Protection device

Abstract

To provide a protection device that adequately protects a user even in the event of an impact.SOLUTION: There is provided a protection device including: a helmet put on a user's head; an airbag deployed from a lower edge of the helmet; a fluid supply unit that supplies fluid to inflate the airbag; and a control unit that controls the supply of the fluid from the fluid supply unit when a user's condition meets a predetermined condition required for the airbag to operate. The airbag includes a rear neck portion that advances outside a storage when supplied with fluid and inflates to cover a back of a user's neck when fully inflated, both side portions having a left cushioning portion that connects with the rear neck portion and covers a space between a user's left lower jaw and left shoulder when fully inflated, and a right cushioning portion that covers a space between a user's right lower jaw and right shoulder when fully inflated, and a rear support portion that connects with the rear neck portion or both side portions and extends from the rear neck portion or both side portions toward a user's waist when fully inflated, with a surface facing the user's back abutting on the user's back to support the rear neck portion and both side portions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a body protection device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 proposes a neck protection system that has a gas-filled bag (airbag) that can be rapidly deployed from a collar arranged around the base of the helmet, and in the event of an accident, the gas-filled bag is deployed to support the head and neck of a rider (user) of a motorcycle or other vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special table No. 8-510300 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a configuration where the airbag is deployed around the user's neck, if the head position shifts due to the impact of an accident and the neck tilts, the airbag may move out of its specified position and may not be able to provide adequate protection for the neck and head.

[0005] The technology of the present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a protection device that adequately protects the user's head and neck even when subjected to an impact. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the protection device of the present disclosure includes: 1. A protection device for protecting a user's head and neck, comprising: a helmet worn to surround the user's head; an airbag that deploys from the lower edge of the helmet; a fluid supply unit that supplies fluid to the airbag to inflate the airbag; a control unit that controls the fluid supply unit to supply the fluid when the state of the user satisfies a predetermined condition required for the airbag to be activated, The airbag is The helmet is stored in a storage section of the helmet in a deflated state during standby, and when the fluid is supplied, the helmet is expanded by advancing out of the storage section. a rear neck portion that covers at least the rear of the user's neck when fully inflated; a left cushioning portion that is connected to the rear neck portion and covers a space on the left side of the user's neck between the user's left chin and left shoulder when fully inflated, and a right cushioning portion that is on the right side of the user's neck and covers a space on the right side of the user's neck between the user's right chin and right shoulder; and The airbag includes a rear support section that is connected to the rear neck section or the two side sections, extends from the rear neck section or the two side sections toward the user's waist when inflation is complete, and has a surface facing the user's back that abuts against the user's back, thereby supporting the rear neck section and the two side sections.

[0007] In the protection device, the airbag includes front support parts connected to front portions of the left buffer part and the right buffer part on both side surfaces, respectively, When inflation is complete, the front support portion may extend in a direction different from the direction in which the two side portions extend from the rear of the neck toward the front of the user, from the front portion of the left buffer portion and the front portion of the right buffer portion toward the user's waist, and the contact surface facing the user's chest may contact the user's chest.

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the protection device of the present disclosure includes: 1. A protection device for protecting a user's head and neck, comprising: a helmet worn to surround the user's head; an airbag that deploys from the lower edge of the helmet; a fluid supply unit that supplies fluid to the airbag to inflate the airbag; a control unit that controls the fluid supply unit to supply the fluid when the state of the user satisfies a predetermined condition required for the airbag to be activated, The airbag is The helmet is stored in a storage section of the helmet in a deflated state during standby, and when the fluid is supplied, the helmet is expanded by advancing out of the storage section. a rear neck portion that covers at least the rear of the user's neck when fully inflated; a left cushioning portion that is connected to the rear neck portion and covers a space on the left side of the user's neck between the user's left chin and left shoulder when fully inflated, and a right cushioning portion that is on the right side of the user's neck and covers a space on the right side of the user's neck between the user's right chin and right shoulder; and front support portions connected to the front portions of the left buffer portion and the right buffer portion on both side surfaces, When inflation is complete, the front support portion extends in a direction different from the direction in which the two side portions extend from the rear of the neck toward the front of the user, from the front portion of the left buffer portion and the front portion of the right buffer portion toward the user's waist, and the contact surface facing the user's chest abuts against the user's chest.

