Airbag device

Abstract

To provide an airbag device capable of accurately suppressing liquid such as rainwater from splashing on an airbag and an inflator in a housing member.SOLUTION: A housing member 65 has an airbag cover 66 and a lower cover 75, and covers the outer peripheral side of a folded airbag 35 and an inflator 38 over the entire periphery. The airbag and the inflator are held by a bag holder 50 whose outer peripheral edge side is attached to the housing member. The inflator is attached to the bag holder so that the other end side of a body portion 39 is projected from the bag holder. By the bag holder, a center side portion 51 for mounting the inflator and the airbag is positioned on the airbag cover side from a peripheral edge side portion 53 for mounting the airbag cover and the lower cover. A discharge hole portion 86 capable of discharging the liquid entering the inside of the housing member to the outside is formed on a lower end side of the lower cover when mounted on a vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an airbag device configured by housing an airbag and an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag within a housing member. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there have been airbag devices for motorcycles that are mounted in front of a rider seated on the motorcycle seat (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Because motorcycle airbag devices are positioned in a location where they are likely to be exposed to rainwater, conventionally, a drain hole has been provided in the storage member near the bottom end when the device is installed (specifically, in the bottom wall of the case serving as the storage member that houses the folded airbag) to allow drainage of rainwater and other liquids that have seeped into the storage member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-69781 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in conventional airbag devices, the discharge hole is simply formed by cutting out the bottom wall of the case that houses the folded airbag and inflator. When such an airbag device is installed on a motorcycle, for example, if high-pressure washing water hits the vicinity of the discharge hole during a car wash, there is a risk that the water will spray into the case through the discharge hole and enter the interior in large quantities, hitting the airbag and inflator.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an airbag device that can reliably prevent liquid such as rainwater from splashing on the airbag and inflator in the storage member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The airbag device according to the present invention comprises an airbag, an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag, and a storage member that stores the folded airbag and the inflator, An airbag device configured such that a discharge hole portion capable of discharging liquid that has entered the storage member to the outside is formed in a region of the storage member that is located near the lower end when the storage member is installed in a vehicle, the storage member has an airbag cover arranged to cover the outer periphery of the folded airbag, and a lower cover arranged to face the airbag cover, and is configured to cover the entire outer periphery of the folded airbag and the inflator; The airbag and the inflator are held in the storage member by a bag holder attached to the storage member at their outer peripheries, the inflator has a cylindrical main body and a flange extending outward from the outer circumferential surface of the main body, and is attached to the bag holder together with the airbag by inserting one end of the main body into an insertion opening formed in the bag holder and attaching the flange to the periphery of the insertion opening using a retainer disposed inside the folded airbag so that the other end of the main body protrudes from the bag holder, The bag holder is configured to attach the inflator and the airbag at a central portion, and to attach the airbag cover and the lower cover at a peripheral portion located on the outer periphery of the central portion, and the central portion is positioned closer to the airbag cover than the peripheral portion, The discharge hole is formed at the lower end side of the lower cover when the lower cover is mounted on the vehicle so as to penetrate the lower cover.

[0007] In the airbag device of the present invention, a housing member that houses a folded airbag and an inflator has an airbag cover that covers the outer periphery of the folded airbag and a lower cover that is arranged opposite the airbag cover, thereby covering the entire outer periphery of the folded airbag and the inflator. The inflator is attached to the bag holder with the other end of its main body protruding from the bag holder, and the other end of the main body is covered on the outer periphery by the lower cover. In the airbag device of the present invention, a discharge hole that can discharge liquid that has entered the housing member to the outside is formed at the lower end of the lower cover when the airbag device is installed in the vehicle. That is, in the airbag device of the present invention, the discharge hole is separated by the bag holder from the folded airbag and the portion of the inflator main body that is located closer to the airbag cover than the bag holder (i.e., the portion where the gas discharge port that is located on the airbag side and discharges inflation gas into the airbag is located), so when high-pressure cleaning water hits the vicinity of the discharge hole during a car wash, the cleaning water that enters the storage member through the discharge hole is unlikely to reach the storage area of ​​the airbag. Furthermore, in the airbag device of the present invention, the central portion of the bag holder where the inflator and airbag are attached is located closer to the airbag cover than the peripheral portion that is located on the outer periphery, so the area near the gas discharge port on the inflator main body, which should particularly be kept away from water, can be reliably separated from the discharge hole, and cleaning water can be reliably prevented from getting on this area.

[0008] Therefore, the airbag device of the present invention can reliably prevent liquid such as rainwater from splashing on the airbag and the inflator in the housing member.

