JP6624023B2 - Occupant protection device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an occupant protection device that can protect the head of an occupant sitting on a seat by an airbag that is inflated when activated.

  Conventionally, as an occupant protection device, an airbag is stored in a storage portion disposed on the rear side of a vehicle seat so that the vicinity of the head of an occupant seated in a vehicle seat can be protected, and when activated, An inflation gas is supplied to the airbag, and the head of the occupant is protected by the inflated airbag (for example, see Patent Document 1). In this occupant protection device, the inflated airbag arranges the pipe-shaped inflatable portions in a lattice shape, and arranges them in a substantially cup shape with an opening directed obliquely forward and downward, so that the occupant's head is It was configured to cover the surroundings.

  In addition, the occupant protection device not only protects the occupant's head, but also protects the upper body near the head (upper part of the chest), and stores the airbag in the storage area arranged on the back side of the vehicle seat. In some cases, an inflation gas is supplied to the airbag during operation, and the inflated airbag covers the head or the vicinity of the head (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In this airbag, it protrudes upward from the storage site, then protrudes forward, and further deploys downward so as to surround the periphery of the head to complete inflation. The airbag at the time of completion of inflation extends upward from the storage site, is disposed on the rear side of the head, a rear wall portion, a ceiling wall portion extending forward from an upper end of the rear wall portion, and downward from a front end of the ceiling wall portion. And a front wall portion arranged on the front side of the occupant from the head to the vicinity of the upper part of the occupant's chest, and arranged on the left and right sides of the head so as to connect the rear wall portion and the front wall portion. It had a substantially cup-like shape with a left wall portion and a right wall portion.

DE 198 59 988 A1 US Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0121839

  However, in the occupant protection device described in Patent Literature 1, since the airbag at the time of completion of inflation has a substantially cup shape with an opening directed obliquely downward and downward, it is on the rear side around the occupant head. On the rear side, it covers up to the back side below the occupant's head, but on the front side, which is the front side around the occupant's head, covers only the upper half of the head, and moves away from the seat back It was difficult to accurately catch the occupant's head moving forward.

  On the other hand, in the occupant protection device described in Patent Document 2, the inflated airbag includes not only the head on the front side of the occupant's head but also the vicinity of the upper part of the upper body (chest) below the head. Therefore, the occupant can be sufficiently protected from being widely covered.

  However, when these airbags are inflated, they protrude upward from a storage portion arranged on the rear side of the upper part of the seat, then protrude forward, and further downward so as to surround the periphery of the head. Because it expands and completes inflation, when expanding downward to surround the head, if the inflated inflation site interferes with the head, it will smoothly surround the head. There is a risk that the airbag will not be deployed downward, and there is a problem in deploying the airbag.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and covers an airbag that protrudes from a storage portion on the rear side of a seat around the head of the occupant while widely covering the front side of an occupant seated on the front side of the seat. It is an object of the present invention to provide an occupant protection device that can be smoothly deployed to complete inflation.

The occupant protection device according to the present invention, when the inflation gas flows in, can protect the head of the occupant seated on the vehicle seat, protrudes upward from a storage portion disposed on the back side of the seat, Next, an occupant protection device including an airbag configured to protrude forward, further expand downward to surround the head, and complete inflation,
The airbag when inflation is completed,
A rear wall portion extending upward from the storage site and disposed on the back side of the head, a ceiling wall portion extending forward from an upper end of the rear wall portion, and a head wall extending downward from a front end of the ceiling wall portion; A front wall portion disposed on the front side of the portion, and a bottom side including a left portion and a right portion disposed on the left and right sides of the head so as to connect the rear wall portion and the front wall portion. While making it approximately cup-shaped with an opening,
As a part to be inflated by flowing the inflation gas,
The rear wall portion, the ceiling wall portion, the front wall portion, the left side portion, and the right side portion can be unfolded in a substantially cup shape around the head, and the cup-shaped outer shape can be maintained. An outer inflation portion to complete the inflation,
An inner inflatable portion arranged on the inner peripheral side of the outer inflatable portion, supported by the outer inflatable portion, and capable of receiving both left and right sides of the head from the front side of the head,
Is configured with
As the expansion form of the outer expansion section and the inner expansion section, the outer expansion section is a primary expansion section, the inner expansion section is a secondary expansion section, and the inner expansion section expands later than the outer expansion section. And start
The inflation start timing of the inner inflation portion, the outer inflation portion at the time of inflation, the rear wall portion, the ceiling wall portion, the front wall portion, the left side portion, and the right side portion, around the head. It is characterized in that it is set after the timing when it is deployed in a substantially cup shape.

  In the occupant protection device according to the present invention, when the airbag is inflated by flowing the inflation gas, first, the outer inflation portion as the primary inflation portion is inflated, and then the inner inflation portion as the secondary inflation portion is inflated. I do. When the outer inflation portion as the primary inflation portion is inflated, the rear wall portion, the ceiling wall portion, the front wall portion, the left side portion, and the right side portion are developed in a substantially cup shape around the head, and then the cup is formed. The inflation is completed so that the shape can be maintained. The inner inflation portion as the secondary inflation portion starts to expand after the outer inflation portion completes deployment substantially in the shape of a cup, so that it inflates thickly to receive the front side or side surface of the occupant's head. Even in such a case, the inflation is started inside the outer inflation portion that has already been deployed around the head, so that the inflation can be completed smoothly. That is, after the airbag is deployed in the cup shape, the inner inflatable portion that protects the occupant's head in a protective manner starts inflating, so that the airbag does not interfere with the occupant's head, Widely covering the front side of the head, it can be deployed in a thin state around the head, and then the occupant's head can be protected and thickened to complete inflation.

  Therefore, in the occupant protection device according to the present invention, the airbag that protrudes from the storage area on the back side of the seat, while widely covering the front side of the occupant seated on the front side of the seat, smoothly around the head of the occupant. It can be deployed to complete inflation.

  Further, in the occupant protection device according to the present invention, the inner inflatable portion is arranged such that an inflow port through which the inflation gas flows is set to a front end side when the inflation is completed, and is disposed on the front wall portion in the outer inflatable portion. It is desirable to be provided so that it may communicate with the part which is.

  In such a configuration, the inner inflatable portion that inflates to receive the head of the occupant, after the outer inflatable portion expands in a cup shape, allows inflation gas to flow from the inflow port on the front end side when the inflation is completed, Inflation is started so as to swell backward. That is, when the outer inflatable portion expands in a cup shape, the outer inflatable portion protrudes upward from the storage portion, then protrudes forward, and further expands downward. At that time, the outer inflatable part is a front wall part to be arranged on the front side of the occupant's head. It can be placed on the front side of the head. For this reason, the inner inflatable portion has a mode in which the inner inflatable portion is thickly inflated rearward from the inside of the front wall portion having a predetermined space with the front side of the occupant head, without interfering with the occupant head, Inflation can be initiated and inflation can be completed.

Further, in the occupant protection device according to the present invention, the inner inflatable portion is constituted by a pair of left and right support inflatable portions separated left and right,
The left and right support inflatable portions are respectively a front support portion capable of restraining the front side above the vicinity of the upper part of the occupant's chest, and extend rearward from the upper portion of the front support portion, and extend in the left and right direction of the occupant's head. And a side support portion capable of restraining the side surface.

  With such a configuration, the pair of left and right support inflatable portions in the inner inflatable portion can be restrained by the front support portion between the chest and the head on the front side of the occupant, and move so as to approach the front wall portion side. The incoming occupant can be received softly in a wide area, and the protection performance can be improved. Of course, since the pair of left and right support inflatable portions includes side support portions capable of restraining the left and right side surfaces of the head, the head moving in the left and right direction can also be suitably received.

