JP5016432B2 - Airbag device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an airbag device installed in an automobile or the like.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an airbag device, there is known an airbag device that is partitioned into a central chamber, a left chamber, and a right chamber by two partition panels extending from the top side to the bottom side, and a communication port is provided in the partition panel. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

In Patent Document 1, when the inflator is activated, the central chamber is first expanded so as to have a specified thickness and a specified internal pressure, thereby improving the initial restraining performance even when a low-output inflator is used. To be able to.
JP 2003-320916 A

  However, in the above prior art, the left ventricle and the right ventricle are first inflated after the central portion is inflated, so that the initial restraint performance can be improved, but the expansion range at the initial deployment becomes narrow. The passengers may not be properly protected.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an airbag device capable of improving the initial restraint performance without narrowing the expansion range in the initial stage of deployment.

The invention according to claim 1 is an airbag device for inflating and deploying the airbag by introducing gas ejected from the inflator into the airbag, wherein the airbag has an opening for the inflator The first base fabric, the second base fabric disposed opposite to the first base fabric, and the inner sides of the first base fabric and the second base fabric. A plurality of restricting members for restricting the separation distance, wherein the plurality of restricting members are arranged radially from the opening toward the outer peripheral side of the airbag.

The invention according to claim 2 is an airbag device for inflating and deploying the airbag by introducing gas ejected from the inflator into the airbag, wherein the airbag has an opening for the inflator The first base fabric, the second base fabric disposed opposite to the first base fabric, and both the first base fabric and the second base fabric are connected to each other and separated from each other. A plurality of restricting members for restricting the distance, wherein the plurality of restricting members are arranged radially from the opening toward the outer peripheral side of the airbag, and the restricting member includes the airbag It has a trapezoidal shape in which the height on the outer peripheral side is higher than the height on the opening side.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, by providing a plurality of regulating members that are coupled to both the first base fabric and the second base fabric and regulate the mutual separation distance, the airbag internal pressure can be quickly increased. The desired reaction force characteristics can be obtained at the initial stage of airbag deployment, and the plurality of regulating members are provided radially to allow air to flow into the outer peripheral side of the airbag without being blocked by the regulating members. Therefore, the expansion range at the initial stage of airbag deployment is not narrowed. That is, it is possible to improve the initial restraint performance without narrowing the expansion range at the initial stage of airbag deployment.

  According to the invention described in claim 2, the separation distance between the first base fabric and the second base fabric on the outer peripheral side of the airbag is longer than the separation distance on the opening side. A concave portion is formed in a portion facing the opening on the front side, and the object to be protected can be reliably protected by the concave portion.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an airbag device according to this embodiment in a deployed state, FIG. 2 is a sectional perspective view of the airbag in a deployed state, and FIG. 3 is a rear view of the airbag. .

  The airbag apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a base plate 8 that constitutes a support member, an airbag 2 that is attached to the base plate 8, an inflator 9 that supplies gas to the airbag 2, a retainer 10, and a cover body 11. And.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the airbag device 1 is mounted on a steering wheel body 4 as a member to be attached to a steering wheel 3 of an automobile so as to protect an occupant M as a protected object from impact of a collision. It has become.

  The steering wheel body 4 is normally attached to an inclined steering shaft (not shown) and used in an inclined state. Hereinafter, the side of the object to be protected, that is, the occupant to which the airbag device 1 is attached. Description will be made with the side as the front side and the opposite side of the object to be protected, that is, the passenger side as the back side.

  The steering wheel body 4 includes an annular rim portion 5 serving as a grip portion, also called a grip portion or a ring portion, a boss portion 6 positioned inside the rim portion 5, and the rim portion 5 and the boss portion 6. For example, three or four spoke portions 7 to be connected are provided, and a steering shaft (not shown) is fitted and fixed to a boss 6 a provided in the boss portion 6.

