Method for deploying protective devices and airbags

Abstract

This technology provides appropriate protection for the parts to be protected. [Solution] The protective device comprises an airbag that inflates and deploys from a folded state to protect the part to be protected, and an inflation source that inflates the airbag, wherein the airbag has a deployment section that deploys from a reference position, and a deployment acceleration section in part of the deployment section, and the amount of deployment of the deployment acceleration section from the reference position is configured to be greater than the amount of deployment of the part of the deployment section other than the deployment acceleration section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a protection device and a method for deploying an airbag.

Background Art

[0002] In Patent Document 1, a protection device is proposed that includes a protective helmet having a first inflatable chamber and a wearable element having a second inflatable chamber, and the wearable element further includes an inflator unit and an operating system. The protection device is designed to trigger the inflator unit to inflate the first inflatable chamber and the second inflatable chamber when a dangerous condition for the user is identified by the operating system.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The protection device of Patent Document 1 includes a helmet to which a first inflatable chamber is attached and a wearable element provided with a second inflatable chamber, and the device is likely to be enlarged. In particular, the first inflatable chamber is deployed to protect around the user's neck, and the second inflatable chamber is deployed to protect the user's shoulders, chest, sides, and back.

[0005] Moreover, in the protection device of Patent Document 1, when operating, the first inflatable chamber does not contact the user's neck, and the portion on the opposite side of the user's neck bulges largely outward.

[0006] The technology of the present disclosure aims to provide a technology for appropriately protecting a protected part.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] (1) In order to solve the above problems, the protective device of this disclosure is An airbag that inflates and deploys from a folded state to protect the protected area, An inflation source for inflating the aforementioned airbag, Equipped with, The airbag has a deployment section that deploys from a reference position, The aforementioned unfolding section has a part that facilitates unfolding, The amount of deployment from the reference position of the deployment acceleration unit is greater than the amount of deployment in the part of the deployment unit other than the deployment acceleration unit.

[0008] (2) In the protective device described in (1) above, the airbag is formed to be attached to the wearer, and the deployment portion deploys around the part to be protected which is a part of the wearer, The deployment facilitator may be configured to apply a load to the protected portion during or after the deployment of the airbag.

[0009] (3) In the protective device described in (1) above, The unfolding section unfolds radially from the reference position, The deployment promotion portion is formed in at least a portion of the airbag in the radial direction, The airbag has a portion other than the deployment promotion portion that has a lower deployment amount than the deployment promotion portion. It may have a section to suppress deployment.

[0010] (4) In the protective device described in (3) above, the airbag has the neck of the wearer as the part to be protected, The airbag is U-shaped, with a right-side protective portion covering the right side of the neck, a left-side protective portion covering the left side of the neck, and a rear-side protective portion covering the rear of the neck all integrated together. Each of the right protective portion, the left protective portion, and the rear protective portion has an inner circumferential portion that contacts the neck when deployed, and an outer circumferential portion located radially opposite the inner circumferential portion. The expansion suppression portion may be formed on the outer periphery.

[0011] (5) The protective device according to claim 4, wherein the deployment suppression portion is formed not only on the outer circumference but also on the inner circumference.

[0012] (6) In the protective device described in (4) above, each of the right protective portion, the left protective portion, and the rear protective portion has a lower surface portion that contacts the wearer's shoulder when deployed, and an upper surface portion that faces the lower surface portion, The expansion suppression portion may also be formed on the upper and lower surfaces.

[0013] (7) In the protective device described in (3) above, the amount of deployment of the deployment promotion unit per unit time when the airbag is deployed may be greater than the amount of deployment of the deployment suppression unit.

[0014] (8) In the protective device described in any one of (3) to (7) above, the elongation of the base fabric constituting the deployment promotion portion of the airbag may be greater than the elongation of the base fabric constituting the deployment suppression portion.

[0015] (9) In the protective device described in any one of (3) to (7) above, the airbag is equipped with a tether attached to the deployment restraint section, The tether may have less elasticity than the base fabric constituting the deployment promotion section, and the amount of deployment of the deployment suppression section may be limited to a predetermined amount.

[0016] (10) In the protective device described in any one of (3) to (7) above, the deployment promotion portion may be formed in a position that preferentially strikes the inflation source when it is inserted into the airbag.

[0017] (11) In the protective device described in (4) above, an inflation source supply unit for supplying the inflation source, the airbag before deployment, and an inflation source introduction unit for introducing the inflation source from the inflation source supply unit to the airbag are provided in a helmet worn on the wearer's head, The inflation source introduction part may be connected to the right protection part and the left protection part of the airbag, respectively.