[0009] In the protection device, the rear support portion has a contact surface that contacts the back of the user when the airbag is fully inflated and a user outer peripheral surface that faces the outside of the airbag, The outer peripheral surface may be a curved surface that is convex outward and extends from the rear of the neck or both side portions to a region on the user's back at the height of the shoulder blades.

[0010] In the protective device, the airbag may be positioned so that the contact surfaces of the front support portion and the rear support portion face each other across the upper body of the user when inflation is complete, and clamp the chest and back of the user, respectively.

[0011] In the protection device, the tips of the two side portions may exist independently on the left and right when the airbag is fully inflated, and may be deployed in a space adjacent to the user's lower jaw and throat, either in contact with each other or spaced apart.

[0012] In the protection device, the rear support portion may include a left support portion connected to the left buffer portion of each of the side surfaces, and a right support portion connected to the right buffer portion.

[0013] In the protection device, the rear support portion may extend from a position where the left shoulder of the user is located to a position where the right shoulder is located in the left-right direction of the user when inflation is complete.

[0014] In the protective device, the airbag is stored in the storage section, which is a lower edge portion of the rear part of the helmet and is arranged at a position where the back of the user's head is positioned when the helmet is worn, The storage portion may protrude downward from the lower edge portion of the helmet along the back of the user's neck. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a protection device that appropriately protects the user's head and neck even when subjected to an impact. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of the protection device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the inside of the storage section. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view showing a state before the airbag of the protection device worn by the user is deployed (pre-activation state). [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view showing a state (activated state) when an airbag of a protection device worn by a user is deployed. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a front perspective view showing the protective device worn by a user in an activated state. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side view showing the protective device worn by a user in an activated state. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the control unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a processing procedure executed by the control unit of the protection device. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the operation and effect when a user wearing the protection device of this embodiment is hit and the protection device is activated. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a case where a user wearing a protective device of the comparative example is hit and the protective device is activated. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a rear perspective view showing a state in which an airbag of a protection device according to a modified example is deployed (activated state). [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a front perspective view showing the operating state of the protection device according to the first modification. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a rear perspective view showing a state in which the airbag of the protection device according to the second modification is deployed (activated state). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] First Embodiment Hereinafter, a protective device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that each configuration and their combinations in each embodiment are merely examples, and addition, omission, substitution, and other modifications of configurations are possible as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited by the embodiments, but is limited only by the claims. Furthermore, each aspect disclosed in this specification can be combined with any other feature disclosed in this specification.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a side view of the protective device 1. The protective device 1 includes a helmet 10 and a storage section 40. The storage section 40 is located at the lower edge of the rear of the helmet 10, where the back of the user's head is positioned when the helmet is worn. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the storage section. As shown in FIG. 2, the protective device 1 includes an airbag device 20, a detection section 30, and a control section 50 within the storage section 40. The protective device 1 is worn on the user's head. The protective device 1 protects the head and neck by deploying the airbag of the airbag device 20 around the neck when the user is subjected to an impact or when an impact to the user's body is predicted (hereinafter also referred to as an emergency), such as when the user falls or a collision becomes unavoidable. FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view showing the protective device 1 worn by the user before the airbag is deployed (pre-activated state). FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view showing the protective device 1 worn by the user when the airbag is deployed (activated state). FIG. 5 is a front perspective view showing the activated state of the protection device 1 worn by a user. FIG. 6 is a side view showing the activated state of the protection device 1 worn by a user. In this specification, the up-down direction is also referred to as the Y-axis direction, the left-right direction is also referred to as the X-axis direction, and the depth direction is also referred to as the Z-direction. However, in this specification, the up-down direction and the XYZ-axis directions of the protection device 1 merely indicate the relative positional relationships of the elements in the protection device 1 for the convenience of explaining the embodiments. For example, the posture when using the protection device 1 is not limited to the direction shown in the figure. Furthermore, the size of the protection device 1 relative to the human body is not limited to that shown in the figure.

