JP2014091498A - Air bag - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a curtain air bag whose swollen part can quickly expand in a short time and storage property is improved.SOLUTION: The air bag which is a hollow air bag comprises: a first bag part which is an approximately rectangular shape when viewed from side surfaces of a vehicle in an expanded state; and an extension bag part continuously formed to an end surface of a longitudinal direction of the first bag part and whose width dimension of a vertical direction of the vehicle in the end surface gradually reduces toward a tip end part. The point part of the tip end part and the point part of the tip end part when the extension bag part is folded inside the first bag part in the end surface are facing the same direction.

Description

  The present invention relates to an airbag.

  At the time of a vehicle collision, the impact is detected and gas generated from an inflator (gas generator) is injected into the airbag. The bag is inflated and deployed, and is interposed between the passenger and the vehicle body. Air bag devices that mitigate and protect the impact of the camera have become widespread. In recent years, it is equipped not only on the steering wheel and instrument panel to protect the occupant's head and upper body, but also on the side door surface side. Further safety is ensured so that passengers can be protected.

  Specifically, a head protection airbag device that deploys the airbag in a curtain shape below the roof side rail portion at the time of a side collision or vehicle rollover has been mounted as an occupant protection auxiliary device. In other words, a head protection airbag device that can protect not only the head of an occupant seated in the front seat but also the head of the occupant seated in the rear seat has already been known.

  One of the most widely used airbag devices for protecting the head today is a curtain airbag, and various types of airbag devices have been developed in accordance with the shape and required performance of the vehicle. For example, for a vehicle that has three rows of seats aligned in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and can accommodate about 7 to 8 passengers at a time, three expansion chambers are set in the front and rear, an inflator is incorporated, and the inflator Is activated to blow and inflate an expansion fluid composed of nitrogen gas or helium gas.

  Such a vehicle having three rows of seats is typically a vehicle type called a so-called minivan, and a rear portion serves as a luggage compartment and is normally closed by an upper or side opening door. It has a certain distance rearward from the rear seat head position and reaches the vicinity of the rear end of the vehicle. The curtain airbag as described above is arranged in an elongated shape along the roof side rail of an automobile, and can smoothly introduce the inflating fluid introduced from one end to the other end. Therefore, there is a demand for a configuration that stably develops with a predetermined behavior.

JP 2001-270413 A JP 2007-055545 A JP 2008-001197 A

  Here, a conventional curtain airbag will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12 and FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a folding process of the airbag device having the conventional cover portion, and FIG. 11 is a view of the TT portion of FIG. 10 when the airbag device having the conventional cover portion is folded. It is sectional drawing. FIG. 12 is an enlarged side view of a main part showing a vehicle-mounted state of an airbag device having a conventional rear-side inflating portion, and FIG. 14 is a schematic rear view of a curtain airbag having a conventional auxiliary chamber. is there.

  In FIG. 10, an airbag main body 101 described in Patent Document 1 communicates with a gas inflow portion 102, an inflatable portion 103 that inflates by inflating an inflating gas, and a non-inflatable portion 104 that does not allow the inflating gas to flow in. , And is configured. As shown in FIG. 11, the inflating portion 103 is configured to be inflated by separating the vehicle inner wall portion 103 a and the vehicle outer wall portion 103 b when inflating gas flows in, and communicates with the gas inflow portion 102 in general. A portion 105 and a cover portion 106 that can cover a vehicle inner side portion on the front edge side of the rear pillar garnish (not shown) when deployed and inflated.

  The general portion 105 is disposed on the upper side of the airbag main body 101 and the front seat inflatable portion 105F that can be disposed at a position on the front seat side of the vehicle, the rear seat inflatable portion 105B that can be disposed at a position on the rear seat side. The communication inflating portion 105C communicates with the gas inflow portion 102 and communicates with the upper portions of the front and rear seat inflating portions 105F and 105B.

  Each of the inflating portions 105F, 105B, and 105C is partitioned by a joint portion 108 that is closely woven so as to join the vehicle inner wall portion 103a and the vehicle outer wall portion 103b at the periphery or near the center. . The coupling portion 108 includes a vehicle inner wall portion 103a and a vehicle in the vicinity of the center of each of the peripheral coupling portion 108a disposed at the periphery of each of the expansion portions 105F, 105B, and 105C and the expansion portion 105 that is separated from the peripheral coupling portion 108a. Three independent coupling portions 108b closely woven so as to couple the outer side wall portion 103b and the inner side wall portion 103a and the outer side wall portion 103b are joined from the peripheral coupling portion 108a to the expansion portion 105. And an extended coupling portion 108c extending into the region. When the front and rear seat inflating portions 105F and 105B are inflated, the independent and extending coupling portions 108b and 108c exert an air tension from the vicinity of the front end of the gas inflow portion 102 to the front portion of the airbag body 101, Even if the bag body 101 receives a pressing force to the outside of the vehicle, it is provided so as not to move to the outside of the vehicle.

