JP4517873B2 - Pedestrian protection device for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle pedestrian protection device having an airbag configured to be deployed on the front side of a windshield, and belongs to the field of vehicle safety technology.

  Conventionally, as a vehicle pedestrian protection device having an airbag configured to be deployed on the front side of a windshield, for example, as shown in FIG. 18, it extends in the vehicle width direction in the vicinity of the lower side of the windshield 101. An airbag 100 having a vehicle width direction portion 100a and left and right upward extending portions 100b and 100b extending upward along the left and right front pillars 102 and 102 from both ends in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle width direction portion 100a is provided. Is known.

  However, in the airbag having such a structure, when deployed, gas is usually sent from the lower part of the vehicle width direction part 100a to the upper extension parts 100b, 100b. As shown by the arrow W, the extending force acts outward in the vehicle width direction on the extending portions 100b and 100b. As a result, the upward extending portions 100b and 100b are outward in the vehicle width direction as indicated by phantom lines. After the airbag has been deployed, it then falls back inward in the vehicle width direction from the position indicated by the solid line in the reaction, and then falls back in the vehicle width direction again in the reaction, There is a problem that the front pillars 102 are not stably covered.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique that addresses this problem. That is, as shown in FIG. 19, connecting members 200c and 200c for connecting the vehicle width direction portion 200a and the upward extending portions 200b and 200b are provided, so that when the airbag is deployed, both the upward extending portions 200b and 200b are provided. It is intended to prevent the upper extending portions 200b, 200b from being bound to the vehicle width direction portion 200a via the connecting members 200c, 200c.

JP 2003-252143 A

  However, even the airbag 200 described in Patent Document 1 may cause the following problems. That is, since the airbag generally has elasticity so as to be able to absorb an impact, as shown by a solid line in FIG. 20, when an outward deployment force acts on both the upwardly extending portions 200b and 200b. The upper portion of the vehicle width direction portion 200a is pulled upward via the connecting portion 200c, and eventually, the upward extending portions 200b and 200b fall down outward in the vehicle width direction. In addition, after that, by the reaction, the upper portion of the vehicle width direction portion 200a sinks downward from the state of the solid line, and the upward extending portions 200b and 200b fall inward in the vehicle width direction, and thereafter the reaction. Then, the upward extending portions 200b, 200b again fall outward in the vehicle width direction, and the vibration of the airbag 200 is sufficiently sufficient so that the upper portion of the vehicle width direction portion 200a is pulled upward via the connecting portion 200c. It cannot be suppressed. In other words, even if the technique described in Patent Document 1 is applied, not only does the collapse of the upwardly extending portion fail to be sufficiently suppressed when the airbag is deployed, but the vibration continues for a while after deployment and the front pillar 202 continues. , 202 cannot be covered stably

  Therefore, the present invention provides a vehicle width direction portion extending in the vehicle width direction in the vicinity of the lower side portion of the windshield, and left and right upper portions extending upward along the left and right front pillars from the vehicle width direction both ends of the vehicle width direction portion. To provide a pedestrian protection device for a vehicle in which an upper extension portion can stably cover a front pillar immediately after the airbag is deployed in a vehicle pedestrian protection device provided with an airbag having an extension portion. Is an issue.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention is configured as follows.

First, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application is a vehicle pedestrian protection device having an airbag configured to be deployed on the front side of a windshield, wherein the airbag is in the deployed state, A vehicle width direction portion extending in the vehicle width direction in the vicinity of the lower side portion of the windshield, and left and right upward extending portions extending upward along the left and right front pillars from both ends of the vehicle width direction portion, and One end is fixed to the upper ends of both upper extending portions of the airbag, and the other end is locked to the vehicle body side member on the inner side in the vehicle width direction from the upper extending portion when the airbag is deployed. An upwardly extending portion connecting member , and one end is fixed to the upper center of the vehicle width direction portion of the airbag, and the other end is a string-like shape that is locked to the vehicle body side member at the vehicle width direction center when the airbag is deployed. Vehicle width direction part connecting member is provided The vehicle width direction unit connecting member may be provided along the outer surface of the airbag upon deployment of the airbag.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the other end of each upwardly extending portion connecting member is locked to the vehicle body side member at the center in the vehicle width direction. And

