Knee Air Bag Device

Abstract

To provide a knee airbag device capable of suppressing a decrease in restraint performance of a crew member with a seat belt by speedily and reliably restraining the lower limb of the crew member.SOLUTION: A knee airbag device includes an airbag restraining the lower limb of a crew member by being expanded / unfolded below an instrument panel of a vehicle; and an inflator supplying the airbag with inflation gas. The airbag includes a first part located on a first side and a second part located on a second side when a vehicle inside is the first side and a vehicle outside is the second side. The device is configured so that the first part of the airbag protrudes to a crew member side more than the second part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a knee airbag device that deploys at the feet of a front seat of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] It is well known that one or more airbag devices are provided in a vehicle to protect the occupant in the event of a vehicle accident. Airbag devices include various types, such as a driver airbag device that deploys near the center of the steering wheel to protect the driver, a curtain airbag device that deploys downward inside the window to protect the occupant in the event of a lateral impact or rollover or overturning accident, a side airbag device that deploys on the side of the occupant (the side of the seat) to protect the occupant in the event of a lateral impact, and a knee airbag device that deploys at the feet of the occupant in the front seat. The present invention relates to a knee airbag device.

[0003] In the passive safety of a vehicle, it is important to restrain the movement of the occupant by the seat belt. Generally, a three-point seat belt for the front seats extends diagonally (diagonally) from the top of the B-pillar to the occupant's waist, and the seat belt does not fit around the shoulder on the inside of the vehicle. For this reason, in the event of an oblique collision or an offset collision, the occupant's shoulder on the inside of the vehicle (center side, far side) moves forward or rotates outward. Following the rotation of the occupant's upper body, the occupant's torso rotates in a direction facing the outside of the vehicle (near side), and the occupant's outer shoulder, which is restrained by the seat belt, rotates in a direction that causes it to slip out of the seat belt. This reduces the occupant's restraint performance by the seat belt. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a knee airbag device that can quickly and reliably restrain the lower limbs of an occupant, thereby suppressing a decrease in the occupant restraint performance provided by a seat belt. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the knee airbag device of the present invention includes an airbag that inflates and deploys below the instrument panel of a vehicle to restrain the lower legs of an occupant, and an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag. When the inside of the vehicle is defined as a first side and the outside of the vehicle is defined as a second side, the airbag includes a first portion located on the first side and a second portion located on the second side. The first portion of the airbag is configured to protrude toward the occupant more than the second portion.

[0006] Alternatively, the knee airbag device according to the present invention includes an airbag that inflates and deploys below the instrument panel of the vehicle to restrain the lower legs of an occupant wearing a seat belt in a vehicle; and an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag. The seat belt extends obliquely from one of the left and right shoulders of the occupant to the other waist. When the other side is defined as a first side and the one side is defined as a second side, the airbag includes a first portion located on the first side and a second portion located on the second side. The first portion of the airbag is configured to protrude toward the occupant more than the second portion.

[0007] Here, the "inner side of the vehicle" can be expressed as the center console side or the far side of the vehicle, and the "outer side of the vehicle" can be expressed as the door side or the near side of the vehicle.

[0008] Usually, when a diagonal collision or offset collision of a vehicle occurs, the occupant's shoulder on the inside of the vehicle (far side) moves forward or rotates outward, and the occupant's torso rotates in a direction facing the outside of the vehicle (near side) accordingly. In this case, the occupant's outer shoulder, which is restrained by the seat belt, rotates in a direction to slip out of the seat belt. However, by applying the knee airbag device according to the present invention, the first part of the airbag located on the inside of the vehicle protrudes toward the occupant more than the second part located on the outside, so that the occupant's lower limbs (knees) on the inside of the vehicle come into contact with the first part first, and the rotation of the occupant's lower body is suppressed. As a result, the occupant's lower limbs can be quickly restrained. In addition, by suppressing the rotation of the occupant's lower body, the rotation of the occupant's upper body is also suppressed, and the restraint performance of the seat belt for the occupant can be maintained.

