JP2014019297A - Air bag folding method and air bag - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air bag folding method and an air bag capable of improving binding performance of an occupant by quickening development to an occupant side.SOLUTION: A gas introduction part 31 is located on one end side, and an air bag body 34 is folded into a planar shape to extend to the other end side. Below the air bag body 34 folded into the planar part, a conduit pipe part 52 is formed, which communicates with the gas introduction part 31 and extends to gradually narrow from one end side to the other end side. The side face parts of both sides of the air bag body 34 are stacked together from a car width direction and folded to form a folding part 56. The other end side of the folding part 56 is folded in a bellows shape from a predetermined direction D to form a collection part 59. The collection part 59 is wound along the predetermined direction D to one end side of the folding part 56 to be stacked on the upper part. Development in the car width direction is suppressed by the bellows shapes of both sides of the folding part 56, and gas is preferentially directed to the occupant side by the conduit pipe part 52. Thus, development to the occupant side is quickened to improve binding performance of the occupant.

Description

  The present invention relates to an airbag folding method and an airbag in which gas is introduced into an interior and inflated and deployed in a predetermined direction toward an object to be protected.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an airbag device for a passenger in a passenger seat disposed on an instrument panel of an automobile is known. The airbag device includes a case body having an opening on the upper side, and stores a folded airbag and an inflator that injects gas for inflating the airbag inside the case body. Moreover, the cover body attached along an instrument panel is attached to the upper part of a case body, and the upper opening part is covered with this cover body. When the automobile collides, the airbag is inflated by injecting gas from the inflator, the tear line formed in the cover body is broken by the inflation pressure of the airbag to form an inflation outlet, and the airbag is released from the inflation outlet. Is inflated and deployed in front of the passenger in the passenger seat to restrain the passenger and reduce the impact on the passenger.

  In such an airbag for a passenger on the passenger seat, in order to improve the occupant restraint performance, it is desirable that the airbag main body portion be deployed more quickly in the occupant direction and the occupant restraint surface be formed more quickly. It is.

  In this regard, for example, after a bag-like airbag folded in a flat shape is folded in a bellows shape so as to have a predetermined width in the vehicle width direction, the distal end of the folded airbag is used as a base end to which an inflator is attached. A configuration is known in which a loop portion is formed by being wound in a roll shape toward the side, thereby slowing the speed of unfolding (deployment) in the vehicle width direction and giving uniform deployment behavior (see, for example, Patent Document 1). .) However, in this configuration, the airbag main body is expanded at a stretch by gas filling, and the effect of delaying the folding release speed is not sufficient, and the deployment volume in the vehicle width direction becomes the deployment volume in the occupant direction. On the other hand, it grows.

JP-A-8-276811 (page 3-6, FIG. 5 and FIG. 8)

  As described above, there is a need for an airbag that has been quickly deployed in the occupant direction and has improved occupant restraint.

  This invention is made in view of such a point, and it aims at providing the folding method of an airbag and the airbag which accelerated the deployment to the protected object side and improved the restraint property of the protected object. To do.

  The airbag folding method according to claim 1, wherein a gas is introduced into the interior through the gas introduction part from a state in which a bag-like outer shell part provided with the gas introduction part is folded, toward the object to be protected. A method of folding an airbag that inflates and deploys in a predetermined direction, wherein the gas introduction part is positioned on one end side and the outer shell part is folded in a planar shape so as to extend to the other end side; and A conduit portion forming step of forming a conduit portion communicating with the gas introduction portion and extending gradually from one end side to the other end side at a lower portion of the outer shell portion folded in a plane; A folding part forming step of forming a folding part of a predetermined width by folding the side parts on both sides from each other in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction, and forming the other end side of the folding part in a bellows shape from the predetermined direction Folding part forming process to fold and form the gathering part, and this gathering part It is obtained by including a winding step of overlapping on top of the folded portion involving into one end of the folded portion along a predetermined direction.

