JP2022110958A - Vehicular side airbag device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vehicular side airbag device, which is configured to protect a wide range from the head to the waist of an occupant, and which can properly protect the head with a length of a diffuser being reduced.SOLUTION: A vehicular side airbag device 12 comprises a bag main body 46 stored inside a vehicular seat 14. The bag main body 46 is configured to include: an upper chamber 46B that covers a side of a head H of an occupant P in an inflated and expanded state; and a lower chamber 46C that covers a side of a range from a shoulder S to a waist L of the occupant P. Further, a vent hole 46D is formed in the lower chamber 46C. A diffuser 48 is provided inside the lower chamber 46C, which is configured to include: a lower opening part 48A open downward in the inflated and expanded state of the bag main body 46; and an upper opening part 48B formed above the vent hole 46D and open toward the upper chamber 46B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle side airbag device.

Patent Document 1 discloses an airbag divided into a lower air chamber for chest protection and an upper air chamber for head protection, and a vent hole is formed at the lower front end of the lower air chamber. ing. Further, in the airbag device of Patent Document 1, a diffuser (sock) is arranged as a rectifying cloth in the lower air chamber, and the diffuser is formed with communication holes for distributing the gas from the inflator to the lower air chamber. ing.

JP 2006-008017 A

By the way, in a side airbag that protects a wide area from the head to the waist of an occupant, it is preferable to shorten the length of the sock from the viewpoint of suppressing increases in cost and weight. Shortening the sock, however, risks venting gas to the upper chamber where the head is protected.

In consideration of the above facts, the present invention provides a side airbag device for a vehicle that can protect the head of the occupant well while shortening the length of the sock in a configuration that protects a wide area from the head to the waist of the occupant. with the aim of obtaining

A vehicle side airbag device according to claim 1 is housed inside a vehicle seat, receives gas supplied from an inflator at the time of prediction or detection of a side collision, and inflates and deploys laterally outward of the passenger in the seat width direction. and includes an upper chamber that covers the side of the occupant's head in an inflated and deployed state and a lower chamber that covers the side of the occupant from the shoulder to the waist, and a vent hole is formed in the lower chamber. a lower opening provided inside the lower chamber for allowing gas from the inflator to flow into the bag body and opening downward when the bag body is inflated and deployed; and the vent a sock configured to include an upper opening formed above the hole and opened toward the upper chamber.

In the vehicle side airbag device according to claim 1, the bag body includes an upper chamber that covers the side of the occupant's head in an inflated and deployed state, and a lower chamber that covers the side of the occupant from the shoulder to the waist. It is configured. As a result, in the event of a side collision of the vehicle, the side of the occupant can be restrained over a wide range. Also, a vent hole is formed in the lower chamber of the bag body. This can prevent the internal pressure of the lower chamber from becoming excessive.

A sock is provided inside the lower chamber, and the sock has a lower opening and an upper opening. Here, the lower opening is formed below the upper opening and opens downward. As a result, the waist can be restrained at an early stage, and initial restraint performance can be ensured. Also, the upper opening is formed above the vent hole and opens toward the upper chamber. As a result, it is possible to suppress the discharge of the gas from the upper opening toward the upper chamber through the vent hole.

A vehicle side airbag device according to claim 2 is the vehicle side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the lower opening is located below the vent hole in the inflated and deployed state of the bag body.

In the vehicle side airbag device according to claim 2, since the lower opening is located below the vent hole, it is possible to prevent the internal pressure of the waist, which requires a restraining force, from decreasing.

A vehicle side airbag device according to claim 3 is the vehicle side airbag device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sock is formed in a shape in which the opening area of the lower opening is larger than the opening area of the upper opening. there is

In the vehicle side airbag device according to claim 3, since the opening area of the lower opening of the sock is larger than the opening area of the upper opening of the sock, at the initial stage of inflation of the bag body, the airflow from the lower opening to the lower chamber increases. It can carry a lot of gas. As a result, the internal pressure of the portion corresponding to the waist can be quickly increased.

A vehicle side airbag device according to claim 4 is the vehicle side airbag device according to claim 3, wherein the vent hole is formed in a front end portion of the lower chamber, and the sock, in a side view of the bag body in an inflated and deployed state, is: The front end portion is inclined so as to be located rearward of the seat as it goes upward.

In the vehicle side airbag device according to claim 4, the sock is inclined in a direction away from the vent hole toward the upper side of the seat. As a result, it is possible to effectively suppress the discharge of the gas flowing from the upper opening toward the upper chamber to the outside through the vent hole.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, according to the vehicle side airbag device of the present invention, in a configuration that protects a wide range from the head to the waist of the occupant, the length of the sock is shortened and the head is well protected. can do.

