JP2005212541A - Vehicular air bag device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stabilize deployment action of an air bag 2 by preventing deformation of a hood 11, in regard to a vehicular air bag device equipped with the air bag 2 structured to push up a rear end portion of the hood 11 of a vehicle 1 and deploy on a windshield 16. <P>SOLUTION: The air bag 2 is composed of a first developing portion 2a deploying at a lower position of a rear end portion of the hood 11, and a second deploying portion 2b deploying on the windshield. Vehicular widthwise both end portions of the first deploying portion 2a are made to be push-up portions for pushing up the rear end portion of the hood 11 upwardly. At least a part of a vehicular widthwise center portions of the first developing portion 2a is made to be a delay portion 2d to which gas is supplied later than the push-up portion 2c. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention belongs to a technical field related to a vehicle airbag device including an airbag configured to push up a rear end portion of a hood of a vehicle and deploy it on a front window.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in, for example, Patent Document 1, a vehicle airbag apparatus including an airbag configured to push up a rear end portion of a hood hood of a vehicle and deploy it on a front window is known. Yes. The airbag of the vehicle airbag apparatus includes a first deployment portion that is deployed at a position below a rear end portion of the hood of the vehicle, and a second deployment portion that is deployed on a front wind of the vehicle. The entire second width direction of the first expanding portion is expanded by the gas supplied from the inflator to form a push-up portion that pushes up the rear end portion of the bonnet hood upward, and the second expansion communicating with the first expanding portion. The part is developed on the front window from the gap between the rear end of the hood hood pushed up by the first development part and the front window by the gas supplied from the inflator via the first development part. Is configured to do. When a collision with an obstacle (such as a pedestrian) is detected by a collision detection sensor provided on the front bumper, the inflator is initiated, and gas is thereby sent from the inflator to the first and second deployment parts of the airbag. Sequentially supplied. As a result, the first development portion is first developed, and the rear end portion of the hood hood is pushed upward by this development, and then the second development is caused from the gap between the rear end portion of the hood hood thus pushed up and the front window. The part expands on the front window.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-308028

  By the way, in the above conventional vehicle airbag device, in order to deploy an airbag having a considerably large capacity (particularly the second deployment portion) as early as possible, the deployment force of the airbag (gas pressure in the airbag) is It needs to be as high as possible.

  However, if the deployment force of the airbag is high, the deployment force when the first deployment part that pushes up the rear end of the hood is too high, and an excessive force is instantaneously applied to the rear end of the hood. The hood is easily deformed. Usually, both ends in the vehicle width direction of the rear end portion of the bonnet hood are supported so as to be movable up and down, so that the center portion in the vehicle width direction of the rear end portion of the bonnet hood is easily deformed to the upper side as compared with both ends. If there is such deformation of the hood, the gap between the rear end of the hood and the front window becomes large at the center in the vehicle width direction. (They do not deploy along the front window, and the upper end of the second deployment part moves away from the front window), and the manner in which the hood hood is deformed changes every time the airbag is deployed. It is desirable to prevent the deformation of the hood as much as possible. On the other hand, if the strength of the hood is increased so that the hood is not deformed, the weight and cost of the vehicle are increased.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object of the present invention is to push up the rear end portion of the hood of the vehicle and deploy the airbag on the front window as described above. By improving the configuration of the vehicle airbag device provided with the above, it is intended to prevent the deformation of the hood and stabilize the deployment operation of the airbag.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, at least a part of the central portion in the vehicle width direction of the first development portion is a delay portion to which gas is supplied later than the push-up portion.

  Specifically, in the invention of claim 1, an airbag having a first deploying portion that is deployed at a position below a rear end portion of a hood of a vehicle and a second deploying portion that is deployed on a front wind of the vehicle is provided. The vehicle airbag apparatus provided is an object.