  The airbag folding method according to claim 2 is the airbag folding method according to claim 1, wherein the other end side of the conduit portion is located in the collecting portion.

  In the airbag according to claim 3, gas is introduced into the inside through the gas introduction part from a state in which the bag-like outer shell part provided with the gas introduction part is folded, in a predetermined direction toward the object to be protected. An airbag that is inflated and deployed, and in a folded state, the gas introduction part is positioned on one end side, and side parts on both sides are overlapped and folded to form a predetermined width from a direction intersecting the predetermined direction. A folded portion, the other end side of the folded portion is folded in a bellows shape from the predetermined direction, is wound around one end side of the folded portion and overlapped on the upper portion of the folded portion, and The gas introduction part communicates with the gas introduction part side and is formed so as to gradually narrow toward the other end side with the gas introduction part side as one end side. Provided with a conduit part leading to the gathering part A.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the airbag according to the third aspect, the other end side of the conduit portion is located in the collecting portion in a folded state.

  According to the airbag folding method of claim 1, the deployment in the direction intersecting the predetermined direction on the protected object side is suppressed by the folded portion in which the side portions on both sides are overlapped and folded from this direction. At the same time, the conduit part extending in communication with the gas introduction part can accelerate the development of the gathered part that is folded in a bellows shape with the gas directed to the protected object side in preference to the protected object side. The restraint of objects can be improved.

  According to the airbag folding method of the second aspect, in addition to the effect of the airbag folding method of the first aspect, the other end portion of the conduit portion is positioned at the gathering portion, thereby directing by the conduit portion. Thus, it is possible to surely flow the gas into the collecting portion, and it is possible to expedite deployment to the protected object side.

  According to the airbag according to claim 3, the deployment in the direction intersecting the predetermined direction on the protected object side is suppressed by the folding portion in which the side portions on both sides are overlapped with each other from this direction, and the gas introduction is performed. Conduitability of the protected object can be expedited to the protected object side of the converging part that is folded in a bellows-like manner by directing gas toward the protected object side by the conduit part that communicates with the protected part. Can be improved.

  According to the airbag of the fourth aspect, in addition to the effect of the airbag of the third aspect, the other end portion of the conduit portion is positioned at the collecting portion, so that the gas directed by the conduit portion is reliably supplied to the collecting portion. It can be made to flow in and the development to the protected object side can be accelerated.

It is explanatory drawing of the folding state which shows 1st Embodiment of the airbag of this invention. It is a top view which shows typically the state after the folding process of the folding method of an airbag same as the above. It is a perspective view which shows typically the conduit | pipe part formation process of the folding method of an airbag same as the above. The state after the conduit | pipe part formation process of an airbag same as the above is shown typically, (a) is the top view, (b) is II sectional drawing of (a). It is a perspective view which shows typically the folding part formation process of the folding method of an airbag same as the above. The state after the folding part formation process of an airbag same as the above is shown typically, (a) is the perspective view, and (b) is the II-II sectional view of (a). It is a perspective view which shows typically the assembly part formation process of the folding method of an airbag same as the above. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which the airbag same as the above developed. It is sectional drawing of the state after the folding part formation process which shows 2nd Embodiment of the airbag of this invention.

  Hereinafter, a method for folding an airbag and a first embodiment of an airbag according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  1 to 8, reference numeral 10 denotes an airbag device. The airbag device 10 is positioned in front of a passenger seat of an automobile 11 as a vehicle that is a moving body, that is, an occupant A that is an object to be protected in the passenger seat. An airbag device 10 for passengers on the passenger seat is configured by being arranged inside an instrument panel portion 14 as an installation portion. Hereinafter, the front-rear direction, the both-side direction, and the up-down direction will be described based on the straight traveling direction of the automobile 11 with the airbag device 10 attached to the automobile 11, respectively. In FIG. 8, the occupant A is indicated by a dummy.

