JPWO2014098027A1 - Airbag device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an airbag device capable of speeding up inflation and deployment and improving occupant restraint performance. A representative configuration of an airbag device 100 according to the present invention is a bag-like cushion part 104 that receives and inflates and receives gas, and the interior of the cushion part 104 includes a plurality of chambers (rear chamber 108). A partition wall 120 partitioned into the front chamber 110) and an openable / closable vent means provided on the partition wall 120, wherein the occupant contacts at least one chamber and opens when the partition wall 120 is bent. Holes 122, patch members 128, and connecting members). [Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to an airbag device that inflates and deploys between an occupant and a side wall portion or the like in a vehicle cabin to restrain the occupant when an impact occurs on the vehicle.

  Modern vehicles are almost equipped with airbags as standard. An airbag is a safety device that operates in an emergency such as a vehicle collision, and inflates and deploys with gas pressure to receive and protect an occupant. There are various types of airbags depending on the installation location and application. For example, a front airbag is provided in the center of the steering wheel in order to protect the driver from collisions in the front-rear direction. In addition, to protect passengers from side collisions and subsequent rollovers (rollovers), curtain airbags that inflate and deploy along the side windows from the ceiling of the wall and from the side of the seat to the side of the passenger Side airbags that are inflated and deployed are provided.

  The airbag is provided with a gas generator called an inflator as a gas supply source. There are various types of inflators depending on the type of air bag and its installation location. For example, disc type (disc type) inflators are mainly used for front airbags and the like, and cylinder type (tubular) inflators are mainly used for curtain airbags and side airbags. .

  The inflator is wholly or partly inserted into an airbag (strictly, a cushion portion thereof). For example, Patent Document 1 describes a side airbag and a cylinder-type inflator. The side airbag is partitioned into two upper and lower rooms (a room in the airbag is also called a “chamber”) by a partition wall. This partition is provided with an insertion part as a hole connecting the two rooms, and the inflator is arranged in this insertion part. According to Patent Document 1, it is supposed that each part of an occupant can be protected with an appropriate pressure by dividing into two rooms.

JP 2007-38712 A

  Currently, in order to properly protect the occupant, speeding up inflating and deploying the airbag in milliseconds is being promoted. As countermeasures, for example, a proposal has been considered in which the shape of the airbag is further reduced in accordance with a portion of the occupant's body that is easily contacted. However, the downsizing of the airbag also leads to a reduction in the protection area, and thus cannot be easily performed.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an airbag device that can speed up inflation and deployment and improve occupant restraint performance.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a typical configuration of an airbag device according to the present invention is a bag-like cushion portion that receives gas and inflates and deploys, and the interior of the cushion portion is partitioned into a plurality of chambers. It is provided with the partition wall and the vent means which can be opened and closed provided in the partition wall, Comprising: The vent means which a passenger | crew contacts at least 1 chamber and opens when a partition wall bends is provided.

  In the airbag apparatus having the above-described configuration, for example, first, gas is preferentially supplied to the first chamber, and an occupant is quickly received in the first chamber. When the occupant comes into contact with the first chamber, the partition wall bends together with the first chamber, and the vent means opens to inflate and deploy the second chamber, thereby achieving full occupant restraint with a wider protection area. To do. As described above, in the above configuration, it is possible to improve the occupant restraint performance by first accelerating the expansion and deployment of the part related to the first contact (first impact) with the occupant and then expanding and deploying widely thereafter. ing.

  The vent means includes one or more vent holes provided on the partition wall through which gas can pass from the first chamber to the second chamber, and covers the vent hole on the first chamber side. A patch member that is joined in a state where at least a part of the patch member can be separated, and a connecting member that connects the patch member and a predetermined region in the first chamber facing the patch member, and the length of the connecting member is At least the distance between the vent hole and the predetermined region in the shape when the first chamber is sufficiently expanded and deployed may be used.

  The airbag apparatus having the above configuration first supplies gas preferentially to the first chamber, and quickly receives an occupant in the first chamber. When the occupant comes into contact with the first chamber, the partition wall bends together with the first chamber, and the distance from the vent hole to the predetermined region that is the root of the connecting member increases. That is, the patch member is pulled by the connecting member, and the patch member is separated from the partition wall. This opens the vent hole and increases the flow rate of the gas passing through the vent hole from the first chamber to the second chamber. Then, the second chamber is inflated and deployed, and the passenger is fully restrained with a wider protection area. As described above, even in the above-described configuration, it is possible to improve the occupant restraint performance by first expediting the expansion and deployment of the part related to the first contact with the occupant (first impact) and then expanding and deploying widely thereafter. It has become. For example, if the first chamber that is inflated and deployed first is realized as a rear chamber on the rear side of the vehicle, and the second chamber that is inflated and deployed next is a front chamber on the front side of the vehicle, the first impact of the passenger is received by the rear chamber. This is preferable because the front side of the occupant can be received more widely later by the front chamber.

  The length of the connecting member may be equal to the distance between the vent hole and the predetermined region in the shape when the first chamber is sufficiently expanded and deployed. According to this configuration, it is possible to suitably realize the second chamber that starts to expand when the occupant comes into contact with the first chamber.

  The partition wall has a long shape extending in the up-down direction or the vehicle front-rear direction inside the cushion portion, and the patch member has side edges joined to both sides of the vent hole in the partition wall, Alternatively, the front and rear edges of the vehicle may be opened from the partition wall. With this configuration, for example, when the occupant contacts the cushion portion from the vehicle width direction, the partition portion bends so as to be pushed in the short direction. At this time, if the upper and lower edges of the patch member or the front and rear edges of the vehicle are opened, the gap is suitably opened according to the deflection of the partition wall, and gas can be passed to the vent hole. Note that the fact that the upper and lower edges and the like are open means that the upper and lower edges and the like are not joined to the partition wall by stitching or the like.

  The vent holes are provided on at least two places on the partition wall, the upper part and the lower part in the cushion part, and the vent holes provided on the upper part of the partition wall are provided in the vicinity of the region where the shoulder part of the passenger contacts. The vent hole provided in the lower part of the partition wall may be provided in the vicinity of the region where the occupant's waist contacts. The shoulders and lower back of the occupant's body are particularly susceptible to load. By providing vent holes in the areas that come into contact with these parts, the vent holes can be efficiently opened according to the deflection of the partition wall. Is possible. Moreover, according to the said structure, gas can be efficiently and rapidly filled by supplying gas from the upper part and the lower part with respect to a 2nd chamber.

  The vent means includes a slit vent provided as a straight cut line in the partition wall, and the slit vent opens when the partition wall is bent to flow a gas from the first chamber to the second chamber. May increase.

  Also with the above configuration, first, gas is preferentially supplied to the first chamber, and the occupant is quickly received in the first chamber. When the occupant comes into contact with the first chamber, the slit vent is opened to inflate and deploy the second chamber, thereby achieving full occupant restraint with a wider protection area. As described above, even in the above-described configuration, it is possible to improve the occupant restraint performance by first expediting the expansion and deployment of the part related to the first contact with the occupant (first impact) and then expanding and deploying widely thereafter. It has become.

  The partition wall has a long shape extending in the up-down direction or the vehicle front-rear direction inside the cushion portion, and the slit vent is straight in at least one place on the partition wall in the short direction of the partition wall. It may be provided in a shape that extends. With this configuration, for example, when the occupant contacts the cushion portion from the vehicle width direction, the partition portion bends so as to be pushed in the short direction. At this time, if the slit vent is provided in the short direction on the partition wall, the slit vent can be suitably opened according to the deflection of the partition wall.

  The slit vents are provided on at least two locations on the partition wall, the upper part and the lower part in the cushion part, and the slit vents provided on the upper part of the partition wall are provided in the vicinity of a region where the shoulder part of the occupant contacts. The slit vent provided in the lower part of the partition wall may be provided in the vicinity of a region where the occupant's waist contacts. The shoulder and waist of the occupant's body are particularly susceptible to load. By providing slit vents in the areas that come into contact with these parts, the slit vents can be efficiently opened according to the deflection of the partition wall. Is possible. Moreover, according to the said structure, gas can be efficiently and rapidly filled by supplying gas from the upper part and the lower part with respect to a 2nd chamber.

  The partition wall includes a first member and a second member, which are cloth materials independent of each other, and the vent means is provided by overlapping the ends of the first member and the second member on the partition wall. A first overlap vent may be included that opens upon deflection.

