JP2008056007A - Airbag and folding method for airbag - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an airbag capable of easily controlling a deployment direction upward or downward by adding a delaying means. <P>SOLUTION: The airbag is constituted such that a plurality of folding pieces 2 are formed on a bag distal end of the airbag 1 having a gas introduction port 8, it is folded in a flat shape, and the delaying means 3 is formed on any one of an upper side or a lower side of the folding piece 2 and is deployed. Then, a pair of first zig-zag folding parts 4 formed by folding both sides in a left/right width direction in a zig-zag shape respectively and concentrating them to a center in a lateral direction is provided. A second zig-zag folding part 5 formed by folding it in a direction crossing to a folding/collection direction of the first zig-zag folding part 4 in a zig-zag shape is provided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an airbag that is mounted on a vehicle and is inflated and deployed to protect an object in a collision or the like, and a method for forming and folding an airbag.

Since the airbag device is preferably mounted on a vehicle, the airbag device is required to be compact so as not to occupy a large space. Further, for further suitable development characteristics, for example, various ideas have been made in order to give a tendency to develop downward obliquely. For these reasons, the number of folding work steps has increased, and the work steps themselves have become complex and tend to be difficult for the operator.
Furthermore, in order to achieve the above-mentioned more preferable deployment characteristics, a device such as a tether belt is added to obtain a desirable deployment characteristic for passengers with different seating postures.
For this reason, the folding work takes time, and the cost of the added part and the cost of attaching it are increased, leading to the result of raising the price of the airbag device.
As an example of a conventionally known airbag folding method, the airbag includes a folded bag, an inflator that supplies gas to the bag, a case that houses the bag and the inflator, and a hinge door on the opening side of the case. The bag folding process includes the following steps. A process of folding an airbag having an exhaust port on its side into a flat shape so that the exhaust port is on an imaginary fold line, folding both ends of the flat folded bag back to the width of the opening of the case The process of folding it into a rectangle so as to have a corresponding width, the process of folding it zigzag to the opening side with the end edge of the bag opposite to the opening of the case as the tip, and positioning the part folded in zigzag inside In this process, the entire bag is accommodated in a case so as to surround the periphery (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
However, in the above-described folding step, the bag is folded in a zigzag manner and covered with a bag that is finally folded in a zigzag manner. Since such a roll-folded part is a process of rewinding at the time of expansion and expansion, it tends to take some time for expansion. In order to suppress this tendency, for example, there is a method of increasing the output of the inflator, but since the internal pressure of the bag at the start of deployment increases rapidly, it may be necessary to employ a sufficient reinforcing structure for the bag. Such a reinforcing structure increases the packing size of the bag, resulting in a dilemma that increases costs.
To solve this problem, fold the air bag with the gas inlet into a flat shape, then fold the bellows on both sides in the left-right width direction, and gather it at the center of the left-right width and fold it into a strip. There is an airbag (see, for example, Patent Document 2) having a pair of first bellows-like portions formed and a second bellows-like portion formed by folding the first bellows-like portions into a bellows shape. Yes.
JP-A-5-305852 (see paragraphs of claims, paragraphs {0006} to {0011} of examples and FIGS. 6 to 13) JP 2006-44478 A (refer to the paragraphs {0011} to {0015} and FIGS. 1 to 5 in the claims section and the embodiments section)

However, in the prior art, it is necessary to finely adjust the deployment direction due to factors such as the position where the object is placed, the shape of the instrument panel, the inclination of the windshield glass, the height of the passenger compartment, and the like.
Therefore, the present invention has an object of providing an airbag that can easily control the deployment direction upward or downward by adding delay means.

A first invention of the present invention for solving the above-described problems is an airbag as described in claim 1, and is as follows.
A plurality of folding pieces are formed at the bag front end portion of the airbag having a gas introduction port and folded into a flat shape, and a delay means is formed on either the upper side or the lower side of the folding piece and deployed. Next, a pair of first zigzag folds are formed by zigzag folding both sides in the left-right width direction and gathering in the center in the horizontal direction, and zigzag folds in a direction intersecting with the folding direction of the first zigzag folds The second zigzag fold is formed.

A second invention of the present invention for solving the above-described problems is an airbag as described in claim 2 and is as follows.
In addition to the first aspect of the present invention, the pair of first zigzag fold portions are separated by a predetermined dimension.

