Airbag device

Abstract

To provide an air bag device which suppresses damage of a pedestrian or the like and can mitigate damage of a vehicle when colliding with an obstacle.SOLUTION: An air bag device comprises: an air bag 30 which is developed from a vehicle body front part of a vehicle 1 to a front side; a collision determination part 120 which establishes, when collision possibility with a human body P or an obstacle is a prescribed threshold value or more, a pre-crash determination; and an air bag development control part 110 which develops the air bag according to the pre-crash determination. The air bag comprises: a slit part 34 which is formed by recessing a front face part 31 into the vehicle rear side so that a front part of the air bag is branched; a plurality of branch parts 35 which are branched by the slit part; a connection member 40 which connects the branch parts by the slit part with each other at the front part of the air bag; and a connection member nullification part 113 which nullifies, when collision with a human body is predicted, the connection of the branch parts by the connection member.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] 2. Description of the Related Art In vehicles such as automobiles, it has been proposed to use airbags that deploy to the outside of the vehicle to reduce damage to the vehicle body and the like in the event of a collision. As an example of technology relating to such external airbag devices, Patent Document 1 describes a method in which an inflatable element (airbag) is deployed at the front of a railway vehicle body, and a number of flexible connecting elements are used to connect the surface that comes into contact with the area of ​​the vehicle to be protected and the surface that receives the impact. Furthermore, as a technology relating to control of the shape, etc., of an airbag when it is deployed, for example, Patent Document 2 describes an airbag that is installed inside the passenger compartment of a vehicle to protect occupants in the event of a collision, which is provided with a number of tethers that regulate the separation distance of the occupant protection portion of the airbag from a storage location when inflation is complete, and locking means that locks each tether to the storage location, and which selectively releases the locking means from the locking of the tethers, thereby tilting the occupant protection portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-301550 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2008-044594 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art There is a demand for reducing damage to pedestrians and cyclists (hereinafter referred to as pedestrians and the like) in the event of a collision between a vehicle and the pedestrians and the like.

[0005] 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. 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. An object of the present invention is to provide an airbag device capable of suppressing injury to pedestrians and the like and reducing injury to the vehicle upon collision with an object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the airbag device of the present invention is an airbag device comprising: an airbag that deploys forward from the front of the vehicle body; a collision judgment unit that establishes a pre-crash judgment when the possibility of a collision with a human body or an object other than a human body is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold; and an airbag deployment control unit that deploys the airbag in accordance with the pre-crash judgment, wherein the airbag has a slit portion formed by recessing the front portion toward the rear of the vehicle and a plurality of branch portions branched off by the slit portion, and the airbag device further comprises a connecting member that connects the plurality of branch portions to each other, and a connecting member disabling unit that disables the connection of the branch portions by the connecting member when a collision with the human body is predicted. According to this, in the event of a collision with a pedestrian or other human body, the connecting member is disabled and the front branch part of the airbag is separated by the slit part, so that the pedestrian or other person who is hit enters the slit part and is sandwiched between the branch parts on both sides. This allows the airbag to absorb the impact while stably restraining the pedestrian or other person, and also accelerates the pedestrian or other person by pushing them towards the front of the vehicle, reducing the relative acceleration with the vehicle body and limiting damage. In addition, by holding a pedestrian or the like in a pinched position within the slit portion, the risk of secondary damage, such as the pedestrian or the like being thrown forward toward the vehicle, can be reduced. On the other hand, in the event of a collision with an object such as another vehicle, the branch portions at the front of the airbag are connected to each other by the connecting member, thereby increasing the shape stability of the airbag and enabling it to stably absorb the collision energy input from an object such as another vehicle.

[0007] In the present invention, the connecting member may be a tether made of a flexible material and attached to an outer surface of the airbag, and the connecting member disabling portion may be a tether cutter that cuts the tether. According to this, the above-mentioned effects can be effectively obtained with a simple configuration.

