WEARABLE AIRBAG DEVICE
A wearable airbag device is configured to protect a targeted body part of a wearer, and includes an airbag configured to inflate to cover the targeted body part by allowing an inflation gas to flow thereinto. The airbag has a plurality of columnar inflation portions in which width dimensions are set to be smaller than that of the targeted body part, and configured to maintain an arranged state of the columnar inflation portions when the inflation is completed, and to protect the targeted body part.
The present application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-44080 of Yanagisawa et al., filed on Mar. 17, 2021, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND 1. Technical FieldThe present disclosure relates to a wearable airbag device that can protect a targeted body part of a wearer.
2. Description of Related ArtIn the related art, as a wearable airbag device, as described in JP-T-2014-514462, there was a device having a configuration for protecting a hip at the time of a fall by being worn on a wearer by being wrapped around the hip, and by inflating the bag-shaped airbag.
This type of wearable airbag device is configured to inflate the airbag in a state of being worn on a human body. Therefore, as a gas feeding member for feeding an inflation gas to an airbag, a small and lightweight gas cylinder containing a compressed gas is used instead of an inflator normally used for an airbag device installed on a vehicle. Since the gas cylinder does not have a structure that allows a gas to flow out quickly, it takes a certain amount of time to inflate the bag-shaped airbag that covers the hip widely, and thus there is room for improvement in terms of rapid and efficient inflation of the airbag.
SUMMARYThe present disclosure relates to a wearable airbag device having the following configuration.
A wearable airbag device is configured to protect a targeted body part of a wearer, and includes an airbag configured to inflate to cover the targeted body part by allowing an inflation gas to flow thereinto. The airbag has a plurality of columnar inflation portions in which width dimensions are set to be smaller than that of the targeted body part, and configured to maintain an arranged state of the columnar inflation portions when the inflation is completed, and to protect the targeted body part.
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein. All modifications within the appended claims and equivalents relative thereto are intended to be encompassed in the scope of the claims.
Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings. A wearable airbag device S1 of the first embodiment is a vest type to be worn on an upper body MU of a wearer M. As illustrated in
The operation control device 1 includes the sensor part 2 including an angular velocity sensor capable of detecting angular velocities around three axes in up-down, front-rear, and left-right directions, and an acceleration sensor capable of detecting accelerations in the three-axis directions. The operation control device 1 is configured to operate the gas generator 5 when a falling behavior different from a normal behavior of the wearer M is detected by the signal from the sensor part 2. Specifically, when the wearer M starts the falling behavior different from the normal behavior, the operation control device 1 includes determination means capable of making a determination from various threshold values, and thus the fall of the wearer M is detected based on the determination of the determination means, and the gas generator 5 is operated. The operation control device 1 further includes a power source formed of a battery (not illustrated) or the like for outputting signals for the operation of the sensor part 2 and for the operation of the gas generator 5.
The clothing portion 10 is formed as a vest that can be worn on the upper body MU of the wearer M, and includes a left front portion 11 and a right front portion 12 that cover the front surface of the upper body MU of the wearer M, and a back surface portion 13 that covers the back surface of the upper body MU of the wearer M. The left front portion 11 and the right front portion 12 are configured such that the facing inner edges can be joined to each other by a fastening tool 15 such as a fastener. In other words, the clothing portion 10 is configured such that the left front portion 11 is provided to be connected to the front side of the left portion of the back surface portion 13, and the right front portion 12 is provided to be connected to the front side of the right portion of the back surface portion 13. The clothing portion 10 is made of a flexible sheet material (woven fabric) and covers the outer circumferential side of the folded airbag 20.
The airbag 20 is made of a flexible sheet material. In the case of the embodiment, the airbag 20 is made of a woven fabric made of polyester yarns, polyamide yarns or the like. In the case of the embodiment, the airbag 20 is configured such that columnar inflation portions 22 in which the width dimensions are set to be smaller than the width dimensions W1 and W2 (refer to
Further, the airbag 20 includes a hip protecting portion 25 that can protect the hip MW of the wearer M when the inflation is completed, a head protecting portion 31 that can protect the head MH of the wearer M when the inflation is completed, and a communication path 29 for allowing the hip protecting portion 25 and the head protecting portion 31 to communicate with each other. The airbag 20 is symmetrical in the left-right direction in a state of being laid flat.
