Collision damage reduction device

Abstract

To provide a collision damage reduction device which reduces collision damage during a lateral collision.SOLUTION: A collision damage reduction device is provided at a vehicle 1 having: doors 30 each of which is provided at a door opening provided at a vehicle body side surface part in an openable and closable manner; and side sills 50 each of which is disposed along a lower edge part of the door. The collision damage reduction device includes: an airbag 100 which is deployed from a storage part 50 provided at the lower side of the door at a vehicle body to an area located at an outer side as seen in a vehicle width direction of the door; and a door beam 90 which is provided spanning a space between a front part and a rear part in the door. The airbag has: a first air chamber 110 in which an upper end is disposed at a position higher than the door beam and a lower end is disposed at a position lower than an upper end of the side sill in a range where at least a position in a vehicle longitudinal direction overlaps with a seat surface of a seat S on which an occupant is seated; and a second air chamber 120 which is provided spanning a space between a lower part of the first air chamber and the storage part and has an inner pressure lower than that of the first air chamber.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a collision damage mitigation device that is provided in a vehicle and that reduces damage to the vehicle body in the event of a side collision. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art For example, in vehicles such as automobiles, the use of an airbag device having an airbag that deploys outside the vehicle has been proposed in order to reduce injuries to the vehicle body and occupants inside the vehicle body in the event of a collision. As a technology for dealing with side collisions of a vehicle, for example, Patent Document 1 describes an airbag that deploys along the outer surface of the door on the side of the vehicle body, with the airbag positioned in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle from the front pillar to the center pillar, and the interior of the airbag being divided into multiple chambers in the fore-and-aft direction. Patent Document 2 describes an exterior airbag device that prevents damage to the vehicle body, in which a plurality of airbags arranged in the front-rear direction along the side of the vehicle are deployed. Patent Document 3 describes that an airbag is deployed outward in the vehicle width direction from an impact beam (door beam) portion disposed inside the door in the front-rear direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2005-537165 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2008-526593 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6740168 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a side collision where an object such as another vehicle strikes the side of a vehicle, the crash stroke in which energy can be absorbed due to damage to the vehicle body structure is shorter than in a frontal collision, and there is a concern that the amount of energy absorption may be insufficient. Furthermore, in a side collision, the speed at which the door deforms during the collision is faster than the speed at which the vehicle body is moving, raising concerns that secondary collision damage may occur to occupants. To address this issue, conventional methods include installing a door beam inside the door to bridge the pillar structures in front and behind the door, increasing the bending strength of the door and preventing deformation, or adding a catcher mechanism to the bottom edge of the door to prevent the door from climbing over the side sill and entering the passenger compartment.However, there are concerns that these methods may not be able to sufficiently reduce collision damage, for example, when the object colliding from the side is moving at a high speed or has a large mass. In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a collision damage reduction device that reduces collision damage in the event of a side collision. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a collision damage mitigation device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a collision damage mitigation device installed in a vehicle having a door that can be opened and closed in a door opening provided on the side of the vehicle body, and a side sill arranged along the lower edge of the door, and is characterized in that it comprises an airbag that deploys from a storage section provided on the lower side of the door in the vehicle body to an area outside the door in the vehicle width direction, and a door beam that is installed between the front and rear parts inside the door, and the airbag has a first air chamber whose upper end is positioned higher than the door beam and whose lower end is positioned lower than the upper end of the side sill, at least in the range where its position in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle overlaps with the seating surface of the seat on which the occupant sits, and a second air chamber that is installed between the lower part of the first air chamber and the storage section and has a lower internal pressure than the first air chamber. With this, when an object collides sideways with the vehicle, the load input into the first air chamber of the airbag from the object, such as another vehicle, is distributed and transmitted to the door beam and side sill, at least in the range where the fore-and-aft position overlaps with the seat surface, thereby suppressing secondary collision between the door trim and the occupant due to door deformation at the beginning of the collision. Furthermore, the door is prevented from climbing over the side sill and entering the passenger compartment, ensuring a survival space for the occupants. In addition, by providing a second air chamber with a lower internal pressure than the first air chamber between the lower part of the first air chamber and the storage section, deformation of the airbag is promoted so that the first air chamber can transmit load to the door beam and side sill in the event of a collision with an object, and the above-mentioned effects can be obtained more effectively.

