JP6559847B2 - Airbag device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an airbag device that restrains a vehicle occupant from the front of the vehicle.

  In recent years, airbag devices are almost standard equipment. The airbag device 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 airbag devices depending on the installation location and application. For example, a front airbag is installed in the center of the steering wheel in the driver's seat to protect the front seat occupant mainly from front and rear impacts, and an instrument panel and other parts are installed near the passenger seat. A passenger airbag is provided. In addition, a curtain airbag that inflates and deploys along the side window is provided near the ceiling of the wall to protect each occupant in the front and rear rows from side collision and subsequent rollover (rollover). The part is provided with a side airbag that is inflated and deployed right next to the passenger.

  The airbag arrangement structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 can also be used for a front seat for three persons. In Patent Document 1, in addition to the first airbag unit that restrains the passenger in the driver's seat and the second airbag unit that restrains the passenger in the passenger seat, the third airbag is used to restrain the passenger in the center seat. The unit expands and expands. The third airbag unit is installed in the vicinity of the sun visor on the ceiling, and is configured to inflate and deploy downward between the passenger at the center seat and the instrument panel.

JP-A-6-80057

  At present, the airbag apparatus is also required to cope with irregular collisions and impacts such as so-called oblique collision in which an impact is applied to the vehicle from an oblique front-rear direction. An occupant in an oblique collision enters the airbag cushion (hereinafter referred to as “cushion”) in front of the seat with an irregular behavior such as an oblique direction. In that case, for example, in the airbag arrangement structure of Patent Document 1, the passenger in the passenger seat is in contact with the third airbag unit existing in front of the vehicle width direction inner side (hereinafter referred to as “vehicle inner side”). There is. However, it is difficult to exert a sufficient occupant restraining force or suppress an occupant's injury value simply by installing a cushion in front of the occupant.

  In view of such a problem, an object of the present invention is to provide an airbag device that can more appropriately restrain an occupant during an oblique collision and suppress an injury value to the occupant.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, a representative configuration of an airbag apparatus according to the present invention is an airbag apparatus that restrains an occupant of a vehicle, and the airbag apparatus has a bag shape and is a seat vehicle. A main bag that inflates and deploys in front, a bag-like center bag that is provided on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the main bag and that projects and inflates and projects rearward of the main bag, and separates the main bag from the center bag A partition, an inflator that supplies gas to the main bag, an internal pressure holding mechanism that is provided in the partition, allows gas to pass from the main bag to the center bag, and prevents gas from passing from the center bag to the main bag; It is characterized by providing.

  As described above, in an oblique collision, the passenger in the passenger seat may move obliquely forward on the inside of the vehicle. In that case, when the occupant's head contacts a conventional main bag in front of the passenger seat, the head may rotate clockwise around the neck as viewed from above.

  Therefore, in the present invention, the center bag provided on the inner side of the main bag is protruded rearward from the main bag. According to this configuration, the head of the occupant moving obliquely forward on the vehicle interior contacts the center bag mainly from the side of the head at the same time as, or just before or after, the front main bag. Thereby, the clockwise rotation of the head of the occupant can be reduced or canceled. In particular, since the angular velocity of the rotation of the occupant's head can be reduced, the occupant injury value associated with the rotation can be suppressed.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, an internal pressure holding mechanism is provided as a gas flow path from the main bag to the center bag. According to this internal pressure holding mechanism, the gas once supplied to the center bag is difficult to leak into the main bag. Therefore, even when the passenger's temporal region comes into contact, the internal pressure of the center bag can be maintained high, and the temporal region can be restrained more positively. Therefore, it is possible to more positively reduce or cancel the clockwise rotation that can occur in the head of the occupant, and to efficiently suppress the injury value.

  The internal pressure holding mechanism includes at least one hole formed in the partition wall, and a patch part that covers the hole from the center bag side and is connected to the partition wall part, and at least a part of which can be separated from the partition wall part. May be included. With this configuration, an internal pressure holding mechanism that suppresses gas leakage from the center bag can be suitably realized.

  The internal pressure holding mechanism includes at least one hole formed in the partition wall, and a tube portion that is cylindrical and extends from the periphery of the hole to the inside of the center bag, and has a free end at the tip. May be included. Also with this configuration, an internal pressure holding mechanism that suppresses gas leakage from the center bag can be suitably realized.

  The main bag and the center bag may be inflated and deployed so that a part of the partition wall is positioned above the instrument panel of the vehicle, and the internal pressure holding mechanism may be provided in a part of the partition wall. By providing the internal pressure holding mechanism in front of the vehicle so as to be positioned above the instrument panel in the partition wall, for example, the opportunity for a passenger entering from the rear of the vehicle to interfere with the internal pressure holding mechanism is reduced, and the function and center of the internal pressure holding mechanism are reduced. An occupant restraining force such as a bag can be suitably maintained.

