JP3991762B2 - Driver's seat airbag and driver's seat airbag device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a driver's seat airbag device installed in an automobile or the like, and its airbag, and more particularly to a driver's seat airbag configured to be quickly deployed in the vertical direction in the vicinity of an occupant and the driver seat. The present invention relates to an airbag device for a driver's seat equipped with an airbag.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As is well known, the airbag device is configured to be deployed in the vicinity (for example, the front) of an occupant and receive the occupant at the time of a collision of an automobile or the like. The driver's seat airbag installed in the steering is desired to be rapidly deployed vertically and horizontally after the collision is detected because the distance between the steering and the occupant is small. For this purpose, a high-power inflator having a high generated gas pressure and a rapidly rising generated gas pressure is used as an inflator. However, there are disadvantages such as high cost.
[0003]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-166361 discloses an airbag device configured such that an airbag is rapidly inflated in the vertical direction and then in the horizontal direction without using a high-power inflator.
[0004]
In the publication, the front panel and rear panel of an airbag are stitched together by two stitches (tea seams) extending in the vertical direction. The airbag is first inflated in the vertical direction between the pair of tear seams by the gas from the inflator, and then the tear seam is ruptured by the inflation pressure of the airbag to inflate the airbag in the left-right direction.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the airbag disclosed in JP-A-6-166361, since the tear seam needs to be torn when the airbag internal pressure rises to a predetermined pressure, it is necessary to match the inflator output with the suture strength. There may be restrictions on the airbag design.
[0006]
According to the present invention, the center portion of the airbag is inflated so that the center portion of the airbag rapidly reaches the specified thickness and the specified internal pressure in the vertical direction as viewed from the occupant, and then the left and right portions of the airbag expand to the specified size in the horizontal direction and to provide an airbag for the driver's seat that is configured to, an air bag device for a driver's seat equipped with the driver-seat airbag.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A driver's seat airbag according to the present invention has a front surface facing an occupant and a rear surface opposite to the front surface, and an opening for an inflator is provided in the vicinity of the center of the rear surface in the left-right direction. In the driver's seat airbag, on the left and right sides of the inflator opening, respectively, a partition panel extending from the top side to the bottom side of the airbag and coupled to both the rear surface and the front surface is provided. The airbag is partitioned into at least three chambers, a central chamber, a left chamber, and a right chamber, by the partition panel, and the partition panel is provided with a communication port that communicates the central chamber with the left chamber and the right chamber. In addition, vent holes are respectively provided in the rear surfaces of the left and right chambers, the central chamber communicates with the left and right chambers only through the communication port, and the communication port is connected to the partition. The top side of the panel and Are arranged in Tom side, the vent hole is characterized in that provided in the vicinity of the center between the top side and the bottom side.
[0008]
In the driver's seat airbag and the driver's seat airbag apparatus of the present invention, the central chamber is first quickly inflated vertically by the gas from the inflator. At this time, the central chamber expands until the partition panel is tensed, and has a specified expansion thickness. Thereafter, the left chamber and the right chamber are also expanded by the gas flowing from the central chamber through the communication port.
[0009]
In this driver's seat airbag, the central compartment is quickly inflated in the vertical direction and with a specified thickness and a specified internal pressure. Thus, the initial restraint performance of the driver airbag can be improved.
[0010]
In the present invention, the central chamber that have respectively communicate with the left chamber and a right chamber only through said communication opening. As a result, the central chamber is rapidly expanded by the gas from the inflator so as to have a predetermined thickness and a predetermined internal pressure in the vertical direction, and then the gas is supplied from the central chamber to the left and right chambers.
[0011]
In the present invention, the communication port is disposed on the top side and bottom side of the partition panel, the vent hole, that provided in the vicinity of the center between the top side and the bottom side. As a result, the gas blown out of the inflator is prevented from directly hitting the communication port and flowing out to the left or right chamber, and the central chamber is rapidly expanded in the vertical direction to have a specified thickness and a specified internal pressure. Also, in the left and right ventricle, there is a vent hole near the middle between the top side and the bottom side, so that the gas from the communication port does not flow out of the vent hole in a short circuit, The right ventricle will also expand quickly enough.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a driver's seat airbag according to an embodiment, FIG. 2 is a front view of the airbag (a front view when facing directly from the passenger side), and FIG. 3 is a diagram of FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the inflation operation of the airbag. In the following description, the vertical direction refers to the vertical direction when the airbag is viewed from the occupant side when the steering is in a neutral state so that the vehicle moves straight, and the left and right are the left and right in this state. Say. Therefore, the “top side” of the airbag is “upper side” and the “bottom side” of the airbag is “lower side”.
