JP4935335B2 - Airbag - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an airbag that is deployed and inflated toward the rear side of a rear seat of a vehicle.

  As an airbag used in a vehicle airbag device, the airbag is housed in a folded state between a vehicle roof panel and a roof head lining located below the vehicle roof panel. A device that is expanded and expanded rearward and downward is known.

  For example, Patent Document 1 includes a horizontal cell that is connected to a gas inlet and extends in the width direction of the vehicle when deployed, and a plurality of vertical cells that are connected to the lateral cell and extend toward the rear of the vehicle when deployed. An airbag is disclosed. In this airbag, as the gas flows in from the inlet, the horizontal cell is first expanded and expanded, and then the vertical cell is expanded and expanded in order from the vertical cell closer to the inlet to the vertical cell far from the inlet. . As a result, the airbag in the folded state is deployed and inflated toward the rear and below the pair of headrests in the width direction of the rear seat of the vehicle, and after the deployment and inflation, the front and rear of the rear seat The gap is blocked by the airbag.

  Here, in order to prevent the airbag after deployment / inflation from being shifted from the appropriate position in the width direction in the width direction, the width direction around the center of the width direction of the airbag It is preferable to expand and inflate the portions on both sides of the same evenly from the center in the width direction toward both ends. In order to realize the deployment / inflation of the airbag, it is important to appropriately determine the order of the deployment / inflation of the vertical cells. However, in Patent Document 1, since the order of deployment / inflation in each vertical cell is not taken into consideration, the portions on both sides in the width direction of the airbag centered on the center in the width direction are evenly deployed / inflated. It is not always possible. Then, if uneven deployment / expansion of both sides in the width direction occurs, the inflating airbag may be displaced in the width direction and may be displaced from the proper position in the same width direction after the inflation.

As a countermeasure against such a problem, as shown in Patent Document 2, the lower end portions of the vertical cells located at both ends in the width direction of the vehicle among the vertical cells are fixed to the fixing member of the vehicle, thereby It is conceivable to apply tension between the lower end portions of the vertical cells located at both ends in the width direction of the airbag after deployment and inflation. In this case, by fixing the lower end portions of the vertical cells positioned at both ends in the vehicle width direction to the vehicle fixing member, displacement of the inflating airbag in the vehicle width direction is restricted. It can be avoided that the bag is shifted from the proper position in the width direction in the width direction.
JP 2004-142481 A (FIGS. 5 and 6) JP 2004-58849 A (Claim 2, paragraphs [0022] and [0029] and FIGS. 4 to 6)

  By using the technique of Patent Document 2, the above-described problems can be avoided. However, since the lower ends of the vertical cells located at both ends in the width direction of the vehicle must be fixed to the fixing member of the vehicle, the airbag is folded or the roof panel and the roof head lining in the fixed state. When realizing the storage, it is inevitable that the method of folding and storing the airbag is complicated.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and its purpose is not to complicate how to fold or store the vehicle, but to divide both sides of the vehicle in the width direction around the center in the width direction of the vehicle. An object of the present invention is to provide an airbag that realizes uniform deployment / expansion and can suppress a shift in the width direction from an appropriate position in the width direction after the deployment / inflation.