[0018] In order to solve the above problems, the airbag deployment method of the present disclosure includes: a step of supplying an inflation source to the airbag in a folded state; a step of deploying the deployment part of the airbag from a reference position by the inflation source; a step of making the deployment amount from the reference position in the deployment promotion part, which is a part of the deployment part, larger than the deployment amount in the part other than the deployment promotion part in the deployment part; and includes.

Effect of the Invention

[0019] The technology of the present disclosure can provide a technology for appropriately protecting the protected part.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] It is a side view of the protection device. [Figure 2] It is a schematic configuration diagram inside the storage part. [Figure 3] It is a rear perspective view showing the state before deploying the airbag of the protection device worn on the user (state before deployment). [Figure 4] It is a rear perspective view showing the state when the airbag of the protection device worn on the user is deployed (operating state). [Figure 5] It is a front perspective view showing the operating state of the protection device worn on the user. [Figure 6] It is a side view showing the operating state of the protection device worn on the user. [Figure 7] It is a plan view showing the state when the inflation of the airbag is completed. [Figure 8] It is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] It is a view showing a longitudinal section similar to FIG. 8 for the comparative example. [Figure 10]This is a schematic diagram showing the process of the airbag deployment in this embodiment. [Figure 11] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the control unit. [Figure 12] This diagram shows the processing procedure performed by the control unit of the protective device. [Figure 13] This diagram shows the contact state between the protected part and the deployment acceleration part. [Figure 14] This is a front view showing the state (operational state) when the airbag of the protective device according to the second embodiment is deployed. [Figure 15] This is a side view showing the state (operation state) when the airbag of the protective device according to the second embodiment is deployed. [Figure 16] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state when the airbag is deployed (operation state) according to the third embodiment. [Figure 17] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state when the airbag according to the fourth embodiment is deployed (operational state). [Figure 18] Figure 18 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along line BB in Figure 17. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0021] <First Embodiment> A protective device according to an embodiment of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the configurations and combinations thereof in each embodiment are examples, and additions, omissions, substitutions, and other modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. This disclosure is not limited by the embodiments, but is limited only by the claims. Furthermore, each aspect disclosed herein can be combined with any other features disclosed herein.

[0022] Figure 1 is a side view of the protective device 1. The protective device 1 comprises a helmet 10 and a storage compartment 40. The storage compartment 40 is located at the lower edge of the rear of the helmet 10, where the user's head is positioned when worn. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the interior of the storage compartment. As shown in Figure 2, the storage compartment 40 includes an airbag device 20, a detection unit 30, and a control unit 50. The protective device 1 is fixed to the user's head when the user puts on the helmet 10, and the storage compartment 40 is positioned in a predetermined location relative to the neck. The protective device 1 protects the head and neck by activating the airbag device 20 and deploying the airbag 21 around the neck when the user is subjected to an impact or when an impact to the user's body is anticipated (hereinafter also referred to as an emergency), for example, when the user falls or a collision becomes unavoidable. Specifically, the helmet 10 mainly protects the head, and the airbag device 20 (deployed airbag 21) mainly protects the neck.

[0023] Figure 3 is a rear perspective view showing the state of the protective device 1 fitted to the user before the airbag is deployed (pre-activation state). Figure 4 is a rear perspective view showing the state of the protective device 1 fitted to the user when the airbag is deployed (activation state). Figure 5 shows the state fitted to the user Figure 6 is a front perspective view showing the operating state of the protective device 1. Figure 6 is a side view showing the operating state of the protective device 1 when worn by a user. In this specification, the vertical direction is also referred to as the Y-axis direction, the left-right direction as the X-axis direction, and the depth (front-back) direction as the Z-axis direction. However, in this specification, the vertical direction and the XYZ axis direction of the protective device 1 are merely used to indicate the relative positional relationship of each element in the protective device 1 for the convenience of describing the embodiment. For example, the posture when using the protective device 1 is not limited to the direction shown in the figure. Also, the size of the protective device 1 relative to the human body is not limited to the figure.

[0024] [helmet] The helmet 10 is worn on the user's head and protects the head from impact. The helmet 10 has a generally bowl-shaped shell 11 and a strap 12 that secures the shell 11 to the user's head. The shell 11 is formed to cover at least a portion of the user's head above the eyes when worn. The shell 11 is also formed to surround the entire circumference of the head in the horizontal direction and prevent impacts from all directions. The shell 11 may have an outer shell that covers the outer surface, an impact-absorbing liner placed inside the outer shell, and an interior lining placed inside the impact-absorbing liner.

