JP7512909B2 - Side airbag device for vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a side airbag device for a vehicle.

Patent document 1 discloses an airbag that is divided into a lower air chamber for protecting the chest and an upper air chamber for protecting the head, with a vent hole formed in the lower front end of the lower air chamber. In addition, the airbag device in Patent Document 1 has a diffuser (sock) disposed in the lower air chamber as a flow straightening fabric, and the diffuser has a communication hole formed therein for distributing gas from the inflator to the lower air chamber.

JP 2006-008017 A

In side airbags that protect a wide area from the head to the hips of an occupant, it is preferable to shorten the length of the sock in order to prevent increases in cost and weight. However, shortening the sock may result in gas heading toward the upper chamber that protects the head being discharged through the vent hole.

In consideration of the above, the present invention aims to provide a side airbag device for a vehicle that can provide good head protection while shortening the length of the sock in a configuration that protects a wide area from the occupant's head to the waist.

A vehicle side airbag device according to claim 1 is stored inside a vehicle seat, and is inflated and deployed on a side of an occupant on the outer side in a seat width direction by receiving gas from an inflator when a side collision is predicted or detected, and is configured to include an upper chamber that covers the side of the occupant's head in an inflated and deployed state and a lower chamber that covers the side of the occupant's shoulder to waist region, and includes a bag body having a vent hole formed in the lower chamber, a lower opening that is provided inside the lower chamber to allow gas from the inflator to flow into the bag body and is opened downward when the bag body is inflated and deployed, and a sock including an upper opening formed above the vent hole and opening toward the upper chamber, wherein a connection portion into which the lower end of the inflator is inserted and which covers the gas outlet portion provided at the lower end of the inflator is formed at the rear end and lower portion of the sock, and the lower opening is located below the vent hole when the bag body is inflated and deployed and is formed in a shape such that the opening area is larger than the opening area of the upper opening, and the upper opening is positioned below the portion of the lower chamber covering the shoulders of the occupant.

In the vehicle side airbag device according to claim 1, the bag body includes an upper chamber that covers the sides of the occupant's head when inflated and deployed, and a lower chamber that covers the sides of the occupant's shoulders to waist. This makes it possible to restrain the sides of the occupant over a wide area in the event of a side collision of the vehicle. In addition, a vent hole is formed in the lower chamber of the bag body. This makes it possible to prevent the internal pressure of the lower chamber from becoming excessive.

A sock is provided inside the lower chamber, and a lower opening and an upper opening are formed in the sock. Here, the lower opening is formed lower than the upper opening and opens downward. This allows the waist to be restrained early, ensuring initial restraint performance. In addition, the upper opening is formed higher than the vent hole and opens toward the upper chamber. This makes it possible to prevent gas traveling from the upper opening toward the upper chamber from being discharged from the vent hole.

In addition , since the lower opening is located below the vent hole, it is possible to prevent a drop in internal pressure in the waist area, which requires restraint force.

Furthermore , since the opening area of the lower opening of the sock is larger than the opening area of the upper opening, more gas can be sent from the lower opening to the lower chamber during the initial stage of inflation of the bag body, thereby making it possible to rapidly increase the internal pressure in the area corresponding to the waist.

The vehicle side airbag device of claim 2 is similar to claim 1 , in that the vent hole is formed in the front end of the lower chamber, and the sock is inclined so that the front end is positioned rearward of the seat as it extends toward the upper side of the seat in a side view when the bag body is inflated and deployed.

In the vehicle side airbag device according to claim 2 , the sock is inclined in a direction away from the vent hole as it moves toward the upper part of the seat, thereby making it possible to effectively prevent the gas flowing from the upper opening toward the upper chamber from being discharged to the outside through the vent hole.

As described above, the vehicle side airbag device of the present invention is designed to protect a wide area of the occupant's body from the head to the waist, and can provide good head protection while shortening the length of the sock.

1 is a side view showing a vehicle seat to which a vehicle side airbag device according to an embodiment is applied, showing a state in which the side airbag is inflated and deployed; 1 is a front view showing a vehicle seat to which a vehicle side airbag device according to an embodiment is applied, showing a state in which the side airbag is inflated and deployed;

The following describes a vehicle side airbag device 12 equipped with a vehicle side airbag 10 according to an embodiment with reference to the drawings. Note that the arrows FR, UP, and RH in each drawing indicate the front, upper, and right sides of a vehicle seat 14 equipped with a vehicle side airbag 10, respectively. When describing using front-rear, left-right, top-bottom directions, these directions refer to front-rear in the front-rear direction of the seat, left-right in the width direction of the seat, and top-bottom in the top-bottom direction of the seat, unless otherwise specified.

