JP6981382B2 - Airbag - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an airbag which is made into a flexible bag shape and inflates so as to protect an occupant seated in a seat by inflowing an expansion gas into the bag.

Conventionally, some airbags have an exhaust hole that can be closed and deformed when a large-sized occupant is received (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this conventional airbag, a band-shaped body separate from the airbag is arranged inside, and the opening and closing of the exhaust hole is operated according to the state of the band-shaped body. In the state of being closed and the band-shaped body being loosened, the exhaust hole was configured to be opened.

JP-A-2002-79904

However, the conventional airbag has a configuration in which a band-shaped body separate from the airbag is arranged so as to substantially follow the left-right direction inside, and the opening and closing of the exhaust hole is controlled by this band-shaped body. There was room for improvement in that the configuration was not simple, but that the configuration was simple and the emission of expansion gas was accurately controlled.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an airbag that can accurately control the discharge of the expanded gas that has flowed into the inside as a simple configuration.

The airbag according to the present invention is an airbag having a flexible bag shape and inflating to protect occupants by inflowing expansion gas into the airbag.
Equipped with a discharge hole formed by cutting out the outer wall so that the internal expansion gas can be discharged.
The discharge hole is characterized in that the opening area is reduced by a peripheral member around the discharge hole when the airbag is deformed when the occupant is received.

The airbag of the present invention has a configuration in which an internal expansion gas is discharged from a discharge hole formed by cutting out an outer peripheral wall, and this discharge hole is a periphery when the airbag is deformed when a occupant is received. Since the opening area is reduced by the peripheral member of the vehicle to reduce the emission amount of the expansion gas, the configuration can be simplified and the emission of the expansion gas can be accurately reduced when the occupant is received. The occupants can be protected smoothly.

Therefore, in the airbag of the present invention, it is possible to accurately control the discharge of the expanded gas that has flowed into the inside.

Further, in the airbag of the present invention, if the peripheral member is composed of the outer peripheral wall itself of the airbag, the discharge hole can be stably covered by the outer peripheral wall itself, and the amount of expansion gas discharged is stabilized. It is possible and preferable.

Specifically, in the airbag having the above configuration, a bending portion to be bent and arranged when the expansion is completed is arranged on the outer peripheral wall.
A discharge hole is formed at the bending site or near the bending site.
It is preferable that the airbag is deformed so as to cover the discharge hole by the region near the bending portion on the outer peripheral wall by reducing the bending angle of the bending portion when the occupant is received.

Further, in the airbag having the above configuration, the airbag is folded and stored in front of the front seat so as to protect the occupant seated in the front seat, and expands so as to cover the front of the occupant when the expansion is completed. In addition, it is configured to include a mounting side portion arranged on the storage portion side and a occupant protection portion extending at least upward from the rear portion of the mounting side portion and arranged in front of the occupant.
It is preferable that the discharge hole is arranged at the boundary portion between the upper surface of the mounting side portion and the occupant protection portion or near the boundary portion.

If the airbag is configured in this way, when the occupant protection unit receives an occupant moving forward while tilting the upper body forward, it will be bent with respect to the mounting side portion, and the mounting side portion will be bent. Since at least a part of the discharge hole arranged at or near the boundary portion between the airbag and the occupant protection portion is blocked by the outer peripheral wall of the airbag, the airbag is reliably discharged when the occupant protection portion receives the occupant. It is possible to suppress the discharge of expansion gas from the holes. Therefore, the occupant who moves forward while tilting the upper body forward can be accurately protected by the occupant protection unit in which the emission of the expansion gas is suppressed.

