Passenger-side airbag system

Abstract

To provide a passenger-side airbag system that can stably protect the occupant with an airbag once it has fully inflated, even if the configuration involves different inflation patterns. [Solution] The airbag 25 comprises a bag body 26 having an occupant side wall portion 38 and a peripheral wall portion 27, and regulating members 80UR, 80DR that regulate the inflation shape of the bag body. On the inner circumferential surface side of the peripheral wall portion, insertion ring portions 46UR, 46DR are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction at at least two locations facing each other in the left-right direction, through which the base portion 80a of the regulating member can be inserted. The regulating member has loop portions 81UR, 81DR on its base portion side that connect the respective insertion ring portions, and its tip is connected to a control mechanism 16R. When the bag body inflates while the connection between the regulating member and the control mechanism is maintained, the loop portions fold in the portion of the peripheral wall portion that is positioned between the insertion ring portions, so that the front and rear insertion ring portions can be pulled in close proximity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a passenger seat airbag device that is disposed in front of a passenger seated in the passenger seat and whose inflation shape of the airbag is controlled by a control mechanism.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a passenger seat airbag device that controls the inflation of an airbag by a control mechanism, a connecting member that connects a left wall portion and a right wall portion facing each other on the left - right direction side is disposed inside the airbag at the time of inflation completion, and the center of this connecting member is locked to a locking member provided on the case side. In this conventional passenger seat airbag device, when inflating while maintaining the locking of the center of the connecting member by the locking member and when inflating while releasing the locking of the center of the connecting member by the locking member, the width dimension in the front - rear direction side of the airbag at the time of inflation completion (the separation distance from the case to the passenger side wall portion disposed on the rear end side) is made different (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the conventional passenger seat airbag device, the connecting member is configured to connect only one location near the approximate center of the upper, lower, front, and rear of the left wall portion and the right wall portion. By maintaining or releasing the locking by the locking member, the position near the center of such a connecting member is changed, and the position of the passenger side wall portion disposed on the passenger side at the time of inflation completion is changed. Therefore, it is difficult to stably change the position of the entire passenger side wall portion that receives the passenger at the time of inflation completion, and there is a risk that the passenger side wall portion may be inclined or the like, and the passenger may not be stably protected.

[0005] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a passenger-side airbag system that can reliably protect the occupant with an inflated airbag, even if the configuration has different inflation modes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The passenger-side airbag system according to the present invention comprises an airbag positioned in front of the occupant seated in the passenger seat and folded and stored in a storage area, an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag, and a control mechanism that controls the inflation shape of the airbag, The airbag The bag body is shaped like a flexible bag and has a crew side wall portion positioned facing the crew at the rear end when inflation is complete, and a peripheral wall portion extending from the periphery of the crew side wall portion and converging towards the front end, with an inlet opening provided at the front end of the peripheral wall portion for allowing inflation gas to flow into the interior, and the periphery of the inlet opening attached to the storage area side, A restricting member, which is made of a flexible, elongated body and is placed inside the bag body, restricts the expansion shape of the bag body, It is configured to include the following: On the inner surface of the peripheral wall, at least two insertion rings are provided side by side, spaced apart in the front-to-back direction, at least two of which are positioned opposite each other in the vertical or left-to-right direction, allowing the base of the regulating member to be inserted through them. At least two regulating members are arranged to face each other in the vertical or horizontal direction, corresponding to the insertion ring portion, and each is formed into a loop shape at its base when inserted into the insertion ring portions arranged in parallel front and rear, thereby forming a loop portion that connects the insertion ring portions, and the tip end is connected to a control mechanism located near the inlet opening. The loop portion is configured such that, when the bag body is inflated while the connection between the restricting member and the control mechanism is maintained, the portion of the peripheral wall positioned between the insertion rings is folded in, allowing the front and rear insertion rings to be pulled in close proximity, and when the bag body is fully inflated with the connection between the restricting member and the control mechanism released, the portion of the peripheral wall positioned between the insertion rings can be unfolded front and rear.

[0007] In the passenger-side airbag device of the present invention, while the connection between the regulating member and the control mechanism is maintained, the bag body completes inflation by folding the portion of the peripheral wall between the insertion rings (bringing the insertion rings closer together) by the loop portion provided on the base side of the regulating member. In other words, in the passenger-side airbag device of the present invention, while the connection between the regulating member and the control mechanism is maintained, the airbag completes inflation by creating a tuck along the vertical or horizontal direction in the intermediate portion of the front and rear of the peripheral wall. Since such tucks are formed on both opposing sides of the peripheral wall of the bag body in the vertical or horizontal direction, the width dimension of the peripheral wall in the front-rear direction when inflation is complete can be shortened in a balanced manner on both the left and right sides or the vertical sides. Even with a configuration in which a tuck is provided on a part of the peripheral wall when inflation is complete, the occupant side wall portion located at the rear end when inflation is complete can be positioned to face the occupant directly, suppressing the occurrence of tilting, etc., and providing stable support for the occupant. Furthermore, when the connection between the regulating member and the control mechanism is released, the bag body completes inflation by unfolding (extending) the portion of the peripheral wall located between the insertion rings in the front and back directions. Compared to inflation while the connection between the regulating member and the control mechanism is maintained, this allows the position of the occupant side wall portion at the completion of inflation to be positioned further aft. Of course, even in an airbag that has completed inflation with the connection between the regulating member and the control mechanism released, the occupant side wall portion positioned in front of the occupant can still stably support the occupant.

