JPH05457Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the invention] A. Purpose of the invention (1) Industrial application field The present invention relates to an airbag device that is expanded and deployed by high-pressure gas in the event of a vehicle collision to protect occupants inside the vehicle from impact. .

(2) Conventional technology Conventionally, when an impact exceeding a certain level is detected due to a vehicle collision, an air bag is inflated using high-pressure gas, and the cushioning effect of the air bag protects the occupants from the impact. An airbag device is known. Generally, such airbag devices are installed in the center of the steering wheel or on the instrument panel to protect occupants in the driver's seat and front passenger seat, respectively.

Incidentally, the time from the moment of a vehicle collision until the occupant hits an instrument panel or the like is very short, and within this short time the airbag needs to be deployed to a state where it can absorb the impact. Therefore, the airbag is designed to inflate into the passenger compartment at a very high speed, and the nuclear airbag needs to cushion and support the occupant who has moved forward due to inertia. However, even if the air bag is made of a flexible material, the pressing force exerted on the occupant becomes large, and a sufficient cushioning effect may not be obtained in some cases.

In order to increase the cushioning effect when the airbag hits a passenger, an airbag device is provided in which an opening is formed in advance in the airbag and the opening is covered with a small piece that peels off when the internal pressure of the airbag increases. has been proposed (see US Pat. No. 3,451,693).

According to this air bag device, the small piece peels off due to an increase in the internal pressure of the air bag due to contact with an occupant, exposing an opening, and internal gas leaks from this opening, thereby exerting a pressing force on the occupant. can be alleviated.

(3) Problems to be solved by the invention However, in the above-mentioned airbag device, the multiple openings in the airbag are covered with small pieces, which not only requires time and effort to manufacture, resulting in high costs, but also causes the small pieces to peel off once. Afterwards, gas will leak continuously from the exposed opening and the internal pressure of the air bag will drop, making it impossible to maintain the necessary pressure inside the air bag again, and there is a risk that a sufficient cushioning effect will not be obtained. It was hot.

The present invention was developed in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and by leaking the internal gas only when it makes contact with the occupant, it weakens the pressing force on the occupant, and also reduces the pressure on the airbag between the secondary person and the airbag. It is an object of the present invention to provide an air bag device capable of maintaining a sufficient cushioning effect even when abutting the air bag.

B. Structure of the invention (1) Means for solving the problem In order to achieve the above object, the present invention inflates an airbag stored in a folded state with high pressure gas supplied from a gas generator at the time of a vehicle collision, The air bag device for protecting occupants in a vehicle interior from impact by means of the air bag is characterized in that the air bag has a slit formed substantially parallel to the direction in which the air bag is deployed.

(2) Effect According to the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration, when the airbag is inflated by receiving high-pressure gas from the gas generator during a vehicle collision, the airbag expands while receiving tension in the direction in which the high-pressure gas is ejected. It is unfolded and its slit is in a closed state. Therefore, the high-pressure gas does not leak to the outside, and the air bag can be quickly inflated.

When an occupant hits the airbag during the inflation process or after completion of inflation, the airbag is deflected, and this deflection causes the slit to open and the gas inside to leak. This reduces the internal pressure of the airbag, increases its flexibility, and alleviates the pressure exerted on the occupant.

When the occupant is pushed back after the initial contact with the air bag, the slit closes again and gas leakage stops, and the interior of the air bag is provided with sufficient cushioning in the event of secondary occupant contact with the air bag. The gas pressure is maintained to be effective.

(3) Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

Figures 1 to 3 show an embodiment of the air bag device according to the present invention. Figure 1 is a sectional view showing the air bag in a stored state, and Figure 2 shows the air bag in an expanded state. Cross section, 3rd
FIG. 3A is a longitudinal side view showing the airbag in contact with the human body, and FIG. 3B is a partially cutaway plan view.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a container-shaped case 2 with an open top is installed inside an instrument panel 1 located in front of the passenger seat of a vehicle. It is closed by a lid 1a forming a part of the upper surface of the instrument panel 1.

