Roof airbag for a vehicle

Abstract

A roof airbag device for a vehicle in which an airbag is deployed downward from an inner roof and protects an occupant seated in a seat, and the airbag has a shape bent by a tether so that restraint on the occupant is ensured and the occupant is safely protected.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a roof airbag device for a vehicle, wherein the airbag deploys downward from the interior roof and protects occupants seated in their seats. Background Technology

[0002] Vehicles are typically equipped with safety devices to protect occupants from injuries caused by accidents such as collisions and rollovers. These safety devices include airbags, which, along with seatbelts that restrain the occupants, reduce the impact of a collision. Airbags are installed in multiple components of the vehicle as needed, including a driver's airbag mounted on the steering wheel and a front passenger airbag mounted on the passenger side dashboard.

[0003] On the other hand, the vehicle is divided into a space in front of the front seat occupants and a space behind the rear seat occupants. In the event of a collision, there is a possibility that the rear seat occupants may be thrown forward due to inertia, resulting in a collision between the occupants.

[0004] In particular, the recently emerging autonomous vehicles are equipped with seats that can be adjusted 360 degrees. Therefore, the front seat occupants and the rear seat occupants can be positioned facing each other, and in the event of a vehicle collision when the front seat occupants and the rear seat occupants are facing each other, injuries may occur due to the collision between the occupants.

[0005] The related technical matters described above are intended only to better understand the background of the present invention and should not be regarded as conventional techniques known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems. The object of the present invention is to provide a roof airbag device for a vehicle, wherein the airbag deploys downward from the interior roof and protects the occupant sitting in the seat, and the airbag has a curved shape to safely protect the occupant from impact.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the vehicle roof airbag device according to the present invention comprises: an airbag installed in the interior roof of the vehicle, and the airbag having a plurality of pads, each of the plurality of pads being composed of an upper support portion and a lower support portion, wherein the upper portion of the upper support portion and the lower portion of the lower support portion are connected to each other, and the plurality of pads are configured to bend at the bending points of the upper support portion and the lower support portion; and a tether disposed between the plurality of pads, and the tether being connected to the upper support portion and the lower support portion, the tether guiding the pads to bend when the airbag deploys.

[0008] The airbag consists of a pair of pads that bend away from each other when deployed via the tether.

[0009] Each mat is provided with a bending guide portion, which is formed by indentation at the circumference of the bending point of the upper support portion and the lower support portion.

[0010] The upper support portion consists of an upper outer pad portion and an upper dead zone portion. The upper outer pad portion extends along the periphery and is inflated when unfolded. The upper dead zone portion forms the inner surface of the upper outer pad portion without being inflated. The lower support portion consists of a lower outer pad portion and a lower dead zone portion. The lower outer pad portion extends along the periphery and is inflated when unfolded, thereby being connected to the upper outer pad portion in a connected manner. The lower dead zone portion forms the inner surface of the lower outer pad portion without being inflated.

[0011] The mat has a central mat portion that extends horizontally through the bends of the upper support portion and the lower support portion, thereby connecting in a communicative manner to the upper outer mat portion and the lower outer mat portion.

[0012] The diameter of the portion of the central pad that connects to the upper outer pad and the lower outer pad is smaller than the diameter of the upper outer pad and the lower outer pad.

[0013] The lower support portion is provided with a support pad portion that extends from the central pad portion to vertically pass through the lower dead zone portion, thereby connecting in a continuous manner to the lower outer pad portion.

[0014] The diameter of the bending point of the upper support portion and the lower support portion is smaller than the diameter of the upper outer pad portion and the lower outer pad portion in the pad.

[0015] The tether has one end connected to the upper end of the upper support portion and another end connected to the lower end of the lower support portion, and the length of the tether extending in the vertical direction is shorter than the length of the airbag.

[0016] The tether extends in the width direction of the upper support portion and the lower support portion to have an area that covers part or all of the mat.

[0017] The mat is provided with an auxiliary tether, which has one end connected to the upper end of the upper support portion and another end connected to the bends of the upper support portion and the lower support portion, and the auxiliary tether is formed to be shorter than the length of the tether. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a view showing a roof airbag device for a vehicle according to the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 A view of an embodiment of a roof airbag device for a vehicle shown.

[0020] Figure 3 It shows Figure 1 A view of another embodiment of a roof airbag device for a vehicle shown.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a view used to illustrate the deployment of the airbag of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0022] A roof airbag device for a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a view showing a roof-mounted airbag device for a vehicle according to the present invention. Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 A view of an embodiment of a vehicle roof airbag device shown. Figure 3 It shows Figure 1 A view of another embodiment of a roof airbag device for a vehicle, as shown. Figure 4 This is a view used to illustrate the deployment of the airbag of the present invention.