The hip protecting portion 25 is configured to be folded and accommodated on the lower end side from the back surface portion 13 to the left front portion 11 and the right front portion 12 on the left and right sides in the clothing portion 10, and to be inflated to protrude downward from the clothing portion 10 and cover the outer side of the hip MW (the trochanter TP of femur as the targeted body part) of the wearer M at the time of the inflation. Specifically, as illustrated in
The connecting inflation portion 26 is formed of a single horizontal columnar main body portion 26a provided substantially along the left-right direction when the inflation is completed. Although the details are omitted in the drawing, the connecting inflation portion 26 is disposed at a position which is the rear side of a pelvis MP of the wearer M when the inflation of the airbag 20 is completed. In addition, in the embodiment, the gas generator 5 is connected to the connecting inflation portion 26 for feeding the airbag 20 with an inflation gas (refer to
Each of the protecting main body portions 27 (27L, 27R) is formed so as to extend downward while extending outward in the left-right direction from the connecting inflation portion 26 in a state where the airbag 20 is laid flat. Each of the protecting main body portions 27 (27L, 27R) is configured to cover the outer side of the trochanter circumferential edge part TO, which is the circumferential edge of the trochanter TP of femur of the wearer M as the targeted body part, when the inflation is completed, while the external shape in a state of being laid flat is a substantially rectangular shape (refer to
In the communication path 29, two vertical columnar main body portions 29a and 29a formed to respectively extend from the horizontal columnar main body portions 27b arranged on each of the left and right protecting main body portions 27 are formed to be arranged side by side in the left-right direction, and are provided substantially along the up-down direction, and the communication path 29 is inflated by allowing the inflation gas to flow thereinto through the horizontal columnar main body portion 27b. The communication path 29 is attached to the inner side of the center portion of the back surface portion 13 of the clothing portion 10.
The head protecting portion 31 is configured to be folded and accommodated on the upper end side of the back surface portion 13 of the clothing portion 10, and to inflate to protrude upward from the clothing portion 10 and cover the rear side of the head MH of the wearer M at the time of the inflation. The head protecting portion 31 is configured such that the external shape in a state of being laid flat is a substantially rectangular shape, and the left, right, upper, and lower parts of the rear surface side of the head MH can be widely covered when the inflation is completed. Specifically, the head protecting portion 31 is configured such that the inflation completed shape is wider in the left-right direction than the head MH. In the case of the embodiment, the head protecting portion 31 is configured such that three vertical columnar main body portions 31aa, 31ab, and 31ac, which are formed to extend from each of the vertical columnar main body portions 29a that form the communication path 29, and the connecting portions 31ba and 31bb that connect the vertical columnar main body portions 31aa, 31ab, and 31ac to each other are provided symmetrically in the left-right direction (refer to
In the airbag 20, as illustrated in
The wearable airbag device S1 of a first embodiment is worn on the wearer M so as to cover the upper body MU of the wearer M by using the fastening tool 15. In addition, in the wearable airbag device S1 of the first embodiment, in a state of being worn on the wearer M, when the sensor part 2 detects the fall of the wearer M as illustrated in
Then, in the wearable airbag device S1 of the first embodiment, the airbag 20 is configured to include the plurality of columnar inflation portions 22 in which the width dimension is set to be smaller than those of the targeted body parts (the head MH and the trochanter circumferential edge part TO). Therefore, the volume of the airbag 20 can be reduced as compared with a case where the airbag has a simple bag shape. Further, by disposing the non-inflation connecting portion 23 between the columnar inflation portions 22, when the inflation of the airbag 20 is completed, the arranged state of the columnar inflation portions 22 is maintained, and thus, when the inflation is completed, it is possible to stably protect the head MH and the trochanter circumferential edge part TO including the trochanter TP of femur as the targeted body parts.
Therefore, in the wearable airbag device S1 of the first embodiment, the airbag 20 can be rapidly inflated, and the inflated airbag 20 can stably protect the head MH and the trochanter circumferential edge part TO (trochanter TP of femur) as the targeted body parts.
