JP6769403B2 - Head protection airbag device - Google Patents

Description

According to the present invention, the vehicle is folded and stored on the upper edge side inside the vehicle, the upper edge side is attached and fixed to the body side of the vehicle, the expansion gas from the inflator is allowed to flow in, and the inside of the window is projected downward. The present invention relates to a head protection airbag device configured to include an airbag that expands and expands so as to cover it.

Conventionally, as a head protection airbag device, a tension belt arranged on the front end side of the bag body ends on the original side around an end side expansion portion arranged on the front end side of the bag body when expansion is completed. It is configured to be coupled to the front edge side of the side expansion part, inserted into a slit arranged on the rear edge side of the end side expansion part, wound around, and the tip side fixed to the body side of the vehicle. there were. When the expansion of the airbag is completed, the end-side expansion portion is arranged in a state of being pushed out to the inside of the vehicle by a tension cloth that generates tension along the front-rear direction, and is arranged inside the vehicle. The protruding end-side expansion portion protects the head of an occupant who moves diagonally forward on the outside of the vehicle even in the event of an oblique collision or an offset collision (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ..

JP 2015-85928

However, in the conventional head protection airbag device, the tension cloth is in the shape of a wide band, and the end-side expansion portion is configured to be pushed out to the inside of the vehicle over substantially the entire upper and lower parts. When airbags for passenger seats and airbags for steering wheels that are inflated in front of seats such as the passenger seat and driver's seat are placed close to each other, the lower end part when expansion is completed is There is room for improvement in that it may interfere with such an airbag and suppresses interference with an airbag that is inflated in close proximity inside the vehicle.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, can suppress interference with airbags that are inflated close to each other inside the vehicle during expansion, and can be used by an occupant even during an oblique collision or an offset collision. An object of the present invention is to provide a head protection airbag device capable of accurately protecting the head.

The head protection airbag device according to the present invention is folded and stored on the upper edge side inside the vehicle, and the upper edge side is attached and fixed to the body side of the vehicle to allow expansion gas from the inflator to flow in and downward. It is equipped with an airbag that expands and expands so as to cover the inside of the car while protruding from the window.
The airbag
A flexible bag-shaped bag body in which the upper edge side is fixed to the vehicle body side on the upper edge side of the window at a plurality of locations along the front-rear direction.
It is composed of a flexible seat body, and has a connecting member that connects the base side to the bag body and fixes the tip side to the vehicle body side at the periphery of the window.
It is configured to have
The bag body includes an end-side expansion portion arranged on the front end side when expansion is completed, and a general expansion portion arranged behind the end-side expansion portion.
A slit through which the connecting member can be inserted is formed between the general inflatable portion and the end side inflatable portion at a portion intermediate in the vertical direction of the bag body.
The connecting member connects the base side to a position that is in front of the slit in the bag body in a flat unfolded state, and the end side expansion part of the car with the slit inserted from the inside of the car to the outside of the car. A head protection airbag device that is arranged so as to cover the outside and is fixed to the body side of the vehicle at a position where the tip side is on the front side of the slit.
By connecting the base side of the connecting member to a position above the slit, the bag body is pulled by the connecting member when the expansion of the airbag is completed, and the base side of the connecting member is moved at the end side expansion part. It is characterized in that it is arranged so that the vicinity of the joined portion faces the inside of the vehicle.

In the head protection airbag device of the present invention, when the expansion of the airbag is completed, the end-side expansion portion arranged on the front end side is pulled by the connecting member to connect the base side of the connecting member to the upper side. The area is arranged so as to project toward the inside of the vehicle. Then, the connecting member is inserted into a slit formed in a portion intermediate in the vertical direction of the bag body between the end-side expansion portion and the general expansion portion, and the tip side is the car outside of the end-side expansion portion. Since the configuration is arranged so as to be located at, the lower end side region (the region below the slit) in the end side expansion portion is not easily affected by the connecting member, and the protrusion to the inside of the vehicle is suppressed. It becomes. Therefore, in the head protection airbag device of the present invention, when the expansion of the airbag is completed, the end side inflating portion is arranged so that only the upper end side region protrudes inside the vehicle, so that the end side inflating portion is arranged in front of the seat. When the inflated passenger airbag and the steering wheel airbag are placed close to each other inside the vehicle, it is possible to prevent the lower end portion from interfering with the airbag and the vehicle. The area on the upper end that protrudes inward can be arranged so as to fill the gap between the airbag that is inflated in front of the seat and the window, and in the case of an oblique collision, offset collision, etc. When the occupant's head moves diagonally forward on the outside of the vehicle, the head can be accurately received by the portion on the upper end side of the end-side expansion portion protruding inside the vehicle.

Therefore, the head protection airbag device of the present invention can suppress interference with airbags that are inflated in close proximity to the inside of the vehicle when inflated, and the occupant's head even during an oblique collision or an offset collision. The part can be protected accurately.

Further, in the head protection airbag device of the present invention, the airbag is folded back inside the vehicle so that the upper edge side of the end side expansion portion in the bag body in the flatly deployed state is located near the front side of the slit. From the pre-folded state, it is configured to be folded so that the lower edge approaches the upper edge side and mounted on the vehicle.
The connecting member is configured as a substantially strip shape,
It is preferable that the slit is formed so as to substantially follow the width direction of the connecting member through which the slit is inserted in a state where the bag body is pre-folded.

If the head protection airbag device has the above configuration, the bag is folded when the bag body is pre-folded and the airbag is folded, as compared with the case where the slits are arranged so as to intersect the width direction of the connecting member. In the main body, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles and the like in the vicinity of the slit portion through which the connecting member is inserted and in the connecting member itself, and it is possible to easily fold the lower edge so as to approach the upper edge side. This makes it possible to fold the airbag smoothly.

