JP5435913B2 - Airbag device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an airbag device that is deployed along, for example, a side window of an automobile.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an airbag apparatus having an airbag that inflates and deploys by introducing gas is known as a so-called curtain airbag apparatus that deploys an airbag along a window of a door on the side of a vehicle compartment. Yes. The airbag of such an airbag device, that is, a curtain airbag is normally folded in an elongated shape and is disposed along the roof side portion of the upper edge portion of the window portion. When an impact such as a side collision or rollover (rollover) is received, gas is supplied from the inflator, and the curtain airbag deploys downward from the upper side along the side window, etc., restraining the occupant And protect.

  Such a curtain airbag includes a front inflating portion that protects a front seat occupant and a rear seat inflating portion that protects a rear seat occupant, and the front inflating portion and the rear seat inflating portion. There is known an airbag for front and rear seats in which a part is communicated with a gas passage.

Further, a configuration is known in which an inflator and a gas supply port provided at an intermediate position of the gas passage are connected by a pipe, and a gas distribution port for distributing gas back and forth is provided at the tip of the pipe (for example, , See Patent Document 1).
JP 2002-337646 A (FIGS. 1-3)

  However, in the configuration in which the tip of the pipe connected to the inflator is inserted into the airbag as in the conventional case, there is an increase in manufacturing cost and mass due to the use of the pipe, and gas passes through the pipe. There is a risk that the rapid supply of gas may be limited by the pressure loss (flow resistance) and the flow time. In addition, since the gas is distributed at the gas distribution port at the tip of the pipe, if the adjustment range before and after the gas flow rate is small and the difference in capacity between the front and rear expansion parts is large, a specially constructed pipe or There is a problem that it is necessary to provide a gas distribution port, and it is not easy to reduce the manufacturing cost.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object of the present invention is to provide an airbag device capable of smoothly and quickly supplying gas from an inflator to an airbag.

The airbag device according to claim 1 is folded and stored in an upper edge portion of a side portion of a vehicle, supplied with gas, and deployed along the side portion of the vehicle, and supplies gas to the airbag. comprising an inflator, the airbag, and the communication path of the tubular to form a closed and Rise Nde passage downwardly a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction of the side on the edge, first communicate with each other through the communicating passage An inflatable portion having a first air chamber and a second air chamber, wherein the inflator is disposed in the inflatable portion, and is in a position offset from an elongated inflator main body portion and a central portion in the longitudinal direction of the inflator main body portion. A gas supply unit that supplies gas, and at least a part of the inflator body is disposed in the communication path.

And in this structure, if gas is supplied from the gas supply part of the inflator arrange | positioned in the expansion | swelling part of an airbag, this gas will be directly supplied to an expansion | swelling part, the communication path of an expansion | swelling part, 1st air chamber And deploying the second air chamber. Compared to a configuration in which an inflator and an airbag are connected using a pipe, the gas is supplied smoothly and quickly, the airbag deployment characteristics are easily improved, and the weight of the airbag device can be reduced and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. become. In addition, by disposing at least a part of the inflator body in the communication path, a portion that is narrower than the other part of the communication path and has a larger ventilation resistance is formed, and the first air chamber, the second air chamber, The gas distribution characteristics with respect to are easily adjusted. Moreover, by arranging at least a portion of the inflator data main body in the communicating passage, effect on protective properties of the airbag after deployment and during deployment can be suppressed. Further, when the communication passage expands downward to form a passage, when a force that expands with reference to the inflator is generated, a force is generated toward the inside of the vehicle so as to be separated from the fixed roof side portion, that is, The airbag can be easily deployed in the in-vehicle direction away from the roof side portion, and a member such as a head lining covering the folded airbag can be quickly pushed open and removed, and the airbag can be deployed smoothly and quickly.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the airbag device of the first aspect, the gas supply unit is provided at one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the inflector main body portion, and the gas supply portion is disposed at a distance from the inflator main body portion. The first air chamber and the second air chamber are arranged close to one side.

  In this configuration, the gas supplied from the gas supply unit of the inflator is quickly supplied to one adjacent air chamber, and the gas supplied to the other air chamber is supplied by the inflator main body. Since the communication path is narrowed, the gas distribution characteristics for the first air chamber and the second air chamber are easily adjusted.

  The airbag device according to claim 3 is the airbag device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper edge portion of the communication path is formed by the upper edge portion of the first air chamber and the upper edge portion of the second air chamber. It forms a line formed continuously with at least one.

  In this configuration, the upper edge portion of the inflatable portion of the airbag continues smoothly from the communication passage to the first air chamber or from the communication passage to the second air chamber. Gas flow is easily realized.

The airbag device according to claim 4 is the airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a portion of the inflator main body located inside the communication path is biased upward in the communication path. is arranged, between the lower and the bottom portion of the communication passage of the inflator body part, the narrow passage portion that is narrower than other portions of the communication passage is formed, the upper portion of the communication passage, the inflator body portion At the same time, it is attached to the upper edge of the side portion of the vehicle.

