JP2018030534A - Air bag for driver seat, air bag device for driver seat and steering wheel - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air bag for a driver seat which can make a surface opposing to an occupant a shape close to a flat surface in an inflation completion state, and which can restrain the occupant while suppressing rotation of the head of the occupant at oblique collision.SOLUTION: An air bag includes: a front panel 11 on an occupant side; a rear panel 12 on a steering wheel side; a front tether 20 having a central part 21 and a plurality of radial direction parts 22a-22d extending in the radial direction from the central part 21; and a tether guide 30 in which a plurality of slits 32a-32d are formed. The central part 21 of the front tether 20 is connected to the front panel 11, tip parts of the plurality of radial direction parts 22a-22d are connected to the rear panel 12 by being inserted through the plurality of slits 32a-32d respectively, and the tether guide 30 is connected to the front panel 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to an airbag and an airbag device for restraining an occupant at the time of a car collision, and more particularly to an airbag and an airbag device for a driver's seat. The present invention also relates to a steering wheel provided with the airbag device.

  The airbag device for the driver's seat provided on the steering wheel operates the inflator (gas generator) to eject gas in the event of an emergency such as a vehicle collision, supplies gas to the airbag, and operates the airbag with the steering wheel. It is configured to be deployed with a seat occupant.

  2. Description of the Related Art As a driver's seat airbag, one in which peripheral portions of a front panel and a rear panel are stitched together is known. For example, in Patent Document 1, air formed in a bag shape by sewing an occupant side base fabric facing the driver side in an inflated and unfolded state and an anti occupant side base fabric facing the occupant side, that is, the steering wheel side. A bag is described.

  Further, the airbag described in Patent Document 1 includes a lateral tether that is deployed in the vehicle width direction (along the vehicle width direction) at the upper part and the rear part in the airbag in an inflated and deployed state. Yes. In the case of an oblique collision or a minute wrap collision, the head of the occupant that has contacted the tether deployment region in the airbag is restrained by the airbag so as to be sandwiched by the tether from both sides in the vehicle width direction. The difference in restraining force acting on the right and left of the occupant is kept small, and the rotation of the occupant head is suppressed. In this airbag, in order to restrain the occupant's head when the steering wheel is operated (rotated) and an oblique collision or minute lap collision occurs, a number of lateral tethers are arranged in a complicated manner in the airbag. There was a need to do.

JP2015-116912A

  The present invention provides a driver-seat air having a simple configuration in which the occupant-facing surface can be formed in a shape close to a flat surface in the inflated state, and the occupant can be restrained while suppressing the rotation of the occupant's head in the event of an oblique collision. An object is to provide a bag, an airbag device for a driver's seat, and a steering wheel.

  The airbag for a driver's seat according to the present invention includes a front panel on the occupant side, a rear panel on the steering wheel side, a front portion having a central portion and a plurality of radial direction portions extending radially from the central portion, A tether guide having a slit formed therein, the central portion of the front tether being coupled to the front panel, and the plurality of radial direction portions are respectively inserted through the plurality of slits and the tip portions thereof are connected to the rear panel. The tether guide is coupled to the front panel.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the coupling portion between the tether guide and the front panel is located closer to the outer periphery of the airbag than the coupling portion between the front tether and the front panel.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the plurality of slits are located on the outer peripheral side of the airbag with respect to the connecting portion between the front tether and the front panel, and on the inner peripheral side of the airbag with respect to the connecting portion between the tether guide and the front panel. Is located.

  In one aspect of the present invention, in the inflated and deployed state, the distal end portion of the radial direction portion is located closer to the outer periphery of the airbag than the slit.

  The airbag apparatus for driver seats of this invention is provided with the airbag for driver seats by this invention, and the inflator which expands this airbag for driver seats.

  The steering wheel according to the present invention is provided with the driver airbag device according to the present invention.

  According to the airbag for a driver's seat of the present invention, the occupant-facing surface can be formed in a shape close to a plane in the inflated state, and the occupant can be restrained while suppressing the rotation of the occupant's head in the event of an oblique collision .

(A) is a front view of the steering wheel in which the airbag apparatus provided with the driver's seat airbag which concerns on embodiment is installed, (b) is a front view of the steering wheel at the time of airbag expansion | swelling. It is a side view of the inflated driver's seat airbag. It is an exploded view of a driver's seat airbag. It is a figure which shows the example of a coupling | bonding of a front tether and a front panel. It is a figure which shows the example of a coupling | bonding of a tether guide and a front panel. It is a figure which shows the example of a coupling | bonding of a front tether and a rear panel. It is sectional drawing along the VII-VII line of FIG.1 (b). (A) is a top view before a head contacts with an airbag, (b) is a top view of the state in which the head is restrained by the airbag. (A) is a top view before a head contacts with an airbag, (b) is a top view of the state in which the head is restrained by the airbag. It is a top view of the front tether which concerns on another embodiment.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following description, the front-rear direction and the left-right direction coincide with the up-down direction and the left-right direction of the steering wheel when the steering wheel is in a straight traveling posture.

