Airbag device

Abstract

To provide an air bag device which can mitigate damage when colliding with an obstacle.SOLUTION: An air bag device comprises: a plurality of air bags 30R, 30C, 30L which are developed from a vehicle body front part 23 of a vehicle 1 to a front side, and arrayed in a vehicle width direction; a pre-crash determination part 120 which establishes, when possibility of crash against an obstacle V is a prescribed value or more, a pre-crash determination; an air bag development control part 110 which develops the air bags according to the establishment of the pre-crash determination; and an air bag shrinkage control part 110, 112 which separately controls shrinkage of the plurality of air bags. The air bag shrinkage control part performs an end side air bag shrinkage control which shrinks an air bag arranged at one end side in the vehicle width direction among the air bags crashed against an obstacle and keeps development of the other air bags.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an airbag device having an airbag that deploys from a front portion of a vehicle body of a vehicle such as an automobile to the outside of the vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] As a technology relating to an airbag device that deploys on the outside of a vehicle such as an automobile, for example, Patent Document 1 describes the use of multiple airbags arranged in the vehicle width direction that deploy in front of the front bumper to prevent pedestrians and others from being thrown up in the event of a collision between the vehicle and the pedestrian and from falling and sustaining injuries to the head, face, etc. Patent Document 2 describes a method in which multiple airbags are deployed around the vehicle body to reduce damage to the vehicle body during a collision. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Application No. 2006-219119 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2008-526593 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art Generally, vehicles such as automobiles are designed so that, in the event of a frontal collision, the front structure of the vehicle body is crushed to absorb the collision energy. As described in Patent Document 2, even when an airbag is deployed outside the vehicle, the load received by the airbag is usually transferred to the vehicle body structural members, and the collision energy that cannot be absorbed by the airbag is absorbed by the collapse of the vehicle body structure. Such energy absorption is often assumed to occur when the colliding vehicle has a vehicle weight equivalent to that of the subject vehicle and the collision occurs at a relative speed of, for example, several tens of kilometers per hour. However, in reality, there is a possibility of a collision with a vehicle larger than the vehicle itself, a collision with a vehicle traveling faster than the assumed vehicle speed, or a multiple collision in which multiple vehicles collide in succession, and it is also possible that sufficient energy absorption will not be possible due to the collapse of the vehicle body structure alone. For this reason, there is a demand for reducing damage during a collision without relying excessively on the vehicle body structure. In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an airbag device capable of reducing damage caused by a collision with an object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the airbag device of the present invention is an airbag device comprising a plurality of airbags arranged in the vehicle width direction that deploy forward from the front of the vehicle body, a pre-crash judgment unit that makes a pre-crash judgment when the possibility of a collision with an object is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, and an airbag deployment control unit that deploys the airbags in response to the pre-crash judgment being made, and is characterized in that it has an airbag deflation control unit that individually controls the deflation of the plurality of airbags, and the airbag deflation control unit performs end airbag deflation control to deflate the airbag that is located at one end side in the vehicle width direction of the airbag that has collided with the object, and to maintain the deployment of the other airbags. According to this, when an object collides with one of the multiple airbags arranged at the front of the vehicle in an offset collision, the airbag at the end side in the vehicle width direction of the airbag in the area where the collision with the object occurs is contracted, while the other airbags are maintained in deployment, thereby absorbing the collision energy with the contracted airbag, and the reaction force acting on the object from the airbag that is maintained in deployment on that side, and the inclination formed by the front and rear difference in the front parts of each airbag encourage the object to deviate outward in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle, thereby converting the collision energy of the object into kinetic energy, reducing the amount of collision energy absorbed by the vehicle, and suppressing damage.

[0006] In the present invention, the airbag deflation control unit may be configured to suppress the deflation of the airbag after the deflated airbag has deflated over a predetermined target stroke. According to this, the airbag is contracted by a predetermined stroke to absorb the necessary energy, and then the contraction is suppressed, promoting the conversion of the remaining collision energy into kinetic energy, thereby achieving the above-mentioned effects appropriately.

