JP5366592B2 - Air bag and air bag device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a knee airbag device for developing an airbag for the lower leg region of an occupant while easily actualizing suitable characteristics corresponding to the body of the occupant. <P>SOLUTION: An airbag body part 30 includes a first air chamber 45 and a second air chamber 46. A communication part 61 is provided at the upper end of the second air chamber 46. The communication part 61 includes a communication port 62, and a flag porion 63. With the communication part 61 turned back to the second air chamber 46 at the side of a vehicle body 3, the airbag 1 is deployed in the state that the communication port 62 is closed. When the occupant has a big body, a kneecap A1 abuts on the second air chamber 46 to hold the flap portion 63 between the second air chamber 46 and the vehicle body 3 so that the communication port 62 is closed to hold reaction greater. When the occupant has a small body, the kneecap B1 abuts on the first air chamber 45 to move the flap portion 63 so that the communication port 62 is opened to reduce reaction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an airbag that inflates and deploys, for example, facing an occupant's knee seated in an automobile seat, and an airbag device including the airbag.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a so-called knee airbag device, which is a knee protection airbag device that deploys an airbag facing an occupant's knee or the like seated in a car seat, is known. This knee airbag device is disposed, for example, below the glove box in front of the passenger seat or under the steering wheel in front of the driver seat on the instrument panel, and a bag-like airbag is provided inside the case body. Folded small and stored. When the control device detects an impact such as a frontal collision of the vehicle, gas is supplied from the inflator to the airbag, the airbag projects from the case body, and the airbag is further connected to the instrument panel and the occupant's knee. The limbs of the occupant are restrained and protected by being inflated and deployed.

  In such an airbag apparatus, a configuration is known in which the inner side of the airbag is partitioned into three upper and lower chambers by two partition walls, and the occupant's knee is opposed to the central chamber (for example, Patent Document 1). reference).

Japanese Patent No. 41466962 (5th page, FIG. 1)

  In the conventional airbag apparatus, if the deployment characteristics of the airbag are changed in accordance with the occupant's physique, a variable output type inflator, a sensor for controlling the inflator, and the like are required, which is manufactured. There is a problem that costs increase.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a point, and it aims at providing the airbag and airbag apparatus which can adjust a deployment characteristic easily corresponding to a to-be-protected object.

The airbag according to claim 1 is an airbag that is inflated and deployed between a predetermined surface and an object to be protected along a predetermined surface when gas is introduced. A first air chamber that inflates and expands along the first air chamber, and a bag that communicates with the first air chamber, and gas is introduced to expand and deploy along the predetermined surface at a position different from the first air chamber. A second air chamber, and a communication port that allows the second air chamber to communicate with the outside of the second air chamber, and when the second air chamber is inflated and deployed along the predetermined surface, And a communication portion that is folded on the predetermined surface side of the second air chamber and is positioned between the second air chamber and the predetermined surface so that the communication port is closed. Is.

  The airbag according to claim 2 is the airbag according to claim 1, wherein the communication portion includes a third air chamber communicating with the second air chamber via the communication port.

  The airbag according to claim 3 is the airbag according to claim 2, wherein when the second air chamber is inflated and deployed along the predetermined surface, the third air chamber is on the predetermined surface side of the second air chamber. It will be in a state of being overlaid on.

  The airbag according to claim 4 is the airbag according to claim 1, wherein the communication portion includes a flap portion extending from the communication port, and the second air chamber is inflated and deployed along a predetermined surface. The flap part is in a state of being overlapped on the predetermined surface side of the second air chamber.

  An airbag device according to a fifth aspect includes an airbag according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, and an inflator that supplies gas to the airbag, and is provided in a vehicle and has a seat on the airbag. An airbag device that is inflated and deployed along a panel that constitutes a predetermined surface facing a lower limb including a kneecap, wherein the airbag is a panel facing the occupant and a panel facing the panel And an air bag main body portion that constitutes a first air chamber and a second air chamber with a facing surface portion, and the air bag main body portion includes a base portion to which gas is supplied from the inflator. A communication port is provided on the front end side of the air chamber and the second air chamber located on the opposite side of the base portion.