  An airbag 10 for a driver's seat (hereinafter simply abbreviated as an airbag) according to the present embodiment is attached to a retainer (not shown) as an airbag attachment member in a folded state, and built in an inflator 2. Is inflated. A module cover (not shown) is mounted so as to cover the folded body of the airbag 10, thereby configuring a driver's seat airbag device.

  The steering wheel 1 includes a central portion 1a connected to a steering shaft (not shown), an annular portion 1b that circulates around the central portion 1a, and a spoke portion 1c that connects the central portion 1a and the annular portion 1b. have. In this embodiment, a total of three spoke portions 1c extend from the central portion 1a to the left and right and downward, and the front end side in the extending direction of each spoke portion 1c is the inner periphery of the left and right and lower sides of the annular portion 1b. It is connected to each. Of the portion between the central portion 1a and the annular portion 1b, the portion where the spoke portion 1c does not exist is an open portion 1d that communicates the occupant side and the non-occupant side of the steering wheel 1.

  A steering wheel 1 is attached to the rear end of the steering column 3 protruding rearward (driver's seat side) from the instrument panel 4. A driver's seat airbag device is disposed in the central portion 1 a of the steering wheel 1.

  The driver's seat airbag 10 is formed as a bag by combining a front panel 11 that constitutes a front surface on the passenger side when inflated and a rear panel 12 that constitutes a rear surface on the steering wheel 1 side. A tether 20 and a tether guide 30 are provided. The base fabric constituting the front panel 11, the rear panel 12, the front tether 20, and the tether guide 30 may be made of the same material or different ones.

  As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the rear panel 12 and the front panel 11 are circular (substantially circular). The rear panel 12 is made of a circular woven cloth that is larger than the annular portion 1 b of the steering wheel 1. For example, the diameter of the rear panel 12 is about 400 to 700 mm. The diameter of the front panel 11 is the same as that of the rear panel 12.

  The rear panel 12 is provided with an inflator opening 13 into which the inflator 2 is inserted. A bolt insertion hole 14 through which a bolt for fixing the rear panel 12 together with the inflator 2 to the retainer is inserted is provided around the inflator opening 13.

  Two circular vent holes 15 that communicate the inside and the outside of the airbag 10 are provided in the upper portion of the rear panel 12. The shape, number, and position of the vent hole 15 can be changed as appropriate.

  As shown in FIG. 3C, the front tether 20 has a central portion 21 and a substantially cross shape having four radial direction portions 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d extending from the central portion 21 in the vertical and horizontal radial directions. It has a shape. The lengths of the radial direction portions 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d are substantially the same, and the length L1 from the center of the central portion 21 to the distal ends of the radial direction portions 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d is about 200 to 400 mm. It has become. Further, the width W of the radial direction portions 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d is about 50 to 150 mm.

  As shown in FIG. 3D, the tether guide 30 is circular (substantially circular), and four slits 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d through which the radial direction portions 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d are inserted are formed. ing. The length L2 of each slit 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d is preferably about the same as or slightly larger than the width W of the radial direction portions 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d, and smaller than W + 50 mm.

  The radius L3 of the tether guide 30 is about 150 to 300 mm. The distance L4 from the center of the tether guide 30 to the slits 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d is larger than half of the radius L3.

  In producing the airbag 10, first, as shown in FIG. 4, the center portion of the front panel 11 and the center portion 21 of the front tether 20 are joined by a circular stitching portion 41 made of a suture. The diameter of the circular stitching portion 41 is about 80 to 150 mm, and is located closer to the center in the radial direction than the slits 32a, 32b, 32c, and 32d.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 5, the radial direction portions 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d of the front tether 20 are inserted into the slits 32a, 32b, 32c, and 32d of the tether guide 30, respectively. Then, the front panel 11 and the peripheral edge portion of the tether guide 30 are joined by a circular stitching portion 42. A central portion 21 of the front tether 20 is located between the front panel 11 and the tether guide 30.

  The circular stitching portion 42 is located radially outside the slits 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d of the tether guide 30. By inserting the slits 32a, 32b, 32c, and 32d, the positions of the radial direction portions 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d in the airbag 10 can be regulated.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the radial direction portions 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d of the front tether 20 and the rear panel 12 are joined by suture portions 43a (see FIG. 7), 43b, 43c, and 43d using sutures. Join. The length L5 from the center of the rear panel 12 (the center of the inflator opening 13) to the point where the distal end portions of the radial direction portions 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d are combined is from the center of the tether guide 30 to the slits 32a, 32b, It is longer than the distance L4 to 32c and 32d, and is about 150 to 350 mm.

