JP6945066B2 - Airbag device for saddle-riding vehicles - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an airbag device for a saddle-riding vehicle.

Conventionally, as an airbag device for a saddle-riding vehicle, a folded airbag and an inflator that expands and deploys the airbag are integrally stored.
Then, it is known that this airbag module is mounted on a top bridge that supports a front fork (for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-269048

However, in the technique of Patent Document 1, the airbag module is arranged on the top bridge, which cannot be used in a saddle-riding vehicle having no top bridge.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and to provide an airbag device that can be arranged even in a restricted space and can contribute to the safety of occupants.

In the present invention, the retainer (52a) that houses the inflator (53), the airbag (52) that is expanded by the gas released by the inflator (53), the inflator (53), and the airbag (52). The retainer (52a) is provided on the rotation shaft (L) of the handle stem (20a), and the rotation mechanism (60) is provided between the retainer (52a) and the handle stem (20a). Is provided.
According to this configuration, the rotation mechanism (60) holds the retainer (52a) in a fixed position with respect to the vehicle regardless of the rotation of the handle (23).

Further, in the above invention, the retainer (52a) is arranged above the meter (36) in the side view of the vehicle, and the meter (36) regulates the rotation of the retainer (52a) with respect to the meter (36). A regulation unit (37) may be provided.
According to this configuration, the regulation unit (37) can be configured by simply changing the shape of the meter (36).

Further, in the above invention, the cable (54) may be connected to the inflator (53), and the cable (54) may be fixed by the regulation unit (37).
According to this configuration, the orientation of the retainer (52a) can be maintained by using the cable (54).

Further, in the above invention, when viewed from the side of the vehicle, the rearmost end of the meter (36) is separated from the straight line (L1) passing through the foremost end of the retainer (52a) and parallel to the rotation shaft (L). May be placed.
According to this configuration, while the meter (36) and the retainer (52a) are brought close to each other, they are less likely to overlap in the driver's field of view.

According to the airbag device for a saddle-mounted vehicle according to the present invention, the retainer can be held on the rotation axis of the handle stem while maintaining the orientation of the retainer regardless of the rotation of the handle stem. Therefore, the airbag device can be easily arranged on the rotation shaft of the handle stem, and the airbag device can be arranged even in the restricted space of the saddle-riding vehicle. Then, it is possible to provide an airbag device that can be placed near the head and upper body of the occupant and can contribute to the safety of the occupant.

Further, in the above configuration, the retainer may be arranged above the meter when viewed from the side of the vehicle, and the meter may be provided with a regulating unit for restricting the rotation of the retainer with respect to the meter.
According to this configuration, the rotation of the retainer can be regulated and the airbag device can be arranged on the rotation axis of the handle stem with a simple configuration in the restricted space. In addition, airbags can be placed near the occupant's head and upper body.

Further, in the above configuration, a cable is connected to the inflator, and the cable may be fixed by the regulation unit.
According to this configuration, the orientation of the retainer can be held at a fixed position with respect to the vehicle by using the cable, and the limited space can be effectively utilized.

Further, in the above configuration, the rearmost end of the meter may be arranged apart from the straight line passing through the frontmost end of the retainer and parallel to the rotation axis in the side view of the vehicle.
According to this configuration, the meter also functions as a regulator of the retainer while ensuring the visibility of the meter.

FIG. 1 is a left side view of a motorcycle provided with an airbag device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view showing an arrangement configuration of the steering wheel and the airbag device. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the arrangement configuration of the steering wheel, the airbag device, and the meter. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the arrangement configuration of the steering wheel, the airbag device, and the meter. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cable of the airbag device and the regulation portion. FIG. 6 is a top view showing the relationship between the handle and the holder of the airbag device as viewed from the direction of the handle rotation axis.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the explanation, the directions such as front / rear / left / right and up / down are the same as the directions with respect to the vehicle body unless otherwise specified. Further, the reference numeral FR shown in each figure indicates the front of the vehicle body, and the reference numeral UP indicates the upper portion of the vehicle body. The reference numeral RH indicates the right side of the vehicle body, and the reference numeral LH indicates the left side of the vehicle body.

FIG. 1 is a left side view of a motorcycle 1 including an airbag device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the airbag 52, which will be described later, is expanded and expanded. In addition, in FIG. 1, only the one on the left side including the reference numeral is shown as a pair of left and right ones.

