Vehicular curtain airbag device

Abstract

To improve head protection performance of an occupant.SOLUTION: In a vehicular curtain airbag device 10, an upper side tether 31, a lower side tether 32, and an intermediate tether 33 are extended in a longitudinal direction in a rear seat chamber 23 and connects a front end and a rear end of the rear seat chamber 23. Longitudinal direction intermediate sections of the upper side tether 31, the lower side tether 32, and the intermediate tether 33 are connected to a head restraining section 23A of the rear seat chamber 23, a recess 34 opened to the vehicle width direction inside in a plan view is formed in the head restraining section 23A, and a head of a rear seat occupant RP and the recess 34 are arranged to face each other in a vehicle width direction. Therefore, the head of the rear seat occupant RP moving to the vehicle width direction outside in a lateral collision enters the recess 34 while being guided by front and rear faces of the recess 34 and the head of the rear seat occupant RP is restrained to be held from both sides in the longitudinal direction by the head restraining section 23A. As a result, rotation of the head of the rear seat occupant RP can be suppressed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a curtain airbag device for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In the vehicle curtain airbag device described in Patent Document 1 below, in the event of a side collision of the vehicle, the curtain airbag is inflated and deployed from the roof side of the vehicle downward and positioned on the outer side of the occupant's head in the vehicle width direction. This makes it possible to protect the occupant's head by restraining it with the curtain airbag as it moves outward in the vehicle width direction in the event of a side collision. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-171969 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, if the occupant's head rotates when the curtain airbag restrains the occupant's head, the injury level of the occupant's head may increase and the protective performance of the occupant's head may decrease. For this reason, it is preferable that the vehicle curtain airbag device has a structure that can suppress the rotation of the head when the head is restrained and improve the protective performance of the occupant's head.

[0005] In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a curtain airbag device for a vehicle that can improve the head protection performance of an occupant. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One or more embodiments of the present invention are a vehicle curtain airbag device comprising: a curtain airbag that is inflated and deployed in a curtain-like manner from a roof side portion of the vehicle to the underside of the vehicle when gas generated by an inflator is supplied to the vehicle; a head protection chamber that forms part of the curtain airbag and is inflated and deployed on the vehicle width outer side of the occupant's head, with the vehicle width inner portion being configured as a head restraint portion that restrains the head; and a plurality of tethers that extend in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle inside the head protection chamber and connect the front end and rear end of the head protection chamber, wherein a longitudinal middle portion of the tether is connected to the head restraint portion, and a recessed portion that is open to the vehicle width inner side in a plan view is formed in the head restraint portion. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to improve the head protection performance of an occupant. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 2 is a side view of the vehicle curtain airbag device according to the embodiment, showing a state after activation, as seen from inside the vehicle compartment. FIG. [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1) showing the inside of the rear seat chamber shown in FIG. 1 as seen from above the vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the vehicle curtain airbag device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the arrows FR, UP, and RH shown as appropriate in the drawings respectively indicate the front side, upper side, and right side (one side in the vehicle width direction) of a vehicle (automobile) V to which the vehicle curtain airbag device 10 is applied. In the following description, when the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions are used, they refer to the front-rear direction of the vehicle, the up-down direction of the vehicle, and the left-right direction of the vehicle, unless otherwise specified.

[0010] 1 shows a side view of the vehicle curtain airbag device 10 after activation as seen from inside the vehicle cabin of the vehicle V. The vehicle curtain airbag device 10 is provided on both sides in the vehicle width direction at the upper part of the vehicle V. The vehicle curtain airbag device 10 provided on the right side of the vehicle V and the vehicle curtain airbag device 10 provided on the left side of the vehicle V are configured symmetrically. For this reason, in the following description, the vehicle curtain airbag device 10 provided on the right side of the vehicle V will be described, and a description of the vehicle curtain airbag device 10 provided on the left side of the vehicle V will be omitted.

[0011] The vehicle curtain airbag device 10 includes a curtain airbag 20 and an inflator 40 (gas generator).