(Vehicle seat 14)
As shown in Fig. 1, a vehicle seat 14 equipped with a vehicle side airbag device 12 of this embodiment includes a seat cushion 16, a seat back 18, and a headrest 20. The side airbag device 12 of this embodiment includes a vehicle side airbag 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as "side airbag 10") and an inflator 42. The vehicle seat 14 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is, as an example, disposed in the driver's seat on the left side of the vehicle, so that the front of the seat coincides with the front of the vehicle. Also, the left and right sides of the seat width direction coincide with the left and right sides of the vehicle width direction.

In the vehicle seat 14 shown in Figures 1 and 2, a crash test dummy P is seated in place of an actual occupant. This dummy P is, for example, the AM50 (50th percentile of adult American males) of the WorldSID (World Side Impact Dummy). For ease of explanation, dummy P will be referred to as "occupant P" below.

The seat cushion 16 extends in the front-rear and width directions of the seat and is configured to be able to support the buttocks and thighs of the occupant P. The seat back 18 is rotatably connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 16 and extends in the up-down direction of the seat and is configured to be able to support the back of the occupant P. The headrest 20 is provided at the upper end of the seat back 18 and is configured to be able to support the head H of the occupant P.

(Seatbelt device 24)
2, the occupant P is restrained in the vehicle seat 14 by a seat belt device 24. The seat belt device 24 includes a webbing 26, a tongue plate 30, a buckle 32, and a retractor (not shown).

The webbing 26 is formed in a long belt shape and includes a shoulder belt 26A that restrains the upper body of the occupant P to the seat back 18 when worn, and a lap belt 26B that restrains the occupant's waist L. The shoulder belt 26A extends diagonally from the left shoulder S of the occupant P to the right waist L. The lower end of the shoulder belt 26A is passed through the tongue plate 30.

The tongue plate 30 is threaded through the webbing 26 and is configured to be detachable from a buckle 32 provided on the right side of the seat. When the tongue plate 30 is attached to the buckle 32, the occupant P is restrained by the webbing 26.

The webbing 26 extends from the tongue plate 30 to the left side of the seat, and the portion extending in the seat width direction constitutes the lap belt 26B. Therefore, the right end of the lap belt 26B is connected to the lower end of the shoulder belt 26A. In addition, the left end of the lap belt 26B is fixed to a belt anchor 34 provided on the floor panel 40.

The upper end of the shoulder belt 26A is wound around a shoulder anchor (not shown) provided on the vehicle body. The end of the webbing 26 is wound up on a retractor (not shown). If the webbing 26 is suddenly pulled out, an emergency locking mechanism of the retractor is activated to lock the webbing 26 from being pulled out. The retractor is also provided with a pretensioner mechanism that is activated when a collision is detected to forcibly wind up the webbing 26.

(Side airbag device 12)
1, the side airbag device 12 includes an inflator 42 and a side airbag 10. The side airbag 10 includes a bag body 46 and a sock 48. The sock 48 is also called a diffuser, a flow straightening cloth, a duct, or an inner tube.

The inflator 42 is a cylindrical gas generating device formed in a roughly cylindrical shape, with its axial direction aligned with a side frame (not shown) that constitutes the framework of the seat back 18. The lower end of the inflator 42 is connected to a connection portion 46A of the side airbag 10. The lower end of the inflator 42 is provided with a gas ejection portion (not shown), and when a side collision of the vehicle is predicted or detected, gas is generated from the gas ejection portion and supplied to the side airbag 10.

The side airbag 10 is stored inside the seat back 18 and inflates when gas generated by the inflator 42 is supplied to it. The expansion pressure of the side airbag 10 breaks the skin of the seat back 18, causing the side airbag 10 to inflate and deploy laterally outward in the seat width direction relative to the occupant P.

