JP4804966B2 - Airbag device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air bag device for a vehicle capable of increasing impact absorbing dimensions and enlarging a protecting range of a body. <P>SOLUTION: This air bag device 15 for the vehicle on which operation rods 4a, 4b to carry out steering operation are provided left and right is constituted by setting an air bag 16 before deployment on an instrument panel so that the air bag 16is deployed between the left and right operation rods 4a, 4b. A first bag 16a of the air bag 16 is deployed on the vehicle body front side of the operation rods 4a, 4b, a second bag 16b of the air bag 16 is deployed on the vehicle body rear side of the operation rods 4a, 4b and the first bag 16a is regulated in movement in the vehicle width direction by the left and right operation rods 4a, 4b. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle airbag device.

Many of the vehicle controls have a rotating round handle. In vehicles equipped with this round handle, a driver airbag device that protects the driver from impacts from the front in the event of a vehicle collision is placed at the center of the rotating part of the round handle. There are many cases (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-245759

However, when the driver's airbag device is housed in a round handle as in the prior art, the airbag device is disposed close to the driver, so that the impact absorption dimension when deploying the airbag is small.
Also, since the round handle is rotated, the airbag at the time of deployment must be basically circular in order to exhibit the same shock absorption capability as when driving straight, even during the rotation. There was a tendency for the lower body coverage to become smaller.
Therefore, the present invention provides a vehicle airbag device that can increase the shock absorption dimension and expand the protection range of the body part.

The vehicle airbag apparatus according to the present invention employs the following means in order to solve the above problems.
The invention according to claim 1 is an airbag device for a vehicle (for example, a vehicle 1 in an embodiment to be described later) provided with left and right operating elements (for example, operation rods 4a and 4b in an embodiment to be described later) for performing a steering operation. (For example, an airbag device 15 in an embodiment to be described later), wherein the left and right operating elements are respectively provided from an instrument panel (for example, an instrument panel 3 in an embodiment to be described later) to a driver's seat (for example, to be described later). Provided in a projecting direction toward the driver's seat 2) in the embodiment, and the airbag before deployment (for example, the airbag 16 in the embodiment described later) is accommodated in the instrument panel, and Arranged between the left and right controls so that they do not overlap the display device (for example, the display device 10 in the embodiments described later) in the front-rear direction. The airbag is inflated at the time of deployment, protrudes in a direction approaching the driver's seat from between the left and right operating elements, and is deployed on the front side of the vehicle body relative to the operating elements (for example, described later) And a second bag part (for example, a second bag part 16b in the example described later) that is integrated with the first bag part and that is deployed on the rear side of the vehicle body with respect to the operating element. The vehicle is characterized in that the volume of the hour is set larger in the second bag part than in the first bag part, and the movement of the first bag part in the vehicle width direction is restricted by the left and right operating elements. This is an air bag device.
By configuring in this way, the left and right operating elements are not connected between the driver and the airbag device before deployment, so that the operating elements do not hinder the deployment of the airbag.
Since the distance between the airbag device before deployment and the driver can be set large, the shock absorption dimension of the airbag device can be increased. Moreover, since the airbag apparatus is not provided in the rotating part and is fixed, the degree of freedom of the shape of the airbag after deployment is great. For example, the airbag at the time of deployment can be set to a dimension that is long in the vertical direction, and the lower body part of the driver can be protected by doing so.

Further, the air bag, the contact Ri second bag portion of the vehicle body rear side is set larger volume than the first bag portion of the vehicle body front side than the operator at the time of deployment, the first bag portion is the right and left since the restricted movement of the vehicle width direction by the operator, it can be reliably held in the correct position the air bag during deployment.
The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the back surface of the second bag portion abuts from the driver's head to the abdomen when deployed, and the lower surface of the second bag portion is the driver's thigh. It abuts on the part.

According to the invention which concerns on Claim 1 and Claim 2 , since the impact absorption dimension of an airbag apparatus can be enlarged, impact absorption capability can be improved. Moreover, the freedom degree of the shape of the airbag after expansion | deployment is large. For example, the airbag at the time of deployment can be set to a dimension that is long in the vertical direction, and the lower body part of the driver can be protected by doing so.
Moreover , since the airbag at the time of deployment can be reliably held at an appropriate position, the shock absorbing function for the driver can be sufficiently exhibited.