[0007] In the present invention, the pre-crash judgment unit has a function of determining the collision type between the object and the vehicle and the attributes of the object, and the airbag deflation control unit can be configured to set the target stroke based on the collision type and the attributes of the object. According to this, by setting the stroke according to the magnitude and direction of the collision energy that can be received from an object, it is possible to perform appropriate control according to the collision type and type of object. In this case, the airbag deflation control unit may be configured to set the target stroke to be large in accordance with at least one of an increase in size of the object and an increase in the relative speed of the object with respect to the host vehicle. According to this, when the weight or relative velocity of the object is large and the collision energy is expected to be large, the target stroke can be set large and energy absorption by the airbag contraction can be promoted, thereby preventing excessive energy from being input into the vehicle body structure and suppressing damage to the vehicle body.

[0008] In the present invention, the airbag has a vent passage for exhausting internal gas, and a vent control unit for opening and closing the vent passage, and the airbag deflation control unit can be configured to deflate the airbag by the vent control unit opening the vent passage. According to this, the deployment state of the airbag can be controlled with good responsiveness using a simple configuration, and the above-mentioned effects can be appropriately obtained. Effect of the Invention

[0009] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an airbag device capable of reducing damage caused by a collision with an object. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of an airbag device to which the present invention is applied; [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system for controlling an airbag device according to an embodiment; [Diagram 3] 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the airbag device of the embodiment during a collision. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a state immediately after a vehicle having an airbag device according to an embodiment collides with another vehicle; [Diagram 5] 1 is a diagram showing a state after a vehicle having the airbag device of the embodiment collides with another vehicle and end airbag contraction control is performed. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an airbag device to which the present invention is applied will be described. The airbag device of the embodiment is provided in the front part of a vehicle body of an automobile such as a passenger car, for example, and aims to reduce damage when the automobile collides with an object such as another vehicle. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an airbag device according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a vehicle having an airbag device according to an embodiment as viewed from above. The vehicle 1 has, for example, a so-called two-box vehicle shape having an engine compartment 20 that protrudes forward from a passenger compartment 10 .

[0012] The vehicle interior 10 is a portion having a space in which passengers and the like are accommodated. The engine compartment 20 is a portion having a space in which power train components such as an engine, a transmission, and in the case of an electric vehicle, a motor generator and its control devices are housed. The engine compartment 20 is provided with a front side frame 21, a bumper beam 22, a front bumper 23, etc.

[0013] The front side frame 21 is a structural member that protrudes forward from a toe board (not shown), which is a partition wall provided at the front end of the passenger compartment 10, toward the front of the vehicle. The front side frame 21 functions as a base to which, for example, a power train, a cross member to which a front suspension is attached, and a strut housing that accommodates a strut of a MacPherson strut type front suspension are attached. The front side frame 21 is formed by assembling and welding members formed by press-molding steel plates, for example, so that its cross-sectional shape when viewed from the vehicle front-rear direction is a rectangular closed cross-section. The bumper beam 22 is a structural member provided at the front of the vehicle body and extending in the vehicle width direction. The bumper beam 22 is formed into a beam shape with a closed cross section by, for example, assembling and welding members formed by press-molding steel plates, or by using an extruded aluminum alloy material. The bumper beam 22 has a middle portion connected to the front end portions of the left and right front side frames 21 . Both ends of the bumper beam 22 in the vehicle width direction protrude outward in the vehicle width direction relative to the front side frames 21. The bumper beam 22 is a load transmitting member that transmits the load received by the central airbag 30C, the right airbag 30R, and the left airbag 30L (described later) from an object collided with, via the front side frames 21, to the rear side of the vehicle body. The front bumper 23 is an exterior member provided at the front end of the vehicle body, and is configured by attaching a bumper face constituting a skin portion formed of, for example, a PP-based resin to the vehicle body with brackets or the like (not shown). The front portion of the front bumper 23 is curved so that the front side of the vehicle 1 is convex when the vehicle 1 is viewed from above. The bumper beam 22 is formed in an arc shape that is convex toward the front of the vehicle so as to follow the curvature of the front portion of the front bumper 23 when the vehicle 1 is viewed from above.

