JP2011093336A - Occupant protective airbag - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an airbag which properly protects an occupant head by suppressing reaction force when the occupant head interferes with the airbag which has finished inflating. <P>SOLUTION: An occupant protective airbag has a recessed part on a surfacing facing an occupant, and is structured with a body and two or more cylindrical portions communicated with the body at one ends. The other ends of the cylindrical portions are each connected to the body. In the other embodiment, an occupant protective airbag has a recessed part on a surfacing facing an occupant, and is structured with a body and three or more cylindrical portions communicated with the body at one ends. The other ends of the facing cylindrical portions are connected with each other. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an airbag that is equipped in a vehicle and instantly inflates to protect an occupant in the event of a vehicle collision, and more specifically, when an occupant's head interferes with an inflated airbag, The present invention relates to an occupant protection airbag that can accurately protect the occupant's head while suppressing the reaction force.

  In recent years, an airbag device has been mounted on many vehicles as an occupant protection device. Airbag devices (usually located on vehicle steering wheels, curtain airbags, etc.) instantly inflate in the space between the occupant and the interior structure in the event of a collision, and the occupant directly enters the instrument panel, side door, It has a function to absorb the impact when it collides with a handle. Therefore, as an airbag device, a sensor that detects rapid deceleration when receiving an impact such as a vehicle collision, an inflator that generates a high-pressure gas for inflation by receiving a signal from the sensor, and an inflation from the inflator An air bag body that is inflated and deployed by the high-pressure gas for reducing the impact of the occupant and a diagnostic circuit that determines whether or not the air bag system is functioning normally are provided.

  Some conventional airbags are configured such that a left inflating portion that inflates to the left in front of the occupant and a right inflating portion that inflates to the right in front of the occupant communicate with each other in the vicinity of the gas inlet (patent) Reference 1). Such an airbag is used particularly for a passenger seat, and receives a passenger who collides with a space formed between the left and right inflated portions, that is, a recess formed in the passenger surface.

  Such an airbag having an inflatable portion that communicates with the left and right is usually formed by sewing the outer periphery of two panels shaped like butterflies, folding them at the center, and joining the left and right inflatable portions together. ing. Therefore, when the coupling between the left and right inflating parts is released due to the collision of the occupant, the inflating part is separated into the left and right, and the occupant cannot be protected.

JP 2003-335203 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide an airbag capable of accurately protecting the occupant's head while suppressing the reaction force when the occupant's head interferes with the airbag that has been inflated. To do.

  That is, the present invention is an occupant protection airbag having a recess on an occupant surface, and includes a main body portion and two or more cylindrical portions communicating with the main body portion at one end, and the cylindrical shape. The present invention relates to an occupant protection airbag in which the other end of each portion is coupled to a main body.

  It is preferable that the adjacent cylindrical portions are joined together.

  The present invention also relates to an occupant protection airbag having a recess in an occupant surface, the main body part, and three or more cylindrical parts communicating with the main body part at one end, and opposing cylinders. The present invention relates to an occupant protection airbag in which the other ends of the shape portions are joined together.

  Since the airbag of the present invention has the main body portion, the passenger can be securely protected even if the cylindrical portion is divided into left and right. Furthermore, since the part which contacts a passenger | crew directly is formed as two or more cylindrical parts, a passenger | crew's both shoulders can be received firmly. Moreover, since a space part (concave part) is formed between the said cylindrical parts, a passenger | crew's head can be protected. In other words, when the inflation of the airbag is completed, the tubular portion interferes with the vicinity of the left and right shoulders of the occupant and is firmly restrained. After that, the head of the occupant whose both shoulders are restrained by the cylindrical part enters the space (concave part) formed between the cylindrical parts, so that the forward movement is suppressed, and the occupant is surely secured. Can be restrained.

It is a perspective view which shows the expansion | deployment deployment state in the airbag of this invention. It is sectional drawing in the AA of the airbag of FIG. It is a top view which shows an example of the panel used for the airbag of this invention. It is sectional drawing of another aspect in the AA of the airbag of FIG. It is a top view which shows an example of the panel in another aspect used for the airbag of this invention. FIG. 6 is a side view of the airbag of the present invention obtained from the panel shown in FIG. It is a top view which shows an example of the panel in another aspect used for the airbag of this invention. FIG. 8 is a side view of the airbag of the present invention obtained from the panel shown in FIG.

