JP5170068B2 - Airbag device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention is folded and stored in a storage portion disposed in front of an occupant seated in a seat, and is formed into a flexible bag shape so as to cover the front of the occupant's knee when inflated. It is related with the airbag apparatus of the structure provided with the airbag for knee protection which expand | swells like this.

  Conventionally, as an airbag device including an airbag for knee protection, an airbag is disposed on a vehicle body side wall portion that is disposed on a vehicle body side member side at the time of completion of inflation with substantially the same outer shape, and on an occupant side. The rim of the occupant side wall is joined to each other to form a substantially bag shape, and the vehicle body side wall is provided with a tack or external tether that reduces the length in the vertical direction (front-rear direction). The length dimension of the vertical side of the passenger compartment is made smaller than the length dimension of the passenger side wall in the vertical direction, and the airbag is curved so that the intermediate portion in the vertical direction protrudes backward. In some cases, the vehicle body side member is configured to expand along the rear surface side of the vehicle body side member (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

International Publication No. WO02 / 004261 (FIGS. 11 to 16)

  However, in the conventional airbag apparatus, by providing a tack or an external tether, the length dimension on the vertical side of the vehicle body side wall is simply reduced with respect to the length dimension on the vertical side of the passenger side wall. In addition, since the airbag is configured, there is room for improvement in that the airbag at the time of completion of inflation is smoothly fitted along the rear surface side of the vehicle body side member.

  The present invention solves the above-described problem, and can be inflated so as to smoothly follow the rear surface side of the curved vehicle body side member, and can protect the occupant's knee accurately. An object of the present invention is to provide an airbag device having the airbag.

The airbag device according to the present invention is folded and stored in a storage portion disposed in front of an occupant seated in a seat, and is formed into a flexible bag shape, and when inflated, the lap of the occupant And a knee protection airbag that inflates to cover the front of the
Airbag
When the inflation is completed, the vehicle body side wall portion arranged on the vehicle body side member side and the occupant side wall portion arranged on the occupant side are connected to each other at the periphery, and the base portion side which is one end side in the vertical direction Near the center in the left-right direction is attached to the storage part side as an attachment part, and is folded and stored so that the tip side, which is the other end side in the vertical direction, approaches the attachment part side,
When inflating with an inflating gas flowing inside, it protrudes from the storage part and expands so that the tip enters between the occupant's knee and the vehicle body side member,
In the airbag device configured to cover the rear surface side of the vehicle body side member configured to be curved so as to project the intermediate portion in the vertical direction backward when the inflation is completed,
The vehicle body side wall portion is configured by combining corresponding inner edges of the vehicle body side left panel portion and the vehicle body side right panel portion that are divided into left and right while dividing the mounting portion,
The inner edge of the vehicle body side left panel portion and the vehicle body side right panel portion are made symmetrical, and the vehicle body side left panel portion and the vehicle body side right panel portion are spread flat and the inner edges are opposed to each other, It is characterized by being configured to be bent so as to approach each other toward the distal end side away from the mounting portion when they are arranged side by side and separated from each other.

  In the airbag device of the present invention, in the airbag at the completion of inflation, the vehicle body side wall portion disposed on the vehicle body side member side is divided into the vehicle body side left panel portion and the vehicle body side right panel portion on the left and right sides. As these are configured by joining the corresponding inner edges of the vehicle body side left panel portion and the vehicle body side right panel portion, in the vicinity of the center in the left-right direction in the vehicle body side wall portion of the airbag when inflation is completed, The coupling site formed by coupling the inner edges to each other is disposed over substantially the entire area along the vertical direction. And the inner edge of the vehicle body side left panel part and the vehicle body side right panel part which constitute such a coupling part is separated from the vehicle body side left panel part and the vehicle body side right panel part, and is developed flat. When arranged side by side, the left and right are symmetrical, and are bent so as to approach each other toward the distal end side away from the mounting portion. In other words, the joint portion formed by joining the inner edges of the vehicle body side left panel portion and the vehicle body side right panel portion is longer than the surrounding portion in the vehicle body side wall portion (film length along the vertical direction). Because the inner edge of the vehicle body side left panel part and the vehicle body side right panel part constituting this coupling part is bent so that the tips are close to each other. The binding part is bent so that the tip side is directed to the side approaching the attachment part (so as to protrude forward in the vehicle-mounted state).

  Moreover, such a coupling | bond part has rigidity rather than the surrounding site | parts (vehicle body side left panel part and vehicle body side right panel part) by overlapping inner edges mutually, and it is left-right direction. Since the airbag device of the present invention is formed so as to pass through the mounting portion disposed in the vicinity of the center, in the airbag device of the present invention, a rigid column is provided in the vicinity of the center on the left and right sides of the vehicle body side wall portion when the airbag is inflated. Such a binding site will be arranged. And since this joint part is maintaining the continuous bending shape so that the front end side is directed to the side approaching the mounting part, the vehicle body side wall part is moved to the front side of the vehicle when the inflation of the airbag is completed. It can suppress that it protrudes toward the front, and can maintain the shape dented toward the vehicle rear side. Therefore, when the airbag is deployed and inflated, the vehicle body side wall portion can be disposed so as to be along the rear surface of the vehicle body side member configured to be bent so that the intermediate portion in the vertical direction protrudes rearward. The bag can be inflated so as to smoothly follow the rear surface side of the curved vehicle body side member.

  Therefore, in the airbag device of the present invention, the airbag can be inflated so as to smoothly follow the rear surface side of the curved vehicle body side member, and the occupant's knee can be protected accurately.

Further, in the airbag device of the present invention, the occupant side wall portion is configured by combining the corresponding inner edges of the occupant side left panel portion and the occupant side right panel portion that are divided into two near the center in the left-right direction,
The inner edges of the occupant-side left panel and the occupant-side right panel are left-right symmetric, and the occupant-side left panel and the occupant-side right panel are flattened so that the inner edges are opposed to each other. When arranged side by side, they are bent so that they are spaced apart from each other toward the tip side away from the one end side that is the mounting portion side, and the bending state is set to the left panel portion on the vehicle body side and the vehicle body side. It is preferable to set it smaller than the degree of bending of the inner edge in the right panel portion.

  In the airbag device having the above-described configuration, the coupling portion configured by coupling the inner edges to each other in the vicinity of the center in the left-right direction also on the occupant side wall portion of the airbag at the time of completion of the inflation is substantially over the entire area along the vertical direction. The inner edge of the occupant side left panel part and the occupant side right panel part that constitutes this coupling site is developed by flatly deploying the occupant side left panel part and the occupant side right panel part. When arranged side by side, they are bent and configured so as to be separated from each other toward the distal end side away from the one end side which is the attachment portion side. In other words, the connecting portion formed by connecting the inner edges of the occupant side left panel portion and the occupant side right panel portion is longer than the surrounding portion in the occupant side wall portion (the film length along the vertical direction). Since the inner edge of the occupant side left panel part and the occupant side right panel part constituting the coupling site is bent so as to separate the tip from each other, The vicinity of the intermediate part in the vertical direction at the coupling part is such that it protrudes to the side away from the mounting part, and the tip side is relatively directed toward the side approaching the mounting part (projects forward in the vehicle mounted state). Like), it will be bent. In other words, the coupling part configured by coupling the inner edges of the occupant side left panel and the occupant side right panel is also configured by coupling the inner edges of the body side left panel and the body side right panel. It is bent and configured so as to be substantially along the binding site.

  Further, similarly to the joint part formed on the vehicle body side wall part, the joint part formed on the occupant side wall part is more rigid than the surrounding parts (the occupant side left panel part and the occupant side right panel part). Therefore, in the airbag device having the above-described configuration, a rigid coupling portion such as a support column is disposed in the center of the occupant side wall portion in addition to the center of the vehicle body side wall portion. And this joint part is bent so that a tip side may turn to the side which approaches a mounting part like the joint part formed in the center of a car body side wall part, and a bending condition is made into a car body side wall part. Is set to be smaller than the bending degree of the binding site formed. That is, the coupling site formed on the passenger side wall portion draws a substantially concentric curved shape with respect to the virtual center of the curved shape drawn by the coupling site of the vehicle body side wall portion when the inflation of the airbag is completed. Therefore, the occupant side wall portion can also be arranged so as to be along the rear surface of the vehicle body side member configured to be curved so that the intermediate portion in the vertical direction protrudes rearward. It is possible to further suppress the side wall portion from separating from the rear surface of the vehicle body side member. Therefore, in the airbag apparatus having the above-described configuration, the airbag can be inflated more smoothly so as to follow the rear surface side of the vehicle body side member.

  Furthermore, in the airbag device having the above-described configuration, a tether capable of regulating the separation distance between the occupant side wall portion and the vehicle body side wall portion upon completion of inflation by connecting the occupant side wall portion and the vehicle body side wall portion in the airbag. A configuration in which a plurality of components are arranged in the vertical direction is preferable because the airbag can be inflated in a plate shape.

  Furthermore, in the airbag device having the above-described configuration, the airbag device is mounted in front of an occupant seated in the passenger seat. An upper protective bag that protects the upper body of the occupant when expansion is completed is connected to the occupant side wall near the upper end of the occupant side wall so that it can enter between the knee and the vehicle body side member. If the upper protective bag is configured to inflate by inflating the inflation gas through the airbag, the upper body can be protected in addition to the occupant's knee, which is preferable. .

  When the airbag device has the above-described configuration, if the inflator that supplies the inflation gas to the airbag is arranged at a position above the kneecap of the occupant, the inflation gas discharged from the inflator is It is preferable that the air bag can be prevented from flowing toward the passenger's knee side.