1 is a side view showing a vehicle seat to which the vehicle side airbag device according to the embodiment is applied, showing a state in which the side airbag is inflated and deployed; FIG. 1 is a front view showing a vehicle seat to which the vehicle side airbag device according to the embodiment is applied, showing a state in which the side airbag is inflated and deployed; FIG.

Hereinafter, a vehicle side airbag device 12 having a vehicle side airbag 10 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Arrow FR, arrow UP, and arrow RH in each figure indicate the front side, upper side, and right side of the vehicle seat 14 on which the vehicle side airbag 10 is mounted, respectively. Unless otherwise specified, front/rear directions, left/right directions in the width direction of the seat, and up/down directions in the vertical direction of the seat are used.

(Vehicle seat 14)
As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle seat 14 on which the vehicle side airbag device 12 of this embodiment is mounted includes a seat cushion 16, a seat back 18 and a headrest 20. As shown in FIG. The side airbag device 12 of this embodiment includes a vehicle side airbag 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as “side airbag 10 ”) and an inflator 42 . As an example, the vehicle seat 14 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is arranged in the driver's seat on the left side of the vehicle, and the front of the seat is aligned with the front of the vehicle. Further, the left and right in the seat width direction and the left and right in the vehicle width direction are aligned.

A dummy P for a crash test is seated on the vehicle seat 14 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 instead of an actual passenger. This dummy P is, for example, a WorldSID (World Side Impact Dummy) AM50 (50th percentile of American adult males). Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the dummy P will be referred to as "passenger P".

The seat cushion 16 extends in the seat front-rear direction and the seat width direction, and is configured to support the buttocks and thighs of the occupant P. As shown in FIG. The seat back 18 is rotatably connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 16 and extends in the vertical direction of the seat so as to support the back of the occupant P. As shown in FIG. The headrest 20 is provided at the upper end of the seat back 18 and is configured to support the head H of the occupant P. As shown in FIG.

(Seat belt device 24)
As shown in FIG. 2, the occupant P is restrained on the vehicle seat 14 by the seatbelt device 24 . The seatbelt device 24 includes a webbing 26, a tongue plate 30, a buckle 32 and a retractor (not shown).

The webbing 26 is formed in a long belt shape, and includes a shoulder belt 26A that restrains the upper body of the occupant P to the seat back 18 when worn, and a lap belt 26B that restrains the waist L of the occupant. . The shoulder belt 26A extends obliquely from the shoulder S on the left side of the occupant P to the waist L on the right side. A tongue plate 30 is passed through the lower end of the shoulder belt 26A.

The tongue plate 30 is passed through the webbing 26 and is detachably attached to a buckle 32 provided on the right side of the seat. By attaching the tongue plate 30 to the buckle 32 , the occupant P is restrained by the webbing 26 .

The webbing 26 extends from the tongue plate 30 to the left side of the seat, and the portion extending in the seat width direction constitutes a lap belt 26B. Therefore, the right end of the lap belt 26B is connected to the lower end of the shoulder belt 26A. A left end portion of the lap belt 26B is fixed to a belt anchor 34 provided on the floor panel 40. As shown in FIG.

The upper end of the shoulder belt 26A is wound around a shoulder anchor (not shown) provided on the vehicle body. Also, the end of the webbing 26 is wound up by a retractor (not shown). Here, when the webbing 26 is suddenly pulled out, the emergency locking mechanism of the retractor operates to lock the webbing 26 withdraw. Further, the retractor is provided with a pretensioner mechanism that is activated when a collision is detected and forcibly winds up the webbing 26 .

(Side airbag device 12)
As shown in FIG. 1 , the side airbag device 12 includes an inflator 42 and the side airbag 10 . The side airbag 10 also includes a bag body 46 and a sock 48 . The sock 48 is also called a diffuser, rectifying cloth, duct, or inner tube.

The inflator 42 is a cylinder-type gas generator formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and has an axial direction along a side frame (not shown) forming the skeleton of the seat back 18 . Also, the lower end of the inflator 42 is connected to the connecting portion 46A of the side airbag 10 . A gas ejection portion (not shown) is provided at the lower end of the inflator 42, and when a side collision of the vehicle is predicted or detected, gas is generated from the gas ejection portion and supplied to the side airbag 10. be done.