[0009] Furthermore, in the airbag device of the present invention, the discharge hole portion is formed near the lower end of the storage member (lower cover) when it is installed in the vehicle, so that cleaning water that has once entered the storage member can be discharged to the outside through the discharge hole portion, and liquids such as rainwater that have entered the storage member when the vehicle is being driven other than during cleaning can also be stably discharged to the outside through the discharge hole portion.

[0010] Furthermore, in the airbag device of the present invention, the lower cover is configured to include a main body storage section that covers the outer periphery of the other end of the main body of the inflator, and a bottom wall section that is disposed around the main body storage section so as to extend substantially along the bag holder, The bottom wall portion is raised so that a central side portion disposed on the central side surrounding the main body storage portion is positioned on the airbag cover side, It is preferable that the discharge hole be formed at a position farther from the airbag cover than the surface of the central side portion.

[0011] If the airbag device is configured in this manner, the position of the discharge hole portion is positioned further from the airbag cover than the surface of the central side portion that is located around the main body storage portion that stores the main body of the inflator in the bottom wall portion of the lower cover.This means that even if liquid such as cleaning water were to seep in through the discharge hole portion, it is possible to accurately prevent such liquid such as cleaning water from running down the bottom wall portion and entering the main body side of the inflator (main body storage portion side). [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a scooter equipped with an airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a schematic enlarged partial longitudinal cross-sectional view of the airbag device according to the embodiment, taken along the front-rear direction. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic bottom view of the airbag device according to the embodiment, as viewed from the front side. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the airbag device of FIG. 3 taken along the front-rear direction. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the airbag device of FIG. 3 taken along the left-right direction. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a bag holder used in an airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic perspective view of an airbag cover used in an airbag device according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] 2 is a schematic perspective view of a lower cover used in the airbag device of the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] 2 is a schematic plan view of a lower cover used in the airbag device of the embodiment, as viewed from the rear side. FIG. [Figure 10] 3 is a schematic enlarged partial cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a locking piece portion in the airbag device of the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11] 3 is a schematic enlarged partial vertical cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a connecting projection in the airbag device of the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 12] 3 is a schematic enlarged partial vertical cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a location where a discharge hole portion is formed in the airbag device of the embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, an airbag device M will be described in detail by taking as an example an airbag device M for a motorcycle (scooter 1) mounted thereon as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The airbag device M is mounted on the scooter 1 at a position below the handlebars 11 on the front side of the seat 23. In detail, the airbag device M is disposed slightly above the upper surface of the seat 23 on which the rider D sits, and directly below the center portion 14 (see Figure 1) of the handlebars 11 in the left-right direction.

[0014] In the embodiment, detailed illustrations are omitted, but as shown schematically in Figures 1 and 2, the airbag device M is attached and fixed to the head pipe 4, which serves as the body frame 3 of the scooter 1, and to the down frame portions 5L and 5R that branch off to the left and right from the head pipe 4 and extend downward, using mounting brackets 7, 62L, 62R, 63L, and 63R.

[0015] In the scooter 1 of this embodiment, the steering shaft 15 connected to the center portion 14 of the handlebar 11 extends downward, passes through the head pipe 4, and is connected to a front fork 27 that suspends a front wheel 26. In addition, a lower cover 24 and a seat 23 are attached and supported to the down frame portions 5L, 5R, and further, a rear wheel 29 is also supported via a predetermined engine, drive mechanism, fuel supply mechanism, suspension, etc. (not shown).

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1, the handlebar 11 has a central portion 14 and left and right portions 12L and 12R that extend upward from the central portion 14 while widening out to the left and right. A left grip portion 13L and a right grip portion 13R are disposed at the ends of the left and right portions 12L and 12R, respectively. The area between the left grip portion 13L and the right grip portion 13R is covered by a handlebar cover 18, and the area around the head pipe 4 is covered by a front cover 19 and a rear cover 20. The lower end of the rear cover 20 is connected to a footboard 21. The handlebar cover 18, front cover 19, rear cover 20, footboard 21, etc. are supported by the down frame portions 5L, 5R and the rear frame portions 6L, 6R using predetermined stays.