  In this configuration, at least a part of the inflator main body is positioned inside the communication passage, and a narrow passage portion that is narrower than other portions of the communication passage and has a large ventilation resistance is formed. The gas distribution characteristics for the chamber and the second air chamber are easily adjusted. Since the inflator main body is located on the upper side of the airbag, the inflator main body is easily attached to the upper side edge of the vehicle together with the upper edge of the airbag. When the gas is supplied from the inflator, it becomes easy to deploy the airbag in a direction away from the upper edge of the side portion, and members that cover the folded airbag can be quickly removed, and the airbag Smooth and quick deployment becomes easy.

  The airbag device according to claim 5 is the airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first air chamber has a larger volume for introducing gas than the second air chamber, and the gas supply unit Is located on the first air chamber side with respect to the inflator main body.

  In this configuration, by positioning the gas supply unit on the first air chamber side, it is easy to quickly deploy the first air chamber that has a large volume, that is, a large amount of required gas.

  The airbag device according to claim 6 is the airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first air chamber has a side upper edge from a connection portion with the communication path rather than the second air chamber. The longitudinal dimension from the longitudinal direction of the part to the downstream end is large, and the gas supply part is located on the first air chamber side with respect to the inflator main body part.

  In this configuration, by positioning the gas supply unit on the first air chamber side, the gas is supplied in a large ratio to the first air chamber having a large longitudinal dimension, that is, a large required reach distance of the gas. It becomes easy to quickly deploy one air chamber. Therefore, it becomes easy to develop the first air chamber and the second air chamber in a well-balanced manner.

  The airbag device according to claim 7 is the airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the vehicle includes a front seat, a rear seat located behind the front seat, and the first air chamber is The second air chamber is deployed at a position corresponding to the side of the rear seat, and the communication path is provided between the front seat and the rear seat. The gas supply part is developed on the upper part of the side part, and is located on the first air chamber side with respect to the inflator main body part.

  And in this structure, the airbag apparatus which can protect effectively the passenger | crew of a front seat and the passenger | crew of a rear seat is provided.

According to the airbag device of the present invention, by supplying gas from the gas supply part of the inflator arranged in the inflating part of the airbag, this gas is directly supplied to the inflating part, The first air chamber and the second air chamber can be developed. Compared to a configuration in which an inflator and an airbag are connected using a pipe, gas can be supplied smoothly and quickly, and the deployment characteristics of the airbag can be easily improved, and the weight of the airbag device can be reduced and the manufacturing cost can be reduced easily. Can be. At least in part by placing in a communication path, and narrowed than other portions of the communication passage forms part of the ventilation resistance increases, the first air chamber and the second gas in the inflator data body portion The gas distribution characteristics with respect to the chamber can be easily adjusted. Moreover, by arranging at least a portion of the inflator data main body in the communicating passage, it is possible to suppress the influence on the protective properties of the airbag after deployment and during deployment. Further, when the communication passage expands downward to form a passage, when a force that expands with reference to the inflator is generated, a force is generated toward the inside of the vehicle so as to be separated from the fixed roof side portion, that is, The airbag can be easily deployed in the in-vehicle direction away from the roof side portion, and a member such as a head lining covering the folded airbag can be quickly pushed open and removed, and the airbag can be deployed smoothly and quickly.

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

  1 to 3, reference numeral 1 denotes an airbag. An airbag device 2 including the airbag 1 is also called a curtain airbag device, and is stored in a compartment of a vehicle body 3 constituting an automobile as a vehicle. It is arrange | positioned at the roof side part 5 as a side part upper edge. The airbag 1 is also called a curtain airbag, a side-impact airbag, an inflatable curtain, or a head protection airbag. The airbag 1 is subjected to a side collision impact or rollover. For example, it is deployed in a substantially planar manner on the side of the occupant seated in the seat as the object to be protected to protect the occupant.

  In the following description, directions such as the front-rear direction, the vehicle width direction, the both-side direction, and the up-down direction are based on the straight direction of the vehicle body 3, and the front direction (arrow F direction shown in FIG. 1) and the upper direction (arrow shown in FIG. 1). U direction), outward (arrow W direction shown in FIG. 3), and the like will be described.

  The vehicle body 3 includes a front seat 6 and a rear seat 7 in which passengers can sit in the passenger compartment. The front seat 6 and the rear seat 7 correspond to the front seat 6 and the rear seat 7, respectively. A door 9 having a window portion (side window) 8 constituting a predetermined surface is provided. Further, on the side portions 10 on both sides of the passenger compartment, a front pillar 11 also called an A pillar, a center pillar 12 also called a B pillar, and a rear pillar 13 also called a C pillar are provided in order from the front side (left side in FIG. 1). . These windows 8, doors 9, pillars 11, 12, 13 and the like constitute predetermined surfaces 14 on both sides of the passenger compartment. In addition, a roof side rail 5a that is a member to be mounted constituting the vehicle body panel is provided on the upper side of the pillars 11, 12, and 13, that is, the upper edge that is one edge of the window 8, and the roof side rail 5a A ceiling panel as a ceiling part is supported through the. A front glass (front windshield) is provided on the front side of the front pillars 11 on both sides, and a rear glass is provided on the rear side of the rear pillars 13 on both sides. And the roof side part 5 is set from the edge part of the both sides of a ceiling panel to the part concerning the substantially full length of the front pillar 11 and the rear pillar 13 extended in the direction which cross | intersects this edge part. A predetermined surface 14 on which the airbag 1 is deployed is set inside an arc virtually formed by the edge portion of the panel and the front pillar 11 and the rear pillar 13.