  The cover portion 106 is formed in a semicircular shape in which the attachment portion 107 is not disposed on the periphery, and is rearwardly extended from the rear end of the general portion 105 at a lower position away from the gas inflow portion 102. It is communicated with the rear end. The cover portion 106 is set to have a shape and a size that can cover a vehicle interior portion on the front edge side of a rear pillar garnish (not shown) when the airbag 100 is mounted and inflated after being mounted on the vehicle.

  The non-inflatable portion 104 includes a triangular plate portion 104a on the front side of the front seat inflatable portion 105F, and a rectangular plate portion 104b below the communicating inflatable portion 105C between the front and rear seat inflatable portions 105F and 105B. Has been. These non-inflatable portions 104a and 104b ensure the overall shape of the airbag main body 101 from the gas inflow portion 102 to the front portion of the airbag main body 101 and reduce the volume of the inflatable portion 103 until the inflation is completed. It is set to shorten the time. The non-expandable portion 104 is woven into a single plate shape with a coarser thread density than the joint portion 108.

  For mounting the conventional airbag 100 on a vehicle, first, the bag-woven airbag 100 is folded. As shown in FIG. 11, the folding is performed by folding the cover portion 106 toward the rear seat inflating portion 105 </ b> B side of the general portion 105, and further, on the lower edge 100 b side of the airbag 100. Is folded so as to approach the upper edge 100a side. In the case of the conventional airbag 100, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the cover portion 106 is folded so as to be inserted into the rear seat inflatable portion 105B, and then sequentially shown in the two-dot chain line in FIG. In addition, it is described that a bellows fold is made so that the airbag lower edge 100b side approaches the airbag upper edge 100a with a fold K between mountain fold and valley fold.

  Next, in FIG. 12, the airbag main body 120 described in Patent Document 2 is folded or bellows folded in the vehicle vertical direction, and is folded into a long shape in the vehicle front-rear direction. The airbag 130 in this state is disposed along the roof side rail portion 121 and is stored or stored between the end portion of the roof head lining (not shown) and fixed to the body side by a plurality of fixing points 122. doing. Further, the rear end portion 123A located on the vehicle rear side with respect to the rear end fixing point 122A to the body of the rear side inflatable portion 123 is folded back to the vehicle front side and parallel to the lower portion of the general portion 123B of the rear side inflatable portion 123. It is arranged.

  The rear end portion 123A of the rear side inflating portion 123 is turned back to the vehicle front side after passing through a loop tether 125 as a guide means and a guide member. The fixing point 125A of the tether 125 is set on the vehicle rear side and the vehicle upper side of the passenger head protection area S (the hatched portion in FIG. 12) by the rear side inflating portion 123 (roof side rail inner panel not shown). Fixed). Then, the occupant head protection area S shown in FIG. 12 attempts to expand the rear end portion 123A of the rear side inflatable portion 123 in a narrow gap between the side portion on the passenger compartment side and the occupant's side head portion. It is a range.

  And since the airbag 130 of patent document 2 is set as the structure which folds down the rear-end part 123A of the back side expansion part 123 to the downward direction of the general part 123B of the back side expansion part 123, 123A of rear ends of the back side expansion part 123 Since the rear end portion 123A is pressed downward in the process of being sequentially deployed downward while being guided by the tether 125 and moving toward the front side of the vehicle, a vehicle using the tether 125 of the rear end portion 123A. The forward movement is promoted. Thereby, it is possible to expand the rear side inflating part 123 earlier in the protection area S on the occupant's temporal region, and the rear end part 123A of the rear side inflating part 123 does not overlap the quarter pillar garnish 124 in a side view. In the case of a vehicle layout, it is described that an occupant's head protection performance is effectively exhibited.

  Next, in FIG. 14, the airbag main body 140 described in Patent Document 3 is configured such that the auxiliary chamber 142a is folded back and the auxiliary chamber 142a covers the chamber 141b. Then, a substantially T-shaped partition 146 suspended between the chamber 141b and the chamber 141c and one of the outer peripheral short sides of the airbag 140, which is suspended in the short side direction of the airbag 140. A part of the partition portion 146 is sewn with a thread and an adhesive 147. In order to secure gas supply to the auxiliary chamber 142a and the chamber 141b, the gas passage by the conduit 144 is not stitched. In addition, one of the locking portions 143 protrudes above the chamber 141b on which the auxiliary chamber 142a is superimposed.