  Embodiment 1 of this invention is demonstrated based on FIG. FIG. 1 is a view showing a bulging and deploying state in an airbag 1 of the present invention. In this form 1, there are a plurality of cylindrical portions (here, two of 5a and 5b) that extend over almost the entire length of the airbag occupant surface, and one end of the cylindrical portion is coupled to the main body portion. In addition, the length of these cylindrical parts is not limited to covering the full length of a passenger | crew surface, It can set suitably according to a use, the objective, etc.

  At the time of expansion, first, the main body 2 is formed by injecting and filling the inflation gas from the inflator attached to the inflator attachment port 8. Next, gas flows out to the two cylindrical parts 5a and 5b communicating with the main body part 2 at one end, and the cylindrical parts 5a and 5b are developed. The other end portions of the cylindrical portions 5a and 5b are coupled to a part of the main body portion 2, respectively. In FIG. 1, a coupling piece 10 is disposed at each of the other ends of the cylindrical portions 5 a and 5 b, and a coupling reinforcing cloth 11 is disposed on the main body 2, and the coupling piece 10 and the coupling reinforcing cloth 11 are coupled by sewing. . Of course, the method of joining is not limited to sewing, but may be bonding or welding. Moreover, you may couple | bond, without arrange | positioning especially a coupling | bond piece and a coupling | bonding reinforcement cloth. Even if the cylindrical portions 5a and 5b and the main body 2 are disconnected from each other, the main body 2 is formed in a flat shape, so that the occupant can be well protected.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a recess 6 is formed between the bulged cylindrical portions 5a and 5b. The cylindrical portions 5a and 5b interfere with the vicinity of the left and right shoulders of the occupant, and the head of the occupant restrained on both shoulders enters the recess 6 to suppress the forward movement. Even if the cylindrical parts 5a and 5b forming the recesses 6 are laterally displaced, the main body 2 is formed in a flat shape, so that the occupant can be securely protected. In order to prevent the cylindrical portions 5a and 5b from shifting sideways, as shown in FIG. 4, even if adjacent cylindrical portions are joined to each other by arranging a coupling piece 10 on the side surface of the cylindrical portion. Good.

  In addition, the airbag of this invention is arrange | positioned so that a cylindrical part may expand | deploy to an up-down direction with respect to a vehicle. Thereby, since the recessed part 6 is formed from the upper part of an airbag to a lower part, even if a passenger | crew's head moves to an up-down direction with a passenger | crew's physique and a seating attitude | position, a passenger | crew's head can be received reliably.

  FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view in the bulging and unfolding state along line AA in FIG. As can be seen from FIG. 2, the airbag of the present invention is formed by the cylindrical portions 5 a and 5 b and the main body portion 2. The depth of the concave portion 6 is regulated by the thickness A of the cylindrical portions 5a and 5b. The thickness A is preferably 50 to 300 mm, and more preferably 100 to 200 mm. If it is smaller than 50 mm, the recess is too shallow and the head of the occupant may not be able to enter the recess, and if it exceeds 300 mm, the airbag may be bulky and the storage property may deteriorate.

  Further, the thickness B of the main body 2 is preferably 200 to 500 mm, and more preferably 300 to 400 mm. If it is smaller than 200 mm, the thickness of the main body may be too thin to protect the occupant, and if it exceeds 500 mm, the airbag may be bulky and the storage property may be deteriorated.

  The width C of the recess 6 is preferably within 100 mm, more preferably within 70 mm, and even more preferably within 50 mm. If the width C exceeds 100 mm, it may be difficult to restrain the shoulder. The width D of the airbag 1 at the time of deployment is not particularly limited as long as it can restrain at least the shoulder of the occupant, and can be set as appropriate.

  Two or more cylindrical portions 5a and 5b may be present so that a concave portion in the vertical direction is formed preferably in the vicinity of the center of the passenger surface of the airbag 1. 1-4 illustrate two cases, but the present invention is not limited to this. In addition, the width may be set as appropriate in consideration of the width D and the number of cylindrical portions, and may not be the same width.

