JP2007008410A - Airbag device for pedestrian - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an airbag device for a pedestrian capable of stabilizing the behavior of an airbag in the developed condition. <P>SOLUTION: The airbag 17 inflates with a gas generated by an inflator 14 and is developed from an opening formed along the rear edge of a bonnet 12 to ahead of the windshield 15. The airbag 17 is equipped with a neck part 19 having a length along the rear edge and with the thickness narrowing in the developed condition in the position mating with the rear edge of the bonnet 12 in the condition that the bag is developed by the gas, and the thickness of the neck part 19 is given a dimension approximately equal to or slightly greater than the opening width between the rear edge of the bonnet 12 at the opening 22 and a cowl panel 25. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a pedestrian airbag device mounted on a vehicle in order to mitigate an impact on a pedestrian.

  Conventionally, when a traveling vehicle collides with a pedestrian or the like, the pedestrian or the like is flipped up by an impact at the time of the collision, and there is a risk of secondary collision with a windshield, a front pillar, or the like at the front of the vehicle.

  Therefore, a so-called pedestrian airbag device has been proposed in order to absorb and mitigate the impact caused by the secondary collision.

  For example, when an airbag device is arranged on the vehicle body chassis side slightly below the front window portion and collides with a pedestrian, it is deployed in front of the windshield and the front pillar, There is a structure that absorbs and relaxes the impact caused by the secondary collision (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2000-264146 A

  However, according to the airbag device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the deployment size is inflated with substantially the same thickness over the entire deployment region of the airbag, and the swinging of the airbag in the deployed state is not limited at all. Therefore, the behavior of the airbag in the deployed state is not stable, and the airbag deployed around the vehicle body side mounting portion of the airbag device may swing left and right, causing a displacement from a desired deployment position. It was. Due to this misalignment, there is a possibility that a desired impact mitigating effect may not be obtained, for example, when the pillar airbag portion is not disposed in front of the front pillar.

  In particular, when the airbag mounting portion is separated from the front pillar, it is difficult to control the behavior of the pillar airbag portion.

  Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a pedestrian airbag device that stabilizes the behavior of the airbag in the deployed state.

  The technical means for solving the above-mentioned problem is a pedestrian air equipped with an airbag that expands in front of the front window portion from an opening along the rear edge of the bonnet, inflated by gas generated by an inflator. In the bag device, the airbag has a length along the rear edge at a position corresponding to the rear edge of the bonnet in a deployed state with the gas, and a thickness direction dimension in the deployed state becomes narrower. A constricted portion, and the thickness direction dimension of the constricted portion is substantially the same as or slightly larger than the opening width of the rear end edge portion of the bonnet and the portion facing the rear end edge portion in the opening. The point is.

  Further, the constricted portion may be provided in the vicinity of both ends of the rear end edge portion of the bonnet.

  According to the airbag device for a pedestrian of the present invention, the airbag has a length along the rear edge at a position corresponding to the rear edge of the bonnet in a deployed state with gas, and a thickness in the deployed state. A constricted portion with a narrowed direction dimension is provided, and the thickness direction dimension of the constricted portion is approximately the same as or slightly larger than the opening width of the rear edge of the bonnet at the opening and the portion facing the rear edge. When the airbag is deployed, the constricted part is sandwiched between the rear edge of the bonnet and the part facing it, and the thickness is located above or below the constricted part. The airbag part with a larger directional dimension interferes with the rear edge of the bonnet from the upper side or the lower side, and the lateral swing of the airbag in the deployed state is effectively restricted, and the airbag is in the deployed state. Hakare stabilization of the dynamic here can effectively prevent positional deviation from the predetermined deployed position of the air bag, the desired impact absorption effect can be exhibited well.

  In addition, if the constricted part is provided in the vicinity of both ends of the rear edge of the bonnet, the swinging is effectively restricted on both the left and right sides of the deployed airbag. The air bag can be more reliably stabilized and the displacement of the airbag from the predetermined deployed position can be more effectively prevented.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a pedestrian airbag apparatus is provided at a position corresponding to a rear inner portion of a hood 12 in a vehicle 11. 13 is attached.

  The bonnet 12 is configured such that its rear part can move up and down, and is normally held at a lowered position closed by a suitably provided holding mechanism or the like. For example, the structure as disclosed in Patent Document 1 allows vertical movement and is held at the lowered position.