  Also with the above configuration, first, gas is preferentially supplied to the first chamber, and the occupant is quickly received in the first chamber. When the occupant comes into contact with the first chamber, the first overlap vent is opened to inflate and deploy the second chamber, thereby achieving full occupant restraint with a wider protection area. As described above, even in the above-described configuration, it is possible to improve the occupant restraint performance by first expediting the expansion and deployment of the part related to the first contact with the occupant (first impact) and then expanding and deploying widely thereafter. It has become.

  The partition wall has a shape extending in the up-down direction or the vehicle front-rear direction inside the cushion portion, and the first member and the second member are arranged side by side in the up-down direction or the vehicle front-rear direction. The wrap vent may be provided to extend laterally on the partition wall. According to the above configuration, for example, when the occupant contacts the cushion portion from the lateral direction (vehicle width direction), the partition portion also bends in the lateral direction (width direction). At this time, if the overlap vent is provided in the partition wall in the lateral direction, the overlap vent can be preferably opened by utilizing the deflection of the partition wall.

  The partition wall further includes a third member made of a cloth material spaced from the first member, and the vent means is further provided on the partition wall by overlapping ends of the second member and the third member. The partition wall may include a second overlap vent that opens by bending. With this configuration, by supplying the gas from the two overlap vents to the second chamber, the gas can be efficiently and quickly filled in the second chamber.

  Said 1st overlap vent may be provided in the vicinity of the area | region where a passenger | crew's shoulder part contacts, and the 2nd overlap vent may be provided in the vicinity of the area | region where a passenger | crew's waist | hip | lumbar part contacts. The shoulder and lower back of the occupant's body are particularly susceptible to load. By providing an overlap vent in the area in contact with these parts, the opening of the overlap vent according to the deflection of the partition wall is efficiently generated. It becomes possible to make it. Moreover, according to the said structure, gas can be efficiently and rapidly filled by supplying gas from the upper part and the lower part with respect to a 2nd chamber.

  The partition wall includes a first member and a second member, which are cloth materials independent of each other, and has an overlap portion where ends of the first member and the second member overlap each other, and the vent means includes the first member And a sewing line that joins the first member and the second member, provided in the overlap portion of the second member, and an intermediate portion of the sewing line is opened, and gas is supplied from the first chamber to the second chamber. One or more overlap vents that can pass into the chamber.

  Also with the above configuration, first, gas is preferentially supplied to the first chamber, and the occupant is quickly received in the first chamber. When the occupant comes into contact with the first chamber, the overlap vent is opened to inflate and deploy the second chamber, thereby achieving full occupant restraint with a wider protection area. As described above, even in the above-described configuration, it is possible to improve the occupant restraint performance by first expediting the expansion and deployment of the part related to the first contact with the occupant (first impact) and then expanding and deploying widely thereafter. It has become.

  Said 1st member and 2nd member are elongate shape, Comprising: The overlap part of 1st member and 2nd member is provided in the mutual long edge part, A sewing line is a mutual long edge. Gas may flow in the short direction of the first member and the second member passing through the overlap vent. With this configuration, a partition wall and an overlap vent for giving priority to the expansion and deployment of the first chamber can be suitably realized.

  The sewing line may be bent or curved along the gas flow direction from the longitudinal direction at the overlap vent. Further, the overlap vent may have a diameter on the first chamber side larger than a diameter on the second chamber side. As a result, it is possible to realize an overlap vent that facilitates the flow of gas toward the second chamber.

  The overlap vent may be provided such that gas flowing through the overlap vent flows from the vehicle inner side toward the vehicle outer side in the vehicle width direction. With this configuration, since the gas pressure is not applied to the inside of the vehicle, that is, the passenger side, an air bag that is more secure can be realized.

  Said 2nd chamber may have a reinforcement cloth in the area | region where the gas which flows in from an overlap vent directly hits. Thereby, it becomes possible to improve the durability of the cushion portion.

  The above overlap vents are provided on the partition wall at at least two places, the upper part and the lower part in the cushion part, and the overlap vents on the upper part of the partition wall are provided in the vicinity of the region where the shoulder part of the occupant contacts. The overlap vent at the lower part of the partition wall may be provided in the vicinity of the area where the occupant's waist contacts. The shoulder and lower back of the occupant's body are particularly susceptible to load. By providing an overlap vent in the area in contact with these parts, the opening of the overlap vent according to the deflection of the partition wall is efficiently generated. It becomes possible to make it. Moreover, according to the said structure, it also becomes possible to fill a gas efficiently and rapidly by supplying gas from the upper part and the lower part with respect to a 2nd chamber.

  Said partition wall may be provided in the area | region where a passenger | crew contacts among cushion parts at the time of emergency of a vehicle and the surface of a cushion part deform | transforms. According to this structure, the partition wall which bends by a passenger | crew's contact can be implement | achieved suitably.

  The airbag device may be a side airbag that inflates and deploys on the side of the seat. Further, the partition wall may partition the cushion portion into a rear chamber on the rear side of the vehicle and a front chamber on the front side of the vehicle, and the vent means may supply gas from the rear chamber to the front chamber. Of the side airbags, the rear chamber on the vehicle rear side is likely to come into contact with a load-prone part such as the shoulder of an occupant. Therefore, in the above, first, the rear chamber is rapidly inflated and deployed, and then the second chamber is used as a front chamber to protect the occupant's arms and the like. Thereby, a passenger | crew's quick and complete restraint can be achieved.

  The airbag device is further a cylinder-type inflator installed in a predetermined chamber, a diffuser unit installed to surround the inflator in a cylindrical shape, and guides gas from the inflator in the vertical direction in the chamber, , May be provided. The inflator provided with the diffuser portion allows the chamber to be filled with gas more quickly.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the airbag apparatus which can speed-up inflation deployment and can improve a passenger | crew restraint performance can be provided.

It is the figure which illustrated the airbag apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which illustrated the cushion part of Drawing 1 (b) independently. It is a figure which illustrates the internal structure of the cushion part of Fig.2 (a). It is an expanded view of the base fabric which comprises the cushion part of Fig.3 (a). It is the figure which illustrated the process in which the cushion part of FIG. 4 expand | deploys. It is the figure which illustrated the airbag apparatus concerning 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is an expanded view of the base fabric which comprises the cushion part of Fig.6 (a). It is the figure which illustrated the process in which the cushion part of FIG. 7 expand | deploys. It is the figure which illustrated the airbag apparatus concerning 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is an expanded view of the base fabric which comprises the cushion part of Fig.9 (a). It is the figure which illustrated the process in which the cushion part of FIG. 10 expand | swells and expands. It is the figure which illustrated the airbag apparatus concerning 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is an expanded view of the base fabric which comprises the cushion part of Fig.12 (a). It is the figure which illustrated the process in which the cushion part of FIG. 13 expand | deploys. It is the figure which illustrated the modification of the cushion part in each embodiment. It is the figure which illustrated the example of a change of the arrangement position of the inflator of Fig.15 (a). It is the figure which illustrated the further modification of the cushion part in each embodiment.

