JP6129761B2 - Gas guide and airbag device for vehicle airbag - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a gas guide that guides gas from an inflator into a cushion of a vehicle airbag, and an airbag apparatus including the gas guide.

  Modern vehicles are almost equipped with airbags as standard. An airbag is a safety device that operates in an emergency such as a vehicle collision, and inflates and deploys with gas pressure to receive and protect an occupant. There are various types of airbags depending on the installation location and application. For example, in order to protect an occupant from a collision from the front-rear direction, a front airbag is provided in the center of the steering. A curtain airbag that inflates and deploys along the side window is provided near the ceiling of the wall to protect the occupant from side collisions and subsequent rollover (rollover). A side airbag that inflates and deploys to the side of the vehicle is provided.

  The airbag is provided with a gas generator called an inflator as a gas supply source. There are various types of inflators depending on the type of air bag and its installation location. For example, a disc type (disc type) inflator is mainly used for the front airbag, and a cylinder type (tubular type) inflator is mainly used for the curtain airbag and the side airbag.

  In order to restrain an occupant accurately with an airbag, it is necessary to quickly complete the inflation and deployment of the cushion of the airbag. For this reason, the cushion is devised so that the gas can efficiently reach various locations inside. For example, in the curtain airbag described in Patent Document 1, an inner tube (gas guide) is installed at a position where a cushion inflator is attached, and the gas is efficiently guided to the front and rear of the vehicle using this gas guide. Is possible.

JP 2012-86721 A

  The gas guide of patent document 1 is improving the durability of an airbag by arrange | positioning a reinforcement cloth. However, there is a demand for further improvement in the performance of airbags in terms of achieving a configuration that prevents gas leakage more, a configuration that is more durable, and a simpler and less expensive configuration.

  In view of such problems, the present invention provides a gas guide for a vehicle air bag having a simple structure and preventing gas leakage and improving durability, and an air bag apparatus including the gas guide. It is aimed.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a typical structure of a gas guide for a vehicle airbag according to the present invention is formed in a hollow shape by joining a base fabric, and gas ejected from a cylindrical inflator is used for a vehicle. A gas guide that guides into the cushion of the airbag, including an opening into which the inflator is inserted, and an inflator that extends linearly downward from the opening and enters the cushion from the upper edge of the cushion. An inflator disposition portion, a gas guide portion extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction from the tip of the inflator disposition portion, an edge of the inflator disposition portion and an edge of the gas guide portion along an acute angle formed by the gas guide portion and the inflator disposition portion A first curve sewing portion that sews in a curved line, a first reinforcement cloth that covers at least a part of the first curve sewing portion and the inflator placement portion, and a first reinforcement cloth And having a second curved sewn portion which curvedly sewn inflator arranging portion and a gas guide section along the curved sewing portion.

  In the above configuration, a curved contour is first formed by the first curved sewing portion at the corner portion between the inflator arrangement portion and the gas guide portion where the load due to the gas pressure of the inflator is particularly likely to concentrate. And the durability of the area | region between an inflator arrangement | positioning part and a gas arrangement | positioning part is improved by overlapping the 1st reinforcement cloth and sewing by the 2nd curve sewing part along the 1st curve sewing part. In particular, the first reinforcing cloth can be used in a limited size that can cover at least the first curved sewing portion with respect to the entire gas guide. Therefore, it is possible to provide a gas guide that has a simple and inexpensive structure but has high durability and can prevent gas leakage.

  Said 1st reinforcement cloth may have a strip | belt shape which goes around the inflator arrangement | positioning part in a transversal direction. With this belt-shaped first reinforcing cloth, it is possible to improve the durability of the gas guide with a limited size, and it is possible to suppress an increase in cost.

  Said 2nd curve sewing part may be provided inside the said gas guide rather than a 1st curve sewing part. With this configuration, it is possible to suitably prevent load concentration on the first curve sewing portion, and to prevent breakage and gas leakage in the vicinity of the first curve sewing portion.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a typical configuration of an airbag device according to the present invention is configured in a bag shape, and is mounted on an upper portion of a vehicle body side wall in a slender storage form by being wound or folded. It is characterized by comprising a cushion, an inflator that has a cylindrical shape and has a gas ejection portion that ejects gas supplied to the cushion on the distal end side, and any of the gas guides described above.

  The above-described components and the technical concept regarding the gas guide of the vehicle airbag can be applied to the airbag apparatus.

