JP4336250B2 - Airbag device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an airbag device that is deployed to face a lower limb portion of an occupant of an automobile, for example.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a so-called knee airbag, which is an airbag device that deploys an airbag facing a knee portion of an occupant seated in an automobile seat, is known. The knee airbag is disposed, for example, inside the panel located below the steering wheel in front of the driver seat or inside the panel located below the glove box in front of the passenger seat, and the control device is When an impact is detected, the airbag stored in a folded state is deployed to restrain the occupant's knees and the like, thereby mitigating the impact received by the occupant (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). ).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-138809 (FIG. 3) Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 2-56053 (Fig. 2)

  Today, the so-called submarine phenomenon, in which the occupant gets under the panel depending on the posture of the occupant, is known, and a configuration that suppresses such a submarine phenomenon with an airbag device and stably protects the occupant is required. It has been.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a point, and it aims at providing the airbag apparatus which can protect a passenger | crew stably.

The airbag device according to claim 1 includes an inflator that supplies gas, and an airbag that is deployed to face a lower limb of an occupant seated by the gas supplied from the inflator, and the airbag is provided to the occupant. The first surface portion is provided with a second surface portion located on the side opposite to the occupant of the first surface portion, and the first surface portion has a lower side portion located on the side opposite to the occupant than the upper side portion, The second surface portion is deployed at a first angle with respect to the vertical direction, and the lower surface portion of the second surface portion is located on the side opposite to the occupant, and the first surface portion with respect to the vertical direction. an angle greater than the second angle and expand, the thickness dimension of the passenger opposite-to-occupant direction during deployment, is set so that the thickness dimension becomes larger toward the upper side to the lower side Rutotomoni, the first face portion And the second surface portion with one connecting member, Serial over substantially the entire surface of the first face portion, in which the guide portion inclined from both ends in the width direction intersecting the occupant opposite-to-occupant direction toward the center side in the counter-occupant side is provided.

In this configuration, since the airbag is set in a deployed state so as to face the lower limb portion of the seated occupant and increase in thickness from the upper side to the lower side, Suppressing movements that can be carried in, and occupants are stably protected. The airbag includes a first surface portion facing the occupant and a second surface portion located on the side opposite to the occupant of the first surface portion, and the first surface portion is a lower portion than the upper portion. Is located on the side opposite to the occupant and is deployed at a first angle with respect to the vertical direction, and the second surface portion is positioned on the side opposite to the occupant and lower than the upper side portion to the direction, in order to expand without the first angle is greater than the second angle, even occupant seated in the seat will attempt to move to the front, slips of the occupant of the downward receiving the first face portion Such movement is suppressed, and the passenger is stably protected. Furthermore, the airbag includes a first surface portion that faces the occupant, and the first surface portion is provided on the side opposite to the occupant from both ends in the width direction, which is a direction intersecting the occupant anti-occupant direction. Since the inclined guide portion is provided, when the first surface portion receives the occupant trying to move to the front side, the occupant is guided to the center portion in the width direction of the airbag by the guide portion, and the occupant is stabilized. Protected.

According to the airbag device of the present invention, the airbag is set so as to face the lower limb portion of the seated occupant in the deployed state and to increase in thickness as it goes from above to below. It is possible to suppress the movement of entering the lower part of the vehicle and to stably protect the occupant. Furthermore, since a guide portion that is inclined toward the counter occupant side from both ends in the width direction to the center side is provided on the substantially entire surface of the first surface portion facing the occupant, the occupant trying to move to the front side When the surface portion receives the occupant, the occupant is guided to the center portion in the width direction of the airbag by the guide portion, and the occupant can be stably protected.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of an airbag device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  1 to 6, reference numeral 1 denotes an airbag. As shown in FIG. 1, an airbag device 2 including the airbag 1 is disposed in a compartment 4 of a vehicle body 3 of an automobile as a mounted member. Arranged on the facing panel 5. And this airbag apparatus 2 is also called a knee airbag, and when it receives an impact such as a collision, it is deployed at the feet of the occupant A shown by a dummy in FIG. 1 to protect the occupant A. Yes. Hereinafter, the direction such as the front-rear direction is based on the straight direction of the vehicle body 3, that is, the front F as the anti-occupant direction, the rear B that is opposite to the front F and the occupant direction, the upper U, the lower D , And the both-side direction W.