A third invention of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is an airbag as described in claim 3, and is as follows.
In addition to the first aspect of the present invention, the pair of first zigzag folds are configured to be separated from each other by 100 mm to 270 mm.

A fourth invention of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is an airbag as described in claim 4, and is as follows.
In addition to the first aspect of the present invention, the pair of first zigzag folded portions are configured to be separated from each other by a width equal to or larger than the width of an object placed in the airbag deployment direction.

A fifth invention of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is an airbag folding method as described in claim 5 and is as follows.
(1) a step of placing the unfolded airbag in a flat state, (2) forming a plurality of folded pieces at the front end portion of the airbag folded in a flat shape, and placing either the upper or lower side of the folded pieces A step of forming the cramp delay means, (3) a step of zigzag-folding each of the two parts and collecting them in the center in the horizontal direction to form a pair of first zigzag folds, and (4) a side of the first zigzag folds. The airbag is folded through a step of zigzag folding in a direction intersecting the direction to form a second zigzag fold.

Since the airbag according to the present invention is configured as described above, the following effects are achieved.
(1) In the initial stage of deployment, the delay means is formed and deployed on either the upper side or the lower side of the plurality of folding pieces provided at the front end of the airbag, which is a feature of the present invention. The deployment on the front windshield side (upper side) is suppressed, the lower side of the object is relatively advanced, and the bag advances toward the lower side of the object, so that the deployment direction can be easily controlled.
(2) The second zigzag folding part is deployed upward when the airbag is deployed in close proximity. When the deployment progresses to a certain extent, the second zigzag fold portion is restrained from abutting against the upper part of the object, so that the left and right free ends of the first zigzag fold portion develop in the lateral direction (left and right direction). Can be prevented.
(3) In the invention described in claim 2, since the first zigzag fold portion is separated by a predetermined distance when the airbag is deployed in the vicinity of the airbag, when the airbag comes into contact with the upper part of the object, the center portion of the bag is centered. The impact force can be reduced by bending.
(4) In the invention described in claim 3, since the first zigzag fold portion is spaced 100 mm to 270 mm apart when the airbag is deployed in close proximity, the second zigzag fold portion avoids the upper part of the object and advances from side to side. Therefore, an increase in injury value can be prevented.

A plurality of folding pieces are formed at the bag front end portion of the airbag having a gas introduction port and folded into a flat shape, and a delay means is formed on either the upper side or the lower side of the folding piece and deployed. Next, a pair of first zigzag folds formed by zigzag folding both sides in the left-right width direction at a distance of 100 mm to 270 mm and collecting them at the center in the horizontal direction, and the folding direction of the first zigzag folds, The airbag which provides the 2nd zigzag fold part formed by zigzag folding in the crossing direction.
If the separation width is smaller than 100 mm, the object that can be avoided when expanding to the left and right by avoiding the upper part of the object is limited to a small one, or the softness of contact is somewhat reduced. Moreover, since it cannot mount in the passenger seat of an instrument panel when it is larger than 270 mm, it has taken the separation width of 100 mm-270 mm as a range of a preferable separation dimension.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a folding process of an airbag according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing an airbag provided with a delay means for folding pieces at the front end of the airbag of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a deployed state of an airbag provided with the delay means of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of a folding piece that is a feature of the airbag of the present invention.

First, the airbag 1 will be described.
As the base fabric of the airbag 1, for example, a woven fabric made of a polyamide-based synthetic polymer material having a fiber thickness of 315 denier and a number of fibers of 62 / inch (for example, a nylon fabric woven product name) is cut into a predetermined shape. It is formed by. And the airbag which has a gas introduction port is formed by superposing | polymerizing a several base fabric and sewing an outer periphery.
In addition, in order to improve the safety of airbags, the injury value defined in US automobile safety standards is currently used. This is a numerical value of the degree of injury to the occupant. The lower the value, the lower the damage to the occupant, and a measure for measuring safety standards.