[0012] The curtain airbag 20 is made of a plurality of base fabrics and formed in a bag shape. The curtain airbag 20 is stored in a roof side portion 50 constituting both sides in the vehicle width direction at the upper portion of the vehicle V. The roof side portion 50 extends in the front-rear direction above a front side glass 52F on the front side of the vehicle V and a rear side glass 52R on the rear side of the vehicle V. In the stored state of the curtain airbag 20, the curtain airbag 20 is folded in a roll shape or bellows shape and extends in the front-rear direction along the roof side portion 50. Then, gas generated by an inflator 40 described later is supplied to the curtain airbag 20, so that the curtain airbag 20 is inflated and deployed downward from the roof side portion 50 and disposed on the inside (cabin side) of the front side glass 52F and the rear side glass 52R in the vehicle width direction. Hereinafter, the configuration of the curtain airbag 20 will be described in the inflated and deployed state of the curtain airbag 20.

[0013] The curtain airbag 20 is configured to include a gas passage portion 21, a front seat chamber 22 serving as a head protection chamber connected to the gas passage portion 21, and a rear seat chamber 23 serving as a head protection chamber connected to the gas passage portion 21 and disposed rearward of the front seat chamber 22.

[0014] The gas passage section 21 constitutes an upper end portion in a front-rear direction intermediate portion of the curtain airbag 20. The gas passage section 21 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with the front-rear direction as a longitudinal direction. A gas introduction section 24 is provided on the upper side of the gas passage section 21. The gas introduction section 24 is formed in a cylindrical shape with the front-rear direction as an axial direction, and a front end portion of the gas introduction section 24 is bent downward and connected to the front-rear direction intermediate portion of the gas passage section 21. This allows the gas passage section 21 and the gas introduction section 24 to communicate with each other.

[0015] The front seat chamber 22 is formed in a bag shape and constitutes the front part of the curtain airbag 20. The front seat chamber 22 is disposed in front of the gas passage section 21, and the upper end of the front seat chamber 22 is connected to the front end of the gas passage section 21. The front seat chamber 22 is inflated and deployed on the vehicle width direction inner side of the front side window 52F in correspondence with the head protection area that protects the head of the front seat occupant FP as an occupant seated in the front seat. As a result, the front seat chamber 22 is supported from the outside in the vehicle width direction by the front side window 52F, and the head of the front seat occupant FP moving outward in the vehicle width direction is received and protected by the front seat chamber 22. The vehicle width direction inner side of the front seat chamber 22 is configured as the head restraint section 22A. That is, the head restraint section 22A restrains the head of the front seat occupant FP moving outward in the vehicle width direction.

[0016] The rear seat chamber 23 is formed in a bag shape, similar to the front seat chamber 22, and constitutes the rear end of the curtain airbag 20. The rear seat chamber 23 is disposed on the rear side of the gas passage section 21, and the upper end of the rear seat chamber 23 is connected to the rear end of the gas passage section 21. The rear seat chamber 23 is inflated and deployed on the vehicle width direction inner side of the rear side window 52R in correspondence with the head protection area that protects the head of the rear seat occupant RP as an occupant seated in the rear seat. As a result, the rear seat chamber 23 is supported from the outside in the vehicle width direction by the rear side window 52R, and the head of the rear seat occupant RP moving outward in the vehicle width direction is received and protected by the rear seat chamber 23. The vehicle width direction inner side of the rear seat chamber 23 is configured as the head restraint section 23A. That is, the head restraint section 23A restrains the head of the rear seat occupant RP moving outward in the vehicle width direction.