[0019] The helmet 10 is worn on the user's head to protect the head from impacts. The helmet 10 has a roughly bowl-shaped shell 11 and a strap 12 that secures the shell 11 to the user's head. The shell 11 is formed so as to cover at least a portion of the user's head above the eyes when worn. The shell 11 is also formed so as to surround the entire horizontal circumference of the head and protect from impacts from all directions. The shell 11 may have an outer shell that covers the outer peripheral surface, an impact absorbing liner that is placed inside the outer shell, an interior lining that is placed inside the impact absorbing liner, and the like.

[0020] The strap 12 has V-shaped ear straps 121 and a chin strap 122 connected to the lower part of the ear straps 121 via a connecting part 126. The chin strap 122 has a left part 123 connected to the left ear strap 121, a right part 124 connected to the right ear strap 121, and a buckle 125.

[0021] The helmet 10 is attached to the user's head by placing the cap body 11 over the user's head, passing one end of the chin strap 122 (the right side portion 124 in the example of FIG. 1) under the user's chin, and connecting the other end of the chin strap 122 (the left side portion 123 in the example of FIG. 1) with a buckle 125. The helmet 10 is then removed from the head by releasing the connection with the buckle 125 and separating the right side portion 124 and the left side portion 123 of the chin strap 122. Note that the helmet 10 in this embodiment is a so-called half-cap type, but any shape is possible, such as a jet helmet type or a full-face type.

[0022] The airbag device 20 includes an airbag 21 and a gas generator 29. The airbag 21 is formed in a bag shape, and is inflated when gas (fluid) is supplied to the inside of the airbag 21 from the gas generator 29, and deployed around the neck of the user. Before gas is supplied, the airbag 21 is stored in a folded state (contracted state) in the storage section 40.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the airbag 21 includes a rear neck portion 211, both side portions 212, a rear support portion 213, and a front support portion 214.

[0024] The rear neck portion 211 has a rear neck cushioning portion 2111 that covers at least the rear of the user's neck when the airbag 21 is fully inflated, and a gas supply path 2112 having one end connected to the rear neck cushioning portion 2111 and the other end connected to the gas generator 29.

[0025] Both side surface portions 212 are connected to the left and right ends of the rear neck buffer portion 2111 of the rear neck portion 211, and when fully inflated, have a left buffer portion 2122 that is on the left side of the user's neck and covers the space between the user's left lower jaw and left shoulder, and a right buffer portion 2121 that is on the right side of the user's neck and covers the space between the user's right lower jaw and right shoulder. In this way, the right buffer portion 2121, rear neck buffer portion 2111, and left buffer portion 2122 are formed continuously along the outer periphery of the user's neck, and form a roughly C-shape in plan view. When the end of the right cushioning portion 2121 and the left cushioning portion 2122 on both side surfaces 212 is defined as the base end and the end on the opposite side as the tip end, the tip 212R of the right cushioning portion 2121 and the tip 212L of the left cushioning portion 2122 exist independently on the left and right sides at the time of complete inflation, and are deployed so as to be spaced apart in the space 41 formed by the user's lower jaw, throat, and chest at the time of complete inflation of the airbag 21. In this way, the airbag 21 of this embodiment is spaced apart from the tip 212R of the right cushioning portion 2121 and the tip 212L of the left cushioning portion 2122 at the time of complete inflation, thereby preventing constriction of the throat. Note that this is not a limitation, and the tip 212R of the right cushioning portion 2121 and the tip 212L of the left cushioning portion 2122 may be deployed so as to come into contact with each other at the time of complete inflation.

[0026] The rear support part 213 is connected to the lower end of the rear neck buffer part 2111 in the rear neck part 211, and extends downward (towards the user's waist) from the rear neck part 211 when inflation is complete, with a contact surface 2131 that faces the user's back in this extending direction coming into contact with the area of the user's back where the shoulder blades are located (hereinafter also referred to as the shoulder blade area). The rear support part 213 also has an outer peripheral surface 2132 on its outer periphery that does not come into contact with the user's back. The outer peripheral surface 2132 is formed so as to be a curved surface that is convex toward the outside of the airbag 21 when inflation is complete.

