Airbag device

Abstract

In order to provide an airbag device capable of appropriately protecting an occupant, the present invention is an airbag device for protecting an occupant in a vehicle, the airbag device being provided with: an airbag which is inflated and deployed toward the occupant by an inflation gas; the left side tying belt and the right side tying belt are arranged in the safety air bag and used for limiting the unfolding shape of the safety air bag. The safety air bag is provided with a front face opposite to the passenger, and a right side face and a left side face which are located on the left side and the right side of the front face. The front end of the left side tying belt is connected to the inner side of the left side face of the safety air bag, and the rear end of the left side tying belt is connected to the front face; the front end of the right side tying belt is connected to the inner side of the right side face of the safety air bag, and the rear end of the right side tying belt is connected to the front face. A recessed portion recessed toward the inside of the airbag is provided between the right-side tether and the left-side tether on the front surface of the airbag, and is configured so that when a cross-section extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle through a center portion of the recessed portion in the left-right direction is viewed from one side in the left-right direction, the cross-section extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle through a center portion of the recessed portion in the left-right direction. An upper inclined surface and a lower inclined surface are formed with an intermediate portion of the recess in the vertical direction as a boundary line, and the lower inclined surface protrudes further toward the occupant side than the upper inclined surface with respect to a plumb line on the cross-section passing through the boundary line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an airbag device for protecting an occupant riding in a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] As is well known, one or more airbags are provided in a vehicle to protect an occupant in the event of an accident. Airbags come in various forms. For example, a so-called driver airbag that inflates near the center of an automobile steering wheel to protect the driver; a front passenger airbag that inflates from the instrument panel to protect the front passenger; a curtain airbag that unfolds downward inside the automobile window to protect the occupant when a lateral impact, rollover, or overturn accident occurs in the vehicle; a side airbag that unfolds on the side of the seat when a lateral impact occurs in the vehicle, etc.

[0003] In the front passenger airbag and the driver airbag that deploy in front of the occupant, the deployment shape of the area of the deployed airbag facing the occupant has a great influence on the restraint performance of the occupant. For example, if the airbag unfolds like a sphere, the head of the occupant entering the airbag may be bounced off, making it difficult to sufficiently restrain the occupant and possibly causing head injuries. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention is proposed, and its object is to provide an airbag device that can appropriately protect an occupant.

[0006] Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides an airbag device for protecting an occupant in a vehicle, including: an airbag that expands and unfolds toward the occupant side by inflation gas; a left tie and a right tie provided inside the airbag for restricting the deployment shape of the airbag. The airbag has a front face facing the occupant, and a right side face and a left side face on the left and right sides of the front face. The front end of the left tie is connected to the inside of the left side face of the airbag, and the rear end is connected to the front face; the front end of the right tie is connected to the inside of the right side face of the airbag, and the rear end is connected to the front face. And, on the front face of the airbag, a concave portion that is recessed toward the inside of the airbag is formed between the right tie and the left tie, and when observing a cross section extending in the vehicle front-rear direction through the center portion in the left-right direction of the concave portion from one side in the left-right direction, an upper inclined surface and a lower inclined surface are formed with the middle portion in the up-down direction of the concave portion as a boundary line, and with respect to the plumb line on the cross section passing through the boundary line, the lower inclined surface protrudes more toward the occupant side than the upper inclined surface.

[0008] In addition, the "middle part in the vertical direction of the concave part" means that when the concave part has a certain expansion in the vertical direction, for example, it can refer to the deepest recessed part, and is not necessarily limited to the central or center position.

[0009] As described above, in the present invention, the rear ends of the left and right laces are connected to the front of the airbag, and are in a form of pulling the airbag through the laces. The left and right outer sides of the rear ends of the laces protrude toward the occupant side and expand. As a result, the restraint performance of the occupant's head in the left and right lateral directions is improved.

[0010] In addition, an upper inclined surface and a lower inclined surface are formed above and below the concave part, and the cross-section is in a "く" shape when observed from the left and right width directions. That is to say, large expansion areas protruding toward the occupant side are not formed above and below the concave part. Therefore, for example, even if the chin of a small-sized occupant (AM05) touches the airbag, the deterioration of the injury value can be minimized. Due to the characteristics of the airbag, the upper inclined surface and the lower inclined surface do not become completely flat surfaces, but the degree of expansion is significantly smaller compared with other parts.

