JP2014148198A - Curtain airbag device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a curtain airbag device capable of suppressing a load applied to a strap.SOLUTION: An airbag 100 comprises: a cushion part 102 which is accommodated in a long and rolled accommodation form near a roof side rail 104 and expanded/deployed along a side window 110 or the like; and a strap 136 which is band-shaped, provided in a protrusion 134 of a terminal chamber 130 of the cushion part 102 and connected to a front piller 132. The cushion part 102 in the accommodation form comprises: a first wound portion 138 which is formed by winding a lower edge 111 of the cushion part 102 toward an upper edge 112; and a second wound portion 140 which is formed while preceding to the first wound portion 138 by being wound obliquely upwards in the vicinity of the terminal chamber part 130 towards the center of the upper edge. The first wound portion 138 and the second wound portion 140 are wound oppositely to each other in a vehicle width direction.

Description

  The present invention relates to a curtain airbag device that is inflated and deployed along a side surface of a vehicle interior for the purpose of protecting passengers at the time of a side collision or rollover (rollover) of a vehicle.

  In recent vehicles, an airbag is almost standard equipment as a safety device. In a general airbag, an impact is detected by a sensor, and gas is generated from an inflator (gas generating device) along with this, and a cushion portion is inflated and deployed by the gas pressure. The cushion part is folded and stored in the center of the steering wheel if it is a front airbag, for example, and is wound and stored near the upper side of the side door if it is a curtain airbag, for example.

  In recent years, curtain airbags have been developed in which the ends of the curtain airbag are tied to a pillar or the like in order to stabilize the deployment behavior and improve the occupant restraint performance. For example, the curtain airbag described in Patent Document 1 has a strap-like portion called a tension belt at the front end of the vehicle and is configured to be connected to the front pillar by this tension belt.

JP 2010-105508 A

  Since the curtain airbag when not in use is wound and stored in a roll shape, the above-described curtain airbag strap is twisted when inflated and deployed, or twisted in advance when stored. In Patent Document 1, the length of the tension belt is adjusted by intentionally using a twist. However, in general, since the load tends to concentrate on the twisted portion of the strap, it is not preferable to twist the strap excessively. In particular, in recent years, straps shorter than conventional ones may be employed depending on the shape of the curtain airbag. Such straps are short in length and tend to concentrate loads due to twisting.

  In view of such a problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a curtain airbag device capable of suppressing a load applied to a strap.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a typical configuration of a curtain airbag device according to the present invention is stored in the vicinity of an upper portion of a side wall in a vehicle compartment in a roll-like storage form elongated in the vehicle front-rear direction. A cushion portion that inflates and expands along the belt, and a strap that is provided at a front end portion of the cushion portion in the vehicle front-rear direction and is connected to a pillar of the vehicle. A first winding part formed by winding the lower edge of the cushion part toward the upper edge, and a second winding part formed before the first winding part, wherein the cushion is in an unfolded form A second winding portion formed by winding the vicinity of the tip portion of the lower edge of the portion in the obliquely upward direction toward the center of the upper edge, and the first winding portion and the second winding. The turning portions are wound in opposite directions in the vehicle width direction. And wherein the door.

  According to the above configuration, when the strap is rotated and twisted when the first winding portion is inflated and deployed, the second winding portion that is rotated reversely to the first winding portion is provided. Can be offset or reduced. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the burden on the strap.

  The cushion portion includes an end chamber that receives gas and expands at a front end portion in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the end chamber includes a protrusion portion that protrudes toward the pillar at the center in the vertical direction. A strap may be provided on the part. In recent years, there is a need for countermeasures against "micro lap collision" that assumes collisions with obstacles such as counterpart vehicles and utility poles, and the performance of the vehicle is "small overlap collision test" by IIHS (American Road Safety Insurance Association) ". In order to cope with this, the curtain airbag needs to have a wider protection up to the front of the vehicle, and in that respect, it is very effective to provide the end chamber of the above shape. When this end chamber is provided, the strap has a shorter configuration and the load due to twisting tends to concentrate, so that the effect of canceling or reducing the twisting of the present invention can be exhibited particularly effectively.

