Vehicle exterior protection device

Abstract

To improve, in a vehicle, a vehicle exterior protection device for protecting a vehicle exterior moving body such as a pedestrian.SOLUTION: A vehicle exterior protection device of a vehicle having head lamp units provided exposed on a front part of a vehicle body of the vehicle, includes: an airbag device for deploying an airbag for covering an exposed surface of the head lamp unit by being deployed in front of the head lamp unit; tension members connected to the airbag; and actuators for each pulling the tension member. The tension member is pulled by the actuator to pull the airbag toward the exposed surface of the head lamp unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an external protection device for a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Some vehicles deploy a pedestrian airbag to mitigate the impact with an external moving body outside the vehicle. In Patent Document 1, a pedestrian airbag is deployed from the central front part of the vehicle body onto the rear bonnet hood. However, even if a pedestrian airbag is deployed as in Patent Document 1, it is not possible to protect against a collision of an external moving body with the headlamp unit.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] On the other hand, as in Patent Documents 2 and 3, by deploying a pedestrian airbag so as to cover the entire front of the vehicle body including the headlamp unit from the ventilation opening of the front grille, it is considered possible to protect against a collision of an external moving body with the headlamp unit. However, in Patent Documents 2 and 3, the pedestrian airbag starts to deploy from the ventilation opening of the front grille and deploys so as to spread in the vehicle width direction. In this case, when an external moving object is about to collide with only the headlamp unit, for example, due to the load, the pedestrian airbag may bend upward and rearward and deviate from the headlamp unit and come off. As a result, the external moving object may directly hit the headlamp unit. Moreover, the headlamp unit is firmly attached to the vehicle body so that the light distribution performance such as the optical axis does not shift with respect to vibrations during running. On the other hand, the front grille is basically a ventilation opening and does not have as high rigidity as the headlamp unit. In particular, when a child with a low height such that the head is at the height of the headlamp unit tries to collide with the headlamp unit, it may not be possible to exhibit the desired protection performance for the child.

[0005] In a vehicle, an improvement is required for an external protection device for protecting an external moving object such as a pedestrian.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An external protection device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is an external protection device for a vehicle having a headlamp unit provided to be exposed at the front part of the vehicle body of the vehicle, and includes an airbag device that deploys an airbag in front of the headlamp unit to cover the exposed surface of the headlamp unit, a tension member connected to the airbag, and an actuator that pulls the tension member. The tension member is pulled by the actuator to pull the airbag toward the exposed surface of the headlamp unit.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] In the present invention, the airbag of the airbag device deploys in front of the headlamp unit and deploys to cover the exposed surface of the headlamp unit. The actuator pulls a tension member connected to the airbag. As a result, the tension member pulls the airbag toward the exposed surface of the headlamp unit. Accordingly, the airbag can be deployed to cover the exposed surface of the headlamp unit. Moreover, since the airbag is pulled toward the exposed surface of the headlamp unit by the tension member, even when a pedestrian hits the airbag toward the exposed surface of the headlamp unit, the airbag can maintain the state of covering the exposed surface of the headlamp unit even if such a load acts thereon. As a result, an external moving body that attempts to collide with the headlamp unit of the vehicle can have its impact absorbed by the airbag that is deployed so as to be maintained on the exposed surface of the headlamp unit. It becomes difficult for a large force such as when directly hitting the headlamp unit to act on the external moving body. In the present invention, since the airbag is deployed so as to be difficult to deviate from the exposed surface of the headlamp unit, the external moving body can be well protected from a collision with the headlamp unit. In the present invention, even in the case of a child with a low height such that the head is at the height of the headlamp unit, it is expected that a direct collision with the headlamp unit can be prevented and the desired protective performance can be exhibited for the child.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of an example of a state in which a vehicle body 2 of a motor vehicle 1 collides with a pedestrian. The motor vehicle 1 is an example of a vehicle. Other vehicles include, for example, trucks, buses, personal mobility, and the like. The motor vehicle 1 in FIG. 1 has a vehicle body 2. A pair of headlamp units 4 are provided at both left and right end portions in the vehicle width direction, which is the left - right direction of the vehicle body 2, on the front surface 3 of the front nose of the vehicle body 2. The headlamp unit 4 is provided with a headlight, a high - beam lamp, a flash lamp, and the like.

