Airbag and bag-in-roof

Abstract

An airbag (10) and a bag-in-roof. The airbag (10) comprises: front and rear fabric pieces (11); and a top side fabric piece (12) which comprises a body portion (121) and fin portions (122) located on two sides of the body portion (121), wherein two ends (121a, 121b) of the body portion (121) are respectively connected to two ends (11a, 11b) of the front and rear fabric pieces (11), and the two fin portions (122) are respectively connected to two sides of the front and rear fabric pieces (11). When inflation of the airbag (10) is finished, the front and rear fabric pieces (11) form a front portion (10a) and a rear portion (10b) of the airbag (10), the body portion (121) forms a top portion (10c) of the airbag (10), and the fin portions (122) serve as thickness supports of the airbag (10) to form side portions of the airbag (10).

Description

Airbags and overhead front airbags Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of airbag technology, and more specifically, to airbag bags and overhead front airbags. Background Technology

[0002] New energy vehicles and other vehicles are equipped with bag-in-roof (BiR) front airbags. These airbags are mounted on the roof and deploy downwards along the windshield in the event of a frontal collision, providing safety protection for front occupants (including the driver and front passenger).

[0003] Referring to Figure 1, which shows the application scenario of the roof-mounted front airbag in a vehicle, the current roof-mounted front airbag's airbag bag 10' has insufficient thickness T' after deployment, and cannot provide good safety protection for the front occupants 20.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present invention, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides an airbag and a top-mounted front airbag. By adding wings, the thickness of the airbag is effectively increased and can be adjusted as needed, so that when the airbag is applied to the top-mounted front airbag, it can provide good safety protection for front-seat occupants.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention provides an airbag for a top-mounted front airbag, comprising: front and rear airbag panels; a top side airbag panel including a body portion and wings located on both sides of the body portion, the two ends of the body portion being respectively connected to the two ends of the front and rear airbag panels, and the two wings being respectively connected to the two sides of the front and rear airbag panels; when the airbag is fully inflated, the front and rear airbag panels form the front and rear portions of the airbag, the body portion forms the top of the airbag, and the wings serve as thickness support for the airbag and form the sides of the airbag.

[0007] In some embodiments, the wing portion has a first arcuate edge; when the airbag is fully inflated, the first arcuate edge and a portion of the front and rear fabric panels form the arcuate protrusion of the front profile of the airbag.

[0008] In some embodiments, the wing portion has a second arcuate edge; when the airbag is fully inflated, the second arcuate edge and a portion of the front and rear fabric panels form the rear profile of the airbag.

[0009] In some embodiments, the free end of the wing is formed in an arc shape; when the airbag is fully inflated, the free end of the wing and a portion of the front and rear lining fabric form the arc-shaped protrusion of the bottom outline of the airbag.

[0010] In some embodiments, the body portion and the wing portion are an integral bag fabric, or the body portion and the wing portion are separate bag fabrics.

[0011] In some embodiments, the unfolded shape of the body portion is triangular or rhomboid, and the wings extend from both sides of the body portion; the unfolded shape of the front and rear pouches is straight, segmented, or striped with ears on both sides.

[0012] In some embodiments, the front and rear pouch fabrics are provided with ears on both sides, and the outline of the ears is connected to the first arc-shaped edge; the airbag also includes an inner pull tab, which is located inside the airbag, and the two pairs of sides of the inner pull tab are respectively connected to the wings and the ears; when the airbag is fully inflated, the ears form ear protectors located on both sides of the front of the airbag and protruding relative to the front.

[0013] In some embodiments, the airbag further includes: a top sheet liner connecting the top ends of the front and rear sheets and the top side sheet liner; and an inner sheet liner located inside the airbag, with two opposite sides of the inner sheet liner connecting to the two ends of the front and rear sheets respectively; when the airbag is fully inflated, the inner sheet liner pulls the connection between the top sheet liner and the top ends of the front and rear sheets inward to form a sliding protective space.

[0014] In some embodiments, the air inlet of the airbag is formed between the top end of the top side sheet and the top sheet; the air outlet of the airbag is formed in the wing.

[0015] In some embodiments, the individual pieces of the airbag fabric are sewn together.

