JP6396709B2 - Curtain airbag - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a curtain airbag that is installed in a vehicle and that is deployed along a side of the vehicle to protect an occupant in the event of a vehicle collision, and more particularly to a curtain airbag that has excellent early deployment characteristics.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an airbag device has been widely used as a safety device for protecting an occupant from an impact when a vehicle collides. The airbag device instantly inflates into the space between the occupant and the interior structure at the time of collision, and has a function of absorbing the impact when the occupant directly collides with the instrument panel, side door, handle, etc. . Therefore, as an airbag device, a sensor that detects rapid deceleration when receiving an impact such as a vehicle collision, an inflator that generates a high-pressure gas for inflation by receiving a signal from the sensor, and an inflation from the inflator An air bag body that is inflated and deployed by the high-pressure gas for reducing the impact of the occupant and a diagnostic circuit that determines whether or not the air bag system is functioning normally are provided.

  In recent years, the use of side airbags and curtain airbags corresponding to side collisions has increased as the airbag bags, and in particular, curtain airbags corresponding to vehicle rollovers have attracted attention. The curtain airbag is normally folded and stored inside the roof side above the center pillar, and is deployed along the side of the window inside the vehicle.

  Such a curtain airbag has a main expansion chamber and a sub-expansion chamber communicating with the main expansion chamber, and moves the gas in the main expansion chamber to the sub-expansion chamber when the internal pressure of the main expansion chamber increases. ing. (For example, refer to Patent Documents 1 and 2) With these configurations, it is possible to avoid a sudden change in the internal pressure of the main expansion chamber and to maintain a predetermined pressure for protecting the passenger in the main expansion chamber for a relatively long time. Can protect passengers.

  Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which a fracture portion that is broken by expansion and increases the volume of the secondary expansion chamber is provided in the secondary expansion chamber. However, when the sub-expansion chamber is stitched in order to provide the fracture portion in the sub-expansion chamber, a needle hole is opened in the expansion chamber, which makes it difficult to maintain the internal pressure. Furthermore, in order to obtain the effect by the method of Patent Document 1, the fracture portion must be long to some extent. However, if the fracture distance is long, it becomes difficult to break at a desired timing. Furthermore, when there are a plurality of breakage portions, if one breaks, the breakage of other breakage portions becomes extremely slow, or the timing adjustment becomes difficult.

  Moreover, in patent document 2, the communication part which connects a main expansion chamber and a subexpansion chamber, the folding part which folded up the base fabric of the position of a communication part, and the regulation means for maintaining this folding part shape are provided. Thus, there is described an airbag that closes the communicating portion at the initial stage of deployment and opens it later. However, it is difficult to hold the state where the base fabric at the position of the communicating portion is folded by the regulating means as described for a certain period of time, and the closing of the communicating portion is released in a relatively short time.

JP 2007-161163 A JP 2011-116155 A

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem, and suppresses the inflow of gas from the main expansion chamber to the sub-expansion chamber at the initial stage of expansion to rapidly expand the main expansion chamber so that the main expansion chamber is in a predetermined expansion state. The purpose is to reliably increase the inflow of gas into the secondary expansion chamber when it is reached.

That is, the present invention provides a curtain airbag having a main expansion chamber and a sub-expansion chamber communicating with the main expansion chamber via the communication portion. The main expansion chamber is joined to the inside of the opposing panels, and the non-inflatable part is installed in the inner bag. At the beginning of gas inflow, the inner bag expands by the gas flowing into the inner bag. The communication portion is closed with an inner bag, and further gas flows in and the main expansion chamber expands, so that the inner bag moves away from the communication portion and moves to the main expansion chamber side, and gas flows from the main expansion chamber into the sub-expansion chamber. The present invention relates to a curtain airbag.

  According to the present invention, in the initial stage of deployment, the flow of gas from the main expansion chamber to the sub-expansion chamber is suppressed to rapidly expand the main expansion chamber, and when the main expansion chamber reaches a predetermined expansion state, the sub-expansion chamber is moved to. It is possible to provide a curtain airbag that reliably increases the inflow of gas.