[0025] The strap 12 has a V-shaped ear strap 121 (Figure 1) and a chin strap 122 connected to the lower part of the ear strap 121 via a connecting part 126. Figure 1 shows the left ear strap 121, etc., but the helmet 10 also has ear straps 121 and connecting parts 126 symmetrically on the right side. The chin strap 122 has a left portion 123 connected to the left ear strap 121 via a connecting part 126, a right portion 124 connected to the right connecting part 126, and a buckle 125.

[0026] The helmet 10 is attached to the user's head by placing the shell 11 over the user's head, passing one end of the chin strap 122 (the right end 124 in the example of Figure 1) under the user's chin, and connecting the other end of the chin strap 122 (the left end 123 in the example of Figure 1) with the buckle 125. The helmet 10 is then removed from the head by releasing the connection with the buckle 125 and separating the right end 124 and the left end 123 of the chin strap 122. In this embodiment, the helmet 10 is a so-called half-helmet type, but it may also be a jet helmet type or a full-face helmet type, or other shapes.

[0027] The storage unit 40 has a housing that houses the airbag device 20, the detection unit 30, and the control unit 50, and has an openable and closable lid at the bottom of the housing. The airbag device 20 includes an airbag 21 and a gas generator 29 (corresponding to the "inflation source supply unit"). Before the protective operation by the protective device 1 is activated, the airbag 21 is stored inside the housing in a folded state (contracted state). As described later, when the protective operation is started and gas (fluid, corresponding to the "inflation source") is supplied from the gas generator 29 to the airbag 21, the airbag 21 begins to inflate, pushes open the lid of the storage unit 40, and moves out of the storage unit, deploying around the user's neck.

[0028] [Airbag] Figure 7 is a plan view showing the state when the airbag 21 has finished inflating. As shown in Figure 7, the airbag 21 of this embodiment comprises a rear protective portion 211 that covers the rear of the user's neck and two side portions 212, forming, for example, a U-shaped planar shape. However, the airbag 21 is not limited to this, and may have other planar shapes as long as it is configured to deploy around the neck. For example, the planar shape of the airbag 21 may be a so-called C-shape, in which both side portions 212 are curved to follow the circumferential surface of the neck.

[0029] The rear protective section 211 includes a rear protective section 2111 that covers at least the back of the user's neck when the airbag 21 has finished inflating, and a gas supply passage 2112 that has one end connected to the rear protective section 2111 and the other end connected to the gas generator 29.

[0030] Both side portions 212 are connected to the left and right ends of the rear protective portion 2111, and when inflation is complete, they have a right protective portion 2121 that covers the space on the right side of the user's neck between the user's right lower jaw and right shoulder, and a left protective portion 2122 that covers the space on the left side of the user's neck between the user's left lower jaw and left shoulder. The right protective portion 2121, the rear protective portion 2111, and the left protective portion 2122 of this embodiment are integrally formed to surround the user's neck and generally form a U shape in plan view. The right protective portion 2121 and the left protective portion 2122 of the two side portions 212, with the end on the rear protective portion 2111 side as the base end and the opposite end as the tip, have the tip 212R of the right protective portion 2121 and the tip 212L of the left protective portion 2122, respectively, existing independently on the left and right sides when inflation is complete. When the airbag 21 is fully inflated, they deploy to create a gap between them in the space 41 formed by the user's lower jaw, throat, and chest. Thus, in this embodiment, when the airbag 21 is fully inflated, there is a gap between the tip 212R of the right protective portion 2121 and the tip 212L of the left protective portion 2122, preventing constriction of the throat. However, the airbag 21 is not limited to this configuration; the tip 212R of the right protective portion 2121 and the tip 212L of the left protective portion 2122 may also deploy to touch each other when inflation is complete.

[0031] The right-side protective portion 2121, the rear-side protective portion 2111, and the left-side protective portion 2122 are all forms of the deployment portion 210. Figure 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 7. Figure 9 is a diagram showing a comparative example with a longitudinal cross-sectional view similar to that in Figure 8. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the deployment portion 210 of this embodiment has a deployment promotion portion 2101 in a part that comes into contact with the user's neck when deployed (hereinafter also referred to as the inner circumference portion 210A). The deployment portion 210 also has a deployment suppression portion 2102 in a part other than the deployment promotion portion 2101, for example, in the outer circumference portion 210B on the radially opposite side of the inner circumference portion 210A. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the airbag 21 has a right-side protective section 2121, a left-side protective section 2122, and a rear-side protective section 2111, each of which has a lower surface section 210C that contacts the wearer's shoulder when deployed, and an upper surface section 210D that faces the lower surface section 210C. Deployment suppression sections 2102 are also formed on the upper surface section 210D and the lower surface section 210C. In Figures 8 and 9, the reference position 2X is a hypothetical point set during the design of the airbag 21. Also, the reference line 2L in Figure 7 is shown as a line connecting the reference position 2X along the gas supply path.