In the wearable airbag device S1 of the first embodiment, the airbag 20 includes the hip protecting portion 25 that inflates so as to cover the side of the trochanter circumferential edge part TO (trochanter TP of femur), and the head protecting portion 31 that inflates to cover the back of the head MH. However, since the hip protecting portion 25 and the head protecting portion 31 respectively have a plurality of columnar inflation portions 22 (columnar main body portions 22a), it is possible to suppress an increase in volume, and the airbag 20 can be rapidly inflated even when the hip protecting portion 25 and the head protecting portion 31 are provided. Further, the airbag 20 is configured to first allow the inflation gas G discharged from the gas generator 5 to flow into each of the protecting main body portions 27 (27L, 27R) in the hip protecting portion 25, and then allow the inflation gas to flow into the head protecting portion 31 through the communication path 29. In other words, the airbag 20 is configured such that the hip protecting portion 25 is positioned on the upstream side of the flow of the inflation gas, and the head protecting portion 31 is inflated after the inflation of the hip protecting portion 25. Therefore, corresponding to the contact order with the fall destination part F when the wearer M falls, the inflated hip protecting portion 25 can rapidly protect the trochanter circumferential edge part TO (trochanter TP of femur), and then the inflated head protecting portion 31 can also accurately protect the head MH of the wearer M.
Next, a wearable airbag device S2 of a second embodiment will be described. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The airbag 40 is formed of a flexible sheet material (specifically, a woven fabric made of polyester yarn, polyamide yarn, and the like) similar to the above-described airbag 20, and as illustrated in
The airbag base member 42 is configured such that columnar inflation portions 44, in which the width dimensions are set to be smaller than the width dimension W1 (refer to
As illustrated in
The connecting inflation portion 47 has the same configuration as that of the connecting inflation portion 26 of the hip protecting portion 25 in the above-described airbag 20, and is formed of a single horizontal columnar main body portion 47a provided substantially along the left-right direction when the inflation is completed. The connecting inflation portion 47 is disposed in the region of a wrap portion 62 (which will be described later) in the outer cover 60, and thus, although the details are omitted in the drawing, the connecting inflation portion 47 is disposed at a position which is the rear side of the pelvis MP of the wearer M when the inflation of the airbag 40 is completed. Similar to the above-described connecting inflation portion 26, the connecting inflation portion 47 connects the gas generator 5 to the vicinity of the center in the length direction (left-right direction).
In the case of the embodiment, each of the protecting main body configuration portions 50 (50L, 50R) is configured such that six vertical columnar main body portions 50aa, 50ab, 50ac, 50ad, 50ae, and 50af which are provided so as to be substantially along the up-down direction when the inflation is completed, and the connecting portions 50ba, 50bb, 50bc, 50bd, 50be, and 50bf that respectively connect each of the vertical columnar main body portions 50aa, 50ab, 50ac, 50ad, 50ae, and 50af are arranged in a single stroke manner. (refer to
Each of the protecting main body portions 48 (48L, 48R) is configured to cover the outer side of the trochanter circumferential edge part TO, which is the circumferential edge of the trochanter TP of femur of the wearer M as the targeted body part, when the inflation is completed, while the external shape in a state of being laid flat is a substantially rectangular shape. In the case of the embodiment, in each of the protecting main body portions 48 (48L, 48R), the width dimension in the up-down and left-right directions in a state of being laid flat is set to be a dimension that can widely cover the surrounding of the trochanter TP of femur (trochanter circumferential edge part TO) including the front, rear, upper, and lower parts of the trochanter TP of femur when the inflation of the airbag 40 is completed (refer to
The outer cover 60 is made of a flexible woven fabric. In the case of the embodiment, the outer cover 60 is made of a polyester woven fabric. The outer cover 60 has an inner wall 60a disposed on the inner side (wearer M side) at the time of wearing and an outer wall 60b disposed on the outer side at the time of wearing, with substantially the same external shape. The outer cover 60 has a bag shape by joining (sewing) the outer circumferential edges of the inner wall 60a and the outer wall 60b to each other, and thus the airbag 40 can smoothly inflate inside. As illustrated in
The wearable airbag device S2 of the second embodiment is worn on the wearer M by being wrapped around the hip MW (pelvis MP) of the wearer M by connecting the end portions 62a and 62b of the wrap portion 62 in the outer cover 60 to each other by using the hook-and-loop fastener 63 as wearing means (refer to
In the wearable airbag device S2 of the second embodiment as well, the airbag 40 is configured to include the plurality of columnar inflation portions 44 (columnar main body portions 44a) in which the width dimension is set to be smaller than that of the trochanter circumferential edge part TO as the targeted body part. Therefore, the volume of the airbag 40 can be reduced as compared with a case where the airbag has a simple bag shape. Further, since the airbag 40 maintains the arranged state of the columnar inflation portion 44 (columnar main body portion 44a) by interposing the non-inflation connecting portion 45 therebetween when the inflation is completed, the airbag 40 can stably protect the trochanter circumferential edge part TO (trochanter TP of femur) as the targeted body part when the inflation is completed.