[0016] Another aspect of the present invention provides an overhead front airbag, the overhead front airbag being configured with an airbag bag as described in any of the above embodiments; when the airbag bag is fully inflated, the top of the airbag bag is against the windshield, the rear of the airbag bag is against the dashboard, and the front of the airbag bag faces the front seat.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention compared to the prior art include at least the following:

[0018] The airbag of the present invention has wings formed on both sides of the main body of the top side panel. The two wings are respectively connected to the two sides of the front and rear panels. After the airbag is inflated, the wings serve as thickness support for the airbag and form the sides of the airbag, effectively increasing the thickness of the airbag and making the overall outline of the airbag more three-dimensional and full. This enhances the cushioning and energy absorption effect of the airbag, enabling it to provide excellent safety protection for front-seat occupants when applied to a top-mounted front airbag. In addition, the two ends of the main body of the top side panel are respectively connected to the two ends of the front and rear panels. After the airbag is inflated, the front and rear panels form the front and rear parts of the airbag, and the main body forms the top of the airbag, thus forming a complete airbag.

[0019] The shape and size of the wings can be adjusted as needed to regulate the thickness of the airbag, so that the airbag and overhead front airbag of the present invention can be applied to different vehicle models and adapt to different safety protection standards.

[0020] The airbag and overhead front airbag of the present invention are particularly suitable for new energy vehicles and other vehicles, and can effectively protect the front passengers by utilizing the sufficient thickness of the airbag after deployment.

[0021] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0023] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the application scenario of the overhead front airbag in a vehicle;

[0024] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the inflation state of an airbag in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of each piece of the airbag fabric shown in Figure 2;

[0026] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the inflation state of another airbag in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of each piece of the airbag fabric shown in Figure 4;

[0028] Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of the inflation state of another airbag in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of each piece of the airbag fabric shown in Figure 6. Detailed Implementation

[0030] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to those described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make the invention more comprehensive and complete, and to fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0031] The accompanying drawings are merely illustrative of the invention and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts, and therefore, repeated descriptions of them will be omitted.

[0032] The use of terms such as "first," "second," and similar words in the specific description does not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but is merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as "top," "bottom," "front," and "rear" indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. Furthermore, in the description of the invention, when it is said that a device is "connected" to another device, this includes not only direct connections but also indirect connections through other elements.

[0033] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in different embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0034] Figure 2 illustrates the inflated structure of an airbag bag according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 illustrates the structure of each piece of the airbag fabric shown in Figure 2. Figure 4 illustrates the inflated structure of another airbag bag according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 illustrates the structure of each piece of the airbag fabric shown in Figure 4. Figure 6 illustrates the inflated structure of yet another airbag bag according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 illustrates the structure of each piece of the airbag fabric shown in Figure 6. Referring to Figures 2 to 7, the airbag bag 10 for a top-mounted front airbag provided in this embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0035] Front and rear pouch fabric 11;

[0036] The top side sheet 12 includes a body portion 121 and wings 122 located on both sides of the body portion 121. The two ends (121a, 121b) of the body portion 121 are respectively connected to the two ends (11a, 11b) of the front and rear sheet 11, and the two wings 122 are respectively connected to the two sides of the front and rear sheet 11.

[0037] When the airbag 10 is fully inflated, the front and rear airbag fabrics 11 form the front part 10a and the rear part 10b of the airbag 10, the body part 121 forms the top part 10c of the airbag 10, and the wings 122 serve as thickness support for the airbag 10 and form the side part of the airbag 10.

[0038] Referring to the application scenario of the overhead front airbag in a vehicle shown in Figure 1, the front part 10a of the airbag 10 faces the front passenger 20, the rear part 10b of the airbag 10 is attached to the dashboard 30, the top part 10c of the airbag 10 is attached to the windshield 40, and the side part of the airbag 10 is located between the front part 10a and the rear part 10b, forming the thickness T of the airbag 10.

[0039] The airbag 10 of the present invention has wings 122 formed on both sides of the body portion 121 of the top side panel 12. The two wings 122 are respectively connected to the sides of the front and rear panels 11. After the airbag 10 is inflated, the wings 122 serve as thickness supports for the airbag 10, forming the sides of the airbag 10, effectively increasing the thickness T of the airbag 10, making the overall outline of the airbag 10 more three-dimensional and full, thereby enhancing the cushioning and energy absorption effects of the airbag 10. When applied to the overhead front airbag, it can provide good safety protection for the front occupants 20. In addition, the two ends (121a, 121b) of the body part 121 of the top side airbag 12 are connected to the two ends (11a, 11b) of the front and rear airbags 11, respectively. After the airbag 10 is inflated, the front and rear airbags 11 form the front part 10a and the rear part 10b of the airbag 10, and the body part 121 forms the top 10c of the airbag 10, thus forming a complete airbag 10.

