JP7528902B2 - Occupant protection devices - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an occupant protection device that is equipped with an airbag that inflates to protect the upper body, including the head, of an occupant seated in a seat.

Conventionally, occupant protection devices have been configured such that a folded airbag is stored in front of and above a seated occupant, and when activated, the inflating airbag protrudes downward from the storage location and is positioned in front of the occupant to receive the occupant as he or she moves forward (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2013-71704 A

However, in conventional occupant protection devices, when activated, an inflating airbag is positioned in front of the occupant's upper body, including the head, so that the airbag can receive and protect the occupant's upper body as it moves forward. However, when the airbag is fully inflated, its front side is supported on the rear surface of the instrument panel in front of the occupant. This necessitates a thickness dimension in the front-to-rear direction to avoid interference with the instrument panel, which increases the volume of the airbag and makes it impossible to construct the airbag compact.

The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems by providing an occupant protection device that can optimally receive and protect an occupant moving forward with an airbag that is fully inflated, and that can be configured to be compact.

The passenger protection device according to the present invention is an passenger protection device including an airbag that inflates to protect the upper body, including the head, of a passenger seated in a seat,
The airbag,
The airbag is configured to protrude downward from a storage portion disposed above the head of a seated occupant, and the fully inflated shape is
a front inflatable portion having a restraining surface on its rear surface that covers the front side of the occupant's head to chest and can receive the occupant moving forward;
side inflation portions extending rearward and upward from both left and right sides of the front inflation portion and connected to and supported by the storage portion;
The shape is provided with
The left and right side inflatable portions are characterized in that they are configured so that a support surface is provided on the lower surface thereof, which abuts against the upper surface side of the backrest of the seat behind the left and right shoulders of the occupant.

In the passenger protection device according to the present invention, when the airbag is fully inflated during operation, the front inflatable portion is positioned in front of the head and chest of the seated passenger, so that the passenger who moves forward is received by the restraining surface on the rear side of the front inflatable portion while leaning forward. At that time, the left and right side inflatable portions that hold the front inflatable portion are supported with their upper sides connected to the storage portion and their lower support surfaces abutting against the upper surface of the backrest of the seat, so that the front inflatable portion can be stably held. Therefore, the front inflatable portions held by the left and right side inflatable portions do not move forward and downward, and can stably receive and protect the upper body of the passenger who moves forward while leaning forward. When the airbag is fully inflated, it is configured to be approximately U-shaped when viewed from above, with the side inflatable portions extending rearward from both the left and right sides of the front inflatable portion, and a space portion provided in the center, so that the volume can be reduced and the configuration can be made compact.

Therefore, in the passenger protection device according to the present invention, the airbag when fully inflated can effectively receive and protect the passenger moving forward, and the airbag can be constructed compactly.

In the passenger protection device according to the present invention, it is desirable that the left and right side inflatable portions of the airbag are configured to have head restraint surfaces on their opposing surfaces that can receive the head of the passenger moving in the left-right direction.

With this configuration, even if the occupant moves left or right, the left and right side inflating parts of the airbag when fully inflated can receive and protect the head with good cushioning due to the head restraint surface.

In addition, in the passenger protection device according to the present invention, it is desirable that the storage portion of the airbag be disposed in the rear upper portion near the upper end of the backrest of the seat.

In this configuration, the airbag storage area can be positioned behind and close to the head of the occupant seated in the seat, so that the left and right side inflatable sections of the airbag when fully inflated can have a shorter length in the front-to-rear direction and can stretch less forward. As a result, when the front inflatable section receives an occupant who moves forward or diagonally forward during a vehicle collision, the amount of movement is reduced, allowing the occupant to be accurately received and protected.

Furthermore, in the passenger protection device according to the present invention, it is desirable that the airbag is arranged so that the upper edge side of the front inflatable portion when inflation is complete is positioned forward of the center of the head of the seated passenger in the vertical direction.

In this configuration, the front inflation section does not need to be configured to extend beyond the top of the occupant's head, and the vertical width of the front inflation section can be reduced, making the airbag even more compact and lightweight. Even if the vertical width of the front inflation section is short, when the occupant moves forward, the head tilts forward, making it possible for the rear side of the front inflation section to receive and protect almost the entire front side of the head.

