Driver's Air Bag Device

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an airbag device which is for a driver's seat and can suppress an injury value of a driver with a simple configuration. [Solution] An airbag cushion 108 of a vehicular airbag device 100 has: a rear panel 122 positioned on a steering wheel 106 side; a front panel 120 which is positioned on a driver side 104 and restricts a driver 166; and a side panel 124 which constitutes a side section of the airbag cushion 108 by connecting an edge of the rear panel 122 and an edge of the front panel 120. The front panel 120 has: an annular panel 138 having an annular shape; and fan-like panels 140, 142 which have fan shapes and have a circular arc portion 146 connected to an inner peripheral portion of the annular panel 138. The airbag cushion 108 further has an inner tether 144 which pulls the fan-like panel 140 toward the rear panel 122 inside the airbag cushion 108.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an airbag device for a driver's seat that is installed in a steering wheel of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] At present, steering wheels of vehicles are almost always equipped with a driver's airbag device as standard equipment. The airbag cushion of the driver's airbag device is mainly housed in the hub at the center of the steering wheel, and inflates and deploys in front of the occupant by rupturing a plastic cover or the like due to the inflation pressure.

[0003] The airbag cushion is required to restrain the occupant more efficiently. The inventors of the present application have focused on the fact that, due to the structure of the human body, the movement of rotating the occupant's head is likely to place a burden on the body, and have been developing an airbag cushion that can efficiently restrain the occupant while suppressing the rotation of the head.

[0004] For example, in the case of an oblique collision, which is a collision from an oblique angle relative to the traveling direction, it has been found that the occupant enters the airbag cushion at an angle and the head is likely to rotate. In view of this, the applicant of the present application has developed a technology for forming a recess 114 using an internal tether 116 in the center of the airbag cushion 104 on the occupant side, as disclosed in FIG. 2 of Patent Document 1, for example. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-37382 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the technology of Patent Document 1, components such as a central base fabric 118 and three internal tethers 116 are used to form the recess 114. Apart from this technology, currently under development is a technology for forming a depression equivalent to the recess 114 using an even simpler component configuration.

[0007] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an airbag device for a driver's seat that is capable of reducing the injury level of the driver with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, a representative configuration of a driver's airbag device according to the present invention is a vehicle airbag device including an inflator installed on the steering wheel of a vehicle, and an airbag cushion that is housed in the steering wheel together with the inflator and receives gas from the inflator to inflate and deploy toward the driver, wherein the airbag cushion has a rear panel located on the steering wheel side, a front panel located on the driver's side and restrains the driver, and side panels that connect the edges of the rear panel and the front panel and form the sides of the airbag cushion, the front panel has a circular ring panel and one or more fan-shaped panels that are fan-shaped and have arc portions connected to the inner periphery of the circular ring panel, and the airbag cushion further has an internal tether that pulls the fan-shaped panel toward the rear panel inside the airbag cushion.

[0009] According to the above configuration, the internal tether pulls the sector panel, so that a cone-shaped recess can be efficiently formed in the center of the front panel. This recess can suppress head rotation when the driver enters diagonally forward due to an oblique collision, etc., compared to a case where the driver is restrained by a simple flat surface. Therefore, according to the above configuration, the driver can be restrained with a lower injury level.

[0010] In addition, the above-mentioned configuration allows the recess to be formed with a simple structure that utilizes the sector panel and the internal tether, which reduces the amount of material used for the panel, etc., and achieves cost reduction through weight reduction and improved material yield, and also allows the airbag cushion to be folded up and stored more compactly.

[0011] The one or more sectorial panels may be provided in plurality, and the straight line portions of the sectorial panels may be connected to each other.

[0012] By using one or more sector panels, it is possible to efficiently form a cone-shaped recess.

[0013] The internal tether may have one end connected to a central corner portion of one or more sector panels.

[0014] According to the above configuration, by pulling the central corner portion of the sectoral panel with the internal tether, it is possible to efficiently form a conically recessed recess.

[0015] The internal tethers may be integrally formed with the sector panel.