[0017] The handle 11 is configured by disposing a handle body 11a made of a metal pipe inside between the left grip portion 13L and the right grip portion 13R, and a steering axis 15 is connected and fixed to a portion of the handle body 11a located in a central portion 14. The periphery of the handle body 11a, excluding the vicinity of the left grip portion 13L and the right grip portion 13R, is covered with a handle cover 18.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the airbag device M includes an airbag 35, an inflator 38 that supplies inflation gas to the airbag 35, a storage member 65 that stores the folded airbag 35 and the inflator 38, a bag holder 50 that holds the airbag 35 and the inflator 38, and a retainer 45 that attaches the airbag 35 and the inflator 38 to the bag holder 50. The storage member 65 has an airbag cover 66 and a lower cover 75. In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the airbag device M is mounted on the scooter 1 so that the axial direction of a peripheral wall portion 69 (described later) of the airbag cover 66 that constitutes the storage member 65 is inclined slightly rearward and upward with respect to the horizontal direction. The periphery of the airbag device M (specifically, the periphery excluding the rear side) is covered by a handle cover 18, although detailed illustration is omitted. In the embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the front-to-rear, up-down, left-to-right directions are based on the state in which the airbag cover 66 is mounted on the scooter 1, and the front-to-rear direction is the direction along the axial direction of the peripheral wall portion 69 of the airbag cover 66, the left-to-right direction is the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the peripheral wall portion 69 and along the left-to-right direction of the scooter 1, and the up-to-down direction is the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the peripheral wall portion 69 and along the up-to-down direction of the scooter 1.

[0019] The airbag 35 is a bag-shaped bag made of a flexible sheet that can be inflated by the flow of inflation gas therein, and is stored in a folded state inside the storage member 65 as shown in FIG. 2. Specifically, the airbag 35 is stored inside the storage member 65 in an area surrounded by the airbag cover 66 and the bag holder 50. Although not shown in detail, the airbag 35 is configured to protect the driver D seated in the seat 23 when fully inflated. Furthermore, although not shown in detail, the airbag 35 is formed with an inlet opening 35a that is a circular opening to allow the inlet gas to flow therein, and whose periphery is attached to the bag holder 50 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). Furthermore, an insertion hole (not shown) is formed around the periphery of the inlet opening 35a, through which a bolt 45a (described later) of the retainer 45 can be inserted. The number of through-holes formed is four, the same as through-holes 51b provided in the central portion 51 of the bag holder 50, which will be described later.

[0020] 4 and 5, the inflator 38 has a cylindrical main body 39 and a flange 40 extending outward from the outer circumferential surface of the main body 39. A rear portion 39b of the main body 39 is located rearward and closer to the airbag cover 66 than the bag holder 50 (i.e., than the flange 40) when the inflator 38 is attached to the bag holder 50. A number of gas discharge ports 39c are radially arranged on the outer circumferential surface of the rear portion 39b. The flange 40, although not shown in detail, has a rectangular plate-like outer shape and has insertion holes (not shown) near the four corners through which bolts 45a of the retainer 45 can be inserted. The inflator 38, together with the airbag 35, is attached to the bag holder 50 using the retainer 45. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the inflator 38 is attached to the bag holder 50 such that the flange portion 40 abuts against the front side of a central portion 51 (described later) of the bag holder 50.

[0021] The retainer 45 is ring-shaped (in this embodiment, a square annular shape) that can press against the periphery of the inlet opening 35a of the airbag 35, and is provided with bolts 45a at four locations near the four corners that protrude forward when the retainer 45 is mounted on the scooter 1 (when mounted on the vehicle) (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The inflator 38 is attached to the bag holder 50 together with the airbag 35 by inserting the four bolts 45a of the retainer 45, which is disposed inside the airbag 35, through insertion holes (not shown) formed in the flange portion 40, in a state in which the four bolts 45a are inserted into insertion holes (not shown) formed in the periphery of the inlet opening 35a of the airbag 35 and through insertion holes 51b (described later) (see FIG. 6) formed in the central portion 51 of the bag holder 50, and then inserting the bolts 45a through insertion holes (not shown) formed in the flange portion 40, and fastening nuts 46 to the bolts 45a protruding from the flange portion 40 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). At this time, one end side (rear portion 39b) of the main body portion 39 of the inflator 38 is inserted into the insertion opening 51a formed in the central portion 51 of the bag holder 50, and the other end side (front portion 39a) of the main body portion 39 protrudes forward from the bag holder 50 (central portion 51).

[0022] The inflator 38 is electrically connected to an activation circuit (not shown) by connecting a connector 42, to which a lead wire 43 extending from the activation circuit (not shown), to the end face (front end face) of the front portion 39a of the main body 39 that protrudes from the bag holder 50 (center portion 51) (see FIGS. 4 and 5). A waterproof connector is used as the connector 42. The outer periphery of the lead wire 43 extending from the connector 42 is covered by a cover portion 78a that is disposed so as to extend through the lower cover 75.

