Airbag for driver's seat

Abstract

Provided is an airbag for a driver's seat, the airbag being capable of suppressing an injury value of an occupant with a simple configuration. An airbag cushion (108) is provided with: a steering wheel side panel (126) positioned on the steering wheel (106) side; an occupant side panel (124) located on the occupant side; and a side panel (128) connecting an edge of the steering wheel side panel (126) and an edge of the occupant side panel (124) so as to constitute a side portion of the airbag cushion (108). The steering wheel side panel (126) has a shape along the steering wheel (106), and the occupant side panel (124) has an inverted triangular shape having a larger area than the steering wheel side panel (126). In a cross-section orthogonal to the axial direction from the center of the steering wheel side panel (126) toward the center of the occupant side panel (124), the cross-sectional area of the inflated and deployed airbag cushion (108) gradually increases from the steering wheel side panel (126) toward the occupant side panel (124).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a driver's seat airbag for restraining an occupant in an emergency situation. Background Art

[0002] Currently, a driver's seat airbag is generally provided on the steering wheel of a vehicle. The airbag cushion of the driver's seat airbag is mainly housed in the hub at the center of the steering wheel, and uses its expansion pressure to crack a resin cover portion or the like and expand forward toward the occupant. For example, in the technology of Patent Document 1, the airbag 24 and an inflater 32 for supplying gas are housed together in a housing 34 at the center of the steering wheel 38.

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0055482 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] It is known that in an emergency situation, when there is an inclined collision, i.e., an oblique collision, with respect to the traveling direction, the occupant also moves in the inclined direction. In this regard, the airbag 24 of Patent Document 1 is configured to expand in a conical shape from the center of the steering wheel 38. Therefore, when the occupant enters obliquely, the posture may become unstable. In addition, in the airbag 24 of Patent Document 1, the front panel 102 on the occupant side is circular, and it is considered that there is also a part that does not contribute to restraining the occupant.

[0008] In view of such problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a driver's seat airbag that can suppress the injury value of an occupant with a simple structure.

[0009] Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, a representative structure of the driver's seat airbag according to the present invention is a driver's seat airbag, comprising: an inflator housed in the vehicle's steering wheel; an airbag cushion housed in the steering wheel together with the inflator and inflated and deployed to restrain the occupant of the driver's seat. The airbag cushion is characterized in that it has: a steering wheel side panel located on the steering wheel side; an occupant side panel located on the occupant side; and side panels connecting the edges of the steering wheel side panel and the edges of the occupant side panel to form the sides of the airbag cushion. The steering wheel side panel has a shape along the steering wheel, and the occupant side panel has an inverted triangular shape with an area larger than that of the steering wheel side panel and the upper part wider than the lower part in the vehicle width direction. In a cross-section orthogonal to the axis direction from the center of the steering wheel side panel to the center of the occupant side panel, the cross-sectional area of the inflated and deployed airbag cushion gradually increases from the steering wheel side panel towards the occupant side panel.

[0011] For the airbag cushion with the above structure, since the steering wheel side panel has a shape along the steering wheel, it can effectively form a pressure-receiving surface relative to the steering wheel and maintain the posture when restraining the occupant.

[0012] In addition, generally, when the vehicle is impacted, the upper parts such as the head of the occupant sitting on the driver's seat are more likely to swing back and forth and left and right compared to the abdomen and other parts. Therefore, the airbag cushion with the above structure forms a restraint area that is wider in the upper part in the vehicle width direction by setting the steering wheel side panel as an inverted triangle and reduces the shape of the lower part. Therefore, according to the above structure, while improving the occupant restraint performance of the airbag cushion, the amount of material used and the gas capacity can be reduced, which helps to cut costs. In particular, the reduction of the gas capacity is beneficial to accelerating the time required for the airbag cushion to complete inflation, thereby further improving the occupant restraint performance.

[0013] The above steering wheel side panel may also have a shape that projects the rim or grip of the steering wheel, or a shape similar to the projected shape. With these structures, the above airbag cushion can effectively form a pressure-receiving surface relative to the steering wheel and can efficiently obtain a reaction force from the steering wheel.