  The end chamber may have a triangular shape, and the second winding portion may be wound with the lower side of the triangular end chamber facing the center of the upper edge. According to this configuration, the second winding portion can be suitably formed without winding the strap around the winding.

  The end chamber may have a semicircular shape. Even with this configuration, the second winding portion can be provided without winding the strap around the winding.

  In the storage configuration of the cushion part, the strap has a reverse rotation part that is twisted in advance in the opposite direction to the rotation at the time of expansion and deployment so that the twist that may occur when the cushion part is rotated at the time of expansion and expansion can be offset or reduced. You may have. Further, the strap may have a seam portion sewn so as to be able to be eliminated by a load received during expansion and deployment so that the reverse rotation portion can be maintained when the cushion portion is stored. According to this, generation | occurrence | production of the twist of the strap at the time of expansion | deployment expansion | deployment can be prevented still more efficiently. In addition, since the reverse rotation part is maintained by providing the seam part, it is possible to save time and trouble of the operator managing measures for twisting the strap during the assembly work to the vehicle, and an efficient assembly work can be performed. .

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to provide the curtain airbag apparatus which can suppress the load concerning a strap.

It is the figure which illustrated the curtain airbag apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which illustrated the expansion state at the time of the non-expansion of the cushion part of Drawing 1 (b). It is the figure which illustrated the process which winds the cushion part of the unfolded state of FIG. 2 to a storage form. It is the figure which illustrated the process in which a reverse rotation part is provided in the strap of FIG.3 (e). It is a figure which illustrates the expansion | deployment expansion process of the cushion part of FIG.4 (b). It is a figure which illustrates the expansion | deployment expansion process of the cushion part following FIG. 3 is a modification of the end chamber illustrated in FIG. 2.

  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 a curtain airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a view of the interior of a vehicle as viewed from the vehicle inner side in the vehicle width direction, and illustrates a storage form of a cushion portion 102 of a curtain airbag device (hereinafter referred to as “airbag 100”). ing. Moreover, FIG.1 (b) has illustrated the time of the expansion | deployment of the cushion part 102 of Fig.1 (a).

  The cushion part 102 illustrated in FIG. 1A is a part that is inflated and deployed in an emergency to protect an occupant. This cushion part 102 is wound and becomes a roll-shaped storage form that is long in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and is attached to and installed on the upper part of the side wall (roof side rail 104) in the vehicle compartment. Usually, since the roof trim (not shown) covers the roof side rail 104, the stored cushion portion 102 is invisible from the vehicle interior.

  The airbag 100 includes an inflator 106 that is a gas generator. The cushion portion 102 is expanded by the pressure of the gas supplied from the inflator 106 to restrain the occupant. The inflator 106 employed in this embodiment is a cylinder type (tubular type). Inflators that are currently popular are types that are filled with a gas generating agent and burn it to generate gas, types that are filled with compressed gas and supply gas without generating heat, and There are types including both a gas generating agent and a compressed gas. Any type of inflator 106 can be used.

  In the state of FIG. 1 (a), when a side collision or rollover (rollover) occurs in the vehicle 108, a sensor (not shown) provided in the vehicle 108 first detects an impact, which causes the inflator. A signal is sent to 106. Upon receiving this signal, the inflator 106 operates and supplies gas to the cushion portion 102. When the gas from the inflator 106 is received, the cushion portion 102 expands downward along the side wall of the passenger compartment (such as the side window 110 in FIG. 1A) as illustrated in FIG. 1B. Deploy and protect passengers.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an expanded state when the cushion portion 102 of FIG. 1B is not inflated. This cushion part 102 is formed by forming two bags of fabric (base fabric) on the front and back and stitching them together into a bag shape. The upper edge 112 of the cushion part 102 is provided with a plurality of strip-shaped tabs 114 and a metal bracket 116 as attachment parts to the vehicle 108 (see FIG. 1B, etc.). The tab 114 is passed through and connected to the elongated hole 118 of the bracket 116, and the bracket 116 is fixed to the roof side rail 104 (see FIG. 1B, etc.) with bolts or the like.