  The airbag device 13 is an inflator 14 that generates gas, and is inflated by the gas. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the front windshield 15a front and both sides of the windshield 15a in the front window portion 15 of the vehicle 11 are used. It is set as the structure provided with the airbag 17 expand | deployed ahead of the right-and-left front pillar 15b.

  That is, the airbag 17 is inflated by the gas of the inflator 14, and the airbag center portion 17a extends over the entire length in the left and right width direction in the lower half of the windshield 15a, and the left and right front pillars 15b on both sides of the airbag center portion 17a. And an airbag base portion 17b that is positioned below the hood 12 below the airbag center portion 17a and in which the inflator 14 is accommodated. The shape is long in the vehicle width direction.

  And, such an airbag 17 has a structure in which, for example, an upper base fabric and a lower base fabric, which are appropriately cut into a shape, are sewn together at their outer peripheral edge portions and formed into a desired bag shape, As such an upper base fabric and a lower base fabric, a cloth material generally used for the airbag 17 may be appropriately used.

  Further, the airbag 17 is located at a position corresponding to a boundary portion between the airbag center portion 17a and the airbag base portion 17c of the airbag 17 in this embodiment, that is, both side portions near both ends of the rear end edge portion of the bonnet 12. A constricted portion 19 having a thickness direction dimension U narrower than the thickness direction dimension S of the airbag center portion 17a and the thickness direction dimension T of the airbag base portion 17c in the expanded state is appropriately extended along the rear edge of the bonnet 12. The structure is provided with a thickness.

  In the present embodiment, for example, a plurality of pieces of the tether belt 20 having an appropriate length are sewn across the upper base fabric and the lower base fabric, whereby the expansion of the portion is restricted, and the constricted portion 19 is formed. It is supposed to be a structure.

  Further, the thickness direction dimension U of the constricted portion 19 is substantially the same as or slightly the same as the opening width X in the opening 22 generated by opening the rear end edge side of the bonnet 12 when the rear portion of the bonnet 12 is lifted upward. It is composed largely. Therefore, the dimension S in the thickness direction of the airbag center part 17a located above the constricted part 19 and the dimension T in the thickness direction of the airbag base part 17c located below the constricted part 19 are larger than the opening width X. Has been.

  And the airbag apparatus 13 comprised in this way is mounted | worn through the support bracket 24 grade | etc., In the substantially center part of the bonnet 12 rear lower part in the state which the airbag 17 was folded in the vehicle width direction elongate shape. Structure.

  The inflator 14 is structured to operate upon receiving an operation signal from a pedestrian collision detection sensor. The pedestrian collision detection sensor is mounted on a front bumper or the like at the front of the vehicle body and collides with a pedestrian when the vehicle travels. Is configured to detect.

  Between the bonnet 12 located on the lower front side of the windshield 15a, a bowl-shaped cowl panel 25 constituting a vehicle body chassis is disposed along the vehicle width direction. A wiper unit 26 for driving the wiper located on the upper side is mounted. Reference numeral 27 denotes a dash panel that partitions the engine room and the vehicle interior.

  The rear portion of the bonnet 12 is lifted by the pressure when the airbag 17 is deployed, and the cowl as a portion facing the rear end edge of the bonnet 12 on the vehicle body side in a state where the rear portion of the bonnet 12 is lifted to a predetermined height. The airbag 17 is deployed from the opening 22 formed between the panel 25 and the front window 15 toward the front window portion 15.

  This embodiment is configured as described above. When the vehicle 11 collides with a pedestrian during traveling, a collision with the pedestrian is detected by the pedestrian collision detection sensor, and a collision load greater than a predetermined value is detected. When detected, an operation signal is output to the inflator 14 of the airbag device 13.

  Then, the operation of the inflator 14 generates gas and the airbag 17 is inflated. As the airbag 17 is inflated, the rear portion of the bonnet 12 is pushed up, and in the pushed-up state, the airbag 22 is directed toward the front window portion 15 from the opening 22 between the bonnet 12 and the cowl panel 25. 17 expands.

  Therefore, even when a pedestrian who collides with the vehicle 11 is lifted up and collides with the hood 12, the windshield 15a, and the front pillar 15b, the rear part of the hood 12 is pushed up, and the front of the windshield 15a Since the front of the front pillar 15b is covered with the inflated and deployed airbag 17, the bonnet 12 and the airbag 17 pushed up by the airbag 17 can effectively mitigate the impact in the secondary collision.