  And the vehicle width direction both ends of the 1st deployment part of the above-mentioned air bag constitute the push-up part which pushes up the above-mentioned bonnet hood rear end part by deploying with the gas supplied from the inflator, and the above-mentioned 2nd deployment The part expands on the front window from the gap between the rear end of the hood hood pushed up by the push-up part and the front window by the gas supplied from the inflator via at least the push-up part. It is configured as described above, and at least a part of the center portion in the vehicle width direction of the first developing portion is a delay portion to which the gas is supplied later than the push-up portion.

  With the above configuration, the vehicle width direction central portion of the first deployment portion of the airbag is deployed later than both end portions, so that a large force is applied to the vehicle width direction central portion of the rear end portion of the hood hood. By supporting the both ends in the vehicle width direction of the rear end portion of the hood hood so as to be movable up and down without acting, the rear end portion of the hood hood can be pushed up without being deformed. As a result, the second developing portion can be stably developed on the front window. Further, by deploying the delay portion, even if an impact is applied to the hood hood from above, the impact can be reliably received by the push-up portion and the delay portion over the entire vehicle width direction.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gas flow for supplying gas into the airbag from the inflator to a portion of the airbag other than the delay portion at the center in the vehicle width direction of the first deployment portion. There is provided an inlet and a gas conduction path for guiding the gas flowing in from the gas inlet to the push-up portion, and in a deployed state of the airbag, the gas conduction path is cut in a direction perpendicular to the gas flow direction of the gas conduction path. The area is set to be smaller than the cross-sectional area cut in the direction perpendicular to the gas flow direction of the push-up portion.

  As a result, when the inflator is disposed in a portion corresponding to the center portion in the vehicle width direction of the airbag, the gas is supplied to both ends by utilizing the portion other than the delay portion in the center portion in the vehicle width direction of the first deployment portion. The gas conduction path is set to be smaller than the pushing-up part, so that the gas conduction path does not contribute to pushing up the rear end of the hood hood. Can do.

  In the invention of claim 3, in the invention of claim 1 or 2, the gas supplied from the inflator to the push-up portion of the first deploying portion of the airbag passes through the second deploying portion of the first deploying portion. It is assumed that it is configured to be supplied to the delay unit.

  Thus, the delay portion can be deployed after the second deployment portion is deployed, and the deformation of the central portion in the vehicle width direction of the rear end portion of the bonnet hood can be reliably prevented.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to third aspects, when the airbag is deployed, the push-up portion of the first deployment portion of the airbag is in the vehicle width direction of the first deployment portion. Suppose that it is extended ahead of vehicles rather than the center part.

  By doing so, the rear end portion of the hood hood can be pushed up as long as possible in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the hood hood can be prevented from being broken at the vehicle longitudinal direction intermediate portion.

  As described above, according to the vehicle airbag device of the present invention, at least a part of the central portion in the vehicle width direction of the first deployment portion is a delay portion that supplies gas with a delay from the push-up portion. Thus, deformation of the hood hood can be prevented, and the second deployment portion can be stably deployed on the front window.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  1 and 2 show a front portion of a vehicle 1 on which a vehicle airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted. A vehicle body cowl portion 10 (a front position of a front window 16) in the engine room of the vehicle 1 is shown. ), The airbag 2 of the vehicle airbag device is housed. The airbag 2 is stored in a folded state in a substantially rectangular box-shaped airbag storage box 3 that extends in the vehicle width direction. The airbag storage box 3 is used when the airbag 2 is deployed. It is made of a material that is easily broken by the unfolding force of the bag 2.

  An inflator storage box 4 for storing an inflator 5 (see FIG. 4) for supplying gas into the airbag 2 and having an opening on the upper surface is disposed below the airbag storage box 3. A gas inlet 2e (see FIG. 3) provided in the airbag 2 and for allowing gas to flow into the airbag 2 is disposed above the opening of the inflator storage box 4. The gas inflow port 2e is provided in a lower portion of the deployed airbag 2 in the substantially central portion in the vehicle width direction (a portion other than the delay portion 2d in the middle of the first deployed portion 2a described later in the vehicle width direction).

