JP2006096223A - Non-occupant protection device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To properly adjust moving speed of a hood in a front part of an automobile in a non-occupant protection device for lifting the hood by an air bag. <P>SOLUTION: The air bag 21 arranged on a lower part of a rear part of the hood 3 is deployed to move a rear side part of the hood 3 upward. The rear side part of the hood 3 is supported to be ascendable by a supporting part 12. A speed adjusting means 51 is provided along the supporting part 12. The speed adjusting means 51 is sewed to a foundation cloth strap part 52 by a plurality of thread stitch parts S by folding and overlapping an intermediate position of the strap part 52. Since the stitch parts S are successively broken when deploying the air bag 21, the moving speed of the hood 3 can be adjusted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a non-occupant protection device that protects a colliding non-occupant when a collision between a non-occupant such as a pedestrian and a vehicle cannot be avoided.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been proposed a pedestrian protection device including a so-called pedestrian protection airbag that reduces a shock to a pedestrian when a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian is unavoidable. This pedestrian protection device supports the rear end portion of the hood at the front of the vehicle body so as to be lifted, and stores a bag-like airbag folded under the rear end of the hood. And when this pedestrian protection device detects a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian, the gas is supplied to deploy the airbag, the rear end of the hood is lifted by this airbag, and the walking When the person collides with the hood, the space where the hood deforms is secured to improve shock absorption characteristics. The airbag covers the pillars on both sides of the windshield, and the pedestrian's head is pillared. The impact at the time of colliding with a part is eased (for example, refer patent document 1). In such a configuration, if the speed at which the hood moves upward is too fast, the hood that has jumped up may swing, so it may be preferable to adjust the speed at which the hood moves.

In this respect, in a pedestrian protection device that lifts a hood using a cylinder, a configuration is known in which the piston rod of the cylinder is braked by frictional force (see, for example, Patent Document 2). However, this configuration has a problem that the structure is complicated and it is difficult to reduce the manufacturing cost, and the apparatus is increased in size and mass.
JP 2000-264146 A (first page, FIG. 3-4) JP 2001-138857 A (2nd page, FIG. 1)

  As described above, in a non-occupant protection device that lifts the hood to improve shock absorption characteristics, a configuration that can easily adjust the moving speed of the hood to an appropriate speed is required.

  The present invention has been made in view of these points, and an object thereof is to provide a non-occupant protection device that can move a hood at an appropriate speed with a simple configuration.

  The non-occupant protection device according to claim 1 includes a deformable hood provided so as to cover a base portion of a front portion of the vehicle, an airbag that is deployed opposite to a rear side portion of the hood, and a gas that is provided in the airbag. An inflator for supplying the vehicle, a control means for operating the inflator by detecting a collision with a non-occupant, a support part for supporting the rear part of the hood so as to be movable upward relative to the base part, the base part and the hood, And a speed adjusting means including a yarn connecting means for connecting the strap parts in a state in which the dimension in the predetermined direction is shortened.

  In this configuration, when the control means detects a collision between the non-occupant and the vehicle, that is, when an impact that the non-occupant actually collides with the vehicle is detected or an unavoidable collision between the vehicle and the non-occupant is predicted, Gas is supplied to the bag and deployed, and the hood is pressed to move upward. When a non-occupant who has collided with the front of the vehicle and collided with the hood further collides with the hood, a space required for the deformation of the hood is secured, and the shock absorption characteristics are improved. The deployed airbag covers at least a part of the vehicle, and the impact when a non-occupant collides with the vehicle is reduced. Since the base and the hood are connected by the strap portion of the speed adjusting means, and the strap portions are connected by the thread connecting means that can be broken while the strap part is shortened, the hood moves while the connecting means breaks. The speed at which the hood moves is adjusted appropriately. Since the speed adjusting means can be formed of cloth and yarn, the structure is simplified, the size and weight can be easily reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be easily reduced. Furthermore, the speed of the threaded connecting means can be easily adjusted by selecting the thread or the density of the seam.

  The non-occupant protection device according to claim 2 is the non-occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the strap portion is formed using a base fabric constituting the airbag, and the connecting means is a thread for sewing the airbag. It is formed.

