JP6708108B2 - Curtain airbag system for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle curtain airbag device.

The curtain shield airbag device described in Patent Document 1 below includes an airbag portion (curtain airbag) that is inflated and deployed by receiving gas supply from an inflator. This curtain airbag is inflated and deployed in the rear main space (rear-side collision chamber) that restrains the head of the rear-seat occupant during a side collision, and in front of the vehicle in the rear-seat collision chamber, and the head of the rear-seat occupant is then expanded. And a rear side sub space portion (rollover chamber) for restraining the portion at the time of rollover. Gas from the inflator is supplied to the rollover chamber via the rear seat side impact chamber. As a result, the rollover chamber starts to expand later than the rear seat side collision chamber.

JP, 2005-168375, A

In the curtain shield airbag apparatus configured as described above, the timing at which the head of the rear seat occupant is restrained by the rear collision chamber at the time of a side collision is the timing before the expansion of the rollover chamber is completed. At this timing, since the internal pressure of the rollover chamber is lower than the internal pressure of the rear-seat collision chamber, the low-pressure rollover chamber is pushed by the high-pressure rear-seat collision chamber and compressed in the vehicle front-rear direction, causing rear-seat collision. The chamber may be displaced (swing) toward the front of the vehicle. In that case, the rear-seat side impact chamber cannot restrain the head of the rear-seat occupant at the designed position, and the restraint performance becomes unstable. The above-mentioned problems are caused by the curtain airbag of the type in which the non-inflatable portion made of only the base cloth is provided in the vehicle front side of the rear seat side collision chamber, and the non-inflatable portion in the vehicle front side of the rear seat side collision chamber. It also occurs in curtain airbags of the type that do not have a rollover chamber.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In consideration of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle curtain airbag device capable of stabilizing the restraint performance of the rear-seat side collision chamber.

In the vehicle curtain airbag device according to the invention described in claim 1, the fixing tab extending from the upper edge portion is fixed to the roof side portion of the vehicle, and the head portion of the rear seat occupant and the vehicle compartment side portion. A rear-seat collision chamber that inflates and deploys between the rear-seat collision chamber and a rear end portion of the rear-seat collision chamber that is inflated and expanded, on the vehicle rear side of a position where the rear-seat collision chamber is fixed to the roof side portion. by applying a force of a vehicle upward direction, have a curtain airbag and a suppressing the swinging motion restraint portion swinging in toward the vehicle front side of the rear seat side collision chamber, the swing reduction unit , extending from the rear end of the rear seat side collision chamber, the rear seat side collision inflated and deployed toward the rear of the vehicle chamber, Ru extension chamber der that the upper surface of the seat back of the rear seat contact.

In the invention according to claim 1, the curtain airbag has the rear seat side impact chamber. In this rear seat side collision chamber, a fixing tab extending from an upper edge portion is fixed to a roof side portion of the vehicle. The rear seat side collision chamber inflates and deploys between the head of the rear seat occupant and the vehicle compartment side when, for example, a side collision of the vehicle is detected or predicted. When the rear-seat collision chamber expands and deploys, the rocking restraint portion is located above the rear end of the rear-seat collision chamber in the vehicle above the vehicle rear side of the fixed position of the rear-seat collision chamber to the roof side. By applying the directional force, the swinging of the rear seat side collision chamber toward the vehicle front side is suppressed. As a result, the rear-seat collision chamber can restrain the head of the rear-seat occupant at a position as designed, so that the restraint performance (protection performance) of the rear-seat collision chamber can be stabilized.

Moreover, in the invention of this, the extension chamber extending from the rear end of the rear seat side collision chamber, inflated to expand rearward of the rear seat side collision chamber, in contact with an upper face of the seat back of the rear seat. Therefore, when the inflated rear seat side collision chamber tries to swing toward the vehicle front side, the rear end portion of the rear seat side collision chamber is forced from the upper surface of the seat back to the vehicle upward direction via the extension chamber. In addition to receiving the (reaction force), the rear-seat side collision chamber receives a frictional force directed rearward of the vehicle from the upper surface of the seat back via the extension chamber. As a result, swinging of the rear seat side collision chamber toward the vehicle front side can be suppressed with a simple configuration.

A vehicle curtain airbag device according to a second aspect of the present invention is the vehicle curtain airbag device according to the first aspect, wherein the inflated and expanded extension chamber is sandwiched between the headrest of the rear seat and the C-pillar garnish.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the expanded and expanded extension chamber is sandwiched between the headrest of the rear seat and the C-pillar garnish. For this reason, when the inflated rear seat side collision chamber tries to swing toward the vehicle front side, the rear end portion of the rear seat side collision chamber moves upward from the upper surface of the seat back via the extension chamber. In addition to receiving the force, the rear-seat side impact chamber receives a frictional force directed rearward of the vehicle from the headrest and the C-pillar garnish in addition to the upper surface of the seatback via the extension chamber. As a result, swinging of the rear seat side collision chamber toward the vehicle front side can be suppressed more effectively.

