JP2007196799A - Vehicular hood airbag device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the front view field of a driver when an airbag body of a hood airbag device is inflated. <P>SOLUTION: An airbag body 18 inflated outward of a hood 12 from a state stored in the hood 12 so as to cover at least a rear portion 12R of the hood 12 and a rear end 12E of the hood 12 comprises a front side bag cell 18F and a rear side bag cell 18R which are mainly juxtaposed in the vehicle width direction and the vehicle longitudinal direction and inflatable in a substantially cylindrical manner. The cell height of a predetermined part 18A in the rear side bag cell 18R is constituted low corresponding to the front view field of the driver. Thus, reduction of the front view field of the driver by the inflation of the airbag body 18 can be controlled, and the front view field can be improved. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a hood airbag device for a vehicle that inflates an airbag bag body out of the hood.

The airbag bag body is composed of a pair of front and rear cylindrical bag cells, of which the front bag cell is configured to have a small diameter corresponding to the rear end portion of the low-rigid hood, and the rear bag cell is formed with a high-rigidity cowl portion. Correspondingly, a vehicle airbag device having a large diameter is disclosed (see Patent Document 1).
JP 2003-327064 A

  However, in the above-described conventional example, the diameter of the rear bag cell is larger than that of the front bag cell, so that the driver's front view may be reduced during inflation.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described facts, and an object of the present invention is to improve a driver's forward visibility when an airbag bag body of a hood airbag device is inflated.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a module case disposed below the rear portion of the hood, an inflator accommodated in the module case, folded and accommodated in the module case, and supplied with gas from the inflator. A front bag cell and a rear side that are inflatable in a substantially cylindrical shape mainly in the vehicle width direction and in parallel with the vehicle longitudinal direction so as to cover at least the rear portion of the hood and the rear end portion of the hood outside the hood. The airbag has a bag cell, and a cell height of a predetermined portion of the rear bag cell is configured to be low corresponding to the driver's front field of view.

  In the vehicle hood airbag device according to the first aspect, when the collision body collides with the vehicle, the airbag bag body folded and housed in the module case is inflated and deployed outside the hood. At this time, the vicinity of the rear portion of the hood where the module case is disposed is covered with the front bag cell, and the vicinity of the rear end portion of the hood is covered with the rear bag cell. Since the collision body that has collided with the vehicle hits the airbag bag body that covers the rear portion and rear end portion of the hood, the impact is absorbed. In addition, in the vehicle hood airbag device according to claim 1, the cell height of the predetermined portion in the rear bag cell is configured to be low corresponding to the driver's front view. The driver's front view when the bag body is inflated can be improved.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle hood airbag device according to the first aspect, the cell height of the predetermined portion is set lower than the front bag cell in front of the predetermined portion. It is said.

  In the vehicle hood airbag device according to claim 2, since the cell height of the predetermined portion is set lower than the front bag cell in front of the predetermined portion, the operation when the airbag bag body is inflated is performed. The forward vision of the person can be further improved.

  A third aspect of the present invention is the vehicle hood airbag device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the cell height of the rear bag cell other than the predetermined portion is the cell height of the front bag cell. It is characterized by being set more than this.

  In the vehicle hood airbag device according to claim 3, since the cell height of the rear bag cell other than the predetermined portion is set to be equal to or higher than the cell height of the front bag cell, the airbag bag body It is possible to further improve the impact absorbing performance of the collision body while improving the driver's forward visibility when inflated.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicular hood airbag device according to any one of the first to third aspects, a weak portion for shock absorption is provided in a cowl portion located at a lower end of the front windshield. It is characterized by being.

  In the vehicular hood airbag device according to claim 4, since the weak portion for shock absorption is provided in the cowl portion located at the lower end of the front windshield, the cowl portion also absorbs the impact of the collision object. It is possible to further improve the driver's front view by lowering the cell height of the predetermined portion in the rear bag cell.

  As described above, according to the vehicle hood airbag device of the first aspect of the present invention, when the airbag bag body of the hood airbag device is inflated, the driver's front view is improved. The excellent effect of being able to be obtained is obtained.

  According to the vehicular hood airbag device of the second aspect, it is possible to obtain an excellent effect that it is possible to further improve the forward visibility of the driver when the airbag bag body is inflated.

  According to the vehicle hood airbag device of the third aspect, it is possible to further improve the impact absorption performance of the collision body while improving the driver's front view when the airbag bag body is inflated. Excellent effect is obtained.