[0024] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the vehicle roof airbag device according to the present invention includes: an airbag A installed in the interior roof R and provided with a plurality of pads 100, each pad consisting of an upper support portion 110 and a lower support portion 120, wherein the upper portion of the upper support portion 110 and the lower portion of the lower support portion 120 are connected to each other, and the plurality of pads 100 are configured to bend at the bending points of the upper support portion 110 and the lower support portion 120; and a tether 200 disposed between the plurality of pads 100 and connected to the upper support portion 110 and the lower support portion 120 to guide the pads 100 to bend when the airbag A deploys.

[0025] Here, airbag A is installed in the interior roof R, and this airbag protects the occupants by deploying downwards from the roof R when it receives gas from the inflator I. Therefore, when airbag A deploys, it can be positioned between multiple seats arranged inside the vehicle.

[0026] If it is possible Figure 1 As seen in the diagram, the airbag A of the present invention can consist of a pair of pads 100. Depending on the protection range of each pad 100, the pads can be formed to be identical to each other or can be formed to have different shapes or different sizes.

[0027] The airbag A consists of multiple pads 100, each pad consisting of an upper support portion 110 and a lower support portion 120. The upper portion of the upper support portion 110 and the lower portion of the lower support portion 120 are connected to each other, so that each pad 100 can deform when the airbag A deploys.

[0028] In addition, the upper end of the upper support portion 110 and the lower end of the lower support portion 120 are connected to each other, so that the pair of pads 100 can be deformed so that the upper support portion 110 and the lower support portion 120 bend except for the connecting portion.

[0029] For this purpose, a tether 200 is provided between the respective pads 100, and the tether is connected to the upper support portion 110 and the lower support portion 120 to guide the deformation of the airbag.

[0030] The tether 200 has one end connected to the upper end of the upper support portion 110 and another end connected to the lower end of the lower support portion 120, and the length of the tether extending in the vertical direction is shorter than the length of the airbag.

[0031] Here, when manufacturing the pad 100, a dead area portion is provided in addition to the inflatable area, and the tether 200 is fixedly sewn to the dead area portion of the upper support portion 110 and the dead area portion of the lower support portion 120, so that the pad 100 is not damaged when the airbag A deploys.

[0032] In addition, the tether 200 has one end connected to the upper end of the upper support portion 110 and the other end connected to the lower end of the lower support portion 120, thereby ensuring the deformable areas of the upper support portion 110 and the lower support portion 120 to allow the corresponding pad 100 to deform smoothly.

[0033] Furthermore, the tether 200 is configured to be shorter than the length of the airbag A in the vertical direction, such that when the airbag A deploys, the deployment is limited by the length of the tether 200, and thus the airbag A deforms, causing the upper support portion 110 and the lower support portion 120 constituting the cushion 100 to bend. That is, the pair of cushions 100 deploy downwards, but the deployment of each cushion 100 is limited by the tether 200, and the lower support portion 120 of each cushion 100 is rolled up and bent by the tether 200, allowing the airbag A to deploy in various shapes, such as elliptical, circular, or polygonal. Therefore, when an occupant comes into contact with each cushion 100 constituting the airbag A, the occupant is protected from impact, and the occupant's position may be restricted due to being wrapped up.

[0034] To specifically describe the pad 100 of the airbag A according to the present invention, each pad 100 may be provided with a bending guide portion 130, which is formed by an inwardly recessed periphery at the bending point of the upper support portion 110 and the lower support portion 120.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown, each pad 100 is provided with a bending guide portion 130, which is formed along the periphery at the bending point of the upper support portion 110 and the lower support portion 120, such that the pad 100 can be deformed so that the lower support portion 120 bends from the upper support portion 110 at the bending guide portion 130.

[0036] Here, the periphery of each pad 100 is recessed to form a curved guide portion 130, at which the pad 100 deforms to bend the lower support portion 120, such that the upper support portion 110 supports the upper body of the occupant and the lower support portion 120 supports the lower body of the occupant.

[0037] On the other hand, the upper support portion 110 is composed of an upper outer pad portion 111 and an upper dead zone portion 112. The upper outer pad portion 111 extends along the periphery and is inflated when deployed. The upper dead zone portion 112 is formed as the inner surface of the upper outer pad portion 111 and is not inflated. The lower support portion 120 is composed of a lower outer pad portion 121 and a lower dead zone portion 122. The lower outer pad portion 121 extends along the periphery to be inflated when deployed and is connected to the upper outer pad portion 111 in a communicating manner. The lower dead zone portion 122 is formed as the inner surface of the lower outer pad portion 121 and is not inflated.

[0038] That is, the upper support portion 110 and the lower support portion 120 that make up the mat 100 are divided into an inflatable area and a non-inflatable area.