[0011] The angle formed by the tangent line of the upper inclined surface directly above the demarcation line and the plumb line can be made to be less than the angle formed by the tangent line of the lower inclined surface directly below the demarcation line and the plumb line.

[0012] Here, the "directly below the demarcation line" means the part closest to the demarcation line when the lower inclined surface extending from the demarcation line bulges and bends toward the occupant side (rear) in the direction of the lowest point of the airbag during inflation.

[0013] The left lace and the right lace can each be formed such that the length in the vertical direction of the rear end is greater than the length in the vertical direction of the front end.

[0014] Since the width LB of the rear ends (front side) of the left and right laces is set to be greater than the width LA of the front ends (side sides), the tension at the center vicinity (LB3) is greater than the tension at the outer sides (LB1, LB2) at the front end of the laces, and thus a deeper concave part is formed at the center vicinity. Moreover, as the airbag front tilts toward the occupant P side as it moves away from the concave part in the vertical direction.

[0015] This is because the shortest distance Lm between the connection line (such as sewing, etc.) of the lace at the rear end and the airbag and the front end of the lace becomes larger toward the outer side in the width direction. Then, the tension of the lace at the part (LB3) with a shorter shortest distance Lm on the front of the airbag becomes larger, and a deeply recessed concave part is formed at this part. In addition, the tension of the lace at the part (LB1, LB2) with a longer shortest distance Lm becomes smaller. Therefore, as it moves away from the concave part, it tilts toward the direction close to the occupant. As a result, the head of the occupant can be properly restrained regardless of the occupant's body type.

[0016] The airbag may include: a front panel that forms an area including the front face; and a pair of side panels that form the left side face and the right side face.

[0017] The left tie and the right tie may be formed in the same shape.

[0018] In a state where the airbag is deployed, the rear ends of the left tie and the right tie preferably extend substantially parallel in a plumb direction on the front face of the airbag.

[0019] The left tie and the right tie may each be formed in a trapezoidal shape having parallel short sides and long sides, where the short side of the trapezoid corresponds to the front end and the long side corresponds to the rear end.

[0020] Here, the so-called "trapezoid" does not need to be a perfect trapezoid, and includes shapes where the short side and the long side are slightly deviated from parallel, etc. In addition, when expressing the planar shape of the tie as a "trapezoid", a shape obtained by connecting a right triangle to two opposite sides of a rectangle may also be used.

[0021] By forming the left tie and the right tie each substantially in a trapezoidal shape, with the short side of the trapezoid connected to the left and right side faces of the airbag and the long side connected to the front face of the airbag, when the airbag is deployed, a recess is formed near the center of the front face, and within the range of the long side of the trapezoid, the upper and lower regions LB1 and LB2 of the portion LB3 opposite the short side protrude and incline toward the occupant side.

[0022] When drawing two virtual lines extending perpendicularly from the two end portions of the short side of the trapezoid to the long side, when the length from the intersection of the upper side line of the virtual line and the long side to the upper end of the long side is set as LB1, and the length from the intersection of the lower side line of the virtual line and the long side to the lower end of the long side is set as LB2, it may be configured such that LB1 is shorter than LB2. In addition, when the length of the hypotenuse connecting the upper end of the front end stitching line along the short side and the upper end of the rear end stitching line along the long side is set as OB1, and the length of the hypotenuse connecting the lower end of the front end stitching line along the short side and the lower end of the rear end stitching line along the long side is set as OB2, it may be configured such that the sum of OB1 and LB1 is shorter than the sum of OB2 and LB2.

[0023] The left and right fastening straps are each based on a trapezoid having parallel short sides and long sides, and are formed in a shape having a notch portion formed by the lower end portion of the long side of the trapezoid entering in the direction of the short side. The short side of the fastening strap corresponds to the front end, and the long side of the fastening strap corresponds to the rear end. In this case, the end shape of the notch portion may be linear or a curved shape bulging outward. Further, it may be configured that, instead of the notch portion, a protruding portion is provided, and the protruding portion is formed by the lower end portion of the long side of the trapezoid protruding in a direction opposite to the short side. The left and right fastening straps may each be based on a rectangle and be formed such that a first side of the rectangle extends linearly and a second side opposite to the first side is concave inward. The first side of the fastening strap corresponds to the front end, and the second side of the fastening strap corresponds to the rear end.