  When the airbag 140 is deployed, gas is supplied from an inflator (not shown) to the auxiliary chamber 142a, the chambers 141b, 141c, and 141d, and is inflated and deployed in a substantially elliptical shape in plan view. Since the auxiliary chamber 142a and the chamber 141b are overlapped and fixed, and the chamber 141b is connected to other chambers 141c and the like, the auxiliary chamber 142a and the chamber 141b are oblique to the forward direction of the vehicle 5. Unfold to extrude.

  When the vehicle moves in an oblique direction and collides with an obstacle, the occupant moves due to inertia. In this case, since the auxiliary chamber 142a and the chamber 141b are deployed in an oblique direction, the occupant is protected so as to be wrapped by the airbag 140.

  However, in the airbag device described in Patent Document 1, the rear end portion of the airbag is folded back so as to be inserted into the bag in a substantially V shape in plan view as shown in FIG. The tip of the portion (substantially V-shaped) (the rearmost end of the airbag) is inverted, and requires an operation of returning to the inflated state when deployed. For this reason, in the state of being overlapped by bellows folding or roll folding, there is a problem that the operation of returning at the time of deployment is limited, rapid deployment behavior cannot be performed, and the front end portion of the bag cannot be pushed out efficiently. Moreover, since the length of the part to be inserted is limited to be equal to or smaller than the size of the air chamber of the folded part, there is a problem that the volume of the bulging part at the time of deployment cannot be increased.

  Further, in the airbag device described in Patent Document 2, the rear end portion of the airbag, that is, the portion corresponding to the rear seat (third row) of the vehicle having three rows of seats is folded into the vehicle. Although it is installed, the folded portion expands when the front expansion portion expands to some extent and is expanded. For this reason, in order for the air chamber corresponding to the protection area of the occupant head of the rear seat to inflate at an appropriate timing in order to protect the occupant, it is necessary to inflate the front inflating part quickly. This is accompanied by difficulties.

  In other words, in order to quickly inflate the front inflating part, it is conceivable to start the inflation gas source by predicting a collision immediately before, or use an inflation gas source that generates a larger amount of gas instantaneously than usual. However, in order to predict a collision, the airbag system needs to be complicated, and if the inflation gas source has the characteristic of injecting a large amount of gas immediately after startup, the airbag system can withstand the suddenly rising internal pressure. It becomes necessary to increase the pressure resistance of the entire bag. Further, in the side view of the vehicle, the portion bent into a substantially J shape is restricted in the flow of gas because the flow path is bent, and as a behavior, the portion bent into a substantially J shape is in a straight line state. The full-scale expansion starts by returning to step (b). Therefore, there is a problem that the time required for filling the gas to the end portion of the airbag is generally long.

  For this reason, in order to shorten the time required to reach the unfolded state, a measure of disposing an expansion gas source in the vicinity of the portion bent in a substantially J shape may be considered, but it is bent in a substantially J shape. Since the folded portion of the airbag becomes larger than the other portions, the actual situation is that there is very little possibility that a space for installing the inflation gas source can be secured in such a place.

  Furthermore, in the curtain airbag described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 3, the gas inlet of the auxiliary chamber overlaid on the chamber is also folded, which is sufficient for the auxiliary chamber after the chamber overlaid on the auxiliary chamber is expanded. There is a concern that the gas will not flow in and the airbag will not be deployed as required. Furthermore, when the curtain airbag is folded by bellows folding or roll folding, the end portion expands in a bowl shape due to the difference in circumference, so improvement in workability due to compact shape or improvement in storage property cannot be expected. There is also a problem.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and in an airbag having a behavior in which an extended end portion is inflated at the time of deployment, the inflated portion is quickly deployed in a short time. Another object of the present invention is to provide a curtain airbag with improved storability.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the airbag according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a first bag portion having a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the side of the vehicle in a deployed state, and a longitudinal direction of the first bag portion. An extension bag portion formed continuously with respect to the end surface, and having a shape in which the width dimension in the vertical direction of the vehicle on the end surface gradually decreases toward the tip portion, The tip portion of the tip portion and the tip portion of the tip portion when the extension bag portion is folded inside the first bag portion on the end surface are in the same direction.

  Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, the airbag in this invention of Claim 2 is the 1st bag part which the shape seen from the side surface direction of the vehicle in the expansion | deployment state is substantially rectangular, and the said 1st bag part An extension bag part formed continuously with respect to the end face in the longitudinal direction and having a shape in which the width dimension in the vertical direction of the vehicle on the end face gradually decreases toward the tip part. When the extension bag portion is folded inside the first bag portion at the end surface, the cross-sectional shape viewed from the up and down direction formed by the first bag portion and the extension bag portion is substantially It is W-shaped.

