JP2008265660A - Occupant protection device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To protect the knee part of an occupant at the time of a side collision. <P>SOLUTION: At the time of side collision, the impact energy acting on the outer knee part 16A of the occupant 16 sitting on a vehicle seat 12 on the collision side is absorbed by the outer inflation part 14A (first energy absorbing means) of an airbag body 14, and the impact energy transmitted from the outer knee part 16A to the inner knee part 16B of the occupant is absorbed by the center inflation part 14B (second energy absorbing means) of the airbag body 14. Then, the impact energy acting on the inner knee part 16B caused by the reaction from a center console 44 is absorbed by the inner inflation part 14C (third energy absorbing means) of the airbag body 14. The impact acting on the knee parts of the occupant 16 at the time of side collision is relieved thereby. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle occupant protection device, and more particularly to a vehicle occupant protection device capable of protecting a passenger's knee.

  As an occupant protection device for a vehicle, when an offset collision occurs, the center part protrudes toward the occupant side to widen the lap of the occupant and to make the occupant a suitable posture. A structure for protecting the kneecap at the left and right sides is disclosed (see Patent Document 1).

JP-A-2005-145111

  However, the above-described conventional example is a structure that mainly considers an offset collision, which is a form of a frontal collision of a vehicle, and does not particularly consider a side collision.

  In view of the above facts, the present invention aims to protect the occupant's knee during a side collision.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a first energy absorbing means capable of absorbing a collision energy to an outer knee portion positioned on the outer side in the vehicle width direction in an occupant seated on a vehicle seat on the collision side at the time of a side collision; Sometimes, the second energy absorbing means capable of absorbing the collision energy from the outer knee portion to the inner knee portion located in the vehicle width direction inside the occupant and the side of the vehicle seat at the time of the side collision. And a third energy absorbing means capable of absorbing the collision energy to the inner knee due to the reaction force from the provided center console.

  In the vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1, in the case of a side collision, the collision energy to the outer knee of the occupant seated on the vehicle seat on the collision side is absorbed by the first energy absorbing means, and the outer knee The collision energy from the inner knee to the inner knee is absorbed by the second energy absorbing means, and the absorption of the collision energy to the inner knee due to the reaction force from the center console is absorbed by the third energy absorbing means. For this reason, it is possible to relieve the impact on the knee of the occupant during a side collision and protect the knee.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle occupant protection device according to the first aspect, the first energy absorbing means, the second energy absorbing means, and the third energy absorbing means are formed as a single airbag bag body. It is characterized by being integrally formed.

  In the vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 2, the first energy absorbing means, the second energy absorbing means, and the third energy absorbing means are integrally configured as a single airbag bag body, and are subjected to side collision. In some cases, the airbag body is deployed to protect the occupant's outer knee and inner knee from impacts caused by side collisions. For this reason, it is possible to simplify a structure.

  A third aspect of the present invention is the vehicle occupant protection device according to the first aspect, wherein the first energy absorbing means is deployed between the vehicle body side portion and the outer knee portion at the time of the side collision. The second energy absorbing means is a second airbag bag body that is deployed between the outer knee portion and the inner knee portion at the time of the side collision, and the third energy absorbing means is It is the 3rd airbag bag body developed between the inner knee part and the center console at the time of a side collision.

  In the vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 3, the first airbag bag body as the first energy absorbing means is deployed between the side of the vehicle body and the outer knee of the occupant during a side collision, The collision energy to the outer knee is absorbed. Further, the second airbag bag body as the second energy absorbing means is deployed between the outer knee portion and the inner knee portion, so that the collision energy from the outer knee portion to the inner knee portion is absorbed. The third airbag bag body as the third energy absorbing means is deployed between the inner knee and the center console, so that the collision energy to the inner knee due to the reaction force from the center console is absorbed. The For this reason, the deployment timing of each airbag bag body, the restraining force on the occupant's knee, and the like can be controlled independently. This also protects the occupant's knee more appropriately.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle occupant protection device according to the third aspect, the first airbag bag body, the second airbag bag body, and the third airbag bag body are in the vehicle seat. It is provided in the seat cushion part, and is characterized by being configured so that inflation gas is distributed from an inflator provided in the seat cushion part at the time of a side collision.