Further, in the occupant protection device according to the present invention, the outer inflatable portion is configured to include a frame-shaped inflatable portion that expands in a rod shape,
The frame-shaped inflatable portion,
Right and left vertical rod portions having a substantially inverted U-shape extending from the vicinity of the left and right edges of the rear wall portion through the outer peripheral edges of the left and right portions to near the lower ends of the left and right edges of the front wall portion; ,
A plurality of horizontal rods arranged along the left-right direction to connect the left and right vertical rods;
Is configured with
It is desirable that the inflating gas be configured to flow from the rear lower end of the vertical rod portion.

  In such a configuration, when the inflation gas flows into the frame-shaped inflation portion, first, the inflation gas flows in from the rear lower end of the vertical rod portion, and the left and right edges of the rear wall portion when the inflation is completed are moved to the lower end. Flows from the side to the top, then flows from the rear on the left and right edges of the ceiling wall when the inflation is completed, and further flows from the top and bottom on the left and right edges of the front wall when the inflation is completed. Will flow. That is, the inflation gas flows upward from the lower end of the trailing edge, then flows forward, and further flows downward at the outer peripheral side above the left side and the right side at the time of completion of the expansion. The inflatable portion can be deployed so as to cover the occupant's head with the cup from the rear upper direction, and can be smoothly deployed to widely cover the front side of the occupant's head and surround the occupant's head. . Of course, when the frame-shaped inflation portion completes inflation, the plurality of horizontal rod portions expand so as to connect the left and right vertical rod portions to each other. Since the deployment and inflation of the inflatable portion can be completed, the outer inflatable portion can accurately hold the inner inflatable portion, and as a result, the inner inflatable portion can smoothly receive the occupant's head.

  In this case, the horizontal rod portion includes a front lower horizontal rod portion disposed on a lower edge side of the front wall portion, a front upper horizontal rod portion disposed on an upper edge side of the front wall portion, and a rear wall portion. It is desirable to include a rear upper horizontal rod portion arranged on the upper edge side.

  In such a configuration, the horizontal rod connecting the left and right vertical rods of the frame-shaped inflatable portion includes a lower edge of the front wall, an intersection between the front wall and the ceiling wall, and a ceiling wall and the rear wall. It is arranged at three places, that is, at the intersection with, and the twisting of the left and right vertical rods can be suitably suppressed by a small number of horizontal rods. In other words, the shape retention performance of the outer inflatable portion after completion of inflation, that is, the support performance of the inner inflatable portion can be stably secured, and the outer inflatable portion can be configured with a small number of lateral rods. The capacity can be reduced, and the expansion and completion of the expansion of the outer expansion portion can be performed quickly.

  In this case, the horizontal rod portion includes a rear lower horizontal rod portion disposed on a lower edge side of the rear wall portion, and the rear lower horizontal rod portion is branched to the rear lower end sides of the left and right vertical rod portions. An inflow port for the inflation gas may be provided at the center in the left-right direction so that the inflation gas can be supplied.

  In such a configuration, the inflation gas flowing from the inlet of the rear lower horizontal rod portion flows so as to branch to the rear lower end of the left and right vertical rod portions at the rear lower horizontal rod portion, and While flowing to the rod portion and the front upper horizontal rod portion, the vertical rod portion flows to the lower edge side of the front wall portion and merges at the front lower horizontal rod portion. Therefore, it is easy to make the inflow mode of the inflation gas flowing from the rear lower end side to the front lower end side of the vertical rod portion equal between the left and right vertical rod portions, suppressing an increase in the volume of the frame-shaped expansion portion, and forming the outer expansion portion, It can be deployed with good left-right balance.

  Of course, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the inflow ports of the inflation gas are respectively provided at the rear lower ends of the left and right vertical rods without providing the lower rear horizontal rods.

  Further, in the occupant protection device according to the present invention, on both left and right sides of the airbag at the time of completion of inflation, a traction member capable of restricting separation of the front wall from the rear wall is provided at a lower end of the front wall. It may be arranged so as to connect a side and the rear wall portion.

  In such a configuration, the forward movement away from the rear wall portion of the front wall portion can be restricted by the traction material, so that the forward movement of the inner inflatable portion is also restricted, and the inner inflatable portion is stably moved by the occupant's head. Can be received.

Alternatively, in the occupant protection device according to the present invention, the airbag at the time of completion of inflation is:
A rear extension member that expands to extend rearward from the rear wall portion;
A connecting member that connects the left and right sides of the rear extending inflation portion and the front wall portion with each other to regulate the separation of the front wall portion from the rear wall portion side,
May be provided.

  In such a configuration, if the rear-side extending inflatable portion extending rearward from the rear wall portion expands, the connecting material is pulled rearward by the rearward-extending inflatable portion extending rearward. With the material, the forward movement away from the rear wall portion of the front wall portion can be restricted, and the forward movement of the inner inflatable portion is also restricted, so that the inner inflatable portion can stably receive the head of the occupant.

It is an outline side view of an occupant protection device of one embodiment concerning the present invention. It is the schematic perspective view which looked at the left part (left cover part) from the front wall part (front cover part) at the time of the completion of inflation of the airbag used for the occupant protection device of embodiment. It is the schematic front view which looked at the front wall part (front cover part) when the inflation of the airbag used for the occupant protection device of embodiment is completed. It is the schematic side view which looked at the left wall part (left cover part) when the inflation of the airbag used for the occupant protection device of embodiment is completed. It is the schematic side view which looked at the right wall part (right cover part) at the time of the completion of inflation of the airbag used for the occupant protection device of embodiment. It is the schematic back view which looked at the rear wall part (rear cover part) at the time of the completion of the inflation of the airbag used for the occupant protection device of embodiment. It is an outline bottom view at the time of inflation completion of an airbag used for an occupant protection device of an embodiment. It is an outline longitudinal section along the direction of order at the time of inflation completion of an airbag used for an occupant protection device of an embodiment. It is an outline longitudinal section along the left-right direction at the time of completion of inflation of an airbag used for an occupant protection device of an embodiment. It is a top view showing the member of composition of the airbag of the occupant protection device of an embodiment. It is a figure showing a top view and a bottom view of an initial folding body of an airbag of an embodiment. It is a figure explaining the folding process of the airbag of embodiment, and shows after FIG. It is a figure explaining the folding process of the airbag of embodiment, and shows after FIG. It is a figure explaining the folding process of the airbag of embodiment, and shows after FIG. It is a figure explaining the folding process of the airbag of embodiment, and shows after FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory view of an airbag deployed around the head when the occupant protection device of the embodiment is operated, and is a schematic explanatory view illustrating a state in which the airbag projects upward from a case as a storage portion of the airbag. FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory view of an airbag deployed around a head when the occupant protection device of the embodiment is operated, and is a schematic explanatory view illustrating a state in which the airbag moves along a lower surface of a ceiling portion of a vehicle. 16 is shown after FIG. FIG. 18 is a schematic explanatory view illustrating a state in which the airbag is deployed downward and arranged around the head when the occupant protection device of the embodiment is operated, and shows a state after FIG. 17. It is a figure explaining the state where the outside inflation part of the airbag of the occupant protection device of the embodiment is deployed to complete the inflation, and then the inside inflation part starts to inflate. It is a figure showing the state where the inside expansion part of the airbag of the occupant protection device of an embodiment completed inflation. It is a side view showing the time of completion of operation of the occupant protection device of an embodiment. It is a figure explaining the time of operation of the occupant protection device of a modification. It is a figure explaining the time of operation of the occupant protection device of another modification. It is a figure explaining the occupant protection device of another modification at the time of operation. It is a figure explaining the occupant protection device of another modification at the time of operation.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. An occupant protection device MP of the embodiment can protect a head H of an occupant M sitting on a seat 1 of a vehicle V, as shown in FIG. The airbag 20 includes an airbag 20, an inflator 10 for supplying an inflation gas to the airbag 20, and a case 8 as a storage part for storing the folded airbag 20.