[0024] The left and right fastening straps may each be formed as a rectangle, and one of the opposite sides is connected to the side surface and the other side is connected to the front surface.

[0025] The left and right fastening straps may each be formed in a "く" shape that expands vertically from the front end toward the rear end. At this time, the portion corresponding to the corner of the "く" shape may extend to the front end. In addition, the "く" shape can also be understood as a shape obtained by rotating a V shape 90° horizontally.

[0026] The airbag device may be a passenger airbag device housed in a vehicle instrument panel or a driver airbag device housed in a vehicle steering wheel.

[0027] Moreover, in the specification, claims, and drawings of the present application, "front" refers to the front (travel direction) of the vehicle, "rear" refers to the rear (the side opposite to the travel direction) of the vehicle, "right" refers to the right side facing the travel direction, "left" refers to the left side facing the travel direction, and "vehicle width direction" refers to the left-right direction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 is a side view showing the deployed state of the airbag according to the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 is a view showing the deployed state of the airbag according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to Figure 1 a cross section taken along the line A1 - A1.

[0030] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the deployed state of the airbag according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 4 is a front view showing the deployed state of the airbag according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the deployed state of the airbag according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and is used to illustrate the deployed shape of the airbag.

[0033] Figure 6 (A) and (B) are explanatory views showing the characteristic portions of the deployed shape of the airbag according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 7 is a plan view showing the panel structure of the airbag according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 8A is a plan view showing the panel structure of the tie according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 8B (a) is a side view showing the shape of the recess formed on the front panel when the airbag according to the first embodiment expands and deploys; Figure 8B (b) is an enlarged view showing the shape of the tie when tension for determining the shape of the recess is applied while being tensioned and provided inside the airbag.

[0037] Figure 8C is a plan view showing the panel structure of the tie according to a modified example of the first embodiment.

[0038] Figure 9A is a plan view showing the tie structure according to a modified example of the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 9B is a plan view showing the panel structure of the tie according to a modified example of the second embodiment.

[0040] Figure 9C (a) is a side view showing the shape of the recess formed on the front panel when the airbag according to a modified example of the second embodiment expands and deploys; Figure 9C (b) is an enlarged view showing the shape of the tie when tension for determining the shape of the recess is applied while being tensioned and provided inside the airbag.

[0041] Figure 10A is a plan view showing the panel structure of the tie according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 10B (a) is a side view showing the shape of the recess formed on the front panel when the airbag according to the third embodiment expands and deploys; Figure 10B (b) is an enlarged view showing the shape of the tie when tension for determining the shape of the recess is applied while being tensioned and provided inside the airbag.

[0043] Figure 11 This is a plan view showing the lacing structure according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 12 (A), (B), and (C) are plan views showing the lacing structures according to the fifth, sixth, and seventh embodiments of the present invention. Detailed Description of the Embodiment

[0045] Hereinafter, the passenger airbag device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. In addition, in this embodiment, the occupant P is based on an experimental dummy, but it goes without saying that it also plays the same role for an actual occupant (human).

[0046] Figure 1 This is a side view showing the airbag deployment state according to the present invention. Figure 2 This is a view showing the airbag deployment state according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to Figure 1 a cross-section taken along the A1 - A1 direction. Figure 3 This is a perspective view showing the airbag deployment state according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a front view showing the airbag deployment state according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the passenger airbag device 1 according to this embodiment includes: an inflater 12 housed inside the instrument panel 10 of the vehicle and generating inflation gas; an airbag 14 that expands and unfolds toward the occupant P side by the inflation gas; a left lacing (26L) and a right lacing (26R) provided inside the airbag 14 for restricting the unfolding shape of the airbag 14. The left and right lacings 26L and 26R will be described in detail later.

[0048] As Figure 2 shown, the fully deployed airbag 14 has convex portions 16L and 16R protruding toward the occupant side on the left and right sides of the front. These convex portions 16L and 16R are formed by restricting the unfolding shape of the airbag 14 by the left lacing 26L and the right lacing 26R. The front end and the rear end of the left lacing 26L with respect to the sewing position of the airbag 14 are denoted by 52L and 54L, respectively. Similarly, the front end and the rear end of the right lacing 26R with respect to the sewing position of the airbag 14 are denoted by 52R and 54R, respectively.

