JP7327244B2 - Passenger seat airbag device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention is folded and stored in a storage portion provided in an instrument panel disposed in front of an occupant seated in a front passenger seat, and is configured to protrude toward the rear side of the vehicle by allowing inflation gas to flow into the interior. The present invention relates to an airbag device for a front passenger's seat provided with an airbag that can inflate and protect an occupant.

Conventional passenger-side airbag devices utilize restricting members that are separate from the airbag when the airbag is folded to reduce the width in the front-rear direction and the width in the left-right direction and stored in the storage portion. By doing so, the deployment and inflation of the airbag is controlled. Specifically, the folded portion formed by folding the rear portion of the airbag from the lower end side when inflation is completed is housed in a pocket-shaped temporary holding portion formed in the regulating member to temporarily hold the folded portion. , the start of the unfolding of the folding portion is controlled to be slightly delayed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-26942

However, in the conventional airbag device for the front passenger seat, a separate restricting member is used to control the deployment of the airbag at the initial stage of inflation. There was room for improvement in that the initial deployment could be controlled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an airbag device for a front passenger's seat that can control deployment of an airbag without using a separate restricting member and can smoothly protect an occupant. With the goal.

The front passenger seat airbag device according to the present invention is folded and stored in a storage portion provided in an instrument panel disposed in front of an occupant seated on the front passenger seat, and is supplied with inflation gas to the rear of the vehicle. Equipped with an airbag that inflates so as to protrude toward the side and is configured to protect the occupant,
The airbag has a bag-like shape composed of a flexible sheet body, and includes an occupant side wall portion arranged on the occupant side when inflation is completed, and a front end side extending from the peripheral edge of the occupant side wall portion and attached to the storage portion side. and a peripheral wall portion converging toward the front end side of the peripheral wall portion, and an inflow opening for allowing inflation gas to flow into the interior is provided, wherein
The width dimension in the front-rear direction from the state of the pre-folded bag in which the side wall portion of the occupant in a state in which the airbag is deployed in a substantially flat state is brought close to the side of the inflow opening and the portion of the peripheral wall portion is creased. a first front-to-rear reduction folding step that reduces the width, a left-to-right reduction folding step that reduces the width dimension in the left-right direction after the first front-to-rear reduction folding step, and a width dimension in the front-to-rear direction after the left-to-right reduction folding step a second front-to-rear reduction folding step for shrinking the folded body, and the folded body is stored in the storage portion in a folded state;
The front-rear reduction folding bag folded in the first front-rear reduction folding step folds the region of the pre-folded bag on the rear side of the inflow opening toward the peripheral wall portion while bringing the rear end closer to the inflow opening. , it is configured to have a rear folding part that is folded with a plurality of creases along the left and right direction,
The laterally-reduced folding bag folded by the laterally-reducing folding process has a roll-folding portion in which the left edge side and the right edge side of the front-rear reduction folding bag are respectively rolled toward the side wall of the occupant. It is characterized by being

In the front-passenger-side airbag device of the present invention, when the airbag projects from the housing portion and expands and inflates while the inflation gas flows into the interior, first, the folding in the second front-rear reduction folding step is canceled, Next, it is attempted to eliminate the folds in the lateral reduction folding step, but in the region behind the inlet opening, the rear folded portion is formed by folding the pre-folded bag toward the peripheral wall portion. , both left and right edges are roll-folded so as to wind toward the side wall of the occupant. The part formed by doing so) is configured to be rolled and arranged so that the directions of folding are different and the folds are substantially perpendicular to each other. Therefore, at the rear end of the airbag (rear end of the pre-folding bag), the release of the roll folding is delayed because it is hindered by the rear folding part, and the folding of the rear folding part itself is delayed. The airbag deploys from the front (upper) area where the rear folded section is not arranged so as to eliminate the roll folding in the lateral reduction folding process, and then expands to the area of the rear folded section. In the initial stage of inflation of the airbag, the occupant side wall can be expanded vertically so as to raise the area on the upper end side, and this state can be maintained. can be inflated to move backwards while As a result, in the front passenger seat airbag system of the present invention, the occupant can be quickly protected by the occupant side wall portion that is widely deployed in the vertical direction. Unfolding of the rear folded portion can be accurately delayed by simply folding the rear folded portion so as to roll-fold from both left and right edge sides without using a member.

Therefore, in the front passenger airbag device of the present invention, deployment of the airbag can be controlled without using a separate restricting member, and the occupant can be protected smoothly.

Further, in the airbag device for a front passenger's seat of the present invention, the airbag is composed of a bag body into which the airbag is inflated by inflating the airbag, and a tether disposed inside the bag body to regulate the shape of the bag body when the inflation is completed. and,
The front and rear tethers are arranged substantially along the front-rear direction when the bag main body is completely inflated, and the rear end side of the tether is coupled to the occupant side wall to suppress rearward projection of the occupant side wall. Configuration and
In the front-rear contraction-folding bag, it is preferable that the rear-side folding part is formed so as to include the lower end side of the joining part that joins the rear end of the front-rear tether to the occupant side wall part.