[0011] Incidentally, in the motor vehicle 1, there is one that deploys a pedestrian airbag 8 at the front part of the vehicle body 2 to mitigate a collision with an out - of - vehicle moving body. The pedestrian airbag 8 usually deploys from the central part of the front surface 3 of the vehicle body 2, which is under the bonnet 6, over the bonnet 6. The body of an adult pedestrian shown by a dashed line in FIG. 1 hits the front part of the vehicle body 2 and then falls onto the bonnet 6. The pedestrian airbag 8 is interposed between the falling body of the adult pedestrian and the bonnet 6 and can absorb the impact. However, a pedestrian may collide with the headlamp unit 4 provided at the front of the vehicle body 2. The headlamp unit 4 is firmly attached to the vehicle body 2 so that the light distribution performance such as the optical axis does not shift against vibrations during driving. On the other hand, the front grille is basically a vent and does not have as high rigidity as the headlamp unit 4. The headlamp unit 4 can collide more strongly with a pedestrian than the front grille. Moreover, among pedestrians, there are not only adults but also children. And as shown by the solid line in FIG. 1, when a child with a low height such that the head is at the height of the headlamp unit 4 collides with the headlamp unit 4, the pedestrian airbag 8 may not be able to exhibit the desired protection performance for the child. In particular, when deploying the pedestrian airbag 8 from the central portion of the front surface 3 of the vehicle body 2 such as the vent of the front grille, the pedestrian airbag 8 does not deploy in front of the headlamp unit 4. For example, even if the pedestrian airbag 8 is deployed so as to cover in front of the headlamp unit 4, due to the impact load of the pedestrian's collision, the pedestrian airbag 8 is likely to shift backward from in front of the headlamp unit 4. The pedestrian airbag 8 that has shifted backward will deviate from in front of the headlamp unit 4. As a result, even if the pedestrian airbag 8 is deployed, pedestrians and the like may directly hit the headlamp unit 4. Thus, the vehicle exterior protection device 30 of the automobile 1 that deploys the airbag 34 for an external moving body such as a pedestrian needs to be improved.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the vehicle exterior protection device 30 of the automobile 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention applied to the automobile 1 of FIG. 1. The vehicle exterior protection device 30 of the automobile 1 in FIG. 2 may be incorporated into a control system (not shown) of the automobile 1 having the headlamp unit 4. FIG. 3 is a schematic layout view of the front portion of the vehicle body 2 having the headlamp unit 4 provided to be exposed at the front portion of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1 as viewed from the left side. The vehicle exterior protection device 30 of the vehicle 1 includes an airbag device 31, a pair of left and right tension members 38, a pair of left and right actuators 39, a control unit 43, an acceleration sensor 41, and an exterior camera 42. FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the vehicle exterior protection device 30 of the vehicle 1 for one of the pair of left and right headlamp units 4.

[0013] The airbag device 31 has an inflater 32 and an airbag 34 that is deployed by the high-pressure gas of the inflater 32.

[0014] The airbag 34 is connected to the inflater 32 in a long connecting pipe portion 33. The detailed structure of the airbag 34 will be described later. The airbag 34 of the present embodiment is deployed in front of the headlamp unit 4 and deployed so as to cover the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4 for the protection of an external moving body such as a pedestrian. As shown in FIG. 3, the airbag 34 is folded and stored on the rear side of the front face member 5 that forms the front surface 3 of the vehicle body 2 below the headlamp unit 4. A structure 12 of the vehicle body 2 of the vehicle 1 is provided below the folded airbag 34. The front lower mounting portion 61 of the headlamp unit 4 is attached to the upper surface of the structure 12 by a clip 13. The connecting pipe portion 33 of the airbag 34 is sandwiched between the structure 12 and the front lower mounting portion 61 of the headlamp unit 4. Further, the rear upper mounting portion 62 of the headlamp unit 4 is attached to the upper surface of another structure 11 of the vehicle body 2 of the vehicle 1 by a clip 13. Thereby, the headlamp unit 4 is firmly attached to the vehicle body 2 so that the light distribution performance such as the optical axis does not shift with respect to vibrations during traveling. The airbag 34 provided inside the vehicle body 2 surrounded by the headlamp unit 4 and the structure 12 in this way can push the front face member 5 forward and deploy forward from the headlamp unit 4 by being deployed by the high-pressure gas of the inflater 32.