  In the vehicle occupant protection device according to the fourth aspect, at the time of a side collision, the inflator provided in the seat cushion portion of the vehicle seat operates to eject the inflation gas. The gas is distributed to the first airbag bag body, the second airbag bag body, and the third airbag bag body provided in the seat cushion portion, so that the first airbag bag body and the second airbag bag body are distributed. A bag bag body and a third airbag bag body are developed. Thus, the cost can be reduced by providing each airbag bag body and inflator in the seat cushion portion and sharing the inflator.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle occupant protection device according to the first aspect, at least one of the first energy absorbing means and the third energy absorbing means is a shock absorbing pad or a shock absorbing rib. Yes.

  In the vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 5, at least one of the first energy absorbing means and the third energy absorbing means is an impact absorbing pad or an impact absorbing rib, and the impact absorbing pad or the impact absorbing at the time of a side collision. The rib absorbs collision energy to one or both of the outer knee and the inner knee. For this reason, it is possible to relieve the impact of the occupant on the knee during a side collision and protect the knee with a simple configuration.

  As described above, according to the vehicle occupant protection device of the first aspect of the present invention, an excellent effect that the occupant's knee can be protected during a side collision can be obtained.

  According to the vehicle occupant protection device of the second aspect, an excellent effect that the configuration can be simplified is obtained.

  According to the vehicle occupant protection device of the third aspect, an excellent effect is obtained that the deployment timing of each airbag bag body, the restraining force on the knee of the occupant, and the like can be controlled independently. It is done.

  According to the vehicle occupant protection device of the fourth aspect, by sharing the inflator, an excellent effect that the cost can be reduced is obtained.

  According to the vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 5, with a simple configuration, an excellent effect is obtained that the impact on the knee of the occupant during a side collision can be reduced and the knee can be protected. can get.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[First Embodiment]
In FIG. 1, the vehicle occupant protection device 10 according to the present embodiment is disposed corresponding to, for example, a vehicle seat 12 that is a driver's seat, and includes an outer inflating portion 14A that is an example of a first energy absorbing unit. The central airbag portion 14B as an example of the second energy absorbing means and the inner inflation portion 14C as an example of the third energy absorbing means are integrally provided in a single airbag bag body 14.

  Here, the vehicle seat 12 and the configuration around it will be briefly described. The vehicle seat 12 includes a seat cushion portion 18 on which an occupant 16 is seated, a seat back 22 that serves as a backrest of the occupant 16, and a headrest 24 that corresponds to the head 16H of the occupant 16. The vehicle seat 12 is a driver's seat in a right-hand drive vehicle, for example, and an instrument panel 28 having a meter cluster 26 and the like is disposed in front of an occupant 16 seated on the vehicle seat 12. A steering column (not shown) protrudes from the instrument panel 28 to the rear of the vehicle, and a steering wheel 32 is attached to the rear end of the steering column.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a right front door 34, which is an example of a vehicle body side portion, is disposed outside the vehicle seat 12 in the vehicle width direction, and a door trim is provided on the vehicle side of the front door 34. 36 is arranged. As shown in FIG. 1, the door trim 36 is provided with an armrest 38, a door inner handle 42, and the like. A center console 44 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction through the center of the vehicle compartment is disposed on the vehicle width direction inner side of the vehicle seat 12. The center console 44 is provided with a shift lever 46, an operation unit 48 for audio and air conditioning equipment, and the like. When the occupant 16 is seated on the vehicle seat 12, the outer knee portion 16A positioned on the outer side in the vehicle width direction and the inner knee portion 16B positioned on the inner side in the vehicle width direction in the occupant 16 are The door trim 36, the instrument panel 28, and the center console 44 are surrounded.