It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the vehicle mounting state of the airbag apparatus which is 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a general | schematic expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view of the airbag apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is the perspective view seen from the front side which shows the state which expanded the airbag used in the airbag apparatus of 1st Embodiment alone. It is the perspective view which looked at the airbag of Drawing 3 from the vehicles back side. It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the airbag of FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the airbag of FIG. 3 and shows a VI-VI portion of FIG. 5. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a base fabric constituting a knee protection bag in the airbag of FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a base fabric constituting the upper protective bag in the airbag of FIG. 3. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the process of forming a vehicle body side wall part in the knee protection bag of 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the process of forming a passenger | crew side wall part in the knee protection bag of 1st Embodiment. In the knee protection bag of 1st Embodiment, it is a schematic plan view explaining the bending condition of the inner edges of a vehicle body side right panel part and a passenger | crew side right panel part. It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the inflation completion state of the airbag in the airbag apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the vehicle mounting state of the airbag apparatus for knee protection which is 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic horizontal longitudinal cross-sectional view of the airbag apparatus for knee protection of 2nd Embodiment, and is a figure which shows the XIV-XIV site | part of FIG. It is a top view which shows the state which expand | deployed flat the airbag used in the airbag apparatus for knee protection of 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 16 is a bottom view showing a state where the airbag of FIG. 15 is flatly deployed. It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state which expanded the airbag of FIG. 15 alone. FIG. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the airbag of FIG. 15 and shows the XVIII-XVIII portion of FIG. 17. It is a top view which shows the base fabric which comprises the airbag of FIG. FIG. 16 is a schematic perspective view showing a step of forming a vehicle body side wall portion in the airbag of FIG. 15. FIG. 16 is a schematic perspective view showing a step of forming an occupant side wall in the airbag of FIG. 15. It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the inflation completion state of the airbag in the airbag apparatus for knee protection of 2nd Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the airbag device M1 of the first embodiment is mounted in front of an occupant MP seated in a passenger seat and above the knee K, which is above the kneecap. In the case of the embodiment, the airbag device is a mid-mount type airbag device that is mounted in the vicinity of the top of the instrument panel (hereinafter abbreviated as “instrument panel”) 1 protruding toward the rear side. In the present specification, the up / down, front / rear, and left / right directions correspond to the up / down, front / rear, and left / right directions of the vehicle unless otherwise specified.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the airbag device M <b> 1 serves as a folded airbag 15, an inflator 8 that supplies inflation gas to the airbag 15, and a storage part that stores the airbag 15 and the inflator 8. The case 6 includes a retainer 11 for attaching the airbag 15 to the case 6, and an airbag cover 10 that covers the rear of the folded airbag 15.

  In the embodiment, the airbag cover 10 is formed integrally with the instrument panel 1 made of synthetic resin, and when the airbag 15 is deployed and inflated, the upper and lower door portions 10a and 10b are pushed by the airbag 15. It is configured to open. A connecting wall portion 10c connected to the case 6 is formed on the periphery of the door portions 10a and 10b in the airbag cover 10 so as to protrude forward.

  The inflator 8 includes a substantially cylindrical main body portion 8 a having a plurality of gas discharge ports 8 b and a flange portion 8 c for attaching the inflator 8 to the case 6.

  The case 6 as a storage part is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape made of a sheet metal having a rectangular opening 6c on the rear end side, and a substantially rectangular bottom wall portion 6a to which the inflator 8 is inserted and attached from the front, And a peripheral wall portion 6b extending rearward from the outer peripheral edge of the wall portion 6a and locking the connecting wall portion 10c of the airbag cover 10. The case 6 is provided with a bracket (not shown) connected to the vehicle body side at the bottom wall 6a.

  The airbag 15 and the inflator 8 are provided with a bolt 11 a of an annular retainer 11 disposed in the airbag 15 at a peripheral edge 23 of the inflow opening 22 that constitutes the attachment portion 21 in the airbag 15. It is attached to the case 6 by passing through the mounting hole 24, the bottom wall portion 6 a of the case 6, and the flange portion 8 c of the inflator 8 and stopping the nut 12.

  The airbag 15 is connected to the knee protection bag 16 that is inflated so as to cover the front of the knee K of the occupant MP when inflated, and the knee protection bag 16 as shown in the two-dot chain line of FIG. 1 and FIGS. The upper protective bag 38 that can protect the upper body UB of the occupant MP when inflated is provided. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the upper protective bag 38 is connected to the vicinity of the upper end of the occupant side wall 28 of the knee protective bag 16, and through a communication hole 29 formed in the occupant side wall 28 of the knee protective bag 16. The knee protection bag 16 is in communication with the knee protection bag 16 and is inflated by inflating the inflation gas through the knee protection bag 16.

  The knee protection bag 16 is provided with an attachment portion 21 attached to the case 6 on the upper end 16a side when the inflation is completed, and the inflation gas discharged from the inflator 8 is caused to flow into the inside so that the opening of the case 6 can be opened. When projecting from 6c, it is configured to expand and expand downward. The knee protection bag 16 is configured to complete inflation so as to cover the instrument panel 1 as a vehicle body side member and the rear surfaces 1a and 2a of the grab box 2 disposed below the instrument panel 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the instrument panel 1 and the grab box 2 project rearward in the vicinity of the boundary part between the two, which is an intermediate part in the vertical direction in the region covered by the knee protection bag 16, and the rear surface of the grab box 2 is downward It is curved diagonally downward so as to be displaced forward. In addition, the back when it curves and protrudes back is a direction which goes diagonally downward from back, if it demonstrates in detail.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the knee protection bag 16 has a substantially rectangular plate shape as an expansion completion shape, and has a mounting portion 21 in a cross section along the vertical direction (vertical direction) when inflated alone. The lower end 16b side away from the head is curved so as to protrude toward the front side. In the case of the embodiment, the knee protection bag 16 is an area on the upper end 16a side when the inflation is completed, and is attached to the case 6 and connects the upper protection bag 38, and an area on the lower end 16b side when the inflation is completed. And a lower portion 18 disposed in front of the knee K of the occupant MP. The upper portion 17 is disposed so as to cover the rear surface 1a side of the instrument panel 1 that is the rear of the case 6 and is interposed between the instrument panel 1 and the upper protective bag 38 when expansion is completed. Is formed in a substantially trapezoidal plate shape having a narrow width toward the upper end side. The lower part 18 is formed so as to continue downward from the upper part 17, and is arranged so as to cover the rear surface 2a side of the grab box 2 on the front side of the knee K of the occupant MP when the inflation is completed. . The lower side portion 18 is configured to have a width dimension on the left and right direction sides that is substantially the same as the lower end side portion of the upper side portion 17 so as to cover the front of the left and right knees K of the occupant MP. The width dimension on the direction side can be covered up to the area on the front side of the shin part of the occupant MP, and is configured to cover the vicinity of the lower end of the grab box 2. That is, in the knee protection bag 16 of the embodiment, the lower portion 18 forms a knee protection area that protects the knee K of the occupant MP.

  Further, the knee protection bag 16 includes a vehicle body side wall portion 20 disposed on the instrument panel 1 and the grab box 2 side when the inflation is completed, and an occupant side wall portion 28 disposed on the occupant MP side when the inflation is completed. The peripheral edge of the part 20 and the passenger | crew side wall part 28 is couple | bonded (sewn), and it is comprised by the bag shape. In the region of the upper portion 17 and in the vicinity of the center in the left-right direction on the upper end side of the vehicle body side wall portion 20, as shown in FIGS. Has been. The attachment portion 21 allows the inflating gas to flow into the airbag 15 and allows the inflow opening 22 that is opened in a circular shape so that the main body portion 8a of the inflator 8 can be inserted, and the bolt 11a of the retainer 11 to be inserted, A plurality of attachment holes 24 for attaching the peripheral edge 23 of the inflow opening 22 to the bottom wall portion 6 a of the case 6 are configured. The attachment hole 24 is formed in the peripheral edge 23 of the inflow opening 22. In the case of the embodiment, the inflow opening 22 is formed so that the center is positioned at the center in the left-right direction of the vehicle body side wall portion 20. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3, 5, and 6, at the left and right centers of the vehicle body side wall portion 20, a stitched portion 26 is provided over the entire upper and lower regions except for the peripheral edge 23 (the portion of the mounting portion 21) of the inflow opening 22. (Binding site) is formed. The stitched portion 26 is formed by sewing together inner edges 50L and 50R of a vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and a vehicle body side right panel portion 49R, which will be described later, constituting the vehicle body side wall portion 20 using a suture thread. In the case of the embodiment, the seam allowance is configured to be exposed on the outer surface side. In addition, although the suture site 26 is drawn in a single layer in the drawing, in practice, a double line of a suture site close to the inner peripheral surface side of the airbag 16 and a remote suture site is drawn. Is formed. The seam portion 26 is formed in a state where the vehicle body side wall portion 20 formed by sewing the inner edges 50L and 50R of the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R to each other is flatly deployed. The lower end 20a is curved toward the lower end 20a so as to float vertically upward (see FIG. 9).

  In the occupant side wall 28, a communication hole 29 that allows the knee protection bag 16 and the upper protection bag 38 to communicate with each other is formed in the vicinity of the center in the left-right direction on the upper end side that is the region of the upper portion 17. Has been. In the case of the embodiment, the communication hole 29 is formed at a position offset upward from the inflow opening 22 on the front-rear direction side (see FIGS. 5 and 12). The knee protection bag 16 and the upper protection bag 38 are formed at the peripheral portion of the communication hole 29 (more specifically, the occupant side wall 28 of the knee protection bag 16 constituting the periphery of the communication hole 29 and the upper protection bag. A vehicle body side wall 39) constituting the periphery of a connection opening 40, which will be described later, in the bag 38 is sewn together and connected. In addition, at the center of the left and right sides of the occupant side wall portion 28, a stitched portion 31 (bonded portion) is formed over the entire upper and lower regions (see FIGS. 4 to 6). The stitched portion 31 is configured by sewing together inner edges 57L and 57R of an occupant side left panel portion 56L and an occupant side right panel portion 56R, which will be described later, constituting the occupant side wall portion 28 using a suture thread. In the case of the embodiment, the seam allowance is configured not to be exposed to the outer surface side. Similarly to the suture site 26, the suture site 31 is drawn in a single manner in the drawing, but is actually formed so as to draw a double line. The stitched portion 31 is formed in a state where the occupant side wall 28 formed by sewing the inner edges 57L and 57R of the occupant side left panel portion 56L and the occupant side right panel portion 56R substantially flatly is laid out. The central portion 28c of the upper and lower sides of the side wall portion 28 is protruded vertically downward, and the lower end 28a side is curved toward the lower end 31a side so as to float relatively vertically upward (see FIG. 10).