1 is a side view showing an occupant protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention mounted on a vehicle; 1 is a front view of an occupant protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention when mounted on a vehicle; 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an inflated state of an airbag in an occupant protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a schematic plan view showing an inflated state of an airbag in an occupant protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a schematic side view showing an inflated state of an airbag in an occupant protection device according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a plan view showing constituent materials of an airbag used in the passenger protection device according to the embodiment. 1 is a schematic side view showing an occupant protection device according to an embodiment when installed in a vehicle and in operation; 1 is a schematic front view showing an occupant protection device according to an embodiment when installed in a vehicle and in operation; 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the behavior of an airbag when the occupant protection device of the embodiment is activated. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the passenger protection device of the embodiment when installed in a vehicle and in operation, and corresponds to the portion XX in FIG. 8.

One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the occupant protection device 20 of the embodiment is disposed above and behind the head MH of an occupant (driver in the illustrated example) MP seated in the seat 1. More specifically, the occupant protection device 20 of the embodiment is mounted above and behind the upper end 2a of the backrest portion 2 of the seat 1, on the interior side of the ceiling R of the vehicle V near the upper end 2a.

The seat 1 is configured with a backrest portion 2 and a seat portion 7, and the backrest portion 2 is configured with a main body 3 and a headrest 5 extending upward from an upper end 4 of the main body 3. In this embodiment, the occupant protection device 20 is disposed above and behind the headrest 5.

A seat belt 11 to be worn by an occupant MP is disposed near the seat 1. This seat belt 11 is a three-point type, and when worn by an occupant MP, a tongue 14 attached to the seat belt 11 is fastened to a buckle 15 so that a shoulder belt portion 12 extending upward from the tongue 14 can restrain the chest region MB of the occupant MP, and a lap belt portion 13 extending from the tongue 14 toward the fixed end 11b of the seat belt 11 can restrain the waist region MW of the occupant MP. Furthermore, the portion of the seat belt 11 extending upward from the shoulder belt portion 12 is inverted downward via a guide 17, and its tip is connected to a retractor 16 capable of retracting the seat belt 11 after it has been paid out. The retractor 16 can stop the sudden unwinding of the seat belt 11, and in the embodiment, a pretensioner 18 is provided to wind up the seat belt 11 with a predetermined tension in the event of a collision of the vehicle V, thereby suppressing the movement of the occupant MP in the event of a collision. The operation of the pretensioner 18 is controlled by the control device ECU of the vehicle V. In addition, the control device ECU of the vehicle V also controls the operation of the inflators 24 (L, R) of the occupant protection device 20, which will be described later, and is set to operate the pretensioner 18, for example, 5 ms after the inflators 24 (L, R) are activated in the event of a collision of the vehicle V.

The occupant protection device 20 is configured with an airbag 30 and an inflator 24 (L, R) that supplies inflation gas G to the airbag 30. The occupant protection device 20 is arranged in a storage area 22 for the folded airbag 30 and the inflator 24 (L, R) on the interior side of the ceiling R of the vehicle V, rearward and upward near the upper end 2a of the seat 1, covered by the ceiling material RL. The storage area 22 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped space roughly equivalent to the width dimension in the left-right direction of the seat 1, and two inflators 24L, 24R are arranged on both the left and right sides. Each inflator 24 (L, R) is attached and fixed to a frame material (not shown) of the ceiling R arranged in the storage area 22, and the folded airbag 30 is stored in the storage area 22 in a state where it is connected to the inflator 24 (L, R) on the front side of the inflator 24 (L, R). When the airbag 30 inflates, it pushes open the airbag cover 23, which is located in the ceiling material RL below the storage area 22, and protrudes downward and forward from the storage area 22 while inflating.

