JP2005138750A - Vehicle with mechanism for protecting pedestrians and the like, and airbag device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle with a mechanism for preventing a pedestrians or the like from being entangled in an under side of a vehicle body, when a pedestrian or the like comes into contact with a side face of the vehicle body. <P>SOLUTION: A vehicle 1 comprises: an airbag 10 inflatable from a side face of the body of the vehicle 1 to the underside of the vehicle body; a gas generator for supplying inflating gas to the airbag 10; a contact sensor detecting or predicting that the pedestrian or the like comes into contact with the side face of the body of the vehicle 1; and a control device actuating the gas generator based on contact detecting or predicting signals from the contact sensor. The airbag 10 starts to inflate from a bottom part of the side face of the body of the vehicle 1 to the underside of the vehicle body between front wheels 2 and rear wheels 4 of the vehicle 1, and inflates in such a manner as to fill a space surrounded by the bottom part of the side face of the vehicle, the front wheels 2, the rear wheels 4, and a road surface, so as to prevent the pedestrians and the like from being entangled in the underside of the vehicle body. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle including an airbag for protecting a pedestrian such as a pedestrian or a two-wheeled vehicle occupant at the time of contact with the vehicle. More specifically, the present invention relates to a vehicle and an airbag apparatus provided with a mechanism that prevents a pedestrian or the like from being caught from the side surface of the vehicle body to the vehicle body lower side.

In order to prevent a pedestrian or the like from getting caught under the vehicle body when a pedestrian or the like collides with the automobile, it is possible to provide an anti-roll-up airbag at the lower part of the front part of the automobile. It is described in. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 6-239198 discloses that a protective airbag for a pedestrian or the like that expands in front of a vehicle body is deployed to the vicinity of the ground.
JP 2001-334895 A JP-A-6-239198

  The airbags for protecting pedestrians disclosed in the above-mentioned JP-A-2001-334895 and JP-A-6-239198 prevent the pedestrians from being caught when the pedestrians hit the front of the vehicle. It is not effective when the etc. touch the side of the vehicle body.

  An object of this invention is to provide the vehicle provided with the mechanism which prevents that a pedestrian etc. is caught in a vehicle body lower side, when a pedestrian etc. contact a vehicle body side surface.

  The airbag device of the present invention includes an airbag that inflates at the lower part of the side surface of the vehicle body and prevents a pedestrian or the like from being caught in the lower side of the vehicle body. Moreover, the vehicle of this invention is equipped with this airbag apparatus.

  In one aspect of the present invention (Claim 3), the airbag is inflated between the front wheel and the rear wheel.

  In one aspect of the present invention (Claim 4), the airbag is inflated from the front end portion to the rear end portion of the vehicle body.

  In one aspect of the present invention (Claim 5), a plurality of airbags are arranged at different positions in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. In this case, usually, means for detecting a contact position between a pedestrian or the like and the vehicle body and means for inflating the airbag near and behind the contact position are provided.

  According to the airbag device and the vehicle of the present invention, even when a pedestrian or the like touches the side surface of the vehicle or falls down due to the pedestrian or the like, the airbag expands to the lower part of the side surface of the vehicle body, and the pedestrian or the like is caught in the lower side of the vehicle body. Is prevented.

  When the airbag is inflated between the front wheel and the rear wheel (Claim 3), a pedestrian or the like is prevented from being caught in front of the rear wheel.

  When the airbag is inflated from the front end portion to the rear end portion of the vehicle body (Claim 4), the pedestrian or the like is prevented from being caught over the entire side surface of the vehicle body.

  When a plurality of airbags are arranged at different positions in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body (Claim 5), means for detecting the contact position between the pedestrian and the vehicle body, and the vicinity of the contact position And a means for inflating the airbag behind it (Claim 6), it is possible to prevent the entrainment by inflating the portion of the airbag that may be entrained. In this case, it is possible to reduce the repair cost of the accident vehicle (particularly the repair cost of the air bag device for preventing entanglement) because the portion of the airbag that is not likely to be engulfed does not expand.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 (a) is a side view of a vehicle 1 provided with an airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 (b) is a plan view of the vehicle 1 as viewed from above. .

