JP2015104973A - Side airbag device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow a lower inflating chamber to efficiently expand forward and allow inflating gas in the lower inflating chamber to be efficiently exhausted in the middle of constraining an occupant.SOLUTION: An airbag main body 41 of a side airbag device is formed in a bag shape by joining peripheral edges of a pair of main body cloth parts 43 and expanded forward at a lateral part of an occupant P accompanying inflation of an inflating part 46 caused by inflating gas to be supplied from an inflator 31. The inflating part 46 is partitioned by a lateral partitioning part 54 installed between both body cloth parts 43 into upper inflating chambers (a first inflating chamber 51 and a second inflating chamber 52) above the lateral partitioning part 54 and a lower inflating chamber (a third inflating chamber 53) below the lateral partitioning part 54. Provided at a rear end part of the lateral partitioning part 54 are an opening part 64 and a cylindrical check valve 65. The rear end part of the check valve 65 is connected to both main body cloth parts 43 by a connection part 67 extending forward and downward from the opening part 64. Further provided at a front part of the lower inflating chamber (the third inflation chamber 53) is an exhaust hole 101 for exhausting the inflating gas.

Description

  In the present invention, when an impact is applied to the vehicle from the side of the vehicle seat, the airbag is deployed and inflated on the side of the occupant seated on the vehicle seat to protect the occupant from the impact. The present invention relates to an airbag device.

  A side airbag device is widely known as a device that protects an occupant from an impact caused by a side collision or the like from the side of the vehicle seat on which the occupant is seated. In this side airbag device, the airbag is incorporated in the seat back of the vehicle seat together with the inflator in a folded state. The outer shell portion of the airbag is constituted by the airbag body.

  In this side airbag device, when an impact is applied from the side to a member (body side portion) constituting the side portion of the vehicle, such as a side door, inflation gas is supplied from the inflator to the inflation portion of the airbag body. Thus, the airbag body is deployed and inflated. The airbag body jumps out of the vehicle seat with a part left in the seat back. Thereafter, the airbag body is deployed and inflated forward in a narrow space between the occupant and the body side portion. The airbag main body is interposed between the occupant and the body side portion entering the inside of the vehicle and restrains the occupant, and mitigates a side impact transmitted to the occupant through the body side portion.

  As one aspect of the side airbag device, there is one described in Patent Document 1, for example. In this side airbag device, as shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, a pair of main body cloth portions 122 in which the airbag main body 121 is overlapped in the width direction of the vehicle seat (each horizontal direction in FIGS. 14 and 15). Are formed in a bag shape by being joined by a peripheral joint part 123 provided along the peripheral part thereof. Further, the inflatable portion 124 of the airbag main body 121 has an upper inflating chamber 126 above the lateral compartment 125 and a lateral compartment 125 by means of a lateral compartment 125 installed between both body cloth parts 122. It is partitioned into a lower expansion chamber 127 on the lower side.

  At the rear end portion (the right end portion in FIG. 13) of the horizontal partition portion 125, there are an opening portion 128 that allows the upper expansion chamber 126 and the lower expansion chamber 127 to communicate with each other, and a check valve 129 that extends from the opening portion 128 toward the lower expansion chamber 127. And are provided. The check valve 129 allows the expansion gas to flow from the upper expansion chamber 126 to the lower expansion chamber 127 through the opening 128 and restricts the expansion gas from flowing in the opposite direction.

  Further, exhaust holes 130 are provided in the front part of the upper expansion chamber 126 and the front part of the lower expansion chamber 127, respectively, so that the excess expansion gas in the upper expansion chamber 126 and the surplus in the lower expansion chamber 127. The expansion gas is discharged from each exhaust hole 130.

JP 2011-126462 A

  By the way, from the viewpoint of protecting the occupant with the airbag body 121, the inflation gas in the lower inflation chamber 127 is not easily discharged from the exhaust hole 130 until the occupant is restrained, and can be efficiently discharged from the restraint. desirable.

  In this regard, in the side airbag device described in Patent Document 1, the inflation gas ejected from the inflator 131 flows almost directly through the opening 128 and the check valve 129, hardly flows forward, and the exhaust hole It is difficult to be discharged from 130. This point satisfies the condition that “it is difficult to be exhausted from the exhaust hole 130 until the passenger is restrained”. However, this situation is not limited to the initial stage of inflation of the lower inflation chamber 127 but continues after the passenger is restrained by the airbag body 121. Therefore, the lower expansion chamber 127 may not be efficiently deployed forward.

  Further, in the lower expansion chamber 127, the portion where the expansion gas is ejected from the inflator 131 is the rear portion of the lower expansion chamber 127, and is far away from the exhaust hole 130 provided in the front portion of the lower expansion chamber 127. Therefore, the expansion gas may not be efficiently discharged from the exhaust hole 130.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to efficiently expand the lower expansion chamber forward and to efficiently discharge the expansion gas in the lower expansion chamber from the middle of the restraint of the occupant. An object of the present invention is to provide a side airbag device that can be made to operate.

  A side airbag device that solves the above-described problem is an inflating gas that is formed into a bag shape by joining the peripheral edge portions of a pair of main body cloth portions that are overlapped in the width direction of a vehicle seat and that is supplied from an inflator In accordance with the expansion of the inflatable portion, an airbag main body that is deployed forward on the side of an occupant seated on the vehicle seat is provided, and at least a part of the inflatable portion is between the two main body cloth portions. Is divided into an upper expansion chamber above the horizontal partition portion and a lower expansion chamber below the horizontal partition portion, and at the rear end of the horizontal partition portion, An opening for communicating the upper expansion chamber and the lower expansion chamber, and a cylindrical valve extending from the opening toward the lower expansion chamber and opened and closed by an expansion gas are provided. The front part by a joint extending downward and forward from the opening Coupled to the body cloth part, the front portion of the lower expansion chamber, an exhaust hole for discharging the inflation gas of the same lower expansion chamber is provided.

  According to the above configuration, the expansion gas ejected from the inflator in response to the impact from the side of the vehicle seat that passes through the opening and the valve is the rear end of the valve during the passage. The flow direction can be changed in the direction along the connecting portion. Since the coupling portion extends forward and downward from the opening at the initial stage of expansion of the lower expansion chamber, the inflation gas that has passed through the opening flows obliquely forward and downward. This direction is very different from the direction toward the exhaust hole. Therefore, in the initial stage of expansion of the lower expansion chamber, the expansion gas does not flow toward the exhaust hole, and is difficult to be discharged from the exhaust hole.

  Thereafter, as the inflation proceeds, the airbag body is deformed so that the dimensions in the vertical direction and the front-rear direction become smaller than the dimensions when deployed without being filled with the inflation gas. On the other hand, the rear end portion of the valve is coupled to the main body cloth portion by the coupling portion. Therefore, the coupling portion follows the airbag body and gradually tilts upward with its rear end portion as a fulcrum. Along with this, the entire inclination of the coupling portion becomes gentle, and the flow direction of the expansion gas is gradually changed from the front lower side to the front side. As a result, a large amount of expansion gas flows forward, and the expansion and expansion of the lower expansion chamber forward are efficiently performed.

  Further, an exhaust hole provided in the front portion of the lower expansion chamber is located in front of the expansion gas flow direction. Therefore, when the airbag body finishes deployment and restrains the occupant, the inflating gas whose flow direction is changed to the front flows toward the exhaust hole and is efficiently discharged from the exhaust hole.

  In the side airbag apparatus, the valve allows the inflation gas to flow from the upper inflation chamber to the lower inflation chamber through the opening, and allows the upper inflation chamber to pass through the opening from the lower inflation chamber. A check valve may be used that restricts the flow of the expansion gas.

  According to the above configuration, the check valve allows the expansion gas to flow from the upper expansion chamber to the lower expansion chamber, and restricts the reverse flow. Therefore, when the inflation gas is ejected from the inflator in response to an impact from the side of the vehicle seat, a part of the inflation gas sequentially passes through the opening and the check valve and flows into the lower expansion chamber. . When the inflation gas passes through the check valve, it hits the coupling portion, and the flow direction is changed to the front and lower direction. As the expansion of the lower expansion chamber proceeds, the inclination of the coupling portion becomes gentle, and the flow direction of the expansion gas is gradually changed from the front lower side to the front side.