  Here, the center pillar 12 is a pillar that is located on the side portion 10 on the side of the portion between the front seat 6 and the rear seat 7 and is not a pillar at the front and rear ends. Shows the pillar being covered. Depending on the type of vehicle, for example, four or more pillars may be provided on one side, but the third and subsequent pillars from the front will be described as the rear pillar 13.

  The airbag device 2 is a so-called front / rear seat airbag capable of protecting passengers in the front seat 6 and the rear seat 7, and is the roof side portion 5 surrounded by the vehicle body panel and the head lining, that is, the vehicle body 3. An air bag 1 that is stored in an elongated shape along the upper edge of the door opening, and a gas generator that is located in the upper portion of the center pillar 12 and is disposed in the air bag 1 to supply gas to the air bag 1. An inflator 25 and the like are provided. In addition, the airbag device 2 is attached along the folding bracket 1 formed by pressing a metal plate for attaching the airbag 1 to the vehicle body panel or the folded airbag 1 as necessary. A resin protector that protects the airbag 1, a sleeve as a breakable cylindrical or string-shaped retaining member that retains the shape of the folded airbag 1, a tether belt connected to the front end of the airbag 1, and the like It is equipped with a strap 29, which is also called.

  The airbag 1 is a combination of a single base fabric or a plurality of base fabrics. For example, an airbag main body formed in a flat bag shape by folding back one base fabric or stacking and joining two base fabrics. 31 and an attachment piece portion 32 constituting an attachment portion extending from a plurality of locations of the airbag main body portion 31 and the like, and is folded into an elongated shape and stored in the roof side portion 5.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the airbag main body 31 overlaps the inner base fabric portion 33 arranged on the vehicle compartment side and the outer base fabric portion 34 arranged on the outer side which is the vehicle body side, A bag-like inflatable portion 35 that is inflated and deployed by gas flowing in, a non-inflatable portion 37 that is not inflated and deployed without gas inflow, and the like are provided.

  The inflating portion 35 is an air chamber that is a hollow portion, and includes a communication passage 40, a first air chamber 41, and a second air chamber 42.

  The communication passage 40 is provided along the upper edge of the airbag body 31 with a predetermined length, that is, a length other than 0, with the front-rear direction being the longitudinal direction, and is linear on a plane. And in the state which attached the airbag 1 to the roof side rail 5a of the roof side part 5, when located in the side part 10 of the side of the part between the front seat 6 and the rear seat 7, the airbag 1 expand | deploys. The center pillar 12 or the rear side portion of the center pillar 12 is covered so as to extend in an arc shape along the longitudinal direction of the roof side rail 5a.

  Further, an inflator disposition portion 44 is provided in the communication passage 40 at a position continuous or close to the first air chamber 41. In this inflector arrangement portion 44, the inner base fabric portion 33 and the outer base fabric portion 34 are respectively extended upward, and as shown in FIG. 3, inflator side piece portions 45 and 46 are formed. In addition, an inflator insertion portion 47 is provided between the inflector side pieces 45 and 46 so as to be opened.

  Further, an inner 48 having a cylindrical base fabric is arranged in the inflector arrangement portion 44 of the communication path 40. The inner 48 functions as one or both of a flameproof cloth and a reinforcing cloth that guides the gas and protects the base cloth portions 33 and 34. In this embodiment, the inner 48 is folded along one base fabric at the lower end, arranged along the inside of the inner base fabric portion 33 and the outer base fabric portion 34, and further the inflator side piece. It extends along the inside of the portions 45 and 46. And the part where these inflector side piece parts 45 and 46 and the double inner part 48 were piled up turned down toward the outer side of the compartment toward the lower side, and was along the outer side of the outer base cloth part 34. . Then, a pair of inflators constituting a fixing point that is attached to the vehicle body through a portion where these inflector side pieces 45, 46, the double inner 48, and the outer base cloth 34 are overlapped. A mounting hole 50 is formed.

  Further, the first air chamber 41 is a front seat protection portion that communicates with the front side of the communication passage 40 and expands facing the occupant side of the front seat 6 when deployed. The second air chamber 42 serves as a rear seat protection portion that communicates with the rear side of the communication passage 40 and expands to face the side of the rear seat occupant when deployed. Further, the first air chamber 41 has a large volume capable of introducing gas into the second air chamber 42, and extends in the longitudinal direction of the roof side portion 5 from a distance in the front-rear direction, that is, from a portion in contact with the communication path 40. The longitudinal dimension to the tip portions 41e and 42e on the downstream side in the direction is also large. That is, the first air chamber 41 is a large-capacity chamber in front of the vehicle, the second air chamber 42 is a small-capacity chamber in the rear of the vehicle, and the communication path 40 is a gas flow path that connects these chambers to each other. It has become.

  The upper edge portions 41u and 42u of the first air chamber 41 and the second air chamber 42 are smoothly connected to the upper edge portion 40u of the communication passage 40, respectively.