As described above, in the vehicle curtain airbag device according to the present invention, the restraint performance of the rear seat side collision chamber can be stabilized.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a partial configuration of the vehicle curtain airbag device according to the first embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the vehicle left side, and is a diagram showing a state in which the curtain airbag is inflated and deployed. It is a side view which shows the state in the middle of inflation deployment of the curtain airbag. FIG. 6 is a side view showing a configuration around an upper edge portion in the rear seat side collision chamber before expansion and deployment. It is a side view which shows the accommodation state of the curtain airbag shown by FIG. It is a side view corresponding to FIG. 1 which shows the state in the middle of the expansion deployment of the curtain airbag which concerns on a comparative example. It is a plane sectional view for explaining the difference in the rebound direction of the head of the backseat occupant in a 1st embodiment and a comparative example. It is the side view which looked at the partial composition of the curtain air bag device for vehicles concerning a 2nd embodiment of the present invention from the vehicle left side, and is a figure showing the state in the middle of inflation deployment of a curtain airbag. It is an expanded sectional view which expands and shows the section along F8-F8 line of FIG. It is an expanded sectional view which expands and shows the cut surface along the F9-F9 line of FIG. FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an enlarged cross section taken along line F10-F10 of FIG. 7, and is a diagram for explaining rebound of the head of the rear seat occupant and the rear seat chamber. It is a side view corresponding to a part of Drawing 7 showing the 1st modification of a 2nd embodiment. It is a side view of a curtain airbag corresponding to a part of Drawing 7 showing the 2nd modification of a 2nd embodiment. It is a side view of a curtain airbag corresponding to a part of Drawing 7 showing the 3rd modification of a 2nd embodiment. It is a side view of the curtain airbag corresponding to a part of Drawing 7 showing the 4th modification of a 2nd embodiment.

<First Embodiment>
A vehicle curtain airbag device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. The first embodiment is a reference example. Further, arrow FR, arrow UP, and arrow OUT, which are appropriately described in the drawings, respectively indicate the front (the traveling direction), the upper direction, and the width direction outside of the automobile (vehicle) 12 to which the vehicle curtain airbag device 10 is applied. Showing the direction. In the following description, when only the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction are used, the front-rear direction in the vehicle front-rear direction, the left-right direction in the vehicle left-right direction (vehicle width direction), and the up-down direction in the vehicle up-down direction are indicated unless otherwise specified. To do.

(Overall structure of vehicle curtain airbag device 10)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the vehicle curtain airbag device 10 according to the present embodiment is mounted on a sedan type automobile 12, and includes a curtain airbag 30, an inflator 70, and a control device 72. Is equipped with. 1 and 4, a dummy P for a collision test is seated on the rear seat 14 of the automobile 12 instead of the actual passenger. This dummy P is, for example, an AM50 (50th percentile of American adult male) of the International Side Impact Dummy (WorldSID). The dummy P is seated on the vehicle seat 14 by the seating method defined by the side collision test method. The dummy P is equipped with a seat belt of a three-point seat belt device (not shown) provided in the rear seat 14. Hereinafter, this dummy P is referred to as a "rear seat occupant P".

As shown in FIG. 1, the curtain airbag 30 is formed so as to expand and deploy in a curtain shape along the front side glass 16, the B pillar 18, and the rear side glass 20 provided on the side of the vehicle compartment. A plurality of fixing tabs 60 extend from the upper edge of the curtain airbag 30. These fixing tabs 60 are arranged on the roof side portion 22 which is the upper end portion of the vehicle compartment side portion, and are fixed to the A pillars and the roof side rail 24 not shown. The configuration of the curtain airbag 30 will be described in detail later.

The inflator 70 is a gas generator for supplying gas into the curtain airbag 30, is arranged near the middle portion of the curtain airbag 30 in the front-rear direction, and is fixed to the roof side rail 24 via a bracket (not shown). There is. The gas ejection portion of the inflator 70 is connected to the connection passage 37 provided in the middle portion of the curtain airbag 30 in the longitudinal direction. When the inflator 70 is actuated, the gas ejected from the gas ejecting section is supplied into the curtain airbag 30.

Although FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 show the right side portion in the rear portion of the vehicle compartment of the automobile 12, the curtain airbag 30 and the inflator 70 are provided on both the left and right sides of the automobile 12, respectively. That is, the vehicle curtain airbag device 10 includes a pair of left and right curtain airbags 30 and a pair of left and right inflators 70. The left and right inflators 70 are electrically connected to an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 73 shown in FIG. A side impact sensor 74, a rollover sensor 76, and an oblique impact sensor 78 are electrically connected to the ECU 73. The ECU 73, the side impact sensor 74, the rollover sensor 76, and the oblique impact sensor 78 (all of which are not shown in FIG. 1) constitute a control device 72.

The side collision sensor 74 is configured to detect or predict a side collision of the automobile 12 and output a side collision signal to the ECU 73. The rollover sensor 76 is configured to detect or predict a rollover of the automobile 12 and output a rollover signal to the ECU 73. The oblique collision sensor 78 is configured to detect or predict an oblique collision of the automobile 12 and output a oblique collision signal to the ECU 73.

When the side collision signal or the oblique collision signal is input, the ECU 73 is configured to operate the inflator 70 on the side collision side or the oblique collision side (both are near sides). As a result, the near side curtain airbag 30 receives gas supply and is inflated and deployed. Further, the ECU 73 is configured to operate the inflators 70 on both sides in the vehicle width direction when the rollover signal is input. When a rollover signal is input after a side collision or an oblique collision, the ECU 73 operates the inflator 70 on the opposite side (far side) from the near side that has already been operated.