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the gas from the inlet that is accommodated in a state of being folded between the roof panel and the roof head lining of the vehicle and formed at a position on the front side of the vehicle. In the airbag that is deployed and inflated toward the rear and lower side of the rear seat of the vehicle through the inflow, a lateral cell that extends in the width direction of the vehicle and that is connected to the introduction port at the center in the width direction; Side vertical cells connected to both ends in the width direction and extending to the rear side of the vehicle, and located outside the width direction of the pair of headrests in the width direction at the rear seat of the vehicle when inflated, Connected to the center of the cell in the width direction and extending to the rear side of the vehicle, the cell has a symmetrical shape about the center of the width direction and is expanded. And a center vertical cell located between the pair of headrests in the width direction, and a portion connected to the introduction port in the horizontal cell and having a small gas flow area in a portion near the side vertical cell. The center vertical cell is provided with a plurality of the center vertical cells in parallel with each other in the width direction, and is partitioned by a seam extending toward the vehicle rear side with respect to the adjacent center vertical cell, The narrowed portion is formed by extending the seam that divides the vertical cell for the center located in the central portion in the width direction with respect to the adjacent vertical cell for the center to the side connected to the introduction port in the horizontal cell. It was made a summary.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the rear seat of the vehicle is accommodated in a state where the vehicle is folded between the roof panel and the roof head lining of the vehicle, and through the inflow of gas from the inlet formed at the front side of the vehicle. In the airbag that is deployed and inflated rearward and downward, a lateral cell that extends in the width direction of the vehicle and that is connected to the inlet at the center in the width direction, and at both ends in the width direction of the lateral cell. A vertical cell for a side located outside the width direction of the pair of headrests in the width direction at the rear seat of the vehicle and extended to the rear side of the vehicle when inflated, and a center in the width direction of the horizontal cell Is connected to the portion and extends rearward of the vehicle and has a symmetrical shape with respect to the width direction centered on the center in the width direction. And vertical cells for center located between the headrest comprising,
A throttle part for reducing a gas flow area in a part connected to the introduction port in the horizontal cell and close to the side vertical cell, and the throttle part is an inner surface facing the inside of the horizontal cell. The gist is that they are formed by tethers that are connected to each other while being pulled together.
In the invention according to claim 3, the rear portion of the vehicle is accommodated in a state where the vehicle is folded between the roof panel of the vehicle and the roof head lining, and through the inflow of gas from an inlet formed at a position on the front side of the vehicle. In an airbag that is deployed and inflated rearward and downward of a seat, a lateral cell that extends in the width direction of the vehicle and is connected to the introduction port at a central portion in the width direction, and both end portions in the width direction of the lateral cell Are connected to each other and extend to the rear side of the vehicle, and when inflated, the side vertical cells located outside the width direction of the pair of headrests in the width direction in the rear seat of the vehicle, and the width cell in the width direction A center vertical cell that is connected to a central portion and extends to the rear side of the vehicle and is located between a pair of headrests in the width direction when inflated; An inner tube that extends in the vehicle width direction and is connected to the introduction port, and the vertical cell for the center is parallel to the width direction and centered in the width direction. A plurality of portions are provided so as to be symmetrical with respect to each other, a portion connected to the introduction port in the horizontal cell and close to the side vertical cell is provided with a throttle portion for reducing a gas flow area, and the inner tube A hole corresponding to the vertical cell for the center is formed between the narrowed portions on both sides, and the hole is open toward the vertical cell for the center. The gist of the present invention is that the cell is open at a portion corresponding to the center vertical cell located at the center in the width direction.

According to the configuration of the first to third aspects, with the inflow of gas from the inlet, the horizontal cell is first expanded and expanded, and then the inflow of gas to each center vertical cell and side vertical cell is performed. The vertical cells are expanded and expanded. When the airbag is deployed and inflated, each center vertical cell is sandwiched between the pair of headrests in the rear seat, and the side vertical cells are located outside the pair of headrests in the width direction of the vehicle. It becomes a state.

  When gas flows to the vertical cell for the center and the vertical cell for the side, gas does not easily flow to the vertical cell for the side due to the throttle portion, and gas flows relatively to the vertical cell for the center by that amount. It becomes easy. Further, by forming the throttle portion, the volume of the portion connected to the introduction port and the center vertical cell in the horizontal cell can be reduced. Here, if the volume of the portion is large, it takes a long time for the gas to be stored in the portion and then flow to the vertical cell for the center after the introduction of the gas from the inlet is started. It takes time until the center vertical cell is fully developed. However, since the volume of the above portion can be kept small, it can be avoided that it takes much time to fully develop the center vertical cell. Therefore, the center vertical cell can be expanded earlier than the side vertical cell.

  The vertical cell for the center has a symmetrical shape with respect to the center in the width direction of the vehicle, and the expansion / expansion accompanying the inflow of gas is performed outward from the center in the width direction. The expansion / expansion is performed uniformly at both sides in the width direction centered on the center in the width direction. For this reason, when the center vertical cell is sandwiched between the pair of headrests in the rear seat of the vehicle along with the expansion and expansion, the center vertical cell is shifted in the width direction from the appropriate position in the vehicle width direction. It will not be in a state and will be positioned in its proper position.

  On the other hand, the side vertical cells are located farther from the inlet than the center vertical cells, and the inflow of gas is less likely to be performed by the throttle portion. The center vertical cell is sandwiched between the pair of headrests, and the expansion / deployment is completed in a state where the center vertical cell is positioned at an appropriate position in the width direction. As a result, it is possible to realize uniform deployment and inflation of the side vertical cells located on both sides of the airbag in the width direction with the center in the width direction as a center. Therefore, the airbag that has been deployed and inflated is not shifted from the proper position in the width direction in the width direction. In addition, this is not realized by fixing a part of the airbag to the vehicle side, so that the airbag may be folded or stored between the roof panel and the roof head lining to fix the airbag. There is no complexity.

According to the configuration of the first aspect, among the vertical cells for the center, the vertical cell for the center located in the center in the width direction of the vehicle is closest to the introduction port, and the vertical cell for the center located outside the width direction. It is far from the introduction port. For the center vertical cell located in the center, the seam that divides the cell from the adjacent center vertical cell is extended to the introduction port side. The open end of the vertical cell approaches the inlet. For this reason, in each center vertical cell, the center vertical cell located at the center in the width direction and the center vertical cell located outside the width direction are expanded and expanded in order. Thus, uniform expansion and expansion of the portions on both sides in the width direction centering on the center in the width direction are realized. Therefore, when each center vertical cell is sandwiched between the pair of headrests as it expands and expands, each center vertical cell does not shift in the width direction from the appropriate position in the width direction. The airbag can be positioned at an appropriate position in the width direction. In addition, since the throttle part is formed by extending an existing seam to the side connected to the inlet in the horizontal cell, the throttle part is formed to reduce the gas flow area of the part corresponding to the throttle part in the horizontal cell. Therefore, it is not necessary to add a new member.

