Curtain shield airbag system

Abstract

To provide a technology effective for enhancing the degree of freedom in design of a curtain shield airbag device mounted on a vehicle having a partition wall for partitioning a vehicle cabin into front and rear parts.SOLUTION: A curtain shield airbag device 10, which is mounted on a roof side portion 2 of a vehicle 1, includes: a front airbag 21 that has a fixing portion 21a relative to the roof side portion 2 and expands and inflates in an area 5a located further forward than a partition wall 6 partitioning a vehicle cabin 5 into front and rear parts; a rear airbag 24 that has a fixing portion 24a relative to the roof side portion 2 and that expands and inflates in an area 5b located further rearward that the partition wall 6. The front airbag 21 and the rear airbag 24 respectively have: first bag portions 22, 25 that are disposed along side window portions during expansion and inflation; and second bag portions 23, 26 that are respectively connected to the first bag portions 22, 25, projected further inward in the vehicle cabin than the first bag portions 22, 25 during expansion and inflation, and pressed against the surfaces 6a, 6b of the partition wall 6 in a front-rear direction X.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a curtain shield airbag device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses a curtain shield airbag device mounted on a vehicle having a partition wall separating the passenger compartment into front and rear compartments. This curtain shield airbag device includes a first airbag for a front seat, a second airbag for a rear seat, a front strap connecting the first airbag to a front pillar, and a rear strap connecting the second airbag to a roof side rail. The first airbag is configured to inflate and deploy in a curtain-like manner along a side window section forward of the partition wall while being fastened to the front pillar via the front strap. The second airbag is configured to inflate and deploy in a curtain-like manner along a side window section rearward of the partition wall while being fastened to the roof side rail via a rear-front strap. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-196969 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] By adopting a structure in which each airbag is tethered to the vehicle with straps, as in the above-described curtain shield airbag system, even if the airbags are located in front of or behind a partition wall separating the front and rear of the vehicle compartment, the straps can restrain the airbags from moving outward when they inflate and deploy, thereby applying a reaction force toward the occupant toward the interior of the vehicle compartment, thereby absorbing impact. This structure is effective when the partition wall makes it difficult for the airbags to receive a reaction force from the pillar garnish. However, a structure in which each airbag is tethered to the vehicle with straps has the problem that the locations where the straps can be installed are limited, which tends to restrict the degree of freedom in system design.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide a technology that is effective in increasing the degree of freedom in designing a curtain shield airbag device to be installed in a vehicle that has a partition wall that separates the passenger compartment into front and rear sections. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is A curtain shield airbag device mounted on a roof side of a vehicle, a front airbag having a fixed portion to the roof side portion and inflating and deploying in a region forward of a partition wall that separates the vehicle interior into front and rear compartments; a rear airbag having a fixed portion to the roof side portion and inflating and deploying in a region rearward of the partition wall; Equipped with a curtain shield airbag device, wherein at least one of the front-side airbag and the rear-side airbag has a first bag portion that is arranged along a side window portion when inflated and deployed, and a second bag portion that is connected to the first bag portion, protrudes further into the vehicle cabin than the first bag portion when inflated and deployed, and is pressed against a surface of the partition wall in the front-rear direction; is located. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] A vehicle equipped with the curtain shield airbag device of the above aspect is provided with a partition wall that separates the passenger compartment into front and rear sections. The curtain shield airbag device includes a front airbag and a rear airbag, both of which are fixed to a roof side portion. The front airbag inflates and deploys in a region forward of the partition wall. The rear airbag inflates and deploys in a region rearward of the partition wall. At least one of the front airbag and the rear airbag is provided with a first bag portion and a second bag portion that are connected to each other.

[0008] Here, the first bag portion is positioned along the side window when inflated and deployed. This allows the first bag portion in the inflated and deployed state to receive and absorb the head of an occupant moving out of the vehicle cabin. In contrast, the second bag portion protrudes further into the vehicle cabin than the first bag portion and is pressed against the front-to-rear surface of the partition wall when inflated and deployed. At this time, the second bag portion acts to catch on the partition wall by contacting the partition wall, generating sliding resistance between the second bag portion and the partition wall as it moves out of the vehicle cabin. Therefore, the second bag portion restricts the movement of the entire airbag, including the first bag portion, outward from the vehicle cabin, thereby functioning to anchor the entire airbag to the partition wall, which is fixed to the vehicle.