  Furthermore, the airbag according to claim 3 is the airbag according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the extension bag portion is a first extension bag portion formed continuously with respect to the end portion, and A second extension bag portion formed continuously with respect to the first extension bag portion and having the tip portion, and when the second extension bag portion is folded over the first extension bag portion, The extension bag portion and the second extension bag portion are temporarily fixed.

  The airbag according to claim 4 is the airbag according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the extended bag portion is folded inside the first bag portion at the end surface. The upper end point at which the boundary line between the first bag portion and the extended bag portion to be formed contacts the upper end portion in the longitudinal direction, and the lower end point at which the boundary line contacts the lower end portion in the longitudinal direction. The vehicle is characterized by being displaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle as viewed from the longitudinal direction.

  The airbag according to claim 5 is the airbag according to claim 4, wherein the extension bag portion is folded inside the first bag portion in the vicinity of a straight line connecting the upper end point and the lower end point. It is characterized by having a mark for it.

  According to the present invention, the end portion of the extension portion moves smoothly with respect to the bulging direction at the time of deployment, and the extension portion is quickly drawn out with the movement of the end portion, rapidly expands and deploys without stress, and has a storage property. An improved curtain airbag is obtained.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the shape seen from the side surface direction at the time of expansion | deployment of the airbag in embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the initial folding state when folding the airbag in embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 2nd folding state when folding the airbag in embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the XX site | part of the extension part in FIG. 1 which is the shape at the time of expansion | deployment of the airbag in embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the YY site | part of the extension part in FIG. 2 which is the first folding state when folding the airbag in embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the ZZ site | part of the extension part in FIG. 3 which is a 2nd folded state when folding the airbag in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the most suitable way of folding when folding the airbag in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the other case of the airbag folding in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the behavior when the airbag in embodiment of this invention expand | deploys. It is a figure explaining the folding process of the airbag apparatus which has the conventional cover part. It is sectional drawing of the TT site | part of FIG. 10 when the airbag apparatus which has the conventional cover part is folded. It is a principal part expanded side view which shows the vehicle mounting state of the airbag apparatus which has the conventional back side expansion part. It is a figure explaining the behavior when the conventional airbag apparatus shown in FIG. 12 expand | deploys. It is a typical rear view of the curtain airbag which has the conventional auxiliary chamber.

  Next, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each figure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the part which is the same or it corresponds, The duplication description is simplified thru | or abbreviate | omitted suitably. An example of a preferable application mode of the present invention is an airbag that has a center mount structure in which an inflator is provided in a center pillar and is attached to a minivan type vehicle in which a seat has three rows, and is folded. Attached to the roof side rail portion of the vehicle or stored in the upper region of the vehicle door, and inflated and deployed in the event of a side collision, etc., covers the window glass and interior panel of the vehicle, and This is an airbag-type collision safety device that mitigates the impact received by the head of an occupant in contact. The vehicle window glass mentioned here includes side window glass, rear window glass, front windshield glass, and the like. In addition, there are an instrument panel, a front pillar garnish, a quarter pillar garnish, and the like as window frames and interior panels adjacent to the windows.

  First, the state at the time of expansion | deployment of the airbag which concerns on embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. Drawing 1 is an explanatory view showing the shape seen from the side direction at the time of deployment of the air bag in the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the airbag main body 20 is hollow, and has a configuration in which a coating agent for suppressing air flow such as silicone is applied to the entire outer peripheral surface after weaving. The inflating part 23 includes a gas supply path part 24, a gas inflow part 25, a first head protecting part 27 arranged in parallel in the front-rear direction of the vehicle (not shown) when the air bag 10 is inflated, The second head protecting part 28 and the extension part 31 are configured.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the gas supply path portion 24 is disposed over substantially the entire front and rear sides of the bag body 20 along the front and rear direction of the vehicle (not shown) on the upper edge portion 22 a side of the bag body 20. Configuration for guiding expansion gas G discharged from an inflator (not shown) to a first head protecting part 27, a second head protecting part 28, and an extension part 31 disposed below the gas supply path part 24 It is. A gas inlet 25 connected to an inflator (not shown) is communicated with the gas supply passage 24 at a position shifted from the front and rear center in the gas supply passage 24 to the upper side from the gas supply passage 24. It arrange | positions so that it may protrude. The gas inlet port 25 is connected to an inflator (not shown) via an inner tube (not shown).

