JP2016037176A - Airbag and airbag device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow an exhausting performance at the time when a vent hole is opened to be improved, while keeping pressure inside an airbag in a preferable state when the vent hole is closed with a lid member.SOLUTION: The airbag device comprises: an opening 82 formed in a rear panel; a connection member 90(94) connecting a front panel to the rear panel; a lid member 100, one end 102 of which is positioned at the opening 82 side so as to close a vent hole 86 formed at a position away from the opening 82 of the rear panel and fixed to the rear panel 80; a joining member 120, a base end 122 of which is fixed to the connection member 90; and two belt-like bodies 110 that are fixed to the other end 104, near both ends of an edge part orthogonal to a direction in which the opening 82 is joined to the vent hole 86. The belt-like bodies 110 are exposed outward together with the other end 104 of the lid member 100 from the vent hole 86 when the lid member 100 opens the vent hole 86.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to an airbag for ensuring the safety of an occupant during a collision of an automobile or the like, and an airbag apparatus using the airbag.

  Conventionally, an inflator is operated in an emergency such as an automobile collision or rollover, and an airbag device that inflates and deploys an airbag formed on a bag body by pressure gas ejected from the inflator and restrains an occupant is provided. Are known.

  This air bag has a vent hole, and when an occupant or the like enters the inflated air bag, the pressure gas introduced into the air bag is caused to flow out through the vent hole. Thus, it is well known that an occupant or the like is softly received by an air bag.

  In recent years, the vent hole is closed or small-opened until the internal pressure of the airbag exceeds a predetermined level, and the vent hole is opened when the internal pressure of the airbag exceeds the predetermined level and an occupant enters the airbag. An airbag configured to be opened has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

  This is, for example, an airbag for a driver's airbag provided in a vehicle driver's seat. The rear panel constituting the surface opposite to the surface facing the occupant is disposed when the steering wheel is inflated and deployed. A vent hole is formed at a position closer to the outer peripheral side of the airbag than the center portion. The vent hole is covered with a lid member from the inside of the airbag. The ends of two hanging straps branched in a Y-shape from the lid member are connected to the front panel constituting the surface facing the occupant inside the airbag.

  The lid member is overlapped so as to close the vent hole, and is further pressed from the inside by a cloth having an opening of the same degree as the vent hole.

  As a result, when the internal pressure of the airbag becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined level, the suspension strap becomes tensioned and the lid member closes the vent hole, and then the slack is generated by the passenger coming into contact with the airbag. At the same time, the internal pressure of the airbag rises, and the lid member opens the vent hole by the internal pressure.

JP 2012-166585 A

  In the above prior art, when the vent hole is opened by the lid member, the pressure fluid inside the airbag is released from both sides of the lid member (hereinafter simply referred to as “exhaust”). The pressure fluid flows sideways without going straight from the vent hole.

  Therefore, the edge part parallel to the moving direction of the lid member is opened as much as it protrudes from the vent hole, and there is a problem that the opening degree of the vent hole is small.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an airbag and an air bag that can improve the exhaust performance when the vent hole is opened while maintaining a good pressure inside the airbag when the vent hole is closed by the lid member. The object is to provide a bag device.

  In order to achieve the above object, the first invention of the present application is directed to an airbag main body formed on a bag body so as to have an occupant-facing surface and an anti-occupant side surface in an inflated state, and a pressure fluid introduction formed on the anti-occupant side surface. A connecting member connecting the occupant-facing surface and the side opposite to the occupant, a vent hole formed at a position away from the opening on the side opposite to the occupant, and the vent hole so as to close the vent hole An air bag having a lid member having one end positioned on the side opposite to the occupant and a connecting member having a base end fixed to the connecting member, wherein the opening is provided at the other end of the lid member. And two belt-like bodies fixed in the vicinity of both ends of the edge that is orthogonal to the direction connecting the vent hole, and the two belt-like bodies are arranged so that the lid member prevents the vent hole from being inflated by the airbag body. Open When the, characterized in that it exposed to the outside from the vent hole together with the other end of the lid member.

  In the first invention of this application, the airbag body is formed in the bag body so as to have an occupant-facing surface that faces the occupant in an inflated state and an anti-occupant side surface opposite to the occupant-facing surface. A connecting member is provided inside the airbag main body, and the occupant facing surface and the non-occupant side surface are connected by the connecting member. Further, an opening for introducing the pressure fluid and a vent hole at a position away from the opening are formed in the counter-occupant facing surface. The vent hole is closed by a lid member having one end fixed to the side opposite to the occupant on the side opposite to the vent hole. The other end of the lid member is fixed to the connecting member by a connecting member.