[0014] The above steering wheel side panel may have a fixing area fixed to the steering wheel in a state where the inflator is inserted. The fixing area corresponds to the position of the hub in the center of the steering wheel and is provided on the upper side of the center of the steering wheel side panel.

[0015] According to the above structure, a reaction force can be efficiently obtained from a special-shaped steering wheel with a hub provided at a deviated position on the upper side.

[0016] The above airbag cushion may also have one or more internal tethers that are connected to the steering wheel side panel at one end inside the airbag cushion and to the occupant side panel at the other end. The internal tethers may have dimensions such that they are tensioned when the airbag cushion expands and unfolds, pulling the occupant side panel tightly towards the steering wheel side panel.

[0017] According to the above internal tethers, by controlling the shape of the occupant side panel, such as suppressing excessive expansion of the occupant side panel or suppressing the swaying of the airbag cushion, etc., the occupant restraint performance of the airbag cushion can be improved or the injury value can be reduced, etc.

[0018] Advantages of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, a driver's seat airbag that can suppress the injury value of an occupant with a simple structure can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing an outline of a driver's seat airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 is Figure 1 A perspective view of the airbag cushion when it expands and unfolds in (b).

[0022] Figure 3 is an illustration of Figure 2 each panel of the airbag cushion in (a).

[0023] Figure 4 is an illustration of Figure 1 the process of the airbag cushion in (b) restraining the occupant during an oblique collision.

[0024] Figure 5 is an illustration of Figure 2 the internal structure of the airbag cushion in (a).

[0025] Figure 6 is Figure 1 a modified example of the airbag device 100.

[0026] Figure 7 is an illustration from various directions of Figure 6 the airbag cushion when it expands and unfolds in (b). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, other specific numerical values, etc. shown in the above embodiments are merely examples for facilitating the understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In addition, in this specification and the accompanying drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and structures are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted. In addition, elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0028] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing an outline of an airbag for a driver's seat (hereinafter referred to as airbag device 100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 (a) is a diagram showing a state before the airbag device 100 moves. As shown in Figure 1 (b), it is implemented as a front airbag for the driver's seat 102 on the left front row of a left-hand drive vehicle.

[0029] In the present embodiment, when the occupant 142 of the driver's seat (refer to Figure 4 (a)) sits on the driver's seat 102 in a regular posture, the direction towards the occupant 142 is called the front, the opposite direction is called the rear, and it is called the front-rear direction when representing the coordinate axes. In addition, when the occupant 142 sits on the driver's seat 102 in a regular posture, the right side of the occupant 142 is called the right direction, the left side of the occupant 142 is called the left direction, and it is called the left-right direction when representing the coordinate axes. Further, when the occupant 142 sits in a regular posture, the head direction of the occupant 142 is called the upper direction, the waist direction of the occupant 142 is called the lower direction, and it is called the up-down direction when representing the coordinate axes.

[0030] Hereinafter, in the drawings used in the description of the embodiments of the present invention, as needed, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions based on the above-mentioned occupant 142 (refer to Figure 4 (a)) are represented by arrows F (Forward), B (Back), L (Left), R (Right), U (Up), and D (Down).

[0031] Figure 1 (a) The airbag device 100 is provided on the steering wheel 106. In the event of an emergency such as a vehicle impact, the airbag cushion 108 (refer to Figure 1 (b)) is used to restrain and protect the occupant 142 (refer to Figure 4 (a), etc.) sitting on the driver's seat 102. The airbag cushion 108 is a bag-shaped member that can be inflated by gas, and is in a smaller storage form by being wound or folded, and is stored together with the inflator 112 (refer to Figure 2 (a)) in the storage portion 110 at the center of the steering wheel 106.

[0032] The housing portion 110 is provided on the central side of the rim 114 of the steering wheel 106 and is covered by the surface cover portion 111. The cover portion 111 is provided with a groove-shaped tear line or the like on the inner side, and has a structure that cracks when the airbag cushion 108 (see Figure 1 (b)) expands and deploys.

