JP2012096575A - Side airbag device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a side airbag device capable of smoothly discharging inflator gas in an airbag, and reducing a risk of the injury of an occupant.SOLUTION: The side airbag device protects the occupant in a vehicle by using the airbag inflated and deployed at a side of the occupant. The side airbag device includes: an inflator supplying the inflator gas, and the airbag deployed toward a vehicle front by the expansion gas. The airbag is folded in and compressed when stored.

Description

  The present invention relates to a side airbag device that inflates and deploys between a vehicle body side wall and an occupant to protect the occupant.

  In the airbag device, an airbag device for a driver's seat housed inside the steering wheel, a curtain airbag device deployed along the window from the upper edge of the window frame, and an instrument panel (instrument panel) are arranged. There are various types such as an airbag device for a passenger seat and a side airbag device deployed at the side of a passenger. The side airbag device is accommodated, for example, inside the side portion of the seat or inside the door, and inflates and deploys the airbag at the time of a side collision to protect the occupant.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a conventional side airbag device. According to the assembly process of the airbag device, the airbag is folded and compressed in a roll shape or a bellows shape. However, such a compression method sometimes hinders quick and smooth deployment of the airbag. In addition, since the direction of deployment toward the front of the vehicle is asymmetrical, it is necessary to prepare different airbags for the right seat and the left seat.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-114065

  This invention is made | formed in view of the above situations, and it aims at providing the side airbag apparatus which contributes to the quick and smooth expansion | deployment of an airbag.

  It is another object of the present invention to provide a side airbag device that can have a common structure for left and right seats.

  In order to solve the above problems, a side airbag device according to the present invention is applied to a side airbag device that protects an occupant in a vehicle by using an airbag that is inflated and deployed at a side of the occupant, An inflator to be supplied; and an airbag that is deployed toward the front of the vehicle by the inflation gas. And the said airbag is folded and compressed inside when accommodated, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  Preferably, the airbag is configured to be folded symmetrically in the vehicle left-right direction.

According to the present invention as described above, since the airbag is accommodated in a compressed state folded inside, the gas flow path is not narrow and tight as in the case of being compressed into a roll shape. When the airbag is deployed, the inflation gas smoothly fills the inside of the airbag, thereby enabling rapid deployment. Further, it is easy to compress the airbag symmetrically as compared with the case where it is accommodated in a roll shape or a bellows shape, and a side airbag device having a common structure can be adopted for the left and right seats.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a deployed state of the side airbag device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view (left side view) showing a state before the side airbag device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is housed. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a fold when the airbag employed in the side airbag device according to the first embodiment is compressed, and shows a state seen from the front of the vehicle. (A) A figure is a top view which shows the compression process of the side airbag apparatus which concerns on 1st Example, (B) A figure is sectional drawing of the AA 'direction of (A) figure. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a compression process of the side airbag device according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 6A to 6E are explanatory views showing a compression procedure of the side airbag device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a fold when the airbag employed in the side airbag device according to the second embodiment of the present invention is compressed, and shows a state seen from the front of the vehicle. (A) The figure is a top view which shows the compression process of the side airbag apparatus which concerns on 2nd Example, (B) A figure is sectional drawing of the AA 'direction of (A) figure. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a compression stroke of the side airbag device according to the second embodiment. FIGS. 10A to 10D are explanatory views showing a compression procedure of the side airbag device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a modification of the second embodiment, and is a plan view showing a state before the airbag is folded.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Drawing 1 is an explanatory view showing the deployment state of the side airbag device concerning an example. The side airbag device according to the present embodiment uses an airbag (cushion) 106 that is inflated and deployed at the side of the occupant to protect the occupant in the vehicle, and is accommodated on the side surface of the seat back 102. . The side airbag device can be housed inside the door.

  The side airbag device of the present embodiment includes an inflator 104 that supplies inflation gas; and an airbag 106 that is deployed by the inflation gas. As the airbag 106, a plurality of sheets (for example, two or three sheets) that are overlapped and formed into a bag shape by stitching, bonding, or welding, or a bag that is formed by weaving a single sheet is used. be able to. In this embodiment, one sheet is overlapped and the overlapped edge is sewn.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view (left side view) showing a state before the side airbag device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is housed. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a fold when the airbag 106 employed in the side airbag apparatus according to the first embodiment is compressed, and shows a state seen from the front of the vehicle. In the figure, reference numeral 108 denotes a vent hole for exhausting gas inside the airbag 106. In the airbag 106, an edge on the front side of the vehicle in an uncompressed state is indicated by a line 118, an edge on the front side in a compressed state is indicated by lines 120R and 120L, and a valley fold portion folded inward is indicated by lines 122R and 122L.