In particular, in the connecting member, if the vehicle outer portion covering the vehicle outer side of the end-side expansion portion is arranged substantially along the front-rear direction in the state where the bag body is pre-folded, the pre-folded bag body is placed below. When folding so that the edge approaches the upper edge side, the vehicle outer portion of the connecting member protruding from the slit can be integrally folded with the surrounding bag body, so that the connecting member can be handled. It is preferable because it becomes good and the airbag can be folded more smoothly.

It is a schematic front view which looked at the head protection airbag device which is one Embodiment of this invention from the car inside. It is a front view which shows the state which the bag main body is expanded flat in the airbag used by the head protection airbag device of embodiment. It is a front view which shows the state which the bag body was pre-folded and the connecting member was inserted into a slit in the airbag of FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a slit portion in a state in which the bag body is pre-folded and the vicinity of a slit portion in a state in which the bag body is inflated by itself in the airbag of FIG. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged front view showing a state in which a bag body and a connecting member are arranged side by side in the airbag of FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic front view of the head protection airbag device of the embodiment as viewed from the inside of the vehicle showing a state in which the airbag has completed expansion. In the head protection airbag device of the embodiment, it is a partially enlarged front view seen from the inside of the vehicle which shows the state which the airbag has completed expansion. FIG. 5 is a schematic partially enlarged vertical cross-sectional view along the vertical direction showing a state in which the airbag has completed expansion in the head protection airbag device of the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic partially enlarged cross-sectional view along the front-rear direction showing a state in which the airbag has completed expansion in the head protection airbag device of the embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the head protection airbag device M of the embodiment is mounted on a double-row seat type vehicle V having two windows (side windows) W1 and W2. In the right-hand drive vehicle, the head protection airbag device M mounted on the upper edge side of the windows W1 and W2 on the right side (outside O of the vehicle) of the driver's seat DS will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the head protection airbag device M of the embodiment includes an airbag 20, an inflator 14, mounting brackets 11 and 16, and an airbag cover 9. As shown in FIG. 1, the airbag 20 passes from the lower edge side of the front pillar portion FP to the lower edge side of the roof side rail portion RR on the upper edge side of the windows W1 and W2 inside the vehicle V, and then passes through the lower edge side of the roof side rail portion RR to the rear pillar portion RP. It is folded and stored up to the area above.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 8 and 9, the airbag cover 9 is under each of the front pillar garnish 4 arranged on the front pillar portion FP and the roof head lining 5 arranged on the roof side rail portion RR. It is composed of edges. The front pillar garnish 4 and the roof head lining 5 are made of synthetic resin, and are attached and fixed to the inside I of the inner panel 2 on the body 1 (body) side of the front pillar portion FP and the roof side rail portion RR, respectively. Has been done. Further, the airbag cover 9 is pushed by the airbag 20 in order to cover the inside of the airbag 20 which is folded and stored and to allow the airbag 20 to protrude downward inside the vehicle when expanded and expanded. It is configured so that it can be opened inside the car I (see FIGS. 8 and 9).

The inflator 14 supplies an expansion gas to the airbag 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the inflator 14 has a substantially cylindrical cylinder type, and has a gas discharge port (not shown) capable of discharging the expansion gas on the tip side. It is arranged. The inflator 14 inserts the tip side including the vicinity of the gas discharge port into the connection port 26 described later of the airbag 20, and uses a clamp 15 arranged on the outer peripheral side of the connection port 26 to insert the inflator 14 into the airbag 20. It is connected to the other. Further, the inflator 14 uses a mounting bracket 16 for holding the inflator 14 and a bolt 17 for fixing the mounting bracket 16 to the inner panel 2 on the body 1 side, so as to be above the window W2 on the inner panel 2. It is attached to the position (see FIG. 1). The inflator 14 is electrically connected to a control device (not shown) of the vehicle V via a lead wire (not shown), and the control device detects a side collision, an oblique collision, an offset collision, a rollover, or the like of the vehicle V. At that time, it is configured to operate by inputting an operation signal from the control device.

Each mounting bracket 11 is composed of two sheet metal plates, and is mounted on each mounting portion 62, 68 so as to sandwich the mounting portions 62, 68 described later of the airbag 20 from the front and back, and bolts. 12 is used to mount and fix the mounting portions 62 and 68 to the inner panel 2 on the body 1 side (see FIGS. 1, 7 and 9).

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the airbag 20 includes a bag main body 21 and a connecting member 65 extending from the front end side of the bag main body 21.

The bag body 21 has a flexible bag shape, and as shown in the two-point chain line in FIG. 1 and FIG. 6, the expansion gas from the inflator 14 is allowed to flow into the bag body 21 from the folded state. It is configured to cover the windows W1 and W2, the pillar garnishes 6 and 7 of the center pillar part CP and the rear pillar part RP, and the car inside I of the rear pillar part RP, and the outer shape is changed from the window W1 to the center when the expansion is completed. It has a substantially rectangular plate shape with the longitudinal direction substantially aligned in the front-rear direction so as to cover the inside of the vehicle from the pillar portion CP and the window W2 to the front side of the rear pillar portion RP (see FIG. 2). Further, in the case of the embodiment, the bag body 21 is positioned so that the lower edge 21b at the time of completion of expansion is located below the belt line BL composed of the lower edges of the windows W1 and W2, as shown in FIG. The vertical width dimension is set.

In the case of the embodiment, the bag body 21 is manufactured by bag weaving using polyamide yarn, polyester yarn, or the like. As shown in FIG. 2, the bag body 21 has an expansion gas flowing into the bag body 21 so as to separate the car inner side wall portion 22a located on the inner side I of the car from the outer wall portion 22b located on the outer side O of the car when expansion is completed. It has an expanding portion 22 that expands by being allowed to expand, and a non-expanding portion (closed portion) 45 that is formed by connecting the vehicle inner side wall portion 22a and the vehicle outer wall portion 22b to prevent the expansion gas from flowing in.