  According to the hood airbag device for a vehicle according to claim 4, the cell height of the predetermined part in the rear bag cell can be further lowered to further improve the driver's front view. Is obtained.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, a vehicle hood airbag device 10 according to the present embodiment is provided in, for example, a front hood 12 in a vehicle 50, and includes a module case 14, an inflator 16, and an airbag bag body 18. have.

  The module case 14 is disposed below the rear portion 12R of the hood 12, for example, between the hood outer panel 20 and the hood inner panel 22, opens in correspondence with the opening 20A of the hood outer panel 20, and is long in the vehicle width direction. It is a box-shaped member formed in a scale, and stores an inflator 16 and an airbag bag body 18. Specifically, the module case 14 is formed in a box shape by welding, for example, a wall member 24 on the vehicle front side, a wall member 26 on the vehicle rear side, and a bottom member 28. The bottom member 28 is provided with a flange portion 28F that extends from the wall member 24 to the front of the vehicle and to the rear of the wall member 26, and the module case 14 is provided with bolts and nuts (not shown), for example, at the flange portion 28F. It is used and attached to the hood inner panel 22.

  Between the hood outer panel 20 and the hood inner panel 22, for example, a reinforcement 30 having an inverted cross-sectional shape is extended in the vehicle width direction. Although illustration is omitted, the reinforcement 30 is directly coupled to the hood inner panel 22, and a mastic is disposed between the hood outer panel 20 and the like. A door 32 that is opened by the inflating force of the airbag bag body 18 is provided at the opening 20 </ b> A of the hood outer panel 20.

  The inflator 16 is housed in the module case 14 and is a gas supply source for supplying an inflation gas to the airbag bag body 18 when a collision body (not shown) collides with the front portion of the vehicle 50. For example, the mounting bracket 34 is used to fix the module case 14 to the bottom member 28 near the wall member 24 on the vehicle front side.

  The airbag bag body 18 is folded and housed in the module case 14 and configured to cover at least the rear portion 12R of the hood 12 and the rear end portion 12E of the hood 12 outside the hood 12 by being supplied with gas from the inflator 16. Has been. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the airbag bag body 18 includes a front bag cell 18 </ b> F and a rear side that are inflatable in a substantially cylindrical shape mainly in the vehicle width direction and in the vehicle longitudinal direction. It has a bag cell 18R. The cell height of the predetermined portion 18A in the rear bag cell 18R is configured to be low corresponding to the driver's front view.

  Here, the predetermined portion 18A is a portion in the range of the angle θ in the vehicle plan view as seen from the position P of the driver's eyes in the rear bag cell 18R in FIG. In the case of a so-called right-hand drive vehicle, the range is 20 ° in total, for example, 5 ° in the right direction and 15 ° in the left direction with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction. In the case of a so-called left-hand drive vehicle, the angle θ is, for example, in a range of 5 ° in the left direction and 15 ° in the right direction with respect to the vehicle front-rear direction. The predetermined portion 18A may be wider than the range of the angle θ. For example, in order to share the airbag bag body 18, the rear bag cell 18R includes a predetermined portion 18A corresponding to a right-hand drive vehicle and a left handle. You may combine with predetermined part 18A corresponding to vehicles.

  In FIG. 1, the cell height of the predetermined portion 18A is set lower than the height of the driver's line of sight E in the horizontal direction, and more preferably set lower than the front bag cell 18F in front of the predetermined portion 18A. . Here, the cell height at the predetermined portion 18A is, for example, a height with respect to the ground (not shown).

  Further, the cell height of the rear bag cell 18R other than the predetermined portion 18A is set to be equal to or higher than the cell height of the front bag cell 18F. Here, the cell height other than the predetermined portion 18A may be defined as, for example, a height based on the ground (not shown), or may be defined as a difference in diameters of the bag cells. The illustrated example is based on the former definition. The front bag cell 18F and the rear bag cell 18R have the same diameter, and the cell height is lowered by a strap (not shown) or the like provided in the bag. . In the case of the latter definition, the diameter of the rear bag cell 18R is made larger than the diameter of the front bag cell 18F.

  In FIG. 2, both end portions 18E of the airbag bag body 18 communicate with, for example, the front bag cell 18F and the rear bag cell 18R, respectively, and are configured to inflate rearward of the vehicle and cover the left and right A pillars 38. .