[0015] Further, the connecting pipe portion 33 of the airbag 34 is also inflated by the high-pressure gas of the inflator 32. The inflating connecting pipe portion 33 pushes up the front lower mounting portion 61 of the headlamp unit 4 from the upper surface of the structure 12. As a result, the clip 13 as the mounting member can be disengaged. The connecting pipe portion 33 of the airbag 34 can break and drop off the clip 13 that connects the front lower mounting portion 61 of the headlamp unit 4 to the structure 12 of the vehicle body 2. The tension member 38 may be, for example, a wire, a tether, or a belt. As shown in FIG. 2, the right tension member 38 is connected between the right side portion of the airbag 34 and the right actuator 39. The left tension member 38 is connected between the left side portion of the airbag 34 and the left actuator 39.

[0016] The actuator 39 winds up the tension member 38 using, for example, a reel. Thereby, the actuator 39 can pull the tension member 38 rearward. As shown in FIG. 3, the actuator 39 may be provided on the rear side of the other structure 11 inside the vehicle body 2. The actuator 39 is stored on the rear side of the headlamp unit 4. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, the tension member 38 may pass from the actuator 39 over the other structure 11, extend from the upper side to the lower side in front of the headlamp unit 4, and be connected to the airbag 34 located on the front lower side of the headlamp unit 4.

[0017] Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the headlamp unit 4 is provided with an outer peripheral portion 22 around the exposed surface 21 that is exposed to the outside of the vehicle body 2. In FIG. 2, the outer peripheral portion 22 is continuously provided on the left and right sides and the upper side of the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4. On the front side of the right side portion of the exposed surface 21 of the outer peripheral portion 22 of the headlamp unit 4, a storage groove 23 that is long in the vertical direction is formed. At the upper end of the storage groove 23, a hole 24 that penetrates the outer peripheral portion 22 in the front-rear direction is formed. The right tension member 38 is stored in the storage groove 23 through the hole 24 provided in the upper edge portion of the headlamp unit 4. On the front side of the left side portion of the exposed surface 21 of the outer peripheral portion 22 of the headlamp unit 4, a vertically long storage groove 23 is formed. At the upper end of the storage groove 23, a hole 24 penetrating the outer peripheral portion 22 in the front-rear direction is formed. The left tension member 38 is stored in the storage groove 23 through the hole 24 provided in the upper edge portion of the headlamp unit 4. Thereby, the pair of left and right tension members 38 can be stored in the headlamp unit 4 so as not to overlap with the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4.

[0018] The acceleration sensor 41 detects the acceleration of the vehicle 1. The acceleration sensor 41 can detect the acceleration generated by the contact when an out-of-vehicle moving body such as a pedestrian moving outside the vehicle 1 contacts the vehicle body 2 of the vehicle 1. Note that the acceleration sensor 41 may be provided on the rear side of the front face member 5 provided on the front face 3 of the vehicle 1. Further, the acceleration sensor 41 may be provided on the rear side of the bumper member as the front face member 5.

[0019] The out-of-vehicle camera 42 images the outside of the vehicle 1. The out-of-vehicle camera 42 may be a stereo camera, a monocular camera, or a 360-degree camera provided in the vehicle 1. The out-of-vehicle camera 42 may image at least the front side of the vehicle 1. Thereby, it is possible to image an out-of-vehicle moving body such as a pedestrian who moves outside the vehicle 1 and may collide with the front portion of the vehicle 1. Note that the out-of-vehicle camera 42 may analyze the captured image to detect an out-of-vehicle moving body such as a pedestrian.

