JP4254491B2 - Airbag device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an airbag device that is provided in a vehicle such as an automobile, for example, and alleviates an impact applied to an occupant when a collision is input to the vehicle.

  As an airbag device provided in a vehicle, a so-called side airbag device that protects an occupant from a secondary collision by inflating the bag at the time of a side collision is known. The bag provided in the side airbag device is divided into a lower bag chamber that is formed below the bag to protect the chest of the occupant and an upper bag chamber that is formed on the upper portion of the lower bag chamber to protect the occupant's head. Has been configured.

By the way, since the upper bag chamber is merely connected to the lower bag chamber and is not fixed to the vehicle body, it is difficult to regulate the deployment direction. Therefore, the lower bag chamber is inflated faster than the upper bag chamber, and the upper bag chamber is expanded while being supported by the lower bag chamber, so that the upper bag chamber is expanded in a desired direction and position. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
JP 2000-85515 A (paragraph 0030 to paragraph 0057, FIG. 1)

  However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the lower bag chamber is made smaller than the upper bag chamber, or the internal pressure of the cylinder that supplies gas to the lower bag chamber is increased, so that the lower bag chamber is moved upward. It is deployed faster than the bag room. For this reason, when the lower bag chamber is inflated, the lower bag chamber becomes too hard, and there is a risk of giving an impact to the occupant.

  This invention is made based on such a situation, and provides the airbag apparatus which can stabilize the behavior at the time of expansion | deployment of a bag main body, and can reduce the impact which a bag main body gives to a passenger | crew. With the goal.

The airbag device according to the first aspect of the present invention, when a collision is input to a vehicle, protects the occupant by inflating to the front side between the occupant seated on the seat and the vehicle side, and then inflating to the upper side. an airbag device having a bag body, a first bag chamber is inflated on the front side, the upper side communicate with each other through the first of said first bag chamber and vents with installed above the bag chamber a second bag chamber is inflated, inside said bag body is divided, the first and second formed smaller than the bag chamber provided at the bottom of the first bag chamber, forward when inflated And a stabilizing bag having a stabilizing chamber for inflating faster than the first bag chamber to stabilize the unfolding behavior of the bag body, and opening into the stabilizing bag to gas to the stabilizing bag. A first outlet for supplying Comprising a an inflator and a second outlet for supplying gas to said first said positioned above the outlet of the first opening to the bag body in the bag interior.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, while being able to stabilize the behavior at the time of expansion | deployment of a bag main body, the airbag apparatus which can reduce the impact which a bag main body gives to a passenger | crew is obtained.

Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the backrest portion 52 of the seat 50 is omitted.
The airbag device 1 according to the present embodiment is a so-called side airbag device. When a collision is input to the vehicle from the side, the occupant P seated on the seat 50 and the vehicle side portion 60 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The bag main body 11 which expand | swells between the doors provided in is provided. The airbag device 1 inflates the bag main body 11 at the time of a side collision, so that the impact applied to the upper body (mainly the head H and the chest C) of the occupant P by the bag main body 11 is alleviated. Protect from the next collision. In the present embodiment and the following embodiments, the traveling direction F of the vehicle will be described as the front side, and the direction R opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle will be described as the rear side.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the airbag device 1 is built in a seat 50. The seat 50 in which the airbag device 1 is built includes a seat portion 51, a backrest portion 52, a headrest 53, a seat frame 54, and the like. The backrest 52 includes a backrest main body 52a and a pair of side portions 52b and 52c provided on both sides of the backrest main body 52a. The seat frame 54 includes a first frame 54 a that is provided in the seat portion 51 and reinforces the seat portion 51, and a second frame 54 b that is provided in the backrest portion 52 and reinforces the backrest portion 52. is doing.

  The seat 50 is slidably provided in the vehicle interior by attaching a first frame 54a to a seat rail (not shown) extending in the front-rear direction in the vehicle interior. The airbag device 1 is housed in a unitized state in a side part 52b (opposite the vehicle side part 60) located outside the vehicle in the width direction of the pair of side parts 52b and 52c.