[0009] The knee airbag device according to the present invention can protect an occupant sitting in the front seats of a vehicle, such as the driver's seat and the passenger seat.

[0010] The thickness of the airbag in the vehicle front-rear direction may be set so that the first portion is larger than the second portion.

[0011] The thickness of the first and second parts of the airbag may be the same. In this case, it is necessary to devise the shape of the airbag, the deployment direction, the support structure on the first side of the airbag, etc.

[0012] The airbag has a first surface facing the occupant and a second surface facing the instrument panel, and first and second baffle plates having different widths in the front-to-rear direction can be connected between the first and second surfaces inside the airbag.

[0013] The baffle plate can be made, for example, from the same fabric as the airbag and connected to the airbag by sewing.

[0014] The first baffle plate can be configured to restrict a front-to-rear thickness of the first portion of the airbag, and the second baffle plate can be configured to restrict a front-to-rear thickness of the second portion of the airbag.

[0015] The first and second baffle plates may be formed with vent holes, through which the inflation gas can circulate vertically inside the airbag.

[0016] The first and second baffle plates may be provided only in the upper portion of the airbag, not in the lower portion. With respect to a line extending horizontally from the center of the airbag in the vertical direction in the deployed state, the upper side may be referred to as the "upper portion" and the lower side may be referred to as the "lower portion."

[0017] Since the knees are usually the most forward part of the body of an occupant seated in a seat, the occupant can be appropriately restrained by at least devising a shape for the upper part of the airbag. From another perspective, by providing a baffle plate only in the upper part of the airbag, the amount (number, area) of baffle plates can be kept to a minimum, which contributes to reducing manufacturing costs.

[0018] The inflator may be disposed within the lower portion of the airbag.

[0019] By housing the inflator in the lower portion of the airbag where no baffle plate is located, the interior of the airbag is quickly filled with inflation gas, which contributes to the rapid deployment of the airbag.

[0020] The inflator may be disposed on the first side of the airbag.

[0021] By disposing the inflator on the first side corresponding to the first portion of the airbag that needs to protrude significantly toward the occupant, it is possible to quickly inflate and deploy the first portion, which has a larger capacity.

[0022] The first and second portions of the airbag may be provided as separate chambers and connected to each other.

[0023] When the first and second portions are provided as separate chambers, a connecting panel may be provided inside the airbag between the first and second portions to separate the spaces of the two portions.

[0024] By providing the connecting panel, the inside of the airbag can be clearly divided into a first portion and a second portion, and the deployed shape of the airbag can be easily changed and controlled between the first portion and the second portion.

[0025] The airbag has a rear panel facing the occupant side, a front panel facing the instrument panel side, a first side panel connected to the first side edges of the rear panel and the front panel, and a second side panel connected to the second side edges of the rear panel and the front panel, and the fore-aft width of the first side panel can be made larger than the width of the second side panel.

[0026] By forming the airbag with a front panel, a rear panel, and two side panels, it is possible to maintain a more three-dimensional shape of the deployed airbag. In other words, by adjusting the width of the side airbag, it becomes easier to clearly distinguish the thickness of the first and second parts of the airbag.

[0027] The airbag may have a structure in which independent airbag cushions corresponding to the first portion and the second portion are provided and the airbag cushions are connected to each other.