[0020] To the control unit 43, vehicle sensors such as the acceleration sensor 41 and the out-of-vehicle camera 42, the inflator 32 of the airbag device 31, and the pair of left and right actuators 39 are connected. The control unit 43 may be, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Based on the detections of vehicle sensors such as the acceleration sensor 41 and the external camera 42, the control unit 43 predicts and detects a collision of an external moving object such as a pedestrian with respect to the host vehicle. When the control unit 43 predicts or detects a collision of the external moving object with the headlamp unit 4, the control unit 43 outputs an operation signal to the inflator 32 and the actuator 39. As a result, the inflator 32 and the actuator 39 operate. The control unit 43 can predict or detect a collision between the external moving object and the headlamp unit 4 based on the detection of the external moving object by the vehicle sensors, and operate the airbag device and the actuator 39. The actuator 39 winds up the tension member 38 from the hole 24 at the upper edge portion of the headlamp unit 4 to the back side of the headlamp unit 4. Note that when the control unit 43 deploys the airbags 34 on the left and right for the left and right headlamp units 4 provided in the automobile 1, the inflators 32 of the left and right airbag devices 31 and the pair of left and right actuators 39 for each of the left and right may be connected. In this case, the control unit 43 may output an operation signal so as to cover both the left and right headlamp units 4 with the airbags 34, or may output an operation signal only to the headlamp unit 4 on the side where the collision is predicted or detected.

[0021] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an example of the external protection control by the control unit 43 of the external protection device 30 in FIG. 2. The control unit 43 repeatedly executes the external protection control in FIG. 4.

[0022] In step ST1, the control unit 43 acquires information for predicting or detecting a collision of an external moving object such as a pedestrian with the headlamp unit 4. The control unit 43 acquires information from vehicle sensors such as the acceleration sensor 41 and the external camera 42.

[0023] In step ST2, the control unit 43 determines whether the vehicle 1 will collide with a moving object outside the vehicle. When predicting or detecting a collision between the vehicle 1 and the moving object outside the vehicle, the control unit 43 advances the process to step ST3. When not predicting or detecting a collision between the vehicle 1 and the moving object outside the vehicle, the control unit 43 ends this control.

[0024] In step ST3, the control unit 43 determines whether the moving object outside the vehicle will collide with the headlamp unit 4. The control unit 43 may determine whether the moving object outside the vehicle will collide with the headlamp unit 4 based on the lateral position of the moving object outside the vehicle in the captured image of the vehicle exterior camera 42. When determining that the moving object outside the vehicle will collide with the headlamp unit 4, the control unit 43 advances the process to step ST4. When determining that the moving object outside the vehicle will not collide with the headlamp unit 4, the control unit 43 ends this control. In this case, the control unit 43 may deploy the pedestrian airbag 8 that deploys from the center of the front surface 3 of the vehicle body 2, such as the vent of the front grille, and then end this control.

[0025] In step ST4, the control unit 43 outputs an operation signal to the inflator 32 and the actuator 39. Thereby, the inflator 32 and the actuator 39 operate. The airbag 34 of the airbag device 31 deploys. Further, the actuator 39 winds up and pulls the tension member 38. After that, the control unit 43 ends this control.

[0026] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the state during the deployment of the airbag device 31 in FIG. 2. The airbag 34 in FIG. 5 is in a state where the deployment has started from the state in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 5, the airbag 34 of the airbag device 31 folded between the headlamp unit 4 and the structure 12 starts to deploy due to the inflow of the high-pressure gas from the inflator 32. The deployed airbag 34 pushes the front face member 5 forward and deploys so as to pop out in front of the headlamp unit 4. Also, the connecting pipe portion 33 of the airbag 34 also expands. When the airbag 34 is deployed, the connecting pipe portion 33 of the airbag 34 breaks and detaches the clip 13 that connects the front lower mounting portion 61 of the headlamp unit 4 to the structure 12 of the vehicle body 2. As a result, the headlamp unit 4 is supported by the other structure 11 of the vehicle body 2 only at its rear upper mounting portion 62. The headlamp unit 4 becomes movable in a forward-downward direction. The headlamp unit 4 becomes capable of lowering the head.