  The bonnet hood 11 of the vehicle 1 is configured to be rotatable about hinge shafts 12 provided at both ends in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body cowl portion 10 and extending in the vehicle width direction. That is, one end portion of each of the two link members 13 is rotatably attached to each of the hinge shafts 12, and the other end portions of the both link members 13 are at both ends in the vehicle width direction of the rear end portion of the hood hood 11. Each of the hoods 11 is rotatably attached, and the hood 11 is rotated around the hinge shaft 12 via both link members 13. A bonnet lock 14 is provided at the center of the rear surface of the front end of the hood hood 11 in the vehicle width direction, and the hood lock 11 is locked in a state where the opening on the upper side of the engine compartment is closed. On the other hand, when the lock is released, the front end of the hood hood 11 is lifted upward to rotate around the hinge shafts 12 so that the opening on the upper side of the engine room can be opened. (Refer to the one-dot chain line in FIG. 2).

  Each link member 13 includes an outer cylinder member 13a and an inner cylinder member 13b that can be fitted to each other and slid in the length direction, and the length of the link member 13 can be changed by this sliding. However, the length of the link member 13 does not change and is shortest except when the rear end of the hood hood 11 is pushed up by the deployment of the airbag 2 as will be described later.

  Further, when the hood hood 11 is locked in a state in which the opening on the upper side of the engine room is closed by the hood lock 14, the hood hood 11 is pushed upward to the rear surface of the rear end of the hood hood 11 (greater than a predetermined value). 2), as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, the location of the bonnet lock 14 becomes a rotation center axis extending in the vehicle width direction and rotates about the rotation center axis. Thus, the rear end of the hood hood 11 moves upward. At this time, as the hood hood 11 rotates, the length of the link member 13 is increased by the sliding of the outer cylinder member 13a and the inner cylinder member 13b (however, when the predetermined length is reached, a stopper not shown) Will not slide any further.) That is, the rear end portion of the hood hood 11 is supported by the link member 13 so as to be movable up and down. The push-up force at the rear end of the bonnet hood 11 is obtained by the deploying force of the airbag 2 (push-up portion 2c of the first deployment portion 2a described later), and when the airbag 2 is deployed, The end is pushed up.

  In addition, the reinforcement board 15 is provided in the peripheral part perimeter and diagonal line in the back surface of the said bonnet hood 11 similarly to the conventional normal bonnet hood.

  1, the airbag 2 extends upward from the vehicle body cowl 10 toward the rear side of the vehicle along the front window 16, as shown by a two-dot chain line. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the airbag 2 includes a first deployment portion 2 a that deploys substantially the entire vehicle width direction at a position below the rear end portion of the hood 11 of the vehicle 1, and the vehicle. A first unfolded portion 2b that unfolds over substantially the entire vehicle width direction on one front window 16. And the vehicle width direction both ends of the said 1st expansion | deployment part 2a are pushed up by the gas supplied from the inflator 5 via the gas inflow port 2e of the airbag 2 by pushing up the said bonnet hood 11 rear-end part upwards. A push-up portion 2c is configured. That is, when the push-up portion 2c is deployed, the push-up portion 2c abuts both ends of the rear end portion of the hood hood 11 in the vehicle width direction and pushes the rear end portion of the hood hood 11 upward by the unfolding force. It has become.