According to the airbag of the first aspect, when gas is supplied to the airbag, the first air chamber and the second air chamber are inflated and deployed along a predetermined plane. The airbag includes a communication portion and is provided with a communication port through which the second air chamber can communicate with the outside of the second air chamber. The second air chamber is inflated and deployed along a predetermined surface. At the time, the communication portion is folded on the predetermined surface side of the second air chamber and is positioned between the second air chamber and the predetermined surface, so that the communication port is closed. When the object to be protected comes into contact with the second air chamber from this state, the communication portion is sandwiched between the second air chamber and the predetermined surface, and the state where the communication port is closed is maintained. Protected objects can be protected with a large reaction force. On the other hand, when the object to be protected comes into contact with the first air chamber, the communication portion is not restrained between the second air chamber and the predetermined surface, so that the folded state of the communication portion is released and the communication port is opened. open. Then, the gas in the second air chamber and the first air chamber communicating with the second air chamber flows out from the communication port, and the object to be protected can be protected with a relatively small reaction force. In this way, the development characteristics can be easily adjusted corresponding to the object to be protected.

  According to the airbag of the second aspect, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, the gas that has flowed out of the communication port in the state where the communication portion is folded and the communication port is opened is the third gas. Introduced into the chamber, the third air chamber is expanded and deployed. The reaction force of the airbag does not become too small, and the object to be protected can be protected with an appropriate reaction force.

  According to the airbag of the third aspect, in addition to the effect of the second aspect, when the object to be protected comes into contact with the second air chamber, the communication portion is provided between the second air chamber and the predetermined surface. When the third air chamber is collapsed, it is sandwiched by a large area, and the state where the communication port is closed is reliably held, and the object to be protected can be protected with a relatively large reaction force.

  According to the airbag of the fourth aspect, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, when the object to be protected comes into contact with the second air chamber, the communication portion is provided between the second air chamber and the predetermined surface. The state in which the flap portion is sandwiched in a wide area and the communication port is closed is securely held, and the object to be protected can be protected with a relatively large reaction force. The flap portion can be configured with a simple structure, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and the miniaturization and weight reduction can be easily realized.

  According to the airbag device of the fifth aspect, since the airbag according to any one of the first to fourth aspects is provided, when gas is supplied to the base portion of the airbag, the airbag body portion of the occupant seated is seated. The occupant is inflated and deployed to face the lower limbs, restrains the moving occupant, suppresses contact with a member on a predetermined surface side, and protects the occupant. By setting the knee to contact the first air chamber or the second air chamber according to the occupant's physique, the occupant can be protected with an appropriate reaction force according to the occupant's physique. It is not necessary to use an inflator capable of changing the output, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced by simplifying the structure.

It is explanatory drawing of the operation | movement which shows one Embodiment of the airbag of this invention, and an airbag apparatus, (a) is a case where a passenger | crew is large, (b) is a case where a passenger | crew is small. It is explanatory drawing of the state before the expansion | deployment of the airbag which shows an airbag apparatus same as the above. It is a top view of the state unfolded on the plane which shows an airbag same as the above. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the II cross section of FIG. 3 which shows an airbag same as the above. It is a top view of the state unfolded on the plane which shows other embodiment of the airbag of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the II-II cross section of FIG. 5 which shows an airbag same as the above. It is a top view of the state unfolded on the plane which shows other embodiment of the airbag of this invention.

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

  In FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, reference numeral 1 denotes an airbag, and an airbag device 2 including the airbag 1 is a predetermined facing the vehicle interior 4 as an interior of a vehicle body 3 of an automobile as a vehicle to be attached. It arrange | positions at the panel 5 which comprises a surface. The airbag device 2 is also called a knee airbag device, that is, a knee protection airbag device. When the airbag device 2 is subjected to an impact such as a frontal collision, as shown in FIG. The foot is deployed to face the lower limbs A and B including the knee heads A1 and B1, and the limbs A2 and B2 including the occupant's knee heads A1 and B1 are restrained to protect the occupant. Hereinafter, the direction such as the front-rear direction is based on the straight direction of the vehicle body 3, that is, as shown in FIG. 1, the front of the vehicle (the direction of arrow F) is the base end side of the airbag 1, and the rear of the vehicle Is the front end side of the airbag 1, that is, the occupant side, and the upper U and lower sides will be described with reference to the vehicle. Furthermore, the width direction that is the left-right direction of the vehicle is also the both-side direction of the airbag 1, that is, the width direction that is the left-right direction (the direction of the arrow W shown in FIG. 3). In FIGS. 1 and 2, A and B are dummy lower limbs simulating an occupant, A is a relatively large physique, that is, a large occupant dummy limb, and B is a small physique small limb. It is the lower limb of the occupant's dummy.