[0006] A collision damage mitigation device according to a second aspect of the present invention is a collision damage mitigation device installed in a vehicle having a door that can be opened and closed in a door opening formed in a side portion of the vehicle body, and a side sill arranged along the lower edge of the door, and is characterized in that it comprises an airbag that deploys from a storage section provided on the lower side of the door in the vehicle body to an area outside the door in the vehicle width direction, and a door beam that is installed between the front and rear sections inside the door and is inclined so that the front end is higher than the rear end, and the door beam has a moment generating section that generates a moment that rotates the upper part of the door beam in a direction that displaces the lower part inward in the vehicle width direction in response to a load input from the outside in the vehicle width direction, and the airbag transmits a load inward in the vehicle width direction to the moment generating section when colliding with an object. If the front end of the door beam is inclined so that it is higher than the rear end, when a collision causes a load to be input to the door beam in the inward direction of the vehicle width, a moment is generated in the door beam that causes the lower part to rotate (twist) in a direction that displaces the lower part inward in the direction of the vehicle width relative to the upper part. According to the present invention, by generating a moment in the opposite direction to the moment generated by the door beam itself using the moment generating portion, it is possible to suppress the rotational (torsional) deformation of the door beam and increase the reaction force with which the door beam resists the load caused by a collision.

[0007] A collision damage mitigation device according to a third aspect of the present invention is a collision damage mitigation device installed on a vehicle having a door that can be opened and closed in a door opening formed on a side portion of the vehicle body, and a side sill arranged along the lower edge of the door, and is characterized in that it comprises: an airbag that deploys from a storage portion provided on the lower side of the door in the vehicle body to an area outside the door in the vehicle width direction; and a door beam that is installed between the front and rear portions inside the door and is inclined so that the front end is higher than the rear end, wherein the door beam has a moment generating portion that generates a moment that rotates the lower part of the door beam in a direction that displaces the upper part inward in the vehicle width direction in response to a load input from the outside in the vehicle width direction, the airbag transmits a load inward in the vehicle width direction to the moment generating portion when colliding with an object, and the door has an internal structure that abuts against the moment generating portion in response to the rotation of the door beam. According to the present invention, when a load is input to the door beam in the vehicle width direction due to a collision, when the lower part of the door beam rotates in a direction displacing the upper part in the vehicle width direction inward, the moment generating part abuts against the internal structure, thereby facilitating the transfer of the load from the door beam to the internal structure and increasing the reaction force of the door beam. Furthermore, the moment generating portion itself promotes such rotation of the door beam, and the above-mentioned effect can be effectively obtained. Furthermore, the door beam and surrounding components are deformed as the door beam rotates, thereby absorbing the energy of the collision.

[0008] In the second and third aspects of the invention, the airbag can be configured to have a first air chamber that is arranged to overlap at least a portion of the moment generating portion when viewed from the vehicle width direction, and a second air chamber that is arranged between the lower part of the first air chamber and the storage portion and has a lower internal pressure than the first air chamber. According to this, by providing a second air chamber with a lower internal pressure than the first air chamber between the lower part of the first air chamber and the storage section, deformation of the airbag is promoted so that the first air chamber can transmit load to the door beam in the event of a collision with an object, and the above-mentioned effects can be obtained more effectively.

[0009] In each of the above inventions, the airbag may have a third chamber that projects above the first chamber and that releases deployment gas in response to a collision with an object. With this, the collision energy input above the first air chamber when the door collides with an object can be absorbed by the contraction of the third air chamber, and deformation of the door above the first air chamber can be suppressed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a collision damage reduction device that reduces collision damage in the event of a side collision. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a vehicle having a first embodiment of a collision damage reduction device to which the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a front side door of the vehicle according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an airbag control system in a collision damage reduction device of a first embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a schematic side view of a front side door of a vehicle having a second embodiment of a collision damage reduction device to which the present invention is applied. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 10 is a schematic side view of a front side door of a vehicle having a collision damage reduction device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8]FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a front side door of a vehicle having a collision damage reduction device according to a third embodiment after a side collision. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] First Embodiment A first embodiment of a collision damage reduction device to which the present invention is applied will be described below. The collision damage reduction device of the first embodiment relates to an automobile such as a passenger car having a door for passengers getting in and out on a side portion of the passenger compartment where the passengers are accommodated.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle having a collision damage reduction device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a front side door of the vehicle according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 3, for ease of understanding, an outer panel 31, which will be described later, is not shown (see-through). In the first embodiment, the vehicle 1 is, for example, an automobile such as a passenger car having a so-called two-box vehicle shape with a power unit compartment 20 protruding forward from a passenger compartment 10. The vehicle interior 10 is a portion having a space for accommodating passengers and the like, and is configured, for example, with two rows of seats (front seats and rear seats) arranged in the front-rear direction.