[0033] Figure 1 (b) is a diagram showing the state after the airbag device 100 has moved. The airbag cushion 108 uses the expansion pressure of the gas from the inflator 112 (see Figure 2 (a)) to crack the cover portion 111 (see Figure 1 (a)), and at the same time expands and deploys into a bag shape toward the occupant 142 (see Figure 4 (a)) in the driver's seat 102, and restrains the upper body and head of the occupant 142 who is about to move forward.

[0034] When observed from the driver's seat 102 side, the airbag cushion 108 of the present embodiment expands and deploys into an inverted triangle. The airbag cushion 108 is formed by overlapping and sewing or bonding a plurality of base fabrics constituting its surface.

[0035] Figure 2 Yes Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional view of the airbag cushion 108 when it expands and deploys in (b). Figure 2 (a) is a diagram illustrated by observing the airbag cushion 108 in (b) from slightly above the left side in the vehicle width direction. In Figure 1 (a), a part of the panel constituting the airbag cushion 108 is cut away to expose the internal inflator 112. Figure 2 (a)

[0036] The airbag cushion 108 is formed of a plurality of panels. For example, the panels forming the airbag cushion 108 include: an occupant side panel 124 located on the occupant side; a steering wheel side panel 126 located on the steering wheel 106 side (see Figure 1 (a)); and a side panel 128 that connects the occupant side panel 124 and the steering wheel side panel 126 and constitutes the side portion of the airbag cushion 108.

[0037] The inflator 112 is a gas generating device and is fixed to the bottom of the housing portion 110 (see Figure 1 (a)). The inflator 112 is movable due to a detection signal of an impact sent from a sensor (not shown) and supplies gas to the airbag cushion 108. The inflator 112 is disc-shaped and has: a cylindrical main body portion 116; gas ejection holes 118 provided on the side surface of the main body portion 116; and a flange 120 provided on the outer periphery of the main body portion 116. Exhaust holes (not shown) for discharging gas to the outside may be provided on the side panel 128 or the steering wheel side panel 126, and the gas from the inflator 112 is discharged to the outside through these exhaust holes or the like.

[0038] The inflator 112 is provided with a plurality of studs 122. The studs 122 penetrate through the steering wheel side panel 126 of the airbag cushion 108 and are fastened to the bottom of the housing portion 110 of the steering wheel 106 (refer to Figure 1 (a)). By fastening the studs 122, the airbag cushion 108 is also fixed inside the housing portion 110.

[0039] Currently popular inflators include types that are filled with a gas generant and burn it to generate gas, types that are filled with compressed gas and supply gas without generating heat, or hybrid types that utilize both combustion gas and compressed gas, etc. As the inflator 112, any type of inflator can be used.

[0040] Figure 2 (b) illustrates from the left side in the vehicle width direction Figure 2 the airbag cushion 108 of (a). In the airbag cushion 108, the maximum diameter of the occupant side panel 124 is larger than the maximum diameter of the steering wheel side panel 126, and the whole expands and unfolds into a shape approaching a triangular frustum.

[0041] Figure 2 (c) illustrates from above Figure 2 the airbag cushion 108 of (a). When observed from above, the airbag cushion 108 has a shape of a substantially bilaterally symmetric triangular frustum.

[0042] Figure 3 illustrates Figure 2 each panel constituting the airbag cushion 108 of (a). In Figure 3 it, the state where each panel is unfolded on a plane is illustrated.

[0043] Figure 3 (a) illustrates Figure 2 the occupant side panel 124 of (a). The occupant side panel 124 is a panel that functions as an occupant restraint surface for restraining the occupant when the airbag cushion 108 expands and unfolds. In the present embodiment, in order to protect the head more widely than the abdomen, in the vehicle width direction, the upper part is wider than the lower part, and it has an inverted triangle shape with rounded corners. A sewing S1 with an internal tie belt 146 (refer to Figure 5 (a)) is formed at the center of the occupant side panel 124.

[0044] Figure 3 (b) illustrates Figure 2 the steering wheel side panel 126 of (a). The steering wheel side panel 126 is along the steering wheel (refer to Figure 1(a)). In particular, the steering wheel side panel 126 of the present embodiment has a shape that projects the circular rim 114 held by the driver in the steering wheel 106 and is circular along the outer shape of the rim 114. When the steering wheel side panel 126 forms a pressure receiving surface with respect to the steering wheel 106 in the airbag cushion 108, if it follows the shape of the steering wheel 106, the reaction force can be efficiently obtained from the steering wheel 106.

