Airbag device and vehicle

Abstract

An airbag device (10) configured to be mounted on a vehicle ceiling includes an airbag having a deployed state and a stored state. The airbag includes a first airbag (11) and a second airbag (12), which are configured to be in fluid communication with each other. When in the deployed state, the first airbag extends in the front-to-rear direction, and the second airbag extends in a manner starting from the first airbag, first away from the first airbag, and then toward the first airbag, thereby forming an overall hook shape and having a free end. The second airbag is provided with a recessed portion on a first side (12A) of its free end facing the occupant. A buffer space (13) is formed between the first airbag and the second airbag, and the buffer space and the recessed portion are located on both sides of the free end in the front-to-rear direction. A vehicle including the airbag device is also provided. The airbags in the airbag system are less likely to damage the windshield during deployment, thereby reducing the possibility of additional danger to vehicle occupants. The airbags, especially the secondary airbag, are relatively small in volume, thereby reducing production costs.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a safety device in a vehicle, and more particularly to an airbag device and further to a vehicle equipped with an airbag device. [Background technology]

[0002] Airbag devices are widely used in existing vehicles as safety devices for protecting occupants. Examples of airbag devices include airbag devices installed in steering wheels, dashboards, and overhead airbag devices installed in the vehicle ceiling. When a vehicle collides or is impacted, a gas generator in the airbag device receives a signal transmitted by a wire harness connected to the gas generator, which then triggers a burst. The gas generated by the burst then rapidly inflates a folded airbag in the airbag device, causing the airbag to deploy and protect the occupant from injuries caused by the impact.

[0003] However, in order to provide sufficient protection for the occupant in the event of a collision, for example, the airbag has a high internal air pressure after deployment. If the airbag has too much air pressure, it may shatter the windshield, posing additional risks to the vehicle occupants. At the same time, it is desirable for the cost of the airbag to be low.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for airbag systems that have higher safety and lower costs. Summary of the Invention

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an airbag device that has higher safety and lower cost.

[0006] In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an airbag device configured to be mounted on a ceiling of a vehicle, comprising: an airbag having a deployed state and a stored state; the airbag comprises a first airbag and a second airbag, the first airbag and the second airbag are configured to be in fluid communication with each other, and when in a deployed state, the first airbag extends in a fore-and-aft direction, and the second airbag extends in a manner starting from the first airbag, first away from the first airbag, and then toward the first airbag, thereby forming an overall hook shape and having a free end; An airbag device is provided in which the second airbag is provided with a recessed portion on a first side of the free end facing the occupant, a buffer space is formed between the first airbag and the second airbag, and the buffer space and the recessed portion are located on both sides of the free end in the front-to-rear direction.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the second airbag is constructed to be stepped on a first side facing the occupant, with the recessed portion being closer to the occupant than other portions of the second airbag.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the bag further includes a pull strap, the pull strap extending in the front-to-rear direction, and one end of the pull strap being fixed to the recessed portion.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the second airbag comprises a downwardly extending portion located below the recessed portion, the recessed portion having a width greater than the width of the downwardly extending portion.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the surface of the recess facing the passenger is made of a first piece of fabric, which forms the recess by tension from a pull strap secured to the first piece of fabric.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first airbag device is constructed to have a flat shape in the deployed state, with the free end in contact with the first airbag.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the second airbag extends from one end of the first airbag, and the free end of the second airbag is located between both ends of the first airbag in the front-to-rear direction.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the thickness direction of the pull strap is arranged along the width direction of the airbag, and the pull strap is constructed so that, by applying a tensile force to the first side, a predetermined recess is formed on the other flat first side of the free end.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first piece of fabric and the second piece of fabric are connected to each other to form the closed space of the airbag.

