Airbag for front passenger seat and airbag device for front passenger seat

Abstract

To provide an airbag for a front passenger seat which enables reduction of the bag capacity.SOLUTION: An airbag 1 for a front passenger seat includes: a front panel 30 forming an occupant restraint surface 2 of the airbag for the front passenger seat; a top panel 10 forming an upper surface 5 and upper half sides 3a, 4a of left and right side surfaces of the airbag for the front passenger seat; and a bottom panel 20 forming a lower surface 6 and lower half sides 3b, 4b of the left and right side surfaces of the airbag for the front passenger seat. An opening 27 for an inflator is formed on the bottom panel 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a passenger airbag and a passenger airbag device for restraining an occupant of an automobile, etc., in the event of a collision, etc. In the following description, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions respectively correspond to the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions of an automobile equipped with a passenger airbag. [Background technology]

[0002] A passenger airbag device is configured to deploy a passenger airbag in front of a passenger in the event of a vehicle collision to restrain the passenger. Conventional passenger airbags are configured by sewing together the peripheral edges of a passenger-side panel (a panel on the rear side of the vehicle) and a non-passenger-side panel (a panel on the front side of the vehicle). Therefore, when the passenger airbag is viewed from the side and above in a fully inflated state, the width is greatest at the panel seam located approximately in the center in the front-to-rear direction, and the airbag is curved convexly toward the passenger.

[0003] Conventional passenger airbags have their widest portion located approximately in the center in the front-to-rear direction, resulting in many unnecessary inflation points, a large bag volume, and increased costs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-151807 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and has an object to provide a passenger seat airbag and a passenger seat airbag device that can reduce the bag volume. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The passenger airbag of the present invention comprises a front panel which constitutes the occupant restraint surface of the passenger airbag, a top panel which constitutes the upper surface and the upper half of the left and right side surfaces of the passenger airbag, and a bottom panel which constitutes the lower surface and the lower half of the left and right side surfaces of the passenger airbag, and an opening for an inflator is formed in the bottom panel.

[0007] In one aspect of the present invention, a left edge of the top panel is joined to a left edge of the bottom panel, and a right edge of the top panel is joined to a right edge of the bottom panel.

[0008] In one aspect of the present invention, the rear side of the top panel and the peripheral edge of the upper half of the front panel are joined together.

[0009] In one aspect of the present invention, the rear side of the bottom panel and the peripheral edge of the lower half of the front panel are joined together.

[0010] In one aspect of the present invention, the front edge of the top panel and the front edge of the bottom panel are joined together.

[0011] In one aspect of the present invention, a longitudinal tether is provided that connects the occupant restraint surface and a front side of a passenger seat airbag.

[0012] In one aspect of the present invention, the front panel has a first panel constituting the left half side and a second panel constituting the right half side, and the rear end of the front-to-rear tether is connected to the stitching point between the first panel and the second panel.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, a first cutout and a second cutout are provided on the rear edge of the top panel, the edges of the first cutout are joined and the edges of the second cutout are joined, and a central portion of the rear edge of the top panel between the first cutout and the second cutout is joined to an upper edge of the front panel.

[0014] The passenger seat airbag device of the present invention includes the passenger seat airbag of the present invention and an inflator for inflating the passenger seat airbag. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, the bag volume can be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a fully inflated state of the passenger seat airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a passenger airbag. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a front panel according to another embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a passenger airbag according to another embodiment, as viewed from above. [Figure 8] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] A passenger seat airbag 1 according to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 5 is inflated and deployed between an instrument panel and a windshield. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, this passenger seat airbag 1 is made by sewing together a top panel 10, a bottom panel 20, and a front panel 30.

[0019] The passenger airbag 1 in a fully inflated state has an occupant restraint surface 2, left and right side surfaces 3 and 4, an upper surface 5, and a lower surface 6.

[0020] The top panel 10 constitutes the upper surface 5, an upper side surface 3a on the upper half of the side surface 3, and an upper side surface 4a on the upper half of the side surface 4. The bottom panel 20 constitutes the lower surface 6, a lower side surface 3b on the lower half of the side surface 3, and a lower side surface 4b on the lower half of the side surface 4. The front panel 30 constitutes the occupant restraint surface 2 that faces the occupant.

