JP7026334B2 - Airbag device for motorcycles - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an airbag device that protects a occupant of a motorcycle from an impact at the time of an accident.

Conventionally, those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are known as this type of airbag device. The one described in Patent Document 1 includes a wearer to be mounted on an occupant, an airbag which is an air bag provided on the occupant, an air filling device for inflating the airbag, and a motorcycle side and a occupant side. It is provided with a connecting member to be connected, a coupling switch for detecting disconnection of a pair of coupling members provided as a part of the coupling member, and a control unit for operating an air filling device based on the detection operation of the coupling switch. There is.

The air bag has a first bag portion formed so as to cover the circumference of the occupant's waist from the back side to both sides, and left and right extending from the first bag portion to the back side of the human body, both shoulders and the chest side. It consists of a pair of second bag portions and a third bag portion extending in the left-right direction along the back of the human body. Each second bag portion communicates one end with the back surface side of the first bag portion, and the third bag portion communicates both ends with each second bag portion 2b.

In the case described in Patent Document 1, when the occupant gets on the motorcycle, the occupant side and the motorcycle side are connected by a connecting member. When an accident or the like occurs and the occupant is thrown out of the motorcycle, the coupling member included in the coupling member is released from the coupling, and the coupling switch detects this. Then, the control unit inflates the airbag based on the detection result of the coupling switch.

Such an airbag device has an advantage of low cost because it is not necessary to provide sensors or modify the motorcycle on the motorcycle side. However, there is a problem that the convenience is lacking because the work of connecting / disconnecting by the connecting member is required at the time of getting on and off.

On the other hand, the one described in Patent Document 2 has a configuration in which sensors are arranged on the motorcycle side and wireless communication is performed between the motorcycle side and the airbag jacket side. This has the advantage of high convenience because there is no work for getting on and off.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-31569 Japanese Patent No. 5171604

However, the one described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that the shape of the airbag is not optimal for a motorcycle and it is not possible to sufficiently protect the occupants. For example, in an accident with a motorcycle, the occupant, especially near the abdomen, may collide with the steering wheel or front cowl of the motorcycle, but the airbag shape of Patent Document 1 sufficiently protects the occupant in such an accident. It was difficult to plan. This is also due to the fact that the timing of airbag expansion is the departure of the occupant from the motorcycle. On the other hand, in the case described in Patent Document 2, the airbag can be inflated without the occupant leaving the motorcycle, but the shape of the airbag has not been examined in detail.

Further, the one described in Patent Document 2 is configured to perform wireless communication between the motorcycle side and the airbag jacket side, but it is difficult to sufficiently ensure the reliability of the wireless communication. There is a problem. Further, since it is necessary to provide sensors and control devices on the motorcycle side, not only the cost is high, but also there is a problem that even if the occupant wears an airbag jacket, it cannot be used in other motorcycles.

Further, in those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, an inflator using explosive is adopted as a means for inflating the airbag. Therefore, there is also a problem that the cost is high. Depending on the storage environment and usage environment of the airbag device, the one using gunpowder may not be preferable.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is firstly to effectively protect occupants from the impact caused by an accident, and secondly to attach or modify various devices to a motorcycle. It is an object of the present invention to provide an airbag device that satisfies the needlessness and, thirdly, the low cost.

In order to achieve the above object, the airbag device for a motorcycle according to the present invention has a surrounding portion surrounding the neck of a occupant riding on a motorcycle and a downward portion from the front portion of the surrounding portion to the waist position in front of the occupant. An airbag formed by integrally communicating a pair of left and right body portions extending from the lower part of each body portion and a pair of left and right waist portions extending along the circumference of the occupant's waist, and a pressurizing force for inflating the airbag. The inflator provided with a cylinder filled with gas and an operating means for breaking the lid of the cylinder to introduce the gas into the airbag, a sensor including an acceleration sensor and an angular velocity sensor, and the above based on the detection result of the sensor. The wearing body comprises a control means for controlling the inflator so as to destroy the lid of the bomb, a wearing body for accommodating the airbag, the inflator, the sensor, and the controlling means, and being worn by an occupant . Has an outer material and a lining, and the front surface is divided into left and right to form an openable bodice, the airbag is arranged between the outer material and the lining, and the outer material is a pair of left and right front bodies and upper rear. It has a body and a lower rear body, and the upper ends of the left and right front bodies are connected to the upper ends of the upper and rear bodies, and the left and right edges of the left and right front bodies are disconnected by the expansion of the airbag. The left and right edges and the lower edge of the upper and rear bodies are connected to the lining so as to be disconnected by the expansion of the airbag .

