1
1a: Central non-expandable portion, 11b: Front seat inflatable portion, 11c ...
Rear seat inflatable portion, 11d: front non-inflatable portion, 11d1: tip mounting hole, 11e: rear non-inflatable portion, 11e1: tip mounting hole, 11f: upper edge mounting piece (upper edge mounting portion), 11f1: mounting hole, R1 to R8: expansion chamber, P1 to P3: gas introduction passage, 12: inflator (gas supply), 21: roof side rail, 22: A pillar (front pillar), 2
3 ... B pillar, 24 ... C pillar, 31 ... Roof head lining, 32 ... A pillar garnish.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An airbag, which is folded and stored in a vertically expandable manner along a front pillar and a roof side rail, is inflated in a curtain shape along a side wall of a vehicle compartment by gas supplied from a gas supply to an inflation portion. In the head protection airbag device which is deployed to protect the occupant's head, the airbag unit is in a deployed state below the upper edge mounting portion of the airbag behind the inflated portion of the airbag. Providing a substantially triangular non-inflatable portion having a tip mounting hole at the position, the airbag is folded so that it can be deployed in the vertical direction,
The airbag is fixed to the roof side rail at the front end mounting hole of the non-inflating portion and the upper edge mounting portion, and is fixed to the lower part of the front pillar at the front end mounting portion of the airbag, and the airbag is mounted on the vehicle body. A head protection airbag device, characterized in that: 2. The head protection airbag device according to claim 1, wherein said inflating portion has a plurality of substantially parallel inflation chambers extending vertically. .