  As shown in FIG. 1 (a), the vehicle 1 includes an airbag 10 that can be inflated from the side surface of the vehicle body to the lower side of the vehicle body as an entrainment-preventing airbag device, and the airbag 10 for inflation. A gas generator (not shown) for supplying the gas, a contact sensor (not shown) for detecting or predicting that a pedestrian or the like has contacted the side of the vehicle body, and contact detection from the contact sensor Alternatively, a control device (not shown) for operating the gas generator based on the prediction signal is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the airbag 10 is provided on each of the left and right sides of the vehicle body of the vehicle 1, and each airbag 10 is provided with a gas generator individually. Contact sensors are also provided on both the left and right sides of the vehicle 1. The control device activates the gas generator for the left airbag 10 when the left contact sensor detects or predicts contact of a pedestrian or the like with the left side of the vehicle 1, and the right contact sensor detects the right side of the vehicle 1. When contact with a pedestrian or the like is detected or predicted, the gas generator for the right airbag 10 is activated.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 (a), each airbag 10 is disposed between the front wheel 2 and the rear wheel 4 of the vehicle 1 from the lower side of the vehicle body side of the vehicle 1 under the vehicle body. It swells to the side and expands so as to fill a space surrounded by the lower part of the side of the vehicle body, the front wheel 2 and the rear wheel 4 and the road surface. Further, as shown in FIG. 1 (b), the inflated airbag 10 has a shape in which the outward side surface is positioned outwardly from the side surfaces of the front wheel 2 and the rear wheel 4.

  Although not shown, containers for storing the airbags 10 are respectively provided at the lower portions of the left and right vehicle body sides of the vehicle 1. In normal times, the airbags 10 are in a folded state. Housed in this container. An opening for inflating the airbag is provided on the lower surface of the container, and the opening for inflating the airbag is normally closed by a lid (lid member). When the airbag 10 is inflated, the lid is opened, and the airbag 10 bulges downward from the side of the vehicle body through the airbag bulge opening.

  In the vehicle 1 configured as described above, when a contact of a pedestrian or the like to the left or right side surface of the vehicle body of the vehicle 1 is detected or predicted by each contact sensor, the control device The gas generator for the airbag 10 on the side where the contact of a pedestrian or the like is detected or predicted is activated, and the airbag 10 is inflated between the front wheel 2 and the rear wheel 4 on the side. Thereby, even when a pedestrian or the like comes into contact with the side surface of the vehicle 1 or falls down by this, the pedestrian or the like is prevented from being caught in the lower side of the vehicle body, particularly the rear wheel 4.

  FIG. 2 (a) is a side view of a vehicle 1A provided with an airbag according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 (b) is a plan view of the vehicle 1A viewed from above. is there.

  The vehicle 1A includes an airbag 10A that can be inflated from the front end portion to the rear end portion along the side surface of the vehicle body. As shown in FIG. 2 (a), the airbag 10A has its lower part inflated to the vicinity of the road surface over its entire length, and the upper part near the upper edge part of the vehicle body fender part (reference numeral omitted) before and after the vehicle 1A. It is comprised so that it may expand | swell to the height which covers. Also in this embodiment, the airbag 10A is provided on each of the left and right sides of the vehicle body of the vehicle 1, and a gas generator (not shown) is provided for each airbag 10A.

  Other configurations of the vehicle 1A are the same as those of the vehicle 1 in FIG. 1. In FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 denote the same parts.

  Even in this vehicle 1A, when contact of a pedestrian or the like to the left or right side surface of the vehicle body is detected or predicted by contact sensors (not shown) provided on the left and right sides of the vehicle body of the vehicle 1 The control device (not shown) operates the gas generator for the airbag 10 on the side where the contact of the pedestrian or the like is detected or predicted, and inflates the airbag 10A along the side surface of the vehicle body.

  In this embodiment, the airbag 10A is inflated from the front end portion to the rear end portion along the vehicle body side surface of the vehicle 1A, and the lower portion of the airbag is inflated to the vicinity of the road surface over the entire length thereof. The pedestrian or the like is prevented from being caught on the lower side of the vehicle body over the entire side surface of the vehicle body.

  In this embodiment, the airbag 10A is inflated to a height near the upper edge of the vehicle body fender portion and covers the side surface of the vehicle body. The impact when coming into contact with the vehicle body side surface of the vehicle 1A is absorbed.

  FIG. 3 is a side view of a vehicle 1B provided with an airbag according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

  The vehicle 1B includes a front-side airbag 10F and a rear-side airbag 10R that are arranged at different positions in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1B. The front airbag 10F is inflatable from the front end of the vehicle body to the vicinity of the rear edge of the vehicle body front fender (not shown) along the side surface of the vehicle 1B. The rear airbag 10R is inflated. The vehicle is inflated from the portion following the vehicle body front fender portion to the vehicle body rear end portion so as to be adjacent to the front airbag 10F. These front-side airbag 10F and rear-side airbag 10R are individually provided with gas generators (not shown).

  The front airbag 10F and the rear airbag 10R are inflated to the vicinity of the road surface over the entire length of each of the front airbag 10F and the rear airbag 10R. It is configured as follows.