Further, as an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the actuating device has a needle for penetrating the lid of the cylinder and elasticity that urges the needle with an elastic force in a direction of penetrating the lid of the cylinder. It is characterized by including a member, a stopper mechanism that locks the elastic member in a state where elastic force is accumulated, and a driving means that drives the stopper mechanism to release the lock based on a signal from the control means. There is something to do.

According to the present invention, the airbag surrounds the occupant's neck, a pair of left and right torso extending downward from the front of the occupant to the waist position on the front surface of the occupant, and the occupant from the lower end of each of the torso. Since it is equipped with a pair of left and right hips that extend along the circumference of the hips, it is possible to effectively protect the occupants from the impact of an accident. Further, in the present invention, since the sensor, the control means, and the like are housed in the wearing body, it is not necessary to attach or modify various devices to the motorcycle, and the cost is low. Further, the inflator according to the present invention breaks the lid of the cylinder by the elastic force of the elastic member without using explosives, so that the cost is low and the storage and replacement of the cylinder can be easily performed. As described above, the airbag device according to the present invention is highly safe, low cost, and highly convenient.

Top view of the airbag device from the front Top view of the airbag device from the back side Top view from the front with a part of the airbag device unfolded Top view seen from the back side with a part of the airbag device unfolded Top view of the inside with the airbag device unfolded Floor plan of airbag A diagram illustrating how the airbag is inflated A diagram illustrating how the airbag is inflated Partial notch side view of the inflator Configuration diagram of the control device

An airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the structure of the wearable body and the airbag worn by the occupant will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

1 is a plan view of the airbag device from the front, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the airbag device from the rear side, FIG. 3 is a plan view of the airbag device in an unfolded state, and FIG. 4 is a plan view of the airbag device from the front. A plan view seen from the rear side with a part of the airbag device expanded, FIG. 5 is a plan view looking inside with the airbag device expanded, FIG. 6 is a plan view of the airbag, and FIGS. 7 and 8 are. It is a figure explaining how the airbag is inflated.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the airbag device according to the present embodiment includes a wearable body 100 worn by an occupant and an airbag 200 housed in the wearable body 100.

The wearing body 100 has an outer material 110 and a lining 190, and is formed in the shape of a sleeveless bodice whose front surface can be divided into left and right parts and can be opened. The airbag 200 is arranged in the space between the outer material 110 and the lining material 190.

The outer material 110 includes a front body composed of a pair of left and right front bodies 120 and 130 divided into left and right, and a rear body composed of a pair of upper and lower back bodies 140 and a lower back body 150 divided vertically. .. Fasteners 121 and 131, which are connecting means for connecting the left and right front bodies 120 and 130, are attached to the opposite edges. In addition to the fastener, other means such as a button, a snap button, a hook, and a hook-and-loop fastener may be used as the connecting means.

The left and right front bodies 120 and 130 are the main front body portions 122 and 132 that cover from the upper end corresponding to the shoulder position to the lower end corresponding to the waist position on the front side of the occupant, and the occupants from the lower part of the main front body portions 122 and 132. It is divided into left and right hip portions 123 and 133 that cover up to the left and right hip positions. The left and right waist portions 123 and 133 are sewn to the lining 190 at peripheral portions other than the division positions with the main front body portions 122 and 132. The upper edges of the main front body portions 122 and 132 are connected to the upper end portions of the upper and rear body portions 140 so as to be integrated by sewing. The opposite edges of the main front body portions 122 and 132 are sewn to the lining 190. As shown in FIG. 3, the opposite edges of the main front body portions 122 and 132 are attached to the edges of the left and right waist portions 123 and 133 by snap buttons 124, 134, 125 and 135 so as to be disconnected by a predetermined force. It is connected. As described above, the left and right waist portions 123 and 133 are sewn on the lining 190. Therefore, it can be said that the opposite edges of the main front body portions 122 and 132 are connected to the lining 190 via the left and right lumbar portions 123 and 133 so as to be disconnected by a predetermined force.