[0008] In the present invention, the slit portion may be configured to extend in the up-down direction and to be formed in a plurality of slit portions distributed in the vehicle width direction in the front portion of the airbag. This makes it possible to restrain the body of a person colliding with the airbag over a wide range in the vehicle width direction. In the specification and claims, the slit portion extending in the vertical direction means that both ends of the slit portion have a difference in height in the vertical direction, and is defined to include not only a slit portion formed along the vertical direction, but also a state in which the slit portion is inclined, curved, or bent with respect to the vertical direction. Effect of the Invention

[0009] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an airbag device that can suppress injury to pedestrians and the like and reduce injury to the vehicle when it collides 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 after a vehicle having an airbag device according to an embodiment collides with a pedestrian; 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, for example, in the front of a vehicle such as a passenger car, and provides protection (reduction of harm) in the event of a collision with a human body such as a pedestrian or cyclist, and also reduces damage to the vehicle body when colliding 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.

[0014] 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 an airbag 30 (described later) from a human body or object that it collides with, via the front side frames 21, to the rear side of the vehicle body.

[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 from, 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 the embodiment includes an airbag 30. The airbag 30 is formed into a bag shape by joining panels made of a base fabric such as nylon 66 fabric. The airbag 30 is deployed and further inflated by introduction of deployment gas generated by an inflator 111 in response to the establishment of each pre-crash determination, which will be described later. The airbag 30 deploys toward the front side of the vehicle from a center portion in the vehicle width direction at the front end of the vehicle body.

[0017] The airbag 30 has a front portion 31, a rear portion 32, side portions 33, a slit portion 34, etc. The front surface 31 is a surface portion that constitutes the front end portion of the airbag 30, and is the portion that comes into contact with a pedestrian, another vehicle, etc., first in the event of a collision. The rear surface portion 32 is a surface portion that constitutes the rear end portion of the airbag 30, and is disposed along the front surface portion of the front bumper . The side surface portions 33 are disposed between the left and right end portions of the front surface portion 31 and the left and right end portions of the rear surface portion 32 in the front-rear direction. In addition, an upper surface portion (not shown) is provided between the upper end of the front surface portion 31 and the upper end of the rear surface portion 32, and a lower surface portion (not shown) is provided between the lower end of the front surface portion 31 and the lower end of the rear surface portion 32. The airbag 30 is normally attached to the bumper beam 22 in a folded state (before the pre-crash determination is established), and is housed inside the front bumper 23. In the event of a collision, the airbag 30 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.

[0018] The slit portion 34 is a portion formed by recessing the front portion 31 in a groove shape toward the rear of the vehicle. The slits 34 are distributed in the vehicle width direction, for example, in three locations in the example shown in FIG. Each slit portion 34 is formed, for example, in the shape of a groove extending substantially along the up-down direction. In the front portion where the slit portion 34 is formed in the vehicle front-rear direction, the airbag 30 branches into a plurality of regions arranged in the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIG. 1 and other figures, in a region other than the region in which the slits 34 are formed, the front surface 31 of the airbag 30 has a convex curved surface that is convex toward the front side. This convex curved surface has the function of guiding a pedestrian or the like to either the left or right slit portion 34 when the pedestrian or the like collides with the front portion 31. The slit portion 34 can be formed, for example, by connecting the front portion 31 and the rear portion 32 with a pulling member such as an internal tether (not shown) and pulling the front portion 31 toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0019] The front portion of the airbag 30 is branched by a slit portion 34 into a plurality of branch portions 35 arranged in the vehicle width direction. A tether 40 that connects the branches 35 to each other is provided on the outside of the front portion of the airbag 30. The tether 40 is a flexible belt-like connecting member formed, for example, from a belt-shaped base fabric panel. The tether 40 is formed, for example, in a loop shape, and is wound around the outer surface of the front portion of the airbag 30 so as to bind the multiple branch portions 35 together. The tether 40 is attached to the outer surface of the airbag 30 by, for example, sewing, welding, or the like.