[0023] The bag holder 50 is made of sheet metal and, in this embodiment, is arranged so as to divide the area of ​​the storage member 65 over the entire front and rear sides (see FIGS. 4 and 5). Specifically, the bag holder 50 is arranged at the boundary between the airbag cover 66 and a lower cover 75 that constitute the storage member 65, along a ceiling wall portion 67 of the airbag cover 66 (described later). As shown in FIG. 6, the bag holder 50 has an outer shape that is wide in both the left and right directions when viewed from the front-rear direction. The bag holder 50 is configured so that the airbag 35 and the inflator 38 are attached in a central region (central region 51) in the top, bottom, left, and right directions, and the airbag cover 66 and the lower cover 75 are attached in a peripheral region 53 that is located on the outer periphery of the central region 51. The central portion 51 has an outer shape, as viewed from the front-rear direction, similar to the outer shape of the bag holder 50 in a plan view as viewed from the front-rear direction, that is, a rectangular shape that is wide in both the left and right directions. The central portion 51 is formed with an insertion opening 51a into which the main body 39 of the inflator 38 (specifically, the rear portion 39b of the main body 39) can be inserted, and four insertion holes 51b around the insertion opening 51a into which the bolts 45a of the retainer 45 can be inserted (see FIG. 6). In this embodiment, the peripheral portion 53 is disposed so as to surround the entire outer periphery of the central portion 51, and is positioned closer to the lower cover 75 (front side) than the central portion 51 by providing a step 52 between the peripheral portion 53 and the central portion 51 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). That is, when mounted on the vehicle, the central portion 51 is located relatively closer to the airbag cover 66 side (the side farther away from the lower cover 75, rearward) than the peripheral portion 53.

[0024] The peripheral edge portion 53 is formed with locking holes 54 into which locking pieces 70 (described later) formed on the airbag cover 66 are inserted and locked, and with insertion holes 58 into which connecting protrusions 82 extending from the lower cover 75 are inserted. In this embodiment, the locking holes 54 are formed in six locations, two on each of the long sides and one on each of the short sides, corresponding to the locking pieces 70, as shown in Fig. 6. Each locking hole 54 includes a hole main body 55 formed as a rectangular opening into which the locking pieces 70 can be inserted, and a tongue 56 formed on the periphery of the hole main body 55 so as to extend downward from an inner edge 55a on the central portion 51 side (see Fig. 6). The tongues 56 are bent toward the locking pieces 70 when the locking pieces 70 are inserted (see FIG. 10 ), and are arranged to press the locking pieces 70 toward the outer edge 55b of the hole main body 55, which is the side of the periphery of the hole main body 55 that is away from the central portion 51, thereby locking the locking pieces 70 to the periphery (outer edge 55b side) of the hole main body 55. The insertion holes 58 are formed in four locations near the four corners of the peripheral edge portion 53, and are formed as circular openings that allow the connecting protrusions 82 to be inserted therethrough (see FIGS. 6 and 11 ). As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5 , the peripheral edge portion 53 is interposed around its entire periphery between the peripheral wall portion 69 of the airbag cover 66 and the peripheral wall portion 84 of the lower cover 75 when installed in a vehicle.

[0025] In the present embodiment, mounting pieces 60L, 60R, 61 are formed on the outer peripheral edge side of the bag holder 50 (the outer peripheral edge side of the peripheral edge portion 53) so as to protrude rearward (see FIGS. 4 to 6). Specifically, the mounting pieces 60L, 60R, 61 are formed at three locations, on both left and right edge sides and the lower edge side when mounted on the vehicle, and are arranged to fasten mounting brackets 62L, 62R, 63L, 63R for attaching the airbag device M to the body frame 3 side (mounting bracket 7, etc.) of the scooter 1. The mounting brackets 62L, 62R fastened to the mounting pieces 60L, 60R on both the left and right sides are bent so that their tips extend rearward and outward to the left and right. The mounting brackets 63L, 63R fastened to the lower mounting piece 61 are two mounting brackets arranged side by side on the left and right, and each is formed so as to extend diagonally forward and downward.

[0026] The storage member 65 has an airbag cover 66 arranged to cover the outer peripheral side of the folded airbag 35 (the driver D side in this embodiment), and a lower cover 75 arranged to face the airbag cover 66, and is configured to cover the outer peripheral sides of the folded airbag 35 and the inflator 38 over the entire periphery. The lower cover 75 faces the airbag cover 66 at the front and rear and covers the vehicle body side (front side) of the inflator 38. In this embodiment, as described above, the bag holder 50 is arranged at the boundary between the airbag cover 66 and the lower cover 75 that constitute the storage member 65. That is, the airbag cover 66 is arranged to cover the area behind the bag holder 50, and the lower cover 75 is arranged to cover the area in front of the bag holder 50.