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the other ends of the pair of upward extending portion connecting members and the vehicle width direction portion connecting member are in an unfolded state. It is characterized by being locked to the vehicle body side member below the bag.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to any one of the first to third aspects, the upward extending portion connecting member is formed in a string shape, and a part of the upwardly meandering portion is meandered. A meandering portion is provided that is folded back and overlapped with each other, and holding means for holding the meandering state is provided, and the holding means has a deployment force that exceeds a predetermined force during deployment of the airbag. In this case, the meandering state of the meandering portion is released.

And, the invention according to claim 5, in the invention of any one of claims 4 to claim 1, the other end of said pair of upwardly extending portion connecting member and said vehicle-width extending portion coupling member, A stopper member is fixedly inserted through a hole provided in the vehicle body side member, and the stopper member comes into contact with the vehicle body side member to be locked to the vehicle body side member. The member is characterized by having an area capable of receiving the deployment force of the airbag.

Further, the invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to claim 5, wherein the pair of upward extending portion connecting members and the vehicle width direction portion connecting member are formed in holes provided in the vehicle body side member. A string-like member that is slidably inserted and extends from the stopper member to the instrument panel in the vehicle interior is provided.

The invention described in Claim 7 is the invention according to claim 6, and winding mechanism for winding the string member, that the operating member for actuating the take-up mechanism is provided Features.

  Next, the effect of the present invention will be described.

First, according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the airbag is deployed, the upper end portion of each upwardly extending portion extends upward even if a deployment force acts outwardly in the vehicle width direction on each upwardly extending portion. Since it is restrained by the vehicle body side member in a state of being pulled inward in the vehicle width direction by the portion connecting member, the upward extending portion is prevented from falling outward in the vehicle width direction.

In addition, by suppressing the upward extension portion from falling down in this manner, the amplitude of the vehicle width direction vibration generated in the upward extension portion is reduced, and the other end side of the upward extension portion connecting member is moved up and down. Therefore, after the airbag is deployed, the vibration in the vehicle width direction of the upward extending portion is quickly attenuated. In other words, after the airbag is deployed, the positions of both upward extending portions are quickly stabilized, and the front pillar is stably covered.

By the way, by comprising as mentioned above, it will become possible to effectively suppress the outward extension and vibration of the upwardly extending portion of the airbag in the vehicle width direction. The vehicle width direction portion connected to the vehicle also generates some vibrations. Therefore, if the vibration in the vehicle width direction portion is suppressed, the effect can be further ensured.

In this case, according to the present invention, when the airbag is deployed, the upper center of the vehicle width direction portion is constrained to the vehicle body by the vehicle width direction portion connecting member at the vehicle width direction center. Is prevented from being pulled upward. Accordingly, the upward extending portion connected to the vehicle width direction portion is further prevented from falling outward in the vehicle width direction and the vibration of the airbag is suppressed, and the front pillar is stably covered by each upward extending portion.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the other end of each upwardly extending portion connecting member is locked to the vehicle body side member at the center in the vehicle width direction, outwardly acting on each upwardly extending portion. Can be received in a balanced and reliable manner.

Further, according to the invention described in claim 3 , since the other end of each connecting member is locked to the vehicle body side member below the airbag in the deployed state, the upward deployment applied to each upward extending portion is performed. Can take power effectively.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the meandering portion of the upper extending portion connecting member is held by the holding means at the start of deployment, the upper end portion of the upper extending portion is once more than the final position. When the holding force is released when the holding force is released after the holding force is released from the inner side in the width direction and the developing force becomes a developing force of a predetermined value or more, the belt is deployed toward the final position. Therefore, the upward extending portion is further prevented from falling outward in the vehicle width direction and vibration thereof, and as a result, the front pillar is stably covered by each upward extending portion.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a structure that can reliably receive the deploying force applied to the upwardly extending portion connecting member when the airbag is deployed can be realized with a simple configuration.