Here, the bag body 46 constituting the side airbag 10 is formed into a generally bag-like shape by sewing two pieces of base fabric together at a sewing section SE at the outer periphery of the bag body 46. The bag body 46 also includes a connection section 46A to which the inflator 42 is connected, an upper chamber 46B that covers the sides of the head H of the occupant P in the inflated and deployed state, and a lower chamber 46C that covers the sides of the shoulders S to the waist L of the occupant P.

As shown in FIG. 2, the upper chamber 46B is configured to inflate and deploy toward the space between the upper rear surface of the shoulder belt 26A and the headrest 20. In this embodiment, the upper chamber 46B is stored in a folded state along the seat width direction at the upper end of the seat back 18, as an example. When gas is supplied to the upper chamber 46B, the skin at the upper end of the seat back 18 is broken by the inflation pressure of the upper chamber 46B, and the upper chamber 46B is configured to inflate and deploy toward the space between the shoulder belt 26A and the headrest 20.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lower chamber 46C is disposed from the upper portion to the lower end portion of the seat back 18 when viewed in the seat width direction, and is formed in a generally elliptical shape with the vertical center portion bulging out toward the front of the seat.

The connection part 46A is provided at the rear end of the lower chamber 46C, and has an insertion hole into which the inflator 42 is inserted. The lower end of the inflator 42 is inserted into this insertion hole.

Here, a vent hole 46D is formed in the lower chamber 46C. In this embodiment, as an example, the vent hole 46D is formed by not sewing a part of the base fabric of the bag body 46. The vent hole 46D is located above the seat from the part of the lower chamber 46C that restrains the waist region L, and is formed in the front end of the lower chamber 46C.

A sock 48 is provided inside the lower chamber 46C. The sock 48 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape and is a member for allowing gas from the inflator 42 to flow into the bag body 46. The sock 48 also includes a lower opening 48A, an upper opening 48B, and a connection portion 48C.

The lower opening 48A is provided at the lower end of the sock 48 when the bag body 46 is inflated and deployed, and is located below the vent hole 46D. The sock 48 is also open toward the lower side of the seat, i.e., toward the restraining portion of the waist L in the lower chamber 46C. Furthermore, the opening area of the lower opening 48A is larger than the opening area of the upper opening 48B, which will be described later. Specifically, the lower opening 48A of the sock 48 is formed to have a greater front-to-rear length than the upper opening 48B.

The length of the sock 48 in the front-to-rear direction decreases from the lower opening 48A toward the top of the seat, and an upper opening 48B is provided at the upper end of the sock 48. The upper opening 48B is formed above the seat beyond the vent hole 46D and opens toward the upper chamber 46B.

In addition, the upper opening 48B is located below the upper chamber 46B. Specifically, the upper opening 48B is located slightly below the shoulder S of the occupant P, and is sewn to the bag body 46 with the opening facing the upper chamber 46B.

As described above, the sock 48 has a shape in which the upper part is narrower in the front-to-rear direction than the lower part when viewed from the side in the inflated and deployed state, and the front end of the sock 48 is inclined so that it is positioned rearward of the seat as the bag body 46 moves toward the top of the seat.

Furthermore, a connection part 48C is provided at the rear end of the sock 48. The connection part 48C is formed in a shape corresponding to the connection part 46A of the bag body 46, and is fixed to the side frame (not shown) of the seat back 18 together with the connection part 46A. The lower end part of the inflator 42 is inserted into the connection part 48C. That is, the outer peripheral surface of the lower end part of the inflator 42 is covered by the connection part 48C of the sock 48, and the outer peripheral surface of the connection part 48C is further covered by the connection part 46A of the bag body 46. Therefore, the gas generated from the inflator 42 flows inside the sock 48 through the connection part 48C of the sock 48, and flows from the lower opening 48A and the upper opening 48B to the lower chamber 46C and the upper chamber 46B.

(Action)
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

In the side airbag device 12 of this embodiment, a bag body 46 is stored inside the vehicle seat 14, and this bag body 46 receives gas from the inflator 42 when a side collision is predicted or detected, and is inflated and deployed to the side of the occupant P. The bag body 46 also has an upper chamber 46B and a lower chamber 46C, with the upper chamber 46B covering the side of the head H of the occupant P, and the lower chamber 46C covering the side of the occupant P from the shoulder S to the waist L. This makes it possible to restrain the side of the occupant P over a wide area in the event of a side collision.

