JP3366090B2 - 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 an airbag device for restraining an occupant by expanding an airbag with gas ejected from an inflator when acceleration of a predetermined value or more is detected due to a vehicle collision.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional air bag device supplies gas ejected from an inflator to the inside of a folded air bag, and a weak rupture portion provided on a steering wheel or an instrument panel by an air bag inflated by gas pressure. The inside of the airbag is ruptured, and the airbag is deployed into the vehicle compartment through the opening formed by the rupture (see, for example, JP-A-4-353048).

[0003]

However, if an attempt is made to rupture the ruptured portion provided on the steering wheel or the instrument panel from the inside by the inflation force of the airbag, an extremely large internal pressure is applied to the airbag. In addition, it becomes necessary to increase the pressure resistance of the airbag and the mounting strength of the fixed end of the airbag. However,
If the pressure resistance of the airbag is increased, the flexibility of the airbag itself may be lost, and if the mounting strength of the airbag is increased, the weight increases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to smoothly deploy an airbag without applying an excessive internal pressure to the airbag.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention described in claim 1 uses air blown from an inflator when an acceleration of a predetermined value or more is detected due to a collision of a vehicle. In an airbag device for deploying a bag and restraining an occupant, an inflator is provided inside a fixed end of a folded airbag and a free end side of the airbag.
With movably accommodated, the inflator gas ejection hole is arranged asymmetrically in the deployment direction before and after the air bag, by moving the inflator in thrust of gas ejected from the gas ejection holes, the air bag by the inflator It is characterized in that the folded portion on the free end side is pushed out in the unfolding direction.

Further, the invention according to claim 2 is an airbag device for restraining an occupant by expanding an airbag with gas ejected from an inflator when acceleration of a predetermined value or more is detected due to a collision of a vehicle. ， Inside the fixed end of the folded airbag, on the free end side of the airbag
An intermediate bag made of breathable material that supports a movable inflator inside is stored in a folded state .
At the same time, the gas injection hole of the inflator is installed in the airbag.
Pressed by moving the inflator by the thrust of the gas ejected from the gas ejection holes, which are arranged asymmetrically before and after the opening direction.
Force and pressure due to expansion of the intermediate bag by the gas
It is characterized in that the folding part on the free end side of the airbag is pushed out in the deployment direction by the force .

The invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that, in addition to the structure of claim 2, a repulsion plate for receiving the expansion force of the intermediate bag is provided outside the fixed end of the airbag.

The invention described in claim 4 relates to a vehicle
If an acceleration greater than a predetermined value is detected due to a collision,
Inflate the airbag with the gas ejected from the inflator
Folded in an airbag device that restrains occupants
The inside of the fixed end of the airbag is made of breathable material.
Fold the intermediate bag that supports the inflator inside
It is stored in the folded state and the fixed end of the airbag
A repulsion plate that receives the expansion force of the intermediate bag on the outside of the side
Is installed and the intermediate bag is filled with the gas ejected from the inflator.
Inflate and push the free end side of the airbag in the direction of deployment
It is characterized by

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 6 show a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a vehicle equipped with an airbag device, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of the action at the start of deployment of the airbag, FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of the action at the end of inflation of the airbag, FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 2, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. is there.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the airbag apparatus of this embodiment is provided at the front edge of the roof portion of the vehicle. The roof of the vehicle is provided with an outer panel 1 and an inner panel 2, and an upper edge 6 of a windshield 5 is provided at a front edge joint portion of both panels 1 and 2 via a dam rubber 3 and a molding 4.
Is supported. An interior material 7 made of synthetic resin is stretched on the lower surface of the inner panel 2 with a predetermined gap therebetween, and an airbag device 8 is arranged between the inner panel 2 and the interior material 7. The airbag device 8 includes a storage container 10 made of synthetic resin for storing the airbag 9 therein. The storage container 10 has a mounting bracket 11 welded to a lower surface of the inner panel 2 at a mounting portion 10 _{1 at a} rear end thereof. Rivet 1
Fixed at 2.

As will be apparent with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 as well, along the front edge and the left and right side edges of the storage container 10, there is formed a thin-walled breaking portion 10 ₂ which breaks when the airbag 9 is inflated. The interior material 7 is provided with a lid 7 ₁ that forms an opening 13 for deploying the inflating airbag 9 into the passenger compartment. The lid 7 ₁ is a thin-walled breaking portion 7 that is broken when the airbag 9 is inflated. ₂ and a thin hinge portion 7 _{3 serving as} a hinge when the lid 7 ₁ is opened.