[0013]
A driver's seat airbag (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “airbag”) 10 is constructed by sewing the peripheral portions of the front panel 12 and the rear panel 14 each made of a circular cloth with a suture thread 16 . . In the center of the rear panel 14 is provided an inflator opening 18 for receiving the tip side of the inflator. Around the opening 18, a small opening (insertion hole) 22 for inserting an attachment member such as a bolt for attaching the airbag 10 and the inflator 20 (FIG. 3) to a retainer (not shown) is provided. .
[0014]
Partition panels 24 and 24 are provided that extend approximately parallel to each other in the vertical direction of the airbag in the vicinity of the middle between the inflator opening 18 and the left and right ends of the panels 12 and 14. As shown in FIG. 4, the partition panels 24 and 24 have a substantially elongated elliptical shape, and the entire periphery thereof is sewn to the front panel 12 and the rear panel 14 with a suture thread 24a.
[0015]
A central chamber 26, a left chamber 28 and a right chamber 30 are partitioned in the airbag 10 by the partition panels 24 and 24. The partition panel 24 is provided with a communication port 32 that communicates the central chamber 26 with the left chamber 28 or the right chamber 30. These communication ports 32 are provided at the upper part (top side) and the lower part (bottom side) of the partition panel 24, respectively.
[0016]
Although not shown, the airbag 10 is disposed on the retainer so that the inflator opening 18 is concentric with the inflator attachment port of the retainer, and is fixed to the retainer with a bolt or the like.
[0017]
The airbag 10 is fixed to the retainer together with the inflator 20 and folded, and then a module cover is attached thereto, whereby a driver seat airbag device is configured.
[0018]
When the inflator 20 is in a gas ejection operation in association with a vehicle collision, the gas ejected from the inflator 20 first expands the central chamber 26 of the airbag 10. As the airbag 10 is inflated, the module cover is cleaved, the airbag 10 is inflated outside the module cover, and the center portion of the steering (not shown) is vertically cut as shown in FIG. 5 (a). Inflate.
[0019]
At this time, the central chamber 26 is inflated until each partition panel 24 is in a tensioned state and the front panel 12 and the rear panel 14 between the partition panels 24 and 24 are also in a tensioned state. At this time, the central chamber 26 is expanded to the prescribed thickness where the partition panel 24 is strained as described above, and at this stage, gas hardly flows from the central chamber 26 to the left chamber 28 and the right chamber 30. Therefore, the internal pressure of the central chamber 26 is sufficiently high. Therefore, even if the occupant is thrust into the central chamber in the initial inflated state, the occupant's impact can be sufficiently absorbed.
[0020]
When the central chamber 26 is almost completely expanded and the internal pressure becomes sufficiently high, the gas flows out from the central chamber 26 through the communication port 32 to the left chamber 28 and the right chamber 30, and as shown in FIG. The chamber 28 and the right chamber 30 are also sufficiently expanded, and the expansion ends.
[0021]
When an occupant rushes into the inflated airbag, the gas flows out through the vent hole 36 and the impact is absorbed.
[0022]
In the airbag 10, as described above, the central chamber 26 is completely inflated in the vertical direction prior to the left chamber 28 and the right chamber 30, and has a specified thickness and a specified internal pressure. It will be expensive. Further, since the central chamber 26 is expanded in advance of the left chamber 28 and the right chamber 30, the central chamber 26 expands to the initial expanded state sufficiently early even if a low output is used as the inflator 20.
[0023]
Further, in this embodiment, the communication ports 32 are arranged at the upper and lower portions of the partition panel 24 and are separated from the inflator 20, so that the gas ejected from the inflator 20 directly shoots the communication ports 32 from the communication port 32. There is no outflow to the left chamber 28 and the right chamber 30, which also allows the central chamber 26 to expand sufficiently quickly.
[0024]
Further, in this embodiment, since the vent hole 36 is disposed near the middle in the vertical direction, the gas flowing into the left chamber 28 and the right chamber 30 from the communication port 32 flows out of the vent hole 36 in a short circuit. No, the left ventricle 28 and the right ventricle 30 also expand sufficiently quickly.
[0025]
In the said embodiment, although the partition panels 24 and 24 are extended in the up-down direction substantially in parallel, you may be provided non-parallel like Fig.6 (a)-(d).