  The instrument panel portion 14 is formed in a curved surface or the like that slightly descends toward the rear side, that is, the passenger seat side, and a steering member (not shown) as a mounted member disposed inside the instrument panel portion 14. The airbag device 10 is fixed by screwing or the like with the front side inclined slightly from the upper side toward the rear side, that is, the occupant A side. Further, a windshield 15 that is a windshield inclined from the lower front side toward the upper rear side is disposed above the instrument panel portion 14.

  The airbag device 10 can also be referred to as an airbag module. The airbag 21 is composed of a base fabric, the inflator 22 that supplies gas to the airbag 21, the airbag 21 and the inflator 22, and the like. Are provided with a case body 24, a retainer plate 25, a cover body (not shown) that covers the airbag 21 before deployment, a control means (not shown) that controls the operation of the inflator 22, and the like.

  The case body 24 is formed in a substantially box shape, and the front side or the upper side toward the windshield 15 is formed as a rectangular projecting opening 27 that is an opening, and the inner side stores an airbag 21 that stores a folded airbag 21. Part 28. The protrusion 27 is normally covered with a cover body.

  The inflator 22 includes a disk-shaped main body portion 22a, and a square plate-like flange portion projects from an intermediate position in the height direction of the main body portion 22a. At the four corners of the flange portion, mounting holes are provided. A certain through hole is formed. A plurality of gas injection ports are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 22a, located above the main body portion 22a, that is, above the flange portion. The igniter and the medicine are accommodated inside the main body 22a, and the igniter burns the medicine by an electrical signal from the control means transmitted through the connector connected to the bottom, and the gas is emitted from the gas injection port. Is being supplied rapidly. The inflator 22 is attached to the bottom of the case body 24 in a state in which the main body 22a provided with the gas injection port is inserted inside the airbag 21. The inflator 22 has various shapes. For example, a configuration in which a cylindrical main body is disposed inside the airbag 21 can be employed.

  The retainer plate 25 is also called a mid retainer or the like, and has a rectangular frame shape that is long in the vehicle width direction W that intersects (orthogonally) the predetermined direction D, and a plurality of mounting bolts 25a are provided in a protruding manner. ing.

  Further, the cover body is formed integrally with or separately from the instrument panel portion 14 with a resin, and a tear line that is thinner than other portions and easily breaks is formed.

  The airbag 21 is formed by combining one or more base fabrics. The airbag 21 is directed from a base end portion, which is one end portion in the vicinity of the mounting portion 32, which is a mount portion including a gas introduction portion 31, which is an inflator mounting port, to a distal end portion, which is the other end portion, and the width dimension is substantially constant. An airbag main body portion 34 is provided as a bag-like outer shell portion with an increased thickness dimension. The airbag main body 34 is located on the front surface 41 that is a restraint surface facing the occupant A when deployed, the lower surface 42 facing the instrument panel 14, the upper surface 43 facing the windshield 15, and both sides thereof. Side portions 44, 44 are successively formed. That is, the airbag main body 34 has a bottom surface 42 and a top surface 43 that are continuous at the base end, a bottom surface 42 that is continuous with a lower edge of the front surface 41, and an upper edge of the front surface 41. Further, the upper surface portion 43 is continuous, and the front surface portion 41, the lower surface portion 42, and the side surface portions 44 are continuous on both sides of the upper surface portion 43. In addition, circular side exhaust ports 45, 45, also called vent holes, are formed in the side surface portions 44, 44.

  The gas introduction part 31 is, for example, a circular hole corresponding to the shape of the inflator 22.

  The mounting portion 32 is a portion that is fixed to the case body via the retainer plate 25, is provided with a gas introduction portion 31 at the center portion, is formed in a rectangular shape that is long in the vehicle width direction W, and has a mounting bolt A plurality of mounting holes 47 into which 25a is inserted are formed around the gas introduction part 31.

