JP3107072B2 - Head protection airbag device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a head protection airbag device which is stored at least along a roof side rail portion and inflates into a curtain shape by gas blown from an inflator when a predetermined high load is applied to a vehicle body side portion. About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In order to improve the protection performance of a head of an occupant sitting in a front seat when a predetermined high load is applied to a side portion of a vehicle body, an airbag bag body folded and stored at least in a roof side rail portion. A head protection airbag device has been proposed in which the airbag is inflated in a curtain shape along the side window glass. Hereinafter, a configuration disclosed in WO 96/26087, which discloses this type of head protection airbag device, will be described.

As shown in FIG. 6, a head protection airbag device 100 includes a long duct 106 disposed from a front pillar 102 to a roof side rail 104 and a duct 106. The front end fixed point 108 and the rear end fixed point 110 are stored in a folded state inside.
An airbag bag body 112 fixed to the vehicle body side at, and an inflator 116 connected to the rear end of the duct 106 via a hose 114 and blowing out gas when a predetermined high load acts on the vehicle body side, A belt-shaped strap 118 having one end fixed to the vehicle body and the other end fixed to the rear end of the airbag bag 112 is a main component. Further, the airbag bag body 112 is formed by connecting a plurality of cells 120 each formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and arranged with the longitudinal direction substantially in the vehicle vertical direction.

According to the above configuration, when a predetermined high load is applied to the side of the vehicle body, gas is ejected from the inflator 116. Therefore, the ejected gas is supplied to the hose 114.
Then, the air flows into each cell 120 of the folded airbag bag 112 via the duct 106. As a result, each cell 120 expands in a substantially cylindrical shape with the longitudinal direction substantially in the vehicle vertical direction, whereby the airbag bag body 112 expands in a curtain shape along the window glass 122. Further, the rear end of the airbag bag body 112 has a strap 118.
, The rear end side of the airbag bag 112 is reliably disposed inside the upper portion of the B-pillar (also referred to as a center pillar) 124.

[0005]

However, in such a head protection airbag device, when the folded airbag bag is deployed, the lower portion of the airbag bag is formed in the vehicle compartment having the B pillar portion. It moves downward along the pillar garnish arranged on the inner side. At this time, in a vehicle in which a vehicle interior protrusion such as a slip joint is disposed above the B pillar portion, the lower portion of the airbag bag body being deployed is caught by the vehicle interior protrusion, and the airbag bag body is deployed. May be disturbed. As a countermeasure to improve this, it is conceivable that the upper part of the airbag bag is bellows-folded and the lower part of the airbag bag is roll-folded toward the passenger compartment side. When the vehicle deploys along the B pillar, if the amount of protrusion of the vehicle interior protrusion is large, there is a possibility that the vehicle interior may be caught by the vehicle interior protrusion.

In view of the above, the present invention provides a head protection airbag device that can improve the deployment performance of an airbag bag without the airbag bag being caught by a projecting portion having a large amount in a vehicle compartment. Is the purpose.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a head protection airbag bag having an inflation chamber is folded at least in a region covering a B-pillar and along a periphery of a door opening including a roof side rail. In the stored head protection airbag device, the head protection airbag bag is formed on an upper portion of the airbag bag, and is bellows-folded substantially downwardly, and a bellows-folded portion is formed. A roll folded portion formed below, and a portion below a folding line set at a middle portion in the vertical direction is folded toward the interior of the vehicle, and roll-folded from the folding line side toward the interior of the vehicle, Characterized by comprising:

Therefore, when the airbag bag is deployed,
Gas entering the airbag body from the upper part of the airbag body inflates and deploys the bellows-folded part at the upper part of the airbag body substantially downward along the B-pillar, and moves the vehicle through the roll-folded part of the airbag bag. Inflate and deploy downward. At this time, in the roll folding section, the roll first unwinds, and then
The folded part folded upward is unfolded downward so as to cover the B pillar. As a result, even in the case where a relatively large projecting amount of the vehicle compartment such as a slip joint is present in the area where the airbag bag deploys, the lower portion of the airbag bag is placed so as to cover the vehicle compartment projecting component. Since the airbag is inflated and deployed, the lower portion of the airbag during deployment is not caught by a protruding object in the vehicle compartment having a large amount of projection, and the deployment performance of the airbag can be improved.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the head protection airbag device according to the first aspect, the folding line is
It is characterized in that it is set at a position higher than a predetermined vehicle interior protrusion disposed on the vehicle interior side of the B pillar.

Therefore, in addition to the contents described in the first aspect, when the airbag bag is deployed, the roll of the roll folded portion of the airbag bag is fixed to a predetermined position provided inside the vehicle interior of the B pillar. Unravel at a position above the vehicle interior protrusion, for example, a slip joint, and then from this position, the folded part
Unfold downward so as to cover the B pillar. As a result, the folded part of the airbag body during deployment must be
Inflate and deploy so as to cover a predetermined vehicle interior protrusion disposed on the vehicle interior side of the B pillar. For this reason, it is possible to reliably prevent the lower portion of the airbag bag from being caught by a predetermined vehicle interior protrusion provided on the vehicle interior side of the B pillar.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the head protection airbag device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

In the drawings, an arrow FR indicates a vehicle forward direction, an arrow UP indicates a vehicle upward direction, and an arrow IN indicates a vehicle width inside direction.

