Airbag device for passenger seat

Abstract

Provided is a passenger-seat airbag device that can stably protect an occupant with an airbag that has completed inflation even if the device is configured to have different inflation shapes. The airbag (25) has a main bag portion (28) having an occupant-side wall portion (40) that links a front end side when inflation is complete to a storage portion side and is disposed opposite an occupant, and a sub bag portion (45) that communicates with the main bag portion via a communication portion and can inflate in a manner that protrudes from the occupant-side wall portion side toward the rear. A linking member that links the sub bag portion and a control mechanism is disposed in the main bag portion. When the main bag portion inflates in a state in which the linking member and the control mechanism are linked, the sub bag portion is in a state in which it is pulled into the main bag portion via the communication portion, and when the main bag portion inflates in a state in which the linking of the linking member and the control mechanism is released, the sub bag portion inflates in a manner that protrudes from the occupant-side wall portion toward the rear.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a passenger-side airbag device with the following structure: it is positioned in front of a passenger sitting in the passenger seat, and the inflation shape of the airbag is controlled by a control mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, passenger-side airbag devices with airbag inflation controlled by a control mechanism are configured such that the airbag has a main airbag portion and a secondary airbag portion whose inflation is controlled by the control mechanism. In this current passenger-side airbag device, the secondary airbag portion is configured to cover the rear surface of the main airbag portion by pre-joining the upper and lower ends to the main airbag portion via pre-stitching portions. The main airbag portion and the secondary airbag portion are connected to each other via a valve mechanism connected to the control mechanism via a connecting member. Moreover, the structure is such that if the connecting member is disconnected from the control device, inflation gas flows into the secondary airbag portion through the open valve mechanism, and the secondary airbag portion inflates together with the main airbag portion by releasing the pre-joining based on the pre-stitching portions at the upper and lower ends. When the connection between the connecting member and the control device is maintained, the valve mechanism does not open, and only the main airbag portion inflates (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1: Chinese Utility Model Announcement No. 220594851 Specification

[0004] However, in current passenger-side airbag systems, the secondary airbag is configured such that when inflation gas flows into it via a valve mechanism and inflates, the pre-bonding state between the secondary airbag and the main airbag, achieved by the pre-stitched sections at the upper and lower ends, is released and inflated. Therefore, it is difficult to set the release timing of the pre-bonding (the breaking timing of the sutures) to be constant. In other words, the inflation timing of the secondary airbag fluctuates, and there is room for improvement in the stable protection of the occupant by the inflated airbag. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention was proposed to solve the above-mentioned problems. Its purpose is to provide a front passenger airbag device that can stably protect the occupant even if it is designed with different inflation modes.

[0006] The passenger-side airbag device of the present invention comprises: an airbag disposed in front of the passenger seat occupant and folded into a storage compartment; an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag; and a control mechanism that controls the inflation shape of the airbag.

[0007] The airbag is designed as a flexible bag shape.

[0008] It has: a main bladder portion, configured such that, at its front end when fully inflated, it has an inlet opening on which the periphery is connected to the storage portion for allowing expansion gas to flow into the interior, and at its rear end when fully inflated, it has an occupant sidewall portion positioned directly opposite the occupant; and

[0009] The secondary bladder is designed to communicate with the main bladder and expand in a manner that protrudes rearward from the occupant's side wall. Its expansion is controlled by a control mechanism.

[0010] The passenger-side airbag device is characterized in that...

[0011] The airbag is configured to have a connecting member disposed within the main airbag portion, connecting the base side to the inner peripheral surface side of the secondary airbag portion, and connecting the front end side to a control mechanism disposed near the inflow opening.

[0012] The secondary bladder is configured such that when the main bladder expands, it is pulled into the main bladder through the connecting part while maintaining the connection between the connecting member and the control mechanism. When the main bladder expands, the secondary bladder expands in a manner that protrudes rearward from the occupant side wall, thus protecting the occupant through the rear surface side when the expansion is complete.

[0013] In the passenger-side airbag device of the present invention, the airbag has a main airbag portion and a secondary airbag portion, the inflation of which is controlled by a control mechanism. Furthermore, the secondary airbag portion, whose inflation is controlled by the control mechanism, is structured such that it is connected to the control mechanism via a connecting member, and while the connection between the connecting member and the control mechanism is maintained, it is in a non-inflated state, being pulled into the main airbag portion via a connecting portion. When the connection between the connecting member and the control mechanism is released, inflation gas flows into the interior through the main airbag portion and the connecting portion, inflating by protruding rearward from the occupant side wall portion located at the rear end of the main airbag portion. In other words, in the passenger-side airbag device of the present invention, the inflation of the secondary airbag portion is controlled solely by maintaining or releasing the connection between the control mechanism and the connecting member extending from the secondary airbag portion. Therefore, even when the secondary airbag portion is inflated in addition to the main airbag portion, fluctuations in the inflation timing of the secondary airbag portion can be suppressed. Furthermore, in the passenger seat airbag device of the present invention, when inflation is completed while the connection between the connecting member and the control mechanism is maintained, the secondary airbag is pulled into the main airbag and does not protrude to the outside. The occupant can be reliably supported by the occupant side wall of the inflated main airbag. When inflation is completed while the connection between the connecting member and the control mechanism is disconnected, the occupant can be reliably supported by the rear surface of the secondary airbag, which expands to protrude further rearward than the main airbag.

[0014] Therefore, in the passenger seat airbag device of the present invention, even if it is designed with a structure having different inflation modes, the occupant can be stably protected by the inflated airbag.

[0015] Furthermore, in the passenger-side airbag device of the present invention, preferably, the airbag is formed into a bag shape by joining the peripheries of a substrate of a predetermined shape made of a flexible sheet together.

[0016] The secondary bladder is configured such that it has a front sidewall and a rear sidewall with approximately the same external shape. When fully inflated, the front sidewall is positioned on the front surface side of the occupant sidewall, and the rear sidewall is positioned on the rear surface side opposite to the front sidewall.

[0017] The passenger sidewall is composed of two passenger side panels that are divided into two parts in the vertical or horizontal direction.

[0018] Each passenger side panel is configured such that a front wall component, comprising half of the front side wall of the sub-bag, is protrudingly disposed on the inner edge of the region forming the central side of the passenger side wall and joined to each other.

[0019] The shape of the rear panel portion constituting the rear side wall portion of the sub-bag is made so that it is approximately the same as the shape of the front wall components of each passenger side panel portion when they are opened, with their inner edges joined together.

[0020] The connecting component is formed such that it extends from two opposite locations on the outer periphery of the sub-bag portion, in the direction opposite to the division direction of the occupant side wall portion.

[0021] By arranging the passenger-side airbag device with the above-described structure, the secondary airbag can be formed simply by joining the remaining edges of the front wall components and the outer periphery of the rear panel of each passenger-side panel with their inner edges joined together. That is, in the passenger-side airbag device with the above-described structure, the passenger-side wall of the main airbag and the secondary airbag can be formed through a planar joining operation, thus simplifying airbag manufacturing. Furthermore, in the passenger-side airbag device with the above-described structure, the secondary airbag is formed by joining the outer periphery of the front and rear side walls, which have approximately the same shape, together. The connecting member is a structure formed by extending from the inner peripheral surface of the secondary airbag's outer periphery from two locations opposite each other along the division direction of the passenger-side wall (i.e., approximately the center of the edge of each front wall component). Therefore, when the main airbag inflates while maintaining the connection between the connecting member and the control mechanism, the secondary airbag is pulled by the connecting member, causing the entire unit to invert and fold twice, thus being placed inside the main airbag. In other words, while maintaining the connection between the connecting parts and the control mechanism, the secondary bladder does not increase (expand) within the main bladder. A slit-like opening formed from the area surrounding the connecting part is provided on the occupant side wall. The secondary bladder is configured to be recessed forward in a pocket shape from the occupant side wall, which does not affect the expansion shape of the main bladder and allows only the main bladder to expand stably.

