Airbag and airbag assembly

Abstract

The invention provides a safety air bag and a safety air bag assembly. The airbag, which is used as a passenger airbag, includes: an airbag having a deployed state and a stowed state; the drawstring is arranged on the inner side of the air bag, in the unfolded state, the air bag comprises a fixed end, a free end and a sunken part located between the fixed end and the free end, a middle supporting cavity extending outwards is formed in the sunken part, and the middle supporting cavity is communicated with the middle supporting cavity. The drawstring is connected to only the upper panel or both the upper panel and the lower panel of the airbag.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to safety devices in vehicles, and more specifically, to an airbag. Background Technology

[0002] In actual traffic accidents, two-vehicle collisions are very common. Therefore, airbags are widely used in existing vehicles as a safety device to protect occupants. Airbags include, for example, steering wheel airbags, dashboard airbags, and roof-mounted airbags. When a vehicle collides or is impacted, the airbag's inflator receives a signal transmitted via wiring connected to the inflator, causing it to deploy. The gas produced by the deployment then rapidly inflates the folded airbag, which expands to protect the occupants from impact injuries.

[0003] Vehicle interiors, particularly in the dashboard area, often have dedicated equipment, such as displays, that may be positioned directly in the airbag's deployment path. In such cases, the airbag may be obstructed by this equipment during deployment, potentially preventing it from reaching its intended position. Furthermore, the stability of the airbag after deployment is also a concern.

[0004] Therefore, a type of airbag with higher safety is desired. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide an airbag with high safety, and an airbag assembly including the airbag.

[0006] A first aspect of the present invention provides an airbag used as a passenger airbag, comprising:

[0007] Airbags, which have both deployed and stowed states; and

[0008] A pull strap is arranged inside the air bag.

[0009] in,

[0010] In its deployed state, the airbag includes a fixed end, a free end, and a recess located between the fixed end and the free end, and the recess has an outwardly extending intermediate support cavity.

[0011] The pull strap is connected to the air bag at either the top panel or both the top and bottom panels.

[0012] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the pull strap is connected to both the upper panel and the lower panel of the air bag. The pull strap is provided with a conversion element and has a first configuration at a first deployment moment and a second configuration at a second deployment moment, wherein, during the deployment of the air bag, the second deployment moment is later than the first deployment moment, and the first configuration is converted to the second configuration via the conversion element.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the conversion member includes a pre-connection portion, and the pre-connection portion is broken during the deployment of the air bag, such that the pull strap is converted from a first configuration having a first length to a second configuration having a second length, the first length being shorter than the second length.

[0014] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the conversion element includes a weak force area, and the weak force area is destroyed during the deployment of the air bag, causing the pull strap to change from a first structure having a first area to a second structure having a second area, the first area being larger than the second area.

[0015] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a guide in communication with the gas generator is further included. The guide is positioned at the fixed end and has overlapping first and second walls. Each of the first and second walls has two through holes, and the four through holes are evenly distributed circumferentially around the gas generator.

[0016] The guide also includes a first adjustment port and a second adjustment port defined by the first wall and the second wall, the first adjustment port and the second adjustment port facing the free end and the fixed end, respectively.

[0017] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a guide in communication with a gas generator is also included, the guide being positioned at the fixed end;

[0018] The pull strap includes a first pull strap and a second pull strap, and the second pull strap is positioned closer to the free end than the first pull strap. The two ends of the first pull strap are respectively connected to the air bag and the guide, and the two ends of the second pull strap are respectively fixed to the air bag and the guide. Furthermore, the second pull strap is provided with an airflow guide portion.

[0019] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the airflow guide is configured as a material-deficient portion.

[0020] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the second pull strap and the second connection end of the air bag and the first pull strap and the first connection end of the air bag are arranged one above the other.

[0021] A second aspect of this disclosure provides an airbag assembly comprising an airbag as described in any of the preceding claims and an external device, wherein the external device is positioned at the recess.

[0022] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the intermediate support cavity is positioned between the fixed end and the external device. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The features, advantages, and technical effects of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same symbols denote the same elements, wherein:

[0024] Figure 1 An airbag assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown.