  The vehicle body 3 includes a pair of seats on both sides in which a passenger can sit in the passenger compartment 4, and a windshield 11 and an instrument panel 12 are disposed in front of the seats. Further, a panel 5 called a dash panel or the like constituting the instrument panel 12 is disposed at a lower part or a middle part below the instrument panel 12, and the airbag device is opposed to each seat on the panel 5. 2 is attached. One seat is a passenger seat, and a glove box or the like is disposed between the instrument panel 12 and the panel 5. The other seat (not shown) is a driver seat, and a steering wheel is disposed between the instrument panel 12 and the panel 5. In addition to the airbag device 2 described above, the passenger compartment 4 is provided with an airbag device 13 for a passenger in the passenger seat on the instrument panel 12, and further includes a steering wheel, a side portion of the seat, a roof side rail. Etc., an airbag device (not shown) is provided.

  The airbag device 2 includes a case body 21 that is a container portion, an inflator 22 attached to the case body 21, the airbag 1, a cover body 25, and the like. The case body 21 is also called a housing or the like, and includes a case main body portion 21b having a substantially box shape with the rear surface being an opening 21a, and the inside of the case main body portion 21b is an airbag storage portion. . The opening 21a has a rectangular shape whose longitudinal direction is on both sides, and is slightly inclined downward. The case body 21b is provided with an attachment piece for engaging the cover body, and a bracket is attached to the case body 21b. The bracket is fixed to the attachment member of the vehicle body 3.

  The inflator 22 includes an inflator main body portion 22a having a substantially cylindrical shape. A gas injection portion is provided near one end portion of the inflator main body portion 22a, and a connection portion is provided at the other end portion. The inflator 22 is connected to the control device via a harness (not shown) connected to the connection portion, and injects gas from the gas injection portion based on an activation signal supplied from the control device via the harness. Further, the inflator 22 is attached to the case body 21 by inserting a mounting bolt 22b provided on an integral or separate retainer into the case main body 21b and screwing a nut (not shown). .

  Furthermore, the cover body 25 is also called a lid or the like. The cover body 25 covers the opening 21a of the case body 21, and a tear line that is a fragile fracture portion is formed in a substantially H shape or the like, and projects into a rectangular tube shape or the like. The provided part is fitted to the case main body 21b and locked to the attachment piece.

  The airbag 1 is formed into a bag shape by sewing a plurality of base fabrics, folded into a predetermined shape, and stored in the airbag storage portion of the case body 21. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the airbag 1 includes an airbag main body 30 constituting a bag-shaped outer shell as two base fabrics, i.e., passenger-facing surface portions. The first partition wall 35 and the second partition wall 36 as partition walls are formed inside the airbag main body 30. In addition, a plurality of reinforcing cloths 37, 38, and 39, which are also called flameproof cloths, are arranged.

  And the 1st panel part 31 and the 2nd panel part 32 of the airbag main-body part 30 are substantially the same shape mutually, from the base end part 30a side used as the lower side at the time of deployment to the front end part 30b side used as the upper side The outer shell of the flat bag is configured by sewing the positions along the outer peripheral portion with the outer peripheral suture line 41 except for a part on the base end portion 30a side and the distal end portion 30b side where the width dimension increases.

  Further, the first partition wall 35 and the second partition wall 36 are also called baffles, and are constituted by strip-shaped base fabrics having the same shape. The first partition wall 35 and the second partition wall 36 are formed on the inner side of the airbag main body 30 from the proximal end portion 30a to the distal end portion 30b. Opposite first partition 35 to second partition 36 are arranged in parallel with each other. The first partition wall 35 and the second partition wall 36 divide the inside of the airbag main body 30 into a plurality of air chambers (chambers). In the present embodiment, the base portion located on the base end portion 30a side. Of the side air chamber 44, the first air chamber 45 located on the distal end portion 30b side of the base side air chamber 44, and the second air chamber 46 located on the distal end portion 30b side of the first air chamber 45. It is divided into three air chambers. The first partition wall 35 and the second partition wall 36 have a length dimension that divides the entire length of the airbag main body 30 in the width direction, and both side edges along the longitudinal direction are connected to the partition suture lines 47, 47, respectively. , 48, and 48, the first panel portion 31 and the second panel portion 32 are sewn together in a substantially airtight manner, and both end portions in the longitudinal direction are joined together in a substantially airtight manner with an outer peripheral suture line 41. ing.