[0014] On the side of the vehicle interior 10, a front side door 30, a rear side door 40, a side sill 50, an A pillar 60, a B pillar 70, a C pillar 80, a door beam 90, etc. are provided.

[0015] The front side door 30 is a door-shaped body used for front seat passengers to get in and out of the vehicle, and is provided in a door opening provided at the side of the front seat S in the front part of the vehicle interior 10 so as to be able to be opened and closed. The front end of the front side door 30 is swingably attached to the rear of the A-pillar 60 via a hinge (not shown). The rear end of the front side door 30 is detachably attached to the front portion of the B pillar 70 via a door catcher (not shown).

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the front side door 30 includes an outer panel 31, an inner panel 32, a door trim 33, and the like. The outer panel 31 and the inner panel 32 are members formed into a panel shape by pressing, for example, a steel plate. The outer panel 31 is a member that constitutes a part of the outer surface (design surface) of the vehicle 1. The inner panel 32 is disposed inside the outer panel 31 in the vehicle width direction. The outer panel 31 and the inner panel 32 are joined at their outer peripheral edges, and are disposed opposite each other at a distance in the vehicle width direction in the center of the front side door 30 . The inner panel 32 is formed in a frame shape using a steel plate that is thicker than the outer panel 31 and has higher strength and bending rigidity than the outer panel 31 . The inner panel 32 is the internal structure of the present invention. The door trim 33 is an interior member exposed to the interior of the vehicle compartment 10. The door trim 33 is attached to the inner surface of the inner panel 32 in the vehicle width direction. The door trim 33 is made of a resin material such as PP.

[0017] The rear side door 40 is a door-like body used for rear seat passengers to get in and out of the vehicle, and is provided in an openable and closable manner in a door opening provided at the rear of the vehicle compartment 10, to the side of the rear seat (not shown). When the rear side door 40 is closed, the front edge of the rear side door 40 is disposed adjacent to the rear edge of the front side door 30 with an unavoidable gap therebetween. The front end of the rear side door 40 is swingably attached to the rear of the B pillar 70 via a hinge (not shown). The rear end of the rear side door 40 is detachably attached to the front portion of the C-pillar 80 via a door catcher (not shown).

[0018] The side sills 50 are vehicle body structural members formed along the lower edges of the front side doors 30 and the rear side doors 40 and extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The side sills 50 are arranged along both end portions of a floor panel (not shown) that constitutes the floor surface of the vehicle interior 10 . The front end of the side sill 50 is disposed adjacent to the rear of the front wheel house that houses the front wheels FW. The rear end of the side sill 50 is disposed adjacent to the front part of the rear wheel house that houses the rear wheel RW. A retainer 51 is provided at the bottom of the side sill 50 as a housing portion for housing the airbag 100 before deployment and the inflator 211. The retainer 51 functions as a mounting location for the airbag 100 on the vehicle body side after deployment.

[0019] The A-pillar 60 is a vehicle body structural member (front pillar) formed to protrude upward from the vicinity of the front end of the side sill 50. The lower portion of the A-pillar 60 is disposed along the front end portion of the front side door 30 . A hinge (not shown) is provided at the lower part of the A-pillar 60 to support the front side door 30 so that the door 30 can swing about an axis extending in the vertical direction. The upper portion of the A-pillar 60 is exposed so as to form part of the outer surface of the vehicle body, and is disposed inclined backward along the side edge of the windshield 11 .

[0020] The B-pillar 70 is a vehicle body structural member (center pillar) formed to protrude upward from the middle portion of the side sill 50 in the front-rear direction. The rear edge of the front side door 30 is disposed along the front portion of the B-pillar 70 . The rear end of the front side door 30 is detachably attached to the B pillar 70 via a door catch mechanism (not shown). The front edge of the rear side door 40 is disposed along the rear of the B-pillar 70 . A hinge (not shown) is provided at the rear of the B-pillar 70 to support the rear side door 40 so that the door can swing about an axis extending in the vertical direction.

