JPH05208647A - Front seat occupant protection device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] (Modified) [Purpose] To provide a front passenger protection device for a vehicle that can prevent adjacent passengers from colliding with each other in a side collision. When the airbag 16 is inflated, the central portion on the front side of the upper surface of the airbag 16 comes into contact with the lower surface of the extension portion, and further upward inflation is restricted. Therefore, the airbag 1
6 will inflate while going leftward and rightward outward or rearward, and will apply a force in the direction of separating the passengers to separate them. Further, the surface area of the airbag with which the occupant abuts is not reduced, and the inner volume to be inflated is reduced, so that the inflation speed of the airbag is increased and the inflation force for the occupant is also increased.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle front passenger protection device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional vehicle front passenger protection device, there are, for example, those disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 61-95657 and those shown in FIGS. In order to protect the occupants H1 and H2 from the door 1 and the side windows 2 when a lateral impact F is applied to the vehicle M (at the time of a side collision), an airbag 3 is provided on the inner surface of the left and right doors 1. Has been. The airbag 3 is built in the armrest portion 4 inside the door 1 and cannot be seen from the outside by the lid 5. The airbag 3 is the vehicle M.
In response to a signal from an impact detection means (not shown) for detecting a lateral impact F applied to the vehicle, the lid 5 is ruptured at the time of a side collision and instantly inflates toward the MR side of the passenger compartment, so that the occupant H1 and the door 1 are separated. It interrupts and protects the occupant H1. still,
6 is a side sill, and 7 is a center console.

[0003]

However, in such a conventional technique, although the occupant H1 can be effectively protected from the door 1 and the like, the occupant H2 adjacent to the occupant H1 cannot be protected.
No consideration is given to the collision with the secondary collision (see FIG. 6).

The present invention has been made in view of such a conventional technique, and provides a front seat occupant protection device for an automobile capable of preventing adjacent occupants from colliding with each other in a side collision. Is.

[0005]

A vehicle front passenger protection device according to the present invention is provided with an extension portion projecting rearward of a vehicle at a central portion of an instrument panel, and a signal from vehicle impact detection means is provided. An airbag that instantly inflates is provided at a portion corresponding to the vehicle body below the extension portion, and the airbag is brought into contact with at least the lower surface of the extension portion when inflated.

[0006]

According to the vehicle front seat occupant protection device of the present invention, when the airbag is inflated, the central portion on the front side of the upper surface of the airbag comes into contact with the lower surface of the extension portion, and further upward inflation is restricted. It For this reason, the airbag is inflated as it is toward the left and right sides or the rearward direction, and a force is applied to the occupants so that they are separated from each other. Further, the surface area of the airbag with which the occupant abuts is not reduced, and the inner volume to be inflated is reduced, so that the inflation speed of the airbag is increased and the inflation force for the occupant is also increased.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
It will be explained based on. Here, parts common to those of the conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping description will be omitted. Reference numeral 10 denotes an instrument panel, and a switch operation portion (extension portion) 11 projecting rearward (direction A in the drawing) is provided in a central portion of the instrument panel. A center console (body-corresponding portion) 13 is provided below the switch operating unit 11 with a space 12 therebetween. Incidentally, 14
Is a steering wheel, and 15 is a column shift lever. An air bag 16 is provided inside the center console 13 that is directly below the switch operating unit 11 via the space 12. The upper surface of the center console 13 is provided with an opening 21 for jumping out toward the vehicle compartment MR when the airbag 16 is inflated. This opening 21 is covered by a lid 22 that is destroyed in an emergency. Further, behind the airbag 16 inside the center console 13, an impact detection means 17 for detecting a lateral impact on the vehicle M and issuing a signal to the airbag 16 is provided, and the airbag 1 is connected by the signal line 18.
It is connected to 6. Also, in order to protect the occupant from the door 19 etc. in a side collision, the finisher 19 of the door 19
A protective pad 20 for shock absorption is provided inside a.

Next, the usage state will be described. When the lateral external force F acts from the side and gives a shock to the vehicle M, the shock detecting means 17 detects a shock in the lateral direction and the airbag 16 is detected.
A signal is issued to the airbag inflation means (not shown). When this inflation signal is received by the inflating means, the airbag 16 is instantly inflated, the lid 22 is broken, and the air bag 16 is ejected from the opening 21 toward the passenger compartment MR. At this time, the airbag 1
Since 6 is located directly below the switch operating unit 11, when inflated upward, the upper surface of the airbag 16 immediately contacts the lower surface of the switch operating unit 11. Airbag 16
Although it continues to inflate, the central portion of the front side of the upper surface is restrained from being inflated by the switch operating portion 11, so that the airbag 16 inflates in three directions, that is, the left and right sides without restriction (FIGS. 3 and 4). reference).

According to such a front seat occupant protection device for a vehicle, a switch operating portion 11 projecting rearward is provided in the central portion of the instrument panel 10, and an air bag is provided inside the center console 13 located directly below the switch operating portion 11. 16 is provided, when the impact detection means 17 detects that a lateral impact is applied to the vehicle M and inflates the airbag 16, the front central portion of the upper surface of the airbag is immediately operated by the switch operation unit 1.
Abut 1. For this reason, the airbag 16 continues to inflate toward the three sides of the left and right sides and the rear side without limitation, and pushes the left and right occupants outward, respectively, so that it is possible to prevent the both from colliding. In addition, when a front-back impact is applied to the vehicle, it also helps protect the occupants in the rear seats. Furthermore, by pressing the center of the upper surface of the airbag 16, the surface area of the airbag 16 that contacts the occupant does not decrease, but the inner volume decreases, so the inflation speed increases, and the occupant is reliably protected in the event of a side collision. It will be Although the column shift type has been described in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the automatic transmission by-wire type is also applicable. In addition, if an airbag is provided separately in front of the driver's seat and the front passenger's seat, the occupant can be more effectively protected from the impact in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, although the case where the shock absorbing pad is provided inside the door has been described, an air bag may be provided instead.

[0010]

As described above, in the vehicle front occupant protection device according to the present invention, when the airbag is inflated, the upper surface of the airbag at least abuts the lower surface of the extension portion, and the upper portion of the airbag is further moved upward. Expansion is regulated. For this reason, the airbag will inflate toward the left and right outside or the rear without any regulation, and will prevent the two passengers from colliding with each other by urging force in the direction of separating the front passengers from each other. Can also serve as a protection. Further, the surface area of the airbag with which the occupant abuts is not reduced, and the inner volume to be inflated is reduced, so that the inflation speed of the airbag is increased and the inflation force for the occupant is also increased.

[0011]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a front seat occupant protection device for an automobile according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line SA-SA in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which an airbag prevents an occupant from colliding with each other during a side collision.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a state where the airbag is inflated and deployed.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional vehicle occupant protection device.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the front seat occupant protection device of the vehicle shown in FIG. 5 is functioning.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Instrument Panel (Vehicle Body Corresponding Part) 11 Switch Operation Part (Extended Part) 16 Airbag 17 Impact Detection Means M Vehicle

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An extension portion is provided at a central portion of an instrument panel so as to project rearward of a vehicle, and an airbag which is instantly inflated in response to a signal from a vehicle impact detection means is provided at a portion corresponding to a vehicle body below the extension portion. A protective device for a front seat occupant of an automobile, wherein the airbag is brought into contact with at least the lower surface of the extension portion when inflated.