  The first head protecting portion 27 is disposed on the side of the first row of seats when the airbag 10 is inflated and deployed. The second head protecting portion 28 is disposed on the side of the second row of seats when the airbag 21 is inflated and deployed. The extension portion 31 is disposed on the side of the third row of seats when the airbag 21 is inflated and deployed. Hereinafter, the part which combined the 1st head protection part 27 and the 2nd head protection part 28 is also called a "1st bag part", and the extension part 31 is also called an "extension bag part." Further, as will be described later, the extension portion 31 includes a second extension bag portion 312 that is a portion that folds the airbag 10 first, and a first extension bag portion 311 that is a portion that is folded a second time.

  The first head protecting part 27 and the second head protecting part 28 are partitioned by a thickness regulating part 38 in the region, and each of the plurality of longitudinally expanding parts 29 disposed along the vertical direction, It is arranged side by side. The first head protecting part 27 is composed of four vertically expanding parts 29A, 29B, 29C, and 29D, and the second head protecting part 28 is composed of two vertically expanding parts 29E and 29F. In the first head protecting part 27, the longitudinally expanding part 29A is communicated with the gas supply path part 24 at the lower end side and closed at the upper end side. The vertical expansion portion 29B is communicated with the gas supply path portion 24 at the upper end side and with the vertical expansion portion 29A disposed at the lower end side adjacent to the front side. The vertical expansion portion 29C communicates with the gas supply passage portion 24 at the upper end side, and communicates with the vertical expansion portion 29D disposed at the lower end side adjacent to the rear side. The vertical expansion portion 29D has an upper end communicated with the gas supply path portion 24 and a lower end communicated with a vertical expansion portion 29C disposed adjacent to the front side.

  In the second head protecting part 28, the vertical expansion part 29E is communicated with the gas supply path part 24 at the upper end side and communicated with the vertical expansion part 29F arranged adjacent to the rear side at the lower end side. Yes. The vertical expansion portion 29F is configured to allow the expansion gas G to flow only from the lower end side that is closed at the upper end side and communicated with the vertical expansion portion 29E. And the extension part 31 is the structure connected to the gas supply path part 24 from the upper end side and the lower end side, and makes the gas G for expansion flow in.

  The non-inflatable portion 35 is configured by combining the vehicle inner side wall portion 23a and the vehicle outer side wall portion 24a, and includes an upper edge portion 22a, a peripheral edge portion 36, a mounting portion 37, a thickness regulating portion 38, and a partition portion 40. It is composed of The peripheral edge portion 36 is disposed at the outer peripheral edge portion of the bag body 20 and is formed so as to surround the periphery of the inflating portion 23. A plurality of attachment portions 37 are arranged so as to protrude upward from the peripheral edge portion 36 on the upper edge portion 22a side of the bag body 20. The attachment part 37 is arrange | positioned at eight places also including the site | part of the front end side. Each mounting portion 37 is fixed to a roof side rail portion of a vehicle (not shown).

  The thickness restricting portion 38 is linear in the area of the first head protecting portion 27 and the second head protecting portion 28, and the front, middle, and rear positions in the first head protecting portion 27. Are arranged at four locations and at two locations within the second head protecting portion 28. In the region of the first head protecting part 27, the thickness restricting part 38A arranged at the front position is from above the lower edge of the peripheral part 36 so as to partition the longitudinally expanding parts 29A and 29B. The thickness restricting portion 38B that is disposed so as to extend toward the upper edge portion 22a and is disposed at the center position is disposed so as to extend from above the peripheral edge portion 36 toward the lower edge side. The thickness restricting portions 38C and 38D arranged at the rear position are arranged so as to extend from below the upper edge portion 22a to the lower edge side so as to partition between the longitudinal expansion portions 29C and 29D. . The thickness regulating portions 38E and 38F arranged in the region of the second head protecting portion 28 are arranged so as to partition between the longitudinal expansion portions 29E and 29F and the extension portion 31.

  The partition part 40 (cell pattern) is formed so as to partition a part of the gas supply path part 24, the first head protection part 27, the second head protection part 28, and the extension part 31, respectively. That is, the partition part 40 (cell pattern) partitions cells by stitching. The partition portion 40A is configured to be connected to the thickness regulating portion 38A so as to close the upper end side of the longitudinally expanding portion 29A in the first head protecting portion 27. The partition portion 40B is configured to be connected to the thickness regulating portion 38B so as to close the lower end side of the longitudinal expansion portion 29B in the first head protecting portion 27. The partition portion 40C is configured to connect the thickness regulating portions 38C and 38D at a position behind the first head protecting portion 27. The partition part 40D is arranged at a position substantially at the center of the second head protecting part 28 and is configured to connect the thickness regulating parts 38E and 38F.