[0021] The C-pillar 80 is a vehicle body structural member (rear pillar) formed to protrude upward from the vicinity of the rear end of the side sill 50. The rear edge of the rear side door 40 is disposed along the front part of the C-pillar 80 . The rear end of the rear side door 40 is detachably attached to the C-pillar 80 via a door catch mechanism (not shown).

[0022] The side sill 50, A-pillar 60, B-pillar 70, and C-pillar 80 are configured, for example, by assembling panels made by press-molding steel plates or the like and joining them using spot welding, laser welding, structural adhesives, or the like, so that the cross section along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is a closed cross section.

[0023] The door beam 90 is a member provided inside the front side door 30 and arranged across the front and rear of the front side door 30 . The door beam 90 is configured by a cylindrical pipe made of, for example, steel material. As shown in FIG. 3, a front end portion 91 of the door beam 90 is attached to the door inner panel 32 near the front end portion of the front side door 30 via a stiffening member (reinforcement) .

[0024] The front end portion 91 is fixed to the door inner panel 32 and the stiffening member 34 via a connecting portion 91a by, for example, welding or mechanical fastening means such as bolts and nuts. A rear end portion 92 of the door beam 90 is attached to the door inner panel 32 near the rear end portion of the front side door 30 . The rear end portion 92 is fixed to the door inner panel 32 via a connecting portion 92a by, for example, welding or mechanical fastening means such as bolts and nuts. The door beam 90 is disposed at an angle relative to the horizontal direction so that the front end 91 is positioned higher than the rear end 92.

[0025] The vehicle 1 is equipped with an airbag 100 that deploys in an area outside the front side door 30 and the rear side door 40 in the vehicle width direction in response to a sign of a side collision (establishment of a pre-crash determination). The airbag 100 is formed as a bag-like body by joining together a plurality of base fabric panels made of, for example, nylon fiber by sewing, fusing, or the like. The airbag 100 is inflated by introduction of inflation gas from an inflator 211, which will be described later. The airbag 100 is housed in a folded state in a retainer 51 provided in the lower part of the side sill 50 during normal use of the vehicle (before a pre-crash determination is made and before deployment).

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2 and other figures, the airbag 100 includes a first air chamber 110, a second air chamber 120, and a third air chamber . The first air chamber 110 is deployed on the outer side of the outer panel 31 and the side sill 50 in the vehicle width direction. The first air chamber 110 mainly functions to transmit the load received from an object colliding from the side to the door beam 90 and the side sill 50. 1, in a side view of the vehicle, the upper end of the first air chamber 110 is disposed above the upper end of the door beam 90 in the region from the front end to the rear end of the seating surface of the seat S in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Note that this positional relationship is preferably established throughout the entire range of the front-rear sliding of the seat S.

[0027] The second air chamber 120 is provided between the lower part of the first air chamber 110 and the retainer 51 of the side sill 50, and is a part that constitutes the lower part of the airbag 100. The second air chamber 120 connects the first air chamber 110 and the side sill 50 and has the function of controlling the behavior of the first air chamber 110. The behavior control of the first air chamber 110 by the second air chamber 120 will be explained in detail later.

[0028] The third air chamber 130 is a portion that extends further upward from the top of the first air chamber 110 and develops. The third air chamber 130 is provided with a vent hole (vent flow path) not shown. When subjected to a load due to a collision with an object (another vehicle, etc.), the third chamber 130 contracts while discharging deployment gas to the outside through the vent hole, thereby absorbing the energy of the collision. The third air chamber 130 functions as an energy absorbing (EA) airbag that generates a uniformly distributed load on the contact surface between the front side door 30 and the outer panel 31 in response to an input.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1, the front end of the airbag 100 is positioned to protrude further forward than the front end of the front side door 30 of the vehicle. The rear end of the airbag 100 is positioned to protrude further rearward than the rear end of the rear side door 40 of the vehicle.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of an airbag control system in the collision damage reduction device of the first embodiment. The control system 200 includes an airbag control unit 210, an environment recognition unit 220, and the like. The airbag control unit 210 and the environment recognition unit 220 can be configured as a microcomputer having, for example, an information processing unit such as a CPU, a storage unit such as a RAM or a ROM, an input / output interface, and a bus connecting these. The airbag control unit 210 and the environment recognition unit 220 are communicably connected to each other via an in-vehicle LAN such as a CAN communication system, or directly.

