KR20160061191A - Pedestrian Protection Airbag - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an airbag module for pedestrian protection which comprises: an inflator generating gas; an airbag cushion inflated as gas flows thereinto; a tether which distributes the gas and is disposed in the inside of the airbag cushion to control the volume of the airbag cushion; and a strap connected to the tether and the airbag cushion so that the deployment of the airbag cushion separates the tether. The present invention is to reduce the weight and satisfy effective pedestrian protection by ensuring that gas is quickly supplied to the end of the airbag cushion uniformly.

Description

[0001] Pedestrian Protection Airbag [

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an airbag module for protecting a pedestrian, and more particularly, to an airbag module for protecting a pedestrian of a vehicle that satisfies effective pedestrian protection by reducing weight and allowing gas to be supplied quickly to the end of the airbag cushion.

Generally, the vehicle is equipped with various types of airbag devices such as an airbag for protecting the driver and an airbag for passenger protection of the passenger seat.

In the airbag device for protecting a pedestrian, an inflator is mounted on a cowl top panel or a hood panel, and the airbag cushion is deployed toward the windshield glass by the operation of the inflator, so that the airbag cushion is deployed toward the windshield glass, To protect the head and upper body of the pedestrian causing the pedestrian.

However, since the inflator is mounted on the cowl top panel or the hood panel, the inflator is horizontally installed in the lateral direction of the vehicle body. Mostly, the inflator is provided at the center portion of the windshield glass with respect to the windshield glass, and the discharge portion of the inflating gas is formed only in one direction in the inflator.

On the other hand, the airbag cushion covers the lower end portion of the windshield glass on the basis of the windshield glass at the time of deployment, and the left and right extension portions are provided to cover the left and right portions of the windshield glass to protect the driver and passengers. "

However, as described above, since the inflator is formed only in one direction with the discharge gas, the inflator is required to uniformly distribute the expanded gas discharged to one side to the left and right extended portions of the airbag cushion.

Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2013-0048866 and Registered Utility Model No. 20-0431748 disclose technical means for uniformly distributing the unfolded gas discharged from the unfolded gas discharge portion of the inflator to the end of the airbag cushion .

In more detail, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-2013-0048866, an internal space is divided into a plurality of divided chambers so as to maintain the internal pressure of the main cushion as uniform as possible, And a distribution pocket (diffuser pocket) integrally provided with a plurality of gas discharging portions for discharging the air bag gas into the inlet chamber and the dividing chamber while being positioned by the inflator.

In addition, the Registration Practical Utility Model No. 20-0431748 does not relate to an airbag module for protecting a pedestrian but relates to a side airbag module. However, the airbag module is provided near the deployment gas discharge portion of the inflator, And a diffuser pocket having a diffuser outlet with the top open, thereby providing a balanced deployment within the airbag cushion.

However, all of the above-described technical features have to be provided inside the airbag cushion as a separate structure, such as a distribution pocket or a diffuser pocket, so that the overall weight and cost are increased and the developed gas is ejected eccentrically from the discharge portion of the inflator to one side, It is difficult to uniformly distribute the cushion to the right and left extended portions and it is essential to provide a reinforcing cloth for absorbing the high temperature and high pressure of the initial expansion gas when a configuration such as a distribution pocket or a diffuser pocket is essentially provided, There is a problem that the supply of the expanded gas to the extended portion of the airbag is delayed due to the unfolding structure of pushing the whole body at a time.

1. Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2013-0048866 (published on May 13, 2013) 2. Korean Utility Model Registration Bulletin No. 20-0431748 (Registered on November 16, 2006)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to improve the efficiency of pedestrian protection by reducing the total weight of the airbag module, reducing the cost, and facilitating uniform distribution and supply of the deployment gas to the end of the airbag cushion. And an object of the present invention is to provide an airbag module for pedestrian protection of a vehicle.

The problems of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to improve the efficiency of pedestrian protection by reducing the total weight of the airbag module, reducing the cost, and facilitating uniform distribution and supply of the deployment gas to the end of the airbag cushion. And an object of the present invention is to provide an airbag module for pedestrian protection of a vehicle.