  The vehicle body 3 includes a pair of seats 6 on both sides in which a passenger A can sit in a passenger compartment 4, and a windshield 11 and an instrument panel 12 are disposed in front F of the seats 6. ing. Further, a panel 5, which is also called a dash panel or the like, is disposed below the instrument panel 12 as an attachment portion, and the airbag device 2 is attached to the panel 5 so as to face each seat 6. . One seat 6 is a driver's seat, and a steering wheel 15 is disposed between the instrument panel 12 and the panel 5. The other seat (not shown) is a passenger seat, and a glove box or the like is disposed between the instrument panel 12 and the panel 5. In addition to the airbag device 2 described above, the passenger compartment 4 is provided with an airbag device (not shown) on the steering wheel 15, the instrument panel 12, the side of the seat 6, the roof side rail, and the like. .

  Each airbag device 2 includes a case body 21 as an attaching means, an inflator 22, a retainer 24, an airbag 1, a cover body 26, and the like attached to the case body 21, as shown in FIG. ing. The case body 21 includes a main body portion 21b having a substantially box shape with the rear surface being an opening portion 21a. A bracket 21c fixed to the vehicle body 3 is attached to the main body 21b, and a plurality of attachment pieces 21d are provided on the upper and lower surfaces. The inflator 22 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and is provided with a gas injection part 22a in the vicinity of one end and a connection part 22b at the other end. The inflator 22 is connected to the control device via a harness 27 connected to the connection portion 22b, and injects gas from the gas injection portion 22a based on an activation signal supplied from the control device via the harness 27. To do. The retainer 24 includes a substantially cylindrical retainer main body 24a and a pair of mounting bolts 24b fixed to the retainer main body 24a by welding or the like, and a nut 24c screwed to the mounting bolt 24b. The retainer 24 is attached to the case body 21. The retainer body 24a is formed with a gas through hole 24d through which gas passes. Further, the cover body 26 is formed integrally with, for example, a synthetic resin, and includes a front plate portion 26a and a mounting plate portion 26b that protrudes from the back side of the front plate portion 26a, that is, from the front side to the front side. . A tear line 26c, which is a fractured portion that is more fragile than other portions, is formed in the front plate portion 26a, for example, in a substantially H shape. The mounting plate portion 26b has a rectangular tube shape, and a plurality of rectangular hole-shaped mounting receiving portions 26d are formed on the upper and lower surfaces corresponding to the mounting piece portions 21d. Therefore, in the state where the mounting plate portion 26b is fitted to the outside of the main body portion 21b and the mounting piece portion 21d is engaged with the mounting receiving portion 26d, the front plate portion 26a covers the opening 21a so that the case body 21 The cover body 26 is attached to. Further, a plurality of labels 29a, 29b, 29c and the like indicating cautions and product numbers are attached to the case body 21 and the like.