If the front passenger side airbag device is configured as described above, the front and rear tethers that suppress the rearward projection of the passenger side wall are configured such that the lower end region of the rear end side is folded together with the rear folding portion. Therefore, when the occupant side wall portion is deployed and inflated, the occupant side wall portion is arranged so that the region on the upper end side substantially extends along the vertical direction while the folded state of the rear folded portion on the lower end side is maintained. In addition, the front and rear tethers are arranged in such a manner that the upper region that is not folded into the rear folded portion is stretched in the front and rear only on the upper edge side. The area below the upper edge side is folded and is not stretched (not stretched), so that the occupant side wall can be prevented from excessively protruding rearward during the deployment and inflation.

Furthermore, in the airbag device for the front passenger seat having the above configuration, the tether portion is
front and rear tethers,
When the bag body is completely inflated, the left wall portion and the right wall portion are arranged substantially along the left wall portion and the right wall portion so as to connect the left wall portion and the right wall portion that face each other on the left and right sides of the peripheral wall portion. Left and right tethers that regulate the separation distance of
and
The left and right tethers are formed from wide band-shaped bodies arranged substantially along the vertical direction when the bag main body is completely inflated,
The front and rear tethers are configured from a belt-shaped body whose width in the vertical direction is set to be substantially the same as the left and right tethers. It is preferable to set it as the structure to arrange|position.

If the front passenger seat airbag device is configured as described above, at the initial stage of inflation, the inflation gas flowing in from the inflow opening hits the left and right tethers formed of vertically wide strips, and directly pushes the side wall of the occupant rearward. Pushing out is suppressed, and the inflation gas is branched vertically by the left and right tethers and flows upward and downward, respectively. Therefore, at the initial stage of inflation, the airbag can be deployed widely in the vertical direction by suppressing a large partial rearward projection, and by suppressing shaking in the front-rear direction, the airbag can be quickly expanded. can be inflated to In addition, in the passenger seat airbag device having the configuration described above, the front and rear tethers are formed of strip-shaped bodies whose width in the vertical direction is set to be substantially the same as the width of the left and right tethers. Since the lower end side of the connecting portion to be connected to the side wall portion is folded together when the rear folded portion is formed, the opening formed between the lower ends of the left and right tethers and the bag main body when inflation is completed is closed. It will be placed in the area folded by the rear folding part so that it can be removed. Therefore, at the initial stage of inflation of the airbag, it is possible to accurately suppress the inflation gas from flowing rearward and downward through the opening on the lower end side.

1 is a schematic perspective view of a single inflated state of an airbag used in an airbag device for a passenger's seat according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the airbag of FIG. 1 along the front-rear direction; FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the airbag of FIG. 1 along the left-right direction; FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view along the front-rear direction of the airbag of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a plan view in which base materials constituting the airbag of FIG. 1 are arranged; FIG. 2 is a plan view and a bottom view of a pre-folded bag formed by pre-folding the airbag of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a folding process of the airbag of FIG. 1; FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the folding process of the airbag of FIG. 1, showing the process after FIG. 7; FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the vicinity of a rear folded portion of a laterally contracted folding bag formed by folding the airbag of FIG. 1 ; FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the inflation process of the airbag in the passenger-side airbag device of the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the inflation process of the airbag in the airbag device for a passenger's seat according to the embodiment; FIG. 12 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the inflation process of the airbag in the airbag device for the front passenger's seat of the embodiment, showing the process after FIG. 11; FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a completed state of inflation of the airbag in the passenger-side airbag device of the embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic transverse cross-sectional view showing a completed state of inflation of the airbag in the passenger-side airbag device of the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a completed state of inflation of the airbag in the passenger-side airbag device of the embodiment;

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the front passenger seat airbag device M (hereinafter abbreviated simply as "airbag device") is a left-hand drive vehicle in which the front passenger seat PS is arranged on the right side. It is a top-mount type that is arranged inside an upper surface 2 of an instrument panel (hereinafter abbreviated as "instrument panel") 1 in front of an occupant MP seated on a passenger seat PS in the vehicle V. As shown in FIG. 14, on the instrument panel 1 of the vehicle V on which the airbag device M is mounted, there is a central side of the vehicle V in the vehicle width direction and in front of a portion between the driver's seat (not shown) and the passenger's seat PS. A monitor 3 of a car navigation system is arranged as a protruding portion so as to partially protrude upward from the upper surface 2 near the rear end of the center side portion 1a (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 15). ). In the embodiments, the front/rear, up/down, and left/right directions correspond to the front/rear, up/down, and left/right directions of the vehicle V unless otherwise specified.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the airbag device M includes an airbag 15, an inflator 8 for supplying an inflation gas to the airbag 15, and a case 12 as a housing portion for housing and holding the airbag 15 and the inflator 8. , a retainer 9 for attaching the airbag 15 and the inflator 8 to the case 12, and an airbag cover 6 for covering the folded airbag 15. - 特許庁The airbag cover 6 has a door (not shown) that can be opened when the airbag 15 is deployed and inflated.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the airbag 15 includes a bag body 16 that is inflated by inflating gas, a rectifying cloth 37 that regulates the flow of the inflation gas into the bag body 16, and a bag. and a tether portion 50 arranged inside the main body 16 and regulating the shape of the bag main body 16 when the inflation is completed.

