Airbag

Abstract

The present invention provides an airbag. The airbag is mounted on a vehicle at a predetermined position, and comprises an air bag having a deployed state and a stored state and comprising a first chamber, a second chamber and a third chamber, which are arranged in fluid communication with each other, wherein the third chamber comprises a connecting panel, and the connecting panel is provided with a first opening and a second opening, which are respectively connected to the first chamber and the second chamber; in the deployed state, the first chamber and the second chamber are configured to protrude from the connecting panel of the third chamber, and define a recess together with the connecting panel; and the first chamber is formed by a first fabric and comprises a folded portion, the first fabric comprises a first section and a second section arranged adjacent to each other, and the first section and the second section are folded along a folding line and then fixed together by means of a fixing portion to form the folded portion.

Description

airbags Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to safety devices in vehicles, and in particular to airbags. Background Art

[0002] Airbags are widely used in existing vehicles as a safety device to protect occupants. These include, for example, those located in the steering wheel, those located in the instrument panel, and overhead airbags located on the roof of the vehicle. When a vehicle collides or is impacted, the airbag's inflator receives a signal transmitted via a wiring harness connected to the inflator, triggering a detonation. The resulting gas rapidly inflates the folded airbag, which expands to protect the occupants from the impact.

[0003] However, during a collision, the occupant's head and chest may slide out of the airbag's airbag, thereby no longer being within the airbag's protection zone and instead striking other structures inside the vehicle, causing injury. Therefore, conventional airbags are designed with protruding structures on both sides of the airbag to protect the occupant, particularly in side collisions.

[0004] Such an airbag is expected to have a small size, good versatility, and a high degree of design freedom. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an airbag with a small volume, good versatility and high design freedom.

[0006] The present invention provides an airbag, which is installed at a predetermined position of a vehicle and includes:

[0007] an air bag having a deployed state and a stowed state;

[0008] in,

[0009] The air bag includes a first chamber, a second chamber, and a third chamber arranged to be in fluid communication with each other, the third chamber includes a connecting panel, and the connecting panel is provided with a first opening and a second opening connected to the first chamber and the second chamber respectively;

[0010] When in the expanded state, the first chamber and the second chamber are configured to protrude from the connecting panel of the third chamber and define a recessed portion together with the connecting panel;

[0011] The first chamber is formed by a piece of first fabric and includes a folded portion. The first fabric includes a first section and a second section that are adjacent to each other. The first section and the second section are folded along a fold line and then fixed together via a fixing portion to form the folded portion.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second chamber and the first chamber are constructed to be identical.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the edge of the first opening is adapted in size to the edge of the remaining portion of the first fabric except the first section and the second section.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first fabric is configured to have a structure symmetrical about a symmetry line, the symmetry line coincides with the folding line, and the thickness direction of the folded portion is positioned along the width direction of the vehicle.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, two folding portions are provided, and the two folding portions are arranged opposite to each other along the folding line.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fixing portion is configured as a suture portion, and the suture portion passes through the entire folding portion in both the length direction and the width direction of the folding portion.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first chamber and the second chamber are provided to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance along a width direction of the vehicle on the connection panel.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the airbag is configured as a steering wheel airbag, and the third chamber includes the connecting panel and a supporting panel fixed to an edge thereof, the connecting panel is configured as a circular panel, and the first opening is configured as an elliptical opening.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first fabric is configured as an elliptical fabric, and the fold line is along the long axis direction of the elliptical fabric.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the seam portion is configured to have a fold line section and a closed section surrounding the fold line section. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The features, advantages and technical effects of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same symbols indicate the same elements, wherein:

[0022] FIG1 schematically shows an airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 2 schematically shows a component of an airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG3(a) and FIG3(b) schematically illustrate another component of an airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following describes specific embodiments of the airbag according to the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The following detailed description and accompanying drawings are intended to illustrate the principles of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described herein. The various embodiments described herein may be used individually or in any combination. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the claims.

[0026] In addition, spatially relative terms (such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right") are used to describe the relative positional relationship of an element shown in the drawings to another element. Therefore, the spatially relative terms can be applied to orientations different from those shown in the drawings when used. Obviously, although all of these spatially relative terms refer to the orientations shown in the drawings for ease of description, those skilled in the art will understand that orientations different from those shown in the drawings can be used.

[0027] FIG1 schematically illustrates an airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG2 schematically illustrates a component of an airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG3(a) and FIG3(b) schematically illustrate another component of an airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention. The airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG1, FIG2, FIG3(a), and FIG3(b).

[0028] As shown in Figure 1, the present invention provides an airbag 1 that is installed at a predetermined location in a vehicle. The following description uses the example of an airbag 1 installed on the steering wheel of a vehicle as a driver's airbag. It should be noted that this is merely an example, and the airbag of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the airbag can also be used as a passenger airbag and installed on the dashboard or roof.

[0029] The airbag 1 includes an airbag 10, which has a deployed state and a stowed state. When the airbag 10 is in the deployed state, it is used to protect the passenger; when the airbag 10 is in the stowed state, it is stowed in a predetermined position in the vehicle, in this example, the predetermined position is the steering wheel of the vehicle.