In place of the thin-walled rupture portion 7 ₂ which is ruptured when the airbag 9 is inflated, the front edge of the lid 7 _{1 and} the front edge of the inner panel 2 may be fixed by a clip 6 having a U-shaped cross section. good. In this case, the clip 6 is released by the pressure that the airbag 9 expands, and the lid 7 ₁ is opened around the hinge portion 7 ₃ .

Next, the internal structure of the airbag device 8 will be described with reference to FIG.

The airbag 9, which is stored in the storage container 10 in a folded state, is fastened together with rivets 12 to the mounting portion 10 ₁ and the mounting bracket 11 of the storage container 10 at the fixed end of the rear portion (see FIG. 1). . The airbag 9 has a front folding portion 9 folded in a bellows shape in order from the front free end.
₁ , a non-folding portion 9 ₂ connected to the rear side thereof, and a rear folding portion 9 ₃ connected to the rear side thereof. The front folding part 9 ₁ occupies most of the airbag 9, and the rear folding part 9 ₃ is formed to have a shorter length in the front-rear direction than the front folding part 9 ₁ .

The front folding portion 9 ₁ is sewn by the thread 14 so as to maintain the folded state shown in the figure. Both ends of the thread 14 are not fixed and are automatically pulled out when the airbag 9 is deployed in the vehicle compartment and inflated.

[0017] Non-folding portion 9 ₂ of the air bag 9, the intermediate bag 15, an inflator holding the bag 16 and the inflator 17 are housed. The intermediate bag 15 is made of a breathable material, and the front folding part 15 ₁ is folded in a bellows shape.
And an unfolded portion 15 ₂ connected to the rear of the same and a rear folded portion 15 ₃ connected to the rear thereof. The inflator holding bag 16 is formed slightly larger than the inflator 17 held therein, and is made of a breathable material like the intermediate bag 15.

The breathable material forming the intermediate bag 15 and the inflator holding bag 16 allows the passage of gas and has some ventilation resistance when the gas passes.

The intermediate position of the front folding portion 15 ₁ of the intermediate bag 15 is loosely sewn by the thread 18, and the rear end of the inflator holding bag 16 is at the non-folding portion 15 of the intermediate bag 15.
It is sewn tightly by the thread 19 between the ₂ and the rear folding part 15 ₃ . The fixed end of the rear portion of the intermediate bag 15 is fastened together with the fixed end of the airbag 9 to the mounting portion 10 ₁ .

The inflator 17 ejects a high-pressure nitrogen gas by burning the propellant contained therein, and a plurality of gas ejection holes 17 _{1 for} ejecting the gas are formed rearward. As described above, the plurality of gas ejection holes 17 ₁ ... Are formed asymmetrically in the front-rear direction so that the inflator 17 receives a forward (leftward in the figure) thrust by the pressure of the ejected gas.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment having the above construction will be described.

When an acceleration sensor (not shown) detects an acceleration of a predetermined value or more due to a collision of a vehicle, a current is supplied to the inflator 17 of the airbag device to ignite the propellant, and a high-pressure gas is injected into the gas injection holes 17 ₁ . Gushes backward from. As a result, the inflator 17 is controlled by the pressure of the ejected gas.
Is propelled in the direction of arrow a. At this time, inflator 1
7 is housed inside the inflator holding bag 16, the inflator holding bag 16 is
While inflating the rear folding part 15 ₃ , the inflator 17
Together with this, it moves in the direction of arrow a.

At the same time, the gas ejected from the inflator 17 is permeable to the inflator holding bag 16
To flow into the inside of the intermediate bag 15 to inflate the intermediate bag 15. As apparent from FIG. 6, the intermediate bag 15 because it is sewn loosely by the yarn 18 to the intermediate position of the front folds 15 _1, without substantially expanding in the vertical direction, and the yarn 18 to the boundary It is divided into the front bag portion 15 ₄ and the rear bag portion 15 ₃ and expands mainly in the front-back direction. The gas inflating the intermediate bag 15 passes through the intermediate bag 15 and flows into the unfolded portion 9 _{2 of the} airbag 9.

The inflator 17 is moved forward by the thrust of the gas, and the intermediate bag 15 is inflated forward while moving forward together with the inflator 17, so that the airbag 9 as shown in FIG. Front folding part 9
₁ is strongly pressed forward by the front bag portion 15 ₄ of the intermediate bag 15. As a result, the fractured portion 10 ₂ of the storage container 10
The front folding part 9 ₁ of the airbag 9 projects forward from the storage container 10 while the rear folding part 9 ₃ is unfolded.

