JP5885514B2 - Side airbag - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a side airbag that is inflated and deployed in a vehicle mainly for the purpose of protecting an occupant in an emergency.

  Currently, air bags are almost standard equipment on vehicles. An airbag is a safety device that operates in an emergency such as a vehicle collision, and inflates and deploys to receive and protect an occupant. There are various types of airbags depending on the installation location and application. For example, a front airbag is provided in the center of the steering wheel in order to protect the driver from collisions in the front-rear direction. In addition, to protect passengers from side collisions and subsequent rollovers (rollovers), curtain airbags that inflate and deploy along the side windows from the ceiling of the wall and from the side of the seat to the side of the passenger Side airbags that are inflated and deployed are provided.

  The side airbag is an airbag that is installed mainly on a side portion of a seat and inflates and deploys between an occupant and a door trim. The side airbag is configured assuming protection of the upper body of the occupant's body. For example, the side airbag described in Patent Document 1 is inflated and deployed from the upper surface of the seat cushion to the shoulder of the occupant.

JP 2011-194936 A

  However, in the side airbag of Patent Document 1, a stitched portion is provided on the outer peripheral portion. Usually, the side airbag is deployed while contacting the occupant. At that time, if there is a protruding portion or a hard portion such as the above-described stitched portion, friction with the occupant increases, and there is a high possibility that the occupant will be scratched. In particular, when the occupant's skin is exposed, there is a risk of causing scratches such as burns in severe cases.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a side airbag that enhances safety performance during deployment and suppresses an increase in cost.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a typical configuration of a side airbag according to the present invention is a side airbag that inflates and deploys between a passenger and a door trim from a side portion of a seat, and includes The side airbag is formed so as to inflate and deploy from the waist to the side, and the side airbag has an inclined surface inclined downward from the rear of the vehicle toward the front of the vehicle so as to be along the lower side of the upper arm of the occupant. It is characterized by.

  The side airbag is inflated and deployed between the side and the waist of the occupant's body and between the door trim. In particular, in the above configuration, by providing an inclined surface, direct contact with the upper arm is avoided. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the upper arm where the skin is often exposed in the body from being inflated and deployed, and thereby to improve the safety performance.

  In the side airbag, the part from the shoulder part to the upper arm is not directly protected, and the protection target is limited to the part from the side to the waist part. ing. However, the restraint performance of the occupant is not deteriorated because the movement amount of the entire body of the occupant can be efficiently suppressed by restraining the chest and abdomen that are particularly far from the door trim in the body. In addition, by downsizing in this manner, the amount of fabric as a material can be saved, and an inflator with low output and low cost can be used, which can contribute to cost reduction.

  The side airbag may be formed into a three-dimensional shape by sewing, and at least a region extending from the inclined surface to the side surface may be formed of a continuous fabric. The continuous fabric means that there is no seam in the region extending from the inclined surface to the side surface, that is, there is no sewing line in the region where the occupant's upper arm is easily contacted. The sewing line is slightly harder than the other areas and has irregularities. Such a sewing line tends to increase the friction when it comes into contact with the occupant, so that the above configuration can reduce the possibility of scratching the occupant.

  The said side airbag is formed in the three-dimensional shape by sewing, and sewing may be performed except the ridgeline part between an inclined surface and an inclined surface, and a side surface at least. In this configuration as well, there is no sewing line provided on the inclined surface and the ridge line portion between the inclined surface and the side surface (corner between the side surface portion and the side surface), which is an area where the upper arm is easily contacted. The possibility of losing can be reduced.

  The side airbag may be formed into a three-dimensional shape by sewing, and a region extending from the inclined surface to the side surface, the front surface, and the upper surface may be formed of a continuous fabric. That is, the side airbag has a configuration in which no sewing line exists in a region extending from the inclined surface to the surrounding surface. According to this configuration, it is possible to efficiently reduce the possibility of causing scratches or the like on the occupant.

  The side airbag is formed into a three-dimensional shape by sewing, and the sewing may be performed except for at least the inclined surface and the ridge line portion between the inclined surface and the peripheral surface of the inclined surface. Even with this configuration, the sewing line is not provided in the region where the upper arm is easily contacted, and this can effectively reduce the possibility of causing the occupant to follow a scratch or the like.

  Even if the lower part of the side airbag is formed at a lower thickness than the upper part of the side airbag according to the protruding amount of the armrest that is arranged at the lower part of the door trim and protrudes toward the occupant side than the other area of the door trim Good. By adopting such a three-dimensional shape, it becomes possible to efficiently restrain the occupant's body, and the occupant's ability to prevent release from the vehicle is further improved.