E1 ... shoulder of the occupant, E2 ... waist of the occupant, E3 ... arm of the occupant, E4 ... abdomen of the occupant, L1 ... sewing line in the first embodiment, P1 ... region facing the upper patch member, P2 ... lower 100 ... airbag, 102 ... seat, 104 ... cushion part, 106 ... seat back, 108 ... rear chamber, 110 ... front chamber, 112 ... occupant, 114 ... inflator, 116 ... stud bolt, 118 ... Vent hole, 120 ... Partition wall, 122 ... Vent hole, 122a ... Upper vent hole, 122b ... Lower vent hole, 124 ... Impactor, 126 ... Diffuser part, 128 ... Patch member, 128a ... Upper patch member, 128b ... lower patch member, 130 ... upper part 132 ... Upper edge of the upper patch member, 134 ... Lower edge of the upper patch member, 136 ... Connection member, 136a ... Upper connection member, 136b ... Lower connection member, 200 ... Airbag 204 ... Cushion part, 220 ... Partition wall, 222 ... Slit vent, 222a ... Upper slit vent, 222b ... Lower slit vent, 300 ... Air bag, 304 ... Cushion part, 320 ... Partition wall, 320a ... First member 320b, second member, 320c, third member, 321, upper end of second member, 322, overlap vent, 322a, upper overlap vent, 322b, lower overlap vent, 323, second member Lower end, 325 ... Lower end of the first member, 326 ... Upper end of the third member, L2 ... Sewing in the fourth embodiment IN, 400 ... Airbag, 404 ... Cushion part, 420 ... Partition wall, 420a ... First member, 420b ... Second member, 422 ... Overlap vent, 422a ... Upper overlap vent, 422b ... Lower overlap Vent, 423 ... second member edge, 432 ... overlap portion, 428, 430 ... reinforcing cloth, 500 ... cushion portion, 502 ... partition wall, 504 ... upper chamber, 506 ... lower chamber, 508 ... deflector, 510 ... diffuser 512 ... Lower check valve, 514 ... Vent means, 516 ... Upper check valve, 600 ... Cushion part, 602 ... Partition wall extending in front and rear of vehicle, 604 ... Partition wall extending in vertical direction of vehicle, 606 ... Lower chamber, 608 ... Upper rear chamber, 610 ... Upper front chamber, 612, 614 ... Vent means

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In the present specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not illustrated. To do.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an airbag device (hereinafter referred to as an airbag 100) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 1A, in the present embodiment, the airbag 100 according to the present invention is realized as a so-called side airbag that inflates and deploys on the side of a vehicle right side seat (hereinafter, seat 102). . The installation location of the airbag 100, which is a side airbag, is not limited to the seat 102, and may be another location as long as it can be inflated and deployed to the side of the occupant, such as a side door trim.

  The cushion portion 104 is a bag-like portion that receives an occupant in an emergency such as when an impact occurs on the vehicle, and is inflated and deployed in a flat shape between the occupant and the side door. The cushion part 104 is formed by laminating a plurality of base fabrics constituting the surface and sewing or adhering them. The cushion part 104 is wound or folded and accommodated in a housing (not shown) provided on the side part of the seat back 106. Since the cushion portion 104 in the stored state is covered with a seat cover or the like, it cannot be visually recognized from the outside. During operation, the seat cover or the like is cleaved and inflated and deployed to the side of the occupant.

  In the present embodiment, the cushion portion 104 is partitioned into two chambers. As can be seen from FIG. 1A, the cushion portion 104 is provided with a rear chamber 108 on the rear side of the vehicle as a first chamber and a front chamber 110 on the front side of the vehicle as a second chamber.

  FIG. 1B is a view of the cushion portion 104 of FIG. 1A as viewed from the vehicle outer side in the vehicle width direction. FIG. 1B illustrates a dummy doll AM50 simulating a physique adapted to 50% of an adult male as the occupant 112 in order to represent the positional relationship between the cushion portion 104 and the occupant. As illustrated in FIG. 1B, in the cushion portion 104, the rear chamber 108 particularly protects a portion that is more susceptible to a load such as the shoulder E <b> 1 and the waist E <b> 2 of the occupant 112. The front chamber 110 is configured to protect the arm portion E3, the abdominal portion E4, and the like.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the cushion portion 104 of FIG. In FIG. 2, the cushion part 104 of FIG.1 (b) is illustrated seeing from the vehicle inner side (occupant 112 side) of a vehicle width direction. Inside the rear chamber 108, an inflator 114, which is a gas generator, is provided. The cushion portion 104 is inflated by the pressure of the gas supplied from the inflator 114 to restrain the occupant. The inflator 114 employed in this embodiment is a cylinder type (tubular type). The inflator 114 includes a stud bolt 116. The stud bolt 116 is exposed from the rear chamber 108 and is fastened to a housing or the like on the side portion of the seat 102 (see FIG. 1A).

  The currently popular inflator 114 is a type in which a gas generating agent is filled and burned to generate gas, a type in which compressed gas is filled and gas is supplied without generating heat, or There is a hybrid type using both combustion gas and compressed gas. Any type of inflator 114 can be used. The gas supplied from the inflator 114 is exhausted from an exhaust hole 118 provided on the front side (left side in the drawing) of the cushion portion 104 after the cushion portion 104 is inflated and deployed.

  FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating the process of inflating and deploying the cushion portion 104 of FIG. As illustrated in the left diagram of FIG. 2B, the cushion portion 104 of the airbag 100 is configured such that the rear chamber 108 is first inflated and deployed preferentially. As will be described in detail later, the front chamber 110 is inflated as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 2B, triggered by the contact of the occupant 112 (see FIG. 1B) with the rear chamber 108 inflated and deployed. expand. Below, the site | part which implement | achieves the operation | movement of such expansion | deployment is further demonstrated.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the internal configuration of the cushion portion 104 of FIG. FIG. 3A illustrates the internal configuration through the base fabric outside the cushion portion 104 of FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 3A, the rear chamber 108 and the front chamber 110 are partitioned by a partition wall 120. Even if the partition wall 120 has a long shape extending in the vertical direction inside the cushion portion 104, the partition wall 120 is made of a cloth material. The partition wall 120 also plays a role of preferentially expanding and deploying the rear chamber 108.

  The partition wall 120 is provided with vent means that can be opened and closed. As a specific configuration of the vent means, first, a vent hole 122 is provided in the partition wall 120, and gas is supplied from the rear chamber 108 side to the front chamber 110 side through the vent hole 122. Since the vent holes 122 are provided in two places, that is, the upper vent hole 122a and the lower vent hole 122b of the partition wall 120, it is possible to efficiently supply gas to the front chamber 110 and quickly fill it. It has become. However, the vent hole 122 is still closed when the rear chamber 108 is expanded and deployed. The vent hole 122 opens when the partition wall 120 is bent by an external force when the occupant comes into contact with the rear chamber 108. Thus, the cushion part 104 has a mechanism in which the expansion and deployment of the rear chamber 108 is prioritized.

  FIG. 3B is a schematic view of the partition wall 120 of FIG. 3A as viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. The vent hole 122 is a circular hole provided near the center of the partition wall 120 in the width direction. FIG. 3C illustrates the rear chamber 108 side, which is the back side of the partition wall 120 in FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 3C, the vent hole 122 (FIG. 3B) is covered with a patch member 128 on the rear chamber 108 side. As illustrated in the patch member 128a, for example, the patch member 128 has side edges 130 joined to both sides of the vent hole 122a in the partition wall 120 by a sewing line L1, and the upper edge 132 and the lower edge 134 are partitioned. It is in an open state without being joined to the wall 120.

  Reference is again made to FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 3A, a strip-shaped connecting member 136 is connected to the patch member 128 in the rear chamber 108. Each of the connecting members 136 connects the patch member 128 and predetermined regions P1 and P2 on the vehicle rear side facing the patch member in the peripheral portion of the rear chamber 108. The connecting member 136 pulls the patch member 128 to open the vent hole 122 when the occupant comes into contact with the cushion portion 104 and the partition wall 120 bends together with the cushion portion 104 when the cushion portion 104 is inflated and deployed. have. Therefore, the vent hole 122 is closed by the patch member 128 in a state where the partition wall 120 before the occupant is in contact is not bent, and the gas flow rate at the time when the gas pressure is simply applied from the rear chamber 108 side, Compared to the total amount of gas supplied from the inflator 114, the amount is small.

  FIG. 4 is a development view of the base fabric constituting the cushion portion 104 of 3 (a). The partition wall 120 has a lower portion extending from the center to the interior of the cushion portion 104 in a substantially vertical direction, but an upper portion is inclined to the front chamber 110 side. FIG. 4B is a BB cross-sectional view of FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 4B, the partition wall 120 is configured by further sewing two base fabrics in a region on the front chamber 110 side of the base fabric configuring the front chamber 110. As illustrated in FIG. 4C (C-C sectional view of FIG. 4A), the partition wall 120 is provided with a vent hole 122a, and a patch is provided on the rear chamber 108 side of the vent hole 120a. A member 128a is provided. The patch member 128a is composed of two base fabrics integrated with the connecting member 136a. The connecting member 136a is sewn to a region P1 in which the vehicle rear side is the rear end of the rear chamber 108 on the vehicle rear side.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating a process in which the cushion portion 104 of FIG. FIG. 5A illustrates the cushion portion 104 at the beginning of the inflating and deploying illustrated corresponding to FIG. Note that the impactor 124 illustrated in FIG. 5A is a test device used in a vehicle airbag release prevention performance evaluation test or the like for a curtain airbag. In the following description, the impactor 124 is treated as a model of an occupant.