[0008] Therefore, even if the passenger-side airbag device of the present invention has a configuration that allows for different inflation modes, the occupant can be reliably protected by the fully inflated airbag.

[0009] Furthermore, in the passenger-side airbag device of the present invention, it is preferable to arrange the insertion ring portion so that it faces the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall portion in the left-right direction. With such a configuration, the insertion ring portion can be arranged in an area that does not come into contact with the windshield located above the airbag when inflation is complete, or with the instrument panel located below it. As a result, when inflating the airbag while maintaining the connection between the regulating member and the control mechanism, the regulating member can be stably tucked in the peripheral wall portion without being affected by the windshield or instrument panel. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the area around where a passenger-side airbag system, which is one embodiment of the present invention, is installed. [Figure 2] This is a schematic enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view of the passenger-side airbag device in the front-rear direction according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a schematic enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view of the passenger-side airbag device of the embodiment in the left-right direction. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the passenger-side airbag system of the embodiment, showing the airbag in an inflated state, with the peripheral wall shortened (inflated in shortened mode). [Figure 5] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the airbag along the anterior-posterior direction. [Figure 6] Figure 4 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the airbag along the front-to-back direction. [Figure 7] Figure 4 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the airbag along the front-rear direction, showing the peripheral wall in an extended state (inflated in extension mode). [Figure 8] This is a plan view showing the substrates that make up the airbag of the embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the state in which a tuck is formed on the peripheral wall portion of an airbag embodiment by pulling the insertion ring portion with a regulating member. [Figure 10] This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view along the front-to-rear direction showing the passenger-side airbag device of the embodiment in a state where the airbag has completed inflation in shortened mode. [Figure 11] This is a schematic cross-sectional view along the front-to-rear direction showing the passenger-side airbag device of the embodiment in a state where the airbag has completed inflation in the shortened mode. [Figure 12] This is a schematic cross-sectional view along the front-to-rear direction showing the passenger-side airbag device of the embodiment in a state where the airbag has completed inflation in the extension mode. [Figure 13] This is a schematic side view of the passenger-side airbag system of the embodiment, showing the state when the airbag has finished inflating, and illustrating the shortened mode and the extended mode. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The passenger-side airbag device M (hereinafter abbreviated as "airbag device") of the embodiment is a top-mount type, positioned inside the upper surface 2 of the instrument panel (hereinafter abbreviated as "instrument panel") 1 in front of the passenger-side PS in the vehicle, as shown in Figure 1. In this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions coincide with the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions of the vehicle.

[0012] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the airbag device M includes a folded airbag 25, an inflator 8 that supplies inflation gas to the airbag 25, a case 12 as a storage part for storing and holding the airbag 25 and the inflator 8, a retainer 9 for attaching the airbag 25 and the inflator 8 to the case 12, an airbag cover 6 that covers the folded airbag 25, and two locking members 16L and 16R as a control mechanism for controlling the inflation form of the airbag 25. In the case of the embodiment, the operation of the inflator 8 and the locking members 16L and 16R is controlled by a control device 85 shown in FIG. 1.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 85 inputs electrical signals from a position detection sensor 86 capable of detecting the physique of the occupant MP seated in the passenger seat PS and the separation distance between the instrument panel 1 and the occupant MP (the position of the passenger seat PS with respect to the instrument panel 1), a weight detection sensor 87 capable of detecting the weight of the occupant MP, a collision detection sensor 88 capable of detecting the acceleration and direction of acceleration of the vehicle, etc., to operate the inflator 8 and control the operation of the locking members 16L and 16R so that the airbag 25 is inflated in a suitable inflation mode.

[0014] The airbag cover 6 is integrally formed with the synthetic resin instrument panel 1 and is configured such that when the airbag 25 is deployed and inflated, the front and rear door portions 6a and 6b are pushed open by the airbag 25. Further, a connecting wall portion 12c connected to the case 12 is formed around the door portions 6a and 6b of the airbag cover 6.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the inflator 8 includes a substantially cylindrical main body portion 8a having a plurality of gas discharge ports 8b and a flange portion 8c for attaching the inflator 8 to the case 12.

