JP2006193030A - Collision object protection device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To miniaturize a collision object protection device by reducing the capacity of an airbag and miniaturizing an inflator. <P>SOLUTION: The collision object protection device is equipped with the airbag 34 which expands and deploys to the outer surface of a vehicle body by predicting or detecting the collision with the collision object, and a movable frame assembly 36 composed of a plurality of the movable frames 38 expanding to the deploying direction by a deploying force of the airbag 34, and the impact force of the collision object is absorbed by the deformation of the movable frame assembly 36 expanded along the outer surface of the vehicle body. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a collision object protection device that reduces an impact on a collision object when the vehicle collides with a collision object such as a pedestrian or an obstacle.

  Various types of collision protection measures for pedestrians are known, the first collision when the pedestrian hits the front bumper, so-called primary collision, and the pedestrian hits other parts of the vehicle following the primary collision. Protection against so-called secondary collisions is considered. For example, a technique for protecting a pedestrian by deploying an airbag along a front window glass against the secondary collision is known.

  When protecting the pedestrian with the airbag deployed along the front windshield, when the pedestrian collides with the airbag, if the internal pressure of the airbag is high, the impact on the pedestrian cannot be suitably mitigated. Since there exists a possibility, when a pedestrian collides secondaryly, the method of releasing the gas in an airbag outside and reducing the pressure in an airbag is considered. For this purpose, a bag pressure release mechanism called a vent hole is generally provided in the airbag, and the vent hole is opened by a deployment gas pressure when the airbag is deployed.

However, since there is a relatively long time between the primary collision when the pedestrian collides with the front bumper and the secondary collision to the front pillar, etc., in order to keep the airbag deployed during that time, there is a large amount in the airbag. However, there is a problem that the capacity of the inflator is increased and the apparatus is increased in size.
Accordingly, various proposals have been made to reduce the capacity of the inflator and to reduce the size of the airbag device.

For example, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided with a dedicated lid opening bag for opening the lid of the bag storage case, and the lid opening bag allows the bag storage case to be opened before the main airbag is deployed. The lid is opened. By providing such a lid opening bag separately from the main airbag, it is not necessary to supply gas to the main airbag to open the lid, and the bag pressure release mechanism of the main airbag is closed. The bulging and unfolding is performed, and gas discharge from the bag pressure release mechanism is prevented until a pedestrian or the like collides. As a result, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 reduces the capacity of the inflator that supplies gas into the airbag, thereby reducing the size of the inflator.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2004-90812 (paragraphs 0009 to 0012, FIGS. 1, 2, and 3)

  However, in order to satisfy the performance of releasing the gas in the main airbag to the outside by the bag pressure release mechanism and mitigating the impact received by the collision object such as a pedestrian, the capacity of the main airbag is secured to some extent. Since it is necessary, the above-mentioned technique cannot sufficiently realize a reduction in the capacity of the airbag and a reduction in the size of the inflator.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such a background, and an object of the present invention is to achieve a reduction in the capacity of an airbag and a reduction in the size of an inflator, and to reduce the packaging of a collision object protection apparatus.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the collision object protection device of the present invention, an airbag that predicts or detects a collision with a collision object and bulges and deploys on the outer surface of the vehicle body, and in the deployment direction by the deployment force of the airbag. And a movable frame assembly configured by extending a plurality of movable frames, and the impact force of the collision object is absorbed by deformation of the movable frame assembly extended along the outer surface of the vehicle body.

  Thus, the movable frame assembly extended by the airbag retains its extended shape and can absorb the impact force of the collision object by deformation of the movable frame assembly, and the airbag extends the movable frame assembly. Since it is sufficient to have a capacity sufficient to do this, the capacity of the airbag can be reduced and the size of the inflator can be reduced.

  Preferably, the collision object protection device of the present invention is characterized in that the movable frame assembly covers the front pillar when the movable frame assembly is extended.

  By doing in this way, at the time of a collision with a collision object, the impact force at the time of a collision object colliding with a front pillar can be absorbed by modification of a movable frame assembly.

