JP5737991B2 - Air bag and air bag device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an airbag and an airbag apparatus, and more particularly to an airbag and an airbag apparatus characterized by opening / closing means for vent holes of the airbag.

  It is common for vehicles such as automobiles to be equipped with an airbag device for inflating and deploying an airbag in the vehicle in the event of an emergency such as a collision or sudden deceleration to absorb the impact generated on the passenger. . Such an airbag device includes an airbag device for a driver seat installed in a steering wheel, an airbag device for a passenger seat installed in an instrument panel, a side airbag device installed in a vehicle side or seat, and an upper door portion. Various types have been developed and adopted, such as an interior curtain airbag device, a knee airbag device corresponding to an occupant's knee, and a pedestrian airbag device installed under a hood.

  These airbag apparatuses generally include an airbag that is normally folded and inflated and deployed in an emergency, an inflator that supplies gas to the airbag, and a retainer that fixes the airbag and the inflator. Have. Further, an exhaust port called a vent hole may be formed in the outer shell forming the airbag. The vent hole has a function of preventing the internal pressure of the airbag from becoming excessively high, and exhausting the gas in the airbag when the occupant contacts the airbag to alleviate the impact.

  In the airbag apparatus in which such a vent hole is formed, there is a problem that the pressure loss is large because gas is exhausted from the vent hole during the inflation and deployment of the airbag. As airbag devices for solving such problems, for example, those described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 have already been proposed.

  An airbag device described in Patent Document 1 includes a patch member capable of sealing a vent hole formed on a surface of an airbag, a fixing unit that fixes an end of the patch member to a retainer, and the fixing unit. A squib that releases the patch member by releasing the squib, and when the airbag is initially inflated and deployed, the vent hole is sealed with the patch member, and the squib is operated when it is desired to lower the internal pressure of the airbag. Then, the patch member is released to release gas from the vent hole. Patent Document 1 also discloses that the patch member is formed in a tube shape, and the tube is drawn into the airbag and fixed to the fixing means.

  The airbag device described in Patent Document 2 includes a convex portion that forms a portion protruding outside in a part of the airbag, a vent hole formed in the convex portion, and one end connected to the convex portion. A strap connected at an end to a component part or an attachment part of the airbag, and the vent hole is disposed in a region where the convex part and the airbag overlap when the convex part is pulled by the strap. It is what has been.

US Pat. No. 6,648,371 JP 2008-308139 A

  However, the airbag device described in Patent Document 1 described above has a problem that it is difficult to maintain the airtightness between the patch member and the vent hole. Further, when the patch member is formed in a tube shape, gas cannot be released until the tube is completely opened to the outside of the airbag, so that exhaust responsiveness is dull and it is difficult to control the timing for operating the squib. There was a problem.

  Moreover, the airbag apparatus described in Patent Document 2 relates to the airbag apparatus that is the basis of the present invention, and there has been a desire to make it more efficient.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object thereof is to provide an air bag and an air bag device that are excellent in air tightness and exhaust responsiveness and are efficient.

According to the present invention, the airbag is normally folded and housed inside the vehicle in a state of being fixed to the retainer, and is inflated and deployed in the passenger compartment in an emergency, and is provided on the surface of the airbag. The formed opening, the protruding portion arranged to communicate with the opening, the vent hole formed in the protruding portion, one end connected to the protruding portion, and the other end detachable from the retainer A connected strap and a slit for guiding the strap to the inside of the airbag; the opening is formed only on the center side of the vehicle; and the vent hole is formed of the strap. When the protrusion is pulled in, the protrusion and the airbag are disposed in a region where the protrusion overlaps, and the strap faces toward the opposite side of the occupant when the airbag is inflated and deployed. Is configured to pull the output portion, the protruding portion has a first side and a second side of the substantially triangular, and a connecting portion for connecting the facing sides of said first surface and said second surface, the The vent is formed in one of the first surface and the second surface, and a communication port communicating with the opening is formed in the connecting portion, and the connecting portion Is formed by stitching the outer peripheral portion of the first surface and the second surface so that the communication port and the opening portion coincide with each other. Alternatively, when the weight is heavy, the strap is held and the vent hole is closed, and when the occupant is small or light, the strap is released and the vent hole is opened. An airbag is provided.