  In detail, the airbag apparatus 1 of this embodiment is provided with the bag main body 11, the stabilization bag 12, the case 13, the inflator 14, and the fixing stud 15 etc., as shown in FIGS.

  The bag body 11 and the stabilization bag 12 are bags formed by sewing, for example, a nylon cloth or a polyester cloth. A partition wall 16 is provided in the bag body 11. The interior of the bag body 11 is divided into two rooms by the partition wall 16. The lower room of the two rooms divided by the partition wall 16 is a first bag chamber 21 that mainly protects the chest C of the occupant P seated on the seat 50. The upper room of the two rooms divided by the partition wall 16, that is, the room provided in the upper part of the first bag chamber 21 mainly protects the head H of the occupant P sitting on the seat 50. This becomes the second bag chamber 22. The partition wall 16 has one or more ventilation holes, for example, two ventilation holes 17 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), and the first bag chamber 21 and the second bag chamber 22 are connected to each other. They communicate with each other through the pores 17.

  The stabilization bag 12 is formed in a size that can be accommodated in the first bag chamber 21. The stabilization bag 12 is fixed in the bag body 11 so as to be positioned at the bottom of the first bag chamber 21. For example, when the bag body 11 and the stabilization bag 12 are sewed into a bag shape, the stabilization bag 12 is sewn together with the rear lower side portion of the bag body 11 at the rear end portion thereof. (See FIG. 4).

  The interior of the stabilization bag 12 becomes a stabilization chamber 23 that is inflated earlier than the bag body 11 and stabilizes the deployment behavior of the bag body 11. Needless to say, the stabilization chamber 23 is narrower than the first bag chamber 21.

  For example, the inflator 14 includes a pressure vessel 18 that stores an explosive that generates gas when ignited, and first and second discharge ports 19a that discharge the gas generated in the pressure vessel 18 to the outside of the pressure vessel 18. 19b. In the present embodiment, the first discharge port 19a is located below the second discharge port 19b.

  The inflator 14 is disposed in the bag main body 11 such as the first discharge port 19 a in the stabilization chamber 23 and the second discharge port 19 b in the first bag chamber 21. 1 bag chamber 21. Therefore, when the explosive is ignited, the gas generated in the pressure vessel 18 is supplied to the bag body 11 through the first and second discharge ports 19a and 19b.

  The inflator 14 is fixed to the second frame 54 b via the fixing stud 15. Further, the vehicle is provided with an ECU (electronic control unit, not shown) and a sensor (not shown) for detecting a side collision of the vehicle, and the inflator 14 is a sensor for detecting the ECU and the side collision. And are electrically connected.

  The inflator is not limited to the one described above. As the inflator, for example, an inflator having a cylinder filled with high-pressure gas and first and second discharge ports for releasing the gas in the cylinder to the outside can be used. Even if such an inflator is used, the first discharge port is opened in the stabilization chamber 23 and the second discharge port is opened in the first bag chamber 21 so as to be in the bag body 11. By housing, the same action as the inflator 14 can be obtained.

  The flow rate of the gas supplied to the stabilization chamber 23, the first bag chamber 21, and the second bag chamber 22 is adjusted by appropriately setting the sizes of the first and second discharge ports 19a and 19b. Is possible. Further, the deployment speed and deployment timing of the bag body 11 are appropriately set by the size of the first and second discharge ports 19a and 19b, the size of the bag body 11 or the flow rate of the gas flowing out of the inflator 14. This can be adjusted.

  Although not shown, the case 13 has a lit on the front side. The lit can be opened and closed with a hinge portion (not shown) as a boundary, and the case 13 is opened forward by opening the lit. The opening direction of the lit is adjusted by the direction in which the bag body 11 is deployed.

  The airbag device 1 opens the first discharge port 19a in the stabilization chamber 23 and the inflator 14 in the state where the second discharge port 19b is opened in the first bag chamber 21. While being housed inside, the bag body 11 is housed in the case 13 in a state of being folded together with the stabilizing bag 12 to be unitized. The airbag device 1 unitized in this way is attached to the seat 50 by fixing the inflator 14 to the second frame via the fixing stud 15.