[0022] Furthermore, in the aforementioned passenger-side airbag system, if the passenger side panel is configured to divide the passenger side wall into two parts in the left-right direction, then when the main airbag is fully inflated while maintaining the connection between the connecting parts and the control mechanism, a pocket-shaped secondary airbag is configured to be recessed forward from the passenger side wall, with its rear slit-like opening running approximately vertically along the passenger side wall. Therefore, even when only the main airbag is inflated, the occupant's head can be protected by entering this pocket-shaped area (the vertically oriented slit-like opening formed in the passenger side wall). Additionally, in this type of airbag, by changing the vertical position of the front wall component relative to the passenger side panel, the vertical position of the secondary airbag relative to the main airbag (passenger side wall) can be easily adjusted as needed.

[0023] Furthermore, in the passenger-side airbag device with the above-described structure, preferably, the airbag is stored in a storage compartment in a folded state. This folded state is formed by unfolding the occupant side wall of the main airbag portion approximately flat and placing it on the inlet opening to form a pre-folded airbag, and is obtained by folding the pre-folded airbag in a manner that reduces its front-to-back and left-to-right dimensions.

[0024] In a pre-folding airbag, the auxiliary airbag is configured to be placed on the occupant side wall of the main airbag in a flat unfolded state with the front and rear side walls overlapping.

[0025] In the passenger-side airbag device with the above-described structure, the airbag is folded and stored in a storage compartment so that the secondary airbag portion protrudes from the main airbag portion. Therefore, when the airbag is inflated with the connecting parts and control mechanism disconnected, the secondary airbag portion changes from being exposed on the rear surface side of the main airbag portion to inflating by allowing inflation gas to flow into it, enabling the secondary airbag portion to inflate quickly and smoothly. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the vicinity of a passenger-side airbag device equipped with one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the airbag device in the front-rear direction according to the embodiment.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view of the airbag device in the left-right direction according to the embodiment.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the airbag unit used in the airbag device according to the embodiment, showing the state in which the auxiliary airbag and the gas discharge section are both pulled in.

[0030] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A rough longitudinal section of the airbag along the front-to-back direction.

[0031] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 A rough cross-sectional view of the airbag along the front-to-back direction.

[0032] Figure 7 This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view along the front-rear direction near the sub-bladder in the airbag of the embodiment, showing the sub-bladder inflated.

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic cross-sectional view along the front-rear direction near the sub-bladder in the airbag of the embodiment, showing the sub-bladder inflated.

[0034] Figure 9 This is a plan view showing the substrate of the airbag constituting the embodiment.

[0035] Figure 10 This is a plan view showing the remaining substrate of the airbag constituting the embodiment.

[0036] Figure 11 These are a plan view and a bottom view showing the airbag in the embodiment being pre-folded.

[0037] Figure 12This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view along the front-rear direction of the airbag device in the embodiment, showing the state in which the airbag is inflated in a small volume mode.

[0038] Figure 13 This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view along the front-rear direction of the airbag device in the embodiment, showing the state in which the airbag is inflated in a large-volume mode.

[0039] Figure 14 This is a schematic cross-sectional view along the front-rear direction of the airbag device in the embodiment, showing the state in which the airbag is inflated in a small volume mode.

[0040] Figure 15 This is a schematic cross-sectional view along the front-rear direction of the airbag device in the embodiment, showing the state in which the airbag is inflated in a large-volume mode.

[0041] Figure 16 This is a schematic side view of the airbag device in the embodiment when the airbag is fully inflated, showing the small volume mode and the large volume mode.

[0042] Figure 17 This is a schematic rear view, viewed from the rear of the vehicle, showing the airbag inflating in a small-volume mode in the airbag device of the embodiment.

[0043] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the occupant's head is supported by an airbag that inflates in a small volume mode.

[0044] Figure 19 This is a schematic perspective view showing the state in which the airbag is inflated in a small-volume mode according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 20 It indicates composition Figure 19 A plan view of the substrate of the airbag. Detailed Implementation

[0046] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 As shown, the passenger-side airbag device M (hereinafter referred to as "airbag device") in this embodiment is configured as a top-mounted structure disposed in front of the passenger seat PS of the vehicle, inside the upper surface 2 of the instrument panel (hereinafter referred to as "instrument panel") 1. Furthermore, in this embodiment, unless otherwise stated, the front-to-back / up-down / left-to-right directions are consistent with the front-to-back / up-down / left-to-right directions of the vehicle.

[0047] like Figures 1 to 3As shown, the airbag device M includes: a folded airbag 25; an inflator 8 that supplies inflation gas to the airbag 25; a housing 12 serving as a storage portion, which stores and holds the airbag 25 and the inflator 8; a retaining member 9 for mounting the airbag 25 and the inflator 8 to the housing 12; an airbag cover 6 that covers the folded airbag 25; and two locking members 16L and 16R serving as a control mechanism, which control the inflation shape of the airbag 25. In the embodiment, the inflator 8 and the locking members 16L and 16R are... Figure 1 The control device 110 shown controls the operation.

[0048] like Figure 1 As shown, the control device 110 inputs electrical signals from a position detection sensor 111 that can detect the body shape of the occupant MP sitting in the front passenger seat PS or the separation distance between the instrument panel 1 and the occupant MP (position of the front passenger seat PS relative to the instrument panel 1), a weight detection sensor 112 that can detect the weight of the occupant MP, and a collision detection sensor 113 that can detect the vehicle's acceleration and acceleration direction, etc., to make the inflator 8 work, and controls the operation of the locking parts 16L and 16R so that the airbag 25 inflates in an appropriate inflation mode.

[0049] The airbag cover 6 is constructed integrally with the instrument panel 1 made of synthetic resin, and opens the front and rear doors 6a and 6b by pressing them together when the airbag 25 deploys and inflates. Furthermore, a connecting wall 6c is formed around the doors 6a and 6b of the airbag cover 6, which connects to the outer casing 12.

[0050] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the inflator 8 has: a nearly cylindrical main body 8a having a plurality of gas outlets 8b; and a flange 8c for mounting the inflator 8 to the housing 12.

[0051] The outer casing 12, which serves as the storage compartment, is formed into an approximately cuboid shape using a thin metal plate with a rectangular opening at the top. Figures 1 to 3As shown, the airbag 25 has a roughly rectangular bottom wall portion 13 to which the inflator 8 is inserted and installed from below; and a peripheral wall portion 14 that extends upward from the outer periphery of the bottom wall portion 13 to lock the connecting wall portion 6c of the airbag cover 6. In this embodiment, the airbag 25 and the inflator 8 are connected to the bottom wall portion 13 of the outer shell 12 by using the bolts 9a of the retainer 9 disposed within the airbag 25 as mounting units, such that the bolts 9a pass through the periphery of the airbag 25 inlet opening 35, the bottom wall portion 13 of the outer shell 12, and the flange portion 8c of the inflator 8, and are secured by nuts 10. The bottom wall portion 13 of the outer shell 12 is configured to be wider in the left and right directions, and has an insertion hole (not shown) at approximately the center of the left and right sides for inserting the main body portion 8a of the inflator 8; and an insertion hole (not shown) for inserting the bolts 9a of the retainer 9. On the bottom wall portion 13, through holes 13a and 13b are formed on the left and right sides of the insertion hole for inserting the main body portion 8a of the inflator 8 (see reference). Figure 2 , Figure 3 A through hole 13a on the left side is used to insert the front end 100b side of the connecting member 100 extending from the gas exhaust section 50 (described later) of the airbag 25. A through hole 13b on the right side is used to insert the front end 97b side of the connecting members 97L and 97R extending from the secondary airbag section 45 (described later) of the airbag 25. Additionally, a bracket (not shown) connected to the vehicle body side is provided on the housing 12.