  In FIG. 1, the airbag bag body 14 is supplied with gas from an inflator (not shown) at the time of a side collision or a frontal collision, so that it is between the instrument panel 28 and the outer knee part 16A and the inner knee part 16B. For example, the airbag is a knee airbag that is normally folded and housed in the instrument panel 28, for example. The outer inflatable portion 14A, the central inflatable portion 14B, and the inner inflatable portion 14C are configured to protrude and deploy rearward of the general portion 14D of the airbag bag body 14 when the airbag bag body 14 is deployed. ing.

  Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the outer inflating portion 14A enters between the door trim 36 and the outer knee portion 16A, and the central inflating portion 14B is formed between the outer knee portion 16A and the inner knee portion 16B. The inner inflatable portion 14 </ b> C is configured to enter between the inner knee portion 16 </ b> B and the center console 44.

  Accordingly, the outer inflating portion 14A can absorb the collision energy from the door trim 36 of the front door 34 to the outer knee portion 16A. The central inflatable portion 14B can absorb the collision energy from the outer knee portion 16A to the inner knee portion 16B. The inner inflatable portion 14 </ b> C can absorb the collision energy to the inner knee portion 16 </ b> B due to the reaction force from the center console 44. The outer inflating portion 14A, the central inflating portion 14B, and the inner inflating portion 14C are set so as to protrude rearward of the vehicle to the vicinity of the front edge of the seat cushion portion 18, for example.

  The inflator is connected to an airbag ECU (not shown), and when the airbag ECU determines the occurrence of a frontal collision or a side collision of the vehicle based on signals from front collision sensors and side collision sensors (not shown). An operating current is allowed to flow from the airbag ECU to the inflator. The inflator is configured to generate a large amount of gas when operated by the operating current.

(Function)
This embodiment is configured as described above, and the operation thereof will be described below. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the vehicle occupant protection device 10, when a side collision with the front door 34 occurs in the vehicle, for example, and the airbag ECU determines the side collision based on a signal from a side collision sensor. An ignition current is passed from the airbag ECU to the inflator, the inflator is activated, and a large amount of gas is supplied to the folded airbag bag body 14. Then, an airbag door (not shown) provided in the instrument panel 28 is pushed open by the deployment pressure of the airbag bag body 14, and the airbag bag body 14 is moved from the instrument panel 28 to the vehicle compartment side. It expands and expands.

  At this time, the outer inflating portion 14A, the central inflating portion 14B, and the inner inflating portion 14C, which are integrally provided in the airbag bag body 14, respectively project from the general portion 14D to the rear of the vehicle and deploy. Thereby, the collision energy from the door trim 36 to the outer knee portion 16A is absorbed by the outer inflating portion 14A entering between the door trim 36 and the outer knee portion 16A. Further, when the central expanding portion 14B enters between the outer knee portion 16A and the inner knee portion 16B, the collision energy from the outer knee portion 16A to the inner knee portion 16B is absorbed. When the inner inflated portion 14C enters between the inner knee portion 16B and the center console 44, the collision energy to the inner knee portion 16B due to the reaction force from the center console 44 is absorbed.

  As described above, according to the vehicle occupant protection device 10, it is possible to reduce the impact of the occupant 16 on the knees (the outer knee 16 </ b> A and the inner knee 16 </ b> B) at the time of a side collision and protect the knees. It is. Further, in the vehicle occupant protection device 10, since the outer inflation portion 14A, the central inflation portion 14B, and the inner inflation portion 14C are integrally provided in a single airbag bag body 14, the configuration can be simplified. is there.

  Note that, according to the setting of the airbag ECU, the airbag bag body 14 can be deployed even when a frontal collision of the vehicle occurs or when a frontal collision and a side collision occur in combination. At the time of a frontal collision, the deployed general portion 14D of the airbag bag body 14 enters between the outer knee portion 16A and the inner knee portion 16B of the occupant 16 and the instrument panel 28, so the outer knee portion 16A and the inner knee portion 16B can be restrained stably, and the reaction force at the time of restraint can be obtained from the instrument panel 28.