  Here, the lid member is provided with two strips, and is fixed in the vicinity of both ends of the edge portion orthogonal to the direction connecting the opening and the vent hole, at the other end of the lid member.

  When the airbag body is inflated and the lid member opens the vent hole, the two belt-like bodies are exposed from the vent hole to the outside together with the other end of the lid member.

  Thereby, the exhaust performance when the vent hole is opened can be improved while the pressure inside the airbag when the vent hole is closed by the lid member is satisfactorily maintained.

  An airbag apparatus according to a second aspect of the invention includes the airbag according to the first aspect of the invention and an inflator that supplies pressure gas from the opening.

  Thereby, the airbag apparatus having the effect of the airbag of the first invention can be realized.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the exhaust_gas | exhaustion performance at the time of opening a vent hole can be improved, hold | maintaining the pressure inside the airbag favorable when the vent hole is obstruct | occluded with the cover member.

It is a disassembled perspective view of the airbag apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the airbag body shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the rear panel side. FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a main part of the airbag main body shown in FIG. 2. It is sectional drawing which shows the state by which the expansion | swelling of the airbag was controlled by the linear coupling part of the airbag apparatus of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state before the linear coupling | bond part of the airbag apparatus of FIG. 1 fractures | ruptures and a passenger | crew contacts an airbag. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which the passenger | crew contacted the airbag after the linear coupling | bond part of the airbag apparatus of FIG. 1 fractured | ruptured. It is an expansion perspective view of the principal part in the vent hole open state of the airbag main body shown in FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the other airbag apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to an airbag device 1 for a driver's seat of a vehicle. In FIG. 1, the airbag apparatus 1 includes an airbag 10, a retainer 20, an inflator 30, and a fixing unit 40 having a fixing ring 60.

  The airbag 10 includes a front panel 70 that constitutes an occupant-facing surface, a rear panel 80 that constitutes an anti-occupant side opposite to the occupant-facing surface, a connecting member 90, a lid member 100, a support member 130, and a connecting member. 120. The front panel 70 and the rear panel 80 constitute the airbag body 12.

  The retainer 20 is formed by pressing or punching a metal, and has a substantially square base portion 26 in which an inflator (gas introduction) opening 22 and a bolt insertion hole 24 are formed. And a flange portion 28 bent downward from the four sides. Further, the bolt insertion holes 24 are formed at four locations around the opening 22.

  The inflator 30 includes a substantially cylindrical inflator main body 32 and a mounting flange portion 34 that is formed in the middle of the inflator main body 32 and positioned on the bottom surface side of the base portion 26. A known gas injection mechanism (not shown) is provided inside the inflator body 32. The inflator main body 32 is formed with a plurality of gas outlets 36 on the side circumferential surface on the tip end side in the axial direction with respect to the mounting flange portion 34. Further, a bolt insertion hole 38 is formed in the mounting flange portion 34.

  The fixing unit 40 includes a metal fixing ring 60 that sandwiches the rear panel 80 with the base portion 26, and a nut 42, and fixes the retainer 20 to the steering wheel 16 shown in FIGS. Yes.

  The fixing ring 60 is formed in an annular shape, and includes an inflator opening 62 formed substantially at the center thereof, and a stud bolt 64 protruding from the bottom surface of the fixing ring 60 and screwed into the nut 42.

  The front panel 70 and the rear panel 80 are each made of a circular woven fabric of the same material. The front panel 70 and the rear panel 80 have substantially the same diameter, and the outer peripheral edge portions are stitched together by the peripheral seam 72 to constitute the airbag body 12 of the bag body. The peripheral seam 72 is provided in an annular shape (substantially the entire circumference) along the outer periphery of the front panel 70 and the rear panel 80. The peripheral seam 72 is designed to break when the pressure inside the airbag body 12 exceeds a predetermined value. The peripheral seam 72 is made of sewing thread or the like, but is not limited thereto. Here, the peripheral seam 72 has end portions 76 and 78 extending in the radial direction at both ends so as to have a non-sewn portion 74 at a part thereof.

  The rear panel 80 includes a pressure fluid introduction opening 82 formed at the center (center) thereof, a bolt insertion hole 84 formed around the opening 82, and a vent hole 86.

  The vent hole 86 is formed at a position spaced apart from the peripheral edge of the rear panel 80 by a predetermined distance toward the center of the rear panel 80 and separated from the opening 82, and connects the inside and the outside of the airbag body 12. The vent hole 86 is provided on the relatively inner peripheral side of the rear panel 80. For this reason, when the airbag apparatus 1 is installed as an airbag for a driver's seat of a vehicle, the vent hole 86 is arranged on the inner peripheral side of the airbag main body 12 with respect to the steering wheel rim 18 with respect to the rear wheel 80 when being inflated and deployed. Will be located.