[0027] FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of the deployed state of the airbag device 31 in FIG. 2. FIG. 6 corresponds to FIG. 2. The deployed airbag 34 deploys so as to jump out from below the headlamp unit 4 and forward of the headlamp unit 4. At the same time, the pair of left and right actuators 39 wind up and pull the pair of left and right tension members 38. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the airbag 34 deployed to jump out forward of the headlamp unit 4 has its upper edge portion pulled rearward and deploys so as to cover the headlamp unit 4. The airbag 34 deploys to a size slightly larger than the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4. Thereby, the airbag 34 can cover the entire exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4.

[0028] And the lower part of the airbag 34 in FIG. 6 is connected and fixed to the inflator 32 below the headlamp unit 4. Regarding the upper part of the airbag 34 in FIG. 6, since the pair of left and right tension members 38 pass through the pair of holes 24 provided in the upper edge portion of the headlamp unit 4, the pair of left and right tension members 38 are pulled rearward, so that the upper edge portion of the headlamp unit 4 can be fixed. As a result, the airbag 34 in FIG. 6 is difficult to deviate from the state in FIG. 6 even when a load of an external moving body such as a pedestrian acts. The airbag 34 in FIG. 6 can maintain the state of covering the entire exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4 even when a load acts.

[0029] FIG. 7 is a view showing a state in which the left and right airbags 34 are deployed so as to cover the left and right headlamp units 4 of the automobile 1 in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 7, the left and right airbags 34 are deployed larger than the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4 in a range of the front portion of the vehicle body 2 that is less than half of the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 2. The left and right airbags 34 can be deployed so as to cover the entire exposed surface 21 of the left and right headlamp units 4 of the automobile 1. As shown in the drawing, a child with a low height such that the head is at the height of the headlamp unit 4 is not directly collided with the headlamp unit 4 because the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4 is entirely covered by the airbag 34. Moreover, the upper and lower portions of the left and right airbags 34 are fixed to the upper and lower portions of the left and right headlamp units 4. The left and right airbags 34 can maintain a state of entirely covering the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4 even when a load acts. Both adult and child pedestrians can be protected so as not to directly hit the headlamp unit 4.

[0030] FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of the structure of the deployed airbag 34. In FIG. 8, the airbag 34 is shown in a deployed state. The airbag 34 in FIG. 8 has an outer peripheral air chamber 51 that expands into a frame shape and a plurality of central air chambers 52 that expand inside the frame-shaped outer peripheral air chamber 51.

[0031] The outer peripheral air chamber 51 that expands into a frame shape may be the same as the outer shape of the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4. The exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4 in the present embodiment is rectangular as shown in FIG. 6. For this reason, the outer peripheral air chamber 51 in FIG. 8 is also configured to expand into a rectangular frame shape. And the outer peripheral air chamber 51 has a size that is slightly larger than the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4 so that the inner side thereof has the outer shape of the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4.

[0032] The plurality of central air chambers 52 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction inside the outer peripheral air chamber 51 that expands in a frame shape. Each central air chamber 52 expands so as to extend along the left-right direction of the vehicle 1. Note that the outer peripheral air chamber 51 and the plurality of central air chambers 52 may be formed using a single base fabric. However, in the present embodiment, the expansion diameter D of one central air chamber 52 and the number n of central air chambers 52 have the following relationship of Equation 1 with respect to the height L inside the outer peripheral air chamber 51. That is, the plurality of central air chambers 52 expand such that the total length in the vertical direction (D × n) is longer than the inner dimension L in the vertical direction of the outer peripheral air chamber 51.

