OUTER AIRBAG

Abstract

External airbag (1) which has the following features: - an airbag body (4) which is deployed in such a way that it extends in front of a front pillar (P) and upwards from a lower end (Pa) of the front pillar (P) along the front pillar (P), the front pillar (P) being arranged along a lateral edge of a windshield (W) of a motor vehicle (M); and - an impact area (22) which forces downwards an area near a front end of the airbag body (4), which is deployed upwards along the front column (P), such that the front end is moved back downwards along the front column (P) and a space (S) is formed between a central area of ​​the airbag body (4) and the front column (P), wherein the impact area (22) has highly extensible fibers in the central area of ​​the airbag body (4) which partially provide increased extensibility, wherein the impact area (22) is formed from an internal retaining band which establishes an internal connection between an area near the central area and an area near the front end of the airbag body (4) and between an area near the central area and the area near the base end of the airbag body (4).

Description

BACKGROUND . 1. Technical area

[0001] The present invention relates to an external airbag, and more particularly, to an external airbag that deploys to extend upward along a front pillar. 2. Relevant state of the art

[0002] The relevant state of the art already includes external airbags that protect a person, such as a pedestrian, from the impact of a collision when the person to be protected collides with a motor vehicle. Generally, an external airbag is housed in a folded state in a motor vehicle and is deployed by injecting inflation gas into the airbag.

[0003] When the person to be protected is accommodated, the deployed or inflated external airbag is deformed depending on the pressure exerted by the person, and in this way the collision energy of the person can be absorbed by the external airbag.

[0004] External airbags are in practical use, but they typically deploy along, for example, the front pillars of a motor vehicle. The front pillars are designed to extend along the sides of the windshield, and there are calls for the provision of an external airbag that deploys in such a way that it reliably covers the front pillars without being displaced by the front pillars.

[0005] Therefore, as a technique for reliably covering the front pillars, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication JP 2005-153851 A, for example, proposes a pedestrian protection device comprising a first airbag that inflates to cover the area near the center of the cowl top and a second airbag that inflates to cover the front pillars on both sides of the first airbag.

[0006] The pedestrian protection device is configured such that the first airbag begins to inflate first and the second airbag inflates upward along the front pillars while being in contact with the inflated first airbag, so that the second airbag can be inflated along the front pillars guided by the first airbag.

[0007] However, it is difficult to sufficiently absorb the collision energy of a person to be protected by means of the pedestrian protection device proposed by JP 2005-153 851 A.

[0008] EP 2 502 794 A1 and WO 2013 / 095 267 A1 each show an external airbag on a motor vehicle for protecting a pedestrian. When deployed, the external airbag forms a free space between the windshield and the gas bag that extends across the entire width of the vehicle.

[0009] JP 2003- 306 100 A and JP 2002- 36 986 A each show an external airbag for a motor vehicle which extends only along the A-pillars of the motor vehicle.

[0010] DE 103 16 828 A1 discloses an external airbag in which an elongated, tubular airbag is inflated to deploy upwards from near a lower end portion of a front pillar. The airbag, inflated for deployment in this manner, is caused to extend along an outer surface of a front pillar. A band, which is shorter than the total length of the airbag, is allowed to extend from an upper end to a lower end of the airbag, so that it faces the outer surface of the front pillar.

[0011] JP 2007- 76 542 A shows an external airbag for covering A-pillars, in which the respective components of the airbag, ie outer and lower cushion sections, are assembled from different materials in order to be able to specifically influence the desired properties during deployment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] It is an object of the present invention to provide an external airbag which reliably absorbs the collision energy of a person to be protected.

[0013] The problem is solved by an external airbag having the features of claim 1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The drawings show: Fig. 1 is a view for explaining the configuration of an airbag device equipped with an exterior airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a collision detector and an airbag controller; Fig. 3 is a view for explaining the manner in which the front end of an airbag body is moved back by pressurizing an application portion; Fig. 4 is a view for explaining the manner in which a person to be protected is received by the airbag body; Fig. 5 is a view for explaining an application area formed of highly stretchable fibers; Fig. 6 is a view illustrating the manner in which the highly extensible fibers are deformed; Fig. 7 is a view for explaining the airbag body provided with an application portion formed of an internal tether; Fig. 8 is a view for explaining the airbag body formed with an expansion portion having a bellows structure; and Fig. 9 is a view for explaining the airbag body provided with an expansion portion causing slackness. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 illustrates the configuration of an airbag device equipped with an exterior airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] The airbag device includes an external airbag 1 which is deployed or inflated on the outside of a motor vehicle M, a housing unit 2 which is arranged near the rear edge of the front hood H of the motor vehicle M and in which the external airbag 1 is accommodated, and an inflator 3 arranged in the housing unit 2.

[0017] Here, in the motor vehicle M, a pair of front pillars P are arranged along the two side edges of the windshield W, and the hood H is arranged to project forward from a portion near the lower edge of the windshield W and cover the front of the motor vehicle M.

