Airbag device

Abstract

To provide an air bag device which can mitigate damage when colliding with an obstacle.SOLUTION: An air bag device comprises: external air bags 30 which are arrayed at a front side of a vehicle 1 in a vehicle width direction; internal air bags 40 which are arrayed in the vehicle and behind the external air bags in the vehicle width direction; a pre-crash determination part 120 which establishes a pre-crash determination according to the possibility of crash against an obstacle; an air bag control part 110 which develops the external air bags according to the establishment of the pre-crash determination; and an external air bag shrinkage control part 110, 112 which separately controls shrinkage of the plurality of external air bags. The external air bag shrinkage control part shrinks an external air bag arranged at one end side among the external air bags crashed against an obstacle, keeps development of the other external air bags, and develops an internal air bag arranged behind the shrunk external air bag.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

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. Furthermore, as a technology relating to an airbag device installed inside a vehicle, for example, Patent Document 3 describes how, in order to improve micro-overlap collision performance, etc., an airbag installed on a front side member hits the power unit hard inward in the vehicle width direction during a collision, displacing the power unit so that it passes through a barrier. Furthermore, as a technology relating to communicating multiple airbags to allow gas to flow between them, for example, Patent Document 4 describes a configuration in which a first bag portion provided inside the front bumper and a second bag portion provided opposite the knees of an occupant are communicated with each other, and the second bag portion expands in response to the compression of the first bag portion during a collision. Patent Document 5 describes a configuration in which gas flows from a bag body on the front side through a communication passage to the bag bodies on the rear side and on the left and right sides in an airbag device for protecting pedestrians, etc., in which multiple airbags are deployed in an array on the bonnet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Application No. 2006-219119 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2008-526593 [Patent Document 3] JP 2017-124678 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2014-144661 A [Patent Document 5] JP 2019-209923 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Generally, vehicles such as automobiles are designed to absorb the collision energy by crushing the front structure of the vehicle body during a frontal collision. As described in Patent Document 2, even if an airbag is deployed outside the vehicle, the load received by the airbag is transferred to the vehicle body structural members, and the collision energy that cannot be absorbed by the airbag is absorbed by the crushing 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 collides at a relative speed of, for example, approximately several tens of kilometers per hour. However, in reality, there is a possibility that a collision with a vehicle larger than the vehicle itself or with a vehicle traveling at high speed may occur, and it is 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 exterior airbags arranged in the vehicle width direction and deploying forward from a front part of the vehicle body; a plurality of interior airbags that deploy inside the vehicle body and are arranged in the vehicle width direction rearward of the exterior airbags; 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; and an airbag control unit that deploys the exterior airbags in response to the establishment of the pre-crash determination, wherein the airbag control unit has an exterior airbag deflation control unit that individually controls the deflation of the plurality of exterior airbags, and is characterized in that the exterior airbag deflation control unit performs end exterior airbag deflation control to deflate the exterior airbag arranged at one end side in the vehicle width direction of the exterior airbags where a collision with the object has occurred and maintain the deployment of the other exterior airbags, and to deploy the interior airbag arranged rearward of the exterior airbag to be deflated. According to this, in the event that an object collides with one of the multiple exterior airbags arranged at the front of the vehicle in an offset collision, the exterior airbag at the end side in the vehicle width direction of the exterior airbags in the area where the collision with the object occurs is contracted, while the deployment of the other exterior airbags is maintained, thereby absorbing the collision energy by the contracted exterior airbag, and the reaction force acting on the object from the exterior airbag that is maintained deployed to the side of it, and the inclination formed by the front and rear difference in the front parts of each exterior 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. In addition, by deploying an interior airbag located behind the exterior airbag that is being deflated, the load input from the exterior airbag to the vehicle body is supported, suppressing damage to the vehicle body structure, and an appropriate reaction force is generated against the object that is hit, further enhancing the effect of converting collision energy into kinetic energy.

[0006] In the present invention, a communication flow path is provided that connects the exterior airbag and the interior airbag arranged in the fore-and-aft direction, and a communication control valve is configured to open and close the communication flow path, and the exterior airbag deflation control unit can be configured to deflate the exterior airbag and deploy the interior airbag by opening the communication control valve. According to this, there is no need to provide a dedicated inflator for an in-vehicle airbag, and the above-mentioned effects can be obtained while simplifying the device configuration.

