JP4765686B2 - Vehicle occupant protection device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle occupant protection device including a curtain airbag.

  As an occupant protection device for this type of vehicle, the occupant's head and shoulders interfere with the side of the passenger compartment, that is, door glass, pillars, etc. There has been known one provided with a curtain airbag that relieves an impact at the time (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

The curtain airbag is provided with a plurality of bags arranged in the front-rear direction, and these bags are normally stored in a roof lining disposed at the upper part of the side, and are lowered along the side of the vehicle interior in an emergency. It is designed to expand and expand toward.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2004-182038 (page 6-7, FIG. 4)

  By the way, in order to suppress the fluttering at the time of deployment, such a conventional curtain airbag has a structure in which each bag body is connected in the front-rear direction so that a continuous (one sheet) curtain airbag is deployed.

  Therefore, when there is an obstacle in the deployment range of the curtain airbag, a part of the curtain airbag being deployed is caught on the obstacle, and the curtain airbag cannot be deployed smoothly or interferes with the obstacle. There is a possibility that the part is rolled up, and even if the part is removed from the obstacle, the curtain airbag is tilted by being pulled by the rolled-up part, and a normal deployed state cannot be obtained.

  In particular, in a vehicle in which a foldable seat (a flip-up seat) that is stored along the side of the vehicle interior is set, the foldable seat becomes the obstacle. Therefore, a curtain airbag is provided in a portion corresponding to the foldable seat. There were cases where it could not be set.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle occupant protection device that allows a curtain airbag to function more effectively.

An occupant protection device for a vehicle according to the present invention is a vehicle equipped with a curtain airbag that inflates and deploys along the side surface from the upper side of the side surface to the lower side of the vehicle interior, and reduces the impact acting on the occupant during a side collision. An occupant protection device, wherein the curtain airbag is partitioned in the front-rear direction to set a plurality of inflatable portions, and at least one set of inflatable portions adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction is coupled via an easy-separation portion, Due to the difference in the expansion resistance between the expansion parts connected via the part, the expansion parts are separated by the easy separation part, and the expansion parts adjacent to each other in front and rear are separated in advance. The most main feature is that a connecting means that is formed and that connects the expansion portions so as to be separable is provided as the easy separation portion .

  According to the present invention, even when an obstacle such as a flip-up seat or a baggage exists in the deployment range of the curtain airbag, the deployment resistance force generated by a part of the obstacle interfering with the obstacle during the deployment. The inflated parts are separated from each other by the easy separation part.

  Therefore, the influence by the curtain airbag interfering with the obstacle can be reduced. That is, the inflatable part that does not interfere with the obstacle can be smoothly deployed, and the situation in which the other part is pulled by the inflated part that has interfered with the obstacle can be suppressed. The airbag can function more effectively.

  (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a front view of a curtain airbag in the vehicle occupant protection device according to this embodiment as seen from the interior of the vehicle. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a part of the curtain airbag being an obstacle. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion A in FIG. 1 showing the easy separation portion. In the present embodiment, the case where the present invention is implemented in a so-called one-box type vehicle 1 including a front seat 2, a center seat 3, and a rear seat 4 is illustrated.

  In this embodiment, in the event of an emergency in which a lateral load is applied such as a side collision or rollover, occupant protection is provided with a curtain airbag 10 that inflates and deploys along the side surface from the upper part of the side surface of the vehicle interior downward. A device P is configured.

  When the curtain airbag 10 is inflated and deployed, the curtain door 10 is fitted to the front door glass 5a portion of the front door 5, the rear door glass 6a portion of the rear door 6, and the rear door glass 6a positioned behind the vehicle. The vehicle interior surface of the windshield glass (not shown) is covered.

  In the present embodiment, the curtain airbag 10 corresponds to the front curtain airbag 11 that covers the front door glass 5a corresponding to the occupant of the front seat 2, the occupant of the center seat 3, and the occupant of the rear seat 4, respectively. And a rear curtain airbag 12 that covers the rear door glass 6a and the fitting window glass.