[0025] Figures 2(a) and 2(b) schematically show... Figure 1 Part of the components in the airbag assembly shown.

[0026] Figures 3(a) and 3(b) schematically show... Figure 1 Examples of replacements for certain components in the airbag assembly shown.

[0027] Figures 4(a) and 4(b) schematically show... Figure 1 Other components in the airbag assembly shown.

[0028] Figure 5 An airbag assembly according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown.

[0029] Figure 6 A portion of the components in an airbag assembly according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown schematically.

[0030] Figure 7 An airbag in a stowed state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The following describes specific embodiments of the airbag and airbag assembly according to the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings below are provided to illustrate the principles of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the described preferred embodiments; the various embodiments described in the present disclosure can be used individually or in any combination. The scope of protection of the present disclosure is defined by the claims.

[0032] Furthermore, spatially related terms (such as "up," "down," "left," and "right") are used to describe the relative positional relationship between elements shown in the accompanying drawings and other elements. Therefore, spatially related terms can be applied to directions different from those shown in the accompanying drawings. Clearly, while all these spatially related terms refer to the directions shown in the accompanying drawings for ease of explanation, those skilled in the art will understand that directions different from those shown in the accompanying drawings can be used.

[0033] Figure 1 An airbag assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown. Reference is made below. Figure 1 Describes an airbag assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, the airbag assembly of this disclosure includes an airbag 1 and an external device 2. The external device 2 is, for example, a display mounted on the dashboard. Since the external device 2 extends between the dashboard and the windshield, it is positioned directly in the deployment path of the airbag 1. Next, the airbag 1 in the airbag assembly according to an embodiment of this disclosure will be described in detail.

[0035] Continue to refer to Figure 1 The airbag 1 serves as a passenger safety airbag and includes an airbag 10, which has an deployed state and a retracted state. A gas generator (not shown) is used to inflate the airbag 10 to inflate it into the deployed state. To clearly see the structure of the airbag 10, Figure 1 The airbag 10 shown is in the deployed state, and, Figure 1 The right side of the airbag 10 shown is used to protect the occupant. The airbag 1 also includes a pull strap 20, which is an inner pull strap, i.e., arranged inside the airbag 10. In this example, only one pull strap 20 is provided; however, this is merely an example, and in practice, multiple pull straps 20 can be provided. Moreover, the two ends of the pull strap 20 are respectively connected to the upper and lower panels of the airbag 10 to limit the thickness of the airbag 10 after deployment, thereby preventing situations such as the airbag 10 being too thick and getting stuck between the external device 2 and the windshield. To this end, it is advantageous to fix the pull strap 20 to the airbag 10 correspondingly to the external device 2 in the height direction of the vehicle, thereby ensuring that the airbag 10 has a sufficiently small thickness at the external device 2 during deployment, and thus can smoothly pass through the external device 2 and continue its deployment process.

[0036] Moreover, such as Figure 1As shown, in the deployed state, the airbag 10 includes a fixed end 11, a free end 12, and a recess 13 located between the fixed end 11 and the free end 12. An outwardly extending intermediate support cavity 14 is provided in the recess 13, protruding beyond other portions of the airbag 10 surrounding the intermediate support cavity 14. One end of the intermediate support cavity 14 abuts against the dashboard, thus the airbag 10 is stably supported at the dashboard via the intermediate support cavity 14, maintaining stability during deployment. This facilitates the positioning of the airbag 10 at a predetermined location for reliable passenger protection.

[0037] Furthermore, the external device 2 can be positioned at the recess 13 of the airbag 10; in other words, the intermediate support cavity 14 is positioned between the fixed end 11 of the airbag 10 and the external device 2. This arrangement allows the intermediate support cavity to have a smaller volume, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the airbag. In one example, only one intermediate support cavity is provided; in another example, multiple intermediate support cavities can be provided, and the multiple intermediate support cavities can be arranged side by side along the width direction of the vehicle.

[0038] Figures 2(a) and 2(b) schematically show... Figure 1 Some components of the airbag assembly shown. Figures 3(a) and 3(b) schematically illustrate these components. Figure 1 Examples of replacements for certain components in the airbag assembly shown are illustrated below. The following description of certain components in the airbag assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is based on Figures 2(a), 2(b), 3(a), and 3(b).