  Further, in the deployed state of the airbag 2, the upper portion of the central portion in the vehicle width direction of the first deployment portion 2a is a delay portion 2d to which the gas is supplied later than the push-up portion 2c. As will be described in detail, the gas supplied from the inflator 5 to the push-up portion 2c of the first deployment portion 2a of the airbag 2 passes through the second deployment portion 2b and the delay portion of the first deployment portion 2a. 2d is supplied. On the other hand, the gas inlet 2e and the gas inlet 2e are provided at a lower portion of the first developing portion 2a in the vehicle width direction central portion (a portion other than the delay portion 2d at the vehicle width direction central portion of the first developing portion 2a). A gas conduction path 2f that guides the gas that has flowed more into the push-up portion 2c is provided. In the deployed state of the airbag 2, the cross-sectional area A1 cut in the direction perpendicular to the gas flow direction of the gas conduction path 2f is larger than the cross-sectional area A2 cut in the direction perpendicular to the gas flow direction of the push-up portion 2c. Even if the gas conduction path 2f expands, it does not come into contact with the rear end part of the bonnet hood 11, and the rear end part of the hood hood 11 is pushed up by the development of the gas conduction path 2f. Absent.

  The second expansion part 2b is connected to the upper side of the first expansion part 2a, and the first expansion is performed by the gas supplied from the inflator 5 via the push-up part 2c of the first expansion part 2a. The hood hood 11 pushed up by the portion 2 a is configured to expand on the front window 16 from a gap between the rear end of the hood 11 and the front window 16. In addition, the vehicle width direction both ends of the 2nd expansion | deployment part 2b expand | deploy on the left-right front pillar 17, and guide the gas supplied to the raising part 2c to the vehicle width direction center part of the 2nd expansion | deployment part 2b. A passage 2j is formed.

  The gas conduction path 2f or push-up part 2c of the first deployment part 2a and the delay part 2d are partitioned by a first stitching part 2g formed by sewing the upper surface and the lower surface of the airbag 2 with a thread, The first stitching portion 2g extends to the vicinity of the upper end of the second deployment portion 2b, and the gas passage 2j of the second deployment portion 2b and the central portion in the vehicle width direction are also partitioned by the first stitching portion 2g. .

  In addition, the upper end portion of the push-up portion 2c and the lower end portion of the gas passage 2j are partitioned by a second stitching portion 2h formed by sewing the upper surface and the lower surface of the airbag 2 with a thread. The part is not stitched and is an orifice 2i. In the first stitching portion 2g, the yarn is not broken even when the airbag 2 is deployed. However, in the second stitching portion 2h, the gas pressure in the push-up portion 2c is a predetermined value (after the hood hood 11). When the end pressure is larger than the gas pressure that can push up the end, the yarn is broken and the orifice diameter is increased.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the initiation control of the inflator 5 is performed by a control unit 31 connected to the inflator 5. The control unit 31 may be shared with the engine control unit or the like, or may be separate. The control unit 31 is connected to the collision prediction sensor 22, the collision detection sensor 23, and the vehicle speed sensor 24, and inputs each information from the sensors 22 to 24 to perform the initiation control of the inflator 5.

  The collision prediction sensor 22 is a sensor that detects an obstacle existing in front of the vehicle 1 and measures a positional relationship and a distance between the vehicle 1 and the obstacle in order to predict a collision of the vehicle 1 with an obstacle. The control unit 31 predicts a collision with an obstacle based on the information from the collision prediction sensor 22 and the information from the vehicle speed sensor 24 (for example, laser radar, millimeter wave radar, ultrasonic radar, etc.). .

  The collision detection sensor 23 is provided in the front bumper 21 of the vehicle 1 and transmits a contact signal to the control unit when the front bumper 21 comes into contact with an obstacle. A collision of the vehicle 1 with an obstacle is detected by a contact signal from the collision detection sensor 23. Note that it is not necessary to provide both the collision prediction sensor 22 and the collision detection sensor 23, and only one of them may be provided.

  The control unit 31 predicts the collision with the obstacle based on the information from each of the sensors 23 to 25 or starts the inflator 5 when the collision with the obstacle is detected. It has become.

