JP4614035B2 - Head protection airbag device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a head protection airbag device mounted on a vehicle, and more particularly to a head protection airbag device mounted on a vehicle (open car) in which a roof is temporarily or constantly opened.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A head protection airbag device equipped in a vehicle is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-33847. In the head protection airbag device of the same publication, as an airbag that protects a passenger's head, Air bags ranging from the front pillar to the quarter pillar through the roof side rail are used.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
A conventional head protection airbag device including the head protection airbag device described in the above publication is installed in a vehicle having a roof side rail, and a vehicle without a roof side rail (a roof is temporarily installed). Or an open car that is always open). For this reason, the head protection airbag apparatus is not equipped in the vehicle in which the roof is temporarily or always opened.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In view of the above circumstances, the present invention is a vehicle in which the roof is temporarily or always opened and the windshield is provided, and is folded into the upper frame member and the side frame member of the windshield. The airbag can be inflated and deployed by a predetermined amount so as to reduce the impact when the occupant head abuts against the upper frame member and the side frame member toward the occupant head by the gas supplied from the inflator the there is a feature in and this provided.
[0005]
[Operation and effect of the invention]
Oite the head protection air bag equipment according to the present invention, an airbag housed in a folded state to the upper frame member and side frame members of the front glass, passenger's head by the gas supplied from the inflator The occupant's head can be inflated and deployed by a predetermined amount so as to alleviate the impact when the occupant's head contacts the upper frame member and the side frame member . For this reason, in a vehicle in which the roof is temporarily or always opened and the windshield is provided , the impact when the passenger's head abuts against the upper frame member and the side frame member of the windshield is reduced. it is possible, Ru der possible to properly protect the occupant's head.
[0006]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figures 1-5 have shown an embodiment of a head protection air bag device, head protection air bag device shown in this embodiment, formed by temporarily opening the roof (or normally open) the vehicle And is housed along the upper frame member (front header) 21 and the left and right side frame members (front pillars) 22 of the windshield 20 in a state of being folded in the front-rear direction by bellows folding. An airbag 11 that can be inflated and deployed along the outer side and upper side of an occupant's head (not shown), a pair of left and right straps 12 (not shown on the right side) assembled to the lower front end of the airbag 11, an airbag A pair of left and right guide links 13 for guiding the airbag 11 in a desired deployment direction when the airbag 11 is inflated and deployed, and a pair of left and right inflators 14 (not shown on the right side) that can supply gas to the airbag 11 are provided. To have.
[0007]
The airbag 11 is formed by bag weaving (or formed by sewing or bonding (thermal welding)), and has a coating for airtightness on the surface. A gas supply port 11a provided at the lower end of the front end, and this gas A gas passage (not shown) extending upward and laterally from the supply port 11a, a left seat expansion portion 11b and a right seat expansion portion 11c communicating with the gas passage at the front end, and a front header 21 and left and right A plurality of mounting pieces (not shown) for mounting on the front pillar 22 are provided.
[0008]
The left seat inflating portion 11b protects an occupant's head (not shown) seated on the left seat 31 from the outside (left side) and above, and includes a plurality of (3 each in the top and side) extending in the front-rear direction. Individual) expansion chambers 11b1. On the other hand, the right-seat inflatable portion 11c protects an occupant's head (not shown) seated on the right seat 32 from the outside (right side) and from above, and a plurality of (upward and sideward) extending in the front-rear direction. Each has three expansion chambers 11c1.
[0009]
Each strap 12 is formed in a narrow strip shape (the shape can be changed as appropriate) by a non-coated woven fabric that is thinner and cheaper than the constituent fabric of the airbag 11, and the rear end portion 12a of the rear end of the airbag 11 (non- The front end portion 12b is connected to a part of the vehicle body below the front pillar 22 at the front end portion 12b.
[0010]
As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, each guide link 13 can be linearly extended rearward from the front header 21, and can be folded in two and stored along the front header 21. Thus, the base end is rotatably connected to the end portion of the front header 21, and the free end is rotatably connected to the rear end upper portion (non-inflatable portion) of the airbag 11.
[0011]
Each inflator 14 is for supplying gas to the airbag 11 at the time of a side collision or rollover of the vehicle, and a bracket (not shown) assembled in advance on the outer periphery of the front pillar 22. It can be assembled to a part of the vehicle body in the lower part by using bolts or the like (not shown). It is also possible to carry out without any one of the inflators 14 (for example, an inflator on the passenger seat side).
[0012]
In the head protection airbag device of the present embodiment configured as described above, the airbag 11 and the strap 12 are normally folded in a front-rear direction and are folded in multiple times by bellows folding. As shown in FIG. 4, it is stored along the front header 21 and the front pillar 22, and is covered with a head liner 41 and a front pillar garnish 42. In this state, the guide link 13 is folded in two and stored along the front header 21, and is covered with the head liner 41 together with the airbag 11.
[0013]
