Airbag device
By designing a main chamber and protrusion that expands outwards from the roof, the problem of insufficient occupant protection in existing technologies is solved, achieving stable deployment and effective restraint of the airbag device, especially for the protection of the front passenger occupant.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- AUTOLIV DEV AB
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-11
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-05
AI Technical Summary
In the prior art, airbags that deploy from the vehicle's steering wheel or dashboard cannot properly restrain occupants when protecting them, especially when the seat is positioned in the forwardmost position, in which case the occupant's head may collide with the dashboard or other objects.
Design an airbag device comprising a main chamber that expands downward from the roof portion of the vehicle interior and a protrusion that protrudes forward from the lower part of the main chamber. The main chamber and the protrusion are connected by a connected exhaust port. The main chamber expands by inflating gas released by an inflator. The protrusion contacts the dashboard to stabilize the expansion action. A chain restricts the expansion direction.
It allows for rapid deployment in front of the occupants, with the protrusion contacting the dashboard to provide stable protection. It is especially suitable for the front passenger seat, as it can better restrain the occupants' lower limbs and head, reducing the probability of the head coming into contact with hard surfaces.
Smart Images
Figure CN122161740A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to an airbag device for protecting occupants in a vehicle. In particular, it relates to an airbag device having an airbag that deploys from the roof of the vehicle into the passenger compartment. Background Technology
[0002] As is well known, one or more airbags are typically installed in vehicles to protect occupants in the event of an accident. Airbags include, for example, a driver's airbag that inflates near the center of the steering wheel to protect the driver; a passenger's airbag that bulges out from the dashboard to protect the front passenger; curtain airbags that deploy downwards from the inside of the windows to protect occupants in lateral impacts, rollovers, or overturning accidents; and side airbags that deploy from the side of the seat to protect occupants in lateral impacts.
[0003] In recent years, with the advancement of autonomous driving technology (level), the design freedom of vehicle interiors has been continuously increasing. In this context, airbags deploying from the steering wheel or dashboard sometimes fail to adequately protect occupants. Therefore, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a method for deploying airbags from the top portion of the vehicle interior has been proposed.
[0004] However, in the inventions disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, depending on the occupant's body size or sitting posture, it is sometimes impossible to properly restrain the occupant. For example, when the seat is positioned in the forwardmost position, the occupant's head may have already collided with the dashboard or other objects before the airbag has made contact with it.
[0005] Existing technical documents Patent document 1: European Patent No. 2686206 Patent Document 2: U.S. Patent No. 6,460,878 Summary of the Invention
[0006] The problem the invention aims to solve The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances and is an airbag device having an airbag that deploys from the roof of the vehicle compartment, the purpose of which is to provide an airbag device that can properly protect occupants.
[0007] Problem Solving Methods To address the aforementioned issues, the present invention provides an airbag device comprising an airbag that deploys in front of an occupant within a vehicle interior to protect the occupant. The airbag includes: a main chamber that deploys downward from the roof of the vehicle; and a protrusion that extends forward from the lower part of the main chamber and deploys.
[0008] Here, "from the roof down" means, for example, a structure where the folded airbag is housed inside the headliner, and when the airbag is activated, a portion of the headliner ruptures, allowing the airbag to deploy into the passenger compartment. However, this does not exclude structures where the folded airbag is positioned on the outside of the headliner (passenger compartment side).
[0009] In the present invention described above, since a main chamber extends downward from the roof portion of the vehicle interior, the main chamber can be rapidly deployed near the occupants. Furthermore, by providing a protrusion that extends forward and outward from the lower part of the main chamber, the protrusion can quickly contact the dashboard or similar components, obtaining a reaction force from them, thereby helping to stabilize the deployment of the main chamber.
[0010] This invention is most effective when used as an airbag device for the front passenger seat, where there is ample space in front of the occupant. Furthermore, when the airbag device of this invention is used for driver protection, for example, the airbag deployment from the steering wheel can be omitted, and the protrusion deploying in front of the main chamber contacts the steering wheel. Additionally, if the airbag device of this invention is used for rear seats, the airbag deploys from the roof of the rear seats, and the protrusion contacts the lower part of the front seat back.
[0011] The protrusion may be configured as a secondary chamber that is in fluid communication with the main chamber and expands by gas flowing in from the main chamber via a first exhaust port.
