JP2008080869A - Pedestrian protecting airbag device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To certainly ease an impact on a pedestrian at collision. <P>SOLUTION: The pedestrian protecting airbag device 10 deploying to a vehicle lower side of a bumper 1 comprises an under cover 1c arranged on the vehicle lower side of the bumper 1, and making an approach angle θ2; an airbag module 3 arranged along the under cover 1c, and having an airbag 3b deploying upon the collision of a vehicle to press the under cover 1c; and a strap 5 regulating deployment forms of the under cover 1c and the airbag 3b. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a pedestrian protection airbag device that protects a pedestrian at the time of a vehicle collision, for example.

Conventionally, there is known a safety shock absorber that deploys an airbag attached below a bumper reinforcement (horizontal bar) to the front of the vehicle and obliquely below the vehicle in the event of a collision with a pedestrian (for example, Patent Documents) 1). At the time of a collision with a pedestrian, the airbag is deployed forward and obliquely downward of the vehicle to prevent the pedestrian's legs from being caught (submitted) under the front bumper.
Japanese translation of PCT publication No. 2002-542110

  By the way, what is called an approach angle which is an angle which the line which connects a front wheel, a front bumper lower end and front-end | tip (or rear end) and a horizontal line make is set. For example, when driving on a rough road surface (bad road), to avoid contact between the under cover below the front bumper and the road surface unevenness, the front bumper position is increased to increase the approach angle. It is desirable to set. On the other hand, if the approach angle is set large, when the pedestrian collides with the front bumper, the leg portion of the pedestrian may be easily caught under the front bumper.

  In the conventional safety shock absorber, the airbag is deployed forward and obliquely downward of the vehicle in order to prevent the entrainment. However, the airbag is simply attached below the bumper reinforcement, and it cannot be said that the approach angle is set to be large as described above. Furthermore, when receiving a leg part of a pedestrian with an under cover and an airbag at the time of a collision, it cannot be said that the deployment form of an under cover and an airbag is considered. Therefore, the undercover and the airbag receive the pedestrian's legs locally, for example, and there is a possibility that the impact on the pedestrian cannot be sufficiently mitigated.

  The present invention is for solving such problems, and a main object of the present invention is to reliably mitigate an impact on a pedestrian during a collision.

In order to achieve the above object, one embodiment of the present invention provides:
A pedestrian protection airbag device deployed on the vehicle lower side of the bumper,
An under cover disposed on the vehicle lower side of the bumper and forming an approach angle;
An airbag module that is disposed along the under cover and has an airbag that deploys and presses the under cover in a vehicle collision;
A pedestrian protection airbag device comprising: the under cover and a strap for regulating a deployment form of the airbag.

  According to this one aspect | mode, a strap regulates the deployment form of an undercover and an airbag. Thereby, the impact to the pedestrian at the time of a collision can be relieved reliably.

  In this aspect, one end of the airbag module and the strap may be attached to a connecting flange portion that connects the vehicle front end of the front side member and the vehicle rear end of the crash box. The other end of the strap may be connected to the under cover.

  In this aspect, the length of the strap may be set so that the under cover is substantially perpendicular to the vehicle horizontal line when the airbag is deployed. Thereby, when a pedestrian's leg collides with a bumper, a pedestrian's leg can be received with a wider pressure-receiving surface. Therefore, the impact to the pedestrian at the time of a collision can be relieved reliably.

  According to the present invention, an impact on a pedestrian during a collision can be reliably mitigated.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a pedestrian protection airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a diagram showing a state before the airbag is deployed. Moreover, FIG. 2 is a figure which shows the outline of the pedestrian protection airbag apparatus which concerns on one Example of this invention, and is a figure which shows the state after an airbag expand | deploys.

  The pedestrian protection airbag device 10 is a device that protects a collision object such as a pedestrian (especially a leg) by deploying the airbag 3b at the time of a vehicle collision such as when a pedestrian collides with the front bumper 1 of the vehicle. It is.

