Airbags

Abstract

To provide an airbag that protects an occupant properly.SOLUTION: An airbag, which is expanded by being supplied with expansion gas, comprises: an airbag main body in which a recessed part a portion of which is recessed in a thickness direction is formed at a lower part side corresponding to a position of the chest of an occupant, at a front surface side; and a protruding part protruding from a side wall part of the recessed part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to airbags. [Background technology]

[0002] Airbags that deploy to protect vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle collision have been in practical use for some time now, and there is a demand for airbags that can stably protect vehicle occupants.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses such an airbag in which a support inflatable portion supports a protection inflatable portion from the vehicle body side when inflation is complete, thereby stably receiving an occupant. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-019350 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the airbag of Patent Document 1 has a simple shape that deploys into a cylindrical shape, and therefore further improvement is required to better protect the occupant.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide an airbag that provides adequate protection for an occupant. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The airbag according to the present disclosure comprises: Located on the steering wheel, By supplying inflation gas Between the steering wheel and the passenger Expand It is formed as an airbag body having a recess formed in a lower portion of the airbag body on the front side thereof, the recess being partially recessed in a thickness direction, the lower portion corresponding to the position of the chest of an occupant; In response to the supply of inflation gas, the side wall portion of the airbag body, which is continuous with the bottom portion formed in the recess, is formed so as to protrude downward relative to the side wall portion of the airbag body. and a protrusion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to appropriately protect occupants. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle equipped with an airbag according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the configuration of the airbag. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a recessed portion. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of an airbag. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a process for manufacturing an airbag. [Figure 6] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing how a restricting portion restricts the thickness of the airbag. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing how an occupant is protected by an airbag. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] 1 shows the configuration of a vehicle equipped with an airbag according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The vehicle has a steering wheel 1, a detection unit 2, a control unit 3, and an airbag 4.

[0012] The steering wheel 1 is used by an occupant P seated in the driver's seat to operate the vehicle, and is formed, for example, in a circular ring shape. The detection unit 2 detects a vehicle collision and is configured by, for example, a collision sensor, etc. The detection unit 2 is connected to the control unit 3 and outputs a detection signal to the control unit 3 when a collision is detected.

[0013] The control unit 3 controls the deployment of the airbag 4, and is connected to an inflator (not shown). The control unit 3 activates the inflator based on a detection signal output from the detection unit 2. The inflator inflates the airbag 4 by ejecting inflation gas, and is composed of, for example, a gas generator.

[0014] The airbag 4 is disposed on the steering wheel 1 and is configured to be deployed between the steering wheel 1 and the occupant P when inflation gas is supplied. As shown in FIG. 2 , the airbag 4 has an airbag body 5 and a protrusion 6.

[0015] The airbag body 5 receives the head, chest, etc. of the occupant P, and has a substantially circular outer shape when viewed from the front, corresponding to the steering wheel 1. The airbag body 5 is disposed so that, for example, an upper side H1 corresponds to the position of the head of the occupant P, and a lower side H2 corresponds to the position of the chest of the occupant P.

[0016] Here, as shown in Fig. 3, a recess 7 is formed on the lower side H2 of the airbag 4, the recess 7 being partially recessed in the thickness direction D2. The recess 7 may be formed, for example, so as to be recessed in the thickness direction D2 in a shape that widens in the vehicle width direction D1 downward. For example, the recess 7 may be formed so as to be recessed in the thickness direction D2 in a generally fan shape that gradually widens in width downward. The recess 7 is formed so as to reach the side wall 5a of the airbag body 5, that is, so as to be recessed inward from the side wall 5a.

[0017] The protruding portion 6 is disposed in correspondence with the position of the abdomen of the occupant P, and is formed so as to protrude downward from the side wall portion of the recessed portion 7 relative to the side wall portion 5a of the airbag main body 5. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 4, the protruding portion 6 is formed so as to bend toward the steering wheel 1 and protrude from the airbag main body 5. The airbag body 5, the recess 7 and the protrusion 6 are formed so that the internal spaces to which inflation gas is supplied are integrally connected.

[0018] Next, a method for manufacturing the airbag 4 will be described.

[0019] First, as shown in FIG. 5 , a base fabric 11 is formed corresponding to the portion of the airbag body 5 excluding the recessed portion 7. Then, a base fabric 12 is formed corresponding to the recessed portion 7 of the airbag body 5. The base fabric 11 is formed so that a substantially fan-shaped lower portion is cut out corresponding to the recessed portion 7. The base fabric 12 also has a bottom 13 and inner wall portions 14a and 14b. The bottom 13 has a substantially fan-shaped portion corresponding to the cut-out portion of the base fabric 11. Therefore, the arc portion of the bottom 13 is formed so as to curve in accordance with the outer periphery of the base fabric 11. The inner wall portions 14a and 14b are arranged to sandwich the bottom 13 in the circumferential direction and are integrally connected to two straight portions of the bottom 13, respectively.