  Further, in each of the first partition wall 35 and the second partition wall 36, a circulation portion 49, which is a vent hole through which gas can flow, is formed in a circular hole shape having a predetermined diameter, for example. . That is, for the three air chambers 44, 45, 46 defined by the partition walls 35, 36, the air chambers adjacent to each other are partitioned by the partition walls 35, 36 over the entire width in both sides, that is, in the width direction. Only 49 is configured to communicate with a predetermined ventilation resistance.

  Further, in the base side air chamber 44, a single reinforcing cloth 37 is disposed on the inner surface of the first panel portion 31 and is sewn by a plurality of stitching lines 51, and the second panel portion 32 Two reinforcing cloths 38 and 39 are arranged on the inner side surface and stitched with a plurality of stitching lines 52. The base side air chamber 44 passes through the first panel portion 31, the second panel portion 32, and the reinforcing cloths 37, 38 and 39, and has two pairs of circular mounting holes 54 and 55. A plurality of are formed. Further, the mounting hole 54 on the side separated from the base end 30a is formed only on the second panel 32 side, and the mounting hole 55 on the base end 30a side is formed between the first panel 31 and the second panel. It is formed through the portion 32. Then, each base cloth is folded back at the folding line 56 so that the mounting hole 55 on the base end 30a side overlaps the mounting hole 54 on the side separated from the base end 30a. A base side air chamber 44 is formed between the partition wall 35 and a bag shape. The base side air chamber 44 is provided with a base 58 which is a gas introduction part where the inflator 22 is arranged and gas is introduced to be a starting point of deployment. That is, the base 58 is the upstream side of the gas, and the gas supplied to the base 58 is sequentially downstream from the base side air chamber 44 along the deployment direction (the direction of arrow C shown in FIGS. 3 and 4). The first air chamber 45 and the second air chamber 46 are supplied.

  Further, a communication portion 61 is formed in the airbag 1, located at the distal end portion 30 b of the airbag body portion 30. The communication part 61 includes a communication port 62 and a flap part 63. The communication port 62 is an opening that is a so-called exhaust port that communicates the distal end portion 30b that is the upper end portion when the airbag main body portion 30 is deployed, that is, the distal end portion of the second air chamber 46 to the outside. 30, ie, the first panel portion 31 and the second panel portion 32, are formed into a short cylindrical shape that extends further downstream from the central portion of the tip portion 30 b, that is, in the developing direction. The flap portion 63 can also be called a folded base fabric or a regulating portion, and is formed of a flexible sheet. For example, the flap portion 63 is a single base made of the same or similar material as each base fabric constituting the airbag main body 30. It is made of cloth. The flap portion 63 is set so that the dimension along the width direction and the dimension along the deployment direction are slightly smaller than the planar shape of the second air chamber 46, respectively. Further, the flap portion 63 includes a pair of attachment piece portions 65 extending from both end portions of one side along the width direction, that is, the longitudinal direction, in the direction opposite to the deployment direction. A line 41 is connected to the second air chamber 46 of the airbag body 30, and a portion between the attachment pieces 65 is a first portion of the communication port 62 formed by a flap stitching line 66. Only the panel portion 31 is stitched and connected. That is, the flap portion 63 is further extended in the deployment direction from the communication port 62 in a state where the airbag 1 is spread on a plane.

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

  First, the airbag 1 and the inflator 22 are combined to form an assembly. In this process, first, the inflator 22 is inserted into the base 58 of the base side air chamber 44 inside the airbag body 30 from the opening of the base end 30a, and the mounting bolt 22b of the inflator 22 is pulled out from one mounting hole 54. . Then, the airbag main body 30 is folded back at a fold line 56 in the vicinity of the base end portion 30a, and the mounting bolt 22b is passed through the other mounting hole 55.