The motorcycle 1 includes a body frame 10, a steering system 11 that steerably supports the front wheels 2, a power unit 12 supported at the rear of the body frame 10, a rear wheel 3, and a seat on which an occupant straddles. It is a scooter type saddle-riding vehicle equipped with 13.

The vehicle body frame 10 includes a head pipe 14 provided at the front end of the vehicle body frame 10, a main frame 15 extending rearward and downward from the head pipe 14, and a pair of left and right lower frames 16 and 16 extending rearward from the lower end portion of the main frame 15. Be prepared. Further, the vehicle body frame 10 includes a pair of left and right rear frames 17 and 17 extending rearward from the lower frames 16 and 16. The head pipe 14 is arranged at the center of the vehicle width like the front wheel 2.

The steering system 11 includes a steering shaft 20 pivotally supported by the head pipe 14, and a pair of left and right front forks 21 and 21 arranged on both the left and right sides of the front wheels 2 to support the front wheels 2. The steering system 11 further includes a bridge member 22 fixed to the lower end of the steering shaft 20 and connecting the upper portions of the left and right front forks 21 and 21, and a steering wheel 23 fixed to the upper end of the steering shaft 20. The steering handle 23 is connected to the steering shaft 20 via a handle post 20b and a handle stem 20a fixed to the upper end of the steering shaft 20.
In the side view of the vehicle, the head pipe 14 is tilted backward with respect to the vertical direction by a predetermined caster angle set for the motorcycle 1. The steering shaft 20 is inserted through the head pipe 14 and is pivotally supported, and is arranged so as to be tilted backward when viewed from the side of the vehicle.

The power unit 12 is a unit swing engine having a function of an engine as a drive source for the rear wheels 3 and a swing arm for supporting the rear wheels 3. The power unit 12 is pivotally supported on the vehicle body frame 10 via a link member 24 provided at the front end of the power unit 12.
The seat 13 is provided above the rear frame 17. The seat 13 integrally includes a front seat 13a on which the driver sits and a rear seat 13b on which the passenger sits.
The step floors 25, 25 on which the driver puts his / her left and right feet are provided in pairs on the front and lower sides of the front seat 13a.

The motorcycle 1 includes a vehicle body cover 26 that covers a vehicle body such as a vehicle body frame 10.
The vehicle body cover 26 is continuous with the front cover 27 that covers the upper part of the head pipe 14 and the steering system 11 from the front and left and right sides, and the trailing edge of the front cover 27, and covers the upper part of the head pipe 14 and the steering system 11 from the rear. It is provided with an inner cover 28.
The vehicle body cover 26 includes a center cover 29 located below the front seat 13a and an undercover 30 below the step floors 25 and 25 to cover the vehicle body from below. The vehicle body cover 26 further includes a rear side cover 31 that covers the rear frames 17 and 17 from the side below the seat 13.

The windscreen 32 that inclines backward when viewed from the side of the vehicle is attached to the upper part of the front cover 27. The headlight 33 is provided on the front surface of the front cover 27.
The motorcycle 1 includes a front fender 34 and a rear fender 35.
The meter 36 that displays information about the motorcycle 1 such as the vehicle speed is arranged in front of the steering wheel 23. The rearview mirror 23d is attached to the handle 23.

The front portion of the center cover 29 is continuous with the lower portion of the inner cover 28. The center cover 29 is located inside the left and right legs of the driver extending from the front seat 13a to the step floors 25 and 25.
When viewed from the side of the vehicle, the inner cover 28, the center cover 29, and the front surface of the front seat 13a divide the straddle space 38 recessed downward. When getting on and off the motorcycle 1, the occupant can straddle the motorcycle 1 through the straddling space 38.

The motorcycle 1 includes an airbag device 50 that protects an occupant from an impact. The airbag device 50 is located above the steering system 11 and on the rotation shaft L of the handle stem 20a when viewed from the side of the vehicle.

Next, the airbag device 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6.
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view showing an arrangement configuration of the handle 23 and the airbag device 50. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the arrangement configuration of the handle 23, the airbag device 50, and the meter 36, and FIG. 4 is a side view showing the arrangement configuration of the handle, the airbag device, and the meter. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cable of the airbag device and the regulation portion, and FIG. 6 is a top view of the handle and the holder of the airbag device as viewed from the handle rotation axis direction. ..