In the case of the embodiment, the expansion unit 22 is a main expansion unit 24 (primary expansion) that expands by inflowing expansion gas discharged from the inflator 14 so that the head of the occupant can be protected even when the vehicle V rolls over. The front sub-expansion portion 30, the central sub-expansion portion 31, and the rear sub-expansion portion 32 (secondary expansion portion) which are communicated with the main expansion portion 24 and complete the expansion after the expansion of the main expansion portion 24 is completed. , And also has communication portions 33, 34, 35, 36 for communicating the main expansion portion 24 with the front sub-expansion portion 30, the central sub-expansion portion 31, and the rear sub-expansion portion 32, respectively. It is said that. Then, in the case of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the bag main body 21 divides the main expansion portion 24, the front side sub-expansion portion 30, the central side sub-expansion portion 31, and the rear side sub-expansion portion 32. Except for a small area of the compartment 47, the general compartment 53, 58, and the thickness regulation portion 60, the expansion gas G is allowed to flow into the inside over substantially the entire surface to expand.

The main expansion portion 24 includes a gas guide flow path 25, a connection port portion 26, a front seat protection portion 27, and a rear seat protection portion 28.

The gas guide flow path 25 is arranged on the upper edge 21a side of the bag body 21 so as to extend substantially along the front-rear direction over substantially the entire front and rear of the region of the main expansion portion 24, and is discharged from the inflator 14. The expansion gas G to be expanded is configured to be guided to the front seat protection portion 27 and the rear seat protection portion 28 arranged below the gas guide flow path 25. In the case of the embodiment, a connection port 26 connected to the inflator 14 is provided at a substantially center (a position slightly rearward of the center of the front and rear of the bag body 21) of the gas guide flow path 25. It is arranged so as to project upward from the gas guide flow path 25 in communication with the gas guide flow path 25. In the case of the embodiment, the connection port portion 26 is formed so as to be inclined rearward with respect to the gas guide flow path 25, and the rear end 26a side is opened so that the inflator 14 can be inserted. The connection port 26 is connected to the inflator 14 by fitting the clamp 15 on the outer peripheral side with the inflator 14 inserted inside. In the airbag 20 of the embodiment, a separate inner tube (not shown in the figure) for increasing heat resistance is provided at a portion from the connection port 26 to directly below the connection port 26 in the gas guide flow path 25. , (See FIG. 2).

The front seat protection unit 27 is arranged on the side of the front seat (driver's seat DS) when the expansion is completed, and when the airbag 20 completes the expansion at the time of a side collision, the front seat (driver's seat DS) ) Is a part for protecting the head H of the occupant P (driver). The rear seat protection unit 28 is arranged on the side of the rear seat when the expansion is completed, and protects the head of the occupant seated in the rear seat when the airbag 20 completes the expansion in the event of a side collision. It is a part to do.

The front sub-expanding portion 30 is arranged on the front end 21c side of the bag main body 21 so as to be adjacent to the front side of the main expanding portion 24 (front seat protection portion 27), and in the bag main body 21 of the embodiment, the front end The front sub-expanding portion 30 arranged on the 21c side constitutes the end-side expanding portion 38. In the case of the embodiment, the front side sub-expansion portion 30 has a substantially rod-like shape in which the expansion is completed in the vertical direction, and the front seat protection portion is adjacent to the rear side by the end side partition portion 47 described later. It is divided into 27. In the case of the embodiment, the front sub-expansion portion 30 is configured to extend downward from the belt line BL and position the lower end side below the front seat protection portion 27 when the expansion is completed. Further, the front sub-expansion portion 30 is communicated with the front seat protection portion 27 by a communication portion 33 opened on the rear upper end side and a communication portion 34 opened on the rear lower end side. These communication portions 33 and 34 are configured so that the opening width dimension is set small so that the start of inflow of expansion gas into the front side sub-expansion portion 30 is delayed as compared with the front seat protection portion 27. ..

In the case of the embodiment, the central sub-expansion portion 31 is located between the front seat protection portion 27 and the rear seat protection portion 28 in the main expansion portion 24, and is arranged in the area below the gas guide flow path 25. As a result, it is arranged adjacent to the front seat protection portion 27 in the main expansion portion 24. The central side sub-expansion portion 31 is communicated with the front seat protection portion 27 by a communication portion 35 opened on the rear end side of the front seat protection portion 27. The communication portion 35 is also set to have a small opening width dimension, and is configured to delay the start of inflow of expansion gas into the central side sub-expansion portion 31 as compared with the front seat protection portion 27. The rear sub-expansion portion 32 is arranged in the area on the rear lower edge side of the central side sub-expansion portion 31 on the front side of the rear seat protection portion 28, and is adjacent to the rear seat protection portion 28 in the main expansion portion 24. And are arranged. The rear sub-expansion portion 32 is communicated with the rear seat protection portion 28 by a communication portion 36 opened on the front lower end side of the rear seat protection portion 28. The communication portion 36 is also set to have a small opening width dimension, and is configured to delay the start of inflow of expansion gas into the rear side sub-expansion portion 32 as compared with the rear seat protection portion 28.

