JP2022170066A - Curtain airbag device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a curtain airbag device which can secure smooth expansion and deployment of an airbag cushion with a simple structure.SOLUTION: A curtain airbag device 100 includes: an airbag cushion 102; a bracket 122 attached to a portion, located above a pillar trim 108, of a roof side rail 104; and a cover member 124 which is attached to the bracket 122 while covering the airbag cushion 102. The cover member 124 has: a cover body 126 which covers a periphery of the airbag cushion 102; and clips 130a, 130b which protrude from the cover body 126 to the vehicle outer side and are inserted into the bracket 122. The bracket 122 has: clip insertion holes 132a, 132b into which the clips 130a, 130b are respectively inserted; and a bracket lower surface part 140 which protrudes to the vehicle inner side farther than at least a lower end P1 of the airbag cushion 102 in a storage form.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a curtain airbag device having an airbag cushion installed along a roof side rail of a vehicle in a long storage form wound or folded.

Most recent vehicles are equipped with an airbag system as a safety device. A typical airbag device has a mechanism in which a sensor detects an impact, an inflator generates gas in response to the detection, and the gas pressure inflates and deploys an airbag cushion to restrain an occupant. For example, in the case of a front airbag system, the airbag cushion is folded and stored in the center of the steering wheel, and in the case of a curtain airbag system, for example, it is wrapped around the roof side rail near the upper side of the side door. and stored.

The airbag cushion of a typical curtain airbag system has a shape that expands and expands widely from the front seats to the rear seats of the vehicle. to be installed. Therefore, the curtain airbag device is sometimes provided with a cover member made of resin in order to hold the wound airbag cushion in the stored form. For example, in the curtain airbag device of Patent Literature 1, the curtain airbag 40 folded in a roll or the like is installed in the vehicle while being accommodated in the edge protector 80 made of resin.

JP 2019-31249 A

The airbag cushion of the curtain airbag device inflates and deploys slightly downward inside the vehicle from near the roof side rails in order to prevent an occupant from moving to the outside of the vehicle through the opening of the side door. However, the resin cover member has a certain degree of flexibility and is deformed or bent when subjected to a load. There is also If the airbag cushion moves toward the outside of the vehicle, it interferes with the pillar trim that exists below the roof side rails, causing the airbag cushion to deploy, such as entering the gap between the pillar trim and the vehicle body. may be disturbed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a curtain airbag device capable of ensuring smooth inflation and deployment of an airbag cushion with a simple configuration.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a typical configuration of the curtain airbag device according to the present invention is an airbag installed along the roof side rail of the vehicle in a long storage form wound or folded. A cushion, a bracket attached to a portion of the roof side rail above the pillar trim, and a cover member attached to the bracket while covering a predetermined range of the airbag cushion, wherein the cover member is for the airbag cushion in the storage form. It has a cover body that covers the periphery and has an opening on the vehicle interior side, and a clip that protrudes from the cover body to the vehicle exterior side and is inserted into the bracket. a lower surface of the bracket that is formed below the insertion hole and protrudes toward the inside of the vehicle at least beyond the lower end of the airbag cushion in the storage mode when the clip is inserted into the clip insertion hole. .

According to the above configuration, when the airbag cushion in the stowed state inflates and deploys, the airbag cushion interferes with the bracket lower surface portion of the bracket, and the deployment direction is guided toward the vehicle interior. Therefore, even if the pillar trim exists below the airbag cushion in the stowed state, the inflating and deploying airbag cushion can be prevented from entering the gap of the pillar trim on the outside of the vehicle. Therefore, with the above configuration, it is possible to ensure smooth inflation and deployment of the airbag cushion with a simple configuration.

Preferably, the above bracket has higher rigidity than the cover member. With this configuration, the bracket can withstand the load when the airbag cushion is inflated and deployed, and can appropriately guide the airbag cushion toward the vehicle interior. As an example of the above configuration, for example, the cover member can be made of resin and the bracket can be made of metal.

