JP6111054B2 - Curtain airbag device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a curtain airbag device that is inflated and deployed along a side surface of a vehicle interior for the purpose of protecting passengers at the time of a side collision or rollover (rollover) of a vehicle.

  An airbag is a device that inflates and deploys between an occupant and a steering wheel or between an occupant and a passenger compartment side wall in the event of a vehicle collision to protect the occupant. The airbag is configured to inflate and deploy using gas, and is provided with a gas generator called an inflator as a gas generation source. Inflators include a type that ejects a combustion gas of a gas generating agent and a type that ejects a compressed gas. Many inflators are configured to supply gas due to the detection of an impact by a sensor or the like.

  There are a plurality of inflators having different shapes such as a disc-shaped inflator having a disk shape and a cylindrical inflator having a cylindrical shape. These are properly used according to the type of airbag. For example, a disk-type inflator is mainly used in an airbag that expands into a three-dimensional shape, such as a front airbag installed on a steering wheel. On the other hand, a cylinder-type inflator is often employed in a slightly flat airbag such as a curtain airbag installed at the upper side of a vehicle interior.

  In order for the airbag to be inflated and deployed quickly, it is necessary to keep the gas efficiently in the cushion portion (inflatable region) and to keep the gas tight so as not to escape the gas pressure. For example, in the curtain airbag of Patent Document 1, a diffuser (hereinafter referred to as a gas guide) is provided at a position where an inflator is attached. The gas guide is a generally cylindrical member made of a cloth like the cushion portion, and has a function of distributing the gas ejected from the inflator in the vehicle front-rear direction in the cushion portion.

JP 2011-246095 A

  In Patent Document 1, the gas guide is molded and attached to the cushion portion by sewing with a sewing thread. Such a gas guide is a part that first receives the gas ejected from the inflator, and further improvements such as durability and airtightness are required. For that purpose, it is considered to be efficient to reinforce the vicinity of the seam (sewing line).

  In view of such a problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a curtain airbag device capable of improving the connection strength and airtightness between a gas guide and a cushion portion.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a typical configuration of a curtain airbag device according to the present invention includes a cylinder-type inflator that ejects gas, and a cloth cushion portion that is molded into a bag shape and has an opening at an upper edge. And a gas guide made of cloth that is attached to the opening of the cushion portion and guides gas from the inflator into the cushion portion, and the gas guide is cylindrical and protrudes from the opening of the cushion portion, and the inflator is inserted therein. The inflator mounting part, the gas flow path part extending in the vehicle front-rear direction from the inflator mounting part to the inside of the cushion part, and the fabric joined with the sealant from the side edge of the inflator mounting part to the upper edge of the gas flow path part. And a cushion portion is provided along the upper edge of the cushion portion, and the fabric is joined with a sealing agent. Having a frequency, a first junction region and the second junction region is characterized by being sewn continuously at least one of the sewing lines.

  In each of the above-mentioned joining regions, the base fabrics are joined together by the seam agent, and the fabric eyes are filled with the sealing agent, so that durability and airtightness are increased. In the said structure, when connecting a gas guide to a cushion part, a stronger connection is implement | achieved by sewing so that a sewing line may pass over these joining area | regions. In particular, by providing a sewing line in the joining region, gas does not flow directly to the sewing thread, so that gas leakage from a portion through which the sewing thread has passed can be prevented and airtightness can be kept high.

  The first joining region is provided from the side edge of the inflator mounting portion on the vehicle rear side of the gas guide to the upper edge of the gas flow path portion, and the second joining region is at least from the vicinity of the opening portion of the cushion portion. It is good to be provided along the upper edge of the vehicle rear side. With this configuration, a curtain airbag having improved connection strength and airtightness between the gas guide and the cushion portion can be suitably realized.

  The gas guide may be connected to the cushion portion only by sewing the first joining region and the second joining region on the sewing line. According to this configuration, the gas guide is connected to the cushion portion only at the first joining region on the vehicle rear side, and other portions such as the vehicle front side can move independently from the cushion portion. Then, when the inflator is activated, an impact caused by the expansion and expansion of the cushion portion is hardly transmitted to the gas guide. Thereby, the movement of the gas guide is suppressed and the gas flow is stabilized, so that the deployment behavior of the cushion portion can be made as constant as possible.

  Said cushion part has a duct part which guides gas by extending in the vehicle front-back direction in the upper part inside a cushion part, and a gas flow path part is good to be arrange | positioned in a duct part. Thereby, the curtain airbag which can distribute gas efficiently in a cushion part is realizable.