  When the inflator 106 is actuated, the gas first flows into the duct portion 120 above the cushion portion 102. The duct portion 120 extends in the vehicle front-rear direction, and functions to efficiently distribute gas to the respective expansion regions in the vehicle front-rear direction in the cushion portion 102.

  The inflating region of the cushion portion 102 is partitioned into a plurality of small rooms (chambers) in consideration of the position where the occupant can come into contact. For example, a chamber 124 is provided on the front side of the vehicle for the purpose of receiving an occupant of the front seat 122 (see FIG. 1B). Further, a chamber 128 and the like are provided on the rear side of the vehicle for the purpose of receiving the occupant of the rear seat 126.

  In the present embodiment, the cushion portion 102 is provided with an end chamber 130 at a front end portion of the front of the vehicle 124 so that the side window 110 of the front seat space is further protected to the front side of the vehicle. The end chamber 130 has a triangular shape, and is arranged so that one corner (projection 134) projects toward the front pillar 132 in the front of the vehicle at the center of the end chamber 130 in the vertical direction. According to the end chamber 130, for example, a passenger who has broken the normal seating posture with respect to the front seat can cope with the “small lap collision” assumed in the small overlap collision test of IIHS (American Road Safety Insurance Association). Can be protected efficiently.

  A band-shaped strap 136 is provided on the protrusion 134 of the end chamber 130. The strap 136 is a member that connects the airbag 100 and the front pillar 132, suppresses the swinging of the airbag 100 when it is inflated and deployed, stabilizes the deployment behavior, and additionally tensions the airbag 100 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Has the function of giving In particular, the occupant restraint performance of the end chamber 130 in which the strap 136 is directly installed is greatly improved. In the present embodiment, since the end chamber 130 protrudes toward the front pillar 132, the strap 136 is shorter than the conventional configuration.

  The strap 136 may be rotated and twisted when, for example, the cushion portion 102 in the storage form shown in FIG. 1A is inflated and deployed as shown in FIG. 1B. Although the strap 136 has a strength that can cope with twisting, it is not preferable that the strap 136 be excessively loaded by twisting. In addition, the strap 136 having a short configuration as in the present embodiment may tend to concentrate the load. Therefore, in the airbag 100, a measure for suppressing the twist of the strap 136 is taken.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a process of winding the cushion portion 102 in the unfolded state of FIG. 2 into a storage form. A cushion portion of a normal curtain airbag is wound from the lower edge 111 toward the upper edge 112 so as to be a long roll body in the vehicle front-rear direction. However, in the present embodiment, in the process of forming the storage configuration of FIG. 3E, the second winding part 140 is provided in addition to the first winding part 138 as illustrated in FIG. A roll body is formed by winding a total of two times.

  As illustrated in FIG. 3A, the cushion portion 102 is first provided with the second winding portion 140 prior to the first winding portion 138 (see FIG. 3C). The second winding part 140 winds the cushion part 102 in the vicinity of the end chamber 130, particularly below the strap 136, with a predetermined number of turns in a diagonally upward direction with its lower edge toward the center of the upper edge. It is formed. The strap 136 is provided in the vicinity of the center in the vertical direction of the front end of the cushion portion 102 so that the strap 136 is not caught in the second winding portion 140. In the present embodiment, the end chamber 130 has a triangular shape and the strap 136 is provided on the protruding portion 134, and the second winding portion 140 is axially directed to the lower side L <b> 1 (see FIG. 2) of the end chamber 130. Can be formed relatively easily without winding the strap 136.