[0027] The airbag cover 66 is made of a soft synthetic resin, and in this embodiment, is made of a polyolefin thermoplastic elastomer (TPO). The airbag cover 66 is box-shaped with an opening on the front side, and as shown in Figures 4 and 5, includes a ceiling wall portion 67 that covers the rear of the folded airbag 35, and peripheral wall portions 69 that are formed to extend forward from the outer peripheral edge of the ceiling wall portion 67 and cover the sides of the folded airbag 35.

[0028] The ceiling wall 67 has an outer shape like a rectangular plate that is wide on both sides and includes a door 67a that can be pushed open by the inflating airbag 35. Specifically, in this embodiment, only one door 67a is provided, and a hinge 67b that serves as a rotation center when opening is located on the upper edge, and a breakable portion 67c is located from the left edge to the lower edge and the right edge. When pushed by the inflating airbag 35, the breakable portion 67c is broken and the door opens upward about the hinge 67b (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2). The ceiling wall 67 includes portions that extend beyond the peripheral wall 69 on both the left and right sides so as to cover the rear sides of the mounting brackets 62L and 62R (see FIGS. 3, 5, and 7).

[0029] 4 and 5, the peripheral wall portion 69 has a rectangular cylindrical shape that can cover the sides (upper, lower, left, and right) of the folded airbag 35. In the embodiment, the peripheral wall portion 69 is configured so that the outer shape when viewed from the front side is the same as the outer shape of the bag holder 50 (peripheral edge portion 53) when viewed from the front side. The peripheral wall portion 69 is formed with locking pieces 70 for attaching the airbag cover 66 to the bag holder 50 and connecting recesses 72 for connecting the airbag cover 66 and a lower cover 75.

[0030] The locking pieces 70 are formed to protrude forward from a front end surface 69a of the peripheral wall 69, and are arranged in six locations corresponding to the locking holes 54 formed in the bag holder 50: two locations on each of the wide portions of the peripheral wall 69 that face each other in the vertical direction and one location on each of the narrow portions that face each other in the horizontal direction (see FIG. 7). In detail, the peripheral wall 69 is formed to be thicker than a peripheral wall 84 (described later) of the lower cover 75 (see FIGS. 2, 4, and 5). Specifically, the peripheral wall 69 of the airbag cover 66 and the peripheral wall 84 of the lower cover 75 are configured so that their outer surfaces 69b, 84a are continuous (the outer surfaces 69b, 84a are flush with each other), as shown in FIGS. The locking pieces 70 are formed at positions more inward than the center in the thickness direction of the peripheral wall portion 69, and are disposed at positions more inward than the peripheral wall portion 84 of the lower cover 75 (see FIG. 5). With the locking pieces 70 inserted into the hole main body 55 of the locking hole portion 54 formed in the bag holder 50, the tongue pieces 56 formed on the inner edge 55a side of the hole main body 55 are bent so that the locking pieces 70 are pressed toward the outer edge 55b of the hole main body 55, and are thereby locked to the peripheral edge (outer edge 55b) of the hole main body 55. The airbag cover 66 is attached to the bag holder 50 by locking the locking pieces 70 to the peripheral edge of the hole main body 55 of the locking hole portion 54.

[0031] The connecting recesses 72 are configured to receive and engage connecting protrusions 82 formed on the lower cover 75, and are formed by recessing the front end surface 69a of the peripheral wall portion 69 upward. In the embodiment, the connecting recesses 72 are formed at four locations near the four corners of the peripheral wall portion 69 (see FIG. 7). As shown in FIG. 11, each connecting recess 72 is configured to bulge out at a region (rear portion 72a) on the tip side of the recess (the rear end side when mounted on the vehicle), and a protrusion main body 82a of the connecting protrusion 82 formed on the lower cover 75 is configured to be engaged at a front surface 72b side of the rear portion 72a.

[0032] The lower cover 75 is made of soft synthetic resin, and in this embodiment, is made of polyolefin thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) like the airbag cover 66. The outer shape of the lower cover 75, as viewed from the front side, is the same as the outer shape of the peripheral wall portion 69 of the airbag cover 66, as viewed from the front side, and as the bag holder 50, and is configured to cover the entire front side of the bag holder 50 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the lower cover 75 includes a bottom wall portion 76 that covers the front of the bag holder 50, and a peripheral wall portion 84 that extends rearward from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall portion 76.

