Patent Description:
In general, a vehicular airbag device is a safety device that protects an occupant by injecting gas into an airbag according to a signal of an impact detection sensor in the event of a vehicle crash, and rapidly inflating the airbag.

Such an airbag device is installed in a steering wheel, a dashboard, a seat, a sidewall, etc. provided in a vehicle, and protects an occupant by being inflated toward a front side or a side of the occupant in the event of a vehicle crash.

That is, a vehicle may be provided with a frontal airbag which is deployed in front of a driver seat and a passenger seat, a curtain airbag and a side airbag which are deployed from a side of a passenger to protect the passenger, and a knee airbag for protecting passenger's knees, etc..

Recently, autonomous vehicles moving by themselves without drivers' driving are developing.

The autonomous vehicle detects a condition of each device provided in the vehicle and a condition around the vehicle, by using a high-tech sensor that is capable of recognizing things around the vehicle and a high-performance graphic processing device, and travels while controlling an operation of each device provided in the vehicle according to a result of detecting.

The high-tech sensor may measure a distance between things like a human being, and may detect a danger and help the vehicle view all areas without a blind zone. In addition, the graphic processing device may grasp a surrounding environment of the vehicle through several cameras, and may analyze an image thereof and help the vehicle safely travel.

For example, the autonomous vehicle may have a LiDAR device, a sound wave device, a 3D camera, a radar device, etc. mounted therein.

As autonomous vehicles configured as described above do not require drivers to drive, all seats including a driver seat may freely rotate and an angle of a backrest may be adjusted to be horizontal by a tilting operation.

An occupant may adjust the angle of the backrest variously, and may rotate the seat and may have a meeting facing a passenger on a back seat.

Accordingly, it is impossible to apply a normal airbag device which is designed with reference to a posture of an occupant sitting on a seat facing forward to the autonomous vehicles.

Patent document <NUM> and patent document <NUM> presented below disclose a passenger protection system configuration for a vehicle.

As an occupant riding in an autonomous vehicle is not required to directly drive, the occupant may have a meeting or a conversation facing each other by swiveling a seat in a direction of left and right while moving to a destination, or may have a rest by reclining a backrest backward.

As such, As the seat and the backrest can be freely rotated in the forward and backward directions and in the left and right directions in the autonomous vehicle, the direction and the posture of the occupant may be variously changed.

In particular, when a vehicle crash occurs with the backrest being reclined backward, a curtain airbag or a side airbag according to the prior art may be deployed, but there may be an area where the side of the occupant is not protected.

For example, when the occupant reclines the backrest backward, the head region of the occupant may be placed at a lower position than the curtain airbag according to the related-art. An airbag device with the features of the preamble of claim <NUM> is known from <CIT> and <CIT>.

Accordingly, there is a demand for an airbag technology for safely protecting an occupant who lies on a reclined backrest in the event of a vehicle crash.

An object of the present disclosure is to solve the problems as described above, and is to provide an airbag device for a vehicle which can safely protect an occupant by inflating and deploying an airbag toward a side of the occupant in the event of a vehicle crash.

Another object of the present disclosure is to provide an airbag device for a vehicle which can safely protect an occupant who lies on a reclined backrest in an autonomous vehicle.

Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide an airbag device for a vehicle which can safely protect an occupant by combining a side airbag and a curtain airbag.

To achieve the objects as described above, an airbag device for a vehicle according to the present disclosure is defined by claim <NUM>.

According to the airbag device for the vehicle according to the present disclosure, an auxiliary chamber may be provided in a main chamber to correspond to the head region of an occupant who lies on backward, and the auxiliary chamber may be inflated and deployed according to a rotation angle of a backrest of a seat, thereby protecting the head region of the occupant.

Accordingly, according to the present disclosure, the occupant may be safely protected regardless of a rotation angle and a posture of the upper body of the occupant who lies on backward.

In addition, according to the present disclosure, when a rotation angel of the backrest is less than a preset angle, the auxiliary chamber is inflated and deployed later than after the main chamber is inflated and deployed, so that an injury of the occupant caused by an increased expansion thickness of a curtain airbag may be prevented.

In addition, according to the present disclosure, an occupant may be safely protected by combining a curtain airbag and a side airbag in an autonomous vehicle, regardless of a posture and an angle of the occupant.