  As shown in FIG. 5, an occupant side wall portion 28 and a vehicle body side wall portion 20 are connected to each other in the region of the lower portion 18 of the knee protection bag 16 so that the occupant side wall portion 28 and the vehicle body side wall portion 20 at the completion of inflation are connected. The tether 33 that can regulate the separation distance is disposed over the vertical direction. In the case of the embodiment, three tethers 33, that is, an upper tether 33A on the upper side, a lower tether 33C on the lower side, and a middle tether 33B on the upper and lower sides are arranged. Each of the upper tether 33A, the middle tether 33B, and the lower tether 33C is formed along the left-right direction, and in the case of the embodiment, the region of the suture portions 26 and 31 disposed at the center of the knee protection bag 16 Is disposed over substantially the entire left and right regions (see FIG. 6). That is, each of the upper tether 33A, the middle tether 33B, and the lower tether 33C includes two tether base fabrics 62A, 62B, and 62C that are arranged on both the left and right sides with the stitched portions 26 and 31 interposed therebetween. Has been. Each of the tether base fabrics 62A, 62B, and 62C has a rectangular shape with the longitudinal direction extending along the left-right direction, and both edges on the short side are sewn to the passenger side wall portion 28 and the vehicle body side wall portion 20. The occupant side wall portion 28 and the vehicle body side wall portion 20 are connected to each other by sewing them using thread.

  Further, each of the upper tether 33A, the middle tether 33B, and the lower tether 33C reduces the separation distance between the occupant side wall 28 and the vehicle body side wall 20 when the knee protection bag 16 is inflated toward the lower end 16b side of the knee protection bag 16. The dimensions are set to be. That is, each upper tether 33A, middle tether 33B, and lower tether 33C (tether base fabrics 62A, 62B, 62C) are sewn sites 35A, 35B, 35C with the occupant side wall 28 and sewn sites with the vehicle body side wall portion 20. The separation distances W1, W2, and W3 (length dimensions on the short side direction) of 34A, 34B, and 34C are configured such that the upper tether 33A is maximized and gradually decreases toward the lower tether 33C ( (See FIG. 7). The thickness of the knee protection bag 16 is reduced toward the lower end 16b side. When the knee protection bag 16 is inflated and inflated, the gap between the knee K of the occupant MP and the grab box 2 as the vehicle body side member is narrow. This is because the lower end 16b side of the knee protection bag 16 smoothly enters the gap, and the shin portion of the occupant MP is not pressed more than necessary by the portion on the lower end 16b side when the inflation is completed.

  Further, each of the upper tether 33A, the middle tether 33B, and the lower tether 33C has a separation distance (separation distance L1 between the sewing parts 34A and 34B and a separation distance L1 between the sewing parts 34A and 34B) and the vehicle body side wall 20 between the adjacent tethers. The separation distance L2 between the stitching sites 34B and 34C) is the separation distance between the stitching sites 35A, 35B and 35C (the separation distance L3 between the stitching sites 35A and 35B and the stitching). It is configured to be smaller than the separation distance L4) between the portions 35B and 35C (see FIG. 7). Such a configuration does not prevent the lower end portion 16b from projecting toward the front side when the knee protection bag 16 is completely inflated, and the lower portion 18 of the knee protection bag 16 is placed on the rear surface of the grab box 2. This is because it is prevented from moving away from 2a and smoothly follows the rear surface 2a of the grab box 2.

  When the upper protective bag 38 protrudes from the opening 6c of the case 6, the upper protective bag 38 is expanded and inflated upward, and when the expansion is completed, the region on the rear side of the upper portion 17 in the knee protective bag 16 is widely covered vertically. ,It is configured. In the case of the embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the upper protective bag 38 has an inflated complete shape on the rear side of the upper portion 17 of the knee protective bag 16 of the upper body UB (waist to head) of the occupant MP. The upper end side is configured as a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is close to the front windshield 4 disposed above the instrument panel 1 so that the front side can be covered over substantially the entire surface. More specifically, the upper protective bag 38 has an outer shape that increases the thickness of the upper end portion disposed on the front side of the head of the occupant MP. The vehicle body side wall portion 39 disposed on the vehicle body side, the occupant side wall portion 41 disposed on the occupant side on the rear surface side, and the side wall portions 42L and 42R disposed on the left and right sides are configured. In the vicinity of the lower end of the vehicle body side wall 39, a connection opening 40 corresponding to the communication hole 29 provided in the occupant side wall 28 of the knee protection bag 16 is formed (see FIG. 5). In addition, vent holes 43 through which excess inflation gas can be exhausted are formed in the side walls 42L and 42R. In the upper protective bag 38 of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a recess 45 is formed in the region of the occupant side wall 41 so that the left and right centers are slightly recessed forward. The recessed portion 45 is configured to maximize the recessed amount of the region on the upper end side of the occupant side wall portion 41 so as to be recessed toward the front lower side and converge toward the lower end side. The concave portion 45 is constituted by a stitched portion 46 formed by sewing the inner edges 73b and 73b of a rear left panel portion 73L and a rear right panel portion 73R, which will be described later, at the tip of the concave portion.

  In the case of the embodiment, the airbag 15 is formed in a bag shape by cutting a base material made of a woven fabric such as polyamide yarn or polyester yarn into a predetermined shape and sewing it using a suture thread. As shown in FIG. 7, the knee protection bag 16 includes a vehicle body side left panel portion 49 </ b> L and a vehicle body side right panel portion 49 </ b> R that constitute the vehicle body side wall portion 20, an occupant side left panel portion 56 </ b> L that constitutes the occupant side wall portion 28. The side right panel portion 56R, the tether base fabrics 62A, 62B, and 62C constituting the tethers 33A, 33B, and 33C, and the reinforcing cloth 64 that constitutes the periphery of the inflow opening 22 (part of the mounting portion 21). Has been. As shown in FIG. 8, the upper protective bag 38 includes a front panel portion 67 that constitutes the vehicle body side wall portion 39 and the left and right side wall portions 42L and 42R, and a pair of left and right rear left side panel portions 73L that constitute the passenger side wall portion 41. The rear right panel portion 73R and two reinforcing cloths 75 and 75 that reinforce the peripheral portion of the communication hole 29 are configured.

  The vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R constituting the vehicle body side wall portion 20 of the knee protection bag 16 are lines that divide the vehicle body side wall portion 20 into the attachment portion 21 (in the case of the embodiment, the attachment portion). 21 (line passing through the center C of the inflow opening 22) is divided into left and right parts, and in the case of the embodiment, it is symmetric. That is, the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R constitute the vehicle body side wall portion 20 by sewing (joining) the corresponding inner edges 50L and 50R arranged inside in the left-right direction. ing. In the case of the embodiment, each of the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R has a substantially band shape whose longitudinal direction is substantially along the vertical direction, and the lower end 49a side toward the inner side in the horizontal direction. It is formed in a substantially “belt-shaped” belt shape that is curved so as to protrude. That is, the inner edges 50L and 50R of the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R are symmetric, and the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R are developed flat. When the inner edges 50L and 50R are opposed to each other and arranged side by side on the left and right sides, the inner edges 50L and 50R are bent so as to approach each other toward the lower end 49a side away from the mounting portion 21, respectively. ing. In the case of the embodiment, if described in detail, the inner edges 50L and 50R of the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R have a straight portion 50a that is substantially straight along the vertical direction and a lower end 49a side. In FIG. 7, the inclined portion 50b that is inclined with respect to the vertical direction so that the tip (lower end 50c) faces inward is connected so as to be smoothly connected (see FIG. 7). In the case of the embodiment, the inclined portion 50b is formed in a region that is substantially the lower half in the region below the protrusions 54L and 54R described later (the region of the lower portion 18 in the knee protection bag 16).

  In the embodiment, the outer edges 51L and 51R arranged on the outer side in the left-right direction in the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R are also bent toward the lower end side so as to be substantially along the inner edges 50L and 50R. Configured. In the case of the embodiment, the outer edges 51L and 51R of the vehicle body side left panel 49L and the vehicle body right panel 49R are bent less than the inner edges 50L and 50R and the inner edges 50L and 50R as shown in FIG. And gently curved toward the lower end 49a side. Further, the lower edges 52L and 52R in the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R are configured as straight lines that are substantially orthogonal to the inclined portions 50b in the inner edges 50L and 50R. That is, when the vehicle body side wall portion 20 is formed by sewing the inner edges 50L and 50R together, the vehicle body side wall portion 20 is configured such that the lower end side is recessed in the center in the left-right direction. Further, a mounting portion 21 (periphery 23 of the inflow opening 22) is formed in a portion on the inner edges 50L and 50R side slightly above the center in the vertical direction in each of the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R. The protruding portions 54L and 54R are formed so as to protrude inward. The protrusions 54L and 54R have a substantially rectangular shape. In the areas of the protrusions 54L and 54R, an opening (not shown) that forms the inflow opening 22 and the mounting hole 24 is formed. .

  The occupant side left panel portion 56L and the occupant side right panel portion 56R constituting the occupant side wall portion 28 of the knee protection bag 16 pass through the occupant side wall portion 28 through the center of the attachment portion 21 (the line passing through the center of the communication hole 29). And in the case of the embodiment, it is a left-right symmetric shape. That is, each occupant-side left panel portion 56L and occupant-side right panel portion 56R constitute the occupant side wall portion 28 by sewing (joining) the corresponding inner edges 57L and 57R arranged on the inner side in the left-right direction. ing. In the case of the embodiment, each of the occupant-side left panel portion 56L and the occupant-side right panel portion 56R has a substantially strip shape whose longitudinal direction is substantially along the vertical direction, and the lower end 56a side is directed outward in the left-right direction. It is formed in a substantially “belt-shaped” belt shape that is curved so as to protrude. That is, the inner edges 57L and 57R of the occupant-side left panel portion 56L and the occupant-side right panel portion 56R are symmetric, and the occupant-side left panel portion 56L and the occupant-side right panel portion 56R are flatly developed. When the inner edges 57L and 57R are arranged side by side while facing each other, the inner edges 57L and 57R are bent so as to be separated from each other toward the lower end 56a side away from the attachment portion 21 (FIG. 7). reference).