As shown in Figures 3 to 5, 7 and 8, the airbag 30 has a shape when fully inflated that includes a front inflation section 32 that is disposed at the front end and extends in a plate-like shape in the left-right direction, and plate-like side inflation sections 40 (L, R) that extend rearward from both left and right ends 32e, 32f of the front inflation section 32 and are connected to the inflators 24 (L, R) in the storage area 22. That is, the shape of the airbag 30 when fully inflated is approximately U-shaped when viewed from above, with a horizontal bar section 30a (the front inflation section 32 section) that extends in the left-right direction, and two vertical bar sections 30b, 30b (the left and right side inflation sections 40 (L, R) sections) that extend rearward from both left and right ends 32e, 32f of the horizontal bar section 30a.

When the airbag 30 is fully inflated, the front inflation section 32 covers at least the lower part of the head MH of the occupant MP and the front side of the chest MB, and shoulder restraint surfaces 34 (L, R) capable of receiving the left and right shoulders MS (L, R) of the occupant MP moving forward are disposed on both the left and right sides of the rear surface 32b. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the airbag 30 is fully inflated, the front surface 32a of the front inflation section 32 is disposed rearwardly away from the handle W, the rear surface 32b is disposed forwardly of the head MH of the occupant MP, and the upper edge 32c is disposed near the front of the nose MN, which is disposed near the vertical center of the head MH of the occupant MP. In addition, the left and right center of the rear surface 32b is a central restraint surface (head and thorax restraint surface) 33 that receives the left and right shoulders MS (L, R) of the occupant MP moving forward and receives the upper side of the head MH and thorax MB of the occupant MP moving forward after the kinetic energy is reduced.

The side inflation sections 40 (L, R) extend rearward and upward from both left and right ends 32e, 32f of the front inflation section 32, passing through the left and right sides of the head MH of the occupant MP, and are connected to and supported by the inflator 24 (L, R) of the storage area 22 so as to be able to hold the front inflation section 32. The left and right side inflation sections 40L, 40R are each configured with a gas inlet section 42 for introducing inflation gas G at the rear side and a head receiving section 46 at the front side. When the airbag 30 is fully inflated, the rear side of the side inflation sections 40 (L, R) is connected to the inflator 24 (L, R) attached and fixed to the storage area 22, so that the rear end side of the airbag 30 is connected and fixed to the inflator 24 (L, R), in other words, to the storage area 22 side, and forward movement away from the storage area 22 side is restricted.

The gas inlet 42 is configured by disposing a substantially rectangular plate-shaped main body 43 and a connection port 44 extending rearward in a substantially cylindrical shape from the upper rear end of the main body 43. The lower surface 43a of the main body 43 serves as a support surface (seat support surface) 43a that abuts against the upper surface 4a behind the left and right shoulders MS (L, R) of the occupant MP in the backrest 2 of the seat 1. When the airbag 30 is fully inflated, its downward movement is restricted by the backrest 2 if the support surface 43a abuts against the upper surface 4a of the main body 3 that is offset from the headrest 5 in the backrest 2 of the seat 1 (see FIG. 7).

The head receiving portion 46 is configured with an upper portion 46a disposed in front of the gas inlet portion 42, and a lower portion 46b behind the front inflation portion 32. The upper portion 46a configures the mutually facing surfaces of the left and right side inflation portions 40 (L, R) as a head restraint surface 47 capable of receiving the head MH of the occupant MP as it moves left and right. The lower portion 46b configures the mutually facing surfaces of the left and right side inflation portions 40 (L, R) as shoulder restraint surfaces 48 capable of receiving the side surfaces MSs of the left and right shoulders MS (L, R) of the occupant MP (see FIG. 10).

In the embodiment, the airbag 30 at the time of completion of inflation is provided with shoulder restraint surfaces 34 (L, R) on the rear surfaces of both the left and right ends 32e, 32f of the front inflating section 32, which receive the front surface MSf of the shoulders MS (L, R) of the occupant MP moving forward, and is provided with shoulder restraint surfaces 48 on the mutually opposing surfaces of the lower portions 46b on the front end sides of the left and right side inflating sections 40 (L, R), which receive the side surfaces MSs of the shoulders MS (L, R) of the occupant MP (see Figs. 3 to 5 and 10). Therefore, in the airbag 30 of the embodiment, the intersections 36 between the left and right side inflating sections 40L, 40R and the front inflating section 32 at the time of completion of inflation form shoulder restraint sections 38 that can come into contact with the front surfaces MSf and side surfaces MSs of the left and right shoulders MS (L, R) of the occupant MP. That is, the inner circumferential rear surface 38a of the shoulder restraint portion 38 constitutes the shoulder restraint surface 34 (L, R) of the front inflating portion 32, and the inner circumferential side surface 38b of the shoulder restraint portion 38 constitutes the shoulder restraint surface 48 of the side inflating portion 40 (L, R). In this embodiment, when the airbag 30 is fully inflated, the shoulder restraint portions 38 (L, R) inflate so as to sandwich the front surface MSf and the side surface MSs of the left and right shoulders MS of the occupant MP.