(Structure of curtain airbag 30)
The curtain airbag 30 described above is integrally woven by a One Piece Woven method, which is abbreviated as OPW, for example. In the OPW method, a jacquard loom is used to weave two cloths at the same time, and the necessary portions are multi-woven to form a seamless bag body. The method for manufacturing the curtain airbag 30 is not limited to the above. For example, the curtain airbag 30 may be manufactured by sewing one or a plurality of base fabrics formed by cutting out a nylon-based or polyester-based fabric material into a bag shape.

As shown in FIG. 2, the curtain airbag 30 includes a front seat side collision chamber 32, a rear seat side collision chamber 34, and a front seat oblique collision chamber 31 provided in front of the front seat side collision chamber 32. And a gas supply passage 36 that connects the front seat side collision chamber 32 and the rear seat side collision chamber 34 to each other, and a rollover provided between the front seat side collision chamber 32 and the rear seat side collision chamber 34. And a chamber 38. An outer peripheral non-inflatable portion 40 is provided on the outer peripheral edge portion of the curtain airbag 30. The outer peripheral non-inflatable portion 40 constitutes an upper edge portion, a lower edge portion, a front edge portion and a rear edge portion of the curtain airbag 30. Further, the curtain airbag 30 is provided with a plurality of non-inflatable portions 42, 44, 46, 48 for partitioning the chambers and the gas supply passage 36.

The front-seat side collision chamber 32 expands and deploys between the head of a front-seat occupant (not shown) and the side of the vehicle body (front side glass 16), and restrains (protects; Same). The front seat oblique collision chamber 31 inflates and deploys in front of the front seat side collision chamber 32, and restrains the head of the front seat occupant during an oblique collision and rollover. The front seat oblique collision chamber 31 is partitioned from the front seat side collision chamber 32 by a non-inflatable portion 42 extending in the vertical direction of the curtain airbag 30. Throttling channels 50 and 52 are formed between the non-inflatable portion 42 and the upper edge portion of the curtain airbag 30, and between the non-inflatable portion 42 and the lower edge portion of the curtain airbag 30, respectively. The front seat oblique collision chamber 31 and the front seat side collision chamber 32 are communicated with each other via these throttle channels 50 and 52.

The rear-seat side collision chamber 34 inflates and deploys between the head H of the rear-seat occupant P and the vehicle body side (rear side glass 20), and restrains the head H of the rear-seat occupant P during a side collision. The expansion width of the rear seat side collision chamber 34 in the vehicle width direction is set to be maximum on the vehicle rear side with respect to the center of gravity of the head H of the rear seat occupant P when the curtain airbag 30 is inflated and deployed. ing. Note that the positional relationship between the expansion width and the center of gravity of the head H is, for example, in normal times, air is supplied into the curtain airbag 30 by an air pump or the like to inflate the curtain airbag 82 and the front seat side collision chamber 32. It can be confirmed in a state where the internal pressures of the front seat oblique collision chamber 31, the rear seat side collision chamber 34, and the rollover chamber 38 are balanced.

The gas supply passage 36 is provided in the upper portion of the curtain airbag 30, and connects the upper portion of the front seat side collision chamber 32 and the upper portion of the rear seat side collision chamber 34 to each other. From the upper end of the gas supply passage 36, the above-mentioned connection passage 37 extends toward the upper side and the rear side.

The rollover chamber 38 expands and deploys between the front seat side collision chamber 32 and the rear seat side collision chamber 34, and restrains the head H of the rear seat occupant P during an oblique collision and a rollover. The rollover chamber 38 is separated from the gas supply passage 36 by a non-inflatable portion 44 extending in the front-rear direction of the curtain airbag 30. The roll-over chamber 38 is divided into an upper chamber 38A and a lower chamber 38B by a crank-shaped non-inflatable portion 46 extending from the front-rear intermediate portion of the non-inflatable portion 44 toward the lower edge of the curtain airbag 30. There is. The lower end of the non-inflatable portion 46 is connected to the outer peripheral non-inflatable portion 40 at the lower edge of the curtain airbag 30. A throttle flow path 54 is formed between the rear end of the non-expansion portion 44 and the rear end of the non-expansion portion 46, and the upper chamber 38A and the rear seat side collision chamber are connected via the restriction flow passage 54. 34 are communicated with each other. Of the test points (impactor striking point or striking point) to which the impactor corresponding to the head H of the rear seat occupant P is applied in the rollover test (FMVSS226 standard), this rollover chamber 38 covers the frontmost test point. It is provided in.

Further, the lower chamber 38B is partitioned from the front seat side collision chamber 32 by an inflating portion 48 extending in the vertical direction of the curtain airbag 30. The non-inflatable portion 48 extends from the outer peripheral non-inflatable portion 40 at the lower edge of the curtain airbag 30. A throttle channel 56 is formed between the upper end portion of the non-expansion portion 48 and the front end portion of the non-expansion portion 44, and the lower chamber 38B and the front seat side collision chamber 32 are connected via the throttle passage 56. And are in communication with each other.

As described above, the curtain airbag 30 having the above structure has the plurality of fixing tabs 60 extending from the upper edge portion. These fixing tabs 60 are formed by cutting out a base cloth similar to the base cloth of the curtain airbag 30, and are sewn (bonded) to the outer peripheral non-inflatable portion 40 at the upper edge of the curtain airbag 30. ing. These fixing tabs 60 are fixed to A pillars and roof side rails 24 (not shown) by fasteners 62 (for example, clips, bolts and nuts). The plurality of fixing tabs 60 may be integrally extended from the outer peripheral non-inflatable portion 40 at the upper edge portion of the curtain airbag 30.