[0052] like Figure 3 As shown, locking components 16L and 16R, serving as control mechanisms, are respectively arranged on the lower side of the bottom wall portion 13, and near the through holes 13a and 13b (i.e., on the left and right sides of the inflator 8). Each locking component 16L and 16R locks the front ends 97b and 100b of the connecting components 97L, 97R, and 100 arranged on the airbag 25. Except for the different operating timings, they are designed with the same structure; therefore, the left-side locking component 16L will be used as an example for explanation. Figure 2As shown, the locking member 16L includes: a locking pin 17L, which is inserted into a locking hole 101 formed on the front end 100b side of the connecting member 100 to lock the front end 100b side of each connecting member 100; an actuator 18L, which is mounted on the lower surface side of the bottom wall portion 13 and operates in a manner that allows the locking pin 17L to be pulled in; and a support bracket 19L, which is configured to extend downward from the bottom wall portion 13 on the front end side of the locking pin 17L and can support the front end side of the locking pin 17L. The actuator 18L is configured to operate in a manner that pulls in the locking pin 17L upon receiving an operating signal from the control device 110. If the actuator 18L operates in a manner that pulls in the locking pin 17L, the locking pin 17L changes from a state of locking the front end 100b side of the connecting member 100 to a state of releasing the locking. As the actuator 18L, as long as the locking pin 17L can be moved by an electrical signal from the control device 110, a piston cylinder utilizing fluid pressure, including hydraulic / water / air pressure or the pressure of expanding gas such as that generated by an air compressor, an electric motor utilizing the aforementioned fluid pressure or electricity, an electromagnetic solenoid, or a spring utilizing the preload force during return can be used. Furthermore, when the actuator 18L is not operating, in order to prevent the front end 100b side of the connecting member 100 from disengaging from the locking pin 17L when locked, the locking pin 17L is supported at the front end by a support bracket 19L.

[0053] like Figures 4 to 8 As shown, the airbag 25 includes: an airbag body 26 having a main airbag portion 28 and a secondary airbag portion 45; a gas discharge portion 50 disposed in the main airbag portion 28; straps 60, 66L, 66R, 71, and 72 disposed inside the airbag body 26 to restrict the inflated shape of the main airbag portion 28 and the secondary airbag portion 45; connecting members 97L and 97R disposed extending from the secondary airbag portion 45; and a connecting member 100 disposed extending from the gas discharge portion 50.

[0054] The airbag body 26 is configured as a bag-shaped structure formed of a flexible sheet material, having: a main airbag portion 28; and a secondary airbag portion 45, whose inflation is controlled by a locking member 16R, which serves as a control mechanism.

[0055] The main air bladder 28 is configured to seal the space between the upper surface 2 of the instrument panel 1 and the windshield 4 above the instrument panel 1 when fully inflated. Figures 4 to 6 As shown, the shape of the inflated portion is set to an approximate square pyramid shape with the top positioned on the front end side. The main bladder portion 28 has: an occupant sidewall portion 40, which is positioned on the rear end 28b side when fully inflated; and a peripheral wall portion 29 with a tapered front end, which extends forward from the periphery of the occupant sidewall portion 40 and tapers towards the front end side.

[0056] The peripheral wall portion 29 is configured to primarily seal the space between the upper surface 2 of the instrument panel 1 and the windshield 4 above the instrument panel 1 when the airbag 25 is fully inflated. It includes an upper wall portion 30 and a lower wall portion 31 arranged opposite each other in the vertical direction; and a left wall portion 32 and a right wall portion 33 arranged opposite each other in the horizontal direction. An inflow opening 35 is formed near the front end of the lower wall portion 31 of the peripheral wall portion 29, located near the front end 28a when the main airbag portion 28 is fully inflated. This inflow opening 35 has an approximately circular opening, allowing inflation gas to flow into the interior, and its periphery is mounted to the bottom wall portion 13 of the housing 12. Multiple (four in the embodiment) mounting holes 36 are formed around the periphery of the inflow opening 35 for inserting the bolts 9a of the retainer 9 to mount the periphery of the inflow opening 35 to the bottom wall portion 13 (see reference). Figure 9 , Figure 11 A). For example Figure 9 , Figure 11 As shown in Figure B, a slit-shaped insertion hole 37L is formed on the left side of the inflow opening 35, generally along the left-right direction, allowing the front end 100b of the connecting member 100 extending from the gas discharge section 50 to be inserted. On the right side of the inflow opening 35, a slit-shaped insertion hole 37R is formed, generally along the left-right direction, allowing the front end 97b of the connecting members 97L and 97R extending from the secondary bladder section 45 to be inserted (see Figure B). Figure 9 , Figure 11 (A). Additionally, on the left wall portion 32 and right wall portion 33 of the peripheral wall portion 29, vent holes 38, 38 for discharging the remaining inflatable gas flowing into the airbag body 26 are formed with approximately circular openings (see reference). Figure 4 , Figure 5 ).

[0057] The occupant sidewall portion 40 is positioned directly opposite the occupant MP seated in the front passenger seat PS when the main bladder portion 28 is fully inflated, and is positioned approximately vertically along the rear end 28b of the main bladder portion 28 on the occupant MP side (see reference). Figure 12 , Figure 16 A). For example Figure 17 As shown, the occupant side wall portion 40 has an approximate rectangular shape with a larger vertical width when viewed from the rear side after expansion.

[0058] The secondary bladder portion 45, whose expansion is controlled by the locking member 16R as a control mechanism, is configured such that it is connected to the main bladder portion 28 via the connecting portion 42. When the airbag body 26 is inflated as a whole (when the airbag 25 is fully inflated after the locking member 16R has released the locking of the front end 97b of the connecting members 97L and 97R), that is, when the airbag 25 is fully inflated in a large-volume mode), it is configured to protrude rearward from the occupant side wall portion 40 (see reference). Figure 13 , Figure 15In the implementation scenario, such as Figure 7 , Figure 8 As shown, the secondary bladder 45, when fully inflated, is shaped like an approximately circular plate. When the airbag 25 is fully inflated in a large-volume mode, its left and right center points are roughly aligned with the left and right center points of the occupant sidewall 40, and its top and bottom center points are located slightly below the top and bottom center points of the occupant sidewall 40, protruding rearward from the occupant sidewall 40. Specifically, the outer diameter of the secondary bladder 45 is set slightly smaller than the width of the occupant sidewall 40 in the left and right directions. The secondary bladder 45 is structured to have a front sidewall 46 and a rear sidewall 47 with approximately the same (approximately circular) shape. When fully inflated, the front sidewall 46 is positioned on the front surface side of the occupant sidewall 40, and the rear sidewall 47 is positioned opposite the front sidewall 46 on the rear surface side (occupant MP side), allowing the occupant MP to be protected by the rear sidewall 47 constituting the rear surface side when fully inflated. Figure 7 , Figure 8 As shown, the main bladder portion 28 and the secondary bladder portion 45 are connected to each other via the connecting portion 42. In the airbag 25 of the embodiment, the connecting portion 42 is formed by the boundary portions 91L and 91R between the main body portions 89L and 89R of the left rear panel portion 88L and the right rear panel portion 88R, and the front wall component portions 90L and 90R (see reference). Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 10 ).