  In the case of the embodiment, if described in detail, the inner edges 57L and 57R of the occupant side left panel portion 56L and the occupant side right panel portion 56R have a linear portion 57a that is linear along the vertical direction and a distal end (lower end 57c). ) And the inclined portion 57b that is inclined with respect to the vertical direction so as to be smoothly connected to each other, the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L, the vehicle body side right panel portion It is configured with a bending degree smaller than the inner edges 50L, 50R in 49R. In the embodiment, the bending state is set by the amount of inclination of the inclined portion 57b at the inner edges 57L and 57R, and the inclined portion 57b of the inner edge 57R of the occupant-side right panel portion 56R is a straight line as shown in FIG. The lateral displacement t2 with respect to the length dimension T2 from the boundary with the portion 57a to the lower end 57c is the length from the boundary with the straight portion 50a to the lower end 50c in the inclined portion 50b of the inner edge 50R of the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R. The amount of bending is less than the inner edge 50R of the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R by making it smaller than the displacement amount T1 on the vertical direction side relative to the displacement amount t1 on the left and right direction side with respect to the dimension T1. It is small. When the inner edge is curved, the bending condition can be set according to the curvature. In the case of the embodiment, the inner edges 57L and 57R in the occupant side left panel portion 56L and the occupant side right panel portion 56R are substantially similar to the inner edges 50L and 50R in the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R. The inner edges 50L and 50R are configured so as to be substantially along. The inner edges 57L and 57R of the occupant side left panel portion 56L and the occupant side right panel portion 56R are made longer than the lengths of the inner edges 50L and 50R of the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R. Configured. In other words, the occupant side wall portion 28 has a film length along the vertical direction in the vicinity of the center in the left-right direction where the suture site 31 is arranged, in the vicinity of the center in the left-right direction in which the suture site 26 is arranged in the vehicle body side wall portion 20. It is configured to be longer than the film length along the vertical direction.

  In the embodiment, the outer edges 58L and 58R disposed on the outer sides in the left-right direction of the occupant-side left panel portion 56L and the occupant-side right panel portion 56R are also along the inner edges 57L and 57R as shown in FIG. , Bent toward the lower end 56a side. In the case of the embodiment, the outer edges 58L and 58R of the occupant-side left panel portion 56L and the occupant-side right panel portion 56R are bent more than the inner edges 57L and 57R, and the lower edges are substantially along the inner edges 57L and 57R. It is configured by gently curving toward the 56a side. Specifically, the outer edges 58L and 58R of the occupant-side left panel portion 56L and the occupant-side right panel portion 56R are approximately the same in bending as the outer edges 51L and 51R of the vehicle body-side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body-side right panel portion 49R. And the outer shape is substantially matched. On the inner edges 57L and 57R near the upper ends of the occupant-side left panel portion 56L and the occupant-side right panel portion 56R, cutout portions (not shown) that are notched in a substantially semicircular arc shape forming the communication hole 29 are formed. Has been. Further, the lower edges 59L and 59R of the occupant-side left panel portion 56L and the occupant-side right panel portion 56R are configured as straight lines that are substantially orthogonal to the inclined portions 57b of the inner edges 57L and 57R. That is, when the occupant side wall portion 28 is formed by sewing the inner edges 57L and 57R together, the occupant side wall portion 28 is configured such that the lower end side protrudes from the center in the left-right direction.

  The knee protection bag 16 of the embodiment forms the vehicle body side wall portion 20 by sewing the inner edges 50L and 50R of the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R together (see FIG. 9). The left and right panel portions 56L and 56R are sewn together to form the occupant side wall portion 28 (see FIG. 10), and the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R. The remaining corresponding edges of the occupant-side left panel 56L and the occupant-side right panel 56R (outer edges 51L, 58L, outer edges 51R, 58R, lower edges 52L, 59L, lower edges 52R, 59R, upper, The edges 53L and 60L and the upper edges 53R and 60R) are sewn together with a suture to form a bag.

  As described above, the tether base fabrics 62A, 62B, and 62C are arranged on both the left and right sides of the stitched portions 26 and 31, respectively, and constitute the tethers 33A, 33B, and 33C. As shown, it has a substantially strip shape with the longitudinal direction along the left-right direction. The reinforcing cloth 64 is used to reinforce the portion of the attachment portion 21 (the peripheral edge 23 of the inflow opening 22). The outer shape of the reinforcing cloth 64 is substantially circular and is sewn on the inner surface side of the peripheral edge 23 of the inflow opening 22. It is worn.

  As shown in FIG. 8, in the embodiment, the front panel portion 67 that constitutes the vehicle body side wall portion 39 and the left and right side wall portions 42 </ b> L and 42 </ b> R in the upper protective bag 38 is divided into left and right portions. A left panel 68 that forms a region from the left half of the vehicle body to the side wall portion 42L, and a right panel 70 that forms a region from the right half of the vehicle body side wall portion 39 to the side wall portion 42R. The left panel 68 and the right panel 70 are symmetrical, and in the case of the embodiment, the inner edges 68a, 70a are linear along the vertical direction, and are approximately half so as to protrude outward in the horizontal direction. It is configured as an elliptical shape. On the inner edge 68a, 70a side of the left panel 68 and the right panel 70, a portion that is slightly below the center in the vertical direction is a protrusion that constitutes the periphery of the connection opening 40 that communicates with the communication hole 29 of the knee protection bag 16. The portions 69 and 71 are formed so as to protrude inward. The protrusions 69 and 70 have a substantially rectangular shape, and are formed with openings (not shown) that constitute the connection openings 40. The left and right rear left panel 73L and the rear right panel 73R constituting the occupant side wall 41 in the upper protective bag 38 have curved shapes of the outer edges 73a and 73a, the left panel 68, the outer edge 68b of the right panel 70, It is configured as a substantially “C” -shaped band shape that substantially conforms to the curved shape of 78b (see FIG. 8).

  The upper protective bag 38 includes a front panel portion 67 in which the inner edges 68a and 70a are sewn together to connect the left panel 68 and the right panel 70, a rear left panel portion 73L, and a rear right panel portion 73R. Corresponding edges (separate outer edges 68b, 73a, outer edges 70b, 73a, upper edges 68c, 73c, upper edges 70c, 73c, and lower edges 68d, 70d) are sewn together using sutures. By making it into a bag shape.

  The reinforcing cloth 75 reinforces the periphery of the connection opening 40, and has a substantially rectangular shape capable of widely covering the periphery of the connection opening 40 as shown in FIG. Two reinforcing cloths 75 are disposed so as to cover the outer surface side and the inner surface side at the periphery of the connection opening 40, and the periphery and the periphery of the connection opening 40 (the periphery of the communication hole 29). ), The occupant side wall 28 and the vehicle body side wall 39 are sewn using a suture so as to connect the occupant side wall 28 of the knee protection bag 16 and the vehicle body side wall 39 of the upper protective bag 38. Yes.

  Next, manufacture of the airbag 15 of embodiment is demonstrated. First, the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R are overlapped in a state where the outer peripheral side is aligned and flattened so that the outer surface side faces outward, and the inner edges 50L and 50R are stitched together. The vehicle body side wall 20 of the knee protection bag 16 is formed by sewing using a suture so as to form the portion 26. The occupant-side left panel portion 56L and the occupant-side right panel portion 56R are overlapped in a state of being flattened with the outer peripheral edges aligned so that the outer surface sides face each other on the inner side, and the inner edges 57L and 57R are mutually connected. The occupant side wall 28 of the knee protection bag 16 is formed by sewing using a suture thread so as to form 31. The vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R are opened so that the outer edges 51L and 51R are separated from each other, and the reinforcing cloth 64 is overlapped and sewn at the peripheral edge 23 of the inflow opening 22 for inflow. A working opening 22 and a mounting hole 24 are formed. Thereafter, one end side of the tether base fabrics 62A, 62B, and 62C is formed on the inner surface side of the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R so as to form the stitched portions 34A, 34B, and 34C, respectively. Sewn using sutures.

  The left side panel 68 and the right side panel 70 constituting the upper protective bag 38 are overlapped in a state where the outer peripheral side is aligned and flattened so that the outer surface side faces outward, and the inner edges 68a and 70a are mutually connected with the suture thread. The front panel portion 67 is formed by sewing. Then, the left panel 68 and the right panel 70 are opened so that the outer edges 68b and 70b are separated from each other while the projecting parts 69 and 71 are overlapped with each other, and the inner surface side of the projecting part 69 of the left panel 68 located inside. Then, the reinforcing cloths 75 and 75 are stacked on the outer surface side of the protrusion 71. The occupant side wall 28 of the knee protection bag 16 in a flatly deployed state is placed on the reinforcing cloth 75 on the outer surface side. The periphery of the communication hole 29 (connection opening 40) and the periphery of the reinforcing cloths 75 and 75 are sewn using a suture thread, and the occupant side wall 28 of the knee protection bag 16 and the upper protection bag 38 are sewn. The front panel portion 67 is connected. Then, the communication hole 29 (connection opening 40) is formed.

  Next, the rear left panel portion 73L and the rear right panel portion 73R are overlapped in a state where the outer peripheral sides are made to lie flat so that the outer surface sides are opposed to each other on the inner side, and the inner edges 73b and 73b are mutually connected. Sewing is performed using a suture so as to form 46. Thereafter, the rear left panel portion 73L and the rear right panel portion 73R are opened so that the outer edges 73a and 73a are separated from each other and the upper edges 73c and 73c are linear, and the rear left panel portion 73L and the rear right panel portion 73R are opened. The upper edges 73c and 73c are sewn to the upper edges 68c and 70c of the left panel 68 and the right panel 70 using a suture thread. At this time, the left side panel 68 and the right side panel 70 are formed on the outer surface side (the rear left side) of the rear left side panel part 73L and the rear right side panel part 73R. The panel portion 73L and the rear right panel portion 73R are disposed so as to face the surface of the stitched portion 46 where the seam allowance is not exposed. Next, the lower edges 68d and 70d of the left panel 68 and the right panel 60 are overlapped with each other and sewn using a suture thread. Thereafter, the outer edge 68b of the left panel 68 and the outer edge 73a of the rear left panel portion 73L are sewn using a suture thread, and the outer edge 70b of the right panel 70 and the outer edge 73a of the rear right panel portion 73R are sewn together. The upper protective bag 38 can be formed into a bag shape by sewing with a thread. After that, if the whole is reversed using the communication hole 29 (connection opening 40) so that the seam allowance is not exposed to the outside and the occupant side wall 28 of the knee protection bag 16 is disposed on the outer surface side, The upper protective bag 38 is completed.