  The airbag 21 is folded into a predetermined shape, which will be described later, and the gas injection port portion of the inflator 22 is inserted into the gas introduction portion 31, and the mounting portion 32 around the gas introduction portion 31 is attached by the retainer plate 25. While being held and pressed against the bottom of the case body 24, it is stored inside the airbag storage portion 28 of the case body 24. Then, in a state where a nut (not shown) is screwed and tightened to the mounting bolt 25a of the retainer plate 25, the airbag 21, the case body 24, and the inflator 22 are fastened together and fixed between the retainer plate 25 and the nut. The

  In the airbag device 10 configured as described above, the control device operates the inflator 22 and injects gas from the inflator 22 in the event of a car collision or the like. Then, the airbag 21 is inflated and deployed as the gas flows in, breaks the tear line of the cover body, protrudes from the protruding port 27 to the front side in the predetermined direction D (occupant A direction), and further described below. Inflating and deploying with the behavior, it spreads in front of the occupant A seated in the passenger seat and protects the occupant A from the impact of the collision.

  Next, the folding shape and folding process of the airbag 21 will be described.

  First, the retainer plate 25 is inserted inside the airbag main body 34 of the airbag 21, the mounting bolt 25a is pulled out, and the airbag main body 34 is deployed. From here, as shown in FIG. 2, as the folding process, the upper surface portion 43 and the lower surface portion 42 are moved up and down while the front portion 41 is folded inside the airbag body portion 34 in the vicinity of the central portion in the vertical direction. Superimpose and fold flat (flat). In other words, the airbag main body 34 is located on the side of the occupant A (FIG. 8) whose one end is the gas introduction part 31 (mounting part 32, retainer plate 25) side that is the mount side to the automobile 11 (FIG. 8). It is folded in a flat shape so as to extend to the other end side (anti-predetermined direction D). In this state, the airbag main body 34 expands in the vehicle width direction W from the gas introduction part 31 (attachment part 32, retainer plate 25), which is one end side, to the other end side.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3, as the conduit portion forming step, the airbag body 34 folded in a flat shape is raised to form a plurality of folds 51 on the lower surface portion 42, and the positions where the tips of these folds 51 intersect each other By gripping the marking M1 applied to the gas introduction part 31 (mounting part 32, retainer plate 25) from the base end side as one end side to the tip end side as the other end side, that is, in the anti-predetermined direction D An elongated (isosceles) triangular conduit portion 52 that gradually narrows is formed so as to communicate with the gas introduction portion 31, and an airbag main body 34 that forms the conduit portion 52 is formed on the conduit portion 52. 4A and 4B with the shape maintained, a predetermined direction D from a virtual line X in the vehicle width direction W passing through the center of the gas introduction part 31 (attachment part 32, retainer plate 25) as shown in FIGS. Depress again flatly. At this time, the slack that occurs in the side surfaces 44, 44 at the position of the attachment portion 32 at the proximal end of the conduit portion 52 enters inward in accordance with the width dimension of the retainer plate 25.

  Further, as the folding portion forming step, as shown in FIG. 5, the airbag main body portion 34 is formed with the folds 54 and 55 on the side surface portions 44 and 44, respectively, so that a predetermined width from the vehicle width direction W, for example, As shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b), the gas introduction part 31 side is overlapped with each other so as to have a width substantially equal to the width dimension of the attachment part 32 (retainer plate 25). As a base end portion 56a which is one end side (base end side), a bellows-like folded portion 56 in which a tip end portion 56b which is the other end side (tip end side) extends linearly in the anti-predetermined direction D is formed.

  Here, each of the folds 54 and 55 is created, for example, in a straight line using the marking M2 provided on each side surface portion 44 as a mark, and the fold 54 is a mountain fold and the fold 55 is a valley fold. Each fold line 54 is formed in parallel to the predetermined direction D from both sides of the mounting portion 32 (retainer plate 25). On the other hand, each fold line 55 extends from the position on one side and the other side of the attachment portion 32 (retainer plate 25) to the other side and one side on the tip side so as to intersect with the predetermined direction D in an inclined manner. Thus, it is located in the vicinity of the fold 54 at a predetermined position C1, which is the position of the marking M2 on the front end side. In other words, each crease 55 is positioned so that the base end side is located in the vicinity of the base end side of the fold line 54 on the one side and the other side, and approaches the tip side near the tip end side of the fold line 54 on the other side and the one side. Inclined. Further, in each fold 55, the folding part 56 is folded toward the inside of the airbag main body part 34 so as not to cause wrinkles.