[0018] The external airbag 1 has a pair of airbag bodies 4 deployed in front of the pair of front pillars P, urging portions 5 that urge downward respective portions near the front ends of the airbag bodies, and vent holes or release holes 6 that are respectively arranged in portions near the center of the airbag bodies 4.

[0019] The airbag bodies 4 are deployed so as to extend from lower ends Pa to upper ends Pb of the pair of front pillars P, with the base end of each of the airbag bodies 4 being fixed to the housing unit 2.

[0020] When the airbag body 4 is exposed from the housing unit 2, it is deployed so as to extend upward along a corresponding front pillar P from the side of the lower end Pa of the front pillar P.

[0021] Each of the biasing portions 5 is formed of an outer tether or webbing that connects the portion near the front end in the deployment direction and the portion near the base end of the airbag body 4. The biasing portion 5 is provided to extend vertically along the rear side of the airbag body 4 facing the front pillar P.

[0022] The urging portion 5 urges the portion near the front end of the airbag body 4 downward and lifts an intermediate location between the front end and the base end of the airbag body 4, that is, a central portion of the airbag body 4, so that the front end of the airbag body, which has been deployed along the front pillar P in the upward direction, is moved back downward along the front pillar P.

[0023] Each of the outlet ports or release ports 6 serves to reduce the internal pressure of the airbag body 4, and when the internal pressure reaches a predetermined pressure, the release port 6 is opened to release inflation gas in the airbag body 4 to the outside.

[0024] The housing unit 2 is arranged under the front hood H of the motor vehicle M, and the external airbag 1 is housed therein. The inflator 3 is connected to the base end of the airbag body 4 to introduce inflation gas into the interior of the airbag body 4.

[0025] The introduction of the inflation gas from the inflator 3 causes the airbag body 4 to be deployed to the outside of the vehicle through the space between the rear edge of the front hood H and the lower edge of the windshield W.

[0026] As further stated in Fig. 2, the motor vehicle M is equipped with a collision detector 7 which detects a collision with a person C to be protected, and the inflation device 3 is coupled to the collision detector 7 via an airbag control 8.

[0027] The collision detector 7 continuously detects a person C to be potentially protected in front of the motor vehicle M, and as the collision detector 7, for example, a detector that detects a person C to be protected by irradiating the person with a laser, or a detector that detects a person to be protected on the basis of an image formed by a camera can be used.

[0028] The airbag controller 8 determines, on the basis of the detection information received from the collision detector 7, whether a person C to be protected collides with the motor vehicle M or not.

[0029] If it is determined that a person C to be protected is colliding with the motor vehicle M, the airbag control calculates a time period that the person C needs to reach a front pillar P depending on a collision location and causes the airbag body 4 to be deployed via the inflator 3 within this time period.

[0030] Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described. For example, when a person C to be protected, such as a pedestrian or a cyclist, approaches the area in front of the motor vehicle M, the collision detector 7 mounted in the motor vehicle M detects this person to be protected, as shown in Fig. 2 is shown.

[0031] Based on the detection information detected by the collision detector 7, the airbag controller 8 then determines the collision with the person to be protected and calculates the time required for the person who collided with the motor vehicle M and was thrown up by it to reach a front pillar P. Subsequently, the airbag controller 8 injects inflation gas from the inflator 3 into the airbag body 4 in accordance with the calculated time until the person reaches the pillar P.

[0032] In this way, the airbag body 4 is exposed to the outside of the vehicle through the space between the rear edge of the hood H and the lower edge of the windshield W, and is deployed to extend upward from the side of the lower end Pa of the front pillar P along the front pillar P.

[0033] At this time, the pressure of the inflation gas injected from the inflator 3 into the airbag body 4 is significantly high, and thus the momentum of the upwardly extending airbag body 4 exceeds the urging force of the urging portion 5, and the airbag body 4 is deployed or inflated so as to extend linearly along the front pillar P from the base end to the front end, as shown in Fig. 1 is shown.

[0034] After the airbag body 4 is extended linearly along the front pillar P as shown in Fig. 3, the front end of the airbag body 4 is moved back downward along the front pillar P by the impacting operation of the impacting portion 5.

[0035] Along with the backward movement, a central region of the airbag body 4 is lifted in the direction away from the front pillar P. This creates a space S between the rear of the airbag body 4 and the front pillar P.

[0036] It should be noted that when the airbag body 4 is deployed in this manner, the airbag body 4 extends linearly from the base end to the front end along the front pillar P, and inflation gas can be released through the release port 6 to reduce the internal pressure of the airbag body 4. This allows the front end of the airbag body 4 to be smoothly moved downward by the urging operation of the urging portion 5.

[0037] In this way, a person C to be protected, who collides with the motor vehicle M and is thrown towards the front pillar P, is received by the airbag body 4 which is deployed in front of the front pillar P, as shown in Fig. 4 is shown.

[0038] At this time, the central portion of the airbag body 4 accommodating the person C to be protected is deformed by the pressure from the person C, so that the space S formed between the front pillar P and the airbag body 4 is eliminated.