Further, in the wearable airbag device S2 of the second embodiment, when the inflation is completed, the airbag 40 is configured to provide the overlapping region disposed to stack the columnar inflation portions 44 (vertical columnar main body portions 50ab, 50ac, 50ae, and 50af) on the surface of the targeted body part (trochanter circumferential edge part TO). Therefore, the airbag 40 can be inflated to be thick at a predetermined place. Specifically, in the second embodiment, each of the protecting main body portions 48 in the airbag 40 is configured such that the overlapping portion 53 and the overlapped portion 54 are stacked on the surface of the targeted body part (trochanter circumferential edge part TO) over the region in the vicinity of the center in the front-rear direction where the side part of the trochanters TP of femurs is covered from the front edge side in a worn state. Therefore, the airbag 40 can thickly inflate the region that covers the trochanter TP of femur, and can stably protect the circumferential edge part of the trochanter TP of femur.
Furthermore, as the airbag 70, those having the configurations illustrated in
The airbag 70 is made of a flexible sheet material. In the case of the embodiment, the airbag 70 is made of a woven fabric made of polyester yarns, polyamide yarns or the like. In the case of the embodiment, the airbag 70 is configured such that a plurality of columnar inflation portions 73 in which the width dimensions are set to be smaller than the width dimension W1 (refer to
The connecting inflation portion 85 is formed of a center side part 74a which is a region on the center side in the left-right direction of the upper horizontal inflation portion 74 in the columnar inflation portion 73 (a region between the vertical inflation portions 76L and 76R). The gas generator 5 is connected to the vicinity of the center of the connecting inflation portion 85 in the length direction (left-right direction) (refer to
Each of the protecting main body portions 86 (86L, 86R) is configured to cover the outer side of the circumferential edge part of the trochanter TP of femur of the wearer M as the targeted body part when the inflation is completed, while the external shape is a substantially rectangular shape. In the case of the embodiment, in each of the protecting main body portions 86, the width dimension in the up-down and left-right directions in a state of being laid flat is set to be a dimension that can widely cover the surrounding (trochanter circumferential edge part TO) of the trochanter TP of femur including the front, rear, upper, and lower parts of the trochanter TP of femur when the inflation of the airbag 70 is completed (refer to
Even when the airbag 70 is used, the airbag 70 is configured to have a plurality of columnar inflation portions 73 in which the width dimensions are set to be smaller than that of the trochanter circumferential edge part TO as a targeted body part. Therefore, the volume of the airbag 70 can be reduced as compared with a case where the airbag has a simple bag shape. Further, when the inflation is completed, the airbag 70 is connected to each other by the non-inflow regions 80U and 80D such that the arranged state of the columnar inflation portion 73 (the upper horizontal inflation portion 74, the lower horizontal inflation portions 75U and 75D) is maintained. Therefore, the airbag 70 can stably protect the trochanter circumferential edge part TO (trochanter TP of femur) as the targeted body part when the inflation is completed.
Further, in the airbag 70 having the above-described configuration, by arranging the partition walls 71U and 71D inside, the inner wall 70a and the outer wall 70b are arranged to be separated from each other even in the non-inflow regions 80U and 80D when the inflation is completed. (refer to
In the airbags 20 and 40 of the embodiment, the inner walls 20a and 42a and the outer walls 20b and 42b are sewn so as to provide continuous joining parts 21 and 43, and the columnar inflation portions 22 and 44 are formed. Then, the region between the columnar inflation portions 22 and 44 in the airbags 20 and 40 is connected to each other over the entire surface by the non-inflation connecting portions 23 and 45 arranged such that the inner walls 20a and 42a and the outer walls 20b and 42b are arranged to be overlapped with each other. Further, in the airbag 70, the partition wall 71 is provided between the inner wall 70a and the outer wall 70b to partition the columnar inflation portion 73 and the non-inflow region 80. In other words, the airbags 20, 40, and 70 of the embodiment are all configured such that the airbags 20, 40, and 70 themselves can maintain the arranged state of the columnar inflation portions 22, 44, and 73 when the inflation is completed. However, the configuration of the airbag is not limited to the embodiment. For example, as an airbag, a configuration may be used in which holding bodies capable of forming a columnar inflation portion from a tubular body that can be inflated by allowing the inflation gas to flow thereinto and maintaining the arranged state of the columnar inflation portions when the inflation is completed are separately provided. Further, similar to the second embodiment, when the airbag is inflated in the outer cover, the columnar inflation portion of the airbag may be configured to be maintained by the outer cover.