It is the schematic plan view which showed an example of the curtain airbag of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing before the gas inflow in the AA in FIG. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the gas inflow initial stage in the AA in FIG. It is a schematic sectional drawing after the main expansion chamber expansion in the AA line in FIG.

  The present invention relates to a curtain airbag having a main expansion chamber (hereinafter also referred to as a main chamber) and a sub-expansion chamber (hereinafter also referred to as a sub-chamber) that communicates with the main expansion chamber via a communication portion. An inner bag is provided, and the open end of the inner bag is joined to the inner side of the opposing panel at the main expansion chamber, and in the initial stage of gas inflow, the gas flows into the inner bag. Expands, closes the communication part with the inner bag, further gas flows in and the main expansion chamber expands, so that the inner bag moves away from the communication part and moves to the main expansion chamber side, and the gas from the main expansion chamber moves to the sub-expansion chamber. It is a curtain airbag characterized by flowing in.

  Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the following description is intended to describe specific embodiments of the present invention in detail, and the present invention is not limited to only such embodiments, and various other embodiments within the scope of the present invention. Is possible.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of a curtain airbag which is an example of an embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the airbag main body 1 constituting the curtain airbag is joined by superposing two substantially rectangular cut cloths and stitching the inside of the outer periphery with a suture thread. . A gas inlet 6 that is not joined is provided at a part of the outer peripheral edge, and the airbag main body 1 is attached to an inflator (not shown) at the gas inlet 6.

  The airbag body 1 is provided with a rear seat side main chamber 2 and a front seat side main chamber 4, and a rear seat side sub chamber 3 and a front seat side sub chamber 5 are formed on the front side of the vehicle body, respectively. And the sub chamber are connected via a communication part 7 having an inner bag 9.

The structure and mechanism of the inner bag 9 will be described on the rear seat side. The front seat side is the same mechanism as the rear seat side.
The inner bag 9 is joined by overlapping two cut cloths each having a protruding portion on one side of a rectangle, and stitching the protruding portion and the inside of the outer peripheral edge of the protruding portion side half with a suture. Yes. The outer peripheral edge that is not joined is referred to as a skirt 10. The inner bag 9 is installed from the communication portion 7 to the main chamber 2 so that the inflatable portion 8 is accommodated in the communication portion 7, and the inner bag 9 is connected to each panel of the main chamber 2 at the hem portion 10 that is not bonded. 11 (11a and 11b) by stitching. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the distance from the joint portion 11 to the non-expandable portion 12 is shorter than the distance from the joint portion 11 to the communication portion 7.
In addition, the non-inflatable part 12 is made into a form in which the gas easily flows into the inflatable part 8 of the inner bag and the inflatable part 8 easily fits in the communicating part 7 by sewing. Further, by providing the non-inflatable portion 12 with a line parallel to the line of the joint portion 11 (a suture line extending up and down on the right side of the non-inflatable portion 12 in FIG. 1), the role of the tether that suppresses the bag from being excessively inflated. Can also be carried.

  At the initial stage of gas inflow, gas from an inflator (not shown) flows into the rear seat side main chamber 2 through the gas inlet 6 and expands. As shown in FIG. 3, the main chamber 2 expands and gas flows in from the skirt 10 that opens in the gas flow upstream direction of the inner bag 9, and the expansion portion 8 expands through the introduction path beside the non-expansion portion. As a result, the communication part 7 is closed. When the expansion in the main chamber 2 proceeds, the expansion portion 8 is pulled through the skirt portion 10 joined to each panel, and the communication portion 7 is released. If the main chamber reaches a predetermined expanded state, the communication portion 7 can be reliably released.

  The shape of the inner bag 9 is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and there is a protruding portion that becomes the inflating portion 8, and the inflating portion 8 closes the communication portion 7, and the gas in the main expansion chamber is It only needs to be formed so as to easily flow into the inner bag 9.