  The airbag device may restrain the head of the passenger by a valley between the main bag and the center bag on the vehicle rear side. With this configuration, the head of the occupant is restrained by being guided into the valley between the main bag and the center bag, with the side head contacting the center bag. Therefore, the airbag device can restrain the occupant's head more efficiently and further suppress the injury value.

  The main bag and the center bag may be integrated below the valley. The valley may be provided at a location where the occupant's head can come into contact, and by integrating the main bag and the center bag below the valley, for example, the occupant's chest can be suitably restrained.

  The airbag device further includes a tether belt that is belt-shaped and is connected to a first connection portion on the vehicle rear side of the center bag and a second connection portion on the upper portion of the main bag, and the tether belt includes the main bag and the center bag. It is good to have the length which is tense when a bag expands and expands and a 1st connection part and a 2nd connection part move to the direction which mutually leaves | separates.

  According to said structure, the center bag is supported by the main bag by the tether belt. Therefore, even if the passenger's head comes into contact with the center bag from the outside of the vehicle, the center bag is prevented from moving to the inside of the vehicle relative to the main bag, and the narrowness of the valley is maintained, so the head is moved to the valley. It can be suitably guided and restrained.

  Said 2nd connection part may be provided in the vehicle width direction inner side part of the upper part of a main bag. According to this configuration, the length of the tether belt is shorter than when the second connection portion is outside the main bag. Thus, by changing the length of the tether belt, it is possible to adjust the reaction force applied to the head of the occupant via the center bag.

  Said 2nd connection part may be provided ahead of vehicles rather than the 1st connection part. Even if it is this structure, when a passenger | crew contacts from the vehicle outer side, a center bag can restrain a passenger | crew's temporal region efficiently, without destroying a posture.

  The main bag may come into contact with the windshield of the vehicle and the upper surface of the instrument panel of the vehicle by inflating and deploying. That is, the main bag may be inflated and deployed between the windshield and the instrument panel. According to this configuration, the posture of the main bag can be stabilized even when an occupant enters the vehicle, and the posture of the center bag connected to the main bag by the tether belt is further stabilized.

  The airbag device further includes a housing that is box-shaped and houses the main bag and the center bag and is provided inside the upper surface portion of the instrument panel of the vehicle. The main bag and the center bag are provided on the upper surface of the instrument panel. The part may be cleaved and expanded. With this configuration, an airbag device for a front seat having high occupant restraint performance can be suitably realized.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the passenger | crew can be restrained more appropriately at the time of an oblique collision, and the airbag apparatus which can suppress the injury value with respect to a passenger | crew can be provided.

It is a figure which illustrates the outline | summary of the airbag apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which illustrated the cushion at the time of the expansion | deployment of FIG.1 (b) from each direction. It is the figure which illustrated the internal structure of the cushion of FIG.1 (b). It is the figure which expanded and illustrated the internal pressure holding vent of FIG.3 (b). It is the figure which illustrated the process in which the cushion of FIG.1 (b) restrains a passenger | crew. It is an enlarged view of each part of the cushion which the passenger | crew of FIG.5 (b) contacted. It is the figure which illustrated the process in which the cushion of FIG. 5 restrains a passenger | crew seen from upper direction. It is the figure which illustrated the process in which the cushion of FIG. 5 restrains a passenger | crew seeing from the vehicle front. It is a schematic diagram in the arrow A of the cushion of FIG. It is the figure which illustrated the modification of the internal pressure holding | maintenance mechanism of Fig.3 (a).

  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.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of an airbag apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a diagram illustrating a vehicle before the airbag apparatus 100 is operated. In the present embodiment, the airbag device 100 is embodied as a passenger seat (front row right seat) in a left-hand drive vehicle. The airbag device 100 is installed inside the upper surface portion 106 on the passenger seat 104 side of the instrument panel 102.

  When the airbag device 100 receives an impact detection signal from a sensor (not shown), the cushion 108 (see FIG. 1B) tears the upper surface portion 106 and expands and deploys rearward of the vehicle. FIG. 1B is a diagram illustrating the vehicle after the airbag apparatus 100 is operated. The cushion 108 of the airbag device 100 restrains the passenger 132 (see FIG. 5A) of the passenger seat 104 from the front of the vehicle. The cushion 108 has a bag shape and receives gas from the inflator 110 (see FIG. 5A) to expand and deploy. The cushion 108 is formed by sewing or adhering a plurality of base fabrics that constitute the surface of the cushion 108, spinning using OPW (One-Piece Woven), or the like.

  The cushion 108 of the airbag device 100 includes two parts, a main bag 112 and a center bag 114. The main bag 112 is a large-capacity part that inflates and deploys to the front side of the passenger seat 104. The main bag 112 is inflated and deployed so as to fill a space between the passenger 132 of the passenger seat 104, the instrument panel 102 and the windshield 116. This prevents the passenger 132 from colliding with the instrument panel 102. Further, by preventing the occupant 132 from colliding with the windshield 116, the occupant 132 is also prevented from being released from the vehicle.