Further, according to the invention described in claim 6 , since the string-like member extending from the stopper member to the vehicle interior instrument panel portion is provided, the deployed airbag is contracted by pulling the string-like member toward the passenger side. It becomes possible to make it.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the winding mechanism for winding the string-like member and the operation member for operating the winding mechanism are provided, the passenger only needs to operate the operation member. It is possible to deflate the deployed airbag quickly and easily without bothering the hands. Therefore, for example, when the airbag needs to be deflated and the vehicle needs to be moved after the airbag is deployed, a quick response can be made.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described.

  The vehicle pedestrian protection apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a vehicle 1 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 is provided with a U-shaped airbag 4 that can be deployed between the left and right front pillars 3, 3 on the front side of the windshield 2. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle 1 is provided with a controller 10 for controlling the deployment of the airbag 4, and a pedestrian or the like collides with the vehicle body at the front end of the vehicle body. A collision sensor 11 (for example, a G sensor) for detection is provided. The airbag 4 includes inflators 12 and 12 that generate gas for deploying the airbag 4 (see FIG. 7). The controller 10 receives a signal input from the collision sensor 11 according to a predetermined signal. When these conditions are met, the inflators 12 and 12 are energized to generate gas, and the airbag 4 is deployed. Instead of the collision sensor 11, a sensor such as a radar or an infrared sensor may be provided in a bumper or the like as a collision prediction sensor. In this case, when a collision is predicted by a signal from the sensor, the inflator 12, 12 may be energized.

  Next, the structure of the front part of the vehicle body in which the airbag 4 is stored will be described. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, an engine room 22 that is opened and closed by a hood hood 21 is provided at the front of the vehicle 1, and the engine room 22 and the vehicle are disposed at the rear end of the engine room 22. A dash panel 24 that partitions the chamber 23 is disposed. A cowl member 25 that extends in the vehicle width direction and supports the lower side of the windshield 2 is provided on the surface of the upper portion of the dash panel 24 on the engine room 22 side. A cowl top panel 26 made of, for example, a resin material extending in the direction is disposed.

  Further, a case 30 for storing the airbag 4 is disposed below the vicinity of the rear end of the bonnet hood 21. The case 30 extends in the vehicle width direction along the inclined surface 25a of the front portion of the cowl member 25, has an upper surface opened, a storage portion 31 in which the airbag 4 is stored, and a fold described later in the cowl top panel 26. It consists of the cover part 32 which consists of a part of the vehicle front part side rather than the curved part 26a. A plurality of stat bolts 33... 33 are fixed to the outer surface of the rear wall of the storage portion 31, and the stat bolts 33... 33 are inserted into the mounting holes provided in the inclined surface 25 a of the cowl member 25 and the nuts 34. 34 is screwed together. Further, a plurality of rivets 35... 35 are inserted through a plurality of holes provided in the front end wall of the lid portion 32 and the front wall of the storage portion 31, and these both walls are crimped.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, bent portions 26 a, 26 b, 26 c, and 26 c are provided above the opening of the storage portion 31 in the lid portion 32 of the case 30 so as to surround the opening. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, grooves 42, 43, 41, and 41 are provided on the back surfaces of the bent portions 26a, 26b, 26c, and 26c, respectively. Here, each of the groove portions 42, 43, 41, 41 is a V-shaped groove, but among these, the groove portions 41, 41, 43 are deeper than the groove portion 42, and the deployment pressure of the airbag 4 It can be broken.

  Next, the airbag 4 will be described in detail. The airbag 4 is obtained by stitching the peripheral edges of two U-shaped cloth materials, and as shown in FIG. A vehicle width direction portion 4a that covers the vicinity, and a pair of upward extending portions 4b and 4b that extend upward from both ends of the vehicle width direction portion 4a to cover the front pillars 3 and 3 (see FIG. 2). .