  Next, the upper protective bag 38 is arranged so that the upper edges of the vehicle body side wall 20 in the knee protection bag 16 (the upper edges 53L and 53R in the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R) are opposed to the outer surface side. Is overlapped with the upper edge of the occupant side wall portion 28 (the upper edge 60L, 60R in the occupant side left panel portion 56R, the occupant side right panel portion 56R), the upper edges 53L, 60L mutual, the upper edges 53R, 60R mutual. Are sewn using sutures. The vehicle body side wall portion 20 is overlapped with the occupant side wall portion 28, and the other end sides of the tether base fabrics 62A, 62B, and 62C are stitched to the inner surface side of the occupant side left panel portion 56L and the occupant side right panel portion 56R, respectively. Sewing is performed using a suture so as to form the portions 35A, 35B, and 35C. Thereafter, the remaining portions of the periphery of the vehicle body side wall 20 and the occupant side wall 28 (the outer edges 51L and 58L, the outer edges 51R and 58L, the lower edges 52L and 59L, and the lower edges 52R and 59R) are sutured. If used and sewn, the knee protection bag 16 can be completed and the airbag 15 can be manufactured.

  Thereafter, the airbag 15 is folded so that the bolt 11a protrudes from each mounting hole 24 and the retainer 11 is disposed therein so that the airbag 15 can be accommodated in the case 6 to prevent the surroundings from collapsing. Wrapped in a wrapping sheet (not shown) that can be broken. The airbag 15 is folded from the state in which each knee protection bag 16 and the upper protection bag 38 are flatly deployed so as to reduce the vertical and horizontal widths. In the embodiment, the knee protection bag is folded. 16 is folded by roll folding so as to wind from the lower end side toward the vehicle body side wall portion 20 side, and the upper protective bag 38 is folded by roll folding such that it is wound from the upper end side toward the vehicle body side wall portion 39 side. (See FIG. 2).

  Next, the case 6 in which each of the bolts 11a is inserted into the bottom wall portion 6a of the case 6 and the folded airbag 15 is rotated so that the opening 6c faces upward and the bottom wall portion 6a is positioned below. Is placed on the bottom wall portion 6a. Next, the main body 8a of the inflator 8 is inserted into the case 6 from below the bottom wall 6a, and the bolt 11a protruding downward from the bottom wall 6a is inserted into the flange 8c of the inflator 8. Thereafter, when the nut 12 is fastened to each bolt 11 a protruding from the flange portion 8 c of the inflator 8, the folded airbag 15 and the inflator 8 can be attached to the bottom wall portion 6 a of the case 6.

  Next, the peripheral wall portion 6b of the case 6 is locked to the connecting wall portion 10c of the airbag cover 10 in the instrument panel 1 mounted on the vehicle, and a predetermined bracket (not shown) of the case 6 is fixed to the vehicle body side. In this case, the airbag device M1 can be mounted on the vehicle.

  If the inflation gas is discharged from the gas discharge port 8b of the inflator 8 at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle after the airbag device M1 is mounted on the vehicle, the airbag 15 expands and breaks a wrapping sheet (not shown). The door portions 10a and 10b of the airbag cover 10 are pushed and opened as shown by two-dot chain lines in FIGS. The airbag 15 protrudes rearward from the case 6 through the opening 6c formed by opening the door portions 10a and 10b of the airbag cover 10, and expands and inflates the knee protection bag 16 downward. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 12, the protection bag 38 is expanded and inflated upward, and the inflation is completed so as to cover the entire front from the knee K to the upper body UB of the occupant MP seated in the passenger seat. It will be. At this time, the knee protection bag 16 is inflated so that the lower end 16b enters between the knee K of the occupant MP and the grab box 2, and when the inflation is completed, the rear surface 1a, 2a side of the instrument panel 1, the grab box 2 is The upper protective bag 38 is disposed so as to cover the upper portion 17 so as to extend above the upper portion 17 on the rear side of the upper portion 17 in the knee protective bag 16 when the inflation is completed.

  And in the airbag apparatus M1 of 1st Embodiment, the vehicle body side wall part 20 arrange | positioned at the instrument panel 1 as a vehicle body side member and the grab box 2 side in the knee protection bag 16 at the time of completion of inflation is a vehicle body side left panel part. 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R are divided into two parts on the right and left sides, and the corresponding inner edges 50L and 50R of the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R are coupled to each other. Therefore, the inner edges 50L and 50R are joined (sewn) to each other in the vicinity of the center in the left-right direction of the vehicle body side wall 20 of the knee protection bag 16 when inflation is completed, as shown in FIGS. The constructed suture site (joint site) 26 is disposed over substantially the entire area along the vertical direction. The inner edges 50L, 50R of the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R that constitute such a stitched portion 26 are, as shown in FIG. 7, the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel. When the portion 49R is flattened and spaced apart from each other and arranged side by side on the left and right sides, the left and right sides are symmetrical, and each of the portions 49R is mutually directed toward the lower end 49a (tip) side away from the mounting portion 21. It is bent and made to approach.

  That is, the stitched portion 26 formed by sewing the inner edges 50L and 50R of the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R is longer than the surrounding portion of the vehicle body side wall portion 20 (see FIG. The inner edge 50L, 50R of the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R constituting the stitched portion 26 is configured to maximize the film length along the vertical direction). Since the lower ends (tips) 50c and 50c are bent so as to approach each other, the stitched portion 26 is on the side where the lower end 26a (tip) side approaches the mounting portion 21 (in the case of the embodiment, when mounted on a vehicle). It will be bent toward the front side. In other words, as shown in FIG. 9, the stitched portion 26 has the lower end 26 a connected to the attachment portion 21 in a state where the vehicle body side left panel portion 49 </ b> L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49 </ b> R (vehicle body side wall portion 20) are unfolded flat. Are bent so as to protrude from the mounting surface (the opening surface of the inflow opening 22).

  And such a stitching | suture part 26 overlaps inner edges 50L and 50R, and is sewn using a suture thread, From the surrounding site | part (vehicle body side left panel part 49L and vehicle body side right panel part 49R) Since the airbag apparatus M1 according to the first embodiment has rigidity, the stitching portion 26 such as a strut having rigidity is provided at the center of the vehicle body side wall portion 20 of the knee protection bag 16 when the inflation is completed. Since the continuous bent shape is maintained so that the sutured portion 26 faces the lower end 26a toward the side approaching the attachment portion 21, the expansion of the knee protection bag 16 is completed. Sometimes, the vehicle body side wall portion 20 can be prevented from projecting toward the vehicle front side, and the shape recessed toward the vehicle rear side can be maintained. In particular, in the embodiment, the suture part 26 is formed so as to draw a double line on the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side along the inner edges 50L and 50R. The seam allowance 27 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) sewn with a thread becomes like a rib rising outward from the vehicle body side wall portion 20 and has rigidity, so that the curved state of the vehicle body side wall portion 20 is maintained. Can do. Therefore, the vehicle body side wall portion 20 can be disposed so as to be along the rear surfaces 1a and 2a of the instrument panel 1 and the grab box 2 that are curved so that the intermediate portion in the vertical direction protrudes backward. The protective bag 16 can be inflated so as to smoothly follow the curved instrument panel 1 and the rear surface 1a, 2a side of the grab box 2.

  Therefore, in the airbag apparatus M1 of the first embodiment, the knee protection bag 16 can be inflated so as to smoothly follow the curved instrument panel 1 and the rear surface 1a, 2a side of the grab box 2, and the occupant It is possible to accurately protect the knee K of the MP.

  In the airbag device M1 of the first embodiment, the occupant side wall portion 28 of the knee protection bag 16 also corresponds to the occupant side left panel portion 56L and the occupant side right panel portion that are divided into two near the center in the left-right direction. The inner edges 57L and 57R are sewn together. That is, in the airbag device M1 of the embodiment, the inner edges 57L and 57R are sewn on the occupant side wall 28 of the knee protection bag 16 when the inflation is completed, as shown in FIGS. A stitched part (joined part) 31 configured by wearing (bonding) is arranged over substantially the entire area along the vertical direction, and the occupant side left panel 56L and the occupant side constituting the stitched part 31 are arranged. As shown in FIG. 7, the inner edges 57L and 57R with the right panel portion 56R are obtained when the occupant-side left panel portion 56L and the occupant-side right panel portion 56R are flatly deployed and arranged side by side. Each of them is bent and configured so as to be separated from each other toward the lower end 56a side away from the upper end 56b side which is the attachment portion 21 side.

  That is, the stitched portion 31 formed by joining the inner edges 57L and 57R of the occupant side left panel portion 56L and the occupant side right panel portion 56R is longer than the surrounding portion of the occupant side wall portion 28 (up and down). The inner edge 57L, 57R of the occupant side left panel portion 56L and the occupant side right panel portion 56R constituting the suture site 31 is formed at the tip (the film length along the direction) is the largest. Since the lower end) 57c and 57c are bent so as to be separated from each other, the vicinity of the intermediate portion in the vertical direction in the stitched portion 31 protrudes to the side away from the attachment portion 21 (the rear side when mounted on the vehicle). In other words, the lower end (tip) 31a side is relatively bent toward the side approaching the attachment portion 21 (in the case of the embodiment, the front side when the vehicle is mounted). In other words, the stitched portion 31 is bent and configured so as to substantially follow the stitched portion 26 formed by joining the inner edges 50L and 50R of the vehicle body side left panel portion 49L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 49R. Will be. In the case of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the sutured part 31 is a state in which the occupant side left panel portion 56L and the occupant side right panel portion 56R (the occupant side wall portion 28) are deployed substantially flat. The upper and lower central vicinity 28c protrudes vertically downward, and the lower end 28a side is curved and arranged toward the lower end 31a side so as to rise relatively vertically upward.