  As illustrated in FIG. 5A, in the cushion portion 104, the rear chamber 108 first expands and deploys first. At this time, only the gas pressure is applied to the partition wall 120, and the patch member 128a covering the vent hole (typically, the vent hole 122a) is not opened as illustrated in FIG. 5B. . Actually, even in this state, the gas leaks between the vent hole 122a and the patch member 128a. However, since the leaked amount is small compared to the total amount of gas supplied from the inflator 114, the vent hole 122a can be regarded as closed in practice.

  Hereinafter, the length of the connecting member 136 (representatively, the connecting member 136a in FIG. 5) is referred to as a length Y. In addition, the rear chamber 108 when inflated and deployed almost fully has a predetermined shape that is the root of the connection hole 136 and the vent hole 122 (typically, the vent hole 122a in FIG. 5) in the shape before the passenger contacts. A linear distance connecting the region (region P1 in FIG. 5) is defined as a distance X. When the connecting member 136a is strained without slack, the longitudinal direction of the connecting member 136a and the linear direction of the distance X overlap.

  In the present embodiment, the length Y of the connecting member 136a is set to at least the distance X between the vent hole 122a and the region P1 in the shape before the occupant contacts when the cushion portion 104 is inflated and deployed. In particular, in the present embodiment, the length Y of the connecting member 136a is set to be approximately equal to the distance X. With this setting, an operation of pulling the patch member 128a, which will be described later, occurs.

  As illustrated in FIG. 5C, when the impactor 124 contacts the rear chamber 108, the rear chamber 108 becomes thin in the vehicle width direction and deforms so as to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction. Accordingly, the partition wall 120 is also bent so as to be pushed in the vehicle width direction, and the vent hole 122a moves to the vehicle front side, and the distance X is extended. At this time, since the connecting member 136a is set to the length Y described above (a length substantially equal to the distance X), the patch member 128a is relatively pulled by the connecting member 136a when viewed from the vent hole 122a. It will be. By these operations, as illustrated in FIG. 5D, the upper edge 132 and the lower edge 134 of the patch member 128a are separated from the partition wall 120, the gap is expanded, and the gas flows into the vent hole 122a.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the length Y of the connecting member 136 is set to be substantially equal to the distance X (the length Y may be slightly longer than the distance X). For example, when the length Y of the connecting member 136 is equal to or less than the distance X, a force for pulling the patch member 128 is generated in the connecting member 136 at the same time as or after the completion of the expansion and deployment of the rear chamber 108. . According to this, the gas supply to the front chamber 110 immediately after the occupant comes into contact is performed more smoothly. On the other hand, when the length Y of the connecting member 136 is substantially equal to or slightly longer than the distance X as in the present embodiment, the supply of gas to the front chamber 110 is prevented from contacting the occupant rear chamber 108. It will be done after it has definitely occurred. With this configuration, the internal pressure of the rear chamber 108 can be released at an appropriate timing while reliably protecting the occupant during a first impact with a large impact (the first contact of the occupant with the rear chamber 108). Therefore, more preferable airbag characteristics can be obtained.

  As described above, the patch member 128a is joined to the partition wall 120 at the side edge 130 so that a gap is formed between the patch member 128a and the vent hole 122a when the partition wall 120 is pushed in the vehicle width direction by the contact of the occupant. The upper edge 132 and the lower edge 134 are not joined to the partition wall 120 and are open. The upper edge 132 and the lower edge 134 are opened. This is because the partition wall 120 extends in the vehicle vertical direction in this embodiment. For example, the partition wall 120 extends in the vehicle front-rear direction. In this case, the front and rear edges of the patch member may be opened.

  Since the vent hole 122 is opened in the above-described process, the partition wall 120 is a position where the occupant can easily bend as a position where the partition wall 120 is more flexible. Specifically, the area where the surface of the cushion part 104 is deformed when the occupant comes into contact. It is preferable to be provided in the inside. Further, in the present embodiment, in order to make the vent hole 122 easy to open, the vent hole 122 is provided in the vicinity of a region that comes into contact with a portion of the body of the occupant 112 that is susceptible to a load. For example, the upper vent hole 122a is provided in the vicinity of the region where the shoulder E1 (FIG. 1B) of the occupant 112 contacts, and the lower vent hole 122b is provided in the vicinity of the region where the lumbar E2 of the occupant 112 contacts. ing.

  When the vent hole 122a is opened, the gas flow rate from the rear chamber 108 to the front chamber 110 increases, and the front chamber 110 expands and expands as illustrated in FIG. 5E. When the amount of movement of the impactor 124 to the outside of the vehicle is maximized, the degree of opening of the vent hole 122a by the patch member 128a is also maximized as illustrated in FIG.

  Thus, in the cushion part 104 of the airbag 100, first, gas is preferentially supplied to the rear chamber. Then, the rear chamber 108 quickly contacts and receives a load-applying portion such as the shoulder E1 or the waist E2 of the occupant 112 described with reference to FIG. Next, when the occupant 112 comes into contact with the rear chamber 108, the front chamber 110 expands and deploys and widely receives the arm portion E3, the abdominal portion E4, and the like of the occupant 112. As described above, in the airbag 100, first, a portion related to the first contact with the occupant (first impact) is quickly inflated and deployed, and then further inflated and deployed, thereby improving the occupant restraint performance. It is possible.

  Although not shown, even if the occupant is seated in a seat in an out-of-position (OOP: Out Of Position) state, if the airbag 100 is concerned, the rear It can be expected that only the chamber 108 is deployed and the front chamber 110 is undeployed to avoid excessive contact with the passenger. Therefore, the vent hole 122 and the patch member 128 provided in the airbag 100 are also effective as a countermeasure against this OOP.

  In the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, a diffuser portion 126 is installed as a rectifying member around the inflator 114 so that the rear chamber 108 and the front chamber 110 are efficiently filled with gas. The diffuser portion 126 is installed inside the rear chamber 108 so as to surround the inflator 114 in a cylindrical shape, and guides the gas from the inflator 114 in the vertical direction in the rear chamber. As a result, the rear chamber 108 is efficiently filled with gas, and the gas can easily flow from the upper and lower vent holes 122 toward the front chamber 110.

  In addition, although it is set as the structure provided with the two vent holes 122a and 122b in the above, as long as it can satisfy | fill a required performance, it is good also as a structure provided only one, and also it is good also as a structure provided three or more. . In addition, the patch member 128 and the connecting member 136 are integrally formed by sewing two pieces of cloth material. However, the patch member 128 and the connecting member 136 may be formed by one piece of cloth material, and may be configured to be connected after being provided independently of each other. It goes without saying.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an airbag device (hereinafter, airbag 200) according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates the cushion portion 204 of the airbag 200 corresponding to the cushion portion 104 of FIG. 3 described above. In addition, below, about the component already demonstrated in the item of the said 1st Embodiment, the description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol in each figure.

  As illustrated in FIG. 6A, the rear chamber 108 and the front chamber 110 are partitioned by a partition wall 220. Even if the partition wall 220 has a long shape extending in the vertical direction inside the cushion portion 204, the partition wall 220 is made of a cloth material. The partition wall 220 also plays a role of preferentially expanding and deploying the rear chamber 108.

  The partition wall 220 is also provided with vent means. As a specific configuration of the vent means, a slit vent 222 is provided, and gas is supplied from the rear chamber 108 side to the front chamber 110 side through the slit vent 222. Since the slit vent 222 is provided at a total of two locations, that is, the upper slit vent 222a and the lower slit vent 222b of the partition wall 220, the gas can be efficiently supplied to the front chamber 110 and quickly filled. It has become. However, the slit vent 222 is still closed when the rear chamber 108 is inflated and deployed. The slit vent 222 is opened when the partition wall 220 is bent by an external force when the occupant contacts the rear chamber 108. Thus, the cushion part 204 has a mechanism in which the expansion and deployment of the rear chamber 108 is prioritized.

  FIG. 6B is a schematic view of the partition wall 220 of FIG. 6A before the front chamber 110 is expanded and deployed as seen from the direction of arrow H in FIG. The slit vent 222 is provided as a linear cut line extending in the short direction of the partition wall 220. The slit vent 222 is closed when the partition wall 220 before the occupant comes into contact is not bent, and the gas flow rate is small when the gas pressure is simply applied from the rear chamber 108 side.

