Vehicle airbag device

Abstract

To improve collision energy absorption performance while stabilizing an inflation and expansion state of an air bag.SOLUTION: In an air bag device for vehicle 10, when an air bag 20 is inflated and expanded, a front lid 14F cleaves forward and comes into a standing state, and is located adjacent to a front side of a front end part of the air bag 20. Further, a pair of right and left tethers 40 is provided on an external part of the air bag 20, and the front lid 14F and the air bag 20 are connected by the tethers 40. In the inflation and expansion state of the air bag 20, the tethers 40 are extended in a cross direction. Therefore, the state of the air bag 20 at completion time of inflation and expansion of the air bag 20 can be stabilized, and when receiving an upper body of a front passenger seat occupant PS by the air bag 20, a sufficient reaction force can be applied to the front passenger seat occupant PS from the air bag 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an airbag device for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In a vehicle (automobile), when a frontal collision occurs with a collision object, an airbag is inflated and deployed in front of the occupant, restraining the upper body of the occupant as the occupant moves forward. This improves the occupant's protection. For example, the airbag device described in Patent Document 1 below detects the occupant's physique from the seat position, the seatback tilt angle, the amount of seatbelt payout, etc., and changes the timing of airbag deployment depending on the occupant's physique. This improves the occupant's protection provided by the airbag. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 3-159838 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] From the viewpoint of protecting occupants of various sizes with an airbag, it is preferable to increase the size of the airbag. However, if the size of the airbag is increased, the airbag may be more likely to swing forward and backward when the airbag is fully inflated and deployed, which may cause the airbag to be unstable. Furthermore, due to the instability of the airbag during inflation and deployment, the airbag may not be able to exert a sufficient reaction force on the occupant when the occupant collides with the airbag. In this case, the airbag's ability to absorb the collision energy on the occupant may be reduced.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle airbag device that can improve collision energy absorption performance while stabilizing the inflation and deployment state of the airbag. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One or more embodiments of the present invention include an airbag provided behind an instrument panel, which is inflated and deployed between the instrument panel and a windshield glass by receiving a supply of gas and is positioned in front of a vehicle occupant; and a gas barrier provided in the instrument panel that is ruptured by the inflating and deploying airbag. and opens toward the front of the vehicle starting from the front end, a front lid that is arranged in an upright state at the front end of the airbag on the vehicle front side; and a tether that is provided on the outside of the airbag, connects the front lid and the airbag, and is extended in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle when the airbag is inflated and deployed. The front end of the tether is connected to the tip of the front lid, the tether extends from the front lid along the windshield glass toward the rear of the vehicle, and the rear end of the tether is connected to an upper end portion of the airbag. An airbag device for a vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to improve the collision energy absorption performance while stabilizing the inflation and deployment state of the airbag. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view seen from the left side showing the left side portion at the front of a cabin of a vehicle to which the vehicle airbag device according to this embodiment is applied, showing the airbag in an inflated and deployed state. [Figure 2] 2 is a plan view of the vehicle airbag device shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from above. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating the behavior of the airbag when inflation and deployment of the airbag in the airbag device of the comparative example is completed. [Figure 4] 4 is a side view showing a state in which a passenger in a front passenger seat leans forward during a frontal collision and collides with an airbag of the airbag device of the comparative example shown in FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a side view showing a state in which a passenger in a front passenger seat leans forward during a frontal collision and collides with an airbag of a vehicle airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 3 is a plan view showing a modified example of the tether of the vehicle airbag device shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a plan view showing another modified example of the tether of the vehicle airbag device shown in FIG. 2. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The vehicle airbag device 10 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the arrow UP shown as appropriate in the drawings indicates the upper side of the vehicle (automobile) V to which the vehicle airbag device 10 is applied, the arrow FR indicates the front side of the vehicle, and the arrow LH indicates the left side of the vehicle (one side in the vehicle width direction). In the following description, when the up / down, front / rear, and left / right directions are used, they refer to the up / down direction of the vehicle, the front / rear direction of the vehicle, and the left / right direction of the vehicle unless otherwise specified.