Hereinafter, an airbag device for a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, a configuration of an airbag device installed in a driver seat of a normal vehicle will be described, and a direction of facing a front surface of the vehicle with reference to a driver seat will be referred to as a 'forward direction (F),' and a direction of facing a rear surface of the vehicle will be referred to as a 'backward direction (B)'. Along with these terms, terms indicating directions such as 'left side (L),' 'right side (R),' 'upward direction (U),' and 'downward direction (D)' are defined to indicate respective directions with reference to the forward direction and the backward direction described above. In addition, reference sign I shown in the drawings indicates an inward direction of the vehicle in a width direction of the vehicle, and reference sign O indicates an outward direction of the vehicle in the width direction of the vehicle.

Accordingly, the forward, backward (F, B) directions of the vehicle may be expressed as a horizontal direction, and the upward, downward (U, D) directions of the vehicle may be expressed as a vertical direction.

Prior to describing a configuration of the airbag device for the vehicle first according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, a process in which an area where a curtain airbag may not protect an occupant depending on a posture of the occupant is generated will be described.

<FIG> is a view illustrating a state in which a curtain airbag of a vehicle according to a prior art is inflated and deployed.

As shown in <FIG>, the curtain airbag <NUM> according to the prior art is inflated and deployed between an inner side of the vehicle and an occupant in the event of a side crash of the vehicle.

However, when the occupant reclines a backrest of a seat, for example, a front seat <NUM>, backward at a predetermined angle, for example, <NUM>°or more, the curtain airbag <NUM> of the vehicle according to the prior art may be inflated and deployed only up to a position higher than the head region of the occupant.

Because of this, there is a problem that an area where the curtain airbag <NUM> according to the prior art may not protect the head region of the occupant who reclines the backrest backward and lies thereon is generated.

Accordingly, the present disclosure provides an auxiliary chamber in a curtain airbag to protect the head region of an occupant when the backrest of a seat is reclined backward at a preset angle, for example, about <NUM>°or more, and safely protects the occupant by selectively inflating and deploying the auxiliary chamber according to a rotation angle of the backrest.

Next, a configuration of an airbag device for a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to <FIG>.

<FIG> is a configuration diagram of an airbag device for a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, and <FIG> is a development view of a curtain airbag illustrated in <FIG>. In addition, <FIG> is a view illustrating a state in which an auxiliary chamber overlaps a main chamber in the curtain airbag illustrated in <FIG>, and <FIG> is a cross-sectional view taken on line A-A' shown in <FIG>.

Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described by referring to an internal structure of the vehicle in which the curtain airbag <NUM> according to the prior art, as shown in <FIG>, is mounted.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the airbag device <NUM> for the vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure includes a curtain airbag <NUM> which is inflated and deployed between an inner side of the vehicle and an occupant in the event of a vehicle crash, and an inflater <NUM> which supplies gas to the curtain airbag <NUM>.

In addition, the airbag device <NUM> for the vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a control unit <NUM> to control an operation of the inflater <NUM> to inflate and deploy the curtain airbag <NUM> in the event of a vehicle crash.

The curtain airbag <NUM> includes a main chamber <NUM> which is inflated and deployed toward a side of the occupant, and an auxiliary chamber <NUM> which is inflated and deployed selectively according to an angle at which the occupant reclines the backrest of a seat backward.

The curtain airbag <NUM> may be formed in the form of a bag by sewing an external panel and an internal panel or a one-piece woven method. In addition, the curtain airbag <NUM> has a bag-like shape to restrict a expandable space therein by upper, lower walls and front, rear walls.

Such a curtain airbag <NUM> may be mounted in a roof side rail <NUM> of the vehicle in a folded or rolled state.

The inflater <NUM> is connected to the curtain airbag <NUM> to generate gas through a gas introduction part <NUM>.

When a side crash or turnover of the vehicle occurs, a crash detection sensor <NUM> provided in the vehicle detects an impact, first, and an ignition signal of the control unit <NUM> that results from an impact detection signal generated from the crash detection sensor <NUM> is transmitted to the inflater <NUM>. The inflater <NUM> generates gas by igniting an internal firer, and the gas generated from the inflater <NUM> is supplied into the curtain airbag <NUM>.

When the gas is received from the inflater <NUM>, the curtain airbag <NUM> is inflated and deployed downward along the inner side of the vehicle, thereby protecting an occupant. The curtain airbag <NUM> may protect occupants of a front seat <NUM> and a rear seat <NUM> simultaneously.

That is, the main chamber <NUM> may be provided with a length corresponding to the front seat <NUM> and the rear seat <NUM> of the vehicle.

To achieve this, the main chamber <NUM> may have a front seat protection area <NUM> and a rear seat protection area <NUM>.