  The center bag 114 is a flat portion that is inflated and deployed on the inner side of the main bag 112 and has a smaller capacity than the main bag 112. The center bag 114 is inflated and deployed in front of the center console 118 when viewed from the occupant 132 (see FIG. 5A), so that the occupant 132 moves inside the vehicle or collides with the center console 118 during an oblique collision or the like. prevent. The lower portions of the main bag 112 and the center bag 114 are integrated by being connected by a cloth-like tie panel 120.

  FIG. 2 is a view illustrating the cushion 108 in FIG. 1B when inflated and deployed from each direction. FIG. 2A is a perspective view illustrating the cushion 108 of FIG. 1B as viewed from above the outside of the vehicle. A valley 128 is formed between the center bag 114 and the main bag 112. In the valley 128, the center bag 114 and the main bag 112 are separated on the vehicle rear side. The valley 128 is a part that restrains the head E1 of the occupant 132 (see FIG. 5A). The center bag 114 has an upper portion 142 connected to the main bag 112 by a tether belt 122 so as not to separate from the main bag 112. The tether belt 122 and the tie panel 120 are arranged so as to avoid a position where the head E1 of the occupant 132 can come into contact, and the valley 128 is exposed.

  Two vent holes 130 are provided on the outer side surface of the main bag 112. The vent hole 130 is a so-called exhaust hole, and discharges the gas supplied from the inflator 110 (see FIG. 5A) to the outside. Since there is only a side window or the like on the outside of the main bag 112 and no occupant 132 (see FIG. 5A), the vent hole 130 is not provided on the side of the main bag 112 on the outside of the vehicle. It is valid.

  FIG. 2B is a perspective view illustrating the cushion 108 of FIG. 2A as viewed from above the vehicle interior. As illustrated in FIG. 2B, the tether belt 122 connects the upper part 142 of the center bag 114 and the upper part 144 of the main bag 112. The tether belt 122 has a belt shape and plays a role of supporting the posture of the center bag 114. The tether belt 122 is formed of the same type of base fabric as the cushion 108, for example, and is connected to the first connection portion 124 on the center bag 114 and the second connection portion 126 on the main bag 112 by sewing. Yes.

  FIG. 2C is a view illustrating the cushion 108 of FIG. 2B as viewed from the outside of the vehicle. As illustrated in FIG. 2C, the center bag 114 in this embodiment has a rear region 160 on the vehicle rear side inflated so as to protrude rearward of the main bag 112 (leftward in FIG. 2C). expand. Accordingly, the outer side surface of the center bag 114 is exposed from the valley 128. The center bag 114 mainly restrains the temporal portion E1a of the occupant 132 (see FIG. 5A) at the side surface portion 162 inside the vehicle. Since the center bag 114 is supported by the main bag 112 by the tether belt 122, the center bag 114 can function as a reaction force surface that restrains the temporal portion E1a.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of the cushion 108 of FIG. FIG. 3A schematically illustrates the internal structure of the cushion 108 as viewed from above. Both the main bag 112 and the center bag 114 constituting the cushion 108 are accommodated in a housing 134, and inflated and deployed from the housing 134 to the rear of the vehicle (lower side in FIG. 3A). The housing 134 has, for example, a box shape whose upper side is open, accommodates the folded cushion 108, and is installed inside the upper surface portion 106 of the instrument panel 102 (see FIG. 1A).

  An inflator 110 is connected to the main bag 112. The inflator 110 is a gas generator and is fixed to the bottom surface of the housing 134. As the inflator 110, for example, a disk-shaped disk type can be used, but a cylindrical cylinder type may be used. Inflators that are currently popular include a type that is filled with a gas generating agent and burns it to generate gas, a type that is filled with compressed gas and supplies gas without generating heat, or There is a hybrid type using both combustion gas and compressed gas. Any type of inflator 110 can be used.

  The inflator 110 operates upon receiving an impact detection signal from a sensor (not shown) and supplies gas to the main bag 112. The main bag 112 and the center bag 114 are separated from each other by a partition 170, and the partition 168 is provided with an internal pressure holding mechanism 170 that connects the main bag 112 and the center bag 114. In the present embodiment, the gas supplied from the inflator 110 to the main bag 112 is supplied to the center bag 114 through the internal pressure holding mechanism 170.

  FIG. 3B is a perspective view illustrating the internal pressure holding mechanism 170 of FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 3B, the internal pressure holding mechanism 170 includes three internal pressure holding vents 170 a to 170 c. Each of the internal pressure holding vents 170 a to 170 c allows gas to pass from the main bag 112 to the center bag 114, but prevents gas from passing from the center bag 114 to the main bag 112. The internal pressure holding mechanism 170 including the internal pressure holding vents 170a to 170c can suppress the leakage of gas from the center bag 114 to the main bag 112, and can maintain the internal pressure of the center bag 114 high.