[0010] 1 and 2, the vehicle airbag device 10 is configured as a passenger seat airbag device that protects a passenger seat occupant PS seated in a passenger seat 50 located in the front part of the cabin of a vehicle V. Note that in FIGS. 1 and 2, the airbag 20 of the vehicle airbag device 10 is shown in an inflated and deployed state.

[0011] The vehicle airbag device 10 includes a module case 12, an airbag 20 stored in a folded state within the module case 12, and an inflator 30 (gas generator) that ejects gas to supply gas to the airbag 20. The vehicle airbag device 10 also includes a lid 14 that is set on an instrument panel 52 of the vehicle V and covers the module case 12 from above, and a pair of left and right tethers 40 that connect the lid 14 and the airbag 20. The configuration of the vehicle airbag device 10 will be described below.

[0012] (Regarding module case 12) The module case 12 is formed in a generally rectangular box shape that is open upward. The module case 12 is disposed adjacent to the rear surface (lower side) of the instrument panel 52 and is supported by an instrument panel reinforcement (not shown) that is a framework member of the instrument panel 52. The center line CL of the module case 12 in the left-right direction is positioned to coincide with the center line of the front passenger seat occupant PS in the left-right direction in a plan view seen from above.

[0013] (About Lid 14) The lid 14 is configured as a portion of the instrument panel 52 that is disposed above the module case 12, and covers the module case 12 from above. The lid 14 is cleaved by the inflating and deploying airbag 20, opening the module case 12 upward. Specifically, the lid 14 is configured to include a front lid 14F that forms the front portion of the lid 14, and a rear lid 14R that forms the rear portion of the lid 14. The front lid 14F and the rear lid 14R are formed in a generally rectangular shape with the longitudinal direction aligned with the vehicle width direction, and the center line of the lid 14 in the left-right direction coincides with the center line CL of the module case 12.

[0014] When the airbag 20 is inflated and deployed, the front lid 14F opens forward from its front end, and the rear lid 14R opens rearward from its rear end. As will be described in detail later, the front lid 14F opens approximately 90 degrees from the state in which the module case 12 is closed, and is positioned in an upright position in a side view seen from the vehicle width direction, with the leading edge of the front lid 14F positioned adjacent to the lower front end of the windshield glass 54. On the other hand, the rear lid 14R opens approximately 180 degrees from the state in which the module case 12 is closed, and is sandwiched between the airbag 20 and the instrument panel 52, which will be described later, and is positioned adjacent to the upper side of the instrument panel 52. In addition, a notch portion (not shown) is formed on the back surface (lower surface) of the outer periphery of the instrument panel 52 where the lid 14 is set, and is configured so that when the airbag 20 is inflated and deployed, the notch portion breaks, causing the front lid 14F and rear lid 14R to open.

[0015] (About Airbag 20) The airbag 20 is formed into a bag shape by sewing together the outer peripheries of a plurality of base fabrics, for example. When the airbag 20 receives gas from an inflator 30 (described later), it inflates and deploys rearward through an opening in the module case 12 and is positioned in front of the passenger seat occupant PS. Specifically, the center of the airbag 20 in the width direction (left-right direction) is positioned in front of the passenger seat occupant PS, and the airbag 20 restrains the head H and upper body of the passenger seat occupant PS who moves forward in the event of a frontal collision. Furthermore, the airbag 20 is formed into a shape that is symmetrical with respect to the center line CL in a plan view.

[0016] The front portion of the airbag 20 is disposed along the instrument panel 52 and the windshield glass 54 of the vehicle V in a side view and abuts against the instrument panel 52 and the windshield glass 54. The front end portion of the airbag 20 is disposed adjacent to the rear side of the front lid 14F. This allows the airbag 20 to be supported from the front side by the front lid 14F, the instrument panel 52, and the windshield glass 54. In this embodiment, the width dimension (dimension in the left-right direction) of the front lid 14F is not particularly specified, but the width dimension of the front lid 14F may be changed as appropriate so as to ensure the support performance of the front lid 14F for the airbag 20.

[0017] An upper end 20A of the airbag 20 is disposed behind the windshield glass 54 and above the head H of the passenger seat occupant PS. A rear surface 20B of the airbag 20 is inclined rearward in a generally curved shape as it extends downward in a side view. In this embodiment, the passenger seat occupant PS is an AM50 (50th percentile of American adult males) dummy.