[0045] In addition, the steering wheel side panel 126 does not have to be exactly the same as the shape that projects the steering wheel 106. For example, it may be a shape that is substantially similar to the shape that projects the steering wheel 106.

[0046] A fixing area 130 is formed at the center of the steering wheel side panel 126. The fixing area 130 is an area where the inflator 112 (refer to Figure 2 (a)) is inserted and fixed to the housing portion 110 (refer to Figure 1 (a)).

[0047] In the present embodiment, Figure 3 (a) the area of the occupant side panel 124 is larger than Figure 3 (b) the steering wheel side panel 126. Therefore, Figure 2 (c) the inflated and deployed airbag cushion 108 gradually increases in cross-sectional area as it moves from the steering wheel side panel 126 toward the occupant side panel 124. With these structures, the airbag cushion 108 can obtain the reaction force from the entire steering wheel 106 by using the small-diameter steering wheel side panel 126 that follows the shape of the steering wheel 106 (refer to Figure 1 (a)), and at the same time, it can widely and sufficiently protect the occupant 142 (refer to Figure 4 (b)) by using the large-diameter occupant side panel 124.

[0048] By adopting the small-diameter steering wheel side panel 126, the airbag cushion 108 can suppress the gas volume. As a result, since the amount of the panel constituting the airbag cushion 108 can be suppressed, the airbag cushion 108 can be folded into a smaller storage form, etc., and can also be easily installed on the steering wheel 106 (refer to Figure 1 (a)) with a limited storage space.

[0049] Furthermore, the airbag cushion 108 (refer to Figure 2 (c)) adopts the small-diameter steering wheel side panel 126 and is configured to gradually increase in cross-sectional area as it moves from the steering wheel side panel 126 toward the occupant side panel 124. Thus, a reduction in gas volume is also sought. With this structure, a high-output inflator is not required, and as the inflator 112 (refer to Figure 2(a)), a small and inexpensive inflator can also be used as much as possible. In addition, suppressing the gas capacity of the airbag cushion 108 is beneficial to accelerating the time required for the expansion of the airbag cushion 108 to be completed, thereby improving the restraint performance for the occupant.

[0050] Figure 3 (c) is an illustration of Figure 2 (a) of the side panel 128. The side panel 128 can be formed by combining a plurality of sub - panels 132. In the present embodiment, for example, three sub - panels 132 can be combined to form the side panel 128 in accordance with the respective sides of the occupant - side panel 124 in an inverted - triangle shape.

[0051] For example, the sub - panel 132 of the present embodiment is formed in a shape close to a trapezoid. The sub - panel 132 can sew the outer peripheral portion of the occupant - side panel 124 (refer to Figure 3 (a)) on the long side 134 corresponding to the lower base of the trapezoid, and sew the edge of the steering - wheel - side panel 126 (refer to Figure 3 (b)) on the arc 136 corresponding to the upper base. Moreover, by connecting the side edges 138, 140 to the side edges of other sub - panels, the side portions of the airbag cushion 108 can be appropriately formed by these multiple sub - panels 132.

[0052] Figure 4 is an illustration of Figure 1 (b) of the process of the airbag cushion 108 restraining the occupant 142 during an oblique collision. Figure 4 Each of the figures corresponds to Figure 1 (b) of the A - A cross - sectional view of the airbag cushion 108, illustrating the airbag cushion 108 and the occupant 142 as viewed from above the vehicle.

[0053] Figure 4 (a) is an illustration of the state of the airbag cushion 108 just after it expands and deploys. As shown in Figure 4 (a), when an impact caused by an oblique collision occurs to the vehicle, the airbag cushion 108 expands and deploys forward of the vehicle towards the driver's seat 106 (refer to Figure 1 (b)).