[Second Embodiment]
3 and 4, the vehicle occupant protection device 20 according to the present embodiment includes a first airbag 51 that is an example of a first energy absorbing unit and a second airbag that is an example of a second energy absorbing unit. The bag body 52 includes a third airbag bag body 53 that is an example of a third energy absorbing unit.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the first airbag bag body 51, the second airbag bag body 52, and the third airbag bag body 53 are provided in the seat cushion portion 18 of the vehicle seat 12. Specifically, the first airbag bag body 51 is folded and stored, for example, at a corner on the outer side in the vehicle width direction at the front portion of the seat cushion portion 18, and the second airbag bag body 52 is, for example, the seat cushion portion 18. The third airbag bag body 53 is folded and housed at, for example, a corner portion on the inner side in the vehicle width direction at the front portion of the seat cushion portion 18.

  The first airbag 51, the second airbag 52, and the third airbag 53 are inflated from, for example, one inflator 50 disposed in the seat cushion portion 18 at the time of a side collision. Are configured to be distributed. The gas outlet 50 </ b> A of the inflator 50 is connected to the first airbag bag body 51, the second airbag bag body 52, and the third airbag bag body 53 through the gas distribution pipe 54. The inflator 50 is connected to an airbag ECU (not shown), and when the airbag ECU determines that a side collision has occurred based on a signal from a side collision sensor (not shown), the inflator 50 is connected from the airbag ECU. Ignition current is allowed to flow. The inflator 50 is configured to generate a large amount of gas by operating with the ignition current.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the first airbag bag body 51, the second airbag bag body 52, and the third airbag bag body 53 are each supplied with gas from the inflator 50 at the time of a side collision. It is configured to deploy to a position. Specifically, the first airbag bag body 51 enters between the door trim 36 and the outer knee portion 16A, and the second airbag bag body 52 enters between the outer knee portion 16A and the inner knee portion 16B. The third airbag bag body 53 is configured to enter between the inner knee portion 16 </ b> B and the center console 44.

  Accordingly, the first airbag bag body 51 can absorb the collision energy from the door trim 36 of the front door 34 to the outer knee portion 16A. Further, the second airbag body 52 can absorb collision energy from the outer knee portion 16A to the inner knee portion 16B. The third airbag bag body 53 can absorb the collision energy to the inner knee portion 16 </ b> B due to the reaction force from the center console 44.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in this embodiment, in addition to the first airbag bag body 51, the second airbag bag body 52, and the third airbag bag body 53, the knee airbag bag body 56. Is provided. This knee airbag body 56 is normally folded and stored in, for example, the instrument panel 28, and receives gas from an inflator (not shown) at the time of frontal collision and side collision of the vehicle. It is comprised so that it may expand | deploy between the instrument panel 28, the outer side knee part 16A of the passenger | crew 16, and the inner side knee part 16B. The knee airbag body 56 is a member that is normally used for restraining the outer knee portion 16A and the inner knee portion 16B of the occupant 16 at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle. It is configured to be deployed in an auxiliary manner.

  In addition, arrangement | positioning of the 1st airbag bag body 51, the 2nd airbag bag body 52, and the 3rd airbag bag body 53 is not restricted to the example shown by FIG. About the 1st airbag bag body 51, you may comprise as a part of side airbag bag body (not shown) which expand | deploys corresponding to the thigh 16E, the waist | lumbar part 16F, etc. of the passenger | crew 16 at the time of a side collision, for example. .

  Further, the arrangement of the inflator 50 and the handling of the gas distribution pipe 54 are not limited to the example shown in FIG. The number of inflators 50 corresponding to the first airbag bag body 51, the second airbag bag body 52, and the third airbag bag body 53 is not limited to one per vehicle seat 12, For example, one inflator 50 may be provided for each of the one airbag bag body 51, the second airbag bag body 52, and the third airbag bag body 53.

  The arrangement of the first airbag bag body 51 is not limited to the seat cushion portion 18 and may be, for example, in the door trim 36 of the front door 34 or in the instrument panel 28. The arrangement of the second airbag bag body 52 is not limited to the seat cushion portion 18 and may be, for example, in a steering column. Further, the third airbag bag body 53 is not limited to the seat cushion portion 18 and may be, for example, inside the center console 44.

  Since other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and the description thereof is omitted.