  In this configuration, the speed adjusting means can be manufactured using the same material as the airbag, and the manufacturing cost can be easily reduced.

  The non-occupant protection device according to claim 3 is the non-occupant protection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cloth is a woven fabric in which warp and weft are woven, and the warp and weft are inclined with respect to a predetermined direction. It is arranged in the direction to do.

  In this configuration, by inclining the woven cloth with respect to the moving direction of the hood, the strap portion is slightly elastically deformed, and the speed is adjusted so that the hood moves smoothly.

  The non-occupant protection device according to claim 4 is the non-occupant protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the support portions are provided on both side portions of the hood, and the speed adjusting means is provided along each support portion. It is arranged.

  And in this structure, a desired speed adjustment effect is acquired reliably by arrange | positioning a speed adjustment means along each support part which supports a hood.

  According to the present invention, when a collision between a vehicle and a non-occupant is detected, a part of the vehicle is covered with an airbag, and the hood is moved at an appropriate speed by the speed adjusting means, so that the non-occupant that collides with the vehicle is detected. It can be effectively protected by the deformation of the hood and the airbag. The structure of the speed adjusting means can be simplified, the size and weight can be easily reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be easily reduced. Further, the thread connecting means can easily adjust the speed by selecting the thread or by the density of the seam.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a non-occupant protection device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a vehicle body of a car, which is a vehicle. The vehicle body 1 includes a hood 3 that covers a front engine room 2, and a windshield that covers a vehicle room 4 located behind the engine room 2. And a cowl top cover 8 that covers the cowl portion 7 between the engine room 2 and the vehicle compartment 4 are attached to the windshield 5. A pedestrian protection device 10 which is an occupant protection device is provided. Hereinafter, directions such as forward (arrow F direction), upward (arrow U direction), and both side directions (arrow W direction) which are vehicle width directions will be described with reference to the straight direction of the vehicle body 1 as a reference.

  The hood 3 is also called a bonnet hood or a front hood, and is provided at the front of the vehicle body 1 and formed of one or more metal plates, and constitutes a so-called pedestrian injury reducing body. And when a pedestrian collides, it is easily deformed to absorb the impact. The hood 3 is attached to a base 1a which is another part of the vehicle body 1 by a lock mechanism (not shown) provided near the front end and a pair of support parts 12 which are hinge mechanisms provided on both sides near the rear end. It is connected. The lock mechanism includes an engagement mechanism (not shown) that engages and holds the hood 3 and the base 1a side so as to be disengageable and rotatable. Moreover, the support part 12 is provided in the both-sides vicinity of the rear-end part of the food | hood 3, and connects the end of link shafts 12a and 12b of two elongate metal plates, for example, front end parts so that rotation is possible by the shaft part 12c. At the same time, the shaft portion 12d at the other end of one link shaft 12a is connected to the base portion 1a of the vehicle body 1 through the lower base 12e, and the shaft portion 12f at the other end of the other link shaft 12b is connected through the upper base 12g. And connected to the vicinity of the rear end of the hood 3. The lower base 12e and the upper base 12g are fixed to the base 1a of the vehicle body 1 and the hood 3 by welding or bolts, respectively.

  Therefore, when the normal hood 3 is opened and closed, by releasing the lock of the lock mechanism, the hood 3 can be opened and closed with one of the shaft portions 12d and 12f at the other end of the support portion 12 serving as a fulcrum, that is, a rotation shaft. The front end of the hood 3 rotates upward, and the engine room 2 can be inspected. On the other hand, when the pedestrian protection device 10 is activated and an upward force is applied to the rear end portion of the hood 3, the front side portion of the hood 3 is allowed to rotate by the lock mechanism, and each support portion 12 The rear side portion of the hood 3 has one end and the other end, that is, the front and rear shaft portions 12c, 12d, and 12f, which are allowed to move upward by a predetermined dimension.

  Further, both sides of the windshield 5 are supported by A pillars 14 as pillar portions, and a lower surface near the front end portion is supported by a cowl top panel constituting the vehicle body 1 via a seal portion.