[0027] The front support parts 214 extend from the front portion (tip portion) of the left buffer part 2122 and the front portion (tip portion) of the right buffer part 2121 along the front of the user's chest toward the waist side in a direction different from the direction in which the both side portions 212 extend from the rear neck part 211 in front of the user when the airbag 21 is fully inflated. Note that in the present embodiment, one left portion 2142 connected to the front portion of the left buffer part 2122 and one right portion 2141 connected to the front portion of the right buffer part 2121 are provided, but this is not limiting, and a plurality of front support parts 214 may be connected to the front portions of the left buffer part 2122 and the right buffer part 2121, respectively. Furthermore, when the airbag 21 is fully inflated, the contact surface 214A of the front support part 214 facing the user's chest comes into contact with the user's chest and is maintained in position relative to the user's chest, thereby supporting the both side portions 212 in an emergency and enabling the both side portions 212 to absorb an impact.

[0028] The gas generator 29 (FIG. 2) is connected to the airbag 21, and supplies gas to the airbag 21 when activated under the control of the control unit 50. The gas generator 29 generates combustion gas by, for example, burning gunpowder when activated. However, the gas generator 29 is not limited to this, and may be any device that can supply gas to inflate the airbag 21, such as a device that holds compressed gas and releases the compressed gas when activated. The gas generator 29 is one form of a fluid supply unit. The fluid supply unit that inflates the airbag is not limited to gas, and may supply other fluids, such as a liquid, into the airbag 21.

[0029] The detection unit 30 is a means for detecting the state of the user or the state of the user's surroundings, and includes, for example, sensing means such as an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor (angular velocity sensor), a positioning device, a camera, a radar, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), a three-dimensional scanner, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a contact sensor, and an infrared sensor. The detection unit 30 may be a unit that detects a change in the user's state, such as when the user falls or when the user collides with another object, or a unit that predicts that the user will receive an impact. The detection unit 30 may also be a unit that detects a change in the state of objects present around the user, such as an object that is approaching the user and is likely to collide with the user, or an object that has collided with the user. The positioning device may be, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) or the like. The radar and LIDAR can calculate the distance to an object around the protection device 1 (user) and the moving speed of the object.

[0030] In this embodiment, the first detection unit 30 includes an acceleration sensor 31 that detects the acceleration of the protective device 1, i.e., the acceleration of the user wearing the protective device 1. The acceleration sensor 31 detects the rate of change of velocity along a predetermined axis (e.g., three axes in the X, Y, and Z directions) as the acceleration of each axis in that direction. The acceleration sensor 31 may be a so-called six-axis sensor that also functions as a sensor that detects angular velocity along these axes. A front camera 32 is provided in the front portion of the helmet 10 as the second detection unit 30, capturing images in front of the user and inputting the captured images to the control unit 50 as information indicating the user's surroundings. The front camera 32 may be a stereo camera that captures images of the same subject (object) using a pair of imaging units arranged at a predetermined distance (baseline length) and can detect the distance to the subject from the parallax. Furthermore, a rear camera 33 is provided in the rear portion of the storage unit 40 as the third detection unit 30, capturing images behind the user and outputting the captured images to the control unit 50 as information indicating the user's surroundings. The rear camera 33 may be a stereo camera, similar to the front camera 32. The cameras 32 and 33 thus arranged at the front and rear each capture images with an angle of view of 190 degrees or more, thereby capturing images of the entire surroundings around the user. Although not shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the detection unit 30 may include other components besides the acceleration sensor 31 and the cameras 32 and 33.

[0031] The control unit 50 acquires the detection result by the detection unit 30, and when the detection result satisfies a predetermined condition, supplies an operating current to the gas generator (fluid supply unit) 29, burns the explosive, supplies combustion gas into the airbag 21, and activates the airbag device 20 so that the airbag 21 inflates. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of the control unit 50. The control unit 50 includes a processor 51, a memory unit 52, and an input / output unit 53. The processor 51 comprehensively executes various types of arithmetic processing in the control unit 50. The processor 51 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) ), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

[0032] The storage unit 52 includes, for example, a main storage unit 521 and an auxiliary storage unit 522. The main storage unit 521 includes a main storage unit such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory), and stores information to be processed by the processor 51, for example. The main storage unit 521 may be formed integrally with the processor 51.