Next, the operation of the airbag device 1 will be described.
When a side collision is input to the vehicle, gas is supplied from the inflator 14 into the bag body 11 and the stabilization bag 12. The bag body 11 expands to the front side while breaking forward through the side portion 52b of the rit and seat 50, and then expands upward. The stabilizing bag 12 accommodated in the bag body 11 protrudes forward of the side portion 52b together with the bag body 11.

  Specifically, when a collision is input to the vehicle from the side, an output from a sensor that detects a side collision of the vehicle is transmitted to the ECU. Then, according to an instruction from the ECU, a current flows through a lead wire (not shown) of the inflator 14 to ignite the explosive, and gas is generated in the inflator 14. This gas is supplied into the first bag chamber 21 and the stabilization chamber 23 from the first and second discharge ports 19a and 19b. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5A, the stabilization chamber 23 and the first bag chamber 21 are expanded.

  At this time, since the stabilization chamber 23 is formed smaller than the first bag chamber 21, the stabilization chamber 23 expands faster than the first bag chamber 21 as shown in FIG. It becomes. Therefore, the lower part of the bag body 11 can be stably held by the stabilizing bag 12 fixed in the bag body 11 from the beginning of the expansion.

  When the stabilization chamber 23 expands to a predetermined size and internal pressure, most of the gas in the inflator 14 flows into the bag body 11 from the second discharge port 19b. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5B, the first bag chamber 21 expands rapidly. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, an air layer 24 (a part of the first bag chamber 21) inside the bag body 11 is interposed between the stabilization chamber 23 and the passenger side wall portion 11 a of the bag body 11. To do. That is, the stabilization chamber 23 does not directly act on the chest C of the occupant P (the stabilization bag 12 does not directly contact the chest C of the occupant P). Therefore, even if the stabilization bag 12 becomes hard due to an increase in the internal pressure of the stabilization chamber 23, the impact applied to the chest C of the occupant P seated on the seat 50 is applied to the first bag chamber 21 of the bag body 11. It can absorb well.

  By the way, when a collision is input to the vehicle from the side, the occupant P seated on the seat 50 first moves the chest C sideways, and then the head H moves sideways. In the airbag device 1 of the present embodiment, the first bag chamber 21 is inflated before the second bag chamber 22, so that the chest C that moves before the head H is the first bag chamber 21. It can be well protected.

  Further, when the first bag chamber 21 is expanded to a predetermined size and an internal pressure, the gas in the first bag chamber 21 is supplied to the second bag via the vent hole 17 as shown in FIG. It flows into the bag chamber 22. Thereby, the second bag chamber 22 starts to expand.

  In the airbag device 1, the lower portion of the bag body 11 is stably held by the expansion of the stabilization chamber 23. Therefore, when the gas is supplied to the second bag chamber 22, it is difficult for the upper portion of the bag body 11 to flutter around the fixing portion (the vicinity of the fixing stud 15) with respect to the seat 50. Therefore, the upper part of the bag body 11 is satisfactorily deployed so as to correspond to a predetermined position, that is, the head H of the occupant P.

  Therefore, the head H that moves slightly behind the movement of the chest C of the occupant P seated on the seat 50 is favorably held in the second bag chamber 22 of the bag body 11 and is given to the head H. The generated impact can be absorbed by the second bag chamber 22.

  As described above, the airbag device 1 according to the present embodiment includes the stabilization chamber 23 that is inflated earlier than the bag body 11 and stabilizes the deployment behavior of the bag body 11, and the bag body 11. And when the stabilization chamber 23 expand | swells, it is comprised so that the air layer 24 inside the bag main body 11 may interpose between the stabilization chamber 23 and the passenger | crew side wall part 11a of the bag main body 11. FIG. Therefore, the stabilization chamber 23 can stabilize the behavior when the bag body 11 is deployed. In addition, since the air layer 24 is interposed between the stabilization chamber 23 and the occupant P, the bag body 11 improves the occupant P while reducing the impact of the stabilization chamber 23 on the occupant P due to the air layer 24. Can be protected.

  Further, in the airbag device 1 of the present embodiment, the stabilization chamber 23 is provided in the bag body 11. Therefore, the deployment behavior of the bag body 11 can be stabilized more appropriately.