[0033] L < D × n ··· Equation 1

[0034] Further, in the present embodiment, the outer peripheral air chamber 51 of the airbag 34 expands to a high pressure prior to the central air chamber 52. For example, a valve is provided in the airbag 34 such that high-pressure gas from the inflator 32 first flows into the outer peripheral air chamber 51, and after the outer peripheral air chamber 51 expands, the high-pressure gas flows from the outer peripheral air chamber 51 into the plurality of central air chambers 52. Thereby, the outer peripheral air chamber 51 can expand to a high pressure prior to the central air chamber 52.

[0035] Further, the left and right tension members 38 are connected to the outer peripheral air chamber 51 of the expanding airbag 34. The left and right tension members 38 are connected to the upper part of the expansion of the outer peripheral air chamber 51 of the airbag 34.

[0036] FIG. 9 is an explanatory view of the covering state of the headlamp unit 4 by the deployed airbag 34. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the airbag 34 is further deployed from the state of FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 9, the outer peripheral air chamber 51 of the airbag 34 is pulled from between the headlamp unit 4 and the bonnet hood 6 toward the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4. The tension member 38 pulls the upper part of the expansion of the expanding airbag 34 toward the upper edge portion of the headlamp unit 4. As a result, the frame-shaped outer peripheral air chamber 51, which is the outer peripheral edge portion of the airbag 34, overlaps with the front end portion of the bonnet hood 6 above the headlamp unit 4. The outer peripheral air chamber 51 can be deployed so as to adhere to the vehicle body 2 around the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4.

[0037] As a result, the plurality of central air chambers 52 that are deployed vertically side by side in the central portion inside the frame-shaped outer peripheral air chamber 51 are deployed in a state of entirely covering the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4. The central portion of the deploying airbag 34 comes closer to the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4. However, in the present embodiment, the plurality of central air chambers 52 satisfy the above-described formula 1. Therefore, in a state where the outer peripheral air chamber 51 is deployed so as to adhere to the vehicle body 2 around the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4, the plurality of central air chambers 52 are deployed in a state of floating forward from the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4 as shown in FIG. 9. As a result, part of the load acting on the plurality of central air chambers 52 of the airbag 34 can be absorbed by deforming the plurality of central air chambers 52 that are floating forward from the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4 so as to be pressed against the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4.

[0038] As described above, in the present embodiment, the airbag 34 of the airbag device 31 is deployed in front of the headlamp unit 4 and is deployed to cover the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4. The actuator 39 pulls the tension member 38 connected to the airbag 34. As a result, the tension member 38 pulls the airbag 34 toward the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4. As a result, the airbag 34 can be deployed to cover the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4. Moreover, since the airbag 34 is pulled toward the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4 by the tension member 38, even if a pedestrian hits the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4 with such a load acting thereon, the airbag 34 can maintain the state of covering the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4. As a result, an out-of-vehicle moving body that attempts to collide with the headlamp unit 4 of the vehicle 1 can have its impact absorbed by the airbag 34 that is deployed so as to be maintained on the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4. It becomes difficult for a large force such as when directly hitting the headlamp unit 4 to act on the out-of-vehicle moving body. In the present embodiment, since the airbag 34 is deployed so as to be difficult to deviate from the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4, the out-of-vehicle moving body can be well protected from a collision with the headlamp unit 4. In the present embodiment, even for a child with a low height such that the head is at the height of the headlamp unit 4, a direct collision with the headlamp unit 4 can be prevented, and it can be expected that the desired protection performance can be exhibited for the child.

[0039] In particular, in the present embodiment, the airbag 34 is deployed larger than the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4 in a range in the front portion of the vehicle body 2 that is less than or equal to half of the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 2. The tension member 38 is connected to an outer peripheral edge portion that is outside the outer peripheral edge of the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4 with respect to the airbag 34 to be deployed. As a result, the tension member 38 pulls the outer peripheral edge portion of the airbag 34 so as to bring the central portion inside the outer peripheral edge portion of the airbag 34 to be deployed closer to the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4. As a result, the outer peripheral edge portion of the airbag 34 can be deployed around the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4. Even if the airbag 34 may deviate due to the action of a load or the like, the airbag 34 can maintain a state of well covering the entire exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4. It becomes difficult for the out-of-vehicle moving body to directly hit the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4.