  The cushion includes a plurality of chambers for protecting an occupant, and a seam portion that is linearly or curvedly formed as a non-inflatable region to partition the plurality of chambers, and the airbag device further includes a seam portion. You may provide the 2nd reinforcement cloth piled up on a front-end | tip, and the 3rd curve sewing part which carries out a curve sewing so that the 2nd reinforcement cloth may surround the front-end | tip of a seam part with respect to a chamber. If it is this structure, even if it is the 2nd reinforcement cloth of the size limited to the extent which covers the front-end | tip of a seam part, the front-end | tip of a seam part will be protected by a 3rd curve sewing part, and the durability of a cushion will be improved efficiently. It is possible.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle air bag gas guide having a simple structure and preventing gas leakage and improving durability, and an air bag apparatus including the gas guide.

It is the figure which illustrated the curtain airbag as embodiment of the airbag apparatus for vehicles by this invention. It is the figure which illustrated the cushion of FIG.1 (b) independently. It is the figure which illustrated the gas guide of FIG.2 (c) from each direction. It is the expanded view which expanded the gas guide of Fig.3 (a). It is the figure which illustrated the modification of the cushion of Drawing 2 (a).

  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.

(Airbag device for vehicle)
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a curtain airbag 100 as an embodiment of a vehicle airbag device according to the present invention. FIG. 1A is a view of the interior of the vehicle as viewed from the vehicle inner side in the vehicle width direction, and illustrates a storage form of the cushion 102 of the curtain airbag 100. The cushion 102 is a portion that is inflated and deployed in an emergency to protect the occupant, and FIG. 1B illustrates the cushion 102 being inflated and deployed. In the present application, the expression “upper” indicates the vehicle ceiling direction as viewed from the point of interest, and the expression “lower” indicates the vehicle floor direction as viewed from the point of interest.

  As illustrated in FIG. 1A, the cushion 102 is wound to form a roll-shaped storage configuration that is long in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and is mounted on an upper portion (roof side rail 104) of the side wall of the vehicle body. Usually, the roof side rail 104 is covered with a roof trim (not shown). That is, the cushion member 102 is housed in a space between the roof side rail 104 and the roof trim, and is not visible from the passenger compartment where the passenger is present. Therefore, it should be noted that the cushion member 102, which is originally invisible from the vehicle interior, is visualized by omitting the roof trim even if there is an explanation “viewing the cushion member 102 from the vehicle interior” in the text. The storage form of the cushion 102 can also be realized by folding.

  The curtain airbag 100 includes an inflator 106, which is a gas generator, on an upper portion of the cushion 102. The cushion 102 is inflated by the pressure of gas supplied from the inflator 106 to restrain the occupant. The inflator 106 employed in this embodiment is a cylinder type (cylindrical type). Inflators that are currently popular are types that are filled with a gas generating agent and burn it to generate gas, types that are filled with compressed gas and supply gas without generating heat, and There are types including both a gas generating agent and a compressed gas. Any type of inflator 106 may 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 102. When the gas from the inflator 106 is received, the cushion 102 expands and develops downward along the side wall of the vehicle body (such as the side window 110 in FIG. 1A) as illustrated in FIG. 1B. , Protect passengers.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram exemplifying the cushion 102 of FIG. Fig.2 (a) is an enlarged view of the cushion of FIG.1 (b). The cushion 102 is for a curtain airbag and has a large shape that can expand along the side surface of the vehicle interior. The cushion 102 is formed into a bag shape by sewing and bonding two base fabrics constituting the surface thereof, sewing or bonding using OPW (One-Piece Woven).

  The inflating region of the cushion 102 is partitioned into a plurality of small rooms (chambers) in consideration of the position where the occupant can contact. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1B, chambers 114, 116 and the like are provided on the front side of the vehicle for the purpose of protecting passengers in the front seat 112. Further, on the vehicle rear side, chambers 120, 121 and the like for protecting passengers in the rear seat 118 are provided. Each of these chambers is partitioned by a seam portion 122 or the like that is a linear non-inflatable region.

  A plurality of tabs 124 are provided on the upper edge 123 of the cushion 102 as attachment parts to the vehicle. The tab 124 has a band shape and is attached to the roof side rail 104 using a bolt, a dedicated bracket, or the like. A string-like strap 126 is provided at the front end of the cushion 102. The strap 126 is a member that connects the cushion 102 and the front pillar 105. The strap 126 suppresses the swinging of the cushion 102 when it is inflated and deployed, stabilizes the deployment behavior, and additionally gives the cushion 102 tension in the vehicle longitudinal direction. have.