In the bag body 21 of the embodiment, the front sub-expanding portion 30 constitutes an end-side expanding portion 38 arranged on the front end 21c side of the bag main body 21, and the end-side expanding portion 38 (front sub-expanding portion) in the expanding portion 22. A portion other than 30) constitutes the general expansion portion 41. The end-side expansion portion 38 is partitioned by the end-side division portion 47 from the front seat protection portion 27 constituting the general expansion portion 41. In the case of the embodiment, the end side partition portion 47 is formed separately from the peripheral edge portion 46, and is vertically arranged substantially along the vertical bar portion 48 and the upper end of the vertical bar portion 48, as will be described later. It is configured to include a horizontal bar portion 49 arranged substantially along the front-rear direction so as to extend rearward from 48a. In detail, the horizontal bar portion 49 is formed so as to be inclined backward with respect to the front-rear direction so that the tip end (rear end 49a) is positioned on the upper side. Then, the end-side expansion portion 38 has a communication portion 33 formed between the tip end (rear end 49a) of the horizontal bar portion 49 and the peripheral edge portion 46, and a vertical bar, respectively, on the upper end 38a side and the lower end 38b side. It communicates with the front seat protection portion 27 via a communication portion 34 formed between the lower end 48b of the portion 48 and the peripheral edge portion 46. That is, in the embodiment, in the expansion portion 22, the region above the horizontal bar portion 49 also constitutes the end side expansion portion 38, and the end side expansion portion 38 is flatly expanded toward the upper end 38a side. A protrusion 39 that protrudes rearward is provided. Further, when the expansion of the airbag 20 is completed, the end side expansion portion 38 is arranged so that the lower end 38b side is projected downward from the belt line BL (see FIGS. 6 to 8). Further, in a state where the airbag 77 for the steering wheel mounted on the steering wheel 75 in front of the driver's seat DS has completed expansion, the end-side expansion portion 38 uses the lower end 38b side for the steering wheel. It expands so as to overlap the airbag 77 on the left-right side (inside and outside the vehicle) (see FIGS. 6, 7, and 9).

When the expansion of the airbag 20 is completed when the airbag 20 is mounted on the vehicle, the end-side expansion portion 38 is pulled by the connecting member 65 so that the portion on the upper end 38a side faces the vehicle inside I (projects toward the vehicle inside I). It is a configuration to be arranged (see FIGS. 8 and 9). Specifically, the end-side expansion portion 38 covers a region above the slit 51 formed in the vertical bar portion 48 in the end-side partition portion 47, including the protrusion 39, in the vicinity of the rear end of the protrusion 39. It is arranged so that the region above the slit 51 is projected toward the car inside I by bending with respect to the portion on the lower end 38b side starting from the portion (the portion of the communication portion 33). Become.

The non-expanding portion (closed portion) 45 includes a peripheral edge portion 46 constituting the outer peripheral edge of the expanding portion 22, an end side partition portion 47 arranged in the region of the expanding portion 22, general compartments 53, 58, and thickness regulation. A portion 60 and an attachment portion 62 for attaching the upper edge 21a side of the bag body 21 to the body 1 side of the vehicle V are provided.

The peripheral edge portion 46 is arranged so as to surround the periphery of the expansion portion 22 over the entire circumference except for the rear end 26a side of the connection port portion 26.

The end-side compartment 47 partitions the front sub-expansion portion 30 and the front seat protection portion 27 (the end-side expansion portion 38 and the general expansion portion 41), and in the case of the embodiment, the upper and lower end sides are divided. , It is configured to be separated from the peripheral portion 46. As described above, the end side compartment 47 is a vertical bar 48 arranged substantially along the vertical direction and a horizontal bar arranged substantially along the front-rear direction so as to extend rearward from the upper end 48a of the vertical bar 48. It is configured to include a unit 49. In the case of the embodiment, the vertical bar portion 48 is configured to be slightly inclined with respect to the vertical direction so that the lower end 48b is located slightly forward of the upper end 48a, and the horizontal bar portion 49 is described in detail. It is configured to be inclined backward with respect to the front-rear direction so that the tip (rear end 49a) is positioned on the upper side. The horizontal bar portion 49 is configured so that the rear end 49a protrudes upward from the upper horizontal bar portion 56 of the general section 53. In the case of the embodiment, the slit 51 through which the connecting member 65 can be inserted is formed in the vertical bar portion 48 of the end-side partition portion 47 between the general expansion portion 41 and the end-side expansion portion 38. The slit 51 is formed in the vertical bar portion 48 at an intermediate portion in the vertical direction of the bag main body 21. Specifically, the slit 51 is formed so as to make a notch substantially along the vertical direction at a position slightly above the center of the upper and lower sides of the bag body 21, and the length dimension is determined by the connecting member 65. Only the main body 66 of the main body 66 can be inserted, and the coupling piece 67 on the base 66a side of the main body 66 is set to a size that cannot be inserted. The slit 51 is formed so as to substantially follow the width direction of the main body 66 of the connecting member 65 through which the slit 51 is inserted when the bag main body 21 is pre-folded as described later.

The general compartments 53 and 58 are arranged in the area of the general expansion 41, and the general expansion 41 is divided into the gas guide flow path 25, the front seat protection portion 27, the rear seat protection portion 28, and the central side sub-expansion. It is divided into a portion 31 and a rear side sub-expansion portion 32. Specifically, the general compartment 53 extends rearward from the lower edge side portion of the peripheral edge 46 along the front-rear direction to partition the central sub-expansion portion 31 and the rear sub-expansion portion 32. 54, a vertical bar portion 55 extending upward from the rear end of the lower horizontal bar portion 54 along the vertical direction to partition the central side sub-expansion portion 31 and the rear seat protection portion 28, and the vertical bar portion 55. It is provided with an upper horizontal bar portion 56 extending forward from the upper end along the front-rear direction to partition the gas guide flow path 25 and the central side sub-expansion portion 31. In the region below the front end 56a of the upper horizontal bar portion 56, the general compartment portion 58 extends from the lower edge side portion of the peripheral edge portion 46 toward the rear and upper side, and is bent so as to have the tip directed downward to the front. The area on the lower edge side of the seat protection portion 27 and the central side sub-expansion portion 31 is partitioned.

The thickness regulating portion 60 is formed so as to project upward from the lower edge side of the peripheral edge portion 46 in the vicinity of the boundary portion between the rear side sub-expanding portion 32 and the rear seat protection portion 28. Then, in the airbag 20 of the embodiment, the gap between the rear end 49a of the horizontal bar portion 49 and the upper edge side of the peripheral edge portion 46 in the end side partition portion 47 constitutes the communication portion 33, and the end side compartment portion 47. The gap between the lower end 48b of the vertical bar portion 48 and the lower edge side of the peripheral edge portion 46 constitutes the communication portion 34. Further, the gap between the front end 56a of the upper horizontal bar portion 56 in the general section 53 and the general section 58 constitutes the communication portion 35, and the thickness is different from the rear end of the lower horizontal bar 54 in the general section 53. The gap between the regulation unit 60 and the regulation unit 60 constitutes the communication unit 36.