  Another embodiment 2 of the present invention is shown in FIGS. In this form 2, there are a plurality of cylindrical portions 5 corresponding to substantially half the length of the airbag occupant surface, and the tips of the opposing cylindrical portions 5 are joined together. Of course, the coupling between the cylindrical portions 5 does not necessarily have to exist at the center portion of the passenger surface, and it is not necessary that all the cylindrical portions have the same length. What is necessary is just to set so that when the cylindrical parts 5 which oppose each other are couple | bonded, the couple | bonded cylindrical part may cover the full width of an airbag passenger | crew surface. In FIG. 6, the coupling pieces 10 are arranged at the end portions of the cylindrical part 5 and are coupled by sewing the coupling pieces 10 together. However, the coupling method is not limited to sewing, and can be bonded or welded. There may be. In particular, the coupling pieces 10 may be coupled without being arranged. In addition, even if this coupling | bonding of cylindrical parts remove | deviates, since the main-body part 2 is formed in planar shape, a passenger | crew can be protected firmly.

  Concave portions 6 are formed between the bulging cylindrical portions 5, and as in the previous aspect 1, the cylindrical portions are swelled when bulging in order to reliably receive the head of the passenger moving in the vertical direction. The airbag is arranged with respect to the vehicle so that 5 is deployed from top to bottom or from bottom to top. In addition, at least one cylindrical part 5 may be combined with the main body part 2 in order to prevent the cylindrical part 5 from shifting laterally.

  In this form 2, the cylindrical part 5 is preferably formed with a concave part 6 in the vertical direction near the center of the passenger surface of the airbag, and at least one opposing cylindrical part 5 is formed. It is sufficient that three or more exist. 5 and 6 illustrate four cases, but the present invention is not limited to this. In addition, the width may be set as appropriate in consideration of the width D and the number of cylindrical portions, and may not be the same width.

  The airbag of the present invention can be manufactured by a very simple process. That is, it can be obtained by joining the outer peripheries of two substantially rectangular panels having cuts in the long side direction, folding the panel in the long side direction, and joining the ends thereof.

  In aspect 1, first, as shown in FIG. 3, two substantially rectangular shapes having cuts at one end are cut out from the base fabric to form an inflator attachment port side panel 3 and an occupant side panel 4. The inflator attachment port side panel 3 is provided with an inflator attachment port 8 and an exhaust hole 14. Moreover, since the said cut | notch part becomes the cylindrical parts 5a and 5b, it sets to an appropriate length. In these panels, a coupling piece 10 and a coupling reinforcing cloth 11 are arranged as necessary.

  Next, the obtained inflator attachment port side panel 3 and occupant side panel 4 are overlapped to join the outer periphery. In FIG. 2, the case where it couple | bonds by the sewing using the sewing thread | yarn 7 is shown. Here, in order to reinforce the inflator attachment port 8 formed in the inflator attachment port side panel 3, it is preferable to connect several attachment port reinforcing cloths 9 in the vicinity before joining the outer periphery. Finally, the end portions of the panels are joined together by sewing the joining piece 10 and the joining reinforcing cloth 11 to create the airbag of the present invention.

  In aspect 2, first, as shown in FIG. 5, two substantially rectangular shapes having cuts at both ends are cut out from the base fabric to form an inflator attachment port side panel 3 and an occupant side panel 4. The inflator attachment port side panel 3 is provided with an inflator attachment port 8 and an exhaust hole 14. Moreover, since the said notch part becomes the cylindrical part 5, it sets to an appropriate length. In these panels, a coupling piece 10 is disposed at an end portion thereof as necessary.

  Next, the obtained inflator attachment port side panel 3 and occupant side panel 4 are overlapped to join the outer periphery. Similarly, in order to reinforce the inflator attachment port 8 formed in the inflator attachment port side panel 3, it is preferable to connect several attachment port reinforcement cloths 9 in the vicinity before joining the outer periphery. Finally, the end portions of the panel (that is, the tubular portion 5) are joined to each other by sewing the joining pieces 10 together to create an airbag.