The problems of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

The pedestrian protection airbag module of the present invention has one or more of the following effects.

First, since the volume of the airbag cushion can be adjusted by the deploying force of the airbag cushion, the strength of the airbag cushion can be adjusted at the passenger timing in contact with the airbag cushion.

Second, since the unfolded gas can be rapidly flowed to the upper left and right extended portions of the airbag cushion using the tether, the pedestrian can be more stably protected.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a side view showing an operated state of a pedestrian protection airbag according to the present invention,
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the airbag cushion of Fig. 1,
FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing AA in FIG. 2,
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing BB of Fig. 2,
5 is a plan view showing an operation sequence in which the airbag for protecting a pedestrian according to the present invention is deployed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The advantages and features of the present invention and the manner of achieving them will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. To fully disclose the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings for explaining an airbag module for protecting a pedestrian according to embodiments of the present invention.

2 is a plan view showing the airbag cushion of FIG. 1 from above, FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing AA in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the airbag cushion of FIG. 2, and Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the operation sequence of the airbag for protecting a pedestrian according to the present invention.

A preferred pedestrian protection airbag module may be modified by a person skilled in the art and is an example of an airbag module for pedestrian protection in an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 1 is a side view showing an operated state of a pedestrian protection airbag according to the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the airbag cushion of Fig. 1 from above.

1 and 2, the airbag protecting airbag according to the present invention includes an inflator 10 for generating a gas, an airbag cushion 20 for inflating and inflating a gas, and an airbag cushion 20 for distributing the gas, A tether 30 disposed inside the airbag cushion 20 for controlling the volume of the airbag cushion 20 and a tether 30 connected to the tether 30 and the airbag cushion 20 for separating the tether by the deployment of the airbag cushion 20. [ (40).

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing A-A in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing B-B in Fig.

3 and 4, when a pedestrian collision accident occurs in a vehicle, the airbag module for protecting a pedestrian of a vehicle according to the present invention is mounted on a cowl top of a front side structure of a windshield glass 3 of a vehicle Panel or the inside of the hood panel 1, as shown in Fig. In particular, when the lateral direction of the vehicle is defined as the left and right width, the airbag module for protecting a pedestrian of a vehicle according to the present invention can be arranged in a folded state at the middle portion of the width of the vehicle.

On the other hand, the inflator 10 is elongated in the left-right direction, and a gas discharge portion (not shown in the figure) in which gas is discharged to either side of the right and left ends is formed. The gas generated inside the inflator 10 is discharged at a high speed through the gas discharge portion.

Since the inflator 10 is formed to have a length exceeding two-thirds of the lower end portion of the airbag cushion 20 in the left-right direction in the substantially deployed state, the inflator 10 is vertically installed upside down inside the cowl top panel or the hood panel 1 It is usually arranged long in the left and right direction.

The airbag cushion (20) is stored in a folded state inside the airbag housing (5). When the airbag cushion 20 is inflated by the filling of the gas, the airbag cushion 20 is most effectively deployed in consideration of the flow state of the inflating gas and the flow velocity, and the volume occupied inside the airbag housing 20 can be minimized Can be adopted.

The airbag cushion 20 includes a rear panel 23 which is spread so as to come into contact with the front surface of the windshield glass 3 and a front panel 21 which is connected to the front part of the rear panel 23 and which absorbs the impact of the pedestrian ).

When the airbag cushion 20 is deployed with the gas filled therein, the gas can be deployed in the approximately "?" Shape on both sides of the upper portion of the windshield glass 3 at the lower middle portion of the windshield glass 3. , The airbag cushion 20 is formed with extension portions a and b so as to cover the ap filler on the front face of the vehicle and the strap 40 to be described later is connected to the extension portions a and b. the airbag cushion 20 is provided as a single chamber so that the gas is supplied to the chamber 2. The first extension portion a and the second extension portion b cover the left and right a- The airbag cushion 20 is inflated and expanded with gas filled therein.