[0028] In the present invention, when an occupant sits in a seat in a normal position, the direction that the occupant faces is referred to as "forward" and the opposite direction is referred to as "rearward", and the coordinate axes are referred to as "front-rear direction". When an occupant sits in a seat in a normal position, the right side of the occupant is referred to as the "right direction" and the left side of the occupant is referred to as the "left direction", and the coordinate axes are referred to as "left-right direction". When an occupant sits in a seat in a normal position, the direction of the occupant's head is referred to as "upward" and the direction of the occupant's waist is referred to as "downward", and the coordinate axes are referred to as "up-down direction". Furthermore, in the left-right direction with respect to the occupant, the vehicle center side is referred to as the "inner side" and the door panel side is referred to as the "outer side". [Brief description of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view showing the knee airbag device according to the present invention in an activated state, and shows the interior of a vehicle compartment as viewed from the side. [Diagram 2] Fig. 2(A) is a perspective view showing a state in which an occupant is seated in a vehicle seat and fastening a seat belt, and Fig. 2(B) is a top view showing a deployed state of an airbag used in the knee airbag device according to the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a panel configuration of an airbag used in the knee airbag device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Fig. 4(A) is a schematic front view showing the deployed state of the airbag used in the knee airbag device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 4(B) and (C) are schematic cross-sectional views taken along the lines AA and BB in Fig. 4(A). [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a panel configuration of an airbag used in a knee airbag device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Fig. 6(A) is a perspective view showing the deployed state of an airbag used in a knee airbag device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 6(B) and (C) are schematic cross-sectional views taken along the lines AA and BB in Fig. 6(A). [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the deployed state of an airbag used in a knee airbag device according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to the direction AA in FIG. 6(A). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] Hereinafter, a detailed description will be given of an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 is a side view showing an activated state of a knee airbag device 10 according to the present invention, showing the state of a vehicle cabin as viewed from the side. Fig. 2(A) is a perspective view showing a state in which an occupant is seated in a vehicle seat and fastening a seat belt 13. Fig. 2(B) is a top view showing a deployed state of the airbag 10. The knee airbag device according to the present invention can protect an occupant seated in a front seat of a vehicle, such as the driver's seat or the passenger seat.

[0031] 1 and 2, the knee airbag device according to the present invention includes an airbag 10 that inflates and deploys below an instrument panel 11 of a vehicle to restrain the lower legs of an occupant fastening a seat belt 13 in the vehicle, and an inflator 100 that supplies inflation gas to the airbag 10. The seat belt 13 extends obliquely downward from the top of the B-pillar (not shown) to the occupant's shoulders and waist.

[0032] When the inside of the vehicle is defined as a first side and the outside of the vehicle is defined as a second side, the airbag 10 includes a first portion 12 located on the first side and a second portion 14 located on the second side. The first portion 12 is configured to protrude further toward the occupant (rearward) than the second portion 14.

[0033] Here, the "inner side of the vehicle" can be expressed as the center console side or the far side of the vehicle. Also, the "outer side of the vehicle" can be expressed as the door side or the near side of the vehicle. In FIG. 2(A), the above-mentioned "first side" is the right side of the occupant, and the "second side" is the left side.

[0034] 2(B), the thickness of the airbag 10 in the vehicle front-rear direction is greater in the first portion 12 than in the second portion 14. Note that it is also possible to configure the airbag 10 so that the first portion protrudes toward the occupant while making the first and second portions 12, 14 of the airbag 10 the same in thickness.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2(A), in general, when a vehicle is involved in an oblique collision or an offset collision, the occupant's shoulder on the inside of the vehicle (far side) moves forward or rotates outward as shown by the arrow, and the occupant's torso follows this and tries to rotate in a direction facing the outside of the vehicle (near side). T, S The outer shoulder of the occupant restrained by the seat belt 13 rotates in a direction to slip out of the seat belt 13. let's Let us assume that.

[0036] 2(B), in the knee airbag device according to the present invention, the first portion 12 located on the vehicle inner side of the airbag 10 is deployed to protrude toward the occupant more than the second portion 14 located on the outer side, so that the occupant's lower leg (knee) LK on the vehicle inner side comes into contact with the first portion 12 first. As a result, the movement of the occupant trying to slip out of the seat belt 13 can be suppressed, and the occupant's restraint performance by the seat belt 13 can be maintained.

[0037] (First Example) Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the panel configuration of airbag 10 used in the knee airbag device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4(A) is a schematic front view showing the deployed state of airbag 10 used in the knee airbag device according to the first embodiment. Figs. 4(B) and (C) are schematic cross-sectional views taken along the lines AA and BB in Fig. 4(A).

