Airbag device for front passenger seat

Abstract

To provide an airbag device for a front passenger seat which expands and develops smoothly even if a display is installed in front of the front passenger seat.SOLUTION: An airbag device for a front passenger seat includes an airbag 100 which inflates in front of crew member on the passenger seat. The airbag 100 comprises a first bag 1 into which gas is introduced firstly and which expands and develops from a top face of an instrument panel toward an upward direction and a rearward direction and a second bag 2 which expands and develops by the gas via the first bag 1 being introduced. There is installed a display D on the instrument panel 6 and a rear part of the expanded and developed first bag 1 is situated between a top edge of the display D and a wind shield 7, and the second bag 2 is connected to an upper rear surface of the first bag 1 and expands and develops in back of the display D.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an airbag device for a passenger seat for restraining an occupant of an automobile or the like in the event of a collision or the like. [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 installed in the instrument panel and inflate toward the passenger along the upper surface of the instrument panel (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, there has been a trend for displays mounted on vehicles to become larger in size, and displays are sometimes installed in front of the passenger seat. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Application Publication No. 2003 / 0094794 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 situation, and has an object to provide a passenger seat airbag device that smoothly inflates and deploys even when a display is installed in front of the passenger seat. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The passenger seat airbag device of the present invention is a passenger seat airbag device having an airbag that inflates in front of a passenger seat occupant, and is equipped with a first bag into which gas is first introduced and which inflates and deploys upward and rearward from the top surface of the instrument panel, and a second bag that inflates and deploys when gas is introduced through the first bag, a display is installed on the instrument panel, and the rear of the inflated first bag is located between the upper end of the display and the windshield, and the second bag is connected to the upper rear surface of the first bag and inflates and deploys behind the display.

[0007] In one aspect of the present invention, the first bag is produced by folding a first panel and sewing the peripheral edge, and an inflator that outputs the gas is attached to the folded portion of the first panel.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, a first opening is formed in the first panel, a second opening is formed in a second panel on the front side of the second bag, and the peripheral edges of the first opening and the second opening are joined to each other.

[0009] In one aspect of the present invention, when the airbag is inflated and deployed, a lower end of a joint portion between the first bag and the second bag is located directly above the display.

[0010] In one aspect of the present invention, the airbag and the inflator are attached to a retainer, and if the length from the center of the inflator opening in the first panel to the lower end of the first opening is A, the distance from the center of the inflator to the rear edge of the bottom surface of the retainer is B1, and the distance from the rear edge of the bottom surface of the retainer to the upper end of the display is B2, then A≦(B1+B2).

[0011] In one aspect of the present invention, a tether is provided that connects the occupant restraint surface of the second bag and the second panel.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the occupant restraint surface has a third panel constituting the left half side and a fourth panel constituting the right half side, the tether has a first tether and a second tether, one end of the first tether is connected to the left side of the second opening of the second panel and the other end is connected to the stitching point between the third panel and the fourth panel, and one end of the second tether is connected to the right side of the second opening of the second panel and the other end is connected to the stitching point between the third panel and the fourth panel. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, the airbag is smoothly inflated and deployed even when a display is installed in front of the passenger seat. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a passenger seat airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the first panel. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3A is a plan view of the first bag, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIB-IIIB of FIG. 3A. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the panel configuration of the second bag. [Diagram 5] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing an example of a connection between a first bag and a second bag. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the distance from the center of the airbag module to the top edge of the display. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a passenger airbag according to a modified example. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a passenger airbag device according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions correspond to the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions of an automobile equipped with a passenger airbag, respectively.

[0016] 1 shows the configuration of a passenger seat airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This passenger seat airbag device includes a passenger seat airbag 100 (hereinafter referred to as "airbag 100") that can be inflated in front of an occupant, a container-shaped retainer 3 having an opening on the upper surface for inflating the airbag, and an inflator 4 for inflating the airbag 100.

[0017] The retainer 3 is installed in an opening (not shown) for installing an airbag device, which is provided on the upper surface of an instrument panel 6 in front of a passenger seat (not shown) of a vehicle body. A flange 4a protrudes from a side peripheral surface of the inflator 4. The inflator 4 is installed penetrating the bottom surface of the retainer 3 so that the flange 4a overlaps along the bottom surface of the retainer.