  The inflator 106 is attached to an inflator attachment portion 130 near the upper center of the cushion 102. FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of the inflator mounting portion 130 of FIG. The inflator attachment portion 130 protrudes from the upper edge 123 of the cushion 102. The inflator 106 has a gas ejection portion 132 from which gas is ejected on the distal end side, and is inserted into the inflator mounting portion 130 from the distal end side.

  The gas ejection part 132 includes an ejection hole 131 provided in the vicinity of the tip of the inflator 106 and a tubular gas introduction pipe 135. The ejection holes 131 are a plurality of small diameter holes, and gas is ejected from the inside of the inflator 106. The gas introduction pipe 135 is a curved tubular metal member, and is attached to the distal end side of the inflator 106 to guide the gas ejected from the ejection hole 131 in a predetermined direction. The gas introduction pipe 135 of the present embodiment is curved downward from the tip of the inflator 106 disposed obliquely, and is biased forward and backward with respect to the duct 136 that extends in the front and rear of the vehicle in the upper part of the cushion 102. Lead gas without.

  A connector 133 that is electrically connected to the vehicle side is provided at the rear end of the inflator 106, and the inflator 106 is attached by winding a band or the like from the outside of the inflator attachment portion 130 with the connector 133 exposed. .

  A gas guide 134 independent of the inflator attachment portion 130 is installed inside the inflator attachment portion 130. FIG. 2C is an exploded view of the vicinity of the inflator attachment portion 130 in FIG. The gas guide 134 illustrated in FIG. 2C is a member that guides the gas ejected from the inflator 106 to the duct 136 that extends in the front and rear of the vehicle in the upper part of the cushion 102. The inflator 106 is inserted into the gas guide 134 inside the inflator attachment portion 130. In the curtain airbag 100, the gas is efficiently distributed to the above-described front and rear chambers of the vehicle by flowing the gas from the gas guide 134 in the longitudinal direction of the duct 136.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the gas guide 134 of FIG. 2C from each direction. FIG. 3A is an enlarged view of the gas guide 134 of FIG. In the present embodiment, the configuration of the gas guide 134 is devised to prevent gas leakage and improve durability, thereby achieving efficient and smooth expansion and deployment of the cushion 102. Hereinafter, the configuration of the gas guide 134 will be described in detail.

  The gas guide 134 is formed in a hollow shape (tube) by sewing a base fabric. The gas guide 134 is broadly configured to include an inflator disposition portion 138 in which the inflator 106 is disposed, and a gas guide portion 140 that guides gas from the inflator disposition portion 138 in the vehicle front-rear direction.

  First, an opening 142 is provided at the upper end of the inflator disposition portion 138, and the inflator 106 is inserted into the inflator disposition portion 138 through the opening 142. The inflator disposition portion 138 extends straight from the opening 142 in an obliquely downward direction on the vehicle front side. In the gas guide 134 installed in the cushion 102 illustrated in FIG. 2B, the inflator disposition portion 138 enters the cushion 102 from the vicinity of the upper edge of the cushion 102. In addition, the gas guide 132 is good also as a structure which provides the opening part 142 in the vehicle front, and the inflator arrangement | positioning part 138 extends diagonally below on the vehicle rear side.

  The gas guide part 142 illustrated in FIG. 3A continuously extends from the tip of the inflator disposition part 138 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. A front opening 144 is provided at one end of the gas guide 142 at the front of the vehicle, and a rear opening 146 is provided at the other end of the rear of the vehicle. The front opening 144 and the rear opening 146 supply gas to the vehicle front side and the vehicle rear side of the duct 136 (see FIG. 2B), respectively.

  The gas guide 134 is partially provided with a first reinforcing cloth 148 to be reinforced. The first reinforcing cloth 148 in the present embodiment does not cover the entire inflator disposition portion 138 and the gas guide portion 140, and only a limited range of these portions is covered and reinforced from the outside. For example, the inflator disposition portion 138 and the gas guide portion 140 have double base fabrics as illustrated in the AA cross-sectional view of FIG. 3A of FIG. And as illustrated in Drawing 3 (c) (BB sectional view of Drawing 3 (a)), the 1st reinforcement cloth 148 is installed covering the inflator arrangement part 138 grade from the outside. FIG. 3D is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C in FIG. 3A, and the first reinforcing cloth 148 is provided only in a limited range near the first curved sewing portion 152.