  Further, the cowl portion 7 is also called an air box or the like, and is provided in a bowl shape having an upper opening between a cowl top panel and a vehicle body panel positioned in front of the cowl top panel. A top cover 8 is attached. The cowl unit 7 is provided with a motor for driving a wiper and the like, and is connected to an air intake unit of an air conditioner. Further, the cowl top cover 8 is supported by being fitted to the windshield 5 at the rear end portion, and is supported on a support base portion provided on the vehicle body panel.

  The pedestrian protection device 10 is a so-called pedestrian protection airbag device, which is a bag-shaped bag that is folded and stored near the cowl 7 below the rear end of the hood 3 on the front side of the vehicle body 1 or in the vicinity of the cowl. An airbag 21 is provided. Then, by supplying gas to the airbag 21 and deploying it, the rear end of the hood 3 is lifted to secure a deformation area below the hood 3, improving the shock absorption characteristics of the hood 3 and deploying. The airbag 21 covers at least a part of the upper surface of the cowl portion 7 and the front surface of the A pillar 14. That is, the pedestrian protection device 10 includes an airbag 21, an inflator 22 that supplies gas to the airbag 21, a retainer (not shown) that fixes the airbag 21 and the inflator 22, and a case 25 that houses these members. And a control device (not shown).

  The airbag 21 is formed in a bag shape having an outer shell obtained by sewing the outer peripheral portions of the base fabric, which is two woven fabrics, together with an outer peripheral suture line using a sewing thread, as shown in FIG. In addition, the base 33 extending in the both side directions and the projecting portion 34 projecting from the both ends of the base 33 form a substantially U shape. Further, inside the outer shell, along the longitudinal direction of the base portion 33, partition walls formed of the base fabric are sewn to the respective base fabrics constituting the outer shell with inner suture lines. In addition, in the vicinity of both end portions of the partition wall, a communication portion that is a vent portion having a circular hole shape or the like is formed. And by this partition part, the base 33 in this Embodiment inside the airbag 21 is divided into the 1st air chamber and the 2nd air chamber substantially airtight except for the communication part. . In other words, the first air chamber and the second air chamber are formed so as to communicate with each other only through the communication portion. The first air chamber is a front air chamber at least a part of which is positioned below the hood 3 when deployed, and a hood pushing portion 43 that pushes up the hood 3 and a rear side of the hood pushing portion 43. The inflator 22 and the retainer are housed in a pair on both sides in the first air chamber. In addition, the first air chamber as a whole has a substantially constant dimension in the front-rear direction and is formed with both sides extending in the longitudinal direction, but the end portions on both sides are directed toward the communicating portion, that is, the second air chamber. It is formed as an inclined surface that expands. That is, the dimensions in both directions are expanded from the hood pushing portion 43 toward the cowl covering portion, and the width dimension of the cowl covering portion of the first air chamber is formed larger than the hood pushing portion 43. Further, the inclined surface is formed so as to be smoothly connected to both side portions of the second air chamber and to have a width dimension of the second air chamber larger than that of the cowl covering portion of the first air chamber. . The second air chamber is a rear air chamber located on the rear side of the first air chamber, and includes a pillar covering portion 46 formed by each projecting portion 34 and a cowl that is an upper portion of the base portion. It is comprised with the coating | coated part. Moreover, although not shown in figure, the reinforcement cloth called a flameproof cloth etc. is piled up and sewed on these base fabrics as needed.

  Each inflator 22 is a gas generator and includes a substantially cylindrical main body portion, and a gas injection portion is provided on one end side of the main body portion. The inflator 22 is supplied with an ignition signal to a connector (not shown) so that the propellant filled therein reacts or the gas stored in the internal cylinder is released, etc. Gas is injected from a plurality of holes provided on the surface. In this embodiment, the two inflators 22 are arranged so that the gas injection portions face opposite sides.

  The retainer is an inflator fixture including a retainer main body formed by bending a metal plate and a bolt fixed to the retainer main body. The retainer main body fixes the inflator 22 and guides the gas injected from the gas injection unit. A nut is screwed onto the bolt.