[0009] As a result, the airbag itself can be designed to generate a reaction force to absorb the impact of an occupant, without using a fastening member such as a strap to fasten the airbag to the vehicle. Since no fastening member such as a strap is used, the airbag is less affected by the placement of the fastening member, and the freedom of device design is less restricted. Furthermore, since no additional parts other than the airbag are required, the structure is simple and inexpensive, and the number of parts management steps can be reduced.

[0010] According to the above-described aspect, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in designing a curtain shield airbag device to be mounted in a vehicle having a partition wall that separates the passenger compartment into front and rear compartments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a view of a side window portion of a vehicle equipped with a curtain shield airbag device according to a first embodiment, viewed from the passenger compartment side. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the curtain shield airbag of the curtain shield airbag device of the first embodiment in a deployed state where the curtain shield airbag is spread out flat. [Figure 3] An enlarged view of the B-pillar area of ​​the vehicle in Figure 1. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] 1 is a side view showing the curtain shield airbag device of the first embodiment in an inflated and deployed state of the curtain shield airbag. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view of FIG. 6 as seen from above the vehicle. [Figure 8] 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating a folding method of the curtain shield airbag of the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating a folding method of the curtain shield airbag of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating a folding method of the curtain shield airbag of the first embodiment. [Figure 11] 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating a folding method of the curtain shield airbag of the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 8 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 7 of a curtain shield airbag device according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Preferred embodiments of the above aspects are described below.

[0013] In this specification, "inflation" refers to the state in which the airbag expands due to the supply of gas to the internal space of the airbag, becoming larger than its state before the gas supply, and "deployment" refers to the state in which the airbag, which is pre-folded into a predetermined shape, expands so as to unfold as it inflates. In this way, the deployment of the airbag essentially involves inflation, and this state is called "inflation and deployment."

[0014] In the curtain shield airbag device of the above-described aspect, the first bag portion and the second bag portion have internal spaces that are connected to each other so that both are inflated and deployed by gas supplied only to the first bag portion, and it is preferable that the first bag portion is fixed to the roof side portion at the fixing portion, and the second bag portion is not fixed to the roof side portion and protrudes from the first bag portion so as to extend into the vehicle cabin when inflated and deployed.

[0015] In this curtain shield airbag device, gas circulating through the internal space of the first bag portion flows into the internal space of the second bag portion, causing the second bag portion to inflate and deploy. At this time, the second bag portion is pressed against the front-to-rear surface of the partition wall in a bent state at the end of the first bag portion. Because the second bag portion is not fixed to the roof side portion, the first bag portion fixed to the roof side portion serves as the fixed end, and the second bag portion serves as a free end extending into the vehicle cabin from this fixed end. Therefore, when the second bag portion inflates and deploys, a load acts on the second bag portion, pulling it toward the first bag portion to unbend it. This load acts as a pressing load that strongly presses the second bag portion against the partition wall. This increases the sliding resistance generated between the second bag portion and the partition wall.

[0016] In the curtain shield airbag device of the above-described aspect, it is preferable that at least one of the front airbag and the rear airbag has a non-interference portion that does not interfere with the partition wall when spread out flat along the side window portion and an interference portion that interferes with the partition wall, and that the non-interference portion forms the first bag portion and the interference portion forms the second bag portion.

[0017] According to this curtain shield airbag device, when the airbag is unfolded in a flat plane, the interference portion that interferes with the partition wall inflates and deploys to form a second bag portion, which makes it possible to press the second bag portion more firmly against the partition wall.

[0018] In the curtain shield airbag device of the above aspect, it is preferable that at least one of the front airbag and the rear airbag is configured to form a mainly downward gas flow in the internal space of the second bag portion when inflated and deployed.

[0019] According to this curtain shield airbag device, by causing gas to flow mainly downward into the internal space of the second bag portion during inflation and deployment, it is possible to maintain a high inflation and deployment speed in the vertical direction of the second bag portion.

[0020] In the curtain shield airbag device of the above aspect, the interference portion is preferably configured so that the width dimension in the front-rear direction when spread out flat exceeds the wall thickness of the partition wall.

[0021] According to this curtain shield airbag device, by setting the width dimension of the interference portion to exceed the wall thickness of the partition wall, this is effective in increasing the contact area between the second bag portion and the partition wall when the interference portion inflates and deploys as the second bag portion.