[0026]
In FIG. 6 (a), it is provided in a C shape so that the interval between the partition panels 24, 24 becomes smaller toward the upper side. In addition, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, it is good also as a reverse C-shape where the space | interval between the partition panels 24 and 24 becomes large toward upper part.
[0027]
FIG. 6 (b) shows an increase in the distance between the partition panels 24, 24 in both the upper and lower directions, and FIG. 6 (c) shows an arrangement in which the distance between the partition panels 24, 24 becomes smaller in both the upper and lower directions. An example is shown. Although illustration is omitted, only one of the upper half side and the lower half side of the partition panel may be formed in a C shape or an inverted C shape.
[0028]
In FIG. 6 (d), the vertical middle of the partition panels 24, 24 reaches the periphery of the front panel 12 and the rear panel 14, whereby the left chamber 28 and the right chamber 30 are divided vertically, and the left of the two chambers. A chamber 28 and two right chambers 30 are partitioned. In this case, a vent hole 36 is provided in each left chamber 28 and right chamber 30.
[0029]
In FIGS. 1 to 6, the seam allowance between the front panel 12 and the rear panel 14 extends outward from the airbag 10. However, in the present invention, this seam allowance is the same as the air bag 10A in FIG. You may arrange | position inside a bag. Further, in the present invention, as shown in the airbag 10A of FIG. 7, the partition panel may be composed of two panels, a front panel side half panel 24A and a rear panel side half panel 24B.
[0030]
In the present invention, a hanging string (tether belt) 40 may be provided between the front panel 12 and the rear panel 14 as in the airbag 10A of FIG. The number, arrangement, and size of the hanging straps are not limited to those illustrated. By providing the hanging strap 40, the expansion thickness of the airbag 10A can be regulated.
[0031]
In the present invention, as in the airbag 10B of FIG. 8, the front panel 12 and the rear panel 14 are sewn together by the tear seam 42 in the left chamber 28 and the right chamber 30, and the internal pressure in the left chamber 28 and the right chamber 30 is increased. The tear seam 42 may be ruptured when the pressure exceeds a predetermined pressure, and the volumes in the left chamber 28 and the right chamber 30 may be increased. As the tear seam 42, for example, a tear seam having a strength that ruptures when an occupant thrusts into an inflated airbag and thereby the internal pressure of the left chamber 28 and the right chamber 30 rises is employed.
[0032]
Each of the above-described embodiments is an example of the present invention, and the present invention can take other modes. For example, you may use the partition panel which made the upper side wide so that the expansion | swelling thickness of an airbag upper part may become larger than the expansion | swelling thickness of a lower part. Similarly, when providing a hanging strap, you may employ | adopt the hanging strap whose upper side has a larger string length than the lower side.
[0033]
The communication port 32 and the vent hole 36 may have a so-called variable vent structure in which the opening area increases as the gas flow rate increases.
[0034]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a driver's seat airbag excellent in initial restraining performance even when a low-output inflator is used, and a driver's seat airbag device using this driver's seat airbag. Is done.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a driver's seat airbag according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a front view of a driver's seat airbag according to the embodiment (a front view when facing directly from the passenger side).
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2;
4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an inflating operation of the driver seat airbag according to the embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a front view showing another embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing still another embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a different embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
10, 10A, 10B Driver's seat airbag 12 Front panel 14 Rear panel 18 Inflator opening 20 Inflator 24 Partition panel 24A, 24B Half panel 26 Central room 28 Left room 30 Right room 32 Communication port 36 Vent hole 40 Hanging string 42 Tear seam

Claims (2)

Having a front surface facing the occupant and a rear surface on the opposite side,
In a driver's seat airbag in which an opening for an inflator is provided in the vicinity of the center of the rear surface in the left-right direction,
On the left side and right side of the opening for the inflator, there are provided partition panels extending from the top side to the bottom side of the airbag and coupled to both the rear surface and the front surface. Is divided into at least three rooms: a central chamber, a left chamber, and a right chamber,
The partition panel is provided with a communication port for communicating the central chamber with the left and right chambers,
Vent holes are provided in the rear surfaces of the left and right chambers ,
The central chamber communicates with the left and right chambers only through the communication port,
The communication port is disposed on a top side and a bottom side of the partition panel, and the vent hole is provided in the vicinity of the center between the top side and the bottom side. . In a driver airbag device having an airbag and an inflator that inflates the airbag,
The airbag device for a driver's seat according to claim 1, wherein the airbag is the airbag for a driver's seat according to claim 1 .

Images