[0032] In the case of the airbag without the deployment acceleration unit 2101 (comparative example) 21Q, as shown in Figure 9, it deploys radially from the reference position 2X, and the deployment amount LA is approximately uniform in the radial direction. On the other hand, in the airbag 21 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, it deploys radially from the reference position 2X, and the deployment amount LB of the deployment acceleration unit 2101 is larger than the deployment amount LA of the deployment suppression unit 2102.

[0033] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing the process of deployment of the airbag 21 in this embodiment. In Figure 10, state A shows the state in which the left protective portion 2122 of the airbag 21 is folded, that is, the state before the protective device 1 (gas generator 29) is activated. In this embodiment, the left protective portion 2122 is folded around the reference position 2X. At this time, the airbag 21 is stored in the storage compartment 40 provided at the rear of the helmet 10.

[0034] State B indicates that the protective device 1 is activated, gas is being supplied from the gas generator 29 to the airbag 21, and the left protective section 2122 is in the process of deploying. As in State B, the left protective section 2122 deploys radially from the reference position 2X. At this time, the left protective section 2122 emerges from the storage section 40 located at the rear of the helmet and then deploys as shown in State B, moving forward along the left side of the neck.

[0035] State C is the state when deployment is complete, and the left protective part 2122 deploys more widely with the left deployment-promoting part 2101 than with the right deployment-suppressing part 2102. The deployment-promoting part 2101 is located on the circumferential surface (inner circumference) close to the user's neck, and by deploying widely, it allows the user to... It deploys to fill the space between the lower jaw and shoulder so as to come into contact with the wearer's neck. In other words, the protective device 1 of this embodiment deploys to apply a load to the neck, which is the part to be protected, thereby ensuring reliable neck protection. Consequently, it is possible to avoid or reduce damage to the neck caused by the wearer's head tilting significantly due to an impact. At this time, the value of the load applied to the part to be protected can be arbitrarily set according to the volume of the airbag 21, the amount of gas supplied from the gas generator 29, the buffer openings and relief valves provided in the airbag 21, etc. Although Figure 10 shows an example in which the left protective part 2122 deploys, the protective device 1 is formed symmetrically, and the right protective part 2121 also deploys symmetrically to Figure 10.

[0036] [Gas generator] The gas generator 29 (Figure 2) is connected to the airbag 21 and is a gas source that supplies inflation (deployment) gas to the airbag 21 when activated by the control unit 50. The gas generator 29 generates combustion gas by burning explosives when activated. However, the gas generator 29 is not limited to this; it can also be a device that holds compressed gas and releases it when activated, as long as it can supply gas to deploy the airbag 21. The gas generator 29 is one form of inflation source. The inflation source that inflates the airbag is not limited to gas; it may also supply other media such as liquid or foam into the airbag 21.

[0037] [Detector] The detection unit 30 is a means for detecting the user's state 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, radar, 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 detect changes in the user's state, such as when the user falls or collides with another object, or it may predict when the user will be hit. The detection unit 30 may also detect changes in the state of objects in the user's surroundings, such as objects approaching the user and likely to collide with the user, or objects that have collided with the user. The positioning device may be, for example, GPS (Global Positioning System). A satellite positioning system is one example. Radar and LiDAR determine the distance to objects around the protective device 1 (user) and the speed at which those objects are moving.

[0038] In this embodiment, the protective device 1 is equipped with an acceleration sensor 31 as a first detection unit 30, which 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 in a predetermined axis (for example, the three axes in the XYZ direction) as the acceleration of each axis in that direction. The acceleration sensor 31 may also be a so-called six-axis sensor that also detects angular velocity in these axes. A front camera 32 is provided as a second detection unit 30 in the front part of the helmet 10, which takes a picture of the area in front of the user and inputs the captured image to the control unit 50 as information indicating the state of the user's surroundings. The front camera 32 may be a stereo camera that can capture the same subject (object) with a pair of imaging units arranged at a predetermined distance (baseline length) apart and detect the distance to the subject from the parallax. Furthermore, a rear camera 33 is provided as a third detection unit 30 in the rear part of the storage unit 40, which takes a picture of the area behind the user and outputs the captured image to the control unit 50 as information indicating the state of the user's surroundings. The rear camera 33, like the front camera 32, may be a stereo camera. The cameras 32 and 33, positioned front and rear in this manner, can each capture images with a field of view of 190 degrees or more, thereby capturing the entire surroundings centered on the user. In addition to the front camera 32 and rear camera 33, a left-facing camera (on the left side of the helmet 10, for example) and a right-facing camera (on the right side of the helmet 10, for example) can be provided to capture images in all directions (front, rear, left, and right). Although omitted in Figures 1 to 6, the system may also include detection units 30 other than the acceleration sensor 31 and cameras 32 and 33.