Further, according to the present invention, the airbag that is normally folded and inflated and deployed in an emergency, an inflator that supplies gas to the airbag, a retainer that fixes the airbag and the inflator, and the airbag An airbag device having an airbag cover that covers a bag, wherein the airbag includes an opening formed on a surface of the airbag, a protrusion disposed so as to communicate with the opening, A vent hole formed in the projecting portion, a strap having one end connected to the projecting portion and the other end detachably connected to the retainer, and a slit portion for guiding the strap into the airbag. The opening is formed only on the center side of the vehicle, and the vent hole protrudes when the protrusion is pulled by the strap. Parts and the are arranged in a region where the air bag is overlapping, the strap, the being configured to pull the protrusions toward a side opposite to the occupant during inflation and deployment of the airbag, the projection The first surface and the second surface of the substantially triangular shape, and a connecting portion that connects the opposing sides of the first surface and the second surface, and the first surface Alternatively, the vent hole is formed in any one of the second surfaces, a communication port communicating with the opening is formed in the connection portion, and the first surface and the second surface are bent around the connection portion. When the occupant is large or heavy in weight, the strap is held and the vent hole is formed by sewing the outer peripheral portion of the occupant and sewing the connecting portion so that the communication port and the opening portion coincide with each other. In the closed state, Members was the vent hole in an open state to release the strap when little or weight is light, the airbag device is provided, characterized in that.

  The opening area of the communication port and the opening may be 1.2 times or more the opening area of the vent hole. The communication port and the opening may have a substantially rectangular shape. Further, the first surface and the second surface may be configured by a substantially equilateral triangular base fabric. Furthermore, the protrusion is formed by sewing the first surface and the second surface, which are sewn from the inside of the base fabric constituting the airbag, to the position of the opening, and outward from the opening. May be.

  The airbag may have a normally open vent hole formed on a center side and a vehicle body side of the vehicle.

  In the airbag apparatus, the retainer may include an insertion port that guides the strap to the outside, and a holding unit that releasably holds the strap outside the insertion port. The holding means may be configured to hold the strap when the occupant is large or heavy, and to release the strap when the occupant is small or light.

  According to the airbag and the airbag apparatus according to the present invention described above, the protruding portion is disposed only on the center side of the vehicle, so that the protruding portion is interposed between the vehicle body and the airbag when the protruding portion is about to stand up. Will not be caught. In addition, since the vent hole is formed in the protruding portion, the hermeticity of the vent hole can be improved by pressing against the surface of the protruding portion and the airbag. Further, by detachably connecting the strap to the retainer, the strap can be released at an arbitrary timing, the protruding portion can be raised at an arbitrary timing, and the vent hole can be opened. Especially, when the occupant is large or heavy, the vent hole is closed, and when the occupant is small or light, the vent hole is opened to adjust the internal pressure of the airbag suitable for the occupant's body shape. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to provide an air bag and an air bag device that are excellent in airtightness and exhaust responsiveness and are efficient.

  By configuring the protrusion with the base fabric having the first surface, the second surface, and the connecting portion, the protrusion can be easily formed, and the manufacturing efficiency can be improved.

  By forming the communication port and the opening to be larger than the opening area of the vent hole, it is possible to easily allow the gas to flow into the protruding portion, and to improve the exhaust efficiency.

  By forming the communication port and the opening in a substantially rectangular shape, it is possible to increase the opening width at both ends of the opening, facilitate the flow of gas into the protrusion, and improve the exhaust efficiency. it can.