Here, the folding process of the airbag 1 which is a summary of one Example of this invention is demonstrated based on FIG.
First, as shown in FIG. 1A, the airbag 1 is folded in a flat state with the front end portion inserted inward and provided with three folding pieces 3 provided in a mountain shape. To be supplied. And the upper part of the said folding piece 3 is wound in a roll shape inside (b). Then, the left and right portions of the airbag 1 are folded in a zigzag manner until folded into a strip shape, and the first zigzag folding portions 4 are formed on the left and right sides of the airbag 1. {(C)-(f)}.
Here, the space | interval of the 1st zigzag folding part 4 on either side is made to maintain the fixed space | interval. As a result, the spaced apart portion 7 that is produced ensures that the left and right first zigzag folded portions 4 are unfolded more reliably.
Note that the size of the first folding {see (c)} is based on the size that fits in the airbag case. Similarly, the number of times of folding in a zigzag manner is appropriately selected based on the size of the airbag 1 and the size of the airbag case.
Then, the second zigzag folded portion 5 is formed by folding the zigzag from the gas inlet 8 so as to be slightly smaller than the size of the airbag case. At this time, the second zigzag folded portion 5 is formed by folding together the cloth material provided on the opposite side of the folded piece of the airbag 1 {(g) to (h)}.
Finally, the wrapping member 6 wraps the airbag 1 so that it cannot be unfolded {(i) to (j)}.
The material of the wrapping member 6 is a woven fabric that is thinner than the base fabric of the airbag 1, and weak portions such as slits are formed at necessary locations. The weak portions are easily broken when the airbag 1 is deployed, and the airbag 1. Expands. If a thin cloth is selected, the cost is reduced, the packing work is easy to perform, and it deforms along the shape of the bag to provide a good fit.

As can be understood from FIG. 3, the airbag apparatus adopting the folding method of the airbag 1 according to the present invention is configured such that the upper side of the folding piece 2 is rolled up, so that the initial delay means 3 is used when the airbag 1 is deployed. A certain folding piece 2 is difficult for gas to enter, and the center and lower folding pieces 2 are inflated and deployed first, so the airbag deployment direction is deflected to the opposite side (lower side in the embodiment) where the delay means is set. Then, the airbag enters the lower part of the object and is deployed so as to receive the object.
That is, according to the present invention, the deployment direction of the airbag can be easily controlled upward or downward by adding delay means.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
As described in the above embodiment, the delay means 3 of the folding piece 2 which is a feature of the present invention rolls the upper side of the folding piece 2 (see FIG. 4A), as well as FIG. 4B. As described above, the delay means 3 may be provided at two locations, the upper side and the central portion.
The same effect can be obtained by providing the delay means 3 only on the lower side.
The delay means includes an inner roll, an outer roll, and bellows folding.

  What kind of airbag apparatus can be used to reduce the injury value not only in the case of close deployment but also in the deployment of the airbag at a normal seating position in an airbag apparatus that is incorporated in a vehicle and inflated and deployed at the time of a collision, etc. But it can be used.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the folding process of the airbag of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the airbag which provided the delay means of the folding piece of the bag front-end | tip part of the airbag of this invention. It is the schematic sectional drawing which showed the deployment state of the airbag which provided the delay means of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other Example of the folding piece which is the characteristics of the airbag of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Airbag 2 ... Folding piece 3 ... Delay means 4 ... 1st zigzag folding part 5 ... 2nd zigzag folding part 6 ... Wrapping member 7 ... ... Separation part 8 ... Gas inlet

Claims (5)

A plurality of folding pieces are formed at the bag front end portion of the airbag having a gas introduction port and folded into a flat shape, and a delay means is formed on either the upper side or the lower side of the folding piece to be deployed. Next, a pair of first zigzag folds are formed by zigzag folding both sides in the left-right width direction and gathering in the center in the horizontal direction, and zigzag folds in a direction intersecting with the folding direction of the first zigzag folds An air bag comprising a second zigzag fold portion formed in the above manner. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the pair of first zigzag folds are spaced apart by a predetermined dimension. 2. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the pair of first zigzag folds are spaced apart at an interval of 100 mm to 270 mm. 2. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the pair of first zigzag folded portions are separated from each other by a width equal to or greater than a width of an object placed in a deployment direction of the airbag. (1) a step of placing an unfolded airbag in a flat state, (2) forming a plurality of folded pieces at the front end of the airbag folded in a flat shape, and placing either the upper or lower side of the folded pieces A step of forming the cramp delay means, (3) a step of zigzag-folding each of the two parts and collecting them in the center in the horizontal direction to form a pair of first zigzag folds, and (4) a side of the first zigzag folds. A method for folding an airbag, comprising a step of zigzag folding in a direction intersecting the direction to form a second zigzag fold.

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