The curtain airbag device may further include an inflator for supplying gas to the airbag cushion, and the bracket may further include an inflator attachment portion formed above the clip insertion hole and capable of gripping the inflator.

According to the above configuration, by using the bracket not only for fixing the airbag cushion but also for fixing the inflator, it is possible to realize a curtain airbag device with a simpler structure.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the curtain airbag apparatus which can ensure smooth inflation deployment of an airbag cushion with a simple structure can be provided.

It is the figure which illustrated the curtain airbag apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the vicinity of the cover member of the airbag cushion of Fig. 1(a); It is the figure which illustrated the mode before and after inflation deployment of the curtain airbag apparatus in the vicinity of the cover member of Fig.1 (a). It is the figure which illustrated the modification of the bracket of FIG.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values shown in these embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention, and do not limit the invention unless otherwise specified. In the present specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals to omit redundant description, and elements that are not directly related to the present invention are omitted from the drawings. do.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a curtain airbag device 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 1A is a diagram illustrating a state before the curtain airbag device 100 is activated. In this embodiment, the curtain airbag device 100 is for the right side of the vehicle body. Hereinafter, in FIG. 1(a) and all other drawings of the present application, arrows F (Forward) and B (Back) indicate vehicle front-rear directions, and arrows L (Left) and R (Right) indicate left and right vehicle width directions. The vertical directions of the vehicle are exemplified by arrows U (up) and D (down), respectively.

The airbag cushion 102 is wound or folded from below the vehicle, so that the airbag cushion 102 is stored in a roll shape elongated in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and along the roof side rail 104 above the front side window 110 and the like. installed. Since the roof side rails 104 are normally covered with a headlining 107 (see FIG. 3A), which is an interior component, the airbag cushion 102 before movement is invisible to the passenger.

The curtain airbag device 100 has an inflator 106 which is a gas generator, and the airbag cushion 102 is inflated by the pressure of the gas supplied from the inflator 106 to restrain the occupant. In this embodiment, the inflator 106 is attached to the roof side rail 104 above the B-pillar and above the airbag cushion 102 using predetermined brackets, bolts, or the like.

The inflator 106 employed in this embodiment is of a cylinder type and has a long cylindrical shape. The inflators that are currently in widespread use include the type that is filled with a gas generating agent and burns it to generate gas, the type that is filled with compressed gas and supplies gas without generating heat, and the type that supplies gas without generating heat. There are types that include both a gas generating agent and compressed gas. Any type can be used as the inflator 106 .

FIG. 1(b) is a diagram illustrating a state after the airbag cushion 102 of FIG. 1(a) has been moved. In FIG. 1(b), the inflator 106 is illustrated with a broken line in a see-through state. When the vehicle undergoes a side collision or rollover, a sensor (not shown) senses the impact and sends a signal to the inflator 106 , and gas is supplied from the inflator 106 to the airbag cushion 102 . Upon receiving the gas, the airbag cushion 102 pushes aside interior parts such as the headlining 107 (see FIG. 3(a)) and inflates and deploys downward inside the vehicle to restrain the occupant.

The airbag cushion 102 has a large shape that extends along the front side window 110 and the rear side window 112 . The airbag cushion 102 is formed into a bag shape by sewing or adhering two base fabrics forming the surface of the airbag cushion 102, or by spinning or weaving using OPW (One-Piece Woven).

The expansion area of the airbag cushion 102 is divided into a plurality of chambers in consideration of the positions at which the occupant may come into contact. For example, a front chamber 118 is provided on the front side of the vehicle to protect the occupants of the front seats 114, and a rear chamber 120 is provided on the rear side of the vehicle to protect the occupants of the rear seats 116. In some cases, linear non-expansion regions are provided to divide the chamber into smaller chambers.

The curtain airbag device 100 utilizes the bracket 122 and the cover member 124 to hold the airbag cushion 102 in the stored form and to fix it to the roof side rail 104 . Furthermore, in this embodiment, the bracket 122 and the cover member 124 can ensure smooth inflation and deployment of the airbag cushion 102 .