As shown in FIG. 13, the bag main body 16 is arranged so as to block the space between the upper surface 2 of the instrument panel 1 and the windshield 4 above the instrument panel 1 when the inflation is completed. Specifically, the shape of the bag main body 16 at the time of completion of inflation is, as shown in FIG. and a peripheral wall portion 17 extending from the peripheral edge of the occupant side wall portion 25 and converging toward the front end side attached to the case 12 side (see FIGS. 2 and 4).

The peripheral wall portion 17 is a portion arranged so as to block mainly between the upper surface 2 of the instrument panel 1 and the windshield 4 above the instrument panel 1 when the inflation of the airbag 15 is completed. An upper wall portion 17a and a lower wall portion 17b are arranged along, and a left wall portion 17c and a right wall portion 17d are arranged substantially along the front-rear direction on both left and right sides. In the vicinity of the front end of the lower wall portion 17 b of the peripheral wall portion 17 , an inflow opening 20 is formed in a substantially circular shape so that the inflation gas can flow thereinto, and the peripheral edge is attached to the case 12 . is formed. Bolts (not shown) of the retainer 9 are passed through the periphery of the inflow opening 20, and a plurality of bolts (not shown) for attaching the periphery of the inflow opening 20 to the bottom wall portion (not shown) of the case 12 (not shown) are provided. In this case, four mounting holes 21 are formed. The left wall portion 17c and the right wall portion 17d of the peripheral wall portion 17 are formed with substantially circular vent holes 23 for discharging excess inflation gas that has flowed into the bag body 16. . In the case of the embodiment, the vent hole 23 is formed at a position behind the left and right tethers 51, which will be described later, in the tether portion 50, that is, in the region of the rear expansion portion 31, which will be described later (see FIG. 2).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to 4, the regulating cloth 37 covers the upper side of the inflow opening 20 in the bag body 16 so as to direct the inflation gas G flowing in from the inflow opening 20 to the front-rear direction. It has a substantially tubular shape with a front outflow opening 38 and a rear outflow opening 39 provided at the front end side and the rear end side, respectively. In the case of the embodiment, the rectifying cloth 37 is composed of the rectifying cloth material 42 shown in FIG. The rectifying cloth material 42 has an attachment side portion 43 arranged on the central side and coupled to the peripheral edge of the inflow opening 20, and a body portion 44 extending from the attachment side portion 43 to both left and right sides to form the rectifying cloth 37. 44 and . The main body parts 44, 44 constitute the tubular rectifying cloth 37 by connecting the edge parts 44a to each other.

In the case of the embodiment, the tether portion 50 arranged in the bag body 16 includes left and right tethers 51 and front and rear tethers 53, as shown in FIGS. are arranged in a substantially T-shape.

The left and right tethers 51 are arranged substantially along the left and right direction when the bag main body 16 is completely inflated so as to connect the left wall portion 17c and the right wall portion 17d that face each other on the left and right sides of the peripheral wall portion 17 (Fig. 3 and 4), and regulates the mutual separation distance between the left wall portion 17c and the right wall portion 17d. It is formed from strips. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the left and right tethers 51 are configured in a substantially rectangular shape with the width dimension in the vertical direction slightly larger than the width dimension in the horizontal direction. The right end 51b side is sewn to the left wall portion 17c or the right wall portion 17d of the peripheral wall portion 17 using a suture thread over the entire length. More specifically, the left and right tethers 51 are positioned substantially in the center of the left wall portion 17c and the right wall portion 17d in the front, rear, top and bottom directions when the bag body 16 is fully inflated, viewed from the left and right direction. It is disposed so as to substantially follow the occupant side wall portion 25 (see FIGS. 2 and 15). The width dimension (length dimension) L1 of the left and right tethers 51 in the vertical direction is about 3/5 of the width dimension L2 of the widest region in the top and bottom of the bag body 16 when viewed from the left and right direction when inflation is completed. (see FIG. 2), and when the inflation of the bag body 16 is completed, gaps are provided between the upper end 51c and the upper wall portion 17a and between the lower end 51d and the lower wall portion 17b. are provided (see FIGS. 2 and 3). That is, the bag body 16 of the embodiment is partitioned in the front-rear direction (into the front inflatable portion 30 and the rear inflatable portion 31) by the left and right tethers 51 (see FIGS. 2 and 4). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the 30 and the rear expansion portion 31 are connected to each other by an upper communication portion 33 and a lower communication portion 33 formed by a gap formed between the left and right tethers 51 and the upper wall portion 17a or the lower wall portion 17b. They are communicated by the side communication portion 34 .