[0049] As Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the airbag 14 has a front face 17 facing the occupant, and a right side face 19R and a left side face 19L located on the left and right sides of the front face 17. In addition, the front end 26La of the left tie 26L is connected to the inside of the left side face 19L of the airbag 14, and the rear end 26Lb is connected to the front face 17 of the airbag 14. Similarly, the front end 26Ra of the right tie 26R is connected to the inside of the right side face 19R of the airbag 14, and the rear end 26Rb is connected to the front face 17 of the airbag 14.

[0050] Figure 5 Fig. is a perspective view showing the deployed state of the airbag according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and is used to illustrate the deployed shape of the airbag. Figure 6 Fig.

[0050] is an explanatory view showing a characteristic portion of the deployed shape of the airbag according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, between the right tie 26R and the left tie 26L on the front face 17 of the airbag 14, there is a recess 40 that is recessed in the inner direction of the airbag 14. When viewed from one side in the left-right direction, a cross-section P1 that passes through the central portion in the left-right direction of the recess 40 and extends in the vehicle front-rear direction is formed with an upper inclined surface 42a and a lower inclined surface 42b with the middle portion 40x in the up-down direction of the recess 40 as a boundary line. Here, the middle portion 40x may be the deepest recessed portion (deep recess) in the recess 40 having a certain width in the up-down direction, and is not necessarily limited to the center in the up-down direction of the recess 40. In addition, the "boundary line" means the boundary where the upper inclined surface 42a and the lower inclined surface 42b intersect.

[0051] And it is configured such that, with respect to the plumb line V0 on the cross-section passing through the middle portion 40x, the lower inclined surface 42b protrudes more toward the occupant side than the upper inclined surface 42a. That is, the inclination angle θ1 of the upper inclined surface 42a with respect to the plumb line V0 is smaller than the inclination angle θ2 of the lower inclined surface 42b with respect to the plumb line V0. In addition, in Figure 6 , (A) shows the case where the upper inclined surface 42a is inclined toward the occupant side (rear), and (B) shows the case where the upper inclined surface 42a is inclined toward the side opposite to the occupant (front).

[0052] Figure 7 Fig. Figure 5 is a plan view showing the panel structure of the airbag 14 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 7 shown, the airbag 14 includes: a front panel 24 that forms a region including the front face 17; a pair of side panels 20L and 20R that form the left side face 19L and the right side face 19R; and a left tie 26L and a right tie 26R.

[0053] The front panel 24 is integrally formed in a long strip shape, with the part facing the occupant being wider. The side panels 20L and 20R are formed in the same shape. Each side panel has a shape that protrudes toward the front of the vehicle (the side opposite to the occupant), and this part is fixed inside the instrument panel 10.

[0054] The left lacing 26L and the right lacing 26R have the same shape. The left lacing 26L is formed in a trapezoid shape with a short side 26La and a long side 26Lb. Similarly, the right lacing 26R is formed in a trapezoid shape with a short side 26Ra and a long side 26Rb.

[0055] As Figure 7 and Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, by sewing the left and right edge portions 24Ls1, 24Rs1 of the front panel 24 to the outer peripheral edge portions 20Ls1, 20Rs1 of the side panels 20L, 20R, left and right connecting sutures 50L, 50R are formed. The front panel 24 is formed into a loop that extends in the vertical and front - rear directions by sewing its two edge portions 24Es1 and 24Es2 in the long - side direction to each other.

[0056] By sewing the front - end suture 26Ls2 along the short side 26La of the left lacing 26L to the connecting line 20Ls2 of the side panel 20L, a connecting line 52L is formed. In addition, by sewing the rear - end suture 26Ls1 along the long side 26Lb of the left lacing 26L to the connecting line 24Ls1 of the front panel 24, a connecting line 54L is formed. Similarly, by sewing the front - end suture 26Rs2 along the short side 26Ra of the right lacing 26R to the connecting line 20Rs2 of the side panel 20R, a connecting line 52R is formed. And, by sewing the rear - end suture 26Rs1 along the long side 26Rb of the right lacing 26R to the connecting line 24Rs1 of the front panel 24, a connecting line 54R is formed.

[0057] As Figure 4 shown, the connecting lines 54L, 54R formed on the front panel 24 (the front surface 17 of the airbag 14) extend substantially parallel to the plumb direction. As Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, the deployed airbag 14 has a deep recess 40 formed near the center in the left - right width direction of the front surface 17 (front panel 24), and from the deepest part 40, inclined surfaces 42a and 42b that protrude toward the occupant side and are inclined are formed as they extend upward and downward.