[0007] In the present invention, the vehicle has a body structural member arranged to protrude forward from the cabin, and at least a portion of the multiple in-vehicle airbags are configured to deploy in a state of contact with the surface of the body structural member. With this, when the in-vehicle airbag deploys, the surface of the vehicle body structural component receives a reaction force from the in-vehicle airbag, thereby increasing the resistance that suppresses deformation and damage to the vehicle body structure, and the external airbag in front of it increases the reaction force that acts on objects, thereby promoting the above-mentioned effects.

[0008] In the present invention, the exterior airbag deflation control unit may be configured to suppress the deflation of the exterior airbag after the deflated exterior airbag has deflated over a predetermined stroke. According to this, the necessary energy is absorbed by contracting the exterior airbag by a predetermined stroke, and then the contraction is suppressed, promoting the conversion of the remaining collision energy into kinetic energy, thereby appropriately obtaining the above-mentioned effects. In this case, 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 exterior airbag deflation control unit can be configured to set the specified stroke based on the collision type and the attributes of the object. According to this, when the weight or relative velocity of the object is large and it is expected that the collision energy will be large, the specified stroke can be set large and energy absorption by the contraction of the external airbag can be promoted, thereby preventing excessive energy from being input into the vehicle body structure and suppressing damage to the vehicle body. 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 state after a vehicle having an airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention collides with another vehicle and end exterior airbag deflation 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 for accommodating power train components P such as an engine, a transmission, and, in the case of an electric vehicle, a motor generator and its control devices. 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 vehicle body structural member that protrudes forward from a toe board (not shown), which is a partition wall provided at the front end of the vehicle compartment 10 . 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 houses the upper part of 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.

[0014] The bumper beam 22 is a vehicle body 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 transmission member that transmits the load received by the central exterior airbag 30C, the right exterior airbag 30R, and the left exterior airbag 30L (described later) from an object into which the vehicle collides, to the rear side of the vehicle body via the front side frame 21.

[0015] 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.

[0016] The airbag device of this embodiment includes a central exterior airbag 30C, a right exterior airbag 30R, a left exterior airbag 30L, a central interior airbag 40C, a right interior airbag 40R, and a left interior airbag 40L. 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.

[0017] The center exterior airbag 30C, the right exterior airbag 30R, and the left exterior airbag 30L are deployed forward from a front portion of the front bumper 23. The central exterior airbag 30C is provided in the center of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction. The right exterior airbag 30R is provided adjacent to the right side of the central exterior airbag 30C in the vehicle width direction. The left exterior airbag 30L is provided adjacent to the central exterior airbag 30C on the left side in the vehicle width direction.

[0018] The central exterior airbag 30C, the right exterior airbag 30R, and the left exterior airbag 30L are normally (before a pre-crash determination is made) attached in a folded state to the front of the bumper beam 22 and housed inside the front bumper 23. In the event of a collision, each external airbag is deployed toward the front of the vehicle by introducing deployment gas from the inflator 111, breaking a weak portion formed in the front bumper 23, and deploying forward against the front surface of the front bumper 23.

[0019] Central interior airbag 40C, right interior airbag 40R, and left interior airbag 40L are provided in an area of ​​bumper beam 22 on the vehicle rear side, and deploy toward the vehicle rear side. The central interior airbag 40C is attached to the rear surface of the bumper beam 22 in the center of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction. When deployed, the center interior airbag 40C generates a drag force while being sandwiched between the rear surface of the bumper beam 22 and the front surface of the powertrain component P.

[0020] The right interior airbag 40R and the left interior airbag 40L are provided on the vehicle interior side, rearward of the right exterior airbag 30R and the left exterior airbag 30L. The right interior airbag 40R and the left interior airbag 40L are provided in an area on the outer side of the front side frame 21 in the vehicle width direction and on the rear side of the bumper beam 22, and deploy toward the rear side of the vehicle and outward in the vehicle width direction. Each interior airbag may not have a dedicated inflator, for example, and may be configured to be deployed by gas being introduced from an exterior airbag disposed in front of it via a communication passage.