The airbag 30 is formed by sewing together the outer peripheries 51 of two pieces of airbag base fabric 50, 50 shown in FIG. 6. The airbag base fabrics 50, 50 are made of woven fabric made of polyester or other yarn, and are of the same shape. Each airbag base fabric 50 is configured by arranging a front inflation section portion 54 in the center, and arranging side inflation section portions 56 on both sides of the front inflation section portion 54, with intersecting section portions 55 interposed therebetween. The side inflation section portion 56 has a gas inlet section portion 57 arranged on the tip side, and a head receiving section portion 58 arranged on the base side. The airbag base fabrics 50, 50 are then stacked on top of each other, and the outer peripheries 51 are sewn together except for the tip of the gas inlet section portion 57, to form the airbag 30. However, near the intersection 36 of the airbag 30, a closure 52 is provided on the upper edge 51a side of the outer periphery 51 of the airbag base fabric 50, unlike the lower edge 51b side, so as to extend downward and sew the base fabrics 50 together, thereby suppressing the expansion thickness on the upper end side of the intersection 36. In other words, this is to make it easier for the shoulder restraint parts 38 (L, R) arranged at the intersection 36 to suppress the bulging on the inner periphery side and make the rear surface 38a and side surface 38b adhere closely to the front surface MSf and side surface MSs of the shoulder MS.

The airbag 30 is folded so as to narrow the vertical width of the front inflation section 32, and is also folded so as to approach the connection ports 44 of the left and right side inflation sections 40 (L, R), and wrapped in a breakable anti-folding tape material (not shown) to prevent the airbag 30 from collapsing. The left and right connection ports 44 are then connected to the inflators 24 (L, R) using clamps 26, and the inflators 24 (L, R) are attached and fixed to the storage section 22 while being stored in the storage section 22, allowing the occupant protection device 20 to be mounted on the vehicle V. When the airbag 30 is mounted on the vehicle, an activation signal line (not shown) extending from the control device ECU is connected to the inflators 24 (L, R).

After the occupant protection device 20 is installed in the vehicle V, when the vehicle V collides, the control unit ECU activates the inflator 24 (L, R), and the airbag 30 inflates by allowing the inflation gas G from the inflator 24 (L, R) to flow in through the connection port 44 of the side inflation portion 40 (L, R), pushing open the airbag cover 23 and protruding from the storage portion 22, completing the inflation as shown in Figures 7 and 8. The airbag 30 inflates while protruding from the storage portion 22, and the front inflation portion 32 is positioned so as to cover the head MH of the occupant MP from above to the front, and the side inflation portions 40L, 40R are positioned so as to cover the left and right shoulders MSL, MSR of the occupant from above to the front.

In the occupant protection device 20 of the embodiment, when the airbag 30 completes inflation, the front inflation section 32 is positioned forward of the head MH and chest MB of the seated occupant MP, so that the occupant MP moving forward is received by the restraining surfaces 34, 33 on the rear surface 32b side of the front inflation section 32 while leaning forward. At that time, the left and right side inflation sections 40 (L, R) that hold the front inflation section 32 are connected and supported on the storage area 22 side at their upper sides, and are supported by abutting the support surface 43a on the lower surface side against the upper surface 4a of the backrest section 2 of the seat 1, so that the front inflation section 32 can be stably held. Therefore, the front inflation section 32 held by the left and right side inflation sections 40 (L, R) does not move forward and downward, and can stably receive and protect the upper body MU of the occupant MP moving forward while leaning forward. When the airbag 30 is fully inflated, it is generally U-shaped when viewed from above, with the side inflation sections 40 (L, R) extending rearward from both the left and right sides of the front inflation section 32 on the front side, and a space H is provided in the center, allowing for a small volume and compact configuration.