[0014] The airbag device of this embodiment includes a center airbag 30C, a right airbag 30R, and a left airbag 30L. Each airbag is formed into a bag shape by joining panels made of a base fabric such as nylon 66 fabric, and is deployed by blowing in deployment gas generated by an inflator 111 in response to the establishment of a pre-crash determination. The central airbag 30C is provided in the center of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction. The right airbag 30R is provided adjacent to the central airbag 30C on the right side in the vehicle width direction. The left airbag 30L is provided adjacent to the central airbag 30C on the left side in the vehicle width direction. The central airbag 30C, the right airbag 30R, and the left airbag 30L are attached to the bumper beam 22 in a folded state and are housed inside the front bumper 23 under normal circumstances (before the pre-crash determination is established). In the event of a collision, each airbag breaks a weakened portion formed in the front bumper 23 and is deployed toward the front side of the vehicle, and deploys forward relative to the front surface of the front bumper 23.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system for controlling the airbag device of the embodiment. The system for controlling the airbag device is configured to include an airbag control unit 110, an environment recognition unit 120, a behavior control unit 130, and the like. Each of these units can be configured as a microcomputer having, for example, an information processing unit (processor) such as a CPU, a storage unit such as a RAM or a ROM, an input / output interface, and a bus connecting these. In addition, each unit is connected directly or via an in-vehicle LAN such as a CAN communication system, so that they can communicate with each other.

[0016] The airbag control unit 110 issues commands to an inflator 111 and a vent control valve 112, and controls these to inflate the right airbag 30R, the central airbag 30C, and the left airbag 30L, and to control the state of their deployment. The airbag control unit 110 functions as the airbag deployment control unit of the present invention. Additionally, the airbag control unit 110 cooperates with the vent control valve 112 to function as the airbag deflation control unit of the present invention. The inflator 111 is a chemical (pyrotechnic) gas generating device that generates deployment gas for deploying each airbag in response to a command from the airbag control unit 110. The inflators 111 are provided independently for the right airbag 30R, the central airbag 30C, and the left airbag 30L, respectively, and are capable of individually controlling whether or not the right airbag 30R, the central airbag 30C, and the left airbag 30L are to be deployed, and the timing at which the deployment begins.

[0017] The vent control valves 112 are provided in the right airbag 30R, the central airbag 30C, and the left airbag 30L, respectively, and serve to open and close vent flow paths (not shown) that exhaust gas from within each airbag (eg, open to the atmosphere). The vent control valve 112 has a function of independently opening and closing the vent flow paths of the right airbag 30R, the central airbag 30C, and the left airbag 30L in response to a command from the airbag control unit 110, for example. The vent control valve 112 may, for example, comprise a solenoid valve.

[0018] The airbag control unit 110 is provided with a pressure sensor 113 . The pressure sensor 113 has a function of detecting the internal pressure of each of the right airbag 30R, the central airbag 30C, and the left airbag 30L. The airbag control unit 110 is capable of determining, based on the output of the pressure sensor 113, a state of load input from another vehicle or the like to the right airbag 30R, the central airbag 30C, and the left airbag 30L.

[0019] The environment recognition unit 120 recognizes the environment around the vehicle based on the outputs of various sensors. The environment recognition unit 120 has a function of recognizing, for example, various objects such as other vehicles, pedestrians, buildings, trees, and terrain around the vehicle 1 (host vehicle), as well as road shapes (lane shapes), and the like. The environment recognition unit 120 functions as a pre-crash determination section that establishes a pre-crash determination when a collision with an object such as another vehicle is unavoidable (when the possibility of a collision is equal to or greater than a predetermined level). The environment recognition unit 120 is connected to a stereo camera device 121, a millimeter wave radar device 122, a laser scanner device 123, and the like. The stereo camera device 121 has a pair of cameras arranged at a predetermined distance (baseline length) apart, and has the function of recognizing objects such as other vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists, and detecting the relative position of the objects with respect to the vehicle 1 by known stereo image processing. The stereo camera device 121 has a function of recognizing the attributes of an object by pattern recognition of a captured image, etc. For example, when the object is another vehicle, the stereo camera device 121 has a function of recognizing the size of the other vehicle (whether it is a large vehicle such as a truck, bus, or large SUV that is significantly heavier than the vehicle 1, etc.). The millimeter wave radar device 122 is a radar device that uses radio waves in a frequency band of, for example, 30 to 300 GHz, and has a function of detecting the presence or absence of an object and the relative position of the object with respect to the vehicle 1. The laser scanner device (LIDAR) 123 has a function of, for example, scanning the periphery of the vehicle 1 by emitting pulsed near-infrared laser light, and detecting the presence or absence of an object, the relative position of the object with respect to the vehicle 1, the shape of the object, etc., based on the presence or absence of reflected light and the time difference until the reflected light returns. The environment recognition unit 120 is capable of recognizing the collision mode with the object (e.g., the object's velocity vector relative to vehicle 1, the collision position relative to vehicle 1, etc.) and the attributes of the object (e.g., in the case of a vehicle, the type, shape, size, etc.) when a collision with an object such as another vehicle is unavoidable (when a pre-crash judgment is made).