[0016] The internal tether also makes it possible to efficiently pull the sector panel towards the rear panel.

[0017] The side panel may be in the shape of an annular sector having a larger arc on the front panel side.

[0018] The side panels form the sides of the airbag cushion, thereby making it possible to realize an airbag cushion that gradually widens in diameter toward the driver while suppressing unnecessary bulging.

[0019] The side panel may be a combination of multiple sub-panels.

[0020] A plurality of the sub-panels may also be joined together to conveniently form the sides of the airbag cushion.

[0021] The inner peripheral portion of the annular panel may have a larger vertical dimension than a horizontal dimension.

[0022] According to the above-mentioned configuration, a vertically long recess can be formed in the center of the front panel, which makes it possible to restrain drivers of various sizes and suppress head rotation.

[0023] The above-mentioned drivers include large adult males and small adult females, and the vertical dimension of the inner peripheral portion is preferably greater than at least the vertical distance from the center of gravity of the head of a large adult male to the center of gravity of the head of a small adult female seated in a normal posture in the driver's seat.

[0024] According to the above configuration, by utilizing the long vertical recess in the center of the front panel, it is possible to restrain the heads of drivers of various builds, from a large adult male to a small adult female.

[0025] A portion of the above-mentioned inflator is inserted into the airbag cushion from the rear panel, and a specified gas discharge port is formed in a portion of the inflator. The airbag cushion further has a flow straightening cloth connected to the rear panel and covering a portion of the inflator, and the flow straightening cloth preferably has an opening below the portion of the inflator.

[0026] The above-mentioned flow straightening fabric allows the gas supplied from the inflator to flow downward through the openings, and the airbag cushion can be inflated from the lower side. Therefore, the airbag cushion starts to deploy early in the direction of the occupant's abdomen, and quickly gets between the steering wheel and the occupant's abdomen, making it possible to start initial restraint from the abdomen. Effect of the Invention

[0027] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an airbag device for a driver's seat that is capable of reducing the injury level of a driver with a simple configuration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an outline of a driver's airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the airbag cushion in FIG. [Diagram 3] 3A is a diagram illustrating each panel that constitutes the airbag cushion of FIG. 2(a). FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the airbag cushion taken along line AA in FIG. [Diagram 5] 1(b) is a diagram illustrating a process in which the airbag cushion of FIG. 1(b) restrains a driver during an oblique collision. [Figure 6] 4 is a modification of the rear panel and side panel illustrated in FIG. 3. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the airbag device of FIG. [Figure 8] 7(b) is a diagram illustrating a process in which the airbag cushion of FIG. 7(a) restrains a driver during an oblique collision. [Figure 9] 7(b) is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the internal structure of the airbag cushion of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific values ​​shown in the embodiment are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are given the same reference numerals to avoid repeated explanations, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0030] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of an airbag device for a driver's seat (hereinafter, referred to as an airbag device 100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1(a) is a diagram illustrating the state before the airbag device 100 is activated. As shown in Fig. 1(b), the airbag device 100 is implemented as a frontal airbag for a driver's seat 102 on the left side of the front row in a left-hand drive vehicle.

[0031] In this embodiment, when the driver 166 (see FIG. 5(a)) is seated in the driver's seat 102 in a normal posture, the direction in which the driver 166 faces is referred to as forward, and the opposite direction is referred to as backward, and the axes of the coordinate system are referred to as the front-to-rear direction. When the driver 166 is seated in the driver's seat 102 in a normal posture, the right side of the driver 166 is referred to as the right direction, and the left side of the driver 166 is referred to as the left direction, and the axes of the coordinate system are referred to as the left-to-right direction. Furthermore, when the driver 166 is seated in a normal posture, the direction of the head of the driver 166 is referred to as upward, and the direction of the driver's 166's waist is referred to as downward, and the axes of the coordinate system are referred to as the up-down direction.

[0032] In the drawings used below in explaining the embodiments of the present invention, as necessary, the front, rear, left, right, up and down directions based on the driver 166 described above are indicated by arrows F (Forward), B (Back), L (Left), R (Right), U (up), and D (down).