Therefore, in the passenger protection device 20 of this embodiment, the airbag 30 when fully inflated can effectively receive and protect the passenger MP moving forward, and the airbag 30 can be configured compactly.

In the embodiment of the occupant protection device 20, the left and right side inflatable portions 40 (L, R) of the airbag 30 are configured to have head restraint surfaces 47 arranged on their opposing surfaces that can receive the head MH of the occupant MP moving in the left-right direction (see Figure 8).

Therefore, in this embodiment, even if the occupant MP moves left or right, the left and right side inflation portions 40 (L, R) of the airbag 30 when fully inflated can receive and protect the head MH with good cushioning due to the head restraint surface 47.

In addition, in the passenger protection device 20 of this embodiment, the storage area 22 for the airbag 30 is disposed in the rear upper portion near the upper end 2a of the backrest portion 2 of the seat 1.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the storage area 22 of the airbag 30 can be positioned behind and close to the head MH of the occupant MP seated in the seat 1, so that the left and right side inflatable portions 40 (L, R) of the airbag 30 when fully inflated can have a shorter length in the front-to-rear direction and can extend less forward. Therefore, when receiving the occupant MP who moves forward or diagonally forward during a vehicle collision, the front inflatable portion 32 can move less and accurately receive and protect the occupant MP.

Furthermore, in the embodiment of the occupant protection device 20, the airbag 30 is arranged so that the upper edge 32c of the front inflation section 32 when inflation is complete is located forward of the nose MN, which is near the vertical center of the head MH of the seated occupant MP.

Therefore, in the embodiment, the front inflation section 32 does not need to be configured to extend beyond the upper end of the head MH of the occupant MP, and the vertical width dimension of the front inflation section 32 can be reduced, making the airbag 30 even more compact and lightweight. Note that even if the vertical width dimension of the front inflation section 32 is short, when the occupant MP moves forward, the head MH is tilted forward and downward, making it possible for the rear surface 32b of the front inflation section 32 to receive and protect substantially the entire front side of the head MH.

Furthermore, when the airbag 30 is fully inflated, the left and right side inflation portions 40 (L, R) are each connected and supported to the rear storage area 22 (more specifically, the inflator 24 (L, R) attached and fixed to the storage area 22) with the front inflation portion 32 extending in the left-right direction between them. Therefore, even if the side inflation portion 40L or side inflation portion 40R on the head receiving side attempts to move outward, the side inflation portion 40R or side inflation portion 40L on the opposite side, with the front inflation portion 32 between them, resists the deformation and suppresses it, ensuring a reaction force that can optimally receive and protect the area around the head MH of the occupant MP moving in the left-right direction (see Figure 9). In other words, the airbag 30 that has completed inflation has a generally U-shaped configuration when viewed from above, with a horizontal bar portion 30a (the portion of the front inflation portion 32) extending in the left-right direction and two vertical bar portions 30b, 30b (the portions of the left and right side inflation portions 40L, 40R) extending rearward from the left and right ends of the horizontal bar portion 30a, in front of the head MH of the occupant MP. The portions that receive the head MH of the occupant MP moving forward or sideways are the front inflation portion 32 on the front end side extending forward from the storage portion 22 and the head receiving portion 46 in its vicinity, and these portions have their rear ends connected and fixed to the storage portion 22. Furthermore, the support surface 43a on the underside of the gas inlet portion 42 on the rear side of the side inflation portions 40 (L, R) is supported by the upper surface 4a of the seat 1, so that downward movement is restricted, and therefore forward and downward movement is restricted. As a result, the front inflation section 32 and the head support section 46 in its vicinity are stably held against the storage area 22 and the seat 1, accurately restraining the occupant MP.

Furthermore, in the embodiment of the occupant protection device 20, the intersection 36 between the left and right side inflating portions 40L, 40R and the front inflating portion 32 of the airbag 30 when inflation is complete forms shoulder restraint portions 38L, 38R that can abut against the front surface MSf and side surface MSs of the left and right shoulders MSL, MSR of the occupant MP.