The side airbag 10 is housed inside the seatback 18 and is inflated by being supplied with gas generated by an inflator 42, and the skin of the seatback 18 is broken by the inflation pressure of the side airbag 10. It is inflated and deployed laterally outward in the seat width direction with respect to the occupant P.

Here, the bag main body 46 that constitutes the side airbag 10 is formed into a substantially bag shape by sewing two pieces of base fabric together at the sewing portion SE at the outer peripheral edge. In addition, the bag main body 46 includes a connecting portion 46A to which the inflator 42 is connected, an upper chamber 46B that covers the side of the head H of the occupant P in the inflated and deployed state, and the side of the occupant P from the shoulder S to the waist L. It is configured including a covering lower chamber 46C.

As shown in FIG. 2, the upper chamber 46B is configured to be inflated and deployed toward the space between the upper rear surface of the shoulder belt 26A and the headrest 20. As shown in FIG. As an example, the upper chamber 46B of the present embodiment is stored in the upper end portion of the seat back 18 in a folded state along the seat width direction. When the gas is supplied to the upper chamber 46B, the skin of the upper end portion of the seat back 18 is broken by the expansion pressure of the upper chamber 46B, and the upper chamber 46B is pushed toward the space between the shoulder belt 26A and the headrest 20. is configured to inflate and deploy.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lower chamber 46C is arranged from the upper portion to the lower end portion of the seat back 18 when viewed in the seat width direction, and has a substantially elliptical shape in which the central portion in the vertical direction bulges toward the seat front side. formed.

The connection portion 46A is provided at the rear end portion of the lower chamber 46C and has an insertion hole into which the inflator 42 is inserted. The lower end of the inflator 42 is inserted into this insertion hole.

Here, a vent hole 46D is formed in the lower chamber 46C. In this embodiment, as an example, the vent hole 46D is formed by not sewing a part of the base fabric of the bag body 46 . The vent hole 46D is positioned above the seat from the portion of the lower chamber 46C that restrains the waist L, and is formed at the front end of the lower chamber 46C.

A sock 48 is provided inside the lower chamber 46C. The sock 48 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and is a member for flowing gas from the inflator 42 to the bag body 46 . Also, the sock 48 includes a lower opening 48A, an upper opening 48B, and a connecting portion 48C.

The lower opening 48A is provided at the lower end of the sock 48 when the bag body 46 is inflated and deployed, and is located below the vent hole 46D. Further, the sock 48 is opened toward the lower side of the seat, ie, the restraint portion of the waist L in the lower chamber 46C. Furthermore, the opening area of the lower opening 48A is larger than the opening area of the upper opening 48B, which will be described later. Specifically, the lower opening 48A of the sock 48 is formed to have a longer front-rear length than the upper opening 48B.

The length of the sock 48 in the front-rear direction becomes shorter toward the upper side of the seat from the lower opening 48A, and the upper end of the sock 48 is provided with an upper opening 48B. The upper opening 48B is formed above the seat than the vent hole 46D and opens toward the upper chamber 46B.

Also, the upper opening 48B is positioned below the upper chamber 46B. Specifically, the upper opening 48B is positioned slightly below the shoulder S of the occupant P, and is sewn to the bag main body 46 in a state of opening toward the upper chamber 46B.

As described above, the sock 48 has a shape in which the upper portion of the sock 48 is narrower in the front-rear direction than the lower portion when viewed from the side in the inflated and deployed state. It is slanted so that it is positioned backwards.

Further, a connection portion 48C is provided at the rear end portion of the sock 48. As shown in FIG. The connecting portion 48C is formed in a shape corresponding to the connecting portion 46A of the bag body 46, and is fixed to the side frame (not shown) of the seatback 18 together with the connecting portion 46A. A lower end portion of the inflator 42 is inserted into the connecting portion 48C. That is, the outer peripheral surface of the lower end of the inflator 42 is covered with the connecting portion 48C of the sock 48, and the outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion 48C is covered with the connecting portion 46A of the bag body 46. Therefore, the gas generated from the inflator 42 flows through the connection portion 48C of the sock 48, inside the sock 48, and flows from the lower opening 48A and the upper opening 48B to the lower chamber 46C and the upper chamber 46B.

(action)
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

In the side airbag device 12 of this embodiment, the bag body 46 is accommodated inside the vehicle seat 14, and the bag body 46 receives gas from the inflator 42 when a side collision is predicted or detected. It is inflated and deployed on the side of the occupant P. The bag main body 46 has an upper chamber 46B and a lower chamber 46C. The upper chamber 46B covers the side of the head H of the occupant P, and the lower chamber 46C covers the shoulder S to the waist L of the occupant P. The sides are covered over As a result, the sides of the occupant P can be restrained over a wide range in the event of a side collision.