  On the other hand, inside the airbag body 12, a connecting member 90 straddling the vicinity of the center of the front panel 70 and the vicinity of the center of the rear panel 80, and one end 102 are fixed to the rear panel 80 by a seam or the like, and the vent hole 86 is covered from the inside. The lid member 100, two belt-like bodies 110 supporting the vicinity of the other end 104 of the lid member 100 in a slidable manner in cooperation with the rear panel 80, the connecting member 90, and the other end 104 of the lid member 100 are both ends. And a support member 130 that supports the other end side of the lid member 100 with the rear panel 80 via the belt-like body 110.

  The connecting member 90 includes an annular ring base fabric 92 positioned around the opening 82 of the rear panel 80, a belt-like suspension string 94 integrally provided at one end side at two opposing outer circumferences of the ring base fabric 92, and a pair of A circular suspension string connecting portion 96 provided integrally on the other end side of the suspension string 94.

  The annular ring base fabric 92 includes an inflator opening 98A formed at the center (center) thereof, and a bolt insertion hole 98B formed around the inflator opening 98A. Further, the ring base fabric 92 is fixed to the retainer 20 by sandwiching the front and back surfaces of the ring base fabric 92 together with the rear panel 80 with the fixing ring 60.

  The hanging strap connecting portion 96 has a substantially perfect circle shape in the present embodiment, and is sewn with a seam near the center of the inner wall surface of the front panel 70.

  2 and 3, the lid member 100 extends along the radial direction of the rear panel 80 from the opening 82 toward the vent hole 86, and is closed by traversing the vent hole 86 along the radial direction. It is arranged to do. Therefore, the lid member 100 is sewn to the rear panel 80 by the seam 106 at the radial center of the rear panel 80, that is, one end 102 close to the opening 82. In this embodiment, the lid member 100 is superimposed on the vent hole 86 from the inside of the airbag body 12. The lid member 100 may be made of the same material and the same thickness as the rear panel 80, but the material and thickness are not limited so that the rear panel 80 can be easily deformed. Further, the width of the lid member 100 is preferably slightly wider than the diameter of the vent hole 86, but the airbag body 12 expands due to the relationship between the above-described deformability and the pressure inside the airbag body 12. In this case, a part of the lid member 100 is not exposed to the outside from the vent hole 86 unexpectedly.

  One end 112 of the two strips 110 is fixed to the other end 104 of the lid member 100 in the vicinity of both ends of the edge portion orthogonal to the direction connecting the opening 82 and the vent hole 86. The belt-like body 110 may be formed integrally with the lid member 100, and substantially constitutes the other end 104 of the lid member 100. The other ends 114 of the two strips 110 are usually joined between the front panel 70 and the rear panel 80 by the peripheral seam 72. When the peripheral seam 72 is broken by the introduction of a pressure fluid described later, the other end 114 is released from the coupled state, and the other end 114 becomes a free end. Further, one end 112 of the two belt-like bodies 110 is brought together with the other end 104 of the lid member 100 when the other end 114 becomes a free end due to the inflation of the airbag body 12 and the lid member 100 opens the vent hole 86. The leading end 124 of the connecting member 120 is fixed so that the one end 112 and the leading end 124 of the connecting member 120 are exposed to the outside from the vent hole 86.

  In the present embodiment, two connecting members 120 are used, and the inside of the airbag body 12 is drawn from the rear panel 80 side to the front panel 70 side, and as shown in FIG. Is connected and fixed to the middle part of the hanging strap 94, and the tip 124 is connected and fixed to the middle part of the two strips 110. At this time, the length of the connecting member 120 is such that the tip 124 is passed through the support member 130 from the radially outer peripheral side of the rear panel 80 to the inside together with the belt-like body 110. Thus, when the airbag body 12 is inflated and deployed and no external pressure is applied from the front panel 70, the tension between the midway connection portion with the hanging strap 94 and the support member 130 causes the lid member 100 to gas. It is prevented from being pushed out of the airbag body 12 by the pressure from the vent hole 86. In addition, the lid member 100 is dimensioned such that the lid member 100 is not excessively pulled inside the airbag body 12 by the connecting member 120 and is not lifted from the airbag inner surface of the rear panel 80. In addition, by connecting the two base ends 122 to the middle portion of the single hanging strap 94, the tension state and the loose state of the two connecting members 120 can be stabilized.