  By forming the first surface and the second surface in a substantially equilateral triangle, tension is evenly applied to the projecting portion, and the strength, airtightness, self-supporting property, exhaust efficiency, etc. of the projecting portion can be improved.

  By projecting the protruding portion to the inside of the airbag and pulling it out from the opening, the protruding portion can be easily formed, and the manufacturing efficiency can be improved.

  By forming the normally open vent hole, the gas in the airbag when it collides with the airbag can be exhausted from both the vent hole and the normally open vent hole to improve the exhaust efficiency. Can effectively reduce the impact of the passenger.

  By arranging the holding means to releasably hold the strap outside the retainer, the strap can be attached to the holding means even after the folded body of the airbag is stored in the retainer, making it easy to assemble the airbag module Can be. Further, part of the holding means can be scattered inside the airbag, or dissolution of the airbag due to the high heat of the holding means can be suppressed.

  Since the holding and releasing of the strap by the holding means can be controlled at an arbitrary timing, the internal pressure of the airbag can be easily adjusted according to the body shape and weight of the occupant.

1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an airbag device according to the present invention. It is explanatory drawing of the protrusion part shown in FIG. 1, (A) is a top view of an airbag, (B) has shown the initial stage of the open state of the protrusion part, (C) has shown the completion state of the open state. . It is a plane development view which shows the base fabric structure of the protrusion part shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the stitching | suture method of the protrusion part shown in FIG. 1, (A) is a reinforcement patch stitching | suture process, (B) is a communicating-port stitching process, (C) is a connection part stitching process, (D) is an outer peripheral part stitching. The process is shown. FIG. 2 is a layout view of the airbag device shown in FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows the effect | action of the airbag apparatus shown in FIG. 1, (A) has shown the case where a passenger | crew is large, (B) has shown the case where a passenger | crew is small.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an airbag apparatus according to the present invention. 2 is an explanatory view of the protrusion shown in FIG. 1, wherein (A) is a top view of the airbag, (B) is an initial stage of the open state of the protrusion, and (C) is completion of the open state. State.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the airbag device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is folded in a normal state and inflated and deployed in an emergency, and supplies gas to the airbag 1. The air bag 1 includes an inflator 2, a retainer 3 that fixes the air bag 1 and the inflator 2, and an air bag cover 4 that covers the air bag 1. The air bag 1 has an opening 11 formed on the surface of the air bag 1. A protrusion 12 arranged to communicate with the opening 11, a vent hole 13 formed in the protrusion 12, one end connected to the protrusion 12, and the other end detachably connected to the retainer 3. A strap 14 and a slit 15 for guiding the strap 14 to the inside of the airbag 1 are provided. The opening 11 is formed only at the center of the vehicle, and the vent hole 13 is The protrusion 14 and the airbag 1 are arranged in a region where the protrusion 12 overlaps when the protrusion 14 is pulled by the strap 14, and the strap 14 extends the protrusion 12 toward the opposite side of the occupant when the airbag 1 is inflated and deployed. When the occupant is large or heavy, the strap 14 is held and the vent hole 13 is closed, and when the occupant is small or light, the strap 14 is released and the vent hole 13 is opened. It is configured to be in an open state.

  The airbag apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 is an airbag apparatus for a passenger seat, and is stored by being fixed to an instrument panel 5 disposed in front of the passenger seat. The air bag 1 starts to inflate and deploy when gas is supplied to the inside by the operation of the inflator 2, breaks through the door portion 41 of the air bag cover 4, and is released into the vehicle interior while contacting the front window W. It is inflated and deployed in front of the passenger.

  The inflator 2 is a gas generator that generates gas to be supplied to the airbag 1 and has, for example, a substantially disk-shaped outer shape. Although FIG. 1 shows the case of a disk-type inflator 2, a cylinder-type inflator 2 having a substantially cylindrical outer shape may be used. The inflator 2 is connected to an ECU (electronic control unit) (not shown) and is controlled based on measurement values of an acceleration sensor or the like. When the ECU senses or predicts a vehicle collision or sudden deceleration, the inflator 2 is ignited by the ignition current from the ECU, burns the chemical stored in the inflator 2 to generate gas, and the gas is supplied to the airbag 1. Supply.