[0040] The shape and size of the wing 122 can be adjusted as needed to adjust the thickness T of the airbag 10, so that the airbag 10 and the overhead front airbag of the present invention can be applied to different vehicle models and can adapt to different safety protection standards.

[0041] For example, in C-NCAP (China New Car Assessment Program) 2024, the FRB (frontal 100% overlap rigid barrier) crash test speed was increased from 50 km / h to 55 km / h; using a top-mounted front airbag equipped with the airbag bag 10 provided by this invention can effectively meet the test specifications and improve the safety protection effect.

[0042] In some embodiments, the wing portion 122 has a first arcuate edge 122a; when the airbag 10 is fully inflated, the first arcuate edge 122a and a portion of the front and rear lining fabric 11 form the arcuate protrusion of the front profile of the airbag 10.

[0043] The first arc-shaped edge 122a of the wing 122 connects with a portion of the side edge of the front and rear airbag fabric 11, so that the front part 10a of the airbag bag 10 forms an arc-shaped protrusion after inflation, thus providing effective cushioning and protection for the front occupants 20.

[0044] The curvature of the first arc-shaped edge 122a can be adjusted as needed to regulate the degree of arc-shaped protrusion of the front part 10a of the airbag 10; the greater the curvature of the first arc-shaped edge 122a, the greater the degree of arc-shaped protrusion of the front part 10a of the airbag 10 after inflation. In addition, the length of the first arc-shaped edge 122a can be adjusted as needed to regulate the extension length of the front part 10a of the airbag 10.

[0045] In specific application scenarios, the design parameters of the first arc-shaped edge 122a can be adjusted according to the required reserved space between the front part 10a of the airbag 10 and the front passenger 20 after inflation, and the buffer protection strength of the airbag 10 for the front passenger 20.

[0046] In some embodiments, the wing 122 has a second arcuate edge 122b; when the airbag 10 is fully inflated, the second arcuate edge 122b and a portion of the front and rear fabric panels 11 form the rear profile of the airbag 10.

[0047] The second arc-shaped edge 122b of the wing 122 connects with a portion of the side edge of the front and rear airbag fabric 11, so that after inflation, the rear part 10b of the airbag 10 forms a slightly arc-shaped protrusion or a relatively flat contour, allowing the rear part 10b of the airbag 10 to stably adhere to the instrument panel 30. The arc and length of the second arc-shaped edge 122b can be adjusted as needed to ensure that the contour of the rear part 10b of the airbag 10 after inflation meets the requirements.

[0048] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the free end 122d of the wing 122 is formed in an arc shape; when the airbag 10 is fully inflated, the free end 122d of the wing 122 and part of the front and rear sheet fabric 11 form the arc-shaped protruding bottom contour of the airbag 10.

[0049] The airbag 10's bottom 10d, after inflation, forms an arc-shaped convex profile by connecting the arc-shaped free end 122d of the wing 122 with a portion of the side edge of the front and rear airbag fabric 11. This assists the wing 122 in supporting the thickness T of the airbag 10. Furthermore, after inflation, the bottom 10d of the airbag 10 faces the legs of the front passenger 20, thus providing better cushioning and protection for their legs.

[0050] It should be noted that the first arc-shaped edge 122a, the second arc-shaped edge 122b, and the arc-shaped free end 122d mentioned in the above embodiments refer to a non-linear extension method with a smooth curve transition, without strictly following the geometry of a circular arc. The main function of the first arc-shaped edge 122a, the second arc-shaped edge 122b, and the arc-shaped free end 122d is to eliminate sharp corners in the structure, thereby reducing stress concentration, improving mechanical performance and safety, and enabling the airbag 10 to provide effective cushioning protection for the front-seat occupants 20 after inflation.

[0051] In the above embodiments, the body portion 121 and the wing portion 122 can be an integral pouch, so that the top side pouch 12 can be cut and formed in one step. Alternatively, the body portion 121 and the wing portion 122 can be separate pouches, so that the wing portion 122 can be formed by cutting the corner portion of the pouch, thereby improving the utilization rate of the pouch.