A gas generator 5 comprising a cylinder 3 containing high-pressure gas and a starting device 4 for opening the valve of the cylinder 3 and spouting the high-pressure gas is mounted on the bottom surface of the case 2. Also, this case 2
Around the opening of the airbag 6, an opening of an air bag 6 made of a flexible material is hermetically fixed by a number of rivets 7. As is clear from FIG. 1, the airbag 6 is housed on the back surface of the lid 1a in the case 2 in a folded state in a clockwise direction, that is, in a downward spiral in the passenger compartment 8.

As is clear from FIG. 2, the airbag 6 in the deployed state is inflated toward the passenger compartment 8 along the rearwardly inclined windshield 9. 6
A slit 6a is formed in the direction in which the window glass 9 develops, that is, substantially parallel to the window glass 9.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention having the above-described configuration will be explained.

When an impact of a certain value or more is detected due to a vehicle collision, the starting device 4 of the gas generator 5 is activated, opens the valve of the cylinder 3, and releases high pressure gas into the case 2. Then, the air bag 6 starts to expand due to the pressure of this high pressure gas, and this air bag 6
The lid 1a, whose back surface is pressed by the lid 1a, separates from the instrument panel 1 and moves upward. This lid 1a
When the airbag 6 is separated, the airbag 6 expands into the passenger compartment 8, but the airbag 6, which was stored in the passenger compartment 8 in a folded state wound downward in a spiral shape,
does not expand straight upwards, but expands along the window glass 9 in an inclined state toward the vehicle interior 8.
Therefore, the air bag 6 does not receive any frictional force from the window glass 9 during the inflation process, and is quickly deployed. Also, airbag 6 is in the passenger compartment 8.
By expanding in the direction of , it does not move toward the window glass 9 and is held in a position that reliably protects the human body.

During the inflation process of the air bag 6 described above, tension is applied to the slits 6a formed on both sides of the air bag 6 in the longitudinal direction.
a is kept closed. Therefore, high pressure gas does not leak from the slit 6a, and the air bag 6 can be quickly inflated.

As shown in Figure 3A and B, an airbag 6 is attached to a person.
When hit, the air bag 6 is crushed and deformed, and the slits 6a formed on both sides of the air bag 6 are opened. Then, the high pressure gas inside the air bag 6 leaks from the slit 6a, the internal pressure of the air bag decreases, and the pressing force exerted on the person is eased. When the person is pushed back and away from the airbag 6, the slit 6a closes again and the leakage of high pressure gas stops.
Therefore, the internal pressure of the air bag 6 is maintained at a predetermined value, and even if a person hits the air bag secondarily, a sufficient cushioning effect can be exerted.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be applied to various small designs without departing from the present invention described in the claims of the utility model registration. It is possible to make changes.

For example, instead of the cylinder type gas generator described above, a propellant ignition type gas generator may be used. Furthermore, this air bag device is not limited to the air bag 6 attached to the instrument panel 1, but can also be applied to air bags attached to the center of the steering wheel or the back of the front seat.

C. Effects of the invention According to the airbag device of the invention described above, a slit is formed in the airbag, which expands upon receiving high-pressure gas from the gas generator during a vehicle collision, approximately parallel to the direction in which it is deployed. Due to the deformation of the air bag caused by the contact, the slit opens and the high pressure gas inside leaks out. As a result, the internal pressure of the air bag is temporarily lowered, and the pressing force against the human body can be alleviated. This slit is always closed when no human body is interfering with the air bag to prevent high pressure gas from leaking.
Without reducing the inflation speed of the air bag,
Moreover, the internal pressure of the air bag can be maintained at a predetermined value even after the primary operation.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a state in which an air bag of an air bag device according to an embodiment of the present invention is housed;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the airbag in an expanded state, FIG. 3A is a longitudinal side view showing the airbag in contact with a human body, and FIG. 3B is a partially cutaway plan view. 5... Gas generator, 6... Air bag, 6a...
...slit, 8...car compartment.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] In the event of a vehicle collision, an air bag 6 stored in a folded state is inflated with high pressure gas supplied from a gas generator 5, and the air bag 6 protects the occupants in the vehicle interior 8 from the impact. An air bag device characterized in that the air bag 6 is provided with a slit 6a substantially parallel to its deployment direction.