[0022] In the curtain shield airbag device of the above aspect, it is preferable that both the front side airbag and the rear side airbag have the first bag portion and the second bag portion.

[0023] With this curtain shield airbag device, both the front and rear airbags can generate a reaction force to absorb the impact of the occupant by innovating the structure of the airbag itself, without using any fastening members such as straps, which allows for greater freedom in device design.

[0024] In the curtain shield airbag device of the above aspect, the front side airbag and the rear side airbag are preferably connected by a connecting portion.

[0025] In this curtain shield airbag device, the front airbag and the rear airbag are joined together by a connecting portion to form a single airbag molded body, which further reduces the number of steps required to manage the parts.

[0026] Hereinafter, specific examples of embodiments of a curtain shield airbag device mounted on a vehicle will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0027] In the drawings used in this description, the front of the vehicle is indicated by arrow FR, the upper side of the vehicle is indicated by arrow UP, and the outer side of the vehicle is indicated by arrow OT. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the front-rear direction corresponding to the vehicle length direction is indicated by arrow X, the up-down direction corresponding to the vehicle height direction is indicated by arrow Y, and the left-right direction corresponding to the vehicle width direction is indicated by arrow Z.

[0028] (Embodiment 1) As shown in Fig. 1, a curtain shield airbag device (hereinafter simply referred to as "airbag device") 10 of the first embodiment is mounted on the upper left and right roof side portions 2 of a vehicle 1. Note that the structure of the roof side portions 2 is the same on the left and right, and therefore Fig. 1 illustrates only the roof side portion 2 on the right side of the vehicle 1.

[0029] A partition wall 6, front seats 7, and rear seats 8 are attached to a passenger compartment floor 5c of the vehicle 1. The partition wall 6 is a partition that separates the passenger compartment 5 into a front and a rear area 5b where the front seats 7 are arranged and a rear area 5b where the rear seats 8 are arranged.

[0030] 1. Structure of the airbag device 10 1 and 2, the airbag device 10 includes a curtain shield airbag (hereinafter simply referred to as "airbag") 20 and a gas supply unit 30 (see FIG. 2) that supplies gas for inflation and deployment to the airbag 20 when an impact occurs. The airbag device 10 is an integral assembly of the airbag 20 and the gas supply unit 30, and is also called an "airbag module."

[0031] The airbag 20 is stored in a folded state in the storage space 2a of the roof side portion 2 and is covered from the passenger compartment 5 side by the interior material 3. The interior material 3 is composed of a roof head lining, garnish, etc. made of a synthetic resin material. The gas supply unit 30 is stored in the storage space 2a of the roof side portion 2 together with the airbag 20.

[0032] The airbag 20 is divided into a front airbag 21 for the front seats and a rear airbag 24 for the rear seats. The front airbag 21 and the rear airbag 24 are configured to inflate and deploy by gas supplied from a gas supply unit 30 when an impact occurs to the vehicle 1, and to cover the side window portion 9 from the passenger compartment 5 side.

[0033] The front airbag 21 inflates and deploys along the front window 9a, which is one of the side windows 9, in an area 5a of the vehicle interior 5 forward of the partition wall 6, and operates to cover the front window 9a in a curtain-like manner in its inflated and deployed state PE. This allows the front airbag 21 to protect the head of an occupant sitting in the front seat 7. On the other hand, the rear airbag 24 inflates and deploys along the rear window 9b, which is one of the side windows 9, in an area 5b of the vehicle interior 5 rear of the partition wall 6, and operates to cover the rear window 9b in a curtain-like manner in its inflated and deployed state QE. This allows the rear airbag 24 to protect the head of an occupant sitting in the rear seat 8.

[0034] 2. Structure of the airbag 20 2, the upper part of the airbag 20 is provided with a plurality of fixing portions 21a, 24a for fixing to the roof side portion 2. The front airbag 21 has a plurality of fixing portions 21a, and is fixed to the roof side portion 2 by these plurality of fixing portions 21a. The rear airbag 24 has a plurality of fixing portions 24a, and is fixed to the roof side portion 2 by these plurality of fixing portions 24a.