[0020] 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 comprises an airbag control unit 110, an environment recognition unit 120, 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.

[0021] The airbag control unit 110 issues commands to an inflator 111, a vent control valve 112, and a tether cutter 113, and controls these to inflate the airbag 30 and control the state of the airbag 30 being inflated. The airbag control unit 110 functions as the airbag deployment 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.

[0022] The vent control valve 112 opens and closes a vent passage (not shown) for discharging gas from within the airbag 30 (for example, opening to the atmosphere). The vent control valve 112 has a function of independently opening and closing the vent passage of the airbag 30 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.

[0023] The tether cutter 113 is provided on the tether 40 and serves as a pulling member neutralizing portion that cuts the tether 40 in response to a command from the airbag control unit 110 . Tether cutter 113 can be configured to break tether 40 by, for example, a chemical (explosive) actuator. As shown in FIG. 1, the tether cutter 113 is provided in each slit portion 34, and has the function of cutting the tether 40 at a location adjacent to the slit portion 34, thereby invalidating the connection of each branch portion 35.

[0024] The airbag control unit 110 is provided with a pressure sensor 114 . The pressure sensor 114 has a function of detecting the internal pressure of the airbag 30 . The airbag control unit 110 can detect the input state of the load to the airbag 30 based on the output of the pressure sensor 114 .

[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 pedestrians, cyclists, and other human bodies around the vehicle 1 (host vehicle), other vehicles, buildings, trees, and terrain, road shapes (lane shapes), and the like. The environment recognition unit 120 functions as a collision judgment section that makes a pre-crash judgment when a collision with a human body, such as a pedestrian, a cyclist, or a motorcycle rider, or an object other than a human body, such as another vehicle, is unavoidable (when the possibility of collision is greater than or equal to 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.

[0026] The stereo camera device 121 has a pair of cameras arranged at a predetermined distance (baseline length) apart, and has the function of recognizing, for example, human bodies such as pedestrians and cyclists, and objects such as other vehicles and buildings, and also detecting the relative positions of human bodies, objects, etc. with respect to the vehicle 1 by known stereo image processing. The stereo camera device 121 has a function of recognizing the attributes of a subject by, for example, pattern recognition of a captured image. For example, in the case of a human body such as a pedestrian, the system has a function for recognizing the physique, estimated weight, posture, and the like. Also, for example, if the object is another vehicle, it has a function of recognizing the type and size of the other vehicle (whether it is a large vehicle that is significantly heavier than vehicle 1, such as a truck, bus, or large SUV, 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 the function of detecting the presence or absence of a human body, object, etc., and the relative position of the human body, object, etc. with respect to the vehicle 1. The laser scanner device (LIDAR) 123 has the function of scanning the surroundings of the vehicle 1, for example by emitting pulsed near-infrared laser light, and detecting the presence or absence of human bodies, objects, etc., and the relative positions and shapes of human bodies, objects, etc. in relation to the vehicle 1 based on the presence or absence of reflected light and the time difference until the reflected light returns. The environmental recognition unit 120 is capable of recognizing the type of collision with a human body, object, etc. (e.g., the velocity vector of the collision object relative to vehicle 1, the collision position relative to vehicle 1, etc.) and the attributes of the collision object (the physique of the human body, the model of the other vehicle, etc.) when a collision with a human body such as a pedestrian or an object such as another vehicle is unavoidable (when a pre-crash judgment is established).

[0028] 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.

[0029] <Step S01: Pedestrian pre-crash determination> The environment recognition unit 120 uses known pre-crash judgment logic to estimate the possibility of a collision with a human body, such as a pedestrian or a cyclist, approaching from the front of the vehicle 1, and determines whether the estimated possibility is equal to or exceeds a preset threshold. If the possibility of a collision occurring is equal to or greater than the threshold, it is determined that a collision is unavoidable, a human body pre-crash determination is established, and the process proceeds to step S03; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S02.