[0012] When viewed from the side of the vehicle, the first exhaust port may be positioned below the center of the main chamber along its length. Here, "length direction" can also be referred to as the approximate vertical direction.
[0013] As described above, by placing the first exhaust port, which connects the main chamber and the auxiliary chamber, at the bottom, the deployment position of the auxiliary chamber can be lowered, allowing it to quickly contact the dashboard and other components. Furthermore, since the auxiliary chamber will deploy near the occupant's knees, it is expected to achieve a protective effect similar to that of a knee airbag used to protect the occupant's lower limbs.
[0014] When viewed from the side of the vehicle, the secondary chamber can be configured to unfold in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the long side of the main chamber when in the unfolded state.
[0015] By extending the secondary chamber in a direction approximately perpendicular to the long side of the main chamber, the secondary chamber can efficiently transmit the reaction force it receives from the instrument panel and other parts to the main chamber.
[0016] The protrusion may be configured to be integrally formed with the main chamber. Here, "integrally formed" means formed as the same chamber, excluding the case where the main chamber and the protrusion are formed by connecting two different chambers.
[0017] The main chamber may be configured such that its lower portion tilts and extends towards the occupants relative to the vertical direction.
[0018] By tilting the lower part of the main chamber toward the occupants relative to the vertical direction, it can reach the occupants more quickly than if the main chamber only expands in the vertical direction, thus enabling earlier restraint of the occupants.
[0019] The main chamber may have a curved portion near its upper end.
[0020] By bending the upper part of the main chamber, the starting point for the main chamber's deployment can be adjusted more easily. For example, by positioning the bend in front of the boundary between the roof liner and the windshield, the bend is subjected to a reaction force from the windshield, which helps the main chamber to deploy reliably toward the occupant side.
[0021] It may also include a horizontal chamber connected to the upper end of the main chamber and expanding along the roof portion, wherein the main chamber may be configured to expand by gas flowing in from the horizontal chamber.
[0022] The horizontal chamber can be formed as a chamber different from the main chamber, and configured to allow expanding gas to flow from the horizontal chamber into the main chamber through a second exhaust port.
[0023] It may also have at least two chains connected to the inner surface of the main chamber and used to restrict the main chamber from expanding in the front-back direction.
[0024] The at least two tethers include an upper tether and a lower tether, and can be configured such that, when the airbag deploys, the rear ends of the upper and lower tethers are located above and below the head of the occupant (i.e., the THOR, AM50 dummy developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA); the 50th male dummy (50% adult male dummy, approximately 175 cm tall and weighing approximately 78 kg); the AF05 dummy (50% adult female dummy); or the Hybrid III 5th female dummy (5% adult female dummy, approximately 145 cm tall and weighing approximately 49 kg)). In this invention, "occupant" refers to a dummy with a specific physique based on the above definition.
[0025] By arranging the rear ends of the upper and lower tethers above and below the occupant's head, the occupant's head is positioned between the rear ends of the two tethers when viewed from the side of the vehicle. Therefore, the probability of the occupant's head contacting the tether connection, which is harder than the airbag cushion, is reduced, allowing for a softer catching of the occupant's head.
[0026] The length of the upper chain can be set to be shorter than the length of the lower chain.
[0027] When viewed from the side of the vehicle, the upper tether can be configured to tilt upwards from the front to the rear, and the lower tether can be configured to tilt downwards from the front to the rear.
[0028] In this specification, claims and drawings, "front" refers to the front of the vehicle (in the direction of travel), "rear" refers to the rear of the vehicle (the side opposite to the direction of travel), "right" refers to the right side when facing the direction of travel, "left" refers to the left side when facing the direction of travel, and "vehicle width direction" refers to the left and right direction. Attached Figure Description
[0029] Figure 1 This is a side view showing the interior of a vehicle equipped with the airbag device according to the present invention.
[0030] Figure 2 This is a side view showing the deployed state of the airbag according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
[0031] Figure 3 (A) and (B) are cross-sectional views showing the initial deployment state (A) and the fully deployed state (B) of the airbag according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
[0032] Figure 4 This is a side view showing the deployed state of the airbag according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
[0033] Figure 5 This is a side view showing the deployed state of the airbag according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation
[0034] The passenger-side airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, in this embodiment, occupants P0 and P1 are based on experimental dummies, but it is self-evident that they will function similarly with actual occupants (humans). Occupant P0 is equivalent to THOR's AM50 dummy, and occupant P1 is equivalent to THOR's AF05 dummy.