[0016] The case 12, which serves as the storage area, is formed in a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape from sheet metal with a rectangular opening at its upper end. As shown in Figures 1-3, it includes a roughly rectangular bottom wall portion 13 into which the inflator 8 is inserted and mounted from below, and a peripheral wall portion 14 that extends upward from the outer edge of the bottom wall portion 13 and engages with the connecting wall portion 6c of the airbag cover 6. In this embodiment, the airbag 25 and the inflator 8 are connected to the bottom wall portion 13 of the case 12 by using the bolts 9a of the retainer 9, which are placed inside the airbag 25, as mounting means, passing through the periphery of the airbag 25's intake opening 33, the bottom wall portion 13 of the case 12, and the flange portion 8c of the inflator 8, and securing them with nuts 10. The bottom wall portion 13 of case 12 is wider on the left-right side, and at a position approximately in the center from left to right, there is an insertion hole (not shown in the figure) through which the main body portion 8a of the inflator 8 can be inserted, and an insertion hole (not shown) for inserting each bolt 9a of the retainer 9. In the bottom wall portion 13, as shown in Figure 3, through holes 13a, 13a are formed on both the left and right sides of the insertion hole for inserting the main body portion 8a of the inflator 8. Each through hole 13a is for inserting the tip 80b side b of the regulating members 80UL, 80DL, which will be described later, and the tip 80b side of the regulating members 80UR, 80DR, respectively, which extend from the airbag 25. In addition, a bracket (not shown) that is connected to the vehicle body side is provided on case 12.

[0017] Locking members 16L and 16R, which serve as control mechanisms, are respectively positioned on the lower side of the bottom wall portion 13, near each through-hole 13a (i.e., on both the left and right sides of the inflator 8). Each locking member 16L and 16R locks the tip 80b side b of each regulating member 80UL and 80DL, which are arranged on the airbag 25, and the tip 80b side of each regulating member 80UR and 80DR, respectively. Since they are a pair with identical configurations, the explanation will take the left locking member 16L as an example. The locking member 16L includes a locking pin 17 that is inserted through locking holes 82UL and 82DL formed on the tip 80b side of each restricting member 80UL and 80DL to lock the tip 80b side of each restricting member 80UL and 80DL, an actuator 18 that is attached to the lower surface of the bottom wall portion 13 and operates to retract the locking pin 17, and a support bracket 19 that is configured to extend downward from the bottom wall portion 13 at the tip side of the locking pin 17 and to support the tip side of the locking pin 17 (see Figure 2). The actuator 18 is configured to operate to retract the locking pin 17 in response to an operating signal from the control device 85. When the actuator 18 operates to retract the locking pin 17, the locking pin 17 transitions from a state of locking the tip 80b side of the restricting members 80UL and 80DL to a state of releasing the lock. As the actuator 18, any actuator that can move the locking pin 17 by an electrical signal from the control device 85 can be used, such as a piston cylinder that utilizes fluid pressure including hydraulic, water, or pneumatic pressure, or the case of generating expanding gas pressure such as an inflator, a motor that utilizes such fluid pressure or electricity, an electromagnetic solenoid, or a spring that utilizes the biasing force during restoration. When the actuator 18 is not operating, the locking pin 17 is supported at the tip end 80b by a support bracket 19 to prevent the tip end 80b of the restricting members 80UL and 80DL from coming off the locking pin 17 when locked.

[0018] As shown in Figures 4-7, the airbag 25 comprises a bag body 26, tethers 50, 57, 58 positioned inside the bag body 26 to regulate the completed inflation shape of the bag body 26, and regulating members 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, 80DR disposed inside the bag body 26.

[0019] The bag body 26 is a bag-like structure formed from a flexible sheet material, and when fully inflated, it is positioned to cover the space between the upper surface 2 of the instrument panel 1 and the windshield 4 above the instrument panel 1. As shown in Figure 4, when fully inflated, it has a roughly triangular prism shape with its axial direction roughly aligned with the left-right direction. The bag body 26 includes an occupant side wall portion 38 located at the rear end when fully inflated, and a tapered peripheral wall portion 27 that extends forward from the periphery of the occupant side wall portion 38 and converges towards the front end so that its vertical width decreases.

[0020] The peripheral wall portion 27 is positioned to primarily block the space between the upper surface 2 of the instrument panel 1 and the windshield 4 above the instrument panel 1 when the airbag 25 has finished inflating. It comprises an upper wall portion 28 and a lower wall portion 29 that are positioned opposite each other in the vertical direction, and a left wall portion 30 and a right wall portion 31 that are positioned opposite each other in the horizontal direction. Near the front end of the lower wall portion 29 of the peripheral wall portion 27, which is near the front end 26a of the bag body 26 when it has finished inflating, an inlet opening 33 is formed, which is roughly circular in shape, allowing inflation gas to flow into the interior, and whose periphery is attached to the bottom wall portion 13 of the case 12. Multiple (four in this embodiment) mounting holes 34 are formed on the periphery of the inlet opening 33 for inserting the bolts 9a of the retainer 9 to attach the periphery of the inlet opening 33 to the bottom wall portion 13. On both the left and right sides of the inflow opening 33, slit-shaped insertion holes 35L and 35R are formed, respectively, that allow the tips 80b, 80b of the restricting members 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, and 80DR, which will be described later, to be inserted, to be inserted through, and these holes are arranged to be roughly aligned in the left-right direction (see Figures 4 and 8). In addition, vent holes 36, 36 are formed in the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 31 of the peripheral wall portion 27, opening in a roughly circular shape, for exhausting excess expansion gas that has flowed into the bag body 26. In this embodiment, the vent holes 36 are formed in the area behind the peripheral wall adjustment portions 42L and 42R, which will be described later.