[0033] The auxiliary storage unit 522 is configured from storage media such as volatile memory such as RAM, non-volatile memory such as ROM, erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), hard disk drive (HDD), removable media, etc. The removable media is, for example, a universal serial bus (USB) memory, a memory card, or other externally attachable and computer-readable recording medium.

[0034] The auxiliary storage unit 522 can store an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, various databases, user data, and the like, for executing the operations of the protection device 1.

[0035] The input / output unit 53 is, for example, an interface that inputs information (detection results, etc.) from the detection unit 30 and outputs information (control signals, etc.) to the detection unit 30 or other devices. The input / output unit 53 may also be a communication module that inputs (receives) information from other devices and outputs (transmits) information to other devices. Furthermore, the input / output unit 53 may be a user interface that inputs operation information by a user using an operation button, a touch panel, etc., and outputs (displays, outputs sounds, etc.) to the user using a display, a speaker, etc.

[0036] <Protection operation> Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a processing procedure executed by the control unit 50 of the protection device 1. The protection device 1 repeatedly executes the processing of Fig. 8 while the power is on or when a start-up instruction is received.

[0037] In step S10, the control unit 50 acquires the user's state and the surrounding state from the detection unit 30. For example, the control unit 50 acquires the acceleration of the user from the acceleration sensor 31, and detects captured images of the surroundings from the front camera 32 and the rear camera 33.

[0038] In step S20, the control unit 50 analyzes the state of the user and the state of the user's surroundings based on the detection result of the detection unit 30 acquired in step S10. For example, the control unit 50 obtains information indicating the state of the user, such as the user's moving direction, moving speed, rate of change of acceleration per unit time (jerk), and inclination with respect to the direction of gravity, based on the acceleration of each axis detected by the acceleration sensor 31. In addition, the control unit 50 performs image processing on the images taken by the cameras 32 and 33 to extract objects present around the user, and determine the positions and The control unit 50 obtains information about the surroundings, such as the direction of movement and the speed of movement. Furthermore, the control unit 50 may detect the user's actions, such as whether the user is walking, sitting, running, riding a bicycle, or standing still, based on images captured by the cameras 32 and 33. Note that a method for obtaining the position, speed, direction of movement, etc. of an object from the captured images can use known technology, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, the position, speed, and direction of movement of an object may be obtained not only by the cameras 32 and 33, but also by radar, LIDAR, a three-dimensional scanner, or a combination thereof.

[0039] In step S30, the control unit 50 determines whether to activate the protection device 1 based on whether the information indicating the user's condition and the surrounding conditions obtained in step S20 satisfies predetermined conditions. For example, if the user collides with something or is struck by a vehicle or the like and receives an impact, this impact is detected as a sudden change in acceleration. Therefore, if the jerk obtained in step S20 exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control unit 50 determines that the user has received an impact and that the protection device 1 should be activated (a positive determination). Furthermore, if the user falls, the user's head (protection device 1) falls downward at an acceleration close to free fall. Therefore, if the control unit 50 determines in step S20 that the user's head has moved downward at an acceleration exceeding the predetermined threshold, it determines that the user has fallen, i.e., that the head may be impacted. Furthermore, if the control unit 50 determines that the user's position and the surrounding object's position after a predetermined time coincide, i.e., that the object will collide with the user, based on the object's position, movement direction, movement speed, etc. obtained in step S20, it determines that the object will collide with the user. Note that these conditions and thresholds may be set by the user's operation. Alternatively, when a vehicle or the like is moving toward a user, a positive determination may be made if it is predicted that a collision is unavoidable, taking into account the speed, acceleration, and traveling direction of the vehicle. Here, the control unit 50 may determine whether the protection device 1 is attached to the user based on the detection result of the detection unit 30, such as a contact sensor or an infrared sensor, and if the protection device 1 is not attached, may not activate the protection device 1 regardless of whether an impact has occurred. Also, based on the detection result of the detection unit 30, such as a positioning device or an acceleration sensor, it may determine whether the protection device 1 (user) is moving, and if the user is not moving, may not activate the protection device 1.