[0035] Figure 1 This is a side view showing the interior of a vehicle equipped with the airbag device according to the present invention. Figure 2 This is a side view showing the deployed state of the airbag according to the first embodiment. Figures 1 to 5 The embodiments shown all assume a passenger-side airbag device, with an instrument panel 20 positioned in front of the occupant.
[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, the airbag device 14 of the present invention is used to protect occupants (P0, P1) sitting on seats 11 inside the vehicle compartment 10, and is housed in the roof portion 12. The airbag device 14 includes an inflator 16 that generates expanding gas, and airbags 17 and 18 (see reference) that expand and deploy using the expanding gas released by the inflator 16. Figure 2 The inflator 16 and airbags 17 and 18 are housed in the housing 15. Alternatively, the housing 15 is not a necessary structure; the airbags 17 and 18 and the inflator 16 can also be held in place by covering with fabric or straps.
[0037] In addition, the airbag device 14 is usually located on the inside of the headliner (not shown), but it can also be located on the outside of the headliner. Alternatively, the airbag device 14 can also be located near the boundary between the windshield (front window) 24 and the headliner, for example, on the back of the sun visor (not shown).
[0038] like Figure 2 As shown, airbags 17 and 18 are configured to deploy from the vehicle roof portion 12 within the vehicle compartment 10 in front of occupants P0 and P1 to protect them. Airbags 17 and 18 include a downwardly deploying main chamber 17 and a secondary chamber 18 that protrudes forward from the lower part of the main chamber 17. The secondary chamber 18 may also be referred to as a protrusion.
[0039] The main chamber 17 and the secondary chamber 18 are formed into a bag shape from different base fabrics and are connected to each other by stitching around the vent 22. The vent 22 corresponds to the first vent. Expanding gas flows from the main chamber 17 into the secondary chamber 18.
[0040] Viewed from the side of the vehicle, the exhaust port 22 is located below the center C1 of the long side L1 of the main chamber. Thus, by placing the exhaust port 22, which connects the main chamber 17 and the auxiliary chamber 18, below, the deployment position of the auxiliary chamber 18 can be lowered, allowing it to quickly contact the instrument panel 20, etc. Furthermore, since the auxiliary chamber 18 deploys near the occupant's knees, it is expected to achieve a protective effect similar to that of a knee airbag used to protect the occupant's lower limbs.
[0041] Furthermore, the auxiliary chamber 18 is configured to extend in the deployed state in a direction L2 that is approximately perpendicular to the long side direction L1 of the main chamber 17. As a result, the reaction force received by the auxiliary chamber 18 from the instrument panel 20 and the like can be efficiently transmitted to the main chamber 17.
[0042] The main chamber 17 is configured such that its lower portion tilts and expands towards the occupant relative to the vertical direction (UD direction). As a result, it can reach the occupant, especially the abdomen, more quickly compared to the case where the main chamber 17 expands and expands only in the vertical direction (UD direction).
[0043] The upper end of the main chamber 17 is provided with a horizontal chamber 28 that expands along the roof portion 12, and the inflator 16 is housed inside the horizontal chamber 28. The main chamber 17 expands by the gas flowing in from the horizontal chamber 28.
[0044] A curved portion 26 is formed at the boundary between the main chamber 17 and the horizontal chamber 28. By bending the main chamber 17 near its upper end, the starting point of the unfolding direction of the main chamber 17 can be adjusted more easily. For example, by positioning the curved portion 26 in front of the boundary between the roof liner (12) and the windshield 24, the upper surface of the curved portion 26 is subjected to a reaction force from the windshield 24, causing the main chamber 17 to expand and unfold in a direction intersecting the windshield 24. As a result, the main chamber 17 can more easily unfold in a direction approximately perpendicular or perpendicular to the windshield 24. Consequently, the unfolding direction L1 of the main chamber 17 can be reliably controlled.
[0045] Two chains (upper chain 30 and lower chain 32) restrict the forward and backward movement of the main chamber 17. The front ends (30a and 32a) of these chains 30 and 32 are sutured to the inner front side of the main chamber 17, and the rear ends (30b and 32b) are sutured to the inner back (rear) side of the main chamber 17. Furthermore, the rear ends (30b and 32b) of the upper chain 30 and the lower chain 32 are located above and below the heads of occupants P0 and P1, respectively.