  The front curtain airbag 11 and the rear curtain airbag 12 are configured separately from each other. Further, the rear curtain airbag 12 is formed continuously long in the vehicle front-rear direction so as to correspond to the occupants of the center seat 3 and the rear seat 4, and the present invention is particularly applied to the rear curtain airbag 12. ing.

  The front curtain airbag 11 and the rear curtain airbag 12 are each provided with a plurality of bags 11a and 12a arranged in the front-rear direction in a state where the adjacent ones are connected to each other. From the inflator 13 whose operation is controlled by a control mechanism (not shown), high-pressure gas is supplied to the bag body 11a of the front curtain airbag 11 via the front tube 14F, and at the same time, the rear curtain airbag 12 via the rear tube 14R. The front curtain airbag 11 and the rear curtain airbag 12 that are also supplied to the bag body 12a and stored in the upper part of the side surface in the vehicle compartment are deployed.

  The rear curtain airbag 12 is a set including a wide space (connecting portion 12b) between the bag bodies 12a, 12a adjacent to each other in the front and rear direction at a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction, and a plurality of bag bodies 12a before and after the bag body 12a. The body is formed, and these assemblies are respectively inflated portions 12aF corresponding to the center seat 3 (side of the occupant seated on the center seat 3) and portions corresponding to the rear seat 4 (occupants seated on the rear seat 4). The side is an expanded portion 12aR.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the rear seat 4 is a foldable seat (a flip-up seat) that is stowed up and stored at a storage position along the side of the vehicle interior. When the raised rear seat 4 is stored, the luggage room can be widely used.

  However, the rear seat 4 is disposed in the deployed position of the rear half of the rear curtain airbag 12 (deployed portion of the rear inflated portion 12aR) in the retracted state, and becomes an obstacle to the deployment of the rear curtain airbag 12. End up.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, when a predetermined or more deployment resistance acts on a part of the rear curtain airbag 12, an appropriate position in the front-rear direction of the rear curtain airbag 12 is set to be airtight. Is separated in the front-rear direction. Specifically, the rear curtain airbag 12 is separated forward and backward while maintaining airtightness between a portion corresponding to the center seat 3 and a portion corresponding to the rear seat 4.

  More specifically, an easily separating portion that extends linearly from the lower end portion to the connecting portion 12b (base fabric) between the front inflating portion 12aF and the rear inflating portion 12aR (but before the upper end portion). 20, the inflatable portions 12aF and 12aR connected to each other are separated by the easy separation portion 20 by the deployment resistance force having a magnitude larger than a predetermined value generated when the rear curtain airbag 12 is inflated and deployed. It is designed to expand and expand independently.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the easy-separation part 20 is provided with a perforation 21 that extends upward from the lower end to the base fabric of the connecting portion 12b (but before the upper end). The size, shape, number, etc. of the perforations 21 are appropriately set.

  Therefore, according to the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 2, when the flip-up type rear seat 4 is in the retracted state, the rear seat 4 is present as an obstacle in the deployment range of the rear curtain airbag 12. Thus, during the deployment of the rear curtain airbag 12, the latter half portion (the rear inflated portion 12aR) interferes with the rear seat 4 and a deployment resistance force is generated.

  On the other hand, there is no obstacle to the front half of the rear curtain airbag 12 (the front inflated portion 12aF), and the front half tends to be inflated and deployed as it is without receiving a particularly large deployment resistance.

  Therefore, a boundary portion between the expansion portion 12aR in which expansion / deployment is suppressed due to interference with the obstacle (rear seat 4) and the expansion portion 12aF in which expansion / deployment is not particularly suppressed without an obstacle, that is, the connecting portion 12b, When a tensile force acts in a direction in which the two expanded portions 12aF and 12aR are to be separated from each other (ie, in the front-rear direction), and the tensile force exceeds a predetermined value, the perforation 21 breaks, and an easily separated portion At 20, the two expansion portions 12aF and 12aR are separated.