It is a schematic vertical sectional view of the state which the occupant protection device using the airbag which is one Embodiment of this invention is mounted on a vehicle. It is a schematic plan view of the state where the occupant protection device of FIG. 1 is mounted on a vehicle. It is a perspective view of the state seen from the left front which shows the state in which the airbag used by the occupant protection device of FIG. 1 is inflated by itself. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the airbag of FIG. 3 as viewed from the front right. It is a top view of the state in which the airbag of FIG. 3 is inflated by itself. It is sectional drawing which shows the VI-VI part of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the VII-VII part of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the VIII-VIII part of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the IX-IX part of FIG. It is a top view which shows the base material which constitutes the airbag of FIG. It is a schematic vertical sectional view at the part in front of a driver's seat which shows the state which the airbag has completed expansion in the occupant protection device of embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic vertical sectional view of a portion in front of the passenger seat showing a state in which the airbag has completed expansion in the occupant protection device of the embodiment. It is a schematic enlarged sectional view which shows the deformation state of the discharge hole at the time of deformation of the passenger seat receiving expansion part in the airbag which has completed expansion in the occupant protection device of embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment, it is used for the occupant protection device M provided inside the instrument panel (hereinafter abbreviated as "instrument panel") 1 arranged in front of the front seats (driver's seat DS, passenger seat PS) in the vehicle V. Taking the airbag 15 as an example, the explanation will be given. In the case of the embodiment, the occupant protection device M is a top mount type arranged inside the upper surface 2 of the instrument panel 1. In the embodiment, the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions coincide with the front-back, up-down, and left-right directions of the vehicle V unless otherwise specified. Further, the vehicle V on which the occupant protection device M of the embodiment is mounted is a left-hand drive vehicle in which the driver's seat DS is arranged on the left side.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the occupant protection device M of the embodiment includes a folded airbag 15, two inflators 8 (8L, 8R) that supply expansion gas to the airbag 15, and an airbag 15. And a case 12 as a storage part for storing and holding each inflator 8 (8L, 8R), and two retainers 9 (9L, 9R) for attaching the airbag 15 and each inflator 8 (8L, 8R) to the case 12. It is provided with an airbag cover 6 that covers the upper part of the folded airbag 15.

The airbag cover 6 is integrally formed with the instrument panel 1 made of synthetic resin so that the two front and rear door portions 6a and 6b are pushed open by the airbag 15 when the airbag 15 is expanded and expanded. It is configured. Further, a connecting wall portion 6c connected to the case 12 is formed around the door portions 6a and 6b of the airbag cover 6.

In the case of the embodiment, the two inflators 8L and 8R are arranged at positions on the left and right ends of the inflow side expansion portion 22 of the mounting side portion 21 described later of the airbag 15 as shown in FIG. They are installed side by side in the left-right direction. In the case of the embodiment, these two inflators 8L and 8R are used as disk types having the same output and having the same outer shape. As shown in FIGS. 1, 11 and 12, each inflator 8L, 8R has a substantially columnar main body portion 8a having a plurality of gas discharge ports 8b, a flange portion 8c for attaching the inflator 8 to the case 12, and a flange portion 8c. It is equipped with. In the case of the embodiment, each inflator 8 (8L, 8R) is configured to operate in the case of a frontal collision, an oblique collision, and an offset collision of the vehicle V.

The case 12 is arranged over a region on the front side from the passenger seat PS to the driver's seat DS so that the folded airbag 15 can be stored (see FIG. 2). Specifically, in the case 12, the width dimension on the left-right direction side is set smaller than the area from the left edge of the driver's seat DS on the left side to the right edge of the passenger seat PS on the right side in the vehicle V, and the width dimension is set in the left-right direction. It is configured as a long shape arranged substantially along. The case 12 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape made of sheet metal having an opening on the upper end side, and as shown in FIG. 1, a long bottom wall portion 12a to which each inflator 8 is inserted and attached from below. And a peripheral wall portion 12b extending upward from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall portion 12a and engaging the connecting wall portion 6c of the airbag cover 6. The airbag 15 and the inflator 8 (8L, 8R) have a mounting opening 24L, which will be described later in the airbag 15, by using each bolt 9a of each retainer 9 (9L, 9R) arranged in the airbag 15 as a mounting means. It is attached to the bottom wall portion 12a of the case 12 by penetrating the peripheral edge of 24R, the bottom wall portion 12a of the case 12, and the flange portion 8c of the inflator 8 (8L, 8R) and fixing the nut 10. (See FIG. 1). A bracket (not shown) connected to the body side of the vehicle V is arranged on the bottom wall portion 12a of the case 12.