An embodiment of a vehicle airbag device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings of FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in this vehicle 1, the driver P has a pair of left and right operating rods (operators) 4 a and 4 b that protrude from an instrument panel 3 disposed in front of the driver seat 2. The front wheels 5 that are steered wheels can be steered by tilting the operation rods 4a and 4b in the front-rear direction.
The steering device in this embodiment is a so-called steer-by-wire type steering device, and the amount of tilting of the operation rods 4a, 4b in the front-rear direction is detected as an electrical change amount by a sensor (not shown). The target turning angle of the front wheels 5 is set according to the electrical change amount, and the actual turning angle of the front wheels 5 is controlled.

The left and right operation rods 4a and 4b are provided so as to protrude independently from the instrument panel 3 in a direction approaching the driver's seat 2, and have a substantially L-shape that bends upward. The base 41 is inserted into the instrument panel 3 and the amount of operation is detected by the sensor. The base 41 is connected to the upright portion 41b of the base 41 and extends upward.
In this steering apparatus, there is no member that connects the operating rods 4a and 4b between at least the driver P and the instrument panel 3. However, the operating rods 4a and 4b are linked by a reverse operation mechanism (not shown) so as to tilt in conjunction with each other in the reverse direction in the front-rear direction inside the instrument panel 3.

The instrument panel 3 includes a display device 10 that displays the vehicle state in the vicinity of the left and right operation rods 4a and 4b, and a driver airbag device that protects the driver P from an impact from the front in the event of a vehicle collision ( (Hereinafter abbreviated as an airbag device) 15 is provided.
The airbag device 15 is disposed between the grip portions 42 and 42 of the left and right operation rods 4a and 4b when the front instrument panel 3 is viewed from the driver's seat 2 side.
Since the basic configuration of the airbag device 15 is a well-known technique, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. The airbag device 15 includes an airbag 16 to be described later that is deployed at the time of a vehicle collision, and an inflator that generates gas for airbag deployment. (Not shown).

The airbag device 15 is characterized when the airbag 16 is deployed, and this will be described with reference to the drawings of FIGS.
The airbag 16 before deployment is accommodated in the instrument panel 3, and when the inflator is activated and gas is generated at the time of collision, the airbag 16 inflates, breaks through the outer skin of the instrument panel 3, and It protrudes in the direction of the driver's seat 2 from between the operating rods 4a and 4b, and is deployed between the instrument panel 3 and the driver P to reduce the impact on the driver P.

In the airbag 16, the first bag portion 16a is deployed on the front side of the vehicle body with respect to the operation rods 4a and 4b, and the second bag portion 16b integrated with the first bag portion 16a is on the vehicle body rear side with respect to the operation rods 4a and 4b. Expand with. In other words, the first bag portion 16a and the second bag portion 16b after deployment are constituted by one airbag 16 before deployment.
The first bag portion 16a after deployment is located with a slight gap between the left and right operation rods 4a and 4b, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and as shown in FIG. It has an elongated shape in the vertical direction than 4a and 4b. Since the 1st bag part 16a comprised in this way will be pinched | interposed into the base parts 41 and 41 of the operating rods 4a and 4b, the movement to the vehicle width direction is controlled by the operating rods 4a and 4b.

  As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the second bag portion 16b after unfolding extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the left and right operation rods 4a and 4b, and like the first bag portion 16a, the operation bag 4a, It has an elongated shape in the vertical direction than 4b. That is, when viewed from above the vehicle body when deployed, the first bag portion 16a and the second bag portion 16b are arranged in an inverted T shape. Further, when comparing the volumes at the time of deployment, the second bag portion 16b has a larger volume than the first bag portion 16a. When the second bag portion 16b is deployed, the back surface of the second bag portion 16b comes into contact with the abdomen from the head (face portion) of the driver P, and the lower surface of the second bag portion 16b comes into contact with the thigh (lower body) of the driver P.

In order to deploy the airbag 16 as described above, in the airbag device 15, the first bag portion 16a is deployed first, and the tip of the first bag portion 16a is located behind the left and right operation rods 4a and 4b. The flow of the inflation gas is controlled so that the second bag portion 16b expands after reaching the side.
4 is a view of the developed first bag portion 16a and the second bag portion 16b as viewed from the driver's seat 2 side, and reference numeral 6 in the drawing denotes a windshield of the vehicle 1. FIG.