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the vicinity of the cover member 124 of the airbag cushion 102 of FIG. 1(a). The cover member 124 is mainly made of resin, and is attached so as to cover a predetermined range of the airbag cushion 102 using a breakable tape or the like.

A cover body 126, which is a main part of the cover member 124, is arc-shaped so as to cover the surroundings of the airbag cushion 102 in the stored form, and has an opening 128 on the vehicle interior side. The clips 130a and 130b are provided so as to protrude from the rear surface of the cover body 126 toward the outside of the vehicle, and can be inserted and fitted into the clip insertion holes 132a and 132b of the bracket 122. As shown in FIG.

The bracket 122 is mainly made of metal, and is attached to the roof side rail 104 (see FIG. 1(a)) using bolts 137 (see FIG. 3(a)) or the like through holes 136a and 136b of the mounting portions 134a and 134b. ) can be installed.

The bracket base portion 138 is a portion formed along the roof side rail 104, and has clip insertion holes 132a and 132b formed therein. The bracket lower surface portion 140 is provided below the bracket base portion 138 and extends from the bracket base portion 138 while curving toward the vehicle interior to support the cover member 124 and the airbag cushion 102 from below.

The bracket 122 can be attached to the roof side rail 104 in advance separately from the airbag cushion 102 and the cover member 124. It is also possible to attach it to the roof side rail 104 together with the airbag cushion 102 .

FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating states before and after inflation and deployment of the curtain airbag device 100 in the vicinity of the cover member 124 of FIG. 1A. FIG. 3(a) is a cross-sectional view of the curtain airbag device 100 of FIG. 1(a) taken along the line AA, illustrating the airbag cushion 102 before inflation and deployment. In this embodiment, the bracket 122 is attached to a portion of the roof side rail 104 above the pillar trim 108 of the B pillar. Note that illustration of the inflator 106 is omitted in FIG.

The curtain airbag device 100 can prevent the airbag cushion 102 from being caught on the pillar trim 108 by using the bracket 122 . Specifically, when the clip 130a is inserted into the clip insertion hole 132a, the bracket lower surface portion 140 protrudes further toward the vehicle interior than the lower end P1 of the airbag cushion 102 in the stowed configuration. With this configuration, when the airbag cushion 102 starts to inflate and deploy, the bracket lower surface portion 140 receives a load from the airbag cushion 102, making it possible to direct the airbag cushion 102 toward the inside of the vehicle.

FIG. 3(b) is a diagram illustrating a state after inflation and deployment of the airbag cushion 102 of FIG. 3(a). As described above, when the airbag cushion 102 in the stowed configuration is inflated and deployed, the airbag cushion 102 interferes with the bracket lower surface portion 140 of the bracket 122 and is guided toward the vehicle interior. Therefore, even if the pillar trim 108 exists below the airbag cushion 102 in the stowed state, the inflating and deploying airbag cushion 102 can be prevented from entering the gap S1 of the pillar trim 108 on the outside of the vehicle. In this manner, the curtain airbag device 100 can ensure smooth inflation and deployment of the airbag cushion 102 with a simple configuration using the bracket 122 .

The bracket 122 is made of metal and has higher rigidity than the cover member 124 made of resin. Conversely, the resin cover member 124 is more flexible than the metal bracket 122 . Therefore, in the initial stage of deployment when the airbag cushion 102 is inflated and deployed, the cover member 124 is first deformed so as to stick to the bracket 122 due to the pressure of the airbag cushion 102 from the inside. The bracket 122 absorbs the force that tends to spread inward of the pillar trim 108 when the airbag cushion 102 deploys, while the cover member 124 supports the airbag cushion 102 so that it does not spread beyond a set range. By overlapping the bracket 122 and the cover member 124 made of materials with different rigidity, the airbag cushion 102 can be prevented from spreading in the pillar trim 108 more reliably, and the airbag cushion 102 can be kept within the vehicle. It is possible to inflate and deploy appropriately to the range.