  The retainer 3 is supported by the airbag cover 4 by, for example, hooking a hook 31 into an engagement hole formed in a leg portion 42 of the airbag cover 4. Further, the retainer 3 is fixed to an in-vehicle structure in the instrument panel 5 by a fixing bracket 32. Furthermore, the retainer 3 includes an insertion port 33 that guides the strap 14 to the outside, and a holding unit 34 that releasably holds the strap 14 outside the insertion port 33. The holding unit 34 may have any configuration as long as it holds the strap 14 releasably at an arbitrary timing. The holding unit 34 has, for example, a configuration using a squib or the like, and holds, releases, or cuts the strap 14 according to a command from the ECU. Further, by arranging the holding means 34 outside the retainer 3, the strap 14 can be attached to the holding means 34 even after the folded body of the airbag 1 is stored in the retainer 3, and the airbag module can be assembled. Can be easily. Furthermore, a part of the holding means 34 can be scattered inside the airbag 1 or the dissolution of the airbag 1 due to the high heat of the holding means 34 can be suppressed.

  The airbag 1 is, for example, a pair of side panels 1a disposed on a side surface portion of the airbag 1 at the time of inflation and deployment, and a center panel disposed at the center of the airbag 1 and connecting the pair of side panels 1a. 1b. Since this airbag 1 is comprised by three base fabrics, it has a 3 piece structure. The center panel 1b constitutes a surface that comes into contact with an occupant when the airbag 1 is inflated and deployed. A normally open vent hole 16 is formed in the side panel 1a. That is, the airbag 1 has a normally open vent hole 16 formed on the center side and the vehicle body side of the vehicle. By forming the normally open vent hole 16, the gas in the airbag 1 when colliding with the airbag 1 can be exhausted from both the vent hole 13 and the normally open vent hole 16 to the outside. Exhaust efficiency can be improved, and passenger impact can be effectively mitigated.

  The opening 11 is formed in a side panel 1a disposed on the center side of the vehicle when the airbag 1 is inflated and deployed, and the side panel 1a disposed on the vehicle body side (door side) when the airbag 1 is inflated and deployed. Is not formed. A protrusion 12 is stitched to the opening 11 and the protrusion 12 is configured to be able to stand on the surface of the airbag 1 (side panel 1a).

  Further, a string-like strap 14 is connected to the protrusion 12, and the protrusion 12 is brought into close contact with the surface of the airbag 1 by holding or releasing the strap 14 when the airbag 1 is inflated and deployed. Or stand up. The strap 14 is drawn into the airbag 1 from a slit portion 15 formed in the airbag 1, and is connected so that tension can be generated between the protruding portion 12 and the holding means 34. The strap 14 is made of, for example, a base fabric that is the same material as the airbag 1. The slit portion 15 may be a cut portion or a slot-shaped opening.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, when the strap 14 is held by the holding means 34, the protrusion 12 is pressed against the surface of the airbag 1. A vent hole 13 is formed in the pressed portion. Therefore, when the strap 14 is held, the vent hole 13 is in a closed state and is configured not to exhaust gas to the outside.

  When the strap 14 is released by operating the holding means 34, the tension of the strap 14 decreases as shown in FIG. Tries to stand on the surface of the airbag 1. Therefore, the gas is gradually exhausted from the vent hole 13. Finally, as shown in FIG. 2C, the projecting portion 12 stands on the surface of the airbag 1, the vent hole 13 is completely opened, and the gas is efficiently exhausted to the outside. At this time, since the vent hole 13 is formed on the side opposite to the occupant (front window W side), the gas exhausted from the vent hole 13 does not blow to the occupant.