  Next, the airbag 1 is folded in a small size, and wrapped as necessary to hold the folded shape to constitute an assembly. At the time of this folding, the communication part 61 is folded back to the second panel part 32 side by a folding line 68 set at the part of the cylindrical communication port 62 as shown in FIG. After making it the state piled up along the outer surface of the panel part 32, it folds small by the method of combining roll shape, bellows shape, or these.

  Next, the assembly is inserted into the case body 21 through the opening 21a, the mounting bolt 22b is passed through the mounting hole provided in the bottom of the case body 21, and the nut is attached to the mounting bolt 22b from the outside of the case body 21. And the assembly, that is, the airbag 1 and the inflator 22 are fixed to the case body 21. Next, the airbag device 2 is configured by attaching the cover body 25 to the case body 21 and covering the opening 21a, that is, the airbag 1.

  Then, the bracket of the case body 21 is fixed to the mounting member of the vehicle body 3 using mounting tools such as bolts and nuts, and the airbag device 2 is mounted on the vehicle body so that the surface portion of the cover body 25 is flush with the panel 5. The airbag apparatus 2 is installed in the vehicle body 3 by attaching the harness connected to the inflator 22 and electrically connecting the harness to the control means.

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

  When the control device detects an impact such as a frontal collision of an automobile, the control device supplies electric power as an activation signal through the harness and activates the inflator 22. Then, when gas is supplied from the inflator 22 into the airbag 1, the airbag 1 is inflated inside the case body 21, first breaking the wrapping, and then breaking the cover body 25 at the tear line, It swells from the case body 21 to the vehicle compartment 4 and further expands and deploys along the panel 5 upward in the rear direction, which is the deployment direction. More specifically, first, the gas supplied from the inflator 22 is supplied to the base 58 of the base side air chamber 44 of the airbag main body 30 of the airbag 1. Then, first, in the airbag 1, the base-side air chamber 44 including the base 58 starts to expand and deploy. When the base side air chamber 44 is expanded to some extent, gas is supplied to the first air chamber 45 via the flow part 49 of the first partition wall 35. Gas is supplied to the second air chamber 46 via the flow part 49 of the second partition wall 36, and the second air chamber 46 expands and develops.

  In the initial deployment state in which the base side air chamber 44, the first air chamber 45, and the second air chamber 46 are inflated and deployed as described above, as shown in FIG. The communication port 62 is temporarily closed by this folding, and the outflow of gas from the communication port 62 is suppressed. Further, in this initial state of deployment, as shown in FIG. 1 (a), the second air chamber 46 is set at a position facing the knee lap A1 of a large passenger, as shown in FIG. 1 (b). The first air chamber 45 is set at a position facing the kneecap B1 of the small passenger.

  In this way, the airbag main body 30 inflated and deployed along the occupant's lower limb A can prevent and protect the occupant from slipping downward in the front side.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1 (a), when a large occupant is seated on the seat, the lower limb portion A2 of the occupant abuts to the vicinity of the distal end portion 30b of the airbag main body 30, and the occupant's kneecap A1 Is in contact with the second air chamber 46 and presses the second air chamber 46 against the panel 5 side. Then, the flap portion 63 is sandwiched between the second panel portion 32 and the panel 5 in the second air chamber 46, and the communication port 62 of the communication portion 61 is folded and closed. Retained. Then, the gas inside the airbag main body 30 does not flow out of the airbag 1 from the communication portion 61, the internal pressure of the airbag 1, that is, the reaction force of the airbag 1, becomes relatively large, and the large passenger is bottomed out. It can be protected in an appropriate state without doing anything.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1 (b), when a small occupant is seated in the seat, the lower limb B2 of the occupant does not contact the vicinity of the tip 30b of the airbag main body 30, and The kneecap B1 contacts the first air chamber 45. Then, the second air chamber 46 is not pressed against the panel 5 and can be swung slightly away from the panel 5, and the flap portion 63 can be moved. Then, due to the pressure of the gas supplied from the inflator 22 and the pressure of the gas flowing from the pressed first air chamber 45, the cylindrical communication port 62 of the communication portion 61 is deployed along with the flap portion 63. The communication port 62 is opened so that the gas inside the airbag main body 30 can flow out of the airbag 1 from the communication port 62. Therefore, the internal pressure of the airbag 1, that is, the reaction force of the airbag 1, becomes relatively small, and a small passenger can be protected in an appropriate state.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, the lower limb portion A2 is disposed below the instrument panel 12, and the airbag 1 is deployed along the elevation surface of the panel 5 and includes the seated occupants' kneecaps A1 and B1. , B2 is an airbag device 2 that is a so-called knee airbag device that inflates and deploys against the lower limbs A2 and B2 of the occupant seated in the airbag body 30 of the airbag 1 at the time of a car collision. While restraining the passenger | crew who comes, contact | abutting with the members by the side of the vehicle body 3, such as the panel 5, can be suppressed, and a passenger | crew can be protected.

