Airbag device for motorcycle

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD [Detailed description of the invention]

【0001】

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

The present invention relates to an airbag device for a motorcycle for protecting a driver in the event of a collision or the like.

【0002】

[Conventional technology]

Airbag devices for motorcycles are disclosed in JP-A-10-6901 and JP-A-10-35564.

【0003】

The airbag device described in the above-mentioned publication includes a front bag portion that faces the front surface of the occupant when the airbag expands and deploys, and left and right side bag portions that are integrated with the front bag portion so as to cling to the occupant's body. It is configured in.

【0004】

With such an airbag device, it is attempted to restrain the occupant in the event of an accident without giving a feeling of resistance to the occupant, and having to put on and take off the occupant. That is, the airbag inflated at the time of the accident is trying to protect the occupant's body by wrapping it from the front and left and right.

【0005】

In the airbag device described in the above publication, an airbag is attached to a vehicle body frame in front of an occupant, and the other end of a bag tether with one end attached to the airbag is connected to the vehicle body frame. , When the airbag is expanded and deployed, it is configured to extend together with the airbag to hold the airbag.

【0006】

With such an airbag device, it is intended to restrain the occupant's body and effectively alleviate the impact acting on the occupant.

【0007】

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

However, in the conventional airbag device for motorcycles described in the publication, the airbag tries to wrap the airbag from the front and left and right of the driver's body, but the airbag is not fixed to the vehicle body frame and freely rotates or shakes. Since it moves, there is a risk that the airbag will rotate and the driver cannot be restrained in the event of a collision in an oblique direction.

【0008】

Further, in the motorcycle airbag device described in the above-mentioned publication, the airbag is connected to the vehicle body frame through the left and right sides of the fuel tank or the like by a band-shaped tether, but the end portion of the tether spreads to the left and right. Since it is connected to the middle part of the rear surface of the airbag, if the driver collides straight ahead with the airbag, the impact on the driver can be mitigated, but if it collides diagonally with an obstacle, , The airbag receives a diagonal force from the driver and may not be able to alleviate the impact on the driver.

【0009】

The present invention takes into consideration the above-mentioned prior art, and even when a vehicle collides with an obstacle at an angle in the event of an accident, the airbag can effectively reduce the impact on the driver. The purpose is to provide the device.

【0010】

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is provided for an airbag that inflates in front of the driver, and is provided with a belt that connects the left and right ends of the inflated airbag to the vehicle body. Provide an airbag device.

【0011】

According to this configuration, since the left and right ends of the airbag that expands to the left and right are connected to the vehicle body by a belt, when the vehicle collides with an obstacle from an oblique direction, the airbag is restrained in a predetermined position. Can restrain the driver's body.

【0012】

In a preferred configuration example, the end portions of the left and right belts on the vehicle body side are attached to the left and right sides of the vehicle body at the lower rear portion of the driver, and the belts are stretched to the left and right outside of the driver when the airbag is inflated. It is said.

【0013】

According to this configuration, the left and right belts are stretched between the left and right ends of the airbag in front of the upper part of the driver and the vehicle body behind the lower part of the driver, so that the left and right belts surround the driver and restrain the driver's body.

【0014】

In a more preferred configuration example, the motorcycle is characterized in that it includes left and right footboards and the belts are arranged along the outer edge of the footboards.

【0015】

In this configuration, in a motorcycle equipped with a scooter-type footboard, a belt is arranged along the outer edge of the footboard from the rear of the seat to the airbag storage part at the front of the vehicle body, and this is covered with a detachment cover or the like to give an appearance. The belt can be stored compactly without damaging it.

【0016】

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, showing a scooter-type small two-wheeled vehicle.

【0017】

The vehicle body 1 has a steering wheel 2 on the front side, a seat 3 for the driver to straddle in the center, and an internal vehicle body frame (not shown), an engine (not shown), and the like are covered with the vehicle body cover 4. The airbag 5 expands in front of the driver as shown in the figure at the time of a collision such as an accident. One end of the belt 6 is attached to each of the left and right ends of the airbag 5 by sewing or adhesive. In this case, in order to increase the bonding strength between the airbag 5 and the belt 6, the mounting end of the belt 6 is bifurcated, or the mounting portion is reinforced with the same material as the belt 6 or other reinforcing cloth material. You may. The other end of the belt 6 is fixed to a vehicle body frame (not shown) in the vehicle body cover 4 at the rear lower portion of the seat 3 on which the driver rides. The belt 6 may be an inflatable belt that expands in the event of a collision, similar to the airbag 5.