  When the inflator 5 is thus detonated, the gas of the inflator 5 is supplied from the gas inlet 2e to the gas conduction path 2f of the first deployment portion 2a of the airbag 2, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. It is supplied to the push-up part 2c from this gas conduction path 2f. As a result, the push-up portion 2c is developed and the rear end portion of the hood hood 11 is pushed up. In addition, although the gas conduction path 2f is developed before the push-up portion 2c, it does not contribute to the push-up of the rear end portion of the hood hood 11. A part of the gas supplied to the push-up part 2c is supplied from the orifice 2i to the gas passage 2j of the second developing part 2b. Until the push-up part 2c is almost completely developed, the orifice 2i The flow of the gas to the second developing part 2b is restricted and hardly flows to the second developing part 2b. As a result, the rear end part of the hood hood 11 can be pushed up reliably.

  When the push-up portion 2c is almost completely deployed and the rear end portion of the hood hood 11 is almost completely pushed up, the gas pressure in the push-up portion 2c eventually becomes a predetermined value or more, so that the second stitching portion 2h. As a result, the diameter of the orifice is increased and the orifice diameter is increased. As a result, the gas is sequentially supplied to the gas passage 2j and the central portion in the vehicle width direction of the second expanding portion 2b, and the second expanding portion 2b is expanded.

  Subsequently, the gas supplied to the second deployment section 2b is supplied to the delay section 2d of the first deployment section 2a located below the first deployment section 2a, and the delay section 2d deploys. expand.

  Therefore, in the above-described embodiment, the delay portion 2d located at the vehicle width direction center portion of the first deployment portion 2a of the airbag 2 is deployed later than the push-up portions 2c located at both ends. A large force hardly acts on the center portion in the vehicle width direction of the end, and a certain amount of force acts on both ends in the vehicle width direction. However, since it is supported by the link member 13, the hood hood 11 The rear end can be pushed up without deformation. As a result, the gap between the rear end portion of the pushed-up hood 11 and the front window 16 is always stable, and the second developing portion 2b is stably developed on the front window 16. In other words, the second expanding portion 2b is expanded along the front window 16, and the upper end portion of the second expanding portion 2b is not separated from the front window 16. Further, the delay portion 2d hardly contributes to pushing up the rear end portion of the bonnet hood 11. However, by expanding the delay portion 2d, the push-up portion 2c and the delay portion can be applied even if an impact is applied to the bonnet hood 11 from above. The impact can be reliably received over the entire vehicle width direction by 2d.

  In the above embodiment, the delay unit 2d is deployed last in the entire airbag 2. However, the deployment of the delay unit 2d is delayed from the push-up unit 2c (the gas is pushed into the delay unit 2d by the push-up unit 2c). The airbag 2 may be deployed in any manner. For example, the gas is directly supplied from the push-up unit 2c to the delay unit 2d to expand the entire first deployment unit 2a, and then the gas is supplied from the delay unit 2d to the second deployment unit 2b to set the second deployment unit 2b. You may make it expand | deploy. Alternatively, gas may be supplied from the push-up unit 2c to both the delay unit 2d and the second deployment unit 2b to develop the second deployment unit 2b (the second deployment unit 2b includes a push-up unit). Gas is supplied from both 2c and the delay unit 2d).

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although one part (upper part) of the vehicle width direction center part of the 1st expansion | deployment part 2a was made into the delay part 2d, the whole vehicle width direction center part of the 1st expansion | deployment part 2a was made into the delay part 2d. Also good. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, two inflators 5 are provided, gas inlets 2 e are provided at the lower ends of the two push-up portions 2 c of the airbag 2, and each gas inlet 2 e is provided from each inflator 5. Gas is supplied to each push-up portion 2c. As in the above embodiment, the gas supplied to the push-up portion 2c is sequentially supplied to the gas passage 2j and the vehicle width direction center portion of the second expansion portion 2b through the orifice 2i, and then the first expansion. This is supplied to the delay unit 2d of the unit 2a. In this case, the gas conduction path 2f is not necessary, and therefore the first stitching portion 2g is not provided at the center portion in the vehicle width direction of the airbag 2, and between the push-up portion 2c and the delay portion 2d and the second portion. It is provided between the gas passage 2j of the development part 2b and the central part in the vehicle width direction.