A plurality of mounting portions 62 are arranged along the front-rear direction on the upper edge 21a side of the bag main body 21, and are formed at four locations in the case of the embodiment. The mounting portion 62 is fixed to the inner panel 2 on the body 1 side at the portion of the roof side rail portion RR by using the mounting bracket 11 and the mounting bolt 12. Specifically, the mounting portion 62 is When the expansion of the airbag 20 is completed, the end-side expansion portion 38 is arranged in the area of the end-side expansion portion 38 (front side sub-expansion portion 30) so as not to prevent the end-side expansion portion 38 from protruding toward the inside of the vehicle on the upper end 38a side. Absent. That is, in the airbag 20 of the embodiment, the mounting portion 62 is arranged in the region of the end side partition portion 47 that is behind the rear end 49a of the horizontal bar portion 49. Each mounting portion 62 is formed with a mounting hole 62a for inserting the mounting bolt 12.

The connecting member 65 is made of a flexible sheet body, and in the case of the embodiment, it is made of a woven fabric made of a polyamide thread, a polyester thread, or the like. The connecting member 65 is configured to connect the base side to the bag body 21 and fix the tip side to the body 1 side of the vehicle V on the peripheral edge of the window W1. When the expansion of the airbag 20 is completed, the connecting member 65 is configured to be fixed. It is configured to be arranged substantially along the front-rear direction on the vehicle outer side O of the end-side expansion portion 38. The connecting member 65 includes a band-shaped main body 66 inserted through the slit 51, a connecting piece 67 formed on the base 66a side of the main body 66 and coupled to the bag main body 21 side, and a tip 66b side of the main body 66. It is provided with a mounting portion 68 formed in the above. The connecting piece 67 is formed so as to be wider than the main body 66 and project vertically from the main body 66. That is, the coupling piece 67 is made wider than the slit 51 so that the slit 51 cannot be inserted. Similar to the mounting portion 62 formed on the bag body 21, the mounting portion 68 utilizes the mounting bracket 11 and the mounting bolt 12 to form an inner on the body 1 side at the front pillar portion FP portion that is the peripheral edge of the window W1. It is fixed to the panel 2 and has a mounting hole 68a through which the mounting bolt 12 can be inserted.

In the state where the bag body 21 is flatly unfolded, the connecting member 65 attaches the coupling piece 67 to the front upper corner portion 46a (the upper end of the end side expansion portion 38) of the peripheral edge portion 46 of the bag body 21 as shown in FIG. Is sewn (bonded) to the front edge side of the bag body 21, that is, the front upper end side of the bag body 21, and the body portion 66 is arranged so as to extend upward from the bonding piece 67 in the vertical direction. Is. Specifically, the coupling piece 67 is superposed on the vehicle outer side O (vehicle outer wall portion 22b side) of the bag body 21. That is, the connecting member 65 is connected to a position where the connecting piece 67 on the base portion 66a side of the main body portion 66 is on the front side and the upper side of the slit 51 in the bag main body 21 in a flatly deployed state. ing. Then, as shown in A of FIGS. 3 and 4, the connecting member 65 is folded back on the upper front edge side of the bag body 21 to the inside of the vehicle, and the main body 66 is passed through the slit 51 from the inside I of the vehicle to the outside O of the vehicle. It will be folded together with the bag body 21 in a state where it is inserted and arranged so as to cover the car outside O of the end side expansion portion 38. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the bag body 21 is folded back so that the region on the upper front edge side of the end side expansion portion 38 is overlapped with the vehicle inner side wall portion 22a side by the folding line CL inclined upwardly backward. The upper edge side of the end side expansion portion 38 (upper edge 46b of the peripheral edge portion 46) is arranged in the vicinity of the front side of the slit 51 (see A in FIG. 4). Specifically, when the end-side expansion portion 38 is folded back (when the bag body 21 is pre-folded), the upper edge 46b of the peripheral edge portion 46 substantially coincides with the slit 51 in the vertical direction along the slit 51. It will be arranged so as to be substantially along (see FIG. 3). Further, at this time, as shown in A of FIG. 4, the connecting member 65 itself exposes the connecting piece 67 to the car inside I, and the slit 51 is a portion of the main body 66 on the base side near the connecting piece 67. The portion of the main body 66, which is arranged on the car outside O of the end-side expansion 38, is substantially aligned in the front-rear direction so that the mounting portion 68 is directed forward by being inserted into and inverted. , Will be placed. Then, as described above, the slit 51 is formed substantially along the width direction of the main body 66 of the connecting member 65 arranged substantially along the front-rear direction at the time of this preliminary folding, substantially along the vertical direction. Has been done. The length dimension of the connecting member 65 (the length dimension of the main body portion 66) is such that when the expansion of the bag main body 21 is completed when the bag main body 21 is mounted on the vehicle, the upper end 38a side of the end side expansion portion 38, including the protruding portion 39, is inside the vehicle. It is set to a tractionable size so that it protrudes toward. Specifically, the length dimension of the connecting member 65 (main body 66) is such that when the expansion of the bag main body 21 is completed, the end side expansion that connects the coupling pieces 67 while generating tension substantially along the main body 66. The region on the front edge side of the upper end 38a side of the portion 38 is set to a dimension that can be pressed against the car inside surface on the lower end 38b side of the end side expansion portion 38.