[0039] Specifically, as the inflatable area of ​​the mat 100, the upper outer mat portion 111 of the upper support portion 110 extends along the periphery, and the lower outer mat portion 121 of the lower support portion 120 extends along the periphery, while the upper outer mat portion 111 and the lower outer mat portion 121 are connected to each other in a communicative manner.

[0040] On the other hand, as a non-inflatable area of ​​the mat 100, the upper dead zone portion 112 is formed in the upper support portion 110 on the inner side of the upper outer mat portion 111, and the lower dead zone portion 122 is formed in the lower support portion 120 on the inner side of the lower outer mat portion 121.

[0041] Therefore, in the mat 100, only the portions of the upper support portion 110 and the lower support portion 120 extending along their periphery can be inflated to ensure the inflation rate of the mat 100 and maintain the unfolded shape of the upper support portion 110 and the lower support portion 120. Furthermore, the upper dead zone portion 112 of the upper support portion 110 contacts the upper body of the occupant, and the lower dead zone portion 122 of the lower support portion 120 contacts the lower body of the occupant, so that the upper and lower bodies of the occupant can be stably restrained by the mat 100.

[0042] Meanwhile, the mat 100 may be provided with a central mat portion 140 that extends horizontally through the bends of the upper support portion 110 and the lower support portion 120, thereby connecting in a communicative manner to the upper outer mat portion 111 and the lower outer mat portion 121.

[0043] The central cushion portion 140 is the inflatable area of ​​the cushion 100, and this central cushion portion extends to intersect the bends of the upper support portion 110 and the lower support portion 120, so as to position the central cushion portion on the upper side of the occupant when the occupant is in the cushion 100. Therefore, when the occupant is in the cushion 100, the central cushion portion 140 can be held against the occupant's head or upper body and safely protect the occupant even if the occupant pushes the airbag A to rotate.

[0044] Additionally, the central pad portion 140 extends horizontally through the pad 100, thereby maintaining the unfolded shape of the pad 100 by the inflation force of the central pad portion 140.

[0045] Here, the diameter a of the portion of the central pad portion 140 that connects to the upper outer pad portion 111 and the lower outer pad portion 121 is smaller than the diameter b of the upper outer pad portion 111 and the lower outer pad portion 121.

[0046] That is, gas flows into the central cushion portion 140 through this section, the diameter of which is smaller than the diameter b of the upper outer cushion portion 111 and the lower outer cushion portion 121. This ensures that the distribution volume of gas supplied by the inflator I is concentrated in the upper outer cushion portion 111 and the lower outer cushion portion 121, thereby ensuring the deployment speed of the cushion 100. For this reason, when the cushion 100 is deployed, in order to quickly deploy the cushion downwards from the roof R, gas is distributed to the upper outer cushion portion 111 and the lower outer cushion portion 121, and then a portion of the gas is distributed to the central cushion portion 140, which has a relatively smaller diameter. This allows the deployed shape of the cushion 100 to be maintained and the occupants to be comfortably restrained.

[0047] On the other hand, the lower support portion 120 may be provided with a support pad portion 150 that extends from the central pad portion 140 to pass vertically through the lower dead zone portion 122, thereby connecting in a communicating manner to the lower outer pad portion 121.

[0048] Here, the support pad portion 150 is an inflatable area, and when the support pad portion 150 is inflated, the shape of the lower support portion 120 can be maintained. Furthermore, when the airbag A deploys, the lower support portion 120 of each pad 100 bends from the upper support portion 110 in a direction facing each other relative to the corresponding pad 100, and the support pad portion 150 in the lower support portion 120 forms a supporting force in the direction facing each other relative to the corresponding pad 100, thus maintaining the deployed shape of the pad 100.

[0049] On the other hand, the diameter c of the bending point of the upper support portion 110 and the lower support portion 120 can be smaller than the diameter b of the upper outer pad portion 111 and the lower outer pad portion 121 in the pad 100. Thus, in each pad 100, the diameter c of the bending point of the upper support portion 110 and the lower support portion 120 can be smaller than the diameter b of the upper outer pad portion 111 and the lower outer pad portion 121, allowing the bending deformation of the lower support portion 120 to be performed smoothly at the portion with the smaller diameter.

[0050] When the cushion 100 that makes up the airbag A is deployed, it deforms so that the lower support portion 120 bends from the upper support portion 110. This causes the upper support portion 110 of the cushion 100 to support the upper body of the occupant and the lower support portion 120 to support the lower body of the occupant, so that the occupant is stably restrained and protected from impact.

[0051] Furthermore, the allocated gas volume is ensured in the upper outer pad portion 111 and the lower outer pad portion 121 of the pad 100 to improve the initial deployment speed, and the deployed shape of the pad 100 is maintained by the central pad portion 140 and the support pad portion 150. The lower support portions 120 of the separately deployed pads 100 support each other, so that the occupant can be stably restrained.