[0035] Both the front airbag 21 and the rear airbag 24 are airbag-forming bodies formed by overlapping sheet-like airbag fabrics and joining them by stitching, adhesive, or the like into a bag shape. In the front airbag 21, a gas flow path in the internal space is formed by a plurality of joining portions 21b. As in the case of the front airbag 21, in the rear airbag 24, a gas flow path in the internal space is formed by a plurality of joining portions 24b.

[0036] The airbag base fabric is preferably made of a fabric material made of a low-breathability material woven from synthetic fibers. In order to control the shape of the airbags 21, 24 when they are inflated and deployed and to regulate the inflation and deployment operation, it is preferable that the inner wall surfaces of the airbag base fabrics be sewn together or connected via strips such as tethers.

[0037] The airbag 20 has one connecting portion 27 that connects the upper rear end portion of the front airbag 21 and the upper front end portion of the rear airbag 24 in a deployed state in which the airbag 20 is spread out like a curtain on a plane defined by the first direction X and the second direction Y. On the other hand, the front airbag 21 and the rear airbag 24 are not connected at any location other than the connecting portion 27. As a result, the airbag 20 is a single airbag molded body in which the front airbag 21 and the rear airbag 24 are integrally connected at only one location by the single connecting portion 27.

[0038] In the airbag 20, in the deployed state, a slit-shaped gap 28 is provided between the rear end of the front airbag 21 and the front end of the rear airbag 24 in the up-down direction Y, excluding the area where the connecting portion 27 is provided, and extends from the connecting portion 27 side to the lower opening. The gap 28 has the first direction X as its short side direction and the second direction Y as its long side direction, and is closed at its upper end by the connecting portion 27 while being open at its lower end. In this embodiment, the airbag 20 is configured such that the gap 28 is aligned with the partition wall 6 in the left-right direction Z in the deployed state.

[0039] The connecting portion 27 is configured by a belt-shaped member made of the same material as the airbag base fabric of the airbag 20. This connecting portion 27 is a non-inflatable portion that does not have an internal space in which gas can accumulate. Although the front airbag 21 and the rear airbag 24 are connected by the connecting portion 27, the internal space of the front airbag 21 and the internal space of the rear airbag 24 do not communicate with each other. For this reason, the movement of gas between the internal space of the front airbag 21 and the internal space of the rear airbag 24 is completely blocked.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 2, the front airbag 21 has a first bag portion 22 and a second bag portion 23 that are connected to each other. The first bag portion 22 is a portion that is disposed along the front seat window portion 9a when the front airbag 21 is inflated and deployed. The second bag portion 23 is a portion that protrudes further into the vehicle cabin than the first bag portion 22 and is pressed against the front surface 6a, which is the surface of the partition wall 6 in the front-rear direction X, when the front airbag 21 is inflated and deployed. The first bag portion 22 and the second bag portion 23 have internal spaces 22a, 23a (see Fig. 7) that communicate with each other so that both are inflated and deployed by gas supplied only to the first bag portion 22.

[0041] The first bag portion 22 is fixed to the roof side portion 2 at a plurality of fixing portions 21a. In contrast, the second bag portion 23 is not fixed to the roof side portion 2. When the front airbag 21 is inflated and deployed, the second bag portion 23 protrudes from the rear end side of the first bag portion 22 and extends toward the interior of the vehicle cabin.

[0042] Similar to the front airbag 21, the rear airbag 24 has a first bag portion 25 and a second bag portion 26 that are connected to each other. The first bag portion 25 is a portion that is disposed along the rear seat window portion 9b when the rear airbag 24 is inflated and deployed. The second bag portion 26 is a portion that protrudes further into the vehicle cabin than the first bag portion 25 and is pressed against the back surface 6b, which is the surface of the partition wall 6 in the front-rear direction X, when the rear airbag 24 is inflated and deployed. The first bag portion 25 and the second bag portion 26 have internal spaces 25a, 26a (see FIG. 7) that communicate with each other so that both are inflated and deployed by gas supplied only to the first bag portion 25.

[0043] The first bag portion 25 is fixed to the roof side portion 2 at a plurality of fixing portions 24a. In contrast, the second bag portion 26 is not fixed to the roof side portion 2. When the rear airbag 24 is inflated and deployed, the second bag portion 26 protrudes from the front end side of the first bag portion 25 and extends into the vehicle cabin.