[0030] <Step S02: Pre-crash determination for other vehicles, etc.> The environment recognition unit 120 uses a known pre-crash judgment logic to estimate the possibility of a collision with an object other than a human body, such as another vehicle or a building 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, an object pre-crash determination is established, and the process proceeds to step S04; otherwise, the series of processes is ended (returned).

[0031] <Step S03: Airbag deployment (tether cut)> The airbag control unit 110 issues a command to the inflator 111 to generate gas for deployment, thereby deploying the airbag 30. At this time, the airbag control unit 110 activates the tether cutter 113 to cut the tether 40 and disable the connection of each branch portion 35. As a result, the front portion of the airbag 30 is branched into a plurality of branch portions 35 by the plurality of slits 34, and the connection between the branch portions 35 is released, allowing them to move relatively. Also, the vent control valve 112 can be kept in a closed state until the deployment of the airbag 30 is completed, for example, in order to perform the deployment quickly, and can be opened after the deployment is completed. This prevents the internal pressure of the airbag 30, whose volume is restricted by the tether 40, from becoming excessively high, and enables the airbag 30 to contract while venting in response to a collision with a pedestrian or the like, thereby absorbing energy. Thereafter, the pedestrian, etc. is pushed forward by the airbag 30 and accelerates, and after the relative speed between the pedestrian, etc. and the vehicle body decreases to a predetermined threshold or less, the vent control valve 112 is closed, the internal pressure of the airbag 30 is increased, and the restraint of the pedestrian, etc. can be strengthened. The threshold value related to this relative speed is set, for example, taking into consideration that no serious damage will occur to the pedestrian, etc. when the pedestrian, etc. collides with the vehicle body. Then, the series of processes ends.

[0032] <Step S04: Airbag deployment (tether enabled)> The airbag control unit 110 issues a command to the inflator 111 to generate gas for deployment, thereby deploying the airbag 30. At this time, the airbag control unit 110 does not operate the tether cutter 113, and maintains the tether 40 in an effective state. As a result, the branches 35 are tied together and maintained in a connected state. Also, the vent control valve 112 can be kept closed until the deployment of the airbag 30 is completed, for example, in order to perform the deployment quickly, and can be opened after the deployment is completed. This allows the airbag 30 to be deflated and deflated at the same time in response to a collision with another vehicle or the like, thereby absorbing energy. Then, the series of processes ends.

[0033] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state after a vehicle having the airbag device of the embodiment collides with a pedestrian. When the pre-crash determination is established and a collision with a pedestrian P is predicted, the airbag 30 is deployed with the tether 40 in an inactive state (cut state). In this state, each branch portion 35 in the front part of the airbag 30 is allowed to swing individually.

[0034] In the example shown in FIG. 4, a pedestrian P enters a slit portion 34 in the center in the vehicle width direction, and is restrained by branch portions 35 on both sides of the slit portion 34. In this state, the airbag 30 contracts while discharging gas from the vent passage, absorbing the collision energy and pushing the pedestrian P forward of the vehicle, accelerating the pedestrian P, thereby reducing the relative speed between the vehicle body and the pedestrian P. When the relative velocity becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold value, the airbag control unit 110 closes the vent control valve 112 to increase the internal pressure of the airbag 30. This increases the holding force with which the pedestrian P is held inside the slit portion 34, making it possible to prevent secondary damage, such as the pedestrian P being thrown forward of the airbag 30 as the vehicle 1 decelerates.

[0035] On the other hand, for example, when another vehicle collides with the vehicle 1 from the front side, the airbag 30 deploys with the tether 40 in an active state (uncut state) as shown in FIG. In this case, since each branch portion 35 at the front of the airbag 30 is tied together, the shape stability is improved when hit by another vehicle, and the collision energy input from the other vehicle can be stably received.