  FIG.3 (b) is AA sectional drawing of Fig.3 (a). The second winding portion 140 is wound around the cushion portion 102 on the vehicle outer side in the vehicle width direction. This is opposite to the winding of the first winding portion 138 in FIG. 3D described later in the vehicle width direction.

  Next, as illustrated in FIG. 3C, the first winding part 138 is formed. The first winding part 138 is formed by winding the cushion part 102 in the storage form from the lower edge 111 toward the upper edge 112 so that the axial direction faces the front and rear of the vehicle. FIG.3 (d) is BB sectional drawing of FIG.3 (c). As illustrated in FIG. 3D, the first winding portion 138 is wound on the vehicle inner side in the vehicle width direction. This is the opposite direction to the winding of the second winding portion 140 in FIG. Thus, in this embodiment, the 1st winding part 138 and the 2nd winding part 140 are wound in the mutually opposite direction in the vehicle width direction. And the 1st winding part 138 is wound to the upper edge 112, and the cushion part 102 becomes a roll body illustrated in FIG.3 (e).

  Here, it is assumed that the cushion portion 102 of FIG. 3 (e) is attached to the vehicle, and the inflator 106 (see FIG. 1 (b), etc.) is actuated to start inflation and deployment. If only the first winding part 138 is provided, the strap 136 rotates and twists as the first winding part 138 is eliminated. However, in this embodiment, since the second winding part 140 is wound in the reverse direction with respect to the first winding part 138, the rotation by the first winding part 138 with respect to the strap 136 is the second. It is offset and reduced by the rotation by the winding part 140. Therefore, excessive twisting of the strap 136 is prevented, and the load on the strap 136 is suppressed.

  In the present embodiment, the strap 136 is also provided with a reverse rotation portion 142 so that the twist of the strap 136 can be further offset or reduced. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a process of providing the reverse rotation portion 142 on the strap 136 of FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 4A, the reverse rotation portion 142 is formed by twisting the strap 136 in advance. At this time, the direction in which the strap 136 is twisted is opposite to the rotation of the first winding portion 138 by the amount of rotation of the first winding portion 138 that cannot be offset by the rotation speed of the second winding portion 140 ( In the same direction as the second winding unit 140).

  4B, the strap 136 is provided with a seam portion 144 by sewing so that the reverse rotation portion 142 can be maintained. By providing the seam portion 144, it is possible for the worker to save the trouble of managing the number of rotations of the twist of the strap 136 at the time of assembling work to the vehicle, so that the assembling work becomes efficient. The seam portion 144 is to be eliminated at the time of inflating and deploying, for example, by using a sewing thread that can be broken by a load at the time of inflating and deploying, and by providing a seam that is eliminated by the load at the time of inflating and deploying. Is preferred.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an inflating and developing process of the cushion portion 102 of FIG. Fig.5 (a) is an enlarged view of the strap vicinity of Fig.1 (a). When the inflator 106 is activated and gas is supplied in the state of FIG. 5A, the cushion portion 102 starts to expand and expand as illustrated in FIG. 5B. First, the first winding portion 138 It will be resolved. At this time, the first winding portion 138 is unwound clockwise as viewed from the front of the vehicle, as indicated by an arrow. Accordingly, the strap 136 is twisted downward on the rear side in FIG. Along with this twisting, the seam portion 144 is also eliminated.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an inflating and expanding process of the cushion portion 102 subsequent to FIG. 5. As illustrated in FIG. 6A, after the first winding portion 138 is eliminated, the winding of the second winding portion 140 is eliminated. The second winding unit 140 is unwound in the counterclockwise direction when viewed from the front of the vehicle. Accordingly, the strap 136 is twisted upward on the rear side in FIG.