  The support member 130 is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the rear panel 80 from the vent hole 86 and on the center side of the rear panel 80. In this embodiment, the support member 130 is configured by a small rectangular cross. The support member 130 is arranged such that the longitudinal direction thereof is a direction along the circumferential direction of the rear panel 80 (the direction intersecting the extending direction of the lid member 100), and the pair of side portions opposed to the longitudinal direction of the base end 122 are arranged on the rear panel 80. The seam 132 is sewn. The lid member 100 is passed between the rear panel 80 and the remaining pair of sides facing the short side direction of the support member 130.

  Next, attachment of the airbag body 12 will be described. In attaching the airbag main body 12 configured as described above to the retainer 20, the peripheral portion of the opening 82 of the rear panel 80 is overlapped with the peripheral portion of the opening 22 of the retainer 20. Then, the stud bolt 64 of the fixing ring 60 is passed through the ring base fabric 92, the rear panel 80, the retainer 20, and the bolt insertion holes 98B, 84, 24, and 38 of the mounting flange portion 34, and the nut 42 is tightened at the tip thereof. The inflator 30 and the airbag main body 12 are fixed to the retainer 20. As a result, the rear panel 80 and the ring base fabric 92 are sandwiched and fixed between the base portion 26 and the fixing ring 60.

  Thereafter, the airbag main body 12 is folded, and the retainer 20 is attached to the module cover so as to cover the folded body of the airbag main body 12, whereby the airbag device 1 is configured. However, prior to attaching the airbag body 12 to the retainer 20, the airbag body 12 may be folded in advance. The airbag device 1 is installed on a steering wheel 16 of an automobile.

  Next, the operation of the airbag apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. The operation of the airbag device 1 is as follows. When an operation signal is input to the inflator 30 from a control device (not shown) of the occupant restraint device, a pressure gas is introduced into the airbag body 12 as a pressure fluid by the operation of the inflator 30.

  In this case, until the pressure inside the airbag body 12 (internal pressure) becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value, as shown in FIG. 4, the coupling of the front panel 70, the rear panel 80, and the strip 110 with the peripheral seam 72 is not released. In the airbag main body 12, expansion is restricted at a portion on the outer peripheral side of the peripheral seam 72. Further, the lid member 100 is prevented from moving to the outside of the airbag body 12 by the belt-like body 110 and overlaps the vent hole 86, whereby the vent hole 86 is closed, and the vent hole 86 is closed. The outflow of the pressure gas from the airbag body 12 to the outside of the airbag body 12 is restricted. Therefore, the internal pressure of the airbag main body 12 quickly increases without using a high-power inflator 30.

  The stress due to the internal pressure of the airbag main body 12 is concentrated on the end portions 76 and 78 of the peripheral seam 72 facing the non-sewn portion 74. When the internal pressure of the airbag main body 12 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the peripheral seam 72 starts to break from the end portions 76 and 78. At this time, the breakage of the peripheral seam 72 is not released until the front panel 70, the rear panel 80, and the belt-like body 110 connected by the peripheral seam 72 are broken until substantially the entire peripheral seam 72 is broken. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the lid member 100 from being released by releasing the fastening of the lid member 100 by the belt-shaped body 110 before substantially the entire peripheral seam 72 is broken.

  Due to the breakage of the peripheral seam 72, the entire area from the peripheral seam 72 to the outermost peripheral part of the airbag main body 12 can be separated from the front panel 70 and the rear panel 80. As shown in FIG. It expands to the part. Further, the breakage of the peripheral seam 72 releases the coupling between the front panel 70 and the rear panel 80 and the belt-like body 110, and the fastening of the lid member 100 by the belt-like body 110 is also released.

  Thereafter, until the occupant comes into contact with the airbag main body 12, the lid member 100 is prevented from moving to the outside of the airbag main body 12 by the hanging strap 94 and the connecting member 120 and overlaps with the vent hole 86. The hole 86 is closed. Therefore, also in this stage, the outflow of gas from the vent hole 86 is restricted, and the internal pressure of the airbag body 12 is maintained at a predetermined level or higher.

  Here, in general, in the driver side airbag, the steering wheel 16 in which the airbag apparatus 1 is housed is positioned in front of the driver who is a passenger. In the case of an occupant seated in a normal state (hereinafter referred to as “normally seated occupant”), there is a certain distance between the occupant and the airbag device 1. Therefore, when a vehicle collision or the like occurs, the occupant's body has not yet reached the front panel 70 that is the occupant-facing surface of the airbag, and thereafter the body enters the front panel 70.