[0039] [Control Unit] The control unit 50 acquires the detection result from the detection unit 30, and if the detection result satisfies predetermined conditions, it supplies an operating current to the gas generator (fluid supply unit) 29, burns the explosive, supplies the combustion gas into the airbag 21, and operates the airbag device 20 so that the airbag 21 inflates. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of the control unit 50. The control unit 50 comprises a processor 51, a storage unit 52, and an input / output unit 53. The processor 51 comprehensively executes various arithmetic processes in the control unit 50. The processor 51 is an arithmetic processing means such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

[0040] 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 memory unit such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory), and information to be processed by the processor 51 is written to it. The main storage unit 521 may be formed integrally with the processor 51.

[0041] The auxiliary storage unit 522 consists of storage media such as volatile memory like RAM, non-volatile memory like ROM, EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), hard disk drive (HDD), or removable media. Removable media are recording media that can be inserted externally and read by a computer, such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or memory cards.

[0042] The auxiliary storage unit 522 can store the operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, various databases, user data, and other information necessary for the operation of the protection device 1.

[0043] The input / output unit 53 is, for example, an interface that inputs information (such as detection results) from the detection unit 30 and outputs information (such as control signals) 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 user operation information such as operation buttons or a touch panel, and outputs information to the user such as a display or speaker (such as display or sound output).

[0044] [Protective Actions] Figure 12 shows the processing procedure executed by the control unit 50 of the protective device 1. The protective device 1 repeatedly executes the process shown in Figure 12 while the power is ON or when it receives a startup instruction.

[0045] 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 user's acceleration from the acceleration sensor 31 and detects images of the surroundings from the front camera 32 and the rear camera 33.

[0046] In step S20, the control unit 50 analyzes the user's state and the state of the user's surroundings based on the detection results of the detection unit 30 acquired in step S10. For example, based on the acceleration of each axis detected by the acceleration sensor 31, the control unit 50 obtains information indicating the user's state, such as the user's direction of movement, speed of movement, rate of change of acceleration per unit time (jerk), and inclination relative to the direction of gravity. The control unit 50 also extracts objects present around the user by processing the images captured by cameras 32 and 33, and obtains information about the surroundings such as the position, direction of movement, and speed of movement of those objects. Furthermore, based on the images captured by cameras 32 and 33, the control unit 50 determines whether the user is walking, sitting, running, or rotating. The system may also detect user actions, such as whether the vehicle is in motion or stopped. Note that known techniques can be used to determine the position, velocity, and direction of movement of objects from captured images, so a detailed explanation is omitted. Furthermore, the position, velocity, and direction of movement of objects may be obtained not only from cameras 32 and 33, but also from radar, LiDAR, a three-dimensional scanner, or a combination thereof.

[0047] In step S30, the control unit 50 determines whether or not to activate the protective device 1 based on whether the information indicating the user's state and surrounding conditions obtained in step S20 meets predetermined conditions. For example, if the user collides with something or is hit by a vehicle, this impact is detected as a sudden change in acceleration. Also, since the jerk obtained in step S20 exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control unit 50 determines that the user has been hit and activates the protective device 1 (affirmative determination). Furthermore, if the user falls, the user's head (protective device 1) falls downward with an acceleration close to free fall. In step S20, it is determined that the downward movement occurred with an acceleration exceeding a predetermined threshold, and the control unit 50 makes an affirmative determination that there is a possibility of the head being hit. In addition, based on the position, direction of movement, and speed of movement of the object obtained in step S20, if the user's position and the position of the surrounding object coincide after a predetermined time, that is, if the object collides with the user, the control unit 50 makes an affirmative determination. These conditions and thresholds may be set by user operation. Alternatively, if a vehicle is moving towards the user, and the vehicle's speed, acceleration, and direction of travel are taken into consideration, a positive determination may be made if a collision is expected to be unavoidable. Here, the control unit 50 may determine whether the protective device 1 is attached to the user based on the detection results of the detection unit 30, such as a contact sensor or an infrared sensor, and if it is not attached, it may not activate the protective device 1 regardless of whether there is an impact or not. Furthermore, based on the detection results of the detection unit 30, such as a positioning device or an acceleration sensor, it may determine whether the protective device 1 (user) is moving, and if it is not moving, it may not activate the protective device 1.