  The inclination angle of the inclined surface may be set in a range of 30 ° to 70 ° with respect to the horizontal line. With this angle setting, even if there is some variation in the posture of the occupant, it can be widely handled.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to provide the side airbag which raised the safety performance at the time of expansion | deployment, and suppressed the cost increase.

It is the figure which illustrated the side airbag concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is the figure which illustrated the relation between the side airbag of Drawing 1, and a crew member. It is the figure which illustrated the side airbag of FIG. 1 independently. It is the figure which gave the modification of the side airbag of FIG.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In the present specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not illustrated. To do.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a side airbag 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a state after the side airbag 100 is attached to the vehicle. The seat 102 in FIG. 1 assumes a left front seat. The side airbag 100 is installed on a side portion of the seat 102, and is inflated and deployed between an occupant 104 sitting on the seat 102 and a door trim 110 (see FIG. 2B) on the vehicle wall.

  The side airbag 100 is formed in a bag shape, and for example, a method of sewing from a total of two base fabrics constituting the front and back surfaces, a method of spinning using OPW (One-Piece Woven), etc. Is used. Inside the side airbag 100, a gas generator called an inflator (not shown) is provided. This side airbag 100 is housed in a seat side housing (not shown) before being inflated and deployed, and is further covered with an exterior material of the seat 102, so that it cannot be visually recognized. In an emergency such as a vehicle collision, gas is supplied from the inflator due to detection of a sensor (not shown) impact, and expands and deploys by pushing the exterior material.

  The side airbag 100 is devised so that safety performance can be improved while suppressing an increase in cost. Hereinafter, the configuration of the side airbag 100 will be further described.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the side airbag 100 and the occupant 104 of FIG. FIG. 2A shows the side airbag 100 and the occupant 104 as viewed from the vehicle outer side (door side). In FIG. 2A, the passenger 104 is illustrated as a so-called dummy doll. Specifically, it is a dummy doll of a model called AM50, and this AM50 is a model assuming a physique (height 178 cm, weight 72 kg) that fits 50% of adult males. In this embodiment, the occupant 104 is an AM 50, but it is also possible to design a side airbag according to a model other than this or a person with a different physique.

  The side airbag 100 is formed to inflate and deploy from the waist E1 to the side E4 of the occupant 104 in the vehicle vertical direction. In particular, the side airbag 100 does not dare to protect the upper arm E6 and the shoulder E5 directly, but restricts the object to be protected from the waist E1 to the side E4, particularly the chest E3 and the abdomen E2. This is a configuration mainly for preventing injury to the upper arm E6 where skin is often exposed in the body during inflation and deployment.

  The inclined surface 108 of the side airbag 100 is a part formed to avoid direct contact with the upper arm E6. The inclined surface 108 is formed to be inclined downward along the lower side of the upper arm E6 of the occupant 104 from the rear of the vehicle toward the front of the vehicle. By this inclined surface 108, it is possible to prevent the upper arm E6 from being scratched at the time of inflating and expanding, and to improve safety performance.

  As an example of the inclination angle α of the inclined surface 108, in the present embodiment, it is set to 45 ° with respect to the horizontal line H1. That is, assuming that the upper arm E6 of the occupant 104 is at an angle of 45 ° with respect to the horizontal line H1, the angle is set to follow the upper arm E6. However, the angle of the inclined surface 108 is not limited to this, and may be set as appropriate in accordance with the physique and posture of the occupant 104. In that case, the angle may be set in the range of 30 ° to 70 °. When riding in a vehicle, the upper arm E6 of the occupant 104 can take various angles. However, if the inclined surface 108 is within this angle range, it can be widely used even if there is a slight variation in the angle of the upper arm E6. Is possible. On the other hand, if the angle of the inclined surface 108 is smaller than 30 °, the front side of the inclined surface 108 presses the upper arm E6 during deployment, and if the position of the inclined surface 108 is lowered to avoid this, the side E4 is protected. Will be neglected. Further, even when the angle of the inclined surface 108 is larger than 70 °, the upper portion of the inclined surface 108 may press the upper arm E6. In any case, if the inclined surface 108 presses the upper arm E6, there is a risk of causing scratches or the like, or the posture of the occupant may be disturbed and the restraint by the seat belt or the like may be hindered.