[0044] As shown in Figure 2, when the airbag 20 is deployed, the front airbag 21 is in a deployed state P1 in which it is spread out flat along the front seat window portion 9a, and the rear airbag 24 is in a deployed state Q1 in which it is spread out flat along the rear seat window portion 9b.

[0045] The front airbag 21 has a non-interfering portion A1 that does not interfere with the partition wall 6 when the front airbag 21 is unfolded flat to the deployed state P1, and an interfering portion B1 that interferes with the partition wall 6. In other words, when the partition wall 6 is actually present, the interfering portion B1 interferes with the partition wall 6, and the partition wall 6 gets in the way, preventing the front airbag 21 from unfolding to the deployed state P1. The non-interfering portion A1 at this time forms the first bag portion 22 when inflated and deployed, and the interfering portion B1 at this time forms the second bag portion 23 when inflated and deployed.

[0046] As in the case of the front airbag 21, the rear airbag 24 has a non-interfering portion A2 that does not interfere with the partition wall 6 when it is unfolded flat to the deployed state Q1, and an interfering portion B2 that interferes with the partition wall 6. In other words, when the partition wall 6 is actually present, the interfering portion B2 interferes with the partition wall 6, and the partition wall 6 gets in the way, preventing the rear airbag 24 from unfolding to the deployed state Q1. The non-interfering portion A2 at this time forms the first bag portion 25 when inflated and deployed, and the interfering portion B2 at this time forms the second bag portion 26 when inflated and deployed.

[0047] When the front airbag 21 is in the deployed state P1 and the rear airbag 24 is in the deployed state Q1, the interference portion B1 that becomes the second bag portion 23 and the interference portion B2 that becomes the second bag portion 26 overlap each other to cover the gap 28 from the vehicle interior 5 side. In this embodiment, the interference portion B1 of the front airbag 21 is configured so that the width dimension d1 in the front-rear direction X when the front airbag 21 is unfolded in a plane is greater than the wall thickness D of the partition wall 6. Similarly to the front airbag 21, the interference portion B2 of the rear airbag 24 is configured so that the width dimension d1 in the front-rear direction X when the rear airbag 24 is unfolded in a plane is greater than the wall thickness D of the partition wall 6.

[0048] According to this configuration, by setting the width dimensions d1, d2 of the interference portions B1, B2 to be greater than the wall thickness D of the partition wall 6, this is effective in increasing the contact area between the second bag portions 23, 26 and the partition wall 6 when the interference portions B1, B2 are inflated and deployed as the second bag portions 23, 26. On the other hand, the relationship between the width dimensions d1, d2 and the wall thickness D is not limited to the above and can be changed appropriately as necessary.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 3, in the initial state in which the airbag 20 is accommodated in the accommodation space 2a of the roof side portion 2, the front airbag 21 is in an initial state P2 folded into a predetermined shape so as to extend in an elongated shape along the roof side portion 2, and the rear airbag 24 is in an initial state Q2 folded into a predetermined shape so as to extend in an elongated shape along the roof side portion 2. At this time, the front airbag 21 in the initial state P2 is held by the case 11 attached to the roof side portion 2 (see Fig. 4). Furthermore, the rear airbag 24 in the initial state Q2 is held by the case 12 attached to the roof side portion 2 (see Fig. 5).

[0050] 3. Structure of the gas supply unit 30 2, the gas supply unit 30 includes a first inflator 31 and a second inflator 32 for supplying inflation gas G to the front airbag 21 and the rear airbag 24, respectively. The first inflator 31 generates gas G upon the occurrence of an impact and supplies the gas G to the interior space of the front airbag 21 through a gas supply pipe 31a. The second inflator 32 generates gas G upon the occurrence of an impact and supplies the gas G to the interior space of the rear airbag 24 through a gas supply pipe 32a.