[0038] As shown in Fig. 3, the airbag 10 is composed of one large cloth main panel 17, three large width (depth) baffle plates 18a, and three small width (depth) baffle plates 18b. The bag-shaped airbag 10 is formed by folding back the main panel 17 from the center and sewing the periphery. Specifically, lines 40a and 40b, 42a and 42b, and 48 and 50 of the main panel 17 are connected by sewing, respectively.

[0039] 3, line 32a of baffle plate 18a is sewn to line 20a of main panel 17. Also, line 34a of baffle plate 18a is sewn to line 22a of main panel 17. Meanwhile, line 32b of baffle plate 18b is sewn to line 20b of main panel 17. Also, line 34b of baffle plate 18b is sewn to line 22b of main panel 17.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 3, the baffle plates 18a, 18b of the airbag 10 are not provided in the lower portion of the airbag 10 (main panel 17), but are provided only in the upper portion. Since the knees are usually the most forward part of the body of an occupant seated in a seat, the effect of the present invention can be achieved by adjusting the shape of the upper portion of the airbag 10. In other words, by adopting such a configuration, the baffle plates 18a, 18b can be kept to the minimum necessary (number, range), which contributes to reducing manufacturing costs.

[0041] The baffle plates 18a, 18b may be formed, for example, from the same fabric material as the main panel 17.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 4(B), the baffle plate 18a regulates the thickness of the first portion 12 of the airbag 10 in the front-rear direction, and the baffle plate 18b regulates the thickness of the second portion 12 of the airbag 10 in the front-rear direction.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4(B), vent holes 60, 62 are formed in the baffle plates 18a, 18b, and inflation gas can circulate vertically inside the airbag 10 through the vent holes 60, 62.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 3, 4(A) and 4(C), the inflator 100 is accommodated inside the lower portion of the airbag 10 (on the side of the first portion 12). By accommodating the inflator 100 in the lower portion of the airbag 10 where the baffle plates 18a and 18b are not arranged, the interior of the airbag 10 is quickly filled with inflation gas, which contributes to quick deployment of the airbag 10. Also, by arranging the inflator 100 on the first side corresponding to the first portion 12 of the airbag 10 that needs to protrude significantly toward the occupant, it becomes possible to quickly inflate and deploy the first portion 12, which has a large capacity.

[0045] (Second Example) Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the panel configuration of airbag 110 used in a knee airbag device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6(A) is a perspective view showing the deployed state of airbag 110 used in a knee airbag device according to the second embodiment. Figs. 6(B) and 6(C) are schematic cross-sectional views taken along the lines AA and BB in Fig. 6(A). Note that repeated explanations of configurations that are the same as or correspond to those of the first embodiment described above will be omitted.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the airbag 110 includes a rear panel 116b facing the occupant side, a front panel 116a facing the instrument panel 11 side, a first side panel 150a connected to the edges of the first side of the rear panel 116b and the front panel 116a, and a second side panel 150b connected to the edges of the second side of the rear panel 116b and the front panel 116a.

[0047] The width D1 in the front-rear direction of the first side panel 150a is set to be approximately equal to the width d1 of the baffle plate 18a, and the width D2 of the second side panel 150b is set to be approximately equal to the width d2 of the baffle plate 18b.

[0048] 5, an outer edge 140a of the front panel 116a is connected to an outer edge 140b of the rear panel 116b by stitching via side panels 150a, 150b. Also, a line 32a of the baffle plate 18a is sewn to a line 120a of the front panel 116a. Also, a line 34a of the baffle plate 18a is sewn to a line 122a of the rear panel 116b. Meanwhile, a line 32b of the baffle plate 18b is sewn to a line 120b of the front panel 116a, and a line 34b of the baffle plate 18b is sewn to a line 122b of the rear panel 116b.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 5, in this embodiment, the airbag 110 is formed by a front panel 116a, a rear panel 116b, and two side panels 150a, 150b. This makes it possible to maintain a more three-dimensional deployed shape of the airbag 110 as shown in Fig. 6(A). In other words, it becomes easy to clearly distinguish the thicknesses of the first portion 112 and the second portion 114 of the airbag 110.