  Further, the sewing portion is configured to be substantially airtight or highly airtight by sewing, bonding, or a combination of sewing and sealing means, and the outer periphery that sews the outer periphery of the expansion portion 35 except for the portion of the inserter insertion portion 47. An outer periphery sewing portion 55 that is a connecting portion, and a restriction portion 56 that is located in a region surrounded by the outer periphery sewing portion 55 and restricts the width dimension when the first air chamber 41 and the second air chamber 42 are deployed. It has. The restricting portion 56 is formed integrally with or separately from the outer peripheral sewing portion 55, and is formed in an annular shape that protects the line portion 57 located at the end of the line portion 57 and the line portion 57. A protection part 58 is formed. In addition, between the inner base fabric portion 33 and the outer base fabric portion 34, the inner guide fabric portion 33 and the outer base fabric portion 34 can be used as a means to guide the gas or to regulate the width dimension of the expansion portion 35 when deployed. A partition body 59 or the like, which is a base fabric that connects the base fabric portion 33 and the outer base fabric portion 34, is attached by sewing or the like.

  Further, in this embodiment, for example, only the outer base cloth portion 34 is provided at the lower side of the communication passage 40, that is, at a position where the normal occupant between the first air chamber 41 and the second air chamber 42 is not opposed. A non-inflatable portion 37 composed of a single base fabric is formed.

  Further, the rear end portion of the strap 29 is attached to the front end portion of the airbag main body portion 31 by sewing or the like.

  The mounting piece 32 of the airbag 1 is a mounting piece for mounting the vehicle body, and a plurality of mounting pieces 32 are formed at predetermined positions on the upper edge of the airbag body 31. Each attachment piece 32 is formed integrally with the base fabric portion constituting the airbag main body 31, and is formed, for example, by overlapping and sewing the inner base fabric portion 33 and the outer base fabric portion 34. ing. Each attachment piece 32 protrudes from the airbag body 31 in a tongue-like shape, and is formed with a circular attachment hole 32a that constitutes a fixing point attached to the vehicle body.

  On the other hand, the inflator 25 includes an inflator main body portion 25a which is a body portion, and a gas port 25b as a gas supply portion provided at one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the inflector main body portion 25a. . The inflator main body 25a is an elongated cylindrical shape, which is a combustion type that burns chemicals (pyro technique type), a storage type that stores gas at high pressure (storage type), or a combination of these combustion types and storage types. Gas generation means such as a hybrid type is built in. Further, the gas port 25b is also called a diffuser, and is projected from one end portion of the inflector main body portion 25a. The gas port 25b has a cylindrical shape whose diameter is smaller than that of the inflector main body portion 25a. The through hole is formed.

  Here, that the inflector main body 25a is elongated is, for example, 30 mm in diameter and 250 mm in longitudinal dimension, and is set smaller than the width dimension of the roof side rail 5a, for example.

  Further, the inflator 25 is provided with a mounting bolt 25c which is a mounting portion projecting sideways, as shown in FIG. 3, integrally with the inflator main body portion 25a or in combination with a separate metal fitting. ing. Although not shown, an electric wire called a harness is led out from the inflator main body 25a.

  The airbag device 2 includes a control device (not shown) provided with a sensor or the like in the vehicle body 3, and this control device is electrically connected to the inflator 25 via a harness.

  Next, the assembly process of this airbag apparatus 2 and the attachment process to the vehicle body 3 are demonstrated.

  First, in the airbag 1, the inner base cloth part 33 and the outer base cloth part 34 are overlapped and spread in a planar shape, from the inflator insertion part 47 to the inner 48 of the inflator placement part 44. The inflator 25 is inserted and arranged in the enclosed part. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the portion where the inflector side pieces 45, 46 and the double inner 48 are overlapped is folded back to the outside of the passenger compartment, and the mounting bolt 25c is inserted into the inflator mounting hole 50. And pull it out.

  Then, the airbag main body 31 is folded into a predetermined elongated shape, the folded shape is held using a sleeve or the like, and the protector and the mounting bracket are attached. The airbag body 31 can be folded in various ways. For example, the lower side portion is folded into a roll to form an accumulation portion, and the upper portion is an upper portion of the accumulation portion. It can be folded as a parasol-shaped guide that wraps from one side to the other. For example, the stacking unit winds the airbag body 31 so as to wind up from the lower end to the outside, that is, the predetermined surface 14 side. Further, the guide portion is a portion including the communication path 40, and is configured by folding the upper side portion so that the fold line faces the vehicle compartment side and folding the lower side portion so that the fold line faces the vehicle outer side.

  Then, the airbag device (curtain airbag module) 2 is brought into the vehicle interior, and the attachment work to the vehicle body 3 is performed before the interior members such as the head lining and the pillar garnish are attached. In this mounting operation, the plurality of mounting pieces 32 of the airbag 1 are fixed to the roof side rail 5a of the roof side portion 5 of the vehicle body 3 directly or with a fixing tool such as a bolt or the inflator 25. The fixing bolt 25c is fixed to the roof side rail 5a directly or by using the fixing bracket 25d such as a nut or the mounting bracket 18. Further, the tip of the strap 29 is attached to the front pillar 11. Further, the harness led out from the inflator 25 is connected to a control device provided in the vehicle body 3. Next, the headlining is attached to the ceiling panel of the vehicle body 3, the pillar garnish is attached to each pillar 11, 12, and 13 to cover the airbag device 2, thereby completing the operation of attaching the airbag device 2 to the vehicle body 3.