[0031] The airbag control unit 210 controls the deployment state of the airbag 100 . The airbag control unit 210 is connected to an inflator 211, a pressure regulating valve 212, an internal pressure sensor 213, and the like. The inflator 211 is a gas generating device that supplies deployment gas to the first air chamber 110, the second air chamber 120, and the third air chamber 130 of the airbag 100, thereby deploying the airbag 100. The inflator 211 may be configured to generate deployment gas by causing a chemical to react in response to a deployment signal, for example. The inflator 211 may have a configuration including a plurality of gas generators that supply deployment gas to the first air chamber 110, the second air chamber 120, and the third air chamber 130 of the airbag 100 independently. Furthermore, if necessary, the inflator 211 may be a multi-stage inflator capable of generating deployment gas multiple times at time intervals.

[0032] The pressure adjusting valve 212 is provided in the second air chamber 120 and opens and closes a vent flow path (not shown) that connects the inside with the outside. The pressure regulating valve 212 has the function of opening the vent flow path in response to a valve opening command from the airbag control unit 210, releasing the deployment gas inside the second air chamber 120 to the outside, and reducing the internal pressure of the second air chamber 120. The internal pressure sensor 213 is a pressure sensor that detects the pressure of the deployment gas inside the second chamber 120 (internal pressure).

[0033] The environment recognition unit 220 recognizes the surrounding environment including the sides of the vehicle based on the outputs of various sensors. The environment recognition unit 220 is connected with sensors such as a side monitoring camera 221, a millimeter wave radar device 222, and a laser scanner device 223.

[0034] The side monitoring camera 221 has, for example, a solid-state imaging element such as a CMOS or CCD, an imaging optical system such as a group of lenses, an image processing unit, etc., and sequentially acquires images within an imaging range (angle of view) including the sides of the vehicle. The millimeter wave radar device 222 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 an object and the relative position of the object with respect to the vehicle 1. The laser scanner device (LIDAR) 223 has the function of scanning the area around the vehicle 1 by emitting pulsed near-infrared laser light, for example, and detecting the presence or absence of an object, the relative position of the object to the vehicle 1, the shape of the object, etc. based on the presence or absence of reflected light and the time difference until the reflected light returns. When a side collision with an object such as another vehicle V is unavoidable (when a pre-crash judgment is made), the environment recognition unit 220 is capable of recognizing the collision pattern with the object (e.g., the object's velocity vector relative to vehicle 1, the collision position relative to vehicle 1, etc.) and the object's attributes (e.g., in the case of a vehicle, the type of vehicle, shape, size, etc.).

[0035] When the environment recognition unit 220 detects a precursor to an object colliding with the side of the vehicle 1 (particularly the front side door 30 and its surrounding area), the environment recognition unit 220 makes a pre-crash judgment and notifies the airbag control unit 210 that the pre-crash judgment has been made.

[0036] The airbag control unit 210 causes the inflator 211 to generate deployment gas in response to the establishment of the pre-crash determination by the environment recognition unit 220, causing the airbag 100 to deploy. At this time, the internal pressure of the first air chamber 110 is set to be relatively high compared to the second air chamber 120 and the third air chamber 130. The first air chamber 110 has a function of distributing and transmitting an input load F to the door beam 90 and the side sill 50 when an object collides from the outside in the vehicle width direction.

[0037] The second air chamber 120 has the function of controlling the behavior of the airbag 100 when it is deployed so that it deploys along the outer panel 31 of the front side door 30, in order for the first air chamber 110 to perform the above function. During deployment of the airbag 100, the internal pressure of the second chamber 120 is set to a predetermined internal pressure during deployment by closing the pressure adjusting valve 212. This increases the shape stability of the second air chamber 120, and makes it possible to guide the first air chamber 110 to a position along the outer panel 31 prior to a collision with an object such as another vehicle V.

[0038] When an object collides with the first air chamber 110, etc., and the transmission of load F1 from the first air chamber 110 to the front side door 30 (including the door beam 90) and the transmission of load F2 to the side sill 50 begin, the pressure regulating valve 212 is opened and the internal pressure of the second air chamber 120 decreases from the internal pressure at the time of deployment described above. This softens the second air chamber 120, and does not interfere with the behavior of the first air chamber 110 when transmitting the load to the door beam 90 and the side sill 50. Furthermore, when third chamber 130 receives an input from an object, it contracts by releasing deployment gas to the outside through the vent hole, absorbing the energy of the collision at this time.