  Moreover, in the airbag device 1 of the present embodiment, the bag body 11 has a first bag chamber 21 and a second bag chamber 22 provided in the upper part of the first bag chamber 21. The stabilization chamber 23 is provided in the first bag chamber 21. Therefore, while the behavior of the bag body 11 can be stabilized by the stabilization chamber 23, the upper body of the passenger P can be more appropriately protected by the first and second bag chambers 21 and 22.

  Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 6, the backrest portion 52 of the seat 50 is omitted.

  In the airbag device 1 of the first embodiment, the rear end portion of the stabilization bag 12 is fixed to the rear end lower portion of the bag body 11. Therefore, air layers 24 (a part of the first bag chamber 21) are formed at both ends of the stabilizing bag 12 in the vehicle width direction (see FIG. 4).

  However, if the air layer 24 is interposed between the stabilization chamber 23 and the occupant side wall 11a of the bag body 11, the impact of the stabilization chamber 23 on the occupant P by the air layer 24 can be reduced. . Therefore, in the airbag device 1 of the present embodiment, the rear end portion of the stabilization bag 12 is fixed to the lower end portion of the rear end of the bag body 11, and the side portion of the stabilization bag 12 opposite to the occupant P side. The outer surface of the bag body 11 is fixed to the inner surface of the side opposite to the occupant P side of the bag body 11 by bonding or sewing, and an air layer 24 is interposed between the stabilization chamber 23 and the occupant side wall 11a of the bag body 11. Like to do. Note that other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment described above including the portions not shown, and therefore, duplicate descriptions are omitted by attaching the same reference numerals to the drawings.

  According to the airbag apparatus 1 having the above configuration, the air layer 24 (a part of the first bag chamber 21) can be interposed between the stabilization chamber 23 and the passenger side wall portion 11a of the bag body 11. Therefore, the same effect as the first embodiment can be obtained.

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

  In the airbag device 1 of the present embodiment, the stabilization bag 12 is attached to the bag body 11 so that the air layer 24 inside the bag body 11 is interposed between the stabilization chamber 23 and the passenger side wall portion 11a of the bag body 11. It is provided inside the second bag chamber 22. Preferably, the stabilization bag 12 is formed in an elongated shape so as to extend upward from below and is disposed close to the backrest 52 side (see FIG. 7). By doing in this way, the effect which stabilizes the behavior at the time of deployment of the 2nd bag room 22 becomes high. In addition, the stabilization bag 12 may be fixed so that the air layer 24 is interposed at both ends in the vehicle width direction of the stabilization bag 12 as in the first embodiment, and as in the second embodiment. The air bag 24 is fixed along the inner surface of the wall portion of the second bag chamber 22 opposite to the passenger side wall portion 11a, and an air layer 24 is formed between the stabilization chamber 23 and the passenger side wall portion 11a of the bag body 11. You may make it interpose.

  The inflator 14 is provided such that the first discharge port 19 a opens into the stabilization chamber 23 and the second discharge port 19 b opens into the first bag chamber 21. Note that other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment described above including the portions not shown, and therefore, duplicate descriptions are omitted by attaching the same reference numerals to the drawings.

  In the airbag device 1 of the present embodiment, the air layer 24 inside the bag body 11, that is, the second bag chamber 22 is interposed between the stabilization chamber 23 and the passenger side wall portion 11 a of the bag body 11. Therefore, even when the stabilization chamber 23 extending in the vertical direction is provided in the second bag chamber 22, the behavior when the bag body 11 is deployed can be stabilized by the stabilization chamber 23 as in the first embodiment. On the other hand, it is possible to satisfactorily protect the occupant P with the bag body 11 while reducing the impact of the stabilization chamber 23 on the occupant P by the air layer 24.

  Hereinafter, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the airbag apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the stabilization bag 12 is fixed to the outside of the bag body 11 so that the bag body 11 is interposed between the stabilization chamber 23 and the occupant P. That is, the stabilization bag 12 is disposed so as to be adjacent to the side surface opposite to the occupant P side of the both side surfaces of the bag body 11. Preferably, the stabilization bag 12 is formed in an elongated shape so as to extend from the rear of the vehicle toward the front of the vehicle, and along the outer surface of the wall portion of the first bag chamber 21 opposite to the passenger side wall portion 11a. It is good to arrange so that it may become the bottom of the 1st bag room 21.