  Furthermore, in the said embodiment, although the 2nd stitching | suture part 2h and the orifice 2i were provided between the upper end part of the raising part 2c and the lower end part of the gas channel 2j, the raising part 2c is provided by the 2nd sewing part 2h. And the gas passage 2j may be completely connected in a non-communication state. In this case, it is necessary to break the thread of the second stitching portion 2h by a gas pressure equal to or higher than a predetermined value in the push-up portion 2c, but when the orifice 2i is provided as in the above embodiment, the second It is not always necessary to break the thread of the stitched portion 2h. Further, the push-up portion 2c and the gas passage 2j may be connected in a communicating state without providing the second stitching portion 2h.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the vehicle front end position of the push-up portion 2c of the airbag 2 is made substantially the same as the vehicle front end position in the vehicle width direction central portion (gas conduction path 2f) of the first deployment portion 2a. However, as shown in FIG. 6, in the deployed state of the airbag 2, the push-up portion 2c of the first deployment portion 2a extends forward of the vehicle with respect to the vehicle width direction central portion of the first deployment portion 2a. It is preferable to make it. If it does in this way, the bonnet hood 11 rear-end part can be pushed up over the longest possible range in the vehicle front-back direction, and it can prevent that the bonnet hood 11 breaks in the vehicle front-back direction intermediate part.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is useful for a vehicle airbag apparatus including an airbag configured to push up a rear end portion of a hood hood of a vehicle and deploy it on a front window.

It is a schematic perspective view which shows the front part of the vehicle by which the airbag apparatus for vehicles which concerns on embodiment of this invention is mounted. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the front part of the vehicle of FIG. It is a top view which shows the expansion | deployment state of the airbag of the airbag apparatus for vehicles. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the vehicle airbag apparatus. FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 illustrating an airbag of another vehicle airbag device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 showing an airbag of still another vehicle airbag device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle 2 Air bag 2a 1st expansion | deployment part 2b 2nd expansion | deployment part 2c Push-up part 2d Delay part 2e Gas inflow port 2f Gas conduction path 5 Inflator 11 Bonnet hood

Claims (4)

A vehicle airbag apparatus comprising an airbag having a first deployment portion deployed at a position below a rear end portion of a hood hood of a vehicle and a second deployment portion deployed on a front wind of the vehicle,
Both end portions in the vehicle width direction of the first deployment portion of the airbag constitute a push-up portion that pushes up the rear end portion of the hood hood upward by deploying with the gas supplied from the inflator,
The second unfolding part is inserted into the front windshield from the gap between the rear end of the hood hood pushed up by the push-up part and the front wind by the gas supplied from the inflator via at least the push-up part. Configured to deploy on top,
The vehicle airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of a vehicle width direction central portion of the first deployment portion is a delay portion to which the gas is supplied later than the push-up portion. The vehicle airbag device according to claim 1,
A gas inlet for supplying gas into the airbag from the inflator and a gas flowing in from the gas inlet to a portion other than the delay portion at the center in the vehicle width direction of the first deployment portion of the airbag Gas conduction path leading to the part is provided,
In the deployed state of the airbag, the cross-sectional area cut in the direction perpendicular to the gas flow direction of the gas conduction path is set smaller than the cross-sectional area cut in the direction perpendicular to the gas flow direction of the push-up part. A vehicle airbag device characterized by the above. In the vehicle airbag device according to claim 1 or 2,
The gas supplied from the inflator to the push-up portion of the first deployment portion of the airbag is configured to be supplied to the delay portion of the first deployment portion via the second deployment portion. A vehicle airbag device. In the vehicle airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
In the deployed state of the airbag, the push-up portion of the first deployment portion of the airbag extends forward of the vehicle from the vehicle width direction center portion of the first deployment portion. Bag device.

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