Further, in the case of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the left and right tethers 51 align the upper ends 51c of the airbag 15 in a longitudinal section substantially along the front-rear direction when the airbag 15 is fully inflated by itself. It is configured such that the upper end 39a of the rear outflow opening 39 formed on the rear end side of the cloth 37 is positioned above the upper end 39a, and the lower end 51d is positioned lower than the lower end 39b of the rear outflow opening 39. ing. That is, the left and right tethers 51 are configured to cover the entire area behind the rear outflow opening 39 in the straightening cloth 37 when the inflation of the airbag 15 is completed. In the vehicle-mounted state, the rear outflow opening 39 in the regulating cloth 37 has a lower area inside the case 12 (see FIG. 13), but the left and right tethers 51 are Even when the airbag 15 is completely inflated in the vehicle-mounted state, the entire area behind the rear outflow opening 39 in the straightening cloth 37 is covered.

The left and right tethers 51 suppress excessive separation between the left wall portion 17c and the right wall portion 17d when the inflation of the airbag 15 is completed, and when the inflation of the airbag 15 is completed, the left wall portion 17c and the right wall It is arranged in order to regulate the separation distance from the portion 17d. The width dimension of the left and right tethers 51 in the left and right direction is the circumference of the left joint portion 58L and the right joint portion 58R connected to the left and right tethers 51 in the left wall portion 17c and the right wall portion 17d when the airbag 15 is completely inflated. are set to dimensions that enable the formation of indentations directed inward on the left and right sides (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The left binding portion 58L and the right binding portion 58R for connecting (sewing) the left end 51a and the right end 51b of the left and right tethers 51 to the left wall portion 17c and the right wall portion 17d, respectively, are continuous over the entire length of the left end 51a and the right end 51b. , is formed.

In the embodiment, the monitor 3 of the car navigation system is arranged close to the left of the airbag 15 when the inflation is completed (see two-dot chain lines in FIGS. 3 and 15 and FIG. 14). In the airbag 15 of the embodiment, the left and right tethers 51 are arranged at positions corresponding to the monitor 3 arranged so as to partially protrude from the instrument panel 1 when the bag main body 16 is fully inflated in the vehicle-mounted state. is set. In the case of the embodiment, the left and right tethers 51 are configured so that the connecting portion (left connecting portion 58L) of the left end 51a to the left wall portion 17c (left connecting portion 58L) is substantially aligned with the monitor 3 when the bag main body 16 is fully inflated in the vehicle-mounted state. , and arranged at a position corresponding to the monitor 3 (see FIG. 15). That is, when the inflation of the airbag 15 is completed, the left wall portion 17c is provided so that the peripheral portion of the left coupling portion 58L is recessed inward in the left and right directions, so that the airbag 15 is positioned in the left wall portion 17c. can be suppressed from interfering with the monitor 3 arranged close to the left side of the .

The front and rear tethers 53 are arranged substantially along the front-rear direction when the bag main body 16 is completely inflated. are arranged so as to connect the The front and rear tethers 53 are connected to the left and right tethers 51 at the front end 53a side, and are connected to the occupant side wall portion 24 at the rear end 53b side (see FIGS. 2 and 4). The front and rear tethers 53 suppress the rearward projection of the occupant side wall portion 25, and in the case of the embodiment, are composed of wide belt-like bodies that are arranged substantially along the vertical direction when the bag main body 16 is completely inflated. there is The front and rear tethers 53 are formed of belt-like bodies whose width in the vertical direction is set to be substantially the same as that of the left and right tethers 51 . Specifically, in the case of the embodiment, the front and rear tethers 53 have a width dimension (length dimension) in the vertical direction that is slightly smaller than the width dimension (length dimension) in the vertical direction of the left and right tethers 51. /6 is set. The width of the front-rear tether 53 in the front-rear direction is such that when the bag main body 16 is completely inflated, the peripheral area of the rear-side joint portion 60 that joins the rear end 53b side to the occupant side wall portion 25 is slightly forward. It is set to a dimension that is recessed toward it. A rear coupling portion 60 for coupling the rear ends 53b of the front and rear tethers 53 to the occupant side wall portion 25 extends substantially in the vertical direction at a position approximately in the center of the occupant side wall portion 25 in the bag body 16 when inflation is completed. It is formed continuously over the entire length of the rear end 53b. Specifically, the rear joint portion 60 has a length dimension L3 of about 3/7 of a width dimension L4 on the vertical side of the occupant side panel portion 71 that mainly constitutes the occupant side wall portion 25. 5/8 of the vertical width L5 of the occupant side wall portion 25 of the pre-folded bag 75 (see A in FIGS. 5 and 6).