When the expansion of the bag body 21 is completed, the connecting member 65 projects the upper end 38a side of the end-side expansion portion 38 toward the inside of the vehicle, and is arranged on the outside of the vehicle of the end-side expansion portion 38 in the main body 66. Will be arranged so as to roughly follow the front-back direction. In the bag body 21 of the embodiment, the end-side partition portion 47 that partitions the end-side expansion portion 38 and the general expansion portion 41 has a horizontal bar portion 49 extending rearward and upward from the upper end 48a of the vertical bar portion 48. The portion on the rear end 49a side of the horizontal bar portion 49 has the smallest separation distance from the peripheral edge portion 46, in other words, the narrowest width. Therefore, when the expansion is completed, the end-side expansion portion 38 is located near the rear end 49a of the horizontal bar portion 49 (near the communication portion 33, that is, the end-side expansion portion 38) behind the folding line CL at the time of folding and storing. The portion on the upper end 38a side is arranged so as to project to the inside of the vehicle including the protruding portion 39 in such a manner that the portion is bent starting from the rear end of the protruding portion 39). Become. The connecting member 65 has a configuration in which the connecting piece 67 on the base portion side is coupled to the peripheral edge portion 46 constituting the non-expanding portion 45 in the bag main body 21, and when the expansion of the bag main body 21 is completed, the main body portion 66 Due to the tension generated along the above, the front upper corner portion 46a of the peripheral edge portion 46 connecting the coupling piece 67 is bent with respect to the end side expansion portion 38 and becomes the vehicle outer side O of the end side expansion portion 38. It will be folded and placed (see B in FIG. 4). That is, the connecting member 65 has a mode in which the connecting piece 67 on the original portion side is also covered with the portion on the upper end 48a side of the end side expanding portion 38 (see FIG. 7), and is viewed from the vertical direction side. Therefore, they are arranged in a straight line substantially along the front-rear direction (see B in FIG. 4 and FIG. 9). At this time, the end-side expansion portion 38 is formed into a large chamber-like chamber by eliminating the folds of the folding line CL during folding storage (preliminary folding), and the peripheral portion 46 constituting the upper edge side. While inverting the upper edge 46b, the expansion region is arranged inside the vehicle so that the portion on the upper end 38a side protrudes inside the vehicle and is arranged.

Further, in the vehicle V equipped with the head protection airbag device M of the embodiment, the steering wheel 75 arranged in front of the driver's seat DS is a steering wheel that operates when an impact force is applied from the front side of the vehicle V. The airbag device 76 for the vehicle is mounted (see FIG. 1). The airbag device 76 includes an airbag 77 that is folded and stored in the boss portion 75a of the steering wheel 75, and an inflator (not shown) that supplies expansion gas to the airbag 77. When an impact force is applied from the front, including at the time of an oblique collision or an offset collision, the expansion gas flows into the inside and expands so as to cover the entire upper surface side of the ring portion 75b of the steering wheel 75. (See the two-point chain line in FIGS. 6 and 7 and FIGS. 8 and 9).

Next, mounting of the head protection airbag device M of the embodiment on the vehicle V will be described. First, the bag main body 21 in a state where the inner side wall portion 22a of the vehicle and the outer wall portion 22b of the vehicle are flatly deployed is inserted into the slit 51 through the main body portion 66 of the connecting member 65, and the end side expansion portion 38 is on the upper front edge side. The region is folded back so as to overlap the vehicle inner side wall portion 22a at the portion of the folding line CL (see FIG. 2), and is pre-folded as shown in FIG. Then, while maintaining this pre-folded state, the bag body 21 is folded so that the lower edge 21b side approaches the upper edge 21a side, and the airbag 20 is folded. In the embodiment, although detailed illustration is omitted, in the bag body 21, the portion of the gas guide flow path 25 on the upper edge 21a side is bellows-folded with a plurality of creases along the front-rear direction. The region below the gas guide flow path 25 is folded by roll folding so as to wind from the lower edge 21b side toward the outside of the vehicle. After the folding of the airbag 20 is completed, a predetermined portion of the folded airbag 20 is wrapped with a wrapping material for preventing collapse (not shown) that can be broken.

After that, the inflator 14 to which the mounting bracket 16 has been mounted is connected to the connection port 26 of the airbag 20 by using the clamp 15, and the mounting portion 69 of the connecting member 65, the mounting portion 62 of the bag body 21, and the mounting portion 62. The mounting brackets 11 are fixed to each to form an airbag assembly.

Next, the mounting brackets 11 and 16 are arranged at predetermined positions on the inner panel 2 on the body 1 side, the bolts 12 and 17 are fastened, and a lead wire (not shown) extending from the control device for operating the predetermined inflator is attached to the inflator 14. If the front pillar garnish 4 and the roof head lining 5 are attached to the inner panel 2 on the body 1 side, and the pillar garnishes 6 and 7 are attached to the inner panel 2 on the body 1 side, the head protection airbag device M can be installed. It can be mounted on the vehicle V.

After the head protection airbag device M of the embodiment is mounted on the vehicle V, the inflator receives an operation signal from the control device at the time of a side collision, an oblique collision, an offset collision, or a rollover of the vehicle V. When 14 is activated, the expansion gas discharged from the inflator 14 flows into the bag body 21, and the expanding bag body 21 breaks the wrapping material (not shown), and further, the front pillar garnish 4 and the roof. The airbag cover 9 composed of the lower edge of the head lining 5 is pushed open, and while projecting downward, the windows W1 and W2, the center pillar portion CP, as shown in the two-point chain line in FIG. 1 and FIGS. In addition, the rear pillar portion RP is greatly expanded so as to cover the inside of the vehicle. Further, the airbag device 76 for the steering wheel mounted on the steering wheel 75 in front of the driver's seat DS at the time of an oblique collision or an offset collision is also shown in the two-point chain lines of FIGS. 1, 6 and 7 and FIGS. 8 and 9. As described above, the airbag 77 is operated to inflate. In the embodiment, since the bag main body 21 is folded by roll folding so as to wind from the lower edge 21b side toward the outside of the vehicle, the main body portion 66 of the connecting member 65 is not shown in detail. When the expansion of the bag body 21 is completed, the bag body 21 is arranged in a twisted state.