  In the side airbag device, the two main body cloth portions are coupled to each other by a peripheral joint portion provided along the peripheral edge portion thereof, and the joint portion is constituted by a part of the peripheral joint portion. Preferably it is.

  According to said structure, a part of peripheral joint part which couple | bonds the peripheral parts of both main body cloth parts mutually serves also as a connection part which couple | bonds the rear-end part of a valve with a main body cloth part. Therefore, in the manufacturing process of the side airbag device, when the peripheral joint part is provided along the peripheral part of the two main body cloth parts, the two main body cloth parts are connected to each other at the peripheral part to form a bag-like airbag main body. In addition, a coupling portion is provided and the rear end portion of the valve is coupled to the main body fabric portion. By providing the peripheral joint portion in this way, the joint portion is provided together, so that a step of providing the joint portion separately from the peripheral joint portion becomes unnecessary, and the number of manufacturing steps can be reduced accordingly.

  In the side airbag device, the airbag main body has an arc-shaped portion at a lower portion on the front side of the peripheral portion, the exhaust hole is above a lower end of the arc-shaped portion, and It is preferable that the front end of the partition portion is provided in a region that is lower than the joint portion with the two main body cloth portions.

  When the airbag main body has an arc-shaped portion at the lower part on the front side of the peripheral edge portion, the exhaust hole is provided at a location satisfying the above conditions, so that the exhaust hole is positioned at the front portion of the lower expansion chamber. To do. The exhaust hole is located far from the valve in the early stage of expansion of the lower expansion chamber. When the expansion of the lower expansion chamber progresses and the inclination of the coupling portion becomes gentle, the direction along the coupling portion is Located in front of.

  According to the side airbag device, the lower inflation chamber can be efficiently deployed forward, and the inflation gas in the lower inflation chamber can be efficiently discharged from the middle of the restraint of the occupant.

It is a figure which shows one Embodiment of a side airbag apparatus, and is a side view which shows the vehicle seat provided with the apparatus with an airbag and a passenger | crew. In one embodiment, the plane sectional view showing the positional relation of a vehicular seat, an air bag, a crew member, and a body side part. In one embodiment, the partial plane sectional view showing the internal structure of the side part of the seat back in which the air bag module was incorporated. The side view which shows the airbag module by which the airbag main body was made into the non-expanding deployment state in one Embodiment. (A) is a fragmentary sectional side view which shows the internal structure of the airbag module of FIG. 4 with a passenger | crew, (b) is a fragmentary sectional side view which expands and shows a part of (a). The exploded perspective view shown in the state where each constituent member of the airbag was developed in one embodiment. The partial side view which expands and shows the X section of FIG. (A) is a fragmentary sectional view which shows typically the internal structure of the airbag along the 8a-8a line | wire of FIG. 4, (b) is an internal state of the airbag lower part when the horizontal division part of (a) is tense. FIG. FIG. 4 is a partial plan cross-sectional view showing a state in which the airbag of FIG. 3 is left deployed in a seat back, popped out from a vehicle seat, and deployed and inflated. (A)-(c) is a sectional side view which shows typically operation | movement of the pressure regulation valve in one Embodiment. The partial perspective view which shows the pressure regulation valve when the vertical division part in one Embodiment is strained, and its peripheral part. It is a figure which shows the state which looked at the exhaust hole from the direction shown by arrow A of FIG. 4, (a) is a partial front view which shows the state where the exhaust hole was closed, (b) is the state where the exhaust hole was opened. The partial front view which shows. The partial side view of the conventional side airbag apparatus. The fragmentary sectional view which shows the internal structure of the airbag along the 14-14 line | wire of FIG. The fragmentary sectional view which shows the internal structure of the airbag along the 15-15 line of FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a side airbag device will be described with reference to FIGS.
The side airbag apparatus in this embodiment is equipped with the vehicle as a vehicle. In the following description, the forward direction of the vehicle will be described as the front, and the reverse direction of the vehicle will be described as the rear. In addition, with the central portion in the vehicle width direction (vehicle width direction) as a reference, the side approaching the central portion is referred to as “vehicle inside”, and the side away from the central portion is referred to as “vehicle outside”. In each figure, “front”, “rear”, “inside”, and “outside” are described as “front”, “rear”, “inside”, and “outside”, respectively.

Further, it is assumed that an occupant (adult) having a standard physique is seated on the vehicle seat in a predetermined posture (regular posture).
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the vehicle 10, a vehicle seat 12 is disposed as a vehicle seat in the vicinity of the vehicle inner side (upper side in FIG. 2) of the body side portion 11. Here, the body side part 11 refers to a vehicle constituent member arranged on the side part of the vehicle 10, and mainly corresponds to a door, a pillar, and the like. For example, the body side part 11 corresponding to the front seat is a front door, a center pillar (B pillar), or the like. The body side portion 11 corresponding to the rear seat is a rear portion of a side door (rear door), a C pillar, a front portion of a tire house, a rear quarter, and the like.

  The vehicle seat 12 includes a seat cushion 13 and a seat back 14 that rises from the rear side of the seat cushion 13 and whose inclination angle is adjusted by an inclination adjustment mechanism (not shown). The vehicle seat 12 is disposed on the vehicle 10 with the seat back 14 facing forward. The width direction of the vehicle seat 12 arranged in this way matches the vehicle width direction.

  The seat back 14 includes a seat back main body 15 and a pair of side support portions 16 provided on both side portions in the width direction. The seat back body 15 is inclined to the rear side, and supports the upper body of the occupant P from the rear side. Both side support portions 16 protrude forward from the seat back main body 15 and restrict the movement of the upper body of the occupant P seated on the seat cushion 13 in the vehicle width direction.

Next, the internal structure of the side portion outside the vehicle including the side support portion 16 outside the vehicle in the seat back 14 will be described.
A seat frame that forms the skeleton is disposed in the seat back 14. As shown in FIG. 3, a part of the seat frame is disposed on the vehicle outer side portion in the seat back 14, and this portion (hereinafter referred to as “side frame portion 17”) is formed by bending a metal plate. Is formed. A seat pad 18 made of an elastic material such as urethane foam is disposed on the front side of the seat frame including the side frame portion 17. In addition, a hard backboard 19 formed of synthetic resin or the like is disposed on the rear side of the seat frame. The seat pad 18 is covered with a skin, but the skin is not shown in FIG. The same applies to FIG. 9 described later.

  In the seat pad 18, a storage portion 21 is provided in the vicinity of the vehicle exterior side of the side frame portion 17. The position of the storage portion 21 is an intermediate portion in the vertical direction of the seat back 14 and is located in the vicinity of an oblique rear side on the vehicle outer side with respect to the occupant P seated on the vehicle seat 12 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The storage unit 21 incorporates an airbag module AM that forms a main part of the side airbag device.

  A slit 22 extends from a corner portion on the vehicle outer side and the front side of the storage portion 21 toward an obliquely forward side on the vehicle outer side. A portion sandwiched between the corner 18c on the front side of the seat pad 18 and the slit 22 (a portion surrounded by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3) constitutes a planned fracture portion 23 to be broken by the airbag 40 described later. ing.

The airbag module AM includes an inflator assembly 30 and an airbag 40 as main components. Next, each of these structural members will be described.
<Inflator assembly 30>
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the inflator assembly 30 includes an inflator 31 as a gas generator and a retainer 32 that covers the inflator 31. In the present embodiment, a type called a pyro type is employed as the inflator 31. The inflator 31 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and a gas generating agent (not shown) that generates an expansion gas is accommodated therein. A gas ejection portion 31 a is provided at one end portion (lower end portion) in the length direction of the inflator 31. Further, a harness (not shown) serving as an input wiring for an operation signal to the inflator 31 is connected to the other end (upper end) in the length direction of the inflator 31.

  As the inflator 31, instead of the pyro type using the gas generating agent, a type (hybrid type) in which a partition wall of a high pressure gas cylinder filled with a high pressure gas is broken with an explosive or the like to eject an expansion gas is used. May be.