(Function)
This embodiment is configured as described above, and the operation thereof will be described below. 3 and 4, in the vehicle occupant protection device 20, for example, when a side collision with the front door 34 occurs in the vehicle and the airbag ECU determines the side collision based on a signal from a side collision sensor, the airbag An ignition current is flowed from the ECU to the inflator 50 (FIG. 5), and the inflator 50 is operated, and the first airbag bag body 51, the second airbag bag body 52, and the third airbag bag body through the gas distribution pipe 54. A large amount of gas is distributed to 53. Then, the first airbag bag body 51, the second airbag bag body 52, and the third airbag bag body 53 are inflated and deployed from the seat cushion portion 18 to predetermined positions, respectively.

  Thereby, the first airbag bag body 51 enters between the door trim 36 and the outer knee portion 16A, so that the collision energy from the door trim 36 to the outer knee portion 16A is absorbed. Further, when the second airbag bag body 52 enters between the outer knee portion 16A and the inner knee portion 16B, collision energy from the outer knee portion 16A to the inner knee portion 16B is absorbed. When the third airbag bag body 53 enters between the inner knee portion 16B and the center console 44, the collision energy to the inner knee portion 16B due to the reaction force from the center console 44 is absorbed.

  Since the first airbag bag body 51, the second airbag bag body 52, and the third airbag bag body 53 are independent small airbag bags, they can be rapidly deployed at the time of a side collision. . In particular, the first airbag bag body 51 can be quickly deployed between the door trim 36 and the outer knee portion 16A before the distance between the door trim 36 and the outer knee portion 16A is narrowed. The impact on 16A can be reduced more effectively.

  Further, in the vehicle occupant protection device 20, in addition to the first airbag bag body 51, the second airbag bag body 52, and the third airbag bag body 53, the knee airbag bag body 56 is installed in the instrument at the time of a vehicle side collision. Deployment panel 28 and the outer knee 16A and the inner knee 16B. As a result, for example, even when a side collision from an oblique front occurs, the outer knee 16A and the inner knee 16B can be restrained.

  Thus, according to the vehicle occupant protection device 20, it is possible to reduce the impact of the occupant 16 on the knees (the outer knee 16A and the inner knee 16B) during a side collision, thereby protecting the knees. It is. By providing each airbag bag body (the first airbag bag body 51, the second airbag bag body 52, and the third airbag bag body 53) and the inflator 50 in the seat cushion portion 18, the inflator 50 is shared. Cost can be reduced.

  Further, in the present embodiment, each airbag is set according to various settings such as the length and inner diameter of the gas distribution pipe 54, how to fold the first airbag bag body 51, the second airbag bag body 52, and the third airbag bag body 53. The deployment timing of the bag and the restraining force on the knees (outer knee 16A, inner knee 16B) of the occupant 16 can be controlled independently. This can also be realized by providing one inflator 50 for each airbag bag.

  When providing a difference in the deployment timing of each airbag bag body, it is desirable that the first airbag bag body 51 be deployed earliest because the first airbag bag body 51 is closest to the collision side. When providing a difference in the deployment pressure of each airbag bag body, similarly, it is desirable that the deployment pressure of the first airbag bag body 51 be the highest. By doing in this way, it is possible to protect the passenger | crew's 16 knee part more appropriately.

[Third Embodiment]
In FIG. 6, the vehicle occupant protection device 30 according to the present embodiment includes an impact absorbing pad 61, a second airbag bag body 52, and a third airbag bag body 53, which are examples of first energy absorbing means. Have.

  The shock absorbing pad 61 is disposed at an outer position in the vehicle width direction of the outer knee portion 16 </ b> A of the occupant 16, for example, in the door trim 36 of the front door 34. The shock absorbing pad 61 is made of, for example, foam resin having shock absorbing properties, and is provided, for example, in the range from the instrument panel 28 to the front portion of the seat cushion portion 18 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. When the vehicle seat 12 is configured to be slidable in the vehicle front-rear direction, the sliding range is taken into consideration when determining the installation range of the shock absorbing pad 61.