  In the side airbag 100, a width W1 in the vehicle front-rear direction is formed smaller than a width W2 from the rear end 109 of the side airbag 100 to the front surface of the abdomen E2 (W2> W1). As described above, the side airbag 100 is formed in a minimum shape for restraining the occupant 104 safely, thereby efficiently reducing the material cost and gas capacity without deteriorating the restraining performance of the occupant 104. It is suppressed.

  FIG. 2B illustrates the side airbag 100 and the occupant 104 of FIG. 2A as viewed from the front of the vehicle. As described above, the side airbag 100 is inflated and deployed between the side E4 and the waist E1 and the door trim 110. Among the parts from the side E4 to the waist E1, for example, the distance D1 between the abdomen E2 and the door trim 110 is longer than the distance D2 between the shoulder E5 and the door trim 110. That is, the chest E3 and the like have more room for movement than the shoulder E5 when an impact is applied to the vehicle. In view of this point, in the above configuration, it is possible to efficiently restrain the movement amount of the entire body of the occupant 104 by directly restraining the chest E3 and the like, thereby indirectly reducing the movement amount of the shoulder E5. It is possible to suppress to.

  With the side airbag 100 having the above-described configuration, it is possible to prevent concentration of load on the shoulder portion E5 by restraining the chest portion E3 and the like, so that even if the shoulder portion E5 contacts the door trim 110, it is relatively safe. It is. As described above, the side airbag 100 directly protects the chest part E3 and the like, indirectly suppresses the amount of movement of the shoulder part E5, and makes the shoulder part E5 contact the door trim 110 safely. It is possible to prevent the release from the vehicle. Thus, although the side airbag 100 is downsized as compared with the conventional configuration, the restraining performance of the occupant 104 is not deteriorated. And since the amount of the cloth used as a material is saved by downsizing and the use of an inflator with low output and low cost is possible, it is possible to contribute to cost reduction.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the side airbag 100 of FIG. 1 alone. FIG. 3A is a diagram in which the sewing line L <b> 1 is emphasized in the side airbag 100. The side airbag 100 is formed into a three-dimensional shape by sewing, but is provided with a sewing line L1 in consideration of safety performance.

  In the side airbag 100, a sewing line L1 is provided around the inclined surface 108 that easily contacts the upper arm E6 in order to reduce the possibility of scratching the upper arm E6 of the occupant 104 (see FIG. 2A). Not. Specifically, in addition to the inclined surface 108 itself, the ridge line portions 117a and 117b (corners) between the inclined surface 108 and the side panel portions 116a (116b) (side surfaces), the inclined surface 108 and the front panel portion 118 (front surface). Sewing is performed except for the ridge line part 119 between them and the ridge line part 121 between the inclined surface 108 and the upper panel part 120 (upper surface). The sewing line L1 is slightly harder than the other regions and has irregularities. Since such a sewing line L1 tends to increase friction when it contacts the occupant 104, the side airbag 100 is not sewn around the inclined surface.

  FIG. 3B is a development view of the side airbag 100 of FIG. In order to realize the configuration described with reference to FIG. 3A, the side airbag 100 is formed of a single fabric (fabric) as illustrated in FIG. 3B. Of these, the regions extending from the inclined surface 108 to the side panel portions 116a and 116b, and from the inclined surface 108 to the front panel portion 118 or the upper surface panel portion 120 are formed of a continuous fabric. In this way, the side airbag 100 has a configuration in which the inclined surface 108 that easily contacts the upper arm E6 (see FIG. 2A) and the sewing line L1 that is the joint of the fabric do not exist around the inclined surface 108. This effectively reduces the possibility of scratching the passenger.

  The vent hole 112, which is a gas outlet used for inflation and deployment, is provided in the lower part on the front side of the vehicle so that the gas does not hit the occupant 104, and safety performance is also taken into consideration here.

(Modification)
FIG. 4 is a view showing a modification of the side airbag 100 of FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the side airbag 200 corresponding to FIG. This side airbag 200 is different from the side airbag 100 of FIG. In addition, about the same structure as the side airbag 100, the description is abbreviate | omitted by writing the same code | symbol.