[0040] If the determination in step S30 is affirmative, the control unit 50 proceeds to step S40 and supplies an operating current to the gas generator (fluid supply unit) 29. This burns the explosive, causing combustion gas to be supplied into the airbag 21, and deploying the airbag 21, i.e., activating the protection device 1.

[0041] If the information indicating the user's state and the surrounding state does not satisfy the predetermined condition and a negative determination is made in step S30, the processing of FIG. 8 ends.

[0042] <Action and effect> FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the action and effect when a user wearing the protective device 1 of this embodiment is hit by a collision and the protective device 1 is activated. Note that (A) in FIG. 9 illustrates the state (standard state) when the airbag device 20 is activated upon impact and the airbag 21 has completed inflation (at the time of complete inflation). FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the state when a user wearing a protective device 90 of a comparative example is hit by a collision and the protective device 90 is activated. Compared to the protective device 1 of this embodiment, the protective device 90 of the comparative example is configured such that the rear support portion 213 and the front support portion 214 of the airbag 21 are omitted, but the other configurations are the same.

[0043] 10(A), when a user wearing the protection device 90 collides with an obstacle 91 in front of the user and receives an impact from the front to the rear of the user, the neck tilts backward, and the user's head moves backward relative to the upper body, as shown in (B). When the head moves in this way, the airbag 21 deployed around the neck also shifts backward, and the bottom surface of the rear neck area 211 As a result, the gap LA between the rear neck portion 211 and the user's back becomes larger. After the user's neck is tilted to its limit, the head swings (rotates) backward around the connection point between the neck and head, as shown in (C). In this case, because the gap LA between the bottom surface of the rear neck portion 211 and the user's back has become large at the stage (B), the airbag 21 cannot receive the head, and excessive load may be applied to the neck and head.

[0044] In contrast, in FIG. 9 (A), even if a user wearing the protection device 1 of this embodiment collides with an obstacle 91 in front of the user and the impact causes the neck to tilt backward as shown in (B), the front support part 214 catches on the front of the user's chest, preventing the airbag 21 from shifting backward. Furthermore, in the airbag 21 of the protection device 1 of this embodiment, the rear support part 213 extends downward (toward the user's waist) from the lower part of the rear neck part 211, so that the gap LA between the bottom surface of the rear neck part 211 and the user's back does not become too large. For example, even if the airbag 21 moves slightly backward, the gap between the contact surface 2131 and the user's back does not become so large as to impede protection. That is, the contact surface 2131 of the rear support part 213 does not deviate significantly from the state in which it contacts the user's back (the specified state). Then, after the user's neck has been tilted to its limit, if the head swings (rotates) backward around the connection point between the neck and head as shown in (C), this movement of the head (helmet 10) is transmitted to the rear neck buffer part 2111 via the gas supply path 2112, and when the rear support part 213 moves down together with the rear neck part 211, the contact surface 2131 of the rear support part 213 comes into contact with the user's shoulder blade area, and the rear support part 213 does not move down any further. For this reason, the rear support part 213 supports the rear neck buffer part 2111 and both side parts 212, and the rear neck buffer part 2111 and both side parts 212 can receive the user's head, thereby enabling the user's neck and head to be appropriately protected.

[0045] 9 shows an example in which an impact is received from the front to the rear of the user, but if an impact is received from the back to the front of the user, the head will move forward. In this case, the protection device 1 prevents the airbag 21 from shifting forward by having the rear support portion 213 hook onto the user's back, allowing the airbag 21 to properly protect the head and neck. In addition, the contact surface 214A of the front support portion 214 contacts the user's chest and is maintained in position relative to the user's chest, supporting the right buffer portion 2121 and the left buffer portion 2122 of both side surface portions 212, allowing the right buffer portion 2121 and the left buffer portion 2122 to absorb the impact.

[0046] Furthermore, in the protective device 1 of this embodiment, the outer peripheral surface 2132 of the rear support part 213 is formed to be a curved surface that is convex toward the outside of the airbag 21, and extends from the rear neck part 211 to an area at the height of the shoulder blades on the user's back. As a result, when inflation is complete, the rear support part 213 takes on a shape that is resistant to downward force (toward the user's waist) and supports the rear neck part 211, thereby preventing the user's head from rotating excessively backward.