[0039] During deployment, in order for the airbag to eventually deploy to the predetermined position, conditions such as... Figure 1 In the case of the airbag 10 in the indicated orientation, the left side of the airbag 10 needs to deploy first, followed by the right side. A gas generator is positioned at the fixed end 11 of the airbag 10. The gas generated by the gas generator first enters the left side of the airbag 10, causing it to deploy; the right side will deploy later than the left. It is understandable that if the right side of the airbag 10 deploys too quickly, the airbag 10 may become stuck between the windshield and the dashboard. Therefore, the pull strap 20 is equipped with a conversion mechanism, which will be described in detail below.

[0040] As shown in Figure 2(a), the conversion component includes a pre-connection portion 21, which is, for example, a stitched portion. The pull strap 20 is folded in half vertically and pre-fixed together via this pre-connection portion 21. It should be noted that the pre-connection portion 21 is located at a certain distance from the edges of both ends of the pull strap 20, thus not hindering the fixation between the pull strap 20 and the air bag 10. Furthermore, when the air bag 10 just begins to unfold, i.e. Figure 1When the left side of the airbag 10 begins to deploy, the pre-connection portion 21 remains intact, the upper and lower panels of the airbag 10 are close to each other, and this ensures a smaller cross-sectional area of ​​the airbag 10 at the pull strap 10. Simultaneously, the smaller cross-sectional area allows a smaller amount of gas to enter the right side of the airbag from the left side. Therefore, in the initial stage of the airbag 10 deployment process, the right side remains essentially undeployed. Subsequently, as the airbag 10 deploys, as shown in FIG2(b), the pre-connection portion 21 is broken, causing the pull strap 20 to change from a first configuration with a first length to a second configuration with a second length, the first length being shorter than the second length. It can be understood that as the length of the pull strap 20 increases, the cross-section of the airbag 10 at the pull strap 20 increases. Therefore, gas can quickly pass through the pull strap 20 and rapidly enter the right side of the airbag 10, causing it to deploy quickly and thus providing timely protection for the occupant. In addition, the pull belt 20 may also be provided with an opening 22, through which gas can enter the right side of the air bag 10 from the left side, which further accelerates the flow rate of gas as it passes through the pull belt 20.

[0041] Figures 3(a) and 3(b) show another embodiment of the pull strap 20. As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the conversion element includes a weak force area 23, which is specifically two circular areas, and, when the air bag 10 just begins to deploy, i.e. Figure 1 When the left side of the airbag 10 begins to deploy, the weak point 23 remains intact, and gas can only pass through the gap between the strap 20 and the airbag 10, thus restricting the simultaneous deployment of the right and left sides of the airbag 10. Subsequently, as the airbag 10 deploys, as shown in Figure 3(b), the weak point 23 is disrupted, and the originally intact strap 20 is transformed into one with two openings. Gas can then enter the right side of the airbag 10 from the left side through these two openings, causing the strap 20 to change from a first structure with a first area to a second structure with a second area, where the first area is larger than the second area. Therefore, gas can quickly pass through the strap 20 and rapidly enter the right side of the airbag 10, causing it to deploy quickly and thus providing timely protection for the occupant.

[0042] Of course, the above are merely examples of the conversion element for the pull belt. The pull belt of this disclosure is not limited to this. Conversion elements that allow the pull belt to have a first configuration at an earlier first deployment moment and a second configuration at a later second deployment moment can be used on the pull belt of this disclosure.

[0043] Figures 4(a) and 4(b) schematically show... Figure 1 Other components in the airbag assembly shown. The following description refers to Figures 4(a) and 4(b). Figure 1 Other components in the airbag assembly shown.