Further , according to the configuration of the second aspect , the throttle portion can be accurately formed by the tether, and the gas flow area of the portion corresponding to the throttle portion in the horizontal cell can be reduced.

  According to the present invention, without complicating how to fold and store, it is possible to achieve even deployment / expansion of the portions on both sides in the width direction around the center in the width direction of the vehicle. It can suppress that it will be in the state shifted | deviated to the said width direction from the appropriate position about the said width direction.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in an airbag that is used in an airbag device of an automobile and that is deployed and inflated toward the rear of a rear seat of the automobile will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. To do.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the airbag apparatus 1 is accommodated in a state in which the airbag apparatus 1 is folded between a roof panel 3 in a rear portion of an automobile 2 and a roof head lining 4 positioned therebelow. It has. An inflator 6 that supplies gas to the airbag 5 is provided between the roof panel 3 and the roof head lining 4 on the front side of the airbag 5.

  The rear part of the automobile 2, for example, the rear bumper 7, is provided with a sensor 8 that outputs a signal when a predetermined impact or more is applied to the rear part of the automobile 2. A signal from the sensor 8 is input to the control device 9. The control device 9 outputs an operation signal to the inflator 6 based on the input of the signal from the sensor 8. The inflator 6 receives the operation signal from the control device 9 and supplies gas to the airbag 5 in the folded state. Through the supply of such gas, the airbag 5 is deployed and inflated toward the rear of the automobile 2. And the airbag 5 after expansion | deployment and expansion | swelling is located as shown by the dashed-two dotted line of FIG.1 and FIG.2.

Here, the airbag 5 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.
The figure shows a state in which the airbag 5 is unfolded. As shown in this figure, a connecting portion 12 having an inlet 12 a connected to the inflator 6 is formed at the front end (upper end in the drawing) of the airbag 5 in the front-rear direction of the automobile 2. A portion of the connecting portion 12 on the downstream side of the introduction port 12a extends to the rear side (lower side in the figure) in the front-rear direction of the automobile 2, and when the airbag 5 is deployed and inflated, It is connected to the horizontal cell 13 extending in the left-right direction). A plurality of attachments 16 for attaching the airbag 5 to the automobile 2 are fixed to the edge of the lateral cell 13 in the front side direction (upper direction in the drawing) of the automobile 2. Two side vertical cells 14 that extend rearward and downward of the vehicle 2 are connected to both ends in the width direction of the horizontal cell 13, and extend rearward and downward of the vehicle 2 in the center in the width direction of the horizontal cell 13. Center vertical cells 15a and 15b are connected.

  A plurality of center vertical cells 15a, 15b are provided in parallel in the width direction and symmetrical about the center in the width direction. More specifically, a total of three center vertical cells 15a and 15b are provided, and a center vertical cell 15a is arranged at the center in the width direction among the center vertical cells 15a and 15b. Center vertical cells 15b are arranged on both sides of the cell 15a in the width direction.

  The connecting portion 12, the horizontal cell 13, the side vertical cell 14, and the center vertical cells 15 a and 15 b are formed in a bag shape by sewing the base fabric of the airbag 5. The connecting portion 12, the side vertical cell 14, and the center vertical cells 15a and 15b communicate with the horizontal cell 13, respectively. In each center vertical cell 15a, 15b, the center vertical cell 15a is partitioned by a seam 15c extending in the front-rear direction of the automobile 2 with respect to the adjacent center vertical cell 15b. 15b communicates only with the opening end portion on the upper side in the drawings. Also, a sheet 17 made of a single base fabric is formed between the center vertical cell 15b and the side vertical cell 14 located on the side thereof so as to connect the cells 14 and 15b.

  An inner tube 18 for distributing the gas from the inflator 6 to the side vertical cell 14 and the center vertical cell 15 a is provided inside the connection portion 12 and the horizontal cell 13 in the airbag 5. The inner tube 18 is made of a material having elasticity, and when the airbag 5 is folded, it can be folded accordingly. Further, when the airbag 5 is deployed and inflated, the inner tube 18 that is folded together with the airbag 5 is deployed together with the airbag 5.