[0047] Furthermore, in the protection device 1 of this embodiment, the contact surface 214A of the front support part 214 and the contact surface 2131 of the rear support part 213 are positioned to face each other with the upper body of the user in between when inflation is complete. As a result, the protection device 1 holds the chest and back of the user between the contact surface 214A of the front support part 214 and the contact surface 2131 of the rear support part 213, respectively, and can effectively prevent the airbag 21 from shifting.

[0048] <Variation 1> Fig. 11 is a rear perspective view showing a state (activated state) when the airbag 21 of the protection device 1A according to Modification 1 is deployed. Fig. 12 is a front perspective view showing the activated state of the protection device 1A according to Modification 1.

[0049] The protection device 1A of this modification is different from the above-described embodiment in the configuration of the rear support portion 213A, but the other configurations are the same. Therefore, the same elements as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. Therefore, the explanation will be omitted.

[0050] The rear support portion 213A includes a left support portion 2134 connected to the left buffer portion 2122 of both side surface portions 212, and a right support portion 2133 connected to the right buffer portion 2121. The left support portion 2134 and the right support portion 2133 are each formed to have a columnar shape that curves along the user's back when inflation is complete. Furthermore, the left support portion 2134 and the right support portion 2133 have contact surfaces 2135 that face the user's back and come into contact with the shoulder blade region of the user's back.

[0051] The protection device 1A of this modification sandwiches the upper body of the user when the airbag 21 is fully inflated, and includes a left support portion 2134 at a position facing the left buffer portion 2122 of both side surface portions 212, and a right support portion 2133 at a position facing the right buffer portion 2121. As a result, the protection device 1A sandwiches the chest and back of the user between the left buffer portion 2122 and the right buffer portion 2121 of both side surface portions 212, and the left support portion 2134 and the right support portion 2133 of the rear support portion 213A, respectively, thereby effectively suppressing displacement of the airbag 21 even in the event of an impact directed diagonally rearward from the front of the user or diagonally rearward from the front to the right, and can appropriately protect the neck and head of the user.

[0052] <Variation 2> FIG. 13 is a rear perspective view showing a state in which the airbag 21 of the protection device 1B according to the second modification is deployed (activated state).

[0053] The protection device 1B of this modification is different from the above-described embodiment in the configuration of the rear support portion 213B, but the other configurations are the same. Therefore, the same elements as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a repeated description will be omitted.

[0054] The rear support portion 213B of this embodiment is formed so as to extend widely from the position where the left shoulder would be located to the position where the right shoulder would be located in the left-right direction of the user when inflation is complete. The rear support portion 213B is connected not only to the rear neck portion 211 but also to the left buffer portion 2122 and the right buffer portion 2121 of both side portions 212, and extends downward (toward the waist of the user) along the user's back from the lower parts of the rear neck portion 211, the left buffer portion 2122, and the right buffer portion 2121. This allows the protection device 1B to effectively suppress displacement of the airbag 21 even in the event of an impact directed diagonally rearward from the front of the user to the left or diagonally rearward from the front to the right, thereby enabling appropriate protection of the user's neck and head.

[0055] <Other> The protection device of the present application is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments and modifications, and can be modified as appropriate, for example, by combining the above-described elements or omitting some elements. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1,1A,1B: Protective device 10: Helmet 11: Hat body 12: Strap 20: Airbag device 21: Airbag 29: Gas generator 30: Detection unit 31: Acceleration sensor (first detection unit) 32: Camera (second detection unit) 33: Camera (third detection unit) 40: Storage area 50: Control unit 51: Processor 52: Storage section 53: Input / output section 90: Protective device (comparison example) 91: Obstacle 121: Ear strap 122: Chin strap 123:Left side part 124: Right side part 125: Buckle 126:Connection part 211: Posterior neck 212: Both sides 212L: Tip 212R: Tip 213,213A,213B: Rear support part 214: Front support part 2111: Posterior neck buffer 2112: Gas supply line 2121: Right buffer section 2122: Left side buffer section 2133: Right side support part 2134 :Left side support part 2135: Contact surface 2141: right side 2142: Left part