[0021] 3, the top panel 10 is generally trapezoidal in shape having a rear side 11, a left side 12, a right side 13, and a front side 14, with the left side 12 and the right side 13 approaching each other closer to the front side 14. The rear side 11 is provided with generally V-shaped notches 15 and 16.

[0022] The left cutout 15 has edges 15a and 15b that meet in a generally V-shape, and the right cutout 16 has edges 16a and 16b that meet in a generally V-shape.

[0023] Of the rear side 11, the rear side left portion 11b on the left side of the cutout portion 15 has a left end connected to the rear end of the left side 12 and a right end connected to the rear end of the edge 15a.

[0024] Of the rear side 11, the rear side right portion 11c on the right side of the cutout portion 16 has a right end connected to the rear end of the right side 13 and a left end connected to the rear end of the edge 16b.

[0025] Of rear side 11, rear side central portion 11a between cut portions 15 and 16 has a left end connected to the rear end of edge 15b and a right end connected to the rear end of edge 16a.

[0026] 4, the bottom panel 20 is generally trapezoidal in shape having a rear side 21, a left side 22, a right side 23, and a front side 24, with the left side 22 and the right side 23 approaching each other closer to the front side 24. An inflator opening 27 is formed on the front side of the bottom panel 20. Around the inflator opening 27, a plurality of small holes (not shown) are provided for inserting inflator mounting bolts (for example, four holes).

[0027] The rear side 21 of the bottom panel 20 has a shallow V-shape with the center recessed toward the front. The left end of the rear side left portion 21b on the left half of the rear side 21 is connected to the rear end of the left side 22. The right end of the rear side right portion 21c on the right half of the rear side 21 is connected to the rear end of the right side 23. The right end of the rear side left portion 21b and the left end of the rear side right portion 21c intersect.

[0028] 5, the front panel 30 is pentagonal in shape having an upper side 31, an upper left side 32, an upper right side 33, a lower left side 34, and a lower right side 35. The upper end of the upper left side 32 is continuous with the left end of the upper side 31, and the upper end of the upper right side 33 is continuous with the right end of the upper side 31, and the upper left side 32 and the upper right side 33 are parallel to each other.

[0029] The upper end of lower left side 34 is connected to the lower end of upper left side 32, and the upper end of lower right side 35 is connected to the lower end of upper right side 33, and the lower ends of lower left side 34 and lower right side 35 intersect.

[0030] At the cut-out portion 15 of the top panel 10, the edges 15a and 15b are sewn together, and at the cut-out portion 16, the edges 16a and 16b are sewn together. The rear center portion 11a is sewn to the upper edge 31 of the front panel 30. The rear left portion 11b and the rear right portion 11c are sewn to the upper left edge 32 and upper right edge 33 of the front panel 30. In other words, the rear edge 11 of the top panel 10 is sewn to the periphery of the upper half of the front panel 30.

[0031] The rear left portion 21b and rear right portion 21c of the bottom panel 20 are sewn to the lower left side 34 and lower right side 35 of the front panel 30. That is, the rear side 21 of the bottom panel 20 is sewn to the periphery of the lower half of the front panel 30.

[0032] The left side 12 and the right side 13 of the top panel 10 are sewn to the left side 22 and the right side 23 of the bottom panel 20. The front side 14 of the top panel 10 is sewn to the front side 24 of the bottom panel 20.

[0033] After the panels 10, 20, 30 are sewn together as described above, the airbag is turned inside out through the inflator opening 27, so that the seams are disposed inside the airbag, completing the passenger seat airbag 1 in its finished form.

[0034] This passenger airbag 1 has an inflator attached, is folded, and placed in a box-shaped case, and is attached to the case by inflator attachment bolts. A lid (not shown) is provided on the instrument panel so as to cover the folded body of the passenger airbag 1. The folded passenger airbag 1, the inflator, and the case constitute a passenger airbag device. This lid may be provided as a part of the instrument panel, or may be provided as a lid-like member separate from the instrument panel. In the latter case, the lid is connected to the case.

[0035] When the inflator is activated, the passenger seat airbag 1 pushes open the lid and deploys between the instrument panel and the windshield in front of the passenger, as shown in FIG. 1, to restrain the passenger.

