JP2001287615A - Side air bag device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely protect a head part without being unfavorably affected even when interference with a seat belt is generated in inflation development. SOLUTION: In this side air bag device 1 arranged in a side part of a seatback 2 to protect a breast and the head part of an occupant M against side-directional impact, an overhang part 9 overhung from a main body part 8 toward a rear side is provided in a portion corresponding to a head part in a head part protecting portion 6 of an air bag 3, and a vertical partitioning means 11 is provided between the main body part 8 and the overhang part 9, leaving a communication part 12 in an upper part, so as to develop inflatedly the overhang part 9 from an upper side to a lower side after the protecting part 6 is developed with strong developing force.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an airbag device for protecting an occupant from the impact of an automobile collision, and more particularly to a side airbag device for protecting the occupant's chest and head against an impact from the side. It is.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A side airbag device for protecting the occupant's chest and head against impact from the side of a vehicle body is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-273693. A housing in which an inflator that blows out gas when required is housed in a housing is arranged on one side of a seat back, that is, one side behind a passenger sitting on a seat, and is configured as shown in FIG. As shown, the airbag 21 is inflated and deployed forward and upward from one upper side of the seat back 22 by the gas ejected from the inflator at the time of a side collision to protect each side of the occupant's chest and head. Is configured.

In the airbag 21 shown in FIG. 3, when the seat on which the occupant sits is adjusted rearward, when the airbag 21 is inflated and deployed, the rear portion is pulled out from the shoulder anchor 24 of the seat belt device. There is a problem that the airbag 23 may be swung forward as indicated by the imaginary line and may not be able to secure a sufficient protection area for the head.

[0004] To solve such a problem, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. Hei 9-123864 and Hei 10-28
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7195 discloses an airbag in which a portion that may interfere with a seat belt of an airbag is hollowed out and a head protection portion is extended rearward. Referring to FIG. 4, an example disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-123864 will be described. In the illustrated example, the head is attached to the housing 25 so that there is no fear of flipping the arm when the airbag is inflated and deployed. Protection airbag 26 and chest protection airbag 27
Are individually mounted, and the head protection airbag 26 is
As a whole, it is bulged upward with a slight inclination toward the front, and the rear part of the middle part is greatly hollowed out so as to avoid interference with the seat belt 23, and the upper part of the head protection part is large rearward. It is overhanging.

In such a configuration, when the inflator is actuated by a side impact, the gas ejected into the head protection airbag 26 first flows obliquely upward and upward as indicated by an arrow, and The direction of the protection part is changed from the front part to the rear part and flows into the rear part of the head protection part, and the head is protected in an inflated and deployed state in which interference with the seat belt 23 is avoided.
7 also expands and deploys forward to protect the chest.

[0006]

However, in the side airbag device having the structure as shown in FIG. 4, when the head protection airbag 26 is inflated and deployed, a protruding portion behind the head protection portion is formed. There is a risk of being caught on the seat belt 23, in which case there is a high possibility that the proper deployment state will not be obtained at the required timing, and there is a possibility that the head may not be fully protected, and conversely, it will expand and deploy smoothly. In this case, the gas flow collides with the rear part of the head protection part, and the inertia force causes the head protection airbag to deflect backward, which may cause a case where the head cannot be properly protected. There's a problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a side airbag device capable of reliably protecting a head without being adversely affected even when it interferes with a seat belt during inflation and deployment.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A side airbag device according to the present invention is a side airbag device disposed on a side portion of a seat back to protect an occupant's chest and head against impact from the side. There is an overhanging portion that extends rearward from the main body at the part corresponding to the head in the head protection part of the airbag, and a vertical partition is formed by leaving a communicating part at the top between the main body and the overhang. Means are provided. The partitioning means may be configured by disposing a partition cloth between the bag cloths on both sides of the airbag, or may be configured by a sewing line obtained by sewing the bag cloths on both sides.

According to this, the gas flow flowing into the head protection part when the airbag is inflated and deployed first flows through the main part almost straight toward the top of the head protection part. The gas deploys quickly with a strong deployment force and without any fluctuation in the deployment behavior.After that, gas flows downward from above toward the overhang through the upper communication path of the partition means, and the overhang is expanded and deployed. You.

Since the gas flowing into the overhanging portion is regulated by the partitioning means and flows downward from above, the head protection portion may deflect backward due to the inertia of the gas flowing backward. When the seat belt does not engage with the rear part of the head protection part, there is no possibility that the head protection area cannot be sufficiently covered.

When the seat on which the occupant sits is adjusted rearward and the seat belt interferes with the rear portion of the head protection portion, the overhang portion is smoothly deployed without being caught by the seat belt when the main body portion expands and deploys. Then, since the projecting portion expands and deploys downward from above, even if the seat belt is engaged, it acts to push it away from above, and there is no danger of deployment failure due to the catch of the seat belt, The head can be protected effectively.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of a side airbag device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a side airbag device provided on a side portion of a seat back 2, and the airbag 3 is disposed in a housing 4 together with an inflator (not shown) in a folded state. I have. When the side airbag device 1 receives an impact from the side at the time of a side collision, gas is blown out from the inflator, and the airbag 3 is inflated and deployed forward and upward, and the occupant M's chest and head indicated by phantom lines. It is configured to protect the sides of the part.