  Then, similarly to the stitched portion 26 formed on the vehicle body side wall portion 20, the stitched portion 31 formed on the occupant side wall portion 28 is also from the surrounding portions (the occupant side left panel portion 56L and the occupant side right panel portion 56R). Therefore, in the airbag apparatus M1 of the first embodiment, in addition to the center of the vehicle body side wall part 20, the seam site such as a strut having rigidity is also provided in the center of the occupant side wall part 28. 31 will be arranged. Then, similarly to the stitched portion 26 formed at the center of the vehicle body side wall portion 20, the stitched portion 31 is directed so that the lower end 31a side is directed to the side approaching the attachment portion 21 (in the case of the embodiment, the front side). It is bent, and the bending state is set smaller than the bending state of the stitched portion 26 formed in the vehicle body side wall portion 20. That is, the stitched portion 31 formed on the occupant side wall portion 28 is substantially concentric with respect to the virtual center of the curved shape drawn by the stitched portion 26 of the vehicle body side wall portion 20 when the knee protection bag 16 is completely inflated. Since the knee protection bag 16 is inflated, the occupant side wall 28 is also curved so that the intermediate portion in the vertical direction protrudes backward when the knee protection bag 16 is inflated. It can be arranged so as to be along the rear surfaces 1a, 2a of the instrument panel 1 and the grab box 2 as members, and the vehicle body side wall portion 20 is further suppressed from separating from the rear surfaces 1a, 2a of the instrument panel 1 and the grab box 2. it can. In particular, in the embodiment, the sutured portion 31 is formed so as to draw a double line on the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side along the inner edges 57L and 57R, so that the sutures arranged close to each other are doubled. The seam allowance 32 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) sewn with a thread becomes like a rib rising inward from the occupant side wall 28 and has rigidity, so that the curved state of the occupant side wall 28 is maintained. Can do. As a result, in the airbag device M1 of the first embodiment, the knee protection bag 16 can be inflated more smoothly so as to be along the rear surfaces 1a and 2a of the instrument panel 1 and the grab box 2.

  Further, in the airbag device M1 of the first embodiment, the occupant side wall portion 28 and the vehicle body side wall portion 20 are connected to each other in the knee protection bag 16, and the occupant side wall portion 28 and the vehicle body side wall portion 20 at the completion of the inflation are connected. Since the upper tether 33A, the middle tether 33B, and the lower tether 33C that can regulate the separation distance are disposed, the expansion completion shape of the knee protection bag 16 can be regulated in a plate shape, and the knee protection bag 16 that expands. However, it can suppress pressing the knee K of passenger | crew MP unnecessarily.

  In the first embodiment, the upper tether 33A, the middle tether 33B, and the lower tether 33C are sewn sites 35A, 35B, and 35C with the occupant side wall 28, and sewn sites 34A, 34B, and 34C with the vehicle body side wall portion 20. The separation distances W1, W2, and W3 (length dimensions on the short side) are configured such that the upper tether 33A is maximized and gradually decreases toward the lower tether 33C. Therefore, the thickness of the knee protection bag 16 is made thin toward the lower end 16b side, and when the knee protection bag 16 is inflated and expanded, the gap between the knee K of the occupant MP and the grab box 2 is narrow. The lower end 16b side of the protective bag 16 can be smoothly entered. In the first embodiment, the upper tether 33A, the middle tether 33B, and the lower tether 33C are separated from each other by the separation distances between the stitched portions 34A, 34B, and 34C (the stitched portions 34A and 34B). The separation distance L1 between the stitching sites 34B and 34C and the separation distance L2 between the stitching sites 35A, 35B and 35C of the occupant side walls 28 of the adjacent tethers (separation distance between the stitching sites 35A and 35B). It is configured to be smaller than the separation distance L4) between L3 and the stitched portions 35B and 35C. Therefore, when the expansion of the knee protection bag 16 is completed, the lower portion 18 of the knee protection bag 16 is separated from the rear surface 2a of the grab box 2 without obstructing the curvature that causes the lower end 16b to protrude forward. Is suppressed, and the rear surface 2a of the grab box 2 can be smoothly aligned.

  Furthermore, the airbag apparatus M1 of the first embodiment is mounted in front of the occupant MP seated in the passenger seat, and the knee protection bag 16 is disposed on the upper end 16a side with the mounting portion 21 disposed therein. Projecting from the case 6, the lower end 16 b (front end) is deployed and inflated downward so as to enter between the knee K of the occupant MP and the instrument panel 1 and the grab box 2. An upper protective bag 38 capable of protecting the upper body of the occupant MP when the inflation is completed is connected to the vicinity of the upper end of the occupant side wall 28. That is, in the airbag apparatus M1 of the first embodiment, the airbag 15 includes the knee protection bag 16 and the upper protection bag 38, and the upper protection bag 38 is disposed inside via the knee protection bag 16. The expansion gas is introduced. Therefore, in the airbag device M1 of the first embodiment, when the airbag 15 is completely inflated, the upper body UB can be protected in addition to the knee K of the occupant MP. In the first embodiment, since the inflator 8 for supplying the inflation gas to the airbag 15 is disposed at a position above the kneecap of the occupant MP, the inflation gas discharged from the inflator 8 is It is possible to suppress the flow in the airbag 15 toward the knee K side of the occupant MP.

  Of course, the present invention is not limited to the airbag apparatus M1 of the first embodiment, and is applied to an airbag apparatus for knee protection in which the inflating airbag protects only the occupant's knee seated on the seat. May be. 13 and 14 show a knee protecting airbag device M2 (hereinafter abbreviated as “airbag device”) according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 13, the airbag apparatus M <b> 2 of the second embodiment is a column cover that is disposed in front of the knee K of the driver (occupant) MD seated in the driver's seat and covers the steering column 78. 79, the airbag 91 is configured to complete the inflation so as to cover the lower panel 1b, the column cover 79, and the rear surfaces 1c and 79a of the instrument panel 1A as a vehicle body side member. . As shown in FIG. 13, the column cover 79 is made of a synthetic resin having a substantially rectangular tube shape so as to cover the steering column 78. The column cover 79 protrudes rearward from the instrument panel 1 A and extends in the axial direction of the steering column 78. And the rear end 79a is inclined so that the front end side is positioned downward and the rear end side is positioned upward, and the rear surface 79a is curved so that the front and rear intermediate portions protrude downward (rearward). It has been configured.

  As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the airbag device M <b> 2 of the second embodiment includes an airbag 91 that can protect the left and right knees of the driver MD when inflation is completed, and an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag 91. 85, a case 81 that houses the folded airbag 91 and the inflator 85, and a synthetic resin airbag cover 83 that covers the opening 81 c of the case 81.

  The case 81 constituting the storage part includes a substantially rectangular tube-shaped peripheral wall portion 81a having a rectangular opening 81c on the rear end side, a substantially rectangular plate-shaped bottom wall portion 81b that covers the front end side of the peripheral wall portion 81a, The bottom wall 81b is formed with a mounting hole 81d through which a bolt 87c extending from the inflator 85 passes (see FIG. 14). A plurality of locking claws (not shown) are formed on the upper and lower wall portions of the peripheral wall portion 81a to lock the attachment pieces 83c of the airbag cover 83. The peripheral wall 81a is formed with an insertion hole 81e through which an end of the inflator 85 can protrude (see FIG. 14). Further, a bracket (not shown) connected to the vehicle body side is disposed on the bottom wall portion 81b of the case 81.

  The airbag cover 83 is made of synthetic resin, and is disposed so as to cover the rear side of the opening 81 c of the case 81, and two door portions 83 a and 83 b that open up and down when the airbag 91 is deployed and inflated. And an attachment piece 83c that extends from the peripheral edges of the door portions 83a and 83b and is attached to the peripheral wall portion 81a of the case 81.

  As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the inflator 85 is configured as a cylinder type in which the axial direction is disposed along the left-right direction of the vehicle, and a substantially cylindrical main body 86 and a diffuser 87 that covers the outer peripheral side of the main body 86. And is configured. A plurality of gas discharge ports 86 a are arranged on one end side of the main body 86. The diffuser 87 includes a substantially cylindrical sheet metal holding cylinder portion 87a that can cover the main body 86, and two bolts 87c protruding from the holding cylinder portion 87a. The holding cylinder portion 87a opens a plurality of gas outlets 87b through which the expansion gas discharged from the gas discharge port 86a of the main body 86 can flow out to the surface on the vehicle rear side of the holding cylinder portion 87a mounted in the vehicle. Configured.

  The airbag 91 protrudes from the case 81 and expands upward so as to cover the front of the knee K of the driver MD when inflated. As shown in FIG. Attached to the case 81. In the case of the embodiment, the airbag 91 is configured to complete the inflation so as to cover the instrument panel 1A as the vehicle body side member and the rear surfaces 1c and 79a of the column cover 79. As shown in FIG. 13, the column cover 79 protrudes rearward from the instrument panel 1 </ b> A in the region covered by the airbag 91, and the region covered by the airbag 91 extends downward (backward) in the vertical intermediate portion. It is configured to be curved so as to protrude.

  As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the airbag 91 has a substantially trapezoidal plate shape with a wide upper end 91 a side, and when inflated as a single unit, the airbag 91 has a cross section along the vertical direction (vertical direction). The upper end 91a side away from the lower end 91b side attached to 81 is curved so as to protrude toward the front side (see FIG. 17). As shown in FIGS. 15 to 18, the airbag 91 is configured such that the vertical dimension at the time of completion of inflation is the width dimension that can cover the front of the left and right knees K of the driver MD. The airbag 91 includes a vehicle body side wall portion 92 disposed on the instrument panel 1A and the column cover 79 side when the inflation is completed, and an occupant side wall portion 99 disposed on the driver MD side when the inflation is completed. And the occupant side wall 99 are joined (sewn) together to form a bag.