[0021] The occupant side wall portion 38 is positioned directly opposite the occupant MP seated in the passenger seat PS when the bag body 26 is fully inflated, and is arranged along a substantially vertical direction on the rear end 26b side of the bag body 26 that is on the occupant MP side (see Figures 10-13).

[0022] In the periphery wall portion 27, in this embodiment, the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 31, which face each other in the left-right direction, are provided with periphery wall adjustment portions 42L and 42R, which are connected to regulating members 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, and 80DR and can adjust the front-to-back length of the periphery wall portion 27 in the airbag 25 when inflation is complete (see Figures 4-7). The periphery wall adjustment portions 42L and 42R are arranged symmetrically on the left and right sides, and in this embodiment, the explanation will take the periphery wall adjustment portion 42R provided on the right wall portion 31 as an example. Regarding the periphery wall adjustment portion 42L provided on the left wall portion 30, the same reference numeral is followed by "L", and a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0023] The peripheral wall adjustment section 42R is located near the center of the front-to-back of the right wall section 31. In this embodiment, it comprises an upper section 43R located near the upper edge of the right wall section 31, and a lower section 44R located below the upper section 43R, near the center of the upper-to-lower right wall section 31 (see Figures 6 and 7). Each upper section 43R and lower section 44R is equipped with an insertion ring section 46UR and 46DR, respectively. In this embodiment, three insertion ring sections 46UR and 46DR are arranged side by side in the upper section 43R and lower section 44R, separated in the front-to-back direction. In other words, in the airbag 25 of this embodiment, a total of six insertion ring sections 46UR and 46DR are provided on the right wall section 31. Furthermore, in this embodiment, reinforcing members 75R and 76R are provided in the arrangement areas of the upper portion 43R and the lower portion 44R, respectively (see Figures 5-7). The upper portion 43R and the lower portion 44R (each reinforcing member 75R, 76R) are arranged substantially parallel to each other so as to be substantially aligned in the front-rear direction when the bag body 26 is fully inflated in the vehicle-mounted state (see Figures 6-8, 10, 13). The lower portion 44R is positioned to be approximately directly below the upper portion 43R when the bag body 26 is fully inflated in the vehicle-mounted state (see Figures 10, 13). That is, each insertion ring portion 46DR located on the lower side is positioned to be approximately directly below each insertion ring portion 46UR located on the upper side, as shown in Figure 7. Each insertion ring portion 46UR is connected to a loop portion 81UR located on the base portion 80a side of the restricting member 80UR by inserting the base portion 80a side of the restricting member 80UR through it. Similarly, each insertion ring portion 46DR located on the lower portion 44R is connected to a loop portion 81DR located on the base portion 80a side of the restricting member 80DR (see Figures 5-7).

[0024] Specifically, in this embodiment, the insertion rings 46UR and 46DR, which are arranged in the upper portion 43R and lower portion 44R, are constructed by folding a strip-shaped base material 47 (see Figure 8), which is made of a flexible sheet, into thirds and arranging it roughly along the vertical direction. Both ends are sewn (joined) to the right wall portion 31, and the base portion 80a of the restricting members 80UR and 80DR is inserted between the right wall portion 31 and the base material 47 (see Figure 5). In addition, in this embodiment, the separation distance between the insertion rings 46UR and 46DR in the front-rear direction is set to be slightly larger than the width dimension of the folded base material 47 (i.e., the insertion rings 46UR and 46DR themselves) (see Figures 7 and 12).