[0021] 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.

[0022] The airbag control unit 110 issues commands to an inflator 111 and a communication control valve 112, and controls these to thereby control the deployment state of each airbag and the deflation of an external airbag. 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 communication control valve 112 to function as an exterior 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 external airbag in response to a command from the airbag control unit 110. The inflator 111 is provided independently for each of the right exterior airbag 30R, the central exterior airbag 30C, and the left exterior airbag 30L, and is capable of individually controlling whether or not the right exterior airbag 30R, the central exterior airbag 30C, and the left exterior airbag 30L are deployed, and the timing at which they start to deploy.

[0023] The communication control valve 112 is a control valve that opens and closes the flow passages that communicate between each external airbag and each internal airbag in response to a command from the airbag control unit 110 . Communication flow paths (not shown) are provided between the central exterior airbag 30C and the central interior airbag 40C, between the right side exterior airbag 30R and the right side interior airbag 40R, and between the left side exterior airbag 30L and the left side interior airbag 40L. The communication control valve 112 has the function of opening and closing each of these communication channels individually. The communication control valve 112 may be configured to include, for example, an electromagnetic valve.

[0024] 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 exterior airbag 30R, the center exterior airbag 30C, and the left exterior airbag 30L. Based on the output of the pressure sensor 113, the airbag control unit 110 is capable of determining a load input state from another vehicle or the like to the right exterior airbag 30R, the central exterior airbag 30C, and the left exterior airbag 30L.

[0025] 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).

[0026] 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 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.).

[0027] 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 the 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 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).

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] <Step S01: Pre-crash determination result determination> The environment recognition unit 120 uses a known pre-crash judgment logic to estimate the possibility of a collision with another vehicle V (an example of an object referred to in the present invention, see FIG. 4) 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, a pre-crash determination is made that a collision is unavoidable, and the process proceeds to step S02; otherwise, the series of processes is ended (returned).

[0031] <Step S02: Deploying all external airbags> The airbag control unit 110 issues an activation command to the inflator 111 to inflate the right exterior airbag 30R, the center exterior airbag 30C, and the left exterior airbag 30L. At this time, the communication control valve 112 closes each communication flow path. Then, proceed to step S03.

[0032] <Step S03: Collision type recognition> The airbag control unit 110 recognizes the manner in which the other vehicle V 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 rises higher than the internal pressure of the other airbags, it can be recognized that the other vehicle V is in contact with only that airbag. In particular, when the internal pressure rise of either the right airbag 30R or the left airbag 30L is larger than the internal pressure rise 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 V etc. collides mainly with either the right airbag 30R or the left airbag 30L. Further, instead of or in addition to the collision type recognition using the pressure sensor 113, 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 . For example, an offset collision or the like may be determined based on the result of monitoring the relative position of the other vehicle V 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.

[0033] <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 the end exterior airbag deflation control, which will be described later. For example, when another vehicle V collides within a predetermined angle range with an overlap ratio relative to vehicle 1 that is, for example, below a predetermined value, and is in contact with the central exterior airbag 30 and either the right exterior airbag 30R or the left exterior 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.

[0034] <Step S05: Open all external airbag communication control valves> The airbag control unit 110 issues a command to the communication control valve 112 to open all of the communication flow paths provided between the right exterior airbag 30R and the right interior airbag 40R, between the central exterior airbag 30C and the central interior airbag 40C, and between the left exterior airbag 30L and the left interior airbag 40L. As a result, in the event of a full-wrap collision, for example, all of the exterior 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.

[0035] <Step S06: Open the collision side external airbag communication control valve> The airbag control unit 110 issues a command to the communication control valve 112 to open the communication flow path of one of the right exterior airbag 30R or the left exterior airbag 30L on the side where a collision with another vehicle V has occurred, thereby moving the gas in the exterior airbag to the corresponding in-vehicle airbag, thereby performing end exterior airbag deflation control to deflate the exterior airbag. At this time, the other communication channels are maintained in a closed state. Then, proceed to step S07.