  The folding portion 56 has a bellows shape that is alternately bent in one side direction and the other side direction intersecting the predetermined direction D, and a predetermined intersection position C2 where the fold lines 55 and 55 intersect in a plan view. The side surface portions 44 and 44 are overlapped in the vehicle width direction at a position closer to the front end side. In other words, the folding portion 56 is formed so that the side surface portions 44 and 44 are alternately meshed and overlapped in the vehicle width direction W. Therefore, the folding part 56 is formed so as to delay the inflow of gas in the vehicle width direction W. The airbag body 34 is expanded in the vehicle width direction W from the gas introduction part 31 (attachment part 32, retainer plate 25) side to the other end side in a state of being folded in a plane. Therefore, the overlap (lap) amount L in the vehicle width direction of the side surface portions 44, 44 at the folding portion 56 is within the range from the predetermined intersection position C2 to the predetermined position C1 (on the predetermined intersection position C2 side). ) Gradually increases from the front end side (predetermined position C1), and is superposed over the entire vehicle width direction W at a position closer to the front end side than the predetermined position C1. Further, the distal end side of the conduit portion 52 extends to the distal end side from the predetermined position C1. At this stage, a so-called preliminary fold is formed in the airbag 21 (airbag main body 34).

  Next, as a gathering portion forming step, as shown in FIG. 7, the region on the tip side of the tip portion 56b of the folding portion 56 from the predetermined position C1, that is, the side portions 44 and 44 (FIG. 6) is the entire vehicle width direction W. A plurality of folds 58 along the vehicle width direction W are formed in parallel to each other at substantially equal intervals at positions overlapping with each other so that they are alternately folded from the predetermined direction D to the anti-predetermined direction D to form a bellows shape. Are formed.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 1, as shown in FIG. 1, the gathering portion 59 is moved to a proximal end portion 56 a of the folding portion 56, that is, to a predetermined direction D on the side of the occupant A (FIG. 8). • Roll in a roll shape so as to collapse, and overlap the upper part of the base end portion 56a of the folding portion 56. Therefore, the gathering part 59 is located at a position facing the upper side of the gas introduction part 31 through the conduit part 52.

  The airbag 21 folded in this manner is held in shape by an appropriate means such as a rupturable wrapping member and is stored in the case body 24 (FIG. 8).

  Next, the deployment operation of the airbag 21 will be described.

  From the state shown in FIG. 1, when gas is supplied from the inflator 22 to the gas introduction part 31 to the airbag 21 that is folded and stored, the gas is introduced from the gas introduction part 31 into the airbag 21. At this time, part of the gas is preferentially guided along the conduit portion 52 to the collecting portion 59, and the remaining other portion flows into the base end portion 56a of the folding portion 56 from below. At this time, since the conduit portion 52 is gradually narrowed from the proximal end side to the distal end side, the gas flows into the collecting portion 59 while maintaining the momentum injected from the inflator 22 (arrow G). ). Then, in the gathering portion 59, the bellows shape is released while the roll-like winding is released. At this time, as shown in FIG. By being overlapped with each other, the deployment in the vehicle width direction W is temporarily suppressed, and the deployment speed is delayed. As shown in FIG. 8, toward the passenger A in the predetermined direction D (rear). The front part 41, the lower surface part 42 and the upper surface part 43 are formed preferentially. The bellows shape on both sides of the folding portion 56 is developed slightly behind the deployment to the occupant A side to form side portions 44, 44 in the vehicle width direction W, and the airbag 21 is deployed as a whole. To do.