  The sub chamber is arranged on the vehicle body front side with respect to the main chamber in the above embodiment, but may be arranged on the vehicle body rear side. In the above embodiment, an example is described in which both the rear seat and the front seat are provided with the communication portion and the sub chamber. However, the communication portion and the sub chamber may be provided only on the rear seat or the front seat. Good.

  The curtain airbag having the above-described configuration suppresses the inflow of gas from the main chamber to the sub chamber at the initial stage of gas inflow, rapidly expands the main chamber, and sets the sub air bag when the main chamber reaches a predetermined inflated state. The flow of gas into the chamber is reliably increased, and the pressure for protecting the passenger in the main chamber can be maintained for a relatively long time.

  A fiber fabric is used as the base fabric used in the airbag of the present invention. Here, the fiber fabric means a woven fabric woven using fiber yarns, a knitted fabric and a non-woven fabric knitted using fiber yarns.

  The fibers constituting the fiber fabric are not particularly limited, such as natural fibers, chemical fibers, and inorganic fibers. For example, Nylon 6, Nylon 66, Nylon 46, Nylon 610, Nylon 612 and the like, or aliphatic polyamide fibers obtained by copolymerization and mixing thereof, Nylon 6T, Nylon 6I, Nylon 9T and aliphatic amines represented by Copolymerized polyamide fiber of aromatic carboxylic acid, polyethylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate alone or a copolymer thereof, polyester fiber obtained by mixing, ultrahigh molecular weight polyolefin fiber, vinylidene, Chlorine-containing fibers such as polyvinyl chloride, fluorine-containing fibers containing polytetrafluoroethylene, polyacetal fibers, polysulfone fibers, polyphenylene sulfide fibers (PPS), polyethers -Terketone fiber (PEEK), wholly aromatic polyamide fiber, wholly aromatic polyester fiber, polyimide fiber, polyetherimide fiber, polyparaphenylene benzbisoxazole fiber (PBO), vinylon fiber, acrylic fiber One type or two or more types may be appropriately selected from cellulose fibers, silicon carbide fibers, alumina fibers, glass fibers, carbon fibers, steel fibers, and the like. Of these, synthetic fiber filaments are preferred from the viewpoints of versatility and the production process of the base fabric and physical properties of the base fabric. In particular, nylon 66 fiber is preferable from the viewpoints of physical properties, durability, heat resistance, and the like. From the viewpoint of recycling, polyester fibers and nylon 6 fibers are also preferable.

  These fibers include various additives that are usually used to improve spinnability, processability, durability, etc., such as heat stabilizers, antioxidants, light stabilizers, anti-aging agents, and lubricants. One or more of a smoothing agent, a pigment, a water repellent, an oil repellent, a concealing agent such as titanium oxide, a gloss imparting agent, a flame retardant, and a plasticizer may be used. In addition, when it is desirable to weave the calami weave, processing such as twisting, bulking, crimping, winding, or gluing may be performed. Further, as the form of the yarn, in addition to the long fiber filament, a spun yarn of short fibers, a composite yarn of these, or the like may be used.

  For example, when the fiber fabric is a woven fabric, it may be a plain weave, an oblique weave (basket weave), a lattice weave (ripstop weave), a twill weave, a knot weave, an entangled weave, an imitation weave, or a composite structure thereof. If necessary, in addition to the two axes of warp and weft, a multi-axis design including 60 degrees obliquely may be used, and the arrangement of the threads in this case may be the same as that of the warp or weft. Of these, plain weaving is preferable in that the denseness of the structure, the uniformity of physical properties and performance can be ensured.

  Fabric production may be selected from various looms used to weave ordinary industrial fabrics, for example, shuttle looms, water jet looms, air jet looms, rapier looms, projectile looms, etc. Good.