[0046] By arranging the rear ends (30b, 32b) of the upper tether 30 and the lower tether 32 above and below the heads of occupants P0 and P1, respectively, when viewed from the side of the vehicle, the occupant's head will be positioned between the two rear ends 30b, 32b of the tethers 30 and 32. Therefore, the probability of the occupant's head contacting the tether connections (30b, 32b), which are more rigid than the airbag cushion, is reduced, thus allowing for a more flexible support of the occupant's head.
[0047] The upper tether 30 is shorter than the lower tether 32. When viewed from the side of the vehicle, the upper tether 30 is configured to slope upwards from front to rear, while the lower tether 32 is configured to slope downwards from front to rear.
[0048] By setting the upper chain 30 to slope upwards from front to back, and simultaneously setting the lower chain 32 to slope downwards from front to back, as follows... Figure 2As shown, on the side of the main airbag cavity 17 used for restraining the occupant after expansion, a larger area can be formed that gently holds the occupant's head without contacting the tethering links (30b, 32b). Although the head positions of the occupant P0, which corresponds to an adult male dummy, and the occupant P1, which corresponds to an adult female dummy, are different, the head of both occupants can be reliably restrained in the area between the rear end 30b of the upper tethering 30 and the rear end 32b of the lower tethering 32.
[0049] Figure 3 (A) and (B) are cross-sectional views showing the initial deployment state (A) and fully deployed state (B) of the airbag according to the first embodiment. Furthermore, in Figure 3 To clearly illustrate the deployment of airbags 17 and 18, illustrations of chains and other components have been omitted. Airbags 17 and 18 are housed in a folded state within the housing 15. When a collision is detected and the airbag device 14 is activated, a portion of the roof liner ruptures, and the airbags deploy into the vehicle interior.
[0050] like Figure 3 As shown in (A), in the initial stage, the main chamber 17 first unfolds diagonally downwards from the roof portion inside the vehicle. At this time, the curved portion 26 contacts the inner surface of the windshield 24 and can be subjected to a reaction force from the windshield. Furthermore, since the main chamber 17 unfolds rapidly near the occupant, the occupant's forward movement can be reliably restrained through the main chamber 17.
[0051] Next, as Figure 3 As shown in (B), the expanding gas filling the main chamber 17 flows into the secondary chamber 18 through the exhaust port 22. As a result, the secondary chamber 18 unfolds forward. The secondary chamber 18 quickly contacts the instrument panel 20 and is subjected to a reaction force from the instrument panel 20, thus stabilizing the unfolding action of the secondary chamber 18 and the main chamber 17.
[0052] (Second Embodiment) Figure 4 This is a side view showing the deployed state of the airbag according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used for components that are the same as or correspond to those in the first embodiment described above, and repeated descriptions are omitted. In this embodiment, the protrusion 118 protrudes and deploys from the lower part of the main chamber 117 toward the front of the vehicle, and the protrusion 118 is integrally formed with the main chamber 117. That is, the main chamber 117 and the protrusion 118 are formed as the same chamber, and are not a structure consisting of two connected different chambers.
[0053] Similar to the first embodiment, the main chamber 117 is configured such that its lower portion tilts and expands towards the occupants relative to the vertical direction (UD direction). A horizontal chamber 128, connected to the main chamber 117 and expanding along the roof portion 12, is provided at the upper end of the main chamber 117; the inflator 16 is housed inside the horizontal chamber 128. The main chamber 117 expands and expands using gas flowing into the horizontal chamber 128.
[0054] A bend 126 is formed at the boundary between the main chamber 117 and the horizontal chamber 128. The basic structure and function of the bend 126 are the same as those of the bend 26 in the first embodiment.
[0055] Two chains (upper chain 130 and lower chain 132) are connected to the inner surface of the main chamber 117 to restrict its forward and backward movement. The front ends (130a and 132a) of these chains 130 and 132 are sutured to the inner front side of the main chamber 117, and the rear ends (130b and 132b) are sutured to the inner back side (rear side) of the main chamber 117. In addition, the basic structure and function of the upper chain 130 and the lower chain 132 are the same as those of the chains 30 and 32 in the first embodiment.
[0056] In this embodiment, the airbags 117 and 118 are housed in the housing 15 in a folded state. When a collision is detected and the airbag device is activated, a portion of the roof liner ruptures, and the airbags deploy into the vehicle interior.