  The configuration of the first reinforcing cloth 148 will be described in detail. In the gas guide 134 of this embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3A, the inflator disposition portion 138 is obliquely connected to the gas guide portion 140, and the edge 150 on the acute angle side between them is curved. . A first curved sewing portion 152 is provided along the curved edge 150. The 1st curve sewing part 152 is sewn so that the edge of the inflator arrangement | positioning part 138 and the edge of the gas guide part 140 may be connected in a curve.

  The first reinforcing cloth 148 is disposed to cover at least the first curved sewing portion 152 and a part of the inflator disposition portion 138 so as to make a round in the short direction of the inflator disposition portion 138. The first reinforcing cloth 148 is sewn to the inflator disposition portion 138 and the gas guide portion 140 by the second curve sewing portion 154. The second curve sewing part 154 is a curved sewing line along the first curve sewing part 152. The second curve sewing portion 154 is provided on the inner side of the first curve sewing portion 152 and plays a role of distributing a load due to gas pressure that can be applied to the first curve sewing portion 152. With this configuration, in the gas guide 134 of the present embodiment, it is possible to suitably prevent concentration of the load on the first curve sewing portion 152 and to prevent breakage and gas leakage in the vicinity of the first curve sewing portion 152.

  FIG. 4 is a developed view in which the gas guide 134 of FIG. The main part of the gas guide 134 is formed from an integral base fabric 156. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the first reinforcing cloth 148 extends from one of the curved edges of the base cloth 156 of the gas guide 134 between the inflator disposition portion 138 and the gas guide portion 140 to the other. It is arranged to cover only a limited range.

  In forming the gas guide 134 of FIG. 3A from the base cloth 156 of FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the first reinforcing cloth 148 is formed prior to the sewing of the first curve sewing portion 152 (see FIG. 3A). Are sewn to the base fabric 156 by the second curve sewing portions 154a and 154b on both sides. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the first reinforcing cloth 148 has a band shape extending from one side (edge 150 a) to the other side (edge 150 b) of the curved edge 150 between the inflator disposition portion 138 and the gas guide portion 140. Yes. Then, after the first reinforcing cloth 148 is installed, a central folding line 158 is formed on the base cloth 156. The center fold line 158 is a fold formed by folding the center of each other from the inflator disposition portion 138 to the gas guide portion 140. The center folding line 158 becomes an inclined edge of the gas guide 134 on the vehicle front side in the gas guide 134 after completion of FIG.

  After the base fabric is folded back in the direction of the arrow about the central folding line 158, edges (including the edge 150) from the inflator disposition portion 138 to the gas guide portion 140 on both sides of the base fabric 156 are overlapped and sewn. As a result, the first curved sewing portion 152 is formed in the vicinity of the curved edge 150 illustrated in FIG. In addition, the lower part of the gas guide unit 140 is also sewn. Thereby, the gas guide 134 of FIG. 3A is formed. In addition, the edge of each part can be joined not only by sewing but also by means such as adhesion or heat welding.

  In the gas guide 134 (see FIG. 3A), the first curve sewing portion 152 is first formed at the corner portion between the inflator placement portion 138 and the gas guide portion 140 where the gas pressure load of the inflator 106 is particularly likely to concentrate. Thus, a curved contour is formed, and further, the first reinforcing cloth 148 is overlapped and the second curved sewing portion 154 is sewn. In particular, the second curve sewing portion 154 is provided on the inner side of the first curve sewing portion 152, and the first curve sewing portion 152 is dispersed without concentrating the load due to the gas pressure. This makes it possible to prevent breakage and gas leakage in the vicinity of the first curve sewing portion 152.

  Further, the first reinforcing cloth 148 can correspond to the entire gas guide 134 with a limited size that can cover at least the first curved sewing portion 152. In the present embodiment, the first reinforcing cloth 148 has a band shape that goes around the inflator disposition portion 138 in the short direction. With such a first reinforcing cloth 148, it is possible to improve the durability of the gas guide 134 with a limited size, and it is possible to suppress an increase in cost. Therefore, the gas guide 134 of the present embodiment has a simple and inexpensive structure, but has high durability and can prevent gas leakage.

(Cushion modification)
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a modification of the cushion 102 in FIG. The cushion 200 in FIG. 5A is different from the cushion 102 in FIG. 2A in that the second reinforcing cloths 206 and 208 are provided at the ends of the seam portions 202 and 204.