The airbag 15 has a bag shape formed of a flexible sheet body, and as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the expanded shape of the airbag 15 when viewed from the vertical direction is substantially rectangular. Moreover, the region on the rear end side when the expansion is completed is configured to be wide in the vertical direction toward the rear. The airbag 15 is attached to the case 12 side with the front end 15a side at the time of completion of expansion, allows the expansion gas discharged from the inflator 8 to flow into the inside, and expands and expands while protruding rearward and upward from the case 12. However, when the expansion is completed, as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 2, the configuration is arranged so as to cover the front region from the passenger seat PS to the driver's seat DS.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 8, the airbag 15 has an expansion completed shape in which the front region is a substantially rectangular plate shape, and the rear region is widened vertically toward the rear end 15b side and in the left-right direction. It is configured as a substantially triangular columnar shape extending substantially along, and has an upper wall portion 16 arranged on the windshield 4 side when expansion is completed, a lower wall portion 17 arranged on the instrument panel 1 side, and a occupant (driver MD). , A rear wall portion 18 arranged on the passenger seat mounter MP) side is provided. Further, the airbag 15 extends at least upward (up and down in the case of the embodiment) from the mounting side portion 21 arranged on the case 12 side and the rear portion of the mounting side portion 21 when the expansion is completed, and the occupant (driver MD, assistant). It is equipped with a occupant protection unit 35 arranged in front of the seat-mounted MP).

The mounting side portion 21 is composed of an area on the front side when the expansion is completed, and communicates with the inflow side expanding portion 22 arranged on the front end 15a side when the expansion is completed and mounted on the case 12 side, and the occupant protection portion 35. It is provided with a communication passage portion 27 that allows the expansion gas that has flowed into the inflow side expansion portion 22 to flow to the occupant protection portion 35 side. The inflow side expansion portion 22 is formed continuously along the left-right direction on the front end 15a side of the airbag 15, and the external shape at the time of completion of expansion is arranged substantially along the left-right direction in the axial direction. It is configured as a substantially rod shape (see FIGS. 3 and 5). The inflow side expansion portion 22 is configured such that the width dimension on the left-right direction side when the expansion is completed is slightly narrower than the width dimension on the left-right direction side of the occupant protection portion 35 when the expansion is completed. The inflow side expansion portion 22 has a left end 22a side and a right end 22b side attached to the case 12, and has an expansion gas inside on the lower surface side (lower wall portion 17 side) of the left end 22a side and the right end 22b side. Is opened in a substantially circular shape so as to allow inflow, and a mounting opening 24 (24L, 24R) to be attached to the bottom wall portion 12a of the case 12 by using a retainer 9 (9L, 9R) is arranged on the peripheral edge. (See Figures 5-7). The mounting openings 24 (24L, 24R) are formed so that the main body 8a of the inflator 8 (8L, 8R) can be inserted, and a plurality of bolts 9a of the retainer 9 (9L, 9R) can be inserted on the peripheral edge. (4) mounting holes 25 are arranged. The communication passage portion 27 (27L, 27R, 27C) is formed so as to extend rearward from three locations, the left and right end sides of the inflow side expansion portion 22 and the left and right center sides, respectively, and the inflow side expansion portion 22 and the communication passage portion 27 (27L, 27R, 27C). It is arranged so as to communicate with the occupant protection unit 35.

The occupant protection unit 35 is arranged in a region from the front of the passenger seat PS to the front of the driver's seat DS when the expansion is completed. , It is configured to be connected on the left-right side. Specifically, the occupant protection unit 35 is arranged in front of the driver's seat DS on the left side when the expansion is completed, and the driver's seat receiving expansion unit 36 that expands the driver MD so as to protect the driver MD, and the right side when the expansion is completed. A passenger seat receiving expansion unit 38 that is arranged in front of the passenger seat PS and expands to protect the passenger seat mounter MP, a driver seat receiving expansion unit 36, and a passenger seat receiving expansion unit 38. It is provided with a communication portion 42 that expands so as to communicate.