[0059] The base 97a side of the connecting parts 97L and 97R is connected to the left edge 45a side and the right edge 45b side of the inner peripheral surface of the accessory bladder 45 (see reference). Figure 7 , Figure 8 The connecting parts 97L and 97R cause the front end 97b to engage with the locking part 16R, which serves as a control mechanism, located on the bottom wall 13 side of the housing 12 (see reference). Figure 6 , Figure 12 , Figure 14 Furthermore, the structure is configured such that, while maintaining the connection between the connecting parts 97L, 97R and the locking part 16R, when the main bladder 28 expands (when the airbag 25 expands in the small volume mode), the secondary bladder 45 is configured to be pulled into the main bladder 28 via the connecting part 42 (see reference). Figures 4 to 6 , Figure 12 , Figure 14 , Figure 16 (A) When the main bladder 28 expands with the connecting parts 97L and 97R disconnected from the locking part 16R (when the airbag 25 expands in the large-capacity mode), the secondary bladder 45 expands in a manner that protrudes rearward from the occupant side wall 40 (see reference). Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 13 , Figure 15 , Figure 16 (B). Specifically, when the secondary bladder 45 is fully inflated while the front end 97b of the connecting members 97L and 97R is locked by the locking member 16R (when only the main bladder 28 is inflated, in the small-volume mode when the airbag 25 is inflated), the left edge 45a and right edge 45b are pulled forward by the connecting members 97L and 97R, causing the entire structure to reverse and fold twice in the left-right direction, so that it is positioned inside the main bladder 28 in a manner roughly along the front-back direction (see reference). Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 12 , Figure 14 That is, in the airbag 25 of the embodiment, when inflated in the small volume mode, the auxiliary airbag portion 45 is configured with a slit-like opening formed by the area surrounding the connecting portion 42 in the occupant side wall portion 40, and is configured to be recessed forward in a pocket shape (see reference). Figure 18 Furthermore, in other words, when expanding in a small-volume mode, such as Figure 4 , Figure 17 As shown, the connecting portion 42 is disposed in a slit-like exposed position on the occupant side wall portion 40 of the inflated main bladder portion 28. In detail, in the embodiment, the slit-like connecting portion 42 is disposed at a position approximately in the center of the occupant side wall portion 40 in the vertical and horizontal directions, and is arranged approximately along the vertical direction.

[0060] The connecting members 97L and 97R, which extend from the secondary bladder portion 45 and connect it to the locking member 16R, are separate from the airbag body 26 and are made of flexible, strip-shaped fabric. In this embodiment, the connecting members 97L and 97R are a pair, extending from the left edge 45a and right edge 45b of the inner circumferential surface of the secondary bladder portion 45, respectively (see reference). Figure 8 The base 97a side of each connecting component 97L, 97R is respectively sewn to the left edge 45a and right edge 45b of the inner peripheral surface of the sub-bag portion 45 (that is, the outer peripheral edge 90a of each front wall component 90L, 90R described later is located approximately in the center). A locking hole 98 is formed on the front end 97b side of each connecting component 97L, 97R, into which the locking pin 17R of the locking component 16R can be inserted (see reference). Figure 10 In the implementation scenario, such as Figure 8 As shown, the connecting parts 97L and 97R are sewn together at the middle. The length of the connecting parts 97L and 97R is set such that when the airbag 25 is inflated with the locking pin 17R inserted into the locking hole 98 and locked with the locking pin 17R, it can maintain the state of pulling the auxiliary airbag 45 into the main airbag 28 as a whole (limiting the auxiliary airbag 45 from protruding from the main airbag 28).

[0061] In this embodiment, the gas discharge section 50 is disposed on the left wall portion 32 side of the main bladder portion 28. Specifically, it is disposed in the left wall portion 32 at a position further rearward than the vent 38 and the left and right straps 71 described later (more specifically, at a position near the upper rear end of the left wall portion 32) (see reference). Figure 5 The gas discharge section 50 is integrally formed with the main bladder section 28 (airbag body 26), and its side view shape in the flat, unfolded state is set to an approximate trapezoid with a gradually decreasing width up to the front end 50a (see reference). Figure 5 The gas discharge section 50 is configured such that the front end 100b of the connecting member 100 extending from the front end 50a side is engaged with the locking member 16L disposed on the bottom wall 13 side of the outer casing 12. While maintaining the connection between the connecting member 100 and the locking member 16L, the gas discharge section 50 is maintained in a state of being pulled into the main bladder 28 as it expands (see reference). Figure 13 , Figure 15 , Figure 16 (B) When the main bladder 28 expands while the connection between the connecting member 100 and the locking member 16L is disengaged, the pull into the main bladder 28 is released, and it protrudes from the main bladder 28 (see reference). Figure 12 , Figure 14 , Figure 16 (A). Specifically, the gas discharge section 50 is constructed by joining the outer peripheries of two sidewall sections 52 and 53, which are connected to the front side portion 32a and the rear side portion 32b of the left wall portion 32 of the main bladder section 28, respectively. Approximately circular openings 52a and 53a are formed on the lower side near the front end of each sidewall section 52 and 53. When these openings 52a and 53a protrude from the main bladder section 28, they form exhaust holes 55 that allow the expansion gas G to be discharged to the outside (see A). Figure 14 , Figure 16 ).

[0062] The connecting member 100, configured to extend from the gas exhaust section 50 and connect the gas exhaust section 50 to the locking member 16L, is separate from the airbag body 26 and is made of a flexible, strip-shaped fabric. The connecting member 100 stitches (joins) the base 100a side to the front end 50a side of the gas exhaust section 50 (see reference). Figure 5 , Figure 6 The front end 100b side has a locking hole 101 into which the locking pin 17L of the locking member 16L can be inserted (see reference). Figure 9The connecting member 100 is designed with a length dimension such that even when the locking pin 17L is inserted into the locking hole 101 and held in a locked state, the main bladder 28 can expand without obstruction. Furthermore, in the airbag device M of this embodiment, when the main bladder 28 expands while the connecting member 100 and the locking member 16L are connected, the main bladder 28 expands while the gas discharge section 50 is pulled into it by the connecting member 100. The gas discharge section 50 is positioned such that the sidewalls 52 and 53 surrounding the exhaust port 55 are pressed together by the internal pressure of the expansion gas flowing into the main bladder 28, thus suppressing the opening of the exhaust port 55 (see reference). Figure 15 Furthermore, when the main bladder 28 expands with the connection between the connecting member 100 and the locking member 16L disconnected, the gas discharge section 50 releases its pull into the main bladder 28, causing it to reverse relative to the main bladder 28 and protrude from the main bladder 28, thus opening the vent 55 (see reference). Figure 14 ).

[0063] As straps located inside the airbag body 26, front and rear straps 60, 66L, and 66R, and left and right straps 71 and 72 are provided.

[0064] The front and rear straps 60 are disposed within the main pouch portion 28. In this embodiment, they are configured to connect the left and right surfaces of the inner circumferential surface of the connecting portion 42, which connects the main pouch portion 28 and the secondary pouch portion 45, to the front end 28a side of the main pouch portion 28. In this embodiment, the front and rear straps 60 are configured such that a front portion 61 extending from the periphery of the inflow opening 35 is connected to two rear portions 62L and 62R extending from the left and right inner surfaces of the connecting portion 42, respectively (see reference). Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figures 12 to 15 In the embodiment, the front portion 61 is formed to hold... Figure 9 The strip-shaped front portion shown is bent from a portion of the blank 64 so that the rear edge runs vertically. Each rear portion 62L, 62R has an approximate trapezoidal shape that gradually expands vertically up to the rear end 62b (see reference). Figure 9 Each rear portion 62L, 62R connects the front end 62a side to the rear end 61a of the front portion 61, and the rear end 62b side to the left or right inner side of the connecting portion 42. Specifically, the rear end 62b of each rear portion 62L, 62R of the front and rear straps 60 is sewn together at the boundary portions 91L, 91R between the main body portions 89L, 89R of the left rear panel portion 88L and the right rear panel portion 88R (which are described later as passenger side panel portions) to form stitching portions 63L, 63R (see reference). Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 10 , Figure 15 The front and rear straps 60 connect the near center of the upper, lower, left and right sides of the passenger side wall portion 40 (the connecting portion 42) and the periphery of the inflow opening 35 when the main bladder portion 28 has fully inflated. This is configured to prevent the passenger side wall portion 40 from protruding excessively backward during the initial stage of airbag 25 inflation and to prevent the passenger side wall portion 40 from moving backward when inflation is complete (increasing the separation distance between the near inflow opening 35 and the passenger side wall portion 40).