[0058] Figure 8A It is a plan view showing the panel structure of the left lacing 26L according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In addition, as described above, the right lacing 26R is the same as the left lacing 26L, so only the left lacing 26L will be described.

[0059] As shown Figure 8A in FIG. 1, the lace 26L is generally trapezoidal, having parallel short sides 26La and long sides 26Lb. The sewing lines 26Ls2 and 26Ls1 of the lace 26L are formed at positions slightly inwardly offset from the edge portions on the short side 26La side and the long side 26Lb side. This is for the consideration of sewing allowances.

[0060] The planar shape of the lace 26L can be represented not only by a "trapezoid", but also by a shape formed by connecting a right triangle to the opposite upper and lower sides of a rectangle.

[0061] In the present embodiment, since the width LB of the rear ends 26Lb of the left and right laces 26L, 26R is set to be greater than the width LA of the front end (side surface side), at the front ends 26La, 26Ra of the laces 26L, 26R, the tension near the center (LB3) is greater than the tension on the outer sides (LB1, LB2), thereby forming a deep recess 40 near the center (see Figure 3 , Figure 4 ). Then, as shown in Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the front surface 17 of the airbag 14 inclines toward the occupant P as it moves away from the deep recess 40 in the up and down directions.

[0062] This is because on the connection (sewing, etc.) lines 26Ls1, 26Rs1 of the rear ends 26Lb, 26Ra of the laces 26L, 26R to the airbag 14, the shortest distance Lm from the front ends 26Ls2, 26Rs2 of the laces 26L, 26R gradually increases toward the outer side in the width direction. Thus, on the front surface of the airbag 14, the tension of the lace in the portion where the shortest distance Lm is shorter (LB3) becomes larger, thereby forming a deeply recessed deep recess 40 in this portion. While the tension of the lace in the portion where the shortest distance Lm is longer (LB1, LB2) becomes smaller. Therefore, as it moves away from the deep recess 40, it inclines toward the direction close to the occupant. As a result, regardless of the body type of the occupant, the head of the occupant can be appropriately restrained.

[0063] As shown in Figure 8A , in the left lace 26L, when drawing two virtual lines HL1, HL2 that perpendicularly extend from the upper end 26La1 and the lower end 26La2 of the short side (front end) 26La to the long side (rear end) 26Lb respectively, the length LB1 from the intersection of the upper side line HL1 of the virtual line and the rear end 26Lb to the upper end 26Lb1 of the rear end 26Lb is shorter than the length LB2 from the intersection of the lower side line HL2 of the virtual line and the rear end 26Lb to the lower end 26Lb2 of the rear end 26Lb. When defining the lengths of LB1 and LB2 as above, the left and right laces 26L, 26R of the first embodiment satisfy the relationship of the following formula (1).

[0064] B2 > LB1 ··· (1)

[0065] In addition, as Figure 8A shown, in the left-side lace 26L, when the length of the hypotenuse 26OB1 connecting the upper end 26Ls21 of the front-end suture line 26Ls2 along the short side (front end) 26La and the upper end 26Ls11 of the rear-end suture line 26Ls1 along the long side (rear end) 26Lb is set as OB1, and the length of the hypotenuse 26OB2 connecting the lower end 26Ls22 of the front-end suture line 26Ls2 along the short side (front end) 26La and the lower end 26Ls12 of the rear-end suture line 26Ls1 along the long side (rear end) 26Lb is set as OB2, the sum of OB1 and LB1 is shorter than the sum of OB2 and LB2. When the lengths of OB1, LB1, OB2, and LB2 are defined as above, the left and right laces 26L and 26R of the first embodiment satisfy the relationship of the following formula (2).

[0066] OB2 + LB2 > OB1 + LB1 ··· (2)

[0067] By adopting such a structure, when the airbag 14 is deployed, the area of the lower inclined surface 42b below the demarcation line (deep recess) of the middle part 40x of the recess 40 becomes larger, thereby having advantages such as improving the restraint performance for occupants with a smaller body type.