[0051] As shown in Fig. 3, the interior trim material 3 has a planned tear line 4 that extends along the up-down direction Y on a plane defined by the front-to-rear direction X and the up-down direction Y. This planned tear line 4 is intended to facilitate the front airbag 21 and the rear airbag 24 from the storage space 2a in the roof side portion 2 into the vehicle interior 5. For this reason, the planned tear line 4 is typically configured as perforations or a continuous line that penetrate the interior trim material 3 in the thickness direction, or as a thin-walled portion that is thinner overall than other regions of the interior trim material 3. As a result, the interior trim material 3 is configured to tear along the planned tear line 4 when subjected to a load exceeding a predetermined load.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 6, the gas G supplied from the first inflator 31 to the internal space of the front airbag 21 flows through the internal space 22a of the first bag portion 22 and then flows into the internal space 23a of the second bag portion 23. At this time, the front airbag 21 is configured to form a mainly downward gas flow Fa in the internal space 23a of the second bag portion 23 when inflated and deployed. As in the case of the front airbag 21, the gas G supplied from the second inflator 32 to the internal space of the rear airbag 24 flows through the internal space 25a of the first bag portion 25 and then flows into the internal space 26a of the second bag portion 26. At this time, the rear airbag 24 is configured to form a mainly downward gas flow Fb in the internal space 26a of the second bag portion 26 when inflated and deployed.

[0053] As described above, by causing the gas G to flow mainly downward in the internal spaces 23a, 26a of the second bag portions 23, 26 during inflation and deployment, it is possible to maintain a high inflation and deployment speed in the vertical direction of the second bag portions 23, 26. On the other hand, the main flow direction of the gas G in the internal spaces 23a, 26a can be changed as appropriate depending on the desired inflation and deployment performance of the second bag portions 23, 26.

[0054] 7, in the front airbag 21, gas G flows from the internal space 22a of the rear end 22b of the first bag portion 22 to the internal space 23a of the second bag portion 23. The front airbag 21 in the inflated and deployed state PE is configured so that the first bag portion 22 and the second bag portion 23 form a substantially L-shape when viewed from above. In the rear airbag 24, gas G flows from the internal space 25a of the front end 25b of the first bag portion 25 to the internal space 26a of the second bag portion 26. The rear airbag 24 in the inflated and deployed state QE is configured so that the first bag portion 25 and the second bag portion 26 form a substantially L-shape when viewed from above.

[0055] At this time, the second bag portions 23, 26 are pressed against the surfaces 6a, 6b of the partition wall 6 in a bent state at the ends 22b, 25b of the first bag portions 22, 25. Here, because the second bag portions 23, 26 are not fixed to the roof side portion 2, the first bag portions 22, 25, which are fixed to the roof side portion 2, serve as fixed ends, and are free ends that extend into the vehicle cabin from these fixed ends. Therefore, a load acts on the second bag portions 23, 26, pulling them toward the first bag portions 22, 25 so as to unbend them during inflation and deployment. This load acts as a pressing load that strongly presses the second bag portions 23, 26 against the partition wall 6. The partition wall 6 is then firmly sandwiched between the second bag portions 23, 26 from both sides in the front-rear direction X. This increases the sliding resistance generated between the second bag portions 23, 26 and the partition wall 6. In addition, by configuring the interference portions B1, B2 (see Figure 2) that interfere with the partition wall 6 when the airbag 20 is unfolded flat to inflate and deploy to form the second bag portions 23, 26, it becomes possible to press the second bag portions 23, 26 more strongly against the partition wall 6.

[0056] In this embodiment, the second bag portion 26 of the rear airbag 24 in the inflated and deployed state QE is formed to partially overlap the seating area C of the rear seat 8 when viewed from the front-rear direction X. This allows the second bag portion 26 in the deployed and deployed state to be used to receive an occupant in the rear seat 8 when the occupant moves forward.

[0057] In this embodiment, it is preferable to add a structure for increasing the sliding resistance of the second bag portions 23, 26 toward the outside of the vehicle cabin relative to the partition wall 6. Typical examples of this structure include a structure in which the surface roughness of at least one of the surfaces of the second bag portions 23, 26 and the surfaces 6a, 6b of the partition wall 6 is increased, or a structure in which the surfaces 6a, 6b of the partition wall 6 are recessed to make it easier for the convex surfaces of the second bag portions 23, 26 to hook thereon.

[0058] 4. How to fold the airbag 20 Next, with reference to FIGS. 8 to 11, a method of folding the airbag 20, which is effective for inflating and deploying the airbag 20 having the above-described configuration in a desired form, will be described.

[0059] 8, the airbag 20 is set to a deployed state in which it is spread out flat. At this time, the second bag portion 23 (interfering portion B1) of the front airbag 21 in the deployed state P1 and the second bag portion 26 (interfering portion B2) of the rear airbag 24 in the deployed state Q1 are arranged to overlap each other.