[0033] The airbag device 100 in Fig. 1(a) is installed on a steering wheel 106, and in the event of an emergency such as when an impact occurs to the vehicle, a driver 166 (see Fig. 5(a) etc.) seated in the driver's seat 102 is restrained and protected by an airbag cushion 108 (see Fig. 1(b)). The airbag cushion 108 is a bag-shaped member that can be inflated with gas, and is stored in a small form by being rolled or folded, and is stored in a storage section 110 in the center of the steering wheel 106 together with an inflator 112 (see Fig. 2(a)).

[0034] The storage section 110 is provided closer to the center than the rim 114 of the steering wheel 106, and its surface is covered with a cover 111. The cover 111 has a groove-like tear line or the like provided on the inside, and is designed to tear when the airbag cushion 108 (see FIG. 1(b)) is inflated and deployed.

[0035] Fig. 1(b) is a diagram illustrating a state after the airbag device 100 has been activated. The cushion 104 inflates and deploys in a bag shape toward the driver 166 (see Fig. 5(a)) in the driver's seat 102 while splitting the cover 111 (see Fig. 1(a)) by the inflation pressure of the gas from the inflator 112 (see Fig. 2(a)), and restrains the upper body and head of the driver 166 who is trying to move forward.

[0036] When viewed from the driver's seat side, the airbag cushion 108 inflates and deploys into a circular shape with a central recess 126. The airbag cushion 108 is formed by overlapping and sewing or bonding a plurality of base fabrics that form the surface of the airbag cushion 108.

[0037] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the airbag cushion 108 in Fig. 1(b) when inflated and deployed. Fig. 2(a) is a diagram illustrating the airbag cushion 108 in Fig. 1(b) as viewed from slightly above on the left side in the vehicle width direction. In Fig. 2(a), a part of a panel constituting the airbag cushion 108 is cut out to expose the inflator 112 inside.

[0038] The airbag cushion 108 of this embodiment inflates and deploys in a shape along a truncated cone. The airbag cushion 108 is formed from a plurality of panels, including a front panel 120 located on the driver's side, a rear panel 122 located on the steering wheel 106 side (see FIG. 1(a)), and a side panel 124 that connects the front panel 120 and the rear panel 122 to form the side of the airbag cushion 108. The front panel 120 has a recess 126 formed in the center. The side panel 124 has a vent hole 128a for discharging gas.

[0039] The inflator 112 is a gas generating device, and is fixed to the bottom of the storage section 110. The inflator 112 moves in response to an impact detection signal sent from a sensor (not shown), and supplies gas to the airbag cushion 108. The inflator 112 is disc-shaped, and has a cylindrical main body 130, gas ejection holes 132 provided on a side surface of the main body 130, and a flange 134 provided on the outer periphery of the main body 130.

[0040] The inflator 112 is provided with a plurality of stud bolts 136. The stud bolts 136 pass through the rear panel 122 of the airbag cushion 108 and are fastened to the bottom of the accommodation portion 110 of the steering wheel 106 (see FIG. 1(a)). By fastening the stud bolts 136, the airbag cushion 108 is also fixed inside the accommodation portion 110.

[0041] Currently available inflators include types filled with a gas generating agent that is burned to generate gas, types filled with compressed gas that supply gas without generating heat, and hybrid types that use both combustion gas and compressed gas. Any of these types can be used as the inflator 112.

[0042] Fig. 2(b) is a view illustrating the recess 126 through the side panel 124 etc. in Fig. 2(a). The airbag cushion 108 of this embodiment has a cone-shaped recess 126 formed in the center of the front panel 120 on the driver's side.

[0043] The front panel 120 is composed of an outer circular panel 138 and two inner sectorial panels 140, 142. The recess 126 is formed by pulling the sectorial panels 140, 142 toward the rear panel 122 with an internal tether 144. As shown in FIG. 5 (described later), the recess 126 is used to suppress rotation of the head 168 of a driver 166 (see FIG. 5(a)) when the occupant is restrained.