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the tether portion 50 of the embodiment includes two left and right tether base materials 55L and 55R that constitute the left and right tethers 51 and one front and rear tether base material 56 that constitutes the front and rear tethers 53. and consists of Each of the left and right tether bases 55L and 55R has a substantially rectangular shape with a wider vertical side and substantially the same outer shape, and the front and rear tether bases 56 have a substantially same outer shape with a wider vertical side. It has a rectangular shape. In the case of the embodiment, the front and rear tether base material 56 has a width dimension on the longitudinal direction side (vertical direction side) and a width dimension on the lateral direction side (front and rear direction side), It is configured to be slightly smaller than 55R. In the tether portion 50 of the embodiment, the corresponding edges 55a, 55a of the left and right tether substrates 55L, 55R and the edge portions 56a of the front and rear tether substrates 56 are arranged in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction). By superimposing them so that their centers are substantially aligned and sewn (combined) using a suture thread, the external shape viewed from above is formed into a substantially T-shape.

The bag main body 16 is formed in a bag shape by joining the peripheral edges of a base fabric of a predetermined shape. In the case of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 65 and an occupant side panel portion 71 that mainly constitutes the occupant side wall portion 25 side. The peripheral wall panel portion 65 divides the peripheral wall portion 17 into two parts in the left-right direction, and includes a left panel 66 constituting a left area and a right panel 68 constituting a right area. The left panel 66 extends from the left half region of the upper wall portion 17a of the peripheral wall portion 17 to the left half region of the lower wall portion 17b via the left wall portion 17c. 17 from the right half region of the upper wall portion 17a to the right half region of the lower wall portion 17b via the right wall portion 17d. The left panel 66 and the right panel 68 are provided with protrusions 67 and 69, respectively, which form the peripheral areas of the inlet opening 20. As shown in FIG.

In the embodiment, the peripheral wall panel portion 65 (left panel 66, right panel 68) constituting the bag body 16, the occupant side panel portion 71, the rectifying cloth material 42 constituting the rectifying cloth 37, and the left and right tethers constituting the tether portion 50. The base materials 55L and 55R for the front and rear tethers and the base material 56 for the front and rear tethers are each formed of a flexible woven fabric made of polyester thread, polyamide thread, or the like.

Next, manufacturing of the airbag 15 of the embodiment will be described. The edges 55b of the left and right tether substrates 55L and 55R are sewn to the inner peripheral surfaces of the left panel 66 and the right panel 68 in advance so as to form left and right joint portions 58L and 58R. The edge portions 56b of the front and rear tether substrates 56 are sewn to the side panel portions 71 in advance so as to form the rear joint portions 60 . First, the left panel 66 and the right panel 68 are overlapped and the lower edges 66c and 68c are sewn together. Next, the left panel 66 and the right panel 68 are opened so that the upper edges 66b and 68b are separated from each other, the protrusions 67 and 69 are overlapped, and the inner peripheral surfaces of the protrusions 67 and 69 are covered with a rectifying cloth. The attachment side portion 43 of the material 42 is overlapped. Then, the peripheral portion of the inflow opening 20 is sewn with suture thread, and the projecting portions 67 and 69 are sewn together with the mounting side portion 43 of the rectifying cloth material 42 . Next, the inflow opening 20 and the mounting hole 21 are opened. Thereafter, the upper edges 66b, 68b of the left panel 66 and the right panel 68 are sewn together using suture thread. Next, the rear edge 66d of the left side panel 66 and the left edge 71a of the occupant side panel portion 71 are sewn together, and similarly, the rear edge 68d of the right side panel 68 and the right edge 71b of the occupant side panel portion 71 are sewn together. . The remaining edge portions 55a of the left and right tether substrates 55L and 55R and the remaining edge portions 56a of the front and rear tether substrates 56 are sewn together to form the tether portion 50. FIG. The rectifying cloth 37 is formed by sewing the edges 44a of the body parts 44, 44 of the rectifying cloth material 42 to each other. After that, the bag main body 16 is turned upside down by using the areas on the front upper edges 66a and 68a of the left panel 66 and the right panel 68 which are left unstitched. Next, the front upper edge 66a of the left panel 66 and the front upper edge 68a of the right panel 68 are each folded in two and sewn together with sutures to manufacture the bag body 16. At the same time, the airbag 15 can be manufactured.

Next, mounting of the airbag device M on the vehicle V will be described. First, the airbag 15 is folded so that it can be stored in the case 12 from a state in which the retainer 9 is stored inside thereof with bolts (not shown) protruding from the mounting holes 21 . In the embodiment, the airbag 15 is reduced in width in the front-rear direction from the state of the pre-folded bag 75 after being pre-folded, and in the left-right direction after the first front-rear reduction folding step. and a second front-rear reduction folding process in which the width dimension in the front-rear direction is reduced after the left-right reduction folding process. It is housed in the case 12 in this state. Specifically, first, while the occupant side wall portion 25 is unfolded substantially flat, the occupant side wall portion 25 is brought closer to the inflow opening 20 side, and a valley fold is formed in the portion of the peripheral wall portion 17 . to form a pre-folded bag 75 as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B.