  In order to describe the configuration of the internal pressure holding vents 170a to 170c in FIG. 3B, the internal pressure holding vent 170a is referred to as a representative. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the internal pressure holding vent 170a shown in FIG. In FIG. 4A, the internal pressure holding vent 170a is disassembled and illustrated. As illustrated in FIG. 4A, the internal pressure holding vent 170 a includes a hole 172 and a patch 174.

  The hole 172 is a gas passage hole provided in the partition wall 168. In the present embodiment, the hole 172 is formed in a circular shape, but the shape of the hole 172 can be changed as appropriate. The partition wall 168 is made of a base cloth or the like, but a predetermined coating or reinforcing cloth may be provided on a portion such as an edge of the hole 172.

  The patch part 174 is a cloth-like part, and is composed of the same base cloth as the cushion 108, for example. The patch portion 174 has a larger area than the hole portion 172, covers the entire hole portion 172 from the center bag 114 side, and is connected to the partition wall portion 168 by sewing or the like. At this time, at least a part of the patch part 174 is connected so as to be able to be separated from the partition wall part 168. For example, in the present embodiment, the patch portion 174 is configured in a rectangle having long sides L1 and L2 extending in the vertical direction, and the upper and lower short sides S1 and S2 are connected to the partition wall portion 168 by sewing. The long sides L1 and L2 are not connected to the partition wall portion 168.

  FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the internal pressure holding vent 170a of FIG. The AA cross section is a cross section obtained by cutting the internal pressure holding vent 170a along a line extending in the horizontal direction, and illustrates a state before the inflator 110 (see FIG. 3A) is in operation. As illustrated in FIG. 4B, the patch portion 174 closes the hole portion 172 along the partition wall portion 168 in a state where it does not receive the gas pressure from the inflator 110. When the gas pressure is applied from the main bag 112, the long sides L 1 and L 2 of the patch part 174 are separated from the partition part 168 because the long sides L 1 and L 2 are not connected to the partition part 168.

  FIG. 4C illustrates a state where the inflator 110 (see FIG. 3A) is operated with respect to the internal pressure holding vent 170a of FIG. 4B. When the inflator 110 is activated and the internal pressure of the main bag 112 becomes higher than the internal pressure of the center bag 114, a part of the patch portion 174 is separated from the partition wall portion 168 into the center bag 114 by the gas pressure from the hole portion 172. To do. As a result, a gap F1 is formed between the patch part 174 and the hole part 172, and gas (see arrow 176) is supplied to the center bag 114 through the hole part 172 and the gap F1.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a process in which the cushion 108 of FIG. 1B restrains the occupant 132. In each figure of FIG. 5, the left side in the figure is the front of the vehicle. FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating an undeployed state of the cushion 108. As illustrated in FIG. 5A, the cushion 108 is accommodated in the housing 134 in a folded state.

  When the airbag device 100 receives an impact detection signal from a sensor (not shown), the airbag 108 receives gas from the inflator 110 and the cushion 108 starts to expand. FIG. 5B is a view illustrating the inflated and deployed cushion 108. The cushion 108 is inflated and deployed to the rear of the vehicle by cleaving the upper surface portion 106 of the instrument panel 102 serving as a lid of the housing 134.

  The occupant 132 illustrated in FIG. 5B has entered the cushion 108 side more than the occupant 132 of FIG. In an emergency such as a vehicle collision, the occupant 132 moves forward of the vehicle due to inertia. When the occupant 132 is wearing the seat belt 136 and the waist E5 is restrained, the occupant 132 moves in a trajectory that causes the upper body to bend forward about the waist E5.

  The main bag 112 mainly restrains the head E1, shoulder E3, chest E4, and the like of the occupant 132. The inflated and deployed main bag 112 is in contact with the windshield 116 and the upper surface portion 106 of the instrument panel 102. When the main bag 112 is inflated and deployed between the windshield 116 and the instrument panel 102, the occupant 132 can be restrained in a stable posture even when the occupant 132 enters.

  The center bag 114 protrudes behind the main bag 112 (right side in FIG. 5B). In an oblique collision, the occupant 132 may move diagonally forward inside the vehicle, particularly with the left shoulder E3a not restrained by the seat belt 136 in front. In that case, the occupant 132 contacts the center bag 114 from the side E1a.

  FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of each part of the cushion 108 in contact with the occupant 132 of FIG. FIG. 6A illustrates the internal pressure holding mechanism 170 in a state where the occupant 132 is in contact with the center bag 114. When the occupant 132 comes into contact with the center bag 114, the internal pressure of the center bag 114 may be higher than the internal pressure of the main bag 112 due to the load received from the occupant 132. In that case, the internal pressure holding mechanism 170 functions to hold the internal pressure of the center bag 114.