  As shown in FIG. 19, an insertion hole 95 for inserting the main body 86 of the inflator 85 and an attachment hole 93 for penetrating the bolt 87 c of the diffuser 87 are formed in the vicinity of the lower end 91 b of the vehicle body side wall 92. Yes. In the case of the embodiment, the airbag 91 has a bolt 87c of the diffuser 87 inserted therein protruding from the mounting hole 93, and the bolt 87c is protruded from the bottom wall portion 81b of the case 81 and fixed with a nut 88. Attached to the case 81 together with the inflator 85. And the part of the peripheral edge 94 of the attachment hole 93 in the airbag 91 will be clamped by the holding | maintenance cylinder part 87a of the diffuser 87, and the bottom wall part 81b of the case 81, as shown in FIG. The attachment part which attaches 91 to case 81 is comprised. As shown in FIGS. 15, 17, and 18, a stitched portion 97 (bonded portion) is formed in the upper and lower entire regions at the left and right centers of the vehicle body side wall portion 92. The stitched portion 97 is formed by sewing the inner edges 105L, 105R of the vehicle body side left panel portion 104L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 104R constituting the vehicle body side wall portion 92 using a suture thread. Like the knee protection bag 16, the seam allowance is exposed to the outer surface side. In the airbag 91 of the second embodiment, the suture site 97 is drawn in a single manner in the drawing, but is actually formed so as to draw a double line. The stitched portion 97 is formed by sewing the inner edges 105L and 105R of the vehicle body side left panel portion 104L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 104R, and in a state where the formed vehicle body side wall portion 92 is flatly deployed. The upper end 92a is curved toward the upper end 97a so as to float vertically upward (see FIG. 20).

  As shown in FIGS. 16 to 18, a suture site 100 (joint site) is formed in the left and right center of the occupant side wall 99 across the entire upper and lower regions. The stitched portion 100 is constructed by sewing the inner edges 108L and 108R of the occupant side left panel portion 107L and the occupant side right panel portion 107R constituting the occupant side wall portion 99 using a suture thread. In the case of a form, it is comprised so that a seam allowance may not be exposed to the outer surface side. The suture site 100 is also drawn in a single manner in the drawing, but is actually formed so as to draw a double line. The stitched portion 100 is formed in a state in which the occupant side wall portion 99 formed by sewing the inner edges 108L and 108R of the occupant side left panel portion 107L and the occupant side right panel portion 107R is flatly deployed. The upper and lower central portions 99c of the portion 99 are protruded vertically downward, and the upper end 99a side is curved toward the upper end 100a side so as to float relatively vertically upward (see FIG. 21).

  Further, in the airbag 91, as in the above-described knee protection bag 16, the occupant side wall 99 and the vehicle body side wall 92 are connected, and the occupant side wall 99 and the vehicle body side wall 92 are separated from each other when the inflation is completed. The tethers 102 that can regulate the distance are arranged at two places in the vertical direction (see FIG. 17). Each tether 102 is disposed so as to extend in the left-right direction over substantially the entire area on the left and right sides, except for the area of the stitched portions 97, 100 arranged in the center of the airbag 91, as with the knee protection bag 16 described above. ing. Also, in the airbag 91 of this embodiment, when the inflation is completed, a stitched portion (with the vehicle body side wall portion between the tethers 102 and 102) is provided so as not to prevent a curve that causes the upper end 91a side to protrude forward. The separation distance between the figure not shown) is configured to be smaller than the distance between the stitched parts (not shown) with the occupant side wall.

  In the airbag 91 of the second embodiment, similarly to the above-described knee protection bag 16, a base material made of a woven fabric such as polyamide yarn or polyester yarn is cut into a predetermined shape and sewn using a suture. It is formed in a bag shape. As shown in FIG. 19, the airbag 91 includes a vehicle body side left panel portion 104 </ b> L and a vehicle body side right panel portion 104 </ b> R constituting the vehicle body side wall portion 92, and a passenger side left panel portion 107 </ b> L constituting the passenger side wall portion 99. The right panel unit 107 </ b> R and the tether 102 are configured.

  The vehicle body side left panel portion 104L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 104R that constitute the vehicle body side wall portion 92 are configured to divide the vehicle body side wall portion 92 into a line that divides the attachment portion (in the case of the embodiment, the center between the attachment holes 93 (attachment). It is configured so as to be divided into right and left by a line passing through the left and right centers), and in the case of the embodiment, it is a symmetrical shape. In the case of the embodiment, each of the vehicle body-side left panel portion 104L and the vehicle body-side right panel portion 104R has a substantially strip shape whose longitudinal direction is substantially along the vertical direction, and the upper end 104a side is directed inward in the left-right direction. It is formed in a substantially “belt-shaped” belt shape that is curved so as to protrude. That is, the inner edges 105L and 105R in the vehicle body side left panel portion 104L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 104R are symmetric, and as shown in FIG. 19, the vehicle body side left panel portion 104L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 104R. , The inner edges 105L and 105R face each other and are spread flat, spaced apart from each other and arranged side by side, and approach each other toward the upper end 104a side away from the lower end serving as the mounting hole 93 side. It is configured to be bent.

  The occupant side left panel portion 107L and the occupant side right panel portion 107R constituting the occupant side wall portion 99 are configured to divide the occupant side wall portion 99 into two right and left by a line passing through the left and right centers. In the case of, it is left-right symmetric. In the case of the embodiment, each occupant-side left panel 107L and occupant-side right panel 107R are formed in a substantially strip shape whose longitudinal direction is substantially along the vertical direction, and the upper end 107a side is directed outward in the left-right direction. It is formed in a substantially “belt-shaped” belt shape that is curved so as to protrude. That is, the inner edges 108L and 108R in the occupant side left panel 107L and the occupant side right panel 107R are symmetric, and as shown in FIG. 19, the occupant left panel 107L and the occupant right panel 107R. Are arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other toward the upper end 107a away from the lower end (mounting hole 93 side) when the inner edges 108L and 108R face each other and are flattened and arranged side by side. And configured. Further, the inner edges 108L and 108R of the occupant side left panel 107L and the occupant side right panel 107R are the inner edges 105L and 105R of the vehicle body left panel 104L and the vehicle body right panel 104R, as in the knee protection bag 16 described above. It is configured with a smaller bending condition.

  The airbag 91 of the second embodiment is stitched so that the inner edges 105L and 105R of the vehicle body side left panel portion 104L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 104R form a stitched portion 97, like the knee protection bag 16 described above. The vehicle body side wall portion 92 formed by sewing using a thread, and the occupant-side left panel portion 107L and the inner edges 108L and 108R of the occupant-side right panel portion 107R are sewn using a suture so as to form a stitched portion 100. Manufacture can be performed by sewing the outer peripheral edges of the occupant side wall 99 formed by wearing them together using a suture thread and sewing the tether 102 inside.

  In the airbag device M2 according to the second embodiment, after the vehicle is mounted on the vehicle, if the inflation gas is discharged from the gas discharge port 86a of the inflator 85 at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle, the airbag 91 expands. The doors 83a and 83b of the airbag cover 83 are pushed open to protrude rearward from the opening 81c of the case 81, and the upper end 91a is made to enter between the knee K of the driver MD and the lower panel 1b upward. , It expands and expands. Then, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 22, the airbag 91 covers the instrument panel 1 </ b> A and the rear surfaces 1 c and 79 a of the column cover 79 and completes the inflation so as to cover the front of the knee K of the driver MD. Become.

  Also in the airbag apparatus M2 of the second embodiment, the vehicle body side left panel portion 104L and the vehicle body side right panel constituting the vehicle body side wall portion 92 are located in the vicinity of the center in the left-right direction of the vehicle body side wall portion 92 of the airbag 91 when inflation is completed. A stitched portion (joined portion) 97 configured by joining (sewing) the inner edges 105L and 105R of the portion 104R is disposed over substantially the entire region along the vertical direction (see FIGS. 15 and 17). ). Further, as shown in FIG. 18, the inner edges 105L and 105R of the vehicle body side left panel portion 104L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 104R constituting such a stitched portion 97 are formed on the vehicle body side left panel portion 104L and the vehicle body side right panel. When the portion 104R is flattened and spaced apart from each other and arranged side by side, the upper end 104a is left and right symmetrical and is separated from the peripheral edge 94 of the mounting hole 93 as a mounting portion. It is bent and configured to approach each other on the (tip) side.

  That is, the stitched portion 97 formed by sewing the inner edges 105L and 105R of the vehicle body side left panel portion 104L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 104R is longer than the surrounding portion of the vehicle body side wall portion 92 (see FIG. The inner edge 105L, 105R of the vehicle body side left panel portion 104L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 104R constituting the stitched portion 97 is configured to maximize the film length in the vertical direction). Since the distal ends (upper ends) 105a and 105a are bent so as to approach each other, the suture site 97 has an upper end 97a (distal end) side, which is a side away from the peripheral edge 94 of the mounting hole 93, facing the mounting hole 93. It is bent so as to be directed toward the side to be approached (in the case of the embodiment, the front side when the vehicle is mounted). In other words, as shown in FIG. 20, the stitched portion 97 has the upper end 97 a of the mounting hole 93 in a state where the vehicle body side left panel portion 104 </ b> L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 104 </ b> R (vehicle body side wall portion 92) are flatly deployed. It is configured to be bent so as to protrude from the mounting surface (periphery 94 of the mounting hole 93). Such a stitched portion 97 is overlapped with the inner edges 105L and 105R and is sewn using a suture thread, so that the surrounding portions (the vehicle body side left panel portion 104L and the vehicle body side right panel portion 104R) are connected. In addition, in the airbag apparatus M2 according to the second embodiment, the stitching portion 97 such as a strut having rigidity is provided at the center of the vehicle body side wall portion 92 of the airbag 91 when the inflation is completed. Since the seam portion 97 is maintained in a continuous bent shape so that the upper end 97a is directed to the side approaching the attachment hole 93 (case 81), the airbag 91 is maintained. When the expansion of the vehicle is completed, the vehicle body side wall portion 92 can be prevented from projecting toward the vehicle front side, and the shape recessed toward the vehicle rear side can be maintained. Also in the second embodiment, the sutured portion 97 is formed so as to draw a double line on the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side along the inner edges 105L and 105R, so that it is close and double arranged The seam allowance 98 (see FIGS. 17 and 18) stitched by the suture becomes like a rib rising outward from the vehicle body side wall portion 92, has rigidity, and maintains the curved state of the vehicle body side wall portion 92. be able to. Therefore, the vehicle body side wall 92 protrudes rearward from the instrument panel 1A, and the rear surface 79a of the column cover 79 that is curved to protrude rearward (downward) in the vertical direction, and the peripheral instrument panel 1A. The airbag 91 can be disposed so as to be along the rear surface 1c, and the airbag 91 can be inflated so as to be smoothly along the rear surfaces 1c and 79a of the instrument panel 1A and the column cover 79.