  Said gas guide may have a reinforcement cloth in the area | region where the gas ejection hole of an inflator overlaps at least inside a gas guide. With this structure, the inflator mounting portion can be protected from gas pressure, heat, etc., and its durability can be enhanced.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to provide the curtain airbag apparatus which can improve the connection intensity | strength and airtightness of a gas guide and a cushion part.

It is the figure which illustrated the curtain airbag apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which illustrated the expansion state at the time of the non-expansion of the cushion part of Drawing 1 (b). It is an enlarged view of the gas guide of FIG.2 (b). It is a figure showing the performance test result of the curtain airbag of this embodiment, and its comparative example.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In the present specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not illustrated. To do.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a curtain airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A illustrates the storage form of the cushion portion 102 of the curtain airbag device (hereinafter referred to as “airbag 100”), and FIG. 1B illustrates the time when the cushion portion 102 is deployed. ing. The technical idea of the present invention can be widely used not only for curtain airbags but also for airbag devices including cylinder-type inflators.

  The cushion part 102 illustrated in FIG. 1A is a part that is inflated and deployed in an emergency to protect an occupant. This cushion part 102 is wound and becomes a storage form elongated in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and is attached and installed on a wall part (roof side rail 104) above the side part in the vehicle interior. Usually, since the roof trim (not shown) covers the roof side rail 104, the stored cushion portion 102 is invisible from the vehicle interior. In addition, although the storage form of the cushion part 102 of this embodiment is implement | achieved by winding, it is also possible to implement | achieve a storage form by folding.

  The airbag 100 includes an inflator 106 that is a gas generator. The cushion portion 102 is expanded by the pressure of the gas supplied from the inflator 106 to restrain the occupant. The inflator 106 employed in this embodiment is a cylinder type (tubular type). Inflators that are in widespread use include a type in which a gas generating agent is filled and burned to generate gas, and a type in which compressed gas is filled and gas is supplied without generating heat. . Any type of inflator 106 can be used.

  In the state of FIG. 1 (a), when a side collision or rollover (rollover) occurs in the vehicle 108, a sensor (not shown) provided in the vehicle 108 first detects an impact, which causes the inflator. A signal is sent to 106. Upon receiving this signal, the inflator 106 operates and supplies gas to the cushion portion 102. When the gas from the inflator 106 is received, the cushion part 102 moves downward along the side part of the vehicle compartment (the side window 110 in FIG. 1A, etc.) as illustrated in FIG. 1B. Inflate and deploy to protect passengers.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an expanded state when the cushion portion 102 of FIG. 1B is not inflated. FIG. 2A illustrates the internal structure of the entire cushion portion 102. This cushion part 102 is formed by forming two bags of fabric (base fabric) on the front and back and stitching them together into a bag shape. The inflating region of the cushion portion 102 is partitioned into a plurality of small rooms (chambers) in consideration of the position where the occupant can come into contact. For example, a chamber 114 is provided on the front side of the vehicle for the purpose of receiving an occupant of the front seat 112 (see FIG. 1B). In addition, chambers 118 and 120 are provided on the rear side of the vehicle for the purpose of catching the occupant of the rear seat 116.

  A duct portion 120 extends in the vehicle front-rear direction at an upper portion in the cushion portion 102. The duct portion 120 is a portion that first receives gas in the cushion portion 102, and serves to efficiently distribute the gas to the respective chambers by guiding the gas in the vehicle front-rear direction in the cushion portion 102.

  A plurality of tabs 122 are provided on the upper edge 120 of the cushion portion 102 as an attachment site to the vehicle 108 (see FIG. 1B). The tab 122 is formed in a band shape, and the cushion portion 102 is attached to the roof side rail 104 by using a bolt or a bracket (both not shown) for the tab 122. A strap 124 is provided on the vehicle front side of the airbag 100. The strap 114 is a member that connects the airbag 100 and the front pillar 126, suppresses the swinging of the airbag 100 when it is inflated and deployed, stabilizes the deployment behavior, and applies tension to the airbag 100 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Has a function.

  A gas guide 128 is attached to the upper portion of the cushion portion 102. The gas guide 128 is a member that attaches the inflator 106 (see FIG. 1B) and guides the gas ejected from the inflator 106 into the cushion portion 102.

  FIG. 2B is an exploded view around the gas guide 128 of FIG. A protruding region 132 is provided on the upper edge 130 of the cushion portion 102, and an opening 134 is formed at the boundary between the protruding region 132 and the upper edge 130. A part of the gas guide 128 is inserted into the cushion portion 102 from the opening 134 and attached. The gas guide 128 is formed of a cloth, and has a cylindrical shape as a whole so that gas passes through the inside.