  The seat 1 includes a seat portion 2 and a backrest portion 3. The backrest portion 3 is capable of receiving a back B side of a lower occupant M and a occupant head H at an upper end side. And a headrest portion 5 capable of receiving the back (rear surface) Hb side of the backrest 3. A mounting base for mounting the case 8 on the back surface 4 a side of the backrest portion 3 below the headrest portion 5 on the upper side of the main body portion 4. 6 are provided.

  The vehicle V on which the seat 1 is mounted is capable of automatic traveling. Therefore, even if the occupant protection device MP operates and covers the driver's head H as the occupant M so that the inflated airbag 20 obstructs the view, there is no problem. Furthermore, since the occupant protection device MP is disposed on the backrest 3 of the seat 1, the driver as the occupant M is directed in a direction opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle V, that is, with the front windshield WS. Even if the occupant protection device MP is actuated while sitting on the seat 1 toward the opposite side, the inflated airbag 20 covers the driver's head H as the occupant M without any trouble. Thus, the occupant head H can be received and protected.

  The reference in the front, rear, left, and right directions in the specification is that the front Hf side is the front, the back Hb side is the rear, and the left side Hl side is the left with the head H of the occupant M seated on the seat 1 as the center. , The right side Hr side is the right side.

  The case 8 is attached to the mounting base 6 at an upper position on the back surface 4a side of the main body 4 of the backrest 3, and the upper opening 8a is closed by a lid 9 which is pushed and opened by an inflating airbag 20. Have been.

  The inflator 10 (L, R) includes a cylindrical main body 11, and a gas discharge portion 12 that is disposed on the distal end side of the main body 11 and discharges the inflation gas G during operation. It is attached to the portion 8b (see FIGS. 1 and 10). The mounting of the inflator 10 to the bottom wall 8b is performed by disposing a mounting portion 13 made of a bolt on the main body 11, inserting the mounting portion 13 through the bottom wall 8b, and fixing the nut to a nut (not shown). An inflator 10 is attached to the bottom wall 8b. In the case of the embodiment, two inflators 10 are used, each of which is attached to a cylindrical connection port 51 (L, R) arranged at the rear lower end of the airbag 20 when the inflation is completed. When the portion 13 is inserted by being protruded, and is attached to the bottom wall portion 8b of the case 8 using the attachment portion 13, the connection ports 51L and 51R are also attached and fixed to the bottom wall portion 8b of the case 8. Incidentally, after the main body 11 of the inflator 10 is inserted, the connection ports 51L and 51R are separately wound around the outer peripheral surface of the main body 11 using a clamp (not shown) so as to prevent leakage of the inflation gas. Have been. The main body 11 of each of the inflators 10L and 10R is connected to a lead wire (not shown) extending from a predetermined control device for inputting an operation signal to the main body 11. The control device outputs an operation signal to the main body 11 when a collision of the vehicle V is detected or when a collision of the vehicle V is predicted.

  The left and right edges of the airbag 20 near the rear lower end (lower edge 31d described later) of the airbag 20 when the inflation is completed are bolted to the bottom wall 8b in addition to the connection ports 51L and 51R. The two connecting belts 60 (see FIG. 10) are attached and fixed to the bottom wall 8b of the case 8.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 9 and 21, the airbag 20 has an inflated shape and extends upward from the case 8 to extend from the back Hb side of the head H of the occupant M, more specifically, from the back 5 a of the headrest 5. The rear cover 21 is disposed so as to extend from the rear cover 21, the ceiling cover 22 extends forward from the upper end (upper edge) 21 a of the rear cover 21 over the head H, and the front end (front edge) of the ceiling cover 22. The front cover 23 extends downward from the head H and is disposed on the front Hf side of the head H, and is disposed on the left and right sides of the head H so as to connect the rear cover 21 and the front cover 23. A substantially cup-like shape having an opening on the bottom surface side provided with a left cover portion 24 and a right cover portion 25, more specifically, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape provided with a substantially rectangular opening 20a on the bottom surface longer in the front-rear direction than in the left-right direction. I have.

  Further, the airbag 20 is configured to include an outer inflating portion 30 on the outer peripheral side and an inner inflating portion 53 on the inner peripheral side as a configuration of a portion to be inflated by flowing the inflation gas.

  The outer inflation portion 30 includes a rear wall portion 31 forming the rear cover portion 21, a ceiling wall portion 32 forming the ceiling cover portion 22, a front wall portion 33 forming an outer surface side of the front cover portion 23, and a left cover portion 24. , The left side portion 34 connecting the rear wall portion 31 and the front wall portion 33, and the outer surface side of the right cover portion 25, forming the rear wall portion 31 and the front wall portion 33. And a right side portion 35 connecting the right and left sides. The outer inflation portion 30 allows the inflation gas to flow into the rear wall portion 31, the ceiling wall portion 32, the front wall portion 33, the left side portion 34, and the right side portion 35 substantially around the head H of the occupant M. It is configured to be expanded into a cup shape (specifically, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape) and to complete expansion so as to maintain the cup-shaped outer shape (rectangular rectangular shape).

  The inner inflatable portion 53 is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the outer inflatable portion 30 so as to be supported by the outer inflatable portion 30, and also on the left side and the right side of the right and left sides of the head H from the front Hf side of the head H. It is configured to expand to receive the Hr side.

  The outer inflation portion 30 and the inner inflation portion 53 are inflated in such a manner that the outer inflation portion 30 serves as a primary inflation portion, the inner inflation portion 53 serves as a secondary inflation portion, and the inner inflation portion 53 inflates later than the outer inflation portion 30. Is started. The inflation start timing of the inner inflation portion 53 is such that the outer inflation portion 30 at the time of inflation moves the rear wall portion 31, the ceiling wall portion 32, the front wall portion 33, the left side portion 34, and the right side portion 35 around the head H. The timing is set after the timing when it is deployed in a substantially cup shape. In the embodiment, at the timing when the outer inflation portion 30 is expanded in a substantially cup shape around the head H, the inflation gas flowing from the inflow port 58 described later is set to immediately start the inflation.

  The inflow ports 58 (L, R) through which the inflation gas flows into the inner inflation portion 53 are disposed on the front end 53a side when the inflation is completed (see FIGS. 3 to 5 and 7). The portion provided on the front wall portion 33 of the outer inflatable portion 30, more specifically, is provided so as to communicate with a front lower horizontal rod portion 45 described later.

  Further, in the case of the embodiment, the inner inflatable portion 53 is composed of a pair of left and right support inflatable portions 54 (L, R) separated from each other, and the left and right support inflatable portions 54L, 54R are respectively connected to the chest of the occupant M. A front support portion 55 (L, R) capable of restraining the front Hf, Cf side (including not only the front Cf side of the chest C, but also the front Hf side of the head H) above the vicinity of the upper Cu of C; Side support portions 56L, 56R extending rearward from the upper portions of the support portions 55L, 55R and capable of restraining the side surface (left side surface Hl and right side surface Hr) of the head H of the occupant M in the left-right direction. (See FIGS. 7, 9, and 21).