[0018] (About Inflator 30) The inflator 30 is built into the front end of the airbag 20. The inflator 30 is formed in a hollow, generally cylindrical shape with its axis extending in the vertical direction, and is fixed to the bottom wall of the module case 12. The inflator 30 is electrically connected to an airbag ECU 32 (control device). When the inflator 30 is activated by the airbag ECU 32, gas is ejected from an upper portion of the inflator 30 and supplied into the airbag 20, causing the airbag 20 to inflate and deploy.

[0019] A collision sensor 34 is electrically connected to the airbag ECU 32. The airbag ECU 32 detects or predicts a frontal collision with the vehicle V based on information from the collision sensor 34, and activates the inflator 30 when a frontal collision is detected or predicted.

[0020] (About Tether 40) The pair of tethers 40 are made of string-like members that are flexible and non-stretchable. The pair of tethers 40 are arranged outside the airbag 20, connecting the airbag 20 to the front lid 14F, and are disposed together with the airbag 20 inside the module case 12. The lengths of the tethers 40 are set so that the tethers 40 are stretched in the front-rear direction when the airbag 20 has completed inflation and deployment. Here, the stretched state of the tethers 40 refers to a state in which a tensile force acts on the tethers 40 in the longitudinal direction, causing the tethers 40 to become taut.

[0021] Furthermore, a front end 40A (one end) of the tether 40 is connected to a corner of the leading end of the front lid 14F, and the tether 40 extends rearward from the front lid 14F. Specifically, in a side view, the tether 40 extends obliquely upward and rearward from the front lid 14F along the windshield glass 54, and a rear end 40B (the other end) of the tether 40 is connected to an upper end portion of the airbag 20. That is, in the vertical direction, the rear end 40B of the tether 40 is disposed above the front end 40A of the tether 40. More specifically, the rear end 40B of the tether 40 is disposed above the head H of the front passenger seat occupant PS and rearward of the upper end 20A of the airbag 20. Thus, in the present invention, "the tether is extended in the vehicle longitudinal direction" includes a case in which the tether 40 is extended in a state in which it is disposed in a direction that slopes upward as it extends rearward in a side view.

[0022] Furthermore, the tether 40 extends substantially in the front-to-rear direction in plan view, and is sandwiched between the airbag 20 and the windshield glass 54. More specifically, the tether 40 is slightly inclined outward in the vehicle width direction as it extends rearward in plan view. Furthermore, the rear end 40B of the tether 40 is located outward in the vehicle width direction from the head H of the front passenger seat occupant PS in plan view. The tether 40 may also be arranged to extend along the front-to-rear direction in plan view.

[0023] (Action and effect) Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0024] In the vehicle airbag device 10 configured as described above, when the airbag ECU 32 detects or predicts a frontal collision with the vehicle V based on a signal from the collision sensor 34, it activates the inflator 30. As a result, gas ejected from the inflator 30 is supplied into the airbag 20. Upon receiving the gas, the airbag 20 tears open the front lid 14F and rear lid 14R attached to the instrument panel 52 and is inflated and deployed rearward through the opening in the module case 12. As a result, the airbag 20 is inflated and deployed in front of the front passenger seat occupant PS.

[0025] Furthermore, in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle V, the passenger seat occupant PS moves forward due to inertial force. Specifically, because the passenger seat occupant PS is wearing the seat belt S (see FIG. 1), the upper body of the passenger seat occupant PS leans forward around the passenger seat occupant PS's waist. As a result, the head H and upper body of the passenger seat occupant PS moving forward can be received and restrained by the rear surface 20B of the airbag 20.

[0026] In the vehicle airbag device 10, when the airbag 20 is inflated and deployed, the front lid 14F cleaves forward into an upright position and is disposed adjacent to the front side of the front end of the airbag 20. A pair of left and right tethers 40 are provided on the exterior of the airbag 20, and the front lid 14F and the airbag 20 are connected by the tethers 40. When the airbag 20 is in an inflated and deployed state, the tethers 40 are stretched in the front-to-rear direction. This makes it possible to stabilize the state of the airbag 20 when it has completed inflation and deployment, and to apply a sufficient reaction force from the airbag 20 to the passenger seat occupant PS when the upper body of the passenger seat occupant PS is supported by the airbag 20.