[0025] The restricting members 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, and 80DR extending from the peripheral wall adjustment sections 42L and 42R are made of flexible elongated bodies, and in this embodiment, they are made of flexible strip-shaped fabric material. Two restricting members 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, and 80DR are provided on the left wall section 30 side and two on the right wall section 31 side, respectively, extending from the upper sections 43L and 43R and the lower sections 44L and 44R of each peripheral wall adjustment section 42L and 42R. Since each restricting member 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, and 80DR has the same configuration, the restricting member 80UL (see A in Figure 9), which is provided on the left wall section 30 side and extends from the upper section 43L, will be used as an example for explanation. As shown in Figure 9A, the restricting member 80UL is loop-shaped with the area on the base portion 80a side inserted through the three insertion ring portions 46UL arranged on the upper portion 43L. That is, the restricting member 80UL has a loop portion 81UL on the base portion 80a side that connects each of the insertion ring portions 46UL. A locking hole 82UL is formed on the tip 80b side of the restricting member 80UL through which the locking pin 17 of the locking member 16L can be inserted (see Figure 8). The length dimension of the restricting member 80UL (L1, the length from the edge of the loop portion 81UL to the locking hole 82UL, see Figure 8) is set to such a dimension that, when the airbag 25 is inflated with the locking pin 17 inserted through the locking hole 82UL and the locking with the locking pin 17 maintained, the portion located between each insertion ring portion 46UL, 46UL on the left wall portion 30 is folded in, allowing the front and rear insertion ring portions 46UL, 46UL to be pulled in close proximity (maintaining the state in which a tuck 27a is provided in the portion between the insertion ring portions 46UL, 46UL on the left wall portion 30). The length dimension L2 (see Figure 8) of the loop portion 81UL when it is laid flat is set to be slightly larger than the separation distance L3 (see Figure 9A) between the edges of the insertion ring portions 46UL, 46UL located on the front and rear ends when the left wall portion 30 is laid flat. In other words, the inner diameter of the loop portion 81UL is set to such a size that, when the bag body 26 is fully expanded with the connection between the tip 80b of the restricting member 80UL and the locking member 16L released, the left wall portion 30, including the portion positioned between the insertion ring portions 46UL, 46UL, is positioned to extend the entire structure front to back.

[0026] In the airbag 25 of this embodiment, regulating rings 48L and 48R are provided on the inner circumferential surface side near the front ends of the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 31 of the bag body 26, extending from the upper portions 43L and 43R and the lower portions 44L and 44R of the respective circumferential wall adjustment portions 42L and 42R, respectively, and allowing the insertion of regulating members 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, and 80DR, which are arranged in pairs on the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 31, respectively (see Figures 5-7). Taking the regulating ring portion 48R provided on the right wall portion 31 as an example, this regulating ring portion 48R, like the insertion ring portions 46UR and 46DR, is made by folding the base material 49 shown in Figure 8 into thirds, and sewing (joining) both ends to the right wall portion 31. The regulating ring portion 48R is configured to allow the area near the tip 80b of the regulating members 80UR and 80DR to be inserted between it and the right wall portion 31 (see Figures 5 and 6). This regulating ring portion 48R is positioned to allow the area near the tip 80b of the regulating members 80UR and 80DR, which extend from separate positions vertically, to be inserted, thereby regulating the position of the area near the tip 80b and enabling the tip 80b to stably protrude from the insertion hole 35R.

[0027] In this embodiment, the tethers arranged inside the bag body 26 include front and rear tethers 50 and left and right tethers 57 and 58.

[0028] The front and rear tethers 50 connect the left and right sides of the occupant side wall 38 to the front end 26a side of the bag body 26. In this embodiment, the tethers are configured to connect a front portion 51 extending from the periphery of the inlet opening 33 to a rear portion 52 extending from the occupant side wall 38 (see Figures 5-7). In this embodiment, the front portion 51 is formed by folding a part of the strip-shaped front portion base material 54 shown in Figure 8, so that the rear edge follows the vertical direction. The rear portion 52 is configured as a roughly trapezoidal shape, narrowing towards the front end 52a side that connects to the front portion 51. The rear end 52b of the rear portion 52 is connected to the vicinity of the center of the occupant side wall 38 in the vertical and horizontal directions. These front and rear tethers 50 connect the area near the center of the occupant side wall 38 in the upper, lower, left, and right directions when the airbag 25 has finished inflating, to the peripheral area of ​​the intake opening 33. They are provided to suppress excessive rearward protrusion of the occupant side wall 38 during the initial stages of airbag inflation and to suppress rearward movement of the occupant side wall 38 (increase in the separation distance between the area near the intake opening 33 and the occupant side wall 38) when inflation is complete.

[0029] In this embodiment, the left and right tethers 57 and 58 are positioned above and below the front and rear tethers 50, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. They connect the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 31, respectively, and are arranged roughly along the left-right direction when the bag body 26 is fully inflated (see Figure 5). In this embodiment, the left and right tethers 57, which are positioned on the upper side, are located near the rear of the peripheral wall adjustment portions 42L and 42R and in front of the vent hole 36 (between the peripheral wall adjustment portions 42L and 42R and the vent hole 36). The left and right tethers 58, which are positioned on the lower side, are located roughly directly below the vent hole 36. These left and right tethers 57 and 58 are each composed of two strip-shaped tether base materials 59, 59, 60, and 60 (see Figures 5 and 8). These left and right tethers 57 and 58 are arranged to suppress excessive separation between the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 31 during the initial stage of inflation of the airbag 25, and to suppress an increase in the width dimension of the bag body 26 in the left-right direction (the distance between the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 31) when inflation is complete.

