JP2004330903A - Side airbag device of automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a side airbag device of an automobile capable of preventing positional slippage of an airbag against a waist part of an occupant and improving protective performance without increasing thickness of the airbag. <P>SOLUTION: The airbag 13 never causes its positional slippage against the waist part M of the occupant as the airbag 13 develops between the one end side of a seat belt 18 and the neighborhood of the waist part M of the occupant. Additionally, the protective performance is improved even if thickness of the airbag 13 itself is small as the airbag 13 develops sideways. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an automobile side airbag device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art A conventional vehicle side airbag device has a structure in which an airbag module in which an upwardly deployable airbag is stored is provided at an end of a seat cushion on a vehicle body side wall side. In the event of a vehicle collision, the airbag is deployed upward from the airbag module, and the airbag is positioned between the vehicle body side wall and the occupant's waist to protect the occupant's lumbar portion (for example, see Patent Document 1). 1).
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-10-67297
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in such a conventional technique, since the airbag only expands upward, when the airbag expands upward, the airbag interferes with the convex shape of the side wall of the vehicle body and the position of the airbag is reduced. May shift back and forth. Further, the protection performance of the airbag is improved in accordance with the thickness at the time of inflation, but when the thickness of the airbag is increased, the above-mentioned problem of interference with the side wall of the vehicle body is likely to occur. Therefore, there is a need for a structure that improves the protection performance without increasing the thickness of the airbag.
[0005]
The present invention has been made by paying attention to such a conventional technique, and it is possible to prevent the displacement of the airbag with respect to the occupant's waist and improve the protection performance without increasing the thickness of the airbag. An object of the present invention is to provide an automobile side airbag device.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The invention according to claim 1 is a side airbag device for an automobile, wherein one end of a seat belt for restraining the vicinity of an occupant's waist is applied to a seat fastened to an end of a seat cushion on the side of a vehicle body side wall. An airbag module capable of deploying an airbag is provided between one end of the seat belt and the vicinity of the occupant's waist.
[0007]
The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that one end of the seat belt and the airbag module are rotatably fastened together at the same point on the seat cushion with the airbag module inside.
[0008]
The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the airbag module is provided with an engagement portion that engages with the seatbelt and enables synchronous rotation with the seatbelt.
[0009]
The invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that the airbag has an inflated shape having a depression in a direction substantially along the seatbelt on a surface corresponding to the seatbelt when deployed.
[0010]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the airbag is deployed between one end of the seat belt and the vicinity of the occupant's waist, the airbag does not displace relative to the occupant's waist. In addition, since the airbag is guided by the seat belt and deployed laterally, even if the thickness of the airbag itself is small, there is an airbag deployed with a sufficient width between the side wall of the vehicle body and the occupant's waist. The protection performance of the occupant's waist by the bag is improved.
[0011]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, since one end of the seat belt and the airbag module are rotatably fastened together at the same point, the work of attaching the two to the seat cushion becomes easy.
[0012]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the engagement portion formed on the airbag module causes the airbag module to rotate in synchronization with the seatbelt, so that the degree of engagement of the seatbelt changes according to the occupant's physique and the like. However, in response to the change, the deployment direction of the airbag changes in the same manner. Therefore, there is no change in the relationship between the seat belt and the airbag, and the airbag can be reliably deployed between one end of the seatbelt and the vicinity of the occupant's waist.
[0013]
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the airbag has an inflated shape having a depressed portion on a surface corresponding to the seatbelt, the depressed portion and the seatbelt are engaged with each other when the airbag is inflated. The displacement in the front-rear direction is more reliably prevented.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows a left front seat 1 of a motor vehicle. The front seat 1 includes a seat cushion 2 and a seat back 3. The seat back 3 can be tilted back and forth by a reclining device (not shown). Device covers 4 are provided on both left and right sides of the seat cushion 2 to cover the reclining device. A buckle 5 is attached to the rear of the right device cover 4.
