JP5480179B2 - Curtain airbag device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a so-called curtain airbag device that protects an occupant by deploying between a vehicle body side wall and an occupant in the event of a vehicle collision.

  The airbag device is arranged inside a driver airbag device housed inside the steering wheel, a curtain airbag device arranged along the upper edge of the window frame, or an instrument panel (instrument panel). There are various types such as an airbag device for a passenger seat.

  In general, a curtain airbag device includes a gas generator that generates inflation gas; and an airbag (cushion) that is folded in a long shape in an accommodated state and is deployed by gas supplied from the gas generator.

  Usually, the produced deployment airbag is rolled up from the lower side in a roll shape or a bellows shape to form a rod shape. The rod-shaped airbag is fixed to the upper part of the window frame. Here, when the length of the upper portion of the window frame is short with respect to the length of the airbag, for example, as disclosed in JP-A-2006-24820 (Patent Document 1), the end portion is A method of bending and fastening with an adhesive tape is employed.

  However, in the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-24820, the folded end may be detached from the tape due to the influence of heat or vibration in the vehicle. If this happens, the detached end may push the interior parts (headlining, etc.) toward the interior of the vehicle interior, and the portion may rise, or the airbag end may protrude into the interior of the vehicle interior. Further, if the folded end portion is detached from the tape, there arises a problem that the deployment of the airbag becomes unstable during operation.

JP-A-9-11845

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a curtain airbag device that can reliably maintain the accommodation state of the airbag with its end folded back.

  In order to solve the above problems, a curtain airbag device according to the present invention includes an airbag that protects an occupant by deploying a curtain in the vicinity of a side window in a vehicle cabin; and supplies inflation gas to the airbag. A gas generator. Here, the airbag is compressed into a roll shape or a zigzag shape upward from the lower edge portion in a state of being spread in a plane, and is formed into a rod shape, and at least one end portion is folded back toward the inside. A strap is provided for connecting the folded portion and the main body when the folded end is the folded portion and the other portion is the main body. One end of the strap is fixed to the folded portion, and the other end is connected to the main body portion in a releasable state. And when the said airbag expand | deploys, the structure which the connection of the other end of the said strap and the said main-body part is cancelled | released is taken.

  According to the present invention configured as described above, the airbag can be reliably held in a good accommodation state. As a result, the airbag can be stably deployed. Further, the interior parts are not raised due to the detached airbag end, and the airbag end does not protrude into the vehicle interior.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the structure of an airbag used in a curtain airbag device according to the present invention, showing a deployed state. FIG. 2: is the front view (A) and partial bottom view (B) which show the curtain airbag apparatus which concerns on this invention, and shows the state after compressing an airbag. FIG. 3 is a front view showing a part of FIG. 2 in an enlarged manner, and FIG. 3B is a view of FIG. 3A viewed from the back side (lower side).

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the structure of the airbag 10 and shows a deployed state. FIG. 2 is a front view and a partial bottom view showing the curtain airbag device, and shows a state in which the airbag 10 is compressed into a rod shape. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 2 and shows the structure around the folded portion of the airbag.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the airbag 10 is folded in a long shape in a non-operating state, and is accommodated in a state covered with a head lining (not shown) disposed on the upper edge of the vehicle window. . And the passenger | crew in a vehicle is protected by inflate-deploying downward from the clearance gap between a headlining and an inner panel (not shown) at the time of an action | operation.

  A curtain airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an airbag 10 that protects an occupant by deploying in the form of a curtain near a side window in a vehicle interior; and a gas generator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag ( Inflator) 18. As the airbag 10, a plurality of sheets (for example, two or three sheets) that are overlapped and formed into a bag shape by stitching, adhesion, or welding, or a bag portion that is formed by weaving a single sheet is adopted. be able to. The airbag 10 is compressed into a roll shape or a zigzag shape upward from a lower edge portion in a state where the airbag 10 is spread in a planar shape to be a rod shape, and at least one end portion is folded back toward the other end portion side.

  In this embodiment, the folded end portion is referred to as a folded portion 100b, and the other portion is referred to as a main body portion 100a. And the strap 16 which connects the folding | returning part 100b and the main-body part 100a is provided. In addition, the folding direction of the folding | turning part 100b is a direction which faced the other edge part side along the main-body part 100a, and it does not ask | require whether it is an inner side or an outer side with respect to a vehicle.