  In this state, the airbag 1 is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the roof side rail 5 a of the roof side portion 5 of the vehicle body 3, and the inflator main body portion 25 a of the inflator 25 is also connected to the center pillar 12. Is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the roof side rail 5a. In the present embodiment, the entire inflator main body portion 25a of the inflator 25 is arranged in the inflector arrangement portion 44 inside the communication passage 40, so to speak, the inflator main body portion 25a is connected to the communication passage 40. The gas port 25b is located on the first air chamber 41 side, which is the front end side of the inflator main body 25a, and further, the communication passage 40 and the first air chamber. It is located at the boundary with 41, so to speak so as to face the first air chamber 41 and the communication passage 40.

  Next, the deployment operation of the airbag 1 will be described.

  In the event of a side collision or rollover of the vehicle, the inflator 25 is actuated by the control device, and gas is injected from the gas port 25b of the inflator 25 and supplied directly to the inside of the inflating portion 35 of the airbag 1. Then, the inflatable portion 35 of the airbag main body 31 is firstly inflated and deployed by a guide portion folded into a shape that has a small ventilation resistance and is quickly deployed, and then pushes off the head lining and the front and rear pillar garnishes, and then slightly ventilating resistance As shown in FIG. 1, the stacking portion folded into a large shape is unfolded in a predetermined direction along the predetermined surface 14 so as to be rewound while rubbing the predetermined surface 14 which is the inner surface of the side portion of the passenger compartment. In other words, it expands and develops in a curtain shape along the side portion 10 to cover the window portion 8 and the center pillar 12. That is, the first air chamber 41 quickly expands in a region facing the side of the seating position of the occupant in the front seat 6, and the second air chamber 42 faces the side of the seating position of the occupant in the rear seat 7. Deploy quickly to the area you want to protect the passengers effectively.

  At this time, in the expansion part 35, gas is directly supplied from the gas port 25b to the first air chamber 41, and gas is supplied from the gas port 25b through the communication path 40 to the second air chamber 42. The first air chamber 41, the communication passage 40, and the second air chamber 42 are developed.

  Further, the portion of the inflator 25 where the inflator main body portion 25a exists is a narrow passage portion 40a having an opening area smaller than the opening area of the rear side normal passage portion 40b which is the other portion of the communication passage 40, and has a predetermined passage. Ventilation resistance occurs. Here, the first air chamber 41 has a large volume capable of introducing gas into the second air chamber 42, and extends along the longitudinal direction of the roof side portion 5 from the front-rear direction, that is, from the portion in contact with the communication passage 40. Although the longitudinal dimension in the direction is large, the gas is directly supplied from the gas port 25b to the first air chamber 41, whereas the gas port 25b is connected to the second passage through the communication passage 40, particularly the narrow passage portion 40a. Since the gas is supplied to the air chamber 42, the gas is quickly supplied from the second air chamber 42 to the first air chamber 41, and the first air chamber 41 and the second air chamber 42 are balanced. It develops with favorable characteristics.

  Thus, according to the curtain airbag device of the present embodiment, by introducing gas into the airbag 1 in the curtain airbag, the first air chamber 41 and the second air chamber 42 are connected to each other. The side part 10 of the side part 10 can be deployed facing the side of the occupant along the predetermined surface 14 to protect the occupant's head and the like.

  And since the inflator 25 which supplies gas is directly inserted and arrange | positioned inside the expansion part 35 of the airbag main-body part 31 of the airbag 1, gas is directly supplied to the expansion part 35, and an expansion part The 35 first air chambers 41, the second air chambers 42, and the communication passage 40 can be quickly deployed. That is, compared to the configuration in which the inflator and the airbag are connected using a pipe, the pressure loss of the pipe and the flow time in the pipe are not consumed, and the gas can be supplied smoothly and quickly. The deployment characteristics can be easily improved, and the weight of the airbag device 2 and the manufacturing cost can be easily reduced. For example, it is possible to select a somewhat gentle initial mass flow curve of the gas injection characteristics of the inflator 25.

  Furthermore, by disposing at least a part of the inflator 25 in the communication passage 40, the flow rate of the gas in the communication passage 40 is controlled, and a gas amount suitable for each of the air chambers 41 and 42 is supplied to facilitate passenger protection characteristics. Can be improved.

  That is, in general, in the curtain airbag 1 for front and rear seats of an automobile, for example, even in a two-row car body 3, the arrangement of front and rear seats, the front and rear distance of the passenger, the position of the head of the passenger to be protected, the front seat 6 and a non-inflatable portion 37 in the center, for example, in the center, with respect to the adjustment of each part 6 and the shape of the rear seat 7 that cannot be adjusted, the area of the protection area corresponding to the front seat 6 and the rear seat 7, respectively. The long communication passage 40 is disposed above the non-expanding portion 37, and gas is supplied to the two front and rear air chambers 41 and 42 communicated with each other through the communication passage 40. Thus, the volume and shape of the two air chambers 41 and 42 are not equal, the difference in volume is significant, and it is necessary to easily realize an appropriate gas distribution balance.