[0027] This point will be explained below in comparison with an airbag device of a comparative example. As shown in Fig. 3, the airbag device of the comparative example does not have the tether 40 as compared with the vehicle airbag device 10 of the present embodiment, but is otherwise configured in the same manner as the vehicle airbag device 10 of the present embodiment. That is, in the airbag device of the comparative example, the front lid 14F that is not connected to the airbag 20 stands upright in front of the airbag 20.

[0028] Here, the airbag 20 is inflated and deployed rearward from the module case 12 by the supply of gas from the inflator 30. Therefore, when the airbag 20 is fully inflated and deployed, the rear portion of the airbag 20 tends to be displaced rearward (in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 3 ) from the normal fully inflated position (the position of the airbag 20 indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3 ) due to inertial force. Therefore, in the airbag device of the comparative example, when the airbag 20 is fully inflated and deployed, the airbag 20 is deformed so that the rear surface 20B of the airbag 20 approaches the passenger seat occupant PS (see the airbag 20 indicated by the solid line in FIG. 3 ), and the airbag 20 may swing in the front-rear direction after the airbag 20 is fully inflated and deployed. In particular, when the size of the airbag 20 is increased, the swinging phenomenon of the airbag 20 tends to occur more easily. Therefore, in the airbag device of the comparative example, the inflated and deployed state of the airbag 20 may become unstable.

[0029] 4, when the head H and upper body of the front passenger seat occupant PS are received by the airbag 20, the head H and upper body of the front passenger seat occupant PS intrude forward into the rear surface 20B of the airbag 20 (see arrow B in FIG. 4), causing the internal pressure of the airbag 20 to rise (see arrow P in FIG. 4). Therefore, in the airbag device of the comparative example, the rise in internal pressure of the airbag 20 causes the front end of the airbag 20 to press the front lid 14F forward, which may cause the front lid 14F to tilt forward (see the front lid 14F and airbag 20 indicated by solid lines in FIG. 4). In this case, the front end of the airbag 20 is displaced forward and enters between the front end of the windshield glass 54 and the front end of the front lid 14F. This causes the front end of the airbag 20 to move forward, reducing the reaction force acting on the passenger seat occupant PS from the airbag 20, which may reduce the airbag 20's ability to absorb collision energy against the passenger seat occupant PS.

[0030] In contrast, in the vehicle airbag device 10 of this embodiment, a pair of left and right tethers 40 are provided outside the airbag 20 and connect the airbag 20 to the front lid 14F. When the airbag 20 is in an inflated and deployed state, the tethers 40 are stretched in the front-rear direction. That is, the airbag 20 and the lid 14 are connected by the tethers 40 that are pulled in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, even if an inertial force acts on the airbag 20 when the airbag 20 has completed inflation and deployment, the tethers 40 can prevent the rear end of the airbag 20 from being displaced rearward from the normal inflation completion position. As a result, after the airbag 20 has completed inflation and deployment, it is possible to prevent the airbag 20 from swinging in the front-rear direction and stabilize the inflated and deployed state of the airbag 20.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 5 , when the head H and upper body of the front passenger seat occupant PS are received by the airbag 20, the internal pressure of the airbag 20 increases, causing the front end of the airbag 20 to press the front lid 14F forward, as described above. Here, as described above, the airbag 20 and the lid 14 are connected by the tether 40 stretched in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, even if the front end of the airbag 20 presses the front lid 14F forward, the tether 40 can prevent the front lid 14F from tilting forward. That is, the tether 40 can maintain the front lid 14F in an upright position and can maintain the front end of the airbag 20 in a well-supported position. Therefore, a sufficient reaction force can be applied from the airbag 20 to the front passenger seat occupant PS. As a result, the airbag 20 can improve its ability to absorb the collision energy of the front passenger seat occupant PS. As described above, the vehicle airbag device 10 of this embodiment can stabilize the fully inflated and deployed state of the airbag 20, while improving the performance of the airbag 20 in absorbing the collision energy against the front passenger seat occupant PS.