  On the other hand, the retainer 32 is a member having a function of fastening the inflator 31 to the side frame portion 17 (see FIG. 3) together with the airbag 40 while functioning as a diffuser that controls the direction in which the inflation gas is ejected. Most of the retainer 32 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape extending in a substantially vertical direction by bending a plate material such as a metal plate. At least the lower end of the retainer 32 is an open end 32a. In the retainer 32, a window portion 33 is provided at a location substantially in front of the gas ejection portion 31a.

  A plurality of bolts 34 are fixed to the retainer 32 as locking members for attaching the retainer 32 to the side frame portion 17. In other words, the plurality of bolts 34 are indirectly fixed to the inflator 31 via the retainer 32. The inflator assembly 30 may be one in which the inflator 31 and the retainer 32 are integrated.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the outer shell portion of the airbag 40 is configured by an airbag body 41.
<Airbag body 41>
FIG. 4 shows the airbag module AM in a state where the airbag body 41 is deployed in a planar shape without being filled with the inflation gas (hereinafter referred to as “non-inflated and deployed state”). FIG. 5A shows an airbag module AM in which the airbag body 41 in the non-inflated and deployed state of FIG. 4 is cut at the center in the vehicle width direction to show the internal structure of the airbag module AM. Together with

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 (a), the airbag body 41 folds one piece of cloth (also called a base cloth, panel cloth, etc.) along the fold line 42 in the vehicle width direction. It is formed by overlapping and joining the overlapped portions so as to form a bag. Here, in order to distinguish the above-described two overlapped portions of the airbag main body 41, the one located on the inner side of the vehicle is referred to as a main body cloth portion 43 (see FIG. 5A), which is located on the outer side of the vehicle. Is referred to as a main body cloth portion 44 (see FIG. 4). In the present embodiment, as the airbag main body 41, one having an arc-shaped portion (arc-shaped portion 41a) in the front lower portion of the peripheral portion is used. The arcuate portion 41a is used as a place where an exhaust hole 101 described later is provided.

  In this embodiment, the cloth piece is folded in two so that the fold line 42 is positioned at the rear end of the airbag body 41. However, the fold line 42 is another end of the airbag body 41, for example, the front end. The cloth piece may be folded in half so as to be located at the upper part, the upper end part, the lower end part, or the like. The airbag body 41 may be composed of two pieces of cloth divided along the fold line 42. In this case, the airbag main body 41 is formed by overlapping two pieces of cloth in the vehicle width direction and joining the peripheral portions of both pieces of cloth so as to form a bag shape. Furthermore, the airbag body 41 may be composed of three or more pieces of cloth.

  As the main body cloth portions 43 and 44, a woven cloth formed using a material having high strength and flexibility and can be easily folded, for example, polyester yarn, polyamide yarn or the like is suitable. .

  The main body cloth portions 43 and 44 are coupled to each other at a peripheral joint portion 45 provided at the peripheral portion thereof. The peripheral joint portion 45 is inclined so as to be lower toward the front side at the lower part on the rear side of the main body fabric portions 43 and 44 (see FIG. 5A).

  In the present embodiment, the peripheral edge coupling portion 45 is formed by sewing (sewing with a sewing thread) a portion of the peripheral edge portions of the main body cloth portions 43 and 44 except for the rear end portion (the vicinity of the folding line 42) and the like. Has been. Thus, the point by which the coupling is performed by sewing is the same for the outer coupling parts 62, 74, and 75, the inner coupling parts 63 and 83, the coupling parts 66 and 67, and the side edge coupling part 99 described later.

  With respect to the above-described sewing, in FIGS. 4, 5A, 6, 7 and 11, the sewing portion is represented by three line types. The first line type is a line (a kind of broken line) expressed by arranging thick lines of a certain length intermittently (a kind of broken line), which shows a state where the stitched portion is viewed from the side (the peripheral edge in FIG. 4). (Refer to the coupling part 45 etc.). The second line type is a line (a kind of broken line) in which fine lines having a certain length (longer than a general broken line) are arranged intermittently, which is, for example, the body cloth portion 44 on the vehicle exterior side. The state of the sewing thread that is located in the back of the sewing thread and cannot be directly seen is shown (see the inner coupling portion 83 and the like in FIG. 5A). The third line type is a line (a type of broken line) in which points are arranged at regular intervals. This is, for example, between the main body cloth parts 43 and 44 or the constituent cloth parts 56 and 59 to be stitched. The state of the sewing thread is shown (see the peripheral edge coupling portion 45 etc. in FIG. 5A). That is, the drawing in which the sewing is expressed by the third line type shows a cross-sectional structure along a cross section passing through the sewing portion.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the space between the body cloth portions 43 and 44 and surrounded by the peripheral joint portion 45 is a large portion of the upper body of the occupant P by the inflation gas (from the waist PP to the shoulder). By expanding and expanding on the side of the portion extending to the portion PS, the portion is constrained to protect the portion from an impact.

  In addition, the periphery coupling | bond part 45 may be formed by the means different from the sewing using the said sewing thread, for example, adhesion | attachment using an adhesive agent. This also applies to outer coupling portions 62, 74, and 75, inner coupling portions 63 and 83, coupling portions 66 and 67, and side edge coupling portion 99 described later.

  A slit 47 (see FIG. 6) extending in a direction perpendicular to the fold line 42 is formed at the rear end portion of each of the main body cloth portions 43 and 44 and in an intermediate portion in the vertical direction. An annular reinforcing portion 48 is provided around the slit 47 in both the body cloth portions 43 and 44. The annular reinforcing portion 48 is formed by sewing the portions around the slit 47 in both the body cloth portions 43 and 44 in an annular shape with a thread, and reinforces the periphery of the slit 47.

  In the main body cloth portions 43 and 44, the upper portion of the slit 47 is an inwardly folded portion 49 that is inserted in a state of being folded inward of the other portions. The upper end portion of the inner folding portion 49 is coupled to the other portions of the main body cloth portions 43 and 44 by the upper portion of the peripheral coupling portion 45. Further, the slit 47 is opened along with the formation of the inwardly-folded portion 49, and the insertion port 50 of the inflator assembly 30 is formed.

  In the expansion part 46, a horizontal partition part 54, a vertical partition part 71, and an inner tube 91 are provided. Among these members, the horizontal partition portion 54 and the vertical partition portion 71 have the same configuration as that generally called a tether.

<Horizontal partition 54>
The horizontal partition 54 is for partitioning the expansion portion 46 into a lower expansion chamber and an upper lower expansion chamber, and a single piece of cloth made of the same material as the airbag body 41 is It is formed by folding in two along a folding line 55 extending in the direction and overlapping in the vehicle width direction, and laying the overlapped portion between the lower portions of the two main body cloth portions 43 and 44. In addition, the horizontal partition part 54 may consist of two cloth pieces divided along the fold line 55. In order to distinguish the above-described two overlapped portions of the horizontal partition portion 54, a portion located on the vehicle inner side is referred to as a component cloth portion 56, and a portion located on the vehicle outer side is referred to as a component cloth portion 59 (see FIG. 8 (a)).

  As shown in FIG. 5A and FIG. 6, the component fabric portion 56 on the vehicle interior side in the laterally divided portion 54 folded in half includes a main component fabric portion 57 extending from the rear end portion to the front end portion of the main fabric portion 43. And an extending portion 58 extending from the rear portion of the main body constituting cloth portion 57 toward the front lower side. Further, the exterior fabric portion 59 has a body fabric portion 60 extending from the rear end portion of the body fabric portion 44 to the front end portion, and an extending portion 61 extending from the rear portion of the body fabric portion 60 toward the front lower side. And. The main body constituting cloth portions 57 and 60 are inclined so as to become lower toward the front side.

  The transverse partition portion 54 folded in half as described above is disposed between the main body fabric portions 43 and 44 with the fold line 55 matched with the fold line 42. The main body constituting fabric portion 57 on the vehicle inner side is coupled to the main body fabric portion 43 on the inner side of the vehicle by an outer coupling portion 62 provided along the peripheral edge on the upper side. Similarly, the vehicle body configuration fabric portion 60 on the vehicle exterior side is coupled to the vehicle body fabric portion 44 on the vehicle exterior side by an outer coupling portion 62 provided along the upper peripheral edge. Both main body constituting cloth portions 57 and 60 are coupled to each other by an inner coupling portion 63 provided along the lower peripheral edge portion thereof. Further, the front end portions of the two main body constituting cloth portions 57 and 60 are coupled (co-sewn) to the front end portions of the two main body cloth portions 43 and 44 by the peripheral edge coupling portion 45 (see FIG. 5A).

