JP3144144B2 - Automotive 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 vehicle airbag device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As this kind of technology, for example,
As shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. -20856. That is, as an automobile airbag device, there is provided a bag storage portion provided in an inner side portion of a vehicle body side, in which an energy absorbing bag is stored in a contracted state and a bag inflation means is disposed; Impact detection means for detecting an externally applied impact on the bag, and when an impact detection output signal is obtained from the impact detection means, operates the bag inflation means in accordance with the impact detection output signal from the impact detection means. The energy absorbing bag in the contracted state is provided with a control unit for causing the energy absorbing bag to inflate inside the vehicle.

In such an airbag system for an automobile, when another vehicle collides with the side of the automobile and an impact detection output signal is obtained from the impact detection means, the impact detection output signal from the impact detection means is obtained. By operating the bag inflating means in accordance with the above, the energy absorbing bag in the contracted state is inflated to the inside of the vehicle, whereby the occupant's upper body moves sideways due to the secondary collision of the occupant. However, by securely holding the upper body of the occupant, the occupant can be kept safe.

[0004]

However, in such an airbag system for an automobile, the direction of inflation of the energy absorbing bag is not determined, and depending on the occupant's posture, an excessive impact load on the occupant's upper body is required. Or the internal pressure of the vehicle may be increased more than necessary. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a means that does not apply an excessive impact load to the upper body of the occupant or increase the internal pressure of the vehicle more than necessary while maintaining the function of protecting the occupant. Things.

[0005]

The automobile airbag system according to the first aspect of the present invention According to an aspect of an inflatable energy absorbing bag to between vehicle inner side end portion and the vehicle occupant, gas in the bag an airbag device for a motor vehicle having a bag inflation means capable of supplying the energy absorbing bag is only above the waist line position of the door at the time of expansion, has a bag width limiting means for limiting the lateral width of the bag By the bag width limiting means.
Therefore, when the bag is inflated, it moves from the side edge inside the vehicle to the occupant side.
The amount of protrusion is lower than the door waistline position.
In comparison, the location of the upper bag width
It is characterized by becoming so .

[0006]

According to this structure, at the time of a side collision of the vehicle, the energy absorbing bag that expands toward the vehicle interior by the gas supplied from the bag inflation means, is closer to the occupant than the side end portion on the vehicle interior side.
Is below the waistline of the door.
In comparison with, the installation position of the upper bag width limiter is
Become smaller. Therefore, the function to hold the occupant's upper body is maintained.
While holding, the impact of the energy absorbing bag on the occupant's head is reduced.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, an airbag device 1 for an automobile is provided on a door inner panel 3 as a “side end on the inside of the vehicle” of a door 2, and an energy absorbing bag 5 is stored in a contracted state while being stored. Bag inflation means 6
, A shock storage means (not shown) for detecting a shock applied to the door 2 from the outside,
When an impact detection output signal is obtained from the impact detection means,
A control unit (not shown) that activates the bag inflation means 6 in response to the shock detection output signal from the shock detection means to cause the energy absorbing bag 5 in the contracted state to inflate to the vehicle interior IS. It is a structure configured including:

The energy absorbing bag 5 is disposed inside the first and second surfaces 10 and 11 when the first surface 10 becomes the outside OS of the vehicle when inflated, the second surface 11 becomes the inside IS of the vehicle when inflated. The suspension straps 13 and 14 and an exhaust port (not shown) that is opened when the occupant M collides with the energy absorbing bag 5 in an inflated state and the gas filled therein is discharged. The hanging straps 13 and 14 are located above the waistline position 7 of the door 2 when the energy absorbing bag 5 is inflated and between the first surface 10 of the vehicle outside OS and the second surface 11 of the vehicle inside IS. The suspension strings 13 and 14 are arranged in a substantially columnar shape between them, and the suspension strings 13 and 14 are appropriately separated from each other.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the hanging string, which is different from the above embodiment mainly in that the hanging string is not arranged at a distance from the front and back, but is arranged at the center of the front and rear. That is.
That is, the suspension string 15 is located above the waist line position 7 of the door 2 when the energy absorbing bag 5 is inflated, and the first surface 10 of the vehicle outside OS and the second surface 11 of the vehicle inside IS.
Between the energy absorbing bag 5 and the front and rear centers of the energy absorbing bag 5.

FIG. 4 shows still another embodiment of the hanging string. The main difference from the above embodiment is that the hanging string is not arranged to be separated from the front and rear, but the hanging string is biased to the rear side. Is to be distributed. That is, the suspension string 16 is located above the waist line position 7 of the door 2 when the energy absorbing bag 5 is inflated and between the first surface 10 of the vehicle outside OS and the second surface 11 of the vehicle inside IS. The energy absorbing bag 5 is disposed so as to be biased toward the rear side of the energy absorbing bag 5.

According to these embodiments, when another vehicle collides with the side of the vehicle and an impact detection output signal is obtained from the impact detection means (not shown), the impact detection output from the impact detection means is obtained. In response to the signal, the bag inflating means 6 is operated to cause the contracted state of the energy absorbing bag 5 to be inflated to the vehicle interior IS. Hanging strings 13, 14,
15 and 16, the amount X of inflation from the door inner panel 3 toward the occupant M is a portion 5 above the waistline position 7.
Since the left-right width X1 of a is smaller than the left-right width X2 of the lower part 5b, the secondary collision of the occupant M
Even if the upper body MA of the occupant M moves to the side, the function of securely holding the upper body MA of the occupant M is maintained so that not only the safety of the occupant M is maintained, but also the energy to the upper body MA of the occupant M is increased. The impact by the absorption bag 5 is reduced.

[0012]

As described above, according to the present invention, at the time of a side collision of an automobile, the energy absorbing bag , which is inflated inward by the gas supplied from the bag inflation means, is provided inside the vehicle.
The amount of protrusion from the side edge toward the occupant side is
Bag width limiting means on the upper side compared to the lower side from the in position
Holds the occupant's upper body as the installation area is smaller
This has the practical effect that the impact of the energy absorbing bag on the occupant's head is reduced while maintaining the function of the vehicle .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing still another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Airbag device for automobiles 3 Door inner panel (side end of vehicle interior) 5 Energy absorption bag 6 Bag inflation means 7 Waistline position 10 First surface 11 Second surface 13 Hanging strap 14 Hanging strap 15 Hanging strap 16 Hanging strap IS indoor side OS outdoor side M occupant MA upper part of occupant

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] And 1. A inflatable energy absorbing bag to between vehicle inner side end portion and the vehicle occupant, the air bag device for a motor vehicle having a bag inflation means capable of supplying gas to the bag, the energy absorbing The bag has bag width limiting means for limiting the lateral width of the bag only above the waist line position of the door when inflated .
Therefore, when the bag is inflated, it moves from the side edge inside the vehicle to the occupant side.
The amount of protrusion is lower than the door waistline position.
In comparison, the location of the upper bag width
An airbag device for an automobile, characterized in that the airbag device is designed so as to have a smaller size .