  The shock absorbing pad 61 may be provided on the inner side surface of the door trim 36 in the vehicle width direction. In this case, direct contact between the occupant 16 and the door trim 36 can be suppressed. Further, an impact absorbing pad (not shown) may be additionally disposed between the outer panel 34A and the inner panel 34B of the front door 34. Further, the first energy absorbing means is not limited to the shock absorbing pad 61, and may be a shock absorbing rib, for example.

  Since other parts are the same as those of the second embodiment, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

(Function)
This embodiment is configured as described above, and the operation thereof will be described below. In FIG. 6, in the vehicle occupant protection device 30, for example, when a side collision with the front door 34 occurs in the vehicle and the airbag ECU determines the side collision based on a signal from the side collision sensor, The inflator 50 (see FIG. 5 showing the second embodiment) is operated by the ignition current, and a large amount of gas is distributed to the second airbag bag body 52 and the third airbag bag body 53 through the gas distribution pipe 54. Then, the second airbag bag body 52 and the third airbag bag body 53 are inflated and deployed from the seat cushion portion 18 to respective predetermined positions. Specifically, the second airbag bag body 52 is deployed so as to enter between the outer knee portion 16A and the inner knee portion 16B, and the third airbag bag body 53 is formed between the inner knee portion 16B and the center console 44. Expand to get in between.

  On the other hand, since the shock absorbing pad 61 is disposed in the door trim 36 of the front door 34, the front door 34 moves inward in the vehicle width direction and the door trim 36 contacts the outer knee portion 16A of the occupant 16. At that time, the impact absorbing pad 61 absorbs the collision energy to the outer knee portion 16A. In addition, when the second airbag bag body 52 enters between the outer knee portion 16A and the inner knee portion 16B as described above, the collision energy from the outer knee portion 16A to the inner knee portion 16B is absorbed. Is done. When the third airbag bag body 53 enters between the inner knee portion 16B and the center console 44, the collision energy to the inner knee portion 16B due to the reaction force from the center console 44 is absorbed.

  Thus, according to the vehicle occupant protection device 30, the impact on the knees (outer knee 16A, inner knee 16B) of the occupant 16 at the time of a side collision is mitigated by a simple configuration in which the impact absorbing pad 61 is used. Thus, the knee can be protected. In addition, since the number of airbag bags is small compared to the second embodiment, when the inflator 50 (FIG. 5) having the same output is used, the second airbag bag 52 and the third airbag bag 53 are more It is possible to deploy more quickly.

  In a side collision of the vehicle, in addition to the second airbag bag body 52 and the third airbag bag body 53, the knee airbag bag body 56 is located between the instrument panel 28, the outer knee portion 16A, and the inner knee portion 16B. The point which develops supplementarily is the same as that of 2nd Embodiment.

[Fourth Embodiment]
In FIG. 7, the vehicle occupant protection device 40 according to the present embodiment includes a first airbag bag body 51, a second airbag bag body 52, and an impact absorbing pad 63 as an example of a third energy absorbing means. Have.

  The shock absorbing pad 63 is disposed in the center console 44 at an inner position in the vehicle width direction of the inner knee portion 16 </ b> B of the occupant 16. The shock absorbing pad 63 is made of, for example, foamed resin having shock absorbing properties, and is provided, for example, in the range from the instrument panel 28 to the front portion of the seat cushion portion 18 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. When the vehicle seat 12 is configured to be slidable in the vehicle front-rear direction, the slide range is taken into consideration when determining the installation range of the shock absorbing pad 63.

  The shock absorbing pad 63 is not limited to the shock absorbing pad 63, and may be a shock absorbing rib, for example. Further, the arrangement of the shock absorbing pad 63 is not limited to the inside of the center console 44, and may be the outer surface of the center console 44, for example. In this case, direct contact between the inner knee 16B of the occupant 16 and the center console 44 can be suppressed.