  FIG. 4B is a view of the side airbag 200 viewed from the front of the vehicle, corresponding to FIG. Usually, the door trim 110 has an armrest 114 at a lower portion thereof that protrudes toward the occupant 104 side from other regions. Accordingly, in the side airbag 200, the lower portion 200a is formed with a thickness W3 that is thin in accordance with the protruding amount D3 of the armrest 114, and the upper portion 200b is formed with a thickness W4 that is greater than the thickness W3. By adopting such a three-dimensional shape, the side airbag 200 is suitably supported by the door trim 110 on the outside of the vehicle. As a result, the side airbag 200 is able to restrain the body of the occupant 104 more efficiently while achieving downsizing as a whole, thereby further improving the performance of preventing the occupant 104 from releasing outside the vehicle. ing.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments described above are preferred examples of the present invention, and other embodiments can be implemented or performed in various ways. Can be carried out. The invention is not limited to the detailed shape, size, configuration, and the like of the components shown in the accompanying drawings unless otherwise specified in the present specification. In addition, expressions and terms used in the present specification are for the purpose of explanation, and are not limited thereto unless otherwise specified.

  Therefore, it is obvious for those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and these naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. It is understood.

  Moreover, although the example which applied the side airbag 100 concerning this invention to the motor vehicle in the said embodiment was demonstrated, the technical idea is applicable also to airbag apparatuses other than the side airbag 100, and the air The bag device can be applied not only to automobiles but also to airplanes, ships, and the like, and the same effects can be obtained.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a side airbag that is inflated and deployed in a vehicle mainly for the purpose of protecting an occupant in an emergency.

D1 ... distance between the abdomen and the door trim, D2 ... distance between the shoulder and the door trim, D3 ... projection amount of the armrest, E1 ... waist, E2 ... abdomen, E3 ... chest, E4 ... side, E5 ... shoulder, E6 ... upper arm , L1 ... Sewing line, W1 ... Width of the side airbag in the vehicle front-rear direction, W2 ... Width from the rear end of the side airbag to the front of the abdomen, 100 ... Side airbag, 102 ... Seat, 104 ... Passenger, 108 ... Inclined surface, 109 ... rear end of side airbag, 110 ... door trim, 112 ... vent hole, 114 ... armrest, 116a, 116b ... side panel part, 117a, 117b, 119, 121 ... ridge line part, 118 ... front panel part, 120 ... upper panel portion, 200 ... side airbag, 200a ... lower part of side airbag, 2 00b ... upper part of side airbag

Claims (5)

A side airbag that inflates and deploys between the occupant and the door trim from the side of the seat,
It is formed into a three-dimensional shape by sewing so as to expand and deploy from the waist of the occupant to the side in the vehicle vertical direction,
The side airbag includes an inclined surface inclined downward from the rear of the vehicle toward the front of the vehicle so as to be along the lower side of the upper arm of the occupant at the upper portion thereof .
At least the region spanning the side surface from the inclined surface, side airbag, characterized that you have constructed a continuous fabric. A side airbag that inflates and deploys between the occupant and the door trim from the side of the seat,
It is formed into a three-dimensional shape by sewing so as to expand and deploy from the waist of the occupant to the side in the vehicle vertical direction,
The side airbag includes an inclined surface inclined downward from the rear of the vehicle toward the front of the vehicle so as to be along the lower side of the upper arm of the occupant at the upper portion thereof.
The sewing, side airbag, characterized by being made with the exception of the ridge portion at least between the inclined surface and the inclined surface and the side surface. A side airbag that inflates and deploys between the occupant and the door trim from the side of the seat,
It is formed into a three-dimensional shape by sewing so as to expand and deploy from the waist of the occupant to the side in the vehicle vertical direction,
The side airbag includes an inclined surface inclined downward from the rear of the vehicle toward the front of the vehicle so as to be along the lower side of the upper arm of the occupant at the upper portion thereof.
The region from the inclined surface over a side and front as well as the upper surface of each side, the side airbag, characterized in that it consists of a continuous fabric. A side airbag that inflates and deploys between the occupant and the door trim from the side of the seat,
It is formed into a three-dimensional shape by sewing so as to expand and deploy from the waist of the occupant to the side in the vehicle vertical direction,
The side airbag includes an inclined surface inclined downward from the rear of the vehicle toward the front of the vehicle so as to be along the lower side of the upper arm of the occupant at the upper portion thereof.
The sewing, side airbag, characterized by being made with the exception of the ridge at least between the inclined surface and the inclined surface and the inclined peripheral face of the slope. The side airbag has a lower portion formed at a lower thickness than the upper portion of the side airbag in accordance with the protruding amount of the armrest that is disposed at the lower portion of the door trim and protrudes toward the occupant side with respect to other areas of the door trim. The side airbag according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the side airbag is provided.

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