  The gas guide 128 is roughly composed of an inflator mounting portion 136 and a gas flow path portion 138. The inflator attachment portion 136 is a portion to which the inflator 106 (see FIG. 1B) is inserted and attached, and protrudes upward from the opening portion 134. The gas flow path portion 138 is a gas flow path provided below the inflator mounting portion 136 and extending in the vehicle front-rear direction. The gas flow path unit 138 is disposed inside the duct unit 120 through the opening 134 and guides the gas in the vehicle front-rear direction.

  FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the gas guide 128 of FIG. The gas guide 128 illustrated in FIG. 3A includes a reinforcing cloth 140 inside the inflator mounting portion 136. FIG.3 (b) is AA sectional drawing of Fig.3 (a). As illustrated in FIG. 3B, the reinforcing cloth 140 covers a partial area inside the inflator attachment portion 136. In this embodiment, this region is a region where gas ejection holes (not shown) of the inflator 106 overlap. By installing the reinforcing cloth in this region, the inflator attachment portion 136 can be protected from gas pressure, heat, etc., and the durability of the inflator attachment portion 136 can be enhanced.

  In the present embodiment, the configuration is set in consideration of enhancing the connection strength and airtightness between the gas guide 128 and the cushion portion 102 (see FIG. 2B). First, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, a curve is formed from the side edge 136 a of the inflator mounting portion 136 on the vehicle rear side (right side in the drawing) of the gas guide 128 to the upper edge 138 a of the gas flow path portion 138. In the region, a bonding region 142 (first bonding region) is provided. The joining region 142 is formed by joining the ends of the fabric linearly with a sealant when the gas guide 128 is formed into a cylindrical shape from the fabric. Such a bonding region is also provided as a bonding region 144 on the lower edge 138b of the gas flow path portion 138.

  FIG.3 (c) is BB sectional drawing of Fig.3 (a). In the joining regions 142 and 144, a sealing agent is applied between the front and back fabrics, and the fabrics are joined together. Examples of the sealing agent include silicon resin. The joining of the fabric by the application of such a sealing agent is effective in improving the airtightness of the joint between the fabrics. Furthermore, the gas guide 128 is formed in a cylindrical shape as a whole by sewing on the joining regions 142 and 144 (sewing lines L2 and L3). The gas guide 128 is formed independently before being attached to the cushion portion 102 (see FIG. 2B).

  FIG. 3D is a diagram illustrating the gas guide 128 of FIG. 3A attached to the cushion portion 102. The joining region described above is also provided in the cushion portion 102. A joining region 146 (second joining region) is provided along the upper edge 130 from the vicinity of the opening 134 (see FIG. 2B) of the cushion portion 102 to the vehicle rear side (right side in the drawing). . Such joint regions are provided at various locations of the cushion portion 102 (for example, the joint regions 148 and 150), and thereby the air tightness of the cushion portion 102 is maintained.

  When the gas guide 128 is connected to the cushion part 102, the end 142 a of the joining region 142 at the upper edge 130 of the gas flow path part 138 is adjacent to the end 146 a of the joining region 146, and the joining region 146 is placed on the joining region 142. It is connected by sewing to the cushion portion 102 so that one sewing line L1 extends continuously. In these joining regions 142 and 146, the fabrics are joined together by the seam agent, and further, the eyes of the fabric are filled with the sealing agent, so that durability and airtightness are increased. The gas guide 128 is sewn to the cushion portion with the joining regions 142 and 146 adjacent to each other, thereby realizing high connection strength. Further, by providing the sewing line L1 in the joining region 142, gas does not flow directly on the sewing thread, and it is possible to prevent gas leakage from the portion through which the sewing thread has passed and to keep airtightness high.

  In the present embodiment, the gas guide 128 is connected to the cushion portion 102 only by the joining region 142, and the portions other than the joining region 142 are not connected to the cushion portion 102. Therefore, the gas guide 128 can move independently of the cushion portion 102 in places other than the connection region 142, for example, on the vehicle front side. Then, when the inflator 106 (see FIG. 1B) is operated, an impact caused by the expansion and deployment of the cushion portion 102 is not easily transmitted to the gas guide 128. Thereby, the movement of the gas guide 128 is suppressed, the gas flow is stabilized, and the deployment behavior of the cushion portion 102 can be made as constant as possible.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing performance test results of the curtain airbag of this embodiment and a comparative example thereof. FIG. 4A illustrates an airbag 10 that is a comparative example of the airbag 100 of FIG. Unlike the gas guide 128 of the airbag 100, the gas guide 12 of the airbag 10 is not provided with the joining region 142, and is connected to the cushion portion 102 only by providing the sewing line L1. Further, the bonding region 144 is not provided. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 4B (DD cross-sectional view of FIG. 4A), the gas flow path portion 14 is only closed at the top and bottom with the sewing lines L1 and L3, respectively. .