  Further, the case 25 is formed integrally or separately with the cowl top cover 8 and can open the case main body portion as a groove-shaped storage portion with the upper portion being an opening portion, and the upper opening portion of the case main body portion. And a lid portion covering the same.

  Further, the connector of each inflator 22 is connected to a control device (not shown) via a harness. The control device includes a CPU and the like, and includes a plurality of sensors as detection means, and detects a collision between a non-occupant such as a pedestrian and the vehicle body 1, that is, detects an impact of an actual collision, or Each inflator 22 is actuated by determining the inevitable collision.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, speed adjusting means 51 is provided along each support portion 12 provided on both sides. As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, each speed adjusting means 51 includes a cloth strap portion 52 and one or a plurality of first and seventh connecting means for sewing the strap portion 52 in the present embodiment. Stitch portions S (S1 to S7).

  Each strap portion 52 is a belt-like base fabric whose longitudinal direction is a predetermined direction A that is a substantially vertical direction, and this base fabric is a woven fabric in which warp and weft are woven, and the airbag 21 is It is formed of the same or similar base fabric as the constituent base fabric. Further, the strap 52 is arranged with a so-called bias so that the warp and the weft are inclined with respect to the predetermined direction A. Further, attachment portions 55 each provided with a pair of circular holes 54 are provided at both upper and lower ends of the strap portion 52. The strap 52 is clamped together with the lower mounting portion 55 sandwiched between the base 1a and the lower base 12e of the vehicle body 1, and the upper mounting portion 55 is connected to the hood 3 and the upper base 12g. And are fastened to the base 1a side and the hood 3 side of the vehicle body 1 respectively. Note that the circular holes 54 of the mounting portions 55 are prevented from coming off by inserting bolts for fixing the bases 12e and 12g, for example. Further, the intermediate position in the predetermined direction A of the strap portion 52 is folded over so as to protrude sideways, and the folded portion 57 that is the folded portion is stitched to each stitch portion S. . Each stitch portion S is formed of a thread that is the same as or similar to the thread that is used to sew the airbag 21, and is formed along a direction that intersects the protruding direction of the folded portion 57, for example, a direction that is orthogonal.

  With respect to the strap portion 52, when the height dimension H in the direction along the predetermined direction A is 50 mm and the projecting dimension D of the folded portion 57 is 70 mm, excluding the upper and lower attachment portions 55, each stitch portion S is They are arranged in parallel with each other at a distance of 10 mm, and are formed with a relatively coarse seam, for example, sewing with 690 decitex (620 denier) yarns of 2 stitches, that is, sewing twice per 10 mm.

  Therefore, when a force is applied to the mounting portions 55 at both ends in the direction away from each other, that is, in the vertical direction, the speed adjusting means 51 breaks the plurality of stitch portions S1 to S7 in order to become resistance, and functions as a brake.

  And the assembly process of this pedestrian protection device 10 is that the assembly in which the inflator 22 and the retainer are combined is inserted into the first air chamber of the airbag 21, and the retainer bolt is pulled out of the airbag 21. Above, the airbag 21 is folded into a predetermined shape. Then, the folded airbag 21 is inserted into the case 25 and the bolt is pulled out from the case 25 downward. Then, by attaching the case 25 to the lower surface of the cowl top cover 8, a so-called pedestrian protection airbag module is configured. And this module is fixed to the support base part of the vehicle body panel by passing the bolt protruding downward into the support base part of the vehicle body panel and screwing the nut to the bolt from the lower side of the support base part and tightening. Is done. And the pedestrian protection apparatus 10 is comprised by electrically connecting the inflator 22 and a control apparatus with a harness.

  In addition, although the folding shape and folding process of the airbag 21 can take various configurations, for example, the first air chamber and the second air chamber are separately folded, and the first air chamber is After the expansion, the second air chamber is folded so as to expand. Then, the second air chamber is wound in a roll shape from the distal end portion, and the winding direction is a direction in which the distal end portion which is the upper end portion is wound around the A pillar 14 side, that is, the lower side. Is rotated so as to rub the A-pillar 14 when it is rewound during deployment. Next, the first air chamber is folded so as to wrap along the wound second air chamber by simply spreading the bag flat. In other words, the first air chamber is folded with a small expansion resistance with respect to the second air chamber, and the first air chamber is folded so as to be rapidly deployable from the second air chamber. And in the state folded in this way, shape is hold | maintained with the wrapping member etc. which are not shown in figure, and a folding process is complete | finished.