  The airbag main body 30 defines a plurality of air chambers 45 and 46 that define the inside and inflate and deploy at positions facing the kneecaps A1 and B1 of occupants of different physiques, and a communication port at the upper end side. A communication part 61 provided with 62 is provided, and the communication part 61 is folded and closed. Therefore, in the case of a large occupant, the occupant's kneecap A1 contacts the second air chamber 46 and communicates with the second air chamber 46 and the panel 5 sandwiching the flap portion 63 of the communication portion 61. While the mouth 62 is held closed and the passenger can be appropriately protected with a relatively large reaction force, the occupant's kneecap B1 abuts against the first air chamber 45 in the case of a small passenger, and the communication portion 61 The communication port 62 is opened by releasing the folded state, and the gas is allowed to flow out of the communication port 62, so that the passenger can be appropriately protected with a relatively small reaction force. In this way, the behavior of the folded communication portion 61, that is, the opening / closing of the communication port 62 is controlled according to the position where the occupant's kneecaps A1 and B1 hit the object to be protected, that is, according to the physique of the occupant, and the deployment characteristics It is possible to provide the airbag device 2 having a preferable characteristic that it can be easily adjusted and an appropriate protective characteristic, that is, a reaction force can be easily realized.

  And since the communication part 61 is comprised by the short cylindrical communication port 62 and the flap part 63 which is one base fabric connected to the part of this communication port 62, a structure is simple and manufacturing cost is reduced. It is possible to reduce the size and weight easily. Further, it is not necessary to use a device such as an inflator capable of changing the output, and the structure can be simplified and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  Further, the communication part 61 is configured such that the flap part 63 is sandwiched between the second air chamber 46 of the airbag main body 30 and the panel 5 in a wide area, so that the occupant comes into contact with the second air chamber 46. In addition, the communication port 62 can be securely held in a closed state, and the occupant can be protected with a relatively large reaction force.

  The flap portion 63 is not limited to the substantially rectangular shape shown in FIG. 3, but is in a position where the large occupant's kneecap A1 hits and the small occupant's kneecap B1 does not hit in a state where the communication portion 61 is folded back. Any appropriate shape can be adopted.

  Further, the communication part 61 does not necessarily have the flap part 63, and is a cylindrical communication port extending in the deploying direction longer than the communication port 62, and this cylindrical communication port is the second air chamber 46. It can also be arranged between the panel 5 and the panel 5.

  Further, the communication part 61 has a structure in which the inside of the airbag main body 30 communicates with the outside of the airbag 1 and a structure in which the communication part 61 communicates with another bag-shaped air chamber through a communication port. It can also be.

  For example, like the communication part 71 shown in FIG.5 and FIG.6, the 1st panel part 31 and the 2nd panel part 32 are extended in the deployment direction by the predetermined width dimension from the front-end | tip part 30b of the airbag main-body part 30. FIG. And the distal end portion of the airbag main body 30 by extending along the outer peripheral portions of the first panel portion 31 and the second panel portion 32 after once approaching the outer peripheral suture lines 41 on both sides. A communication port 72 located at the center of 30b and a third air chamber 73 communicating with the second air chamber 45 through the communication port 72 can be formed.

  Then, the third air chamber 73 of the communication portion 71 is communicated according to the occupant's physique in the same manner as the flap portion 63 by folding the third air chamber 73 into the second panel portion 32 side in a flattened state. The function to open and close the mouth 72 is realized. That is, in the case of a large occupant, the kneecap A1 is in contact with the second air chamber 46, and the third air chamber 73 of the communication portion 71 is crushed between the second air chamber 46 and the panel 5. The communication port 72 is securely held closed by being sandwiched by a large area, and the occupant can be protected with a relatively large reaction force. In the case of a small occupant, the kneecap B1 is placed in the first air chamber 45. The third air chamber 73 moves and the communication port 72 is opened, and the gas inside the airbag main body 30 flows out of the communication port 72 into the third air chamber 73 so that the occupant contacts the air. The internal pressure of the bag body 30, that is, the reaction force of the airbag 1 becomes relatively small, and a small passenger can be protected in an appropriate state.