  On the other hand, the inflator 25 is provided with a gas port 25b at one end in the longitudinal direction in any of a combustion type, a storage type, and a hybrid type, and a starter and a harness (lead wire) built in the inflator main body 25a. An elongate shape in which the connecting portion is provided at the other end in the longitudinal direction is generally used. When the pipe is connected to the gas port 25b and gas is supplied to the airbag 1, the configuration in which the gas port 25b is provided at one end of the elongated inflator main body 25a facilitates the arrangement of the inflator 25. However, when the inflator 25 is disposed in the airbag 1, the gas port 25b existing at one end in the longitudinal direction is not effectively used.

  Further, the central communication passage 40 is not disposed opposite the occupant, that is, generally, the communication passage 40 rarely or rarely receives an occupant and is not intended to function in an occupant protection store. .

  Therefore, in the curtain airbag in which the first air chamber 41 having a large volume in front of the vehicle and the second air chamber 42 having a small volume in the rear of the vehicle are communicated with each other through the communication path 40, at least a part of the inflator 25 is connected to the communication path 40. As a result, the space of the communication passage 40 is eroded by the inflator main body portion 25a so that a part of the communication passage 40 is squeezed, and the opening area between the front side portion and the rear side portion of the communication passage 40 is reduced. In other words, the narrow passage portion 40a which is narrower than the other portion of the communication passage 40 and has a large ventilation resistance can be formed, and gas is distributed to the first air chamber 41 and the second air chamber 42. The characteristics can be easily adjusted.

  In this embodiment, since the inflator main body 25a is disposed on the front side of the communication path 40 along the longitudinal direction, the narrow path part 40a on the front side of the communication path 40 shown in FIG. The opening area is smaller than the opening area of the normal passage portion 40b on the rear side of the communication passage 40 shown in FIG. 4 (b), and an appropriate amount of gas is supplied to the air chambers 41 and 42 to protect the passengers. The characteristics can be easily adjusted appropriately. For example, each part of the inflating part 35 of the airbag 1, for example, the first air chamber 41 and the second air chamber 42 can be easily set to the same pressure.

  That is, since the communication passage 40 communicating with the first air chamber 41 is hardly eroded by the inflector body 25a, it has a large opening area, that is, a cross-sectional area of the flow path, and hence a small flow-path resistance and a large amount of gas. The gas can be sent to the first air chamber 41 instantaneously, and the gas supplied to the first air chamber 41 and the second air chamber 42 can be easily balanced. Further, the gas supplied to the first air chamber 41 and the second air chamber 42 by moving the position of the gas port 25b of the inflator 25 toward and away from (or approaching or separating from) the first air chamber 41. Can easily change the balance. That is, by bringing the inflator 25 closer to the first air chamber 41 side, that is, bringing the gas port 25b closer to the first air chamber 41 side, less gas is distributed to the second air chamber 42, and the first A large amount of gas can be easily distributed by the air chamber 41.

  In addition, since the gas distribution characteristics can be appropriately controlled using the inflator 25 that is normally used, it is not necessary to use dedicated parts for gas distribution, reducing the number of parts for distribution and reducing the manufacturing cost. Reduction and mass can be reduced.

  The inflator 25 is arranged such that the elongated inflator main body 25a is aligned with the roof side rail 5a of the roof side part 5 that is the upper edge of the side of the vehicle body 3 in the longitudinal direction. 5 can be directly and easily attached firmly.

Further, the inflator 25 is disposed inside the airbag 1, but the inflator main body 25 a is elongated, and at least near the upper portion of the center pillar 12 along the roof side rail 5 a at the upper edge of the side portion 10 of the vehicle body 3. by placing the part in the communication path 40, it is possible to suppress the interfering with other members, to a position off from the normal seating position of the occupant protection airbag 1 after deployment and during deployment The influence on the characteristics can be suppressed.

  Further, since the inflator 25 has the gas port 25b disposed on the first air chamber 41 side of the inflator main body 25a so as to face the first air chamber 41, the first air chamber 41 is disposed. Gas can be supplied from the closest location to the first air chamber 41, and the gas can be quickly supplied to the tip 41e of the first air chamber 41 having a larger capacity and a longer longitudinal dimension than the second air chamber 42, and then deployed. 41 and the second air chamber 42 can be developed with favorable characteristics in a balanced manner. In other words, the first air chamber 41 and the second air chamber are arranged by biasing the gas port 25b toward the first air chamber 41 where the longitudinal dimension is large and the gas needs to reach farther. 42 can be developed with favorable characteristics in a well-balanced manner.

  That is, by arranging the gas port 25b of the inflator 25 toward the first air chamber 41, which is a large volume chamber, or in the vicinity of the first air chamber 41, the amount of gas corresponding to the volume can be appropriately and quickly obtained. Can be supplied. Therefore, the inflation timing and internal pressure can be set appropriately, the deployment speed can be increased, and the occupant can be protected stably.