[0020] Next, the base fabric 12 is folded so as to raise the inner wall portions 14a and 14b from the bottom portion 13, and the edge portion 12a is connected to the edge portion 11a of the base fabric 11, and the edge portion 12b is connected to the edge portion 11b of the base fabric 11. Furthermore, the edge portions 12c and 12d of the base fabric 12 are connected to each other. This forms the front portion of the airbag 4. The base fabrics 11 and 12 may be connected by, for example, sewing or bonding with an adhesive.

[0021] Furthermore, a base fabric 15 corresponding to the side wall portion 5a of the airbag 4 and a base fabric 16 corresponding to the back surface of the airbag 4 are formed. Then, the base fabric 15 is connected to the base fabrics 11 and 12, and the base fabric 16 is connected to the base fabric 15. The base fabrics 11, 12, 15, and 16 may be connected by, for example, sewing or bonding with an adhesive.

[0022] In this case, a restricting portion that restricts the deployed shape of the airbag 4 may be disposed in the airbag 4. For example, three restricting portions 8a to 8c may be disposed in the airbag 4 as shown in FIG.

[0023] Here, the restricting portion 8a restricts the deployment length (thickness) of the airbag 4 in the thickness direction D2, and is arranged to extend within the airbag 4 in the thickness direction D2, with one end connected to the front surface 5b of the airbag main body 5 and the other end connected to the back surface 5c.

[0024] The restricting portions 8b and 8c restrict the position of the recessed portion 7 in the airbag 4. Specifically, the restricting portion 8b restricts the position of the innermost portion 7a (central portion of the sector shape) of the recessed portion 7 in the radial direction D3 of the airbag 4, and is arranged to extend in a direction perpendicular to the vehicle width direction D1 in the radial direction D3. One end of the restricting portion 8b is connected to the side wall portion 5a of the airbag 4, and the other end is connected to the vicinity of the innermost portion 7a of the recessed portion 7.

[0025] The restricting portion 8c restricts the thickness of the recessed portion 7 and is disposed to extend in the thickness direction D2 within the airbag 4. The restricting portion 8c connects the front and back surfaces of the recessed portion 7 at the upper side of the recessed portion 7. For example, the restricting portion 8c may connect the front and back surfaces of the recessed portion 7 near the upper end of the recessed portion 7 (near the inner portion 7a).

[0026] In this manner, the airbag 4 is manufactured. Before deployment, the airbag 4 has a shape from which the protrusion 6 has been removed. That is, the side wall 5a of the airbag 4 is formed in a substantially circular shape when viewed from the front. The front surface 5b of the airbag main body 5 is disposed on the front side of the side wall 5a so as to be perpendicular to the thickness direction D2, and the back surface 5c of the airbag main body 5 is disposed on the back surface side of the side wall 5a so as to be perpendicular to the thickness direction D2. The inner wall portions 14a and 14b that form the recess 7 are disposed so as to extend along the thickness direction D2. When inflation gas is supplied to the airbag 4, the inner walls 14a and 14b inflate downward in a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction D2. In response to this inflation of the inner walls 14a and 14b, the protrusions 6 are formed to protrude downward from the side walls of the recessed portion 7 in a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction D2. In other words, the protrusions 6 can protrude from the side walls of the recessed portion 7 in response to the supply of inflation gas simply by forming the recessed portion 7, without providing a protruding shape on the side walls of the recessed portion 7.

[0027] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0028] First, the detection unit 2 shown in Fig. 1 detects a vehicle collision. At this time, it is assumed that the airbag 4 is housed in a housing provided in, for example, the steering wheel 1. When the detection unit 2 detects a collision, it outputs a detection signal to the control unit 3. When the control unit 3 receives the detection signal from the detection unit 2, it activates an inflator (not shown). This causes the inflator to supply inflation gas into the airbag 4, causing the airbag 4 to deploy.

[0029] Conventionally, if the lower part of the airbag is deployed with the same thickness as the upper part, it may come into contact with the chest of the occupant P immediately after deployment, significantly pushing back the chest of the occupant P. In this case, if the thickness of the lower part of the airbag is simply made thinner, there is a risk that the abdomen of the occupant P may come into contact with the steering wheel 1, that is, bottom out.

[0030] 7, the airbag 4 of the present disclosure has a recess 7 recessed in the thickness direction D2 on the lower side H2 corresponding to the position of the chest of the occupant P. The protrusion 6 protrudes from the side wall of the recess 7. As a result, the airbag 4 can protect the abdomen of the occupant P while suppressing contact with the chest of the occupant P. The airbag 4 can also protect the head of the occupant P with the upper side H1. In this way, the airbag 4 can protect the occupant P appropriately.

[0031] The airbag body 5 has a substantially circular outer shape when viewed from the front. That is, the airbag body 5 inflates into a substantially cylindrical shape. Therefore, the airbag body 5 can efficiently expand to a sufficient length and quickly deploy, thereby ensuring the initial restraint of the occupant P. Furthermore, since the recess 7 has a shape that widens downward, it is possible to reduce the area of ​​the airbag main body 5 that does not come into contact with the occupant P. This allows the lower side H2 of the airbag 4 to support the periphery of the occupant P's chest with the portion outside the recess 7 while suppressing contact with the occupant P's chest. In other words, the airbag 4 can maintain the support force to receive the occupant P while suppressing contact with the occupant P's chest.