[0015]
An upper rail 6 is fixed to the lower surface of the seat cushion 2, and the upper rail 6 is slidable back and forth with respect to a lower rail 7 fixed to the floor. Accordingly, the entire front seat 1 can be slid forward and backward with respect to the floor.
[0016]
Since the front seat 1 is disposed on the left side of the automobile, a vehicle body side wall 8 including a door and the like is located on the left side of the front seat 1 (see FIG. 8). A recess 9 is formed in the left side device cover 4 of the seat cushion 2 corresponding to the vehicle body side wall 8 from the side surface. The recess 9 has a tapered shape in which the upper portion is wider than the lower portion. A shaft hole 10 is formed in the upper rail 6 directly below the recess 9.
[0017]
Then, the airbag module 11 is mounted in the recess 9 of the device cover 4. In the airbag module 11, a crank-shaped bracket 15 fixed to the inflator 14 projects downward from the case 12 in a state where the airbag 13 and the inflator 14 are stored in a case 12 made of synthetic resin. ing.
[0018]
A thin tear line 16 is formed on the upper surface 12a of the airbag module 11 to open the upper part of the airbag module 11 upward. L-shaped engaging portions 17 facing each other in the front-rear direction are formed on the side surface of the case 12.
[0019]
On the other hand, from an upper part (not shown) of the vehicle body side wall 8, the seat belt 18 is drawn out to the vehicle interior side. A fixing bracket 19 is provided at one end of the seat belt 18, and a tongue 20 is passed in the middle. The fixing bracket 19 at one end of the seat belt 18 is rotatably shared with the shaft hole 10 of the upper rail 6 by a single bolt 21 together with the bracket 15 with the airbag module 11 inside. Be tightened. As described above, since the fixing bracket 19 of the seat belt 18 and the bracket 15 of the airbag module 11 can be rotatably fastened together with one bolt 21, the work of attaching the two to the seat cushion 2 is easy. .
[0020]
The front-rear width of the airbag module 11 is smaller than the recess 9, and the recess 9 is tapered so as to open upward, so that the airbag module 11 pivots forward and backward in the recess 9 around the bolt 21. can do. Further, by engaging the corresponding portion of the seat belt 18 between the engaging portions 17 formed on the side surface of the airbag module 11, the airbag module 11 rotates in synchronization with the seat belt 18. That is, the relative positional relationship between the two is always constant (see FIG. 5).
[0021]
The seat belt 18 can restrain and protect the occupant in a three-point manner by engaging the tongue 20 with the buckle 5 on the opposite side. The occupant waist M (see FIG. ) Can be restrained, and the vicinity of the chest of the occupant can be restrained by a shoulder portion extending from the tongue 20 to the upper portion of the vehicle body side wall 8.
[0022]
The airbag 13 is stored in the airbag module 11 in a folded state. When the airbag 13 is inflated with no load, the airbag 13 is deployed right above the airbag module 11 and the side of the vehicle side wall 8 is closed. A concave portion 22 is formed along the vertical direction on the side surface. Such a depression 22 is formed because the two straps 23 provided inside the airbag 13 are pulled from the inside (see FIG. 6).
[0023]
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 shows a case where only the airbag 13 is deployed without the occupant seated with the seat belt 18 fastened, and FIG. 8 shows a state where the airbag 13 is deployed with the occupant seated. FIG.
[0024]
That is, at the time of a vehicle side collision, a gas is ejected from the inflator 14 in the airbag module 11 in response to a signal from a sensor incorporated in the vehicle body, and the gas pressure inflates the airbag 13 in the case 12. Then, due to the inflation force of the airbag 13, the upper surface portion 12 a of the case 12 is cleaved from the tear line 16 and opens upward, and the airbag 13 is deployed so as to protrude therefrom.