[0044] like Figure 1As shown, the airbag 1 also includes a guide 15 communicating with a gas generator. The guide 15 is positioned at the fixed end 11 to guide the flow of gas within the airbag 10. As shown in Figure 4(a), the guide 15 has a first wall 151 and a second wall 152, and each of the first wall 151 and the second wall 152 has two through holes 153. When folded in half, as shown in Figure 4(b), the first wall 151 and the second wall 152 of the guide 15 overlap each other, and the four through holes 153 are evenly distributed around the circumference of the gas generator. This arrangement allows gas to exit the guide 15 and enter the airbag 10 through the four evenly distributed through holes 153 when the gas generator produces gas. The guide 15 is subjected to uniform force and therefore remains stable without wobbling. As shown in Figure 4(b), the guide 15 also includes a first adjustment port 15A and a second adjustment port 15B defined by a first wall 151 and a second wall 152. Specifically, the side boundaries of the first wall 151 and the second wall 152 define the first adjustment port 15A and the second adjustment port 15B, and the first adjustment port 15A and the second adjustment port 15B face the free end 12 and the fixed end 11 of the air bag 10, respectively. Figure 1 As indicated by the arrows, the gas flows to the left and to the right via the first regulating port 15A and the second regulating port 15B, respectively. Furthermore, the flow rate of the gas entering the air bag 10 can be adjusted by regulating the opening size of the first regulating port 15A and the second regulating port 15B. In this arrangement, the flow rate of the gas entering the air bag 10 can be adjusted in a simple manner, and the flow rate of the gas in both directions can be independently adjusted via the two separate regulating ports.

[0045] Figure 5 An airbag assembly according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown. Figure 6 The diagram schematically illustrates some components of an airbag assembly according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Reference is made below. Figure 5 and Figure 6 Describes an airbag assembly according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] Combination Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the airbag 1 also includes a guide 15 communicating with the gas generator, and this guide 15 is positioned at the fixed end 11. The pull strap 20 includes a first pull strap 21 and a second pull strap 22, and the second pull strap 22 is positioned closer to the free end 12 than the first pull strap 21; in other words, the first pull strap 21 is located on the left and the second pull strap 22 is located on the right. The two ends of the first pull strap 21 are connected to the airbag 10 and the guide 15, respectively. Figure 5In the indicated orientation, the upper end of the first pull strap 21 is fixed to the upper panel of the air bag 10, and its lower end is fixed to the guide 15; the upper end of the second pull strap 22 is fixed to the upper panel of the air bag 10, and its lower end is fixed to the guide 15. It should be noted that... Figure 6 In order to clearly show the arrangement of the pull straps, a portion of the second pull strap 22 is removed to reveal the structure that was originally obscured by it. Specifically, as shown... Figure 6 As shown, the first connecting portion 101 fixes the upper end of the second pull strap 22, i.e., the second connecting end, to the air bag 10, and the second connecting portion 102 fixes the upper end of the first pull strap 21, i.e., the first connecting end, to the air bag 10. The first connecting portion 101 and the second connecting portion 102 are arranged one above the other, so that the second connecting end of the second pull strap 22 and the first connecting end of the first pull strap 21 are arranged one above the other. In addition, the two sides of the first pull strap 21 and the second pull strap 22 are at least partially connected together by, for example, a sewing portion.

[0047] It is understood that in the above arrangement, the first pull strap 21 and the second pull strap 22 are tightened in a direction substantially parallel to the windshield 3, so that the planes on which the first pull strap 21 and the second pull strap 22 lie are substantially parallel to the windshield 3. This limits the large deformation of the portion of the airbag 10 located at the windshield 3, thereby protecting the windshield 3 from the force exerted when the airbag 10 deploys. At the same time, the first pull strap 21 and the second pull strap 22 are at least partially connected to each other on both sides to stabilize the flow of gas.

[0048] Moreover, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the second pull belt 22 is provided with an airflow guide 222, through which gas flows along... Figure 5 The direction indicated by the middle arrow is from the left side of the airbag 10 into the right side. In one example, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the airflow guide 222 is configured as a material-deficient section. In this arrangement, the flow rate of the gas entering the air bag 10 can be adjusted in a simple manner.

[0049] Figure 7 An airbag in a stowed state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown. Reference is made below. Figure 7 Describes an airbag in a stowed state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] like Figure 7 As shown, the airbag assembly may also include a sleeve 30 for containing the airbag 10 in its retracted state and for being destroyed during the deployment of the airbag 10. It is understood that the sleeve 30 encloses the airbag 10 to maintain its retracted state and to prevent undesirable deployment of the airbag 10 due to external forces.