[0033] A main body storage compartment 77 is formed near the center of the bottom wall 76, covering the outer periphery of the front end region of the main body 39 of the inflator 38. The main body storage compartment 77 is formed by recessing the bottom wall 76 near the center toward the front. Specifically, the main body storage compartment 77 is cylindrical with a closed front end so that the front end region of the main body 39 (front portion 39a) can be stored therein. The main body storage compartment 77 also includes a lead wire storage compartment 78 that protrudes partially downward at its lower end when mounted on a vehicle. Although not shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a cylindrical cover 78a with a waterproof packing 78b disposed around it penetrates the lead wire storage compartment 78 (see FIGS. 2 and 4). The cover 78a is cylindrical and made of an elastic material, and extends to cover the outer periphery of the lead wires 43 extending from the connector 42 of the inflator 38. In the present embodiment, the bottom wall 76 is configured such that a central side portion 80, which is disposed on the central side surrounding the main body storage portion 77, is raised so as to be positioned on the airbag cover 66 side (see FIGS. 4, 5, and 8). That is, the bottom wall 76 is provided, on its outer peripheral edge side (the peripheral wall portion 84 side) away from the main body storage portion 77, with a stepped peripheral edge portion 81 that protrudes one step forward (recessed when viewed from the inner peripheral side) away from the airbag cover 66. As shown in FIG. 9, the peripheral edge portion 81 is formed continuously around the entire periphery except for the area of ​​the lead wire storage portion 78.

[0034] Connecting protrusions 82 for connecting the lower cover 75 to the airbag cover 66 are formed near the four corners of the bottom wall portion 76 (specifically, near the four corners of the peripheral edge portion 81) so as to protrude rearward toward the airbag cover 66 (see FIG. 8). Each connecting protrusion 82 is shaped like a round bar and has a protruding protrusion main body 82a at its tip (rear end). Each connecting protrusion 82 is inserted into a connecting recess 72 provided in the peripheral wall portion 69 of the airbag cover 66 while passing through an insertion hole 58 formed in the bag holder 50. The protrusion main body 82a inserted into the rear portion 72a is engaged with the front surface 72b of the rear portion 72a (see FIG. 11). The lower cover 75 is connected to the airbag cover 66 in a state where it is positioned relative to the bag holder 50 by inserting and locking the connecting projections 82 through the insertion holes 58 and into the connecting recesses 72. As described above, the peripheral wall portion 84 is thinner than the peripheral wall portion 69 of the airbag cover 66, and is formed so that the outer surface 84a is flush with the outer surface 69b of the peripheral wall portion 69 of the airbag cover 66 (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

[0035] Furthermore, drain holes 86 are formed in a region of the lower cover 75 that will be located at the lower end when the vehicle is installed, specifically, in a region near the front lower end of the peripheral wall 84. The drain holes 86 are arranged to drain liquid such as rainwater that has seeped into the storage member 65 to the outside, and in this embodiment, the drain holes 86 are arranged in two locations in the peripheral wall 84, near both left and right ends of the front end 84c of the lower portion 84b that will be located at the lower side when the vehicle is installed. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 8, 9, and 12, the drain holes 86 include a hole main body 87 formed to penetrate the peripheral wall 84 (lower portion 84b), and a partition wall 88 arranged to face the hole main body 87 near the hole main body 87 inside the lower cover 75. Each hole main body 87 has a circular opening and penetrates the lower portion 84b of the peripheral wall 84. That is, the hole main body 87 is formed so as to penetrate substantially along the up-down direction when mounted on the vehicle (see FIG. 12). Each hole main body 87 is formed in a position forward of the surface (rear surface 80a) of the central side of the bottom wall portion 76, i.e., in a position spaced apart from the airbag cover 66 (see FIGS. 5 and 10). Each partition wall 88 is disposed so as to face the hole main body 87 while being spaced apart from it. Specifically, each partition wall 88 is formed so as to extend rearward from the peripheral edge portion 81 so as to cover an upper portion of the hole main body 87. In the embodiment, each partition wall 88 is formed so as to be inclined with respect to the peripheral wall portion 84 and to provide a gap between itself and the peripheral wall portion 84 when the lower cover 75 is viewed from the rear (see FIG. 9). Each partition 88 is sized to protrude from the peripheral edge 81 such that its rear end 88a is positioned at the same position as the rear end of the peripheral wall 84 (see FIG. 12). That is, each partition 88 is configured to widely cover the inner area (upper area) of the hole main body 87 in all directions. More specifically, each partition 88 is formed in a position adjacent to the upper side of the connecting projection 82 (see FIGS. 9 and 12).