  Further, the upper edge portion 40u of the communication path 40 is smoothly lined with at least one of the upper edge portion of the first air chamber 41 and the upper edge portions 41u, 42u of the second air chamber 42, in the present embodiment. Therefore, the entire length of the upper edge portion of the inflating portion 35 of the airbag 1 is smoothly continuous from the communication passage 40 to the first air chamber 41 and the second air chamber 42. Therefore, the communication passage 40 and each air chamber are formed in comparison with the configuration in which the airbag 1 is provided with a bulging portion for storing the inflator 25 or the like, or a large throttle shape is provided in the communication passage 40 by a sewing portion or a partition body 59. It is possible to easily suppress a sudden change in the opening area between 41 and 42, and a smooth gas flow in the expansion portion 35 can be easily realized. Further, since the position of the upper edge portion of the airbag 1 is aligned, the attachment piece portion 32 provided on the upper edge portion of the inflating portion 35 of the airbag 1 is attached to the roof side portion 5 that is the upper edge portion of the side of the vehicle body 3. Can be attached easily. In addition, it is possible to avoid the concentration of stress on the throttle-shaped portion of the communication path 40 of the airbag 1 and to eliminate the need for strict reinforcement of the airbag 1, thereby realizing a reduction in weight and manufacturing cost. Furthermore, since the entire diameter direction of the inflator main body 25a of the inflator 25 is exposed to the communication path 40, the effect of suppressing the gas flow by narrowing the communication path 40 can be increased.

  Further, since the inflator 25 is located on the upper side portion of the airbag 1 and is further offset toward the upper side in the communication path 40, a portion fixed to the roof side portion 5 of the vehicle body 3 is disposed on the airbag 1. The upper edge portion of the airbag 1 together with the inflator 25 can be easily attached to the roof side portion 5 of the vehicle body 3 while being concentrated on the upper side portion. That is, when the gas is supplied from the inflator 25, all of the portions excluding the upper edge portion of the airbag 1 can be made movable portions, that is, so-called deployment moving portions. Since the inflator body 25a is biased upward from the mounting position of the airbag 1 and the normal deployment operation, the outer part is attached, and the communication path 40 bulges downward to form a path, so that the inflator 25 is used as a reference. When an inflating force is generated, a force toward the inside of the vehicle is generated so as to be separated from the fixed roof side portion 5, that is, the airbag 1 is easily deployed toward the inward direction away from the roof side portion 5. Thus, a member such as a head lining covering the folded airbag 1 can be quickly pushed open and removed, and the airbag 1 can be easily and smoothly deployed.

In the above embodiment, the upper edge portion 40u of the communication passage 40 is smoothly and linearly connected to the upper edge portion of the first air chamber 41 and the upper edge portions 41u, 42u of the second air chamber 42. and shape, the inflator 25 is disposed in the inflator arranging portion 44 provided substantially entirely in the communicating path 40 of the inflator body portion 25a, has been arranged so as to face the gas ports 25b into the first air chamber 41, the It is not limited to the configuration.

  For example, an enlarged portion in which a part of the communication passage 40 is enlarged at a portion facing the gas port 25b is provided, and for example, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the first air chamber 41 is expanded upward. The portion 61 is formed, a space for changing the direction of the gas is secured, and the gas injected from the entire circumference of the cylindrical gas port 25b can be smoothly flowed.

  Further, for example, a gas distribution component facing the gas port 25b is set integrally with or separately from the inflator 25, and, for example, as shown in FIG. Using the gas distribution fitting 65 provided with 64, the gas injected from the gas port 25b can be guided while being distributed at a predetermined ratio back and forth on the inclined surface of the inclined plate portion 64 and smoothly flow in a desired direction. . The gas distribution fitting 65 has a fitting substrate portion 66, and a holding piece 67 for holding the inclined plate portion 64 and the inflator 25 is extended from the fitting substrate portion 66. A mounting bolt 25c protrudes from 66.

  Further, the inflator 25 is not limited to the configuration in which the longitudinal direction of the inflector main body portion 25a is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the roof side portion 5. For example, as shown in FIG. By arranging 25a so as to be inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the roof side portion 5, the gas injection direction and the opening area of the narrow passage portion 40a of the communication passage 40 are adjusted, and the first air chamber 41 and the second air chamber 41 are adjusted. The flow rate of gas, that is, the supply amount to the air chamber 42 can be adjusted.

  In addition, the inflator 25 fixes the inflator main body portion 25a along the roof side rail 5a side of the roof side portion 5 of the vehicle body 3 so as to be in close contact, for example, as shown in FIG. By using a stand member 69 that is integrated with or separately from the mounting bolt 25c, it is separated from the roof side rail 5a, and is further positioned at the center in the both sides of the communication path 40, so that the inflator main body 25a Gas can also flow along substantially the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface. Thus, in the state where the inflator main body portion 25a is located at the center of the communication path 40, the effective cross-sectional area is changed compared to the state where the inflector main body portion 25a is positioned along the roof side portion 5 side, which is dynamic fluid transportation. For gas distribution, the substantial flow resistance can be greatly adjusted.

  Further, if at least the gas port 25b is disposed in the airbag 1, the entire inflator main body 25a of the inflator 1 does not necessarily have to be completely disposed in the inflatable portion 35 of the airbag 1. The main body 25a can be partially disposed in the inflating portion 35.

  The communication path 40 and the inflator 25 accommodated in the communication path 40 may be partly or entirely disposed immediately above the center pillar 12.

  The inflator 25 is not limited to the configuration in which the gas port 25b protrudes from one end of the inflator main body 25a and injects gas from the entire circumference of the gas port 25b. For example, the inflator 25 is one end of the inflator main body 25a. A gas port 25b for injecting gas may be provided on the entire circumference or part of the vicinity of the one end part slightly spaced from the center.