  When the airbag 17 is deployed, the constricted portion 19 provided in the airbag 17 is disposed along the position corresponding to the rear edge of the bonnet 12. A state in which the constricted portion 19 is sandwiched between the rear end edge of the bonnet 12 and the cowl panel 25, that is, as shown in FIG. 2, the rear end edge of the bonnet 12 is so-called bite into the constricted portion 19. The airbag center portion 17a portion and the airbag base portion 17c portion having larger thickness direction dimensions S and T located above and below the portion 19 interfere with the rear edge of the bonnet 12 from the upper side and the lower side, and are deployed. As a result, the lateral movement of the airbag 17 is effectively restricted, and the behavior of the airbag 17 in the deployed state can be stabilized. Positional deviation of the position can be effectively prevented, desired shock absorbing effect as described above can be exhibited well.

  At this time, since the constricted portion 19 of the airbag 17 is arranged in the vicinity of both ends of the rear end edge portion of the bonnet 12, the swinging is effectively restricted on both the left and right sides of the airbag 17. The behavior of the bag 17 in the deployed state can be stabilized more reliably, and the airbag 17 can be more effectively prevented from being displaced from a predetermined deployed position.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, the opening width X of the opening 22 formed in the rear portion of the bonnet 12 and the thickness direction dimension U of the constricted portion 19 are configured to be substantially the same or slightly larger, and are positioned below the bonnet 12. Since the dimension T in the thickness direction of the airbag base portion 17c is much larger than the dimension U in the thickness direction of the constricted portion 19, that is, the opening width X of the opening 22, the constricted portion 19 is expanded in the deployed state of the airbag 17. A portion of the airbag base portion 17c located below is in close contact with the inner surface side of the bonnet 12, so that the lateral movement of the airbag 17 in the deployed state can be more reliably regulated, and the deployed position of the airbag 17 in the deployed state is It is stable and the desired impact mitigating effect can be exhibited more reliably.

  Further, the air bag 17 has a simple structure in which the constricted portion 19 is formed by sewing the tether belt 20 at a position corresponding to the rear end edge portion of the bonnet 12 in the airbag 17, and there is an advantage that it can be easily provided.

  5 and 6 show a second embodiment, and the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  That is, in the airbag device 13 of the first embodiment, the airbag 17 covers the entire front side of the front window portion 15 in the vehicle width direction, but according to the airbag device 13 of the present embodiment, The front airbag 15 has a pillar airbag 30 that covers the front of the front pillar 15b on both sides of the front window 15 and the front of the windshield 15a in the vicinity thereof with separate structures.

  Each airbag 30 for pillars includes an airbag pillar portion 30a that covers one side portion of the windshield 15a and the front pillar 15b, and a rear portion of the bonnet 12 that protrudes from one side portion on the inner side of the airbag pillar portion 30a. An airbag base portion 30b which is positioned below and in which the inflator 14 is accommodated, and at a boundary portion between the airbag pillar portion 30a and the airbag base portion 30b, that is, at a position corresponding to the rear end edge portion of the bonnet 12. For example, as in the first embodiment, a plurality of pieces of tether belt 32 having an appropriate length are sewn between the upper base fabric and the lower base fabric to sew a plurality of pieces, thereby restricting the expansion of the portion and forming the constricted portion 33. It is structured.

  As in the first embodiment, the thickness direction dimension of the constricted portion 33 is smaller than the thickness direction dimension of the upper and lower airbag pillar portions 30a and the thickness direction dimension of the airbag base portion 30b, and the rear edge of the bonnet 12 The opening width is substantially the same as or slightly larger than the opening width in the opening 22 that is formed between the portion and the opposite portion (for example, the cowl panel 25) on the vehicle body side.

  Each of these airbag devices 13 has a structure in which the airbag device 13 is mounted on a lower side of both sides of the rear portion of the bonnet 12 via a support bracket in a folded state. Other structures are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  Accordingly, also in the present embodiment, when the airbag 30 is deployed, the constricted portion 33 provided in the airbag 30 is disposed at a position corresponding to the rear edge of the bonnet 12, so that the first Similar to the embodiment, the airbag pillar portion 30a and the airbag base portion 30b, which are located above and below the constricted portion 33 and have a larger thickness direction dimension, interfere with the rear edge of the bonnet 12 from above or below. Thus, the lateral movement of the airbag 30 in the deployed state is effectively restricted, and the behavior of the airbag 30 in the deployed state can be stabilized. Here, the airbag 30 is effectively displaced from a predetermined deployment position. The desired impact mitigating effect as described above can be exhibited satisfactorily.