[0048] If a positive determination is made in step S30, the control unit 50 proceeds to step S40 and supplies operating current to the gas generator (fluid supply unit) 29. This burns the gunpowder, supplies combustion gas into the airbag 21, and deploys the airbag 21, i.e., activates the protective device 1. At this time, the protective device 1 of this embodiment deploys the airbag 21 such that the amount of deployment of the deployment acceleration unit 2101 from its reference position is greater than the amount of deployment of the parts other than the deployment acceleration unit (for example, the deployment suppression unit 2102). For example, if the base fabric constituting the deployment suppression unit 2102 is made of a material that does not stretch easily (a material with low elasticity), and the base fabric constituting the deployment acceleration unit 2101 is made of a material that stretches more easily (a material with high elasticity) than the deployment suppression unit 2102, the deployment acceleration unit 2101 will deploy more even when the same pressure is applied. In other words, when the airbag 21 deploys, the amount of deployment of the deployment acceleration section 2101 per unit time is greater than the amount of deployment of the deployment suppression section 2102. Alternatively, the deployment acceleration section 2101 and the deployment suppression section 2102 may be made of the same material, and the deployment acceleration section 2101 may be made thinner than the deployment suppression section 2102, so that even under the same pressure, the deployment acceleration section 2101 deploys more.

[0049] If, in step S30, the information indicating the user's status and the surrounding conditions does not meet the predetermined conditions and a negative determination is made, the process shown in Figure 12 is terminated.

[0050] <Effects> Figure 13 shows the contact state between the protected area and the deployment acceleration area. In Figure 13, reference numeral 92 denotes the user's neck (protected area). State A in Figure 13 shows the contact state when the neck is thin, and state B shows the contact state when the neck is thick. Thus, the protective device 1 of this embodiment has a deployment acceleration area 2101 on the inside of the airbag 21, and the deployment amount is larger compared to the deployment suppression area 2102, so even if the user's neck is thin, the deployment acceleration area The 2101 makes contact with the neck and applies a load, thereby effectively protecting the user's neck. If the airbag 21 does not make contact with the user's neck and does not apply a load to the neck, in the event of a collision, the airbag 21 may move along with the movement of the user's head (helmet 10), causing the airbag 21 to shift position and potentially failing to properly protect the user's neck. In contrast, the protective device 1 of this embodiment prevents the airbag 21 from shifting position by having the deployment acceleration unit 2101 make contact with the neck and apply a load, thereby properly protecting the user's neck.

[0051] Furthermore, if the user has a thick neck, the deployment acceleration section 2101 will bend and come into contact with the user's neck, as in state B, protecting the user's neck. In this case, if the deployment amount is small, as in the deployment suppression section 2102, the airbag 21 will not bend easily after deployment, and the load on the neck will tend to be large. In contrast, in the protective device 1 of this embodiment, the deployment amount of the deployment acceleration section 2101 that comes into contact with the user's neck is large, so even if the neck is thick, the bending will easily secure space for the airbag 21 (inner circumference section 210A), so the load on the neck will not be too large, and the user's neck can be properly protected. Note that if the entire deployment section 210 of the airbag 21 is deployed, the amount of gas required for deployment will increase, leading to a larger device. For this reason, the protective device 1 of this embodiment is made smaller by providing the deployment acceleration section 2101 in part of the airbag 21 and the deployment suppression section 2102 in the remaining part, thereby reducing the amount of gas required for the deployment of the airbag 21. In both state A and state B, supporting the user's neck helps to suppress neck damage caused by neck bending (head movement) when the user is impacted. Therefore, the airbag 21 can be deployed to fill the gap between the user's lower jaw and shoulders. Thus, if the deployment acceleration portion 2101 is formed only on the inner circumference 210A of the airbag 21, an airbag with thickness in the height direction (Y direction) when deployment is complete may be used.

[0052] In the protective device 1 of this embodiment, deployment suppression sections 2102 are provided on the outer periphery 210B, the lower surface 210C, and the upper surface 210D of the airbag 21, and deployment acceleration section 2101 is provided on the inner periphery 210A. However, the device is not limited to this configuration, and a configuration in which the deployment suppression section 2102 is provided only on the outer periphery 210B, or a configuration in which the deployment suppression section 2102 is provided only on the outer periphery 210B and the lower surface 210C, is also possible. If there are multiple deployment acceleration sections, differences in the amount of deployment (amount of deployment per unit time) and the elongation of the base fabric may be provided between the deployment acceleration sections.