[0036] As described above, according to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) In the event of a collision with a human body such as a pedestrian P, the tether 40 is disabled and the front branch portion 35 of the airbag 30 is separated by the slit portion 34, so that the collided pedestrian P enters the slit portion 34 and is sandwiched between the branch portions 35 on both sides. In this state, the airbag 30 absorbs the impact energy by deforming and contracting, etc., and pushes the pedestrian P toward the front of the vehicle, accelerating it, reducing the relative acceleration with respect to the vehicle body and limiting damage. In addition, by holding the pedestrian P etc. in a pinched state within the slit portion 34, the risk of secondary damage to the pedestrian P etc., such as being thrown forward toward the vehicle, can be reduced. On the other hand, in the event of a collision with an object such as another vehicle, the branching portions 35 at the front of the airbag 30 are connected to each other by the tether 40, thereby improving the shape stability of the airbag 30 and enabling it to stably absorb the collision energy input from an object such as another vehicle. (2) The branch portion 35 branched by the slit portion 34 of the airbag 30 is connected by the tether 40, and the tether 40 is cut by the tether cutter 113 to disable the tether 40, thereby making it possible to effectively obtain the above-mentioned effects with a simple configuration. (3) Since the slit portions 34 extend in the vertical direction and are formed in multiple locations on the front portion 31 of the airbag 30 so as to be distributed in the vehicle width direction, it is possible to restrain a pedestrian P or the like who is hit over a wide area in the vehicle width direction.

[0037] (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 embodiments 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 content of various controls, are not limited to those in the respective 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 respective embodiments and may be modified as appropriate. (3) In the embodiment, the front portion of the airbag is branched into multiple parts in the vehicle width direction by distributing multiple slit portions extending in the vertical direction in the vehicle width direction. However, the direction in which the slit portions extend and the arrangement thereof are not limited to this and can be changed as appropriate. For example, the front part of the airbag may be branched into upper and lower parts by a slit part extending in the vehicle width direction. In addition, a plurality of such slit parts extending in the vehicle width direction may be provided, or may be arranged in combination with a slit part extending in the up-down direction as in the embodiment. Furthermore, the slit part may be configured to be inclined with respect to the up-down direction and the vehicle width direction. (4) In the embodiment, a tether is used as the connecting member and a tether cutter that cuts the tether is used as the connecting member nullifying unit. However, the specific configurations of the connecting member and the connecting member nullifying unit are not limited to this and can be modified as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1 car 10 compartments 20 Engine compartment 21 Front side frame 22 Bumper beam 23 Front bumper 30 Airbag 31 Front part 32 Rear section 33 Side section 34 Slit section 35 Branch section 40 Tether 110 Airbag control unit 111 Inflator 112 Vent control valve 113 Tether cutter 114 Pressure Sensor 120 Environment Recognition Unit 121 Stereo Camera Device 122 Millimeter wave radar equipment 123 Laser scanner equipment P Pedestrian

Claims

1. An airbag that deploys forward from the front of the vehicle body; a collision determination unit that establishes a pre-crash determination when a possibility of a collision with a human body or an object other than a human body is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold; an airbag deployment control unit that deploys the airbag in response to the pre-crash determination; An airbag device comprising: The airbag has a slit portion formed by recessing a front portion toward a rear side of the vehicle, and a plurality of branch portions branched by the slit portion, The airbag device further includes a connecting member that connects the plurality of branch portions to each other; a connecting member disabling unit that disables the connection of the branching unit by the connecting member when a collision with the human body is predicted. An airbag device comprising:

2. the connecting member is a tether made of a flexible material and attached to an outer surface of the airbag, The connecting member disabling portion is a tether cutter that cuts the tether.

2. The airbag device according to claim 1,

3. The slit portion extends in the up-down direction and is formed in a plurality of slits in the front portion of the airbag so as to be distributed in the vehicle width direction.

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

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