[0054] The axis L1 is the central axis of the airbag cushion 108 from the center P1 of the steering - wheel - side panel 126 towards the center P2 of the occupant - side panel 124. The airbag cushion 108 has a gradually increasing cross - sectional area along the cross - section orthogonal to the direction of the axis L1 from the steering - wheel - side panel 126 towards the occupant - side panel 124. Therefore, the airbag cushion 108 obtains a reaction force from the entire steering wheel 106 using the small - diameter steering - wheel - side panel 126 along the shape of the steering wheel 106, and can widely and sufficiently protect the occupant 142 using the large - diameter occupant - side panel 124.

[0055] Figure 4(b) illustrates the state where the occupant 142 in Figure 4 (a) enters the airbag cushion 108. Since the occupant side panel 124 of the airbag cushion 108 is an inverted triangle and is wider at the upper part in the vehicle width direction, even when the occupant 142 moves obliquely forward, the head 144 of the occupant 142 can be restrained.

[0056] As described above, the airbag cushion 108 can appropriately restrain the head 144 of the occupant 142 in the case of a normal collision and an oblique collision, thereby suppressing the injury value of the occupant 142.

[0057] The airbag cushion 108 with the above structure, since its steering wheel side panel 126 has a shape along the steering wheel 106 ( Figure 1 (a)), can effectively form a pressure receiving surface relative to the steering wheel 106 and maintain the posture when restraining the occupant.

[0058] As described above, when the vehicle is impacted, the occupant 142 sitting on the driver's seat 102 is more likely to swing back and forth and left and right at the upper part such as the head 144 than at the abdomen or the like. By setting the steering wheel side panel 126 of the airbag cushion 108 as an inverted triangle, a wider restraint area is formed at the upper part in the vehicle width direction, and in both the case of a normal collision and an oblique collision, the head of the occupant 142 can be appropriately restrained, and the injury value of the occupant 142 can be suppressed.

[0059] In addition, the airbag cushion 108 reduces the shape of the inflating part by making the occupant side panel 124 an inverted triangle, so that the amount of material used and the gas capacity can be reduced, which helps to cut costs. In particular, the reduction of the gas capacity is beneficial to accelerating the time required for the airbag cushion 108 to complete inflation, thereby further improving the occupant restraint performance. Thus, according to the airbag device 100, the injury value of the occupant can be suppressed with a simple structure.

[0060] Figure 5 illustrates Figure 2 the internal structure of the airbag cushion 108 in Figure 5 (a). Figure 2 (a) illustrates the internal structure of each panel of the airbag cushion 108 in

[0061] As Figure 5 (a) shows, the airbag cushion 108 includes an internal tie 146 provided between the occupant side panel 124 and the steering wheel side panel 126. The internal tie 146 is a component that controls the shape of the occupant side panel 124 when the airbag cushion 108 expands and unfolds.

[0062] Figure 5 (b) is Figure 5View of the inner lacing 146 in the unfolded state on a plane. The inner lacing 146 has a circular central panel 148 with a specified area and lacings 150a, 150b extending from the left and right edges of the central panel 148. The central panel 148 is connected to the inner side of the occupant side panel 124 by a circular stitch S1.

[0063] The lacings 150a, 150b are symmetrically arranged at the left and right edges of the central panel 148 and extend toward the steering wheel side panel 126. The ends of the lacings 150a, 150b can be connected to the edge of the steering wheel side panel 126, the fixing area 130 around the inflator 112 (see Figure 2 (a)) in the steering wheel side panel 126, etc. Thus, the lacings 150a, 150b are in a state where one end is connected to the steering wheel side panel 126 and the other end is connected to the occupant side panel 124.

[0064] The lengths of the lacings 150a, 150b are set to be tensioned when the airbag cushion 108 expands and unfolds, and the occupant side panel 124 is pulled tight to the steering wheel side panel 126 side via the central panel 148. According to these lacings 150a, 150b, the shape of the occupant side panel 124 can be changed, excessive expansion of the occupant side panel 124 can be suppressed, or the swing of the airbag cushion 108 can be suppressed, etc., to achieve improvement in the occupant restraint performance of the airbag cushion 108 or reduction in the injury value, etc. In particular, since the lacings 150a, 150b extend from the left and right symmetric parts of the central panel 148, the shape of the occupant side panel 124 can be efficiently controlled via the central panel 148.