【0018】

Such a belt 6 is housed in a groove (not shown) formed along the outer edge of the footboard 7 and covered with a detachment cover 8.

【0019】

When a collision sensor (not shown) detects this due to a change in acceleration or the like at the time of an accident such as a collision, the inflator (not shown) provided on the airbag 5 and the belt 6 generates high-pressure gas and inflates them. As a result, the airbag 5 expands to the left and right in front of the driver and expands, and both the left and right ends thereof are connected to and held by the vehicle body 1 by the belt 6. By such a belt 6, the airbag 5 is held in a state of being restrained in a predetermined position with respect to the vehicle body 1. Therefore, the airbag restrains the driver in a diagonal collision or the like. In this case, the belt 6 is stretched from both sides of the driver's body to the left and right so as to sandwich and surround the waist, so that the driver is more reliably restrained. Further, if the belt 6 is an inflatable belt that expands, the protection function for the driver is further enhanced. The attachment end of the belt 6 to the vehicle body side may be, for example, the central portion of the vehicle body at the lower part of the seat, but if it is attached to the left and right sides of the vehicle body at the lower rear part of the driver as shown in the figure, the driver can use the belt. Can be restrained.

【0020】

FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a top view thereof. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle body frame 9 covered with the vehicle body cover 4 is provided on the head pipe 10 for holding the steering wheel (not shown) of the steering wheel 2, the down tube 11 fixed to the head pipe 11, and the left and right sides thereof. It is composed of a side frame 12 and a rear frame 13 and the like that support the seat 3 and the like connected to the rear end of the down tube. The vehicle body side ends of the belt 6 that holds both the left and right ends of the airbag 5 are fixed to, for example, the rear frame 13 with bolts or the like. As shown in FIG. 3, such a belt 6 is stretched on both the left and right sides of the driver's waist and restrains the driver as described above.

【0021】

FIG. 4 shows an example of storage arrangement of the airbag device according to the present invention, (A) is a perspective view of the front part of the vehicle body, and (B) is a cross-sectional view of the BB part.

【0022】

The above-mentioned airbag is integrated as an airbag module 14 together with an inflator for injecting high-pressure gas to expand and deploy the airbag in the event of a collision. As shown in (A), the airbag module 14 is mounted on the lower front side of the central steering portion of the steering wheel 2. The above-mentioned belt 6 is arranged along the outer edge of the footboard 7 by connecting to the left and right sides of the airbag module 14. As shown in (B), the belt 6 is housed in the groove 15 formed on the outer edge of the footboard 7 and is covered with the detachment cover 8. The release cover 8 is removed by the expansion of the belt 6 or the tensile force pulled out from the groove 15 when the airbag is expanded.

【0023】

As another example of arrangement of the airbag module 14, as shown in (A), the airbag module 16 may be housed in the vehicle body cover on the front side of the steering portion of the steering wheel 2. By disposing the airbag module 16 on the front side of the steering wheel in this way, when the airbag expands and expands, the belt 6 is pulled out without interfering with the driver's hand.

【0024】

Although the above embodiment has described a scooter type motorcycle, the present invention can also be applied to other types of motorcycles. In that case, for example, the ends of the belt are passed through the left and right sides of the fuel tank in front of the seat. The part can be fixed to the vehicle body behind it.

【0025】

[Effect of the invention]

As described above, in the present invention, since the left and right ends of the airbag that expands to the left and right are connected to the vehicle body by the belt, when the vehicle collides with an obstacle from an oblique direction, the airbag is connected by the belt. It is restrained in place and restrains the driver against diagonal forces. As a result, the driver's protection function is enhanced in the event of a collision or the like.

[Simple explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1]

The perspective view of the embodiment of this invention.

[Figure 2]

A side view of an embodiment of the present invention.

[Fig. 3]

Top view of the embodiment of FIG.

[Fig. 4]

The layout explanatory view of the airbag device of this invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Body, 2: Handle, 3: Seat, 4: Body cover, 5: Airbag, 6: Belt, 7: Footboard, 8: Detachment cover, 9: Body frame, 10: Head pipe, 11: Down tube , 12: Side frame, 13: Rear frame, 14: Airbag module, 15: Groove, 16: Airbag module.