Further, when a vehicle crashes or rolls over, a gas is ejected from the inflator 14, and when this gas is supplied to the airbag 11, the airbag 11 moves through the corresponding portions of the head liner 41 and the front pillar garnish 42. The strap 12 is deformed toward the vehicle interior and deployed rearward, and the strap 12 is deformed toward the vehicle interior to deploy the corresponding portion of the front pillar garnish 42 and deployed rearward. The airbag 11 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. As described above, the air bag expands and deploys along the upper side and the side of the left seat 31 (driver seat) and the right seat 32 (passenger seat).
[0014]
Further, when the airbag 11 is inflated and deployed, the guide link 13 extends linearly from the front header 21 to the rear to guide the airbag 11 in a desired deployment direction. 11b and 11c are inflated and deployed toward a head protection area located above and outside each passenger's head. Such an operation can be obtained not only when the roof of the vehicle is open but also when the roof is closed.
[0015]
Therefore, in this embodiment, in a vehicle in which the roof 29 (see FIG. 4) is temporarily or always opened, the upper and outer sides of the occupant head are more accurately detected by the inflatable portions 11b and 11c of the airbag 11. It is possible to protect. Further, in this embodiment, since the guide link 13 is provided for guiding the airbag 11 in a desired deployment direction when the airbag 11 is inflated and deployed, the inflation and deployment direction of the airbag 11 can be set to a desired direction. Thus, the desired function of the airbag 11 can be sufficiently exhibited. In addition, since the guide link 13 can be stored in the front header 21 of the windshield 20, the airbag 11 and the guide link 13 do not get in the way when the airbag 11 is not inflated and deployed (as shown in FIG. 2). As shown, it doesn't spoil the look.
[0016]
Further, in this embodiment, since the strap 12 that provides tension to the airbag 11 when the airbag 11 is inflated and deployed is provided, the restraint force of the occupant head by the airbag 11 when the occupant head contacts the airbag 11. It is possible to increase. Further, in this embodiment, since the airbag 11 can be inflated and deployed not only in the open state but also in the closed state, it can be optimally implemented in a vehicle that can open and close the roof 29.
[0017]
In the above-described embodiment, the airbag 11 that can be inflated and deployed along the outer side and the upper side of the occupant head is employed. For example, the upper portion of the airbag 11 according to the above-described embodiment is an inflatable portion. It is also possible to employ a bag. In the above embodiment, the guide link 13 can be stored in the front header 21. However, the guide link 13 can be stored in the upper part of the front pillar 22.
[0018]
Moreover, in the said embodiment, the guide link 13 which can be folded in two and accommodated along the front header 21 is employ | adopted as a guide means which guides the airbag 11 to the desired expansion | deployment direction at the time of inflation deployment of the airbag 11. However, it is also possible to guide the airbag 11 in a desired deployment direction when the airbag 11 is inflated and deployed using other guide means.
[0019]
Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the head protection airbag apparatus was comprised and comprised as shown in FIGS. 1-5, the head protection airbag apparatus was comprised as shown in FIGS. It is also possible to carry out. In the head protection airbag device shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the head protection airbag device can be stored in a state of being folded on the front header 21 and the front pillar 22 and is inflated by a predetermined amount from the front header 21 and the front pillar 22 toward the passenger's head. An airbag 111 that can be deployed and has a smaller bag capacity than the airbag 11 of the above embodiment is employed, and a single inflator 114 is employed. In this head protection airbag device, since the airbag 111 is not greatly inflated and deployed rearward, the strap 12 and the guide link 13 of the above embodiment are not employed.
[0020]
In the head protection airbag device shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the gas supplied from the inflator 114 is stored in the airbag 111 housed in a folded state on the front header 21 and the front pillar 22 of the windshield 20. Can be inflated and deployed by a predetermined amount toward the head of the passenger. For this reason, in a vehicle in which the roof is temporarily or constantly opened, it is possible to mitigate the impact when the passenger's head contacts the front header 21 and the front pillar 22 of the windshield 20.
[Brief description of the drawings]
1 is a perspective view schematically showing an embodiment of a head portion protecting air bag apparatus.
2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the airbag, the strap, and the guide link shown in FIG. 1 are folded and stored. FIG.
FIG. 3 is a side view vertically cut by the front header of FIG. 2;
4 is a plan view crossed by the right front pillar in FIG. 2; FIG.
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the operation of the guide link shown in FIG. 1;
The implementation form of head protection air bag device according to the present invention; FIG is a perspective view schematically showing.
7 is a side view vertically cut by the front header of FIG. 6. FIG.
FIG. 8 is a plan view crossed by the right front pillar in FIG. 6;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Air bag, 11a ... Gas supply port, 11b ... Left seat expansion part, 11c ... Right seat expansion part, 12 ... Strap, 13 ... Guide link, 14 ... Inflator, 20 ... Windshield, 21 ... Front header, 22 ... Front pillar, 29 ... Roof, 31 ... Left seat, 32 ... Right seat, 41 ... Headliner, 42 ... Front pillar garnish, 111 ... Air bag, 114 ... Inflator.

Claims (1)

Gas supplied from an inflator that is stored in a state where the roof is temporarily or constantly opened and is folded on the upper frame member and the side frame member of the windshield in a vehicle having a windshield. A head provided with an air bag capable of inflating and deploying a predetermined amount so as to reduce an impact when the occupant head contacts the upper frame member and the side frame member toward the occupant head Protective airbag device.

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