  FIG. 6B is an enlarged view of the internal pressure holding vent 170a shown in FIG. The patch part 174 has a larger area than the hole part 172. Therefore, when the internal pressure of the center bag 114 becomes higher than the internal pressure of the main bag 112, the patch portion 174 sticks to the partition wall portion 168 so as to be sucked into the hole portion 172 by the gas pressure. FIG.6 (c) is BB sectional drawing of the internal pressure holding | maintenance vent 170a of FIG.6 (b). As illustrated in FIG. 6C, the patch portion 174 attached to the partition wall portion 168 by the internal pressure of the center bag 114 closes the hole portion 172. Accordingly, gas leakage from the center bag 114 to the main bag 112 is suppressed. Thereby, the internal pressure of the center bag 114 is kept high, and the center bag 114 can appropriately restrain the head E1 of the occupant 132.

  Refer to FIG. 5 again. FIG. 5C is a diagram illustrating a state in which the occupant 132 of FIG. 5B has further entered the cushion 108 side. As illustrated in FIG. 5C, the head E <b> 1 of the occupant 132 is guided into the valley 128 while the side head E <b> 1 a is in contact with the center bag 114, and is restrained by the valley 128. In addition, the left shoulder E3a inside the vehicle of the occupant 132 is restrained by the rear end 166 of the rear region 160 of the center bag 114. The rear end 166 is inclined in a straight line so as to gradually protrude rearward as it goes upward. The rear end portion 166 of the rear region 160 restrains the left shoulder E3a from the front of the vehicle and supports the upper body of the occupant 132 together with the main bag 112. Thereby, the twist of the upper body of the occupant 132 is offset.

  As described above, in the airbag device 100, the gas once supplied to the center bag 114 by the internal pressure holding mechanism 170 is difficult to leak into the main bag 112. Therefore, even when the temporal region E1a or the left shoulder E3a of the occupant 132 comes into contact with the center bag 114, the internal pressure of the center bag 114 can be kept high and the occupant 132 can be more efficiently restrained by the center bag 114. .

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the process in which the cushion 108 of FIG. 5 restrains the occupant 132 as viewed from above. Each drawing in FIGS. 7A to 7C corresponds to each drawing in FIGS. 5A to 5C. Hereinafter, the process in which the cushion 108 restrains the occupant 132 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As illustrated in FIG. 7A, it is assumed that the passenger 132 of the passenger seat 104 is seated while wearing the seat belt 136. In this case, when an impact occurs in the vehicle, an operation signal is transmitted from a sensor (not shown) to the airbag device 100, and the cushion 108 is inflated and deployed as shown in FIG. 7B. In the oblique collision, the occupant 132 moves obliquely forward on the inside of the vehicle. In the present embodiment, the center bag 114 projects rearward from the main bag 112, and the head E1 of the occupant 132 contacts the side surface 162 of the center bag 114 on the vehicle exterior side from the side head E1a.

  FIG.7 (c) is the figure which the passenger | crew 132 of FIG.7 (b) further approached to the cushion 108 side. When the head E1 of the occupant 132 that moves diagonally forward contacts the main bag 112 that is present in front of the passenger seat 104, the head E1 has a rotational force (arrow) clockwise around the neck E2 as viewed from above. The rotation 140) illustrated in FIG. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the rear region 160 of the center bag 114 provided on the inner side of the main bag 112 is extended to the rear of the vehicle from the main bag 112. In addition, a valley 128 is provided between the main bag 112 and the center bag 114.

  According to this configuration, the head E1 of the occupant 132 moving obliquely forward in the vehicle is restrained so as to enter the valley 128 while the side head E1a is in contact with the center bag 114. In particular, in the present embodiment, the internal pressure holding mechanism 170 (see FIG. 6A, etc.) can keep the internal pressure of the center bag 114 high and can contact the temporal region E1a. Can be reduced or canceled more efficiently. According to this configuration, the angular velocity of the rotation 140 of the head E1 of the occupant 132 can be reduced, and the injury value of the head E1 accompanying the rotation 140 can be suppressed.

  Further, the rear region 160 of the center bag 114 restrains the left shoulder E3a of the occupant 132 at the rear end 166. The occupant 132 is restrained by the seat belt 136 from the right shoulder E3b outside the vehicle to the flank inside the vehicle, but the left shoulder E3a is not restrained by the seat belt 136. Therefore, in an oblique collision, the occupant may head toward the front of the vehicle with the left shoulder E3a set in front of the vehicle. In that case, the rear end 166 of the center bag 114 restrains the left shoulder E3a from the front and the upper side, and then restrains the right shoulder E3b by the main bag 112. In particular, in the present embodiment, the left shoulder E3a can be restrained by holding the internal pressure of the center bag 114 high by the internal pressure holding mechanism 170 (see FIG. 6A and the like). Further, since the internal pressure holding mechanism 170 allows gas to pass from the main bag 112 to the center bag 114, when the occupant 132 comes into contact with the vicinity of the vehicle inner side of the main bag 112, the main bag 112 is bent slightly, 132 can be efficiently led to the valley 128.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the center bag 114 that holds the internal pressure high by the internal pressure holding mechanism 170 is used to restrain the temporal portion E1a and reduce the angular velocity of the rotation 140 of the head portion E1, The rotation generated in the upper body by positively restraining the left shoulder E3a can be offset, and the injury value of the occupant 132 can be further suppressed. Therefore, the injury value of the passenger 132 can be efficiently suppressed.