As shown in FIG. 4, the curtain airbag 30 is configured to be folded in the vehicle up-down direction to have a long shape, and then housed in the roof side portion 22 together with the inflator 70. The curtain airbag 30 is folded in a predetermined manner including at least one of roll folding and bellows folding. When the curtain airbag 30 is stored, the curtain airbag 30 extends from the A-pillar to the C-pillar 26 over the roof side portion 22, and the curtain airbag 30 and the inflator 70 have the A-pillar garnish and roof headlining not shown. 28 (the reference numeral is omitted except for FIG. 4) and the C pillar garnish 26A from the vehicle interior side. In the curtain airbag 30, the portion covered by the C pillar garnish 26A includes the rear end side of the rear seat side collision chamber 34.

In the vehicle curtain airbag device 10 having the above configuration, when the inflator 70 is actuated, the gas from the inflator 70 passes through the connection passage 37 and the gas supply passage 36, and the front seat side collision chamber 32 and the rear seat side collision chamber 34. (See arrow G in FIG. 2). As a result, the front seat side collision chamber 32 expands and deploys between the head of the front seat occupant and the front side glass 16, and the rear seat side collision chamber 34 extends between the head H of the rear seat occupant P and the rear side glass 20. Inflate and deploy. A part of the gas supplied to the front seat side collision chamber 32 is supplied to the front seat oblique collision chamber 31 through the throttle flow passages 50 and 52, and also passes through the throttle flow passage 56. Is supplied to the lower chamber 38B. Further, a part of the gas supplied to the rear seat side collision chamber 34 is supplied to the upper chamber 38A of the rollover chamber 38 through the throttle channel 54. As a result, the front seat oblique collision chamber 31 and the rollover chamber 38 start to expand later than the front seat side collision chamber 32 and the rear seat side collision chamber 34. This is because, in the case of an oblique collision and a rollover, the timing at which the heads of the front seat occupant and the head H of the rear seat occupant P contact the curtain airbag 30 is delayed as compared with the case of a side collision. is there.

Therefore, at the time of a side collision, before the expansion of the front seat oblique collision chamber 31 and the rollover chamber 38 is completed, the head of the front seat occupant and the head H of the rear seat occupant P are separated from the front seat side collision chamber 32 and the rear seat occupant P. The seat side collision chamber 34 is constrained (contacted). That is, at the timing when the head of the front passenger and the head H of the rear passenger P are restrained by the front collision chamber 32 and the rear collision chamber 34, the front collision chamber 32 and the rear collision chamber 32 The internal pressure of 34 is higher than the internal pressures of the front seat leaning chamber 31 and the rollover chamber 38, and the internal pressures of the chambers are imbalanced. Note that, in FIG. 2, dots are added to the places where the high pressure is generated at the above timing. As shown in FIG. 2, the front seat leaning chamber 31 and the rollover chamber 38, which are not marked with dots, are places where the pressure becomes relatively low at the above timing. The region in the vehicle front-rear direction (the region where the rollover chamber 38 is provided) indicated by the arrow LP in FIG. 2 is a region where the rigidity becomes relatively low at the above timing.

Here, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, among the plurality of fixing tabs 60 provided at the upper edge portion of the curtain airbag 30, the fixing tab 60 (which is located on the most rear side of the vehicle) ( Hereinafter, the rearmost tab 60R) is extended from the upper edge portion of the rear seat side collision chamber 34. The rearmost tab 60R corresponds to the "fixed tab" in the present invention. Then, the rearmost tab 60R is extended toward the vehicle rear side to form a tab extension portion 60R2 as a swing suppressing portion. Specifically, the rearmost tab 60R is a tab body portion 60R1 whose dimension in the vehicle front-rear direction is set to be equal to that of the other fixed tabs 60, and a rear edge portion of the tab body portion 60R1 toward the vehicle rear side. The tab extension portion 60R2 is integrally extended. Note that, in FIG. 3 (a diagram showing the configuration around the upper edge portion in the rear seat side collision chamber 34 before expansion and deployment), a two-dot chain line is shown at the boundary between the tab body portion 60R1 and the tab extension portion 60R2. ..

The tab body 60R1 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed in the vehicle width direction, and is arranged at an intermediate portion in the vehicle front-rear direction at the upper edge of the rear seat side collision chamber 34. An insertion hole 64 into which the above-mentioned fastener 62 is inserted is formed on the upper side of the tab body 60R1. In the following description, the fastener 62 inserted in the insertion hole 64 of the tab body 60R1 is referred to as "fastener 62R".

The tab extension portion 60R2 is located on the vehicle rear side with respect to the fixed position (the position of the fastener 62R) to the roof side rail 24 in the rear seat side collision chamber 34, and is located at the rear end of the rear seat side collision chamber 34 (curtain). It extends to the rear end) of the airbag 30. The tab extension 60R2 is formed in a substantially right-angled triangular shape having the longitudinal direction in the vehicle front-rear direction as viewed in the vehicle width direction, and the dimension in the vehicle vertical direction decreases toward the vehicle rear side.

