WO2012090637A1

WO2012090637A1 - Curtain airbag device

Info

Publication number: WO2012090637A1
Application number: PCT/JP2011/077633
Authority: WO
Inventors: 佑樹中村; 中島　豊
Original assignee: オートリブディベロップメントエービー
Priority date: 2010-12-28
Filing date: 2011-11-30
Publication date: 2012-07-05
Also published as: JP5651711B2; JPWO2012090637A1

Abstract

Provided is a curtain airbag device which enables an A-pillar or a rear pillar to be designed to be narrow without compromising the primary function of the curtain airbag, which is to protect the occupant. The present curtain airbag device is provided with an airbag which can be inflated and expanded and a strap which connects the airbag and the vehicle body. When compressing the airbag into a bar-like shape, the front end of the airbag is folded into a Z-shape from a state in which the airbag is spread flat, and then the airbag is compressed upward from the lower end thereof into a roll shape or a zigzag shape. After that, one end of the strap is connected to the position of the airbag which is on the outer side of the airbag in the direction toward the side surface of the vehicle and which is behind the front-most fold line of the Z-shaped folded portion. The curtain airbag device is characterized in that, after the abovementioned processes, the compressed airbag is not disposed at the A-pillar or the rear pillar portion.

Description

Curtain airbag device

The present invention relates to a so-called curtain airbag device that protects an occupant by deploying between a vehicle body side wall and an occupant when an air bag attached to a side of a vehicle interior collides with the vehicle.

The airbag device is arranged inside a driver airbag device housed inside the steering wheel, a curtain airbag device arranged along the upper edge of the window frame, or an instrument panel (instrument panel). There are various types such as an airbag device for a passenger seat.

Generally, a curtain airbag device includes a gas generator that generates inflation gas; and an airbag (cushion) that is folded in a long shape in a accommodated state and is deployed by gas supplied from the gas generator.

A problem with curtain airbags is that the A-pillar is thickened by the amount of air bag compressed and molded into a rod shape. Further, since the A pillar is provided with a garnish made of hard plastic, there is a problem that the airbag provided in the A pillar is difficult to deploy in the vehicle compartment as compared with the roof portion.

In contrast, it is conceivable to adopt a structure in which the airbag is not provided to the A pillar by shifting the installation position of the airbag backward. However, if an airbag is not provided in the vicinity of the A pillar, the basic function as an airbag, which is insufficient for protecting passengers near the front of the vehicle, is hindered.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a curtain airbag device in which a pillar can be designed to be thin without impairing the original function of the curtain airbag, ie, occupant protection.

In order to solve the above problems, a curtain airbag device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes an airbag that can be inflated and deployed; and a strap that connects the airbag and the vehicle body. Here, when the airbag is compressed into a rod shape, the front end portion is folded into a Z shape from a planarly expanded state, and then compressed in a roll shape or a zigzag shape upward from the lower end portion. One end of the strap is connected to the rear of the frontmost fold of the Z-shaped folded portion on the outer side of the airbag in the lateral direction of the vehicle. Thereafter, the compressed airbag is not deployed in the A-pillar portion.

A curtain airbag device according to a second aspect of the present invention includes an airbag that can be inflated and deployed; and a strap that connects the airbag and the vehicle body. Here, when the airbag is compressed into a rod shape, the front end portion is folded into a Z shape from a planarly expanded state, and then compressed in a roll shape or a zigzag shape upward from the lower end portion. One end of the strap is connected to the rear of the frontmost fold of the Z-shaped folded portion on the outer side of the airbag in the lateral direction of the vehicle. Thereafter, the compressed airbag is not deployed in the rear pillar portion.

In the specification and claims, the terms “front” and “rear” indicate the front side and the rear side in principle with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle. In addition, “upper” and “lower” indicate an upper side and a lower side in a substantially vertical direction.

In addition, the “zigzag shape” indicates a shape in which the cross section is zigzag by alternately folding from the bottom or the top in the short direction of the airbag, and may be a bellows shape. Here, when folding from below, it feels “folded up”, and when folded from above, it feels “tuck up”.

According to the present invention configured as described above, when an abnormal situation such as a side collision occurs, the roll of the airbag is first unwound and starts to be deployed downward along the window. The letter-shaped folded part will unfold. Here, since it is set as the structure which does not arrange | position an airbag to at least 1 pillar part, the said pillar part can be made thin and there exists an effect of visibility improving. Further, when the front end portion of the folded airbag is deployed, the airbag spreads in the vicinity of the pillar, and the passenger can be sufficiently protected even in the pillar portion.