  A space below the horizontal partition 54 in the inflating portion 46 is a third inflating chamber 53 that expands and inflates on the side of the waist portion PP in the upper half of the occupant P. The third expansion chamber 53 corresponds to the lower expansion chamber.

<Vertical compartment 71>
The vertical partition 71 is for partitioning the upper expansion chamber into two front and rear chambers (a first expansion chamber 51 and a second expansion chamber 52 on the front side thereof). The vertical partition 71 has a fold line 72 extending in the vertical direction. In the unfolded state (see FIG. 6), the vertical section 71 is longer in the direction along the fold line 72 (up and down direction) than in the direction perpendicular to the fold line 72 (vehicle width direction). It has a shape.

  And the upper end part of the vertical division part 71 folded in two along the fold line 72 is couple | bonded (co-sewn) with the upper end part of both main body cloth parts 43 and 44 by the peripheral joint part 45. FIG. The lower part of the vertical partition part 71 is overlaid on the two main body constituting cloth parts 57 and 60. The lower end portion of the vertical partition portion 71 is coupled (co-sewn) to the two main body constituting fabric portions 57 and 60 by the inner coupling portion 63 described above.

  The vertical partition portion 71 is coupled to the main body cloth portions 43 and 44 by the outer coupling portions 74 provided along the peripheral edge portions 73 on both sides in the vehicle width direction at a portion that does not overlap the main body constituting cloth portions 57 and 60. ing. Further, the vertical partitioning portion 71 is coupled only to the main body constituting cloth portions 57 and 60 by an outer coupling portion 75 provided along the peripheral edge portion 73 at a portion overlapping both the main body constituting cloth portions 57 and 60. The vertical partition 71 is constructed between the two main body cloth portions 43 and 44 by the above-described combination.

  The space behind the vertical partition 71 in the inflatable portion 46 is a first inflatable chamber 51 that expands and inflates on the side of the shoulder PS and the side of the rear half of the chest PT in the upper half of the occupant P. ing. In addition, the space in front of the vertical section 71 in the inflating portion 46 is a second inflating chamber 52 that expands and inflates on the side of the front half of the chest PT in the upper half of the occupant P.

The vertical partition 71 includes a pair of cloth pieces 76 and 77 arranged in the vertical direction. Both the cloth pieces 76 and 77 are formed of a woven cloth or the like made of the same material as that of the airbag body 41.
As shown in FIG. 5B and FIG. 11, in the cloth pieces 76 and 77, the end portions 78 and 79 are overlapped in a band shape with the end edges 78 e and 79 e matched. . Both cloth pieces 76 and 77 are orthogonal to the fold line 72 at a boundary portion between a pair of overlapping portions 81 each having a band shape and other portions (hereinafter referred to as “non-overlapping portions 82”) (see FIG. 5 (a) is coupled by an inner coupling portion 83 extending in the left-right direction). This boundary portion is apart from the end edges 78e, 79e by a certain distance in the vertical direction (downward in this embodiment).

<Inner tube 91>
As shown in FIGS. 5A and 6, the inner tube 91 is disposed at the rear of the airbag body 41 in a non-inflated and deployed state and below the insertion port 50. The inner tube 91 encloses the lower half part of the inflator 31 including the gas ejection part 31 a and the lower half part of the retainer 32 including the window part 33. The inner tube 91 supplies the expansion gas ejected from the gas ejection part 31 a to the third expansion chamber 53 more preferentially to the third expansion chamber 53 than to the first expansion chamber 51. It has a function to distribute so that it may be supplied to.

  In order to form the inner tube 91, one piece of cloth made of the same material as the airbag body 41 is used. This cloth piece may be further coated with a silicone resin. The inner tube 91 is formed by folding the cloth piece in two along a folding line 92 extending in the up-down direction, overlapping in the vehicle width direction, and joining the overlapped portions into a cylindrical shape. . The inner tube 91 may be composed of two pieces of cloth divided along the fold line 92. In order to distinguish the two overlapping portions of the inner tube 91, the portion located inside the vehicle is referred to as a constituent fabric portion 93, and the portion located outside the vehicle is referred to as a constituent fabric portion 96.

  The constituent fabric portion 93 on the vehicle interior side includes a main body constituent fabric portion 94 having a substantially rectangular shape elongated in a substantially vertical direction, and an extending portion 95 provided integrally therewith. The extension part 95 has substantially the same shape as the extension part 58 on the vehicle inner side in the horizontal partition part 54 described above.

  The configuration fabric portion 96 on the vehicle exterior side includes a body configuration fabric portion 97 that has a substantially rectangular shape elongated in a substantially vertical direction, and an extension portion 98 provided integrally therewith. The extension part 98 has substantially the same shape as the extension part 61 on the vehicle outer side in the horizontal partition part 54.

  The inner tube 91 folded in two as described above is disposed between the constituent fabric portions 56 and 59 in a state where the fold line 92 is aligned with the fold lines 42 and 55. The inner tube 91 is coupled to the airbag body 41 and the lateral partition 54 on the fold line 92. Further, the main body constituting fabric portions 94 and 97 are coupled to each other by a side edge coupling portion 99 provided along their opposing peripheral edge portions. The side edge coupling portion 99 has a bent shape, and appropriately distributes the expansion gas ejected forward from the gas ejection portion 31 a to the first expansion chamber 51 and the third expansion chamber 53.

  And most of the inflator assembly 30 is in a posture extending substantially in the vertical direction, and is accommodated in the rear end portion of the airbag body 41. The upper part of the inflator assembly 30 passes through the insertion port 50 and is exposed to the outside of the airbag body 41. By inserting the bolt 34 of the retainer 32 into the main body cloth portion 43 and the constituent cloth portion 93, the inflator assembly 30 is locked in a state of being positioned with respect to the airbag main body 41 and the inner tube 91. In this state, the gas ejection part 31a is located at the rear part of the first expansion chamber 51 and at a location approaching the third expansion chamber 53 from above.

The horizontal partition 54 and the inner tube 91 are provided with an opening 64 and a check valve 65, and the vertical partition 71 is provided with an opening 84 and a pressure regulating valve 87.
<Opening 64 and Check Valve 65>
The opening 64 is for communicating the third expansion chamber 53 and the first expansion chamber 51. The inner coupling part 63 in the transverse section 54 folded in half is released from the coupling at the rear parts of the main body constituting cloth parts 57 and 60. In other words, the inner coupling portion 63 that couples the main body constituting fabric portions 57 and 60 is not provided in the portion straddling the folding line 55. As described above, the opening 64 is constituted by the portion where the inner coupling portion 63 is not provided and the portion where the coupling is released and the corresponding portion in the inner tube 91.

  The check valve 65 is a valve that controls the flow of the expansion gas through the opening 64 and allows the flow (inflow) of the expansion gas from the first expansion chamber 51 to the third expansion chamber 53. Regulate reverse distribution (outflow).

  The peripheral edge on the front side of the two extended portions 58 and 61 in the transverse section 54 folded in half and the peripheral edge on the front side of the two extended portions 95 and 98 in the inner tube 91 folded in the same manner are their peripheral edges. They are coupled to each other by a coupling portion 66 provided along the portion. The coupling portion 66 is inclined so as to become lower toward the front side, and the upper end portion thereof is connected to the rear end portion of the inner coupling portion 63. The coupling portion 66 couples the pair of constituent fabric portions 56 and 59 in the horizontal partition portion 54 together with the inner coupling portion 63 along the peripheral edge portions thereof.

  Further, the rear end portions of the two extended portions 58 and 61 in the transverse section 54 folded in half and the rear end portions of the two extended portions 95 and 98 in the inner tube 91 folded in the same manner are the opening 64. It is couple | bonded with both the main body cloth parts 43 and 44 by the coupling | bond part 67 extended in the state inclined forward and downward. The joint portion 67 is constituted by a part of the peripheral joint portion 45 that joins the peripheral portions of the main body cloth portions 43 and 44. With such a configuration, the rear end portions of both extension portions 58 and 61 and the rear end portions of both extension portions 95 and 98 are joined to the lower end portions on the rear side of both main body fabric portions 43 and 44 by the peripheral joint portion 45. (Sew together).