  When the occupant comes into contact with the airbag main body 12, as shown in FIG. 6, the front panel 70 is pushed by the occupant and retreats toward the rear panel 80, and the hanging strap 94 and the connecting member 120 are loosened. The lid member 100 can be moved to the outside of the airbag body 12 by the amount. Thereby, the lid member 100 is pushed out of the airbag body 12 from the vent hole 86 by the internal pressure of the airbag body 12, and the vent hole 86 is opened. As a result, gas flows out of the airbag main body 12 from the vent hole 86, and the occupant is softly received by the airbag main body 12.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 7, when the lid member 100 opens the vent hole 86 due to the expansion of the airbag body 12, the two strips 110 are removed from the vent hole 86 together with the other end 104 of the lid member 100. The tip of the connecting member 120 is fixed so as to be exposed to the outside.

  For this reason, it is possible to exhaust the pressure gas from between the two strips 110 and the connecting member 120, making it difficult to hinder the pressure gas exhaust path.

  That is, when the opening shape of the vent hole 86 is circular, the cover member 100 has a substantially dome-shaped portion exposed to the outside from the vent hole 86 (or a bridge shape in which both sides different from the one end 102 and the other end 104 are opened). )

  Thereby, an exhaust path from the one end 102 side of the lid member 100 toward the other end 104 is formed by the exposed shape of the lid member 100.

  Therefore, if the strip 110 and the connecting member 120 are positioned so as to open the center of the other end 104 that is the exhaust downstream end side, the exhaust path is blocked by the strip 110 and the connecting member 120 to hinder the exhaust efficiency. Can be suppressed.

  As described above, in the airbag apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the airbag body 12, the pressure fluid introduction opening 82 formed in the rear panel 80, and the connecting member 90 that connects the front panel 70 and the rear panel 80. A vent hole 86 formed at a position away from the opening 82 of the rear panel 80; a lid member 100 having one end 102 fixed to the rear panel 80 so as to close the vent hole 86; and a base end fixed to the connecting member 90; An airbag 10 having a connecting member 120 having a tip fixed to the other end 104 of the lid member 100, the lid member 100 fixing one end 102 located on the opening 82 side of the vent hole 86 to the rear panel 80, Two strips fixed to the other end 104 of the lid member 100 in the vicinity of both ends of the edge portion orthogonal to the direction connecting the opening 82 and the vent hole 86. 110, and when the lid member 100 opens the vent hole 86 due to the expansion of the airbag body 12, the tip of the connecting member 120 is fixed so as to be exposed to the outside from the vent hole 86 together with the other end 104 of the lid member 100. Thus, the exhaust performance when the vent hole 86 is opened can be improved while the pressure inside the airbag 10 is favorably maintained when the vent hole 86 is closed by the lid member 100.

  At this time, the two strips 110 and the connecting member 120 are supported by the support member 130 independently, and the closed state is maintained by pulling from both sides of the lid member 100, thereby allowing the air to flow. The internal pressure of the bag body 12 can be quickly increased to efficiently maintain the internal pressure. Further, by exhausting the pressure gas from between the two strips 110 and the connecting member 120, high exhaust efficiency can be secured.

  In the above-described embodiment, the two strap-like suspension straps 94 that are opposed to each other are disclosed. For example, as shown in FIG. For example, the number of the hanging straps 94 and the pulling direction are not particularly limited as long as the tensioned state with the connecting member 120 can be secured. In these cases, the same effect as described above is obtained.

  The above-described embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

10 Airbag Device 18 Airbag Body 70 Front Panel (Occupant Opposing Surface)
80 Rear panel (opposite side)
82 Opening 86 Vent hole 90 Connecting member 100 Lid member 102 One end 104 Other end 110 Band-shaped body 120 Connecting member 122 Base end 124 Front end 130 Support member

Claims (2)

An airbag body formed on the bag body so as to have an occupant-facing surface and an anti-occupant side surface in an inflated state;
An opening for introducing a pressure fluid formed on the side opposite the occupant;
A connecting member that connects the occupant-facing surface and the anti-occupant side surface;
A vent hole formed at a position away from the opening on the side of the anti-occupant;
A lid member that fixes one end located on the opening side of the vent hole to the side opposite to the occupant so as to close the vent hole;
A connecting member having a proximal end fixed to the connecting member;
An airbag having:
Provided at the other end of the lid member are two strips fixed in the vicinity of both ends of the edge perpendicular to the direction connecting the opening and the vent hole;
The two strips are
The airbag is exposed to the outside from the vent hole together with the other end of the lid member when the lid member opens the vent hole by expansion of the airbag body. An airbag according to claim 1;
An inflator for supplying pressure gas from the opening;
An air bag apparatus comprising:

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