  The pedestrian protection airbag device 10 is disposed in front of the vehicle and is disposed in the vicinity of the front bumper 1 extending in the vehicle width direction.

  The front bumper 1 includes a bumper cover 1a, an impact absorbing member 1b accommodated in the bumper cover 1a, an under cover 1c connected to the bumper cover 1a and extending obliquely rearward of the vehicle and obliquely behind the vehicle, and an impact absorbing member 1b. And bumper reinforcement 1d connected to the.

  The bumper cover 1a and the under cover 1c are made of, for example, a thin synthetic resin that is a member that deforms when a predetermined impact load is applied. The impact absorbing member 1b is made of, for example, urethane foam, and absorbs an impact when an object collides with the front bumper 1 by being crushed.

  The bumper reinforcement 1 d extends in the vehicle width direction along the front bumper 1 and has a function of reinforcing the front bumper 1. Further, the cross-sectional shape of the bumper reinforcement 1d is, for example, an eye shape, but is not limited to this, and any cross-sectional shape such as a daily shape can be applied.

  A vehicle front end (hereinafter, referred to as a front end) of a pair of side members 2 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction is connected to the left and right sides of the bumper reinforcement 1d. Each side member 2 has a crash box 2a whose front end is connected to the bumper reinforcement 1d, and a front side member 2b connected to the vehicle rear end (hereinafter referred to as the rear end) of the crash box 2a. is doing. The crash box 2a absorbs shock by being crushed at the time of a vehicle collision.

  The rear end of the crash box 2a and the front end of the front side member 2b are fastened by a plurality of sets (for example, four sets) of bolts 2d and nuts 2e via a connecting flange portion 2c.

  On the lower end side of the connecting flange portion 2c, a bracket 2f having a substantially inverted L-shaped cross-section that is bent rearward of the vehicle is attached. A bracket 3d of an A / B case 3c of an air bag module 3, which will be described later, is fastened to the bracket 2f by bolts 2g and nuts 2h. In addition, although the connection flange part 2c and the bracket 2f are comprised separately, respectively, you may comprise integrally.

  A grill 12 that extends in the vehicle width direction and takes in outside air into the engine room 11 is disposed on the vehicle upper side of the front bumper 1. An engine hood 13 that covers the engine room 11 and can be opened and closed is disposed on the grill 12 above the vehicle.

  The pedestrian protection airbag device 10 includes an airbag module 3 disposed along the under cover 1 c of the front bumper 1.

  The airbag module 3 includes an inflator (gas generator) 3a that generates gas, an airbag 3b that expands and deploys by introducing the gas therein, and an airbag module that houses the inflator 3a and the airbag 3b. A case (hereinafter referred to as an A / B case) 3c.

  The inflator 3a has an inflator housing and a gas generating agent that is housed in the inflator housing and generates gas when burned.

  For example, when a pedestrian collides with the front bumper 1, the impact is detected by an impact sensor. Then, the igniting agent is ignited by the detonator, and the gas generating agent starts burning. The gas generant generates gas when combusted. The generated gas is introduced into the interior of the airbag 3b, and the airbag 3b is deployed to protect a pedestrian. As the impact sensor, for example, an acceleration sensor is used.

  The airbag 3b is attached to the inflator 3a in a folded state before a vehicle collision (normal state), and is stored in the A / B case 3c (FIG. 1). On the other hand, the airbag 3b expands and bulges from the opening of the A / B case 3c at the time of a vehicle collision (FIG. 2).

  The A / B case 3c has a substantially U-shaped cross section and opens to the front side of the vehicle. Further, when the pedestrian's leg collides with the front bumper 1, the inflator 3a and the airbag 3b are attached to the A / B case 3c so that the airbag 3b is deployed forward and obliquely downward of the vehicle (FIG. 2). It is preferable to be disposed. Thereby, it can prevent reliably that a leg part of a pedestrian is caught in the lower side of the front bumper 1. FIG.