  The seam portions 202 and 204 are non-inflatable regions formed in a straight line or a curve that partition each chamber. The second reinforcing cloths 206 and 208 are realized as circular cloths of a size that covers the tips of the seam portions 202 and 204. FIG. 5B is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the second reinforcing cloths 206 and 208 in FIG. The second reinforcing cloths 206 and 208 are overlapped on the tips of the seam portions 202 and 204, and are sewn into the chamber by the third curve sewing portions 210 and 212. The third curve sewing parts 210 and 212 are sewn in a curve so as to surround the tips of the seam parts 202 and 204. In the cushion 200, even if the second reinforcing cloths 206 and 208 have a limited shape so as to cover the tips of the seam portions 202 and 204, the tips of the seam portions 202 and 204 are formed by the third curved sewing portions 210 and 212. The durability of the cushion 200 is efficiently improved by protecting against load concentration due to gas pressure.

  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, the example which applied the airbag apparatus concerning this invention to the curtain airbag with which a motor vehicle is provided was demonstrated. However, other types of airbags other than curtain airbags, such as side airbags and pedestrian protection airbags, can also be realized. Moreover, these airbag apparatuses can also be applied to aircrafts, ships, etc. other than automobiles, and the same effects can be obtained.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a gas guide that guides gas from an inflator into a cushion of a vehicle airbag and an airbag device including the gas guide.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Curtain airbag, 102 ... Cushion, 104 ... Roof side rail, 105 ... Front pillar, 106 ... Inflator, 108 ... Vehicle, 110 ... Side window, 112 ... Front seat, 114, 116 ... Front vehicle chamber, 118 ... rear seat, 120, 121 ... rear chamber of vehicle, 122 ... seam part, 123 ... upper edge of cushion, 124 ... tab, 126 ... strap, 130 ... inflator mounting part, 131 ... ejection hole, 132 ... gas ejection part DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 133 ... Connector, 134 ... Gas guide, 135 ... Gas introduction pipe, 136 ... Cushion duct, 138 ... Inflator arrangement part, 140 ... Gas guide part, 142 ... Opening, 144 ... Front opening, 146 ... Rear opening Part, 148 ... first reinforcing cloth, 150 ... curved edge, 150a ... curved edge On the other hand, 150b ... the other of the curved edges, 152 ... first curve sewing portion, 154 ... second curve sewing portion, 154a ... one second curve sewing portion, 154b ... the other second curve sewing portion, 156 ... base fabric 158 ... central folding line, 200 ... cushion of modification, 202, 204 ... seam part, 206, 208 ... second reinforcing cloth, 210, 212 ... third curve sewing part

Claims (4)

A gas which is formed in a hollow shape by joining a base fabric independently of a cushion of a vehicle airbag, and which is attached near the upper center of the cushion and guides a gas ejected from a cylindrical inflator into the cushion A guide,
An opening into which the inflator is inserted;
When the gas guide is attached to the cushion, the inflator extends linearly downward from the opening and enters the cushion from the upper edge of the cushion, and the inflator is disposed therein. A placement section;
A gas guide portion extending in the vehicle front-rear direction from the tip of the inflator placement portion;
A first curved stitching portion for sewing the edge of the inflator placement portion and the edge of the gas guide portion along a sharp edge formed by the gas guide portion and the inflator placement portion;
A first reinforcing cloth that covers a part of each of the first curved sewing portion, the inflator disposition portion, and the gas guide portion from the outside of the inflator disposition portion and the gas guide portion;
A second curved sewing portion provided by sewing the first reinforcing cloth in a curved manner along the first curved sewing portion in the inflator disposition portion and the gas guide portion;
I have a,
The first reinforcing cloth has a band shape that goes around the inflator disposition portion in the short direction, and includes the first curved sewing portion along the acute-angle side edge of the inflator disposition portion. only the covers have air bag gas guiding vehicles, wherein Rukoto. The gas guide for a vehicle airbag according to claim 1 , wherein the second curve sewing portion is provided inside the gas guide with respect to the first curve sewing portion. Cushion that is configured in a bag shape and mounted on the upper part of the side wall of the vehicle body in a slender storage form by being wound or folded,
An inflator having a gas ejection portion that is cylindrical and on the tip side ejects gas supplied to the cushion;
A gas guide according to claim 1 or 2 ,
An air bag device comprising: The cushion includes a plurality of chambers for protecting an occupant, and a seam portion that is linearly or curvedly formed as a non-inflatable region to partition the plurality of chambers,
The airbag device further includes
A second reinforcing cloth superimposed on the tip of the seam portion;
A third curved sewing portion that sews the second reinforcing cloth in a curved manner so as to surround the tip of the seam portion with respect to the chamber;
The airbag device according to claim 3 , comprising:

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