Then, in the head protection airbag device M of the embodiment, when the expansion of the airbag 20 is completed, the end side expansion portion 38 arranged on the front end 21c side is pulled by the connecting member 65, and the base portion of the connecting member 65 is pulled. The upper region connecting the 66a side is arranged so as to project toward the car inside I. Then, the connecting member 65 is inserted into a slit 51 formed between the end-side expansion portion 38 and the general expansion portion 41 at a portion intermediate in the vertical direction of the bag body 21, and the tip 66b side is terminated. Since the side expansion portion 38 is arranged so as to be located on the outside O of the vehicle, the region on the lower end 38b side (the region below the slit 51) of the end side expansion portion 38 is affected by the connecting member 65. It is difficult, and the protrusion to the inside I of the vehicle is suppressed. Therefore, in the head protection airbag device M of the embodiment, when the expansion of the airbag 20 is completed, the end-side expansion portion 38 is arranged so that only the region on the upper end 38a side projects toward the vehicle inside I. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, even if the airbag 77 for the steering wheel inflated in front of the driver's seat DS (seat) is arranged close to each other inside the vehicle, the portion on the lower end 38b side is , Interference with the airbag 77 can be suppressed, and the area on the upper end 38a side protruding toward the inside I of the vehicle is the gap between the airbag 77 expanding in front of the driver's seat DS and the window W1. When the head H of the driver P as a occupant moves diagonally forward on the outside of the vehicle in the case of an oblique collision or an offset collision, the head H can be arranged so as to fill the space. , It can be accurately received by the portion on the upper end 38a side of the end side expansion portion 38 protruding toward the inside I of the vehicle.

Therefore, the head protection airbag device M of the embodiment can suppress interference with the airbag 77 that is inflated close to the inside of the vehicle when inflated, and also when the occupant collides or offsets. The head H of P can be accurately protected.

Further, in the head protection airbag device M of the embodiment, the airbag 20 slits the upper edge side (upper edge 46b of the peripheral edge portion 46) of the end side expansion portion 38 from the state where the bag body 21 is flatly deployed. The lower edge 21b is folded so as to be closer to the upper edge 21a side in a state of being folded back inside the vehicle so as to be located near the front side of the 51, and is mounted on the vehicle V. A substantially strip-shaped main body 66 is provided, and the slit 51 is formed so as to substantially follow the width direction of the main body 66 of the connecting member 65 through which the slit 51 is inserted in a state where the bag main body 21 is pre-folded. Therefore, as compared with the case where the slits are arranged so as to intersect the width direction of the connecting member, when the bag body 21 is pre-folded and the airbag 20 is folded, the main body of the connecting member 65 is folded in the bag body 21. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles and the like in the vicinity of the portion of the slit 51 through which the portion 66 is inserted (the portion around the end side partition portion 47) and the connecting member 65 itself, and the lower edge 21b thereafter is on the upper edge 21a side. It becomes possible to easily fold the airbag so as to approach the airbag 20, and the airbag 20 can be smoothly folded. If such a point is not taken into consideration, the slit may be formed so as to intersect the width direction of the connecting member in the state where the bag body is pre-folded.

In particular, in the head protection airbag device M of the embodiment, in the connecting member 65, the main body 66 covering the vehicle outer side of the end-side expansion portion 38 is substantially along the front-rear direction in a state where the bag main 21 is pre-folded. Since the bag body 21 is arranged, the main body 66 of the connecting member 65 protruding from the slit 51 when the pre-folded bag body 21 is folded so that the lower edge 21b approaches the upper edge 21a side. It becomes possible to fold it integrally with the bag body 21 around it, the handling of the connecting member 65 becomes good, and the airbag 20 can be folded more smoothly. If such a point is not taken into consideration, the main body of the connecting member may be arranged so as to be inclined with respect to the front-rear direction when the bag main body is pre-folded.

In the head protection airbag device M of the embodiment, in the connecting member 65, the connecting piece 67 on the base portion 66a side is placed on the front edge side of the upper end of the end side expansion portion 38, and the bag body 21 is car outside O (car). It is configured to be connected to the bag body 21 so as to overlap the outer side wall portion 22b side), but the connection position of the connecting member to the bag body on the original portion side is not limited to the embodiment, and is not limited to the embodiment. It may be configured to be overlapped on the inside of the vehicle, or it may be configured to be coupled to the upper edge side of the end side expansion portion. Further, in the head protection airbag device M of the embodiment, in the bag main body 21, slits 51 through which the connecting member 65 is inserted are arranged at positions slightly above the upper and lower substantially centers of the bag main body 21. Although it is a configuration, the arrangement position of the slit on the vertical side can be appropriately set according to the interior shape of the vehicle and the like. If the slit is arranged downward, the area of the end-side expansion portion that protrudes inside the vehicle when expansion is completed can be increased. Conversely, if the slit is arranged upward, the region on the lower end side is moved to the inside of the vehicle. It is possible to prevent the protrusion of the vehicle, and to accurately regulate the interference with the airbag that expands in close proximity inside the vehicle.

Further, in the head protection airbag device M of the embodiment, the slit 51 through which the connecting member 65 is inserted is the vertical bar portion 48 of the end side partition portion 47 that partitions the general expansion portion 41 and the end side expansion portion 38. However, the shape of the compartment (closed portion) in which the slit is arranged is not limited to the embodiment, and for example, a circular compartment (a circular division) between the general expansion portion and the end side expansion portion ( A closed portion) or a partition portion (closed portion) formed intermittently at the top and bottom may be formed, and a slit may be provided in such a closed portion.