  Since other parts are the same as those of the second embodiment, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

(Function)
This embodiment is configured as described above, and the operation thereof will be described below. In FIG. 7, in the vehicle occupant protection device 40, for example, when a side collision with the front door 34 occurs in the vehicle and the airbag ECU determines the side collision based on a signal from the side collision sensor, The inflator 50 (see FIG. 5 showing the second embodiment) is operated by the ignition current, and a large amount of gas is distributed to the first airbag bag body 51 and the second airbag bag body 52 through the gas distribution pipe 54. Then, the first airbag bag body 51 and the second airbag bag body 52 are inflated and deployed from the seat cushion portion 18 to respective predetermined positions. Specifically, the first airbag bag body 51 is deployed so as to enter between the door trim 36 and the outer knee portion 16A, and the second airbag bag body 52 is disposed between the outer knee portion 16A and the inner knee portion 16B. Deploy to get in.

  Thus, the collision energy from the door trim 36 to the outer knee portion 16A is absorbed by the first airbag body 51 entering between the door trim 36 and the outer knee portion 16A. Further, when the second airbag bag body 52 enters between the outer knee portion 16A and the inner knee portion 16B, collision energy from the outer knee portion 16A to the inner knee portion 16B is absorbed. Since the shock absorbing pad 63 is disposed in the center console 44, when the inner knee portion 16B of the occupant 16 moves inward in the vehicle width direction and comes into contact with the center console 44, the center console 44 The collision energy to the inner knee 16B due to the reaction force from is absorbed.

  Thus, according to the vehicle occupant protection device 40, the impact on the knees (the outer knee 16A and the inner knee 16B) of the occupant 16 at the time of a side collision is mitigated by a simple configuration using the shock absorbing pad 63. Thus, the knee can be protected. In addition, since the number of airbag bags is small compared to the second embodiment, when the inflator 50 (FIG. 5) having the same output is used, the first airbag bag 51 and the second airbag bag 52 are more It is possible to deploy more quickly.

  In a side collision of the vehicle, in addition to the first airbag bag body 51 and the second airbag bag body 52, the knee airbag bag body 56 is located between the instrument panel 28, the outer knee portion 16A, and the inner knee portion 16B. The point which develops supplementarily is the same as that of 2nd Embodiment.

  Although common to the above embodiments, at the time of a side collision, the occupant 16 is accelerated to a certain speed by the collision energy. At this time, since the first energy absorbing means shares a part of the collision energy, the input to the waist 16F of the occupant 16 can be reduced. In order to further reduce the input and further improve the protection performance of the waist 16F, it is desirable to provide waist energy absorbing means (not shown) such as an air bag or an energy absorbing pad for the waist 16F. In this case, as described above, since a part of the collision energy at the time of the side collision can be borne by the first energy absorbing means, it is possible to reduce the burden on the waist energy absorbing means.

  In the third embodiment, the shock absorbing pad 61 corresponding to the outer knee portion 16A is used, and in the fourth embodiment, 63 corresponding to the inner knee portion 16B is used. The structure using the absorption pad 63 may be used. In this case, it is most realistic to use the second airbag bag body 52 as the second energy absorbing means.

  In each of the above embodiments, the vehicle seat 12 has been described as a driver seat, but the vehicle occupant protection devices 10, 20, 30, and 40 can be applied not only to the driver seat but also to the passenger seat. Further, it can be applied not only to the front seat but also to the rear seat. When applied to the rear seat, for example, a rear door (not shown) corresponds to the side portion of the vehicle body. In addition, since it is common that there is no site | part equivalent to the center console 44 in the side of a backseat, it is good also as a structure which abbreviate | omitted the 3rd energy absorption means.

  Further, as the first energy absorbing means, in the first embodiment, the outer inflating portion 14A of the airbag bag body 14 is cited, in the second and fourth embodiments, the first airbag bag body 51 is named, and the first In the third embodiment, the shock absorbing pad 61 is described. However, the first energy absorbing means is not limited to these, and any structure that can absorb the collision energy to the outer knee portion 16A of the occupant 16 at the time of a side collision. Any means may be used.

  Similarly, as the second energy absorbing means, the central inflating portion 14B of the airbag bag body 14 is cited in the first embodiment, and the second airbag bag body 52 is cited in the second to fourth embodiments. However, the second energy absorbing means is not limited to these, and any means may be used as long as it can absorb the collision energy from the outer knee 16A to the inner knee 16B of the occupant 16 at the time of a side collision. May be.