  According to the occupant protection device P according to the present embodiment described above, when the rear curtain airbag 12 is inflated and deployed, when a part of the rear curtain airbag 12 interferes with an obstacle and a deployment resistance greater than a predetermined level acts. In this case, it is possible to separate the appropriate portions in the front-rear direction of the rear curtain airbag 12 in the front-rear direction while maintaining the airtightness.

  In other words, in the present embodiment, the rear curtain airbag 12 is partitioned in the front-rear direction to set a plurality of inflatable portions 12aF, 12aR, and the inflated portions 12aF, 12aR adjacent in the front-rear direction are joined together via the easy separation portion 20. The inflatable portions 12aF and 12aR are separated at the easy separation portion 20 by the difference in deployment resistance force when the rear curtain airbag 12 is inflated and deployed.

  Therefore, the expansion portion 12aF that does not interfere with the obstacle can be smoothly deployed, and the situation where other portions are pulled by the expansion portion 12aR that interferes with the obstacle can be suppressed. The effect of the rear curtain airbag 12 interfering with an obstacle can be reduced, and the rear curtain airbag 12 can function more effectively.

  Further, since the easy separation part 20 is provided between the inflating parts 12aF and 12aR, that is, at the connecting part 12b (base cloth) between the bag bodies 12a and 12a adjacent to each other, the gas is sealed and the buffering at the time of passenger interference The rear curtain airbag 12 can be separated without more reliably maintaining the airtightness of the bag 12a as a part and reducing the impact mitigating effect of the occupant.

  And in this embodiment, one expansion part 12aR of the two expansion parts 12aF and 12aR connected via the easy separation part 20 is used as an obstacle that gives a deployment resistance force when the expansion part 12aR is expanded / deployed. On the other hand, since the other inflated portion 12aF is provided in correspondence with a region without an obstacle adjacent to the obstacle before or after the obstacle, when an obstacle in the vehicle interior is assumed in advance, The inflated portion 12aF corresponding to the non-existing region can be more reliably inflated and deployed, and the rear curtain airbag 12 can function more effectively.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the folding rear seat 4 housed along the side surface of the passenger compartment is used as an obstacle, and the rear inflated portion 12aR is provided for the passenger seated on the rear seat 4 and the front inflated portion is inflated. Since the portion 12aF is provided for an occupant seated on a seat (in this embodiment, the center seat 3) different from the rear seat 4 in use, the rear seat 4 is substantially positioned with respect to the position at which the seat is used by a link mechanism or hinge mechanism When the rear seat 4 is seated and used in a vehicle 1 that is stowed and stored in a position just beside (a position that is almost beside the seat cushion), both of the inflated portions 12aF and 12aR are inflated and deployed to occupy the rear seat 4 and the center. It can be used to protect both passengers of the seat 3 and at least when the rear seat 4 is stored. The expanded portions 12aF is reliably expanded and deployed can be subjected to the protection of the occupant of the center seat 3.

  Further, as in this embodiment, the easy separation unit 20 is adjacent to an end of an obstacle that is assumed in advance (for example, the rear seat 4 in the storage state), and more preferably along the end edge. If provided, the tensile force acting on the easy-separation part 20 becomes larger, so that a separated state can be obtained more reliably, and a wider area for expansion / deployment can be secured, which is advantageous. .

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the easy separation part 20 can be comprised very easily by providing the perforation 21 in the connection part 12b.

  In the present embodiment, the flip-up type rear seat 4 stored along the side surface of the passenger compartment is assumed as an obstacle, but in addition to the detachable seat, the luggage room, the center seat 3, the rear seat 4 and the like The present invention is also effective when other things such as loaded luggage become obstacles. For example, when it is assumed that an obstacle is located in the front half portion of the rear curtain airbag 12, the range of the latter half portion that is inflated and deployed by providing the easy separation portion 20 near the rear of the obstacle. Can be taken more widely.