[0017] The front seat chamber 22 and the rear seat chamber 23 are each provided with a rotation suppression mechanism 30, which suppresses rotation of the heads of the front seat occupant FP and the rear seat occupant RP when the heads of the front seat occupant FP and the rear seat occupant RP are restrained. The rotation suppression mechanisms 30 provided in the front seat chamber 22 and the rear seat chamber 23 are configured similarly. Therefore, hereinafter, the configuration of the rotation suppression mechanism 30 will be described using the rear seat chamber 23.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the rotation suppression mechanism 30 includes an upper tether 31, a lower tether 32, and two intermediate tethers 33 as tethers. The upper tether 31 extends in the front-rear direction in the upper end of the rear seat chamber 23, and the lower tether 32 extends in the front-rear direction in the lower end of the rear seat chamber 23. The two intermediate tethers 33 are disposed between the upper tether 31 and the lower tether 32 inside the rear seat chamber 23, and are disposed spaced apart from each other in the up-down direction. In this embodiment, the lengths of the upper tether 31, the lower tether 32, and the intermediate tether 33 are set to be the same. The front ends of the upper tether 31, the lower tether 32, and the intermediate tether 33 are connected to the front end of the rear seat chamber 23, and the rear ends of the upper tether 31, the lower tether 32, and the intermediate tether 33 are connected to the rear end of the rear seat chamber 23. That is, the front end and the rear end of the rear seat chamber 23 are connected by the upper tether 31, the lower tether 32, and the intermediate tether 33. In addition, the middle portions in the front-rear direction of the upper tether 31, the lower tether 32, and the intermediate tether 33 are connected to the head restraint portion 23A of the rear seat chamber 23.

[0019] Here, in the inflated and deployed state of the rear seat chamber 23, the upper tether 31, the lower tether 32, and the intermediate tether 33 are each in a tensioned state (pulled outward in the longitudinal direction by the rear seat chamber 23 and stretched taut). The lengths of the upper tether 31, the lower tether 32, and the intermediate tether 33 are set so that the front-rear middle parts of the upper tether 31, the lower tether 32, and the intermediate tether 33 are joined to the head restraint part 23A of the rear seat chamber 23, forming a recessed part 34 that is open to the inside in the vehicle width direction in a plan view in the head restraint part 23A. This recessed part 34 is disposed opposite the head of the rear seat occupant RP in the vehicle width direction. Note that the front-rear positions of the joining parts of the front-rear middle parts of the upper tether 31, the lower tether 32, and the intermediate tether 33 and the head restraint part 23A are set to the same positions. As a result, the bottom of the recess 34 extends in the up-down direction when viewed from the vehicle interior side.

[0020] Also, when viewed from the vehicle width direction, a connecting portion 35 connected to the upper intermediate tether 33 of the head restraint portion 23A is disposed at a position overlapping with the chin of the rear seat occupant RP when the rear seat occupant RP is a dummy doll of AM50 (50th percentile of adult males in the United States). Furthermore, when viewed from the vehicle width direction, a connecting portion 36 connected to the lower intermediate tether 33 of the head restraint portion 23A is disposed at a position overlapping with the chin of the rear seat occupant RP when the rear seat occupant RP is a dummy doll of AF05 (5th percentile of adult females in the United States). In FIG. 1, the rear seat occupant RP is illustrated as an AF05 dummy doll. Also, the vertical position of the lower end of the rear seat chamber 23 is set so that the lower end of the rear seat chamber 23 is located above the shoulder of the rear seat occupant RP when the rear seat occupant RP is a dummy doll of AF05.

[0021] A plurality of mounting tabs 25 are provided on the upper end of the curtain airbag 20, and the mounting tabs 25 are fixed to a roof side portion 50 of the vehicle V by fasteners.

[0022] The inflator 40 is a so-called cylinder-type gas generating device. The inflator 40 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with the longitudinal direction as the axial direction, and is disposed along the roof side portion 50. The front end portion of the inflator 40 is inserted into the rear end portion of the gas introduction portion 24 of the curtain airbag 20, and the inflator 40 is connected to the gas introduction portion 24. When the inflator 40 is activated, the generated gas is supplied into the gas introduction portion 24 from a gas outlet formed at the front end portion of the inflator 40.