In addition, in this embodiment, a vent hole 46D is formed in the lower chamber 46C of the bag body 46, which prevents the internal pressure of the lower chamber 46C from becoming excessive.

Furthermore, a sock 48 is provided inside the lower chamber 46C, and a lower opening 48A and an upper opening 48B are formed in the sock 48. Here, the lower opening 48A is formed lower than the upper opening 48B and opens downward. This allows the occupant P's waist L to be restrained early, and initial restraint performance can be ensured. On the other hand, the upper opening 48B is formed higher than the vent hole 46D and opens toward the upper chamber. This prevents gas traveling from the upper opening 48B toward the upper chamber 46B from being discharged from the vent hole 46D. In this way, in the side airbag 10 of this embodiment, in a configuration that protects a wide range from the head H to the waist L of the occupant P, the length of the sock 48 can be shortened while still providing good protection for the head H.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lower opening 48A of the sock 48 is located below the vent hole 46D, which prevents the internal pressure in the waist area L, where restraint force is required, from decreasing.

In addition, in this embodiment, the opening area of the lower opening 48A is larger than the opening area of the upper opening 48B of the sock 48. This allows more gas to be sent from the lower opening 48A to the lower chamber 46C during the initial stage of inflation of the bag body 46. This allows the internal pressure in the area corresponding to the waist L of the occupant P to be increased quickly.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the front end of the sock 48 is inclined away from the vent hole 46D as it moves toward the top of the seat. This effectively prevents gas traveling from the upper opening 48B toward the upper chamber 46B from being discharged to the outside through the vent hole 46D.

Although the side airbag 10 according to the embodiment and the modified example has been described above, it is of course possible to implement the present invention in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the upper opening 48B of the sock 48 is located slightly below the shoulder S, but this is not limited to this. For example, the sock 48 may be extended to the position of the shoulder S of the occupant P, and the upper opening 48B may be located at the shoulder S.

In the above embodiment, the vent hole 46D is formed at a position between the portion restraining the occupant P's chest and the portion restraining the waist L, but this is not limited to this. For example, if sufficient restraining force for the waist L can be obtained, the vent hole 46D may be formed at the lower end of the lower chamber 46C. Also, if it is desired to reduce the internal pressure in the portion restraining the chest, the vent hole 46D may be formed in this portion restraining the chest. Even in this case, if the upper opening 48B is formed above the vent hole 46D, it is possible to prevent gas from being discharged toward the upper chamber 46B.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the shape of the sock 48 is shorter in the front-to-rear direction at the top than at the bottom, but this is not limited to this and other shapes may be used. In addition, in the above embodiment, the position of the lower opening 48A is above the waist L, but this is not limited to this and the lower opening 48A may be located at the waist L.

Furthermore, the shapes of the upper chamber 46B and the lower chamber 46C that constitute the bag body 46 are not particularly limited, and shapes other than those illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 may be adopted.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 12 Vehicle side airbag device 14 Vehicle seat 42 Inflator 46 Bag body 46B Upper chamber 46C Lower chamber 46D Vent hole 48 Sock 48A Lower opening 48B Upper opening P Occupant H Head S Shoulder L Waist

Claims (2)

a bag body that is stored inside a vehicle seat, receives gas from an inflator when a side collision is predicted or detected, and is inflated and deployed on the outer side of an occupant in the seat width direction, and includes an upper chamber that covers the side of the occupant's head when inflated and deployed, and a lower chamber that covers the side of the occupant's shoulders to waist, and a vent hole is formed in the lower chamber;
a sock provided inside the lower chamber for allowing gas from the inflator to flow into the bag body, the sock including a lower opening that opens downward when the bag body is inflated and deployed, and an upper opening that is formed above the vent hole and opens toward the upper chamber;
having
a connecting portion into which a lower end of the inflator is inserted and which covers a gas ejection portion provided at the lower end of the inflator is formed at a rear end and lower portion of the sock;
the lower opening is located below the vent hole when the bag body is inflated and deployed, and is formed in a shape having an opening area larger than an opening area of the upper opening,
A side airbag device for a vehicle , wherein the upper opening is disposed below a portion of the lower chamber which covers the shoulders of an occupant. The vent hole is formed at a front end of the lower chamber,
2. The vehicle side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the sock is inclined such that a front end portion of the sock is positioned rearward of the seat as it extends upward from the seat in a side view when the bag body is inflated and deployed .