  Next, how to fold the airbag in the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing an initial folded state when the airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention is folded, and FIG. 3 shows a second folded state when the airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention is folded. It is explanatory drawing. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the XX portion of the extension in FIG. 1, which is the shape of the airbag in the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 shows the airbag in the embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the YY site | part of the extension part in FIG. 2 which is the first folding state when folding. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the ZZ portion of the extension in FIG. 3, which is the second folded state when the airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention is folded. These sectional views are all schematic diagrams for explaining the joining relationship and how to fold the base fabric.

  When the airbag main body 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 is in the deployed state, the vehicle front-rear direction (longitudinal direction) extension 31 in the vehicle-mounted state is the last in the vehicle front-rear direction. It is located behind the rear end of the inflating part 23 with respect to the end attachment part 37, and a surplus length 32 of the rear terminal is formed. That is, the expanding portion is formed at the end portion further than the end portion in the front-rear direction. As the dimension of the extra length 32, for example, 400 mm is assumed.

  4 is a cross-sectional view of the XX portion of the extension 31 (extra length 32) shown in FIG. The airbag main body 20 is in a state where the vehicle interior side wall portion 23a and the vehicle exterior wall portion 24a are bound together by bonding or sewing 45 at the vicinity of the end of the extension portion 31 (the extra length 32). At this time, in order to store the rear terminal (extension portion 31), an extra partition portion 40 (cell pattern), that is, an extra compartment split is formed in the portion of the extra length 32 in FIG. Although it is desirable not to be done, it does not exclude even the presence of a minimum necessary partition (cell pattern). However, when there is no partition (cell pattern), the speed during the deployment behavior is faster.

  And this extension part 31 is continuously formed with respect to the end surface of the longitudinal direction of the 1st bag part 300, and an end part becomes thin gradually as the width dimension of the up-down direction of a vehicle approaches a rear end. The extension portion 31 has an excess base fabric excluded from the width of the airbag body 20 in the vertical direction of the vehicle. That is, at least the width of the tip of the extension 31 is narrower than the part where the extension 31 is folded. Thereby, the storage property of the airbag main body 20 to be described later is improved, and the airbag main body 20 is set to hold a self-supporting shape in the deployed state without providing the attachment portion 37. And when it exists in the unfolding state shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle inner side wall part 23a and the vehicle outer side wall part 24a become the positional relationship shown in FIG. 4 in sectional drawing of a XX site | part.

  Next, with reference to FIG.2 and FIG.5, the state which folds the airbag 10 initially is demonstrated. A portion of the second extension bag portion 312 of the extension portion 31 (extra length 32) in FIG. 1 is partially folded at the line 26 and temporarily fixed (temporarily fixed) by temporary sewing 46 that can be sufficiently broken by the force of the unfolding behavior. To do. At this time, the airbag body 20 is folded back so that the upper edge portions 22a of the airbag body 20 overlap each other, and the temporary sewing 46 sews a seam allowance portion between the vehicle inner side wall portion 23a and the vehicle outer side wall portion 24a existing before the folding back. Yes.

  Without this temporary sewing 46, when the second folding operation described later is entered, the tip portion (folded internal shape) of the extension 31 (extra length 32) swings up and down. It is easy to produce the dispersion | variation between. However, by performing this temporary sewing 46, the position of the tip portion of the extension 31 (extra length 32) is determined, the shape when folded is stabilized, the unfolding behavior is stabilized, and the air The workability when the bag 10 is folded and stored in the vehicle is improved, and the management content of the operator can be reduced.

  The holding by the temporary sewing 46 is not limited to the holding by the sewing as long as the extension portion 31 (the extra length 32) can be released by the expansion force at the time of the unfolding behavior operation. Any method such as temporary bonding or temporary binding by winding a tape-shaped ribbon may be used, and one of these methods or a combination of two or more methods may be held. Thus, by performing the first folding shown in FIG. 2, a cross-sectional view of the YY portion of the extension 31 of FIG. 2 becomes as shown in FIG. That is, the vehicle outer side wall portions 24a and 24b are in a relationship of being located at the outermost part of the airbag body 20.