[0065] In addition, the central panel 148 can also be connected to a biased position such as the upper side or the lower side of the occupant side panel 124. According to this structure, the expansion of the upper and lower parts of the occupant side panel 124 can be appropriately suppressed by the central panel 148. For example, the expansion of the lower part 104b of the occupant side panel 124 can also be suppressed to facilitate entry between the steering wheel 106 and the abdomen of the occupant 142, etc.

[0066] In addition, the lacings 150a, 150b are structured to extend from the left and right of the central panel 148, but they can also be structured to extend from the top and bottom, and the number of them can also be increased. In the case of providing multiple lacings, it is preferable to provide them at positions where the gas from the inflator 112 (see Figure 2 (a)) does not directly contact. In addition, only one lacing can be provided between the occupant side panel 124 and the steering wheel side panel 126 inside the airbag cushion 108.

[0067] (Variant example)

[0068] Figure 6 Yes Figure 1A modified example (airbag device 200) of the airbag device 100. In the following Figure 6 and Figure 7 For elements that are the same as the elements already described, the same reference signs are assigned to omit the description. In addition, for components with the same name as the components already described, even if different reference signs are attached, for example, they have the same functions unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0069] Figure 6 (a) is a diagram illustrating the state of the airbag device 200 before activation. In the present embodiment, the steering wheel 202 provided with the airbag cushion 210 (refer to Figure 6 (b)) is conceived as a structure that converts the operation of the occupant into an electrical signal and transmits it to the wheels. The steering wheel 202 has a grip 204 with a shape other than a circular ring, and its shape is different from that of the steering wheel 106 having the Figure 1 (a) circular rim 114.

[0070] The grip 204 receives an operation that rotates around the central hub 206, but different from the conventional circular rim 114 (refer to Figure 1 (a)), it does not require an operation of rotating at a large angle and does not require holding with both hands switched left and right. Therefore, the grip 204 is formed in a shape that exists only on the left, right, and lower sides of the hub 206, and there is no structure on the upper side of the hub 206.

[0071] The airbag cushion 210 is housed inside the central hub 206 of the steering wheel 202. The hub 206 includes a housing (not shown) that houses the airbag cushion 210 and a cover portion 208, etc. An inflator 112 (refer to Figure 2 (a)) is also housed inside the hub 206 together with the airbag cushion 210.

[0072] Figure 6 (b) is a diagram illustrating the state of the Figure 6 (a) airbag device 200 after activation. In this modified example, the airbag cushion 210 also expands and unfolds between the steering wheel 202 and the occupant of the driver's seat 102.

[0073] Figure 7 Illustrates the airbag cushion 210 during expansion and unfolding in (b) from various directions. Figure 6 (b) is a diagram of the airbag cushion 210 during expansion and unfolding in (b). Figure 7 (a) is a diagram illustrating the airbag cushion 210 corresponding to Figure 2 (a). The airbag cushion 210 has a different structure from that of the airbag cushion 108 in Figure 2 (a) in terms of the shape of the steering wheel side panel 212.

[0074] Figure 7 (b) is a diagram illustrating Figure 7(a) View of the steering wheel side panel 212. The steering wheel side panel 212 follows the shape of the steering wheel 202. In particular, the steering wheel side panel 212 of the present embodiment follows the shape of the grip 204 of the steering wheel 202 that is held by the driver, and is a circular shape that extends in the left - right direction along the outer shape of the grip 204. In addition, the fixing area 130 corresponds to the position of the hub 206 and is provided at a slightly upper part.

[0075] The steering wheel side panel 212 forms the pressure - receiving surface of the airbag cushion 210 relative to the steering wheel 202. If it follows the shape of the above - mentioned steering wheel 202, the reaction force can be efficiently obtained from the steering wheel 202.

[0076] As described above, in the steering wheel side panel 212, the fixing area 130 corresponds to the position of the hub 206 and is provided on the upper side of the center of the steering wheel side panel 212. Thus, the steering wheel side panel 212 can efficiently obtain the reaction force from the irregular - shaped steering wheel 202 with the hub 206 set at a deviated position on the upper side.