[0025]
The airbag 13 that has protruded upward from the case 12 is deployed laterally toward the occupant along the lap portion of the seat belt 18 hung on the upper side. Therefore, when the airbag 13 is deployed in a no-load state, the side portion on the side of the vehicle body side wall 8 is deployed along the seatbelt 18 in a state corresponding to the seatbelt 18. Since the depression 22 is formed on this surface along the seat belt 18, the airbag 13 is fixed to the seat belt 18 when the depression 22 is aligned with the seat belt 18. It unfolds between the part on the side of the metal fitting 19 and the vicinity of the occupant waist M.
[0026]
Therefore, since the airbag 13 is deployed inside the seat belt 13 as described above, the airbag 13 does not cause a problem of interference with the convex shape of the vehicle body side wall 8 and the like, unlike the related art. As a result, there is no risk of displacement of the occupant's waist M. In particular, in this embodiment, since the depressed portion 22 of the airbag 13 is engaged with and engaged with the seat belt 18, the displacement of the airbag 13 in the front-rear direction is more reliably prevented.
[0027]
Further, since the airbag 13 is guided by the seat belt 18 and deployed laterally, even if the thickness of the airbag 13 itself is small, a sufficient width W between the vehicle body side wall 8 and the occupant waist M (see FIG. 8). The airbag 13 deployed in the step (1) exists. Therefore, even when the vehicle body side wall 8 approaches the occupant waist M side due to the impact F at the time of the vehicle side collision, the vicinity of the occupant waist M can be reliably protected by the airbag 13 having the large lateral width W.
[0028]
Further, since the airbag module 11 rotates in synchronization with the seatbelt 18 by the engaging portion 17 formed in the airbag module 11, the degree of engagement (angle) of the seatbelt 18 changes according to the occupant's physique and the like. However, in response to the change, the deployment direction of the airbag 13 also changes. Therefore, the relationship between the seat belt 18 and the airbag 13 is not changed, and the airbag 13 is reliably deployed between one end of the seat belt 18 and the vicinity of the occupant's waist M according to the state of the seat belt 18. Can be done.
[0029]
In the present invention, an example in which the present invention is applied to the lap portion of the three-point seat belt 18 has been described. However, the present invention is also applicable to a two-point seat belt that restricts only the occupant's waist M.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing a side airbag device for an automobile according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view showing the side airbag device assembled to the seat cushion of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the airbag module of FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the airbag module of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a side view showing synchronous rotation of the airbag module of FIG. 2 with a seat belt.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the airbag deployed in a no-load state.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the side airbag device showing a state in which the airbag is deployed inside the seat belt of FIG. 2;
FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a deployed state with respect to the occupant's waist in a direction along the line SA-SA shown in FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Front seat 2 Seat cushion 8 Body side wall 11 Airbag module 13 Airbag 17 Engagement part 18 Seat belt 19 Fixing bracket (one end of seat belt)
22 Depressed part M Occupant waist W Width F with seatbelt deployed F Side impact

Claims (4)

A side airbag device for an automobile applied to a seat in which one end of a seat belt that restrains the vicinity of an occupant's waist is fastened to an end of a seat cushion on a vehicle body side wall side,
A side airbag device for an automobile, wherein an airbag module capable of deploying an airbag is provided between the one end side of the seat belt and the vicinity of the occupant's waist in the seat cushion. The automobile side airbag device according to claim 1,
A side airbag device for an automobile, wherein one end of a seatbelt and an airbag module are rotatably fastened together at the same point on a seat cushion with the airbag module inside. The automobile side airbag device according to claim 2,
A side airbag device for an automobile, wherein an engagement portion that engages with a seat belt and enables synchronous rotation with the seat belt is provided in the airbag module. The automobile side airbag device according to claim 1 or 2,
A side airbag device for an automobile, wherein the airbag has an inflated shape having a depression in a direction substantially along the seatbelt on a surface corresponding to the seatbelt when deployed.

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