[0030] The bag body 26 is formed into a bag shape by joining the periphery of a base material of a predetermined shape. In this embodiment, the bag body 26 is composed of a front panel portion 70, a rear panel portion 71, a left panel portion 73L, and a right panel portion 73R, as shown in Figure 8.

[0031] The front panel section 70 mainly constitutes the area between the upper wall section 28 and the lower wall section 29 of the peripheral wall section 27, and as shown in Figure 8, its external shape is a roughly symmetrical, roughly strip-like shape. The rear panel section 71 mainly constitutes the area of ​​the occupant side wall section 38 (more specifically, the area of ​​the occupant side wall section 38 including the rear end of the upper wall section 28 and the rear end of the lower wall section 29), and as shown in Figure 8, its external shape is a roughly symmetrical, roughly strip-like shape. The left panel section 73L and the right panel section 73R constitute the left wall section 30 and the right wall section 31, respectively, and are a pair.

[0032] In this embodiment, the base materials 47, 49 that make up the front panel 70, rear panel 71, left panel 73L, right panel 73R, reinforcing members 75L, 75R, 76L, 76R, insertion rings 46UL, 46UR, 46DL, 46DR, and regulating rings 48L, 48R of the bag body 26, and the base materials 54 for the front part, 52 for the rear part, and the base materials 59, 59, 60, 60 for the tethers that make up the front and rear tethers 50 and left and right tethers 57, 58 are each formed from a flexible woven fabric made of polyester yarn, polyamide yarn, etc. In this embodiment, the regulating members 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, 80DR are also formed from a flexible woven fabric made of polyester yarn, polyamide yarn, etc., similar to the bag body 26.

[0033] The bag body 26 of the embodiment is formed into a bag shape by sewing (joining) the corresponding edges of the front panel 70, rear panel 71, left panel 73L, and right panel 73R together using suture thread. The upper rear edge 70a of the front panel 70 is sewn to the upper edge 71a of the rear panel 71, and the lower rear edge 70b of the front panel 70 is sewn to the lower edge 71b of the rear panel 71. The outer peripheral edge 73a of the left panel 73L is sewn to the left edges 70c, 71c of the front panel 70 and rear panel 71, and the outer peripheral edge 73a of the right panel 73R is sewn to the right edges 70d, 71d of the front panel 70 and rear panel 71.

[0034] Next, the installation of the airbag device M of the embodiment into a vehicle will be described. First, the airbag 25 is folded so that it can be stored in the case 12 with the retainer 9 stored inside. The airbag 25 is folded from the pre-folded bag state so as to reduce the width dimensions in the front, rear, left, and right directions, although detailed illustration is omitted. In this embodiment, although detailed illustration is omitted, a part of the area of ​​the peripheral wall portion 27 is folded in when the pre-folded bag is formed. Specifically, as schematically shown in Figures 9A and 9B, in the area where the peripheral wall adjustment portions 42L and 42R are arranged in the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 31, the portion between the insertion ring portions 46UL, 46UR, 46DL, and 46DR is folded in such a way that the insertion ring portions 46UL, 46UR, 46DL, and 46DR are brought closer together, with folds made along the length direction of the insertion ring portions 46UL, 46UR, 46DL, and 46DR. More specifically, the left wall portion 30 (right wall portion 31) is folded in such a way that the portion between the insertion ring portions 46UL (46UR, 46DL, 46DR) protrudes outward, as schematically shown in Figure 9B, thereby forming a tuck 27a. The airbag 25 is then folded while maintaining this folded state. In other words, in this embodiment, although detailed illustration is omitted, the airbag 25 is folded in such a way that tucks 27a extending vertically are provided at two locations on the front-rear side of the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 31, respectively.

[0035] After the airbag 25 is folded, the folded body is wrapped with a tearable wrapping sheet (not shown) to prevent it from unraveling. At this time, the tips 80b of the restricting members 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, and 80DR extending from the peripheral wall adjustment sections 42L and 42R are made to protrude from the insertion holes 35L and 35R formed in the bag body 26, respectively. The folded airbag 25 is then placed in the case 12, which has the locking members 16L and 16R attached in advance, with the bolts 9a protruding from the bottom wall section 13. Subsequently, the locking pins 17 of each locking member 16L, 16R are inserted into the locking holes 82UL, 82UR, 82DL, 82DR of the restricting members 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, 80DR, which protrude from the through holes 13a formed in the bottom wall portion 13, respectively, and the tips of the locking pins 17 are supported by the support bracket 19, thereby locking the tip 80b side of the restricting members 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, 80DR to the locking members 16L, 16R. Next, the main body portion 8a of the inflator 8 is inserted into the case 12 from below the bottom wall portion 13, and the bolts 9a of the retainer 9, which protrude downward from the bottom wall portion 13, are inserted into the flange portion 8c of the inflator 8. Subsequently, by fastening nuts 10 to each bolt 9a protruding from the flange portion 8c of the inflator 8, the folded airbag 25 and the inflator 8 can be attached to the case 12.