The driver's seat receiving expansion portion 36 inserts the steering wheel W arranged in front of the driver's seat DS into the opening 46 arranged on the front side, which will be described later, so that when the expansion is completed, the upper surface of the steering wheel W ( The rear surface) is arranged so as to cover substantially the entire surface (see FIG. 11). The passenger seat receiving expansion portion 38 is configured to be arranged in front of the passenger seat PS so that the front lower surface side approaches the instrument panel 1 when the expansion is completed (see FIG. 12). Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 12, the passenger seat receiving expansion portion 38 is configured to expand by providing a gap between the passenger seat and the windshield 4 (without contacting the windshield 4). ing. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, 11 and 12, the driver's seat receiving and expanding portion 36 and the passenger seat receiving and expanding portion 38 have rear surfaces 36a and 38a (rear wall portions 18) when the expansion is completed. It will be arranged so as to be substantially flush with each other in the vertical direction. Further, the passenger seat receiving expansion portion 38 is arranged so as to cover the width dimension on the front-rear direction side when the expansion is completed so as to cover the steering wheel W protruding from the instrument panel 1 when the expansion is completed. It is set larger than the portion 36 (see FIGS. 6, 7, 11 and 12) and is arranged so that the front lower surface side at the time of completion of expansion is brought closer to the instrument panel 1. Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 12, the passenger seat receiving expansion portion 38 is bent and arranged on the upper surface 38b side (the upper wall portion 16 as the outer peripheral wall constituting the airbag 15) when the expansion is completed. The bent portion 39 to be formed is formed. As shown in FIG. 7, the bent portion 39 is formed by providing a tack 16a that is partially pinched from the inner side on the upper wall portion 16, and in the case of the embodiment, the right side described later. It is formed so as to be rearward of the binding site 47 and substantially along the left-right direction at a position that substantially coincides with the trailing edge 47b of the left binding site 45 in the front-rear position. The tack 16a constituting the bending site 39 is configured by substantially matching the width dimension (length dimension) on the left-right direction side with the width dimension on the left-right direction side of the right binding site 47, and is continuous over the entire left and right sides. Is formed in. Further, the passenger seat receiving and expanding portion 38 has an expansion completed shape so that the region on the front end 38c side (the region up to the bending portion 39) is thin and expands vertically from the bending portion 39, and the rear surface 38a side. It is configured to be wide up and down. The tack 16a constituting the bent portion 39 is formed except for the left and right edges of the passenger seat receiving expansion portion 38 (see FIG. 5), but the left edge of the passenger seat receiving expansion portion 38. The portion on the right edge 38e side of 38d (the boundary portion between the connecting passage portions 27C and 27R and the passenger seat receiving expansion portion 38, that is, the arrangement region of the discharge holes 29C and 29R described later) is also affected by the tack 16a. Therefore, when the expansion is completed, the seats are bent and arranged (see FIG. 8). Then, in the airbag 15 of the embodiment, when the passenger seat receiving and expanding portion 38 receives the passenger seat mounter MP by the rear surface side when the expansion is completed, the passenger seat mounter MP presses the passenger seat forward. Starting from the bent portion 39, the right edge side and the left edge side of the upper surface 38b (front surface) are deformed so as to be in contact with the communication passage portions 27C and 27R arranged on the front side (see FIGS. 12 and 13). ..

Further, in the occupant protection unit 35 of the embodiment, as shown in FIGS. ) Is recessed on the upper edge side and the lower edge side, respectively. Such upper recesses 40 and lower recesses 41 are arranged to bypass protrusions arranged in the area around the instrument panel 1 in the vehicle interior, and for example, protrude downward from a roof (not shown). A member such as a roof mirror (not shown) or a shift lever (not shown) protruding rearward from the instrument panel 1 is bypassed. In the occupant protection unit 35 of the embodiment, the communication unit 42 has a configuration in which the upper recess 40 and the lower recess 41 are arranged vertically, and the rear surface 42a at the time of completion of expansion is the driver's seat receiving expansion unit 36. And, it is configured to be positioned in front of the rear surfaces 36a and 38a of the passenger seat receiving expansion portion 38 (see FIGS. 5 and 8).