  In the inner tube 18, a portion located in the horizontal cell 13 extends in the width direction, and a portion located in the connection portion 12 is connected to the inlet 12 a of the connection portion 12 and is located in the horizontal cell 13. Are connected to an internal inlet 18c formed in the central portion in the width direction. Moreover, in the part located in the horizontal cell 13 of the inner tube 18, the opening part 18a of the said width direction both ends is opening toward the vertical cell 14 for sides, respectively, and the vertical cell 15a side for the center of the said width direction center In this portion, a hole 18b that opens toward the cell 15a is formed. Accordingly, the horizontal cell 13 is connected to the inlet 12a at the center in the width direction through the hole 18b.

  The gas flowing into the airbag 5 from the inflator 6 through the inlet 12a is supplied from the opening 18a toward the side vertical cell 14 through the inner inlet 18c in the inner tube 18. , And supplied from the hole 18b toward the vertical cell 15a for the center. The horizontal cell 13 is first expanded and expanded by the gas flowing out from the opening 18a and the hole 18b. Thereafter, gas flows into the vertical cells 14, 15a and 15b, and the vertical cells 14, 15a and 15b are expanded and expanded. Thus, the airbag 5 is deployed and inflated.

  When the airbag 5 is inflated / deployed, the center vertical cells 15a and 15b are positioned between the two headrests 10a arranged in the width direction in the rear seat 10 of the automobile 2, and the two side vertical cells 14 are respectively two. It is located on the outer side in the width direction of the two headrests 10a. At this time, the seat 17 between the center vertical cell 15b and the side vertical cell 14 is located on the rear side of the vehicle 2 with respect to the headrest 10a, and between the headrest 10a and the rear window 11 (FIG. 1). Shut off.

  Next, the internal structure of the airbag 5 related to the gas flow in the airbag 5 when the gas flows into the airbag 5 from the inlet 12a, more specifically, the structure around the center vertical cell 15a. ,explain in detail.

  The airbag 5 has a structure that allows the center vertical cell 15a to be deployed faster than the center vertical cell 15b when the gas flows from the inlet 12a. Specifically, the dimension a in the width direction of the center vertical cell 15a is set to be smaller than the dimension b in the width direction of the center vertical cell 15b, so that the volume of the center vertical cell 15a is reduced. The volume of the vertical cell 15b is made smaller.

  Further, in the airbag 5, when the gas flows in from the introduction port 12 a, the airbag 5 is more likely to flow into the center vertical cell 15 a than to flow into the center vertical cell 15 b. It also has a gas guide structure for guiding the gas flow inside. Specifically, the dimension in the width direction of the opening of the center vertical cell 15a with respect to the horizontal cell 13 is made larger than the dimension in the width direction of the other part of the center vertical cell 15a.

  Further, in the airbag 5, a throttle portion 13 a for reducing the gas flow area is provided in a portion corresponding to the hole 18 b of the horizontal cell 13 and near the side vertical cell 14. Specifically, the seam 15c of the center vertical cell 15a is extended to the hole 18b side, and the inner diameter dimension c at the position corresponding to the seam 15c in the horizontal cell 13 is closer to the side vertical cell 14 than the position. It should be smaller than the inner diameter dimension d. As a result, the narrowed portion 13a is formed in a portion corresponding to the hole 18b of the horizontal cell 13 and close to the side vertical cell 14.

  Next, the part to which the airbag 5 is attached in the automobile 2 and the structure around it will be described with reference to FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the rear roof portion of the automobile 2 shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from the direction of the arrow AA.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a roof head lining 4 made of a flexible material is provided below the roof panel 3 so as to cover the entire surface of the roof panel 3 on the vehicle compartment 19 side. An inner panel 20 fixed to the panel 3 is provided between the roof panel 3 and the roof head lining 4. The rear end of the roof panel 3 (the right end in the drawing) is bent so as to approach the inner panel 20 and is connected to the rear end of the panel 20 to support the back door 21 of the automobile 2. 23. The back door 21 is attached to the rear end portion (rear roof rail 23) of the roof panel 3 by a hinge mechanism 22 so as to be opened and closed. The back door 21 is provided with the rear window 11.

  The roof head lining 4 can be displaced in a direction of rotating downward about a predetermined portion (for example, a front end) in the front side direction (left direction in the drawing) of the automobile 2 with respect to the fixed portion of the inner panel 20 with respect to the roof panel 3. It is attached to the roof panel 3 so that it may become. The rear end portion of the roof head lining 4 is engaged with a cover piece 24 fixed to the rear end portion of the rear roof rail 23 (the roof panel 3 and the inner panel 20). The engagement between the rear end portion of the roof head lining 4 and the cover piece 24 is released when the roof head lining 4 is pushed downward.

  Between the roof panel 3 and the roof head lining 4, the folded airbag 5 is accommodated below the inner panel 20, and is connected to the inlet 12 a (FIG. 3) of the airbag 5. An inflator 6 is accommodated. The inflator 6 is between the roof panel 3 and the roof head lining 4 and has a high rigidity so as to reduce the deformation, for example, a small deformation when an impact is applied from the rear of the automobile 2. It is fixed to the inner panel 20. As for the airbag 5, the attachment 16 is fixed to the inner panel 20 by a bolt 25 and a nut 26 at a position on the rear side of the inflator 6.