  FIG. 7 is a development view of the base fabric constituting the cushion portion 204 of FIG. The partition wall 220 has a lower portion extending from the central portion thereof in the cushion portion 204 substantially along the vertical direction, but an upper portion thereof is inclined to the front chamber 110 side. FIG.7 (b) is II sectional drawing of Fig.7 (a). As illustrated in FIG. 7B, the partition wall 220 is configured by further sewing two base fabrics in a region of the base fabric constituting the rear chamber 108 on the front chamber 110 side. As illustrated in FIG. 7C (J-J cross-sectional view in FIG. 7A), the slit vent 222 is provided with a notch in the base fabric, and the rear chamber 108 and the front chamber 110 are separated from each other. Communicates.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a process in which the cushion portion 204 of FIG. 7 is inflated and deployed. FIG. 8A illustrates the cushion portion 204 at the beginning of the inflating and deploying illustrated corresponding to FIG. 7B. As illustrated in FIG. 8A, in the cushion portion 204, the rear chamber 108 first expands and deploys first. At this time, only the gas pressure is applied to the partition wall 220, and the slit vent (typically, the slit vent 222a) is not opened as illustrated in FIG. 8B. Actually, even in this state, the gas leaks through the slit vent 222a. However, since the leaked amount is small compared to the total amount of gas supplied from the inflator 114, the slit vent 222a can be regarded as closed in practice.

  As illustrated in FIG. 8C, when the impactor 124 contacts the rear chamber 108, the rear chamber 108 becomes thin in the vehicle width direction and deforms so as to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction. Accordingly, the partition wall 120 is also bent in the vehicle width direction. This deflection opens the slit vent 222a as illustrated in FIG. As described above, the slit vent 222a opens in the vehicle width direction (the shorter side of the partition wall 220) with respect to the partition wall 220 extending in the vehicle vertical direction so that it opens when the partition wall 220 is pushed in the vehicle width direction by the contact of the occupant. Direction).

  Since the slit vent 222 is opened by the flow as described above, the partition wall 220 is set at a position where the partition wall 220 is more easily bent, and the surface of the cushion portion 204 is deformed when the occupant comes into contact. It is preferable to provide it inside the region. In this embodiment, in order to make the slit vent 222 easy to open, the slit vent 222 is provided in the vicinity of a region that comes into contact with a portion of the occupant's body that is susceptible to a load. For example, the upper slit vent 222a is provided in the vicinity of the area where the occupant's shoulder E1 (FIG. 1B) contacts, and the lower slit vent 222b is provided in the vicinity of the area where the occupant's waist E2 contacts. .

  When the slit vent 222a opens, the gas flow rate from the rear chamber 108 to the front chamber 110 increases, and the front chamber 110 expands and expands as illustrated in FIG. 8E. When the amount of movement of the impactor 124 to the outside of the vehicle becomes the maximum, as shown in FIG. 8F, the degree of opening of the slit vent 222a is also maximized.

  Thus, in the cushion part 204 of the airbag 200, first, gas is preferentially supplied to the rear chamber. Then, the rear chamber 108 quickly contacts and receives a load-applying portion such as the shoulder E1 or the waist E2 of the occupant 112 described with reference to FIG. Next, when the occupant 112 comes into contact with the rear chamber 108, the front chamber 110 expands and deploys and widely receives the arm portion E3, the abdominal portion E4, and the like of the occupant 112. As described above, in the airbag 200, first, a portion related to the first contact with the occupant (first impact) is quickly inflated and deployed, and then further inflated and deployed, thereby improving the occupant restraint performance. It is possible.

  Although not shown, even if the occupant is seated on the seat in an out-of-position (OOP: Out Of Position) state, if the airbag 200 is used, the rear It can be expected that only the chamber 108 is deployed and the front chamber 110 is undeployed to avoid excessive contact with the passenger. Therefore, the slit vent 222 provided in the airbag 200 is also effective as a countermeasure against this OOP.

  Also in this embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 6A, a diffuser portion 126 is installed as a rectifying member around the inflator 114 so that the rear chamber 108 and the front chamber 110 are efficiently filled with gas. Yes. The diffuser portion 126 is installed inside the rear chamber 108 so as to surround the inflator 114 in a cylindrical shape, and guides the gas from the inflator 114 in the vertical direction in the rear chamber. As a result, the rear chamber 108 is efficiently filled with gas, and the gas can easily flow from the upper and lower slit vents 222 toward the front chamber 110.

  In the above configuration, the two slit vents 222a and 222b are provided. However, if it is possible to satisfy the required performance, only one configuration may be provided, or three or more configurations may be provided. Good. Moreover, the partition wall 220 may be installed so as to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction, for example, and in that case, a slit vent may be provided in front of the partition wall and in the rear of the vehicle. Furthermore, although the partition wall 220 is produced by stitching cloth materials, it is needless to say that the partition wall 220 may be composed of one cloth material.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an airbag device (hereinafter, airbag 300) according to the third embodiment of the present invention. 9 illustrates the cushion portion 304 of the airbag 300 corresponding to the cushion portion 104 of FIG. 3 described above. In addition, about the component already demonstrated in the item of each said embodiment, the description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol in each figure.

  As illustrated in FIG. 9A, the rear chamber 108 and the front chamber 110 are partitioned by a partition wall 320. The partition wall 320 has a long shape extending in the vertical direction inside the cushion portion 304 and is made of a cloth material. The partition wall 320 also plays a role of preferentially expanding and deploying the rear chamber 108.

  The partition wall 320 is a cloth material and includes a first member 320a, a second member 320b, and a third member 320c that are independent of each other. Specifically, the first member 320 a constitutes the upper part of the partition wall 320, and the third member 320 c constitutes the lower part of the partition wall 320. The first member 320a and the third member 320c are separated from each other, and the second member 320b is provided on the front chamber 110 side so as to extend between the first member 320a and the third member 320c. As described above, the first member 320a to the third member 320c are arranged in the vertical direction, and are sewn and joined along the edge in the width direction.

  The vicinity of the upper end 321 and the lower end 323 of the second member 320b overlaps the first member 320a and the third member 320c without being sewn. The overlapping portions of the second member 320b, the first member 320a, and the third member 320c are opened without being connected, and an overlap vent 322 is formed as vent means. The overlap vent 322 is a gas passage, and gas is supplied from the rear chamber 108 side to the front chamber 110 side through the overlap vent 322.

  Since the overlap vents 322 are provided at a total of two locations of the first overlap vent 322a at the upper part of the partition wall 320 and the second overlap vent 322b at the lower part, the gas is efficiently supplied to the front chamber 110. And can be quickly filled. However, the overlap vent 322 is still closed when the rear chamber 108 is inflated and deployed. The overlap vent 322 is bent and opened together with the partition wall 320 being bent by an external force when the occupant comes into contact with the rear chamber 108. Thus, the cushion part 104 has a mechanism in which the expansion and deployment of the rear chamber 108 is prioritized.

  FIG. 9B is a schematic view of the state of the partition wall 320 of FIG. 9A before expansion and deployment of the front chamber 110 as seen from the direction of arrow K in FIG. 9A. The upper end portion 321 and the lower end portion 323 of the second member 320b forming the overlap vent 322 are laterally (vehicle width direction) with respect to the partition wall 320 extending in the vertical direction (vertical direction) of the cushion portion 304. It is provided in an extending shape. The overlap vent 322 is closed when the partition wall 320 before the occupant comes into contact is not bent, and the gas flow rate is supplied from the inflator 114 when gas pressure is simply applied from the rear chamber 108 side. It is very small compared to the total amount of gas.