  The airbag 4 is provided with a linear stitching portion 4c extending from the vicinity of the upper end portion of one upper extending portion 4b to the vicinity of the upper end portion of the other upper extending portion 4b through the vehicle width direction portion 4a. The space in the airbag 4 is divided into two substantially upper and lower spaces by the stitching portion 4c. Further, below the stitching portion 4c in the vehicle width direction portion 4a, a joint portion 4d in which two cloth materials constituting the airbag 4 are joined in a T shape is provided, and formed by the stitching portion 4c. The lower space is divided into left and right. And the above-mentioned inflators 12 and 12 are built in the center side of this lower space. Accordingly, the gas generated from the inflators 12 and 12 is introduced from the lower space into the upper space of the vehicle width direction portion 4a via the upper extending portions 4b and 4b, as indicated by arrows a and a. The Rukoto. In other words, the lower space constitutes a gas passage 4e for introducing gas into the upper space in the vehicle width direction portion 4a via the upper extending portions 4b, 4b.

  The airbag 4 is longer in the vehicle width direction than the case 30 in the vehicle width direction and is housed in a folded state in the case 30 and is fixed to the inflators 12 and 12 as shown in FIG. The bolts 36... 36 that are passed through the bottom plate of the storage portion 31 and are fixed by nuts 37.

  Here, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, a hole 4 f is provided at the center in the width direction of the T-shaped joint 4 d of the airbag 4, and also shown in FIG. 4. As described above, the holes 31h and 25h are provided in the vehicle width direction center of the rear wall of the storage portion 31 of the case 30 and the inclined surface 25a of the cowl member 25, respectively.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, one end of a strap-like strap 51, 51 is fixed to the upper end of both upwardly extending portions 4b, 4b of the airbag 4, and the other end of the strap 51, 51 is The holes 4f, 31h, and 25h are slidably inserted into the holes 4f, 31h, and 25h, and guided to the internal space of the cowl member 25. One of the straps 51 and 51 is fixed to a disc-shaped stopper member 52, and the other strap 51 is fixed to the one strap 51 in the vicinity thereof.

  In addition, one end of a strap 53 is fixed to the center of the airbag 4 in the vehicle width direction at the upper part of the vehicle width direction portion 4b, 4b, and the other end of the strap 53 is the same as the strap 51, 51. The holes 4f, 31h, and 25h are slidably inserted into the holes 4f, guided to the internal space of the cowl member 25, and fixed to the one strap 51.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the dash panel 24 is provided with a hole 24h, and the other end side of the strap 54, one end of which is fixed to the stopper member 52, is slidably inserted into the hole 24h. It is led to the space inside the instrument panel 27.

  Here, when the airbag 4 is deployed, the stopper member 52 abuts against the inner surface of the inclined surface 25a of the cowl member 25, thereby locking the straps 51, 51, 53 to the inclined surface 25a. The area, that is, the contact area of the cowl member 25 with the inclined surface 25a is an area where the deployment force of the airbag 4 can be received.

  Further, the lengths of the straps 51 and 51 and the strap 53 are set so as not to sag when the airbag 4 is deployed.