  (Second Embodiment) FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of an easy separation portion of an occupant protection device according to this embodiment, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing a separation state of the easy separation portion. The occupant protection device P according to the present embodiment includes the same components as those in the above embodiment. Therefore, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the expansion parts 12aF and 12aR on both sides of the easy separation part 20 are separated and formed in advance, and a connecting means for connecting the expansion parts 12aF and 12aR so as to be separable is provided as the easy separation part 20. It is characterized by.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 4, as in the first embodiment, the easy separation part 20 is provided in the connecting part 12b between the front expansion part 12aF and the rear expansion part 12aR, and the easy separation part 20 The connecting means that constitutes is constituted by a fastener 23 attached along the opposing edges 22a, 22b of the separation portion 22 of the rear curtain airbag 12.

  The fastener 23 can open and close the separation portion 22 by, for example, fine fastener elements (service teeth) 23a and 23b attached to the opposing edges 22a and 22b in a line (linearly), respectively, meshed or separated. Configured as follows.

  Then, normally, the fastener elements 23a and 23b are engaged with each other and closed, and in this state, when a deployment resistance force exceeding a predetermined value is generated in the rear curtain airbag 12, a fastener element is applied. 23a and 23b are forcibly separated from each other so that the fastener 23 is opened.

  According to the present embodiment described above, when a deployment resistance force is applied during the deployment of the rear curtain airbag 12, the expansion portions 12aF and 12aR are separated from each other by the fastener 23 being separated and the separation portion 22 being opened. For this reason, as in the first embodiment, the portion of the rear curtain airbag 12 that does not interfere with the obstacle can be smoothly deployed to maintain the normal deployed state, and substantially the same effect as the above embodiment can be obtained. .

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, a predetermined separation state can be obtained more reliably as much as the expanded portions 12aF and 12aR are separated from each other in advance, and the separation conditions can be easily set by providing the connecting means. Therefore, there is an advantage that the effect of separating the rear curtain airbag 12 at the time of inflation / deployment can be obtained more reliably.

  (Third Embodiment) FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a connecting means of an occupant protection device according to this embodiment. The occupant protection device P according to the present embodiment includes the same components as those in the above embodiment. Therefore, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  Also in this embodiment, the expansion parts 12aF and 12aR on both sides of the easy separation part 20 are separated and formed in advance, and connecting means for connecting the expansion parts 12aF and 12aR so as to be separable is provided as the easy separation part 20. .

  However, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, as a connecting means, inflated portions 12aF and 12aR on both sides of the separation portion 22 of the rear curtain airbag 12 are provided with a surface fastener 25 in an overlapping portion 24, The easy separation unit 20 is used.

  The hook-and-loop fastener 25 includes, for example, one cloth (fastener tape) in which ridge-like fine protrusions are erected on one side and the other cloth (fastener tape) in which pile-like fine ridges are erected on one side, It is configured by attaching one cloth to one of the overlapping portions 24 and attaching the other cloth to the other.

  In normal times, the overlapped portion 24 is closed by the hook-like projections and pile-like projections of both fabrics being entangled and locked. In this state, the rear curtain airbag 12 has a deployment resistance greater than a predetermined value. By acting, the hooked protrusion and the pile-shaped protrusion that are locked are forcibly separated, and the separation portion 22 is opened (separated).

  Therefore, even in the present embodiment, when a deployment resistance force is applied during the deployment of the rear curtain airbag 12, the surface fastener 25 is pulled away and the separation portion 22 is opened, so that the inflated portions 12aF and 12aR are connected to each other. Since they are separated, the portion of the rear curtain airbag 12 that does not interfere with the obstacle can be smoothly deployed to maintain a regular deployed state, and the same effects as in the above embodiment can be obtained.

  (Fourth Embodiment) FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a connecting means of an occupant protection device according to this embodiment. The occupant protection device P according to the present embodiment includes the same components as those in the above embodiment. Therefore, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  Also in this embodiment, the expansion parts 12aF and 12aR on both sides of the easy separation part 20 are separated and formed in advance, and connecting means for connecting the expansion parts 12aF and 12aR so as to be separable is provided as the easy separation part 20. .