In the head protection airbag device M of the embodiment, the end side partition portion 47 that partitions the end side expansion portion 38 and the general expansion portion 41 protrudes rearward and upward from the upper end 48a side of the vertical bar portion 48. The horizontal bar portion 49 is provided, and the end side expansion portion 38 is configured to have a protruding portion 39 protruding to the rear side in a state where the bag main body 21 is flatly deployed on the upper end 38a side. When the expansion of the airbag 20 is completed, the end-side expansion portion 38 is arranged so that the upper end 38a side protrudes inside the vehicle in a wide area in the front-rear direction including the protrusion 39 (FIG. FIG. See 6 and 9). Therefore, the head H of the occupant P, which moves diagonally forward on the outside of the vehicle at the time of an oblique collision or an offset collision, is accurately determined by the portion on the upper end 38a side of the end-side expansion portion 38 that expands in a wide area. Can be constrained to. Of course, the shape of the end-side expansion portion is not limited to the embodiment, and the width dimension on the front-rear direction side may be substantially constant over the entire upper and lower sides. Further, in the head protection airbag device M of the embodiment, the end side expansion portion 38 is configured so that the lower end 38b side at the time of completion of expansion is positioned below the belt line BL. Therefore, when the head H of the occupant P moving diagonally forward on the outside of the vehicle is received by the portion on the upper end 38a side, the lower end 38b side protrudes inside the vehicle from the window W1 under the belt line BL. It can be supported by a member such as a door trim that is arranged, and the head H of the occupant P can be restrained more accurately.

1 ... Body, 2 ... Inner panel, 9 ... Airbag cover, 14 ... Inflator, 20 ... Airbag, 21 ... Bag body, 21a ... Upper edge, 21c ... Front end, 22 ... Expansion part, 38 ... End side expansion part, 38a ... upper end, 38b ... lower end, 41 ... general inflatable part, 45 ... non-expandable part, 46 ... peripheral part, 46a ... front upper corner part, 46b ... upper edge, 47 ... end side partition part, 51 ... slit, 62 ... Mounting part, 65 ... Connecting member, 66 ... Main body part, 66a ... Original part, 66b ... Tip, 67 ... Coupling piece, 68 ... Mounting part, 75 ... Steering wheel, 76 ... Airbag device, 77 ... Airbag, DS ... Driver's seat (seat), P ... driver (occupant), H ... head, W1, W2 ... window, V ... vehicle, M ... head protection airbag device.

Claims (4)

It is folded and stored on the upper edge side of the window inside the vehicle, and the upper edge side is attached and fixed to the body side of the vehicle, and the expansion gas from the inflator is allowed to flow in to project the inside of the window downward. Equipped with an airbag that expands and expands to cover
The airbag
A bag body having a flexible bag shape, the upper edge side of which is fixed to the body side of the vehicle on the upper edge side of the window at a plurality of locations along the front-rear direction.
A connecting member composed of a flexible seat body, the base side of which is connected to the bag body, and the tip side of which is fixed to the body side of the vehicle at the peripheral edge of the window.
It is configured to have
The bag body includes an end-side expansion portion arranged on the front end side when expansion is completed, and a general expansion portion arranged behind the end-side expansion portion.
A slit through which the connecting member can be inserted is formed between the general expansion portion and the end side expansion portion at a portion intermediate in the vertical direction of the bag body.
The connecting member connects the base side to a position on the front side of the slit in the bag body in a flatly unfolded state, and the end is inserted from the inside of the vehicle to the outside of the vehicle. A head protection airbag device that is arranged so as to cover the outside of the vehicle of the side expansion portion and is fixed to the body side of the vehicle at a position where the tip side is on the front side of the slit.
The bag in which the base portion side of the connecting member is above the slit and the bag body is in a flatly deployed state, with the upper end side of the end side expansion portion in between. By connecting to the front upper end side of the main body, when the expansion of the airbag is completed, the vehicle is pulled by the connecting member and the vicinity of the portion where the original side of the connecting member is connected at the end side expanding portion is the vehicle. A head protection airbag device characterized in that it is arranged so as to face inward. The lower edge is raised from the pre-folded state in which the airbag is folded back inside the vehicle so that the upper edge side of the end-side expansion portion in the bag body in a flatly deployed state is located near the front side of the slit. It is configured to be folded and mounted on the vehicle so that it approaches the veranda.
The connecting member is configured as a substantially strip shape,
The head protection according to claim 1, wherein the slit is formed so as to substantially follow the width direction of the connecting member through which the slit is inserted in a state where the bag body is pre-folded. Airbag device. The second aspect of the present invention, wherein the vehicle outer portion covering the vehicle outer side of the end-side expansion portion is arranged substantially along the front-rear direction in a state where the bag body is pre-folded. Head protection airbag device. It is folded and stored on the upper edge side of the window inside the vehicle, and the upper edge side is attached and fixed to the body side of the vehicle, and the expansion gas from the inflator is allowed to flow in to project the inside of the window downward. Equipped with an airbag that expands and expands to cover
The airbag
A bag body having a flexible bag shape, the upper edge side of which is fixed to the body side of the vehicle on the upper edge side of the window at a plurality of locations along the front-rear direction.
A connecting member composed of a flexible seat body, the base side of which is connected to the bag body, and the tip side of which is fixed to the body side of the vehicle at the peripheral edge of the window.
It is configured to have
The bag body includes an end-side expansion portion arranged on the front end side when expansion is completed, and a general expansion portion arranged behind the end-side expansion portion.
A slit through which the connecting member can be inserted is formed between the general expansion portion and the end side expansion portion at a portion intermediate in the vertical direction of the bag body.
The connecting member connects the base side to a position on the front side of the slit in the bag body in a flatly unfolded state, and the end is inserted from the inside of the vehicle to the outside of the vehicle. A head protection airbag device that is arranged so as to cover the outside of the vehicle of the side expansion portion and is fixed to the body side of the vehicle at a position where the tip side is on the front side of the slit.
By connecting the base side of the connecting member to a position above the slit, the bag body is pulled by the connecting member when the expansion of the airbag is completed, and the end side expanding portion is used. near the site that is bound to the original side of the coupling member, to direct the vehicle interior side, Ri configuration der disposed,
A head protection airbag device characterized in that, in the connecting member, a vehicle outer portion covering the vehicle outer side of the end-side expansion portion is arranged substantially along the front-rear direction in a state where the bag body is pre-folded. ..

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