When the front folding portion 9 ₁ of the airbag 9 thus projects forward from the storage container 10, the fractured portion 7 ₂ of the interior material 7 is fractured and the lid 7 ₁ is broken, as shown in FIG. Open around the hinge part 7 ₃ and the opening 13 formed there
The front folding part 9 ₁ of the airbag 9 is pushed out from the inside of the vehicle. At this time, the front folding part 9 ₁ of the airbag 9 is thread 1
It is held in the initial folded state by 4.

When the front folding part 9 ₁ of the airbag 9 is pushed out into the passenger compartment, as shown in FIG. 4, the gas that has passed through the intermediate bag 15 causes the front folding part 9 ₁ to unfold, and the passengers It expands between the windshield 5 and the occupant to restrain it.
At this time, as the front folding part 9 ₁ is inflated, the thread 14 sewing the front folding part 9 ₁ is automatically pulled out, allowing the inflation of the airbag 9.

The folded airbag 9 as described above.
When pushing out the vehicle from the storage container 10 into the vehicle compartment, the pressing force due to the forward movement of the inflator 17 and the pressing force due to the forward expansion of the intermediate bag 15 are used. it is possible to break the breaking portion 7 _{and second} fracture portions 10 ₂ and the interior material 7 of the container 10 without exerting great pressure on. As a result, even if the amount of gas generated in the initial stage of the operation of the inflator 17 is reduced, it becomes possible to rupture the rupture portions 10 ₂ , 7 ₂ with a sufficient margin, and the airbag 9 is made of a soft material. The occupant can be softly restrained, and the strength of the mounting portion 10 ₁ that supports the fixed end of the airbag 9 can be reduced.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

In the second embodiment, a strong repulsion plate 20 made of a metal plate is provided outside the rear end of the storage container 10, and
The gas ejection holes 17 ₁ of the inflator 17 are formed symmetrically in the front-rear direction, and other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment.

According to this second embodiment, the gas ejection hole 17
_{Although the} inflator 17 is not directly thrust by the gas ejected from ₁ ..., When the unfolded portion 15 ₂ of the intermediate bag 15 is first inflated to the state shown by the gas, the unfolded portion 15 ₂ is By receiving the reaction force from the repulsion plate 20, the intermediate bag 15 is pushed out in the direction of arrow a. As a result, the inflator 1 held inside the unfolded portion 15 ₂ via the inflator holding bag 16
7 also moves in the direction of arrow a together with the intermediate bag 15. When the unfolded portion 15 ₂ is completely inflated, the front folded portion 1
5 ₁ also inflates and presses the front folded portion 9 ₁ of the airbag 9 located in front of it. In this way, the inflator 17
Of the intermediate bag 15 due to the forward movement of the
Due to the pressing force caused by the expansion of the front part, the front folding part 9 ₁ of the airbag 9 is pressed to break the breaking part 10 ₂ of the storage container 10 and the breaking part 7 ₂ of the interior material 7, The airbag 9 can be deployed in the vehicle compartment.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

In the third embodiment, the inflator holding bag 16 which does not include the intermediate bag 15 and accommodates the inflator 17 therein is fixed to the fixing portion 10 ₁ of the storage container 10 via the rear folding portion 16 _1. Fixed. The gas ejection holes 17 _1, ... Of the inflator 17 are formed in a rearward and asymmetrical rearward direction as in the first embodiment.

According to the third embodiment, the gas ejection hole 17
_The inflator 17 moves in the direction of the arrow a by the thrust of the gas ejected from ₁ ..., and directly presses the front folded portion 9 ₁ of the airbag 9 to rupture the broken portion 10 ₂ of the storage container 10 and the interior material 7.
It is possible to rupture the rupture portion 7 ₂ .

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various design changes can be made.

For example, in the embodiment, the airbag device accommodated in the roof portion of the vehicle is exemplified, but the present invention can be applied to the airbag device accommodated in the steering wheel or the instrument panel. Further, in the first and third embodiments, the gas ejection holes 17 ₁ are formed only in the rear portion of the inflator 17 to generate thrust, but the gas ejection holes 17 ₁ are formed before and after the inflator 17,
The inflator 1 is provided with a means such that the number of backward gas ejection holes 17 _{1 is} larger than the number of forward gas ejection holes 17 ₁ .
A positive thrust force may be generated at 7. Further, both ends of the thread 14 for sewing the front folded portion 9 ₁ of the airbag 9 may be fixed, and the thread 14 may be broken when the airbag 9 is deployed. In this case, it is preferable that the yarn 14 is made of a short fiber so that the yarn 14 is easily broken.