The airbag device 50 is composed of an airbag module 50a and a holder 51, and the airbag module 50a is composed of an airbag 52, an inflator 53, and a retainer 52a for accommodating the airbag 52.
The inflator 53 is connected to the control unit (not shown) of the motorcycle 1 via a cable 54, and an acceleration sensor (not shown) is connected to the control unit.

The airbag 52 is housed in the retainer 52a in a folded state. The inflator 53 generates gas for inflating the airbag 52, and is attached to the bottom of the retainer 52a. The upper portion of the inflator 53 is inserted into the retainer 52a so that gas can be supplied to the airbag 52 in the retainer 52a. As a result, the gas generated in the inflator 53 is supplied from the lower part of the airbag 52 to expand the airbag 52.
Further, the lower portion of the inflator 53 is arranged so as to project downward from the retainer 52a, and one end of the cable 54 is connected to the lower portion of the inflator 53. The other end of the cable 54 is connected to a control unit (not shown).

The airbag device 50 is arranged above the handle stem 20a via the handle post 20b and the holder 51. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the airbag device 50 is arranged on the rotation shaft L of the handle stem 20a in the side view of the vehicle.
A handle post 20b is provided at the upper end of the handle stem 20a, and the handle post 20b is located on a plane R orthogonal to the rotation axis L of the handle stem 20a.

The holder 51 arranged on the handle post 20b is slidably provided with respect to the handle post 20b. The handle post 20b and the holder 51 are connected by a locking portion 55, and the holder 51 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the handle post 20b with the rotation shaft L as the rotation center. That is, the rotation mechanism 60 of the airbag device 50 is configured by the handle post 20b, the holder 51, and the locking portion 55, and the airbag device 50 is rotatably configured with respect to the handle post 20b.

As shown in FIG. 3, the handle post 20b is integrally provided at the upper end of the handle stem 20a, and the handles 23 are integrally connected to the left and right of the upper surface of the handle post 20b.
The handle 23 is composed of a handle base 23a, a rise portion 23b, and a grip portion 23c. The handle base 23a is connected to the upper surface of the handle post 20b, and a rise portion 23b extending upward of the vehicle is connected to the handle base 23a. A grip portion 23c extending to the left and right outside of the vehicle is provided above the rise portion 23b.

As shown in FIG. 6, the handle post 20b is composed of a side member 20e connecting the left and right handles 23, and a front arc portion 20d and a rear arc portion 20c provided at the center of the side member 20e. Further, the front arc portion 20d protrudes from the side member 20e to the front of the vehicle, and the rear arc portion 20c protrudes from the side member 20e to the rear of the vehicle. The handle stem 20a is connected to the lower surface of the central portion of the side member 20e.

The rear arc portion 20c and the front arc portion 20d are formed in an arc shape having a constant width about the rotation shaft L when viewed from the rotation axis L direction of the handle stem 20a.
A holder 51 is arranged on the side member 20e, the front arc portion 20d, and the rear arc portion 20c of the handle post 20b.

As shown in FIG. 6, the holder 51 is arranged on the handle post 20b between the rise portions 23b of the handle 23, and is arranged symmetrically with respect to the rotation axis of the handle post 20b.
The holder 51 is composed of a base portion 51b along the upper surface of the handle post 20b and an extension portion 51a extending perpendicularly from the base portion 51b to the upper surface of the handle post 20b.
A retainer 52a is attached to the extending portion 51a, and the lower surface of the base portion 51b is in contact with the upper surface of the handle post 20b.
The base portion 51b is formed in an arc shape having substantially the same radius as the rear arc portion 20c and the front arc portion 20d of the handle post 20b, and the base portion 51b is provided with a guide hole 51c.
The guide hole 51c is an arc-shaped elongated hole provided with a base portion 51b, and is located on the circumference centered on the rotation axis L, like the front arc portion 20d and the rear arc portion 20c.

A locking portion 55 is engaged with the guide hole 51c of the holder 51, and the holder 51 is slidably locked to the handle post 20b.
The locking portion 55 is composed of a pin 55a and a stopper 55b, and the pin 55a is attached to the side member 20e of the handle post 20b. The pin 55a is inserted into a hole provided in the side member 20e and a guide hole 51c of the holder 51, and a stopper 55b is attached to the upper end of the pin 55a.
As a result, the side member 20e and the base portion 51b of the holder 51 are locked between the lower end of the pin 55a and the stopper 55b.
The outer diameter of the lower end of the pin 55a is larger than the outer diameter of the hole of the side member 20e to which the pin 55a is mounted and the width of the guide hole 51c, and the outer diameter of the stopper 55b is the guide hole 51c. It is configured to be larger than the width.