Next, the pre-folded bag 75 is folded by the first front-rear reduction folding process. Specifically, as shown in A of FIG. 7, in the pre-folded bag 75, the rear end (rear edge, lower edge) of the region on the rear side of the inflow opening 20 is brought closer to the inflow opening 20. , so as to fold toward the peripheral wall portion 17 side, with a plurality of creases along the left-right direction to form a rear-side folded portion 78, and a front-rear contraction folded bag as shown in FIG. 7B. 80 is formed. In the embodiment, the rear side folded portion 78 formed in the front-rear contraction-folded bag 80 covers approximately ⅔ of the rear side (lower side) of the pre-folded bag 75 (rear side portion 76) to the rear edge 76a ( The lower edge) is brought closer to the inflow opening 20 side, and is folded by roll-folding such that it winds toward the peripheral wall portion 17 side. More specifically, the rear folding portion 78 folds the lower end 60 a side of the rear joint portion 60 that joins the rear end 53 b of the front and rear tethers 53 to the occupant side wall portion 25 to fold the pre-folded bag 75 . The portion on the trailing edge side is formed by roll folding such that it is folded three times. Next, the front-rear reduction folding bag 80 is folded by a left-right reduction folding process. Specifically, as shown in B of FIG. 7 and A of FIG. Similarly, the right side portion 82 on the right side of the inflow opening 20 is also folded by the occupant side wall portion 25 while bringing the right edge 82a closer to the inflow opening 20. Folding is performed by roll-folding to form roll-folding portions 83L and 83R, and as shown in FIG. After that, the left and right reduction folding bag 86 is folded by the second front and rear reduction folding process. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the rear portion 87 of the bag 86, which is rearward of the inflow opening 20, is folded back in the vicinity of the rear edge of the inflow opening 20. Then, this folded portion is roll-folded so that the trailing edge 87a side is wound toward the peripheral wall portion 17 side to form a roll-folded portion 90. - 特許庁After that, as shown in FIG. 8B, the front side portion 88 of the bag 86, which is on the front side of the inflow opening 20, is folded back so that the end side is placed on the upper side of the roll folding portion 90. As shown in FIG. 8C, a folded body 95 can be formed that can be accommodated within the case 12 .

The airbag 15 (folded body 95) folded in this manner is wrapped with a breakable wrapping sheet (not shown) so as not to collapse. After that, the folded body 95 is stored in the case 12, and the inflator 8 is connected to the case 12 together with the peripheral edge of the inflow opening 20 of the airbag 15 using the retainer 9.例文帳に追加After that, by connecting the case 12 holding the folded airbag 15 and the inflator 8 to the airbag cover 6 formed on the instrument panel 1 mounted on the vehicle V, the airbag device M can be attached to the vehicle V. can be mounted.

After the airbag device M is mounted on the vehicle V, when the inflation gas is discharged from the inflator 8 , the airbag 15 is inflated by the inflow of the inflation gas and pushes the door portion of the airbag cover 6 . It protrudes upward from the case 12 through an opening formed by opening and expands and expands while protruding toward the rear side of the vehicle, and as shown in FIGS. The expansion is completed so as to block the gap with the windshield 4.

Then, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, when the airbag 15 projects from the case 12 as a housing portion and is deployed and inflated while inflating gas is flowed into the interior, first, as shown in A of FIG. 8A and FIG. 2, the rear side folded portion 78 formed by folding the pre-folded bag 75 toward the peripheral wall portion 17 is rolled so that both left and right edges thereof are wound toward the occupant side wall portion 25 side. In other words, the regions on the rear end side of the roll-folded portions 83L and 83R formed by the lateral reduction folding process (portions formed by roll-folding the rear-side folded portion 78, the regulation folded portions 85L and 85R, (see FIG. 9) is a configuration in which the folding direction is varied and the folds are folded substantially perpendicular to each other. Therefore, the release of the roll folding is delayed at the rear end side of the airbag 15 (the rear end side of the preliminary folding bag 75) because it is hindered by the rear folding portion 78, and the folding of the rear folding portion 78 itself is delayed. It is difficult to unfold the airbag 15, and the airbag 15 is folded left and right from the front (upper) region (general roll-folded portions 84L, 84R, see FIGS. 8A and 9) where the rear-side folded portion 78 is not arranged. After that, the area of the rear folding portion 78 (restriction folding portions 85L and 85R) is unfolded so as to unfold (FIG. 11). B and A and B of FIG. 12), at the initial stage of inflation of the airbag 15, as shown in B of FIG. and can be maintained in that state while being inflated to move backwards. As a result, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the occupant MP can be quickly protected by the occupant side wall portion 25 that is widely deployed in the vertical direction. Folding of the rear folding part 78 can be canceled by simply folding the rear folding part 78 from both the left and right edge sides so as to be roll-folded (only by forming the regulating folding parts 85L and 85R) without using a member. can be precisely delayed.