[0015] In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle comprising an airbag device according to any of the preceding statements, the airbag device being configured to be mounted in a ceiling of the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] Features, benefits, and technical effects of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates schematically an airbag device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates a method for manufacturing an airbag device according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Preferred embodiments of the airbag device and vehicle according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following detailed description and the accompanying drawings are used to exemplarily explain the principles of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described, and the various embodiments described in the present invention can be used individually or in any combination. The protection scope of the present invention is defined by the claims.

[0018] Additionally, spatial relationship terms (such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," etc.) are used to describe the relative positional relationship between an element and another element as shown in the accompanying drawings. Thus, during use, the spatial relationship terms may apply in orientations other than those shown in the accompanying drawings. Of course, for ease of explanation, these spatial relationship terms all refer to the orientations shown in the accompanying drawings, but one skilled in the art will recognize that orientations other than those shown in the drawings may be used.

[0019] 1 schematically illustrates an airbag device according to one embodiment of the present invention, which will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1 , the airbag device 10 provided by the present invention is configured to be mounted on the ceiling of a vehicle and may therefore also be referred to as an overhead airbag device. The airbag device 10 includes an airbag having a deployed state and a stored state. When the airbag is in the deployed state, the airbag serves to protect the passenger, and when the airbag is in the stored state, the airbag is stored in a predetermined position of the vehicle (e.g., the ceiling of the vehicle). In the airbag device 10 of the present invention, the airbag includes a first airbag 11 and a second airbag 12, which are configured to be fluidly connected to each other. When in the deployed state, the first airbag 11 extends in the fore-and-aft direction. In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1 , the first airbag 11 in the deployed state is constructed to have a flat shape. It should be noted that the term "fore-and-aft direction" in this specification refers to the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and the term "width direction" described below refers to the width direction of the vehicle. 1, the second airbag 12 starts from the first airbag 11 and extends in a manner that first moves away from the first airbag 11 and then moves toward the first airbag 11, thereby forming an overall hook shape and having a free end. Specifically, in FIG. 1, starting from the left end of the first airbag 11, the second airbag 12 extends downward and then upward.

[0021] 1, in the inflated and deployed state, the second airbag 12 is substantially U-shaped. An end of the left portion of the second airbag 12 is connected to the first airbag 11, and an end of the right portion of the second airbag 12 is formed as a free end. Furthermore, the second airbag 12 is provided with a recessed portion on a first side surface 12A of the free end facing the occupant. A buffer space 13 is formed between the first airbag 11 and the second airbag 12, and the buffer space 13 and the recessed portion 121 are located on both sides of the free end in the front-rear direction.

[0022] It can be seen that the buffer space 13 between the first airbag 11 and the second airbag 12 is formed so as to be surrounded by the second airbag 12, which extends first away from the first airbag 11 and then toward the first airbag 11. For example, in the event of a collision, the recessed portion 121 serves to accommodate the passenger's head and thus receives the forward force applied by the head, and the buffer space 13 can serve to absorb the forward movement of the recessed portion 121 together with the passenger's head. Because both the buffer space and the second airbag serve to absorb the impact energy from the passenger's head, the second airbag of the present invention has a lower internal air pressure after inflation than if the buffer space were not designed, and a position corresponding to the buffer space is designed as part of the second airbag. As a result, the airbag of the airbag device of the present invention is less likely to damage the windshield during deployment, thereby reducing the possibility of additional danger to vehicle occupants. At the same time, the volume of the airbag, particularly the second airbag, is relatively small, thereby reducing the production cost of the airbag.

[0023] Therefore, the airbag device of the present invention is characterized by higher safety and lower cost.

[0024] Furthermore, since the airbag device of the present invention is provided with a recessed portion on the first side surface 12A of the second airbag, it can be understood that when the front surface of the vehicle collides obliquely, i.e., in the case of an oblique collision, the occupant's head is restrained by the airbag of the airbag device without slipping out of the airbag. Therefore, the airbag device of the present invention has higher safety even in the case of an oblique collision.