As described above, the upper edge portion of the upper rear body 140 is connected to the upper ends of the main front body portions 122 and 132 of the left and right front bodies 120 and 130 so as to be integrated by sewing. As shown in FIG. 4, the left and right edges and the lower edge of the upper back body 140 are connected to the edge of the lining 190 by snap buttons 141 and 191 so as to be disconnected by a predetermined force. The lower back body 150 is sewn to the lining 190 at its peripheral edge.

As shown in FIG. 1, strip-shaped lateral reflectors 126 and 136 are attached to the lower portions of the left and right front bodies 120 and 130 in the left-right direction. Further, the left and right front bodies 120 and 130 are provided with strip-shaped vertical reflective materials 127 and 137 from the shoulder position to the waist position. The lower ends of the vertical reflectors 127 and 137 are connected to the lateral reflectors 126 and 136. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 2, a band-shaped lateral reflector 151 is attached to the lower portion of the lower rear body 150 in the left-right direction. Further, a pair of strip-shaped vertical reflectors 142 and 152 are attached to the upper back body 140 and the lower back body 150 from the shoulder position to the abdomen position. The lower end of the vertical reflector 152 is connected to the transverse reflector 151.

The lining 190 is made of a mesh member having good breathability and transparency. As shown in FIG. 4, an elastic fixing belt 192 for fixing the airbag 200 is attached to the upper part of the back body of the lining 190 and the center of the left and right sides, that is, the position below the rear neck of the occupant. The fixing belt 192 forms an annular shape by sewing both ends of the elastic band-shaped member in the longitudinal direction to the lining 190. The longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped member coincides with the vertical direction of the lining 190, and a part of the airbag 200 is inserted laterally inside the fixing belt 192 as described later.

The airbag 200 is made of a highly airtight and durable fabric (for example, all-aromatic polyester), and is formed into a bag shape by sewing or heat-sealing such a fabric. The airbag 200 is arranged in the space between the outer material 110 and the lining 190 of the wearing body 100 in a folded and contracted state.

As shown in FIG. 6, the airbag 200 includes a surrounding portion 210 that surrounds the occupant's neck and a pair of left and right trunk portions 221,222 extending downward from the left and right front portions of the surrounding portion 210 to the waist position on the front surface of the occupant. And a pair of left and right waist portions 231,232 extending from the lower part of each body portion 221,222 along the circumference of the occupant's waist. The surrounding portion 210, the body portion 211,222, and the waist portion 231,232 are integrally communicated with each other. An intake port 201 is formed on one waist portion 231. An exhaust port 202 is formed on the other waist portion 232. An inflator 300, which will be described later, is connected to the intake port 201. The exhaust port 202 is normally closed, and is opened by the operation of the occupant when the gas in the airbag 200 is discharged by the occupant after the expansion of the airbag 200. Fasteners 223, 224 for detachably connecting to the lining 190 are provided at the edges of the body portions 221 and 222 of the airbag 200 at positions facing each other. Fasteners 225 and 226 for detachably connecting to the lining 190 are provided on the lower edges of the body portions 221 and 222 of the airbag 200. In addition to the fastener, other means such as a button, a snap button, and a hook-and-loop fastener may be used as the connecting means. However, the connecting means can be connected with a strength that does not release the connection with the lining 190 even when the airbag 200 expands.