As shown in FIG. 3, the head protection airbag device 10 of the present embodiment includes a sensor 12 for detecting a side collision state, a column-shaped inflator 14 for ejecting gas when activated. And an airbag body 16 as main components. The sensor 12 is disposed near the lower end of the B pillar 18, and detects a side collision state when a side collision load of a predetermined value or more acts on the vehicle body side.

The inflator 14 is disposed near a connection between an A-pillar (also referred to as a front pillar) 20 and an instrument panel 22, and is connected to the sensor 12 described above. Therefore, when the sensor 12 detects the side collision state, the inflator 14 is operated.

[0015] As shown in FIG.
In the middle part in the vertical direction in a side view, a plurality of non-inflatable portions 24 extending across the tension line T connecting the front end fixed point and the rear end fixed point of the airbag body 16 with the vertical direction of the airbag body 16 as the longitudinal direction. Are formed at predetermined intervals, and a plurality of substantially parallel cylindrical inflatable portions 26 crossing the tension line T when the airbag body is deployed by these non-inflating portions 24.
Is formed.

As shown in FIG. 3, the air bag 16
Is located at the distal end of the conduit 14A connected to the inflator 14, the upper edge of the intermediate portion 16B is located along the A pillar 20 and the roof side rail 28, and the rear end 16C The upper edge portion is arranged near a C pillar (also called a quarter pillar) 30. An A-pillar garnish (not shown) and a roof head lining (not shown) are disposed on the vehicle interior side of the airbag bag 16 which has been folded substantially vertically to have a long shape. The airbag body pushes and opens the A-pillar garnish and the roof head lining (not shown) to inflate and deploy in the vehicle interior. In addition,
Reference numeral 31 in FIG. 3 indicates an assist grip.

As shown in FIG. 4, the air bag 16
Is formed of a base cloth, and a tongue-shaped mounting portion 35 is formed to project from an upper edge portion, and a circular mounting hole 36 is formed in a substantially central portion of the mounting portion 35. . The airbag body 16 is attached to the A-pillar 20 and the roof side rail 2 in these mounting holes 36 by a predetermined fixing means.
8, the pitch of each mounting hole 36 is longer than the pitch of the mounting holes on the body side, and can cover the A pillar 20 and the roof side rail 28 without gaps when the airbag body is deployed. It is set to less than the length.

As shown in FIG. 1, the roof side rail 28 has a closed cross-sectional structure by an outer panel 32 disposed outside the vehicle compartment and an inner panel 34 disposed inside the vehicle compartment. Note that a configuration in which a reinforcement is provided between the outer panel 32 and the inner panel 34 may be adopted.

The inner panel 3 of the roof side rail 28
4, a roof head lining 4 made of resin
0 is provided on the outer edge 42 in the vehicle width direction. The outer edge 42 in the vehicle width direction of the roof head lining 40 is configured to be deformed toward the vehicle interior and open when the airbag body is deployed, as shown in FIG. The airbag 1
6 is stored, the terminal portion 42A of the outer edge 42 in the vehicle width direction of the roof head lining 40 is
The pillar garnish 38 is locked to the outer side surface of the cabin at the upper edge 38A.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the upper portion of the airbag bag 16 is folded in a bellows shape substantially downward,
It is a bellows folded portion 16D. Further, a portion of the airbag bag body 16 below the bellows folded portion 16D is a roll folded portion 16E.
At a folding line 16F extending in the front-rear direction set substantially at the center in the vertical direction, the lower folded portion 16G is folded in the vehicle interior side direction (the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 5A), and thereafter, from the folding line 16F side, As shown in FIG. 5 (B), the sheet is roll-folded in the direction toward the inside of the vehicle (in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 5 (B)) so as to wind around the folding line 16F, and has the folded shape shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, the folding line 16F of the roll folded portion 16E of the airbag bag body 16 is set at a position above a slip joint 52 as a predetermined cabin projection. ing.

As shown in FIG. 1, the air bag 16
In the mounting portion 35, the grommet 48 is provided in the mounting hole 36.
Is fixed to the inner panel 34 of the roof side rail 28 by the grommet 48. A jump stand 50 is provided between the airbag body 16 and the inner panel 34 at a position above the B pillar 18, and the jump stand 50 is also provided by the grommet 48 on the inner panel of the roof side rail 28. 34.

The jump table 50 is made of a plate material having a substantially L-shaped cross section, and has a guide portion 50A formed at the lower end thereof and protruding toward the vehicle interior. Therefore, the airbag bag 16
As shown in FIG. 2, the airbag bag body 16 is guided by the guide portion 50A toward the interior of the vehicle interior, and is deployed at the upper edge portion 38A of the B pillar garnish 38 on the interior side of the vehicle. It has become. The grommet 48 is composed of a disk-shaped head 48A and a pair of legs 48B and 48C erected in parallel with the center of the head 48A, and the pair of legs 48B and 48C It is elastically deformable in the direction of coming and going. On the other hand, a locking hole 54 is formed in the inner panel 34 of the roof side rail 28. When the legs 48B and 48C are inserted into the locking hole 54, the legs 48B and 48C move in a direction in which the legs 48B and 48C approach each other. The grommet 48 is urged and the grommet 48 is locked to the inner panel 34 by the reaction force.