One end of the cable 54 is fixed to the lower surface of the inflator 53 attached to the lower part of the retainer 52a, and the cable 54 is attached to the inflator 53 so as not to rotate relative to each other.
Then, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cable 54 extends from the bottom of the inflator 53, passes between the holders 51, passes in front of the handle post 20b, and extends forward and downward. Further, the cable 54 extends forward and downward along the lower surface 36b of the meter 36 arranged below the airbag module 50a.

Two regulating portions 37 are provided on the lower surface 36b of the meter 36 in the front-rear direction along the extending direction of the cable 54, and regulate the position of the cable 54 with respect to the lower surface 36b of the meter 36.
The tip portion 37a of the regulation portion 37 is formed in a hook shape, and the cable 54 is fitted and held inside the tip portion 37a. Further, the tip portion 37a is fixed to the lower surface 36b of the meter 36 via the base portion 37b, and the regulation portion 37 is integrally formed with the meter 36.
As a result, the cable 54 is fixed to the meter 36 by the regulation unit 37.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, in the side view of the vehicle, the meter 36 is located in front of the straight line L1 passing through the foremost end of the retainer 52a and parallel to the rotation axis L. The meter 36 is located in the front region and the retainer 52a is arranged in the rear region with respect to the straight line L1. Then, at the arrangement height of the rearmost end of the retainer 52a, the rearmost end of the retainer 52a is located at a position separated from the straight line L1.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention having the above configuration will be described.
When the handle 23 is rotated, the handle post 20b and the handle stem 20a rotate around the rotation axis L of the handle stem 20a together with the handle 23.
The retainer 52a of the airbag device 50 is arranged on the handle post 20b via the holder 51 of the rotation mechanism 60, and the cable 54 attached to the inflator 53 is regulated by the regulation portion 37 of the meter 36. There is.
Therefore, the retainer 52a and the holder 51 do not rotate, and as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 6, when the handle post 20b rotates, the locking portion 55 only moves along the guide hole 51c. ..
Since the outer diameter of the stopper 55b of the locking portion 55 is larger than the width of the guide hole 51c, the movement of the holder 51 in the rotation axis L direction is restricted.

In this way, when the handle 23 is rotated, the retainer 52a of the airbag device 50 is not rotated, and the position and orientation of the retainer 52a are kept constant with respect to the vehicle.
That is, the retainer 52a of the airbag device 50 is arranged on the rotating mechanism 60 composed of the holder 51, the handle post 20b, and the locking portion 55, and the cable connected to the airbag device 50 by the regulating portion 37. The rotation of 54 is regulated. As a result, the airbag device 50 is held in a fixed position.

By restricting the rotation of the airbag device 50 with respect to the vehicle and maintaining the orientation above the handle post 20b, the airbag 52 can be easily deployed upward near the occupant's head and upper body.
Further, since the airbag device 50 is not rotated when the handle 23 is rotated, the mass of the airbag device 50 does not affect the operation of the handle 23.

The operation of the airbag module 50a will be described.
When the acceleration sensor (not shown) of the motorcycle 1 detects an acceleration of a predetermined value or more, the control unit (not shown) operates the inflator 53. As a result, the inflator 53 generates gas.
The gas generated by the inflator 53 is supplied to the airbag 52 in the retainer 52a.
Then, the airbag 52 expands due to the inflowing gas, and the airbag 52 cleaves a part of the retainer 52a and expands above the retainer 52a.
As a result, the airbag 52 is deployed upward. Further, the orientation of the airbag device 50 is maintained with respect to the vehicle regardless of the rotational state of the steering wheel 23.
The impact generated when the airbag 52 is deployed is received by the head pipe 14 via the holder 51, the handle post 20b, and the handle stem 20a.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the side view of the vehicle, the meter 36 is separated from the straight line L1 at the arranged height with respect to the straight line L1 passing through the front end of the retainer 52a and parallel to the rotation axis L. It is in the position where it was. The driver's head of the motorcycle 1 is located near the axis of the steering shaft 20 and above the steering wheel 23. Therefore, the driver's line of sight is closer to the direction of the straight line L1, and the display area of the meter 36 provided in front of the rearmost end of the meter 36 is less likely to be hidden by the retainer 52a.