  Here, the structure of the protrusion part 12 is demonstrated, referring FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan development view showing a base fabric configuration of the protruding portion shown in FIG. 1.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the protruding portion 12 includes a first surface 121 and a second surface 122 that are substantially equilateral triangles, and a connecting portion 123 that connects opposite sides of the first surface 121 and the second surface 122. The vent hole 13 is formed in the first surface 121, the communication port 124 communicating with the opening 11 is formed in the connection portion 123, and the center line L of the connection portion 123 is formed. And the outer peripheral portions of the first surface 121 and the second surface 122 are sewn, and the connecting portion 123 is sewn so that the communication port 124 and the opening portion 11 coincide with each other.

  The first surface 121 and the second surface 122 have an apex angle φ and a base angle θ of about 60 degrees, respectively, and are formed in the same size. Moreover, the top part may be formed roundly. By configuring the first surface 121 and the second surface 122 with a substantially equilateral triangular base fabric of the same size, the tension is evenly applied to the protruding portion 12, and the strength, air tightness, self-supporting property, and exhaust of the protruding portion 12 are provided. Efficiency etc. can be improved. Of course, the first surface 121 and the second surface 122 may be configured by a substantially isosceles triangular base fabric, or the first surface 121 and the second surface 122 may be configured to have different sizes. Good. In addition, a suture line s1 is disposed on the outer periphery of the two sides forming the apex angle φ of the first surface 121 and the second surface 122. The protrusion 12 forms a bag body by overlapping the first surface 121 and the second surface 122 and stitching along the stitching line s1.

  The connecting portion 123 is a portion that connects the first surface 121 and the second surface 122 and is sewn to the side panel 1 a of the airbag 1 so that the communication port 124 communicates with the opening 11 of the airbag 1. In this way, by configuring the protruding portion 12 with a single base fabric, the number of parts of the protruding portion 12 can be reduced, and stitching and the like can be easily performed.

  The communication port 124 has substantially the same shape as the opening 11, and the communication port 124 and the opening 11 have a substantially rectangular shape. By forming the communication port 124 and the opening portion 11 in a substantially rectangular shape, the opening width x at both ends of the communication port 124 and the opening portion 11 can be formed large, and gas can easily flow into the protruding portion 12. In addition, the choke of the gas flowing into the protruding portion 12 can be reduced, and the exhaust efficiency can be improved.

  Moreover, the opening area of the communication port 124 and the opening part 11 has a magnitude | size of 1.2 times or more of the opening area of the vent hole 13, for example. In this way, by forming the communication port 124 and the opening 11 larger than the opening area of the vent hole 13, it is possible to facilitate the flow of gas into the protruding portion 12, and the choke of the gas flowing into the protruding portion 12 can be reduced. It is possible to effectively reduce the exhaust efficiency. The communication port 124 is disposed so as to coincide with the opening portion 11, and the connection portion 123 and the side panel 1 a are stitched along the suture line s 2 surrounding the communication port 124.

  Further, both end portions of the connecting portion 123 have a rectangular cutout portion 125, and the cutout portion 125 has a pair of side portions 125a and a bottom portion 125b. The length of the base 125b is formed to be twice as large as the length d of one side 125a (2d). Accordingly, when the connecting portion 123 is bent along the fold line M passing through the corners of the side portion 125a and the bottom portion 125b, the pair of side portions 125a and the bottom portion 125b coincide with each other. Similarly, the suture line s3 formed on the outer periphery of the notch 125 also coincides, and the suture line s3 is arranged in a straight line. Thus, by bending both ends of the connecting portion 123 to make the stitching line s3 linear, the end of the protruding portion 12 can be easily stitched and sealed.

  Next, a stitching method of the protruding portion 12 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method of stitching the protruding portion illustrated in FIG. 1, (A) is a reinforcing patch stitching step, (B) is a communication port stitching step, (C) is a connecting portion stitching step, (D) is an outer peripheral portion stitching step. In each figure, a two-dot chain line indicates a suture line.