  The under cover 1c is formed with a substantially rectangular one-sided door portion 1e that opens in a clockwise direction (vehicle front side) around a hinge portion 1f formed on the vehicle front side. The rear end of the single door portion 1e (the opposite end of the hinge portion 1f and the end on the vehicle rear side) is fixed to the vehicle lower panel 14 by a plurality of (for example, four) pins 4 provided side by side in the vehicle width direction. And kept closed (FIG. 1).

  As described above, when the airbag 3b is deployed forward of the vehicle and obliquely downward of the vehicle, the expansion force (reaction force) of the airbag 3b is applied to the back surface of the one-sided door portion 1e of the under cover 1c. Due to the inflating force of the airbag 3b, the rear end of the single door portion 1e is disengaged from the pin 4 and opens clockwise around the hinge portion 1f (FIG. 2).

  In addition, although the rear end of the single door part 1e is fixed with the pin 4, it is not restricted to this, When it is fixed reliably in a normal state and the expansion force of the airbag 3b is added, the single door part 1e is If it opens smoothly, arbitrary fixing methods, such as a clip and adhesion | attachment, are applicable.

  Further, the hinge portion 1f is formed with a starting point such as a groove, a bend, or the like that makes the under cover 1c bend easily. Further, at the rear end of the single door portion 1e, the rear end of the single door portion 1e is smooth when the expansion force of the airbag 3b is applied to the single door portion 1e. For example, a slit may be formed so as to be released.

  One end of the strap 5 is connected to the lower end of the bracket 2f of the connecting flange portion 2c. The other end of the strap 5 is connected to the rear end of the single door part 1e of the under cover 1c. The strap 5 is made of, for example, polyester (the same material as the seat belt), nylon, or the like. However, as will be described later, the unfolded form of the single door part 1e of the under cover 1c and the airbag 3b is appropriately set. If it can regulate, it will not be restricted to this, It can form with arbitrary materials. One end of the strap 5 may be attached to the lower side of the A / B case 3c of the airbag module 3, and as will be described later, the unfolded form of the single door part 1e of the under cover 1c and the airbag 3b is regulated. If possible, it can be attached at any position.

  When the single door part 1e of the under cover 1c is closed, the strap 5 is fixed in a folded state (FIG. 1). And as the single door part 1e opens, the folded state of the strap 5 is released, but finally the open state of the single door part 1e is regulated by the strap 5 (FIG. 2). Thus, the strap 5 regulates the deployed form of the one-sided door portion 1e of the under cover 1c and the airbag 3b.

  Further, by adjusting the length L of the strap 5, the maximum opening θ1 at which the one-sided door portion 1e of the under cover 1c is fully opened clockwise around the hinge portion 1f is simply set. can do. Thereby, the deployment form of the single door part 1e of the under cover 1c and the airbag 3b can be adjusted easily. Here, the maximum opening θ1 is, for example, an angle formed by the single door part 1e of the under cover 1c with respect to the vehicle horizontal line L1.

  In the pedestrian protection airbag device 10 according to the present embodiment, for example, the maximum opening θ1 of the single door portion 1e is approximately 90 degrees, and the single door portion 1e is substantially perpendicular to the vehicle horizontal line L1. In addition, it is preferable to set the length L of the strap 5.

  Thereby, when a pedestrian collides and the single door part 1e is in the open state, the front bumper 1 is in the substantially vertical state in which the bumper cover 1a and the single door part 1e of the under cover 1c are continuous. A flat and wide pressure receiving surface is formed. In this case, at the time of a collision between the pedestrian and the front bumper 1, the leg portion of the pedestrian can be received using a wider area of the pressure receiving surface (pressure receiving area). Therefore, local contact with the leg of the pedestrian can be suppressed, and the impact on the pedestrian can be dispersed and sufficiently relaxed. That is, the impact to the pedestrian at the time of a collision can be relieved reliably.