  One end of the strap 16 is fixed to the folded portion 100b, and the other end 16a is connected to the main body portion 100a in a releasable state. When the airbag 10 is deployed, the connection between the other end 16a of the strap 16 and the main body 100a is released. Specifically, the other end 16a of the strap 16 becomes free when the tape 22 described later breaks. The strap 16 and the folded portion 100b are fixed by a method such as adhesion or sewing. Alternatively, the strap 16 can be integrally formed as a part of the folded portion 100b. Although the material of the strap 16 is not particularly limited, it can be formed of the same material as the airbag 10.

  The airbag 10 includes a gas introduction part 12 connected to the inflator 18. In the figure, reference numeral 14 denotes a metal bracket. The airbag 10 compressed into a rod shape as shown in FIG. 2 is folded at the end near the inflator 18 and fastened with tapes 20 and 22. The tape 20 is provided so as to collectively surround the folded portion 100b, the main body portion 100a, and the bracket 14. The tape 22 is configured to tighten the end 16a of the strap 16 against the main body 100a. As the tapes 20 and 22, a paper adhesive tape that is easily broken can be used.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the strap 16 extends in a band shape along the airbag 10 compressed into a rod shape, and one end 16 a located outside the tape 22 is formed wider than the other portion. Further, a notch 16b is formed in a portion around which the tape 22 is wound so that the strap 16 is not displaced in the longitudinal direction of the airbag with respect to the tape 22. The shape of the end portion 16a of the strap 16 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 3, and other shapes (such as a hook shape) may be employed as long as the strap 16 does not slip through the tape 22. .

  The other end 16a of the strap can be directly connected to the main body 100a by sewing in addition to the connection to the airbag main body 100a by the tape 22. In this case, it is necessary to provide a fragile portion in a part of the strap 16 or to sew it with a breakable thread so that the strap 16 is released when the airbag 10 is deployed to be in a free state. .

  Returning to FIG. 1 again, the strap 16 is provided at the end of the airbag 10 on the upper edge side, and is positioned on the outermost periphery when the airbag 10 is compressed into a rod shape. Here, the “outermost circumference” means the outermost winding (rolling) in a rolled state. If the strap 16 is provided near the lower edge of the airbag 10, after the airbag 10 is compressed into a roll shape, when the strap 16 is pulled outward (the right side in FIG. 1 and the left side in FIG. 2), The vicinity of the airbag winding center comes out telescopically, and the strap 16 is loosened.

  3A, the strap 16 is connected to the outer surface of the folded portion 100b, that is, the surface opposite to the main body portion 100a (the lower surface of FIG. 3A), but the inner surface of the folded portion 100b. That is, it can be connected to the surface (upper surface in FIG. 3A) facing the main body 100a.

  When an emergency such as rollover, side collision, or rollover occurs while the vehicle is running, a sensor provided in the vehicle catches the abnormal vibration and sends an ignition signal to the inflator 18 based on the signal. A propellant (not shown) that drives the inflator 18 in response to an ignition signal from the sensor is provided inside the inflator 18. By the operation of the inflator 18, the inflation gas flows into the airbag 10 through the gas introduction part 12, and the airbag 10 starts to inflate. At this time, the tapes 20 and 22 are broken, and the airbag 10 is deployed downward along the window.

  According to the present invention as described above, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the folded portion 100b of the airbag 10 is inadvertently released in the non-operating state. As a result, the airbag 10 can be stably deployed. Further, the interior parts are not raised due to the detached airbag end, and the airbag end does not protrude into the vehicle interior.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes and the like can be made without departing from the technical idea described in the claims. is there.

10: Airbag 16: Strap 18: Inflator 20, 22: Tape 100a: Airbag body portion 100b: Airbag folding portion

Claims (4)

An airbag that protects the occupant by deploying in the form of a curtain near the side window in the cabin;
A gas generator for supplying inflation gas to the airbag,
The airbag is compressed into a roll shape or a zigzag shape upward from the lower edge portion in a state of being spread in a plane, and is formed into a rod shape, and at least one end portion is folded toward the other end side,
When the folded end is the folded portion and the other portion is the main body portion,
A strap for connecting the folded portion and the main body is provided,
The strap is formed so as to extend in a strip shape along the longitudinal direction of the airbag in the rod shape,
In a state where the airbag is folded , one end of the strap is fixed to the folded portion, and the other end is connected in a releasable state with respect to the main body portion,
A curtain airbag device having a structure in which the connection between the other end of the strap and the main body is released when the airbag is deployed.   The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the other end of the strap is fastened to the main body portion with a tape.   The curtain airbag device according to claim 2, wherein a hook portion is formed at the other end of the strap to prevent slipping from the tape.   4. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein one end and the other end of the strap are connected to a folded portion of the airbag and an outermost peripheral portion of the main body.

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