[0044] Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating each panel that constitutes the airbag cushion 108 of Fig. 2(a). In Fig. 3, each panel is illustrated in a state where it is spread out on a plane.

[0045] Fig. 3(a) is a diagram illustrating the annular panel 138 of Fig. 2(a). The annular panel 138 is an annular panel that forms the outer periphery of the front panel 120. When the airbag cushion 108 is inflated and deployed, the annular panel 138 forms an occupant restraint surface together with the sector panels 140, 142 (see Fig. 2(a)) to restrain the driver 166.

[0046] 3(b) is a diagram illustrating the sector panel 140 of FIG. 2(b). Since the sector panels 140 and 142 have the same configuration, the sector panel 140 is taken as a representative example. The sector panel 140 is sector-shaped, with an arc portion 146 connected to an inner periphery portion 148 of the annular panel 138 and straight portions 150 and 152 connected to straight portions of the other sector panels 142.

[0047] In this embodiment, two sector panels 140, 142 are used to form the conical recess 126. Note that, as another embodiment, the conical recess 126 can be formed by one sector panel with a large area, or by three or more sector panels.

[0048] An internal tether 144 is integrally formed with the sector panel 140. The internal tether 144 is a band-shaped portion that pulls the sector panel 140 toward the rear panel 122 inside the airbag cushion 108. The internal tether 144 overlaps with the internal tethers of other sector panels 142 and is joined to each other.

[0049] One end 144a of the internal tether 144 is connected to a portion of the central angle 154 of the sector panel 140, and the other end 144b is connected to the periphery of a fixed region 156 (see FIG. 3(c)) of the rear panel 122. With this configuration, the internal tether 144 pulls the portion of the central angle 154 of the sector panel 140 toward the rear panel 122, making it possible to efficiently form the conical recess 126.

[0050] In another embodiment, the other end 144b of the internal tether 144 can be appropriately connected to a portion of the airbag cushion 108 on the vehicle side, such as the inflator 112, a retainer (not shown) used to secure the inflator 112, or even the bottom of the storage section 110 (see FIG. 1(a)).

[0051] Fig. 3(c) is a diagram illustrating the rear panel 122 of Fig. 2(a). The rear panel 122 is circular, and forms a reaction surface that receives a reaction force from the steering wheel 106 (see Fig. 1(a)) when the airbag cushion 108 is inflated and deployed. Since the airbag cushion 108 inflates and deploys in a truncated cone shape that spreads toward the driver, the rear panel 122 is configured to have a smaller diameter than the annular panel 138 (see Fig. 3(a)).

[0052] A fixing area 156 is formed in the center of the rear panel 122 as an area where the inflator 112 (see FIG. 2(a)) is inserted and fixed to the housing portion 110.

[0053] Fig. 3(d) is a diagram illustrating the side panel 124 of Fig. 2(a). The side panel 124 has an annular sector configuration. The side panel 124 is provided with two vent holes 128a and 128b.

[0054] Of the two arcs 158, 160 that the side panel 124 has, the larger-diameter arc 158 is sewn to an outer circumferential portion 174 of the annular panel 138 that forms the edge of the front panel 120, and the smaller-diameter arc 160 is sewn to the edge of the rear panel 122. Both ends 162, 164 of the side panel 124 are sewn together. The annular sector-shaped side panel 124 connects the edge of the rear panel 122 and the edge of the front panel 120 to form the side of the airbag cushion 108, thereby realizing an airbag cushion 108 with a shape that gradually widens in diameter toward the driver 166 (see FIG. 5(a)) while suppressing unnecessary bulging.

[0055] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the airbag cushion 108 in Fig. 1(b). The dimension L1 of the internal tether 144 from one end 144a to the other end 144b is formed to be tensed between the sectorial panels 140, 142 and the rear panel 122 when the airbag cushion 108 is inflated and deployed, and is formed so that the sectorial panels 140, 142 can be pulled toward the rear panel 122. This configuration makes it possible to form a conical recess 126 whose apex is pulled toward the rear panel 122 by the internal tether 144.