  Up to this point, the airbag having a two-piece panel has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to a three-piece, four-piece or the like. Hereinafter, the case of 3 pieces is shown in FIGS.

  In the case of three pieces, for example, it is formed of a main body panel 12 and two main body side panels 13 as shown in FIG. The main body 2 referred to in the present invention is formed from a part of the main body panel 12 and a part of the main body side panel 13, and the cylindrical part 5 is the same. First, as shown in FIG. 7, one sheet of a substantially rectangular shape having cuts at both ends is cut out from the base fabric to form a main body panel 12. Furthermore, two sheets are cut out in a shape having a portion that becomes the side surface of the airbag and a portion that forms a part of the cylindrical portion 5, and both are used as the main body side panel 13. An exhaust hole 14 is provided in the main body side panel 13. The length of the long side of the main body panel 12 and the length of the outer periphery of the main body side panel 13 are set to be the same. Moreover, since the said notch part becomes the cylindrical part 5, it sets to an appropriate length. A coupling piece 10 and a coupling reinforcing cloth 11 are arranged on the main body panel 12 as necessary.

  Next, the obtained main body panel 12 is folded in two, and the two combined sheets are joined at the inner side and end of the cut. Next, the two long sides of the main body panel 12 and the outer peripheries of the two main body side panels 13 are joined together. Finally, the coupling piece 10 and the coupling reinforcing cloth 11 are sewn, for example, to join the tip of the cylindrical part 5 and the main body part 2 to produce the airbag of the present invention.

  Depending on the performance of the inflator, the capacity of the bag, the location of use, etc., the base fabric used for the airbag panel of the present invention may be one that has been subjected to air-impermeable processing by laminating and applying rubber or resin. Good.

  A fiber fabric is used as the base fabric. Here, the fiber fabric means a woven fabric woven using fiber yarns, a knitted fabric and a non-woven fabric knitted using fiber yarns.

  The fibers constituting the fiber fabric are not particularly limited, such as natural fibers, chemical fibers, and inorganic fibers. For example, Nylon 6, Nylon 66, Nylon 46, Nylon 610, Nylon 612 and the like, or aliphatic polyamide fibers obtained by copolymerization and mixing thereof, Nylon 6T, Nylon 6I, Nylon 9T and aliphatic amines represented by Copolymerized polyamide fiber of aromatic carboxylic acid, polyethylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate alone or a copolymer thereof, polyester fiber obtained by mixing, ultrahigh molecular weight polyolefin fiber, vinylidene, Chlorine-containing fibers such as polyvinyl chloride, fluorine-containing fibers containing polytetrafluoroethylene, polyacetal fibers, polysulfone fibers, polyphenylene sulfide fibers (PPS), polyethers -Terketone fiber (PEEK), wholly aromatic polyamide fiber, wholly aromatic polyester fiber, polyimide fiber, polyetherimide fiber, polyparaphenylene benzbisoxazole fiber (PBO), vinylon fiber, acrylic fiber One type or two or more types may be appropriately selected from cellulose fibers, silicon carbide fibers, alumina fibers, glass fibers, carbon fibers, steel fibers, and the like. Of these, synthetic fiber filaments are preferred from the viewpoints of versatility and the production process of the base fabric and physical properties of the base fabric. In particular, nylon 66 fiber is preferable from the viewpoints of physical properties, durability, heat resistance, and the like. From the viewpoint of recycling, polyester fibers and nylon 6 fibers are also preferable.

  These fibers include various additives that are usually used to improve spinnability, processability, durability, etc., such as heat stabilizers, antioxidants, light stabilizers, anti-aging agents, and lubricants. One or more of a smoothing agent, a pigment, a water repellent, an oil repellent, a concealing agent such as titanium oxide, a gloss imparting agent, a flame retardant, and a plasticizer may be used. In addition, when it is desirable to weave the calami weave, processing such as twisting, bulking, crimping, winding, or gluing may be performed. Further, as the form of the yarn, in addition to the long fiber filament, a spun yarn of short fibers, a composite yarn of these, or the like may be used.