  Further, meandering portions 55 and 55 in which a part of the strap 51 is folded and overlapped are provided at the intermediate portions in the longitudinal direction of the straps 51 and 51, respectively, as shown in FIG. When the deploying force of the airbag 51 becomes a predetermined value or more, that is, when the upper end side of the strap 51 is pulled with a predetermined force or more, the thread material 56 is It is cut and the folded state is released.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a winding mechanism 60 that winds up the other end side of the strap 54 is provided in the internal space of the instrument panel 27. That is, the winding mechanism 60 includes a winding roller 61 that is rotatably supported and provided with a protrusion 61a on a side surface, and a spring member (not shown) that applies a rotational force to the winding roller 61 in the arrow direction. A substantially L-shaped lever member 62 that is swingable about a lower end portion (between a solid line and an imaginary line in FIG. 4) and has an engaging portion 62a at the upper end portion, and the lever A spring member (not shown) for urging the member 62 in the arrow direction is provided. An operation member 64 is provided on the outer surface of the instrument panel 27 to swing the lever member 62 in the direction opposite to the arrow through the cable 63. Here, the lower side of the engaging portion 62a of the lever member 62 is inclined, and when the winding roller 61 rotates in the direction of the arrow, it engages with the protrusion 61a of the roller 61, but in the opposite direction of the arrow. When it is rotated, it does not slide and engage with the protrusion 61a. Further, the spring force of the spring member that applies the rotational force to the winding roller 61 is made smaller than the deploying force of the airbag 4, and the strap 54 wound around the winding roller 61 can be unwound when deployed. Has been.

  According to this, when the airbag 4 is deployed, the deployment force of the airbag 4 is greater than the winding force of the winding roller 61. Therefore, as shown in FIG. The strap 54 which has been rotated and wound around the roller 61 is unwound. After the airbag 4 is deployed, gas gradually escapes from the airbag 4, so that the winding roller 61 causes the protrusion 61 a of the member 61 and the engaging portion 26 a of the lever member 62 to move due to the spring force. It will rotate in the direction of the arrow until it is engaged. Then, when the occupant pulls the operation member 64 toward the occupant side in order to contract the airbag 4, the engagement between the engaging portion 62a of the lever member 62 and the protrusion 61a of the take-up roller 61 is released, The roller 61 rotates in the direction of the arrow due to the spring force, and the strap 54 is wound around the winding roller 61 until the stopper member 52 contacts the dash panel 24 (until the state shown in FIG. 4).

  Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described.

  First, when a collision of a pedestrian to the vehicle 1 is detected by the collision sensor 11 while the vehicle is traveling, the inflators 12 and 12 are energized, and gas is instantaneously generated from the inflators 12 and 12. 4 begins to expand and expand. When the pressure applied from the airbag 4 to the inner surface of the lid portion 31 of the case 30 exceeds a predetermined pressure due to the inflation of the airbag 4, the bent portions 26b, 26b, 26c around the lid portion 31 are broken, and the lid The part 31 will open and the airbag 4 will begin to expand upward.

  In this case, in the present embodiment, one end is fixed to the upper ends of the upper extending portions 4b and 4b of the airbag 4, and the other end is locked to the cowl member 25 at the center in the vehicle width direction. Since the straps 51 and 51 are provided, even when a deployment force is exerted outwardly in the vehicle width direction on the upper extending portions 4b and 4b when the airbag 4 is deployed, as shown in FIG. The upper end portions of the extending portions 4b, 4b are restrained by the cowl member 25 in a state where they are pulled inward in the vehicle width direction via the straps 51, 51. Therefore, the upward extension of both the upwardly extending portions 4b and 4b as shown by phantom lines in FIG. 10 is suppressed.

  And by suppressing the fall of the upward extending portions 4b, 4b in this way, the amplitude of the vibration in the vehicle width direction generated in the upward extending portions 4b, 4b is reduced, and in addition, for connecting the vehicle width direction portion Since the other end sides of the straps 51 and 51 are locked to the cowl member 25 that does not move up and down, vibrations in the vehicle width direction of the upper extending portions 4b and 4b are quickly damped after the airbag 4 is deployed. It becomes. That is, after the airbag 4 is deployed, the positions of the upper extending portions 4b and 4b are quickly stabilized, and the front pillar 4 is stably covered by the upper extending portions 4b and 4b.

  In addition, since the other ends of the straps 51 and 51 are locked to the cowl member 25 at the center in the vehicle width direction, the outward deployment force acting on each of the upward extending portions 4b and 4b is balanced and ensured. I can take it.