[0036] <Step S07: Determine whether or not the target stroke has been reached> The airbag control unit 110 determines whether the exterior airbag, which opened the communication passage in step S05 or step S06, has contracted while transferring gas to the interior airbag due to input from another vehicle V, and whether the longitudinal dimension has decreased by a predetermined target stroke (impact 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 external airbag when the collision energy is large. If the exterior airbag that has opened the communication passage has contracted by the target stroke, the process proceeds to step S08, and otherwise step S07 is repeated.

[0037] <Step S08: Communication control valve closed> The airbag control unit 110 issues a command to the communication control valve 112 to close the communication passage opened in step S5 or step S06. As a result, each airbag retains its current shape and volume while transmitting the input from the other vehicle V to the bumper beam 22. Then, the series of processes ends.

[0038] In this embodiment, as described above, in response to the establishment of a pre-crash determination by the environment recognition unit 120, first, the right exterior airbag 30R, the center exterior airbag 30C, and the left exterior airbag 30L are all deployed as shown in FIG. 1. For example, when another vehicle V collides with vehicle 1 from the front side in a full-overlap collision, or in an offset collision with a relatively large overlap ratio (close to a full-overlap collision), the airbag control unit 110 issues a command to the communication control valve 112 to open all communication flow paths. As a result, each exterior airbag is deflated while transferring gas to each interior airbag, and collision energy can be absorbed by the deflation of the exterior airbag.

[0039] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state after a vehicle having the airbag device of the embodiment collides with another vehicle and the end exterior airbag deflation control is performed. In the example shown in Figure 4, the other vehicle V is in contact with only the left exterior airbag 30L and the central exterior 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 exterior airbag contraction control) with an overlap rate below a predetermined value. In this case, the airbag control unit 110 issues a command to the communication control valve 112 to open the communication flow path only between the left airbag 30L and the left interior airbag 40L, and performs end exterior airbag contraction control to maintain the communication flow paths between the central exterior airbag 30C and the central interior airbag 40C, and between the right exterior airbag 30R and the right interior airbag 40R in a closed state.

[0040] As the end exterior airbags deflate, the left exterior airbag 30L begins to deflate, while the central exterior airbag 30C remains in an expanded state. As a result, the other vehicle V is pushed to the left in the vehicle width direction as seen from vehicle 1 and turns around due to the imbalance in the reaction forces it receives from the central exterior airbag 30C and the left exterior airbag 30L, and the front-to-rear difference (inclination relative to the vehicle width direction) between the front parts of the central exterior airbag 30C and the left exterior airbag 30L. For example, in the case shown in FIG. 4, a yaw moment to the left is generated suddenly by the reaction force from the left exterior airbag 30L of the other vehicle V, and the other vehicle V goes into a spin mode and travels in a direction deviating from the vehicle 1. At this time, as the left exterior airbag 30L contracts, the left interior airbag 40L deploys due to the movement of gas.

[0041] The left interior airbag 40L prevents damage to vehicle body structural components, such as breaking of the bumper beam 22, prevents displacement of the base of the left exterior airbag 30L, and supports the left exterior airbag 30L so that it can apply sufficient reaction force against other vehicles V. The left interior airbag 40L deploys with its inner surface in the vehicle width direction in contact with the side surface of the front side frame 21. The reaction force acting between the front side frame 21 and the left interior airbag 40L helps the left interior airbag 40L to maintain its shape and increases the resistance that the left interior airbag 40L can generate against the backward movement of the bumper beam 22. The right interior airbag 40R also exerts the same action and effect when it deploys. In addition, the central exterior airbag 30C has a function of preventing another vehicle V from entering the inside of the vehicle 1 in the vehicle width direction. 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 swerve away from each other and turn in different directions, thereby deflecting the other vehicle V away from vehicle 1 and reducing the collision damage suffered by vehicle 1 and the other vehicle V.