[0065] The front and rear tether straps 66L and 66R are disposed within the secondary pouch portion 45, and two are arranged on the left and right sides to connect the rear sidewall portion 47 and the front sidewall portion 46 of the secondary pouch portion 45 (specifically, the left inner side or right inner side of the connecting portion 42). In the embodiment, the front and rear tether straps 66L and 66R are formed by... Figure 10 The front and rear strap base material 67 shown is constructed as follows: The front and rear strap base material 67 has a circular mounting portion 68 and strip-shaped strap components 69L and 69R extending from the mounting portion 68 to the left and right sides. The mounting portion 68 is positioned so that its center aligns with the center of the rear sidewall portion 47. The outer periphery 68a is sewn to the rear sidewall portion 47. At the sewing locations 63L and 63R, the front ends 69a of each strap component 69L and 69R are sewn together with the rear ends 62b of the rear portions 62L and 62R of the front and rear straps 60, connecting to the left or right inner side of the connecting portion 42. When viewed from above and below in the state of the inflated pleural portion 45, the front and rear straps 66L and 66R (strap components 69L and 69R of the front and rear strap base material 67) are positioned at an angle relative to the front and rear directions, with their front ends located on the left and right outer sides (see reference). Figure 8 The front and rear straps 66L and 66R are configured to suppress excessive rearward protrusion of the rear sidewall 47 of the auxiliary bladder portion 45 during the initial stage of airbag 25 inflation in large volume mode, and to prevent rearward movement of the rear sidewall 47 during the complete inflation (increasing the separation distance between the front sidewall 46 and the rear sidewall 47).

[0066] In the implementation scenario, such as Figure 5 , Figure 6 As shown, the left and right tethers 71 and 72 are positioned above and below the front and rear tethers 60 within the main bladder portion 28, respectively, connecting the left wall portion 32 and the right wall portion 33. When the main bladder portion 28 is fully inflated, they are positioned approximately along the left-right direction. The left and right tethers 71 positioned on the upper side consist of two strip-shaped tether base materials 73 and 73 (see reference). Figure 9The structure is omitted in detail, but it is formed by sewing the center of the base material 73, 73, which is in a state where the width direction is approximately along the front-back direction, to the left wall portion 32 or the right wall portion 33, so that the four front ends overlap and are sewn together. The left and right straps 72 located on the lower side are also composed of two strip-shaped strap base materials 74, 74 (see reference). Figure 9 (Detailed illustrations omitted), but it is formed by sewing one end of each strap, which is positioned approximately in the vertical direction along the width direction, to the left wall portion 32 or the right wall portion 33 and sewing the other ends together. The aforementioned left and right straps 71 and 72 are configured to suppress excessive separation of the left wall portion 32 and the right wall portion 33 during the initial stage of expansion and to suppress the increase in the width dimension (separation distance between the left and right walls) of the main bladder portion 28 in the left and right directions after expansion is complete.

[0067] The airbag body 26 and the gas discharge portion 50 of the airbag 25 are joined together by the periphery of a substrate of a predetermined shape to form an integral bag shape. In the case of an embodiment, such as... Figure 9 , Figure 10 As shown, the airbag body 26 and the gas exhaust section 50 are composed of a left panel 75, a right panel 85, a left rear panel 88L, a right rear panel 88R, and a rear panel 94, which serve as the occupant side panel.

[0068] The left panel 75 and right panel 85 primarily constitute the area of ​​the peripheral wall 29 of the main bladder 28. Specifically, the peripheral wall 29 is divided into two parts in the left-right direction, forming the left side area and the right side area respectively. The left panel 75 constitutes the left side area of ​​the peripheral wall 29 and the gas discharge section 50. Specifically, it extends from the left half of the upper wall 30 of the peripheral wall 29 through the left wall 32 to the left half of the lower wall 31. The right panel 85 constitutes the right side area of ​​the peripheral wall 29. Specifically, it extends from the right half of the upper wall 30 of the peripheral wall 29 through the right wall 33 to the right half of the lower wall 31. The left panel 75 and right panel 85 each have protrusions 77 and 86 that constitute the periphery of the inflow opening 35. Figure 9 As shown, the left panel portion 75 is divided into two parts in the front-rear direction, having a front portion 76 and a rear portion 80. The front portion 76 has a protrusion 77 forming the periphery of the inflow opening 35, and the discharge portion constituting the side wall portion 52 of the gas discharge portion 50 partially protrudes towards the upper rear edge 76c. The rear portion 80 has the discharge portion constituting the side wall portion 53 of the gas discharge portion 50 partially protruding towards the front edge 80b. The right panel portion 85 is shaped to be substantially the same as the left panel portion 75 in the state where the upper rear edge 76c of the front portion 76 and the front edge 80b of the rear portion 80 are sewn together.

[0069] The left rear panel portion 88L and the right rear panel portion 88R, as passenger side panels, mainly constitute the passenger side wall portion 40 of the main compartment portion 28, and are configured to divide the passenger side wall portion 40 into two parts in the left-right direction. More specifically, as... Figure 10 As shown, the left rear panel portion 88L has: a main body portion 89L, which constitutes the left side region of the occupant sidewall portion 40; and a front wall component portion 90L, which is formed to protrude from the inner edge 89a of the main body portion 89L (the edge of the region constituting the central side of the occupant sidewall portion 40). The front wall component portion 90L constitutes the front sidewall portion 46 of the sub-bladder portion 45, and is formed to partially protrude from the inner edge 89a of the main body portion 89L. In detail, the area of ​​the left half of the front sidewall portion 46 of the sub-bladder portion 45 formed by the front wall component portion 90L is shaped to be approximately semi-circular. Moreover, in the airbag 25 of the embodiment, the boundary portion 91L between the main body portion 89L and the front wall component portion 90L of the left rear panel portion 88L constitutes a connecting portion 42 that connects the main bladder portion 28 and the sub-bladder portion 45. The outer edge 89b of the main body portion 89L of the left rear panel portion 88L is shaped to be substantially the same as the lower rear edge 76d and rear edge 80c of the left panel portion 75. In this embodiment, the left rear panel portion 88L and the right rear panel portion 88R are designed to be symmetrical, therefore, regarding the right rear panel portion 88R, "R" is added to the end of the same reference numerals and detailed description is omitted. The rear panel portion 94 constitutes the rear sidewall portion 47 of the sub-bag portion 45 and is shaped to be circular. That is, the rear panel portion 94 is configured such that its shape is substantially the same as the shape of the front wall components 90L and 90R of the left rear panel portion 88L and the right rear panel portion 88R when their inner edges 89a and 89a are joined together.

[0070] In this embodiment, the left panel portion 75 (front portion 76, rear portion 80), right panel portion 85, left rear panel portion 88L, right rear panel portion 88R, rear panel portion 94 constituting the airbag body 26 and the gas discharge portion 50, as well as the front portion blank 64, rear portion 62L, 62R, front and rear strap base material 67, and strap base material 73, 74 constituting the front and rear straps 60, 66L, 66R, and left and right straps 71, 72, are all formed of flexible fabric, which is composed of polyester yarn, polyamide yarn, etc. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the connecting parts 97L, 97R, 100 are also formed of flexible fabric, which is composed of polyester yarn, polyamide yarn, etc., similar to the airbag body 26.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the airbag body 26 is configured as a bag-shaped structure with a gas discharge section 50 by sewing (joining) the corresponding edges of the left panel portion 75 (front portion 76, rear portion 80), right panel portion 85, left rear panel portion 88L, right rear panel portion 88R, and rear panel portion 94 together using sutures. The front portion 76 and rear portion 80 of the left panel portion 75 also include the outer peripheral edges 78a and 81a of the discharge section components 78 and 81, which are inwardly connected, with their corresponding upper rear edge 76c and front edge 80b sewn together. The upper edges 76a and 80a of the front portion 76 and rear portion 80 of the left panel portion 75 are sewn together with the upper edge 85a of the right panel portion 85. The lower edge 76b of the front portion 76 of the left panel portion 75 is sewn together with the lower edge 85b of the right panel portion 85. The lower rear edge 76d of the front portion 76 and the rear edge 80c of the rear portion 80 of the left panel 75 are sewn to the outer edge 89b of the main body portion 89L of the left rear panel 88L. The rear edge 85c of the right panel 85 is sewn to the outer edge 89b of the main body portion 89R of the right rear panel 88R. The inner edge 89a of the main body portion 89L of the left rear panel 88L is sewn to the inner edge 89a of the main body portion 89R of the right rear panel 88R. The outer periphery 90a of the front wall component portion 90L of the left rear panel 88L is sewn to the left half of the outer periphery 94a of the rear panel 94, and the outer periphery 90a of the front wall component portion 90R of the right rear panel 88R is sewn to the right half of the outer periphery 94a of the rear panel 94.