[0052] In the above embodiments, the unfolded shape of the body portion 121 can be triangular or rhomboid, and the wing portions 122 extend from both sides of the body portion 121. For example, FIG3 shows that the unfolded shape of the body portion 121 is triangular, FIG5 shows that the unfolded shape of the body portion 121 is rhomboid, and FIG7 shows that the unfolded shape of the body portion 121 is rhomboid, but it is not limited thereto, and the body portion 121 can be formed into any suitable shape.

[0053] It should be noted that the unfolded shape of the main body 121 is triangular or rhomboid, which means that the unfolded shape of the main body 121 is a triangular or rhomboid outline, in order to avoid stress concentration at sharp corners, optimize material utilization, and adapt to the front and rear pocket fabrics 11 to achieve connection with the front and rear pocket fabrics 11.

[0054] In the above embodiments, the unfolded shape of the front and rear pouch fabrics 11 is a straight strip, a segmented shape, or a strip with ears on both sides. For example, Figure 3 shows that the unfolded shape of the front and rear pouch fabrics 11 is a straight strip, Figure 5 shows that the unfolded shape of the front and rear pouch fabrics 11 is a segmented shape, and Figure 7 shows that the unfolded shape of the front and rear pouch fabrics 11 is a strip with ears on both sides. However, this is not a limitation, and the front and rear pouch fabrics 11 can be formed into any suitable shape.

[0055] Further, referring to Figures 6 and 7, in some embodiments, ears 111 are provided on both sides of the front and rear pouch fabric 11, and the outline edge 111' of the ears 111 is connected to the first arcuate edge 122a of the wing 122; the airbag 10 also includes an inner pull tab 16, which is located inside the airbag 10, and the two pairs of sides 160 of the inner pull tab 16 are respectively connected to the wing 122 and the ears 111. Specifically, the wing 122 and the ears 111 may each be provided with connecting parts 160' for connecting to the two pairs of sides 160 of the inner pull tab 16. When the airbag 10 is fully inflated, the ears 111 form ear protectors 10a' located on both sides of the front part 10a of the airbag 10 and protruding relative to the front part 10a.

[0056] The ear protectors 10a' enable multiple protective mechanisms in vehicle collision scenarios. Specifically, on the one hand, in scenarios such as side collisions, occupants' heads are prone to lateral swaying; by inflating the ear protectors 10a' forward and expanding to the sides, the buffer area can be increased and lateral impact energy absorbed, limiting excessive head rotation and preventing secondary impacts to vulnerable areas such as the temples and ears of front-seat occupants. On the other hand, the bursting sound generated when the airbag 10 deploys can easily exceed the limits of human hearing; the ear protectors 10a' cover the ear area, forming a physical sound barrier and reducing noise impact.

[0057] Continuing with reference to Figures 1 to 7, in some embodiments, the airbag 10 further includes: a top sheet 13, connecting the top ends 11a of the front and rear sheets 11 and the top end 121a of the top side sheet 12; and an inner sheet 14, located inside the airbag 10, with its two opposite sides 140 connecting the two ends (11a, 11b) of the front and rear sheets 11 respectively. When the airbag 10 is fully inflated, the inner sheet 14 pulls the connection between the top sheet 13 and the top ends 11a of the front and rear sheets 11 inward to form a sliding protective space 100.

[0058] By using the sliding protection space 100, when a collision occurs, the head of the front passenger 20 can be inserted and slid a suitable distance, thus achieving the safety protection of the head of the front passenger 20.

[0059] In the above embodiments, the air inlet 110 of the airbag 10 is formed between the top end 121a of the top side sheet 12 and the top end 13a of the top sheet 13; the exhaust port 120 of the airbag 10 is formed in the wing 122.

[0060] The air inlet 110 of the airbag 10 is connected to the gas generator 110', used to inflate the airbag 10 at the moment of vehicle collision to cause the airbag 10 to deploy. The exhaust outlet 120 of the airbag 10 is used to release air after the airbag 10 has been inflated, so as to absorb the kinetic energy of the collision by utilizing the throttling effect of the exhaust and mitigate the impact on the face of the front passenger 20. In this invention, the newly added fins 122 provide more space for the exhaust outlet 120.