The tether 30 is positioned on the upper side from the inflator 10 and guides the gas ejected from the inflator 10 to smoothly flow to the extensions a and b on the left and right sides of the airbag cushion 20 .

More specifically, the tether 30 can be positioned in the upper portion of the inflator 10 in the left-right direction. The tether 50 is configured such that the upper end portion 34 and the lower end portion 32 are inserted into the guide rail 50 provided on the inner surfaces of the front panel 21 and the rear panel 23 respectively, A vent hole 35 may be formed between the end portions 30c in the left and right direction.

The tether 30 functions to cut off the passage of the expanded gas to the center before the internal pressure of the airbag cushion 20 reaches the set value due to the filling of the gas for a short period of time. So that the airbag cushion 20 is filled through the vent hole 35 of the airbag cushion 30.

Further, the tether 30 can be stitched in a folded state inside the airbag cushion 20 when the airbag cushion 20 is stored in a folded state in the airbag housing. More specifically, the tether 30 may be coupled to the inside of the airbag cushion 20 in a folded state such that the folding line 30a traverses the plurality of vent holes 35.

The tether 30 is formed to be long in the left and right direction and has a width in the front and rear direction when the airbag cushion 20 is deployed and has an upper end coupled to the inner surfaces of the front panel 21 and the rear panel 23 34 and the lower end portion 32 are formed so as to extend a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction.

The tether 30 is connected to both ends of the strap 40, that is, the left end 30b and the right end 30c. The upper end portion 34 and the lower end portion 32 of the tether 30 are inserted into the sliding grooves 52a and 54b of the guide rail 50 to be described later and are slid with the tension from the strap 40.

A vent hole 35 is formed in the tether 30 between the left end portion 30b and the right end portion 30c so that the gas generated from the inflator 10 flows through the vent hole 35 into the airbag cushion 20 As shown in Fig. At this time, the tether 30 catches that the center portion c of the airbag cushion 20 is inflated.

At least one tether 30 may be provided. In the present invention, one provided with a tether 30 will be described as an embodiment. The upper end portion 34 and the lower end portion 32 of the tether 30 are inserted into the sliding grooves 52a and 54a in the guide rail 50. [ A strap 40 connected to both ends of the tether 30 generates tensile force from the extended portions a and b in accordance with the inflation of the airbag cushion 20 so that both ends of the tether 30 are moved in directions a and b So that the tear line of the tether 30 is broken and slides along the guide rail 50.

In this case, the tether is inserted into the sliding grooves 52a and 54a of the guide rails, respectively. Then, the tether is disposed in the center of the sliding grooves 52a and 54a of the guide rail, In the directions a and b.

The vent hole 35 is exposed so that the internal pressure of the airbag cushion 20 exceeds the above-mentioned set value when the airbag cushion 20 is deployed by the gas and penetrates up and down inside the airbag cushion 20, So as to flow through.

When the internal pressure of the airbag cushion 20 reaches the set value while the folding line 30a is in the unfolded state when the internal pressure of the airbag cushion 20 is less than the set value, So that the tether 30 maintains the overall thickness of the airbag cushion 20 and the central portion of the airbag cushion 20 also allows the deployment gas to flow through the vent hole 35, It is a role to play. That is, the tether 30 is extended along the guide rail 50 after the folding line 30a is extended.

The guide rail 50 is installed inside the airbag cushion 20 to guide the tether 30 separated by the strap 40. At this time, a plurality of guide rails (50) are provided so as to face each other on the front panel (24) and the rear panel (22). The guide rails (50) are formed with sliding grooves (52a, 54a) corresponding to each other.

The strap 40 connects the tether 30 with the airbag cushion 20 to disengage the tether 30 with the deployment of the airbag cushion 20. The straps 40 are provided on opposite sides of the airbag cushion 20 so as to face each other, and pull the tether 30 to break it.