In the airbag 15 of the embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 and 9, the position is in front of the driver's seat receiving and expanding portion 36, and the driver's seat receiving and expanding portion 36 and the inflow side expanding portion 22 are located. A left binding site 45 formed by connecting (sewing) the upper wall portion 16 and the lower wall portion 17 is formed between the two. The left binding site 45 is formed so as to provide a gap between the left edge 15c of the airbag 15 and the outer shape is set to have a slightly larger width dimension in the front-rear direction and a corner. The part is chamfered and has a substantially rectangular shape. In the region surrounded by the left binding site 45, the opening 46 is formed so as to cut out the upper wall portion 16 and the lower wall portion 17 so as to penetrate in the vertical direction side. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, the opening 46 is formed by opening in a substantially rectangular shape so that the ring portion R of the steering wheel W arranged in front of the driver's seat DS can be inserted. In the case of the embodiment, the opening 46 allows the portion on the upper end side of the ring portion R of the steering wheel W to be inserted, and the opening width dimension on the left-right direction side is larger than the outer diameter dimension of the ring portion R in the steering wheel W. It is set small.

Further, as shown in FIGS. In addition, a right binding site 47 formed by connecting (sewing) the upper wall portion 16 and the lower wall portion 17 is formed. The right binding site 47 is formed so as to provide a gap between the right edge 15d of the airbag 15 and the right edge 15d of the airbag 15 in a region on the right side of the center of the left and right sides of the airbag 15. The width dimension on the side is set large, and the corners are chamfered to form a substantially rectangular shape. The width dimension of the right side binding site 47 is set to be larger than that of the left side binding site 45, and the width dimension of the front-back direction side is set to be smaller than that of the left side binding site 45. The left binding site 45 and the right binding site 47 are arranged so that the leading edges 45a and 47a coincide with each other in the left-right direction, and the trailing edge 47b of the right binding site 47 is the left binding site as described above. It is arranged at a position in front of the trailing edge 45b of 45. Further, behind the right binding site 47, the tack 16a constituting the bending site 39 pinches and binds (sews) the upper wall portion 16 at a position substantially coincided with the trailing edge 45b of the left binding site 45. It is formed in.

Then, in the airbag 15 of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the region between the left edge 15c in the airbag 15 and the left edge 45c of the left binding site 45, the right edge 15d and the right edge 45d of the right binding site 45d. The region between and the right edge 45d of the left binding site 45 and the region between the left edge 47c of the right binding site 47 constitute the communication passage portions 27L, 27R, 27C, respectively. Each communication passage portion 27L, 27R, 27C is configured so that the width dimensions in the left-right direction are substantially the same, and the expansion completion shape is configured as a rod shape substantially along the front-rear direction, and the front end 27b side is the inflow side expansion portion 22. The rear end 27c side is communicated with the driver's seat receiving and expanding portion 36 or the passenger seat receiving and expanding portion 38. That is, in the airbag 15 of the embodiment, the passenger seat receiving and expanding portion 38 and the driver's seat receiving and expanding portion 36 are configured to allow expansion gas to flow into the inside from both the left and right ends. ..

Further, in the airbag 15 of the embodiment, the discharge holes 29 (29L, 29R, 29C) capable of discharging the expansion gas that has flowed into the inside on the upper surface 27a side on the rear end 27c side of each of the communication passage portions 27L, 27R, 27C. ) Is formed so as to cut out the upper wall portion 16 (outer peripheral wall). That is, each of the discharge holes 29L, 29R, and 29C is in the vicinity of the boundary portion between the upper surface of the mounting side portion 21 and the occupant protection portion 35 in the upper wall portion 16, and specifically, the driver's seat receiving and expanding portion. 36 and the passenger seat receiving expansion portion 38 are arranged on both left and right end sides (those arranged near the center of the left and right are shared) (see FIGS. 3 to 5 and 8). In the case of the embodiment, each of the discharge holes 29L, 29R, and 29C has an outer shape that straddles the above-mentioned bending portion 39 as shown in FIGS. Is arranged in. The discharge holes 29C and 29R arranged on the left and right sides of the passenger seat receiving expansion portion 38 reduce the opening area when the passenger seat receiving expansion portion 38 is deformed when the passenger seat mounter MP is received. It is configured as such. Specifically, the passenger seat receiving expansion portion 38 contacts the right edge side and the left edge side of the upper surface 38b with the connecting passage portions 27C and 27R, starting from the bending portion 39, when the passenger seat passenger MP is received. At this time, the discharge holes 29C and 29R are configured such that the peripheral portion 30 is folded in half with the bending portion 39 as the starting point (see FIG. 13). That is, the airbag 15 reduces the bending angle of the bending portion 39, and covers the discharge holes 29C and 29R by the region (peripheral portion 30) in the vicinity of the bending portion 39 in the upper wall portion 16 (outer peripheral wall). The discharge holes 29C and 29R will be closed.