[0032] Additionally, the stretched tether 40 is sandwiched between the airbag 20 and the windshield glass 54. Therefore, when the head H and upper body of the front passenger seat occupant PS enter the airbag 20, the internal pressure of the airbag 20 increases, causing the airbag 20 to press the tether 40 toward the windshield glass 54. This makes it possible to maintain the stretched tether 40 in a good condition, and also to maintain the front lid 14F in a good upright condition.

[0033] Furthermore, the rear end portion 40B of the tether 40 is located above the head H of the passenger seat occupant PS. Therefore, when the head H and upper body of the passenger seat occupant PS leaning forward enters the rear surface 20B of the airbag 20 from the rear side, the tether 40 can be prevented from interfering with the passenger seat occupant PS. In particular, the rear end portion of the tether 40 can be prevented from interfering with the passenger seat occupant PS.

[0034] Furthermore, the rear end 40B of the tether 40 is disposed rearward of the upper end 20A of the airbag 20. This allows the rear end 40B of the tether 40 to be disposed closer to the rear surface 20B of the airbag 20. As a result, when the head H and upper body of a front passenger seat occupant PS leaning forward enter the airbag 20 from the rear surface 20B, the rear end 40B of the tether 40 can be pulled toward the front passenger seat occupant PS. As a result, the airbag 20 can pull the rear end 40B of the tether 40 rearward (the other longitudinal side, the direction of arrow F in FIG. 5). This makes it possible to more effectively maintain the upright state of the front lid 14F.

[0035] Furthermore, the rear end portion 40B of the tether 40 is disposed on the outer side of the head H of the front passenger seat occupant PS in the vehicle width direction in a plan view. This prevents the tether 40 from interfering with the front passenger seat occupant PS when the head H and upper body of the front passenger seat occupant PS leaning forward enters the rear surface 20B of the airbag 20 from the rear. In particular, the rear end portion of the tether 40 is prevented from interfering with the front passenger seat occupant PS.

[0036] Furthermore, the front end 40A of the tether 40 is connected to a corner of the leading end of the front lid 14F. Therefore, the leading end of the front lid 14F in the upright state can be supported by the tether 40. This allows the front lid 14F in the upright state to be supported more stably than, for example, when the tether 40 supports the vertical middle portion of the front lid 14F in the upright state.

[0037] In addition, a pair of tethers 40 extend rearward from the corners of the leading end of the front lid 14F, and the rear ends of the tethers 40 are connected to the airbag 20. Therefore, the airbag 20 and the front lid 14F can be connected to each other on both the left and right sides of the left-right center of the front lid 14F by the pair of tethers 40. As a result, when the airbag 20 is inflated and deployed, the airbag 20 and the front lid 14F can be connected in a balanced manner in the left-right direction.

[0038] The lid 14 includes a front lid 14F that forms a front portion of the lid 14 and a rear lid 14R that forms a rear portion of the lid 14. When the airbag 20 inflates and deploys, the front lid 14F and the rear lid 14R split open in the front-to-rear direction. The rear lid 14R is sandwiched between the airbag 20 and the instrument panel 52. As a result, when the head H and upper body of the passenger seat occupant PS are received by the airbag 20 and the internal pressure of the airbag 20 increases, the airbag 20 presses the rear lid 14R downward, allowing the rear lid 14R to reliably abut against the instrument panel 52. In other words, when the passenger seat occupant PS is restrained by the airbag 20, the formation of a gap between the rear lid 14R and the instrument panel 52 can be suppressed. This stabilizes the reaction force acting on the passenger seat occupant PS when the passenger seat occupant PS is restrained by the airbag 20.