  The front support portions 55L and 55R of the left and right support inflatable portions 54L and 54R are respectively provided on the left and right sides of the front side of the upper Cu of the chest C, and on the left and right sides of the jaw Ja and the cheek Ch, which are the lower portions on the front side of the head H. The side support portions 56L, 56R extending rearward from the upper portions of the left and right front support portions 55L, 55R are configured to be able to receive one side at a time. The head H extends leftward from the left edge side of the jaw Ja or cheek Ch, which is the lower part of the side, and can receive the head H moving to the left side, on the left side Hl side of the head H above the left shoulder Sl. Be placed. When the inflation is completed, the side support portion 56R extends rearward from the right edge of the chin Ja and cheek Ch, which is the lower part on the front side of the head H, and can receive the head H moving to the right side. It is arranged on the right side Hr side of the head H above the shoulder Sr.

  The support expansion portions 54L and 54R respectively have the inlets 58L and 58R of the front end 54a (which is also the front end of the front support portion 55) near the left and right sides of the front lower horizontal rod portion 45 which is the expansion portion of the front wall portion 33. It is configured to be opened to allow inflation gas to flow from the front lower horizontal rod portion 45, and the rear end 54 b (which is also the rear end of the side support portion 56) is located at the upper end near the left and right edges of the rear wall portion 31. Are connected to the left and right portions 35 and 35 near the upper left and right edges of the rear wall portion 31.

  Note that, in the case of the embodiment, the lower ends of the front support portions 55L and 55R of the support expansion portions 54L and 54R are located near the center in the vertical direction of the chest C of the standard male (dummy AM50) (the lower end of the groove or the sword-shaped protrusion). It is configured to extend to

  In addition, the outer expanding portion 30 of the embodiment includes a frame-shaped expanding portion 38 that expands in a rod shape. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the frame-shaped inflatable portion 38 extends from the vicinity of the left and right edges of the rear wall portion 31 through the outer peripheral edges of the left portion 34 and the right portion 35, and the lower ends of the left and right edges of the front wall portion 33 The left and right vertical rod portions 39 (L, R) formed in a substantially inverted U-shape extending to the vicinity, and a plurality of horizontal rod portions 45 arranged along the left and right direction so as to connect the left and right vertical rod portions 39L, 39R. , 46, 47, so that the inflation gas G flows from the lower rear end of the vertical rod portions 39L, 39R.

  The left and right vertical rod portions 39L, 39R are arranged at the left and right edges of the rear wall portion 31 along the vertical direction at the time when the expansion of the outer inflation portion 30 is completed. An upper vertical rod portion 41 (L, R) extending forward from the upper end of each of the rear vertical rod portions 40L, 40R and disposed along the front-rear direction at both left and right edges of the ceiling wall portion 32; A front vertical rod portion 42 (L, R) extending downward from the front end of each of the upper vertical rod portions 41L and 41R and arranged along the vertical direction at both left and right edges of the front wall portion 33. It is configured.

  As the horizontal rod portion, the front lower horizontal rod portion 45 disposed on the lower edge 33b side of the front wall portion 33 and the ceiling wall on the upper edge 33a side of the front wall portion 33 when the outer inflation portion 30 has completed inflation. The front upper horizontal rod portion 46 is disposed at the intersection of the front edge 32a of the portion 32 and the rear upper portion 31a of the rear wall 31 is disposed at the intersection of the rear edge 32b of the ceiling wall 32 with the upper edge 31a. And a rear upper horizontal rod portion 47.

  Further, in the case of the embodiment, the horizontal rod portion includes a rear lower horizontal rod portion 48 arranged on the lower edge 31 b side of the rear wall portion 31. At the center in the left-right direction of the rear lower horizontal rod portion 48, expansion is performed from the rear lower end of the vertical rod portions 39L, 39R, that is, from the lower end side of the rear vertical rod portions 40L, 40R, into the vertical rod portions 39L, 39R. An inflow port 50 for the inflation gas G is provided so that the gas can flow in. The inflow port 50 is bifurcated to the left and right on the lower side, and communicates the connection ports 51L and 51R to be connected to the inflators 10L and 10R as described above.

  The non-inflated portions of the outer inflatable portion 30 excluding the frame-shaped inflatable portion 38 include a rear seat portion 31c, a ceiling seat portion 32c, and a front seat portion 33c surrounded by the frame-shaped inflatable portion 38. The rear seat portion 31c is disposed on the rear wall portion 31 and is configured to be surrounded by a rear upper horizontal rod portion 47 and a rear lower horizontal rod portion 48 between the left and right rear vertical rod portions 40L and 40R. ing. The ceiling sheet portion 32c is disposed on the ceiling wall portion 32, and is surrounded by a rear upper horizontal bar portion 47 and a front upper horizontal bar portion 46 between the left and right upper vertical bar portions 41L and 41R. ing. The front seat portion 33c is provided on the front wall portion 33, and is surrounded by a front upper horizontal bar portion 46 and a front lower horizontal bar portion 45 between the left and right front vertical rod portions 42L and 42R. ing.

  Further, in the case of the embodiment, the left side portion 34 and the right side portion 35 of the outer inflatable portion 30 are arranged in a sheet shape as non-inflated portions, and the upper edges 34a and 35a sides of the substantially semicircular shape respectively correspond to the rear wall portion. 31, the outer peripheral sides of the vertical rods 39L, 39R of the ceiling wall 32, and the front wall 33 (left edges 31e, 32d, 33d and right edges 31f, 32e, 33e of the walls 31, 32, 33). (See FIG. 10).

  In addition, a portion (lower edge portion 31d to be described later) of the non-expandable portion below the lower rear lateral rod portion 48 of the rear wall portion 31 has a bottom wall portion 8b of the case 8 near both right and left edges. The connecting belts 60 connected to each other are connected to each other (see FIG. 10).

  The airbag base fabric 66 constituting the airbag 20 is made of a sheet material such as a flexible polyamide fabric or the like, and as shown in FIG. 10, an outer front base fabric 67, an outer back base fabric 68, It comprises two horizontal base cloths 69 (L, R), inner and outer base cloths 70 (L, R), inner and middle base cloths 71 (L, R), and four belt base cloths 74. Have been. The outer front side base cloth 67 is a part that forms the outer peripheral side of the rear wall part 31, the ceiling wall part 32, and the front wall part 33 in the outer inflatable part 30, and the outer back side base cloth 68 is the rear part in the outer inflatable part 30. The wall 31, the ceiling wall 32, and the inner wall of the front wall 33 are formed. The horizontal base cloth 69 (L, R) is a part that forms the left side part 34 and the right side part 35 of the outer expanding part 30, respectively. The inner and outer base fabrics 70 (L, R) are portions forming the left and right outer sides of the pair of support inflatable portions 54L, 54R, and the inner and middle base fabrics 71 (L, R) are a pair of support inflatable portions. The left and right portions of the portions 54L and 54R are formed as portions.

  The manufacturing process of the airbag 20 using the airbag base cloth 66 will be briefly described. First, the inner and inner edges 68b of the left and right cutouts 68a of the outer back side base cloth 68 are respectively attached to the inner and lower edges. Edges 71a for the inlets 58L, 58R on the distal end side of the side base cloths 71L, 71R are sewn, and inner and outer base cloths are attached to edges 68b along the left and right directions of the left and right cutouts 68a of the outer back base cloth 68. The edges 70a for the inflow ports 58L, 58R on the distal end sides of the 70L, 70R are sewn. Next, corresponding outer peripheral edges of the inner / middle base cloth 71L and the inner / outer base cloth 70L, and correspondences of the inner / middle base cloth 71R and the inner / outer base cloth 70R so as to form the support expansion portions 54L and 54R. Outer peripheral edges to be sewn to each other.