Next, the deployment / inflation mode of the airbag 5 accommodated in a folded state between the roof panel 3 and the roof head lining 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 together.
When the gas from the inflator 6 flows into the folded airbag 5, the lateral cell 13 of the airbag 5 is first deployed and inflated to push the roof head lining 4 downward. As a result, the roof head lining 4 is displaced in the direction in which the roof head lining 4 rotates downward about the front end, that is, in the direction of the arrow in FIG. As a result, the engagement between the rear end portion of the roof head lining 4 and the cover piece 24 is released, and the rear end portion is displaced downward and released as shown in FIG. It further inclines so that it may go down toward the rear end. Thus, the roof head lining 4 is inclined and the airbag 5 receives the gas flow from the inflator 6, so that the remaining portion of the airbag 5 in the folded state, that is, the center in the folded state is used. The vertical cells 15a and 15b and the side vertical cells 14 roll out from the rear end of the roof head lining 4 toward the rear and expand while being deployed.

  In the airbag 5 after being deployed and inflated, as shown in FIG. 6, the center vertical cells 15a and 15b are located between the two headrests 10a of the rear seat 10, and the two side vertical cells 14 are respectively provided. The two headrests 10a are located outside the width direction (vertical direction in the figure) of the automobile 2. As a result, the front and rear of the rear seat 10 are blocked by the airbag 5. At this time, the seat 17 between the center vertical cells 15a, 15b and the side vertical cells 14 is located on the rear side of the vehicle 2 with respect to the headrest 10a. By positioning the seat 17 in this way, the space between the headrest 10a and the rear window 11 of the back door 21 is blocked, and the cells 14, 15a, 15b are prevented from shifting forward.

  When gas flows into the center vertical cells 15a, 15b and the side vertical cells 14 from the introduction port 12a via the inner tube 18 (internal introduction port 18c) and these cells expand and expand, The expansion / expansion tends to be slightly delayed from the expansion / expansion of the center vertical cells 15a, 15b. As shown in FIG. 3, the side vertical cell 14 is located farther from the inner introduction port 18 c of the inner tube 18 than the center vertical cells 15 a and 15 b, and is connected to the hole 18 b in the horizontal cell 13. This is because the narrowed portion 13 a is formed in a portion near the side vertical cell 14.

  Here, when the throttle portion 13a is formed and the gas flow area of the portion corresponding to the throttle portion 13a of the horizontal cell 13 is reduced, the gas flowing out from the hole 18b of the inner tube 18 enters each vertical cell 15a, 15b, 14. When it is going to flow, it becomes difficult to flow to the side vertical cell 14 side, and it is easier to flow to the center vertical cell 15a, 15b side accordingly. Thus, there is a tendency that the expansion / expansion of the side vertical cells 14 is slightly delayed from the expansion / expansion of the center vertical cells 15a, 15b.

  Moreover, the volume of the part connected with the hole 18b in the horizontal cell 13 can be suppressed small by forming the said narrowing part 13a. If the volume of the portion is large, it takes a lot of time after the gas starts to be introduced from the inlet 12a until the gas is stored in the portion and then flows to the center vertical cells 15a and 15b. Therefore, it takes a long time to fully deploy the center vertical cells 15a and 15b. However, since the volume of the portion is suppressed by the throttle portion 13a, it can be avoided that it takes a long time to fully deploy the center vertical cells 15a and 15b. This is also the reason why the expansion / expansion of the side vertical cells 14 tends to be slightly delayed from the expansion / expansion of the center vertical cells 15a, 15b.

  When gas flows into the center vertical cells 15a and 15b through the holes 18b of the inner tube 18 and the cells 15a and 15b expand and expand, the center vertical cell 15a and the center vertical cell 15b expand and contract in this order. It will expand. More specifically, the gas flowing out of the hole 18b flows into the center vertical cell 15a from the open end on the side of the horizontal cell 13 as shown by the arrow Y1, and thereby the center vertical cell 15a expands and expands. Thereafter, gas accumulates in the center vertical cell 15a and the gas overflows from the opening end of the cell 15a to the adjacent center vertical cell 15b as indicated by the arrow Y2, thereby causing the center vertical cell 15b Expansion and expansion are performed. Through the gas flow around the center vertical cells 15a and 15b, the center vertical cells 15a and 15b are expanded and expanded in the order of the center vertical cell 15a and the center vertical cell 15b.

  The center vertical cells 15a and 15b are expanded and expanded in this order because the center vertical cell 15a is closest to the hole 18b and the center vertical cell 15b is farthest from the hole 18b. Further, in the airbag 5, as a structure in which the center vertical cell 15a can be deployed earlier than the center vertical cell 15b, a structure in which the volume of the center vertical cell 15a is made smaller than the volume of the center vertical cell 15b is adopted. It is because it is doing.