[0077] The area of this steering wheel side panel 212 is also smaller than Figure 3 the area of the passenger - side panel 124 in (a). Therefore, Figure 7 the inflated and deployed airbag cushion 210 in (a) also has a structure where the cross - sectional area gradually becomes larger from the steering wheel side panel 212 toward the passenger - side panel 124.

[0078] In the airbag cushion 210 of this modification example, similar to Figure 4 the airbag cushion 210 illustrated, by using the small - diameter steering wheel side panel 212 that follows the shape of the steering wheel 202, the reaction force is obtained comprehensively from the steering wheel 202, and by using the large - diameter passenger - side panel 124, in either the case of a normal front - to - back collision or an oblique collision, the occupant 142 (refer to Figure 4 (b)) can be widely and sufficiently protected.

[0079] In addition, the steering wheel side panel 212 does not have to be exactly the same as the shape projected from the steering wheel 202. For example, it is sufficient as long as it projects a shape that is roughly similar to the shape of the steering wheel 202.

[0080] Above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings. However, the above - described embodiments are preferred examples of the present invention, and other embodiments can also be implemented or completed by various methods. As long as there is no description of a particularly limited gist in the present application specification, the present invention is not restricted by the detailed shapes, sizes, and structural configurations of the components shown in the drawings. In addition, the expressions and terms used in the present application specification are for the purpose of explanation, and as long as there is no description of a particularly limited gist, they are not limited thereto.

[0081] Therefore, those skilled in the art can obviously conceive of various variations or modifications within the scope described in the claims, and they naturally also belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

[0082] Industrial Applicability

[0083] The present invention can be used for a driver's seat airbag for restraining an occupant in an emergency.

[0084] Symbol Explanation

[0085] 100... Airbag device 102... Driver's seat

[0086] 106... Steering wheel 108... Airbag pad

[0087] 110... Receiving part 111... Cover part

[0088] 112... Inflator 114... Rim

[0089] 116... Main body part 118... Gas ejection hole

[0090] 120... Flange 122... Stud

[0091] 124... Occupant side panel 126... Steering wheel side panel

[0092] 128... Side panel 130... Fixed area

[0093] 132... Sub-panel 134... Long side

[0094] 136... Arc 138, 140... Side edges

[0095] 142... Occupant 144... Head

[0096] 146... Inner tie 148... Central panel

[0097] 150a, 150b... Ties L1... Axis

[0098] P1, P2... Centers S1... Sewing

[0099] 200... Airbag device 202... Steering wheel

[0100] 204... Grip 206... Hub

[0101] 208... Cover part 210... Airbag pad

[0102] 212... Steering wheel side panel

Claims

1. A driver's seat airbag, comprising: an inflator housed in the vehicle's steering wheel; an airbag cushion housed in the steering wheel together with the inflator and inflated and deployed to restrain an occupant of the driver's seat, characterized in that, the airbag cushion has: a steering wheel side panel located on the steering wheel side; an occupant side panel located on the occupant side; side panels connecting the edges of the steering wheel side panel and the edges of the occupant side panel to form the side portions of the airbag cushion, the steering wheel side panel has a shape along the shape of the steering wheel, the occupant side panel is an inverted triangle with an area larger than that of the steering wheel side panel and the upper part wider than the lower part in the vehicle width direction, in a cross-section orthogonal to the axial direction from the center of the steering wheel side panel toward the center of the occupant side panel, the cross-sectional area of the inflated and deployed airbag cushion gradually increases as it goes from the steering wheel side panel toward the occupant side panel.

2. The driver's seat airbag according to claim 1, characterized in that, the steering wheel side panel has a shape that projects the rim or grip of the steering wheel, or a shape similar to the projected shape.

3. The driver's seat airbag according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the steering wheel side panel has a fixing area fixed to the steering wheel in a state where the inflator is inserted, the fixing area corresponds to the position of the hub at the center of the steering wheel and is provided on the upper side of the center of the steering wheel side panel.

4. The driver's seat airbag according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the airbag cushion further has one or more internal ties connected to the steering wheel side panel at one end inside the airbag cushion and connected to the occupant side panel at the other end, the internal ties have a size that is tensioned when the airbag cushion is inflated and deployed to pull the occupant side panel toward the steering wheel side panel.

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