The rear tab 60R having the above-described configuration has a lower edge portion sewn (joined) with an upper edge portion of the rear seat side collision chamber 34, so that the rear portion (including the rear end portion 34R) of the rear seat side collision chamber 34 is formed. It is connected to the upper edge. Specifically, the lower edge portion of the rearmost tab 60R and the portion of the outer peripheral non-expansion portion 40 that constitutes the upper edge portion of the rear seat side collision chamber 34 are overlapped with each other, and there are a plurality of the overlapped portions. It is sewn in (here, three) sewn portions S (not shown except for FIG. 3). The three sewn portions S include a lower edge portion of the tab body portion 60R1 (the front end portion of the rearmost tab 60R), a lower edge portion of the front-back direction intermediate portion of the tab extension portion 60R2, and a rear end portion (the last portion of the tab extension portion 60R2). It is set at the lower edge of the rear tab 60R) and is arranged at equal intervals in the vehicle front-rear direction. In the present embodiment, the three sewn portions S are divided in the vehicle front-rear direction, but the invention is not limited to this, and the three sewn portions S are connected in the vehicle front-rear direction (one sewn portion S is Configured).

The rearmost tab 60R sewn on the upper edge portion of the rear seat side collision chamber 34 as described above is provided on the vehicle upper side as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 when the rear seat side collision chamber 34 is inflated and deployed. Moreover, it is convex and curved toward the vehicle rear side. In this state, the tab extension 60R2 is extended in the longitudinal direction, and the tension is applied to the tab extension 60R2, so that the vehicle upward force F1 acts on the rear end portion 34R of the rear seat side collision chamber 34. .. This force F1 becomes large as the rear seat side collision chamber 34 tries to swing toward the front side of the vehicle around the position where the roof side rail 24 is fixed (the position of the fastener 62R). As a result, the inflated and deployed rear seat side collision chamber 34 is prevented from swinging forward of the vehicle.

(Action and effect)
Next, the operation and effect of the first embodiment will be described.

In the vehicle curtain airbag device 10 having the above configuration, when the side collision sensor 74 detects or predicts a side collision of the automobile 12, the ECU 73 operates the inflator 70. As a result, the front seat side collision chamber 32 expands and deploys between the head of the front seat occupant and the front side glass 16, and the rear seat side collision chamber 34 extends between the head H of the rear seat occupant P and the rear side glass 20. The front seat oblique collision chamber and the rollover chamber 38 start to expand later than the front seat side collision chamber 32 and the rear seat side collision chamber 34. Then, before the expansion of the rollover chamber 38 is completed, the head H of the rear seat occupant P is restrained (contacts) with the rear seat side collision chamber 34.

Here, in the present embodiment, the rearmost tab 60R extended from the upper edge of the rear seat side collision chamber 34 and fixed to the roof side rail 24 has a tab extension 60R2 extended toward the vehicle rear side. is doing. This tab extension 60R2 is located at the rear edge of the rear-seat collision chamber 34 at the rear edge 34R of the rear-seat collision chamber 34 on the vehicle rear side with respect to the fixed position (the position of the fastener 62R) to the roof side rail 24. It is connected to the department. Therefore, when the inflated rear seat side collision chamber 34 tries to swing toward the vehicle front side, the tab extension 60R2 is extended, and the tension acts on the tab extension 60R2. As a result, the vehicle upward force F1 acts on the rear end portion 34R of the inflated rear seat side collision chamber 34, so that the inflated rear seat side collision chamber 34 can swing toward the vehicle front side. Suppressed. As a result, the rear-seat collision chamber 34 can restrain the head H of the rear-seat occupant P at a position as designed, so that the restraint performance of the rear-seat collision chamber 34 can be stabilized.

The above effects will be described in detail with reference to the vehicle curtain airbag device 100 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 (hereinafter referred to as “Comparative Example 100”). In this comparative example 100, the rearmost tab 60R does not have the tab extension 60R2 described above, but the rest of the configuration is the same as that of the present embodiment. Note that in FIGS. 5 and 6, the same components as those of the present embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the comparative example 100, the timing at which the head H of the rear seat occupant P is restrained by the rear seat side collision chamber 34 at the time of a side collision is before the completion of the expansion of the rollover chamber 38, as in the present embodiment. It is said that.

At the above timing, since the internal pressure of the rollover chamber 38 is lower than the internal pressure of the rear seat side collision chamber 34, the low pressure rollover chamber 38 is pushed by the high pressure rear seat side collision chamber 34 so that the intermediate portion in the vehicle front-rear direction. It bends and is compressed in the vehicle front-rear direction (see FIG. 5). As a result, when the rear seat collision chamber 34 is allowed to swing toward the front side of the vehicle, the head H of the rear seat occupant P is not restricted by the rear seat collision chamber 34 at the position as designed, and the rear seat collision chamber 34 is restrained. The restraint performance of the side impact chamber 34 becomes unstable.