[0039] When the space S is completely eliminated and the central portion of the airbag body 4 comes into contact with the front pillar P, the airbag body 4 is pressed against the front pillar P and considerably deformed.

[0040] In this way, since the collision energy of the person to be protected C is absorbed step by step in a step in which the airbag body 4 is deformed and thereby the space S is eliminated, and in a step in which the airbag body 4 is pressed against the front pillar P and thereby considerably deformed, the collision energy can be reliably absorbed.

[0041] According to the present embodiment, the biasing portion 5 urges the front end of the airbag body 4 downward, and thereby the front end of the airbag body 4, which is deployed upward along the front pillar P, is moved back downward along the front pillar P, thereby forming the space S between a central portion of the airbag body 4 and the front pillar P.

[0042] Thus, when a person C to be protected is picked up, the airbag body 4 is gradually deformed, and the collision energy of the person C can be reliably absorbed.

[0043] It should be noted that, although in the above-described embodiment, the biasing portion 5 is formed of an external tether provided as a connection between the portion near the front end and the portion near the base end of the airbag body 4, it is sufficient that the portion near the front end of the airbag body 4 is urged downward so that the front end of the airbag body 4 deployed upward along the front pillar P is moved back downward along the front pillar P, and there is no limitation that the biasing portion 5 is formed of an external tether.

[0044] For example, in Fig. As illustrated in Figure 5, instead of the loading area 5, an loading area 21 can be arranged rearward of the central area of ​​the airbag body 4. The loading area 21 is formed from highly extensible fibers, by means of which the extensibility of the components formed from the fibers in the central area of ​​the airbag body 4 is partially increased.

[0045] When inflation gas is introduced into such an airbag body 4, the airbag body 4 is deployed along the front pillar P in the upward direction, thereby expanding the application area 21 because the injection pressure of the inflation gas is extremely high.

[0046] After the airbag body 4 has been linearly extended along the front pillar P, the front end of the airbag body 4 is moved back downward along the front pillar P by the application of the application portion 21, and along with the return movement, a central portion of the airbag body 4 can be lifted in the direction away from the front pillar P.

[0047] In this case, the application area 21 can be, for example, an application area which has diamond-shaped grids which are deformed in such a way that they extend in the deployment direction of the airbag body 4, as shown in Fig. 6 is illustrated.

[0048] In this way, a central portion of the airbag body 4 is lifted in the direction away from the front pillar P by the urging of the urging portion 21 to form the space S, and when a person C to be protected is accommodated, the airbag body 4 is gradually deformed, and the collision energy of the person C can be reliably absorbed.

[0049] As in Fig. As illustrated in Figure 7, instead of the biasing portion 5, there may also be a biasing portion 22 formed from an internal tether. The biasing portion 22 is formed from an internal tether that establishes an internal connection between a region near the central portion and a region near the front end of the airbag body 4, and between a region near the central portion and the region near the base end of the airbag body 4.

[0050] The urging portion 22 urges the portion near the front end of the airbag body 4 downward, and thereby the front end of the airbag body 4 deployed upward along the front pillar P can be moved back downward along the front pillar P.

[0051] Further, in the above-described embodiment, it is preferable that an expansion portion for increasing the length of the central portion of the airbag body 4 to a longer length is provided at the front side than at the rear side so that the central portion of the airbag body 4 is reliably lifted in a direction away from the front pillar P when the front end of the deployed airbag body 4 is moved back downward along the front pillar P.

[0052] For example, in Fig. 8, an extension portion 23 in the form of a bellows structure may be provided at the front of the central portion of the airbag body 4. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 9, an extension portion 24 causing slackness may be provided at the front of the central portion of the airbag body 4.

[0053] In this way, the length of the central portion of the airbag body 4 is formed longer at the front than at the rear, so that easy deformation of the airbag body 4 is possible in such a manner that the central portion of the airbag body 4 is separated from the front pillar P. List of reference symbols 1 external airbag 2 housing unit 3 Inflation device 4 airbag bodies 5 Exposure area 6 Release opening 7 Collision detector 8 Airbag control 21 Exposure area 22 Exposure area 23 Expansion area 24 Expansion area C Person to be protected H Bonnet M motor vehicle P column Pa lower end Pb upper end S room W Windshield

Claims

[1] External airbag (1) comprising: - an airbag body (4) which is deployed so as to extend in front of a front pillar (P) and from a lower end (Pa) of the front pillar (P) upward along the front pillar (P), the front pillar (P) being arranged along a lateral edge of a windshield (W) of a motor vehicle (M); and - an urging region (22) that urges a region near a front end of the airbag body (4), which is deployed upwards along the front pillar (P), downwards such that the front end is moved back downwards along the front pillar (P) and a space (S) is formed between a central region of the airbag body (4) and the front pillar (P), wherein the urging region (22) in the central region of the airbag body (4) has highly extensible fibers that partially impart increased extensibility, wherein the urging region (22) is formed from an internal tether that establishes an internal connection between a region near the central region and a region near the front end of the airbag body (4), and between a region near the central region and the region near the base end of the airbag body (4).

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