Therefore, in the embodiment, once the airbag 30 has completed inflation, the left and right shoulder restraint portions 38L, 38R restrict the positions of the front MSf and side MSs of the shoulders MSL, MSR of the occupant MP, enabling the airbag 30 to quickly restrict forward and lateral movement of the occupant MP (see FIG. 10). Therefore, even if the head MH of the occupant MP, including the chest MB, subsequently attempts to move forward or lateral, the front inflation portion 32 and the head receiving portion 46 can accurately receive and protect the head MH. In particular, when the airbag 30 is fully inflated, the support surface 43a on the rear end side of the side inflatable portions 40L, 40R is supported by the upper surface 4a of the backrest portion 2 of the seat 1. Therefore, even if the front end 40a side of the side inflatable portions 40L, 40R is pushed down, the reaction force of the support surface 43a from the seat 1 can counteract this and optimally receive and protect the upper body MU, including the head MH, of the occupant MP.

In addition, in the passenger protection device 20 of the embodiment, the inflator 24 is activated by the control device ECU that controls the operation of the inflator 24 before the pretensioner 18 of the seat belt 11 is activated (for example, about 5 ms). Therefore, when the vehicle V collides with the occupant MP fastened in the seat 1 and seated in the seat 1, the airbag 30 inflates before the pretensioner 18 is activated, so that the occupant MP is received by the front inflatable portion 32 and the side inflatable portions 40L, 40R of the airbag 30 that have completed inflation so as to suppress the movement of the head MH and shoulders MSL, MSR. After that, the pretensioner 18 applies a tensile force to the seat belt 11 of the occupant MP, so that the occupant MP is restrained in the seat 1 without jumping out of the seat 1. As a result, even if the collision of the vehicle V is severe, the occupant MP is suitably protected by the passenger protection device 20 and the seat belt 11.

In the embodiment, the storage area 22 for attaching and fixing the rear end of the airbag 30 is disposed in the rear upper area near the upper end 2a of the backrest 2 of the seat 1, near the top of the head MH of the occupant MP seated on the seat 1. However, since the inflated airbag 30 is held at two points, the storage area 22 and the upper surface 4a of the seat 1, when viewed from a cross section along the front-to-rear direction, as long as the front inflatable portion 32 can receive the head MH and chest MB of the occupant MP moving forward, the storage area 22 may be disposed directly above the head MH of the seated occupant MP, or slightly in front of or behind the head MH.

1 ... seat, 4a ... upper surface, 20 ... occupant protection device, 22 ... storage portion, 30 ... airbag, 32 ... front inflatable portion, 33 ... central restraint surface, head and chest restraint surface, 34 (L, R) ... shoulder restraint surface, 40 (L, R) ... side inflatable portion, 43a ... (lower surface) seat support surface, 47 ... head restraint surface,
MP...crew, MU...upper body, MH...head, MB...chest.

Claims (4)

An occupant protection device comprising an airbag that inflates to protect the upper body, including the head, of an occupant seated in a seat,
The airbag,
The airbag is configured to protrude downward from a storage portion disposed above the head of a seated occupant, and the fully inflated shape is
a front inflatable portion having a restraining surface on its rear surface that covers the front side of the occupant's head to chest and can receive the occupant moving forward;
side inflation portions extending rearward and upward from both left and right sides of the front inflation portion and connected to and supported by the storage portion;
The shape is provided with
The left and right side expansion portions are
a support surface that contacts an upper surface side of the backrest of the seat behind the left and right shoulders of an occupant ;
A shoulder restraint portion extending downward from a front portion of the support surface and capable of receiving a shoulder of an occupant;
An occupant protection device comprising: The occupant protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the left and right side inflatable portions of the airbag are configured with head restraint surfaces on their opposing surfaces that can receive the head of an occupant moving in the left-right direction. The passenger protection device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the storage portion of the airbag is disposed rearward and upward near the upper end of the backrest of the seat. The occupant protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the airbag is arranged so that the upper edge of the front inflatable portion is positioned forward of the center of the head of a seated occupant in the vertical direction when the airbag is fully inflated.

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