  Next, the outer back side base cloth 68 is overlaid on the back side of the outer side base cloth 67, and the outer edge 38a side of the frame-shaped inflatable portion 38 of the outer front side base cloth 67 and the outer back side base cloth 68 and the connection port 51L, The outer edges 51a and 51b of the 51R are sewn together, and the inner edges 38b, 38c and 38d of the frame-shaped inflatable portion 38 are sewn together. At this time, the arc-shaped edge 70b of the front-end side of the inner and outer base cloths 70L and 70R and the corresponding arc-shaped edge 67a of the outer front-side base cloth 67 are stitched together so as to close the notch 68. By these stitches, a rear wall portion 31, a ceiling wall portion 32, and a front wall portion 33 are formed. Further, the support expansion portions 54L, 54R are connected to the inflow ports 58L, 58R, and are connected to the lower front horizontal rod portion 45 of the front wall portion 33.

  Next, the connecting belt 60 formed by folding and sewing the base fabric 74 for the belt into three is attached to the rear lower portion of the rear wall portion 31 formed by suturing the outer front base fabric 67 and the outer back base fabric 68. A rear wall portion 31, a ceiling wall portion 32, and a front wall formed by stitching a lower edge portion 31d, which is a lower side of the horizontal rod portion 48, with the outer front side base fabric 67 and the outer back side base fabric 68 while sewn. By bending the portion 33, the left edges 31e, 32d, 33d and the arc-shaped edge 69a of the horizontal base fabric 69L are sewn to each other, and their right edges 31f, 32e, 33e and the horizontal base fabric 69R. Are sewn together with the arc-shaped edge 69a. At this time, when the left edge 31e and the edge 69a of the horizontal base cloth 69L are mutually sewn together, the rear end 54b of the support inflation portion 54L is joined to the rear wall portion 31. At the time of mutual sewing of the right edge 31f and the edge 69a of the horizontal base cloth 69R, the rear end 54b of the support inflation portion 54R is joined to the rear wall 31 at the time of mutual sewing. Then, by suturing these portions, the airbag 20 can be manufactured.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 16, the airbag 20 manufactured as described above is folded into a folded completed body 98 that can be stored in the case 8 as a storage portion. This folded completed body 98 is configured to include two roll folded portions 85 and 86 and two bellows folded portions 88 and 95, and illustrates an initial folded body 77 shown in FIG. The sheet is folded by a roll folding step shown in FIG. 12 and a bellows folding step shown in FIGS.

  In the folding step, the support inflatable portions 54L and 54R of the airbag 20 are unfolded flat, and the inner peripheral surface of the left side portion 34 and the right side portion 35 on the inner peripheral side of the outer inflatable portion 30 and the front wall. The peripheral wall, which overlaps the inner peripheral surface side of the left side 34 and the right side 35 side of the part 33 and is inflated into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape of the airbag 20, is formed into a single rear cover part 21, a ceiling cover part 22, and a front part. The description will be made assuming that the cover 23, the left cover 24, and the right cover 25 are configured. In addition, the upper, lower, front and rear edges of each cover part in the folding step will be described based on the arrangement position of the airbag 20 in the inflated state.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the initial folded body 77 has a lateral fold 78 formed by valley-folding the front cover 23 along the left-right direction, and the front cover 23 has the left cover 24 and the right cover 25 in the front-rear direction. The ceiling cover portion 22 and the rear cover portion 21 are flattened so as to cover the opening 20a with a vertical fold 79 (L, R) extending along the vertical direction. In the case of the embodiment, the lateral fold 78 has a distance L1 from the lower edge 23b of the front cover portion 23 set to about ／ of the vertical length LF (see FIG. 10) of the front cover portion 23. Position.

  In addition, since the left and right edges of the front cover portion 23 are joined to the left cover portion 24 and the right cover portion, when the initial folded body 77 is formed, the left cover portion 24 and the right cover portion 25 are vertically Along with the fold 79, the left and right edges 23bl and 23br (see FIGS. 2 and 3) on the lower edge 23b side are moved closer to the center in the left and right direction and are deployed.

  In the roll folding step, as shown in FIG. 12, a first roll folded portion 85 and a second roll folded portion 86 of two roll folded portions are formed to form a roll folded portion 84.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12A, the first roll folded portion 85 is arranged such that the lower edge 23b side of the front cover portion 23 of the initial folded body 77 is directed toward the inner peripheral side of the front cover portion 23. The roll fold is formed to the position of the lateral fold 78 so as to eliminate the fold of the directional fold 78.

  After forming the first roll folded portion 85, the second roll folded portion 86, as shown in FIG. 12B, has the upper edge 23 a of the front cover 23 in the initial folded body 77 and the front of the ceiling cover 22. In a state where the edge 22a side is overlapped, the intersection 80 between the upper edge 23a side of the front cover portion 23 and the front edge 22a side of the ceiling cover portion 22 is laterally folded toward the outer peripheral side of the ceiling cover portion 22. It is formed by roll folding to the position of the lateral fold 78 so as to eliminate the fold of the eye 78.

  In the roll folding step, if the first roll folded portion 85 and the second roll folded portion 86 are formed, the roll folded portion 84 is formed.

  Before the bellows folding step, the left and right edges of the airbag 20 after the roll folding step are formed as ceiling roll parts so that the roll folding section 84 has a width dimension in the left and right direction that can be stored in the case 8. 22 is folded back toward the center of the outer surface side (see FIG. 12B and FIG. 13A).

  As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the bellows folding step is a step of forming a first bellows folded portion 88 and a second bellows folded portion 95 of two bellows folded portions.

  As shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B and FIG. 15A, the first bellows folding section 88 includes a roll folding section 84 in which a first roll folding section 85 and a second roll folding section 86 are arranged side by side. The ceiling cover portion 22 from the second roll folded portion 86 to the vicinity of the upper edge 21a of the rear cover portion 21 is moved along the left-right direction so as to approach the upper edge 21a side of the rear cover portion 21 of the initial folded body 77. The fold 90 is formed and folded. When the first bellows folded portion 88 is provided in the roll folded portion 84, a folded aggregate 93 is formed.

  Further, in the case of the embodiment, the first bellows folded portion 88 operates until the upper end 84a of the roll folded portion 84 abuts on the ceiling portion RH of the vehicle V when the occupant protection device MP is operated in the vehicle mounted state ( 17A), it is folded so as to constitute the separation suppressing means 91 for maintaining the side-by-side state of the first roll folded portion 85 and the second roll folded portion 86.

  That is, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 13B, the first bellows folded portion 88 is located at the position where the lateral fold 78 is eliminated, that is, the first roll folded portion 85 and the second roll folded portion 86 Except for the portion where the lateral fold 78 of the front cover portion 23 was continuously wrapped, the opposite side of the position where the lateral fold 78 was eliminated, that is, the first roll folded portion 85 and the second roll folded portion The front side 84c is centered on the side 84b from which the ceiling cover portion 22 protrudes from the space 86 (the lower side in FIG. 13B, but the front side with reference to the upper end 84a in FIG. 17A). And the rear side 84d (the upper side in FIG. 13B, but the rear side with reference to the upper end 84a in FIG. 17A) so as to wrap around the roll folded portion 84. Wrap the folded portion 88a of the bellows folded portion 88 around the roll folded portion 84 By being configured.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 15B, the second bellows folded portion 95 folds the folded aggregate 93 including the roll folded portion 84 and the first bellows folded portion 88 on the lower edge 21b side of the rear cover portion 21. The rear cover 21 is formed by making a plurality of folds 96 along the left and right direction and folding the rear cover 21 so as to approach the rear cover 21.

  Note that the boundary between the first bellows folded portion 88 and the second bellows folded portion 95 is not strictly a part of the upper edge 21 a of the rear cover 21, but may be from the upper edge 21 a of the rear cover 21 to the rear cover 21. 21 may be shifted to the lower edge 21b side, or may be shifted from the upper edge 21a of the rear cover 21 to the front edge 22a beyond the rear edge 22b of the ceiling cover 22.