[0030] Continuing with FIG1 , the specific structure of the airbag 10 will be described. As shown in FIG1 , the airbag 10 includes a first chamber 11, a second chamber 12, and a third chamber 13, which are arranged in fluid communication with each other. Accordingly, the airbag 1 can be provided with only one inflator, which can be located at the bottom of the third chamber 13 and fixed to the steering wheel frame to generate gas to inflate the first, second, and third chambers 11, 12, 13, thereby transitioning the airbag 10 from a stowed state to an inflated state.

[0031] 1 and 2 , the third chamber 13 includes a connection panel 131 having a first opening 131A and a second opening 131B. The first opening 131A is connected to the first chamber 11 and serves as a fluid communication port between the first chamber 11 and the third chamber 13. Furthermore, the second opening 131B is connected to the second chamber 12 and serves as a fluid communication port between the second chamber 12 and the third chamber 13. In this example, the connection panel 131 is generally circular to substantially conform to the shape of the steering wheel. The first opening 131A and the second opening 131B are symmetrically arranged about the diameter of the circle. However, this is merely an example, and the relative positions of the first opening 131A and the second opening 131B may be arranged in other ways as needed. Furthermore, as shown in FIG1 , when in the deployed state, the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 are configured to protrude from the connection panel 131 of the third chamber 13. The first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 extend toward the driver relative to the connection panel 131 and define a recessed portion 14 together with the connection panel 131. The recessed portion 14 can be used to accommodate the driver's head.

[0032] In the example shown in the figure, the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 are arranged to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance along the width direction of the vehicle on the connection panel 131. It can be understood that in this manner, when the airbag 10 is installed in the vehicle, the airbag 10 has opposite side portions in the vehicle width direction when in the deployed state, which can prevent the driver's head from sliding laterally away from the airbag 10.

[0033] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the second chamber 12 and the first chamber 11 can be constructed to be identical. Accordingly, the first opening 131A and the second opening 131B of the connection panel 131 are also constructed to be identical, meaning that the first opening 131A and the second opening 131B have the same shape and size. This can reduce the design and manufacturing costs of the airbag.

[0034] In addition, as shown in Figure 1, in addition to the connecting panel 131, the third chamber 13 also includes a support panel 132 fixed to the edge of the connecting panel 131. When the airbag 10 is in the expanded state, the support panel 132 is connected to the connecting panel 131 at the edge in a roughly bowl-shaped shape, and together with the connecting panel 131, defines the third chamber 13.

[0035] It should be noted that in the airbag 10 of the present invention, low fabric tension regions and high fabric tension regions are created in the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12. Specifically, the low fabric tension regions are located on opposite sides of the first and second chambers 11, 12, i.e., at the recessed portions 14; and the high fabric tension regions are located at the unconnected ends (also known as convex corners) of the first and second chambers 11, 12. The low fabric tension regions can reduce the likelihood that the airbag 10 will cause the driver's head to rotate. The high fabric tension regions provide support to prevent or limit the driver from escaping the recessed portions 14. Therefore, in the airbag of the present invention, the recessed portion between the first and second chambers can accommodate the driver's head and provide lateral support to offset forces that could cause the head to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise about its longitudinal axis.

[0036] Therefore, the airbag of the present invention ensures that the driver remains within the airbag's protection zone during a collision and reduces the risk of traumatic head / brain injuries caused by the driver's rapid head rotation, thereby providing high reliability and safety. Furthermore, the portion of the connecting panel located below the first and second chambers can also protect the driver's chest area, further enhancing driver protection.

[0037] As mentioned above, in this example, the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 are configured to be identical to each other. The manufacturing method of the first chamber 11 will be described in detail below. It can be understood that the description of the first chamber 11 is also applicable to the second chamber 12, and the manufacturing method of the second chamber 12 will not be described again to avoid redundancy.

[0038] As shown in Figure 1 , the first chamber 11 includes two folded portions 11A, which are arranged one above the other substantially along the height direction of the vehicle. The formation of the first chamber will be described in detail below.

[0039] As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the first chamber 11 is formed by a first fabric W1. The first fabric W1 is constructed as an elliptical fabric. It is understood that the first fabric W1 is symmetrical about a line of symmetry, having a short axis running horizontally and a long axis running longitudinally in the figures. Furthermore, the first fabric W1 is symmetrical about both its short axis and its long axis. Furthermore, a fold line F is defined on the first fabric W1, running along the long axis of the elliptical first fabric W1. Thus, the long axis of the first fabric W1, i.e., a line of symmetry, coincides with the fold line F. Furthermore, two folds 11A are positioned opposite each other along the fold line F. In other words, the two folds 11A are spaced apart in the direction of the fold line F.