Further, in this embodiment, since the lower chamber 46C of the bag main body 46 is formed with the vent hole 46D, it is possible to suppress the internal pressure of the lower chamber 46C from becoming excessive.

Further, a sock 48 is provided inside the lower chamber 46C, and the sock 48 is formed with a lower opening 48A and an upper opening 48B. Here, the lower opening 48A is formed below the upper opening 48B and opens downward. As a result, the waist L of the occupant P can be restrained at an early stage, and the initial restraint performance can be ensured. On the other hand, the upper opening 48B is formed above the vent hole 46D and opens toward the upper chamber. As a result, it is possible to suppress the discharge of gas from the upper opening 48B toward the upper chamber 46B through the vent hole 46D. As described above, the side airbag 10 of the present embodiment protects the head H of the occupant P well while reducing the length of the sock 48 in a configuration that protects a wide area from the head H to the waist L of the occupant P. be able to

Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the lower opening 48A of the sock 48 is positioned below the vent hole 46D, it is possible to prevent the internal pressure of the waist L, which requires a restraining force, from decreasing.

Further, in the present embodiment, the opening area of the lower opening 48A of the sock 48 is larger than the opening area of the upper opening 48B. Therefore, more gas can be sent from the lower opening 48A to the lower chamber 46C at the initial stage of inflation of the bag body 46. As shown in FIG. As a result, the internal pressure of the portion corresponding to the lumbar region L of the occupant P can be rapidly increased.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the front end of the sock 48 is inclined in the direction away from the vent hole 46D as it goes upward on the seat. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent the gas flowing from the upper opening 48B to the upper chamber 46B from being discharged to the outside through the vent hole 46D.

Although the side airbag 10 according to the embodiment and the modification has been described above, it is needless to say that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the upper opening 48B of the sock 48 is positioned slightly below the shoulder S, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the sock 48 may be extended to the position of the shoulder S of the occupant P, and the upper opening 48B may be positioned at the shoulder S.

Moreover, in the above-described embodiment, the vent hole 46D is formed at a position between the portion that restrains the chest of the occupant P and the portion that restrains the waist L, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if a sufficient restraining force on the waist L can be obtained, a vent hole 46D may be formed at the lower end of the lower chamber 46C. Also, if it is desired to reduce the internal pressure of the portion that restrains the chest, a vent hole 46D may be formed in the portion that restrains the chest. Even in this case, if the upper opening 48B is formed above the vent hole 46D, it is possible to suppress the discharge of the gas toward the upper chamber 46B.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the shape of the sock 48 is such that the upper part is shorter in the front-to-rear direction than the lower part. Further, in the above embodiment, the position of the lower opening 48A is above the waist L, but the position of the lower opening 48A is not limited to this, and the lower opening 48A may be positioned at the waist L.

Furthermore, the shape of the upper chamber 46B and the lower chamber 46C that constitute the bag body 46 is not particularly limited, and shapes other than those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be adopted.

12 Vehicle Side Airbag Device 14 Vehicle Seat 42 Inflator 46 Bag Body 46B Upper Chamber 46C Lower Chamber 46D Vent Hole 48 Sock 48A Lower Opening 48B Upper Opening P Occupant H Head S Shoulder L Waist

Claims (4)

It is housed inside a vehicle seat, receives gas supplied from an inflator when a side collision is predicted or detected, and is inflated and deployed on the side of the occupant in the width direction of the seat. a bag body including an upper chamber that covers the side and a lower chamber that covers the side from the shoulder to the waist of the occupant, and in which a vent hole is formed in the lower chamber;
A lower opening provided inside the lower chamber to allow gas from the inflator to flow to the bag body and open downward when the bag body is inflated and deployed, and a lower opening formed above the vent hole. a sock configured to include an upper opening opened toward the upper chamber;
A side airbag device for a vehicle. 2. The vehicle side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the lower opening is located below the vent hole when the bag body is inflated and deployed. 3. The side airbag device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the sock is formed in such a shape that the opening area of the lower opening is larger than the opening area of the upper opening. The vent hole is formed at the front end of the lower chamber,
4. The side airbag device for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the sock is inclined such that the front end of the sock is located rearward of the seat as it goes upward from the seat in a side view of the inflated and deployed state of the bag body.

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