In addition, folding the front end of the airbag can cause an intentional delay in deployment, which has the advantage of increasing the degree of freedom in designing the chamber including the delay chamber.

Further, since the connecting end portion of the strap is between the airbag and the window, that is, the outside of the airbag in the vehicle side direction, the airbag is compared with the case where the connecting end portion is the inside of the airbag compartment. Becomes easier to expand toward the occupant side, and the occupant can be restrained quickly.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the structure of a curtain airbag device according to the present invention, showing a deployed state. FIGS. 2A to 2C are schematic explanatory views showing a compression process of the airbag used in the curtain airbag device according to the present invention. 3 (A) and 3 (B) are schematic explanatory views showing a compression process of an airbag used in the curtain airbag device according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory view showing an attached state of the curtain airbag device according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic explanatory view showing an attached state of the curtain airbag device according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing 10 structures of a curtain airbag device according to the present invention, showing a deployed state. In the non-actuated state, the airbag device 10 is folded in a long shape and is housed in a state covered with a head lining (not shown) disposed on the upper edge of the vehicle window. And the passenger | crew in a vehicle is protected by inflate-deploying downward from the clearance gap between a headlining and an inner panel (not shown) at the time of an action | operation.

The curtain airbag device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an airbag 20 that can be inflated and deployed; and a front strap 32 that connects the airbag 20 and the vehicle body. The airbag 20 and the strap 32 can be formed of the same fabric (material). The airbag 20 has a structure that is not provided in the A-pillar portion 50 (FIG. 4).

The airbag 20 includes a gas introduction part 22 connected to the inflator 14, a duct part 24 connected to the gas introduction part 22, a main chamber 26 occupying most of the area of the airbag 20, and a front end in the vehicle traveling direction. And a provided delay chamber 28. The delay chamber 28 is literally a chamber designed to expand with a delay from the main chamber 26. As the airbag 12, a plurality of sheets (for example, two or three sheets) overlapped and formed into a bag shape by stitching, bonding, or welding, or a bag portion formed by weaving a single sheet is adopted. be able to.

The rear end 34 of the strap 32 is connected to the vicinity of the lower end portion of the airbag 20, and the front end is fixed to the A pillar 50. Here, the position of the one end 34 of the front strap 32 (rear connecting portion 34) is behind the delay chamber 28 and is below the middle of the airbag 20 in the height direction. The connecting portion 34 of the strap 32 is between the airbag 20 and the window, that is, outside of the airbag 20 in the vehicle side surface direction.

Next, a method for compressing the airbag 20 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the airbag 20 is shown in a simplified manner for convenience of explanation. First, as shown in FIG. 2A, an airbag 20 to which a strap 32 is connected is prepared. Next, as shown in FIG. 2B, the front end portion of the airbag 20 is folded rearward. At this time, the crease 36 is provided in front of the connection portion 34 of the strap 32. The folded portion is defined as a region 20a.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2 (C), the airbag 20 is folded back toward the front so as to form a Z-shape from the crease 38 near the center of the front end portion of the folded airbag 20. Here, the folded portion is defined as a region 20b.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 3A, the airbag 20 is rolled up from the lower end of the airbag 20 upward. Finally, as shown in FIG. 3B, the airbag 20 is compressed into a rod shape. The airbag 20 can be folded into a zigzag shape and compressed into a rod shape instead of being rolled up.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the compressed airbag 20 is mounted on a vehicle, the front end of the strap 32 is connected to the A pillar 50, and a tab provided at the upper end of the airbag 20 is attached to the upper portion of the window frame. Link. Thereafter, the A pillar is provided with a garnish. In FIG. 4, the unfolded state is indicated by a broken line.

When an emergency such as rollover, side collision, or rollover occurs while the vehicle is running, a sensor provided in the vehicle catches the abnormal vibration and sends an ignition signal to the inflator 14 based on the signal. A propellant (not shown) that drives the inflator 14 in response to the ignition signal from the sensor is provided inside the inflator 14. By the operation of the inflator 14, the inflation gas flows into the duct 24 of the airbag 20 through the gas introduction part 22. The gas that has passed through the duct 24 is first supplied to the main chamber 26. Thereby, the roll of the airbag 20 is first unwound and starts to be deployed downward along the window, and then the Z-shaped folded portion on the front end side is deployed.