  In the present embodiment, as described with reference to FIG. 5B, the main bag 112 is inflated so as to be sandwiched between the instrument panel 102 and the windshield 116, and the posture is stable. Since the center bag 114 is supported by the main bag 112 via the tether belt 122, the center bag 114 is prevented from being separated from the main bag 112.

  As illustrated in FIG. 7B, the first connection portion 124 of the tether belt 122 is provided on the upper portion 142 of the center bag 114 on the vehicle rear side. The second connection portion 126 of the tether belt 122 is a vehicle inner side portion of the upper portion 144 of the main bag 112 and is provided in front of the vehicle with respect to the first connection portion 124. The center bag 114 is in a state in which the upper rear side is pulled forward by the tether belt 122 and the head E1 can be efficiently restrained in a stable posture.

  The length of the tether belt 122 is set to a length that makes tension when the main bag 112 and the center bag 114 are inflated and deployed and the first connection portion 124 and the second connection portion 126 move away from each other. By this tensioned tether belt 122, even if the head E1 of the heavy occupant 132 comes into contact with the center bag 114 from the outside of the vehicle, the center bag 114 does not leave the main bag 112 so much and the valley 128 is kept narrow. E1 can be restrained.

  The position where the second connection portion 126 is provided can be changed as appropriate. For example, the second connection portion 126 can be provided at the vehicle width direction center portion or the vehicle outer side portion of the upper portion 144 of the main bag 112. In the present embodiment, since the second connection portion 126 is provided in the vehicle inner portion of the main bag 112, the entire tether belt 122 is compared with the case where the second connection portion 126 is provided in the vehicle outer portion of the main bag 112 or the like. The length is short and the tether belt 122 is easily strained. In this way, the length of the tether belt 122 can be changed by changing the position of the second connection portion 126, and the tension of the tether belt 122, the reaction force applied to the head E1 of the occupant 132 via the center bag 114, and the like can be changed as appropriate. It is also possible.

  In the above description, with reference to FIG. 7B and the like, it has been described that the contact between the occupant 132 and the cushion 108 starts when the temporal region E1a contacts the center bag 114. However, contact between the occupant 132 and the cushion 108 is various, for example, the head E1 contacts the center bag 114 and the main bag 112 simultaneously, or the head E1 contacts the main bag 112 first. . Further, the head E1 may contact the main bag 112 or the like after the shoulder E3 (see FIG. 5B, etc.) or the chest E4 contacts the main bag 112 or the like. However, in any case, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the head E1 of the occupant 132 can be guided into the valley 128 and effectively restrained.

  FIG. 7B illustrates a clockwise rotation 140 as an example of the rotation that occurs in the head E1. However, for example, in the passenger seat of a right-hand drive vehicle, the head E1 may rotate counterclockwise around the neck as viewed from above. Also with respect to this counterclockwise rotation, according to the cushion 108 of this embodiment, the valley 128 can be used to reduce or cancel the counterclockwise rotation, and the angular velocity of the head E1 can be reduced. That is, the airbag device 100 of the present embodiment can obtain the same effect with respect to both clockwise and counterclockwise rotations that occur in the head E1.

  The process in which the cushion 108 restrains the occupant 132 will be described from another direction. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a process in which the cushion 108 of FIG. 5 restrains the occupant 132 as viewed from the front of the vehicle. As illustrated in FIG. 8A, it is assumed that the passenger 132 of the passenger seat 104 is seated while wearing the seat belt 136. In this case, when an impact occurs in the vehicle, the main bag 112 is inflated and deployed in front of the occupant 132 as shown in FIG. 8B, and the center bag 114 is located on the inner side of the occupant 132 (right side in FIG. 8B). It expands and expands forward.

  As illustrated in FIG. 8B, the occupant 132 that has moved diagonally forward from the seating position to the inside of the vehicle brings the side E1a into contact with the side surface 162 of the center bag 114. In addition, the left shoulder E3a that is not restrained by the seat belt 136 is restrained by the rear end portion 166 (see FIG. 5B) of the rear region 160 of the center bag 114. As illustrated in FIG. 8C, the head E <b> 1 enters the valley 128 toward the front of the vehicle while being guided by the center bag 114, and is restrained by the valley 128.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the cushion 108 in FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 9, the upper body of the occupant 132 moves so as to rotate mainly around the waist E <b> 5 toward the front of the vehicle when an impact occurs on the vehicle. At this time, the head E1 of the occupant 132 draws a locus 156 that moves downward from the seating position in addition to moving forward from the vehicle. In view of the locus 156 of the head E1, in this embodiment, the depth of the valley 128 is taken into consideration.