[0020] The behavior control unit 130 has a function of controlling the braking force of each wheel in a hydraulic service brake device (not shown) to perform vehicle behavior control for suppressing oversteer or understeer of the vehicle, anti-lock brake control, etc. The behavior control unit 130 is connected to a vehicle speed sensor 131, an acceleration sensor 132, a yaw rate sensor 133, and the like. The vehicle speed sensor 131 is provided, for example, adjacent to a hub bearing portion that rotatably supports a wheel, and outputs a vehicle speed signal having a frequency proportional to the rotation speed of the wheel. The behavior control unit 130 has a function of calculating the traveling speed (vehicle speed) of the vehicle based on the vehicle speed signal. The acceleration sensor 132 detects the longitudinal acceleration and lateral acceleration acting on the vehicle body. The yaw rate sensor 133 detects the yaw rate of the vehicle body.

[0021] Next, the operation of the airbag device of the embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the airbag device of the embodiment during a collision. Each step will be explained in order below.

[0022] <Step S01: Pre-crash determination result determination> The environment recognition unit 120 uses known pre-crash judgment logic to estimate the possibility of a collision with another vehicle (an example of an object as referred to in the present invention) approaching from the front of the vehicle 1, and determines whether the estimated possibility is equal to or exceeds a preset threshold value. If the possibility of a collision occurring is equal to or greater than the threshold, it is determined that a collision is unavoidable, a pre-crash determination is established, and the process proceeds to step S02; otherwise, the series of processes is ended (returned).

[0023] <Step S02: Deploy all airbags> The airbag control unit 110 issues an activation command to the inflator 111 to inflate the right airbag 30R, the central airbag 30C, and the left airbag 30L. At this time, the vent control valve 112 closes the vent passage of each airbag. Then, proceed to step S03.

[0024] <Step S03: Collision type recognition> The airbag control unit 110 recognizes the manner in which another vehicle hits the vehicle 1. The type of collision can be recognized based on the internal pressure of each airbag detected by the pressure sensor 113, for example. For example, when the internal pressure of a part of the airbags increases more than the internal pressure of the other airbags, it can be recognized that another vehicle is in contact with only that airbag. In particular, when the internal pressure increase of either the right airbag 30R or the left airbag 30L is greater than the internal pressure increase of the central airbag 30C and there is no significant change in the internal pressure of the other of the right airbag 30R or the left airbag 30L, it can be recognized as an offset collision in which the other vehicle mainly hits either the right airbag 30R or the left airbag 30L. Further, instead of using the pressure sensor 113 to recognize the collision type, the airbag control unit 110 may recognize the collision type based on the output of the environment recognition unit 120 or the behavior control unit 130. For example, an offset collision or the like may be determined based on the results of monitoring the relative position of another vehicle with respect to the vehicle 1 before and after the collision using the stereo camera device 121 or the like. Further, an offset collision or the like may be determined based on the vehicle behavior detected by the acceleration sensor 132 and the yaw rate sensor 133. Then, proceed to step S04.

[0025] <Step S04: Offset collision determination> The airbag control unit 110 determines whether the collision type recognized in step S03 is a specific offset collision in which the collision damage can be mitigated by end airbag contraction control, which will be described later. For example, when another vehicle collides within a predetermined angle range with an overlap ratio relative to vehicle 1 that is, for example, equal to or less than a predetermined value, and is in contact with the central airbag 30 and either the right airbag 30R or the left airbag 30L, it can be determined that a specific offset collision has occurred. Such a determination can be made based on, for example, the output of the pressure sensor 113, the environment recognition unit 120, and the like. In this specification and the claims, the offset collision also includes an oblique offset collision (so-called oblique collision) in which an object such as another vehicle collides in a direction inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle itself. If it is determined that the collision is a specific offset collision, the process proceeds to step S06, and in other cases (for example, a full-lap collision or an offset collision in which the overlap rate is outside a predetermined range) the process proceeds to step S05.