[0060] First, the second bag portion 26 of the rear-side airbag 24 is raised in the first direction E1, and then the second bag portion 26 is folded back in the first direction E1 toward the first bag portion 25 (see FIG. 9). Also, the second bag portion 23 of the front-side airbag 21 is raised in the first direction D1, and then the second bag portion 23 is folded back in the first direction D1 toward the first bag portion 22 (see FIG. 9). As a result, as shown in FIG. 10, an intermediate state is established in which the second bag portion 23 of the front-side airbag 21 is folded back until it overlaps the first bag portion 22, and the second bag portion 26 of the rear-side airbag 24 is folded back until it overlaps the first bag portion 25.

[0061] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 11 , the front airbag 21 is roll-folded by rotating the entire airbag 21 into a roll shape in the second direction D2. Then, by rolling the front airbag 21 upward toward the first inflator 31, the front airbag 21 is finally brought to its initial state P2 (see FIG. 4 ). Similarly, the rear airbag 24 is roll-folded by rotating the entire airbag 24 into a roll shape in the second direction E2. Then, by rolling the rear airbag 24 upward toward the second inflator 32, the rear airbag 24 is finally brought to its initial state Q2 (see FIG. 5 ). Finally, the front airbag 21 and the rear airbag 24 are each sewn to maintain their shape.

[0062] The method for folding the airbag 20 is not limited to the above, and any suitable folding form or procedure can be adopted as needed.

[0063] 5. Inflation and deployment of the airbag 20 In this embodiment, the operation of the airbag 20 inflating and deploying from the initial state can be generally described as the reverse operation of the operation when the airbag 20 is folded in the above-described procedure. Therefore, in the airbag 20, the front airbag 21 inflates and deploys while rotating in the direction opposite to the second direction D2 so as to release the rolled fold, and the rear airbag 24 inflates and deploys while rotating in the direction opposite to the second direction E2 so as to release the rolled fold (see FIG. 11). As a result, the airbag 20 generally reaches the intermediate state shown in FIG. 10.

[0064] Next, the second bag portion 23 of the front airbag 21 rises in the direction opposite to the first direction D1, and the second bag portion 26 of the rear airbag 24 rises in the direction opposite to the first direction E1 (see FIG. 9). As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the second bag portion 23 of the front airbag 21 is pressed against the surface 6a of the partition wall 6, and the second bag portion 26 of the rear airbag 24 is pressed against the back surface 6b of the partition wall 6.

[0065] According to the above-described first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0066] The airbag device 10 of the first embodiment includes a front airbag 21 and a rear airbag 24, both of which are fixed to the roof side portion 2. The front airbag 21 inflates and deploys in a region 5a forward of the partition wall 6. The rear airbag 24 inflates and deploys in a region 5b rear of the partition wall 6. The front airbag 21 and the rear airbag 24 are provided with first bag portions 22, 25 and second bag portions 23, 26 that are connected to each other.

[0067] Here, the first bag portions 22, 25 are disposed along the side window portion 9 when inflated and deployed. This allows the first bag portions 22, 25 in the inflated and deployed state to receive and absorb the head of an occupant moving outward from the vehicle compartment. In contrast, the second bag portions 23, 26 protrude further into the vehicle compartment than the first bag portions 22, 25 and are pressed against the surfaces 6a, 6b of the partition wall 6 in the front-rear direction X when inflated and deployed. At this time, the second bag portions 23, 26 come into contact with the partition wall 6 and act to catch on the partition wall 6, generating sliding resistance between the second bag portions 23, 26 and the partition wall 6 as they move outward from the vehicle compartment. Therefore, the second bag portions 23, 26 restrict the movement of the entire airbag, including the first bag portions 22, 25, outward from the vehicle compartment, thereby functioning to anchor the entire airbag to the partition wall 6, which is fixed to the vehicle 1.

[0068] As a result, a reaction force for absorbing the impact of an occupant can be generated by devising the structure of the airbag 20 itself, without using a fastening member such as a strap to fasten the airbag 20 to the vehicle 1. In this case, since a fastening member such as a strap is not used, the arrangement of the fastening member is less likely to have an effect, and the degree of freedom in device design is less likely to be restricted. Furthermore, since no additional parts other than the airbag 20 are required, the structure is simple and inexpensive, and the number of parts management steps can be reduced.