  FIG. 9 illustrates a connecting portion 158 between the center bag 114 and the main bag 112. The connecting portion 158 is an edge of a region where the center bag 114 and the main bag 112 are connected, and is also a portion constituting the bottom of the valley 128, and determines the depth of the valley 128. The connecting portion 158 is provided by sewing, the center bag 114 and the main bag 112 being connected in shape, or the like. In the present embodiment, the valley 128 is set so that the head E <b> 1 of the occupant 132 does not contact the connection portion 158. For example, when the shoulder portion E3 of the occupant 132 is restrained by the center bag 114 or the main bag 112, the connection portion 158 is provided so as to avoid the locus 156 of the head E1 resulting therefrom. According to this configuration, the head E1 does not hit the connection portion 158, and the cushion 108 in consideration of safety can be realized.

  In the present embodiment, consideration is given to the position where the internal pressure holding mechanism 170 is provided in order to prevent an occupant from coming into contact with the connection portion 158. This is because the center bag 114 and the main bag 112 are connected at the locations of the internal pressure holding vents 170a to 170c. In the present embodiment, a part of the partition wall 168 (region 169) is located above the instrument panel 102. The internal pressure holding vents 170 a to 170 c are provided in the region 169 in the partition wall portion 168. Specifically, the internal pressure holding vents 170a to 170c are provided in front of the vertical line G1 with respect to the vertical line G1 that contacts the rear end 103 of the instrument panel 102 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. By providing the internal pressure holding vents 170a to 170c in this region 169, a portion of the cushion 108 that is behind the instrument panel 102 (a portion behind the vertical line G1) and easily contacts the occupant is The valley 128 can be suitably provided.

  By providing the internal pressure holding vents 170a to 170c in front of the vehicle so as to be positioned above the instrument panel 102, the opportunity for the passenger 132 entering from the rear of the vehicle to interfere with the internal pressure holding vents 170a to 170c is reduced, and the internal pressure holding vent 170a. The function of ˜170c and the occupant restraint force such as the center bag 114 can be suitably maintained. Note that not all of the internal pressure holding vents 170 a to 170 c need to be provided above the instrument panel 102. For example, if the valley 128 can be secured in the range of the locus 156 of the head E1, the internal pressure holding vent can be disposed on the rear side of the vehicle on the vertical line G1 without any problem. Further, for example, only a part of the plurality of internal pressure holding vents may be arranged above the instrument panel 102.

  As described above, the valley 128 is provided at a location where the head E1 of the occupant 132 can come into contact. On the other hand, the main bag 112 and the center bag 114 are integrated below the valley 128. The portion where the main bag 112 and the center bag 114 are integrated can suitably restrain the shoulder portion E3, the chest portion E4, and the like of the occupant 132, for example.

  With the configuration described above, the center bag 114 can suitably restrain the head E1 of the occupant 132, particularly the side head E1a. In particular, the center bag 114 can be restrained even to the rear side of the center of gravity of the head E1 while keeping the internal pressure high by the internal pressure holding mechanism 170. The restraint of the head E1 is completed in the valley 128 between the main bag 112 and the center bag 114. In addition, the rear end 166 of the center bag 114 restrains the left shoulder E3a of the occupant 132 from the front and from above. According to these configurations, it is possible to suppress the rotation 140 and upper body rotation that may occur in the head E1 of the occupant 132, and to significantly reduce the injury value of the occupant 132.

(Modification)
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the internal pressure holding mechanism 170 in FIG. The internal pressure holding mechanism 200 illustrated in FIG. 10A is different from the internal pressure holding mechanism 170 in FIG. 3B in that it has a tube-like structure. In addition, about the component similar to the component already demonstrated, the description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol.

  FIG. 10A is a perspective view illustrating the internal pressure holding mechanism 200. As illustrated in FIG. 10A, the internal pressure holding mechanism 200 includes a tube portion 202. The tube portion 202 extends from the periphery of the hole portion 204 formed in the partition wall portion 168 to the inside of the center bag 114. The distal end 206 of the tube portion 202 is a free end. The hole 204 has the same configuration as the hole 172 in FIG. 4A, and connects the main bag 112 and the center bag 114. The internal pressure holding mechanism 200 can also be provided above the instrument panel 102 (see FIG. 9).

  FIG.10 (b) is CC sectional drawing of Fig.10 (a). As illustrated in FIG. 10B, when the inflator 110 (see FIG. 3A) is operated and the internal pressure of the main bag 112 is higher than the internal pressure of the center bag 114, the tube portion 202 is moved from the hole portion to the 204. The gas pressure extends from the partition wall 168 into the center bag 114. The gas is supplied to the center bag 114 through the inside of the hole portion 204 and the tube portion 202.