[0068] Specifically, in the airbag 14 of the first embodiment, as Figure 8B (A) and (B) show, the recess 40 formed on the front panel 24 during inflation and deployment forms an upper inclined surface 42a and a lower inclined surface 42b with the middle part 40x (deep recess) in the vertical direction as the demarcation line, and the lower inclined surface 42b protrudes more toward the occupant P side than the upper inclined surface 42a. Since the lace 26L satisfies the relationships of the above formulas (1) and (2), when the airbag 14 inflates and deploys and the lace 26L is tensioned between the front panel 24 and the side panel 20L provided inside the airbag 14, the tension of the LB1 and LB3 parts on the upper inclined surface 42a side is relatively strong, while the tension of the LB2 part on the lower inclined surface 42b side is relatively weak. Thus, the convex part 40 is formed in a shape where the lower inclined surface 42b protrudes more toward the occupant P direction than the upper inclined surface 42a.

[0069] Figure 8C is a plan view showing the structure of the lace 126 according to a modification of the first embodiment. This modification changes the position and length of the rear end 126b of the lace relative to the front end 126a.

[0070] In this modified example, the structure of the lacing 126 is such that the area LB2 where the rear end 126b extends downward is larger than that of the front end 126a, and there is no area LB1 that extends upward. In other words, this modified example can be regarded as an example of the case where LB1 = 0 and satisfies the relationship of the above formula (1). If such a lacing 126 is adopted in the first embodiment, the area of the lower part 42b below the deep recess 40 will be further increased.

[0071] (Second Embodiment)

[0072] The lacing 226 according to the second embodiment is based on a trapezoid having parallel short sides (front end) 226a and a long side (rear end) 226b, as shown in Figure 9A and has a notch 226c formed such that the lower end portion of the long side of the trapezoid enters in the direction of the short side. In the second embodiment, the end 226c1 of the notch 226c has a linear shape. By the presence of the notch 326c in this embodiment, the inclination angle of the lower part 42b below the deep recess 40 of the deployed airbag 14 can be adjusted to be gentler.

[0073] Figure 9B is a plan view showing the structure of the lacing 326 according to a modified example of the second embodiment. The lacing 326 according to this modified example is based on a trapezoid having parallel short sides (front end) 326a and a long side (rear end) 326b, and has a notch 326c formed such that the lower end portion of the long side of the trapezoid enters in the direction of the short side. In this modified example, the shape of the end 326c1 of the notch 326c is a curved shape that expands outward with respect to the straight line connecting both ends 326c11 and 326c12 of the end 326c1. In the lacing 326, the length of the portion shown as LB1 is shorter than the length of the curved portion between one end 326c11 and the other end 326c12 on the end 326c1 of the notch 326c.

[0074] Specifically, in the airbag 14 according to the modified example of the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 9C (A) and (B), the recess 40 formed on the front panel 24 during inflation and deployment has an upper inclined surface 42a and a lower inclined surface 42b with the intermediate portion 40x (deep recess) in the vertical direction as a boundary, and the lower inclined surface 42b protrudes more toward the occupant P side than the upper inclined surface 42a. In this modified example, a notch 326c is provided on the long side (rear end) 326b side of the lacing 326, and compared with the above first embodiment (see Figure 8B ), the protruding amount of the lower inclined surface 42b is reduced.

[0075] (Third Embodiment)

[0076] The lacing 826 according to the third embodiment is as shown in Figure 10AAs shown, it is based on a trapezoid with parallel short sides (front end) 826a and long sides (rear end) 826b, and a protrusion 826c is formed such that the lower end portion of the long side (rear end) 826b of the trapezoid protrudes in a direction opposite to the short side (front end) 826a. The end 826c1 of the protrusion 826c is linear. In the lace 826, the length of the portion shown by LB1 is shorter than the linear length between one end 826c11 and the other end 826c12 on the end 826c1 of the protrusion 826c. In this embodiment, due to the presence of the protrusion 826c, the inclination angle of the lower inclined surface 42b below the middle portion 40x of the inflated airbag 14 can be adjusted to become larger.

[0077] Specifically, in the airbag 14 of the third embodiment, as Figure 10B (A) and (B) show, the recess 40 formed on the front panel 24 during inflation and deployment is divided by the middle portion 40x (deep recess) in the vertical direction to form an upper inclined surface 42a and a lower inclined surface 42b, and has a shape in which the lower inclined surface 42b protrudes more toward the occupant P side than the upper inclined surface 42a. In this modified example, a protrusion 826c is provided on the long side (rear end) 826b side of the lace 826, and compared with the aforementioned first embodiment ( Figure 8B reference), the protrusion amount of the lower inclined surface 42b increases.