  The performance test is performed by measuring the internal pressure of each cushion part. FIG. 4B is a graph illustrating the test results of the airbag 100 of FIG. 3B and the airbag 10 of FIG. In this graph, the horizontal axis represents time (milliseconds), and the vertical axis represents pressure. In addition, as other test conditions, first, temperature was performed in the environment of normal temperature (room temperature). The inflator was a cylinder type used in mass production and normally used for curtain airbags. Each airbag was rolled and folded into a normal shape mounted on a vehicle, and the measurement was performed by actually operating and deploying the inflator.

  As illustrated in FIG. 4B, the internal pressure of the airbag 100 is higher than that of the airbag 10 at about 50 msec. The time point of about 50 msec is a relatively early stage of inflation and deployment. That is, it is a stage immediately after the ejection of gas from the inflator 106 (see FIG. 2B), and from this graph, the airbag 100 is located at a location close to the inflator 106, particularly between the gas guide 128 and the cushion portion 102. It can be confirmed that the airtightness of the connection portion is high.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments described above are preferred examples of the present invention, and other embodiments can be implemented or performed in various ways. Can be carried out. The invention is not limited to the detailed shape, size, configuration, and the like of the components shown in the accompanying drawings unless otherwise specified in the present specification. In addition, expressions and terms used in the present specification are for the purpose of explanation, and are not limited thereto unless otherwise specified.

  Therefore, it is obvious for those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and these naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. It is understood.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the example which applied the curtain airbag concerning this invention to the motor vehicle was demonstrated, it is also possible to apply to an aircraft, a ship, etc. besides a motor vehicle, and can obtain the same effect. it can.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used in a curtain airbag device that inflates and deploys along a side surface of a vehicle interior for the purpose of protecting passengers during a vehicle side collision or rollover (rollover).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Airbag, 102 ... Cushion part, 104 ... Roof side rail, 106 ... Inflator, 108 ... Vehicle, 110 ... Side window, 112 ... Front seat, 114 ... Chamber, 116 ... Rear seat, 118 ... Chamber, 120 ... Duct section, 122 ... tab, 124 ... strap, 126 ... front pillar, 128 ... gas guide, 130 ... upper edge of cushion section, 132 ... projecting area, 134 ... opening, 136 ... inflator mounting section, 136a ... inflator mounting section 138... Gas flow path section, 138a... Upper edge of gas flow path section, 138b... Lower edge of gas flow path section, 140 .. reinforcing cloth, 142.144.146.148. End of joint area above flow path part, 146a ... upper edge of cushion part End of the junction regions, L1 to L3 ... sewing line, 10 ... Comparative example airbags, 12 ... comparison of the gas guide, 14 ... gas passage portion of the comparative example

Claims (4)

A cylinder-type inflator that ejects gas;
A cushion part made of cloth, which is molded into a bag shape and has an opening on the upper edge;
In a curtain airbag device comprising: a cloth gas guide that is attached to an opening of the cushion portion and guides gas from the inflator into the cushion portion;
The gas guide is
An inflator mounting portion that is cylindrical and protrudes from the opening of the cushion portion and into which the inflator is inserted;
A gas flow path portion extending in the vehicle front-rear direction inside the cushion portion from the inflator mounting portion;
A first joining region in which a fabric is joined with a sealant from a side edge on the vehicle rear side of the inflator attachment part to an upper edge of the gas flow path part;
The cushion portion has a second bonding region, which is provided along the upper edge of the cushion portion adjacent to the first bonding region, and a fabric is bonded with a sealant;
The curtain airbag device further includes at least one sewing line for continuously sewing the first joining region and the second joining region,
The gas guide is connected to the cushion portion only by stitching the first joint region and the second joint region with the sewing line, and a portion other than the first joint region is connected to the cushion portion. Curtain airbag device characterized by not having. The first joining region is provided from a side edge of the inflator mounting portion on the vehicle rear side of the gas guide to an upper edge of the gas flow path portion,
2. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the second joining region is provided along at least a vehicle rear side upper edge of the cushion portion from the vicinity of the opening. The cushion portion has a duct portion that extends in the vehicle front-rear direction and guides gas at an upper portion inside the cushion portion,
The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the gas flow path portion is disposed in the duct portion.   The curtain air bag apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the gas guide has a reinforcing cloth in an area where the gas ejection hole of the inflator overlaps at least inside the gas guide.