  Thus, a part of the peripheral joint part 45 that joins the peripheral parts of the two main body cloth parts 43 and 44 to each other is a joint part that connects the rear end part of the check valve 65 to the two main body cloth parts 43 and 44. 67. Therefore, when the peripheral joint portion 45 is provided along the peripheral edge portions of the two main body cloth portions 43, 44 during the manufacturing process of the side airbag device, the two main body cloth portions 43, 44 are coupled to each other at the peripheral edge portion. The air bag body 41 is formed, and a coupling portion 67 is provided so that the rear end portion of the check valve 65 is coupled to the body cloth portions 43 and 44.

  In the extended portions 58 and 95 on the vehicle inner side, a portion surrounded by the opening 64 and the coupling portions 66 and 67 constitutes one (vehicle inner) valve body portion 68 of the check valve 65. Further, in the extension portions 61 and 98 on the vehicle outer side, the portion surrounded by the opening 64 and the coupling portions 66 and 67 constitutes the valve body portion 69 on the other side (vehicle outer side) of the check valve 65. .

  The check valve 65 allows the expansion gas to flow when one of the valve body portions 68 and 69 is separated from the other. The operation mode of the check valve 65 at this time is referred to as “valve opening”. In addition, the check valve 65 regulates the flow of the expansion gas when the valve body portions 68 and 69 are in contact with each other at least in part. The operation mode of the check valve 65 at this time is called “valve closing”.

<Opening 84 and pressure regulating valve 87>
As shown in FIGS. 5A, 5 </ b> B, and 11, the inner coupling portion 83 in the vertical partition 71 is partially uncoupled. The portion thus released from the coupling extends in a direction perpendicular to the fold line 72 and constitutes an opening 84 formed of a slit that allows the first expansion chamber 51 and the second expansion chamber 52 to communicate with each other.

  The pressure regulating valve 87 is a valve that adjusts the internal pressure of each of the first expansion chamber 51 and the second expansion chamber 52 by controlling the flow of the expansion gas through the opening 84. More specifically, the pressure regulating valve 87 is closed before the first expansion chamber 51 expands and restrains the occupant P, and the expansion gas in the first expansion chamber 51 passes through the opening 84 to the second expansion chamber. The flow to 52 is regulated. When the first expansion chamber 51 restrains the occupant P, the pressure regulating valve 87 is opened according to the change in the tension state of the vertical section 71 due to the external force applied along with the restraint, and the restriction is released.

  In the overlapping portion 81, a portion between the opening portion 84 and the end edge 78e constitutes a valve body portion 85 of the pressure regulating valve 87, and a portion between the opening portion 84 and the end edge 79e is adjusted. A valve body 86 of the pressure valve 87 is configured. The two valve body portions 85 and 86 are in contact with each other at least at a part thereof, for example, at the tip portions 85t and 86t, thereby restricting the flow of the expansion gas between the both valve body portions 85 and 86 (FIG. 10). (See (a) and (b)). The operation mode of the pressure regulating valve 87 at this time is referred to as “valve closing”. Further, the opening 84 is opened, and the entire valve body 85 is separated from the entire valve body 86, so that the expansion gas can be circulated between the valve bodies 85 and 86 (see FIG. 10 (c)). The operation mode of the pressure regulating valve 87 at this time is referred to as “valve opening”.

Further, as described above, the two overlapping portions 81 having both the valve body portions 85 and 86 are disposed in the first expansion chamber 51 before the expansion portion 46 is expanded and expanded.
The two overlapping portions 81 are bent upward or downward (upward in the present embodiment) at the boundary portion with the non-overlapping portion 82 and overlapped with the non-overlapping portion 82. The folded band-shaped overlapping portions 81 are respectively connected to the main body cloth portions 43 and 44 and the non-overlapping portions of the airbag main body 41 by the outer connecting portion 74 described above at both ends in the direction along the inner connecting portion 83. 82 (see FIGS. 5A and 11).

Further, the airbag main body 41 is provided with an exhaust hole (also referred to as a vent hole) 101 for discharging the inflation gas.
<Exhaust hole 101>
As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5A, the exhaust holes 101 are respectively provided at locations corresponding to the second expansion chamber 52 and locations corresponding to the third expansion chamber 53 of the airbag body 41. The latter exhaust hole 101 is provided in the front part of the third expansion chamber 53. Here, as described above, the airbag main body 41 has the arc-shaped portion 41a at the lower portion on the front side of the peripheral portion. However, the exhaust hole 101 of the third expansion chamber 53 is more than the lower end of the arc-shaped portion 41a. It is provided in a region Z <b> 1 that is above and below the position where the front end of the horizontal partition portion 54 is connected to the main body cloth portions 43 and 44. This region Z1 is located at a position far away from the check valve 65 in the early stage of the expansion of the third expansion chamber 53, and the expansion of the third expansion chamber 53 advances, so that the inclination of the coupling portion 67 becomes gentle. When it becomes, it is located in the front in the direction along the connecting portion 67.

  The configuration for forming each of the exhaust holes 101 is common. Therefore, in the following, the configuration for forming the exhaust hole 101 of the third expansion chamber 53 will be described, and the description of the configuration for forming the exhaust hole 101 of the second expansion chamber 52 will be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the peripheral coupling portion 45 is formed with a pair of terminal portions 45 a and 45 b that are separated from each other by being uncoupled in a part of the region. The airbag main body 41 is provided with an enclosure coupling portion 102 that couples the two main body cloth portions 43 and 44 in a state of surrounding the terminal portion 45a, and the two main body cloth portions 43 and 44 in a state of surrounding the terminal portion 45b. An enclosure coupling portion 103 to be coupled is provided. A portion between the two main body cloth portions 43 and 44 and sandwiched between the two surrounding joint portions 102 and 103 does not have a function of connecting the peripheral portions of the two main body cloth portions 43 and 44. This portion serves as an exhaust hole 101 for communicating the inside and the outside of the third expansion chamber 53 and discharging the expansion gas in the third expansion chamber 53 to the outside.

  Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 3, in the airbag module AM having the inflator assembly 30 and the airbag 40 as main components, the airbag 40 (see FIGS. 4 and 5A) in a non-inflated and deployed state is folded. Thus, a compact form (hereinafter referred to as “storage form”) is achieved. This is because the airbag module AM is suitable for storage with respect to the storage portion 21 having a limited size in the seat back 14.

  In the airbag module AM configured to be stored, the bolt 34 that extends from the retainer 32 and is inserted into the body cloth portion 43 of the airbag body 41 as described above is inserted into the side frame portion 17, and a nut is inserted into the bolt 34. 35 is tightened. By this tightening, the inflator assembly 30 is fixed to the side frame portion 17 together with the rear end portion of the airbag main body 41.

Note that the inflator assembly 30 may be fixed to the side frame portion 17 by a member different from the bolt 34 and the nut 35 described above.
As shown in FIG. 1, the side airbag device includes an impact sensor 105 and a control device 106 in addition to the airbag module AM described above. The impact sensor 105 includes an acceleration sensor or the like, and is provided on the body side portion 11 (see FIG. 2) of the vehicle 10, and detects an impact applied to the body side portion 11 from the side. The control device 106 controls the operation of the inflator 31 based on the detection signal from the impact sensor 105.

  Further, the vehicle 10 is equipped with a seat belt device for restraining the occupant P seated on the vehicle seat 12 to the vehicle seat 12, but in FIG. It is omitted.

As described above, the side airbag device of the present embodiment is configured. Next, a typical mode of operation (mode) will be described as an operation of the side airbag device.
FIGS. 10A to 10C schematically show how the configurations of the pressure regulating valve 87 and the vertical section 71 change with time after the supply of the expansion gas starts, and details are omitted. And has been simplified.