[0051] Specifically, as shown in the figure, the portion of the air bag 10 located between the fixed end 11 and the intermediate support cavity 14 is folded in an "N" shape to form a folded portion, and the fixed end 11 is positioned outside the folded portion and is not wrapped by the other portions of the air bag 10; and the portion of the air bag 10 located between the free end 12 and the intermediate support cavity 14 is wound around in one direction to form a wound portion, and the free end 12 is located inside the wound portion; finally, the intermediate support cavity 14 surrounds a portion outside the wound portion.

[0052] It is understandable that when the gas generator produces gas to inflate the air bag 10, the folding part will enable the air bag 10 to unfold quickly; at the same time, the winding part will make the air bag 10 have a small volume when stored.

[0053] As mentioned above, although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and the scope of protection of the present disclosure should be defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An airbag (1) used as a passenger airbag, comprising: An air bag (10) has an deployed state and a retracted state; and A pull strap (20) is arranged inside the air bag (10). Its features are, In its deployed state, the airbag (10) includes a fixed end (11), a free end (12), and a recess (13) located between the fixed end (11) and the free end (12). Furthermore, the recess (13) contains an outwardly extending intermediate support cavity (14). The pull strap (20) is connected to the air bag (10) at either the upper panel or both the upper and lower panels.

2. The airbag (1) according to claim 1, wherein, The pull strap (20) is connected to both the upper panel and the lower panel of the air bag (10). The pull strap (20) is provided with a conversion element and has a first configuration at a first deployment time and a second configuration at a second deployment time. During the deployment of the air bag (10), the second deployment time is later than the first deployment time, and the first configuration is converted to the second configuration via the conversion element.

3. The airbag (1) according to claim 2, wherein, The conversion element includes a pre-connection portion (21), which is destroyed during the deployment of the air bag (10), causing the pull strap (20) to change from a first structure having a first length to a second structure having a second length, the first length being shorter than the second length.

4. The airbag (1) according to claim 2, wherein, The conversion element includes a weak force area (23), and the weak force area (23) is destroyed during the deployment of the air bag (10), causing the pull strap (20) to change from the first structure having a first area to the second structure having a second area, the first area being larger than the second area.

5. The airbag (1) according to claim 1, wherein, It also includes a guide (15) communicating with the gas generator, the guide (15) being positioned at the fixed end (11) and having an overlapping first wall (151) and a second wall (152), each of the first wall (151) and the second wall (152) having two through holes (153), and the four through holes (153) being evenly distributed around the circumference of the gas generator; and The guide (15) further includes a first adjustment port (15A) and a second adjustment port (15B) defined by the first wall (151) and the second wall (152), the first adjustment port (15A) and the second adjustment port (15B) facing the free end (12) and the fixed end (11), respectively.

6. The airbag (1) according to claim 1, wherein, It also includes a guide (15) in communication with the gas generator, the guide (15) being positioned at the fixed end (11); The pull strap (20) includes a first pull strap (21) and a second pull strap (22), and the second pull strap (22) is positioned closer to the free end (12) than the first pull strap (21). The two ends of the first pull strap (21) are respectively connected to the air bag (10) and the guide (15), and the two ends of the second pull strap (22) are respectively fixed to the air bag (10) and the guide (15). Furthermore, the second pull strap (22) is provided with an airflow guide portion (222).

7. The airbag (1) according to claim 6, wherein, The airflow guide (222) is configured as a material missing part.

8. The airbag (1) according to claim 2, wherein, The second connecting end (211) of the second pull strap (22) connected to the air bag (10) and the first connecting end (211) of the first pull strap (21) connected to the air bag (10) are arranged one above the other.

9. An airbag assembly comprising an airbag (1) according to any one of claims 1-8 and an external device (2), wherein the external device (2) is positioned at the recess (13).

10. The airbag assembly according to claim 9, wherein, The intermediate support cavity (14) is positioned between the fixed end (11) and the external device (2).

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