  More preferably, in the collision object protection device of the present invention, the plurality of movable frames have a semicircular cross-sectional shape, and the semicircular arcs are arranged so as to protrude to the outside of the vehicle.

  By doing so, since the semicircular diameter portion can be arranged toward the vehicle body side, the movable frame assembly that absorbs the impact force is easily supported on the outer surface of the vehicle body. As a result, stable impact force absorption can be realized.

  According to the collision object protection device of the present invention, the capacity of the airbag and the inflator can be reduced, and the packaging of the collision object protection device can be reduced.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate.
<First Embodiment>
Fig.1 (a) is a perspective view which shows the mounting state to the vehicle of the collision object protection apparatus of this invention. Moreover, FIG.1 (b) is A arrow sectional drawing of Fig.1 (a).
As shown in FIG. 1A, the vehicle 10 includes a front bumper 12, left and right front pillars 14, a bonnet 16, left and right front fenders 18, and a roof 20.

The collision object protection device 30 is attached to a hole 22 formed in the vicinity of the base of the left and right front pillars 14 and inside the upper portion of the front fender 18. A lid body 24 is provided at the opening of the hole portion 22 so as to be freely opened and closed. The lid body 24 forms an outer surface of the vehicle body and is configured to be opened by the extension and deployment force of the movable frame assembly 36.
A shape indicated by an imaginary line (two-dot chain line) in FIGS. 1A and 1B shows a state in which the movable frame assembly 36 is extended by the operation of the collision object protection device 30. The movable frame assembly 36 is deployed along the front pillar 14 so as to cover the front surface of the front pillar 14.

A collision object protection apparatus 30 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 (a), (b), and (c). 2A is a cross-sectional view when the movable frame assembly 36 is in the stored state, FIG. 2B is a view taken along the arrow Z1 in FIG. 2A, and FIG. It is explanatory drawing when the movable frame assembly 36 exists in an expansion | extension state.
The collision object protection device 30 includes a main body portion 32 and a movable frame assembly 36. The main body portion 32 includes a cylindrical retainer case 35 having a bottom portion, an inflator 40 provided on the bottom portion of the cylinder, and an opening side thereof. The airbag 34 is folded and accommodated. Further, the movable frame assembly 36 is disposed so as to cover the airbag 34 so that the movable frame assembly 36 can be expanded and deployed by inflating and deploying the airbag 34. The movable frame 38 (38 a) disposed on the outermost side of the movable frame assembly 36 is press-fitted into the inner peripheral side of the retainer case 35 and is fixed to the retainer case 35.

The movable frame assembly 36 is formed by assembling a plurality of movable frames 38, and each movable frame 38 has a truncated cone-like cylindrical shape that becomes narrower in the extending direction. As shown in FIG. 2A, the movable frame assembly 36 is normally stored, and a plurality of movable frames 38 are stacked in layers with appropriate gaps in the radial direction of the truncated cone shape. . FIG. 2A schematically shows the state, and an appropriate gap is omitted. When the movable frame 38 (38b) in the central portion is pushed out in the small-diameter direction of the truncated cone from this stored state, the other movable frames 38 are extended in a chain accordingly, and the movable frame assembly 36 is , Extends into a rod shape.
Since the adjacent movable frames 38 and 38 each have a tapered outer shape, even if the inner movable frame 38 is moved in the direction of the small-diameter portion of the truncated cone, the outer periphery of the inner movable frame 38 is outside. By being fitted to the inner periphery of the movable frame 38, it is prevented from being separated. Furthermore, once fitted, an engagement force is generated at the contact portion between the outer movable frame 38 and the inner movable frame 38, so long as no force is applied to push the inner movable frame 38 toward the frustoconical large-diameter portion. It is comprised so that it may not return to the state of.
For this reason, once the movable frame assembly 36 is extended, the state is maintained. The movable frame 38 is made of a material such as steel, light metal, resin, rubber, or the like that appropriately absorbs the collision energy of a collision object such as a pedestrian or an obstacle.