  In addition, a strap 53 is provided with one end fixed to the upper center of the vehicle width direction portion 4a of the airbag 4 and the other end locked to the cowl member 25 at the center in the vehicle width direction. 4, since the upper center of the vehicle width direction portion 4 a is restrained by the strap 52 at the center of the vehicle width direction 25 by the strap 52, it is possible to prevent the upper portion of the vehicle width direction portion 4 a from being pulled upward. Become. Accordingly, the upward extending portions 4b and 4b connected to the vehicle width direction portion 4a are further prevented from falling outward in the vehicle width direction and the vibration of the airbag 4 is suppressed, and the front pillars 3 and 3 are suppressed by the upper extending portions 4b and 4b. Will be covered stably.

  The other end of each of the straps 51, 51, 53 is locked to the cowl member 25 below the airbag 4 in the deployed state, so that the upward deployment force applied to the left and right upward extending portions 4b, 4b is exerted. It can be taken effectively.

  Further, the upper extending portion connecting straps 51, 51 are provided with meandering portions 55 that are released from the stitched state when the deployment force becomes a predetermined force or more during deployment of the airbag 4. The upper end portions of the upwardly extending portions 4b, 4b of the airbag 4 are temporarily held on the inner side in the vehicle width direction from the final position, and then the deployment force becomes a deployment force greater than a predetermined value, and the thread material 56 is cut. When it is done, it will unfold towards the final position. Accordingly, the upward extending portions 4b and 4b are further prevented from falling outward and in the vehicle width direction, and the front pillars 3 and 3 are stably covered by the upper extending portions 4b and 4b.

  Moreover, according to the above structure, the structure which can receive reliably the deployment force which acts on the straps 51, 51, 53 when the airbag 4 is deployed can be realized with a simple structure.

  Further, since the strap 54 extending from the stopper member 52 to the instrument panel 27 is provided, the deployed airbag 4 can be contracted by pulling the strap 54 toward the passenger. Instead of providing the strap 54 separately, any of the straps 51, 51, 53 may be extended.

  And since the winding mechanism 60 which winds up the said straps 51 and 51 and the operation member 64 which operates this winding mechanism 60 are provided, a passenger | crew's hand is troubled only by operating this operation member 64. Therefore, the airbag 4 deployed quickly and easily can be contracted. Therefore, for example, when the airbag 4 needs to be contracted and the vehicle needs to be moved after the airbag 4 is deployed, a quick response can be made.

  Here, the correspondence between the constituent elements described in the claims and the constituent elements of the present embodiment will be described. It should be noted that those whose correspondence is clear by the explanation of the reference numerals and the like described later are omitted. That is, the “vehicle width direction portion” of the airbag according to claim 1 of the claims corresponds to the vehicle width direction portion 4a of the embodiment, and the upward extending portion corresponds to the upward extending portions 4b and 4b. The “side member” corresponds to the cowl member 25, and the “pair of upward extending portion connecting members” corresponds to the straps 51, 51. Further, the “vehicle width direction portion connecting member” in claim 3 corresponds to the strap 53. Further, the “meandering portion” in claim 5 corresponds to the meandering portion 55, and the “holding means” corresponds to the thread material 56. A “stopper member” in claim 6 corresponds to the stopper member 52. A “string-like connecting member” in claim 7 corresponds to the strap 54. The “operation member” in claim 8 corresponds to the operation member 64, and the “winding mechanism” corresponds to the winding mechanism 60.

  In the embodiment described above, the winding mechanism 60 is configured by a spring member, a lever member, or the like, but may be configured as in a second embodiment described below. The configuration other than the winding mechanism 60 is the same as that described above, and description will be made using the same reference numerals. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the winding mechanism 70 according to the second embodiment includes a motor 71 whose drive shaft rotates in the direction of the arrow when energized, and a winding fixed to the drive shaft of the motor 71. And a roller 72. Further, as shown in FIG. 12, a switch 73 for operating the motor 71 is connected to the controller 10, and the controller 10 is energized for a predetermined time when the switch 73 is operated. Is configured to do. Here, the drive shaft of the motor 71 is rotatable in the counter-arrow direction when not energized. Further, the predetermined time is set to a time when the strap 54 is wound up to such an extent that the stopper member 52 contacts the dash panel 24.