[0039] In the present embodiment, the rear end 40B of the tether 40 is disposed rearward of the upper end 20A of the airbag 20 and above the head H of the front passenger seat occupant PS, but the position of the rear end 40B of the tether 40 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the rear end 40B of the tether 40 may be disposed forward of the upper end 20A of the airbag 20 and above the head H of the front passenger seat occupant PS. Even in this case, it is possible to prevent the tether 40 from interfering with the front passenger seat occupant PS when the head H and upper body of the front passenger seat occupant PS leaning forward enters the airbag 20 from the rear. Furthermore, for example, the rear end 40B of the tether 40 may be disposed forward of the upper end 20A of the airbag 20 and below the head H of the front passenger seat occupant PS. Even in this case, when the head H and upper body of the passenger seat occupant PS are received by the airbag 20 and the internal pressure of the airbag 20 rises, the airbag 20 presses the tether 40 toward the windshield glass 54, thereby maintaining the tether 40 in a good extended state.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the tether 40 extends linearly rearward from the leading edge corner of the front lid 14F in a plan view, but the extending direction of the tether 40 is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 6 , the tether 40 may extend rearward from the leading edge corner of the front lid 14F along the side of the airbag 20. This allows the pair of left and right tethers 40 to suppress rearward displacement of the airbag 20 in a balanced manner when the airbag 20 is fully inflated and deployed. In this case, the rear end 40B of the tether 40 may be disposed on the outer periphery of the rear surface 20B of the airbag 20. This allows the rear end 40B of the tether 40 to be pulled toward the center of the width of the airbag 20 when the head H and upper body of a front passenger seat occupant PS leaning forward enter the airbag 20 from the rear, thereby allowing the tether 40 to pull the front lid 14F to both sides in the width direction.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the front lid 14F and the airbag 20 are connected by a pair of left and right tethers 40, but the number of tethers 40 connecting the front lid 14F and the airbag 20 can be set as desired. For example, the number of tethers 40 may be set to three, and an additional tether 40 may connect the center in the left-right direction of the tip of the front lid 14F to the upper end of the airbag 20.

[0042] In addition, in this embodiment, the front end portion 40A of the tether 40 is connected to the corner portion of the tip of the front lid 14F, but the front end portion 40A of the tether 40 may also be connected to the vertical middle portion of the front lid 14F in the upright state.

[0043] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the tether 40 is configured as a string-like member that is flexible and non-stretchable, but the form of the tether 40 is not limited to this. For example, the tether 40 may be configured as a band-like member that is flexible and non-stretchable. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7 , the width dimension of the rear end portion 40B of the tether 40 may be set to be larger than the width dimension of the front end portion 40A of the tether 40, corresponding to the width dimension of the airbag 20. In this case, although not shown in the drawings, the rear end portion of the tether 40 may be branched in the width direction, and multiple rear end portions 40B of the tether 40 may be connected to the airbag 20.

[0044] In addition, in the present embodiment, the lid 14 is configured to include the front lid 14F and the rear lid 14R, but the lid 14 may be configured to include only the front lid 14F. In other words, the lid 14 may be configured to be torn open only toward the front side. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 10. Airbag device for vehicle 14F Front Lid 14R rear lid 20 Airbag 20A Upper end of airbag 40 Tether 52 Instrument panel 54 Windshield glass PS Passenger seat occupant (passenger) H Passenger's head

Claims

1. an airbag provided behind an instrument panel, which is inflated and deployed between the instrument panel and the windshield glass by receiving a supply of gas and is positioned in front of an occupant of the vehicle; a front lid provided on the instrument panel, which is ruptured by the inflating and deploying airbag and opens toward the front of the vehicle starting from a front end thereof, and which is disposed in an upright state toward the front of the vehicle of the front end of the airbag; a tether provided on the outside of the airbag, connecting the front lid and the airbag, and extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle when the airbag is inflated and deployed; Equipped with a front end of the tether connected to a tip portion of the front lid, the tether extending from the front lid along the windshield glass toward the rear of the vehicle, and a rear end of the tether connected to an upper end portion of the airbag.

2. 2. The vehicle airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the extended tether is sandwiched between the airbag and the windshield glass.

3. A vehicle airbag device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the tether is formed in a string-like shape, and the airbag and the front lid are connected by a plurality of the tethers.

4. The instrument panel has a rear lid provided on the vehicle rear side of the front lid, 4. The vehicle airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the rear lid is torn open toward the rear of the vehicle by the inflating and deploying airbag, and the rear lid is sandwiched between the instrument panel and the airbag.

5. A vehicle airbag device as described in claim 1, wherein the rear end of the tether is positioned outside the vehicle width direction of the occupant's head in a plan view.

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