[0053] <Second Embodiment> Figure 14 is a front view showing the state (operational state) when the airbag 21 of the protective device 1A according to the second embodiment is deployed, and Figure 15 is a side view showing the state (operational state) when the airbag 21 of the protective device 1A according to the second embodiment is deployed. The protective device 1A of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in that a deployment promotion part 2101 is provided on the lower surface part 210C of the airbag 21, and deployment suppression parts 2102 are provided on the upper surface part 210D, the inner circumference part 210A, and the outer circumference part 210B, but the other configurations are the same. For this reason, the same reference numerals are used for elements that are the same as in the first embodiment, and further explanation is omitted.

[0054] As shown in Figures 14 and 15, the protective device 1A of this embodiment has deployment acceleration sections 2101 on the lower surface 210C of the airbag 21. In particular, the front and rear deployment acceleration sections 2101 of the airbag 21 are made more flexible than the deployment acceleration section 2101 formed in the center, and these front and rear deployment acceleration sections 2101 deploy significantly downwards. The central deployment acceleration section 2101 also deploys from the user's lower jaw toward the shoulders, holding the head by lifting the lower jaw upwards on both sides of the neck, thereby protecting the neck. Since the airbag 21 fits into the space between the jaw and shoulders, no displacement of the airbag 21 itself occurs. Furthermore, in order to deploy the airbag 21 toward the neck, deployment suppression sections 2102 can be provided on the upper surface 210D and outer peripheral 210B, and deployment acceleration sections 2101 can be provided on the inner peripheral 210A and lower surface 210C. When activated, the protective device 1A deploys the airbag 21's deployment facilitator 2101 so as to sandwich the user's shoulders from the front and back, further suppressing displacement of the airbag 21, thereby properly protecting the user's neck (the part to be protected).

[0055] <Third Embodiment> Figure 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state (operational state) when the airbag 21 according to the third embodiment is deployed. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in that it is equipped with a tether 215 inside the airbag 21, and the deployment amount of the deployment suppression unit 2102 is limited by the tether 215, but the other components are the same. For this reason, the same reference numerals are used for elements that are the same as in the first embodiment, and further explanation is omitted.

[0056] As shown in Figure 16, in this embodiment, one end of the tether 215 is connected to the inner surface of the rear of the airbag, and the other end of the tether 215 is connected to the inner surface of the outer periphery 210B. The tether 215 has less elasticity than the base fabric constituting the deployment promotion section 2101, and limits the deployment amount of the deployment suppression section 2102 to within a predetermined amount. That is, the deployment amount of the deployment suppression section 2102 is determined by the length and elasticity of the tether 215, and is limited so that the deployment suppression section 2102 does not deploy more than necessary. Thus, according to this embodiment, the protective device 1 can appropriately protect the part to be protected, limit the deployment amount of the deployment suppression section 2102, and reduce the amount of gas required for deployment, thereby enabling miniaturization of the device. Note that this embodiment may also be a configuration in which the tether 215 is provided inside the airbag 21 in the protective device 1A of the second embodiment to limit the deployment amount of the deployment suppression section 2102.

[0057] <Fourth Embodiment> Figure 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the state of the airbag 21 when deployed (operational state) according to the fourth embodiment, and Figure 18 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the BB line in Figure 17. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in that it is equipped with a gas introduction section 217 (corresponding to the "inflation source introduction section") inside the airbag 21 to preferentially supply gas to the deployment acceleration section 2101, but the other configurations are the same. For this reason, the same reference numerals are used for elements that are the same as in the first embodiment, and further explanation is omitted.

[0058] The gas introduction section 217 is a cylindrical member formed from the same base fabric as the deployment section 210, and is folded together with the deployment section 210 before operation. Within the airbag 21, the gas introduction section 217 is positioned along the right-side protection section 2121 and the left-side protection section 2122, respectively, from the rear-side protection section 2111. The gas introduction section 217 also includes an opening 2171 facing the deployment acceleration section 2101 and an opening 2172 facing other than the deployment acceleration section 2101. The number of openings 2171 and 2172 is not particularly limited. If multiple openings 2171 and 2172 are provided, for example, multiple openings 2171 and 2172 may be provided at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the right-side protection section 2121 or the left-side protection section 2122.

[0059] The opening 2171 has a higher degree of opening compared to the opening 2172, and therefore receives gas preferentially. To set a higher degree of opening for the opening 2171, the opening area per opening 2171 can be made larger than that of the opening 2172, or multiple openings can be placed in close proximity to form an opening group, with a larger number of openings constituting the opening group in the opening 2171, or a combination of these can be achieved. In other words, the deployment acceleration unit 2101 in this embodiment is formed at a position where the gas supplied from the opening 2171 hits when the gas from the gas generator 29 is inserted into the airbag 21, and gas is supplied preferentially. As a result, the amount of deployment of the deployment acceleration unit 2101 per unit time is greater than the amount of deployment of the deployment suppression unit 2102, allowing the deployment acceleration unit 2101 to deploy quickly and the protected part to be properly protected.