The airbag 15 is configured in a bag shape by connecting the peripheral edges of a base cloth having a predetermined shape to each other, and in the case of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the airbag 15 is arranged on the upper side when the expansion is completed, and the upper wall portion 16 is formed. 52, a lower panel 53 that constitutes a lower wall portion 17 that is arranged on the lower side when expansion is completed, and a rear panel 54 that is arranged on the rear side and constitutes a rear wall portion 18 when expansion is completed. It is said that it is configured to have.

The upper panel 52 and the lower panel 53 are configured to have substantially the same outer shape as a substantially rectangular shape. The upper panel 52 is formed with a notch (not shown) constituting the opening 46, the upper recess 40, and the discharge hole 29, and the lower panel 53 is formed with the opening 46, the mounting opening 24, and mounting. A notch (not shown) constituting the hole 25 and the lower recess 41 is formed. The rear panel 54 has a substantially rectangular outer shape, and in the case of the embodiment, the rear panel 54 is divided into three on the left-right direction side. The rear panel 54 sews the adjacent edges of the left side portion 55 and the right side portion 56 arranged on both left and right ends and the central side portion 57 arranged between the left side portion 55 and the right side portion 56 to each other. It is configured by (combining). The upper panel 52, the lower panel 53, and the rear panel 54 constituting the airbag 15 of the embodiment are each formed of a flexible woven fabric made of polyester yarn, polyamide yarn, or the like, and will be described in detail. However, the bag-shaped airbag 15 is formed by sewing (bonding) the corresponding edges to each other using suture threads.

Next, the mounting of the occupant protection device M of the embodiment on the vehicle V will be described. With each retainer 9 inserted inside, the airbag 15 is folded so that it can be stored in the case 12, and the folded airbag 15 is placed on the bottom wall portion 12a of the case 12 so that the case 12 can be placed. Store it inside. The main body 8a of each inflator 8 is housed in the case 12 from below the bottom wall portion 12a, and the bolt 9a of each retainer 9 protruding downward from the bottom wall portion 12a is inserted into the flange portion 8c of the inflator 8. Then, if the nut 10 is fastened, the folded airbag 15 and the inflator 8 can be attached to the case 12. Then, the peripheral wall portion 12b of the case 12 is locked to the connecting wall portion 6c of the airbag cover 6 in the instrument panel 1 mounted on the vehicle V, and the bracket (not shown) of the case 12 is fixed to the body side of the vehicle V. For example, the occupant protection device M can be mounted on the vehicle V.

In the occupant protection device M of the embodiment, expansion gas is discharged from the gas discharge port of the inflator 8 (8L, 8R) at the time of a frontal collision, an oblique collision, or an offset collision of the vehicle V while mounted on the vehicle V. Then, the airbag 15 causes the expansion gas to flow into the inside to expand, and pushes the door portions 6a and 6b of the airbag cover 6 open. Then, the airbag 15 projects upward from the case 12 through an opening formed by pushing open the door portions 6a and 6b of the airbag cover 6, and expands and expands while projecting toward the rear side of the vehicle. As shown in the two-dot chain line of FIGS. 1 and 2 and FIGS. 11 and 12, the expansion is completed so as to cover the front area from the passenger seat PS to the driver's seat DS while covering the upper surface 2 of the instrument panel 1. Become.