[0056] In addition, the internal tether 144 does not have to be formed integrally with the sectorial panel 140, but can also be formed as a separate member and then connected to the sectorial panel 140. Either configuration allows the sectorial panel 140 to be pulled toward the rear panel 122.

[0057] Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating a process in which the airbag cushion 108 of Fig. 1(b) restrains the driver 166 during an oblique collision. Each diagram in Fig. 5 corresponds to the AA cross-sectional view of the airbag cushion 108 of Fig. 4, and illustrates the airbag cushion 108 and the driver 166 as viewed from above the vehicle.

[0058] Fig. 5(a) is a diagram illustrating a state immediately after the airbag cushion 108 is inflated and deployed. As illustrated in Fig. 5(a), when an impact occurs to the vehicle due to an oblique collision, the airbag cushion 108 inflates and deploys in front of the driver's seat 102 (see Fig. 1(b)).

[0059] Fig. 5(b) is a diagram illustrating a state in which the driver 166 in Fig. 5(a) has moved forward of the vehicle. The driver 166 may move, for example, from the state in Fig. 5(a) diagonally forward to the left in the vehicle width direction due to inertia at the time of an oblique collision.

[0060] Fig. 5(c) is a diagram illustrating a state in which the driver 166 in Fig. 5(b) has moved further forward of the vehicle. The driver 166 who has moved diagonally forward comes into contact with the sector-shaped panel 142 of the recess 126 from the left side of his / her head 168, for example, while contacting the circular panel 138 with his / her left shoulder.

[0061] The front panel 120 that forms the recess 126 can restrain the head 168 from the diagonal front by the sector panel 142 while suppressing tension near the annular panel 138, compared to a conventional single front panel 120 that spreads out in a plane. This allows the airbag cushion 108 to minimize the rotation 172 of the head 168 of the driver 166 relative to the shoulders 170, and restrain the movement of the head 168 in line with the movement of the shoulders 172.

[0062] As described above, the airbag cushion 108 not only restrains the occupant during a normal collision, but also significantly reduces or cancels the rotation 172 of the head 168 of the driver 166 during an oblique collision, and by reducing the angular velocity of the head 168, it is possible to suppress the injury level of the driver 166 associated with the rotation 172 of the head 168.

[0063] As described above, in this embodiment, the internal tether 144 pulls the sector panels 140, 142, making it possible to efficiently form the cone-shaped recess 126 in the center of the front panel 120. This recess 126 can suppress rotation 172 of the head 168 when the driver 104 moves diagonally forward due to an oblique collision or the like, compared to a case in which the driver 104 is restrained by a simple flat surface. Therefore, with the above configuration, the driver 104 can be restrained with a lower injury level.

[0064] Additionally, in this embodiment, the recess 126 is formed with a simple configuration that utilizes the sector panels 140, 142 and the internal tether 144. Therefore, with this embodiment, the amount of material used for the panels, etc. can be reduced, and cost reduction can be achieved through weight reduction and improved material yield, and further, the airbag cushion 108 can be folded and stored more compactly.

[0065] In the above description with reference to FIG. 5(c), clockwise rotation 172 was given as an example of the rotation that occurs in head 168. However, depending on the situation in an emergency, for example, driver 166 may move diagonally forward to the right in the vehicle width direction, and head 168 may rotate counterclockwise around the neck as viewed from above. With airbag cushion 108 of this embodiment, it is possible to reduce or cancel the rotation of head 168 by utilizing recess 126, thereby reducing the angular velocity of head 168. In this way, airbag cushion 108 of this embodiment can obtain the same effect for driver 166 moving in any direction in the vehicle width direction.

[0066] (Modification) Modifications of each component of the airbag device 100 described above will be described below. In the modifications shown in Fig. 6 to Fig. 9, the same components as those already described will be given the same reference numerals and will not be described. In addition, even if a different reference numeral is given to a component with the same name as a component already described, it will have the same function unless otherwise specified.