  The completed folding body 98 is formed by disposing a second bellows folded portion 95 on the lower surface side of the folding assembly 93.

  In the folded body 98 folded in this way, the inflators 10L and 10R are inserted into the connection ports 51L and 51R by projecting the attachment section 13, and further, using the clamps (not shown), the connection ports 51L and 51R. Is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the main body 11 of the inflator 10L, 10R, the inflator 10 (L, R) is connected to the connection port 51 (L, R), and the airbag 20 is prevented from breaking when it is inflated. By wrapping with the wrap material, an airbag assembly can be formed. Furthermore, if the attachment portion 13 and the connection belt 60 are fixed to the bottom wall portion 8b of the case 8 with nuts, the inflator 10 (L, R), the connection port portion 51 (L, R), and the airbag 20 The lower edge 31d can be attached and fixed to the bottom wall 8b of the case 8, and if the lid 9 is further attached to the case 8, the occupant protection device MP can be assembled. Thereafter, the case 8 is attached to the attachment base 6 of the seat 1 of the vehicle V while connecting the lead wire for inputting an operation signal extending from a predetermined control device to the inflator 10 (L, R). V.

  In the case of the embodiment, when the folding body 98 of the airbag 20 flows in the inflation gas G and projects upward from the case 8 serving as a storage portion in a vehicle mounted state, the first roll folded portion 85 The rear cover portion 21 is arranged such that the upper end 84a of the roll folding portion 84 is brought into contact with the ceiling portion RH of the vehicle V in a state where the front folding portion 84 is disposed in front of the second roll folding portion 86 (see FIG. 17A). The lower end 21b side of the connecting belt 60 is connected to the bottom wall portion 8b of the case 8 as a storage portion, and the first bellows folded portion 88 is folded around the roll folded portion 84. The length L2 from the attachment portion 60a to the wall portion 8b to the upper edge 21a of the rear cover portion 21 (see FIG. 10), the length L3 of the first bellows folded portion 88 folded (see FIG. 13), The folded length dimension L4 of the two bellows folded portion 95 (see FIG. 3 reference) is set.

  Then, when the occupant protection device MP mounted on the vehicle V is operated, the airbag 20 folded and stored in the case 8 as a storage portion is moved from the inflators 10L and 10R as shown in FIGS. The inflation gas G to be discharged flows in and is inflated, and first, the outer inflation portion 30 as the primary inflation portion having the frame-shaped inflation portion 38 is inflated. Next, as shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B and FIG. 20, the inner expanding portion 53 as a secondary expanding portion expands. When the outer inflation portion 30 as the primary inflation portion is inflated, as shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B and FIGS. 18A and 18B, the rear wall portion 31, the ceiling wall portion 32, the front wall portion 33, and the left side portion The 34 and the right side portion 35 are developed in a substantially cup shape around the head H, and then the inflation is completed so that the cup shape can be maintained as shown in FIG. 19A. The inner expanding portion 53 as the secondary expanding portion expands after the outer expanding portion 30 completes the expansion into a substantially cup shape as shown by A and B in FIG. 19 and a two-dot chain line in FIG. From the start, even if the head H of the occupant M swells thickly so as to receive the front Hf side and the side surfaces Hl, Hr of the occupant M, the outer inflation portion 30 in a state where the deployment has already been completed around the head H. Inside, the inflation is started, so that the inflation can be completed smoothly. That is, after the outer inflatable portion 30 of the airbag 20 is deployed in a cup shape, the inner inflatable portion 53 that protects the head H of the occupant M in a protective manner starts to inflate. The head H of the occupant M can be spread widely in a thin state around the head H without interfering with the head H of the occupant M, and then the head H of the occupant M can be protected. Thick expansion can be completed.

  Therefore, in the occupant protection device MP of the embodiment, the airbag 20 that protrudes from the case 8 serving as a storage part on the back surface 4a side of the seat 1 covers the front side of the occupant M seated on the front side of the seat 1 while widely covering the occupant. It can be deployed smoothly around the head H of M to complete the inflation.

  Further, in the occupant protection device MP of the embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the inner inflation portion 53 connects the inflow ports 58 (L, R) through which the inflation gas G flows into the front end 53 a when the inflation is completed. And is provided so as to communicate with a front lower horizontal rod portion 45 provided on the front wall portion 33 of the outer expansion portion 30.

  Therefore, in the embodiment, the inner inflatable portion 53 that expands so as to receive the head H of the occupant M becomes the inflow port 58 (L, The inflation gas G flows in from R) and starts inflation so as to inflate rearward. That is, when the outer inflatable portion 30 is deployed in a cup shape, the outer inflatable portion 30 protrudes upward from the case 8, then protrudes forward, and further deploys downward. At this time, the outer inflatable portion 30 causes the front wall portion 33 to be disposed on the front Hf side of the head H of the occupant M to move forward with the head H of the occupant M at the beginning of deployment by the inertia force at the time of protruding forward. The space Sf can be disposed in front of the occupant head with a space Sf therebetween (see FIGS. 18A and 18B, FIGS. 19A and 7). Therefore, the inner inflatable portion 53 has a mode in which the inner inflatable portion 53 is inflated thickly from the inside of the front wall portion 33 having the predetermined space Sf to the front Hf side of the head H of the occupant M from the rear side. The inflation can be started and completed without interfering with the head H.

  Furthermore, in the occupant protection device MP of the embodiment, the inner inflatable portion 53 is constituted by a pair of left and right support inflatable portions 54L and 54R separated from each other. The left and right support inflatable portions 54L and 54R respectively extend from the front support portions 55L and 55R capable of restraining the front faces Cf and Hf above the vicinity of the upper part Cu of the chest C of the occupant M, and from the upper portions of the front support portions 55L and 55R. Side support portions 56L, 56R extending rearward and capable of restraining the side surfaces Hl, Hr in the left-right direction of the head H of the occupant M are provided.

  Therefore, in the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the pair of left and right supporting inflatable portions 54L and 54R of the inner inflatable portion 53 are connected to the chest C and the head on the front Cf and Hf sides of the occupant M by the front support portions 55L and 55R. The portion H can be restrained, so that the occupant M moving toward the front wall portion 33 can be softly received on a wide surface, and the protection performance can be improved. Of course, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 21, the pair of left and right support expansion portions 54L and 54R have side support portions 56L and 56R capable of restraining the left and right side surfaces Hl and Hr of the head H. Also, the head H moving in the left-right direction can be suitably received. The front support portions 55L and 55R are supported by the front lower horizontal rod portion 45 of the front wall portion 33 and the front seat portion 33c of the outer inflatable portion 30 when the moving head H is received, and are supported by the side support portions 56L and 55R. The 56R is supported by the left side portion 34 and the right side portion 35 of the outer inflatable portion 30 when the moving head H is received, and can both restrain the head H with good cushioning properties.

  Further, in the occupant protection device MP of the embodiment, the outer inflatable portion 30 is configured to include the frame-shaped inflatable portion 38 that expands in a rod shape. The frame-shaped inflatable portion 38 extends from the vicinity of the left and right edges of the rear wall portion 31 through the outer peripheral edges (upper edges) 34a and 35a of the left portion 34 and the right portion 35, and near the lower ends of the left and right edges of the front wall portion 33. And a plurality of horizontal rods 45, 46, 47 arranged along the left and right direction to connect the left and right vertical rods 39L, 39R. , And is configured to allow the inflation gas G to flow from the rear lower end of the vertical rod portions 39L and 39R.