  In the side airbag device of the present embodiment, when no impact is applied from the side to the body side portion 11 due to a side collision or the like, an operation signal for operating the inflator 31 is not output from the control device 106. The inflation gas is not ejected from the inflator 31. The airbag 40 continues to be stored in the storage portion 21 in the storage form (see FIG. 3). At this time, as shown in FIG. 12A, in the exhaust hole 101, both the main body cloth portions 43 and 44 continue to contact or approach, and the exhaust hole 101 continues to be closed.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle 10 is traveling or the like, an impact of a predetermined value or more is applied to the body side portion 11 due to a side collision or the like, and when this is detected by the impact sensor 105, the inflator is controlled from the controller 106 based on the detection signal. The operation signal for operating this is output with respect to 31 (refer FIG. 1, FIG. 2). In response to this operation signal, in the inflator 31, the gas generating agent generates an expansion gas, which is ejected from the gas ejection portion 31a. A part of the inflation gas flows substantially forward through the window 33 of the retainer 32 and strikes the front wall (side edge coupling portion 99) of the inner tube 91, so that the direction of the flow is changed substantially upward and downward. The expansion gas whose direction has been changed substantially upward flows into the first expansion chamber 51 from the upper opening of the inner tube 91. The first expansion chamber 51 starts to expand due to the expansion gas.

  Further, the expansion gas ejected from the lower open end 32 a of the retainer 32 and the expansion gas whose flow direction has been changed downward by the inner tube 91 flow toward the check valve 65. The amount of the expansion gas is larger than the amount of the expansion gas toward the first expansion chamber 51.

  During the period in which the expansion gas is being supplied to the check valve 65, a force is generated in the valve body portions 68 and 69 to make the valve body portions 68 and 69 cylindrical. Therefore, the expansion gas passes through the opening 64 and between both valve body portions 68 and 69 in order, and flows into the third expansion chamber 53. The third expansion chamber 53 starts to expand, and the horizontal partition portion 54 is pulled in the vehicle width direction by the portions of the pair of main body cloth portions 43 and 44 that constitute the first expansion chamber 51 and the third expansion chamber 53. . As the supply of the expansion gas from the inflator 31 continues, the internal pressure of the third expansion chamber 53 increases.

  As the first expansion chamber 51 starts to expand, the vertically folded vertical section 71 is pulled in the vehicle width direction by the portion of the pair of main body cloth portions 43 and 44 that constitutes the first expansion chamber 51. It is done. As shown in FIG. 10A, the internal pressure PI is applied to both valve body portions 85 and 86 of the pressure regulating valve 87 from the overlapping direction (thickness direction). The two valve body portions 85 and 86 are brought into close contact with each other over the entire surface by the internal pressure PI and are in a self-sealing state that restricts the flow of the expansion gas between the both valve body portions 85 and 86. Furthermore, the overlapping portion 81 that is bent and overlapped with the non-overlapping portion 82 of the vertical partitioning portion 71 is pressed against the non-overlapping portion 82 by internal pressure (see FIG. 11), and both valve body portions 85 and 86 are moved. It becomes easier to close.

  Here, since the vertical section 71 is formed longer in the vertical direction than in the vehicle width direction, a stronger tension is more easily applied in the vehicle width direction than in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the opening 84 is easily closed because it extends in the vehicle width direction where the strong tension is easily applied.

  Furthermore, when the first expansion chamber 51 is expanded and expanded, not only a strong tension is applied to the vertical partition portion 71 in the vehicle width direction, but also a strong tension is applied to the overlapping portion 81 in the same direction. This is after both end portions of the overlapping portion 81 are coupled to the main body cloth portions 43 and 44.

  When both valve body parts 85 and 86 contact each other in at least a part of them, the pressure regulating valve 87 is closed. The expansion gas in the first expansion chamber 51 is restricted from flowing out to the second expansion chamber 52 between both valve body portions 85 and 86 and through the opening portion 84. Due to this restriction, expansion gas accumulates in the first expansion chamber 51, and the internal pressure of the first expansion chamber 51 exclusively increases in the upper expansion chamber. At this time, the inflating portion 46 is not yet in contact with the occupant P.

  As the internal pressure increases, when the first expansion chamber 51 and the third expansion chamber 53 expand while canceling (expanding) the folded state in the reverse order, the seat pad 18 of the seat back 14 is expanded. It is pressed by the first expansion chamber 51 and the third expansion chamber 53 and is broken at the planned breaking portion 23 (see FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 9, the first expansion chamber 51 and the third expansion chamber 53 jump out forward from the seat back 14 through the broken portions, with a part left in the storage portion 21.

  Thereafter, the first expansion chamber 51 and the third expansion chamber 53 to which the expansion gas is supplied are, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, the occupant P seated on the body side portion 11 and the vehicle seat 12. The upper half of the body (shoulder PS, the second half of the chest PT, and the lower back PP) is deployed forward while canceling the folded state. As shown in FIG. 5A, the third expansion chamber 53 whose internal pressure is higher than that of the first expansion chamber 51 expands and expands on the side of the waist PP. The first expansion chamber 51 whose internal pressure is lower than that of the third expansion chamber 53 expands and expands on the side of the shoulder PS and the side of the rear half of the chest PT. At this time, the second expansion chamber 52 is not expanded yet, or even if it has expanded, the internal pressure is low.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 11, the vertical partition 71 pulled in the vehicle width direction is in a tensioned state. Due to the tensioned vertical section 71, the expansion thickness in the same direction of the first expansion chamber 51 is regulated. Moreover, as shown in FIG.8 (b), the horizontal division part 54 pulled by the vehicle width direction will be in the tension | tensile_strength state. Due to the tensioned transverse section 54, the expansion thickness in the same direction of the first expansion chamber 51 and the third expansion chamber 53 is regulated.

  As the body side portion 11 further enters the inside of the vehicle, the rear portion of the shoulder portion PS and the chest portion PT is pressed by the first expansion chamber 51, and the waist portion PP is pressed by the third expansion chamber 53, respectively. Crew P begins to be restrained.

  In the upper expansion chamber, the expansion gas is continuously supplied into the first expansion chamber 51 while the valve body portions 85 and 86 are in close contact with each other (closed), while being added from the body side portion 11. Due to the external force, the pressure regulating valve 87 starts to open.

  In other words, from the middle of the supply period of the expansion gas to the first expansion chamber 51, an external force accompanying the restraint of the occupant P is applied and the expansion portion 46 is deformed. Along with this, the tension that is strongly applied to the vertical section 71 in the vehicle width direction decreases, and the tension applied in the vertical direction increases.

  Further, the internal pressure PI of the first expansion chamber 51 further increases with the deformation of the expansion portion 46, and the vertical partition portion 71 is pressed toward the second expansion chamber 52 (see FIG. 10B). The tension applied to the vertical section 71 changes, and the difference in tension between the vertical direction and the vehicle width direction is reduced. The deformation of the opening 84 is allowed, and the operation of the valve body parts 85 and 86 is allowed.

  On the other hand, in the portion near the outer coupling portion 74 in the overlapping portion 81, the force for maintaining the overlapping state is strong. However, this force decreases as the distance from the outer coupling portion 74 increases, and becomes minimum at the central portion in the vehicle width direction, that is, both valve body portions 85 and 86. Therefore, the overlapping portion 81 pulled in the vertical direction is deformed in the same direction only in the valve body portions 85 and 86 and the vicinity thereof.

  When the opening 84 is opened to some extent in the vertical direction, the overlapping portion 81 opens only at both valve body portions 85 and 86 that have received the high internal pressure PI of the first expansion chamber 51, as shown in FIG. It is pushed out (inverted) through the portion 84 to the second expansion chamber 52. When the vertical width W1 of the opening 84 is narrow, the tip portions 85t and 86t come into contact with each other and the pressure regulating valve 87 is closed.

  Then, when the width W1 of the opening 84 is increased, as shown in FIG. 10C, when the tip ends 85t and 86t are separated and the pressure regulating valve 87 is opened, the flow regulation is released, and the first The expansion gas in the expansion chamber 51 is allowed to flow out to the second expansion chamber 52 through the opening 84 and the valve body portions 85 and 86 in order.

  Due to the outflow of the expansion gas, the internal pressure of the first expansion chamber 51 changes from increasing to decreasing. However, the body side portion 11 continues to enter the vehicle inner side, and the expansion portion 46 is pressed against the occupant P in the first expansion chamber 51.

  In addition, the expansion of the second expansion chamber 52 due to the inflow of the expansion gas begins to increase the internal pressure of the second expansion chamber 52. An attempt is made to eliminate (deploy) the folded state in the reverse order of the order in which the second expansion chamber 52 is folded.