[0052] On the other hand, the tether 200 extends in the width direction of the upper support portion 110 and the lower support portion 120 to have an area covering part or all of the mat 100.

[0053] Thus, the tether 200 consists of a surface tether 200 having an area covering the upper support portion 110 or the lower support portion 120, thereby increasing the connection portion with the mat 100 to improve the connection force with the mat 100. Furthermore, the tether 200 extends in the width direction of the upper support portion 110 and the lower support portion 120, so that when the mat 100 constituting the airbag A deploys, the mat 100 can be accurately deformed into the desired shape via the tether 200.

[0054] On the other hand, such as Figure 3 As shown, the mat 100 may have an auxiliary tether 300, which has one end connected to the upper end of the upper support portion 110 and another end connected to the bends of the upper support portion 110 and the lower support portion 120, and the auxiliary tether is formed to be shorter than the length of the tether 200.

[0055] Thus, in the cushion 100, the auxiliary tether 300 can be connected to the upper support portion 110 and the lower support portion 120 to guide the deployment shape of the airbag A. That is, when the cushion 100 deploys, each cushion 100 constituting the airbag A deforms and bends due to the deployment limitation depending on the length of the tether 200, and the bending shape is guided by the auxiliary tether 300, so that the bent portion of each cushion 100 can directly face the occupant.

[0056] In a vehicle roof airbag device having the structure described above, airbag A deploys downward from the interior roof to protect the occupant seated in the seat, and airbag A has a shape that bends toward the occupant via a tether 200, thereby ensuring restraint of the occupant and safe protection of the occupant.

[0057] In a vehicle roof airbag device having the structure described above, the airbag deploys downward from the interior roof to protect the occupant seated in the seat, and the airbag has a shape that bends toward the occupant via a tether, thus ensuring restraint of the occupant and safe protection of the occupant.

[0058] Specific embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can be modified and altered in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention as provided in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A roof-mounted airbag device for a vehicle, comprising: An airbag, installed in the interior of the vehicle roof, comprises multiple cushions, each cushion consisting of an upper support portion and a lower support portion, wherein the upper portion of the upper support portion and the lower portion of the lower support portion are connected to each other, and the multiple cushions are configured to bend at the bending points of the upper and lower support portions; and A tether is installed between the plurality of pads and is connected to the upper support portion and the lower support portion, so that the tether guides the plurality of pads to bend when the airbag deploys. The upper support portion comprises an upper outer pad portion and an upper dead zone portion. The upper outer pad portion extends along the periphery of the upper support portion and inflates upon unfolding. The upper dead zone portion forms the inner surface of the upper outer pad portion and is not inflated. Similarly, the lower support portion comprises a lower outer pad portion and a lower dead zone portion. The lower outer pad portion extends along the periphery of the lower support portion and inflates upon unfolding, thus connecting to the upper outer pad portion in a connected manner. The lower dead zone portion forms the inner surface of the lower outer pad portion and is not inflated. The mat includes a central mat portion that extends horizontally through the bends of the upper and lower support portions, thereby connecting in a communicative manner to the upper outer mat portion and the lower outer mat portion. The lower support portion includes a support pad portion that extends from the central pad portion to vertically pass through the lower dead zone portion, thereby connecting in a continuous manner to the lower outer pad portion.

2. The vehicle roof airbag device according to claim 1, wherein, The airbag consists of a pair of pads that bend away from each other when deployed via the tether.

3. The vehicle roof airbag device according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the plurality of mats is provided with a bending guide portion, which is formed by indentation of the periphery at the bending point of the upper support portion and the lower support portion.

4. The vehicle roof airbag device according to claim 1, wherein, The diameter of the portion of the central pad that connects to the upper outer pad and the lower outer pad is smaller than the diameter of the upper outer pad and the lower outer pad.

5. The vehicle roof airbag device according to claim 1, wherein, The diameter of the bending point of the upper support portion and the lower support portion is smaller than the diameter of the upper outer pad portion and the lower outer pad portion in the pad.

6. The vehicle roof airbag device according to claim 1, wherein, The tether has one end connected to the upper end of the upper support portion and another end connected to the lower end of the lower support portion, and the length of the tether extending in the vertical direction is shorter than the length of the airbag.

7. The vehicle roof airbag device according to claim 1, wherein, The tether extends in the width direction of the upper support portion and the lower support portion to have an area that covers part or all of the mat.

8. The vehicle roof airbag device according to claim 1, wherein, The mat is provided with an auxiliary tether, which has one end connected to the upper end of the upper support portion and another end connected to the lower part of the lower support portion, and the auxiliary tether is formed to be shorter than the length of the main tether.

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