Further, when the rear-seat collision chamber 34 swings (displaces) toward the vehicle front side as shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 6, a portion of the rear-seat collision chamber 34 where the expansion width in the vehicle width direction is maximum is detected. , The front seat occupant P is displaced toward the vehicle front side with respect to the center of gravity of the head H. As a result, in the rear seat side collision chamber 34, the constraining surface facing the center of gravity of the head H in the vehicle width direction is curved so as to be directed inward in the vehicle width direction toward the vehicle front side (tangential line in FIG. 6 ). See L2). In this state, when the head H rushes into the rear seat side collision chamber 34 and rebounds to the center side in the vehicle width direction, the rebound direction (bounce direction) of the head H inclines rearward of the vehicle with respect to the vehicle width direction ( (See arrow RB2 in FIG. 6). Therefore, the rebound head H comes into contact with the seat back 14B and receives a frictional force, whereby a rotational force around the axis of the neck N (see arrow RO2 in FIG. 6) acts on the head H. As a result, head rotation injury (Brain Rotational Injury Criterion; so-called BrIC) may occur.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as described above, the swinging of the rear-seat collision chamber 34 toward the vehicle front side is suppressed, so that the rear-seat collision chamber 34 is attached to the head H of the rear-seat passenger P. The rear seat side impact chamber 34 shown by the solid line in FIG. 6). In this state, the restraining surface of the rear-seat side collision chamber 34 is curved so as to extend outward in the vehicle width direction toward the vehicle front side (see tangent line L1 in FIG. 6 ). When the head H rushes into the rear seat side collision chamber 34 in this state, the rebound direction of the head H easily tilts to the vehicle front side with respect to the vehicle width direction (see arrow RB1 in FIG. 6), and the rebound head rebounds. It becomes difficult for the portion H to come into contact with the seat back 14B or the headrest 14H of the rear seat 14.

Further, when the rear-seat occupant P is restrained by the three-point seat belt, the head H that rebounds in the direction of arrow RB1 in FIG. The movement direction is changed to the rear of the vehicle (see arrow RB11 in FIG. 6). As a result, even if the head H contacts the seat back 14B of the rear seat 14, the contact timing is delayed (see arrow D in FIG. 6). As a result, the head H is decelerated, and the rotational force acting on the head H during contact (see arrow RO1 in FIG. 6) is reduced. From the above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent or effectively suppress head rotation injury of the rear seat occupant P during a side collision.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the rearward tab 60R is extended to the vehicle rear side to form the tab extension 60R2, and the extremely simple configuration is used to suppress the rear seat side collision chamber 34 from swinging to the vehicle front side. can do. The swinging of the rear-seat collision chamber 34 toward the vehicle front side is performed by adding the fixing tab 60 to the upper edge portion (the vehicle rear side of the rearmost tab 60R) of the rear end portion 34R of the rear-seat collision chamber 34. It can also be suppressed by doing. However, when the fixing tab 60 is added as described above, when the curtain airbag 30 is inflated and deployed, the rear-seat collision chamber 34 becomes difficult to be pulled out to the vehicle interior side of the C-pillar garnish 26A, and the rear-seat collision chamber 34 is not easily pulled out. Although the deployment performance may be reduced, this can be avoided in this embodiment.

The swinging of the rear-seat collision chamber 34 toward the front of the vehicle can also be suppressed by connecting the lower rear end of the rear-seat collision chamber 34 and the C pillar 26 with a strap or the like. However, when the above straps and the like are applied, it is necessary to take design consideration for pulling out the straps and the like from the C pillar garnish 26A when the curtain airbag 30 is inflated and deployed, and the design around the C pillar garnish 26A is restricted. Further, it is necessary to take measures to prevent the C pillar garnish 26A from cracking or scattering. Therefore, the area for arranging the strap or the like is limited, and it may be difficult to apply the strap or the like. In this respect, the present embodiment does not require the above-mentioned design consideration.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. It should be noted that configurations and operations basically similar to those of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment, and description thereof will be omitted.

<Second Embodiment>
FIG. 7 is a side view corresponding to FIG. 1, showing a state in which the curtain airbag 82 in the vehicle curtain airbag device 80 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is in the middle of inflation and deployment. In this curtain airbag 82, the tab extension 60R2 according to the first embodiment is omitted. Instead, the curtain airbag 82 includes an extension chamber 84 (rocking suppression portion) extending from the rear end portion 34R of the rear seat side collision chamber 34.

The extension chamber 84 extends from the lower side of the rear end portion 34R of the rear seat side collision chamber 34 toward the vehicle rear side and constitutes the rear end portion of the curtain airbag 82. The extension chamber 84 and the rear seat side collision chamber 34 are communicated with each other, and gas from the inflator 70 is supplied to the extension chamber 84 via the rear seat side collision chamber 34. As a result, the extension chamber 84 is inflated and deployed behind the rear seat side collision chamber 34 in the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 7, the extension chamber 84 is formed to have a substantially rectangular shape when the inflated and expanded state is viewed in the vehicle width direction. The expansion width h1 of the extension chamber 84 in the vehicle vertical direction is set to be smaller (about half in this embodiment) than the expansion width h2 of the rear seat side collision chamber 34 in the vehicle vertical direction. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the expansion width w1 of the extension chamber 84 in the vehicle width direction is set to be smaller than the expansion width w2 of the rear seat side collision chamber 34 in the vehicle width direction. The internal volume (internal volume) of the extension chamber 84 is set to be sufficiently smaller than the internal volume (internal volume) of the rear seat side collision chamber 34.

The expansion widths can be compared by, for example, supplying air into the curtain airbag 82 by an air pump or the like to inflate the curtain airbag 82 at a normal time. Further, the headrest 14H of the rear seat 14 is connected to the seat back 14B of the rear seat 14 so that the vertical position can be adjusted. Further, in the present embodiment, the extension chamber 84 and the headrest 14H that are in the expanded and deployed state regardless of whether the headrest 14H is located at the upper end (uppermost position) or the lower end (lowermost position) of the adjustment range of the vertical position with respect to the seat back 14B. Are configured to overlap each other when viewed in the vehicle width direction. Further, in this embodiment, the rear end of the extended chamber 84 that is inflated and deployed is configured to be located on the vehicle rear side with respect to the rear end of the headrest 14H in the vehicle front-rear direction.