  FIG. 4A shows a reinforcing patch stitching process. First, the side panel 1a on the side having the opening 11 is prepared, and the side panel 1a on which the inner surface of the airbag 1 is formed is face-up. At this stage, the opening 11 may not be formed in the side panel 1a. Next, a reinforcing patch 126 having a shape larger than that of the opening 11 is prepared, arranged at a position where the opening 11 can be covered, and sutured to the side panel 1a along the suture line s4. The reinforcing patch 126 is a component for reinforcing the root portion of the protruding portion 12 that is easily loaded. A plurality of pin holes 126 a are formed in the portion where the opening 11 is disposed in the central portion of the reinforcing patch 126. The pin hole 126a is inserted with a pin for positioning when the reinforcing patch 126 and the protruding portion 12 are stitched.

  FIG. 4B shows a communication port stitching process. A base fabric constituting the protruding portion 12 shown in FIG. 3 is prepared, and the communication port 124 is made to coincide with the opening portion 11 and is sewn along the stitching line s2. At this time, although not shown, a plurality of pin holes corresponding to the pin holes 126a shown in FIG. 4A are formed without forming the communication port 124 in the base fabric constituting the projecting portion 12, and the pin By aligning and fixing the holes, the opening 11 to be formed and the communication port 124 are made to coincide. Then, after sewing the base fabric constituting the side panel 1a, the reinforcing patch 126, and the protruding portion 12 along the suture line s2, the side panel 1a, the reinforcing patch 126, and the protruding portion 12 are cut, and the opening 11 and the communication are communicated. The mouth 124 may be formed. Note that the step of cutting the side panel 1a, the reinforcing patch 126, and the protruding portion 12 may be performed in advance before sewing, and the side panel 1a, the reinforcing patch 126, and the protruding portion may be performed by a method other than positioning pins or positioning pins. The base fabric constituting the portion 12 may be fixed and stitched.

  FIG. 4C shows the connecting portion stitching step. As shown in FIG. 4B, after the outer periphery of the communication port 124 is sewn to the side panel 1a with the stitching line s2, both ends of the connecting portion 123 are folded along the folding line M in the direction of the arrow in the figure. Thereby, the side part 125a and the base part 125b in the notch part 125 of the connection part 123 shown in FIG. 3 are made to correspond. Then, as shown in FIG. 4C, both end portions of the projecting portion 12 are sewn along the straight stitching line s3 at both end portions (the side portion 125a and the bottom portion 125b) of the connecting portion 123. Is sealed. In FIG. 4C, for the convenience of explanation, the illustration of a part of the first surface 121 and the second surface 122 is omitted.

  FIG. 4D shows the outer periphery stitching step. The first surface 121 and the second surface 122 shown in FIG. 3 are overlapped and stitched along the stitching line s1. By such stitching, the outer peripheral portion of the protruding portion 12 is sealed to form a bag. At this time, the strap 14 can be easily connected to the protruding portion 12 by sandwiching one end of the strap 14 at the top of the protruding portion 12 and sewing together. The strap 14 may be sewn and connected to the flat portion of either the first surface 121 or the second surface 122, or may be sandwiched and sewn to a portion other than the top of the protruding portion 12. Also good.

  The state shown in FIG. 4D is a state in which the protruding portion 12 is formed on the inner surface side of the side panel 1a. Therefore, finally, it is necessary to pull out from the opening 11 to the outer surface side of the side panel 1a. That is, the protrusion 12 is stitched from the inside of the base fabric (side panel 1 a) constituting the airbag 1 to the position of the opening 11, and the stitched first surface 121 and second surface 122 are outside the opening 11. Formed by pulling on. Through this process, the projecting portion 12 is disposed outside the airbag 1 as shown in FIG. Note that the above-described stitching method of the protruding portion 12 is merely an example, and the step of stitching the protruding portion 12 on the outer surface side of the side panel 1a and turning it over may be omitted.