[0067] 6 shows modified examples of the rear panel 122 and the side panel 124 shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 6(a) shows a modified rear panel 180. The rear panel 180 is formed in a rectangular shape. The rear panel 180 having this configuration can also function as a reaction surface that receives a reaction force from the steering wheel 106 (see FIG. 1(a)) when the airbag cushion 108 (see FIG. 1(b)) is inflated and deployed.

[0068] 6(b) is a diagram illustrating modified side panels (sub-panels 182, 184). The sub-panels 182, 184 are trapezoidal and function as side panels when joined together.

[0069] The sub-panel 182 can be sewn, for example, at its long side 186, which corresponds to the lower base of the trapezoid, to the outer periphery of the annular panel 138 (see FIG. 3(a)), and at its short side 188, which corresponds to the upper base, to the edge of the rear panel 180 (see FIG. 6(a)). By connecting the side sides 190, 192 to the side sides of other sub-panels 184, the side portions of the airbag cushion 108 can also be suitably formed by the multiple sub-panels 180, 184.

[0070] Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating a modified example (airbag device 200) of the airbag device 100 in Fig. 1(b). Fig. 7(a) illustrates the airbag device 200 as viewed from the driver's seat 102 side, corresponding to Fig. 1(b).

[0071] The airbag cushion 202 of the airbag device 200 employs a circular panel 206 in which the vertical dimension W1 of the inner periphery 208 is set to be larger than the horizontal dimension W2 (W1>W2). Therefore, a vertically long recess 210 is formed in the center of the front panel 204 of the airbag cushion 202.

[0072] Figure 7(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of the airbag cushion 202 of Figure 7(a). Figure 7(b) illustrates two drivers 212, 214.

[0073] The driver 212 is exemplified as including both the AM50 dummy and AM95 dummy of HybridIII, which are human body dummies for automobile frontal collision tests, and the Thor dummy. The AM50 dummy is a human body dummy modeled after an American adult male of average build, 175 cm tall, 88 cm tall, and weighing about 78 kg. The AM95 dummy is a human body dummy modeled after an American adult male of large build, 183 cm tall, 94 cm tall, and weighing about 101 kg. The Thor dummy is a human body dummy developed as a successor to the HybridIII dummy, and is modeled after only an average-build male. These human body dummies are created based on the standards of the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).

[0074] The driver 214 is assumed to be AF05 of the HybridIII dummies described above. AF05 is an anthropomorphic dummy modeled after a small-built woman, with a height of 145 cm, a seated height of 79 cm, and a weight of approximately 45 kg.

[0075] The vertical dimension W1 of the inner periphery 208 of the airbag cushion 202 in this embodiment is set to be larger than the vertical distance D1 from the center of gravity P1 of the head of a large adult male driver 212 seated in the correct posture in the driver's seat 102 (see FIG. 1(b)) to the center of gravity P2 of the head of a small adult female driver 214 (W1>D1).

[0076] According to the airbag cushion 202, by utilizing the vertically long recess 210 in the center of the front panel 204, it is possible to restrain the heads of various drivers with different builds, from a large adult male driver 212 to a small adult female driver 214, by fitting them within the range of the recess 210.

[0077] Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating a process in which the airbag cushion 202 of Fig. 7(a) restrains the driver 212 during an oblique collision. Each diagram in Fig. 8 corresponds to a CC cross-sectional view of the airbag cushion 202 of Fig. 7(a), and illustrates the airbag cushion 202 and the driver 212 as viewed from above the vehicle.

[0078] Fig. 8(a) is a diagram illustrating a state immediately after the airbag cushion 202 is inflated and deployed. As illustrated in Fig. 8(a), when an impact occurs to the vehicle due to an oblique collision, the airbag cushion 202 inflates and deploys in front of the driver's seat 106 (see Fig. 1(b)).

[0079] In this embodiment, the left-right dimension W2 of the inner peripheral portion 208 of the annular panel 206 is set to be at least somewhat wider than the head of the driver 212 so that the recess 210 can restrain the head of the driver 212 even when the driver 212 moves diagonally forward.

[0080] Fig. 8(b) is a diagram illustrating a state in which the driver 212 in Fig. 8(a) enters the airbag cushion 202. The driver 212 moves diagonally forward, and while the right shoulder 216 comes into contact with the annular panel 206, the right side of the head comes into contact with the sector panel 140 of the recess 210.