  The base plate 8 is formed by press-molding a metal plate or the like, and includes a substrate portion that has a substantially rectangular planar shape. A circular hole-shaped inflator mounting hole is formed at a substantially central portion of the substrate portion, and bolt mounting holes are formed at a plurality of locations around the inflator mounting hole, for example, four locations.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the inflator 9 includes a main body portion 9a having a substantially columnar shape, and a flange portion 9b projects from the outer peripheral portion of the main body portion 9a, and above the flange portion 9b. A plurality of gas injection ports 9c for injecting gas are arranged radially toward the outer peripheral side. Further, a bolt mounting hole that communicates with the bolt mounting hole of the base plate 8 is formed in the flange portion 9b.

  The retainer 10 includes a substantially annular retainer main body, and mounting bolts inserted into the respective bolt mounting holes are fixed to the retainer main body downward.

  The cover body 11 is integrally formed of synthetic resin, and protrudes downward from the curved covering portion 11a that covers a part of the boss portion 6 and the rim portion 5 of the steering wheel body 4 and the lower surface of the covering portion 11a. And a square tube-shaped mounting wall portion 11b. And the part enclosed by the lower side of these coating | coated parts 11a and the inner side of the attachment wall part 11b is the storage space of the airbag 2. FIG. Further, the mounting wall portion 11b is provided with a protruding portion that protrudes toward the inner peripheral side, and the base plate 8 is fitted to the upper side of the protruding portion. Further, the base plate 8 is fixed to the mounting wall portion 11b by using a plurality of rivets. A fragile tear line having a substantially H-shaped plane is formed on the lower surface of the covering portion 11a, and the tear line is broken when the airbag 2 is deployed, so that the covering portion 11a rotates and opens. Yes.

  Further, the airbag 2 includes a first base fabric 21 on the vehicle body side that has a circular shape and a second base fabric 22 that faces the first base fabric 21. And these 1st and 2nd base fabrics 21 and 22 are formed, for example with the woven fabric made from nylon, and the peripheral part 24 of the outer peripheral side of the 1st and 2nd base fabrics 21 and 22 is an outer periphery sewing part. The airbag 2 having a flat bag-like outer shell is formed by sewing together along 24a.

  An opening 21a for the inflator 9 is formed at a substantially central portion of the first base fabric 21 located on the back side, and a bolt fixing hole for fixing the bag is provided around the opening 21a. An annular mounting portion in which a hole is formed is provided.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the airbag 2 is coupled to both the first base fabric 21 and the second base fabric 22, and the first base fabric 21 and the second base fabric 22 are separated from each other. Four (plural) radial inner panels (regulating members) 23 for regulating the distance are provided from the opening 21a toward the outer peripheral edge (the outer peripheral side of the airbag 2).

  Moreover, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the outer peripheral side of the airbag 2 is communicated without being partitioned by the inner panel 23 so that the injected gas can flow in and out of each other.

  Further, these four inner panels 23 have a trapezoidal shape in which the height A on the outer peripheral side of the airbag 2 is higher than the height B on the opening 21a side. In other words, in the present embodiment, the airbag 2 is such that the distance between the first base fabric 21 and the second base fabric 22 on the opening 21a side is the first base fabric 21 and the second base fabric on the outer peripheral side. The distance from the base fabric 22 is shorter.

  And in this embodiment, the vent hole 21b as an exhaust part is provided in each area | region between the mutually adjacent inner panels 23 of the 1st base fabric 21, respectively.

  Next, the assembly process of the airbag apparatus 1 of this embodiment is demonstrated. First, the retainer 10 is inserted inside the airbag 2, and mounting bolts are inserted into the bolt 2 mounting holes of the airbag 2 and the base plate 8. Then, the airbag 2 is folded into a predetermined shape, and the cover body 11 is covered from above and fitted. Further, the upper portion of the inflator 9 is inserted into the airbag 2 from the lower side through the inflator mounting hole of the base plate 8 and the opening portion 21a of the airbag 2, and the mounting bolt is inserted into the bolt mounting hole of the flange portion 9b. Insert and tighten with nut from below. In this state, the airbag 2 and the base plate 8 are fastened together between the retainer 10 and the inflator 9, and the airbag apparatus 1 is assembled.