  For example, when the fiber fabric is a woven fabric, it may be a plain weave, an oblique weave (basket weave), a lattice weave (ripstop weave), a twill weave, a knot weave, an entangled weave, an imitation weave, or a composite structure thereof. If necessary, in addition to the two axes of warp and weft, a multi-axis design including 60 degrees obliquely may be used, and the arrangement of the threads in this case may be the same as that of the warp or weft. Of these, plain weaving is preferable in that the denseness of the structure, the uniformity of physical properties and performance can be ensured.

  Fabric production may be selected from various looms used to weave ordinary industrial fabrics, for example, shuttle looms, water jet looms, air jet looms, rapier looms, projectile looms, etc. Good.

  When the fiber fabric is a knitted fabric, a single knitting structure such as a single knitting such as a single tricot knitting, a single cord knitting, a single atlas knitting, a weft knitting such as a flat knitting, a rubber knitting or a pearl knitting, or a combination thereof And those composed of double tissues. Moreover, when the said fiber fabric is a nonwoven fabric, what is manufactured by a chemical bond, a thermal bond, a needle punch, a spunlace, a stitch bond, a spun bond, a melt blow, wet, etc. is mention | raise | lifted.

  The single yarn thickness of the yarn constituting the base fabric may be the same or different, and is preferably in the range of 0.5 to 8 dtex, for example. Further, the strength of the single yarn is also preferably 5.4 cN / dtex or more, and more preferably 8 cN / dtex or more. Further, the cross-sectional shape of the single yarn of these fibers may be appropriately selected within a range that does not hinder the production of the fabric and the physical properties of the obtained fabric, such as a circle, an ellipse, a flat, a polygon, a hollow, and other irregular shapes. Moreover, you may use what integrated several thread | yarns from which thickness, cross-sectional shape, etc. differ by a combined yarn, twisting.

  The total fineness of the fibers is preferably 150 to 1000 dtex, and more preferably 235 to 700 dtex. If it is less than 150 dtex, the strength required for the airbag tends to be difficult to obtain. If it exceeds 1000 dtex, the weight becomes too large, and the thickness of the base fabric may increase, resulting in poor bag storage.

The base fabric preferably has a basis weight of 190 g / m ² or less and a tensile strength of 600 N / cm or more. If the basis weight and tensile strength are within this range, it can be said that it is light and excellent in physical properties. Here, the basis weight refers to the weight of the base fabric in an unprocessed state before application of an air permeability treatment agent to be described later.

The cover factor when the base fabric is a woven fabric is preferably 1500 to 2500. If the cover factor is less than 1500, the opening of the fabric will be large and it will be difficult to obtain the airtightness of the bag. If the cover factor is greater than 2500, the thickness of the fabric will increase and the bag will not be easily stored. There is a fear. Here, the cover factor means that the warp yarn total fineness is D ₁ (dtex), the warp yarn density is N ₁ (lines / 2.54 cm), the weft total yarn fineness is D ₂ (dtex), and the weft yarn density Is N ₂ (lines / 2.54 cm), (D ₁ × 0.9) ^1/2 × N ₁ + (D ₂ × 0.9) ^1/2 × N ₂ .

  The base fabric may be subjected to scouring and heat treatment.

  As described above, the base fabric may have a resin layer for the purpose of improving heat resistance and reducing air permeability. Further, for that purpose, the resin layer is attached to at least the entire surface of one side of the base fabric, but on the surface of the base fabric, the gap portion of the yarn bundle constituting the base fabric, or the gap portion of the single fiber yarn, etc. It may be interposed. It is preferable to fabricate the airbag so that the coated surfaces are inside by joining the surfaces having the resin layer, because of the heat resistance and that the damage to the coating can be suppressed even when an external force is applied to the base fabric. .

  Examples of the resin include halogen-containing rubbers such as chloroprene rubber, high baron rubber, and fluorine rubber, silicone rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, ethylene propylene terpolymer rubber, nitrile butadiene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, isobutylene isoprene rubber, urethane rubber, and the like. Rubbers such as acrylic rubber, and halogen-containing resins such as vinyl chloride resin, vinylidene chloride resin, chlorinated polyolefin resin and fluorine resin, resins such as urethane resin, acrylic resin, ester resin, amide resin, olefin resin and silicone resin These are used alone or in combination. Of these, silicone rubber and silicone resin are preferable in terms of excellent flexibility, heat resistance, and weather resistance.