The surrounding portion 210 of the airbag 200 is arranged in the space between the upper parts of the left and right front bodies 120 and 130 and the front body of the lining 190, and the space between the upper back body 140 and the back body of the lining 190. At this time, as described above, the upper center of the surrounding portion 210 of the airbag 200 is inserted into the annular fixing belt 192. The body portions 221 and 222 of the airbag 200 are arranged in the space between the main front body portions 122 and 132 of the left and right front bodies 120 and 130 and the front body of the lining 190. The waist portions 231 and 232 of the airbag 200 are arranged in the lower part of the main front body portions 122 and 132 of the left and right front bodies 120 and 130 and in the space between the left and right waist portions 123 and 133 and the front body of the lining 190. Each fastener 223 to 226 of the airbag is connected by a fastener (not shown) provided at a corresponding position of the lining 190.

As shown in FIG. 5, an electrical component bag 193 for accommodating electrical components such as a control device, which will be described later, is attached to the rear body of the lining 190 inside the airbag device. Further, a belt 194 to be worn around the waist of the occupant is attached to the rear body of the lining 190 inside the airbag device. Further, a well-known buckle 194a that is detachably engaged with the tip of the belt 194 is attached. Further, inside the buckle 194a, a switch 194b that turns on and off in conjunction with the coupling and disconnection of the buckle 194a is provided. The belt 194 is provided with an inflator storage bag 195 for storing an inflator 300, which will be described later, and a battery storage bag 196 for storing a battery (not shown). Holes (not shown) are formed in the lining 190 side of the inflator storage bag 195 and the lining 190 at a position overlapping the inflator storage bag 195 to enable the connection between the inflator 300 and the airbag 200.

With such a configuration, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, when the airbag 200 is expanded, it cannot fit in the space between the outer material 110 and the lining 190, and the connecting member of each member in the wearing body 100 cannot be accommodated. The connected state of the body 100 is released, and the body 100 bulges outward.

Specifically, when the airbag 200 expands, the snap buttons 141 and 191 that connect the upper back body 140 and the lining 190 are disconnected, and the main front body portions 122 and 132 of the left and right front bodies 120 and 130 are released. The snap buttons 124, 134, 125, 135 that connect the lining 190 and the lining 190 are disconnected. As a result, the surrounding portion 210 of the airbag 200 is arranged around the neck of the occupant 1 in an inflated state. Here, the central portion of the surrounding portion 210 of the airbag 200 is restricted from being deformed by expansion by the fixing belt 192. That is, without the fixing belt 192, the surrounding portion 210 of the airbag 200 tries to be deformed so as to extend straight from the body portions 221,222, and as a result, the central portion of the surrounding portion 210 is located at the head position or further upward. It will be positioned. In the present invention, the deformation of the airbag 200 is regulated by the fixing belt 192, and the central portion of the surrounding portion 210 of the airbag 200 is pulled downward, so that the surrounding portion 210 is securely arranged around the neck of the occupant 1. Can be done.

Further, due to the expansion of the airbag 200, the upper portions of the main front body portions 122 and 132 of the left and right front body portions 120 and 130 and the upper and rear body portions 140 connected to the upper and rear body portions 140 are flipped upward by the airbag 200, and the upper surface of the surrounding portion 210 is formed. It will be in a state of being on. Regarding the snap buttons 124, 134, 125, 135 that connect the main front body portions 122, 132 of the left and right front body 120, 130 and the lining 190, the amount of gas sucked into the airbag 200 and the body shape of the occupant 1 It should be noted that not all of them will be disconnected depending on the above.

An inflator 300 provided with a cylinder 310 and an actuating device 320 is connected to the intake port 201 of the airbag 200. The inflator 300 is housed in the inflator storage bag 195. The cylinder 310 is filled with a pressurized gas that expands the airbag 200, and is sealed by a lid (not shown). The actuating device 320 breaks the lid of the cylinder 310 and introduces gas into the airbag 200. The actuating device 320 operates based on a control signal from the control device 400 described later.

Next, the actuating device 320 of the inflator 300 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway side view of the actuating device of the inflator. The actuating device 320 has a cylindrical case 321 and a needle 322 for breaking through the lid of the cylinder 310, and the needle 322 is arranged in the case 321 and has the needle 322 attached to the tip thereof and slides up and down in the case 321. The sliding member 323, the spring 324 which is an elastic member for urging the sliding member 323 and the needle 322 with an elastic force in the direction of penetrating the lid of the cylinder 310, and the sliding member 323 are elastic to the elastic member. It is provided with a ball 325 as a locking mechanism for locking in a state where force is accumulated, a releasing member 326 for moving the position of the ball 325 for releasing the lock, and a solenoid 327 for driving the releasing member 326. There is. The operation of the solenoid 327 is controlled by the control device 400 described later.