  The display device 10 is provided on the instrument panel 3 positioned above the airbag device 15 and has a shape elongated in the vehicle width direction. Although not shown, the display device 10 includes a speedometer that displays the speed of the vehicle 1, a tachometer that displays the engine speed, a fuel meter that displays the remaining amount of fuel, a water temperature meter that displays the cooling water temperature, and the like. Meter lights, door open state warning lights, seat belt non-wearing warning lights, and low fuel level warning lights are housed.

According to the airbag device 15 in this embodiment, the left and right operation rods 4a and 4b are not connected between the driver P and the instrument panel 3, so that the operation rods 4a and 4b deploy the airbag 16. Without hindering, the first bag portion 16a can be bulged so as to approach the driver P from between the operating rods 4a and 4b.
In addition, since the movement in the vehicle width direction is restricted by the first bag portion 16a after deployment being sandwiched between the left and right operation rods 4a, 4b, the first bag portion 16a and the second bag portion 16b after deployment are It can be held at an appropriate position, and the shock absorbing function for the driver P can be sufficiently exhibited.

Further, when the airbag device is housed in the conventional round handle, the airbag device also rotates when the round handle is rotated. Therefore, the shape of the airbag is limited. Since the device 15 is installed on the instrument panel 3 and is not related to the operation of the operation rods 4a and 4b, the degree of freedom with respect to the shapes of the first bag portion 16a and the second bag portion 16b after deployment is extremely large. .
In particular, in this embodiment, the first bag portion 16a and the second bag portion 16b after deployment are set to be long in the vertical direction, so that the lower body portion of the driver P is also protected by the second bag portion 16b. And the protection range for the driver P is expanded. However, the airbag shape after deployment of the embodiment is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this.

  Further, since the airbag 16 before deployment is disposed in front of the vehicle body relative to the operating rods 4a and 4b, the distance from the driver P is greater than when the airbag before deployment is housed in a conventional round handle. Can be set large. As a result, the shock absorption dimension can be increased, and the shock absorption capability can be improved.

[Other Examples]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above.
For example, in the embodiment described above, steering is possible by tilting the operating element in the front-rear direction. However, the operating method of the operating element is not limited to tilting in the front-rear direction, and push-pull in the front-rear direction. It may be an operation.
In addition, in the embodiment, a steer-by-wire type steering device is used, but the operation element and the steered wheel are connected by a link mechanism or a gear mechanism, and the operation of the operation element is directly converted to the steered operation of the steered wheel. In this case, a power steering apparatus including an actuator that assists the driver's steering may be used.

1 is a perspective view of an instrument panel in which a vehicle airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention is housed. It is a side view which shows the state which the airbag of the airbag apparatus in the said Example expand | deployed. It is the top view which looked at the air bag after deployment from the driver's seat upper part. It is the front view which looked at the air bag after deployment from the body back.

Explanation of symbols

1 Vehicle 4a, 4b Control rod (operator)
15 Airbag Device 16 Airbag 16a First Bag Part (Part Deployed on the Front Side of the Vehicle Body)

Claims (2)

An airbag device for a vehicle in which operating elements for performing a steering operation are provided on the left and right,
The left and right operation elements are provided so as to protrude from the instrument panel in a direction approaching the driver's seat,
The airbag before deployment is accommodated in the instrument panel, and is disposed between the left and right operation elements so as not to overlap the display device in the front-rear direction.
The airbag is inflated at the time of deployment, protrudes in a direction approaching the driver's seat from between the left and right operation elements, and is deployed on the front side of the vehicle body relative to the operation elements, and the first bag section, A second bag portion that is integrated and is deployed on the rear side of the vehicle body relative to the operating element, wherein the volume at the time of deployment is set larger in the second bag portion than in the first bag portion; The vehicle airbag apparatus is characterized in that movement in the vehicle width direction is restricted by the left and right operating elements. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the second bag portion is deployed, the back surface of the second bag portion abuts from the driver's head to the abdomen and the bottom surface abuts the driver's thigh . Airbag device.

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