Therefore, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the deployment of the airbag 15 can be controlled without using a separate restricting member, and the occupant MP can be protected smoothly.

Further, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, in the front-rear contraction folding bag 80 , the rear-side folding part 78 connects the rear end 53 b of the front-rear tether 53 to the occupant side wall part 25 on the side of the lower end 60 a of the rear-side joint part 60 . is formed to include That is, in the airbag 15 of the embodiment, the front and rear tethers 53 that suppress the rearward projection of the occupant side wall portion 25 are configured such that the lower end region on the rear end 53b side is folded together with the rear folding portion 78 . Therefore, when deployed and inflated, the occupant side wall portion 25 is arranged such that the region on the side of the upper end 25a extends substantially vertically while maintaining the folded state of the rear folded portion 78 on the lower end side. When the front and rear tethers 53 are arranged, the upper region that is not folded into the rear folded portion 78 is arranged in a state in which only the upper edge side is stretched in the front and rear. The tether 53 is stretched only on the upper edge side, and the region below the upper edge side is folded and is not stretched (not stretched), so that excessive rearward projection of the occupant side wall portion 25 during deployment and inflation can be suppressed. . If such a point is not taken into consideration, the lower end side of the rear coupling portion that couples the rear end of the front and rear tethers to the occupant side wall portion may be configured so as not to be folded together with the rear folding portion. Alternatively, the front and rear tethers may not be arranged inside the airbag.

Further, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the tether portion 50 arranged in the bag body 16 is configured to include left and right tethers 51 and front and rear tethers 53, and the left and right tethers 51 are closed when the bag body 16 completes inflation. The front and rear tethers 53 are formed of wide belt-shaped bodies arranged substantially along the vertical direction, and the front and rear tethers 53 are made of belt-shaped bodies whose width in the vertical direction is set substantially the same as the left and right tethers 51, and the left and right tethers 51 , and substantially the center of the left and right of the occupant side wall portion 25 are connected to each other. Therefore, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, at the initial stage of inflation of the airbag 15, the inflation gas G that has flowed in from the inflow opening 20 hits the left and right tethers 51, which are formed of vertically wide belt-shaped bodies, and is directly directed to the occupant side wall. 25 is restrained from being pushed backward, and the inflation gas is branched vertically by the left and right tethers 51 so as to flow upward and downward, respectively (see FIG. 13). Therefore, at the initial stage of inflation, the airbag 15 can be expanded in a wide range in the vertical direction by suppressing a large partial rearward projection. Can be inflated quickly. In addition, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the front and rear tethers 53 arranged in the bag main body 16 are formed of a belt-like body whose width in the vertical direction is set to be substantially the same as that of the left and right tethers 51. The front and rear tethers 53 are configured such that the lower end 60a side of the rear joint portion 60 that joins the rear end 53b to the occupant side wall portion 25 is folded together when the rear folded portion 78 is formed. The lower communicating portion 34 as an opening formed between the lower end 51d of 51 and the bag body 16 is closed by the rear folding portion 78 as shown in FIG. 7A. It will be placed in the area. Therefore, in the initial stage of inflation of the airbag 15 , the inflation gas can be prevented from flowing rearward and downward through the lower communicating portion 34 .

In particular, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the left and right tethers 51 arranged inside the bag main body 16 are formed of wide belt-like bodies arranged substantially along the vertical direction when the bag main body 16 completes inflation. In other words, the inside of the bag main body 16 is partitioned in the front and rear direction by the left and right tethers 51 so as to form the front inflatable portion 30 and the rear inflatable portion 31, and the front inflatable portion 30 and the rear inflatable portion 31 are separated from each other by the left and right. The upper end 51c side or the lower end 51d side of the tether 51 and the peripheral wall portion 17 are communicated by an upper communicating portion 33 and a lower communicating portion 34, respectively. Therefore, at the initial stage of inflation by introducing inflation gas from the inflow opening 20, first, the front inflation portion 30 on the front side of the left and right tethers 51 in the bag body 16 is mainly inflated (see A in FIG. 10), After that, by inflating the inflation gas through the upper communication portion 33 and the lower communication portion 34, the rear inflation portion 31 on the rear side of the left and right tethers 51 is inflated (see B in FIG. 10). When the inflation gas flows into the rear inflation portion 31, the left and right tethers 51 separating the front inflation portion 30 and the rear inflation portion 31 are stretched so as to generate tension in the left and right direction. Therefore, even if the occupant side wall portion 25 forming the peripheral wall of the rear inflation portion 31 tries to protrude greatly rearward, the occupant side wall portion 25 is disposed so as to extend from the left and right tethers 51 . Tension is also generated in the tether 53 along the front-rear direction, and the rearward movement of the front-rear tether 53 is restricted. can be accurately suppressed. Furthermore, as described above, since the portion forming the lower communicating portion 34 is folded by the rear folding portion 78, the rear expansion portion 34 is not folded before the rear folding portion 78 is unfolded. The inflation gas G flows into 31 only from the upper communication portion 33 (see A in FIG. 12). Therefore, due to the folded shape of the airbag 15 and the shape of the tether portion 50, the occupant side wall portion 25 can be expanded vertically and widely so that the region on the side of the upper end 25a rises at the initial stage of inflation of the airbag 15. and can be inflated to move backwards while maintaining that state. Therefore, the occupant MP can be quickly protected by the occupant side wall portion 25 that is widely deployed in the vertical direction.