  Next, the arrangement of the airbag device 10 described above will be described with reference to FIG. Here, FIG. 5 is a layout view of the airbag apparatus shown in FIG. In addition, about the same component as embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the airbag device 10 shown in FIG. 1 is disposed on the passenger seat 201 side of the vehicle 20. Specifically, the airbag device 10 is disposed and stored in the instrument panel 5 positioned in front of the passenger 202 seated in the passenger seat 201 of the vehicle 20. And the protrusion part 12 formed in the airbag 1 is arrange | positioned only at the centerline L side of the vehicle 20, and is not arrange | positioned at the vehicle body side (for example, door 203 side). Thus, by arranging the protruding portion 12 only on the center portion side of the vehicle 20, it is possible to easily secure a sufficient space for the protruding portion 12 to stand, and the protruding portion 12 is formed between the vehicle body and the airbag 1. It can be prevented from being sandwiched between them. Although not shown, for the same purpose, the airbag 12 in the driver's seat 204 and the rear seat 205 may be formed with the protruding portion 12 disposed only on the center portion side of the vehicle 20. The vehicle 20 shown in FIG. 5 is a left-hand drive vehicle, but the airbag device 10 according to the present embodiment can also be applied to a right-hand drive vehicle.

  Next, the effect | action of the airbag apparatus 10 mentioned above is demonstrated, referring FIG. Here, FIG. 6 is a figure which shows the effect | action of the airbag apparatus shown in FIG. 1, (A) has shown the case where a passenger | crew is large, (B) has shown the case where a passenger | crew is small. In addition, about the same component as embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, when the occupant 202 is large (for example, an adult male), the weight is generally heavy, and the inertial force generated when the vehicle 20 is suddenly decelerated is large. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the internal pressure of the airbag 1 so that the occupant 202 can be received. Therefore, the state where the strap 14 is held by the holding means 34 is maintained, and the protruding portion 12 is left in the closed state. When the projecting portion 12 is closed, the gas supplied from the inflator 2 to the airbag 1 is only exhausted from the normally open vent hole 16 (see FIG. 1), and the exhaust amount is reduced. Can do. Therefore, the internal pressure of the airbag 1 can be easily increased.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, when the occupant 202 is small (for example, an adult woman or a child), the weight is generally light and the inertia force generated when the vehicle 20 is suddenly decelerated is small. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the internal pressure of the airbag 1 so that the occupant 202 can be received softly. Therefore, the strap 14 is released by the holding means 34, and the protruding portion 12 is left open. When the projecting portion 12 is opened, the gas supplied from the inflator 2 to the airbag 1 is gas from both the normally open vent hole 16 (see FIG. 1) and the vent hole 13 formed in the projecting portion 12. It is exhausted and the amount of exhaust can be increased. Therefore, the internal pressure of the airbag 1 can be easily lowered.

  Whether the occupant 202 is large or small can be easily determined by a seat load sensor 207 connected to an ECU (electronic control unit) 206, for example. The seat load sensor 207 is disposed, for example, in the seat of the passenger seat 201 where an occupant is seated. Further, instead of the seat load sensor 207, the body shape of the occupant 202 may be determined by image processing means using a seat position sensor or a CCD camera or the like disposed in the vehicle.