The present disclosure relates to a wearable airbag device having the following configuration.
A wearable airbag device is configured to protect a targeted body part of a wearer, and includes an airbag configured to inflate to cover the targeted body part by allowing an inflation gas to flow thereinto. The airbag has a plurality of columnar inflation portions in which width dimensions are set to be smaller than that of the targeted body part, and configured to maintain an arranged state of the columnar inflation portions when the inflation is completed, and to protect the targeted body part.
In the wearable airbag device of the present disclosure, since the airbag is configured to have a plurality of columnar inflation portions in which the width dimensions are set to be smaller than that of the targeted body part, the volume can be reduced as compared with a case where the airbag has a simple bag shape. Further, since this airbag maintains the arranged state of the columnar inflation portions when the inflation is completed, it is possible to stably protect the targeted body part when the inflation is completed.
Therefore, in the wearable airbag device of the present disclosure, the airbag can be rapidly inflated, and the inflated airbag can stably protect the targeted body parts.
Specifically, in the wearable airbag device according to the present disclosure, it is preferable that the targeted body part includes left and right femoral trochanter circumferential edge parts of the wearer, and a head, and the airbag includes a hip protecting portion that inflates to cover a side of the femoral trochanter circumferential edge part, and a head protecting portion that inflates to cover at least back of the head, and is configured to position the hip protecting portion on an upstream side of a flow of the inflation gas, and inflate the head protecting portion after inflating the hip protecting portion.
When the wearable airbag device has such a configuration, it is possible to suppress an increase in volume by having a configuration having a plurality of columnar inflation portions, and the airbag can be rapidly inflated even when the hip protecting portion and the head protecting portion are provided. In addition, corresponding to the contact order with the fall destination part when the wearer falls, the inflated hip protecting portion can rapidly protect the femoral trochanter circumferential edge part, and then the inflated head protecting portion can also accurately protect the head of the wearer.
Furthermore, in the wearable airbag device having the above-described configuration, it is preferable that, when the airbag is configured such that the overlapping region is provided in which the columnar inflation portions are arranged to be stacked on the surface of the targeted body part when the inflation is completed, the airbag can also be inflated to be thick at a predetermined place.
Specifically, the airbag may be formed by arranging the columnar inflation portions in a single stroke manner, and further, the airbag may be configured such that the columnar inflation portions communicate with each other by the intersection.
Claims
1. A wearable airbag device configured to protect a targeted body part of a wearer, comprising:
- an airbag configured to inflate to cover the targeted body part by allowing an inflation gas to flow thereinto, wherein
- the airbag has a plurality of columnar inflation portions in which width dimensions are set to be smaller than that of the targeted body part, and configured to maintain an arranged state of the columnar inflation portions when the inflation is completed, and to protect the targeted body part.
2. The wearable airbag device according to claim 1, wherein
- the targeted body part includes left and right femoral trochanter circumferential edge parts of the wearer, and a head, and
- the airbag includes a hip protecting portion that inflates to cover a side of the femoral trochanter circumferential edge part, and a head protecting portion that inflates to cover at least back of the head, and is configured to position the hip protecting portion on an upstream side of a flow of the inflation gas, and inflate the head protecting portion after inflating the hip protecting portion.
3. The wearable airbag device according to claim 1, wherein,
- the airbag is configured to have an overlapping region in which the columnar inflation portions are arranged to be stacked on a surface of the targeted body part when the inflation is completed.
4. The wearable airbag device according to claim 1, wherein,
- the airbag is formed by arranging the columnar inflation portions in a single stroke manner.
5. The wearable airbag device according to claim 1, wherein,
- the airbag is configured to allow the columnar inflation portions to communicate with each other by intersections.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 17, 2022
Publication Date: Sep 22, 2022
Inventors: Toshihito YANAGISAWA (Kiyosu-shi), Wataru MIURA (Kiyosu-shi), Yusuke KAWAMURA (Kiyosu-shi)
Application Number: 17/674,218