[0025] In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1 , the second airbag 12 is constructed so that the side facing the occupant is stepped. Specifically, the second airbag 12 is substantially U-shaped and includes a first portion 141 extending in the vertical direction, a third portion 143 also extending in the vertical direction, and a second portion 142 connecting the first portion 141 and the third portion 143. The free end of the second airbag 12 is located at the end of the third portion 143. The second portion 142 is located at a vertically intermediate position of the first portion 141 so that the second airbag 12 has a downwardly extending portion located below the recessed portion 121 at the lower end of the first portion 141. Furthermore, the size of the second portion 142 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle determines the size of the buffer space 13. Therefore, the size of the buffer space 13 can be designed by adjusting the size of the second portion 142 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. In addition, the recessed portion 121 (which may also be understood as the third portion 143) is closer to the occupant than other portions (e.g., downwardly extending portions) of the second airbag 12. It can be understood that the downwardly extending portions of the second airbag serve to protect the occupant's chest, and the first portion 141 serves to support the third portion 142. The first portion 141 has a larger dimension in the height direction of the vehicle, i.e., the up-and-down direction in FIG. 1 , and can more reliably support the third portion 142. Furthermore, in order to more reliably protect the occupant's head, the width of the recessed portion 121 is designed to be larger than the width of the downwardly extending portions to prevent the head from slipping out of the airbag.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1 , the airbag device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes a pull strap 14. The pull strap 14 extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle when the airbag is inflated and deployed. One end of the pull strap 14 is fixed to the recessed portion 121, and the other end of the pull strap 14 is fixed to the first portion 141 of the second airbag 12. The thickness direction of the pull strap 14 is configured to be aligned along the width direction of the airbag. The pull strap 14 is constructed so that, by applying a tensile force to the first side surface 12A, a predetermined recessed portion 121 is formed on the other flat first side surface 12A of the free end. In other words, the size of the recessed portion 121 can be easily and conveniently adjusted by designing dimensions such as the length and width of the pull strap. The surface of the recessed portion 121 facing the passenger is made of a first piece of fabric, and the first piece of fabric forms the recessed portion 121 by the tensile force from the pull strap 14 fixed to the first piece of fabric.

[0027] In one embodiment of the present invention, the free end may be configured to contact the first airbag 11 when the airbag is in an inflated and deployed state, providing some stability to the free end through contact between the free end and the first airbag 11. Alternatively, the free end may be configured not to contact the first airbag 11 when the airbag is in an inflated and deployed state. Furthermore, the free end of the second airbag 12 may be located between both ends of the first airbag 11 in the front-to-rear direction so that the airbag has an overall compact design. Of course, this is merely an example, and the location of the free end of the second airbag relative to the first airbag is not limited thereto.

[0028] In one embodiment of the present invention, the airbags, i.e., the first airbag and the second airbag, are constructed by connecting two pieces of fabric, i.e., the first piece of fabric and the second piece of fabric, together. Therefore, due to the design of the fabric, only two pieces of fabric are needed to manufacture the airbag of the airbag device of the present invention, which simplifies the manufacturing method.

[0029] In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle comprising an airbag device according to any of the preceding statements, the airbag device being configured to be mounted in a ceiling of the vehicle.

[0030] 2 shows a method for manufacturing an airbag device according to one embodiment of the present invention. A method for manufacturing an airbag device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 2, three cloth pieces are provided: a first cloth piece W1, a second cloth piece W2, and a third cloth piece W3. The first cloth piece W1 in its unfolded state is constructed so that the width of the middle portion of the first cloth piece W1 is greater than the width of the remaining portions. The middle portion serves to form the first side surface 12A on the third portion 143 of the second airbag 12, i.e., the middle portion also serves to form the recessed portion 121. The left portion of the first cloth piece W1 serves to form the first airbag 11, and the right portion of the first cloth piece W1 serves to form part of the first portion 141 of the second airbag 12. In combination with the second cloth piece W2, an airbag having a sealed space is formed.