  Then, when the occupant 202 is seated on the passenger seat 201, the seat load sensor 207 determines whether the occupant 202 is large, small, heavy or light, and the result is sent to the ECU 206 as occupant physique information. Remember. The occupant physique information is information that, for example, sets a weight threshold value, recognizes it as a large figure when it is heavier than the threshold, and recognizes it as a small figure when it is lighter than the threshold. When the ECU 206 senses or predicts a collision or sudden deceleration of the vehicle 20, the ECU 206 controls the holding means 34 based on the occupant physique information and controls the holding or releasing of the strap 14. That is, the holding means 34 is configured to hold the strap 14 when the occupant 202 is large or heavy, and to release the strap 14 when the occupant 202 is small or light.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the airbag 1 may have a structure other than the three-piece structure (for example, a two-piece structure or a four-piece structure or more). It does not depart from the gist of the present invention, for example, a rectifying means for restricting air flow, a tether for restricting the shape of the airbag 1, or a holding means 34 may be arranged inside the retainer. Of course, various changes can be made within the range.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Airbag 1a ... Side panel 1b ... Center panel 2 ... Inflator 3 ... Retainer 4 ... Airbag cover 5 ... Instrument panel 10 ... Airbag apparatus 11 ... Opening part 12 ... Projection part 13 ... Vent hole 14 ... Strap 15 ... Slit part 16 ... Normally open vent hole 20 ... Vehicle 31 ... Hook 32 ... Fixing bracket 33 ... Insertion port 34 ... Holding means 41 ... Door part 42 ... Leg part 121 ... First surface 122 ... Second surface 123 ... Connecting part 124 ... communication port 125 ... notch 125a ... side edge 125b ... bottom edge 126 ... reinforcing patch 126a ... pin hole 201 ... passenger seat 202 ... passenger 203 ... door 204 ... driver seat 205 ... rear seat 206 ... ECU (electronic control unit)
207 ... Seat load sensor

Claims (9)

An airbag that is fixed to the retainer and is normally folded and stored inside the vehicle, and is inflated and deployed in the passenger compartment in an emergency.
An opening formed on the surface of the airbag, a protrusion disposed so as to communicate with the opening, a vent hole formed in the protrusion, one end connected to the protrusion, and the other end A strap detachably connected to the retainer; and a slit portion for guiding the strap to the inside of the airbag;
The opening is formed only on the center side of the vehicle, and the vent hole is disposed in a region where the protrusion and the airbag overlap when the protrusion is pulled by the strap. The strap is configured to pull the protrusion toward the opposite side of the occupant during inflation and deployment of the airbag,
The projecting portion is composed of a single base fabric having a substantially triangular first surface and second surface, and a connecting portion that connects opposite sides of the first surface and the second surface; The vent hole is formed in either the first surface or the second surface, a communication port communicating with the opening is formed in the connection portion, and the first surface and the first surface are bent by the connection portion. It is formed by sewing the outer peripheral portion with the second surface, and sewing the connection portion so that the communication port and the opening portion coincide with each other.
The vent hole is closed by holding the strap when the occupant is large or heavy, and the vent hole is opened by releasing the strap when the occupant is small or light. Air bag characterized by. The airbag according to claim 1 , wherein an opening area of the communication port and the opening is 1.2 times or more of an opening area of the vent hole. The airbag according to claim 1 , wherein the communication port and the opening have a substantially rectangular shape. The airbag according to claim 1 , wherein the first surface and the second surface are configured by a substantially equilateral triangular base fabric. The protruding portion is formed by stitching from the inside of the base fabric constituting the airbag to the position of the opening, and pulling out the stitched first surface and the second surface to the outside from the opening. The airbag according to claim 1 .   The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the airbag has a normally open vent hole formed on a center side and a vehicle body side of the vehicle. An airbag that is normally folded and inflated and deployed in an emergency, an inflator that supplies gas to the airbag, a retainer that fixes the airbag and the inflator, and an airbag cover that covers the airbag In an airbag device having
The said airbag is an airbag described in any one of Claims 1-6 , The airbag apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The airbag device according to claim 7 , wherein the retainer includes an insertion port that guides the strap to the outside, and holding means that releasably holds the strap outside the insertion port. 9. The holding means according to claim 8 , wherein the strap is configured to hold the strap when the occupant is large or heavy, and to release the strap when the occupant is small or light. The airbag apparatus as described.