[0032] 6, the restricting portion 8c connects the front and rear surfaces of the recessed portion 7 to restrict the thickness of the recessed portion 7. This reliably prevents the airbag 4 from coming into contact with the chest of the occupant P. At this time, the restricting portion 8c connects the front and back surfaces of the recessed portion 7 at the upper side of the recessed portion 7. This releases the lower side of the recessed portion 7, allowing the protruding portion 6 to protrude largely from the side wall of the recessed portion 7, thereby more appropriately protecting the abdomen of the occupant P.

[0033] 4, the protruding portion 6 is formed so as to bend toward the steering wheel 1 and protrude from the airbag body 5 according to the forming position of the recessed portion 7 (the position formed on the steering wheel 1 side in the thickness direction D2). This makes it possible to reliably prevent the abdomen of the occupant P from coming into contact with the steering wheel 1, etc.

[0034] According to this embodiment, the airbag 4 has an airbag main body 5 in which a recess 7 recessed in the thickness direction D2 is formed on a lower side H2 corresponding to the position of the chest of the occupant P, and a protrusion 6 protruding from a side wall of the recess 7. As a result, the airbag 4 can protect the abdomen of the occupant P while suppressing contact with the chest of the occupant P, and can appropriately protect the occupant P.

[0035] In the present embodiment, the recess 7 is formed in a fan shape, but is not limited to this as long as it is formed so as to be recessed in the thickness direction D2 on the lower side H2 of the airbag 4. For example, the recess 7 may be formed so as to be recessed in a U-shape.

[0036] In addition, in this embodiment, the protrusion 6 is formed to protrude from the side wall of the recess 7 in response to the supply of inflation gas, but this is not limiting as long as it is formed to protrude from the side wall of the recess 7 during deployment. For example, the protrusion 6 may be formed to have a protruding shape on the side wall of the recess 7, and protrude from the side wall of the recess 7 without being pressed by inflation gas.

[0037] Next, the results of measuring the amount of displacement of the chest of a dummy occupant P when the dummy occupant P was actually restrained by the airbag 4 will be shown.

[0038] (Example) When a crash test (SLED test) was conducted with a dummy occupant P fastened to a seat belt, the displacement of the chest of the occupant P (the distance moved rearward of the vehicle) due to the deployment of the airbag 4 was measured.

[0039] (Comparative Example) When a collision test was conducted with a dummy occupant P fastened with a seatbelt, the amount of chest displacement of the occupant P due to the deployment of a conventional airbag was measured. The conventional airbag used here was a circular airbag that deploys into a cylindrical shape with the same thickness on the upper and lower sides.

[0040] (Evaluation of displacement) The displacement of the chest of the occupant P in the example and the comparative example was compared. As a result, it was found that the displacement of the chest of the occupant P in the example was reduced by approximately 4 mm compared to the comparative example. In other words, it was found that the airbag 4 reduces the displacement of the chest of the occupant P compared to a conventional circular airbag.

[0041] Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are merely examples of specific embodiments for carrying out the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by these embodiments. In other words, the present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the gist or main features thereof. For example, the disclosure of the shapes and numbers of each part described in the above-described embodiments is merely illustrative and can be modified as appropriate. [Industrial Applicability]

[0042] The airbag according to the present disclosure can be used as an airbag that deploys by supplying inflation gas. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1 steering wheel 2. Detection unit 3. Control Unit 4 Airbags 5 Airbag body 5a Side wall part 5b front 5c back 6 Protrusion 7. Recess 7a deep part 8a~8c Regulatory section 11,12,15,16 Base fabric 11a,11b,12a,12b,12c,12d Edge 13 Bottom 14a,14b Inner wall D1 Vehicle width direction D2 thickness direction D3 radial direction H1 upper side H2 lower side P crew

Claims

1. An airbag disposed in a steering wheel and configured to deploy between the steering wheel and an occupant by supplying inflation gas, an airbag body having a recess formed in a lower portion of the airbag body on the front side thereof, the recess being partially recessed in a thickness direction, the lower portion corresponding to the position of the occupant's chest; and a protrusion formed so that a side wall portion of the airbag body, which is continuous with a bottom formed in the recess, protrudes downward relative to the side wall portion of the airbag body in response to the supply of inflation gas.

2. The airbag body has a substantially circular outer shape when viewed from the front, The airbag according to claim 1 , wherein the recess is recessed in a thickness direction so as to widen downward.

3. The airbag according to claim 2 , wherein the recess is recessed in a substantially fan-like shape in the thickness direction.

4. The airbag according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a restricting portion that connects the front and back surfaces of the recess at an upper side of the recess and restricts the thickness of the recess.

5. The airbag according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the protruding portion is arranged so as to bend toward the steering wheel and protrude from the airbag body.

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