[0081] In the front panel 204 forming the recess 210, the head of the driver 212 can be restrained from the diagonal front by the sector panels 140, 142 while suppressing tension near the annular panel 206, as compared to a conventional single front panel that spreads out in a plane. This allows the airbag cushion 202 to also minimize the rotation 218 of the head of the driver 212 relative to the shoulders, and restrain the movement of the head in line with the movement of the shoulders.

[0082] As described above, the airbag cushion 202 also significantly reduces or cancels the head rotation 218 of the driver 212 in both normal collisions and oblique collisions, and reduces the angular velocity of the head, thereby making it possible to suppress the injury level of the driver 212 associated with the head rotation 218. In particular, the airbag cushion 202 can utilize the vertically long recess 210 in the center of the front panel 204 to restrain the heads of various drivers with different physiques, from a large adult male driver 212 to a small adult female driver 214.

[0083] In this embodiment as well, the internal tether 144 pulls the sectorial panels 140, 142, making it possible to efficiently form a cone-shaped recess 210 in the center of the front panel 204. Therefore, similar to the airbag cushion in Fig. 5, the recess 210 is formed with a simple configuration using the sectorial panels 140, 142 and the internal tether 144, making it possible to achieve low costs and more compact storage.

[0084] Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating a modified internal structure of the airbag cushion 202 in Fig. 7(b). Fig. 9(a) illustrates the internal structure through each panel of the airbag cushion 202 in Fig. 7(b). The airbag cushion 202 is provided with a current regulating cloth 360 as a new internal structure.

[0085] The flow regulating cloth 360 is a member that guides gas from the inflator 112 (see FIG. 8(a)) in a specific direction, and is connected to the rear panel 122 in a state where it covers a portion of the airbag cushion 202 that has the gas outlet holes 132 (see FIG. 2(a)) of the inserted inflator 112. The flow regulating cloth 360 has an opening 364 below the inflator 112 for discharging gas, and also has small-diameter exhaust ports 366a, 366b (see FIG. 9(c)) on the sides for discharging gas.

[0086] Fig. 9(b) is a side view of the flow regulating cloth 360 of Fig. 9(a). The flow regulating cloth 360 is formed into a bag shape by sewing, and the lower edge is opened to form an opening 364.

[0087] Fig. 9(c) illustrates a state in which the stitching of the flow regulating cloth 360 in Fig. 9(b) is unstitched and spread out on a plane. The flow regulating cloth 360 has an insertion opening 368 in the center into which a part of the inflator 112 (see Fig. 2(a)) is inserted, and is fixed to the inside of the accommodation section 110 (see Fig. 1(a)) together with the rear panel 122 by the stud bolt 136 of the inflator 112.

[0088] The exhaust ports 366a, 366b are provided at two locations, one on the left and one on the right, and supply gas to the center of the airbag cushion. The opening 364 is formed with a larger diameter than the exhaust ports 366a, 266b, and is set to allow a larger amount of gas to pass through than the exhaust ports 366a, 266b.

[0089] The flow straightening cloth 360 allows the gas supplied from the inflator 112 (see FIG. 2(a)) to be preferentially supplied to the lower portion 202b of the airbag cushion 202 (FIG. 9(a)) rather than to the upper portion 202a through the opening 364. This allows the airbag cushion 202 to begin deploying early from the lower portion 202b toward the abdomen of the driver.

[0090] According to the above-described configuration, the airbag cushion 202 allows the lower portion 202b to quickly enter between the steering wheel 106 (see FIG. 7(b)) and the abdomen of the driver 212, 214, and starts initial restraint of the driver 212, 214 from the abdomen, while holding the lower portion 202b between the steering wheel 106 and the abdomen, thereby stabilizing the overall posture.