  Next, the compression stroke (procedure) of the side airbag device according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4A is a plan view showing a compression process of the side airbag device according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view in the A-A ′ direction of FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a compression process of the side airbag device according to the first embodiment. Further, FIGS. 6A to 6E are explanatory views showing a compression procedure of the side airbag device according to the first embodiment.

  FIG. 6A shows the airbag 106 before being compressed as viewed from the front of the vehicle. From this state, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6B, mountain fold lines 120R and 120L forming left and right edges are formed, and the airbag 106 is opened to the left and right. Next, valley-folded lines 122R and 122L are formed on the left and right sides of the leading edge line 118 (folded inward).

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 6C and 6D, the upper portions (about 1/3 to 1/2) of the left and right mountain fold lines 120R and 120L are folded inward from the crease line 126. Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 6E and 5, the left and right mountain fold lines 120R and 120L are aligned toward the center, and the compression of the airbag 106 is completed.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a fold when the airbag 106 employed in the side airbag device according to the second embodiment of the present invention is compressed, and shows a state seen from the front of the vehicle. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment described above only in the compression (folding) procedure of the airbag 106, and the other structures are the same.

  Next, the compression stroke (procedure) of the side airbag device according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8A is a plan view showing a compression process of the side airbag device according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view in the A-A ′ direction of FIG. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a compression stroke of the side airbag device according to the second embodiment. Further, FIGS. 10A to 10D are explanatory views showing a compression procedure of the side airbag device according to the second embodiment.

  FIG. 10A shows a state where the airbag 106 before being compressed is viewed from the front of the vehicle. From this state, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10 (B), mountain fold lines 220R and 220L forming left and right edges are formed, and the airbag 106 is opened to the left and right. Next, the front edge line 218 is folded near the center in a valley fold state, and two mountain fold lines 230R and 230L are formed on both sides of the front edge line 218. At this time, valley fold lines 232R and 232L are formed on both sides of the mountain fold lines 230R and 230L (folded inward).

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 10C and 10D, the upper portions (about 1/3 to 1/2) of the left and right mountain fold lines 220R and 220L are folded inward from the crease line 236. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 9, the left and right mountain fold lines 220R, 220L are aligned toward the center, and the compression of the airbag 106 is completed.

  Next, the operation of the airbag apparatus according to this embodiment will be briefly described. When an emergency such as rollover, side collision, or rollover occurs while the vehicle is running, a sensor provided in the vehicle catches the abnormal vibration, and an ignition signal is sent to the inflator 104 (not shown) based on the signal. send. The inflator 104 includes a propellant that receives an ignition signal from the sensor and drives the inflator.

  By the operation of the inflator 104, the inflation gas flows into the airbag 106, and the airbag 106 is deployed forward as shown in FIG. The gas supplied to the airbag 106 is exhausted from the vent hole 108.

  In the present invention, since the airbag 106 is compressed only by folding (tucking in) inside without adopting rolls or bellows folds, the flow path of gas is as in the case of being compressed into a roll shape. The airbag does not become narrow and tight, and the inflation gas smoothly fills the inside of the airbag during deployment, enabling rapid deployment.

  In addition to folding the airbag 106 symmetrically (folding) as in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the stud bolt 200 is set so as to extend to the rear of the vehicle, so that the left and right seats Therefore, a side airbag device having a common structure can be used.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes and the like can be made without departing from the technical idea described in the claims. is there.

102: Vehicle seat 104: Inflator 106: Air bag

Claims (3)

In the side airbag device that protects the occupant in the vehicle, using the airbag that is inflated and deployed at the side of the occupant
An inflator for supplying inflation gas;
An airbag that is deployed toward the front of the vehicle by the inflation gas;
The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag is folded and compressed inside when accommodated.   The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag is folded symmetrically in the left-right direction of the vehicle. In the airbag at the time of deployment, the vehicle forward direction is “front”, the rear of the vehicle opposite to the front is “rear”, the upper vertical is “upper”, and the lower lower direction opposite to the information is “lower”. When
First, fold the front part of the airbag inward toward the rear,
Next, the side airbag device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper portion is folded inwardly downward.

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