[0036] Next, the installation of the airbag device M of this embodiment on the scooter 1 will be described. The connector 42 is connected in advance to the tip end of the lead wire 43, which is inserted through the lower cover 75 with the outer periphery covered by the cover portion 78a. First, the airbag 35 is folded so that it can be stored within the airbag cover 66 with the retainer 45 stored inside. The folded airbag 35 is then wrapped in a tearable wrapping sheet (not shown) to prevent it from collapsing. Next, the folded airbag 35 is placed on the central portion 51 of the bag holder 50. At this time, the bolts 45a of the retainer 45 protruding from the airbag 35 pass through insertion holes 51b formed in the central portion 51 and protrude from the central portion 51. Then, in the inflator 38, the region of the main body 39 rearward of the flange portion 40 (rear portion 39b) is inserted into the insertion opening 51a that engages with the central portion 51. Then, by fastening nuts 46 to the bolts 45a of the retainer 45 protruding from the flange portion 40, the folded airbag 35 and the inflator 38 can be attached to the central portion 51 of the bag holder 50. Next, the airbag cover 66 is placed over the bag holder 50 with the locking pieces 70 inserted into the hole bodies 55 of the locking holes 54. Thereafter, the tongue pieces 56 formed in the locking holes 54 are bent toward the locking pieces 70, and the airbag cover 66 is connected to the bag holder 50. Next, the connector 42 attached to the tip of the lead wire 43 arranged on the inner periphery of the lower cover 75 is connected to the main body 39 of the inflator 38, and each connecting protrusion 82 of the lower cover 75 is inserted into the connecting recess 72 formed in the airbag cover 66 through the insertion hole 58 formed in the bag holder 50, thereby connecting the lower cover 75 to the airbag cover 66 via the bag holder 50 and assembling the airbag device M.

[0037] The airbag device M assembled in this manner can be mounted on the scooter 1 by electrically connecting the lead wires 43 to a predetermined control circuit on the vehicle body side and attaching it to the down frame portions 5L, 5R using the mounting brackets 62L, 62R, 63L, 63R.

[0038] After the airbag device M is mounted on the scooter 1, if the scooter 1 collides with an obstacle such as a vehicle while traveling and the rider D attempts to move forward on the seat 23, the airbag device M will be activated to protect the rider D. Specifically, when the scooter 1 collides with a vehicle or the like, the inflator 38 is activated and inflation gas is discharged from the gas discharge port 39c, causing the inflation gas to flow into the airbag 35, which inflates and pushes open the door portion 67a of the airbag cover 66. The airbag 35 then inflates so as to protrude rearward and upward from below the handlebars 11, and completes inflation as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1.

[0039] In the airbag device M of the embodiment, the storage member 65 that stores the folded airbag 35 and the inflator 38 has an airbag cover 66 that covers the outer periphery of the folded airbag 35 and a lower cover 75 that is disposed opposite the airbag cover 66, thereby covering the entire outer periphery of the folded airbag 35 and the inflator 38. The inflator 38 is attached to the bag holder 50 so that the other end (front end) of the main body 39 protrudes from the bag holder 50, and the outer periphery of the other end portion (front portion 39a) of the main body 39 is covered by the lower cover 75. In the airbag device M of the embodiment, a discharge hole 86 that can discharge liquid that has entered the storage member 65 to the outside is formed in the lower end portion of the lower cover 75 when the airbag device M is installed in a vehicle. That is, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the discharge hole portion 86 is arranged at a distance from the folded airbag 35 and the portion of the main body portion 39 of the inflator 38 that is located closer to the airbag cover 66 than the bag holder 50 (i.e., the portion on the airbag 35 side where the gas discharge port 39c that discharges inflation gas into the airbag 35 is disposed, the rear portion 39b), and is separated by the bag holder 50. Therefore, when high-pressure cleaning water hits the vicinity of the discharge hole portion 86 during a car wash, for example, the cleaning water that enters the storage member 65 through this discharge hole portion 86 is unlikely to reach the storage area of ​​the airbag 35. Furthermore, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the bag holder 50 is configured such that the central portion 51 to which the inflator 38 and the airbag 35 are attached is positioned closer to the airbag cover 66 than the peripheral portion 53 which is positioned on the outer periphery. This ensures that the area near the gas discharge port 39c (rear portion 39b) in the main body 39 of the inflator 38, which should be particularly prevented from getting wet, is separated from the discharge hole portion 86, and thus it is possible to reliably prevent cleaning water from getting on this area.

[0040] Therefore, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, it is possible to reliably prevent the airbag 35 and the inflator 38 in the storage member 65 from being splashed with liquid such as rainwater.

[0041] Furthermore, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the discharge hole 86 is formed near the lower end of the storage member 65 (lower cover 75) when mounted on the vehicle, so that cleaning water that has once entered the storage member 65 can be discharged to the outside through the discharge hole 86, and also liquid W such as rainwater that has entered the storage member 65 when driving other than during cleaning can be stably discharged to the outside through the discharge hole 86 (see Figure 12).