The metal bracket 122 described above can withstand the load when the airbag cushion 102 is inflated and deployed, and can suitably guide the airbag cushion 102 toward the inside of the vehicle. For example, clips 130a and 130b are provided at portions of the cover body 126 where plastic deformation is likely to occur, and the portions are connected to the metal bracket 122 to suppress plastic deformation, thereby suppressing the deployment behavior of the airbag cushion 102. Disturbance can be effectively suppressed.

(Modification)
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a modification (bracket 142) of bracket 122 of FIG. In FIG. 4, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those already described, and thus the description of the already described components is omitted. Also, in the following description, even if the same names as the components already described are given different reference numerals, they have the same functions unless otherwise specified.

The bracket 142 has the same configuration as the bracket 122, but differs in configuration from the bracket 122 in that it further has inflator gripping portions 144a and 144b.

The inflator gripping portions 144 a and 144 b are portions for gripping the cylindrical inflator 106 . The inflator gripping portions 144a and 144b are formed on the upper side of a bracket base portion 138 having clip insertion holes 132a and 132b, and are curved so that the outside of the vehicle is concave so that the inflator 106 can be gripped.

The bracket 142 also has a bracket lower surface portion 140 and is installed above the pillar trim 108 (see FIG. 1( a )) to prevent the airbag cushion 102 from being caught on the pillar trim 108 . That is, the bracket 142 can be used not only for fixing the airbag cushion 102 but also as a bracket for fixing the inflator 106, thereby contributing to the realization of the curtain airbag device 100 with a simpler configuration.

As described above, according to the bracket 122 and the bracket 142, the load accompanying the expansion and deployment of the airbag cushion 102 is absorbed, and the amount of plastic deformation of the cover member 124 is regulated. It is possible to prevent the airbag cushion 102 from entering the gap S1 (see FIG. 3(b)) and to smoothly inflate and deploy the airbag cushion 102 to fully exhibit the occupant protection performance.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the above-described embodiments are preferred examples of the present invention, and other embodiments can be implemented or implemented in various ways. I can carry it out. The present invention is not limited to the shapes, sizes, configurations, and the like of the detailed parts shown in the accompanying drawings, unless specifically stated otherwise in the specification. Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be construed as limiting unless specifically stated otherwise.

Therefore, it is obvious that a person skilled in the art can conceive various modifications or modifications within the scope described in the claims, and these naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. understood as a thing.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be applied to a curtain airbag device having an airbag cushion installed along a roof side rail of a vehicle in a long storage form wound or folded.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100... Curtain airbag apparatus, 102... Airbag cushion, 104... Roof side rail, 106... Inflator, 107... Head lining, 108... Pillar trim, 110... Front side window, 112... Rear side window, 114... Front seat, 116 Rear seat 118 Front chamber 120 Rear chamber 122 Bracket 124 Cover member 126 Cover body 128 Opening 130 Clip 130a, 130b Clip 132a, 132b Clip insertion hole , 134a, 134b... Mounting portion 136a, 136b... Through hole 137... Bolt 138... Bracket base part 140... Bracket lower surface part 142... Bracket 144a, 144b... Inflator grip part 146... Pillar trim P1... Lower end, S1...Gap

Claims (3)

an airbag cushion installed along the roof side rail of the vehicle in a long storage form wound or folded;
a bracket attached to a portion of the roof side rail above the pillar trim;
a cover member attached to the bracket while covering a predetermined range of the airbag cushion;
with
The cover member is
a cover body having an opening on the inside of the vehicle while covering the periphery of the airbag cushion in the stored form;
a clip that protrudes outward from the cover body and is inserted into the bracket;
has
The bracket is
a clip insertion hole into which the clip is inserted;
a bracket lower surface portion formed below the clip insertion hole and protruding toward the vehicle interior beyond at least the lower end of the airbag cushion in the storage configuration in a state in which the clip is inserted into the clip insertion hole;
A curtain airbag device comprising: 2. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein said bracket has higher rigidity than said cover member. The curtain airbag device further comprises an inflator for supplying gas to the airbag cushion,
3. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the bracket further has an inflator gripping portion formed above the clip insertion hole and capable of gripping the inflator.

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