[0023] The inflator 40 is electrically connected to an airbag ECU 42, and is activated under the control of the airbag ECU 42. A collision sensor 44 for detecting a side collision of the vehicle V is also electrically connected to the airbag ECU 42, and the collision sensor 44 is configured to output a detection signal to the airbag ECU 42. The airbag ECU 42 is set to activate the inflator 40 on the side of the side collision (near side) when it detects or predicts a side collision of the vehicle V based on information from the collision sensor 44.

[0024] (Action and effect) Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0025] In the vehicle curtain airbag device 10 configured as described above, when the airbag ECU 42 detects or predicts a side collision of the vehicle V based on a signal from the collision sensor 44, it activates the inflator 40. As a result, the gas ejected from the inflator 40 is supplied from the gas introduction portion 24 of the curtain airbag 20 to the gas passage portion 21, and is also supplied to the inside of the front seat chamber 22 and the rear seat chamber 23 through the gas passage portion 21. As a result, the curtain airbag 20 is inflated and deployed downward from the stored state. Specifically, the front seat chamber 22 of the curtain airbag 20 is disposed on the inner side of the front side window 52F in the vehicle width direction and on the outer side of the head of the front seat passenger FP in the vehicle width direction. In addition, the rear seat chamber 23 of the curtain airbag 20 is disposed on the inner side of the rear side window 52R in the vehicle width direction and on the outer side of the head of the rear seat passenger RP in the vehicle width direction. This allows the head of the front seat passenger FP, which moves outward in the vehicle width direction during a side collision, to be restrained by the front seat chamber 22, and the head of the rear seat passenger RP, which moves outward in the vehicle width direction during a side collision, to be restrained by the rear seat chamber 23.

[0026] Here, the front seat chamber 22 and the rear seat chamber 23 are provided with a rotation suppression mechanism 30, which suppresses head rotation when restraining the heads of the front seat occupant FP and the rear seat occupant RP. This point will be described below using the rear seat chamber 23. In the rotation suppression mechanism 30, an upper tether 31, a lower tether 32, and an intermediate tether 33 extend in the front-rear direction inside the rear seat chamber 23 and connect the front end and the rear end of the rear seat chamber 23. In addition, the front-rear direction intermediate parts of the upper tether 31, the lower tether 32, and the intermediate tether 33 are joined to the head restraint section 23A of the rear seat chamber 23, and a recessed section 34 that is open toward the inside in the vehicle width direction in a plan view is formed in the head restraint section 23A, and the head of the rear seat occupant RP and the recessed section 34 are arranged opposite to each other in the vehicle width direction.

[0027] Therefore, in the event of a side collision, the head of the rear seat passenger RP moving outward in the vehicle width direction is guided by the front and rear side surfaces of the recessed portion 34 and enters the recessed portion 34, where the head of the rear seat passenger RP is restrained by being pinched from both front and rear directions by the head restraining portion 23A. This makes it possible to prevent the head of the rear seat passenger RP from rotating when the rear seat chamber 23 restrains the head of the rear seat passenger RP. As a result, the head injury value of the rear seat passenger RP can be reduced. Therefore, the head protection performance of the rear seat passenger RP can be improved.

[0028] Similarly to the above, when the front seat occupant FP moves outward in the vehicle width direction during a side collision, the head of the front seat occupant FP enters the recessed portion 34 of the front seat chamber 22, and the head of the front seat occupant FP is restrained by the head restraining portion 22A of the front seat chamber 22 so as to sandwich the head of the front seat occupant FP from both front and rear directions. This makes it possible to suppress the head of the front seat occupant FP from rotating when the head of the front seat occupant FP is restrained by the front seat chamber 22. As a result, the head injury value of the front seat occupant FP can be reduced. Therefore, the head protection performance of the front seat occupant FP can be improved.