[0018] The airbag 100 has a first bag 1 whose base end (lower end) is connected to a retainer 3 and which is inflatable upward and rearward from the upper surface of the instrument panel 6 toward the windshield 7, and a second bag 2 which is connected to the upper rear surface of the first bag 1 and which is inflatable rearward and downward so as to face the upper body of the occupant.

[0019] A display D that displays various information is disposed on the rear surface of the instrument panel 6. The upper end of the display D is located higher than the upper surface of the instrument panel 6.

[0020] The first bag 1 of the airbag 100 inflates and deploys so as to climb over the display D, and the second bag 2 inflates and deploys behind the display D.

[0021] 2 is a plan view of the first panel 10 constituting the first bag 1. The first panel 10 is generally rectangular in shape with a left-right width narrowing toward the center in the longitudinal direction, and has an opening 12 formed at one end in the longitudinal direction. An inflator opening 11 is formed at the center of the first panel 10 (the center in the longitudinal direction and the center in the lateral direction). A plurality of bolt insertion holes (not shown) are formed around the inflator opening 11.

[0022] The first panel 10 is folded back at a fold line L1 in the longitudinal center that passes through the inflator opening 11, and the peripheral edges are sewn together to form a bag shape as shown in Figs. 3A and 3B, to produce the first bag 1. Reference numeral 13 denotes the sewn portion. The inflator opening 11 is located at the lower end of the first bag 1. The surface of the first bag 1 on which the opening 12 is formed faces the rear side of the vehicle (passenger side), and the surface on which the opening 12 is not formed faces the front side of the vehicle.

[0023] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the second panel 20, the third panel 22, the fourth panel 23, and the tethers 24, 25 that constitute the second bag 2. As shown in FIG.

[0024] The upper half of the second panel 20 is an equal-width portion whose left and right widths are approximately equal, while the lower half of the second panel 20 is a narrow-width portion whose left and right widths narrow downward. In other words, the upper half of the second panel 20 is approximately rectangular, while the lower half is approximately trapezoidal whose width narrows downward. An opening 21 is formed in the upper half region of the second panel 20. The size of the opening 21 (second opening) is approximately the same as the opening 12 (first opening) formed in the first panel 10.

[0025] The third panel 22 and the fourth panel 23 are occupant-side panels that constitute the occupant restraint surface of the second bag 2, with the third panel 22 corresponding to the left half of the occupant restraint surface and the fourth panel 23 corresponding to the right half of the occupant restraint surface. The shape of the right side 22a of the third panel 22 and the left side 23a of the fourth panel 23 joined by sewing together is substantially the same as the shape of the second panel 20.

[0026] The second panel 20 and the joined third panel 22 and fourth panel 23 are sewn together at their peripheral edges to form a bag, producing the second bag 2. Reference numeral 26 in Fig. 5 indicates a sewn portion. At this time, one end of the tether 24 is joined to the left end of the opening 21 of the second panel 20, and the other end is joined to the sewn portion between the right side 22a of the third panel 22 and the left side 23a of the fourth panel 23. One end of the tether 25 is joined to the right end of the opening 21 of the second panel 20, and the other end is joined to the sewn portion between the right side 22a of the third panel 22 and the left side 23a of the fourth panel 23.

[0027] 5, the peripheral edges of the opening 12 of the first bag 1 and the opening 21 of the second bag 2 are sewn together to join the first bag 1 and the second bag 2 to produce the airbag 100. The openings 12 and 21 serve as communication openings that connect the interiors of the first bag 1 and the second bag 2.

[0028] The tip end of the inflator 4 is inserted into the inflator opening 11 of the airbag 100 thus prepared, the airbag 100 is folded, bolts are passed through the bolt insertion holes of the first bag 1, the flange 4a, and the retainer 3, and nuts are fastened, thereby mounting the airbag 100 and the inflator 4 to the retainer 3. The airbag module in which a lid (not shown) is mounted on the retainer 3 is installed on the instrument panel 6. The lid may be provided as a part of the instrument panel 6.

[0029] In the event of an emergency such as a vehicle collision, the inflator 4 is activated, and gas from the inflator 4 is first introduced into the first bag 1. This gas inflates the first bag 1 and pushes open the lid. The inflator 4 is provided at the base end of the first bag 1, and the first bag 1 inflates upward from the top surface of the instrument panel 6. The inflated first bag 1 inflates and deploys rearward along the windshield 7. As a result, the rear end of the inflated first bag 1 climbs over the display D.