That is, a plurality of straps 40 are provided as the first strap 42 and the second strap 44. The strap 40 is connected at one end to the extensions a and b and at the other end to the tether 30. More specifically, the first strap 42 is connected at one end to the first extension portion a and the other end is connected to the left end 30b of the tether 30. The second strap 44 is connected at one end to the second extension b and at the other end to the right end 30c of the tether 30. The first strap 42 allows the second strap 44 to pull the tether 30 with the deployment of the extensions a, b.

5 is a plan view showing an operation sequence in which the airbag for protecting a pedestrian according to the present invention is deployed.

The operation of the airbag module for pedestrian protection of the vehicle according to the present invention will be briefly described with reference to FIG.

First, when a pedestrian collision occurs while the vehicle is running and the inflator 20 is operated, the gas is discharged at a high speed through the gas discharge portion of the inflator 20.

Next, in spite of the discharge direction of the upwardly shifted gas, it is possible to distribute the balanced gas to the flow distribution of the appropriate gas to the left and right sides of the upper end of the airbag cushion 20.

When the internal pressure of the airbag cushion 10 is lower than the set value, the air is rapidly filled into the extended portions a and b of the airbag cushion 10 under the guidance of the variable tether 50, When the internal pressure reaches the set value, the folding line 30a of the tether 50 is released to expose the vent hole 35 and the gas flows through the exposed vent hole 35 into the center portion c of the airbag cushion 10 ) So that a fast and balanced gas filling can be achieved as a whole.

At this time, the extension portions (a, b) of the airbag cushion 20 are deployed while expanding toward the a-pillar. The strap 40 is not tensed until the inflation of the center portion of the airbag cushion 20 so that the movement of the tether 30 does not occur and the breech time of the center portion c of the airbag cushion 20 at this time Can be approximately 30 m / s.

When the tether 30 is pulled by the deploying force of the extension portions a and b of the airbag cushion 20, the strap 40 is slid along the guide rail 50 while the center of the tether 30 is separated, . The tether 30 moves along the guide rail 50 while the center portion c is full and the tether 30 is moved by the strap 40 by the extension portions a and b toward the aileron And the center shortening time at this time may be approximately 30 to 50 m / s.

Here, the tether 30 moving along the guide rail 50 is detached from the guide rail 50, so that the airbag cushion 20 is full. That is, the extension portions (a, b) of the airbag cushion 20 are covered with the A pillar. In addition, since the tether 30 holding the front panel 24 and the rear panel 22 moves away from the guide rail 50, the volume of the airbag cushion 20 becomes large. Here, the depth of the airbag cushion 20 restrained by the tether 30 may increase to about 50 m / s.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, It should be understood that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

10: Inflator 20: Airbag cushion
30: Tether 40: Strap
50: Guide rail

Claims (10)

An inflator for generating gas;
An airbag cushion inflated by the inflow of the gas;
A tether disposed within the airbag cushion to dispense the gas and to control a volume of the airbag cushion; And
And a strap connected between the tether and the airbag cushion to separate the tether from the deployment of the airbag cushion.
The method according to claim 1,
The strap is installed on both sides of the airbag cushion so as to be opposed to each other, and pulls the tether to break the airbag module.
The method according to claim 1,
The airbag cushion
A rear panel extending to come into contact with a front surface of a windshield of the vehicle; a front panel which is connected to the front portion of the rear panel and is absorbed by the impact of the pedestrian, A pedestrian protection airbag module coupled between the stitches.
In the third aspect,
Wherein the airbag cushion is formed with an extension portion covering the ap filler on the front surface of the vehicle, and the strap is connected to the extension portion.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the tether is connected at both lateral ends to the strap so that the center portion is separated by tension from the strap.
6. The method of claim 5,
And the tether has a notch portion formed to break the central portion.
6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the tether has a plurality of tapered ends, and the strap is pulled up and torn.
The method according to claim 1,
And a guide rail installed inside the airbag cushion to guide the tether separated by the strap.
9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the plurality of guide rails are provided so as to face each other on the front panel and the rear panel.
9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the guide rails are provided with sliding grooves corresponding to each other.

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