  According to this, when the airbag 4 is deployed, the drive shaft of the motor 71 can be rotated in the opposite arrow C direction when the energization is not applied, so that the strap 54 wound around the winding roller 72 is unwound. At the same time, when the occupant operates the switch 73 to contract the airbag 4, the motor 71 is activated, the winding roller 72 rotates in the direction of the arrow, and the stopper member 52 is moved to the dash panel 24. The strap 54 is taken up by the take-up roller 72 to such an extent that it abuts.

  Note that the switch 73 may not be provided, and the motor 71 may be automatically operated after a predetermined time from the initiation of the inflators 12, 12, for example.

  In addition, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the rear side of the hood hood 21 can be lifted at both ends in the vehicle width direction at the rear of the hood hood 21 so that the airbag 4 can be deployed more smoothly. An actuator 81 may be provided, and when the collision sensor 11 detects a collision of a pedestrian or the like, the actuator 81 may be operated to lift the rear side of the hood hood 21. In this case, a collision prediction sensor may be provided instead of the collision sensor 11.

  Here, if the airbag 4 is highly airtight, it may be difficult to contract the airbag 4 even if the winding mechanism 60 (70) is operated. Therefore, a hole for releasing the gas in the airbag 4 to the outside may be formed in the airbag 4 after deployment. The perforation may be performed, for example, after a predetermined time from the initiation or during the operation of the winding mechanism 60 (70). According to this, the airbag 4 can be rapidly contracted, for example, when it is necessary to move the vehicle.

  The invention described in claim 1 of the claims is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, when the winding mechanism 60 (70) of the strap 54 is not provided, for example, FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the stopper member 52 may be fixed to the cowl member 25, or when the cowl member 25 has a strength capable of receiving the deploying force, the stopper member 52 may be directly fixed to the inclined surface 25a of the cowl member 25. Good. Of course, the winding mechanism 60 (70) may be simply deleted.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 16, as the holding means for the meandering portion 55 ′ of the strap 51, for example, pins 91 and 91 that are cut when a tension of a predetermined level or more is applied may be used.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 17, a plurality of meandering portions 93, 94, and 95 may be provided on the upward extending portion connecting straps 51 and 51, respectively. In that case, if the deployment force for cutting the thread members 96, 97, 98 as the holding means for the meandering portions 93, 94, 95 is made different, the deployment force increases as the deployment force increases. The yarn materials 96, 97, 98 are sequentially cut. That is, since the airbag 4 can be gradually deployed toward the final position, it is possible to further effectively prevent the vehicle from falling outward in the vehicle width direction. That is, the above-described effect is further promoted.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the vehicle body side member of Claim 1 was comprised by the cowl member 25, the vehicle body side member of Claim 1 is not limited to the cowl member 25, Other vehicle body structural members Or it is good also as a member firmly attached to vehicle bodies, such as an engine and a transmission, for example.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the straps 51 and 51 and the strap 53 are put along the outer surface of the airbag 4, and the upper end part of both upward extending parts 4b and 4b of the airbag 4 and the upper part of the vehicle width direction part 4a In the vehicle width direction at the center of the vehicle width direction, the upper end portions of the upper extending portions 4b and 4b of the airbag 4 and the upper portion of the vehicle width direction portion 4a are penetrated through the interior of the airbag 4. Each may be guided and fixed in the center.

  The present invention can be widely applied to a vehicle pedestrian protection device having an airbag configured to be deployed on the front side of a windshield.