[0026] <Step S05: Open all airbag vent control valves> The airbag control unit 110 commands the vent control valve 112 to open the vent passages in all of the right airbag 30R, center airbag 30C, and left airbag 30L. As a result, in the event of a full-wrap collision, for example, all of the airbags can be deflated and contracted in response to the collision, thereby absorbing the maximum amount of energy that can be achieved by the airbag device. Then, proceed to step S07.

[0027] <Step S06: Opening the collision side airbag vent control valve> The airbag control unit 110 issues a command to the vent control valve 112 to open the vent passage of one of the right airbag 30R and the left airbag 30L on the side where a collision with another vehicle has occurred, thereby performing end airbag contraction control to exhaust the gas inside the airbag and cause it to contract. Then, proceed to step S07.

[0028] <Step S07: Determine whether or not the target stroke has been reached> The airbag control unit 110 determines whether the airbag, which has opened the vent passage in step S05 or step S06, has contracted while venting gas due to input from another vehicle, and whether the longitudinal dimension has decreased by a predetermined target stroke (shock absorption stroke). The target stroke can be set to be large according to, for example, an increase in the size of the other vehicle V recognized by the environment recognition unit 120 (an increase in the estimated weight of the other vehicle). Also, the target stroke can be set to be large according to an increase in the relative speed between the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle V recognized by the environment recognition unit 120, for example. This makes it possible to increase the amount of energy absorbed by each airbag when the collision energy is large. If the airbag with the vent passage open has contracted by the target stroke, the process proceeds to step S08; otherwise, step S07 is repeated.

[0029] <Step S08: Close the vent control valve> The airbag control unit 110 issues a command to the vent control valve 112 to close the vent passage that was opened in step S5 or step S06. As a result, each airbag retains its current shape and volume while transmitting the force received from the other vehicle to the bumper beam 22. Then, the series of processes ends.

[0030] In this embodiment, as described above, in response to the establishment of the pre-crash determination by the environment recognition unit 120, first, the right airbag 30R, the central airbag 30C, and the left airbag 30L are all deployed as shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state immediately after a vehicle having the airbag device of the embodiment collides with another vehicle. In the example shown in Figure 4, another vehicle V is in contact with only the left airbag 30L and the central airbag 30 from the front side of the vehicle 1, and is in a specific offset collision (a collision in which damage can be mitigated by end airbag contraction control) with an overlap rate below a predetermined value. In this case, the airbag control unit 110 issues a command to the vent control valve 112 to open the vent passage of only the left airbag 30L, and performs end airbag contraction control to keep the vent passages of the central airbag 30C and the right airbag 30R in a closed state.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state after a vehicle having the airbag device of the embodiment collides with another vehicle and end airbag contraction control is performed. As the vent flow passage of the left airbag 30L opens and contraction begins, while the central airbag 30C remains in an expanded state, the other vehicle V slides against the front of each airbag due to the imbalance in the reaction forces it receives from the central airbag 30C and the left airbag 30L, and the difference in the front-to-back positions of the front portions of the central airbag 30C and the left airbag 30L (the inclination relative to the vehicle width direction), and turns to the left in the vehicle width direction as viewed from vehicle 1. In addition, vehicle 1 turns to the right in the vehicle width direction as a reaction to the turning of other vehicle V caused by the reaction force of each airbag. This allows the collision energy generated when another vehicle V collides with vehicle 1 to be converted into kinetic energy that causes the vehicles to veer away from each other and move in different directions (shown by dashed arrows in Figure 5), thereby deflecting the other vehicle V away from vehicle 1 and reducing the collision damage suffered by vehicle 1 and the other vehicle V.