[0036] Subsequently, the peripheral wall portion 14 of the case 12 is locked to the connecting wall portion 6c of the airbag cover 6 on the instrument panel 1 mounted on the vehicle, a bracket (not shown) provided on the case 12 is fixed to the vehicle body, and the inflator 8 and the locking members 16L and 16R are electrically connected to the control device 85, thereby enabling the airbag device M to be mounted on the vehicle.

[0037] After the airbag device M is installed in the vehicle, if a frontal collision is detected, the control device 85 outputs an activation signal to the inflator 8, causing the inflator 8 to discharge inflation gas from the gas outlet 8b, which inflates the airbag 25 by allowing the inflation gas to flow into it, causing it to push open the door portions 6a and 6b of the airbag cover 6. The airbag 25 then protrudes upward from the case 12 through the opening formed by pushing open the door portions 6a and 6b of the airbag cover 6, and expands while protruding toward the rear of the vehicle, completing its inflation so as to seal the space between the upper surface 2 of the instrument panel 1 and the windshield 4 above the instrument panel 1, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 1 and in Figures 10 and 13.

[0038] In the airbag device M of this embodiment, while the connection between the regulating members 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, 80DR and the locking members 16L, 16R as a control mechanism is maintained, the bag body 26 completes inflation by folding the portion of the peripheral wall 27 located between the insertion rings 46UL, 46UR, 46DL, 46DR (bringing the insertion rings 46UL, 46UR, 46DL, 46DR closer together) by the loop portions 81UL, 81UR, 81DL, 81DR provided on the base portion 80a side of the regulating members 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, 80DR. In other words, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, when the connection between the restricting members 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, 80DR and the locking members 16L, 16R is maintained, the airbag 25 completes inflation by providing a tuck 27a along the vertical direction at the intermediate front-to-rear portion of the peripheral wall portion 27 (in the embodiment, the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 31). In the airbag 25 of the embodiment, the tuck 27a formed when the airbag 25 is folded is maintained to some extent when it inflates while the connection between the restricting members 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, 80DR and the locking members 16L, 16R is maintained, although the folded state is loosened (see A in Figures 10, 11, and 13). Since such tucks 27a are formed on both sides (left wall portion 30, right wall portion 31) of the peripheral wall portion 27 of the bag body 26 that face each other in the vertical direction or the left-right direction (in this embodiment, the left-right direction), the width dimension of the peripheral wall portion 27 in the front-rear direction when inflation is complete can be shortened in a balanced manner on both the left and right sides. Even if the bag is configured to inflate with tucks 27a provided on a part of the peripheral wall portion 27, the occupant side wall portion 38, which is located at the rear end when inflation is complete, can be positioned to face the occupant MP directly, suppressing the occurrence of inclination, etc., and thus the occupant MP can be stably supported.Furthermore, when the connection between the restricting members 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, 80DR and the locking members 16L, 17R is released, the bag body 26 expands (extends front to back) the portion of the peripheral wall 27 located between the insertion rings 46UL, 46UR, 46DL, 46DR, in the front and back directions, thereby completing the inflation (see Figures 12 and 13, part B). Compared to the case where the bag is inflated while the connection between the restricting members 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, 80DR and the locking members 16L, 16R is maintained, the position of the occupant side wall 38 at the completion of inflation can be positioned further rearward (see the dashed line in Figure 1 and Figures 13, parts A and B). Of course, even in the case of the airbag 25 that has completed inflation with the connection between the restricting members 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, 80DR and the locking members 16L, 16R released, the occupant side wall portion 38 positioned in front of the occupant MP can stably support the occupant MP.

[0039] Therefore, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, even if the inflation modes are configured differently, the occupant MP can be reliably protected by the airbag 25 once it has completed inflation.

[0040] Specifically, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, when the control device 85, which receives signals from predetermined sensors 86, 87, and 88, detects, for example, that a small occupant MP1 is seated, or that occupant MP is seated in a position close to the instrument panel 1, the inflator 8 operates without outputting an operating signal to the actuators 18 of the locking members 16L and 16R, causing the airbag 25 to inflate by allowing inflation gas to flow into it. In other words, the airbag 25 maintains the connection between the regulating members 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, and 80DR and the locking members 16L and 16R, and completes inflation in a state in which tucks 27a are provided on the peripheral wall portion 27 (left wall portion 30, right wall portion 31) (a state in which the folded state of the tucks 27a is maintained) (a shortened mode P1 in which the width dimension on the front-rear side of the peripheral wall portion 27 is reduced) (see A in Figures 10, 11, and 13). Therefore, in shortened mode, occupants MP and small occupants MP1 who are seated relatively close to the instrument panel 1 can be accurately caught by the occupant side wall portion 38, which is located relatively forward in the airbag 25 when it is fully inflated.