  The center vertical cells 15a and 15b are sandwiched between the pair of headrests 10a in the rear seat 10 of the automobile 2 with the expansion and expansion thereof. Thus, the center vertical cells 15a and 15b are sandwiched between the pair of headrests 10a, so that the center vertical cells 15a and 15b are positioned in the width direction of the automobile 2. Each of the center vertical cells 15a and 15b is provided so as to be symmetric with respect to the same width direction with the center in the width direction as the center, and as described above, the center vertical cell 15a located in the center in the width direction. From the center to the center vertical cell 15b located on the outer side in the width direction. For this reason, in each center vertical cell 15a, 15b, it is possible to realize uniform expansion and expansion of the portions on both sides in the width direction with the center in the width direction as the center. Therefore, when the center vertical cells 15a and 15b are sandwiched between the pair of headrests 10a along with the expansion and expansion of the center vertical cells 15a and 15b, the center vertical cells 15a and 15b are moved from the appropriate positions in the width direction to the width direction. The center vertical cells 15a and 15b can be positioned at appropriate positions in the width direction.

  On the other hand, the expansion / expansion of the side vertical cell 14 tends to be slightly delayed from the expansion / expansion of the center vertical cells 15a, 15b. Therefore, the center vertical cells 15a, 15b after the expansion / expansion are described above. As described above, the expansion / expansion is completed in a state of being sandwiched between the pair of headrests 10a and positioned at an appropriate position in the width direction. In this manner, by expanding and inflating the side vertical cell 14 in a state where the center vertical cells 15a and 15b are positioned in the width direction, the width of the airbag 5 around the center in the width direction is increased. It is possible to realize uniform expansion / expansion of the side vertical cells 14 located on both side portions. As a result, it is possible to suppress the airbag 5 after being deployed / inflated from being shifted from the appropriate position in the width direction in the width direction.

According to the embodiment described in detail above, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In the process of deploying and inflating the airbag 5, it is possible to evenly deploy and inflate the portions on both sides in the width direction around the center in the width direction of the automobile 2 in each center vertical cell 15 a and 15 b. it can. Therefore, when the center vertical cells 15a and 15b that are expanded and inflated are sandwiched between the pair of headrests 10a, the center vertical cells 15a and 15b are positioned in the width direction without being deviated from the appropriate positions in the width direction. Is done. With the center vertical cells 15a, 15b positioned, the expansion / expansion of the side vertical cells 14 located on both sides in the width direction of the center vertical cells 15a, 15b is completed.

  In the airbag 5, a throttle portion 13 a is provided in a portion corresponding to the hole 18 b of the horizontal cell 13 and close to the side vertical cell 14, whereby the side vertical cell 14 is developed and expanded in the center. This tends to cause a slight delay from the expansion / expansion of the vertical cells 15a, 15b. For this reason, the expansion / expansion of the side vertical cell 14 can be completed after the center vertical cells 15a and 15b are positioned as described above. In this manner, the side vertical cells 14 are deployed and expanded in a state where the center vertical cells 15a and 15b are positioned at appropriate positions in the width direction, so that the center in the width direction of the airbag 5 is the center. It is possible to realize uniform expansion / expansion of the side vertical cells 14 respectively located on both sides in the width direction.

  As described above, when the deployment / inflation of the airbag 5 is completed, the airbag 5 can be prevented from being shifted from the appropriate position in the width direction in the width direction. In addition, this is not realized by fixing a part of the airbag 5 to the automobile 2 side. Therefore, the airbag 5 is folded and the roof panel 3 and the roof head lining 4 are fixed for the fixing. There is no complicated way of storing in between.

  (2) The airbag 5 has a structure in which the center vertical cell 15a is fully deployed earlier than the center vertical cell 15b when gas flows into the center vertical cells 15a and 15b. A structure is adopted in which the volume of the center vertical cell 15b is made smaller than that of the center vertical cell 15b. For this reason, when the center vertical cells 15a and 15b are expanded and expanded by introducing gas, the expansion and expansion can be reliably performed in the order of the center vertical cell 15a and the center vertical cell 15b.

  (3) Since the dimension a in the width direction of the automobile 2 in the center vertical cell 15a is smaller than the dimension b in the width direction in the center vertical cell 15b, the volume of the center vertical cell 15a is accurately determined. Furthermore, the volume of the center vertical cell 15b can be made smaller.