[0036]

As described above, according to the invention described in claim 1, the inflator having the asymmetric gas ejection holes is moved to the free end side of the airbag by the thrust of the gas , and
Since the folded portion on the free end side of the airbag is pushed out in the deploying direction by the inflator, the airbag can be quickly deployed in the passenger compartment without exerting an excessive internal pressure on the airbag.

According to the invention described in claim 2,
The thrust of the gas ejected from the gas ejection hole of the inflator
To move the inflator to the free end side of the airbag
The pressing force and the gas inflates the intermediate bag
Since the folded portion on the free end side of the airbag is pushed out in the deploying direction by the pressing force by the airbag, the airbag can be quickly deployed in the passenger compartment without exerting an excessive internal pressure on the airbag. .

According to the invention described in claim 3,
The reaction force received from the repulsion plate causes the intermediate bag to quickly expand in the deployment direction, so that the free end side of the airbag can be pushed out more effectively.

According to the invention described in claim 4,
Inflate an intermediate bag made of breathable material
The free end of the airbag is inflated by the gas ejected from the motor.
Since the side is pushed out in the deployment direction, it is excessive in the airbag.
The air bag quickly without applying any internal pressure.
Can be deployed indoors. Moreover, it is received from the repulsion plate.
The reaction force of the wick causes the intermediate bag to quickly inflate in the deployment direction.
To more effectively push out the free end side of the airbag.
You can

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a vehicle equipped with an airbag device.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of the action at the start of deployment of the airbag.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of the action at the end of inflation of the airbag.

5 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of the action at the start of deployment of the airbag according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of the operation of the airbag at the start of deployment according to the third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

9 Airbag 15 Intermediate bag 17 Inflator 17 ₁ Gas ejection hole 20 Repulsion plate

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (56) Reference JP-A-3-32957 (JP, A) JP-A-49-111334 (JP, A) JP-A-5-42855 (JP, A) JP-A-4- 353048 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B60R 21/16-21/32

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. An airbag device for restraining an occupant by expanding an airbag (9) with gas ejected from an inflator (17) when an acceleration of a predetermined value or more is detected by a collision of a vehicle. and the internal fixed end of the airbag (9), in
Fureta (17) with movably accommodated in the free end side of the airbag (9), arranged gas ejection hole of the inflator (17) (17 ₁₎ asymmetrically in the longitudinal deployment direction of the airbag (9) moves the inflator (17) in the thrust of the gas ejected from the gas ejection hole (17 _1), said inflator (17)
An air bag device, characterized in that the folded portion (9 ₁ ) on the free end side of the air bag (9) is pushed out in the deploying direction. 2. An airbag device for restraining an occupant by expanding an airbag (9) with gas ejected from an inflator (17) when an acceleration of a predetermined value or more is detected due to a vehicle collision. and the internal fixed end of the airbag (9), air
An inflator (1) that is movable toward the free end side of the bag (9)
7) supported on the inside as well as stored in a folded state the <br/> between bags (15) in which is formed of a material having air permeability, the
Insert the gas outlet (17 ₁ ) of the inflator (17 ) into the air bag.
The gas (9) is arranged asymmetrically before and after the deployment direction, and the thrust of the gas ejected from the gas ejection hole (17 ₁ ) is used to inflate it.
And the pressing force by moving the regulator (17), the pressing force due to its <br/> intermediate bag gas (15) is expanded
Due to, the folding part on the free end side of the airbag (9)
Characterized in that the push (9 ₁₎ to the deployment direction, the air bag device. 3. The airbag apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a repulsion plate (20) for receiving the expansion force of the intermediate bag (15) is provided outside the fixed end side of the airbag (9). 4. Acceleration above a certain value due to vehicle collision
When detected, Eject from the inflator (17)
Air is used to deploy the airbag (9) to restrain the occupant.
In the bag device, Ventilation inside the fixed end of the folded airbag (9)
Inflator (1
7) Hold the intermediate bag (15) supporting it in the folded state.
When it is delivered to the outside of the fixed end of the airbag (9)
Is a repulsion plate for receiving the expansion force of the intermediate bag (15)
(20) is provided, Intermediate bag with gas ejected from the inflator (17)
Inflate (15) to extend the free end side of the airbag (9).
An airbag device characterized by being pushed out in the opening direction.