[0039] According to the first embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained. (1) When an object such as another vehicle V collides sideways with the vehicle 1, the load F input from the object to the first air chamber 110 of the airbag 100 is distributed and transmitted to the door beam 90 as a load F1 and a load F2 to the side sill 50, at least within the range where the fore-and-aft position overlaps with the seat surface of the seat S, thereby suppressing a secondary collision between the door trim 33 and the occupant due to deformation of the front side door 30 at the beginning of the collision. Furthermore, the front side door 30 is prevented from subsequently climbing over the side sill 50 and entering the vehicle interior 10, thereby ensuring a survival space for the occupants. Furthermore, by providing a second air chamber 120 having a lower internal pressure than the first air chamber 110 between the lower part of the first air chamber 110 and the retainer 50, which is the mounting part on the vehicle body side, deformation of the airbag 100 is promoted so that the first air chamber 110 is in a position where it can transmit load to the door beam 90 and side sill 50 in the event of a collision with an object, and the above-mentioned effects can be obtained more effectively. (2) By providing a third air chamber 130 that protrudes above the first air chamber 110 and releases deployment gas in response to a collision with an object, the collision energy input above the first air chamber 110 upon a collision with an object is absorbed by the contraction of the third air chamber 130, thereby suppressing deformation of the front side door 30 above the first air chamber 110.

[0040] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the collision damage reduction device to which the present invention is applied will be described. In the following embodiments, the same parts as those in the previous embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted, and differences will be mainly described. 5 is a schematic side view of a front side door of a vehicle having a second embodiment of a collision damage reduction device to which the present invention is applied (a view corresponding to FIG. 3 of the first embodiment, and similar to FIG. 7 described later). 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG.

[0041] In a configuration in which the door beam 90 is inclined so that the front end is higher than the rear end, as in the second embodiment, when a load F is input to the middle part of the door beam 90 from the outside in the vehicle width direction, a moment M1 is generated that rotates the door beam 90 around an axis along its longitudinal direction in a direction in which the lower part is displaced inward in the vehicle width direction relative to the upper part, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0042] In contrast to this, in the second embodiment, the door beam 90 is provided with a moment generating portion 93, which will be described below. When a load is input from the outside in the vehicle width direction through the airbag 100 and the outer panel 31 during a side collision with an object such as another vehicle, the moment generating section 93 generates a moment M2 that rotates the door beam 90 around an axis along its longitudinal direction (a straight line connecting the front end 91 and the rear end 92) in a direction that displaces the upper part inward in the vehicle width direction relative to the lower part. The moment M2 is a rotational moment in the opposite direction to the moment M1 described above, and has the function of suppressing the rotation (torsional deformation) of the door beam 90 caused by the moment M1.

[0043] The moment generating portion 93 can be formed, for example, in the shape of a plate made of a steel plate or the like having greater strength and bending rigidity than the outer panel 31, etc., and can be configured to protrude upward from the outer surface portion (outer peripheral surface portion) of the door beam 90 in the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the moment generating portion 93 is formed so that its planar shape in a side view of the vehicle is, for example, rectangular. The long side of the rectangle is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the door beam 90. A portion of the rear of the moment generating portion 93 is disposed so that its position in the vehicle longitudinal direction overlaps with a connecting portion 92a at the rear end portion 92 of the door beam 90. The front portion of the moment generating portion 93 is disposed so that its position in the vehicle longitudinal direction is spaced apart from the joint portion 91a at the front end portion 91 of the door beam 90.

[0044] According to the second embodiment described above, in addition to the same effects as those of the first embodiment described above, by generating a moment M2 by the moment generating portion 93 in the opposite direction to the moment M1 generated by the door beam 90 itself, it is possible to suppress the rotational (torsional) deformation of the door beam 90 and increase the reaction force with which the door beam 90 resists the load caused by a collision. Furthermore, by positioning the rear of the moment generating portion 93 so that it overlaps with the connecting portion 92a where the door beam 90 is fixed to the inner panel 32, the load transmission from the moment generating portion 93 to the structure of the front side door 30 is promoted and the resistance of the moment generating portion 93 is increased, thereby enhancing the above-mentioned effects.