  In this embodiment, the vehicle 1B includes a front-side contact sensor (not shown) that detects or predicts that a pedestrian or the like has contacted the vehicle body side region from the front end of the vehicle body to the vicinity of the rear edge of the front fender portion. A rear side contact sensor (not shown) for detecting or predicting that a pedestrian or the like has contacted the vehicle body side region from the portion following the front fender portion to the vehicle rear end, and each of the front side and rear side A control device (not shown) for individually operating the gas generators for the front airbag and the rear airbag based on a contact detection or prediction signal from the contact sensor is provided.

  Although only the left side surface of the vehicle body is shown in FIG. 3, the front airbag 10F and the rear airbag 10R are provided on both the left and right sides of the vehicle body, respectively. A gas generator is provided for each of 10R and the right side airbags 10F and 10R. A front side contact sensor and a rear side contact sensor are also provided on both the left and right sides of the vehicle body.

  When the front side contact sensor on the left or right side of the vehicle body detects or predicts contact with the side surface of the vehicle body of a pedestrian or the like, the control device detects the gas generator for the front side airbag and the rear side airbag on the side. The working gas generator is activated to inflate both the front-side airbag 10F and the rear-side airbag 10R on the side. On the other hand, when the rear side contact sensor on the left side or the right side of the vehicle detects or predicts contact with the side of the vehicle such as a pedestrian, the rear side airbag gas generator is activated to Only the rear airbag 10R is inflated.

  That is, in this vehicle 1B, when a pedestrian or the like comes into contact with the area from the front end portion of the vehicle body side surface to the front fender portion, the pedestrian or the like is placed on the lower side of the vehicle body from the front end portion to the rear end portion of the vehicle body. Since there is a possibility of being caught, both the front-side airbag 10F and the rear-side airbag 10R are inflated to prevent a pedestrian or the like from being caught over the entire region from the front end portion to the rear end portion of the vehicle body.

  In addition, when a pedestrian or the like comes into contact with a region from the side of the vehicle body that continues from the front fender portion to the rear end of the vehicle body, the pedestrian or the like is below the vehicle body in the region from the front fender portion to the vehicle body front end portion. Since the front airbag 10F in charge of this region is not inflated, the rear end of the vehicle body from the portion following the front fender portion where a pedestrian or the like may be caught under the vehicle body is not inflated. Only the rear-side airbag 10R in charge of the area extending to the part is inflated to prevent the pedestrian or the like from being caught under the vehicle body.

  Therefore, in this vehicle 1B, when a pedestrian or the like continues to the front fender portion on the side of the vehicle body and comes into contact with a region from the vehicle body rear end portion, the pedestrian or the like may be caught below the vehicle body. Since the front airbag 10F in charge of the region from the front fender portion to the vehicle front end is not inflated, when the vehicle 1B is repaired after an accident, the inflated rear airbag 10R (and for the rear airbag) It is only necessary to replace the gas generator), and the accident vehicle repair cost (airbag device replacement cost) can be suppressed.

  In this embodiment, the front-side airbag 10F and the rear-side airbag 10R are larger in capacity than the airbag (for example, the airbag 10A in the embodiment of FIG. 2) that inflates from the front end portion to the rear end portion of the vehicle body. Therefore, a relatively low output gas generator is sufficient for the front-side airbag and rear-side airbag gas generators. For this reason, the construction cost of each airbag apparatus is also low.

  In this embodiment, the two airbags 10F and 10R on the front side and the rear side are provided with different positions in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. However, three or more air bags with different positions in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body are provided. A bag may be provided. In this case, a contact sensor such as a pedestrian is provided in each side surface region of the vehicle body in which each airbag is inflated, and air in a region where the pedestrian or the like may be caught under the vehicle body according to the contact position of the pedestrian or the like Only the bag may be inflated.

  Each of the above embodiments shows an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to each of the above embodiments.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the vehicle provided with the airbag apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the vehicle provided with the airbag apparatus which concerns on another embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the vehicle provided with the airbag apparatus which concerns on another embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1, 1A, 1B Vehicle 2 Front wheel 4 Rear wheel 10, 10A Air bag 10F Front side airbag 10R Rear side airbag

Claims (6)

  An airbag device having an airbag that expands at a lower portion of a side surface of a vehicle body and prevents a pedestrian or the like from being caught in the lower side of the vehicle body.   A vehicle comprising the airbag device according to claim 1.   The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the airbag is inflated between a front wheel and a rear wheel.   3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the airbag is inflated from a front end portion to a rear end portion of the vehicle body.   The vehicle according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein a plurality of airbags are arranged at different positions in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. In claim 5,
Means for detecting a contact position between a pedestrian and the vehicle body;
Means for inflating the airbag near and behind the contact position;
A vehicle characterized by comprising:

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