The airbag 1 is formed into a bag shape by stitching together one base fabric (one piece) or a plurality of base fabrics, and is folded into a predetermined shape and stored in the case body 21 as will be described later. Has been. When the airbag 1 is deployed, as shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, the rear surface 31 as a first surface facing the rear B, that is, the occupant, and the front F, that is, the panel 5. A front surface portion 32 as a second surface portion facing the side, side surface portions 33 and 33 connecting the end portions in both sides W of the front surface portion 32 and the rear surface portion 31, and a front surface portion 32 and a rear surface portion 31. A top surface portion 35 for connecting the upper end portions of the front surface portion 32 and a bottom surface portion 36 for connecting the lower end portions of the front surface portion 32 and the rear surface portion 31 to each other. The airbag 1 has a substantially trapezoidal shape in a side view, that is, the bottom surface portion 36 has a larger dimension in the front-rear direction than the top surface portion 35, and the front surface portion 32 and the rear surface portion 31 are in a downward direction D. It is formed to expand at a predetermined angle θ. Furthermore, the dimension of the top surface portion 35 is larger than that of the bottom surface portion 36 in both sides, and is formed in a trapezoidal shape expanding toward the upper U when viewed from the rear. As shown in FIG. 6, an insertion port 37 is formed at the lower end near the bottom surface portion 36, the mounting holes 37 a that penetrate the front surface portion 32 and the rear surface portion 31, and the front surface portion 32 and the like. An attachment hole 37b penetrating only one of the rear surface portion 31 is formed. Further, a connecting member 38 called a tether for connecting the front surface portion 32 and the rear surface portion 31 is disposed inside the airbag 1. In the present embodiment, a plurality of connecting members 38 formed of a base fabric are stitched to the front surface portion 32 and the rear surface portion 31 , respectively, in the vicinity of the center portion in the both-side direction W shown in FIGS. together they are, the longitudinal dimension of these coupling members 38 are slightly smaller than the longitudinal dimension of the side surface portion 33, on the premise of the constitution in which the thickness at the central portion of each side direction W is formed smaller Furthermore, the number of connecting members is one, and as shown in FIG. Therefore, when the airbag 1 is deployed, the front surface 32 is inclined so as to incline toward the front F toward the center of the side direction W from the vicinity of the end in the side direction W to the portion where the connecting member 38 is sewn. A guide portion 40 is formed. The airbag 1 is combined with a nonwoven fabric wrapping 41 and a rivet 42 in order to maintain a folded shape.

  Next, the assembly process of this airbag apparatus 2 is demonstrated.

  First, an assembly 44 shown in FIG. 3 is configured by combining the airbag 1, the inflator 22, the retainer 24, and the like. In this step, first, the harness 27 is attached to the end of the inflator 22, and the inflator 22 is combined and fixed inside the retainer body 24a. Then, as shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b), the retainer 24 to which the inflator 22 is attached is inserted into the airbag 1 from the insertion port 37, the mounting bolt 24b is pulled out from the mounting hole 37b, and The base 1 of the airbag 1 is folded back so that the mounting bolt 24b passes through the mounting hole 37a, and the airbag 1 and the retainer 24 are connected by a rivet 42. Next, as shown in FIGS. 6C and 6D, the shape of the airbag 1 is adjusted so as to be spread out in a plane. Next, as shown in FIGS. 6 (e) and 6 (f), a folding roll portion 50 is formed from the tip portion into a winding roll shape, and the vicinity of the retainer 24 is folded into a bellows shape to form a bellows portion 51. Next, as shown in FIG. 6 (g), both end portions of the roll portion 50 in the both-side direction W are folded in a so-called Z shape so as to have a width dimension that can be stored in the case body 21. In this state, the airbag 1 is covered with the wrapping 41, the hole 41a provided in the wrapping 41 is hooked on the mounting bolt 24b, and the airbag 1 is held in a predetermined shape, as shown in FIG. A simple assembly 44 is formed.

  Next, the assembly 44 is inserted into the case body 21 through the opening 21a, the mounting bolt 24b is passed through a mounting hole (not shown) formed in the case body 21, and a nut is attached to the mounting bolt 24b from the outside of the case body 21. The assembly 44, that is, the airbag 1, the inflator 22, the retainer 24, and the like are fixed to the case body 21 by screwing 24c. Next, the mounting plate portion 26b is fitted to the outside of the main body portion 21b, the mounting piece portion 21d is engaged with the mounting receiving portion 26d, and the front plate portion 26a covers the opening 21a, that is, the airbag 1, and the case The airbag device 2 is configured by attaching the cover body 26 to the body 21.

  Then, the bracket 21c is connected to the parts of the vehicle body 3, the airbag device 2 is attached to the vehicle body 3 so that the front plate portion 26a of the cover body 26 is flush with the panel 5, and the harness 27 is electrically connected to the control means. The airbag device 2 is installed on the vehicle body 3.

  Next, the operation of the airbag device 2 will be described.