  In addition, the thickness direction dimension of the constricted portion 33 is configured to be substantially the same as or slightly larger than the opening width of the opening 22, and the thickness direction dimension of the airbag base portion 30 b located below the bonnet 12 is larger than the opening width of the opening 22. Since the airbag 30 is in the deployed state, the airbag base 30b portion located below the constricted portion 19 is in a so-called close contact with the inner surface of the bonnet 12, and the airbag 30 in the deployed state The left-right swing can be more reliably regulated, the deployment position of the airbag 30 in the deployed state is stabilized, and the desired impact mitigating effect can be more reliably exhibited.

  Therefore, this is particularly effective for the pillar airbag 30 in which the behavior in the deployed state is difficult to be stabilized as in the present embodiment.

  Further, the air bag 30 has a simple structure in which the constricted portion 33 is formed by sewing the tether belt 32 at a position corresponding to the rear end edge portion of the bonnet 12 in the airbag 30, and there is an advantage that it can be easily provided.

  In each of the above embodiments, the structure is shown in which the constricted portions 19 and 33 are formed by restricting the inflation of the airbags 17 and 30 by the tether belts 20 and 32. However, as shown in FIG. It is also possible to form the constricted portions 19 and 33 by sewing 34 the upper base fabric and the lower base fabric constituting the portions 17 and 30 at appropriate positions. As shown in FIG. It is good also as a structure which controls the amount of expansion | swelling of the part and forms the constricted parts 19 and 33 by forming.

  Further, the constricted portions 19 and 33 provided in the airbags 17 and 30 preferably have a structure having a length extending along the rear end edge at a position corresponding to the rear end edge of the bonnet 12, but at least a part thereof. Any structure may be used.

  Further, in each of the above embodiments, the rear portion of the bonnet 12 is lifted using the pressure generated by the deployment of the airbags 17 and 30, but the rear end edge portion of the bonnet 12 is not lifted without lifting the bonnet 12. A structure may be employed in which the airbag 17 of the airbag device 13 protrudes outside through an opening from an appropriate position on the side and is deployed forward of the front window portion 15. In this case, it is good also as a structure which has the airbag bonnet part which spreads and expands on the upper side of the bonnet 12 in the airbag center part 17a of the airbag 17, and the shape of the airbags 17 and 30 is limited to the shape of each embodiment at all. Not.

1 is a front side view of a vehicle showing a first embodiment of the present invention. It is the principal part cross-sectional explanatory drawing. It is a front top view at the time of the airbag deployment. It is a top view of an air bag deployment state. It is a front part top view at the time of airbag deployment in a 2nd embodiment. It is a top view of the airbag deployment state. It is a top view of the airbag deployment state in a 3rd embodiment. It is a top view of the airbag deployment state in a 4th embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Vehicle 12 Bonnet 13 Airbag apparatus 14 Inflator 15 Front window part 15a Front glass 15b Front pillar 17 Airbag 17a Airbag center part 17b Airbag pillar part 17c Airbag base 19 Constriction part 22 Opening 30 Pillar airbag 30a Airbag Pillar part 30b Air bag base 33 Constriction part

Claims (2)

In a pedestrian airbag apparatus comprising an airbag that is inflated by a gas generated by an inflator and is deployed in front of a front window portion from an opening along a rear end edge portion of a bonnet.
The airbag has a constricted portion having a length along the rear end edge at a position corresponding to the rear end edge of the bonnet and having a narrow dimension in the thickness direction in the deployed state in the deployed state by the gas. Provided,
The dimension in the thickness direction of the constricted portion is substantially the same as or slightly larger than the opening width of the rear end edge portion of the bonnet in the opening and the portion facing the rear end edge portion. Air bag device for pedestrians. In the pedestrian airbag device according to claim 1,
2. The pedestrian airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the constricted portion is provided in the vicinity of both ends of the rear end edge portion of the bonnet.

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