[0040] In this embodiment, the airbag 34 has an outer peripheral air chamber 51 that forms the outer peripheral edge portion of the airbag 34, and a plurality of central air chambers 52 that are arranged and deployed in the central portion inside the outer peripheral air chamber 51. The outer peripheral air chamber 51 is deployed to a high pressure prior to the central air chambers 52. As a result, the outer peripheral air chamber 51 of the airbag 34 can be deployed along the outer periphery of the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4 prior to the central air chambers 52. Further, inside the outer peripheral air chamber 51 that is deployed in such a manner, the plurality of central air chambers 52 are deployed so as to overlap the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4. Moreover, the plurality of central air chambers 52 can be deployed such that the total length in the vertical direction is longer than the inner dimension in the vertical direction of the outer peripheral air chamber 51. The tension member 38 pulls the outer peripheral air chamber 51 that forms the outer peripheral edge portion of the airbag 34 toward the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4. Therefore, the plurality of central air chambers 52 that are deployed so as to overlap the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4 can be deployed in a state of floating forward from the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4. As a result, a part of the load acting on the plurality of central air chambers 52 of the airbag 34 can be absorbed by deforming the plurality of central air chambers 52 that are floating forward from the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4 so as to be pressed against the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4.

[0041] In this embodiment, the airbag device 31 is provided below the headlamp unit 4. The inflater 32 of the airbag device 31 deploys the airbag 34 from below the headlamp unit 4 toward the front of the headlamp unit 4. When the airbag 34 is deployed, the airbag 34 detaches a mounting member that connects the front lower mounting portion 61 of the headlamp unit 4 to the structure 12 of the vehicle body 2. As a result, the airbag 34 is deployed from below the headlamp unit 4 toward the front of the headlamp unit 4. The tension member 38 is connected to the upper portion of the deployment of the outer peripheral air chamber 51 of the airbag 34, and pulls the upper portion of the deployment of the deployed airbag 34 above the headlamp unit 4. As a result, the airbag 34 deployed toward the front of the headlamp unit 4 can be deployed so as to cover the entire exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4. Also, by arranging the airbag device 31 in this manner, the airbag 34 and the inflator 32 of the airbag device 31 can be provided at the front portion of the vehicle body 2 so as not to be exposed to the front surface 3 of the vehicle body 2. In this embodiment, for example, compared with the case where the inflator 32 is provided near the front surface 3 of the vehicle body 2, it does not have a great influence on the design of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1 and the shock absorption structure of the front surface 3 of the vehicle body 2. Further, when the mounting member connecting the front lower mounting portion 61 of the headlamp unit 4 and the structure 12 of the vehicle body 2 falls off, the headlamp unit 4 can move downward forward due to the action of a load. When the headlamp unit 4 is in a movable state, a part of the load of the external moving body can be absorbed by the headlamp unit 4 moving downward forward.

[0042] In this embodiment, the tension member 38 is stored and provided in a storage groove 23 extending vertically along the left edge portion or the right edge portion of the headlamp unit 4 through a hole 24 provided in the upper edge portion of the headlamp unit 4. Thereby, the tension member 38 can be concealed and arranged at the edge portion of the headlamp unit 4 and can be provided so as not to be exposed to the front surface 3 of the vehicle body 2. In this embodiment, for example, compared with the case where the actuator 39 or the inflator 32 is provided near the front surface 3 of the vehicle body 2, it does not have a great influence on the design of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1 and the shock absorption structure of the front surface 3 of the vehicle body 2. Moreover, a hole 24 is formed in the upper edge portion of the headlamp unit 4 instead of a groove or the like. And the tension member 38 is passed through the hole 24. For this reason, even if the headlamp unit 4 moves downward forward, the tension member 38 does not fall off from the headlamp unit 4. The airbag 34 can maintain a state of overlapping with the exposed surface 21 of the fallen headlamp.