  Therefore, also in the airbag apparatus M2 of the second embodiment, the airbag 91 can be inflated so as to smoothly follow the curved instrument panel 1A and the rear surfaces 1c and 79a of the column cover 79. The knee K of the person MD can be protected accurately.

  Further, in the airbag apparatus M2 of the second embodiment, the occupant side left panel portion 107L that constitutes the occupant side wall portion 99 is also formed in the occupant side wall portion 99 of the airbag 91 at the completion of the inflation, near the center in the left-right direction. A stitched portion (joined portion) 100 configured by sewing (joining) the inner edges 108L and 108R of the occupant-side right panel portion 107R is disposed over substantially the entire region in the vertical direction (FIG. 16). 17), the inner edges 108L, 108R of the occupant side left panel portion 107L and the occupant side right panel portion 107R constituting the stitched portion 100 are formed by flattening the occupant side left panel portion 107L and the occupant side right panel portion 107R. Are bent so that they are spaced apart from each other toward the upper end 107a that is distant from the lower end side that is the mounting hole 93 side. It is constructed (see FIG. 19).

  That is, the stitched portion 100 formed by joining the inner edges 108L and 108R of the occupant side left panel portion 107L and the occupant side right panel portion 107R is longer than the surrounding portion of the occupant side wall portion 99 (up and down). And the inner edges 108L and 108R of the occupant side left panel portion 107L and the occupant side right panel portion 107R constituting the sutured portion 100 are formed at the tip ( Since the upper end) 108a and 108a are bent so as to be separated from each other, the vicinity of the intermediate portion in the vertical direction of the stitched portion 100 protrudes to the side away from the mounting hole 93 (the rear side when mounted on the vehicle). It becomes a mode, and the upper end (tip) 100a side is directed toward the side that approaches the mounting hole 93 (in the case of the embodiment, the front side when the vehicle is mounted). And thus it bent like. In other words, the stitched portion 100 is bent and configured so as to substantially follow the stitched portion 97 formed in the vehicle body side wall portion 92. In the case of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 21, the suture site 100 is formed in a state in which the occupant side left panel portion 107L and the occupant side right panel portion 107R (occupant side wall portion 99) are deployed almost flat. The upper and lower central portions 99c are protruded vertically downward, and the upper end 99a side is curved and arranged toward the upper end 100a side so as to float relatively vertically upward.

  Further, similarly to the stitched portion 97 formed on the vehicle body side wall portion 92, the stitched portion 100 formed on the occupant side wall portion 99 is also from the surrounding portions (the occupant side left panel portion 107L and the occupant side right panel portion 107R). Therefore, in the airbag apparatus M2 of the second embodiment, in addition to the center of the vehicle body side wall portion 92, the center of the occupant side wall portion 99 is stitched like a strut having rigidity. The part 100 will be arranged. Then, similarly to the stitched portion 97 formed at the center of the vehicle body side wall 92, the stitched portion 100 is directed so that the upper end 100a side is closer to the attachment hole 93 side (in the embodiment, the front side). Further, the degree of bending is set smaller than the degree of bending of the stitched portion 97 formed in the vehicle body side wall 92. That is, the stitched portion 100 formed on the occupant side wall 99 is substantially concentric with respect to the virtual center of the curved shape drawn by the stitched portion 97 of the vehicle body side wall 92 when the airbag 91 is completely inflated. Therefore, when the airbag 91 is completely inflated, the occupant side wall 99 also follows the instrument panel 1A as the vehicle body side member and the rear surfaces 1c and 79a of the column cover 79. It can arrange | position, and it can suppress further that the vehicle body side wall part 92 leaves | separates from the instrument panel 1A and the rear surfaces 1c and 79a of the column cover 79. Further, since the sutured part 100 is formed so as to draw a double line on the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side along the inner edges 108L and 108R, the sutured part 100 is sutured with the sutures arranged close to each other. The seam allowance 101 (see FIGS. 17 and 18) becomes like a rib rising inward from the occupant side wall 99 and has rigidity, so that the curved state of the occupant side wall 99 can be maintained. As a result, also in the airbag apparatus M2 of the second embodiment, the airbag 91 can be inflated more smoothly so as to be along the rear surfaces 1c and 79a of the instrument panel 1A and the column cover 79.

  Furthermore, also in the airbag apparatus M2 of the second embodiment, the occupant side wall 99 and the vehicle body side wall 92 are connected to each other in the airbag 91, so that the occupant side wall 99 and the vehicle body side wall 92 when the inflation is completed are connected. Since the tethers 102 that can regulate the separation distance are arranged at two locations in the vertical direction, the inflation completion shape of the airbag 91 can be regulated in a plate shape, and the airbag 91 that is inflated is the driver MD. Unnecessarily pressing the knee K can be suppressed. In order to accurately maintain the curved shape when the airbag is completely inflated, it is preferable that the tethers are arranged at three or more locations in the vertical direction.

  In the knee protection bag 16 and the airbag 91 of the embodiment, the stitching portions 26, 31, 97, and 100 formed at the left and right centers of the vehicle body side wall portions 20 and 92 and the occupant side wall portions 28 and 99 are sewn allowances, respectively. Is configured to face forward. In other words, the suture sites 26, 31, 97, 100 are configured so that the seam allowance is positioned inside the bending direction at the completion of the expansion. , 100 is preferable because it is easy to follow the vehicle body side members (instrument panel 1, 1A, grab box 2, column cover 79). Of course, contrary to the embodiment, the suture site may be configured such that the seam allowance is positioned outside the bending direction when the expansion is completed. However, since the occupant's knee comes into contact with the occupant side wall when the inflation is completed, it is desirable that the stitched portion formed on the occupant side wall is configured so that the seam allowance is not exposed to the outer surface side. The bending state (inclination amount and curvature) of the inner edge of the vehicle body side left panel portion, vehicle body side right panel portion, occupant side left panel portion, and occupant side right panel portion constituting such a stitched portion is determined on the rear surface of the vehicle body side member. It can be appropriately changed according to the curved shape. Further, in the embodiment, the airbags 15 and 91 are formed in a bag shape by sewing the peripheral edges of the base fabric of a predetermined shape using a suture thread. The airbag may be formed by bonding the peripheral edges of the base fabric using an adhesive or the like.

1, 1A ... instrument panel (instrument panel, body side member),
2. Grab box (vehicle body side member),
6, 81 ... case (storage part),
8, 85 ... inflator,
15, 91 ... airbags,
16 ... Knee protection bag,
20, 92 ... the side wall of the vehicle body,
21 ... Mounting part,
26, 97 ... suture site (binding site),
28, 99 ... occupant side wall,
29 ... Communication hole,
31, 100 ... suture site (binding site),
33,102 ... tether,
38 ... Upper protective bag,
49L, 104L ... Left panel on the vehicle body side
49R, 104R ... right side of vehicle body side panel,
50L, 50R, 105L, 105R ... Inner edge,
56L, 107L ... occupant side left panel,
56R, 107R ... Rider side right panel,
57L, 57R, 108L, 108R ... inner edge,
K ... knees,
MD ... Driver (occupant),
MP ... Crew,
UB ... upper body,
M1, M2 ... Airbag devices.

Claims (5)

The bag is folded and stored in a storage portion disposed in front of the occupant seated on the seat, and is formed into a flexible bag shape so as to expand to cover the front of the occupant's knee when inflated. It is configured to have an airbag for knee protection,
The airbag is
When the inflation is completed, the vehicle body side wall portion arranged on the vehicle body side member side and the occupant side wall portion arranged on the occupant side are connected to each other at the periphery, and the base portion side which is one end side in the vertical direction Near the center in the left-right direction is attached to the storage part side as an attachment part, and is folded and stored so that the tip side, which is the other end side in the vertical direction, approaches the attachment part side,
When inflating by inflating gas into the interior, it protrudes from the storage part and expands so that the tip is inserted between the occupant's knee and the vehicle body side member,
In the airbag device configured to cover the rear surface side of the vehicle body side member configured to be bent so as to project the intermediate portion in the vertical direction backward when the inflation is completed,
The vehicle body side wall portion is configured by combining corresponding inner edges of the vehicle body side left panel portion and the vehicle body side right panel portion that are divided into left and right while dividing the mounting portion,
The inner edges of the vehicle body side left panel portion and the vehicle body side right panel portion are bilaterally symmetric, and the vehicle body side left panel portion and the vehicle body side right panel portion are flatly deployed to form the inner edge. It is configured to be bent so as to approach each other toward the front end side away from the mounting portion when they are arranged side by side while being spaced apart from each other while facing each other. Airbag device. The occupant side wall portion is configured by combining corresponding inner edges of the occupant side left panel portion and the occupant side right panel portion that are divided into two near the center in the left-right direction,
The inner edges of the occupant side left panel part and the occupant side right panel part are symmetric, and the occupant side left panel part and the occupant side right panel part are flatly deployed to form the inner edge. When arranged side by side while facing each other, it is configured to be bent so as to be separated from each other toward the tip side away from the one end side that is the mounting portion side, and the bending state is 2. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag device is set to be smaller than a bending degree of an inner edge of the vehicle body side left panel portion and the vehicle body side right panel portion.   A plurality of tethers that can connect the occupant side wall portion and the vehicle body side wall portion in the airbag to regulate a separation distance between the occupant side wall portion and the vehicle body side wall portion when inflation is completed in the vertical direction. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag device is arranged. The airbag is mounted in front of an occupant seated in a passenger seat, the airbag has the mounting portion disposed on the upper end side, protrudes from the storage portion, and the front end of the occupant's knee and the vehicle body side member And an upper protective bag capable of protecting the upper body of the occupant when the inflation is completed, connected to the vicinity of the upper end of the occupant side wall. With the configuration,
The airbag according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the upper protective bag is configured to inflate by inflating gas into the inside through the airbag. apparatus.   The airbag apparatus according to claim 4, wherein an inflator for supplying inflation gas to the airbag is disposed at a position above the kneecap of the occupant.

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