[0072] Next, the installation of the airbag device M in the vehicle according to the embodiment will be described. First, with the retainer 9 retracted inside, the airbag 25 is folded so that it can be stored inside the outer casing 12. Detailed illustrations are omitted, but the airbag 25 is folded from... Figure 11 The pre-folded airbag 120 shown in Figures A and B is folded in a manner that reduces its width dimensions in all directions. In the pre-folded airbag 120 where the airbag 25 (airbag body 26) is pre-folded, as shown... Figure 11As shown in A and B, the occupant sidewall portion 40 is unfolded substantially flat and positioned close to the inflow opening 35 (located on the inflow opening 35). A concave crease is applied to the peripheral wall portion 29, and the main bladder portion 28 is folded. The secondary bladder portion 45, in a state where the front sidewall portion 46 and the rear sidewall portion 47 overlap and are unfolded flat, overlaps the upper side of the occupant sidewall portion 40 of the main bladder portion 28. That is, in the airbag 25 of this embodiment, in the state of the pre-folded airbag 120, the secondary bladder portion 45 does not enter the main bladder portion 28, but is exposed from the main bladder portion 28 and overlaps the main bladder portion 28. Moreover, this pre-folded airbag 120 is folded in a way that reduces the width dimensions in all directions, and the folded body is pre-wrapped around by a breakable packaging component (not shown) to prevent it from loosening. At this time, the front ends 97b of the connecting members 97L and 97R extending from the secondary bladder portion 45 and the front end 100b of the connecting member 100 extending from the gas discharge portion 50 protrude from the insertion holes 37L and 37R formed in the airbag body 26, respectively. Furthermore, the folded airbag 25 is housed within the housing 12, on which the locking members 16L and 16R are pre-installed, with the bolt 9a protruding from the bottom wall portion 13. Moreover, the locking pin 17L of the locking member 16L is inserted into the locking hole 101 of the connecting member 100, which protrudes from the through hole 13a formed in the bottom wall portion 13, and the front end of the locking pin 17L is supported on the support bracket 19L, so that the front end 100b of the connecting member 100 is locked to the locking member 16L. Similarly, the front ends 97b of the connecting members 97L and 97R protruding from the through hole 13b of the bottom wall portion 13 are engaged with the locking member 16R. Next, the main body 8a of the inflator 8 is inserted into the housing 12 from below the bottom wall portion 13, and the bolts 9a of the retaining member 9 protruding downward from the bottom wall portion 13 are inserted into the flange portion 8c of the inflator 8. Then, by tightening the nuts 10 onto the bolts 9a protruding from the flange portion 8c of the inflator 8, the folded airbag 25 and the inflator 8 can be mounted on the housing 12.

[0073] Then, if the peripheral wall 14 of the housing 12 is locked to the connecting wall 6c of the airbag cover 6 mounted on the dashboard 1 of the vehicle, the bracket (not shown) provided on the housing 12 is fixed to the side of the vehicle body, and the inflator 8 and the locking parts 16L, 16R are electrically connected to the control device 110, the airbag device M can be mounted on the vehicle.

[0074] After the airbag device M is installed in the vehicle, if a frontal collision is detected, the control device 110 outputs a working signal to the inflator 8. The inflator 8 discharges inflation gas from the gas outlet 8b, causing the inflation gas to flow into the interior and inflate the airbag 25, thus opening the doors 6a and 6b of the airbag cover 6. Furthermore, the airbag 25 protrudes upward from the outer shell 12 through the opening created by pressing the doors 6a and 6b of the airbag cover 6, and expands towards the rear of the vehicle. Figure 1 double-dotted lines and Figure 12 , Figure 13 , Figure 16 A, Figure 16 As shown in B, 17, the expansion is completed in a manner that closes the space between the upper surface 2 of the instrument panel 1 and the windshield 4 above the instrument panel 1.

[0075] Furthermore, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the airbag 25 has a main airbag portion 28 and a secondary airbag portion 45, the expansion of which is controlled by a locking member 16R as a control mechanism. Moreover, the secondary airbag portion 45, whose expansion is controlled by the locking member 16R as a control mechanism, is connected to the locking member 16R by connecting members 97L, 97R, and has the following structure: when the connection between the connecting members 97L, 97R and the locking member 16R is maintained, it is in a non-inflated state as it is pulled into the main airbag portion 28 via the connecting portion 42; when the connection between the connecting members 97L, 97R and the locking member 16R is released, the inflation gas flows into the interior through the main airbag portion 28 and the connecting portion 42, and expands rearward from the occupant side wall portion 40 disposed on the rear end side of the main airbag portion 28. That is, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, since the expansion of the sub-bag 45 is controlled only by maintaining or releasing the connection state of the locking member 16R, which serves as the control mechanism, and the connecting members 97L, 97R extending from the sub-bag 45, even when the sub-bag 45 expands in addition to the main bag 28, fluctuations in the expansion timing of the sub-bag 45 can be suppressed. Furthermore, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, when inflation is completed while the connecting parts 97L, 97R and the locking part 16R are connected and maintained, the secondary airbag 45 is not exposed to the outside while being pulled into the main airbag 28. The occupant MP can be reliably supported by the occupant side wall 40 of the inflated main airbag 28. When inflation is completed while the connecting parts 97L, 97R and the locking part 16R are disconnected, the occupant MP can be reliably supported by the rear surface (rear side wall 47) of the secondary airbag 45, which expands in a manner that protrudes further rearward than the main airbag 28.

[0076] Therefore, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, even if it is configured with a structure having different inflation forms, the occupant MP can be stably protected by the inflated airbag 25.

[0077] Specifically, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, when the control device 110, which receives signals from designated sensors 111, 112, and 113, detects, for example, the seating of a small-sized occupant MP1 or the occupant MP sitting near the dashboard 1, outputs a working signal to the actuator 18L of the locking member 16L approximately simultaneously with the operation of the inflator 8, the airbag 25 inflates. That is, when the working signal is not output to the actuator 18R of the locking member 16R, the airbag 25 inflates while maintaining the connection between the connecting members 97L and 97R extending from the secondary airbag portion 45 and the locking member 16R. As a small-volume mode, only the main airbag portion 28 is inflated (see reference). Figure 12 , Figure 14 , Figure 16 A, Figure 17 At this time, by operating the actuator 18L, the connection between the connecting member 100 extending from the gas discharge section 50 and the locking member 16L is released, so that the remaining expansion gas G can be discharged from the gas discharge section 50 protruding relative to the main chamber 28. Therefore, the occupant side wall 40 of the inflated main chamber 28, which discharges the remaining expansion gas G from the gas discharge section 50, can reliably support the small-sized occupant MP1, who is sitting near the instrument panel 1.

[0078] Conversely, when the control device 110 detects, for example, the seating of the large-sized occupant MP2 or when it detects that the occupant MP is seated in a position away from the dashboard 1, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the airbag 25 inflates while the operating signal is output to the actuator 18R of the locking member 16R approximately simultaneously with the operation of the inflator 8. That is, the airbag 25 inflates in a state where the connection between the connecting members 97L, 97R extending from the secondary airbag portion 45 and the locking member 16R is released, and as a large-volume mode, the main airbag portion 28 and the secondary airbag portion 45 complete the inflating (see reference). Figure 13 , Figure 15 , Figure 16 (B). In this case, no working signal is output to the locking member 16L. The airbag 25 inflates while maintaining the connection between the connecting member 100 extending from the gas exhaust section 50 and the locking member 16L. The gas exhaust section 50 is pulled into the main airbag section 28, maintaining the closed state of the exhaust port 55. Therefore, excessive exhaust of the inflation gas G can be suppressed to maintain the internal pressure of the main airbag section 28 and the secondary airbag section 45. The rear side wall 47 of the secondary airbag section 45, which protrudes further rearward than the occupant side wall 40, can reliably support the large occupant MP2 or the occupant MP who is sitting away from the instrument panel 1.