  Further, by forming the communication portion 71 in a bag shape, the gas that has flowed out from the communication port 72 into the third air chamber 73 in a state where the folded state of the communication portion 71 is released and the communication port 72 is opened. The third air chamber 73 is introduced and expanded. Therefore, the gas is held inside the airbag 1 so that the reaction force of the airbag 1 does not become too small, the passenger can be protected with an appropriate reaction force, and the area where the airbag 1 is deployed is further increased. Can do.

  In each of the above embodiments, a plurality of communication ports 62 and 72 can be set. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, three communication ports 72 can be provided for the communication portion 71 shown in FIG.

  Further, the opening / closing characteristics of the communication ports 62 and 72 can be adjusted by adjusting the friction coefficient of the surface of the base fabric constituting the communication portions 61 and 71. For example, a silicone rubber having a large friction coefficient with respect to the surface contacting the panel 5 side of the vehicle body 3 or the surface contacting the communication portions 61 and 71 of the second air chamber 46 with the communication portions 61 and 71 folded back. When a large passenger presses the second air chamber 46, the communication portions 61 and 71 are more securely held and held, and the communication ports 62 and 72 are closed. Can be maintained.

  Further, the shape and configuration of the airbag main body 30 can be appropriately selected. For example, only the first air chamber 45 and the second air chamber 46 are provided, or the first air chamber 45 and the second air chamber 46 are provided. In addition, a plurality of air chambers can be provided.

  The airbag 1 and the airbag device 2 are provided on the side of the seat of the vehicle, in addition to the configuration provided on the panel 5 of the instrument panel 12, so-called side air that inflates and deploys the airbag to the side of the occupant. It can also be applied to an airbag device called a bag.

  The present invention can be applied not only to an airbag device provided in a vehicle but also to an airbag device that is provided in a moving body other than a vehicle and protects an occupant.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air bag 2 Air bag apparatus 3 Car body as a vehicle 5 Panel which comprises a predetermined surface
22 Inflator
30 Airbag body
31 First panel as an occupant facing surface
32 The second panel as the panel facing surface
45 First air chamber
46 Second air chamber
58 Base
61, 71 Communication part
62, 72 communication port
63 Flap part
73 Third air chamber A1, B1 kneecap A2, B2 Lower limb

Claims (5)

An air bag that is inflated and deployed between a predetermined surface and an object to be protected along a predetermined surface by introducing gas;
A first air chamber that forms a bag and is inflated and deployed along the predetermined surface when gas is introduced;
A second air chamber that is in a bag shape communicating with the first air chamber, is inflated and deployed along the predetermined plane at a position different from that of the first air chamber by introducing a gas;
The second air chamber is provided with a communication port capable of communicating with the outside of the second air chamber, and when the second air chamber is inflated and deployed along the predetermined surface, An air bag comprising: a communication portion that is folded on the predetermined surface side and positioned between the second air chamber and the predetermined surface so that the communication port is closed. . The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the communication portion includes a third air chamber that communicates with the second air chamber via a communication port. The air according to claim 2, wherein when the second air chamber is inflated and deployed along a predetermined surface, the third air chamber is overlaid on the predetermined surface side of the second air chamber. bag. The communication portion includes a flap portion extending from the communication port,
The airbag according to claim 1, wherein when the second air chamber is inflated and deployed along a predetermined surface, the flap portion is overlaid on the predetermined surface side of the second air chamber. An airbag according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and an inflator for supplying gas to the airbag,
An airbag device provided in a vehicle and inflating and deploying along a panel that constitutes a predetermined surface facing a lower limb portion including a kneecap of an occupant seated in the airbag,
The airbag includes an airbag main body portion that includes a passenger facing surface portion facing the passenger side and a panel facing surface portion facing the panel side to form a first air chamber and a second air chamber, The airbag main body includes a base portion to which gas is supplied from the inflator, and a communication port is provided on a distal end side that is located on the opposite side of the base portion with respect to the first air chamber and the second air chamber. An airbag device characterized by that.

Images