  The vehicle has a so-called approach angle θ2, which is an angle formed by a line OP (hereinafter referred to as an approach angle line) OP connecting the front wheel F and the lower end and front end (or rear end) of the front bumper 1 and a horizontal line L2. It is set (Fig. 1). In general, as the approach angle θ2 increases, the rough road performance increases as described later.

  For example, in an off-road vehicle such as an SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) designed to travel on a relatively uneven road surface (bad road), the front bumper 1 is disposed at a relatively high position. The approach angle θ2 is set to be large (for example, set to about 30 to 40 °). This is because the approach angle θ2 is set so as to avoid the under cover 1c of the front bumper 1 coming into contact with the unevenness of the road surface when the vehicle travels on an uneven rough road.

  In the pedestrian protection airbag apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, the under cover 1c of the front bumper 1 is along the approach angle line OP (for example, substantially parallel to the approach angle line OP) so as to form the approach angle θ2. It is arranged. Further, the airbag module 3 is disposed in the approach angle θ2 along the under cover 1c. By efficiently arranging in this way, the approach angle θ2 can be set larger while ensuring a sufficient space for arranging the airbag module 3. Therefore, the rough road running performance can be improved. Moreover, as described above, when the pedestrian's leg collides with the front bumper 1, the airbag 3b is deployed forward and obliquely downward of the vehicle. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably prevent the pedestrian's leg from being caught under the front bumper 1 while setting the approach angle θ2 larger and improving the rough road performance.

  As mentioned above, although the best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described using one embodiment, the present invention is not limited to such one embodiment, and within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention, Various modifications and substitutions can be made to the above-described embodiment.

  In the above embodiment, one (only two) airbag modules 3 are disposed on the bracket 2f of each connecting flange portion 2c. For example, one (near the center of the front bumper 1) or three airbag modules 3 are provided. Only the bracket 2f of each connecting flange portion 2c and the center of the front bumper 1 may be disposed, and the number of the airbag modules 3 disposed may be arbitrary. In addition, when the number of the airbag modules 3 arrange | positioned is restrained few, it leads to a cost reduction.

  In the above embodiment, one strap (only two) is attached to the bracket 2f of each connecting flange portion 2c. For example, one strap (near the center of the front bumper 1) or three (each Only the bracket 2f of the connection flange portion 2c and the center of the front bumper 1) may be disposed, and the number of the straps 5 disposed may be arbitrary. The number of the straps 5 to be arranged is appropriately set in consideration of, for example, the material, dimensions (for example, thickness and thickness) of the strap 5, the attachment position, the inflation output of the airbag 3b, and the like.

  The present invention can be used, for example, in a pedestrian protection airbag device that deploys an airbag to protect a pedestrian that collides with a vehicle. The appearance, weight, size, running performance, etc. of the vehicle to be mounted are not limited.

It is a figure which shows the outline of the pedestrian protection airbag apparatus which concerns on one Example of this invention, and is a figure which shows the state before an airbag expand | deploys. It is a figure which shows the outline of the pedestrian protection airbag apparatus which concerns on one Example of this invention, and is a figure which shows the state after the airbag expand | deployed.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Front bumper 1c Undercover 2a Crash box 2b Front side member 2c Connection flange part 3 Airbag module 3b Airbag 5 Strap 10 Pedestrian protection airbag apparatus

Claims (2)

A pedestrian protection airbag device deployed on the vehicle lower side of the bumper,
An under cover disposed on the vehicle lower side of the bumper and forming an approach angle;
An airbag module that is disposed along the under cover and has an airbag that deploys and presses the under cover in a vehicle collision;
A pedestrian protection airbag device comprising: the under cover and a strap for regulating a deployment form of the airbag. The pedestrian protection airbag device according to claim 1,
One end of the airbag module and the strap is attached to a connecting flange portion that connects the vehicle front end of the front side member and the vehicle rear end of the crash box.

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