The front seat protection area <NUM> may entirely cover the inner side of the vehicle formed from a front filler <NUM> of the vehicle to a center filler <NUM> of the vehicle, and the rear seat protection area <NUM> may entirely cover the inner side of the vehicle formed from the center filler <NUM> of the vehicle to a rear filler <NUM> of the vehicle.

The front seat protection area <NUM> and the rear seat protection area <NUM> each may include a plurality of chambers which are partitioned by one or more non-expansive chamber walls.

The upper, lower, front, rear walls and the chamber walls may be formed by sewing internal, external panels of the curtain airbag <NUM>, or by weaving in a one-piece woven method. Of course, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and changes may be made to form the upper, lower, front, rear walls and the chamber walls in an appropriate method selected from various bonding methods such as an adhesive, RF welding, ultrasonic welding, or the like.

In the present embodiment, it is illustrated that the front seat and rear seat protection areas <NUM>, <NUM> are provided in the curtain airbag <NUM>, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

That is, it should be noted in the present disclosure that, when <NUM>-row or <NUM>-row seats are applied to the vehicle, changes may be made to the curtain airbag to have a length corresponding to all seats.

The auxiliary chamber <NUM> is inflated and deployed downward from a lower end of a rear side of the front seat protection area <NUM> so as to correspond to the head region of the occupant who reclines backward at the set angle or more.

That is, the auxiliary chamber <NUM> may be connected to the lower end of the rear side of the front seat protection area <NUM>, and may be extended downward from the lower end of the rear side of the front seat protection area <NUM> by a preset length, for example, a length of about <NUM> to <NUM>, in the event of a vehicle crash.

The curtain airbag <NUM>, when the auxiliary chamber <NUM> is folded, may be folded upward to overlap the main chamber <NUM>, and may be folded or rolled along with the main chamber <NUM>, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>.

Accordingly, the present disclosure may safely protect the head region of the occupant even when the occupant reclines backward, by inflating and deploying the main chamber and the auxiliary chamber in the vent of a vehicle crash.

On the other hand, the auxiliary chamber <NUM> may have its position, shape, thickness changed so as to effectively protect the head region according to a posture and an angle of the occupant.

For example, the auxiliary chamber <NUM> may be changed to have not only a approximately rectangular shape but also various shapes such as a polygonal shape like a hexagonal shape, a circular shape, or an oval shape etc..

The auxiliary chamber <NUM> is divided into an internal chamber <NUM> and an external chamber <NUM> with reference to a chamber wall <NUM> which is provided as a non-expansive area as shown in <FIG>.

The chamber wall <NUM> may be formed in various shapes approximately such as a curved shape like a 'C'-like shape, an arc shape, a semi-circular shape, a circular shape, an oval shape, a polygonal shape, etc..

The internal chamber <NUM> is provided inside the chamber wall with reference to the chamber wall, and the external chamber is provided outside the chamber wall.

Herein, the internal chamber <NUM> may be inflated and deployed with a thinner thickness than the external chamber <NUM>, so as to fix the head region of the occupant being inserted into the internal chamber.

Of course, the internal chamber <NUM> also may be inflated and deployed with a thicker thickness than a thickness of the external chamber <NUM> when necessary.

In addition, the position where the auxiliary chamber <NUM> is connected with the main chamber <NUM> is not limited to a lower portion of the rear end of the front seat protection area <NUM>, and changes may be made to connect the auxiliary chamber <NUM> to a lower portion of a front end of the rear seat protection area <NUM> so as to protect the head region of the occupant who lies on backward in excess of the set angle, that is, <NUM>°.

Accordingly, a vertical length of the auxiliary chamber <NUM> may further be extended downward.

As described above, the present disclosure may change the installation position, shape, thickness of the auxiliary chamber variously to correspond to a position of the head region according to a posture and an angle of the occupant, thereby safely protecting the head region of the occupant.

On the other hand, the airbag device <NUM> for the vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a seat detection sensor <NUM> to detect an angle at which a backrest of a seat rotates in the forward and backward directions, a fixing member <NUM> to fix the auxiliary chamber <NUM> of the curtain airbag <NUM> in a folded state, and a drive module <NUM> which is driven to extend a length of the fixing member <NUM> according to a drive signal of the control unit <NUM> and to inflate and deploy the auxiliary chamber <NUM>.

The seat detection sensor <NUM> may be installed on a rotation axis around which the backrest of a seat, for example, the front seat <NUM>, rotates in the forward and backward directions, and generates an angle detection signal by detecting a rotation angle at which the backrest rotates in the forward and backward directions.