[0032] As described above, according to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) When another vehicle V collides with one of the multiple airbags 30R, 30C, 30L arranged in the front part of the body of the vehicle 1, the airbag at the end side in the vehicle width direction of the airbags in the area where the collision with the other vehicle V occurs (the left airbag 30L in the example of Figures 4 and 5) is deflated, and end airbag deflation control is performed to maintain the deployment of the other airbags (the central airbag 30C in the example of Figures 4 and 5).This allows the deflated airbag to absorb the collision energy, and the reaction force acting on the object from the airbag maintained in deployment on the side of the airbag, and the front-to-rear difference (inclination) of the front parts of each airbag, guide the other vehicle V to deviate outward in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 1, thereby converting the collision energy of the other vehicle V into kinetic energy, reducing the amount of collision energy absorbed by the body structure of the vehicle 1, and suppressing damage. This prevents excessive collision energy from being input into the vehicle body structure in the event of a collision with a large vehicle or a vehicle with a high relative speed, or in a multiple collision, thereby preventing the collapse of the passenger compartment, ensuring survival space, and reducing harm to occupants. (2) In the end airbag contraction control, after the airbag that has started to contract has contracted to a predetermined stroke, the contraction of the airbag is suppressed, thereby facilitating the conversion of the remaining collision energy after the necessary energy absorption into kinetic energy, thereby making it possible to appropriately obtain the above-mentioned effects. (3) By increasing the airbag contraction stroke (shock absorption stroke) by the end airbag contraction control in accordance with the size of the other vehicle V, which is the object of collision, and the increase in the relative speed with respect to vehicle 1, it is possible to prevent excessive energy from being input into the body structure and suppress damage to the body. (4) Each airbag has a vent control valve 112 that opens and closes a vent passage for discharging internal gas. The vent control valve 112 opens the vent passage to deflate the airbag, thereby making it possible to control the deployment state of the airbag with good responsiveness using a simple configuration.

[0033] (Modification) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible, which are also within the technical scope of the present invention. (1) The configurations of the airbag device and the vehicle are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be modified as appropriate. For example, the structure, shape, material, manufacturing method, arrangement, and number of each member and part that constitutes these, as well as the specific contents of various controls, are not limited to the embodiments and can be changed as appropriate. (2) The method of performing the pre-crash determination and the method of determining the type of collision are not limited to the methods described in the embodiment, and may be modified as appropriate. (3) In the embodiment, for example, three airbags are arranged in the vehicle width direction, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a configuration in which four or more airbags are arranged may be used. (4) In the embodiment, the target stroke in the end airbag deflation control is set according to the size and relative speed of the colliding object, but the target stroke may be set based on other information. For example, if the object is another vehicle and the vehicle type can be identified by image recognition or the like, the weight of the other vehicle may be estimated and the target stroke may be set according to the estimated weight. (5) In the embodiment, a target stroke is set and the deflation of the airbag is terminated when the target stroke is reached. However, instead of this, the airbag deflation may be terminated, for example, after a certain time has elapsed after the start of venting. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1 car 10 compartments 20 Engine compartment 21 Front side frame 22 Bumper beam 23 Front bumper 30R Right side airbag 30C Center airbag 30L Left side airbag 110 Airbag control unit 111 Inflator 112 Vent control valve 113 Pressure sensor 120 Environment Recognition Unit 121 Stereo Camera Device 122 Millimeter wave radar equipment 123 Laser scanner equipment 130 behavior control unit 131 vehicle speed sensor 132 Acceleration sensor 133 Yaw rate sensor V Other vehicles

Claims

1. A plurality of airbags arranged in a vehicle width direction and deployed forward from a front part of a vehicle body; a pre-crash determination unit that establishes a pre-crash determination when the possibility of a collision with an object is equal to or higher than a predetermined value; an airbag deployment control unit that deploys the airbag in response to the establishment of the pre-crash determination; An airbag device comprising: an airbag deflation control unit that individually controls the deflation of the plurality of airbags; The airbag deflation control unit performs end airbag deflation control to deflate the airbag arranged on one end side in a vehicle width direction among the airbags in which a collision with the object has occurred, and to maintain the deployment of the other airbags. An airbag device comprising:

2. The airbag deflation control unit suppresses the deflation of the airbag after the deflated airbag has deflated over a predetermined target stroke.

2. The airbag device according to claim 1,

3. the pre-crash determination unit has a function of determining a collision mode between the object and the host vehicle and an attribute of the object, The airbag deflation control unit sets the target stroke based on the collision type and the attribute of the object.

3. The airbag device according to claim 2, wherein:

4. the airbag deflation control unit sets the target stroke to be large in accordance with at least one of an increase in size of the object and an increase in the relative speed of the object with respect to the host vehicle.

4. The airbag device according to claim 3,

5. The airbag has a vent passage for discharging gas therein and a vent control unit for opening and closing the vent passage, The airbag deflation control unit causes the vent control unit to open the vent passage to deflate the airbag.

5. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein:

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