  (4) In the airbag 5, when the gas flows in from the introduction port 12a, the airbag is more likely to flow into the center vertical cell 15a than to flow into the center vertical cell 15b. 5 also has a gas guide structure for guiding the flow of gas in the interior. Specifically, the dimension in the width direction of the opening of the center vertical cell 15a with respect to the horizontal cell 13 is made larger than the dimension in the width direction of the other part of the center vertical cell 15a. For this reason, when the gas flows into the center vertical cells 15a, 15, the gas flow into the center vertical cell 15a is more easily performed than the gas flow into the center vertical cell 15b. As a result, the center vertical cell 15a can be expanded more reliably than the center vertical cell 15b.

  (5) The narrowed portion 13a is formed by extending a seam 15c for partitioning the center vertical cell 15a from the adjacent center vertical cell 15b toward the hole 18b. For this reason, the gas flowing out from the hole 18b can easily enter the center vertical cell 15a, and the center vertical cells 15a and 15b are expanded and expanded in order from the center vertical cell 15a to the center vertical cell 15b in order. It will be broken. In addition, since the throttle portion 13a is formed by the seam 15c, it is not necessary to add a new member to form the throttle portion 13a.

  (6) After the airbag 5 is deployed and inflated, the center vertical cells 15a and 15b are located between the pair of headrests 10a in the rear seat 10, and the side vertical cells 14 are in the width direction of the automobile 2 in the headrest 10a. Located outside, the cells 15a, 15b, and 14 block the front and rear of the rear seat 10 from each other. Here, when the space behind the headrest 10a in the vehicle compartment 19, that is, the space between the headrest 10a and the rear window 11, is small, the airbag can be deployed and inflated between the headrest 10a and the rear window 11. There is a risk of not. However, since the center vertical cells 15a and 15b and the side vertical cells 14 after deployment / expansion are positioned as described above, the front and rear of the rear seat 10 are blocked. This can be realized even in a situation where the space behind the headrest 10a in the chamber 19 is small.

In addition, the said embodiment can also be changed as follows, for example.
As shown in FIG. 7, a tether 27 is provided in a portion of the airbag 5 corresponding to the hole 18b of the horizontal cell 13 and close to the side vertical cell 14, and the throttle portion 13a is formed by the tether 27. May be. The tether 27 is a portion corresponding to the hole 18b of the horizontal cell 13 and connected to the side cell 14 near the side vertical cell 14 in a state where the inner surfaces facing each other are drawn differently as shown in FIG. . In this case, the throttle portion 13a can be accurately formed by the tether 27, and the gas flow area of the portion corresponding to the throttle portion 13a in the horizontal cell 13 can be reduced.

  When forming the narrowed portion 13a by the tether 27 as described above, the seam 15c is not necessary for forming the narrowed portion 13a, so that the seam 15c is omitted and the center vertical cells 15a and 15b are made one cell. It is possible. The center vertical cell in this case has a symmetrical shape with respect to the center in the width direction of the automobile 2, and the expansion / expansion is performed in the width direction as the gas flows from the hole 18 b of the inner tube 18. From the center to the outside. Thereby, the expansion / expansion of the vertical cell for the center is evenly performed on both sides in the width direction centering on the center in the width direction.

- under the condition that the throttle portion 13a are provided, or the width dimension a of the center for vertical cells 15a the same as the width dimension b of the center for vertical cells 15b, greater than the dimension b You may do it.

  As shown in FIG. 9, a tether 28 is provided as a regulating material for reducing the gas flow area at the opening end of the center vertical cell 15b with respect to the horizontal cell 13, and the tether 28 is provided to the center vertical cell 15a. A gas guide structure that guides the flow of gas in the airbag 5 so that the inflow is more easily performed than the inflow of gas into the center vertical cell 15b may be employed. The tether 28 is provided at the opening end of the center vertical cell 15b so as to connect the inner surfaces facing each other as shown in FIG. 10, thereby reducing the gas flow area at the opening end. . In this case, when the gas flows from the hole 18b of the inner tube 18, it becomes difficult for the gas to flow into the center vertical cell 15b. Therefore, the gas flows into the center vertical cell 15a relatively. It becomes easy to be broken.

The size in the width direction of the automobile 2 at the opening end of the center vertical cell 15a is not necessarily larger than the size in the width direction other than the opening end of the center vertical cell 15a.
-The number of center vertical cells may be four or more. When the number is even, two of the center vertical cells in the center in the width direction of the automobile 2 receive the gas supply from the holes 18b preferentially, and expand and expand earlier than those near the outside in the width direction. Is done.

  -The inner tube 18 may be omitted.