[0029] In addition, in the rotation suppression mechanism 30, the upper tether 31 is disposed within the upper end of the rear seat chamber 23 (front seat chamber 22), the lower tether 32 is disposed within the lower end of the rear seat chamber 23 (front seat chamber 22), and the two intermediate tethers 33 are disposed between the upper tether 31 and the lower tether 32 within the rear seat chamber 23 (front seat chamber 22). This allows the recess 34 of the rear seat chamber 23 (front seat chamber 22) to be formed over substantially the entire vertical length of the head restraint portion 23A (head restraint portion 22A). Therefore, head protection for the front seat occupant FP and the rear seat occupant RP according to various physical builds of the front seat occupant FP and the rear seat occupant RP can be achieved with a simple configuration.

[0030] Also, when viewed from the vehicle width direction, coupling portion 35 coupled by upper intermediate tether 33 in head restraint portion 23A (head restraint portion 22A) is disposed at a position overlapping with the chin of rear seat occupant RP (front seat occupant FP) when rear seat occupant RP (front seat occupant FP) is an AM50 dummy, and coupling portion 36 coupled by lower intermediate tether 33 in head restraint portion 23A (head restraint portion 22A) is disposed at a position overlapping with the chin of rear seat occupant RP (front seat occupant FP) when rear seat occupant RP (front seat occupant FP) is an AF05 dummy. Therefore, in the event of a side collision, the head of a relatively large rear seat occupant RP (front seat occupant FP) can be restrained by the upper portion of head restraint portion 23A (head restraint portion 22A), and the head of a relatively small rear seat occupant RP (front seat occupant FP) can be restrained by the lower portion of head restraint portion 23A (head restraint portion 22A). In addition, because the chin of the rear seat occupant RP (front seat occupant FP) is positioned to coincide with the bottom of the recessed portion 34, it is possible to prevent the chin of the rear seat occupant RP (front seat occupant FP) from directly hitting the front or rear surface of the recessed portion 34 when the head of the rear seat occupant RP (front seat occupant FP) enters the recessed portion 34. This makes it possible to further improve the head protection performance for the front seat occupant FP and the rear seat occupant RP.

[0031] In the rotation suppression mechanism 30 of the present embodiment, the upper tether 31, the lower tether 32, and the intermediate tether 33 are set to the same length, but the length of the lower tether 32 may be set shorter than the length of the upper tether 31. In this case, the length of the intermediate tether 33 may be set longer than the length of the lower tether 32 and shorter than the length of the upper tether 31. This can further improve the head protection performance for the rear seat occupant RP (front seat occupant FP).

[0032] That is, when the rear seat chamber 23 (front seat chamber 22) is fully inflated and deployed, the lower end of the rear seat chamber 23 (front seat chamber 22) may swing in the vehicle width direction due to a reaction force from the rear side window 52R (front side window 52F). In this case, the lower end of the rear seat chamber 23 (front seat chamber 22) swinging in the vehicle width direction may collide with the chin or the like of the rear seat passenger RP (front seat passenger FP) moving outward in the vehicle width direction, and the head protection performance for the rear seat passenger RP (front seat passenger FP) may be reduced. In particular, the head protection performance for the rear seat passenger RP (front seat passenger FP) who is small in stature may be reduced.

[0033] On the other hand, in the rotation suppression mechanism 30, if the length of the lower tether 32 is set shorter than the length of the upper tether 31, the lower tether 32 can be put into a tensed state early when the rear seat chamber 23 (front seat chamber 22) is inflated and deployed. That is, compared to the present embodiment, the lower end of the rear seat chamber 23 (front seat chamber 22) can be inflated and deployed early, and the rocking motion generated at the lower end of the rear seat chamber 23 (front seat chamber 22) can be converged early. As a result, the head of the rear seat passenger RP (front seat passenger FP) moving outward in the vehicle width direction can be restrained by the rear seat chamber 23 (front seat chamber 22) in a stable state. Therefore, the head protection performance for the rear seat passenger RP (front seat passenger FP) can be further improved.