  When the control device detects an impact such as a car collision, the control means supplies power as an activation signal through the harness 27 and activates the inflator 22. When gas is supplied into the airbag 1 from the inflator 22, the airbag 1 is inflated inside the case body 21, first, the wrapping 41 is broken at a tear line 41b that is more fragile than the other parts, and then, The cover body 26 is broken at the tear line 26c to cause the airbag 1 to protrude. The airbag 1 is deployed as shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, that is, inflated and deployed against the lower limb including the knee of the occupant A, and restrains the knee of the occupant A. The relative movement with respect to the vehicle body 3 can be suppressed, and direct contact with the floor surface entering the panel 5 or the passenger compartment 4 can be suppressed and protected.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the airbag 1 is set so that the thickness dimension increases in the downward direction. For example, the airbag 1 is positioned forward F with respect to the vertical line V as shown in FIG. Assuming that the angle formed by the rear surface portion 31 is θ1 and the angle formed by the front surface portion 32 positioned forward F with respect to the vertical line V is θ2, θ2> θ1 and θ2 which is θ2−θ1 is positive. Is set to Therefore, regardless of whether or not the seat belt of the occupant A is worn, the knee angle of the occupant A is maintained so as not to be extended, the lower limb portion including the knee portion is reliably restrained without moving, and the leg is moved forward F. The so-called submarine phenomenon in which the lumbar part moves and falls from the seat 6 can be suppressed, and the behavior of the occupant A, in particular, the behavior of the lumbar part is stabilized, and the effects of the other airbag devices provided in the passenger compartment 4 are fully exhibited. be able to.

  Further, the structure can be simplified and the manufacturing cost can be easily reduced as compared with a configuration in which a mechanism for moving the seat is provided.

Further, the airbag 1 causes the connecting member 38 to inflate both end portions in the both-side direction W toward the rear B with respect to the central portion of the rear surface portion 31, in other words, the central portion of the rear surface portion 31 faces the front side. setting a guide portion 40 is an inclined surface that has recessed as inclined Te only, further planar between between the guide portion 40 constitutes a connecting member 38 by two base fabric as shown in FIG. 4 As shown in FIG. 7, the lower limb portion of the occupant A can be easily and reliably restrained by using a guide member 40 as shown in FIG. it can. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, since the guide portion 40 is formed by denting the central portion of the rear surface portion 31, when the knee of the occupant A moves in a direction approaching the guide portion 40 and further relatively approaching The knee is guided toward the center (in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 7B), and the occupant A can be restrained reliably by the airbag 1 .

  Further, the vertical dimension of the rear surface part 31 is a dimension that reliably contacts at least a part from the shin part, that is, the knee part to the ankle, and can take an appropriate dimension.

  The present invention can be provided in a moving body other than a vehicle, in addition to an airbag device provided in a vehicle.

It is explanatory drawing which shows one Embodiment of the airbag apparatus of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of an airbag apparatus same as the above. It is a one part perspective view of an airbag apparatus same as the above. It is the perspective view which notched part which shows the state which the airbag used as the premise of the airbag apparatus of this invention expand | deployed. It is explanatory drawing of the cross section which shows the state which the airbag same as the above developed. It is explanatory drawing which shows the manufacturing process of the airbag of this invention . It is explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of an airbag same as the above, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is II sectional drawing of (a).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air bag 2 Air bag apparatus
22 Inflator
31 Rear surface as first surface
32 Front part as second part
38 connecting members
40 Guide part A Crew B Rearward as occupant direction D Lower F Front as anti-occupant direction U Upper θ1 First angle θ2 Second angle

Claims (1)

An inflator for supplying gas;
An airbag that is deployed to face the lower limbs of the occupant seated by the gas supplied from the inflator;
The airbag includes a first surface portion facing the occupant and a second surface portion located on the side opposite to the occupant of the first surface portion,
The first surface portion is deployed at a first angle with respect to the vertical direction, with the lower side portion positioned on the side opposite to the occupant than the upper side portion,
The lower surface portion of the second surface portion is positioned on the side opposite to the occupant than the upper portion, and the second surface portion is deployed at a second angle larger than the first angle with respect to the vertical direction.
The thickness dimension of the passenger opposite-to-occupant direction during deployment, is set so that the thickness dimension becomes larger toward the upper side to the lower side Rutotomoni,
The first surface portion and the second surface portion are connected by a single connecting member, and the substantially entire surface of the first surface portion is centered from both ends in the width direction, which is a direction intersecting the occupant anti-occupant direction. An air bag device characterized in that a guide portion inclined toward the side opposite to the passenger is provided .

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