As shown in FIG. 3, the air bag 16
Is held in a folded state by a tape 46 wound at a predetermined interval, and the tape 46 is easily broken when the airbag body is deployed.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described.

In the present embodiment, when the sensor 12 detects a side collision state, the inflator 14 operates and the airbag 16 is inflated and deployed. At that time, the airbag bag 16
The gas that has entered the airbag bag body 16 from the upper portion expands and deploys the bellows folded portion 16D of the airbag bag body 16. At this time, since the bellows folded portion 16D of the airbag bag body 16 is folded in a bellows shape substantially downward, the deployment direction of the airbag bag body 16 is the direction along the interior side surface of the B pillar garnish 38. Can be regulated.

Next, the gas that has entered the airbag bag 16 is supplied to the roll folded portion 1 of the roll-folded airbag bag.
6E is expanded and deployed downward of the vehicle.

At this time, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5A, the roll folded portion 16E of the airbag bag 16 is formed.
Are folded back in the vehicle interior side direction (the direction of arrow A in FIG. 5 (A)) at a folding line 16F extending in the front-rear direction set substantially at the center in the vertical direction.
From the folding line 16F side, as shown in FIG.
Since the rolled line 16F is rolled in the direction toward the passenger compartment (in the direction of the arrow B in FIG. 5B) so that the folded line 16F is rolled up, the roll folded portion 16E of the airbag body 16 first unrolls, As shown by the arrow C and the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, the folded portion 16G expands and deploys downward so as to cover the slip joint 52.

Further, in the present embodiment, the folded line 16F at the roll folded portion 16E of the airbag bag 16 is provided.
Is set at a position above the slip joint 52, the folded portion 1 of the airbag bag body 16 being deployed is
6G always expands and deploys so as to cover the slip joint 52.

As a result, even if there is a relatively large protrusion of the slip joint 52 in the region where the airbag bag 16 is deployed, it is ensured that the lower portion of the airbag bag 16 being deployed is caught on the slip joint 52. Thus, the deployment performance of the airbag bag 16 can be improved.

In the above, the present invention has been described in detail with respect to a specific embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various other embodiments are included within the scope of the present invention. It is clear to a person skilled in the art that is possible. For example, in the present embodiment, the folding line 16F in the roll folded portion 16E of the airbag bag body 16 is set at a position above the slip joint 52. However, instead of the slip joint 52, a position above the other vehicle interior protrusion is set. The return line 16F may be set at the second position. Further, instead of the grommet 48, another locking means may be used.
In addition, the head protection airbag device of the present invention includes a C pillar 3
The present invention is also applicable to a head protection airbag device having an inflator disposed on the 0 side. Furthermore, the head protection airbag device of the present invention is also applicable to front and rear seat head protection airbag devices that protect both the head of a front seat occupant and the head of a rear seat occupant.

[0032]

As described above, in the head protection airbag device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the airbag bag body is not caught by a protruding object in the vehicle interior having a large protrusion amount, and the airbag bag body is deployed. It has an excellent effect that performance can be improved.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, it is ensured that the lower portion of the inflated airbag body is caught by the predetermined projection. It has an excellent effect that it can be prevented.

[0034]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 1-1 of FIG.

FIG. 2 is an operation explanatory view of the head protection airbag device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing an airbag body stored state of the head protection airbag device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing an expanded state of an airbag body in the head protection airbag device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view showing one step of folding the airbag body in the head protection airbag device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5B is a first embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the process following (A) of how to fold an airbag body in the head protection airbag apparatus which concerns on embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view showing a completed deployment state of an airbag body in a head protection airbag device according to a conventional embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 head protection airbag device 14 inflator 16 airbag bag body 16D bellows folded part of airbag bag body 16E roll folded part of airbag bag body 16F folded line of airbag bag body 16G folded part of airbag bag body 18B Pillar 20 A pillar 28 Roof side rail 52 Slip joint (predetermined vehicle interior protrusion)

(56) References US Patent 5,730,463 (US, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B60R 21/16-21/32

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A head protection airbag device wherein a head protection airbag bag body having an inflation chamber in a region covering at least the B pillar is folded and stored along a peripheral edge of a door opening including a roof side rail. A protective airbag body is formed at an upper portion of the airbag body and is bellow-folded substantially downward, and a bellows-folded part is formed below the bellows-shaped folded part and is set at a middle part in the vertical direction. A head protection airbag device, comprising: a roll folded portion formed by folding a portion below the folding line toward the interior of the vehicle and folding the roll from the folding line toward the interior of the vehicle. . 2. The head protection airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the return line is set at a position higher than a predetermined vehicle interior protrusion provided on the vehicle interior side of the B pillar.