  Therefore, in the embodiment, when the inflation gas G flows into the frame-shaped inflation portion 38, first, the inflation gas G flows from the lower rear end of the vertical rods 39L and 39R, that is, from the lower end of the rear vertical rods 40L and 40R. Then, the right and left edges of the rear wall 31 (the rear vertical rods 40L, 40R) flow upward from the lower end side when the inflation is completed, and then the right and left edges of the ceiling wall 32 when the inflation is completed. (The upper vertical rod portions 41L and 41R) flow from the rear to the front, and further flow from the upper and lower portions of the left and right edges (front vertical rod portions 42L and 42R) of the front wall portion 33 when the inflation is completed. It will be. That is, the inflation gas G flows upward from the lower end of the trailing edge on the outer peripheral edges 34a and 35a on the upper side of the left side portion 34 and the right side portion 35 when the inflation is completed, then flows forward, and further downwards. In a flowing state, the outer inflatable portion 30 can be deployed so as to cover the head H of the occupant M from above and rearward (see FIGS. 17B and 18A and 18B), and smoothly. It can be deployed so as to widely cover the front Hf side of the head H of the occupant M and surround the periphery of the head H of the occupant M. Of course, when the frame-shaped inflation portion 38 completes the inflation, the plurality of horizontal rod portions 45, 46, 47 expand so as to connect the left and right vertical rod portions 39L, 39R to each other, so that the cup shape can be maintained. Since the expansion and the inflation of the outer inflatable portion 30 can be completed while maintaining the shape retention, the outer inflatable portion 30 can accurately hold the inner inflatable portion 53, and as a result, the inner inflatable portion 53 can be smoothly The head H of the occupant M can be received.

  Furthermore, in the case of the embodiment, the front lower horizontal rod portion 45 disposed on the lower edge 33b side of the front wall portion 33 and the front upper horizontal rod portion disposed on the upper edge 33a side of the front wall portion 33 as the horizontal rod portions. 46, and a rear upper horizontal rod portion 47 arranged on the upper edge 31a side of the rear wall portion 31.

  Therefore, in the embodiment, the horizontal rods 45, 46, 47 connecting the left and right vertical rods 39L, 39R of the frame-shaped inflatable part 38 are formed by the lower edge 33b of the front wall 33, the front wall 33, and the ceiling wall. 32, and the intersection between the ceiling wall 32 and the rear wall 31. The horizontal rods 45, 46, and 47 twist the left and right vertical rods 39L and 39R. Can be suitably suppressed. In other words, the shape retention performance of the outer inflatable portion 30 after the completion of inflation, that is, the support performance of the inner inflatable portion 53, can be stably secured, and the outer inflatable portion 30 is formed with a small number of lateral rods 45, 46, 47. Because of the configuration, the capacity of the outer inflation portion 30 can be reduced, and the expansion and completion of the inflation of the outer inflation portion 30 can be performed quickly.

  Further, in the case of the embodiment, as the horizontal rod portion, a rear lower horizontal rod portion 48 provided on the lower edge 31b side of the rear wall portion 31 is provided, and the rear lower horizontal rod portion 48 is provided with the vertical rod portions 39L and 39R. An inflow port 50 for the inflation gas G is provided at the center in the left-right direction so as to be able to supply the inflation gas G branched to the rear lower end side, that is, the lower end side of the rear vertical rod portions 40L and 40R.

  In such a configuration, the inflation gas G flowing from the inflow port 50 of the lower rear horizontal rod portion 48 is supplied to the rear lower end of the left and right vertical rod portions 39L and 39R by the rear lower horizontal rod portion 48, that is, At the lower ends of the vertical rods 40L, 40R, they flow so as to be branched (see FIG. 6), and then flow into the rear upper horizontal rod 47 and the front upper horizontal rod 46 while flowing through the vertical rods 39L, 39R. It flows to the lower edge 33b side of the front wall part 33, and joins at the part of the front lower horizontal rod part 45. For this reason, from the rear lower end of the vertical rods 39L, 39R to the front lower end, that is, from the lower end of the rear vertical rods 40L, 40R, through the upper vertical rods 41L, 41R, the front vertical rods 42L, 42R. At the lower end side, the inflow of the inflation gas flowing can be easily made equal between the left and right vertical rod portions 39L and 39R, the increase in the volume of the frame-shaped inflation portion 38 is suppressed, and the outer inflation portion 30 is unfolded with good left-right balance. It becomes possible.

  Of course, without providing the rear lower horizontal rods 48L and 48R, the inflow of the inflation gas G is provided at the rear lower end of the left and right vertical rods 39L and 39R (the lower end of the rear vertical rods 40L and 40R). The inflow ports may be connected to separate inflators or gas supply pipes extending bifurcated from the inflators.

  The elimination of the folding of the airbag 20 when the inflation gas G flows in the embodiment will be described in detail. The occupant protection device MP mounted on the vehicle V operates, and the inflators 10L and 10R remove the inflation gas G. When discharged, the inflation gas G flows from the rear end side to the front end side of the frame-shaped inflatable portion 38 of the outer inflatable portion 30, that is, flows sequentially to the rear cover portion 21, the ceiling cover portion 22, and the front cover portion 23. The airbag 20 is deployed and inflated while breaking the wrapping material (not shown) and pushing the lid 9 open. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, first, the second bellows folded portion 95 obtained by folding the rear cover portion 21 attempts to cancel the folding. Along with this, the rear cover portion 21 protrudes from the case 8 as a storage area so as to extend upward, pushes up the folding aggregate 93, and furthermore, the pushed-up folding aggregate 93 is moved to A in FIG. As shown, the first bellows folded portion 88 on the rear cover portion 21 side of the ceiling cover portion 22 also tries to cancel the folding, and as the first bellows folded portion 88 is unfolded, the roll folded portion 84 is raised. And push it forward. When the roll folding section 84 tries to cancel the folding, as shown in FIG. 17B, a second cover section 22 having the ceiling cover section 22 through which the inflation gas G flows before the front cover section 23 is provided. The roll folding section 86 tries to cancel the folding. When the folding of the second roll folded portion 86 is canceled, the ceiling cover 22 into which the inflation gas G has flowed first is roll-folded in a state where the inflation gas G is prevented from flowing into the front cover portion 23. Eliminate the winding. The behavior of the elimination of the winding is such that the second roll folded portion 86 has the front cover portion 23 and the ceiling cover portion 22 in a state where the upper edge 23a side of the front cover portion 23 and the front edge 22a side of the ceiling cover portion 22 are overlapped. And the second roll folded portion 86 itself of the ceiling cover 22 unwinds upward and backward when the fold is released. It becomes. However, if the inflation gas G also flows into the front cover part 23 of the second roll folded part 86, the upper edge 23a side of the front cover part 23 moves forward with the unwinding of the ceiling cover part 22. Further, by the movement, the front edge 22a side of the ceiling cover part 22 itself also moves forward and unwinds. Thereafter, when the folding of the first roll folded portion 85 is canceled, as shown in FIGS. 18A and 18B, the first roll folded portion 85 moves the lower edge 23b side of the front cover portion 23 toward the inner peripheral side of the front cover portion 23. And the lower edge 23b side of the front cover portion 23 unwinds toward the front lower side.