[0036] Compared to a conventional passenger airbag constructed by sewing together the peripheral edges of an occupant-side panel (panel toward the rear of the vehicle) and an anti-occupant-side panel (panel toward the front of the vehicle), this passenger airbag 1, in a fully inflated state, has the largest lateral width at a location close to the occupant restraint surface 2. The upper half of the occupant restraint surface 2 (the area surrounded by the upper side 31, upper left side 32, and upper right side 33 of the front panel 30) becomes flat, allowing a large area to be secured for restraining the occupant's head.

[0037] In addition, the lower half of the occupant restraint surface 2 is approximately triangular in shape with the left-right width narrowing toward the bottom, and the lower surface 6 is also approximately triangular in shape with the left-right width narrowing toward the rear, which reduces unnecessary inflation points, reduces the bag volume, and reduces costs.

[0038] In the top panel 10, the area between the cutouts 15 and 16 constitutes the upper surface 5 of the passenger airbag 1. By adjusting the lengths of the edges 15a, 15b, 16a, and 16b of the cutouts 15 and 16 and the intersection angle θ, the contact points of the passenger airbag 1 with the windshield can be designed independently.

[0039] 6, the front panel 30 may be composed of two panels, a first panel 30a constituting the left half side and a second panel 30b constituting the right half side. The front panel 30 is composed by sewing together a right edge 36a of the first panel 30a and a left edge 36b of the second panel 30b.

[0040] 7, a front-rear tether 40 may be provided in the passenger seat airbag 1, connecting the occupant restraint surface 2 (upper half of the occupant restraint surface 2) and the front side of the passenger seat airbag 1. When the front panel 30 is composed of two panels 30a, 30b, the rear end of the front-rear tether 40 is sewn to the stitching portion of the panels 30a, 30b. The front end of the front-rear tether 40 is connected to the vicinity of the inflator opening 27 of the bottom panel 20 by sewing or the like.

[0041] By providing the longitudinal tether 40, the flatness of the occupant restraint surface 2 can be improved in the fully inflated state.

[0042] The shape of the front panel 30 is not limited to a pentagon, but may be another polygon.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 8, the rear side 21 of the bottom panel 20 may have a shape in which the center is convex backward.

[0044] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1 Passenger Air Bag 2 Occupant restraint surface 3,4 Side surface 5 Top side 6 Bottom side 10 Top Panel 15,16 Notch 20 Bottom Panel 30 Front Panel 40 Forward and backward tether

Claims

1. A front panel that constitutes an occupant restraint surface of a passenger airbag; A top panel that constitutes an upper surface of the passenger seat airbag and upper halves of the left and right side surfaces; A bottom panel that constitutes a lower surface of the passenger seat airbag and the lower halves of the left and right side surfaces; Equipped with The bottom panel has an opening for an inflator.

2. a left edge of the top panel and a left edge of the bottom panel are joined together; 2. The passenger seat airbag according to claim 1, wherein a right edge of the top panel and a right edge of the bottom panel are joined together.

3. 2. The passenger seat airbag according to claim 1, wherein a rear edge of the top panel and a peripheral edge of an upper half of the front panel are joined together.

4. 2. The passenger seat airbag according to claim 1, wherein a rear edge of the bottom panel and a peripheral edge of a lower half of the front panel are joined together.

5. 2. The passenger airbag according to claim 1, wherein a front edge of said top panel and a front edge of said bottom panel are joined together.

6. 2. The passenger seat airbag according to claim 1, further comprising a front-rear tether that connects the passenger restraint surface and a front side of the passenger seat airbag.

7. the front panel includes a first panel constituting a left half side and a second panel constituting a right half side, 7. The passenger airbag according to claim 6, wherein a rear end of the longitudinal tether is connected to a stitched portion between the first panel and the second panel.

8. A first cut portion and a second cut portion are provided on a rear side of the top panel, The edges of the first cut portion are joined together, The edges of the second cut portions are joined together, 2. The passenger seat airbag according to claim 1, wherein a central portion of the rear edge of the top panel between the first cutout portion and the second cutout portion is joined to an upper edge of the front panel.

9. A passenger seat airbag according to any one of claims 1 to 8, an inflator that inflates the passenger airbag; A passenger seat airbag device comprising:

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