It is a schematic plan view which shows the front part structure of the vehicle which has the pedestrian protection apparatus for vehicles which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic plan view which shows the state which the airbag expand | deployed in the vehicle. It is a control block diagram of this pedestrian protection device for vehicles. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a cowl top panel portion of FIG. 4. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG. 1 (only a cover part is shown). It is a single item figure which shows the deployment state of an airbag. It is an enlarged view of the meandering part of an upward extension part connection strap. It is CC sectional drawing of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the effect | action by this Embodiment. FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 of a vehicle according to a second embodiment. It is a control block diagram of the pedestrian protection apparatus for vehicles which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic plan view which shows the front part structure of the vehicle at the time of making it possible to lift a bonnet hood. It is a control block diagram similarly. FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 when no winding mechanism is provided. It is a figure which shows the other example of the meander part of the upward extending part connection strap. It is a figure which shows the example which provided the several meandering part in the upward extension part connection strap. It is explanatory drawing of the pedestrian protection apparatus for vehicles which concerns on a prior art example. It is explanatory drawing of this pedestrian protection apparatus which concerns on the example of improvement of a prior art example. It is explanatory drawing of the problem of the example of improvement.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle 2 Windshield 3, 3 Front pillar 4 Air bag 4a Air bag width direction part 4b, 4b Air bag upward extension part 12, 12 Inflator 21 Bonnet hood 25 Cowl member (vehicle body side member)
51, 51 Strap (Upwardly extending portion connecting member)
52 Stopper member 53 Strap (vehicle width direction part connecting member)
54 Strap (string member)
55 Meandering part 56 Thread material (holding means)
60, 70 Winding mechanism 91 Pin (holding means)

Claims (7)

A vehicle pedestrian protection apparatus having an airbag configured to be deployed on the front side of a windshield,
The airbag is in a deployed state, and a vehicle width direction portion extending in the vehicle width direction in the vicinity of the lower side portion of the windshield,
Left and right upward extending portions extending upward along the left and right front pillars from both ends of the vehicle width direction portion,
In addition, one end is fixed to each upper end of the upper extending portions of the airbag, and the other end is locked to the vehicle body side member on the inner side in the vehicle width direction from the upper extending portion when the airbag is deployed. A pair of upwardly extending portion connecting members ;
A string-like vehicle width direction portion connecting member having one end fixed to the upper center of the vehicle width direction portion of the airbag and the other end locked to the vehicle body side member at the vehicle width direction center when the airbag is deployed; Is provided,
The vehicle width direction portion connecting member is provided so as to be along the outer surface of the airbag when the airbag is deployed . The vehicle pedestrian protection device according to claim 1,
The vehicle pedestrian protection device according to claim 1, wherein the other end of each upwardly extending portion connecting member is locked to the vehicle body side member at the center in the vehicle width direction. The vehicle pedestrian protection device according to claim 1 or 2,
The vehicle pedestrian protection device according to claim 1, wherein the other ends of the pair of upward extending portion connecting members and the vehicle width direction portion connecting member are locked to the vehicle body side member below the airbag in the deployed state . The vehicle pedestrian protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The upper extending portion connecting member is formed in a string shape, and the member is provided with a meandering portion in which a part of the upper extending portion is folded back and overlapped,
A holding means for holding the meandering state is provided,
The holding means, the airbag deployment force is pedestrian protection apparatus characterized by meandering of the meandering section is configured to be released when it becomes more than a predetermined force during deployment . The vehicle pedestrian protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The other end side of the pair of upward extending portion connecting members and the vehicle width direction portion connecting member is inserted into a hole provided in the vehicle body side member, and a stopper member is fixed, and the stopper member is the vehicle body side member. To be locked to the vehicle body side member by contacting
The stopper member, pedestrian protection apparatus characterized by having an area capable of receiving the deployment force of the airbag. The vehicle pedestrian protection device according to claim 5 ,
The pair of upward extending portion connecting members and the vehicle width direction portion connecting member are slidably inserted through holes provided in the vehicle body side member,
A pedestrian protection device for vehicles, wherein a string-like member extending from the stopper member to an instrument panel portion in the vehicle interior is provided . The vehicle pedestrian protection device according to claim 6,
A winding mechanism for winding the string-like member;
An pedestrian protection device for a vehicle, comprising: an operation member that operates the winding mechanism .

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