  In addition, the stabilization bag 12 may be provided along the outer surface of the wall part on the opposite side to the passenger | crew side wall part of the 2nd bag chamber 22. FIG. In that case, it is preferable that the stabilization bag 12 is formed in an elongated shape so as to extend upward from below as in the third embodiment, and is arranged close to the backrest 52 side.

  The method of fixing the stabilization bag 12 to the bag body 11 is the same as in the first embodiment. For example, when the bag body 11 and the stabilization bag 12 are sewn into a bag shape, the rear end portion is the rear end portion of the bag body 11. Can be fixed to the bag body 11 (see FIG. 8).

  Although not shown, the inflator 14 is provided such that the first discharge port 19 a opens into the stabilization chamber 23 and the second discharge port 19 b opens into the first bag chamber 21. Note that other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment described above including the portions not shown, and therefore, duplicate descriptions are omitted by attaching the same reference numerals to the drawings.

  In the airbag device 1 of the present embodiment, the air layer 24 inside the bag body 11, that is, the first bag chamber 21 is interposed between the stabilization chamber 23 and the passenger side wall portion 11 a of the bag body 11. Therefore, even when the stabilization chamber 23 is provided outside the bag body 11, the stabilization chamber 23 can stabilize the behavior when the bag body 11 is unfolded, as in the first embodiment. While reducing the impact that the stabilization chamber 23 gives to the occupant P by the air layer 24, the occupant P can be well protected by the bag body 11. In the third embodiment, since the air layer 24 inside the bag body 11 can be made relatively wide, the occupant P can be protected more appropriately.

  In the airbag device of the present invention, the stabilization chamber does not necessarily have to be formed separately from the bag body. That is, the stabilization chamber may be integrally formed by dividing the bag body.

The perspective view shown in the state which mounted the airbag apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention in the sheet | seat. The longitudinal cross-sectional view shown in the state which expanded the bag main body of the airbag apparatus of FIG. Sectional drawing shown along the III-III line in FIG. Sectional drawing shown along the IV-IV line in FIG. (A)-(C) are the side views explaining the process in which the bag main body of the airbag apparatus of FIG. 1 expand | deploys. The cross-sectional view shown in the state which the bag main body of the airbag apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention was expanded. The longitudinal cross-sectional view shown in the state which expanded the bag main body of the airbag apparatus which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. The cross-sectional view of the bottom part vicinity of the 1st bag chamber shown in the state which expanded the bag main body of the airbag apparatus which concerns on the 4th Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Airbag apparatus, 11 ... Bag main body, 11a ... Passenger side wall part of bag main body 21 ... 1st bag chamber, 22 ... 2nd bag chamber, 23 ... Stabilization chamber, 24 ... Air layer, 50 ... Seat, P ... Crew

Claims (3)

When a collision is inputted to the vehicle, and an air bag device having a bag body which then expands to the front side to protect the expanded upward occupant between the vehicle occupant and the vehicle side to be seated on the seat,
Inside a first bag chamber that expands to the front side, and a second bag chamber that is provided at the top of the first bag chamber and communicates with the first bag chamber via a vent hole and expands upward The bag body divided,
The bag body is formed smaller than the first and second bag chambers and is provided at the bottom of the first bag chamber and protrudes forward when inflated to expand faster than the first bag chamber. A stabilization bag having a stabilization chamber for stabilizing the behavior;
A first discharge port that opens into the stabilization bag and supplies gas to the stabilization bag; and a bag body that opens above the first discharge port and opens into the first bag chamber. An inflator having a second outlet for supplying gas to
An airbag device comprising:   The said stabilization bag is provided so that the air layer inside the said bag main body may interpose between the passenger | crew side wall part of the said bag main body when the said bag main body and the said stabilization bag expand | swell. Item 2. The airbag device according to Item 1.   The airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stabilization bag is provided along an inner surface of a wall portion opposite to an occupant side wall portion of the bag main body.

Images