[0079] Furthermore, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the occupant sidewall portion 40 of the main airbag portion 28 is composed of two occupant side panel portions (left rear panel portion 88L and right rear panel portion 88R) that are divided into two parts in the left-right direction. A front wall component portion 90L, 90R is formed protrudingly on the edge portion (inner edge 89a of the main body portions 89L, 89R) that forms half of the front sidewall portion 46 of the sub-airbag portion 45. Additionally, the rear panel portion 94 constituting the rear sidewall portion 47 of the sub-airbag portion 45 is configured such that its shape is approximately the same as the shape of the front wall component portions 90L, 90R of the left rear panel portion 88L and right rear panel portion 88R when the inner edges 89a, 89a are joined together. Therefore, in the left rear panel portion 88L and right rear panel portion 88R, where the corresponding inner edges 89a, 89a are joined together, if the outer periphery 90a of the front wall components 90L, 90R and the outer periphery 94a of the rear panel portion 94 are joined together, the occupant side wall portion 40 of the main bladder portion 28 can be formed simultaneously with the secondary bladder portion 45. That is, in the airbag 25 of the embodiment, the occupant side wall portion 40 of the main bladder portion 28 and the secondary bladder portion 45 can be formed by planar joining operations, thus making the airbag 25 easy to manufacture. In the airbag 25 of the embodiment, in addition to the secondary bladder portion 45, the entire main bladder portion 28 can be manufactured by planar joining operations, which can suppress the increase in manufacturing costs and manufacture it inexpensively.

[0080] Furthermore, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the secondary airbag portion 45 is structured such that the outer peripheries of the front sidewall portion 46 and the rear sidewall portion 47, which have approximately the same shape, are joined together. The connecting members 97L and 97R are formed to extend from the inner circumferential surface of the outer periphery of the secondary airbag portion 45 from two opposite locations on the direction of the division along the occupant sidewall portion 40, namely the left edge 45a and the right edge 45b (i.e., the outer periphery 90a of each front wall component 90L and 90R is located approximately at the center). Therefore, when the main airbag portion 28 expands while the connecting members 97L and 97R are connected to the locking member 16R, the secondary airbag portion 45 is pulled toward the connecting members 97L and 97R, causing it to invert and fold into two parts and be disposed within the main airbag portion 28. In other words, while maintaining the connection of the connecting parts 97L, 97R and the locking part 16R, the secondary bladder 45 does not occupy space (does not expand) within the main bladder 28. A slit-like opening formed by the area surrounding the connecting part 42 is provided in the occupant side wall 40. It is configured to be recessed forward in a pocket shape from the occupant side wall 40, which does not affect the expansion shape of the main bladder 28, and allows the main bladder 28 to expand stably.

[0081] Furthermore, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the airbag 25 is housed within the outer casing 12 in a folded state where the pre-folded airbag 120 is contracted and folded in all directions. In the pre-folded airbag 120, the secondary airbag portion 45 is arranged on the occupant side wall portion 40 of the main airbag portion 28 with the front side wall portion 46 and the rear side wall portion 47 overlapped and unfolded flat. That is, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the airbag 25 is folded so that the secondary airbag portion 45 is exposed to the outside of the main airbag portion 28 and housed within the outer casing 12. Therefore, when the airbag 25 is inflated with the connecting members 97L, 97R and the locking member 16R disconnected, the secondary airbag portion 45 changes from being exposed on the rear surface side of the main airbag portion 28 to inflating by allowing inflation gas to flow into it, enabling the secondary airbag portion 45 to inflate quickly and smoothly. Furthermore, if this is not taken into account, the structure can also be configured such that the airbag is folded so that the secondary airbag is inserted into the main airbag.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the airbag 25 is folded so that the secondary airbag portion 45 protrudes towards the outside of the main airbag portion 28 and is stored within the outer casing 12. Therefore, when the main airbag portion 28 expands while the connecting members 97L, 97R and the locking member 16R are in the connected state, the secondary airbag portion 45 enters the main airbag portion 28 via the connecting portion 42 as the main airbag portion 28 expands (moves rearward of the occupant side wall portion 40). In the airbag 25 of this embodiment, the boundary portions 91L, 91R of the left rear panel portion 88L and the right rear panel portion 88R constituting the connecting portion 42 are set to have a width dimension that is slightly smaller than the outer diameter dimension of the front wall constituting portions 90L, 90R but approximately the same. In other words, the length dimension of the connecting portion 42 in its flat, unfolded state is approximately the same as the outer diameter dimension of the secondary airbag portion 45. Therefore, when expanding in a small volume mode, it can prevent the secondary bladder 45, which is pulled by the connecting parts 97L and 97R, from partially getting stuck in the connecting part 42, and smoothly enter the main bladder 28.

[0083] Furthermore, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the occupant side panel (left rear panel 88L, right rear panel 88R) is configured to divide the occupant sidewall 40 into two parts in the left-right direction. Therefore, when the main airbag 28 is fully inflated while maintaining the connection of the connecting members 97L, 97R and the locking member 16R, the auxiliary airbag 45, which is recessed forward from the occupant sidewall 40 and arranged in a pocket shape, is configured such that the slit-like opening on the rear end of the occupant sidewall 40 is approximately along the vertical direction (see reference). Figure 17 As a result, in the case of only inflating the main capsule 28, such as... Figure 18As shown, the head of the occupant MP (MH) can also be protected by entering the pocket-shaped area (a slit-like opening formed in the occupant sidewall portion 40 along the vertical direction). Furthermore, in the airbag 25 of this embodiment, by changing the vertical position of the main body portions 89L and 89R of the front wall components 90L and 90R relative to the left rear panel portion 88L and the right rear panel portion 88R, the position of the auxiliary airbag portion 45 relative to the main airbag portion 28 (occupant sidewall portion 40) in the vertical direction can be easily adjusted as needed.

[0084] Furthermore, if this is not taken into account, it can also be used as an airbag 25A. Figure 19 The structure shown is as follows. In this airbag 25A, except that the occupant sidewall portion 40A is composed of two rear upper panel portions 130 and a rear lower panel portion 135 (occupant side panel portions) that are divided into two parts in the vertical direction, it is substantially the same structure as the aforementioned airbag 25. Identical components are marked with A at the end of the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions are omitted. In addition, the airbag 25A is not equipped with front and rear straps. Furthermore, the connecting members 97U and 97D extending from the sub-bag portion 45A connect the base portion 97a side to the upper edge 45c side and the lower edge 45d side of the inner peripheral surface of the sub-bag portion 45A (see reference). Figure 20 ).

[0085] like Figure 19 , Figure 20 As shown, the rear upper panel 130 and rear lower panel 135, which are passenger side panels, mainly constitute the passenger side wall 40A of the main foyer 28A, and are configured to divide the passenger side wall 40A into two parts in the vertical direction. The rear upper panel 130 has: a main body 131, which constitutes the upper part of the passenger side wall 40A; and a front wall forming part 132, which is formed to protrude from the lower edge 131c of the main body 131 (the inner edge of the part constituting the central part of the passenger side wall 40A). The front wall forming part 132 constitutes the upper half of the front side wall 46A of the secondary foyer 45A, and its shape is approximately semi-circular. The rear lower panel portion 135 has: a main body portion 136, which forms the lower side of the occupant side wall portion 40A; and a front wall component portion 137, which is formed to protrude from the upper edge 136a of the main body portion 136 (the inner edge of the region forming the central side of the occupant side wall portion 40A). The front wall component portion 137 forms the lower half of the front side wall portion 46A of the auxiliary bladder portion 45A, and its shape is approximately semi-circular. In the airbag 25A, the boundary portion 133 of the main body portion 131 of the rear upper panel portion 130 and the boundary portion 132 of the front wall component portion 132, and the boundary portion 138 of the main body portion 136 of the rear lower panel portion 135 and the front wall component portion 137, also form a connecting portion 42A that connects the main bladder portion 28A and the auxiliary bladder portion 45A.