[0078] (Fourth Embodiment)

[0079] As Figure 11 shown, the lace 426 according to the fourth embodiment is based on a rectangle in a plan view, in which the first side (front end) 426a of the rectangle extends linearly, and the second side (rear end) 426b opposite to the first side 426a has an inwardly recessed shape. In addition, in the second side (rear end) 426b, the length from the middle point 426b3 that is most recessed toward the first side (front end) 426a to the upper end point 426b1 is shorter than the length from the middle point 426b3 to the lower end point 426b2. In this embodiment, due to the inwardly recessed shape of the second side (rear end) 426b, the deep recess 40 of the deployed airbag 14 can be adjusted to be further deepened.

[0080] (Fifth Embodiment)

[0081] As Figure 12As shown in (A), the lace 526 according to the fifth embodiment is formed in a rectangular shape. A region near the center of one side (front end) 526a is connected to the sides (19L, 19R) of the airbag 14 by sewing 526s2. The entire region of the other side 526b is connected to the front surface 17 by sewing 526s1. In this embodiment, if the upper and lower ends of the rear sewing line 526s1 and the upper and lower ends of the front sewing line 526s2 are virtually connected, that is, as shown by the dotted line in the figure, it forms a trapezoid similar to the left lace 26L in the first embodiment, and it is expected to obtain the same effect as the first embodiment.

[0082] (Sixth Embodiment)

[0083] As Figure 12 (B) shows, the lace 626 according to the sixth embodiment is in the shape of the lace 26 of the first embodiment shown in Figure 8A with a V-shaped notch 626c provided. The notch 626c is formed in a shape that extends from one side (front end) 626a connected to the sides (19L, 19R) of the airbag 14 by sewing, towards the other side (rear end) 626b connected to the front surface 17 of the airbag 14 by sewing. By providing the notch 626c, the lace 626 according to this embodiment is formed in a "<" shape that expands vertically from the front end 626a towards the rear end 626b. In addition, in the sixth embodiment, the size of the first part 626b1 that expands upward is smaller than the size of the second part 626b2 that expands downward. Additionally, the "<" shape can be understood as a shape obtained by rotating the V-shaped by 90°.

[0084] (Seventh Embodiment)

[0085] As Figure 12 (C) shows, the lace 726 according to the seventh embodiment is the same as the lace 626 in the sixth embodiment shown in the same figure (B), and also has a V-shaped notch 726c provided on the lace 26 of the first embodiment. The difference from the sixth embodiment is that the front end portion of the notch 726c extends to the front end 726a of the lace 726. Additionally, the lace 726 can be completely separated vertically through the notch 726c, or slightly connected together at the front end 726a. In the seventh embodiment, the size of the first part 726b1 that expands upward is smaller than the size of the second part 726b2 that expands downward.

[0086] In the airbag device 1 of the first to seventh embodiments and their modified examples described above, the concave portion 40 formed on the front surface 17 of the airbag 14 and used to restrain the head of the occupant P when the vehicle is impacted has the lower inclined surface 42b below the intermediate portion 40x (deep concave portion) protruding more toward the occupant P side than the upper inclined surface 42a. Thus, even if the chin of a small-sized occupant (AM05) contacts the airbag 14, the deterioration of the injury value can be suppressed to the minimum extent.

[0087] (Explanation of the technical scope of the present invention)

[0088] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the technical idea expressed in the claims.

[0089] Symbol Explanation

[0090] P... Occupant

[0091] 1... Airbag device

[0092] 10... Instrument panel

[0093] 12... Inflator

[0094] 14... Airbag

[0095] 17... Front surface

[0096] 19R... Right side surface

[0097] 19L... Left side surface

[0098] 26... Tether

[0099] 26L... Left tether

[0100] 26La... Short side (front end)

[0101] 26Lb... Long side (rear end)

[0102] 26R... Right tether

[0103] 26Ra... Short side (front end)

[0104] 26Rb... Long side (rear end)