[0091] In particular, a small-sized adult female driver 214 (see FIG. 7(b)) often drives with the driver's seat 102 moved further forward than usual and closer to the steering wheel 106. Even in such a case, with the airbag cushion 202, the flow straightening cloth 360 is utilized to inflate and deploy the lower portion 202b early, thereby making it possible to protect the abdomen of the driver 214 from contacting the rim of the steering wheel 106.

[0092] The flow regulating cloth 360 can be implemented simultaneously with the above-mentioned internal tether 144. In this case, it is preferable to provide the internal tether 144 at a position that does not obstruct the flow of gas from the opening 364 of the flow regulating cloth 360 and the exhaust ports 366a and 366b.

[0093] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can think of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

[0094] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the airbag device of the present invention was applied to an automobile, but it can also be applied to aircraft, ships, and other vehicles other than automobiles, and similar effects can be obtained. [Industrial Applicability]

[0095] The present invention can be used in a vehicle airbag device that is installed in the steering wheel of a vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 100...airbag device, 102...driver's seat, 106...steering wheel, 108...airbag cushion, 110...accommodating section, 111...cover, 112...inflator, 114...rim, 120...front panel, 122...rear panel, 124...side panel, 126...recess, 128a, 128b...vent hole, 130...main body, 132...gas ejection hole, 134...flange, 136...stud bolt, 138...ring panel, 140, 142...sector panel, 144...internal tether, 144a...one end, 144b...other end, 146...arc portion, 148...inner circumference portion, 150, 152...straight portion, 154...central angle, 156...fixing area, 158 ...arc, 160...arc, 162, 164...both ends, 166...driver, 168...head, 170...shoulder, 172...rotation, 174...outer periphery, 180...rear panel, 182, 184...sub-panel, 186...long side, 188...short side, 190, 192...side, L1...dimension, 200...airbag device, 202...airbag cushion, 202a...upper part, 202b...lower part, 204...front panel, 206...annular panel, 208...inner periphery, 210...recess, 212, 214...driver, 216...right shoulder, 218...rotation, D1...distance, P1, P2...center of gravity of head, W1, W2...dimension, 360...flow straightening cloth, 364...opening, 366a, 366b...exhaust port, 368...insertion port

Claims

1. An airbag device for a vehicle comprising: an inflator that is installed in a steering wheel of a vehicle; and an airbag cushion that is accommodated in the steering wheel together with the inflator and receives gas from the inflator to inflate and deploy toward a driver, The airbag cushion comprises: a rear panel located on the steering wheel side; a front panel located on the driver's side and restraining the driver; a side panel that connects an edge of the rear panel and an edge of the front panel and constitutes a side of the airbag cushion; having The front panel comprises: A circular ring panel; one or more sector panels each having a sector shape and a circular arc portion connected to an inner periphery of the annular panel; having The airbag cushion further includes an internal tether for pulling the sector panel toward the rear panel inside the airbag cushion.

2. The one or more sector panels are provided in plurality, 2. The driver's airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of sector-shaped panels are connected to each other at straight portions.

3. 3. The driver's airbag device according to claim 2, wherein one end of the internal tether is connected to a central corner portion of the one or more sector panels.

4. 4. The driver's airbag device according to claim 3, wherein the inner tether is integral with the sector panel.

5. 5. The driver's airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the side panel is in the shape of an annular sector having a large arc on the front panel side.

6. 5. The driver's airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the side panel is formed by combining a plurality of sub-panels.

7. 5. The driver's airbag device according to claim 1, wherein an inner peripheral portion of the annular panel has a vertical dimension larger than a horizontal dimension thereof.

8. The drivers include a large adult male and a small adult female, 8. The driver's seat airbag device according to claim 7, wherein the vertical dimension of the inner periphery is greater than at least the vertical distance from the center of gravity of the head of the large adult male to the center of gravity of the head of the small adult female seated in a normal posture in the driver's seat.

9. A portion of the inflator is inserted into the airbag cushion from the rear panel, and a predetermined gas exhaust port is formed in the portion, The airbag cushion further includes a flow straightening cloth connected to the rear panel and covering a portion of the inflator.

8. The driver's airbag device according to claim 7, wherein the flow regulating cloth has an opening below a portion of the inflator.

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