  Next, with reference to FIG.3 and FIG.6, the state which folds the airbag 10 in the 2nd time is demonstrated. The portion of the extension 31 (extra length 32) folded in FIG. 2 is further folded inside the airbag body 20. Specifically, the portion of the first extension bag portion 311 is further removed from the folded portion (second extension bag portion 312) folded in FIG. 2 so that the vehicle outer side wall portions 24a and 24b overlap each other. Fold inside the body 20. At this time, a cross-sectional view of the ZZ portion of the extension 31 in FIG. 3 is as shown in FIG. Note that the first folding amount shown in FIG. 2 and the second folding amount shown in FIG. 3 are preferably the same or the second folding amount is preferably larger. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, in the sectional view of the ZZ portion of the extension 31 in FIG. 3 when folded for the second time, the tip of the extension 31 coincides with the α-α line indicated by the dashed line. Or, it is preferable that the airbag body 20 is folded inside.

  And as shown in FIG. 6, when the extension part 31 of the airbag 10 is folded up, the cross-sectional shape of the airbag main body 20 is substantially W shape (alligator shape, alligator mouth, when it sees from the vehicle upper side). ). In other words, the distal end portion (pointed portion) of the extension portion 31 when the extension portion 31 is built in the airbag body 20 and folded, and the extension portion 31 when the airbag 10 is inflated and operates in a deployment manner. The extension portion 31 is folded inside the airbag main body 20 so that the distal end portion (pointed portion) of the airbag faces in the same direction (rear side of the vehicle). Then, from the state shown in FIG. 3, the airbag body 20 is folded into a bellows shape or a roll shape, thereby completing the airbag module.

  Here, points to be noted when folding the second time shown in FIG. 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the most appropriate folding method when performing the initial folding when the airbag is folded according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is another view of the airbag folding according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure explaining the case of.

  As shown by the boundary line 71 in FIG. 7, the folding line when the airbag 10 is folded for the second time is inclined toward the vehicle front side from the upper edge portion 22a which is the upper end portion of the airbag body 20 to the lower edge portion. doing. That is, the upper end point H at which the boundary line 71 between the first bag part 300 and the first extension bag part 311 having a substantially rectangular shape contacts the upper edge 22a in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the lower end in the longitudinal direction of the boundary line 71 The lower end point I with which the portion 22b abuts is shifted from each other in the vehicle front-rear direction as viewed from the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

  When the line when the airbag 10 is folded for the second time is not inclined toward the vehicle front side from the upper edge portion 22a to the lower edge portion as shown by the boundary line 71, the airbag body 20 is in a bellows shape or roll. As a result of being folded into a shape, the length of the airbag 10 in the vehicle front-rear direction differs between the unfolded length and the folded length. As shown in FIG. 8, if the airbag body 20 becomes bowl-shaped, it hits the roof pillar (RP) portion of the vehicle, and it may not fit in a narrow space of the vehicle, or may generate abnormal noise (lower level) due to vehicle vibration. Sound, squeak noise, etc.) may occur, which is not preferable.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, a folding line when the airbag 10 is folded for the second time is a boundary line 71 inclined toward the vehicle front side from the upper edge portion 22a of the airbag body 20 to the lower edge portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the above-described storage problem from occurring, improve the workability when the airbag 10 is stored in the vehicle, and reduce the management contents of the operator. . However, even if the folding line when the airbag 10 is folded for the second time is aligned with the boundary line 71, if the folding is loosened at the intermediate portion 72 of the boundary line 71, the dimension after the folding is not stabilized. The problem of the storage property described above becomes obvious. That is, in order to reduce the change in the length of the airbag 10 before and after the folding, it is more desirable that the change in the length is small in a partial portion. Therefore, when the folding line when the airbag 10 is folded for the second time is made to follow the boundary line 71, markings 73 and 74 that serve as the marks are preliminarily in the vicinity of the linear boundary line 71, for example, in the middle portion. By providing and folding the markings 73 and 74 so as to conceal, the dimensions after the folding are stabilized, and the above-described problem of stowability can be improved. The marking can be performed by, for example, applying red oil-based ink to a predetermined position with a double-circle stamp, or by drawing a line that serves as a fold line reference through two marking positions.

  Finally, the difference between the behavior when the airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention is deployed and the behavior when the airbag device described in Patent Document 2 is deployed will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 13. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the behavior when the airbag is deployed in the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the behavior when the conventional airbag device shown in FIG. 12 is deployed. .

  As shown in FIG. 13, in the conventional airbag device (FIG. 12) in which the rear end portion 123 </ b> A is folded down below the general portion 123 </ b> B of the inflatable portion 123, The rear end portion 123A depicts a trajectory that transitions from the L state to the M state in the direction of the arrow Q. In this case, depending on the layout structure of the vehicle, there is a possibility that the rear end portion 123A may interfere with the seat belt 91 when the rear end portion 123A is deployed.