[0034] Also, by setting the length of the lower tether 32 shorter than the length of the upper tether 31, the length of the rear seat chamber 23 (front seat chamber 22) in the front-rear direction when inflated and deployed becomes shorter toward the lower side. For this reason, although not shown, the head restraint portion 23A (head restraint portion 22A) protrudes toward the inside in the vehicle width direction compared to this embodiment. That is, as viewed from the front-rear direction, the head restraint portion 23A (head restraint portion 22A) inclines toward the inside in the vehicle width direction toward the lower side. For this reason, in the event of a side collision, the head of the rear seat passenger RP (front seat passenger FP) who is relatively small in stature can be restrained by the head restraint portion 23A (head restraint portion 22A) while being guided early by the front and rear surfaces of the recessed portion 34. In addition, since the rear seat chamber 23 (front seat chamber 22) is located above the shoulders of the relatively small-sized rear seat occupant RP, in the event of a side collision, the shoulders of the relatively small-sized rear seat occupant RP (front seat occupant FP) can be restrained from above by the rear seat chamber 23 (front seat chamber 22) early on.

[0035] In addition, in the rotation suppression mechanism 30 of this embodiment, two intermediate tethers 33 are provided in the rear seat chamber 23 (front seat chamber 22), but one intermediate tether 33 may be provided in the rear seat chamber 23 (front seat chamber 22), or three or more intermediate tethers 33 may be provided in the rear seat chamber 23 (front seat chamber 22).

[0036] Furthermore, the front-rear position of the bottom of the recess 34 in the rear seat chamber 23 (front seat chamber 22) can be changed as appropriate according to the restraining state of the head of the rear seat passenger RP (front seat passenger FP) during a side collision. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 10. Vehicle curtain airbag device 20 Curtain airbag 22 Front seat chamber (head protection chamber) 22A Head restraint part 23 Rear seat chamber (head protection chamber) 23A Head restraint part 31 Upper tether (tether) 32 Lower tether (tether) 33 Intermediate Tether (Tether) 34 Recess 35 Head restraint section connected by intermediate tether on top of vehicle 36 Head restraint section connected by intermediate tether under the vehicle 40 Inflator 50 Roof side FP Front seat occupant (passenger) RP Rear seat passenger (passenger) V Vehicle

Claims

1. a curtain airbag that is inflated and deployed in a curtain shape from the roof side of the vehicle to the underside of the vehicle by being supplied with gas generated by an inflator; a head protection chamber that constitutes a part of the curtain airbag, that is inflated and deployed on the outer side of the head of the occupant in the vehicle width direction, and that has an inner side in the vehicle width direction configured as a head restraining portion that restrains the head; a plurality of tethers extending in a vehicle front-rear direction inside the head protection chamber and connecting a front end portion and a rear end portion of the head protection chamber; Equipped with A vehicle curtain airbag device in which a longitudinal intermediate portion of the tether is connected to the head restraint portion, and a recessed portion that is open toward the inside of the vehicle width direction in a plan view is formed in the head restraint portion.

2. The tether is an upper tether connecting a front end and a rear end of the head protection chamber within an upper end of the head protection chamber; a lower tether connecting a front end portion and a rear end portion of the head protection chamber within a lower end portion of the head protection chamber; a plurality of intermediate tethers provided inside the head protection chamber between the upper tether and the lower tether and connecting a front end portion and a rear end portion of the head protection chamber; 2. The vehicle curtain airbag device according to claim 1, comprising:

3. The two intermediate tethers are provided inside the head protection chamber and spaced apart in the vehicle up-down direction, 3. The vehicle curtain airbag device according to claim 2, wherein, when viewed from the vehicle width direction, a portion of the head restraint portion that is connected by the intermediate tether on the upper side of the vehicle is positioned at a position that overlaps with the chin of the occupant when the occupant is an AM50 dummy, and a portion of the head restraint portion that is connected by the intermediate tether on the lower side of the vehicle is positioned at a position that overlaps with the chin of the occupant when the occupant is an AF05 dummy.

4. 4. The vehicle curtain airbag device according to claim 2, wherein the length of the lower tether is shorter than the length of the upper tether.

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