  When the fiber fabric is a knitted fabric, a single knitting structure such as a single knitting such as a single tricot knitting, a single cord knitting, a single atlas knitting, a weft knitting such as a flat knitting, a rubber knitting or a pearl knitting, or a combination thereof And those composed of double tissues. Moreover, when the said fiber fabric is a nonwoven fabric, what is manufactured by a chemical bond, a thermal bond, a needle punch, a spunlace, a stitch bond, a spun bond, a melt blow, wet, etc. is mention | raise | lifted.

  The single yarn thickness of the yarn constituting the base fabric may be the same or different, and is preferably in the range of 0.5 to 8 dtex, for example. Further, the strength of the single yarn is also preferably 5.4 cN / dtex or more, and more preferably 8 cN / dtex or more. Further, the cross-sectional shape of the single yarn of these fibers may be appropriately selected within a range that does not hinder the production of the fabric and the physical properties of the obtained fabric, such as a circle, an ellipse, a flat, a polygon, a hollow, and other irregular shapes. Moreover, you may use what integrated several thread | yarns from which thickness, cross-sectional shape, etc. differ by a combined yarn, twisting.

  The total fineness of the fibers is preferably 150 to 1000 dtex, and more preferably 235 to 700 dtex. If it is less than 150 dtex, the strength required for the airbag tends to be difficult to obtain. If it exceeds 1000 dtex, the weight becomes too large, and the thickness of the base fabric may increase, resulting in poor bag storage.

The base fabric preferably has a basis weight of 190 g / m ² or less and a tensile strength of 600 N / cm or more. If the basis weight and tensile strength are within this range, it can be said that it is light and excellent in physical properties. Here, the basis weight refers to the weight of the base fabric in an unprocessed state before application of an air permeability treatment agent to be described later.

The cover factor when the base fabric is a woven fabric is preferably 1500 to 2500. If the cover factor is less than 1500, the opening of the fabric will be large and it will be difficult to obtain the airtightness of the bag. If the cover factor is greater than 2500, the thickness of the fabric will increase and the bag will not be easily stored. There is a fear. Here, the cover factor means that the warp yarn total fineness is D ₁ (dtex), the warp yarn density is N ₁ (lines / 2.54 cm), the weft total fineness is D ₂ (dtex), and the weft yarn density Is N ₂ (lines / 2.54 cm), (D ₁ × 0.9) ^1/2 × N ₁ + (D ₂ × 0.9) ^1/2 × N ₂ .

  The base fabric may be subjected to scouring and heat treatment.

  Further, as the base fabric, a fabric that has been subjected to an air-impermeable process by laminating and applying rubber, resin, or the like depending on the performance of the inflator, the bag capacity, the use site, or the like may be used. For that purpose, the resin adheres to at least the entire surface of one side of the base fabric, but is not present on the surface of the base fabric, the gap of the yarn bundle constituting the base fabric, or the gap of the single fiber yarn. Also good. It is preferable to fabricate the airbag so that the coated surfaces are inside by joining the surfaces having the resin layer, because of the heat resistance and that the damage to the coating can be suppressed even when an external force is applied to the base fabric. .

  Examples of the resin include halogen-containing rubbers such as chloroprene rubber, high baron rubber, and fluorine rubber, silicone rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, ethylene propylene terpolymer rubber, nitrile butadiene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, isobutylene isoprene rubber, urethane rubber, and the like. Rubbers such as acrylic rubber, and halogen-containing resins such as vinyl chloride resin, vinylidene chloride resin, chlorinated polyolefin resin and fluorine resin, resins such as urethane resin, acrylic resin, ester resin, amide resin, olefin resin and silicone resin These are used alone or in combination. Of these, silicone rubber and silicone resin are preferable in terms of excellent flexibility, heat resistance, and weather resistance.

  As coating methods, 1) coating method (knife, kiss, reverse, comma, slot die, lip, etc.), 2) dipping method, 3) printing method (screen, roll, rotary, gravure, etc.), 4) transfer method, etc. (Transfer), 5) Laminating method, and 6) Spraying method. Among these, the coating method is preferable because the range of the application amount that can be set is large.