The control unit <NUM> may receive the angle detection signal, and, when the rotation angle of the backrest according to the received angle detection signal exceeds a predetermined setting angle, the control unit <NUM> may generate the drive signal to drive the drive module <NUM>.

The fixing member <NUM> may be provided as a tether of a band shape that has preset width and length.

One end of the fixing member <NUM> may be fixed to have a part thereof received in a receiving pocket <NUM> connected with the drive module <NUM>, and the other end of the fixing member <NUM> may be connected to an upper end of the auxiliary chamber <NUM> which is folded upward.

The drive module <NUM> and the receiving pocket <NUM> may be provided approximately on an upper end of a rear side of the main chamber <NUM>. Of course, installation positions of the drive module <NUM> and the receiving pocket <NUM> may be variously changed.

The receiving pocket <NUM> may receive a part of one end of the fixing member <NUM>, and may extend an overall length of the fixing member <NUM> by releasing one end of the fixing member <NUM> received from a fixed state by driving of the drive module <NUM>.

The drive module <NUM> may be driven inside by a drive signal of the control unit <NUM>, and may eject outside one end of the fixing member received in the receiving pocket <NUM> by breaking or damaging the receiving pocket <NUM>.

Such a drive module <NUM> may be provided as a small inflater such as an active tether extensioner (ATE), and may generate gas according to the drive signal and may supply the gas to the receiving pocket <NUM>.

As described above, the present disclosure provides the auxiliary chamber in the curtain airbag, and may safely protect the head region of the occupant by selectively inflating and deploying the auxiliary chamber based on an angle at which the backrest of the seat is reclined backward in the event of a side crash of the vehicle.

Meanwhile in the present embodiment, it is illustrated that the drive module is provided as a small inflater such as an ATE, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

That is, changes may be made to the present disclosure, such that the receiving pocket is removed, one end of the fixing member is wound around a wheel and fixed by applying a motor or an electrically-driven actuator to the drive module, and the drive module is driven according to a control signal of the control unit to release one end of the fixing member wound around the wheel and to extend the overall length of the fixing member.

Next, a mounting structure of the airbag device for the vehicle and operating method thereof according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>.

<FIG> and <FIG> are views illustrating a state in which the curtain airbag is inflated and deployed in the event of a vehicle crash.

<FIG> illustrates a state in which the auxiliary chamber is inflated and deployed according to a rotation angle of the backrest, and <FIG> illustrates a state in which the curtain airbag and a side airbag are inflated.

First, an operator folds the auxiliary chamber <NUM> of the curtain airbag <NUM> upward to overlap the main chamber <NUM>.

The operator then may store a part of one end of the fixing member <NUM> in the receiving pocket <NUM> and fix thereto, and connects the drive module <NUM> to one side of the receiving pocket <NUM>.

Next, the operator connects the other end of the fixing member <NUM> to an upper end of the auxiliary chamber <NUM> folded upward in a sewing method.

Finally, the operator folds the main chamber <NUM> overlapping the auxiliary chamber <NUM> in a folding or rolling method, and installs the same in the side rail <NUM> of the vehicle, and connects the inflater <NUM> to the gas introduction part <NUM>.

Through the process as described above, the airbag device <NUM> is mounted in the vehicle.

Meanwhile when a side crash or turnover of the vehicle occurs, the crash detection sensor <NUM> installed in the vehicle generates a crash detection signal.

Then, the control unit <NUM> outputs an ignition signal to the inflater <NUM> according to the crash detection signal, and the inflater <NUM> generates gas by igniting an internal firer according to the ignition signal. The gas generated from the inflater <NUM> may be supplied to an inside of the curtain airbag <NUM>.

In this case, the control unit <NUM> may examine whether a rotation angle of the backrest is equal or greater than a predetermined setting angle based on a detection signal of the angle detection sensor <NUM> installed in the seat <NUM>.

As a result, when the rotation angle of the backrest is equal or greater than the preset angle as a result of examining, the control unit <NUM> outputs a drive signal to the drive module <NUM> connected with the receiving pocket <NUM>.

Then, the drive module <NUM> generates gas, thereby breaking or damaging the receiving pocket <NUM>, and accordingly, one end of the fixing member <NUM> received in the receiving pocket <NUM> is ejected, and the overall length of the fixing member <NUM> is extended.

Accordingly, as shown in <FIG>, the auxiliary chamber <NUM> folded upward may be inflated and deployed toward a lower portion of the main chamber <NUM>, and the head region of the occupant may be safely protected by the auxiliary chamber <NUM>.