As described above, according to the embodiment to which the present invention is applied, the airbag device 50 of the motorcycle 1 includes an inflator 53, an airbag 52 inflated by a gas released by the inflator 53, an inflator 53, and the like. A retainer 52a for accommodating the airbag 52 is provided, the retainer 52a is provided on the rotation shaft L of the handle stem 20a, and a rotation mechanism 60 is provided between the retainer 52a and the handle stem 20a.
According to this configuration, even if the handle stem 20a is rotated by operating the handle 23, the retainer 52a is not rotated by the rotation mechanism 60, and the orientation of the retainer 52a is maintained. As a result, the orientation of the retainer 52a with respect to the vehicle becomes constant, and it is not necessary to consider the case where the retainer 52a is rotating, and the airbag 52 can be made into an efficient shape. Then, the airbag 52 can be compactly configured, the airbag device 50 itself can be compactly configured, and the airbag device 50 can be arranged even in a restricted space.
The load of the airbag device 50 is supported by the handle stem 20a, and the load of the airbag device 50 does not affect the operation of the handle 23. Therefore, the airbag device 50 can be installed above the handle stem 20a while maintaining the operability of the vehicle.

Further, the retainer 52a is arranged above the meter 36 when viewed from the side of the vehicle, and the meter 36 is provided with a regulation unit 37 that regulates the rotation of the retainer 52a with respect to the meter 36.
According to this configuration, since the regulation unit 37 is provided on the meter 36 mounted on the vehicle, the regulation unit 37 that regulates the rotation of the retainer 52a can be configured by simply changing the shape of the meter. Therefore, the regulation unit 37 can be easily configured in the restricted space.
Further, the cable 54 of the airbag device 50 connected to the control unit (not shown) can be arranged along with the electric system cable connected to the meter 36, so that the cable 54 can be easily routed.

Further, a cable 54 is connected to the inflator 53, and the cable 54 is fixed by the regulating portion 37.
According to this configuration, the orientation of the retainer 52a can be held at a fixed position with respect to the vehicle by using the cable 54, and the limited space can be effectively utilized. Further, it is not necessary to additionally provide another regulation member to the airbag module 50a.

Further, when viewed from the side of the vehicle, the rearmost end of the meter 36 is arranged so as to be separated from the straight line L1 passing through the foremost end of the retainer 52a and parallel to the rotation shaft L.
According to this configuration, the retainer 52a is less likely to overlap the meter 36 in the driver's field of view. Therefore, the meter 36 can function as a part of the regulating portion 37 of the retainer 52a while ensuring the visibility of the meter 36.

Further, in the above embodiment, the motorcycle 1 as an example of a saddle-riding vehicle has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention includes two front wheels or two rear wheels 3. It is applicable to saddle-riding vehicles with wheels and saddle-riding vehicles with four or more wheels.

1 Motorcycle 20 Steering shaft 20a Handle stem 20b Handle post 20c Rear arc 20d Front arc 20e Side member 21 Front fork 22 Bridge member 23 Handle 36 Meter 36b Bottom surface 37 Regulator 37a Tip 37b Base 50 Airbag device 50a Airbag Module 51 Holder 51a Extension 51b Base 51c Guide hole 52 Airbag 52a Retainer 53 Inflator 54 Cable 55 Locking part 55a Pin 55b Stopper 60 Rotating mechanism L Rotating shaft

Claims (4)

The inflator (53), the airbag (52) expanded by the gas released by the inflator (53), the inflator (53), and the retainer (52a) for accommodating the airbag (52) are provided.
The retainer (52a) is provided on the rotation shaft (L) of the handle stem (20a).
An airbag device for a saddle-riding vehicle, characterized in that a rotation mechanism (60) is provided between the retainer (52a) and the handle stem (20a). The retainer (52a) is arranged above the meter (36) when viewed from the side of the vehicle.
The saddle-riding vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the meter (36) is provided with a regulation unit (37) that regulates the rotation of the retainer (52a) with respect to the meter (36). Airbag device. The air of a saddle-riding vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a cable (54) is connected to the inflator (53), and the cable (54) is fixed by the regulation unit (37). Bag device. When viewed from the side of the vehicle, the rearmost end of the meter (36) is arranged at a distance from a straight line (L1) that passes through the foremost end of the retainer (52a) and is parallel to the rotation shaft (L). The airbag device for a saddle-riding vehicle according to claim 2 or 3.

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