The airbag 15 used in the occupant protection device M of the embodiment has a configuration in which the internal expansion gas is discharged from the discharge holes 29 (29L, 29R, 29C) formed by cutting out the upper wall portion 16. However, the discharge holes 29C and 29R are around when the airbag 15 (passenger seat receiving expansion portion 38) is deformed when the passenger seat mounter MP as a passenger seated in the passenger seat PS is received. Since the opening area is reduced by the peripheral member of the passenger seat to reduce the emission amount of the expansion gas, the configuration is simplified and the emission of the expansion gas is accurately reduced when the passenger seat passenger MP is received. It is possible to smoothly protect the passenger seat-mounted MP.

Therefore, in the airbag 15 of the embodiment, the discharge of the expanded gas that has flowed into the inside can be accurately controlled.

Further, in the airbag 15 of the embodiment, since the peripheral member is composed of the upper wall portion 16 itself as the outer peripheral wall constituting the airbag 15, specifically, the peripheral portion 30 of the discharge hole 29. The discharge hole 29 can be stably covered by the upper wall portion 16 itself (peripheral portion 30), and the amount of expansion gas discharged can be stabilized. If such a point is not taken into consideration, the discharge hole may be arranged at a predetermined position of the airbag so as to be closed by the vehicle body side member (peripheral member) on the peripheral edge when the occupant is received. ..

Specifically, in the embodiment, the airbag 15 can protect the driver MD seated in the front seat (driver's seat DS, passenger seat PS) and the passenger seat mounter MP, so that the driver's seat DS and passenger seat PS can be protected. It is folded and stored in front of the seat, and when the expansion is completed, it expands so as to cover the front of the driver MD and the passenger seat mounter MP, and the mounting side portion 21 arranged on the case 12 side as a storage portion. It is configured to include a driver MD extending vertically from the mounting side portion 21 and a occupant protection portion 35 arranged in front of the passenger seat mounter MP. Then, the vicinity of the boundary portion between the upper surface (upper wall portion 16) of the mounting side portion 21 and the occupant protection portion 35 is configured to be bent and arranged when the expansion is completed, and the discharge hole 29 is provided on the upper surface of the mounting side portion 21. It is a boundary portion between the occupant protection portion 35 and the occupant protection portion 35, and is formed in the vicinity of the bending portion 39 constituting the bending starting point in the upper wall portion 16. Then, the airbag 15 reduces the bending angle of the bending portion 39 when the passenger seat mounter MP is received by the passenger seat receiving expansion portion 38, and the vicinity of the bending portion 39 in the upper wall portion 16 as the outer peripheral wall. It is configured to be deformed so as to cover the discharge holes 29C and 29R according to the region of. Therefore, when the occupant protection unit 35 (passenger seat receiving expansion portion 38) receives the passenger seat mounter MP moving forward while tilting the upper body forward, the connecting passage portions 27C, 27R of the mounting side portion 21 The discharge holes 29C and 29R arranged at the boundary between the communication passage portion 27C and 27R and the passenger seat protection portion 35 (passenger seat receiving expansion portion 38) are bent with respect to the upper wall. Since at least a part of the passenger seat is blocked by the portion 16, the discharge of the expansion gas from the discharge holes 29C and 29R can be reliably suppressed when the passenger seat mounter MP is received by the passenger seat receiving expansion unit 38. As a result, the passenger seat-mounted MP, which moves forward while tilting the upper body forward, can be accurately protected by the passenger seat receiving and expanding portion 38 in which the discharge of the expansion gas is suppressed. Specifically, in the airbag 15 of the embodiment, when the passenger seat mounter MP is received by the passenger seat receiving expansion unit 38, as shown in FIG. 12, the upper end side of the passenger seat receiving expansion unit 38 Due to the forward displacement of the passenger seat, the passenger seat receiving and expanding portion 38 is deformed so that the left edge 38d side and the right edge 38e side are in contact with the upper surface 27a of the communication passage portions 27C and 27R, respectively. The discharge holes 29C and 29R arranged on the left and right sides of the passenger seat receiving expansion portion 38 are arranged so that the peripheral portion 30 is folded in half and is closed by the peripheral portion 30 itself (FIG. FIG. See 13). Therefore, further discharge of expansion gas from the discharge holes 29C and 29R is restricted, and the passenger seat receiving expansion portion 38 connects the left edge 38d side and the right edge 38e side with the connecting passage portion 27C. , Since it is supported by 27R, it has a gap between it and the windshield 4 when expansion is completed, and even if it is not supported by the windshield 4, it moves forward by the passenger seat receiving expansion unit 38. The passenger seat passenger MP can be stably protected. The driver's seat receiving expansion portion 36 is configured to expand so as to cover the entire surface of the steering wheel W, and the front side is supported by the steering wheel W (ring portion R) when the driver MD is received. Therefore, the opening area of the discharge hole 29L, which is not deformed and is arranged on the left edge 36b side of the driver's seat receiving expansion portion 36, is not reduced even after the driver MD is received.