  FIG. 10C illustrates a case where the internal pressure of the center bag 114 of FIG. 10B is higher than the internal pressure of the main bag 112. When the internal pressure of the center bag 114 becomes higher than the internal pressure of the main bag 112 due to the load when the occupant comes into contact, the tube portion 202 sticks to the partition wall portion 168 so as to be sucked into the hole portion 204 by the gas pressure. The tube portion 202 attached to the partition wall portion 168 closes the hole portion 204. Accordingly, gas leakage from the center bag 114 to the main bag 112 is suppressed. Thereby, the internal pressure of the center bag 114 is kept high, and the center bag 114 can appropriately restrain the head E1 of the occupant 132 (see FIG. 7B, etc.).

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments described above are preferred examples of the present invention, and other embodiments can be implemented by various methods. Can be carried out. The invention is not limited to the detailed shape, size, configuration, and the like of the components shown in the accompanying drawings unless otherwise specified in the present specification. In addition, expressions and terms used in the present specification are for the purpose of explanation, and are not limited thereto unless otherwise specified.

  Therefore, it is obvious for those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and these naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. It is understood.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for an airbag device for a passenger seat that restrains a passenger in the passenger seat of the vehicle from the front of the vehicle.

E1 ... head, E1a ... side head, E2 ... neck, E3 ... shoulder, E3a ... left shoulder, E3b ... right shoulder, E4 ... chest, E5 ... waist, F1 ... gap between the patch and partition G1 ... vertical line in contact with the rear end of the instrument panel, L1, L2 ... long side of the patch part, S1, S2 ... short side of the patch part, 100 ... airbag device, 102 ... instrument panel, 104 ... passenger seat, 106 ... Upper surface of instrument panel, 108 ... Cushion, 110 ... Inflator, 112 ... Main bag, 114 ... Center bag, 116 ... Windshield, 118 ... Center console, 120 ... Tie panel, 122 ... Tether belt, 124 ... Tether belt 1st connection part, 126 ... 2nd connection part of tether belt, 128 ... valley, 130 ... vent hole, 132 ... occupant, 34 ... Housing, 136 ... Seat belt, 140 ... Rotation generated in the head, 142 ... Upper part of the center bag, 144 ... Upper part of the main bag, 156 ... Trace of the head, 158 ... Connecting part, 160 ... Rear area of the center bag 162: side portion of center bag, 166: rear end of rear region, 168 ... partition wall portion, 169 ... region above instrument panel of partition wall portion, 170 ... internal pressure holding mechanism, 170a to 170c ... internal pressure holding vent, 172 ... Hole part, 174 ... Patch part, 200 ... Internal pressure holding mechanism of modified example, 202 ... Tube part, 204 ... Hole part, 206 ... Tip of tube part

Claims (10)

An airbag device for restraining a vehicle occupant,
The airbag device is
A main bag that is bag-shaped and inflates and deploys in front of the seat vehicle;
A center bag that is in a bag shape and is provided on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the main bag, and projects and inflates and projects rearward of the main bag than the main bag;
A partition that separates the main bag and the center bag;
An inflator for supplying gas to the main bag;
An internal pressure holding mechanism that is provided in the partition wall, allows gas to pass from the main bag to the center bag, and prevents gas from passing from the center bag to the main bag;
With
A valley where at least a part of the head of the occupant can enter is formed behind the partition between the main bag and the center bag,
The rear end of the center bag on the vehicle rear side is inclined so as to gradually protrude toward the rear of the vehicle as it goes upward.
In the airbag apparatus, the head of the occupant is restrained by the valley, and the left shoulder of the occupant is restrained by the rear end. The internal pressure holding mechanism is
At least one hole formed in the partition;
A patch part that covers the hole part from the center bag side, is connected to the partition part, and is at least partially separable from the partition part;
The airbag device according to claim 1, comprising: The internal pressure holding mechanism is
At least one hole formed in the partition;
A tube portion that is cylindrical and extends from the periphery of the hole portion to the inside of the center bag, and has a free end at the tip,
The airbag device according to claim 1, comprising: The main bag and the center bag are inflated and deployed so that a part of the partition wall is located above the instrument panel of the vehicle,
The airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the internal pressure holding mechanism is provided in a part of the partition wall.   The airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the main bag and the center bag are integrated below the valley. The airbag device further includes a tether belt that is belt-shaped and is connected to a first connection portion on the vehicle rear side of the center bag and a second connection portion on the upper portion of the main bag,
2. The tether belt has a length that is tensioned when the main bag and the center bag are inflated and deployed and the first connection portion and the second connection portion move away from each other. 6. The airbag device according to any one of 1 to 5.   The airbag device according to claim 6, wherein the second connection portion is provided in an inner portion in the vehicle width direction of the upper portion of the main bag.   The airbag device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the second connection portion is provided in front of the vehicle with respect to the first connection portion.   The airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the main bag is brought into contact with a windshield of the vehicle and an upper surface portion of an instrument panel of the vehicle by inflation and deployment. The airbag device further includes a housing that is box-shaped and houses the main bag and the center bag and is provided inside the upper surface portion of the instrument panel of the vehicle,
The airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the main bag and the center bag are inflated and deployed by cleaving an upper surface portion of the instrument panel.

Images