  A front windshield 36 and a cowl portion (not shown) are provided behind the rear end portion 12E of the hood 12. The cowl portion located at the lower end of the front windshield 36 has a shock absorbing portion. It is desirable to provide a weak part (not shown). If the impact of the colliding body can be absorbed by the cowl portion, the cell height of the predetermined portion 18A in the rear bag cell 18R can be further lowered, thereby further improving the driver's front vision. It is.

(Function)
In FIG. 1, in the vehicle hood airbag device 10, when a collision body (not shown) collides with, for example, the front portion of the vehicle 50, the inflator 16 is activated, and a large amount of gas from the inflator 16 enters the module case. It is supplied to the airbag bag body 18 that is folded and stored. As a result, when the airbag bag body 18 starts to expand, the door 32 is opened by the expansion force, and the airbag bag body 18 is expanded and deployed outside the hood 12. At this time, the vicinity of the rear portion 12R of the hood 12 in which the module case 14 is disposed is covered with the front bag cell 18F, and the vicinity of the rear end portion 12E of the hood 12 is covered with the rear bag cell 18R. As shown in FIG. 2, the rear bag cell 18 </ b> R expands so as to cover not only the rear end portion 12 </ b> E of the hood 12 but also the lower portion and the cowl portion of the front windshield 36. Further, both end portions 18E of the airbag bag body 18 are inflated so as to cover the vicinity of the A pillar 38 from both ends of the rear portion 12R of the hood 12. The impact is absorbed by the collision body hitting the airbag bag body 18 thus expanded.

  In the rear bag cell 18R of the inflated airbag bag body 18, the cell height of the predetermined portion 18A is configured to be low corresponding to the driver's front field of view, so the driver's front field of view is the rear bag cell. Decrease due to 18R can be suppressed, and the forward field of view can be improved. If the cell height of the predetermined part 18A is set lower than the front bag cell 18F in front of the predetermined part 18A, it is possible to further suppress the driver's front view from being reduced by the rear bag cell 18R. This can further improve the forward visibility.

  Further, in the rear bag cell 18R of the inflated airbag bag body 18, since the cell height other than the predetermined portion 18A is set to be equal to or higher than the cell height of the front bag cell, the portion other than the predetermined portion 18A. High shock absorption performance. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the impact absorption performance of the collision body while improving the driver's front view when the airbag bag body 18 is inflated.

  When the weak part for shock absorption is provided in the cowl part located at the lower end of the front windshield 36, the cowl part can also absorb the impact of the collision body. It is possible to further improve the driver's front view by lowering the cell height of the predetermined portion 18A.

  In the vehicle hood airbag device 10, the cell height of the predetermined portion 18A is lowered by focusing on the fact that the front windshield 36 and the like have low rigidity, and reducing the capacity of the rear bag cell 18R. This is not to improve the forward visibility of the driver. Therefore, the reason why the weak portion is provided in the cowl portion to improve the shock absorption is to further improve the driver's front view and not to reduce the rear bag cell 18R.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the present invention relates to the mounting state of the module case 14 and the inflator 16 in the hood 12, the shape of the door 32, the inflated position of the airbag bag body 18, and the like. Other embodiments are possible within the scope of.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing an inflated state of the airbag bag body in the vehicle hood airbag device. It is a perspective view which shows the state which the hood airbag apparatus for vehicles act | operated and the airbag bag body expanded.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Vehicle hood airbag apparatus 12 Hood 12E Rear end part 12R Rear part 14 Module case 16 Inflator 18 Airbag bag body 18A Predetermined part 18F Front side bag cell 18R Rear side bag cell 36 Front windshield 50 Vehicle

Claims (4)

A module case disposed below the rear of the hood;
An inflator housed in the module case;
The module case is folded and stored, receives gas from the inflator, and covers at least the rear portion of the hood and the rear end portion of the hood outside the hood, mainly in the vehicle width direction and in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The front bag cell and the rear bag cell that are inflatable in a substantially cylindrical shape in parallel with each other, and the cell height of a predetermined portion of the rear bag cell is configured to be low corresponding to the driver's front view. Air bag body,
A vehicle hood airbag device comprising:   2. The vehicle hood airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the cell height of the predetermined portion is set lower than the front bag cell in front of the predetermined portion.   The vehicle hood according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a cell height of the rear bag cell other than the predetermined portion is set to be equal to or higher than a cell height of the front bag cell. Airbag device.   The vehicular hood airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a weak portion for shock absorption is provided in a cowl portion located at a lower end of the front windshield.

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