[0045] <Third embodiment> Next, a third embodiment of the collision damage reduction device to which the present invention is applied will be described. FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of a front side door of a vehicle having a collision damage reduction device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG.

[0046] In the third embodiment, a moment generating section 94, which will be described below, is provided instead of the moment generating section 93 of the second embodiment. The moment generating section 94 has the function of increasing the moment M1 that rotates the door beam 90 around an axis along its longitudinal direction in a direction in which the lower part is displaced inward in the vehicle width direction relative to the upper part when a load F is input from the outside in the vehicle width direction through the airbag 100 and the outer panel 31 during a side collision with an object such as another vehicle.

[0047] The moment generating portion 94 can be formed, for example, in the shape of a plate made of a steel plate or the like that has greater strength and bending rigidity than the outer panel 31, etc., and can be configured to protrude downward from the outer surface portion of the door beam 90 in the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIG. 7, the moment generating portion 94 is formed so that its planar shape in a side view of the vehicle is, for example, rectangular. The long side of the rectangle is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the door beam 90. The front and rear ends of the moment generating portion 94 are positioned so that their positions in the vehicle longitudinal direction are spaced apart from the joint 91a of the front end 91 and the joint 92a of the rear end 92 of the door beam 90, respectively.

[0048] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a front side door of a vehicle having a collision damage reduction device according to the third embodiment after a side collision. When an object such as another vehicle V collides with the vehicle from the outside in the vehicle width direction, the load F is transmitted to the front side door 30 and the side sill 50 mainly via the first chamber 110 of the airbag 100 . The load input to the front side door 30 is transmitted to the door beam 90 and the moment generating portion 94 while deforming the outer panel 31 . When a load is transmitted to the door beam 90 and the moment generating portion 94, the moment M1 described above is generated, and the door beam 90 rotates in a direction in which the lower portion is displaced inward in the vehicle width direction relative to the upper portion. At this time, the lower end of the moment generating portion 94 abuts against the surface of the inner panel 32, which is a relatively strong internal structure within the front side door 30, and transmits the load input to the door beam 90, etc. to the inner panel 32. The load transmitted to the inner panel 32 is transmitted to the B-pillar 70 and the like via a catcher or the like (not shown).

[0049] According to the third embodiment described above, in addition to the effects similar to those of the first embodiment described above, when a load is input to the door beam 90 in the vehicle width direction due to a collision, when the lower part of the door beam 90 rotates in a direction displacing the upper part in the vehicle width direction inward, the moment generating portion 94 comes into contact with the inner panel 32, which is an internal structure, thereby facilitating the transfer of the load from the door beam 90 to the inner panel 32 and increasing the reaction force of the door beam 90. Furthermore, the moment generating portion 94 itself promotes such rotation of the door beam 90, and the above-mentioned effects can be effectively obtained. Furthermore, the rotation of the door beam 90 causes deformation of the door beam and peripheral parts such as the inner panel 32, thereby absorbing the energy of the collision. Furthermore, since the positions of the front and rear ends of the moment generating portion 94 in the vehicle longitudinal direction are separated from the connecting portions 91a, 92a where the door beam 90 is firmly fixed to the inner panel 32, the rotation of the door beam 90 described above is less likely to be hindered by the restraining force of the connecting portions 91a, 92a, and the above-mentioned effects can be effectively obtained.