  The inflated shape of the airbag 34 is a bar shape that can push out at least a movable frame 38 (38b) located at the center of the movable frame assembly 36 to a predetermined position, for example, near the roof 20 that is the upper end of the front pillar 14. Or it has a cone shape.

Next, the unfolding operation of the movable frame assembly 36 will be described.
First, when the vehicle 10 detects or predicts a collision with a collision object such as a pedestrian or an obstacle by a sensor (not shown), the inflator 40 is activated to supply the gas for inflation and deployment into the airbag 34. As a result, the airbag 34 is deployed, and the movable frame 38 (38b) located at the center of the movable frame assembly 36 is pushed out of the stored state to the deployed state by the deployment pressure of the airbag 34.
When the movable frame 38 (38b) located at the center is pushed out and moved, the lid 24 of the hole 22 is pushed open. Further, as the movable frame 38 (38b) positioned at the center is pushed out and moved, the other outer movable outer periphery of the large-diameter end of the movable frame 38 (38b) positioned at the center is located. The outer movable frame 38 is pulled by being fitted to the inner periphery of the small-diameter end of the frame 38. Then, the movable frame 38 is pulled out one after another, and the movable frame assembly 36 extends so as to cover the front surface of the front pillar 14 as indicated by an arrow F in FIG.
Thereafter, when the deployment of the airbag 34 is completed, not only when the internal pressure of the airbag 34 is maintained, but also when the internal pressure is not maintained and decreases, the engagement force between the adjacent movable frames 38, 38 The elongated shape of the movable frame assembly 36 is maintained.

  Therefore, even when there is a relatively long time from a primary collision in which a collision object such as a pedestrian or an obstacle collides with the front bumper 12 to a secondary collision to the front pillar 14, the movable frame assembly 36 is provided on the front surface of the front pillar 14 during that time. It is possible to maintain the elongated shape. Thereby, the impact force when a collision object such as a pedestrian or an obstacle collides with the front pillar 14 can be absorbed by the deformation of the movable frame assembly 36.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the airbag 34 only needs to have a capacity for expanding the movable frame assembly 36, and further, once the movable frame assembly 36 is deployed, the airbag 34 has an expanded shape. Therefore, the gas volume of the inflator 40 can be reduced, and the inflator 40 can be downsized. As a result, downsizing of the packaging of the collision object protection device 30 can be achieved.

  Further, since the absorption of the collision force is absorbed by the deformation of the movable frame assembly 36, the airbag 34 may have a small capacity, and it is not necessary to provide a means such as a bag pressure release mechanism. Further, since no continuous gas supply to the airbag 34 is necessary, the capacity of the airbag 34 and the size of the inflator 40 can be reduced, and the packaging of the collision object protection device 30 can be reduced. can do.

The movable frame assembly 36 may be a movable frame assembly 44 in which a movable frame 42 having a semicircular cross-sectional shape is layered inside the retainer case 41 as shown in FIG. The airbag 46 also has a semicircular cross-sectional shape. In this case, an extension L extending along a circular shape is formed at the end of the movable frame 42 so that the movable frames 42 are not dispersed apart when the movable frame assembly 44 is extended. It is desirable to be provided.
Since the movable frame assembly 36 has a semicircular cross-sectional shape, the semicircular diameter portion can be disposed toward the front pillar 14 side. Since it becomes easy to be supported on the outer surface, it is possible to realize stable absorption of impact force.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the collision object protection device 30 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 (a), (b), and (c). 4A is a cross-sectional view when the movable frame assembly 54 is in the housed state, FIG. 4B is a view taken along the arrow Z2 in FIG. 4A, and FIG. It is explanatory drawing when the movable frame assembly 54 exists in an expansion | extension state.
The same elements as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the movable frame assembly 54 is housed inside the airbag 50, and the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.
The movable frame 56 (56a) disposed on the outermost side in the stored state of the movable frame assembly 54 is fixed to the retainer case 35, and the top surface of the movable frame 56 (56b) positioned in the center is closed and extended. The tip of the airbag 50 is connected to the top surface thereof by a fixing pin 52.