The airbag 3 includes an occupant M sitting on a seat.
A base 5 at the rear of the shoulder or underarm, a head protection portion 6 that expands and expands substantially upward from the base 5 toward the side of the head of the occupant M, and a side of the chest of the occupant M from the base 5 And a chest protection portion 7 which expands and deploys substantially forward toward. The head protection part 6 is formed in a shape having a main body part 8 extending substantially in a cylindrical shape toward the top part and a protruding part 9 projecting rearward at a part corresponding to the head part. A wedge-shaped portion 10 is formed. The chest protection part 7 is formed in a substantially semi-elliptical shape from the base part 5 and is smoothly connected to the head protection part 6 in an arc shape.

The main part 8 of the head protection part 6 of the airbag 3
A vertical partitioning means 11 is disposed between the bulge 9 and the overhanging part 9 while leaving a communication part 12 at the upper part. The partitioning means 11 may be configured by disposing a partition cloth between the bag cloths on both sides of the airbag 3 or may be configured by a sewing line obtained by sewing the bag cloths on both sides.

In the above configuration, when the inflator is actuated by a side impact, the gas ejected from the inflator flows into the airbag 3 as shown by an arrow in FIG.
The head protection part 6 and the chest protection part 7 are bulged and deployed substantially above and substantially forward from the base 5 without fear of jumping up the arm of the occupant M, and the developed head protection part 6 and the chest protection part 7 respectively. Both head and chest are protected stably.

When the airbag 3 is inflated and deployed, the gas flowing into the head protection portion 6 first flows almost straight through the main body portion 8 toward the top of the head protection portion 6. Reference numeral 6 denotes a strong deploying force and deploys quickly without causing any deviation in the deploying behavior. After that, the gas flows downward from above toward the overhang 9 through the communication passage 12 at the upper part of the partition means 11, and the overhang 9 Is expanded and deployed.

Since the gas flowing into the overhang portion 9 is regulated by the partitioning means 11 and flows downward from above, the head protection portion 6 deflects rearward due to the inertial force of the gas flowing backward. There is almost no such situation, and there is no possibility that the head-protected area cannot be sufficiently covered due to the position swing behind the head-protected portion 6.

Further, when the seat on which the occupant sits is adjusted rearward, and the seat belt 13 extended from the shoulder anchor 14 of the seat belt device interferes with the rear part of the head protection portion 6 as shown in FIG. In FIG.
As shown in (a), first, the main part 8 of the head protection part 6 expands and deploys. At this time, the overhang 9 does not strongly expand and develop, so that the overhang 9 may be caught on the seat belt 13. Instead, the head protection portion 6 is smoothly deployed. In addition, since the top of the head protection portion 6 is formed as the wedge-shaped portion 10, the risk of being caught on the seat belt 13 at the time of inflation and deployment can be reduced, and the inflation and deployment can be performed reliably and smoothly. Then, as shown in FIG.
Since the projecting portion 9 expands and deploys from above to below, even if the seat belt 13 is engaged, the projecting portion 9 acts to push it away from above, and the catch of the seat belt 13 may cause poor deployment of the projecting portion 9. Not,
The main body portion 8 and the overhanging portion 9 secure a protection area for the head, and can effectively protect the head.

[0020]

According to the side airbag device of the present invention, as described above, a portion of the head protection portion of the airbag corresponding to the head is provided with a projection extending rearward from the main portion, and the main portion is provided. A vertical partitioning means is provided leaving a communicating part at the top between the and the overhanging part, so that gas flows almost straight toward the top through the main part of the head protection part when the airbag is inflated and deployed. Then, the head protection portion is quickly deployed with a strong deployment force, and then the gas flows downward from above toward the overhang portion through the upper communication passage of the partition means, and the overhang portion is inflated and deployed. The head protection part does not move backward due to the inertial force of the gas flowing toward it, it can sufficiently cover the head protection area and protect the head reliably, and the seat belt interferes with the rear part of the head protection part Also, when the main body is inflated and deployed, the overhang does not catch on the seat belt, and then the overhang extends downward from above and acts so as to push the seat belt away from above. The head can be effectively protected without the risk of poor deployment due to catching.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an inflated and deployed state of an airbag in one embodiment of a side airbag device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an inflated and deployed state of an airbag when a seat belt interferes in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing an inflated and deployed state of an airbag in a conventional side airbag device.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing an inflated and deployed state of an airbag in another conventional side airbag device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Side airbag apparatus 2 Seatback 3 Airbag 6 Head protection part 8 Main part 9 Projection part 11 Partition means 12 Communication part

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A side airbag device which is disposed on a side portion of a seat back and protects an occupant's chest and head against an impact from the side, wherein a head portion in a head protection portion of the airbag is provided. A side airbag device characterized in that a protruding portion that protrudes rearward from the main body portion is provided at a portion corresponding to the main body portion, and a vertical partitioning means is provided between the main body portion and the protruding portion, leaving a communication portion at an upper portion. .