In the present invention, since the airbag 20 is not provided in the A pillar 50, the A pillar 50 can be thinned, and there is an effect that visibility in the vehicle is improved. At this time, since the front end portion of the folded airbag 20 is deployed, it is possible to sufficiently protect the occupant even in the vicinity of the front of the vehicle. In addition to the structure in which the airbag 20 is not arranged at all in the A pillar, a structure in which the front end of the airbag 20 is arranged only in a part of the upper part of the A pillar may be adopted.

In the present embodiment, folding the front end portion of the airbag 20 can cause an intentional deployment delay, and there is an advantage that the degree of freedom in designing the chamber including the delay chamber 28 is increased.

In the present invention, since the connecting portion 34 of the strap 32 is between the airbag 20 and the window, that is, outside of the airbag 20 in the vehicle side surface direction, the connecting end portion 34 is connected to the inside of the compartment of the airbag 20. Compared with the case where it does, it becomes easy to expand | deploy the airbag 20 toward a passenger | crew side, and it becomes possible to restrain a passenger | crew rapidly.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes and the like can be made without departing from the technical idea described in the claims. is there. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the front end portion of the airbag 20 is folded twice in a Z shape, but can be completed by a single folding as shown in FIG. However, by folding the front end portion of the airbag 20 into a “Z shape”, the front end portion can be greatly expanded toward the occupant side when deployed compared to the case of one turn, and the occupant can be injured. Can be reduced.

In addition, in the said Example, although it was set as the structure which does not arrange | position an A pillar partial airbag, as shown in FIG. 5, it can also be set as the structure which does not arrange | position an airbag to C pillar (rear pillar).

5, the front end 44 of the strap 42 is connected to the vicinity of the lower end of the airbag 20, and the rear end is fixed to the C pillar 60. Here, the position of the one end 44 of the strap 42 (the front connecting portion 44) is below the middle in the height direction of the airbag 20. The connecting portion 44 of the strap 42 is between the airbag 20 and the window, that is, outside of the airbag 20 in the vehicle side direction.

When the compressed airbag 20 is mounted on a vehicle, the rear end of the strap 42 is connected to the C pillar 60, and the tab provided on the upper end of the airbag 20 is connected to the upper part of the window frame. Thereafter, the C pillar 60 is provided with a garnish. In FIG. 5, the unfolded state is indicated by a broken line.

In the case of the example of FIG. 5 as well, the pillar (C pillar) can be designed to be thin and the rear visibility can be improved, and the rear window area can be increased, as in the case of the example of FIG. There is an advantage that the degree of freedom increases. The “rear pillar” does not necessarily indicate the last pillar of the vehicle. The pillar on the rear side of the area where the protection area as the curtain airbag exists can be a “rear pillar” referred to here.

10: Curtain airbag device 20:

Air bags

20a, 20b: Folding portion 14: Inflator 32: Front strap 34: Rear strap rear connection portion 50: A pillar

Claims

In the curtain airbag device that protects the occupant by deploying in the form of a curtain near the side window in the passenger compartment,
An inflatable airbag;
A strap for connecting the airbag and the vehicle body;
When the airbag is compressed into a rod shape, the front end portion is folded in a Z shape from a flatly spread state, and then compressed upward in a roll shape or zigzag shape from the lower end portion,
One end of the strap is connected to the rear of the frontmost fold line of the Z-shaped fold portion on the outer side of the airbag in the lateral direction of the vehicle,
The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the compressed airbag is not disposed in the A pillar portion.
The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the other end of the strap is connected to an A-pillar portion.
In the curtain airbag device that protects the occupant by deploying in the form of a curtain near the side window in the passenger compartment,
An inflatable airbag;
A strap for connecting the airbag and the vehicle body;
When the airbag is compressed into a rod shape, the rear end portion is folded in a Z shape from a flatly spread state, and then compressed upward in a roll shape or zigzag shape from the lower end portion,
One end of the strap is connected to the front side of the rearmost fold line of the Z-shaped folded part on the outer side of the airbag in the vehicle side surface direction,
The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the compressed airbag is not disposed in a rear pillar portion.
The curtain airbag device according to claim 3, wherein the other end of the strap is connected to a rear pillar portion.
The airbag includes a main chamber and a delay chamber provided at a front end in the vehicle traveling direction,
5. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein one end of the strap is connected to the airbag behind the delay chamber. 6.