[0043] The above embodiments are examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications or changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention.

[0044] In the above-described embodiment, the plurality of central air chambers 52 are arranged vertically. In addition, for example, the plurality of central air chambers 52 may be arranged horizontally. Even in this case, the plurality of central air chambers 52 may satisfy Formula 1 such that the total length in the horizontal direction is longer than the inner dimension in the horizontal direction of the outer peripheral air chamber 51. Thereby, the plurality of central air chambers 52 can be deployed in a state of floating forward from the exposed surface 21 of the headlamp unit 4, similar to FIG. 9.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0045] 1... Automobile (vehicle), 2... Vehicle body, 3... Front surface, 4... Headlamp unit, 5... Front face member, 6... Bonnet hood, 8... Pedestrian airbag, 11... Structure, 12... Other structure, 13... Clip, 21... Exposed surface, 22... Outer peripheral portion, 23... Storage groove, 24... Hole, 30... Vehicle exterior protection device, 31... Airbag device, 32... Inflator, 33... Connecting pipe portion, 34... Airbag, 38... Tension member, 39... Actuator, 41... Acceleration sensor, 42... Vehicle exterior camera, 43... Control unit, 51... Outer peripheral air chamber, 52... Central air chamber, 52... Each central air chamber, 61... Front lower attachment portion, 62... Rear upper attachment portion

Claims

1. An external protection device for a vehicle, comprising a headlamp unit provided to be exposed at the front part of the vehicle body of the vehicle, an airbag device that deploys an airbag in front of the headlamp unit to cover the exposed surface of the headlamp unit, a tension member connected to the airbag, and an actuator that pulls the tension member, wherein the tension member is pulled by the actuator to pull the airbag toward the exposed surface of the headlamp unit, an external protection device for a vehicle.

2. The airbag is deployed larger than the exposed surface of the headlamp unit in a range of the front part of the vehicle body that is half or less of the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body, wherein the tension member is connected to an outer peripheral edge portion outside the outer peripheral edge of the exposed surface of the headlamp unit with respect to the airbag to be deployed, and pulls the outer peripheral edge portion of the airbag so that the central portion inside the outer peripheral edge portion of the airbag to be deployed approaches the exposed surface of the headlamp unit, The external protection device for a vehicle according to Claim 1.

3. The airbag has an outer peripheral air chamber that forms the outer peripheral edge portion of the airbag and a plurality of central air chambers that are deployed side by side in a central portion inside the outer peripheral air chamber, the outer peripheral air chamber is deployed at a higher pressure earlier than the central air chambers, and the plurality of central air chambers can be deployed to be longer than the inner dimension of the outer peripheral air chamber, The external protection device for a vehicle according to Claim 1 or 2.

4. The airbag device is provided below the headlamp unit and has an inflater for deploying the airbag from below the headlamp unit to in front of the headlamp unit, when the airbag is deployed, the airbag detaches an attachment member that connects the front lower attachment portion of the headlamp unit to the structure of the vehicle body, the tension member is connected to an upper portion of the outer peripheral air chamber of the airbag to be deployed, and pulls the upper portion of the airbag to be deployed above the headlamp unit, The external protection device for a vehicle according to Claim 3.

5. The tension member is stored and provided in a storage groove that extends vertically along the left edge portion or the right edge portion of the headlamp unit through a hole provided in the upper edge portion of the headlamp unit, ​ The actuator winds up the tension member from a hole in the upper edge portion of the headlamp unit to the back side of the headlamp unit. The vehicle exterior protection device for a vehicle according to claim 4.

6. A vehicle sensor for detecting an exterior moving body that moves outside the vehicle, and a control unit that controls the operations of the airbag device and the actuator, wherein the control unit operates the airbag device and the tension member when predicting or detecting a collision between the exterior moving body and the headlamp unit based on the detection of the exterior moving body by the vehicle sensor. The vehicle exterior protection device for a vehicle according to claim 5.

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