  According to this embodiment having the above configuration, when a collision impact is applied to the automobile, the inflator 9 is activated by a control unit (not shown), and gas is rapidly injected into the airbag 2 from the gas injection port 9c of the inflator 9. Is done. Then, the airbag 2 breaks the cover body 11 along the tear line and rotates the covering portion 11a to form a protruding opening. Further, the airbag 2 receives and restrains the occupant A that is inflated and deployed in a predetermined shape in front of the occupant A and thrown out forward, and the gas is discharged through the vent hole 21b communicated with the back side. The shock applied to the occupant is absorbed.

  At this time, since the inner panel 23 is provided in the present embodiment, the airbag 2 is deployed and inflated in a state where the separation distance between the first base fabric 21 and the second base fabric 22 is regulated. Furthermore, since the stroke on the opening 21a side (separation distance B) is shorter than the stroke on the outer peripheral side (separation distance A), the airbag 2 has an opening of the second base fabric 22, as shown in FIG. It develops so that the recessed part 2a may be formed in the site | part which opposes the part 21a.

  According to the above-described embodiment, a plurality of (four in this embodiment) inner panels (regulations) that are coupled to both the first base fabric 21 and the second base fabric 22 and regulate the mutual separation distance. By providing the member 23, the internal pressure of the airbag 2 can be quickly increased, and a desired reaction force characteristic can be obtained in the early stage of airbag deployment. Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, by providing a plurality of inner panels 23 radially, air can be poured into the outer peripheral side of the airbag 2 without being blocked by the inner panel 23. The expansion range of the airbag 2 is not narrowed. That is, it is possible to improve the initial restraint performance without narrowing the expansion range at the initial stage of airbag deployment.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the separation distance between the first base fabric 21 and the second base fabric 22 in the portion of the second base fabric 22 that faces the opening 21 a is on the outer peripheral side of the airbag 2. Since the concave portion 2a is formed in a portion that is shorter than the separation distance and faces the opening 21a, the protected object M can be reliably protected by the concave portion 2a.

  Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the outer peripheral side of the airbag 2 is not partitioned by the inner panel 23, the gas guided from the opening 21a toward the outer peripheral side is obstructed by the inner panel 23. Therefore, the entire outer peripheral side of the airbag 2 can be distributed. As a result, the internal pressure on the outer peripheral side of the airbag 2 can be made more uniform, and the expansion range in the initial stage of deployment can be expanded more reliably.

  (Second Embodiment) FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional perspective view of an airbag in a deployed state according to this embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a rear view of the airbag. The airbag device according to the present embodiment includes the same components as those of the airbag device according to the first embodiment. Therefore, the same constituent elements are denoted by common reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  The airbag 2 </ b> A according to the present embodiment is provided with a communication hole 23 b that allows gas to communicate with the inner panel 23, and the vent hole 21 b is a region between the adjacent inner panels 23 of the first base fabric 21. The point which is formed only in one area | region differs from the said 1st Embodiment, and the other structure is the same as that of the said 1st Embodiment fundamentally.

  Also according to this embodiment described above, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the vent hole 21b is formed only in one region among the regions between the adjacent inner panels 23, so that when the airbag 2A is inflated and deployed, gas is externally discharged in other regions. Therefore, a predetermined internal pressure can be obtained more quickly in other regions. Therefore, by appropriately setting the part where the vent hole 21b is provided, that is, by providing the vent hole 21b in a part where it is not necessary to increase the initial restraint performance much, the restraint performance in the part where the initial restraint performance needs to be improved is further improved. This can be further improved, and as a result, the restraining performance of the airbag 2A can be further improved.

  Further, by providing the communication hole 23b for allowing the gas to communicate with the inner panel 23, the difference in internal pressure between the region where the vent hole 21b is provided and the other region is suppressed from becoming too large. It can be suppressed that a desired reaction force characteristic cannot be obtained in the region where the hole 21b is provided.

  In addition, the airbag apparatus of this invention can also be set as the following modifications. In the following description, the same components as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

  (First Modification) FIG. 6 is a rear view of an airbag according to a first modification of the present invention.