The extension chamber 84 is configured such that the lower surface thereof contacts the upper surface of the seatback 14B when expanded and deployed. Therefore, when the inflated rear seat side collision chamber 34 tries to swing toward the vehicle front side, the rear end portion 34R of the rear seat side collision chamber 34 comes from the upper surface of the seat back 14B via the extension chamber 84. It is configured to receive the upward force (reaction force) F2 of the vehicle. Further, when the rear seat side collision chamber 34 tries to swing as described above, the rear seat side collision chamber 34 receives the rearward frictional force F3 of the vehicle from the upper surface of the seat back 14 via the extension chamber 84. It is configured.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the extension chamber 84 expands and deploys between the headrest 14H and the C-pillar garnish 26A in the vehicle width direction, and slightly extends between the headrest 14H and the C-pillar garnish 26A. It is configured to be sandwiched in a compressed state. That is, the expanded and expanded extension chamber 84 is formed so as to come into contact (press contact) with each side surface of the headrest 14H and the C pillar garnish 26A. Therefore, when the rear seat side collision chamber 34 tries to swing as described above, the rear seat side collision chamber 34 faces rearward from each side of the headrest 14H and the C pillar garnish 26A via the extension chamber 84. The frictional force F3 is received. 8 and 9, the arrow IP indicates the internal pressure of the extension chamber 84. In this embodiment, the configuration other than the above is the same as that of the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, when the inflated rear seat side collision chamber 34 tries to swing toward the vehicle front side, the rear end portion 34R of the rear seat side collision chamber 34 is moved to the seat back 14B via the extension chamber 84. A reaction force F2 directed upward from the vehicle is received from the upper surface. Further, the rear seat side collision chamber 34 receives the rearward frictional force F3 of the vehicle from the upper surface of the seat back 14B via the extension chamber 84. As a result, swinging of the rear seat side collision chamber 34 toward the vehicle front side can be suppressed with a simple configuration. Therefore, also in this embodiment, the same operational effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the expanded and expanded extension chamber 84 is sandwiched between the headrest 14H and the C pillar garnish 26. Therefore, when the inflated rear seat side collision chamber 34 tries to swing toward the vehicle front side, in addition to the reaction force F2 and the friction force F3 with respect to the extension chamber 84, the headrest 14H and the C pillar are also added. Friction force toward the rear of the vehicle is applied from each side surface of the garnish 26. As a result, swinging of the rear seat side collision chamber 34 toward the vehicle front side can be suppressed more effectively.

Further, in this embodiment, the head H of the rear seat occupant P, which inertially moves outward in the vehicle width direction due to the impact of the side collision, plunges into the rear seat side collision chamber 34, and as a reaction thereto, the head H of the rear seat occupant P. When the rear-seat collision chamber 34 tries to rebound toward the center in the vehicle width direction, interference between the extension chamber 84 and the headrest 14H suppresses rebound of the rear-seat collision chamber 34 toward the center in the vehicle width direction. (Regulated). As a result, the above-described head rotation injury can be suppressed more effectively.

That is, when the curtain airbag 30 does not include the extension chamber 84 as in the comparative example 100 shown in FIG. 5, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, the head H rebounds from the rear seat side collision chamber 34. In, the rear seat side collision chamber 34 rebounds (swings) together with the head H toward the center side in the vehicle width direction (see arrow SW in FIG. 10 ). As a result, the rear seat side collision chamber 34 may continue to push the head H toward the center side in the vehicle width direction to accelerate the vehicle (see arrow A in FIG. 10). When the accelerated head H comes into contact with the seat back 14B, the rotational force acting on the head H increases. In this respect, in the present embodiment, since the swing of the rear seat side collision chamber 34 toward the center in the vehicle width direction is suppressed (restricted) by the headrest 14H, the head H is pushed by the rear seat side collision chamber 34. Can be prevented or suppressed.

<Supplementary explanation of the embodiment>
Although the rearmost tab 60R of the curtain airbag 82 is not provided with the tab extension 60R2 in the second embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, as in the first modification shown in FIG. 11, the rearmost tab 60R of the curtain airbag 82 may include the tab extension 60R2. As a result, the effect of suppressing the rear seat side collision chamber 34 from swinging forward of the vehicle can be further improved. Further, as in the first modification, the non-expansion portion 86 may be set between the rear seat side collision chamber 34 and the extension chamber 84, and the extension chamber 84 may be a delay chamber.

The non-inflatable portion 86 extends from the outer peripheral non-inflatable portion 40 toward the lower end side of the curtain airbag 82 at the front end and the upper end of the extension chamber 84. The lower end of the non-expansion portion 86 is located near the central portion in the vertical direction of the extension chamber 84, and the throttle channel 88 is formed between the lower end of the non-expansion portion 86 and the upper edge of the extension chamber 84. Has been done. The throttle channel 88 is formed at the lower end of the curtain airbag 82, and connects the rear seat side collision chamber 34 and the extension chamber 84 to each other. As a result, a part of the gas ejected from the inflator 50 and supplied to the rear seat side collision chamber 34 is supplied to the extension chamber 84 through the throttle passage 88 (see FIG. 11). (See arrow G).