[0060] <Other> The protective device of this application is not limited to the configuration of the embodiments and each modified example described above. It can be modified as appropriate, for example, by combining the elements described above or by omitting some of the elements. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0061] 1,1A: Protective device 2L:Reference line 2X: Reference position 10: Helmet 11: Helmet shell 12: Strap 20: Airbag system 21: Airbag 29: Gas generator 30: Detection unit (First to third detection unit) 31: Accelerometer 32: Front camera 33: Rear camera 40: Storage Unit 50: Control Unit 51: Processor 52: Storage part 53: Input / output section 121: Ear loops 122: Chin strap 123: Left side part 124: Right side part 125: Buckle 126: Connection part 210: Expansion section 210A: Inner circumference 210B: Outer periphery 210C: Bottom part 210D: Top part 211: Rear protection part 212:Both sides 215: Tether 217: Gas inlet 521: Main memory 522: Auxiliary storage 2101: Development Promotion Department 2102: Deployment suppression part 2111: Rear protection part 2112: Gas supply line 2121: Right side protection part 2122: Left side protective section 2171: Opening 2172: Opening

Claims

1. An airbag that inflates and deploys from a folded state to protect the protected area, An inflation source for inflating the aforementioned airbag, Equipped with, The airbag has a deployment section that deploys from a reference position, The aforementioned unfolding section has a part that facilitates unfolding, A protective device wherein the amount of deployment of the deployment acceleration unit from a reference position is greater than the amount of deployment of the part of the deployment unit other than the deployment acceleration unit.

2. The airbag is formed to be fitted to the wearer, and the deployment portion deploys around the part to be protected, which is a part of the wearer. The protective device according to claim 1, wherein the deployment acceleration unit applies a load to the protected portion during or after the deployment of the airbag.

3. The unfolding section unfolds radially from the reference position, The deployment promotion portion is formed in at least a portion of the airbag in the radial direction, The protective device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag has a deployment suppression portion in a portion other than the deployment promotion portion, the deployment amount of which is suppressed compared to the deployment promotion portion.

4. The airbag protects the wearer's neck, The airbag is U-shaped, with a right-side protective portion covering the right side of the neck, a left-side protective portion covering the left side of the neck, and a rear-side protective portion covering the rear of the neck all integrated together. Each of the aforementioned right-side protective portion, left-side protective portion, and rear-side protective portion has an inner circumferential portion that contacts the neck when deployed, and an outer circumferential portion located radially opposite the inner circumferential portion. The protective device according to claim 3, wherein the deployment suppression portion is formed on the outer periphery.

5. The protective device according to claim 4, wherein the deployment suppression portion is formed not only on the outer circumference but also on the inner circumference.

6. Each of the aforementioned right-side protective portion, left-side protective portion, and rear-side protective portion has a lower surface portion that contacts the wearer's shoulder when deployed, and an upper surface portion that faces the lower surface portion. The protective device according to claim 4, wherein the deployment suppression portion is also formed on the upper and lower surfaces.

7. The protective device according to claim 3, wherein the amount of deployment of the deployment-promoting unit per unit time when the airbag deploys is greater than the amount of deployment of the deployment-suppressing unit.

8. The protective device according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the airbag has an elongation greater in the base fabric constituting the deployment promotion portion than in the elongation of the base fabric constituting the deployment suppression portion.

9. The airbag is equipped with a tether attached to the deployment restraint section, The protective device according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the tether has less elasticity than the base fabric constituting the deployment promotion section, and limits the deployment amount of the deployment suppression section to within a predetermined amount.

10. The protective device according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the deployment promotion portion is formed in a position that preferentially strikes the inflation source when it is inserted into the airbag.

11. An expansion source supply unit that supplies the aforementioned expansion source, the airbag before deployment, and the aforementioned expansion source supply unit An inflation source introduction unit for introducing the inflation source into the airbag is provided in the helmet worn on the wearer's head, The protective device according to claim 4, wherein the inflation source introduction section is connected to the right protective section and the left protective section of the airbag, respectively.

12. A process of supplying an inflation source to a folded airbag, The process of deploying the airbag deployment section from a reference position using the inflation source, A step of making the amount of expansion from a reference position in the expansion promotion section, which is part of the expansion section, greater than the amount of expansion in the part of the expansion section other than the expansion promotion section, A method for deploying airbags, including [specific components / features].

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