[0041] Conversely, if the control device 85 detects, for example, the presence of a large occupant MP2 or the presence of an occupant MP seated away from the instrument panel 1, the airbag device M of this embodiment will inflate the airbag 25 at approximately the same time as the inflator 8 activates, with activation signals output to the actuators 18 of the locking members 16L and 16R. In other words, the airbag 25 will complete its inflation in a state where the connection between the restricting members 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, 80DR and the locking members 16L, 16R is released, and the peripheral wall portion 27 (left wall portion 30, right wall portion 31) is extended forward and backward over its entire length (extension mode P2) (see B in Figures 12 and 13). Therefore, an occupant MP or a large occupant MP2 seated away from the instrument panel 1 can be accurately caught by the occupant side wall portion 38, which is located relatively to the rear of the airbag 25 when inflation is complete.

[0042] Furthermore, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the insertion rings 46UL, 46UR, 46DL, and 46DR are arranged on the left wall 30 and right wall 31 on the inner circumferential surface side of the peripheral wall 27, facing each other in the left-right direction. In other words, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the insertion rings 46UL, 46UR, 46DL, and 46DR are arranged in an area that does not come into contact with the windshield 4, which is located above the airbag 25 when inflation is complete, or with the instrument panel 1, which is located below it. Therefore, when inflating the airbag 25 while maintaining the connection between the regulating members 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, and 80DR and the locking members 16L and 16R, the regulating members 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, and 80DR are not affected by the windshield 4 or the instrument panel 1, and a tack 27a can be stably provided in the area of ​​the peripheral wall 27 (left wall 30 and right wall 31). If these points are not taken into consideration, an airbag can be used that has insertion rings positioned on the upper and lower walls, which face each other vertically when inflation is complete.

[0043] Furthermore, in the airbag device M of this embodiment, the insertion rings 46UL, 46UR, 46DL, and 46DR are arranged in six on each side of the left wall 30 and right wall 31 (three on each side in the front-rear direction, arranged in two rows, one above the other). Therefore, when inflated in shortened mode, the tucks 27a are formed to be long vertically on each side of the left wall 30 and right wall 31, and two on each side in the front-rear direction. As a result, the peripheral wall 27 (left wall 30, right wall 31) can be broadly and stably maintained in a shortened state both vertically and horizontally. Of course, the number of insertion rings is not limited to this embodiment; at least two on each side of the front-rear direction should be arranged in opposing regions in the vertical or horizontal direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1...Instrument panel, 4...Windshield, 8...Inflator, 12...Case (storage area), 16L, 16R...Locking member (control mechanism), 25...Airbag, 26...Bag body, 27...Peripheral wall, 27a...Tuck, 30...Left wall, 31...Right wall, 33...Inlet opening, 38...Occupant side wall, 46UL, 46UR, 46DL, 46DR...Insertion ring, 80UL, 80UR, 80DL, 80DR...Regulating member, 80a...Base, 80b...Tip, 81UL, 81UR, 81DL, 81DR...Loop, 85...Control device, MP...Occupant, MP1...Small occupant, MP2...Large occupant, PS...Passenger seat, M...Passenger seat airbag device (airbag device).

Claims

1. A passenger-side airbag system comprising: an airbag positioned in front of the passenger seated occupant and foldable into a storage compartment; an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag; and a control mechanism that controls the inflation shape of the airbag, The aforementioned airbag, The bag body is shaped like a flexible bag and has a crew side wall portion positioned facing the crew at the rear end when inflation is complete, and a peripheral wall portion extending from the periphery of the crew side wall portion and converging toward the front end, with an inlet opening provided at the front end of the peripheral wall portion for allowing inflation gas to flow into the interior, and the periphery of the inlet opening attached toward the storage portion side, A restricting member, which is made of a flexible, elongated body and is placed inside the bag body, restricts the expansion shape of the bag body, It is configured to include the following: On the inner circumferential surface of the aforementioned peripheral wall portion, at least two insertion ring portions are provided side by side, spaced apart in the front-rear direction, at least two of each, at two locations facing each other in the vertical or left-right direction, through which the base portion of the regulating member can be inserted. At least two of the regulating members are arranged to face each other in the vertical or horizontal direction, corresponding to the insertion ring portion, and each is formed into a loop shape at its base when inserted into the respective insertion ring portions arranged in parallel front and rear, thereby forming a loop portion that connects the respective insertion ring portions, with its tip connected to the control mechanism located near the inflow opening. A passenger-side airbag device characterized in that the loop portion folds in the portion of the peripheral wall portion that is positioned between the insertion ring portions when the bag body is inflated while the connection between the regulating member and the control mechanism is maintained, thereby allowing the front and rear insertion ring portions to be pulled in close proximity, and when the bag body is fully inflated while the connection between the regulating member and the control mechanism is released, the portion of the peripheral wall portion that is positioned between the insertion ring portions can be deployed front and rear.

2. The passenger-side airbag device according to claim 1, characterized in that the insertion ring portion is arranged on the inner circumferential surface side of the peripheral wall portion so as to face each other in the left-right direction.

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