  Next, the operation of the pedestrian protection device 10 will be described.

  First, in a state in which the folded airbag 21 is stored in the case 25, when the control device detects a collision between the front portion of the vehicle body 1 and a pedestrian, that is, detects an impact of an actual collision, or advances the vehicle. When it is determined that the collision is inevitable by calculating from the speed and the distance from the pedestrian, the control device supplies a signal, that is, electric power, and activates the inflator 22. Then, this inflator 22 supplies gas to the 1st air chamber of the airbag 21 from a gas injection part. Then, the hood 3 is pushed up by the pressure of deployment of the airbag 21 that is deployed from the opening 53. At this time, as the airbag 21 is deployed, the stitch portions S1 to S7 of the speed adjusting means 51 are sequentially broken, and the speed at which the hood 3 moves is suppressed, that is, decelerated. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, with all the stitch portions S broken, a gap is formed between the hood 3 and the member in the engine room 2 by the hood pushing portion 43 of the first air chamber of the airbag 21. Is secured.

  Further, in the airbag 21, gas is supplied from the first air chamber to the second air chamber via the communication portions provided in the vicinity of both end portions in the both side directions in a state where the first air chamber is sufficiently deployed. The pillar covering portion 46 of the second air chamber is developed. The pillar covering portion 46 is rewound while being rotated so as to rub the A pillar 14, and as shown in FIG. 2, part or all of the A pillar 14 is covered by the pillar covering portion 46, and The cowl 7 and the lower end of the windshield 5 are covered by the cowl covering portions of the first air chamber and the second air chamber.

  In this state, when a pedestrian who is lifted up collides with the hood 3, the hood 3 is deformed with a sufficient stroke, exhibits a predetermined shock absorption characteristic, and alleviates the impact on the pedestrian. The airbag 21 covers the uneven members of the A pillar 14 and the cowl portion 7, and the collision between these members and the pedestrian is avoided to protect the pedestrian.

  In the present embodiment, the experimental results of measuring the state when the hood 3 whose speed is adjusted by the speed adjusting means 51 are measured will be described with reference to the graph of FIG. The horizontal axis of this graph indicates the time [mm seconds] after the operation of the inflator 22, and the vertical axis indicates the force (load) [N] directed upward from the hood 3 as a plus, and two experiments (G1, The results of G2) are shown respectively. In addition, S1 to S7 in the graph indicate positions where the stitch portions S1 to S7 are broken. As a result of this experiment, the load proportional to the moving speed of the hood 3 is generally suppressed to about 300 N or less, which is a preferable value, except for the very initial stage of deployment of the airbag 21, and the moving speed of the hood 3 is a preferable value. It was shown that it was possible to adjust. It should be noted that the development time of the seventh stitch portion S7 is different between the first experiment G1 and the second experiment G2, and this deviation is an accumulation of errors in the times at which the stitch portions S1 to S7 break. This does not reduce the effect of adjusting the speed at which the hood 3 moves, that is, the pressure, to a desired range.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, in the so-called pedestrian airbag device disposed in the cowl portion 7 of the automobile, the base portion 1a of the vehicle body 1 and the hood 3 are connected by the strap portion 51 of the speed adjusting means 51. In addition, since the strap portion 51 is connected to each other with a plurality of stitch portions S made of yarn that can be broken while the strap portion 51 is shortened, a hood speed reduction mechanism is provided. 3 moves, the speed adjusting means 51 functions as a damper, and the rapid movement of the hood 3 can be suppressed, and the speed at which the hood 3 moves can be adjusted appropriately.

  Since each speed adjusting means 51 can be formed by one base cloth and a thread, the structure is simplified, and the structure can be easily reduced in size and weight compared to a configuration using a cylinder, etc., and the manufacturing cost can be easily reduced. And no harm to non-occupants.