The case 321 includes a shaft portion 321a arranged at a central portion. The release member 326 is slidably arranged up and down inside the shaft portion 321a of the case 321. The spring 324 winds around the shaft portion 321a of the case 321 so that one end side abuts on the inside of the upper portion of the case 321 and the other end side abuts on the upper surface of the sliding member 323. The balls 325 are arranged in the locking portion 323a, which is a hemispherical recess formed in the sliding member 323 in the locked state, and in the locking hole 321b formed in the shaft portion 321a of the case 321. The release member 326 is formed with a release portion 326a which is a recess in which the ball 325 fits at the unlock position.

The release member 326 is formed with a disc portion 326a above the case 321. The disk portion 326a is in contact with the movable shaft 327a of the solenoid 327, and when the release member 326 slides downward due to the movement of the movable shaft 327a of the solenoid 327, the lock of the lock mechanism is released. More specifically, when the release portion 326a of the release member 326 moves to the position of the locking hole 321b formed in the shaft portion 321a of the case 321, the ball 325 is pushed out to the release portion 326a through the locking hole 321b. Is done. As a result, the locked state by the ball 325 is released, the elastic force accumulated in the spring 324 is released, the sliding member 323 and the needle 322 are pushed downward, and the lid of the cylinder 310 is destroyed. Then, due to the destruction of the lid, the pressurized gas in the cylinder 310 is introduced into the airbag 200, and the airbag 200 expands. The reason why the needle 322 is not directly attached to the movable shaft 327a of the solenoid 327 is that the driving force of the solenoid 327 alone is not sufficient to break through the lid of the cylinder 310. Therefore, in the present invention, the elastic force accumulated in the spring 324 is used to break through the lid.

Next, the control system of the airbag device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the control device 400 includes a 3-axis acceleration sensor 401, a 3-axis angular velocity sensor 402, a control unit 403, a storage unit 404, and a drive circuit 405. The control device 400 is driven by a battery (not shown). The control device 400 is housed in the electrical component bag 193 in a state of being housed in a housing (not shown).

The 3-axis acceleration sensor 401 detects acceleration in the front-rear direction (X-axis), left-right direction (Y-axis), and up-down direction (Z-axis) of the occupant, respectively. The 3-axis angular velocity sensor 402 detects the angular velocities around the axes of the occupant in the front-rear direction (X-axis), the left-right direction (Y-axis), and the up-down direction (Z-axis), respectively.

The storage unit 404 is connected to the 3-axis angular velocity sensor 402 via the control unit 403, and stores only the angular velocity values detected from the time of the latest angular velocity detection to a predetermined time T before. That is, the storage unit 404 stores the angular velocity value detected within the predetermined time T (for example, 1 second), and when the latest angular velocity value is stored, the oldest angular velocity value is erased.

The control unit 403 is composed of a well-known microcomputer. The control unit 403 is connected to a 3-axis acceleration sensor 401, a 3-axis angular velocity sensor 402, a storage unit 404, a drive circuit 405, and the above-mentioned switch 194b.

The control unit 403 controls the operation of the inflator 300 only while the switch 194b detects that the buckle 194a is in the coupled state.

The control unit 403 uses the acceleration and the angular velocity during normal operation as the reference threshold, and when the current measured value deviates from the reference threshold based on the measurement results of the acceleration and the angular velocity by the 3-axis acceleration sensor 401 and the 3-axis angular velocity sensor 402. In addition, the inflator 300 is controlled to operate.