In this first modified example, since it is configured as described above, after the extension chamber 84 is pulled out toward the vehicle interior side of the C-pillar garnish 26A by the expansion and deployment of the rear seat side collision chamber 34, the extension chamber 84 is opened. Can be inflated. This makes it possible to reduce the load that the C-pillar garnish 26A receives when the extension chamber 84 is pulled out toward the vehicle interior side of the C-pillar garnish 26A, and thus it is easy to prevent cracking and scattering of the C-pillar garnish 26A. Become. Further, it becomes easy to inflate and deploy the extension chamber 84 in the gap between the headrest 14H and the C pillar garnish 26A.

In the first modification, the non-inflatable portion 86 for making the extension chamber 84 a delay chamber extends from the outer peripheral non-inflatable portion 40 toward the lower end side of the curtain airbag 30 at the front end and the upper end of the extension chamber 84. Although the configuration is given, it is not limited to this. That is, for example, the second to fourth modifications shown in FIGS. 12 to 14 may be adopted. 12 to 14, the fixing tab 60 is not shown. In the second modified example shown in FIG. 12, a circular non-expandable portion 90 is set at an intermediate portion in the vertical direction at the front end portion of the extension chamber 84. Further, throttle channels 92 and 94 are formed on the upper and lower sides of the curtain airbag 82 with respect to the non-inflatable portion 90, respectively, and extend with the rear seat side collision chamber 34 via these throttle channels 92 and 94. The chamber 84 is in communication with each other.

Further, in the third modified example shown in FIG. 13, the non-inflatable portion 96 extends from the outer peripheral non-inflatable portion 40 toward the upper end side of the curtain airbag 30 at the front end and the lower end of the extension chamber 84. A throttle channel 97 is formed between the upper end of the non-expandable portion 96 and the upper edge of the extension chamber 84. The rear seat side collision chamber 34 and the extension chamber 84 communicate with each other via the throttle channel 97. Further, in the fourth modified example shown in FIG. 14, a non-inflatable portion 98 extending in the front-rear direction of the curtain airbag 82 is set in the vertical middle portion of the extension chamber 84. As a result, the extension chamber 84 is partitioned into an upper portion 84A and a lower portion 84B. The upper portion 84A and the lower portion 84B are communicated with the rear seat side collision chamber 34, respectively. By changing the shape of the non-inflatable portions 86, 90, 96, 98 as in the first to fourth modified examples, the timing of completion of the expansion and expansion of the extension chamber 84 and the expansion width of the extension chamber 84 in the vehicle width direction can be adjusted. It can be changed arbitrarily.

Further, although the extension chamber 84 according to the second embodiment is formed to have a substantially rectangular shape when the expansion/deployment state is viewed in the vehicle width direction, the present invention is not limited to this, and the extension chamber 84 is not limited thereto. The shape of can be changed appropriately.

Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the curtain airbags 30 and 82 are configured to include the rollover chamber 38, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the present invention relates to a curtain airbag of a type in which a non-inflatable portion made of only the base cloth is provided below the gas supply passage 36 and between the front seat side collision chamber 32 and the rear seat side collision chamber 34. Nothing is provided below the gas supply passage 36 and between the front seat side collision chamber 32 and the rear seat side collision chamber 34 (the above-mentioned non-expansion portion or rollover chamber 38 is not provided). It is also applicable to curtain air bags of the type.

Furthermore, in each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the vehicle curtain airbag devices 10 and 80 are applied to the sedan type automobile 12 (vehicle) has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the vehicle curtain airbag according to the present invention. The device is also applicable to hatchback type vehicles and vehicles with three rows of seats. In that case, the seat on the rearmost side of the vehicle is the rear seat according to the present invention.

In addition, the present invention can be variously modified and implemented without departing from the scope of the invention. Further, it goes without saying that the scope of rights of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

10 Curtain airbag device for vehicle 14 Rear seat 14H Headrest 14B Seat back 22 Roof side part 20 Rear side glass (cabin side part)
26 C Pillar garnish 30 Curtain airbag 34 Rear collision chamber 34R Rear end 60R Rear tab (fixed tab)
60R2 tab extension (swing restraint)
80 Curtain Airbag Device for Vehicle 82 Curtain Airbag 84 Extension Chamber (Swing Suppression Unit)
P Rear passenger H Head

Claims (2)

A fixing tab extending from the upper edge is fixed to a roof side part of the vehicle, and a rear seat side collision chamber is inflated and deployed between the head part of the rear seat occupant and the vehicle compartment side part,
By applying a force in the vehicle upward direction to the rear end portion of the rear seat side collision chamber that is inflated and expanded, on the vehicle rear side of the fixed position to the roof side portion in the rear seat side collision chamber, A swing suppressing portion that suppresses swing of the rear seat side collision chamber toward the vehicle front side,
Have a curtain air bag equipped with,
The rocking|swiveling suppression part is an extension chamber extended from the rear end part of the said rear seat side collision chamber, inflating-deployed to the vehicle rear of the said rear seat side collision chamber, and contacting the upper surface of the seat back of a rear seat. Curtain airbag device for vehicles. The extension chamber inflated and deployed, the vehicle curtain airbag device according to claim 1 that sandwiched between the headrest and the C pillar garnish rear seat.