  FIG. 10 is a development view of the base fabric constituting the cushion portion 304 of FIG. The partition wall 320 has a lower portion extending from the center to the interior of the cushion portion 304 along the vertical direction, but an upper portion is inclined to the front chamber 110 side. FIG.10 (b) is MM sectional drawing of Fig.10 (a). As illustrated in FIG. 10B, the partition wall 320 is configured by sewing the second member 320b and the like in a region on the front chamber 110 side of the base fabric constituting the rear chamber. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 10C (an NN cross-sectional view in FIG. 10A), in the overlap vent 322, for example, the first member 320a and the second member 320b overlap without being connected. Yes.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a process in which the cushion portion 304 of FIG. 10 is inflated and deployed. FIG. 11A illustrates the cushion portion 304 at the beginning of inflating and deploying, which is illustrated corresponding to FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 11A, in the cushion portion 304, the rear chamber 108 first expands and deploys first. At this time, only the gas pressure is applied to the partition wall 320, and the overlap vent (typically, the overlap vent 322a) is not opened as illustrated in FIG. 11B. Actually, even in this state, the gas leaks through the overlap vent 322a. However, since the leaked amount is small compared to the total amount of gas supplied from the inflator 114, the overlap vent 322a can be regarded as closed in practice.

  As illustrated in FIG. 11C, when the impactor 124 contacts the rear chamber 108, the rear chamber 108 becomes thin in the vehicle width direction and deforms so as to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction. Accordingly, the partition wall 320 is also bent in the vehicle width direction so as to bend. By this deflection, the positions of the first member 320a and the second member 320b are moved as illustrated in FIG. 11D, and the overlap vent 322a is opened. Therefore, the upper end 321 of the second member 320b and the lower end 325 of the first member 320a forming the overlap vent 322a are opened when the partition wall 320 is pushed in the vehicle width direction by the contact of the occupant. The vehicle is provided in the vehicle width direction (lateral direction) with respect to the partition wall 320 extending in the vehicle vertical direction (vertical direction). The same applies to the lower end portion 323 of the second member 320b and the upper end portion 326 of the third member 320c forming the overlap vent 322b in FIG. 9A.

  Since the overlap vent 322 is opened by the flow as described above, the partition wall 320 is located at a position where the partition wall 320 is more easily bent. It is preferable to provide it inside the region to be used. In this embodiment, in order to make it easy to open the overlap vent 322, the overlap vent 322 is provided in the vicinity of a region that comes into contact with a portion of the occupant's body that is susceptible to a load. For example, the upper overlap vent 322a is provided in the vicinity of the area where the occupant's shoulder E1 (FIG. 1B) contacts, and the lower overlap vent 322b is provided in the vicinity of the area where the occupant's waist E2 contacts. ing.

  When the overlap vent 322a opens, the flow rate of gas from the rear chamber 108 to the front chamber 110 increases, and the front chamber 110 expands and expands as illustrated in FIG. 11E. When the amount of movement of the impactor 124 to the outside of the vehicle becomes maximum, the degree of opening of the overlap vent 322a is also maximized as illustrated in FIG. 11 (f).

  Thus, in the cushion part 304 of the airbag 300, first, gas is preferentially supplied to the rear chamber. The rear chamber 308 quickly comes into contact with and receives a load-prone portion such as the shoulder E1 and the waist E2 of the occupant 112 described with reference to FIG. Next, when the occupant 112 comes into contact with the rear chamber 108, the front chamber 110 expands and deploys and widely receives the arm portion E3, the abdominal portion E4, and the like of the occupant 112. As described above, in the airbag 300, first, a portion related to the first contact with the occupant (first impact) is quickly inflated and deployed, and then further inflated and deployed to improve the occupant restraint performance. It is possible.

  Although not shown, even if the occupant is seated on the seat in an out-of-position (OOP: Out Of Position) state, if the airbag 300 is concerned, the rear It can be expected that only the chamber 108 is deployed and the front chamber 110 is undeployed to avoid excessive contact with the passenger. Therefore, the overlap vent 322 included in the airbag 300 is also effective as a countermeasure against this OOP.

  Also in this embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 9A, a diffuser portion 126 is installed as a rectifying member around the inflator 114 so that the rear chamber 108 and the front chamber 110 are efficiently filled with gas. Yes. The diffuser portion 126 is installed inside the rear chamber 108 so as to surround the inflator 114 in a cylindrical shape, and guides the gas from the inflator 114 in the vertical direction in the rear chamber. As a result, the rear chamber 108 is efficiently filled with gas, and the gas can easily flow from the upper and lower overlap vents 322 toward the front chamber 110.

  In the above configuration, the partition wall 320 is composed of a total of three members, the first member 320a, the second member 320b, and the third member 320c. For example, two members, the first member 320a and the second member 320b, are used. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which only one overlap vent 322a is provided. Moreover, in the said embodiment, the technical idea concerning this invention is embodied as a side airbag. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in an airbag including two or more chambers such as a curtain airbag or a front airbag, the second chamber is inflated and deployed after the occupant contacts the first chamber. It can be realized.

  In the above configuration, the configuration includes two overlap vents 322a and 322b. However, if the required performance can be satisfied, only one configuration may be provided, or three or more configurations may be provided. Also good. Further, the partition wall 320 may be installed so as to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction, for example, and in that case, an overlap vent may be provided on the vehicle front and rear of the partition wall. Furthermore, although the first material 320a to the second member 320c of the partition wall 320 are made of independent cloth materials in the above, other vehicles in the vehicle width direction of the base cloth such as the rear chamber 108 are also available. Each member may be configured by sewing a part of the outside and the inside of the vehicle at the center in the vehicle width direction.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an airbag device (hereinafter, airbag 400) according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 illustrates the cushion portion 404 of the airbag 400 corresponding to the cushion portion 104 of FIG. 3 described above. In addition, about the component already demonstrated in the item of each said embodiment, the description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol in each figure.

  As illustrated in FIG. 12A, the rear chamber 108 and the front chamber 110 are partitioned by a partition wall 420. The partition wall 420 has a long shape extending in the vertical direction inside the cushion portion 404 and is made of a cloth material. The partition wall 420 also plays a role of preferentially expanding and deploying the rear chamber 108.

  The partition wall 420 is a cloth material and includes a first member 420a and a second member 420b that are independent of each other. Specifically, the first member 420a and the second member 420b are elongated in the vertical direction along the entire partition wall 420, and the first member 420a extends outside the partition wall 420 in the vehicle width direction. The second member 420b configures the inner side of the partition wall 420 in the vehicle width direction. The first member 420a and the second member 420b overlap with each other as a vent means by overlapping the longitudinal edges (the edge 421 of the first member 420a and the edge 423 of the second member 420b illustrated in FIG. 12B). A portion 432 is formed, and the overlap portion 432 is joined along the edge 421 and the like by a sewing line L2.

  In the sewing line L2, the middle is opened in the upper part and the lower part of the partition wall 420. As shown in FIG. The portion where the first member 420 a and the second member 420 b are opened serves as an overlap vent 422. The overlap vent 422 is a gas passage port, and gas is supplied from the rear chamber 108 side to the front chamber 110 side through the overlap vent 422. In the present embodiment, the overlap vent 422 is configured such that gas flows in the short direction of the partition wall 420 and toward the vehicle outer side in the vehicle width direction.

  The overlap vent 422 is provided at two places, the first overlap vent 422a at the upper part of the partition wall 420 and the second overlap vent 422b at the lower part, so that the gas is efficiently supplied to the front chamber 110. And can be quickly filled. However, the overlap vent 422 is still closed when the partition wall 420 before the occupant is in contact is not bent, and the gas flow rate is small when the gas pressure is simply applied from the rear chamber 108 side. The overlap vent 422 opens when the partition wall 420 is bent by an external force when the occupant contacts the rear chamber 108. That is, the cushion portion 404 has a mechanism in which the expansion and deployment of the rear chamber 108 is prioritized.

  FIG. 12B is a schematic view of the partition wall 420 of FIG. 12A before expansion and deployment of the front chamber 110 as viewed from the direction of arrow O in FIG. The overlap vent 422 is formed by a sewing line L2 extending in the longitudinal direction of the partition wall 420 being curved along the vehicle outer side in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, gas flows through the overlap vent 422 from the inside of the vehicle toward the outside of the vehicle. The flow of gas toward the outside of the vehicle is also in consideration of safety, so that the gas pressure can be prevented from hitting an occupant inside the vehicle.

  In addition, the overlap vent 422 has a curved sewing line. For example, in 422a, the diameter of the inlet D2 on the rear chamber 108 side is larger than the diameter of the outlet D1 on the front chamber 110 side. This configuration also facilitates gas flow toward the front chamber 110.

