Occupant protection airbag system

Abstract

Ensure that the airbags inflate and deploy correctly. [Solution] The airbag device is positioned behind the opening of the panel member in front of the occupant seat and includes an airbag that inflates and deploys inward through the opening when activated, and a door body that is rotatably supported by the panel member and changes state from a closed position to an open position when the airbag inflates and deploys. The door body has a front door portion that closes the opening in the closed position and is rotatably supported about a first pivot axis, and a rear support portion that is provided behind the opening and is rotatably supported about a second pivot axis, with a radial tip portion that is radially away from the second pivot axis connected to a point on the front door portion that is radially away from the first pivot axis. The front door portion has a starting point portion provided between the first pivot axis and the radial tip portion that serves as the starting point for folding the first door piece portion on the first pivot axis side and the second door piece portion on the radial tip portion side when the airbag inflates and deploys, and is folded starting from the starting point portion when the rear support portion rotates in the second rotation direction.

Claims

[Claim 1] An airbag positioned behind an opening in the wall of a panel member in front of the passenger seat, which inflates and deploys into the vehicle interior through the opening when activated, A door body is rotatably supported by the panel member and changes state from a closed position that closes the opening to an open position that opens the opening when the airbag inflates and deploys, Equipped with, The aforementioned door body is The opening is closed in the closed position, and the front door portion is supported on the panel member so as to be rotatable about a first pivot axis provided on the peripheral edge side of the opening, A rear support portion is provided located further back than the opening, and is rotatably supported on the panel member around a second pivot axis located further back than the opening, with a second radial tip portion located radially away from the second pivot axis connected to a location on the front door portion located radially away from the first pivot axis. It has, The rear support portion rotates in the second rotational direction around the second pivot axis when the airbag inflates and deploys. The aforementioned front door section is, It is provided between the first pivot shaft and the first radial tip, which is radially separated from the first pivot shaft, and has a starting point that serves as the starting point for folding the first door piece on the first pivot shaft side and the second door piece on the first radial tip side when the airbag inflates and deploys, An occupant protection airbag device that folds from the starting point when the rear support portion rotates in the second rotational direction. [Claim 2] The occupant protection airbag device according to claim 1, wherein when the front door portion is folded with the starting point portion as a starting point by the rotation of the rear support portion in the second rotation direction, the end portion of the first door piece on the starting point portion side moves in the first rotation direction, with respect to the first pivot axis, to the rear side, which is opposite to the interior side of the vehicle. [Claim 3] The occupant protection airbag device according to claim 1, wherein when the front door portion is folded with respect to the starting point portion by the rotation of the rear support portion in the second rotation direction, the end portion of the first door piece on the starting point portion side rotates in the first rotation direction, with respect to the first rotation axis, so that it moves toward the interior of the vehicle. [Claim 4] The occupant protection airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the front door portion is connected to the peripheral edge of the opening in the panel member by a tear line before the airbag inflates and deploys, and is separated from the peripheral edge of the opening in the panel member by the rupture of the tear line due to the inflating and deploying of the airbag. [Claim 5] The occupant protection airbag device according to claim 2, wherein the door body is folded so that the first door piece, the second door piece, and the rear support portion overlap each other along a straight line connecting the center of the first pivot axis and the center of the second pivot axis when the airbag inflates and deploys. [Claim 6] The rear support portion, when the airbag inflates and deploys, comes into contact with the airbag and is pressed toward the interior of the vehicle, causing it to rotate in the second rotational direction around the second pivot axis. The occupant protection airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the front door portion is folded with respect to the starting point portion by the rotation of the rear support portion in the second rotation direction. [Claim 7] A tether is formed in the shape of a string or a strip, with one end supported at the starting point or the front door portion near the starting point, and the other end supported at the interior portion of the airbag or the rear support portion, and the intermediate portion between the one end and the other end is movably hooked onto the pivot point of the panel member, and extending from the pivot point to both the one end and the other end. The tether is pulled so that the front door portion rotates in the first rotational direction around the first pivot axis when the airbag inflates and deploys. The occupant protection airbag device according to claim 2, wherein the front door portion is folded with respect to the starting point by the pulling of the tether and rotates in the first rotational direction around the first pivot axis.

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