In this case, the airbag device <NUM> for the vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure may safely protect the upper body and the pelvis region except for the head region of the occupant by inflating and deploying the side airbag <NUM> toward the side of the occupant, as shown in <FIG>.

That is, the side airbag <NUM> may be received in the backrest of the seat <NUM>, and may be ejected to the outside of the backrest and may be inflated and deployed between the occupant and the inner wall surface of the vehicle in the event of a vehicle crash.

The side airbag <NUM> may be extended by a length corresponding to the shoulder region and the pelvis region of the occupant, so as to safely protect the side of the occupant regardless of an angle and a posture of the occupant who reclines backward.

In addition, the overall length of the side airbag <NUM> when it is inflated and deployed may be adjusted according to a posture and a rotation angle of the occupant by using the fixing member <NUM> and the drive module <NUM> described above.

For example, as shown in <FIG>, an upper end of the side airbag <NUM> may be extended up to a position corresponding to the head region of the occupant, and may overlap the auxiliary chamber <NUM> of the curtain airbag <NUM> when being inflated and deployed.

Therefore, the head region of the occupant may be safely protected by a portion that has a thickness increased by the side airbag <NUM> and the auxiliary chamber <NUM> of the curtain airbag <NUM> overlapping each other.

As described above, the present disclosure may safely protect the head region of the occupant by inflating and deploying the auxiliary chamber of the curtain airbag for protecting the head region of the occupant, and the upper end of the side airbag to overlap each other.

On the other hand, when the rotation angle of the backrest is less than the preset angle, the control unit <NUM> does not generate a drive signal for driving the drive module <NUM>. Accordingly, the auxiliary chamber <NUM> may be maintained in an overlapping state with the main chamber <NUM>.

As described above, the present disclosure provides the auxiliary chamber in the main chamber to correspond to the head region of the occupant who lies on backward, and may protect the head region of the occupant by inflating and deploying the auxiliary chamber according to a rotation angle of the backrest of the seat.

Accordingly, the present disclosure may safely protect the occupant regardless of a rotation angle and a posture of the upper body of the occupant who lies on backward.

In addition, in the present embodiment, it is illustrated that the auxiliary chamber <NUM> is selectively inflated and deployed according to a rotation angle of the backrest, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

That is, when the auxiliary chamber <NUM> overlaps the main chamber <NUM>, an overall expansion thickness of the curtain airbag <NUM> increases.

Because of this, when the occupant collides with the inflated and deployed curtain airbag <NUM>, a collision pressured applied to the occupant may increase by the curtain airbag <NUM> and may cause an injury to the occupant.

To solve this problem, the present disclosure may be changed by delaying a time at which the auxiliary chamber <NUM> is inflated and deployed later than a time at which the main chamber <NUM> is inflated and deployed when the rotation angle of the backrest is less than the preset angle.

For example, the control unit <NUM> may output a drive signal to inflate and deploy the auxiliary chamber <NUM> at a preset delay time, for example, by about <NUM> to <NUM>.

As described above, the auxiliary chamber of the present disclosure may be inflated and deployed later than the main chamber is inflated and deployed when the rotation angle of the backrest is less than the preset angle, so that an injury of the occupant caused by an increased expansion thickness of the curtain airbag may be prevented.

Claim 1:
An airbag device (<NUM>) for a vehicle, the airbag device (<NUM>) comprising:
a curtain airbag (<NUM>) which is inflated and deployed between an inner side of the vehicle and an occupant in the event of a vehicle crash; and
an inflater (<NUM>) configured to supply a gas to the curtain airbag (<NUM>),
wherein the curtain airbag (<NUM>) comprises an auxiliary chamber (<NUM>) which is inflated and deployed at a position corresponding to a head region of the occupant when the occupant is reclined backward at a predetermined setting angle or more,
wherein the curtain airbag (<NUM>) further comprises a main chamber (<NUM>) which is inflated and deployed toward a side of the occupant,
wherein the auxiliary chamber (<NUM>) is disposed on the side of the occupant riding on a front seat (<NUM>) in the main chamber (<NUM>), and is connected to a rear end of a front seat protection area (<NUM>) for protecting the occupant, and
wherein the auxiliary chamber (<NUM>) is inflated and deployed downward from the main chamber (<NUM>) in the event of a vehicle crash, characterized in that
the auxiliary chamber (<NUM>) comprises an internal chamber (<NUM>) provided inside a chamber wall (<NUM>), and an external chamber (<NUM>) provided outside the chamber wall (<NUM>), and
wherein the internal chamber (<NUM>) and the external chamber (<NUM>) are inflated and deployed with different thicknesses.