[0061] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the individual panels of the airbag 10 are sewn together. Of course, with improvements in airbag manufacturing processes, other methods can also be used to connect the individual panels.

[0062] Continuing with reference to Figures 1 to 7, this embodiment of the invention also provides a roof-mounted front airbag, which is configured with an airbag bag 10 as described in any of the above embodiments; wherein, when the airbag bag 10 is fully inflated, the top 10c of the airbag bag 10 is against the windshield 40, the rear 10b of the airbag bag 10 is against the dashboard 30, and the front 10a of the airbag bag 10 faces the front passenger 20.

[0063] The overhead front airbag configuration of the present invention, with the airbag bag 10 described above, can utilize the wings 122 as thickness support for the airbag bag 10, effectively increasing the thickness T of the airbag bag 10, making the overall outline of the airbag bag 10 more three-dimensional and full, thereby enhancing the cushioning and energy absorption effect of the airbag bag 10, so that the overhead front airbag can play a good safety protection role for the front occupants 20; and the shape and size of the wings 122 can be adjusted as needed to adjust the thickness T of the airbag bag 10, so that the overhead front airbag can be applied to different vehicle models and can adapt to different safety protection standards.

[0064] The airbag bag 10 and the overhead front airbag of the present invention are particularly suitable for vehicles such as new energy vehicles, and can effectively protect the front-seat occupants by utilizing the sufficient thickness of the airbag after deployment.

[0065] The above description, in conjunction with specific preferred embodiments, provides a further detailed explanation of the present invention. It should not be construed that the specific implementation of the present invention is limited to these descriptions. For those skilled in the art, various simple deductions or substitutions can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and all such modifications and substitutions should be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An airbag bag for use in a top-mounted front airbag, characterized in that, include: Front and rear pouch fabric; The top side sheet includes a body portion and wings located on both sides of the body portion. The two ends of the body portion are respectively connected to the two ends of the front and rear sheet, and the two wings are respectively connected to the two sides of the front and rear sheet. When the airbag is fully inflated, the front and rear fabric pieces form the front and rear parts of the airbag, the body part forms the top of the airbag, and the wings serve as thickness support for the airbag and form the sides of the airbag.

2. The airbag as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The wing portion has a first arc-shaped edge; When the airbag is fully inflated, the first arc-shaped edge and a portion of the front and rear fabric panels form the arc-shaped protrusion of the front profile of the airbag.

3. The airbag as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The wing portion has a second arc-shaped edge; When the airbag is fully inflated, the second arc-shaped edge and a portion of the front and rear fabric panels form the rear outline of the airbag.

4. The airbag as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The free end of the wing is formed in an arc shape; When the airbag is fully inflated, the free end of the wing and part of the front and rear fabric pieces form the arc-shaped convex bottom profile of the airbag.

5. The airbag as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The body and the wings are an integral bag, or the body and the wings are separate bags.

6. The airbag as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The unfolded shape of the main body is triangular or rhomboid, and the wings extend from both sides of the main body. The unfolded shape of the front and rear pouches is straight, segmented, or striped with ears on both sides.

7. The airbag as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The front and rear pouch fabrics are provided with ears on both sides, and the outline of the ears is connected to the first arc-shaped edge. The airbag also includes an inner pull tab, which is located inside the airbag, and the two opposite sides of the inner pull tab are respectively connected to the wings and the ears; When the airbag is fully inflated, the ears form ear protectors located on both sides of the front of the airbag and protruding relative to the front.

8. The airbag as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Top sheet pouch, connecting the top ends of the front and rear sheet pouches and the top end of the top side sheet pouch; An inner lining sheet is located inside the airbag, and the two opposite sides of the inner lining sheet are respectively connected to the two ends of the front and rear lining sheets; When the airbag is fully inflated, the inner lining pulls the connection between the top lining and the front and rear linings inward to form a sliding protective space.

9. The airbag as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The air inlet of the airbag is formed between the top of the top side panel of the airbag and the top panel of the airbag. The air vent of the airbag is formed in the wing.

10. The airbag as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The individual pieces of fabric of the airbag are sewn together.

11. A top-mounted front airbag, characterized in that, The overhead front airbag is equipped with an airbag bag as described in any one of claims 1-10; When the airbag is fully inflated, the top of the airbag is against the windshield, the rear of the airbag is against the dashboard, and the front of the airbag faces the front seat.

Images