  Then, the airbag 10 is produced by joining the periphery of the front panel 11 and the periphery of the rear panel 12 with the stitching | suture part 44 (refer FIG. 7).

  When an automobile equipped with this driver's seat airbag device collides, the inflator 2 is activated and the airbag 10 is inflated and deployed behind the steering wheel 1 (in front of the passenger). Since the front end portions of the radial direction portions 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d of the front tether 20 are coupled to the rear panel 12, the front panel 11 that serves as an occupant restraint surface is drawn into the steering wheel 1 side in a state where inflation is completed. It becomes a substantially planar shape close to

  Tension by each radial direction part 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d spreads widely through the area | region located outside the stitching | suture part 41 among the center parts 21 of the front tether 20, and radial direction part 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d By combining the tensions in a plurality of directions, the central portion of the front panel 11 can be made flat easily.

  Further, the front end portions of the radial direction portions 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d pull the rear panel 12 toward the occupant side, so that the front panel 11 can be made flat. In a state where the airbag 10 is inflated and deployed, the distal end portions of the radial direction portions 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d coupled to the rear panel 12 are positioned on the outer peripheral side of the airbag 10 with respect to the slits 32a, 32b, 32c, and 32d. doing.

  A stitched portion 42 with the tether guide 30 is provided on the outer peripheral side of the stitched portion 41 of the front panel 11 and the amount of expansion of the front panel 11 toward the occupant side is suppressed, so that the wide area of the front panel 11 is flat. It becomes a substantially planar shape close to

  At the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle, the occupant (head H) is received at or near the center in the left-right direction of the front panel 11 that is the occupant restraint surface, as shown in FIGS. At the initial stage of occupant restraint, the shape of the airbag 10 is held by the front tether 20 and the tether panel 30. Thereafter, as the occupant enters, the front tether 20 and the tether panel 30 in the airbag 10 are loosened and the occupant is restrained.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 (a) and 9 (b), the front panel 11 serving as an occupant restraint surface is used when the vehicle is inclined (a collision mode in which an impact is applied to the vehicle obliquely from the front, including an offset collision). Is received at the left edge (or right edge). At this time, the airbag 10 is inclined while restraining the occupant because the diameter of the front panel 11 that is the occupant restraint surface is larger than the diameter of the steering wheel 1 side. Thereby, the reaction force with respect to the moving direction of the head H is suppressed, and the head H is suppressed from rotating around the axis along the vertical direction.

  The radial direction portion of the front tether 20 is not limited to four, and a front tether 20A having three radial direction portions as shown in FIG. 10 may be used, or the radial direction portion may be five or more. The slits of the tether guide 30 are formed according to the number and position of the radial direction portions of the front tethers 20 and 20A.

  The above-described embodiment is an example of the present invention, and the present invention may be configured other than the above.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Steering wheel 1a Center part 1b Annular part 1c Spoke part 1d Open part 2 Inflator 3 Steering column 4 Instrument panel 10 Driver's seat airbag 11 Front panel 12 Rear panel 13 Inflator opening 14 Bolt insertion hole 15 Vent hole 20 Front tether 30 Tether guide 41, 42, 43a-43d, 44 Suture part

Claims (6)

The front panel on the passenger side,
The rear panel on the steering wheel side,
A front tether having a central portion and a plurality of radial portions extending radially from the central portion;
A tether guide formed with a plurality of slits;
With
The central portion of the front tether is coupled to the front panel, the plurality of radial direction portions are respectively inserted through the plurality of slits, and the tip portion is coupled to the rear panel,
A driver's seat airbag, wherein the tether guide is coupled to the front panel.   The driver's seat airbag according to claim 1, wherein a joint portion between the tether guide and the front panel is located on an outer peripheral side of the airbag with respect to a joint portion between the front tether and the front panel. .   3. The plurality of slits according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of slits are located on an outer peripheral side of the airbag with respect to a connecting portion between the front tether and the front panel and on an inner peripheral side of the airbag with respect to a connecting portion between the tether guide and the front panel. An airbag for a driver's seat, characterized by   The driver's seat airbag according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, in an inflated and deployed state, a distal end portion of the radial direction portion is located on an outer peripheral side of the airbag with respect to the slit. A driver's seat airbag according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
An inflator for inflating the driver airbag;
A driver's seat airbag device comprising:   A steering wheel in which the driver airbag device according to claim 5 is installed.

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