More specifically, the result of comparison between the absolute value of each acceleration of the three axes measured by the three-axis acceleration sensor 401 and the predetermined threshold value, and the absolute value of each angular velocity of the three axes measured by the three-axis angular velocity sensor 402 and the predetermined value. Comparison result with the threshold value For each angular velocity of the three axes measured by the 3-axis angular velocity sensor 402, the absolute value of the integrated value from the current time to the predetermined time T before and the comparison result with the predetermined threshold value are arbitrarily combined to form an inflator. It is determined whether or not the operation of 300 is performed. Further, the increasing tendency and the decreasing tendency of each value can also be used as a determination factor. In the present embodiment, as described above, in order to calculate the integrated value, the storage unit 404 stores the measured values from the current time to a predetermined time before.

The drive circuit 405 is a power amplifier circuit for driving the inflator 300, more specifically, the solenoid 327 of the operating device 320. When the control unit 403 sends a signal for operating the inflator 300 to the drive circuit 405, the control unit 403 is amplified by the drive circuit 405 to operate the inflator 300.

According to such an airbag device, the airbag 200 extends downward from the front portion of the surrounding portion 210 surrounding the occupant's neck to the waist position on the front surface of the occupant, and a pair of left and right torso units 211. Since the 222 and a pair of left and right waist portions 231,232 extending from the lower ends of the body portions 221,222 along the circumference of the occupant's waist can be provided, the occupant can be effectively protected from the impact caused by the accident.

Further, in the present invention, since the sensor, the control device, and the like are all housed in the wearing body 100, it is not necessary to attach or modify various devices to the motorcycle, and the cost is low. Further, the inflator 300 according to the present invention destroys the lid of the cylinder 310 by the elastic force of the spring 324 which is an elastic member without using explosives, so that the cost is low and the storage and replacement of the cylinder 310 are easy. It can be carried out. As described above, the airbag device according to the present invention is highly safe, low cost, and highly convenient.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in the above embodiment, the snap button is used to release the connection of each part of the wearing body 100 when the airbag 200 is inflated, but if the connection means is released by a predetermined force or more. Others may be used. For example, a hook-and-loop fastener can be mentioned.

Further, in the above embodiment, a ball is used as the locking mechanism in the actuating device 320 of the inflator 300, but other locking mechanisms may be used. Further, although the spring is exemplified as the elastic member, it may be another member such as rubber.

100 ... Wearing body 110 ... Outer material 120, 130 ... Left and right front body 140 ... Upper back body 150 ... Lower back body 190 ... Lining 200 ... Airbag 210 ... Surrounding part 221,222 ... Body 231,232 ... Waist 300 ... Inflator 310 … Cylinder 320… Actuating device 400… Control device

Claims (3)

A pair of left and right torso extending downward from the front of the occupant to the waist position on the front of the occupant, and the circumference of the occupant's waist from the lower part of each torso. An air bag formed by integrally communicating a pair of left and right hips extending along the
A cylinder filled with a pressurized gas that inflates the airbag, and an inflator provided with an operating means for breaking the lid of the cylinder and introducing gas into the airbag.
Sensors, including accelerometers and angular velocity sensors,
A control means for controlling the inflator so as to destroy the lid of the cylinder based on the detection result of the sensor.
It comprises a wearer that accommodates the airbag, the inflator, the sensor, and the control means and is worn by an occupant .
The wearing body has an outer material and a lining, and the front surface is formed into a bodice shape that can be opened by dividing it into left and right.
The airbag is placed between the outer material and the lining.
The outer material includes a pair of left and right front bodies, an upper back body, and a lower back body.
The upper ends of the left and right front bodies are connected to the upper ends of the upper and rear bodies.
The left and right edges of the left and right front bodies are connected to the lining so that the connection is released by the expansion of the airbag.
The left and right edges and the lower edge of the upper back body are connected to the lining so that the connection is released by the expansion of the airbag.
An airbag device for motorcycles that features this. The airbag device for a motorcycle according to claim 1 , wherein the airbag is provided with an intake port formed on one of the pair of left and right abdomen. The operating means is
A needle for breaking through the lid of the cylinder,
An elastic member that urges the needle with an elastic force in a direction that penetrates the lid of the cylinder.
A stopper mechanism that locks the elastic member in a state where elastic force is accumulated,
The airbag device for a motorcycle according to claim 1 or 2 , further comprising a drive means for driving the stopper mechanism so as to release the lock based on a signal from the control means.

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