In the airbag 15 of the embodiment, each discharge hole 29 is formed at a boundary portion between the mounting side portion 21 and the occupant protection portion 35 so as to straddle the bending portion 39, and the passenger seat receiving expansion portion 38 is formed. The discharge hole 29 is closed by contacting the peripheral portions 30 of the discharge hole 29 with each other at the time of deformation (when the bending portion 39 is further bent), but the arrangement position of the discharge hole is limited to the embodiment. It is not something that can be done. If the upper wall itself can cover the bent portion so as to reduce the opening area when the bent portion is further bent, the discharge hole 29'does not straddle the bent portion 39', as shown in parentheses in FIG. As described above, it may be arranged in the vicinity of the bent portion 39'(near the boundary portion between the mounting side portion and the occupant protection portion).

Further, in the embodiment, an airbag capable of protecting the driver seated in the driver's seat and the passenger seat-mounted person (occupant) seated in the passenger seat is taken as an example and described, but the airbag to which the present invention can be applied has been described. Is not limited to embodiments. For example, the present invention can be applied to an airbag for a passenger seat that can protect an occupant seated in the passenger seat.

1 ... Instrument panel (instrument panel), 6 ... Airbag cover, 8 (8L, 8R) ... Inflator, 12 ... Case (storage part), 15 ... Airbag, 16 ... Upper wall (outer wall), 21 ... Mounting Side part, 27 (27L, 27R, 27C) ... Communication passage part, 29 (29L, 29R, 29C) ... Discharge hole, 30 ... Peripheral part, 35 ... Crew protection part, 36 ... Driver's seat receiving expansion part, 38 ... Passenger seat receiving expansion part, 39 ... Bending part, MP ... Passenger seat mounter, MD ... Driver, W ... Steering wheel, PS ... Passenger seat (front seat), DS ... Driver seat (front seat), V ... vehicle, M ... occupant protection device.

Claims (2)

An airbag that has a flexible bag shape and inflates to protect occupants by inflowing expansion gas into the airbag.
Equipped with a discharge hole formed by cutting out the outer wall so that the internal expansion gas can be discharged.
The outer peripheral wall is configured to include a bent portion that is bent and arranged when the expansion is completed.
The discharge hole is formed in the bent portion or in the vicinity of the bent portion.
When the airbag receives the occupant, the bending angle of the bending portion is reduced, and the exhaust hole is covered with a region in the vicinity of the bending portion, which is a peripheral member around the discharge hole in the outer peripheral wall. The airbag is characterized in that it is deformed so as to reduce the opening area of the discharge hole. The airbag is folded and stored in front of the front seat so as to protect the occupant seated in the front seat, and when the expansion is completed, the airbag is configured to inflate so as to cover the front of the occupant and is stored. It is configured to include a mounting side portion arranged on the site side and a occupant protection portion extending at least upward from the rear portion of the mounting side portion and arranged in front of the occupant.
The airbag according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge hole is arranged at a boundary portion between the upper surface of the mounting side portion and the occupant protection portion, or near the boundary portion.

Images