The side view which shows the rear part of the motor vehicle to which the airbag apparatus of this embodiment was applied. The rear view which shows the rear part of the said motor vehicle. The front view which shows the state which expanded the airbag folded up and accommodated. The expanded sectional view which looked at between the roof panel and roof headlining of the vehicle rear part in FIG. 2 from the arrow AA direction. The expanded sectional view which shows the expansion | swelling initial state of the airbag folded and accommodated between a roof panel and a roof headlining. FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view showing a state after the airbag is deployed and inflated at the rear of the automobile. The front view of the airbag which shows the other example of an aperture part. The expanded sectional view which shows schematically the arrow BB direction cross section of the airbag of FIG. The front view of the airbag which shows the other example of the gas guide structure in an airbag. The expanded sectional view which shows the arrow CC direction cross section of the airbag of FIG. 9 roughly.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Air bag apparatus, 2 ... Automobile, 3 ... Roof panel, 4 ... Roof head lining, 5 ... Air bag, 6 ... Inflator, 7 ... Rear bumper, 8 ... Sensor, 9 ... Control apparatus, 10 ... Rear seat, 10a DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Headrest, 11 ... Rear window, 12 ... Connection part, 12a ... Introduction port, 13 ... Horizontal cell, 13a ... Restriction part, 14 ... Vertical cell for side, 15a, 15b ... Vertical cell for center, 15c ... Seam, 16 ... Attaching tool, 17 ... seat, 18 ... inner tube, 18a ... opening, 18b ... hole, 18c ... internal inlet, 19 ... vehicle compartment, 20 ... inner panel, 21 ... back door, 22 ... hinge mechanism, 23 ... rear Roof rail, 24 ... cover piece, 25 ... bolt, 26 ... nut, 27, 28 ... tether.

Claims (3)

It is housed in a folded state between the vehicle roof panel and the roof head lining, and expands toward the rear and lower side of the rear seat of the vehicle through the inflow of gas from the inlet formed at the position on the front side of the vehicle And inflated airbag,
A lateral cell extending in the width direction of the vehicle and connected to the inlet at the center in the width direction;
Side vertical cells connected to both ends in the width direction of the horizontal cell and extending to the rear side of the vehicle, and located outside the width direction of the pair of headrests in the width direction of the rear seat of the vehicle when inflated When,
The lateral cell is connected to the center portion in the width direction and extends rearward of the vehicle and has a symmetrical shape with respect to the center in the width direction, and between the pair of headrests in the width direction when inflated. A vertical cell for the center located at
With
A portion connected to the introduction port in the horizontal cell and provided with a throttle part for reducing the gas flow area in the portion near the vertical cell for the side ,
A plurality of the vertical cells for the center are provided so as to be arranged in parallel in the width direction, and are partitioned by a seam extending to the vehicle rear side with respect to the adjacent vertical cell for the center,
The narrowed portion is formed by extending the seam that divides the vertical cell for the center located in the central portion in the width direction with respect to the adjacent vertical cell for the center to the side connected to the introduction port in the horizontal cell. An airbag characterized by having It is housed in a folded state between the vehicle roof panel and the roof head lining, and expands toward the rear and lower side of the rear seat of the vehicle through the inflow of gas from the inlet formed at the position on the front side of the vehicle And inflated airbag,
A lateral cell extending in the width direction of the vehicle and connected to the inlet at the center in the width direction;
Side vertical cells connected to both ends in the width direction of the horizontal cell and extending to the rear side of the vehicle, and located outside the width direction of the pair of headrests in the width direction of the rear seat of the vehicle when inflated When,
The lateral cell is connected to the center portion in the width direction and extends rearward of the vehicle and has a symmetrical shape with respect to the center in the width direction, and between the pair of headrests in the width direction when inflated. A vertical cell for the center located at
With
A portion connected to the introduction port in the horizontal cell and provided with a throttle part for reducing the gas flow area in the portion near the vertical cell for the side,
The throttle part is formed by a tether that connects inner surfaces facing each other in the horizontal cell in a state of being pulled toward each other . It is housed in a folded state between the vehicle roof panel and the roof head lining, and expands toward the rear and lower side of the rear seat of the vehicle through the inflow of gas from the inlet formed at the position on the front side of the vehicle And inflated airbag,
A lateral cell extending in the width direction of the vehicle and connected to the inlet at the center in the width direction;
Side vertical cells connected to both ends in the width direction of the horizontal cell and extending to the rear side of the vehicle, and located outside the width direction of the pair of headrests in the width direction of the rear seat of the vehicle when inflated When,
A center vertical cell connected between a pair of headrests connected to the central portion in the width direction of the horizontal cell and extending to the rear side of the vehicle and in the width direction when inflated;
An inner tube provided to extend in the vehicle width direction inside the horizontal cell and connected to the introduction port;
With
A plurality of the vertical cells for the center are provided in parallel with respect to the width direction and symmetrical with respect to the width direction with the center in the width direction as a center.
A portion connected to the introduction port in the horizontal cell and a portion near the side vertical cell is provided with a throttle portion for reducing the gas flow area,
A hole corresponding to the center vertical cell in the inner tube, and a hole opening toward the center vertical cell is formed between the throttle portions on both sides,
The hole opens in a portion corresponding to the center vertical cell located in the center in the width direction among the center vertical cells.
An airbag characterized by that .

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