  In addition to the number of stitch portions S, the speed of the stitch portion S made of yarn can be easily adjusted by selecting a thread or adjusting the density of the stitches.

  Further, the strap portion 52 is formed by using a base fabric constituting the airbag 21, and the stitch portion S is formed by a thread for sewing the airbag 21, so that the speed adjusting means 51 is shared with the airbag 21. It becomes possible to manufacture using a material, and it becomes easy to reduce manufacturing cost.

  The base fabric constituting the strap portion 52 is a woven fabric in which warp and weft are woven, and these warp and weft are arranged in a direction inclined with respect to a predetermined direction A. The strap portion 52 is slightly elastically deformed, so that the strap portion 52 functions as a spring, the speed can be adjusted so that the hood 3 moves smoothly, and the strap portion 52 extends smoothly, so that the strap portion 52 Can be made difficult to cut.

  Further, the speed adjusting means 51 is disposed integrally with the support portions 12 provided on both sides of the hood 3 so that the speed adjusting means 51 is separated from the support portion 12 as desired. The speed adjusting effect can be obtained with certainty.

  In addition, the pedestrian protection device 10 has a simplified structure and a manufacturing cost compared to a configuration in which a dedicated cylinder or the like is used to lift the hood 3 because the hood 3 is lifted by the airbag 21 that covers a part of the vehicle body 1. Can be reduced.

  In the above embodiment, the speed adjusting means 51 is provided at two places, and each speed adjusting means 51 sews the strap portion 52 made of one base fabric with seven stitch portions S1 to S7. The speed adjusting means 51 is not limited to this configuration, and the speed adjusting means 51 can be provided at one place or three or more places, and the stitch portions S can also be provided at one place or a plurality of two places or more of each strap portion 52.

  Each stitch portion S is ruptured at, for example, about 300N. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the stitch portion S is ruptured at 200N to 500N depending on the output of the inflator 22 and the deformation characteristics of the hood 3. Can also be set.

  Further, the strap portion 52 of the speed adjusting means 51 can cover the support portion 12 from a non-occupant outside the vehicle by being arranged outside the support portion 12, and by being arranged inside the support portion 12, It is also possible to cover the support portion 12 from the airbag 21 to be deployed, suppress the support portion 12 from interfering with the airbag 21, and further guide the airbag 21 to be deployed by the support portion 12.

  The present invention can be applied to a vehicle having a hood at the front.

It is explanatory drawing which shows one Embodiment of the non-occupant protection apparatus of this invention. It is a perspective view at the time of the action | operation of the non-occupant protection apparatus of the vehicle provided with the non-occupant protection apparatus same as the above. It is a perspective view of the speed adjustment means of a non-occupant protection device same as the above. It is explanatory drawing of the initial stage at the time of action | operation of a non-occupant protection apparatus same as the above. It is a graph which shows the characteristic of a non-occupant protection device same as the above.

Explanation of symbols

1a Base 3 Hood
10 Pedestrian protection device as non-occupant protection device
12 Support section
21 airbag
22 Inflator
51 Speed adjustment means
52 Strap part A Predetermined direction S Stitch part as connecting means

Claims (4)

A deformable hood provided over the base of the front of the vehicle;
An airbag deployed opposite the rear side of the hood;
An inflator for supplying gas to the airbag;
Control means for detecting a collision with a non-occupant and operating the inflator;
A support portion for supporting the rear portion of the hood so as to be movable upward with respect to the base portion;
A cloth strap portion for connecting the base portion and the hood along a predetermined direction, and a breakable thread connecting means for connecting the strap portions in a state where the size of the strap portion in the predetermined direction is shortened. A non-occupant protection device comprising: a speed adjusting means provided. The non-occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the strap portion is formed by using a base fabric constituting the airbag, and the connecting means is formed by a thread for sewing the airbag. The non-occupant protection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fabric is a woven fabric in which warp and weft are woven, and the warp and weft are arranged in a direction inclined with respect to a predetermined direction. The non-occupant protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the support portions are provided on both side portions of the hood, and the speed adjusting means is disposed along each of the support portions.

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