Wearable airbag device

Abstract

A wearable airbag device includes an airbag that is inflatable with an inflation gas, and an outer cover that covers an outer circumference of the airbag and is configured to hold the airbag as inflated. The airbag includes: two protecting portions each of which is configured to cover an outer side of the trochanter of femur of the wearer at airbag deployment; and a communicating path that is configured to provide gas communication between the two protecting portions at vicinities of upper end regions of the protecting portions. The outer cover includes, in the upper edge, a wrap portion that is adapted to be wrapped around the pelvis of the wearer. The outer cover further includes a means for suppressing each of the protecting portions from floating away from the body of the wearer at airbag deployment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wearable airbag device adapted to be wrapped around the pelvis of a wearer for protecting the hip of the wearer, the airbag device comprising:
 an airbag that is configured to be inflated with an inflation gas, the airbag including: two protecting portions each of which is configured to cover an outer side of a targeted body part of the wearer at airbag deployment, the targeted body part being left and right trochanters of femurs; and a communicating path that is configured to provide gas communication between the two protecting portions at vicinities of upper end regions of the protecting portions; and   an outer cover that covers an outer circumference of the airbag and is configured to hold the airbag as inflated, the outer cover being formed of a sheet material having flexibility,   wherein the outer cover includes:   a wrap portion that is disposed in a vicinity of an upper edge of the outer cover and adapted to be wrapped around the pelvis of the wearer; and   a means for suppressing each of the protecting portions from floating away from the body of the wearer at airbag deployment.   
     
     
         2 . The wearable airbag device of  claim 1 , wherein the outer cover includes:
 an inner panel that is configured to be disposed between the airbag and the body of the wearer when worn;   an outer panel that is configured to face away from the wearer when worn; and   a mounting belt that is adapted to be wrapped around the pelvis of the wearer for putting the airbag device on the wearer, the mounting belt having a band shape and being disposed on the inner panel in the wrap portion, the mounting belt constituting the means for suppressing.   
     
     
         3 . The wearable airbag device of  claim 2 , further including a plurality of belt loops that are attached to a surface of the inner panel of the outer cover to face the body of the wearer when worn, the plurality of belt loops holding the mounting belt in such a manner that the mounting belt is movable with respect to the inner panel in a circumferential direction of the body of the wearer. 
     
     
         4 . The wearable airbag device of  claim 1 , wherein the outer cover includes:
 an inner panel that is configured to be disposed between the airbag and the body of the wearer when worn;   an outer panel that is configured to face away from the wearer when worn; and   a low-elongation region that is disposed at least in a part of the outer panel and has lower elongation than the inner panel, the low-elongation region being configured to prevent each of the protecting portions as is inflating from protruding toward a direction drawing away from the body of the wearer and help deploy each of the protecting portions downward in such a manner as to push down the protecting portion, the low-elongation region constituting the means for suppressing.   
     
     
         5 . The wearable airbag device of  claim 1 , further including, in a vicinity of a lower end of the outer cover, at least one weight that serves as the means for suppressing. 
     
     
         6 . The wearable airbag device of  claim 1 , further including, in a vicinity of a lower end of the outer cover, at least one wrap band that is adapted to be wrapped around the femoral region of the wearer and serves as the means for suppressing.