  As coating methods, 1) coating method (knife, kiss, reverse, comma, slot die, lip, etc.), 2) dipping method, 3) printing method (screen, roll, rotary, gravure, etc.), 4) transfer method, etc. (Transfer), 5) Laminating method, and 6) Spraying method. Among these, the coating method is preferable because the range of the application amount that can be set is large.

As the coating amount, 5 to 60 g / ^{m 2} is preferred. If the coating amount is less than 5 g / m ² , the air permeability of the base fabric becomes high, which may cause a problem in the airtightness of the bag. If the coating amount is more than 60 g / m ² , the thickness of the base fabric This may increase the thickness of the bag and cause problems with the bag storage.

  The occupant side cloth and the inflator side cloth may be joined by any method such as sewing, adhesion, welding, weaving, knitting, or a combination thereof, and robustness as an airbag. As long as it satisfies the impact resistance at the time of deployment and the impact resistance performance of the occupant.

  The sewing may be performed by seams applied to ordinary airbags such as main stitching, double chain stitching, one-sided stitching, overcasting stitching, safety stitching, staggered stitching, and flat stitching. Further, the thickness of the sewing thread may be 235 dtex (corresponding to 50th hand) to 2800 dtex (corresponding to 0 hand), and the number of stitches may be 2 to 10 stitches / cm. When multiple rows of stitch lines are required, the distance between the stitch lines should be about 2.2 mm to 8 mm, and a multi-needle type sewing machine should be used. If the sewing part distance is not long, a single needle sewing machine should be used. Multiple stitches may be sutured.

  Furthermore, if necessary, seal material, adhesive or adhesive material is applied to the upper and / or lower parts of the seam, between the seams, the seam allowances, etc., in order to prevent gas leakage from the seams such as the outer periphery seam. It may be spread or laminated.

  What is necessary is just to select suitably the sewing thread | yarn used for a sewing from what is generally called as a synthetic fiber sewing thread | yarn, and what is used as an industrial sewing thread | yarn. For example, nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon 46, polyester, polymer polyolefin, fluorine-containing, vinylon, aramid, carbon, glass, steel and the like may be used, and any of spun yarn, filament twisted yarn or filament resin processed yarn may be used.

  In addition, as described above, a heat-resistant protective cloth or a mechanical reinforcing cloth for protecting from the hot gas may be provided around the inflator attachment port according to the characteristics of the inflator to be used. These protective cloths and reinforcing cloths are made of heat-resistant materials such as heat-resistant fiber materials such as wholly aromatic polyamide fibers, wholly aromatic polyester fibers, PBO fibers, polyimide fibers, and fluorine-containing fibers. Alternatively, it is also possible to use a woven fabric that is separately prepared using a thread that is the same as the airbag body or thicker than the base fabric. Moreover, you may use what gave the heat resistant coating | covering material to the textile fabric.

  The present invention has been described so far with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this, and changes and improvements can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, the airbag having such a shape is mainly used for a passenger seat, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other airbags such as a driver's seat airbag and a side impact airbag can be used. Is also applicable.

1 Airbag
2 Body
3 Inflator mounting side panel
4 Passenger side panels 5, 5a, 5b Tubular part
6 recess
7 Peripheral sewing thread
8 Inflator mounting port
9 Reinforcement cloth for inflator attachment port
10 Bond pieces
11 Bonded reinforcing cloth
12 Body panel
13 Body side panel
14 Exhaust hole

Claims (3)

An airbag for protecting an occupant having a recess on an occupant surface, the main body portion and two or more cylindrical portions communicating with the main body portion at one end, and the other ends of the cylindrical portions are respectively An occupant protection airbag joined to the main body. The occupant protection airbag according to claim 1, wherein the adjacent cylindrical portions are joined together. An airbag for protecting an occupant having a recessed portion on an occupant surface, the main body portion and three or more cylindrical portions communicating with the main body portion at one end, and opposite ends of the opposing cylindrical portions An air bag for occupant protection.