In the airbag device M of the embodiment, the rear folding portion 78 is folded by roll folding such that the rear edge 76a of the pre-folded bag 75 is rolled toward the peripheral wall portion 17 side. The folding of the folded portion is not limited to the embodiment, and for example, the rear folded portion may be folded by bellows folding toward the peripheral wall portion. However, the folded state is maintained to some extent when the roll folding is canceled in the left-right reduction folding process from the upper region where the rear folding portion is not arranged, and the folding is canceled quickly when unfolding thereafter. From the viewpoint of unfolding the rear side folded portion, it is desirable that the rear folded portion is folded by roll folding so as to wind toward the peripheral wall portion in a direction different from the roll folding at the time of lateral contraction folding.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Instrument panel (instrument panel), 12... Case (storage part), 15... Airbag, 16... Bag main body, 17... Peripheral wall part, 17c... Left wall part, 17d... Right wall part, 20... Inflow opening, 25 occupant side wall 25a upper end 50 tether 51 left and right tether 53 front and rear tether 53a front end 53b rear end 60 rear joint portion 60a lower end 75 preliminary folding bag , 78... Rear folding part 80... Front/rear reduction folding bag 83L, 83R... Roll folding part 86... Left/right reduction folding bag 95... Folding completed body MP... Passenger V... Vehicle M... Passenger seat airbag device.

Claims (2)

It is folded and stored in a storage portion provided in an instrument panel disposed in front of an occupant seated in the front passenger seat, and is inflated so as to protrude toward the rear side of the vehicle by introducing inflation gas thereinto. Equipped with an airbag that can protect the occupants,
The airbag has a bag shape made of a flexible sheet body, and includes an occupant side wall portion arranged on the occupant side when inflation is completed, and an occupant side wall portion extending from the peripheral edge of the occupant side wall portion to the storage portion side. and a peripheral wall portion converging toward the front end side of the attached peripheral wall portion, and an inflow opening for introducing inflation gas into the inside thereof is provided on the front end side of the peripheral wall portion. hand,
The occupant side wall portion in a state in which the airbag is deployed substantially flat is brought closer to the inflow opening side, and the pre-folded bag state in which the portion of the peripheral wall portion is folded is folded back and forth. a first front-to-rear reduction folding step for reducing the width dimension of the side, a left-to-right reduction folding step for reducing the width dimension in the left-right direction after the first front-to-rear reduction folding step, and a front-to-rear reduction folding step after the left-right reduction folding step. a second front-to-rear reduction folding step for reducing the width dimension on the direction side;
The front-rear reduction folding bag folded in the first front-rear reduction folding step is configured such that, in the pre-folding bag, a region on the rear side of the inflow opening is moved toward the peripheral wall portion while the rear end is brought closer to the inflow opening. It is configured to have a rear folding part that is folded by roll folding that winds toward the
The left-right reduction folding bag folded in the left-right reduction folding step has a roll-folding portion in which the left edge side and the right edge side of the front-rear reduction folding bag are respectively rolled toward the occupant side wall side. , and is composed of
The airbag includes a bag body that is inflated by inflating gas, and a tether portion that is disposed inside the bag body and regulates the shape of the bag body when inflation is completed,
The tether portion is arranged substantially along the front-rear direction when the bag main body is completely inflated, and the rear end side thereof is coupled to the occupant side wall portion to suppress rearward projection of the occupant side wall portion. It is configured to have a tether,
In the front-rear contraction folding bag, the rear-side folding part is formed so as to fold a lower end side of a connecting part for connecting the rear end of the front-rear tether to the occupant side wall part. for airbag devices. The tether portion is
the front and rear tethers;
The left wall portion and the right wall portion are arranged substantially along the left wall portion and the right wall portion when the bag body is completely inflated so as to connect the left wall portion and the right wall portion that face each other on the left and right sides of the peripheral wall portion. Left and right tethers for regulating the mutual separation distance between the
and
The left and right tethers are formed of wide belt-like bodies arranged substantially along the vertical direction when the bag body is completely inflated,
The front and rear tethers are composed of a belt-shaped body whose width in the vertical direction is set to be substantially the same as the left and right tethers, and approximately the center of the left and right tethers and the approximately center of the left and right sides of the occupant side wall portion. 2. The airbag device for a front passenger's seat according to claim 1 , wherein the airbag device is arranged so as to be connected.

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