  The airbag 2B according to the present modification uses four inner panels 23 as in the second embodiment, but the region between the adjacent inner panels 23 is greater than that in the second embodiment. The second embodiment is different from the second embodiment in that a wide region and a narrower region than the second embodiment are formed. That is, in the airbag 2B according to this modification, the angle between the adjacent inner panels 23 is different from that of the second embodiment.

  The angle between the adjacent inner panels 23 can be set as appropriate so that the restraining performance of the airbag can be further improved.

  According to the above modification, the same effects as those of the second embodiment can be obtained.

  (Second Modification) FIG. 7 is a rear view of an airbag according to a second modification of the present invention.

  In the airbag 2C according to this modification, three inner panels 23 are arranged so as to divide the first base fabric 21 into three equal parts in the rear view, and the inner bases adjacent to each other of the first base fabric 21 are arranged. One vent hole 21 b is provided in each region between the panels 23. Other configurations are basically the same as those in the first embodiment.

  According to the above modification, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

  (Third Modification) FIG. 8 is a rear view of an airbag according to a third modification of the present invention.

  The airbag 2D according to the present modification uses three inner panels 23 as in the second modification, and the three inner panels 23 are arranged in a substantially T shape when viewed from the back. The point differs from the said 2nd modification, and the other structure is the same as that of the said 2nd modification fundamentally.

  Therefore, this modification can also provide the same effects as those of the first embodiment and the second modification.

  (Fourth Modification) FIG. 9 is a rear view of an airbag according to a fourth modification of the present invention.

  In the airbag 2E in this modification, two inner panels 23 are arranged in a substantially straight line when viewed from the back, and one vent is provided in each region between the adjacent inner panels 23 of the first base fabric 21. A hole 21b is provided.

  Also according to the above modification, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

  The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made.

  For example, in the said 1st and 2nd embodiment and the 1st-4th modification, the trapezoid thing whose height of the outer peripheral side of an airbag is higher than the height of the opening part side is used as an inner panel. However, it is also possible to use an inner panel in which the height on the outer peripheral side of the airbag and the height on the opening side are substantially the same height.

  In addition, the communication port and the vent hole may have a so-called variable vent structure in which the opening area increases as the gas flow rate increases.

Sectional drawing in the expansion | deployment state of the airbag apparatus concerning 1st Embodiment of this invention. The cross-sectional perspective view of the airbag of the expansion | deployment state concerning 1st Embodiment of this invention. The rear view of the airbag concerning 1st Embodiment of this invention. The cross-sectional perspective view of the airbag of the expansion | deployment state concerning 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The rear view of the airbag concerning 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The rear view of the airbag concerning the 1st modification of this invention. The rear view of the airbag concerning the 2nd modification of this invention. The rear view of the airbag concerning the 3rd modification of this invention. The rear view of the airbag concerning the 4th modification of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Airbag apparatus 2 Airbag 9 Inflator 21 1st base fabric 21a Opening part 21b Vent hole 22 2nd base fabric 23 Inner panel 23a Communication hole

Claims (2)

An airbag device for inflating and deploying an airbag by introducing gas ejected from an inflator into the airbag,
The airbag is
A first base fabric in which an opening for the inflator is formed;
A second base fabric disposed opposite to the first base fabric;
A plurality of regulating members coupled to both the inside of the first base fabric and the second base fabric to regulate the separation distance;
With
The airbag device, wherein the plurality of regulating members are arranged radially from the opening toward the outer peripheral side of the airbag. An airbag device for inflating and deploying an airbag by introducing gas ejected from an inflator into the airbag,
The airbag is
A first base fabric in which an opening for the inflator is formed;
A second base fabric disposed opposite to the first base fabric;
A plurality of regulating members coupled to both the first base fabric and the second base fabric to regulate the separation distance;
With
The plurality of regulating members are arranged radially from the opening toward the outer peripheral side of the airbag,
The regulating member, wherein the to Rue airbag device that has a high trapezoid the height of the outer peripheral side than a height of the opening side of the airbag.

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