  In these expansion and deployment processes, the rotation of the first winding portion 138 relative to the strap 136 is offset by the rotation of the second winding portion 140 and the rotation of the reverse rotation portion 142. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 6B, the strap 136 at the completion of the expansion and deployment is straight without being twisted. Therefore, an extra load is not applied to the strap 136, and the strap 136 can more appropriately exhibit the original functions such as improvement of the occupant restraining performance of the cushion portion 102.

  In this embodiment, the end chamber 130 is arranged on the front side of the vehicle and the strap 136 is connected to the front pillar 132. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the end chamber 130 is arranged on the rear side of the vehicle. The strap 136 may be connected to the rear pillar.

(Modification)
FIG. 7 is a modification of the end chamber 130 illustrated in FIG. The end chamber 200 illustrated in FIG. 7 has a semicircular shape unlike the triangular end chamber 130 of FIG. Even in the semicircular end chamber 200, the upper and lower centers protrude forward of the vehicle, and the protection range of the cushion portion 102 can be effectively expanded. Then, by providing the strap 136 to the protruding portion 202 on the vehicle front side of the end chamber 200, it is possible to form the second winding portion 140 without winding the strap 136.

  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 or performed in various ways. 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.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the example which applied the curtain airbag concerning this invention to the motor vehicle was demonstrated, 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 in a curtain airbag device that inflates and deploys along a side surface of a vehicle interior for the purpose of protecting passengers during a vehicle side collision or rollover (rollover).

L1 ... lower side of end chamber, 100 ... airbag, 102 ... cushion part, 104 ... roof side rail, 106 ... inflator, 108 ... vehicle, 110 ... side window, 111 ... lower edge of cushion part, 112 ... of cushion part Upper edge, 114 ... tab, 116 ... bracket, 118 ... long hole in bracket, 120 ... duct part, 122 ... front seat, 124 ... vehicle front side chamber, 126 ... rear seat, 128 ... vehicle rear side chamber, 130 ... end chamber, 132 ... front pillar, 134 ... projection of end chamber, 136 ... strap, 138 ... first winding part, 140 ... second winding part, 142 ... reverse rotation part, 144 ... seam part, 200 ... End chamber of modified example, 202 ... Projection of end chamber of modified example

Claims (6)

A cushion portion that is stored in the vicinity of the upper portion of the side wall in the vehicle compartment and is inflated and deployed along the side wall in the form of a roll-shaped storage that is long in the vehicle longitudinal direction.
A strap and is provided at the front-rear direction of the vehicle in the cushion portion, and includes a strap connected to a vehicle pillar,
The cushion part of the storage form is
A first winding portion formed by winding the lower edge of the deployed cushion portion toward the upper edge;
A second winding portion formed before the first winding portion, and obliquely upward so that a tip portion near the tip portion where the strap is provided, of the lower edge of the cushion portion in the unfolded form, is directed toward the upper edge center. A second winding part formed by winding in a direction,
The curtain airbag device, wherein the first winding part and the second winding part are wound in opposite directions in the vehicle width direction. The cushion portion has an end chamber that receives gas and expands at a front end portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction,
2. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the end chamber includes a projecting portion projecting toward the pillar at a center in the vertical direction, and the strap is provided on the projecting portion. The end chamber has a triangular shape;
3. The curtain airbag according to claim 2, wherein the second winding part is wound with a lower side of the triangular end chamber facing a center of the upper edge.   The curtain airbag according to claim 2, wherein the end chamber has a semicircular shape.   In the storage configuration of the cushion portion, the strap is reversely rotated in advance in a direction opposite to the rotation at the time of expansion and deployment so that the twist that may be caused by rotation of the cushion portion when the cushion portion is expanded and deployed can be offset or reduced. It has a part, The curtain airbag of any one of Claim 1 to 4 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The said strap has a seam part sewn so that cancellation | release can be carried out with the load received at the time of expansion | deployment so that the said reverse rotation part can be maintained at the time of the storage state of the said cushion part. The curtain airbag device described in 1.

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