  Further, the inner 48 that covers the inflator 25 may be a plurality of layers, or may be coated with a shape or coating that suppresses the flow of gas.

  Further, the airbag device 2 can be provided only on one side in addition to being provided on both the left and right sides of the vehicle body 3.

  The above description is based on an example of a curtain airbag applied to a vehicle having two rows of seats, a front seat 6 and a rear seat 7. For example, a first row (frontmost row) in a so-called minivan vehicle is used. ), The second row (intermediate row), and the third row (last row), the present invention can also be applied to curtain airbags corresponding to the three-row seats. In other words, the present invention can be applied to a structure in which two air chambers developed on the side portions of the second row and the third row are communicated with each other through a communication path. Alternatively, three air chambers may be provided so as to correspond to each of the three rows of seats, and inflators may be arranged in each of the two communication passages that connect two adjacent air chambers. Further, the inflator installed in the communication path between the air chambers corresponding to the middle row and the last row is arranged so that the gas port is biased to the air chamber on the side corresponding to the last row, and the seat in the last row A state in which the inflator is not activated may be selected by detecting a state in which the vehicle is folded and stored or a state in which no occupant is seated on the seat surface.

  The present invention can be applied to, for example, an airbag and an airbag device called a curtain airbag that are deployed along a side window of an automobile.

It is explanatory drawing of the state which has arrange | positioned the airbag apparatus which shows one Embodiment of the airbag apparatus of this invention in the vehicle. It is explanatory drawing of the state expanded to the planar shape of an airbag apparatus same as the above. It is II sectional drawing of FIG. 2 of an airbag apparatus same as the above. It is explanatory drawing of an airbag apparatus same as the above, (a) is sectional drawing of the II-II equivalent position of FIG. 2, (b) is sectional drawing of the III-III equivalent position of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the state expanded to the planar shape which shows other embodiment of the airbag apparatus of this invention. It is IV-IV sectional drawing of FIG. 5 of an airbag apparatus same as the above. It is VV sectional drawing of FIG. 5 of an airbag apparatus same as the above. It is explanatory drawing of the state expanded to the planar shape which shows other embodiment of the airbag apparatus of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the state expanded to the planar shape which shows other embodiment of the airbag apparatus of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the II equivalent position of FIG. 2 which shows other embodiment of the airbag apparatus of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Airbag 2 Airbag apparatus 3 The vehicle body which comprises a vehicle 5 The roof side part as a side part upper edge part 6 Front seat 7 Rear seat
10 side
25 inflator
25a Inflator body
25b Gas port as gas supply
35 Expansion part
40 communicating path
40a Narrow passage
40u upper edge
41 First air chamber
41e Tip
41u Upper edge
42 Second air chamber
42e Tip
42u upper edge

Claims (7)

An airbag (1) that is folded and stored at the upper edge of the side part of the vehicle, is supplied with gas, and is deployed along the side part of the vehicle, and an inflator (25) that supplies gas to the airbag (1) The airbag (1) includes a tubular communication passage (40) having a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction of the upper edge of the side portion and inflating downward to form a passage, and the communication passage (40 ) And an inflating portion (35) having a first air chamber (41) and a second air chamber (42) communicating with each other via the inflating portion (35). The inflator main body (25a), and a gas supply unit that is provided at a position deviated from the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the inflator main body (25a) and supplies a gas, the inflator main body (25a ) Is an airbag device, wherein at least a part of the airbag device is disposed in the communication path. The gas supply unit is provided at one end in the longitudinal direction of the inflator main body (25a), and any one of the first air chamber (41) and the second air chamber (42) with respect to the inflator main body (25a). The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag device is disposed adjacent to the one side. The upper edge portion of the communication passage (40) forms a linear shape formed continuously with at least one of the upper edge portion of the first air chamber (41) and the upper edge portion of the second air chamber (42). The airbag apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The inflator main body (25a) is disposed such that a portion located inside the communication path (40) is biased upward in the communication path, and the lower part of the inflator main body (25a) and the communication path (40) A narrow passage portion (40a) narrowed from the other portion of the communication passage (40) is formed between the bottom portion of the communication passage (40), and an upper portion of the communication passage (40) is connected to the inflator body portion (25a). The airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the airbag device is attached to an upper edge portion of a side portion of the vehicle. The first air chamber (41) has a larger volume for introducing gas than the second air chamber (42), and the gas supply part is located closer to the first air chamber than the inflator body part (25a). The airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the airbag device is located. The first air chamber (41) is longer than the second air chamber (42) in the longitudinal dimension from the connecting portion with the communication path (40) to the distal end portion on the downstream side along the longitudinal direction of the side upper edge. The airbag apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the gas supply unit is positioned on the first air chamber side with respect to the inflator body (25a). The vehicle includes a front seat and a rear seat located behind the front seat, and the first air chamber (41) is deployed at a position corresponding to the side of the front seat, and the second air chamber (42 ) Is deployed at a position corresponding to the side of the rear seat, the communication path (40) is deployed at the upper part of the side portion between the front seat and the rear seat, and the gas supply unit is an inflator body portion. The airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the airbag device is located on the first air chamber side with respect to (25a).

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