  On the other hand, in the airbag apparatus in the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 9, the extension portion 31 folded into the airbag 10 is expanded by the upstream side in which the airbag 10 is deployed by gas, A trajectory transitioning in the direction of arrow P is drawn. In this case, since the unfolding trajectory is pushed out to the rear of the vehicle, there is no risk of interference as described in FIG. 13, and in the embodiment of the present invention, the folding is released as shown in FIG. Since it does not employ a complicated deployment behavior that fills the gas after it has been applied, and uses a folding structure that conforms to the gas injection directionality, the deployment behavior is smooth and quickly moves into place. The airbag can be inflated.

  In the above embodiment, the airbag device having the center mount structure in which the inflator is provided on the center pillar has been described. However, the place where the inflator is provided is not limited to the center pillar, and the front pillar, the rear pillar, and the like. Of course, it may be provided in any place. Further, the inflator may be installed in the center pillar or the rear pillar, and the extension portion may be developed in the rear region of the front pillar.

  Moreover, the material which comprises the textile fabric of the airbag main body 20 which concerns on embodiment of this invention is not specifically limited, For example, strength, such as nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon 46, nylon 610, nylon 612, polyester, is strong. There are cheap, inexpensive materials that are relatively easily available on the market.

  Furthermore, the airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to a configuration in which the airbag is deployed from the upper side to the lower side of the vehicle and covers the side windows of the vehicle, and the airbag needs to be inflated and deployed in a planar shape along a predetermined surface The present invention can be applied to any vehicle equipped with an appropriate airbag device.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the direction in which the tip of the extension in the deployed state faces and the direction in which the tip of the extension in the folded and folded state is the same direction, the deployment behavior During operation, the extension moves smoothly in the bulging direction and expands quickly without stress. Thereby, an extension part can be folded compactly with an airbag main body.

  In addition, since the energy of the gas sent from the gas generation source to the extension can be used without waste, it does not require a large gas supply capacity or additional reinforcement for strengthening the expansion portion to enhance the expansion force. An airbag body having pressure resistance can be used, and the airbag as a whole can be stored in a lightweight and compact manner, contributing to cost reduction.

  The present invention has been described above by the preferred embodiments of the present invention. While the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, various modifications and changes can be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims. is there.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 21, 130 Airbag 20 Airbag main body 22a Upper edge part 22b Lower edge part 23 Expansion part 23a Car interior side wall part 24 Gas supply path part 24a, 24b Car outer side wall part 25 Gas inflow port part 27 1st head protection part 28 Second head protection part 29 Vertical expansion part 31 Extension part 32 Extra length 35 Non-expansion part 36 Peripheral part 37 Mounting part 38 Thickness regulation part 40 Partition part (cell pattern)
45 Sewing 46 Temporary sewing 71 Boundary line 72 Middle part 73, 74 Marking 91 Seat belt 129 Rear seat 300 First bag part 311 First extension bag part 312 Second extension bag part

Claims (5)

A first bag portion having a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the side of the vehicle in the unfolded state, and a longitudinal end surface of the first bag portion are formed continuously, and the vehicle is in the vertical direction of the vehicle at the end surface. An extension bag portion having a shape in which the width dimension gradually decreases toward the tip portion, and a hollow airbag including:
The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the tip portion of the tip portion and the tip portion of the tip portion when the extension bag portion is folded inside the first bag portion on the end surface are in the same direction. . A first bag portion having a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the side of the vehicle in the unfolded state, and a longitudinal end surface of the first bag portion are formed continuously, and the vehicle is in the vertical direction of the vehicle at the end surface. An extension bag portion having a shape in which the width dimension gradually decreases toward the tip portion, and a hollow airbag including:
When the extension bag portion is folded inside the first bag portion at the end face, a cross-sectional shape viewed from the up and down direction formed by the first bag portion and the extension bag portion is substantially W-shaped. An air bag characterized by being shaped.   The extension bag portion includes a first extension bag portion formed continuously with respect to the end portion, and a second extension bag portion formed continuously with respect to the first extension bag portion and having the tip portion. The first extension bag portion and the second extension bag portion are temporarily fixed when the second extension bag portion is folded over the first extension bag portion. The airbag according to 1 or 2.   A boundary line between the first bag portion and the extension bag portion formed when the extension bag portion is folded inside the first bag portion on the end surface, and an upper end portion in the longitudinal direction abut on each other. The end point and the lower end point at which the boundary line and the lower end portion in the longitudinal direction contact each other are shifted from each other in the front-rear direction of the vehicle as viewed from the longitudinal direction. The airbag according to claim 1.   The airbag according to claim 4, wherein a mark for folding the extension bag portion inside the first bag portion is provided near a straight line connecting the upper end point and the lower end point.

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