[0042] Furthermore, in the airbag device M of this embodiment, the discharge hole 86 (hole main body 87) disposed on the lower end side of the lower cover 75 (peripheral wall portion 84) is formed in the bottom wall portion 76 at a position (position spaced apart from the airbag cover 66) that is forward of the rear surface 80a (surface) of the central side portion 80 that is formed by protruding around the main body portion storage portion 77. Therefore, even if liquid such as cleaning water were to seep in through the discharge hole 86 (hole main body 87), it is possible to reliably prevent such liquid such as cleaning water from flowing down the bottom wall portion 76 and entering the main body portion 39 side of the inflator 38 (main body portion storage portion 77 side).

[0043] In the embodiment, the peripheral edge portion 53 of the bag holder 50 is arranged so as to surround the entire outer periphery of the central portion 51, and is configured to be interposed between the peripheral wall portion 69 of the airbag cover 66 and the peripheral wall portion 84 of the lower cover 75 over the entire periphery when mounted on a vehicle. That is, in the embodiment, the bag holder 50 defines the space between the airbag cover 66 and the lower cover 75 over the entire surface. However, the shape of the bag holder is not limited to the embodiment, and the peripheral edge portion may be configured to partially protrude from the outer periphery of the central portion, and the bag holder does not have to define the space between the airbag cover and the lower cover over the entire surface.

[0044] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the discharge hole portion 86 formed on the lower end side of the lower cover 75 when installed on the vehicle includes a hole main body 87 formed so as to cut out the lower cover 75, and a partition wall 88 covering the upper part of the hole main body 87, so that even if high-pressure cleaning water attempts to enter the interior through the hole main body 87, the partition wall 88 can prevent such a movement of the cleaning water from spraying out into the storage member 65. Note that the configuration of the discharge hole portion is not limited to the embodiment, and a configuration that does not include a partition wall and simply has an opening that cuts out the lower cover may also be used.

[0045] In addition, in the embodiment, an airbag device M for a motorcycle mounted on a scooter 1 is used as an example for explanation, but the airbag device to which the present invention is applicable is not limited to that for motorcycles. The airbag device of the present invention can be applied to airbag devices mounted in positions susceptible to the effects of rainwater, cleaning water, etc., and can also be applied to airbag devices for protecting pedestrians, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1...Scooter (motorcycle), 35...Airbag, 38...Inflator, 39...Main body, 39a...Front portion, 39b...Rear portion, 40...Flange portion, 45...Retainer, 50...Bag holder, 51...Central portion, 51a...Insertion opening, 53...Peripheral portion, 65...Storage member, 66...Airbag cover, 75...Lower cover, 76...Bottom wall portion, 77...Main body storage portion, 80...Central side portion, 80a...Rear surface (surface), 86...Discharge hole portion, 87...Hole main body, M...Motorcycle airbag device (airbag device).

Claims

1. The vehicle includes an airbag, an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag, and a storage member that stores the folded airbag and the inflator, an exhaust hole portion that can exhaust liquid that has entered the storage member to the outside, in a region that is located near a lower end of the storage member when the airbag device is installed in a vehicle, the storage member has an airbag cover arranged to cover the outer periphery of the folded airbag, and a lower cover arranged to face the airbag cover, and is configured to cover the outer periphery of the folded airbag and the inflator over the entire periphery, The airbag and the inflator are held in the storage member by a bag holder attached to the storage member at their outer peripheral edges, the inflator has a cylindrical main body and a flange extending outward from an outer circumferential surface of the main body, and is attached to the bag holder together with the airbag by inserting one end of the main body into an insertion opening formed in the bag holder and attaching the flange to the periphery of the insertion opening using a retainer disposed inside the folded airbag so that the other end of the main body protrudes from the bag holder, the bag holder is configured to attach the inflator and the airbag at a central portion, and to attach the airbag cover and the lower cover at a peripheral portion that is disposed on the outer periphery side of the central portion, and the central portion is positioned closer to the airbag cover than the peripheral portion, The airbag device is characterized in that the exhaust hole is formed at a lower end side of the lower cover when the airbag device is installed in the vehicle, so as to penetrate the lower cover.

2. the lower cover includes a main body housing portion that covers an outer circumferential side of the other end of the main body portion of the inflator, and a bottom wall portion that is disposed around the main body housing portion and extends substantially along the bag holder, The bottom wall portion is configured to be raised so that a central side portion disposed on the central side surrounding the main body storage portion is positioned on the airbag cover side, 2. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust hole is formed at a position farther from the airbag cover than the surface of the central side portion.

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