[0040] The formation of the folded portion is described in further detail below with reference to Figures 3(a) and 3(b). The first fabric W1 includes a first section 111 and a second section 112 disposed adjacent to each other. In other words, a fold line F divides a portion of the first fabric W1 into the first section 111 and the second section 112. In one example, the first section 111 and the second section 112 are symmetrical about the fold line F. Furthermore, after being folded along the fold line F, the first section 111 and the second section 112 overlap each other in the thickness of the first fabric W1 and are secured together via a securing portion 15. After the first section 111 and the second section 112 are secured so as not to separate from each other, in the orientation of the first fabric W1 shown in Figure 3(b), an upward force is applied, for example, at the midpoint of the bottom edge of the first fabric W1, causing the secured first section 111 and the second section 112 to flip upward, while simultaneously flipping their peripheral edges downward, causing the first section 111 and the second section 112 to protrude beyond the peripheral edges, forming the folded portion 11A shown in Figure 1.

[0041] In one example, the fixing portion 15 is configured as a suture portion, and the suture portion runs through the entire folding portion 11A in both the length and width directions of the folding portion 11A. Specifically, the suture portion is constructed to have a folding line segment 151 and a closed segment 152. As shown in FIG3(b), the folding line segment 151 extends from one end of the folding portion to the other end in the form of a folding line, and the closed segment 152 is arranged to surround the folding line segment 151. In this way, the fixing portion 152 firmly fixes the first segment 111 and the second segment 112 together. Of course, the fixing portion in the form of a suture portion is not limited to this. For example, the suture portion can be configured as a grid. Moreover, the fixing portion is not limited to a suture portion. For example, the fixing portion can also be in other forms such as an adhesive portion.

[0042] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in the figure, the thickness direction of the folded portion is positioned along the width direction of the vehicle. It can be understood that since each of the first chamber and the second chamber has a folded portion, its thickness is relatively large, which can provide sufficient lateral support for the driver's head. Of course, this is just an example. The first chamber and the second chamber are not limited to being provided as one each and being arranged relative to each other in the width direction of the vehicle. For example, the first chamber and the second chamber can also be arranged one above the other in the height direction of the vehicle; for another example, multiple (for example, two) first chambers and second chambers can be provided respectively, and the multiple first chambers and second chambers can be spaced apart on the connection panel, for example, along the circumference of the connection panel.

[0043] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the edge of the first opening is adapted in size to the edge of the remaining portion of the first fabric except the first section and the second section. Similarly, the edge of the second opening is adapted in size to the edge of the remaining portion of the first fabric except the first section and the second section, so as to facilitate quick and easy connection of the fabrics used to form the first chamber and the second chamber to the connecting panel.

[0044] It can be understood that in the present invention, since the first chamber and / or the second chamber protruding from the connecting panel of the third chamber is constructed to be made of a separate fabric, the number, size, shape of the first chamber and / or the second chamber, and the size of the connecting portion between the connecting panel can be freely designed, so the airbag can have a smaller volume, good versatility and higher design freedom.

[0045] As mentioned above, although the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above specific embodiments, and the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An airbag (1) which is installed at a predetermined position of a vehicle and comprises: An air bag (10) having an expanded state and a stowed state; It is characterized in that The air bag (10) comprises a first chamber (11), a second chamber (12) and a third chamber (13) which are arranged to be fluidically connected to each other, the third chamber (13) comprises a connection panel (131), and the connection panel (131) is provided with a first opening (131A) and a second opening (131B) which are respectively connected to the first chamber (11) and the second chamber (12); When in the expanded state, the first chamber (11) and the second chamber (12) are configured to protrude from the connection panel (131) of the third chamber (13), and together with the connection panel (131) define a recessed portion (14); The first chamber (11) is formed by a piece of first fabric (W1) and includes a folded portion (11A), wherein the first fabric (W1) includes a first section (111) and a second section (112) arranged adjacent to each other, and the first section (111) and the second section (112) are folded along a fold line (F) and fixed together via a fixing portion (15) to form the folded portion (11A).

2. The airbag (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The second chamber (12) and the first chamber (11) are constructed to be identical.

3. The airbag (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The edge of the first opening (131A) is adapted in size to the edge of the remaining portion of the first fabric (W1) except the first section (111) and the second section (112).

4. The airbag (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The first fabric (W1) is configured to have a symmetrical structure about a symmetry line, and the symmetry line coincides with the folding line (F), and the thickness direction of the folded portion (11A) is positioned along the width direction of the vehicle.

5. The airbag (1) according to claim 4, wherein: Two folding portions (11A) are provided, and the two folding portions (11A) are arranged opposite to each other along the folding line (F).

6. The airbag (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The fixing portion (15) is provided as a stitching portion, and the stitching portion penetrates the entire folding portion (11A) in both the length direction and the width direction of the folding portion (11A).

7. The airbag (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The first chamber (11) and the second chamber (12) are provided on the connection panel (131) so as to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in a width direction of the vehicle.

8. The airbag (1) according to claim 1, wherein The airbag (1) is configured as a steering wheel airbag, and the third chamber (13) includes the connection panel (131) and a support panel (132) fixed to its edge, the connection panel (131) is configured as a circular panel, and the first opening (131A) is configured as an elliptical opening.

9. The airbag (1) according to claim 8, wherein: The first fabric (W1) is configured as an elliptical fabric, and the fold line (F) is along the long axis direction of the elliptical fabric.

10. The airbag (1) according to claim 6, wherein: The seam portion is constructed to have a fold line section (151) and a closed section (152) surrounding the fold line section (151).

Images