[0105] 40... Concave portion

[0106] 40x... Intermediate portion

[0107] 42a... Upper inclined surface

[0108] 42b... Lower inclined surface

Claims

1. An airbag device, which is an airbag device for protecting the occupants in a vehicle, and includes: An airbag that expands and unfolds toward the occupant side by expanding gas; A left tie and a right tie provided inside the airbag for restricting the unfolding shape of the airbag, The airbag has a front face facing the occupant, and a right side face and a left side face located on the left and right sides of the front face, The front end of the left tie is connected to the inside of the left side face of the airbag, and the rear end is connected to the front face; The front end of the right tie is connected to the inside of the right side face of the airbag, and the rear end is connected to the front face, In the front face of the airbag, a recess is provided between the right tie and the left tie, which is recessed toward the inside of the airbag, and is configured such that when observing a cross-section extending in the vehicle front-rear direction through the central portion in the left-right direction of the recess from one side in the left-right direction, an upper inclined surface and a lower inclined surface are formed with the middle portion in the up-down direction of the recess as a boundary line, and relative to the plumb line on the cross-section passing through the boundary line, the lower inclined surface protrudes more toward the occupant side than the upper inclined surface.

2. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein The angle formed by the tangent of the upper inclined surface directly above the boundary line and the plumb line is less than or equal to the angle formed by the tangent of the lower inclined surface directly below the boundary line and the plumb line.

3. The airbag device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The left tie and the right tie are each formed such that the length in the up-down direction of the rear end is greater than the length in the up-down direction of the front end.

4. The airbag device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The airbag includes: a front panel that forms a region including the front face; and a pair of side panels that form the left side face and the right side face.

5. The airbag device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The left tie and the right tie are formed in the same shape.

6. The airbag device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein In the state where the airbag is deployed, the rear ends of the left tie and the right tie extend substantially parallel in the plumb direction on the front face of the airbag.

7. The airbag device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The left tie and the right tie are each formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape having parallel short sides and long sides, The short side of the trapezoid corresponds to the front end, and the long side corresponds to the rear end.

8. The airbag device according to claim 7, wherein When drawing two virtual lines perpendicularly extending from both end portions of the short side of the trapezoid to the long side, when the length from the intersection of the upper side line of the virtual line and the long side to the upper end of the long side is set as L B 1, and the length from the intersection of the lower side line of the virtual line and the long side to the lower end of the long side is set as L B 2, L B 1 is shorter than L B 2.

9. The airbag device according to claim 8, wherein When the length of the hypotenuse connecting the upper end of the front-end suture along the short side of the trapezoid and the upper end of the rear-end suture along the long side is set as OB1, and the length of the hypotenuse connecting the lower end of the front-end suture along the short side and the lower end of the rear-end suture along the long side is set as OB2, the sum of OB1 and LB1 is shorter than the sum of OB2 and LB2.

10. The airbag device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the left-side tie and the right-side tie are respectively based on a trapezoid having parallel short sides and long sides, and are formed in a shape having a notch portion, and the notch portion is formed such that the lower end portion of the long side of the trapezoid enters in the direction of the short side, the short side of the tie corresponds to the front end, and the long side of the tie corresponds to the rear end.

11. The airbag device according to claim 10, characterized in that, The end of the notch portion is in a curved shape protruding outward.

12. The airbag device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the left-side tie and the right-side tie are respectively based on a trapezoid having parallel short sides and long sides, and are formed in a shape having a protruding portion, and the protruding portion is formed such that the lower end portion of the long side of the trapezoid protrudes in the direction opposite to the direction of the short side the short side of the tie corresponds to the front end, and the long side of the tie corresponds to the rear end.

13. The airbag device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the left-side tie and the right-side tie are respectively based on a rectangle, and are formed such that the first side of the rectangle extends linearly, and the second side opposite to the first side is in a shape recessed inward, the first side of the tie corresponds to the front end, and the second side of the tie corresponds to the rear end.

14. The airbag device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the left-side tie and the right-side tie are respectively formed as rectangles, and one of the opposite sides is connected to the side surface, and the other side is connected to the front surface.

15. The airbag device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the left-side tie and the right-side tie are respectively formed in a "く" shape that expands vertically from the front end toward the rear end.

16. The airbag device according to claim 15, characterized in that, In the left-side tie and the right-side tie, the portions respectively corresponding to the corners of the "く" shape extend to the front end.

17. The airbag device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The airbag device is a passenger-side airbag device housed in a vehicle instrument panel.

18. The airbag device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the airbag device is a driver's airbag device housed in a vehicle steering wheel.

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