[0057] In the initial stage of airbag deployment, the main chamber 117 first expands diagonally downwards from the roof portion inside the vehicle. Simultaneously or slightly after the main chamber 117 expands, the protrusion 118 expands forward.
[0058] (Third embodiment) Figure 5 This is a side view showing the deployed state of the airbag according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The same reference numerals are used for components that are the same as or correspond to those in the first and second embodiments described above, and repeated descriptions are omitted.
[0059] This embodiment is a variation of the first embodiment described above. The horizontal chamber 228 and the main chamber 17 are separately disposed and connected to the upper end of the main chamber 17, and expand along the roof of the vehicle. Furthermore, the main chamber 17 expands by the gas flowing into the horizontal chamber 228 through the exhaust port 228a. The exhaust port 228a is equivalent to a second exhaust outlet.
[0060] By configuring the horizontal chamber 228 as a chamber different from the main chamber 17, and designing the shape, length, and position of the exhaust port 228a of the horizontal chamber 228, the flow direction and flow rate of the expanding gas flowing into the main chamber 17 can be adjusted, and the deployment position and deployment direction (L1) of the main chamber 17 can be further adjusted.
[0061] (Explanation of the scope of the invention) The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and appropriate changes can be made within the scope of the technical concept described in the claims.
[0062] Symbol Explanation 10 carriages 14. Airbag device 17 main chamber 18 auxiliary chambers 22 Exhaust port 24 Windshield 26. Bend 28 horizontal chambers 30 Upper chain 30a Front end 30b Rear end 32 Lower chain 32a Front end 32b rear end 118 Protrusion 228a Exhaust port
Claims
1. An airbag device comprising an airbag that deploys in front of an occupant within a vehicle interior to protect the occupant, characterized in that, The airbag includes: a main chamber that deploys downward from the roof of the vehicle; and a protrusion that extends forward from the lower part of the main chamber and deploys forward from the vehicle.
2. The airbag device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The protrusion is a secondary chamber that is fluidly connected to the main chamber and expands by gas flowing in from the main chamber via the first exhaust port.
3. The airbag device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, When viewed from the side of the vehicle, the first exhaust port is positioned below the center of the main chamber along its length.
4. The airbag device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, When viewed from the side of the vehicle, the secondary chamber is configured to unfold in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the long side of the main chamber when in the unfolded state.
5. The airbag device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The protrusion is integral with the main chamber.
6. The airbag device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The main chamber is configured such that its lower portion tilts and extends towards the occupants relative to the vertical direction.
7. The airbag device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The main chamber has a curved portion near its upper end.
8. The airbag device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a horizontal chamber connected to the upper end of the main chamber and expanding outwards along the roof portion. The main chamber is configured to expand by gas flowing in from the horizontal chamber.
9. The airbag device as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The horizontal chamber is formed as a chamber different from the main chamber, and, The configuration allows expanding gas to flow from the horizontal chamber into the main chamber through the second exhaust port.
10. The airbag device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, It may also have at least two chains connected to the inner surface of the main chamber to restrict the main chamber from expanding in the front-back direction.
11. The airbag device as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that, The at least two chains include an upper chain and a lower chain. When the airbag deploys, the rear ends of the upper and lower tethers are positioned above and below the occupant's head, respectively, where the occupant is equivalent to the THOR AM50 dummy developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
12. The airbag device as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The at least two chains include an upper chain and a lower chain. When the airbag deploys, the rear ends of the upper and lower tethers are positioned above and below the occupant's head, respectively, where the occupant is equivalent to the THOR AF05 dummy developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
13. The airbag device as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The length of the upper chain is set to be shorter than the length of the lower chain.
14. The airbag device as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The length of the upper chain is set to be shorter than the length of the lower chain.
15. The airbag device as described in claim 13, characterized in that, When viewed from the side of the vehicle, the upper tether is configured to tilt upwards from the front to the rear, and the lower tether is configured to tilt downwards from the front to the rear.
16. The airbag device as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that, When viewed from the side of the vehicle, the upper tether is configured to tilt upwards from the front to the rear, and the lower tether is configured to tilt downwards from the front to the rear.
17. The airbag device as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, When the main chamber expands, the upper surface of the curved portion is subjected to a reaction force from the vehicle windshield, thereby expanding in a direction intersecting the windshield.