Claims

1. 1. A protection device for protecting a user's head and neck, comprising: a helmet worn to surround the user's head; an airbag that deploys from the lower edge of the helmet; a fluid supply unit that supplies fluid to the airbag to inflate the airbag; a control unit that controls the fluid supply unit to supply the fluid when the state of the user satisfies a predetermined condition required for the airbag to be activated, The airbag is The helmet is stored in a storage section of the helmet in a deflated state during standby, and when the fluid is supplied, the helmet is expanded by advancing out of the storage section. a rear neck portion that covers at least the rear of the user's neck when fully inflated; a left cushioning portion that is connected to the rear neck portion and covers a space on the left side of the user's neck between the user's left chin and left shoulder when fully inflated, and a right cushioning portion that is on the right side of the user's neck and covers a space on the right side of the user's neck between the user's right chin and right shoulder; and a rear support portion that is connected to the rear neck portion or the both side portions, extends from the rear neck portion or the both side portions to the waist side of the user when inflation is complete, and has a surface facing the back of the user that abuts against the back of the user to support the rear neck portion and the both side portions; Protective device.

2. the airbag includes front support portions connected to a front portion of the left buffer portion and a front portion of the right buffer portion on both side surfaces, 2. The protective device according to claim 1, wherein, when inflation is complete, the front support portion extends in a direction different from the direction in which the two side portions extend from the rear neck portion toward the front of the user, from the front portion of the left buffer portion and the front portion of the right buffer portion toward the user's waist, and the contact surface facing the user's chest contacts the user's chest.

3. 1. A protection device for protecting a user's head and neck, comprising: a helmet worn to surround the user's head; an airbag that deploys from the lower edge of the helmet; a fluid supply unit that supplies fluid to the airbag to inflate the airbag; a control unit that controls the fluid supply unit to supply the fluid when the state of the user satisfies a predetermined condition required for the airbag to be activated, The airbag is The helmet is stored in a storage section of the helmet in a deflated state during standby, and when the fluid is supplied, the helmet is expanded by advancing out of the storage section. a rear neck portion that covers at least the rear of the user's neck when fully inflated; a left cushioning portion that is connected to the rear neck portion and covers a space on the left side of the user's neck between the user's left chin and left shoulder when fully inflated, and a right cushioning portion that is on the right side of the user's neck and covers a space on the right side of the user's neck between the user's right chin and right shoulder; and front support portions connected to the front portions of the left buffer portion and the right buffer portion on both side surfaces, When inflation is complete, the front support portion extends in a direction different from the direction in which the both side portions extend from the rear neck portion toward the front of the user, from the front portion of the left buffer portion and the front portion of the right buffer portion toward the waist of the user, and the contact surface facing the chest of the user comes into contact with the chest of the user. Protective device.

4. the rear support portion has a contact surface that contacts the back of the user when the airbag is fully inflated and an outer peripheral surface that faces the outside of the airbag, 3. The protection device according to claim 1, wherein the outer peripheral surface is a curved surface that is convex outward and extends from the rear neck portion or both side portions to a region at a height where the shoulder blades are located on the user's back.

5. 3. The protection device according to claim 2, wherein the airbag is positioned such that the contact surfaces of the front support portion and the rear support portion face each other across the upper body of the user when the airbag is fully inflated, and respectively sandwich the chest and back of the user.

6. The protective device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the tips of the side portions are present independently on the left and right when the airbag is fully inflated, and are deployed in a space adjacent to the user's lower jaw and throat, either in contact with each other or spaced apart.

7. The protection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rear support portion includes a left support portion connected to the left buffer portion of each of the side surfaces, and a right support portion connected to the right buffer portion.

8. The protection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rear support portion extends from a position where the left shoulder of the user is located to a position where the right shoulder of the user is located when the protection device is fully inflated.

9. the airbag is stored in the storage section, which is a lower edge portion of the rear part of the helmet and is arranged at a position where the back of the user's head is positioned when the helmet is worn, The protective device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the storage portion protrudes downward from the lower edge portion of the helmet along the back of the neck of the user.

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