[0042] As described above, according to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) In the event that another vehicle V collides with a portion of the right exterior airbag 30R, the central exterior airbag 30C, and the left exterior airbag 30L arranged in the front part of the vehicle 1 due to an offset collision, the exterior airbag at the end side in the vehicle width direction of the exterior airbags in the area where the collision with the other vehicle V occurs is contracted while the deployment of the other exterior airbags is maintained. This allows the contracted exterior airbag to absorb the collision energy, and the reaction force acting on the other vehicle V from the exterior airbag that is maintained deployed on the side of it and the inclination formed by the front-to-rear difference in the front parts of each exterior airbag encourage 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 vehicle 1 and suppressing damage. In addition, by deploying an interior airbag located behind the exterior airbag that is deflated, the load input from the exterior airbag to the vehicle body is supported, suppressing damage to the vehicle body structure, and an appropriate reaction force is generated against the other vehicle V that is being hit, further enhancing the effect of converting collision energy into kinetic energy. (2) The device is provided with a communication control valve 112 that opens and closes a communication flow path that connects the exterior airbag arranged in the fore-and-aft direction with the inside of the interior airbag. By opening the communication control valve 112, the exterior airbag is deflated and the interior airbag is inflated, eliminating the need to provide a dedicated inflator for the interior airbag. This makes it possible to obtain the above-mentioned effects while simplifying the device configuration. (3) By deploying the right side interior airbag 40R and the left side interior airbag 40L while in contact with the side of the front side frame 21, which is a body structural member, these interior airbags increase the resistance that suppresses deformation and damage to the body structure, and the exterior airbag in front of them increases the reaction force acting on other vehicles V, thereby promoting the above-mentioned effects. (4) After the deflated exterior airbag has contracted to a predetermined stroke, the contraction of the exterior airbag is suppressed, thereby allowing the exterior airbag to contract for a predetermined stroke to absorb the necessary energy, and by thereafter suppressing the contraction, the conversion of the remaining collision energy to kinetic energy is promoted, thereby making it possible to appropriately obtain the above-mentioned effects. (5) By setting a target stroke for deflating the exterior airbag based on the collision type and the size of the other vehicle V, when the weight or relative speed of the other vehicle V is large and the collision energy is expected to be large, the target stroke can be set large to promote energy absorption by the contraction of the exterior airbag, thereby preventing excessive energy from being input into the body structure and suppressing damage to the body.

[0043] (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 exterior airbags are arranged in the vehicle width direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a configuration in which four or more exterior airbags are arranged may be used. In this case, the number and arrangement of interior airbags among the four or more exterior airbags are not particularly limited. (4) In the embodiment, the interior airbag is deployed by exhausting the air when the exterior airbag is deflated, but the present invention is not limited to this. The exterior airbag and the interior airbag may not be connected to each other, and the interior airbag may be deployed by an inflator (gas generator). In addition, the exhaust of the exterior airbag and a dedicated inflator may be used in combination to deploy the interior airbag. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1 car 10 compartments 20 Engine compartment 21 Front side frame 22 Bumper beam 23 Front bumper P Power train components 30R Right exterior airbag 30C Center exterior airbag 30L Left exterior airbag 40R Right side interior airbag 40C Center interior airbag 40L Left side interior airbag 110 Airbag control unit 111 Inflator 112 Communication 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 exterior airbags arranged in a vehicle width direction and deployed forward from a front portion of a vehicle body; a plurality of interior airbags that are deployed inside the vehicle body and are arranged in a vehicle width direction behind the exterior airbag; 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 control unit that deploys the exterior airbag in response to the establishment of the pre-crash determination; An airbag device comprising: an exterior airbag deflation control unit that individually controls the deflation of the plurality of exterior airbags; The exterior airbag deflation control unit performs end exterior airbag deflation control to deflate the exterior airbag arranged on one end side in a vehicle width direction among the exterior airbags in which a collision with the object has occurred, maintain the deployment of the other exterior airbags, and deploy the interior airbag arranged behind the exterior airbag to be deflated. An airbag device comprising:

2. a communication passage for communicating between the exterior airbag and the interior airbag arranged in a front-rear direction; a communication control valve that opens and closes the communication flow path, The exterior airbag deflation control unit opens the communication control valve to deflate the exterior airbag and to deploy the interior airbag.

2. The airbag device according to claim 1,

3. The vehicle has a vehicle body structural member disposed protruding forward from a cabin, At least some of the plurality of interior airbags are deployed in a state of contacting the surface of the vehicle body structural member.

3. The airbag device according to claim 1 or 2,

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

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

5. 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 exterior airbag deflation control unit sets the predetermined stroke based on the collision type and the attribute of the object.

5. The airbag device according to claim 4,

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