Moreover, as an application quantity, 5-60 g / m < ² > is preferable. If the coating amount is less than 5 g / m ² , the air permeability of the base fabric is increased, which may cause a problem in the airtightness of the bag. If the coating amount is more than 60 g / m ² , the thickness of the base fabric is increased. This may increase the thickness of the bag and cause problems with the bag storage.

  The occupant side cloth and the inflator side cloth may be joined by any method such as sewing, adhesion, welding, weaving, knitting, or a combination thereof, and robustness as an airbag. As long as it satisfies the impact resistance at the time of deployment and the impact resistance performance of the occupant.

  The sewing may be performed by seams applied to ordinary airbags such as main stitching, double chain stitching, one-sided stitching, overcasting stitching, safety stitching, staggered stitching, and flat stitching. Further, the thickness of the sewing thread may be 235 dtex (corresponding to 50th hand) to 2800 dtex (corresponding to 0 hand), and the number of stitches may be 2 to 10 stitches / cm. When multiple rows of stitch lines are required, the distance between the stitch lines should be about 2.2 mm to 8 mm, and a multi-needle type sewing machine should be used. If the sewing part distance is not long, a single needle sewing machine should be used. Multiple stitches may be sutured.

  In addition, joining for forming the outer peripheral edge and each chamber is not limited to stitching, and joining by a sealing agent or jointing by a combination of stitching and a sealing agent can be used. Further, when it is required to maintain the deployed internal pressure for a long time such as several seconds while the vehicle rolls over, it is preferable to seal the stitched portion with a sealant by joint use of stitching and the sealant.

Furthermore, if necessary, in order to thoroughly prevent gas from leaking from the seams such as the outer periphery seam, a sealant, etc. is applied, spread, or laminated on the upper and / or lower parts of the seam, between the seams, the seam allowances, etc. Then you may stop.
Since the present invention is a modification of the non-inflatable portion outside the conduit portion, the influence on the production of the airbag main body is small, and the joining using the sealing agent can be performed without any problem.

  What is necessary is just to select suitably the sewing thread | yarn used for a sewing from what is generally called as a synthetic fiber sewing thread | yarn, and what is used as an industrial sewing thread | yarn. For example, nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon 46, polyester, polymer polyolefin, fluorine-containing, vinylon, aramid, carbon, glass, steel and the like may be used, and any of spun yarn, filament twisted yarn or filament resin processed yarn may be used.

  Further, depending on the characteristics of the inflator to be used, a heat-resistant protective cloth or a mechanical reinforcing cloth for protecting from the hot gas may be provided around the inflator attachment port. These protective cloths and reinforcing cloths are made of heat-resistant materials such as heat-resistant fiber materials such as wholly aromatic polyamide fibers, wholly aromatic polyester fibers, PBO fibers, polyimide fibers, and fluorine-containing fibers. Alternatively, it is also possible to use a woven fabric that is separately prepared using a thread that is the same as the airbag body or thicker than the base fabric. Moreover, you may use what gave the heat resistant coating | covering material to the textile fabric.

1 Curtain airbag
2 Main expansion room (main room) rear seat side
3 Secondary expansion chamber (sub chamber) rear seat side
4 Main expansion room (main room) front seat side
5 Sub-expansion chamber (sub-chamber) front seat side
6 Gas inlet
7 Communication part
8 Expansion part
9 Inner bag
10 Hem
11 joints
12 Non-inflatable part

Claims (1)

In a curtain airbag having a main expansion chamber and a sub-expansion chamber communicating with the main expansion chamber via the communication portion,
Provide an inflatable inner bag in the communication part,
The open end of the inner bag is joined to the inside of the opposing panel in the main expansion chamber,
A non-inflatable part is installed in the inner bag,
In the initial stage of gas inflow, the inner bag expands when gas flows into the inner bag, and the communication portion is closed with the inner bag.
Further, when the main expansion chamber expands when gas flows in, the inner bag moves away from the communication portion and moves toward the main expansion chamber, and the gas flows from the main expansion chamber into the sub-expansion chamber. .

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