  According to the present embodiment, the development in the vehicle width direction W intersecting with the predetermined direction on the occupant A side is performed by the folding portion 56 in which the side surface portions 44 and 44 on both sides are overlapped with each other. In addition to being suppressed, the duct portion 52 extending in communication with the gas introduction portion 31 gives priority to the occupant A side and directs the gas so that the gathering portion 59 is quickly deployed to the occupant A side and the front portion 41 is formed early. It is possible to improve the restraint of the occupant A.

  That is, while the airbag 21 is folded, the side portions 44 and 44 are engaged and overlapped with each other in the vehicle width direction W at the folding portion 56, while the conduit portion 52 is in a predetermined direction. Since the gas introduced from the gas introduction part 31 is temporarily prevented from being introduced in the vehicle width direction W by the folding part 56, the gas introduced from the gas introduction part 31 is prevented from being introduced in the predetermined direction D from the conduit part 52. Oriented towards. For this reason, it is possible to deploy the vehicle in the predetermined direction D, that is, toward the occupant A, sooner than the assembly portion 59 develops in the vehicle width direction W.

  Further, by positioning the distal end portion, which is the other end portion of the conduit portion 52, in the collecting portion 59, the gas directed by the conduit portion 52 is surely flowed into the collecting portion 59, and the deployment to the occupant A side is further accelerated. be able to.

  Furthermore, since the airbag 21 controls the deployment mode only by the folding method described above with respect to a general airbag main body 34, the folding method is applied to the conventional airbag 21. As a result, it is possible to improve the deployment performance without performing an operation of increasing the cost, such as changing the design of the airbag 21 itself. In particular, the folding method described above does not require a complicated process, and thus manufacturing costs can be suppressed.

  In the first embodiment, as in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the folding portion 56 may reverse the order in which the side surface portions 44 and 44 are overlapped.

  The present invention can be applied, for example, to an airbag used in an airbag device for a passenger on a passenger seat provided in an instrument panel of an automobile.

21 airbag
31 Gas introduction part
34 Airbag body as the outer shell
44 Side
52 Conduit section
56 Folding part
59 Meeting part A Crew who is protected D D Specified direction

Claims (4)

A method of folding an airbag in which a gas is introduced into the interior through the gas introduction portion from a state in which a bag-like outer shell portion having a gas introduction portion is folded and inflated and deployed in a predetermined direction toward a protected object. Because
A folding step in which the gas introduction part is positioned on one end side and the outer shell part is folded in a planar shape so as to extend to the other end side;
A conduit part forming step of forming a conduit part communicating with the gas introduction part and extending gradually from one end side to the other end side at a lower part of the outer shell part folded in a plane;
A folding part forming step of forming a folding part with a predetermined width by folding the outer shell part from the direction intersecting the predetermined direction by overlapping the side parts on both sides with each other;
An assembly portion forming step of forming the assembly portion by folding the other end side of the folded portion into a bellows shape from the predetermined direction;
A folding method for an airbag, comprising: a winding step of winding the gathering portion along the predetermined direction toward one end side of the folding portion and overlapping the upper portion of the folding portion. The airbag folding method according to claim 1, wherein the other end side of the conduit portion is located in the collecting portion. An airbag that is inflated and deployed in a predetermined direction toward a protected object by introducing gas into the interior through the gas introduction part from a state in which a bag-like outer shell part provided with a gas introduction part is folded,
In the folded state,
The gas introduction part is located on one end side, and the side part on both sides from the direction crossing the predetermined direction is overlapped and folded into a predetermined width, and
The other end side of the folding part is formed in a bellows-like shape from the predetermined direction, and is gathered into one end side of the folding part and overlapped on the upper part of the folding part, and
The gas introduction part communicates with the gas introduction part side and is formed so as to gradually narrow toward the other end side with the gas introduction part side as one end side. An air bag comprising: a conduit portion that leads to the collecting portion. The air bag according to claim 3, wherein the conduit portion is folded and the other end side is positioned at the gathering portion.

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