  FIG. 13 is a development view of the base fabric constituting the cushion portion 404 of FIG. The partition wall 420 extends from the central portion to the interior of the cushion portion 404 along the substantially vertical direction, but the upper portion is inclined to the front chamber 110 side. FIG.13 (b) is QQ sectional drawing of Fig.13 (a). As illustrated in FIG. 13B, the partition wall 420 is configured by sewing the first member 420a, the second member 420b, and the like in the region on the front chamber 110 side of the base fabric constituting the rear chamber. Yes. The first member 420a and the second member 420b are joined by the sewing line L2, but as illustrated in FIG. 13C (the RR cross-sectional view of FIG. 13A), the overlap vent 422 is formed. There is no sewing line at the position, and the first member 420a and the second member 420b are opened without being joined.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a process in which the cushion portion 404 of FIG. 13 is inflated and deployed. FIG. 14A illustrates the cushion portion 404 at the beginning of inflating and expanding, which is illustrated corresponding to FIG. 13B. As illustrated in FIG. 14A, in the cushion portion 404, the rear chamber 108 first expands and deploys first. At this time, only the gas pressure is applied to the partition wall 420, and the overlap vent (typically, the overlap vent 422a) is not open as illustrated in FIG. 14B. Actually, even in this state, the gas leaks through the overlap vent 422a. However, since the leaked amount is small compared to the total amount of gas supplied from the inflator 114, the overlap vent 422a at this time can be regarded as being closed.

  As illustrated in FIG. 14C, when the impactor 124 contacts the rear chamber 108, the rear chamber 108 becomes thin in the vehicle width direction and deforms so as to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction. Accordingly, the partition wall 420 is also bent in the vehicle width direction. Due to this deflection, as illustrated in FIG. 14D, the positions of the first member 420a and the second member 420b move to change the overlapping state, and the overlap vent 422a opens.

  Since the overlap vent 422 is opened by the flow as described above, the partition wall 420 is positioned so as to be more easily bent, so that the area of the cushion portion 404 where the occupant is in contact, more specifically, the surface of the cushion portion 404 is deformed when the occupant contacts. It is preferable to provide it inside the region to be used. In this embodiment, in order to make the overlap vent 422 easier to open, the overlap vent 422 is provided in the vicinity of a region in contact with a portion of the occupant's body that is susceptible to a load. For example, the upper overlap vent 422a is provided in the vicinity of the area where the occupant's shoulder E1 (FIG. 1B) contacts, and the lower overlap vent 422b is provided in the vicinity of the area where the occupant's waist E2 contacts. ing.

  When the overlap vent 422a is opened, the gas flow rate from the rear chamber 108 to the front chamber 110 increases, and the front chamber 110 expands and expands as illustrated in FIG. 14E. When the amount of movement of the impactor 124 to the outside of the vehicle becomes maximum, the degree of opening of the overlap vent 422a is also maximum as illustrated in FIG.

  Thus, in the cushion portion 404 of the airbag 400, first, gas is preferentially supplied to the rear chamber. Then, the rear chamber 108 quickly contacts and receives a load-applying portion such as the shoulder E1 or the waist E2 of the occupant 112 described with reference to FIG. Next, when the occupant 112 comes into contact with the rear chamber 108, the front chamber 110 expands and deploys and widely receives the arm portion E3, the abdominal portion E4, and the like of the occupant 112. Thus, in the airbag 400, first, a portion related to the first contact with the occupant (first impact) is quickly inflated and deployed, and then further inflated and deployed, thereby improving the occupant restraint performance. It is possible.

  Although not shown, even if the occupant is seated on the seat in an out-of-position (OOP: Out Of Position) state, if the airbag 400 is used, the rear It can be expected that only the chamber 108 is deployed and the front chamber 110 is undeployed to avoid excessive contact with the passenger. Therefore, the overlap vent 422 included in the airbag 400 is also effective as a countermeasure against this OOP.

  Also in this embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 12A, a diffuser portion 126 is installed as a rectifying member around the inflator 114 so that the rear chamber 108 and the front chamber 110 are efficiently filled with gas. Yes. The diffuser portion 126 is installed inside the rear chamber 108 so as to surround the inflator 114 in a cylindrical shape, and guides the gas from the inflator 114 in the vertical direction in the rear chamber. As a result, the rear chamber 108 is efficiently filled with gas, and the gas can easily flow from the upper and lower overlap vents 422 toward the front chamber 110.

  In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 13A, FIG. 14C, and the like, reinforcing cloths 428 and 430 may be provided in a region where the gas flowing in from the overlap vent 420 directly hits the front chamber 110. . Thereby, durability of the cushion part 404 can be improved.

  In the above configuration, the partition wall 420 is composed of a total of two members, the first member 420a and the second member 420b. For example, a third member is further provided to add a further overlap vent. It is also possible to do. Furthermore, for example, the partition wall 420 may be installed so as to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction, and in that case, an overlap vent may be provided in front of the partition wall and in the rear of the vehicle. Moreover, in the said embodiment, the technical idea concerning this invention is embodied as a side airbag. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in an airbag including two or more chambers such as a curtain airbag or a front airbag, the second chamber is inflated and deployed after the occupant contacts the first chamber. It can be realized.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration includes two overlap vents 422a and 422b. However, if it is possible to satisfy the required performance, only one configuration may be provided, and further three or more configurations may be provided. It is good. Further, the sewing line is curved at both the upper and lower sides of the overlap vent, but it can also be bent linearly.

(Modification)
Below, the modification of the cushion part common to said each embodiment is demonstrated. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a modification of the cushion portion in each embodiment. The cushion part 500 illustrated in FIG. 15A is different from the above-described embodiments mainly in the installation location of the partition wall 502.

  The partition wall 502 extends in the vehicle front-rear direction within the cushion portion 500, and partitions the cushion portion 500 into an upper chamber 504 and a lower chamber 506. In the cushion portion 500, the inflator 114 is provided in the upper chamber 504. A cylindrical deflector 508 is attached around the inflator 114. The deflector 508 is a gas rectifying member mainly made of metal, and guides the gas from the inflator 114 in the vertical direction, which is the longitudinal direction thereof.

  Further, in this modification, a diffuser 510 provided by forming a cloth material in a cylindrical shape is provided on the outer side of the deflector 508. The diffuser 510 is a member having an action of rectifying and guiding the gas in the vertical direction. In this modification, the diffuser 510 further has a function of a check valve 512.

  FIG. 15B is a diagram exemplifying the diffuser 510 of FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 15B, the check valve 512 that is a portion of the diffuser 510 on the lower chamber 506 side extends longer than the deflector 508, and the cloth material has a margin. A gas from the inflator 114 toward the lower chamber 506 flows through the check valve 512 without any problem. FIG. 15C is a diagram illustrating a state in which the gas is about to flow backward from the lower chamber 506 side to the diffuser 510. As illustrated in FIG. 15C, when gas flows backward from the lower chamber 506 side into the diffuser 510, the cloth material forming the check valve 512 is clogged in the diffuser 510. Thereby, the backflow of gas is prevented and the internal pressure of the lower chamber 506 is kept high.

  Reference is again made to FIG. In the cushion part 500, vent means 514 is provided on the front side of the partition wall 502 in the vehicle. As the vent unit 514, the specific configuration of each vent unit described in the first to fourth embodiments may be appropriately adopted. The vent means 514 can be configured to open when the occupant 112 (see FIG. 1B) contacts the lower chamber 506, for example. In the cushion portion 500 having such a series of configurations, first, the lower chamber 506 in which the backflow is prevented by the check valve 512 is rapidly expanded and deployed. When the occupant comes into contact with the lower chamber 506, the vent means 514 is opened and the gas flows out into the upper chamber 504 so that the burden on the occupant can be moderately reduced. Thus, in the cushion part 500, by using the diffuser 510 and the vent means 514, it is possible to improve the occupant restraint performance by adjusting the expansion speed and the internal pressure of the lower chamber 506.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of changing the arrangement position of the inflator 114 in FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 16, the arrangement position of the inflator 114 can be changed as appropriate. For example, in FIG. 16A, the inflator 114 is disposed in the lower chamber 506, and gas is supplied to the upper chamber through the check valve 516. According to this configuration, the backflow of gas from the upper chamber 504 to the lower chamber 506 can be prevented, and the internal pressure of the upper chamber 504 can be maintained high. Further, as shown in FIG. 16B, an inflator 114 is installed at a position penetrating the partition wall 502, and check valves 514 and 516 are provided in both the upper chamber 504 and the lower chamber 506, and gas is supplied to both chambers. It is also possible to increase the internal pressure of each by preventing backflow.

  FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a further modification of the cushion portion in each embodiment. The cushion portion 600 of each modified example illustrated in FIG. 17 includes partition walls 602 and 604 extending in two directions, and three chambers are partitioned. For example, in FIG. 17A, one lower chamber 606 and two upper chambers (upper rear chamber 608 and upper front chamber 610) are provided. Vent means 612, a partition wall 602 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction between the lower chamber 606 and the upper front chamber 610, and a partition wall 604 extending in the vehicle vertical direction between the upper rear chamber 608 and the upper front chamber 610, respectively. 614 is provided. In addition, the vent means 612 and 614 may employ | adopt suitably the specific structure of the vent means demonstrated in the said 1st-4th embodiment similarly to the vent means 514 of Fig.15 (a).

  In the cushion part 600, first, in order to protect the shoulder part E1 and the waist part E2 of the occupant 112 (see FIG. 1B), the back flow is prevented by the upper rear chamber 608 provided with the inflator 114 and the check valve 512. The separated lower chamber 606 rapidly expands and deploys together. When the occupant comes into contact with these chambers, the vent means 612 and 614 are opened, and the upper front chamber 610 is inflated and deployed, so that the occupant 112 can be received more widely.

  In addition, also in the cushion part 600, the installation position of the inflator 114 can be changed suitably. For example, in FIG. 17B, the inflator 114 is installed in the lower chamber 606, and gas is supplied to the upper rear chamber 608 through the check valve 516. In FIG. 17C, the inflator 114 is installed so as to penetrate the partition wall 604, and gas is supplied to the lower chamber 606 and the upper rear chamber 608 through check valves 512 and 516, respectively. Thus, also in the cushion part 600 which has three chambers, the expansion speed of each chamber, its internal pressure, etc. can be adjusted using the diffuser 510 and the vent means 612 and 614, and occupant restraint performance is improved. Is possible.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described referring an accompanying drawing, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to the example which concerns. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and these are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention. Understood. For example, in each of the above embodiments, the technical idea according to the present invention is embodied as a side airbag. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in an airbag including two or more chambers such as a curtain airbag or a front airbag, the second chamber is inflated and deployed after the occupant contacts the first chamber. It can be realized.

  Moreover, although the example which applied the airbag apparatus concerning this invention to the motor vehicle was demonstrated in the said embodiment, it is also possible to apply to an aircraft, a ship, etc. besides a motor vehicle, and can obtain the same effect. it can.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for an airbag device that inflates and deploys between an occupant and a side wall portion in a vehicle compartment and restrains the occupant when an impact occurs on the vehicle.

Claims (23)

A cushion-like cushion portion that receives gas and expands and deploys;
A partition wall that partitions the interior of the cushion portion into a plurality of chambers;
Vent means that can be opened and closed provided on the partition wall, and the vent means opens when the occupant contacts at least one chamber and the partition wall bends;
An air bag device comprising: The vent means includes
One or more vent holes provided in the partition wall through which the gas can pass from the first chamber to the second chamber;
A patch member that covers the vent hole on the first chamber side and is joined in a state where at least a part of the patch hole can be separated from the partition wall;
A connecting member that connects the patch member and a predetermined region in the first chamber facing the patch member;
Including
2. The air according to claim 1, wherein a length of the connecting member is at least equal to or less than a distance between the vent hole and the predetermined region when the first chamber is sufficiently expanded and deployed. Bag device.   The airbag device according to claim 2, wherein a length of the connecting member is equal to a distance between the vent hole and the predetermined region in a shape when the first chamber is sufficiently inflated and deployed. The partition wall has a long shape extending in the up-down direction or the vehicle front-rear direction inside the cushion portion,
4. The patch member according to claim 2, wherein side edges of the patch member are joined to both sides of the vent hole in the partition wall, and upper and lower or front and rear edges of the vehicle are opened from the partition wall. Airbag device. The vent holes are provided on at least two places on the partition wall, the upper part and the lower part in the cushion part,
The vent hole provided in the upper part of the partition wall is provided in the vicinity of the region where the shoulder portion of the occupant contacts,
The airbag device according to any one of claims 2 to 3, wherein the vent hole provided in a lower portion of the partition wall is provided in a vicinity of a region where the occupant's waist contacts. The vent means includes
Including a slit vent provided as a straight cut line in the partition wall;
2. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the slit vent opens when the partition wall bends to increase a flow rate of the gas from the first chamber to the second chamber. The partition wall has a long shape extending in the up-down direction or the vehicle front-rear direction inside the cushion portion,
The airbag device according to claim 6, wherein the slit vent is provided in a shape extending linearly in a short direction of the partition wall at at least one place on the partition wall. The slit vent is provided on at least two places on the partition wall, the upper part and the lower part in the cushion part,
The slit vent provided in the upper part of the partition wall is provided in the vicinity of a region where the shoulder portion of the occupant contacts,
The airbag apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, wherein a slit vent provided at a lower portion of the partition wall is provided in a vicinity of an area where the waist of the occupant contacts. The partition wall includes a first member and a second member which are cloth materials independent of each other,
The vent means includes a first overlap vent that is provided when the end portions of the first member and the second member overlap each other on the partition wall and opens when the partition wall is bent. The airbag device according to claim 1. The partition wall has a shape extending in the up-down direction or the vehicle front-rear direction inside the cushion portion, and the first member and the second member are arranged to be aligned in the up-down direction or the vehicle front-rear direction,
The airbag apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first overlap vent is provided so as to extend laterally on the partition wall. The partition wall further includes a third member made of a cloth material spaced from the first member,
The vent means further includes a second overlap vent that is provided by overlapping the end portions of the second member and the third member on the partition wall and opens when the partition wall is bent. The airbag device according to claim 9 or 10. The first overlap vent is provided in the vicinity of a region where the shoulder portion of the occupant contacts,
The airbag apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second overlap vent is provided in a vicinity of a region where the waist of the occupant contacts. The partition wall includes a first member and a second member, which are cloth materials independent of each other, and has an overlap portion where ends of the first member and the second member overlap each other,
The vent means includes
A sewing line for joining the first member and the second member, provided in the overlap portion of the first member and the second member;
One or more overlap vents provided in the middle of the sewing line so that the gas can pass from the first chamber to the second chamber;
The airbag device according to claim 1, comprising: The first member and the second member have a long shape, and the overlap portion of the first member and the second member is provided in the vicinity of the longitudinal edge of each other,
The sewing line is provided along the longitudinal edges of each other;
The airbag apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the gas flows in a short direction of the first member and the second member passing through the overlap vent.   The airbag device according to claim 14, wherein the sewing line is bent or curved along the gas flow direction from the longitudinal direction at the overlap vent.   The airbag apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the overlap vent has a diameter on the first chamber side larger than a diameter on the second chamber side.   The air according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein the overlap vent is provided so that the gas flowing through the overlap vent flows from the vehicle inner side toward the vehicle outer side in the vehicle width direction. Bag device.   The airbag apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the second chamber has a reinforcing cloth in a region directly hit by a gas flowing in from the overlap vent. The overlap vent is provided on at least two locations on the partition wall, the upper part and the lower part in the cushion part,
The overlap vent on the upper part of the partition wall is provided in the vicinity of a region where the shoulder of the occupant contacts,
The airbag apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein the overlap vent at a lower portion of the partition wall is provided in the vicinity of a region where the occupant's waist contacts.   The said partition wall is provided in the area | region where the said passenger | crew contacts among the said cushion parts at the time of emergency of a vehicle, and the surface of this cushion part deform | transforms, The one of Claim 1 to 19 characterized by the above-mentioned. The airbag apparatus as described.   The airbag apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the airbag apparatus is a side airbag that inflates and deploys on a side of a seat. The partition wall partitions the inside of the cushion portion into a rear chamber on the vehicle rear side and a front chamber on the vehicle front side,
The airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the vent means supplies gas from the rear chamber to the front chamber. The airbag device further includes
An inflator of a cylinder type and installed in a predetermined chamber;
A diffuser portion that is installed so as to surround the inflator in a cylindrical shape and guides gas from the inflator in a vertical direction in the chamber;
The airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 22, further comprising:

Images