  Then, in addition to the first expansion chamber 51 and the third expansion chamber 53, the second expansion chamber 52 is occupant P by the body side portion 11 entering the vehicle interior with a slight delay from the start of the increase in the internal pressure of the second expansion chamber 52. Begins to be pressed against the upper body of the body. The same upper body begins to be restrained by the second expansion chamber 52 in addition to the first expansion chamber 51 and the third expansion chamber 53.

  Further, since the third expansion chamber 53 is provided across the first expansion chamber 51 and the second expansion chamber 52 in the front-rear direction, not only the lower side of the first expansion chamber 51 but also the second expansion chamber. It also expands and expands below 52.

  Thus, the airbag 40 in which the first expansion chamber 51, the second expansion chamber 52, and the third expansion chamber 53 are deployed and inflated, respectively, includes the upper body of the occupant P, and the body side portion 11 that enters the vehicle interior. Intervene between. The upper body is pressed and restrained by the airbag 40 toward the inside of the vehicle. And the impact from the side transmitted to the upper body through the body side part 11 is relieved by the expansion part 46, and the upper body is protected.

  When the ejection of the expansion gas from the inflator 31 is stopped and the expansion gas in the third expansion chamber 53 is about to flow toward the first expansion chamber 51, both valve body portions 68 and 69 of the check valve 65 are In response to the high pressure in the third expansion chamber 53, they are pressed and come into contact with each other. The check valve 65 is closed, and the expansion gas in the third expansion chamber 53 flows out (backflow) into the first expansion chamber 51 through the valve body portions 68 and 69 and the opening 64 in order. Be regulated. Therefore, the internal pressure of the third expansion chamber 53, which has been increased to an appropriate internal pressure to protect the occupant P's lower back PP, is prevented from decreasing due to the backflow.

  Thereafter, the check valve 65 allows the expansion gas to flow from the first expansion chamber 51 to the third expansion chamber 53, but the expansion gas in the third expansion chamber 53 flows to the first expansion chamber 51. Regulates outflow (backflow). Therefore, for example, even if the internal pressure of the third expansion chamber 53 rises due to the side airbag device restraining the lumbar portion PP of the occupant P, the check valve 65 causes the inflation gas in the third expansion chamber 53 to be the first. Outflow to the expansion chamber 51 is restricted. The internal pressure of the first expansion chamber 51 is unlikely to increase due to the influence of pressure fluctuations in the third expansion chamber 53 accompanying the restraint of the waist portion PP.

  By the way, as shown in FIG. 5 (a), the expansion gas ejected from the inflator 31 passes through the opening 64 and the check valve 65 in order. It hits the connecting portion 67 (a part of the peripheral connecting portion 45) provided at the end, and the flow direction can be changed along the connecting portion 67. Since the coupling portion 67 extends forward and downward from the opening 64 at the initial stage of expansion of the third expansion chamber 53, the expansion gas that has passed through the opening 64 is as shown by an arrow D1 in FIG. , Flowing diagonally forward and downward. This direction is significantly different from the direction toward the exhaust hole 101. Therefore, in the initial stage of expansion of the third expansion chamber 53, the expansion gas does not flow toward the exhaust hole 101 and is not easily discharged from the exhaust hole 101.

  Thereafter, as the inflation proceeds, the airbag body 41 is deformed so that the dimensions in the vertical direction and the front-rear direction are smaller than the dimensions when the airbag body 41 is deployed without being filled with the inflation gas. On the other hand, the rear end portion of the check valve 65 is coupled to the main body cloth portions 43 and 44 by a coupling portion 67. Therefore, the coupling portion 67 follows the airbag body 41 that deforms as it is expanded as described above, and gradually tilts upward with its rear end as a fulcrum, so that the entire inclination of the coupling portion 67 is moderate. It will become. Accordingly, the flow direction of the expansion gas is gradually changed from the front lower side to the front side as indicated by arrows D2 and D3 in FIG. As a result, the forward expansion and expansion of the third expansion chamber 53 are efficiently performed.

  Further, the exhaust hole 101 provided in the front portion of the third expansion chamber 53 is positioned on the extension line of the arrow D3 in FIG. Therefore, when the airbag body 41 finishes deployment and restrains the upper body of the occupant P, the inflation gas whose flow direction is changed to the front flows toward the exhaust hole 101. As shown in FIG. 12B, the portions around the exhaust holes 101 in both the main body cloth portions 43 and 44 are deformed into a cylindrical shape, and the exhaust holes 101 are opened. Then, the expansion gas whose flow direction is changed to the direction toward the exhaust hole 101 as described above is efficiently discharged from the exhaust hole 101 to the outside of the third expansion chamber 53. Due to this discharge, when the occupant P is restrained by the airbag body 41, the internal pressure of the third expansion chamber 53 is reduced, and the occupant P is pressed by the third expansion chamber 53 with an appropriate pressing force.

Note that excess inflation gas in the second expansion chamber 52 is also discharged forward from the exhaust hole 101.
According to the embodiment described in detail above, the following effects can be obtained.

  (1) While connecting the rear end portion of the check valve 65 provided in the horizontal partitioning portion 54 to both the main body fabric portions 43 and 44 of the airbag main body 41 by the connecting portion 67 extending from the opening portion 64 to the front lower side, An exhaust hole 101 is provided in the front portion of the third expansion chamber 53 (FIG. 5A).

Therefore, in the initial stage of expansion of the third expansion chamber 53, the expansion gas can be prevented from flowing toward the exhaust hole 101, and can be made difficult to be discharged from the exhaust hole 101.
Further, as the third expansion chamber 53 expands, the coupling portion 67 gradually inclines upward with its rear end as a fulcrum, and the entire inclination of the coupling portion 67 becomes gentle. The flow direction of the working gas can be gradually changed from the front lower part to the front, and the third expansion chamber 53 can be efficiently deployed forward.

  Furthermore, the expansion gas in the third expansion chamber 53 can be efficiently discharged from the middle of the restraint of the occupant P. When the airbag body 41 finishes deployment and restrains the occupant P, the inflation gas whose flow direction is changed to the front can be efficiently discharged from the exhaust hole 101 to the outside of the third expansion chamber 53. As a result, when the occupant P is restrained by the airbag body 41, the internal pressure of the third expansion chamber 53 can be quickly reduced, and the occupant P can be pressed and restrained with an appropriate pressing force.

  (2) If the exhaust hole 101 is provided in the third expansion chamber 53 behind the front portion, that is, in an intermediate portion in the front-rear direction, the expansion gas before the third expansion chamber 53 completes the expansion. May be discharged from the exhaust hole 101 and the third expansion chamber 53 may not be developed as intended.

In this regard, in the present embodiment, as described above, the exhaust hole 101 is provided in the front portion of the third expansion chamber 53 (FIG. 5A).
Therefore, the expansion gas can be discharged from the exhaust hole 101 after the third expansion chamber 53 has been deployed.

  (3) If the exhaust hole 101 is provided behind the front part at the bottom of the third expansion chamber 53, the discharge of the expansion gas from the exhaust hole 101 is located below the exhaust hole 101. There is a risk of being obstructed by the seat cushion 13.

  In this regard, in the present embodiment, as described above, the exhaust hole 101 is provided in the front part of the third expansion chamber 53 so that the expansion gas is discharged from the exhaust hole 101 substantially forward (FIG. 5 ( a)).

Therefore, it is possible to suppress the discharge of the expansion gas in the third expansion chamber 53 from being hindered by the seat cushion 13.
(4) The coupling portion 67 is constituted by a part of the peripheral coupling portion 45 (FIG. 4).

  Therefore, in the process of manufacturing the side airbag device, the joint portion 67 can be provided together by providing the peripheral joint portion 45 along the peripheral portions of the two main body fabric portions 43 and 44. A step of providing the coupling portion 67 separately from the peripheral coupling portion 45 is not required, and the number of manufacturing steps can be reduced accordingly.

  (5) In the airbag main body 41 having the arc-shaped portion 41a in the lower part on the front side of its own peripheral edge, the exhaust hole 101 is located above the lower end of the arc-shaped portion 41a and the front end of the horizontal partition portion 54 Are provided in a region Z1 which is below the joint location with the two main body cloth portions 43 and 44 (FIG. 5A).