[0030] Gas introduced from the inflator 4 into the first bag 1 flows into the second bag 2 through the communication ports (openings 12, 21), causing the second bag 2 to inflate. The second bag 2 inflates and deploys rearward and downward so as to face the upper body of the occupant. The second bag 2 inflates and deploys behind the display D (between the display D and the occupant), and the lower part of the second bag 2 (second panel 20) comes into contact with the display surface of the display D.

[0031] When the first bag 1 and the second bag 2 are inflated and deployed, the lower end of the joint between the first bag 1 and the second bag 2 is located directly above the display D (contacting the upper end of the display D).

[0032] As shown in FIG. 6, the front panel (second panel 20) of the second bag 2 and the center portion of the occupant restraint surface are connected by tethers 24, 25, thereby improving the flatness of the occupant restraint surface.

[0033] This airbag 100 smoothly inflates and deploys even when the display D is installed in front of the passenger seat.

[0034] It is preferable that the length A (see FIG. 2) from the center of the inflator opening 11 of the first panel 10 constituting the first bag 1 to the bottom end of the opening 12 is equal to or less than the distance B (B=B1+B2, see FIG. 7) from the center of the airbag module to the top end of the display D. Here, B1 is the distance from the center of the inflator 4 to the rear edge (rear end) of the bottom surface of the retainer 3. B2 is the distance from the rear edge of the bottom surface of the retainer 3 to the top end of the display D.

[0035] By making A≦B, the swinging of the inflated and deployed airbag 1 between the display D and the windshield 7 is suppressed, and the deployment of the airbag 1 can be made more stable.

[0036] The vertical width of the communication opening (openings 12, 21) between the first bag 1 and the second bag 2 may be set to be equal to or greater than the distance from the upper end of the display D to the windshield 7 above the display D. This suppresses the swinging of the inflated and deployed airbag 1 between the display D and the windshield 7, making it possible to further stabilize the deployment of the airbag 1.

[0037] 8 and 9, a heat shield cloth 30 may be disposed inside the first bag 1. One end of the heat shield cloth 30 is attached to the retainer 3 together with the flange 4a of the inflator 4, etc. In addition, one ends of the tethers 24, 25 are not joined to the peripheral portion of the opening 21 of the second panel 20, but are inserted through the openings 12, 21 and joined to the other end of the heat shield cloth 30.

[0038] 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]

[0039] 1. Bag 1 2. Second Bag 3 Retainer 4 Inflator 7 Windshield 100 Passenger Air Bag D Display

Claims

1. A passenger seat airbag device having an airbag that inflates in front of a passenger seat, a first bag into which gas is first introduced and which inflates and deploys upward and rearward from an upper surface of the instrument panel; a second bag that is inflated and deployed by the introduction of gas through the first bag; Equipped with A display is provided on the instrument panel, a rear portion of the inflated and deployed first bag is positioned between an upper end of the display and a windshield; The second bag is connected to an upper rear surface of the first bag and inflates and deploys behind the display.

2. The first bag is produced by folding back a first panel and sewing a peripheral portion thereof, 2. The passenger seat airbag device according to claim 1, wherein an inflator for outputting the gas is attached to the folded-back portion of the first panel.

3. A first opening is formed in the first panel; A second opening is formed in a second panel on the front side of the second bag, 3. The passenger airbag device according to claim 2, wherein the first opening and the second opening are joined at their peripheries.

4. 4. The passenger seat airbag device according to claim 3, wherein a lower end of a joint between the first bag and the second bag is located directly above the display when the airbag is inflated and deployed.

5. The airbag and the inflator are attached to a retainer, A is a length from the center of the inflator opening of the first panel to the lower end of the first opening, The distance from the center of the inflator to the rear side of the bottom surface of the retainer is B1, 4. The passenger seat airbag device according to claim 3, wherein A≦(B1+B2) holds, where B2 is a distance from a rear edge of the bottom surface of the retainer to an upper end of the display.

6. 4. The passenger airbag device according to claim 3, further comprising a tether connecting the passenger restraint surface of the second bag and the second panel.

7. The occupant restraint surface includes a third panel constituting a left half side and a fourth panel constituting a right half side, the tether comprises a first tether and a second tether; one end of the first tether is connected to the left side of the second opening of the second panel, and the other end is connected to a stitching portion between the third panel and the fourth panel; 7. The passenger airbag device according to claim 6, wherein one end of the second tether is connected to a right side of the second opening of the second panel, and the other end is connected to a stitched portion between the third panel and the fourth panel.

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