[0050] (Third Example) FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the deployed state of airbag 210 used in a knee airbag device according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to the direction AA in FIG. 6(A).

[0051] In this embodiment, the first portion 212 and the second portion 214 of the airbag 210 are configured as separate chambers. A connecting panel 202 is provided between the first portion 212 and the second portion 214 inside the airbag 210 to separate the spaces between the two portions. A vent hole (not shown) communicating with the first portion 212 and the second portion 214 is formed in the connecting panel 202.

[0052] By providing the connecting panel 202, the first portion 212 and the second portion 214 inside the airbag 210 can be clearly separated, making it easier to shape the airbag 210 into a desired deployed shape.

[0053] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and can be modified within the scope of the technical ideas set forth in the claims. For example, although not shown, each of the chambers configured as separate chambers as shown in FIG. 7 may be prepared as an independent airbag cushion and connected by sewing or the like. In this case, an inflator may be provided for each airbag cushion, and the ignition timing may be adjusted according to the collision type. Also, one inflator may be provided, and a gas inflow path connected to each airbag cushion may be prepared, and an active vent may be provided in the gas inflow path, and the active vent may be opened and closed at a predetermined timing according to the collision type.

Claims

1. An airbag that inflates and deploys below the vehicle's instrument panel to restrain the lower limbs of an occupant; an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag; When an inner side of a vehicle is defined as a first side and an outer side of a vehicle is defined as a second side, the airbag includes a first portion located on the first side and a second portion located on the second side, In a state where the airbag is inflated and deployed, The first portion of the airbag protrudes toward an occupant more than the second portion, the inflator is housed in the first portion of the airbag; A thickness of the airbag in a vehicle front-rear direction is greater in the first portion than in the second portion, the airbag has a rear panel facing a passenger side, a front panel facing the instrument panel side, a first side panel connected to edges of the rear panel and the front panel on the first side, and a second side panel connected to edges of the rear panel and the front panel on the second side, the width of the first side panel in the front-rear direction being greater than the width of the second side panel, Inside the airbag, first and second baffle plates having different widths in a front-rear direction are connected between the rear panel and the front panel, the first baffle plate restricts a thickness of the first portion of the airbag in the front-rear direction, and the second baffle plate restricts a thickness of the second portion of the airbag in the front-rear direction, a front-rear width of the first side panel on the first side is approximately equal to a width of the first baffle plate, and a front-rear width of the second side panel on the second side is approximately equal to a width of the second baffle plate; The knee airbag device is configured such that, when the airbag is inflated and deployed, the first portion protrudes toward the occupant more than the second portion, and the occupant's knee on the inside of the vehicle comes into contact with the first portion first, thereby suppressing rotation of the occupant's lower body.

2. 2. The knee airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second baffle plates are formed with vent holes, and the inflation gas is configured to be able to circulate vertically inside the airbag through the vent holes.

3. 3. The knee airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second baffle plates are not provided in a lower portion of the airbag, but only in an upper portion.

4. 4. The knee airbag device of claim 3, wherein the inflator is disposed within the lower portion of the airbag.

5. 5. The knee airbag device of claim 4, wherein the inflator is disposed on the first side of the airbag.

6. 3. The knee airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second portions of the airbag are provided as separate chambers and are connected to each other.

7. 7. The knee airbag device according to claim 6, further comprising a connecting panel disposed between the first portion and the second portion inside the airbag to separate the space between the first portion and the second portion.

8. 3. The knee airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag has a structure in which independent airbag cushions corresponding to the first portion and the second portion are provided and the airbag cushions are connected together.

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