[0032] A method for manufacturing an airbag for an airbag device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: providing a first piece of cloth W1, marking ten characteristic points A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, A9, and A10 sequentially along an edge of the first piece of cloth W1, and marking four characteristic points A11, A12, A13, and A14 respectively on a middle portion and a right portion of a second piece of cloth W2; providing a second piece of cloth W2, wherein ten characteristic points B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, B9, and B10 are sequentially marked along an edge of the second piece of cloth W2; providing a third piece of cloth W3, marking four characteristic points C1, C2, C3, and C4 sequentially along an edge of the third piece of cloth W3; connecting the edge lines A1, A2, A3, A4, A5 and the edge lines B1, B2, B3, B4, B5 together (e.g., by stitching or joining); connecting edge lines A6, A7, A8, A9, A10 and edge lines B6, B7, B8, B9, B10 together (e.g., by stitching or joining); This includes connecting edge lines C1-C4 and edge lines A11-A12 together (e.g., by sewing or joining), and connecting edge lines C2-C3 and edge lines A14-A13 together (e.g., by sewing or joining).

[0033] It should be noted that the described method for manufacturing the airbag of the airbag device of the present invention is merely an example, and those skilled in the art can adjust the order of steps in the above method according to actual scenarios, and even omit steps, or use more fabric parts to manufacture the airbag of the safety airbag device of the present invention.

[0034] As mentioned above, although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in the specification with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An airbag device (10) configured to be mounted on the ceiling of a vehicle, an airbag having a deployed state and a stored state; the airbag comprises a first airbag (11) and a second airbag (12), the first airbag (11) and the second airbag (12) being configured to be in fluid communication with each other, and when in the deployed state, the first airbag (11) extends in a front-to-rear direction, and the second airbag (12) starts from the first airbag (11), first extends away from the first airbag (11), and then extends toward the first airbag (11), thereby forming a hook shape as a whole and having a free end; the second airbag (12) is provided with a recess (121) on a first side (12A) of the free end facing an occupant, a buffer space (13) is formed between the first airbag (11) and the second airbag (12), and the buffer space (13) and the recess (121) are located on both sides of the free end in the fore-and-aft direction.

2. 2. The airbag device (10) of claim 1, wherein the second airbag (12) is constructed to be stepped on the first side facing the occupant, and the recessed portion (121) is closer to the occupant than other portions of the second airbag (12).

3. 3. The airbag device (10) according to claim 2, further comprising a pull strap (14), the pull strap (14) extending in the fore-and-aft direction, and one end of the pull strap (14) fixed to the recessed portion (121).

4. 4. The airbag device (10) of claim 3, wherein the second airbag (12) comprises a downwardly extending portion located below the recessed portion (121), and the width of the recessed portion (121) is greater than the width of the downwardly extending portion.

5. 5. The airbag device (10) according to claim 4, wherein a surface of the recessed portion (121) facing the passenger is made of a first piece of cloth (W1), and the first piece of cloth (W1) forms the recessed portion (121) by a pulling force from the pull strap (14) fixed to the first piece of cloth (W1).

6. 2. The airbag device (10) of claim 1, wherein the first airbag device (11) is constructed to have a flat shape in the deployed state, and the free end contacts the first airbag (11).

7. 7. The airbag device (10) according to claim 6, wherein the second airbag (12) extends from one end of the first airbag (11), and the free end of the second airbag (12) is located between both ends of the first airbag (11) in the fore-and-aft direction.

8. 6. The airbag device (10) according to claim 5, wherein the thickness direction of the pull strap (14) is arranged along the width direction of the airbag, and the pull strap (14) is constructed so as to form the predetermined recessed portion (121) on the other flat first side surface (12A) of the free end by applying a tensile force to the first side surface (12A).

9. 6. The airbag device (10) according to claim 5, wherein the first piece of fabric (W1) and the second piece of fabric (W2) are connected to each other to form a closed space of the airbag.

10. A vehicle comprising the airbag device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the airbag device (10) is configured to be mounted on a ceiling of the vehicle.

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