  And as a 3rd energy absorption means, 14 C of inner side expansion parts of the airbag bag body 14 are mentioned in 1st Embodiment, 2nd airbag bag body 52 is mentioned in 2nd Embodiment and 3rd Embodiment, In the fourth embodiment, the shock absorbing pad 63 is described, but the third energy absorbing means is not limited to these, and the collision energy due to the reaction force from the center console 44 to the inner knee portion 16B of the occupant 16 at the time of a side collision. Any means may be used as long as it can absorb water.

FIGS. 1 and 2 relate to the first embodiment, and FIG. 1 shows that the airbag bag body is deployed and the outer inflating portion enters between the door trim and the outer knee, and the central inflating portion is the outer knee and the inner knee. It is a perspective view which shows the state which penetrated between the parts and the inner expansion part entered between the inner knee part and the center console. It is a top view which shows the same state as FIG. FIGS. 3 to 5 relate to the second embodiment, and FIG. 3 is deployed so that the first airbag bag body enters between the door trim and the outer knee portion, and the second airbag bag body is the outer knee portion. The third airbag bag is deployed so as to enter between the inner knee and the center console, and the outer knee, the inner knee, and the instrument panel are It is a perspective view which shows the state which the knee airbag bag body expand | deployed between them. It is a top view which shows the same state as FIG. It is a top view which shows typically arrangement | positioning of the 1st airbag bag body in a seat cushion part, a 2nd airbag bag body, a 3rd airbag bag body, and an inflator. According to the third embodiment, an impact absorbing pad is disposed in the door trim, and the second airbag bag body is deployed so as to enter between the outer knee portion and the inner knee portion, and the third airbag bag is provided. It is a top view which shows the state which the body expand | deployed so that it might enter between an inner side knee part and a center console. According to the fourth embodiment, an impact absorbing pad is disposed in the center console, and the first airbag bag body is deployed so as to enter between the door trim and the outer knee, and the second airbag bag body is provided. It is a top view which shows the state expand | deployed so that may enter between an outer side knee part and an inner side knee part.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Vehicle occupant protection apparatus 12 Vehicle seat 14 Air bag body 14A Outer inflatable part 14B Central inflated part 14C Inner inflated part 16 Crew 16A Outer knee part 16B Inner knee part 18 Seat cushion part 20 Vehicle occupant protector 30 For vehicle Crew protection device 34 Front door (vehicle body side)
40 Vehicle occupant protection device 44 Center console 50 Inflator 51 First airbag bag body 52 Second airbag bag body 53 Third airbag bag body 61 Shock absorbing pad 63 Shock absorbing pad

Claims (5)

A first energy absorbing means capable of absorbing the collision energy to the outer knee located outside in the vehicle width direction in the occupant seated on the vehicle seat on the collision side at the time of a side collision;
A second energy absorbing means capable of absorbing collision energy from the outer knee to the inner knee located in the vehicle width direction inside the occupant during the side collision;
A third energy absorbing means capable of absorbing the collision energy to the inner knee due to a reaction force from a center console disposed on the side of the vehicle seat at the time of the side collision;
A vehicle occupant protection device comprising:   2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first energy absorbing unit, the second energy absorbing unit, and the third energy absorbing unit are integrally configured as a single airbag bag body. Crew protection device. The first energy absorbing means is a first airbag bag body that is deployed between a vehicle body side part and the outer knee part at the time of the side collision,
The second energy absorbing means is a second airbag bag body that is deployed between the outer knee and the inner knee during the side collision,
2. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the third energy absorbing means is a third airbag bag body that is deployed between the inner knee portion and the center console at the time of the side collision. .   The first airbag bag body, the second airbag bag body, and the third airbag bag body are provided in a seat cushion portion of the vehicle seat, and inflation gas is supplied to the seat cushion portion at the time of a side collision. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle occupant protection device is configured to be distributed from a disposed inflator.   2. The vehicle occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first energy absorbing means and the third energy absorbing means is an impact absorbing pad or an impact absorbing rib.

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