  As a result, the exhaust hole 101 can be provided in the front part of the third expansion chamber 53, and the exhaust hole 101 is positioned far from the check valve 65 in the initial stage of expansion of the third expansion chamber 53. be able to. Further, when the expansion of the third expansion chamber 53 progresses and the inclination of the coupling portion 67 becomes gentle, the exhaust hole 101 can be positioned forward in the direction along the coupling portion 67.

(6) The exhaust hole 101 is formed by releasing the coupling in a partial region of the peripheral coupling portion 45 (FIG. 5A).
Therefore, in the process of joining the peripheral parts of the main body cloth parts 43, 44, the peripheral joint part 45 and the exhaust hole 101 are formed together by preventing the jointing of some regions. Compared to the case where the exhaust hole 101 is provided at a location different from the peripheral edge coupling portion 45 of the airbag body 41, the manufacture of the exhaust hole 101 is facilitated.

  (7) The upper expansion chamber is partitioned into a first expansion chamber 51 to which expansion gas is supplied from the inflator 31 and a second expansion chamber 52 on the front side of the first expansion chamber 51 by the vertical partition portion 71. The vertical section 71 is provided with an opening 84 that allows the first expansion chamber 51 and the second expansion chamber 52 to communicate with each other, and the internal pressure of the first expansion chamber 51 and the second expansion chamber 52 is adjusted by opening and closing the opening 84. A pressure regulating valve 87 for adjustment is provided (FIGS. 5A and 5B).

  Therefore, the internal pressures of the first expansion chamber 51 and the second expansion chamber 52 are adjusted to appropriate internal pressures for restraining the occupant P and protecting them from impact by opening and closing the opening 84 by the pressure regulating valve 87. Can do.

In addition, the said embodiment can also be implemented as a modification which changed this as follows.
<About Inflator Assembly 30>
-As the retainer 32, the lower end may be closed and only the upper end may be opened, or the upper and lower ends may be opened together.

The inflator 31 may be directly attached to the side frame portion 17 without using the retainer 32.
The entire inflator assembly 30 may be disposed inside the first expansion chamber 51.

<About inflating part 46>
The airbag 40 may be substantially entirely composed of the inflatable portion 46, but may have a non-inflatable portion that does not inflate without being supplied with the inflation gas.

-The site | part restrained and protected by the 1st expansion chamber 51 and the 2nd expansion chamber 52 about the upper body of the passenger | crew P may be changed into the site | part different from the said embodiment.
For example, the first expansion chamber 51 may be expanded and expanded on the side of the chest PT, and the second expansion chamber 52 may be expanded and expanded on the side of the space in front of the chest PT. In this case, the second expansion chamber 52 may receive a function of adjusting the internal pressure of the first expansion chamber 51 by receiving the expansion gas flowing out from the first expansion chamber 51.

<About cylindrical valves>
-The cylindrical valve is changed to a valve different from the check valve on condition that it extends from the opening 64 to the lower expansion chamber (third expansion chamber 53) side and is opened and closed by the expansion gas. May be.

The check valve 65 may be formed by a separate member from the horizontal partition portion 54 and the inner tube 91.
<About the coupling portion 67>
The coupling portion 67 may be provided separately from the peripheral coupling portion 45.

The coupling portion 67 may couple the rear end portion of the check valve 65 only to one of the main body cloth portions 43 and 44.
<About the vertical section 71>
-As the vertical division part 71, what has an external shape different from the said embodiment may be used. In this case, it is desirable that the outer shape of the vertical partition 71 is changed in accordance with the location of the upper body of the occupant P that is to be restrained and protected by the first expansion chamber 51. In connection with this, the form of the outer coupling part 74 which couple | bonds the vertical division part 71 with the main body cloth parts 43 and 44 differs from the said embodiment. For example, when it is desired to restrain and protect the shoulder portion PS of the occupant P in a wider area, the outer coupling portions 74 and 75 may be provided on the front side of the above embodiment.

  -Instead of the opening part 84 and the pressure regulation valve 87, the vertical division part 71 may be provided with a communication hole for communicating the first expansion chamber 51 and the second expansion chamber 52. In this case, the expansion gas in the first expansion chamber 51 flows out to the second expansion chamber 52 through the communication hole.

<Inner tube 91>
The inner tube 91 may surround the entire inflator 31.
<Storage location of airbag module AM>
In place of the seat back 14 of the vehicle seat 12, a portion corresponding to the storage portion 21 is provided in the body side portion 11, and the airbag module AM may be incorporated therein.

<Others>
-The said side airbag apparatus is applicable also to the side airbag apparatus in which at least one of the vertical division part 71 and the inner tube 91 was abbreviate | omitted.

-The protection object of the upper body of the passenger | crew P by the side airbag apparatus may differ from the said embodiment.
The side airbag device is configured such that in a vehicle in which the vehicle seat 12 is arranged in a posture in which the seat back 14 is different from the front of the vehicle, for example, in a sideward direction, The present invention can also be applied to a side airbag device of a type that protects the occupant P from the impact when an impact is applied from the front-rear direction.

-Vehicles to which the side airbag device is applied include not only private vehicles but also various industrial vehicles.
The above-described side airbag device can also be applied to a side airbag device installed on a vehicle seat other than a vehicle, for example, an aircraft or a ship.

In addition, technical ideas that can be grasped from the above embodiments will be described together with their effects.
(A) In the side airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The exhaust hole is formed by releasing the coupling between the two main body cloth portions in a partial region of the peripheral edge coupling portion.

  According to said structure, the location where the coupling | bonding of both the main body cloth parts was cancelled | released functions among an outer periphery coupling | bond part. Therefore, in the process in which the peripheral portions of the two main body cloth portions are connected to each other, the peripheral connection portion and the exhaust hole are formed together by preventing the connection in a part of the region. Compared to the case where the hole is provided at a location different from the peripheral joint portion, the exhaust hole can be easily manufactured.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 ... Vehicle seat (vehicle seat), 31 ... Inflator, 41 ... Airbag main body, 41a ... Arc-shaped part, 43, 44 ... Main body cloth part, 45 ... Peripheral joint part, 46 ... Inflatable part, 51 ... 1st Expansion chamber (upper expansion chamber), 52 ... Second expansion chamber (upper expansion chamber), 53 ... Third expansion chamber (lower expansion chamber), 54 ... Horizontal compartment, 64 ... Opening portion, 65 ... Check valve (valve) ), 67 ... coupling part, 101 ... exhaust hole, P ... passenger, Z1 ... region.

Claims (4)

The vehicle body is formed in a bag shape by joining the peripheral portions of the pair of main body cloth portions that are overlapped in the width direction of the vehicle seat, and the expansion portion is expanded by the expansion gas supplied from the inflator. An airbag body that is deployed forward on the side of the occupant seated in the seat is provided,
An at least part of the inflating portion is formed by a horizontal partitioning portion laid between the two main body cloth portions, and an upper expansion chamber above the horizontal dividing portion and a lower expansion chamber below the horizontal dividing portion. Divided into
An opening for communicating the upper expansion chamber and the lower expansion chamber at the rear end of the horizontal partition portion, and a cylindrical valve that extends from the opening toward the lower expansion chamber and is opened and closed by an expansion gas Is provided,
A rear end portion of the valve is coupled to the main body cloth portion by a coupling portion extending forward and downward from the opening,
The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein an exhaust hole for discharging the inflation gas in the lower inflation chamber is provided at a front portion of the lower inflation chamber. The valve allows expansion gas to flow from the upper expansion chamber to the lower expansion chamber through the opening, and allows expansion gas to flow from the lower expansion chamber to the upper expansion chamber through the opening. The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the side airbag device is a check valve that regulates. The two main body cloth parts are connected to each other by a peripheral joint part provided along their peripheral parts,
The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the coupling portion is configured by a part of the peripheral coupling portion. The airbag main body has an arcuate portion in a lower portion on the front side of a peripheral edge portion, and the exhaust hole is above the lower end of the arcuate portion, and the both ends of the front end of the horizontal partitioning portion. The side airbag apparatus of any one of Claims 1-3 provided in the area | region which becomes lower than the coupling | bond part with a main body cloth part.