[0069] Therefore, according to the above-described first embodiment, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in designing the airbag device 10 to be mounted in the vehicle 1 having the partition wall 6 that separates the passenger compartment 5 into front and rear sections.

[0070] Hereinafter, other embodiments related to the above-described embodiment 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. In the other embodiments, the same elements as those in embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the same elements will be omitted.

[0071] (Embodiment 2) 12, the airbag device 110 of the second embodiment differs from the airbag device 10 of the first embodiment in that the front airbag 21 and the rear airbag 24 are not connected to each other but are completely separate. In other words, this airbag device 110 does not have an element equivalent to the connecting portion 27 of the first embodiment.

[0072] The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0073] According to the airbag device 110 of the second embodiment, the structure can be simplified compared to the airbag device 10 of the first embodiment.

[0074] In addition, the same effects as those of the first embodiment are achieved.

[0075] The present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above, and various applications and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the following embodiments can be implemented by applying the above embodiments.

[0076] In the above embodiment, an example is given of a case where both the front airbag 21 and the rear airbag 24 of the airbag 20 are tethered to the vehicle 1 side without using a tethering member such as a strap, but instead, either the front airbag 21 or the rear airbag 24 may be tethered to the vehicle 1 using a tethering member.

[0077] In the above-described embodiment, an example is given of the case where the gas G used to inflate and deploy the second bag portions 23, 26 flows in from the first bag portions 22, 25 which are connected to the second bag portions 23, 26. However, instead of this, a structure may be adopted in which the first bag portions 22, 25 and the second bag portions 23, 26 are inflated and deployed by gas G supplied independently to each of them.

[0078] In the above-described embodiment, an example is given of the case where the second bag portions 23, 26 are not fixed to the roof side portion 2, but if necessary, a structure may be adopted in which a portion of the second bag portions 23, 26 is fixed to the roof side portion 2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1 vehicle 2 Roof side 2a Containment space 5 Cabin 5a Anterior area 5b Posterior area 6 Partition wall 6a Front (front) 6b Back (front) 9 Side window section 9a Front seat window (side window) 9b Rear seat window (side window) 10,110 Curtain shield airbag device (airbag device) 21 Front airbags 21a Fixed part 22 First bag section (non-interference section) 23 Second bag section (interference section) 24 Rear airbags 24a Fixed part 25 First bag section (non-interference section) 26 Second bag part (interference part) 27 Connecting part A1,A2 Non-interference part B1,B2 Interference part d1, d2 width dimensions D wall thickness G Gas X Anteroposterior direction Z1 Inside the vehicle

Claims

1. A curtain shield airbag device mounted on a roof side of a vehicle, a front airbag having a fixed portion to the roof side portion and inflating and deploying in a region forward of a partition wall that separates the vehicle interior into front and rear compartments; a rear airbag having a fixed portion to the roof side portion and inflating and deploying in a region rearward of the partition wall; Equipped with a curtain shield airbag device in which each of the front airbag and the rear airbag has a first bag portion that is disposed along the side window portion when inflated and deployed, and a second bag portion that is connected to the first bag portion and that protrudes further into the vehicle cabin than the first bag portion when inflated and deployed and is pressed against the front-to-rear surface of the partition wall.

2. the first bag portion and the second bag portion have internal spaces that communicate with each other so that both are inflated and deployed by gas supplied only to the first bag portion, 2. The curtain shield airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the first bag portion is fixed to the roof side portion at the fixing portion, and the second bag portion is not fixed to the roof side portion and protrudes so as to extend from the first bag portion into the vehicle cabin when inflated and deployed.

3. 3. The curtain shield airbag device according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the front airbag and the rear airbag has a non-interfering portion that does not interfere with the partition wall when the front airbag and the rear airbag are unfolded in a plane along the side window portion and an interfering portion that interferes with the partition wall, the non-interfering portion forming the first bag portion and the interfering portion forming the second bag portion.

4. 4. The curtain shield airbag device according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the front airbag and the rear airbag is configured to form a gas flow mainly downward in the internal space of the second bag portion when inflated and deployed.

5. The curtain shield airbag device according to claim 3, wherein the interference portion is configured so that a width dimension in the front-rear direction when expanded into a planar state exceeds a wall thickness of the partition wall.

6. 6. The curtain shield airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the front side airbag and the rear side airbag are connected by a connecting portion.

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