According to the second embodiment, the gas supplied from the inflator 40 generates a flow indicated by an arrow G1 in FIG. 4A and a flow indicated by an arrow G2. The movable frame 56 (b) located at the center is pushed out by the flow indicated by the arrow G1, and the movable frame 56 (b) located at the center is pushed and moved, so that The outer periphery of the large-diameter end portion of the movable frame 56 (b) is fitted to the inner periphery of the small-diameter end portion of the other movable frame 56 positioned outside, and the outer movable frame 56 is pulled. Then, the movable frame 56 is pulled out one after another. A deployment force is generated in the airbag 50 by the gas flow indicated by the arrow G2, and this deployment force pulls out the movable frame 56 (b) located at the central portion, and each of the other movable frames 56 is moved in the same manner as described above. It is pulled out one after another.
The operation by the gas flow indicated by the arrow G1 and the operation by the gas flow indicated by the arrow G2 occur at the same time, and are overlapped to form the movable frame assembly 54 in the form of a rod.
According to the second embodiment, since each movable frame 56 is covered with the cloth airbag 50, direct contact between the edge of the movable frame 56 and the collision object is prevented, and damage due to the edge or the like is prevented. Can be prevented.

Further, the movable frame assembly 54 may be a movable frame assembly 62 in which a semicircular movable frame 60 is laminated in layers inside the retainer case 51 as shown in FIG. In this case, the airbag 64 is inflated so as to cover the movable frame 60 having a semicircular cross section.
By configuring in this way, the mutual positions of the movable frames 60 are regulated by the cloth of the airbag 64, so that it is prevented that the movable frames 60 are dispersed apart when the airbag 64 is deployed. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the extension L as in the first embodiment, and the configuration can be simplified.

In the case of this semicircular movable frame assembly 62, the semicircular diameter portion can be positioned on the side of the front pillar 14 as in the first embodiment. Since the impact force is easier to be supported on the outer surface of the vehicle body than that of the vehicle, stable absorption of the impact force can be realized.
Also in the second embodiment, the air bag capacity 50 can be reduced and the inflator 40 can be reduced in size as in the first embodiment, thereby achieving a reduction in the packaging of the impact protection device 30. can do.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, as for the cross-sectional shape of the movable frames 38, 42, 56, 60, the circular shape and the semicircular shape have been described, but an elliptical shape may be used, and the position covering the front surface of the front pillar 14 has been described. However, it is not limited to the front pillar 14, and for example, it may be developed along the rear end of the bonnet 16 at the lower end of the windshield.

The mounting state to the vehicle of the collision object protection apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment is shown, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is A arrow sectional drawing of (a). The impact object protection apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment is shown, (a) is sectional drawing, (b) is Z1 arrow view of (a), (c) shows the state which the movable frame assembly extended. It is explanatory drawing. It is explanatory drawing of the other form of the movable frame assembly in 1st Embodiment. The collision object protection apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment is shown, (a) is sectional drawing, (b) is a Z2 arrow line view of (a), (c) shows the state which the movable frame assembly expanded. It is explanatory drawing. It is explanatory drawing of the other form of the movable frame assembly in 2nd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Vehicle 12 Front bumper 14 Front pillar 18 Front fender 30 Collision protection device 40 Inflator 34, 46, 50, 64 Air bag 36, 44, 54, 62 Movable frame assembly 38, 42, 56, 60 Movable frame

Claims (3)

  An airbag that predicts or detects a collision with a collision object and bulges and deploys on the outer surface of the vehicle body, and a movable frame assembly that includes a plurality of movable frames that extend in the deployment direction by the deployment force of the airbag. A collision object protecting apparatus for absorbing an impact force of a collision object by deformation of the movable frame assembly extending along an outer surface of a vehicle body.   The collision object protection device according to claim 1, wherein the movable frame assembly covers the front pillar when the movable frame assembly is extended.   3. The collision object protection device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of movable frames have a semicircular cross-sectional shape, and the semicircular arcs are arranged so as to protrude to the outside of the vehicle.

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