[0050] (Variation) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible, and these are also within the technical scope of the present invention. (1) The configurations of the collision damage mitigation device and the vehicle are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate. For example, the shape, structure, material, manufacturing method, number, arrangement, etc. of each of the components that make up these can be changed as appropriate. (2) The configuration of the airbag and the arrangement of the air chambers are not limited to those of the embodiments and can be modified as appropriate. For example, if energy absorption at the top of the door can be achieved by other methods, the third air chamber may be omitted. Furthermore, other air chambers may be additionally provided in addition to the air chambers described above. Furthermore, each air chamber may be further divided. (3) The method for detecting a precursor to a collision is not limited to using the sensors of the embodiments and may be modified as appropriate. For example, other types of sensors may be used in addition to or instead of the sensors of the embodiments. Furthermore, a configuration may be adopted in which precursors to a collision are detected using vehicle-to-vehicle communication or road-to-vehicle communication. (4) The configuration of the moment generating section is not limited to the configurations of the second and third embodiments and can be modified as appropriate. For example, in each embodiment, a plate-shaped member is attached to the outer surface of a door beam formed in a straight pipe shape to form a moment generating portion, but it may also be formed integrally with a part of the door beam. For example, the door beam and the moment generating portion may be integrally formed by assembling pressed sheet metal members and joining them by welding, or by hydroforming or other molding methods.Furthermore, the door beam and the moment generating portion may be formed from a composite material such as carbon fiber reinforced resin. Also, the door beam itself may be curved so that a portion of the door beam functions as a moment generating portion. (5) In each embodiment, the storage portion (retainer 51) that stores the airbag 100 before deployment is provided inside the lower part of the side sill 50, but the location where the storage portion is provided is not limited thereto and can be changed as appropriate. For example, the storage portion may be provided on the lower surface of a floor panel or inside a side step, which is an aerodynamic part with a design that is provided on the side sill. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1 vehicle FW front wheel RW rear wheel 10. Passenger compartment 20. Power unit compartment 30 Front side door 31 Outer panel 32 Inner panel 33 Door trim 34 stiffening member 40 rear side door 50 Side sill 51 Retainer 60 A-pillar 70 B-pillar 80 C-pillar 90 Door beam 91 Front end 91a Joint part 92 Rear end 92a Joint part 93 Moment generating part 94 Moment generating part 100 Airbag 110 First air chamber 120 Second air chamber 130 Third air chamber 200 Control System 210 airbag control unit 211 inflator 212 Pressure regulating valve 213 Internal pressure sensor 220 Environmental recognition unit 221 Side monitoring camera 222 Millimeter wave radar equipment 223 Laser scanner equipment F, F1, F2 Load V Other vehicle

Claims

1. a door provided in an openable and closable manner in a door opening provided in a side portion of a vehicle body; a side sill disposed along the lower edge of the door; A collision damage mitigation device provided in a vehicle having an airbag that deploys from a storage portion provided on a vehicle body below the door to an area outside the door in a vehicle width direction; a door beam provided between the front and rear portions inside the door, The airbag is a first air chamber having an upper end located higher than the door beam and a lower end located lower than an upper end of the side sill, at least in a range where the first air chamber overlaps with a seat surface of a seat on which an occupant sits in the vehicle longitudinal direction; a second air chamber provided between a lower portion of the first air chamber and the storage section and having an internal pressure lower than that of the first air chamber; A collision damage mitigation device characterized by:

2. a door provided in an openable and closable manner in a door opening formed in a side portion of a vehicle body; a side sill disposed along the lower edge of the door; A collision damage mitigation device provided in a vehicle having an airbag that deploys from a storage portion provided on a vehicle body below the door to an area outside the door in a vehicle width direction; a door beam provided between the front and rear portions inside the door and inclined so that the front end is higher than the rear end, the door beam has a moment generating portion that generates a moment that rotates the door beam in a direction in which an upper portion of the door beam is displaced inward in the vehicle width direction relative to a lower portion in response to a load input from the outside in the vehicle width direction, The airbag transmits a load inward in the vehicle width direction to the moment generating portion when the airbag collides with an object. A collision damage mitigation device characterized by:

3. a door provided in an openable and closable manner in a door opening formed in a side portion of a vehicle body; a side sill disposed along the lower edge of the door; A collision damage mitigation device provided in a vehicle having an airbag that deploys from a storage portion provided on a vehicle body below the door to an area outside the door in a vehicle width direction; a door beam provided between the front and rear portions inside the door and inclined so that the front end is higher than the rear end, the door beam has a moment generating portion that generates a moment that rotates the door beam in a direction in which a lower portion of the door beam is displaced inward in the vehicle width direction relative to an upper portion in response to a load input from the outside in the vehicle width direction, the airbag transmits a load inward in the vehicle width direction to the moment generating portion upon collision with an object, The door has an internal structure that comes into contact with the moment generating portion in response to the rotation of the door beam. A collision damage mitigation device characterized by:

4. The airbag includes a first air chamber disposed so as to overlap at least a portion of the moment generating portion when viewed from a vehicle width direction; a second air chamber provided between a lower portion of the first air chamber and the storage section and having an internal pressure lower than that of the first air chamber; 4. The collision damage mitigation device according to claim 2 or 3,

5. The airbag has a third chamber that projects above the first chamber and that releases deployment gas in response to a collision with an object.

5. The collision damage mitigation device according to claim 1 or 4,

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