[0086] The airbag body 26A of the airbag 25A is also formed by sewing (joining) the corresponding edges of the left panel portion 75A (front portion 76A, rear portion 80A), right panel portion 85A, upper rear panel portion 130, lower rear panel portion 135, and rear panel portion 94A together with sutures, thereby forming a bag shape with an air discharge portion 50A. In the upper rear panel portion 130, the upper inner left edge 131a and upper inner right edge 131b of the main body portion 131 are sewn together. The lower edge 131c (inner edge) of the main body portion 131 is sewn to the upper edge 136a (inner edge) of the main body portion 136 of the lower rear panel portion 135. The left edge 131d of the main body portion 131, together with the left edge 136b of the main body portion 136 of the lower rear panel portion 135, is sewn to the lower rear edge 76d of the front portion 76A of the left panel portion 75A and the rear edge 80c of the rear portion 80A. The right edge 131e of the main body portion 131, together with the right edge 136c of the main body portion 136 of the rear lower panel portion 135, is sewn to the rear edge 85c of the right panel portion 85A. The outer periphery 132a of the front wall component portion 132 is sewn to the upper half of the outer periphery 94a of the rear panel portion 94A, and the outer periphery 137a of the front wall component portion 137 is sewn to the lower half of the outer periphery 94a of the rear panel portion 94A.

[0087] In this type of airbag 25A, the occupant sidewall portion 40A and the secondary airbag portion 45A of the main airbag portion 28A can also be formed by planar joining operations, thus making the airbag 25A easy to manufacture. In the airbag 25A with the above-described structure, the main airbag portion 28A can also be manufactured as a whole by planar joining operations, thus suppressing the increase in manufacturing costs and manufacturing at a low cost.

[0088] Furthermore, in the airbag 25A described above, the secondary airbag portion 45A is constructed by joining the outer peripheries of the front sidewall portion 46A and the rear sidewall portion 47A, which have approximately the same shape. The connecting members 97U and 97D are formed to extend from the inner circumferential surface of the outer periphery of the secondary airbag portion 45A at two opposite locations along the dividing direction of the occupant sidewall portion 40A, namely the upper edge 45c and the lower edge 45d (i.e., the outer peripheries 132a and 137a of each front wall component 132 and 137 are located approximately at the center). Therefore, although detailed illustrations are omitted, when the main airbag portion 28A expands while the connecting members 97U and 97D are connected to the locking member (not shown), the secondary airbag portion 45A is pulled by the connecting members 97U and 97D, causing it to invert and fold twice, thus being placed inside the main airbag portion 28A. In other words, while maintaining the connection of the connecting parts 97U, 97D and the locking part, the secondary bladder 45A does not occupy space (does not expand) within the main bladder 28A. A slit-like opening formed by the area surrounding the connecting part 42A is arranged in the left-right direction on the occupant side wall 40A. It is configured to be recessed forward in a pocket shape from the occupant side wall 40A, so as not to affect the expansion shape of the main bladder 28A, and only the main bladder 28A can expand stably.

[0089] Furthermore, the airbags 25 and 25A in this embodiment are configured to adjust the internal pressure upon completion of inflation by having gas discharge sections 50 and 50A that are controlled to open and close by a locking member 16L, which serves as a control mechanism, and can only discharge the inflation gas. Therefore, in both small-volume inflation modes where only the main airbag sections 28 and 28A are inflated, and large-volume inflation modes where both the main airbag sections 28 and 28A and the auxiliary airbag sections 45 and 45A are inflated, the airbags can withstand occupants with appropriate internal pressure. Of course, this gas discharge section is not essential; an airbag structure without a gas discharge section can also be used.

[0090] Explanation of the label

[0091] 1…Instrument panel (dashboard)

[0092] 6… airbag cover

[0093] 8…Inflator

[0094] 12…Outer shell (storage section)

[0095] 16L, 16R... locking components (control mechanisms)

[0096] 25, 25A... airbags

[0097] 28, 28A…Main sac

[0098] 35…Inflow opening

[0099] 40, 40A… Passenger side wall

[0100] 42, 42A… connecting parts

[0101] 45, 45A… accessory sac

[0102] 88L…Left rear panel (occupant side panel)

[0103] 88R…Right rear panel (occupant side panel)

[0104] 89L, 89R... Main body

[0105] 89a…inner edge

[0106] 90L, 90R... Front wall components

[0107] 94, 94A... Rear panel

[0108] 97L, 97R, 97U, 97D... Connecting components

[0109] 97a…base

[0110] 97b…frontend

[0111] 110… control device

[0112] 120…Pre-folding airbag

[0113] 130… Rear upper panel (occupant side panel)

[0114] 131…Main Body

[0115] 131c…lower edge (inner edge)

[0116] 132…Front wall component

[0117] 135…Rear lower panel (occupant side panel)

[0118] 136…Main Body

[0119] 136a… Upper edge (inner edge)

[0120] 137…Front Wall Components

[0121] MP… Crew

[0122] PS… Passenger seat

[0123] M… Passenger side airbag device

Claims

1. A passenger-side airbag device, comprising: an airbag disposed in front of a passenger seated in the passenger seat and folded and stored in a storage compartment; an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag; and a control mechanism that controls the inflation shape of the airbag. The airbag is designed as a flexible bag shape and has the following features: The main chamber is configured such that, when fully inflated, its front end has an inlet opening that connects its periphery to the storage portion for allowing the expansion gas to flow into the interior, and when fully inflated, its rear end has an occupant sidewall positioned directly opposite the occupant; and The secondary bladder, which communicates with the main bladder and is capable of expanding rearward from the occupant sidewall, is controlled by the control mechanism for expansion. The passenger-side airbag device is characterized in that... The airbag is configured to have a connecting member disposed within the main airbag portion, connecting the base side to the inner peripheral surface side of the secondary airbag portion, and connecting the front end side to the control mechanism disposed near the inflow opening. The secondary bladder is configured such that, when the main bladder expands via the connecting portion and while maintaining the connection between the connecting member and the control mechanism, it is pulled into the main bladder via the connecting portion; when the main bladder expands after the connection between the connecting member and the control mechanism is disconnected, the secondary bladder expands rearward from the occupant side wall, thus protecting the occupant through its rear surface side when fully expanded.

2. The passenger-side airbag device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The airbag is formed into a bag shape by joining the peripheries of a substrate of a predetermined shape, which is composed of flexible sheets, together. The secondary bladder has a front sidewall and a rear sidewall with approximately the same shape. When fully inflated, the front sidewall is positioned on the front surface side, which becomes the occupant sidewall, and the rear sidewall is positioned on the rear surface side opposite to the front sidewall. The occupant sidewall is composed of two occupant side panels that are divided into two parts in the vertical or horizontal direction. Each passenger side panel is configured such that a front wall forming portion is provided on the inner edge side of the region constituting the central side of the passenger side wall portion and joined to each other, forming a region that is half of the front side wall portion constituting the sub-bag portion. The rear panel portion constituting the rear side wall portion of the sub-bag portion is configured such that its external shape is substantially the same as the shape of each front wall component portion of each occupant side panel portion in its opened state, where the inner edges are joined together. The connecting member is formed to extend from two opposite locations on the outer periphery of the sub-bag portion, in the direction opposite to the division direction of the occupant sidewall portion.

3. The passenger-side airbag device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The passenger side panel is configured such that the passenger side wall is divided into two parts in the left and right directions.

4. The passenger-side airbag device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The airbag is stored in the storage compartment in a folded state. This folded state is achieved by unfolding the occupant sidewall of the main airbag portion approximately flat and positioning it on the inlet opening to form a pre-folded airbag, and by folding the pre-folded airbag in a manner that reduces its size in all directions. In the pre-folded airbag, the auxiliary airbag is positioned on the occupant sidewall of the main airbag in a flat, unfolded state in which the front sidewall and the rear sidewall overlap.

Images