  However, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the connecting means is provided on one of the overlapping portions 24 formed on the opposing edges 22a and 22b of the separation portion 22 of the rear curtain airbag 12, and provided on the other. The button 26 is engaged with and disengaged from the button hole (button receiving portion) 26a.

  In a normal state, the button 26 is locked in the button hole 26a to close the overlapping portion 24, and in this state, the rear curtain airbag 12 is locked by being applied with a predetermined deployment resistance force. The button 26 is forcibly removed from the button hole 26a so that the separating portion 22 is opened (separated).

  Accordingly, even in the present embodiment, when a deployment resistance force is applied during the deployment of the rear curtain airbag 12, the inflated portions 12aF and 12aR are opened by the button 26 being removed from the button hole 26a and the separating portion 22 being opened. Since they are separated from each other, the portion of the rear curtain airbag 12 that does not interfere with the obstacle can be smoothly deployed to maintain the regular deployed state, and the same effects as in the above embodiment can be obtained.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment which illustrates this invention was described, this invention is not restricted to the said embodiment, Various embodiments can be employ | adopted in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention.

  For example, the present invention may be applied to a front curtain airbag, and the front and rear curtain airbags may be continuously integrated without being separated and independent, and the present invention may be applied to the entire curtain airbag. it can.

  Moreover, the easy separation part should just be the structure and shape which can isolate | separate a connection part in a predetermined position, for example, it may form as a weak part, for example by thinning a part of connection part (base fabric). Alternatively, a stress concentration due to a tensile force may be generated by providing cuts in the lower edge, the front surface, the back surface, or the like, and the separation may be performed more smoothly. Also, various structures such as hooks and snaps can be employed as the connecting means. Furthermore, the shape, size (length), position, and the like of the easy separation portion can be changed as appropriate.

The front view seen from the vehicle interior which shows the normal expansion | deployment state of the curtain airbag in 1st Embodiment of this invention. The front view seen from the vehicle interior which shows the state which one part of the curtain airbag in 1st Embodiment of this invention interfered with the obstruction. The enlarged view of the A section in FIG. 1 which shows the connection means in 1st Embodiment of this invention. The enlarged view of the connection means in 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The enlarged view which shows the isolation | separation state of the connection means in 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The enlarged view of the connection means in 3rd Embodiment of this invention. The enlarged view of the connection means in 4th Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 vehicle 4 flip-up type rear seat (obstacle)
12 Rear curtain airbag (curtain airbag)
12a Bag 12b Connection part 20 Easy separation part 21 Perforation 22 Separation part 23 Fastener (connection means)
24 superposition part 25 surface fastener (connection means)
26 buttons (connection means)
26a Button hole (connecting means)
P Crew protection device

Claims (4)

A vehicle occupant protection device that includes a curtain airbag that inflates and deploys along the side surface from the upper side of the vehicle interior toward the lower side and relaxes the impact acting on the occupant during a side collision,
The curtain airbag is partitioned in the front-rear direction to set a plurality of inflatable portions,
Join at least one pair of front and rear inflating parts through an easy separation part,
According to the difference in deployment resistance force during expansion / deployment between the expansion parts coupled via the easy separation part, the expansion parts are separated from each other by the easy separation part ,
An occupant protection device for a vehicle, characterized in that inflating portions adjacent to each other in the front and rear are separated and formed in advance, and a connecting means for detachably connecting the inflating portions is provided as the easily separating portion . 2. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1 , wherein a fastener formed by engaging fastener elements linearly provided at each inflated portion is provided as the connecting means. Overlapping the boundary parts of the inflated parts adjacent to each other,
2. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting means is provided with a surface fastener formed by bonding fastener tapes provided on each of the mutually opposing surfaces of the overlapped portions. 2. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting means is formed by a button provided on one of the front and rear inflating portions and a button receiving portion provided on the other.

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