  That is, the behavior of the inflation gas G from the beginning of the inflow is that the rear cover 21 is moved from the main body 4 below the headrest 5 in the backrest 3 of the seat 1 by the elimination of the folding of the second bellows folded portion 86. 16B (see FIG. 16B), and the folding of the second bellows folded portion 86 and the first bellows folded portion 85 is eliminated, so that the roll folded portion 84 As shown in FIGS. 16B and 17A and 17B, the case 8 is higher than the headrest 5 and the head H of the occupant M and protrudes upward from the case 8 to the vicinity of the upper end (upper edge) 21a of the rear cover 21. As the front cover 22 moves forward on the rear edge 22b side, it projects forward so as to pass over the headrest 5 and the head H of the occupant M, and then, as shown in FIG. Second roll folding section 8 of section 22 With the elimination of the folding, the front edge 22a side of the ceiling cover portion 22 and the upper edge 23a side of the front cover portion 23 move forward, and further, as shown in FIGS. With the elimination of the folding of the folding portion 85, the front cover portion 23 expands and expands with the lower edge 23b side downward. In other words, in the occupant protection device MP of the embodiment, when the airbag 20 is deployed and inflated, the rear cover portion 21 and the roll folding portion 84 project upward from the case 8 disposed on the rear side of the seat 1, and The roll folding portion 84 and the rear edge 22b side of the ceiling cover portion 22 project forward, and further, the front edge 22a side and the front cover portion 23 of the ceiling cover portion 22 project forward, and then the front cover The part 23 is unwound and the lower edge side protrudes downward. At this time, the left cover part 24 and the right cover part 25 connected to the front cover part 23 also descend, and as a result, the rear cover part 21 The front cover portion 23 is disposed on the back Hb side of the head H of the occupant M, and the front cover portion 23 is disposed on the front Hf of the head H of the occupant M in a state where the ceiling cover portion 22 is disposed above the head H of the occupant M. On the left and right sides of the head H The left cover portion 24 and the right cover portion 25 are disposed on the sides, and the outer inflatable portion 30 of the airbag 20 smoothly surrounds the head H of the occupant M without interfering with the head H of the occupant M. The enclosure can be deployed to complete inflation.

  Further, in the airbag 20 of the occupant protection device MP of the embodiment, when the inflation gas G flows and projects upward from the case 8, as shown in FIG. The connecting belt 60 on the lower end side of the rear cover 21 has a predetermined length so that the upper end 84a of the roll folding section 84 abuts on the ceiling RH of the vehicle V in a state where the connecting belt 60 is arranged in front of the roll folding section 86. The first bellows folded portion 88 and the second bellows folded portion 95 are connected to the bottom wall portion 8b of the case 8 by a predetermined length, and are folded around the roll folded portion 84. I have.

  Therefore, in the embodiment, when the airbag 20 is deployed and inflated, the second bellows folded portion 95 cancels the folding, the rear cover portion 21 protrudes from the case 8, and pushes the folded assembly 93 upward. When the first bellows folded portion 88 has released the folding and pushed up the roll folded portion 84, the roll folded portion 84 causes the first roll folded portion 85 to be arranged on the front side of the second roll folded portion 86. In this state, the upper end 84a is brought into contact with the lower surface RHb of the ceiling RH. Therefore, when the folding of the second roll folded portion 86 is subsequently canceled, when the front edge 22a side of the ceiling cover portion 22 and the upper edge 23a side of the front cover portion 23 move forward, along the lower surface RHb of the ceiling portion RH. Since the front edge 22a side of the ceiling cover portion 22 and the upper edge 23a side of the front cover portion 23 can move forward in a state of being stably and upwardly separated from the headrest portion 5 and the head H of the occupant M, When the folding of the first roll folded portion 85 is subsequently canceled, the lower edge 23b side of the front cover portion 23 is stably separated from the head H of the occupant M on the front side of the front Hf side of the occupant M, Can be expanded. That is, interference with the head H of the occupant M can be further prevented, and the outer inflatable portion 30 of the airbag 20 can be deployed around the head H of the occupant M to complete the inflation.

  In the airbag 20 of the occupant protection device MP in the embodiment, the first roll folded portion 85 and the second roll folded portion 86 are juxtaposed until the upper end 84a of the roll folded portion 84 abuts on the ceiling RH. And a separation suppressing unit 91 for maintaining the state.

  Therefore, in the embodiment, the first roll folded portion 85 and the second roll folded portion 86 are maintained in a juxtaposed state by the separation suppressing means 91 until the upper end 84a of the roll folded portion 84 is brought into contact with the ceiling RH. Since it is possible, the elimination of the folding of the second roll folded portion 86 can be started as a state in which the second roll folded portion 86 is in contact with the ceiling portion RH, and the elimination of the folding of the second roll folded portion 86 is accompanied. The front edge 22a side of the ceiling cover portion 22 and the upper edge 23a side of the front cover portion 23 can be further stably moved forward.

  In particular, the separation suppressing unit 91 of the embodiment includes a first bellows folded portion 88. In the first bellows folded portion 88, except for the front cover portion 23 at the position where the lateral fold 78 is eliminated, the roll folded portion 84 is centered on the opposite side 84b of the position where the lateral fold 78 is eliminated. The folding portion 88a of the first bellows folded portion 88 is wound around the roll folded portion 84 so as to wrap around the front side 84c and the rear side 84d around the periphery of the front side 84c and the rear side 84d.

  In such a configuration, the folded portion 88a of the first bellows folded portion 88 partially wraps the roll folded portion 84 until the first bellows folded portion 88 completely cancels the folding. Until the upper end 84a of the portion 84 is brought into contact with the ceiling portion RH, the side-by-side state of the first roll folded portion 85 and the second roll folded portion 86 can be maintained. In such a configuration, the first bellows-folded portion 88 itself can maintain the juxtaposed state of the first roll-folded portion 85 and the second roll-folded portion 86. The airbag 20 can be easily folded without using a tape material that partially wraps the tatami portion 84.

  In the airbag 20 of the occupant protection device MP, the left side 34 and the right side 35 of the outer inflatable portion 30 have a substantially semicircular shape and cover substantially the entire left and right side surfaces of the outer inflatable portion 30. . However, the left side portion 34 and the right side portion 35 of the outer inflatable portion 30 need only support the inner inflatable portion 53 (particularly, the side support portions 56L and 56R), and therefore, near the lower ends of the rear wall portion 31 and the front wall portion 33. It may be constituted by a band-like member which is connected to each other to leave a gap on the upper side. If there is no problem in the expansion of the outer inflation portion 30 in a cup shape, an inflation portion that inflates by flowing the inflation gas G may be provided.

  Further, the occupant protection device according to the present invention may be configured as an occupant protection device MPA shown in FIGS. The airbag 20A of the occupant protection device MPA is different from the airbag 20 of the embodiment in that the left and right sides of the airbag 20A when the inflation is completed are separated from the front wall 33 and the rear wall 31 side. Is different in that the traction members 62 (L, R) that can regulate the rear wall portion 31 are connected to the lower end 33f side of the front wall portion 33 and the rear wall portion 31. The configuration of the other case 8 and the inflator 10 of the occupant protection device MPA is the same as that of the occupant protection device MP. Therefore, in the occupant protection device MPA, the same parts as those of the occupant protection device MP are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and description thereof will be omitted.

  The traction members 62 (L, R) are roll-folded on the lower edge 23 b side of the front cover portion 23 as the front wall portion 33 to form the first roll folded portion 85, and then as the lower end 33 f side of the front wall portion 33. Is connected to the lower end 23c side of the front cover portion 23 and the rear cover portion 21 as the rear wall portion 31. Therefore, when the outer inflation portion 30 of the airbag 20A completes the deployment and inflation, the first roll folded portion 85 cancels the folding so as to unwind, and conversely, the traction members 62 (L, R) are twisted. Therefore, the pulling member 62 (L, R) generates a pulling force to pull the front wall portion 33 toward the rear wall portion 31 side.

  Therefore, in the occupant protection device MPA having such a configuration, when the inflation of the airbag 20A is completed, the forward movement away from the rear wall portion 31 of the front wall portion 33 is restricted by the traction members 62 (L, R). Because of this, the forward movement of the inner inflatable portion 53 is also restricted, and the inner inflatable portion 53 can stably receive the head H of the occupant M.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 23, an occupant protection device MPB may be configured. The airbag 20B of the occupant protection device MPB is different from the airbag 20 in that at the intersection of the upper edge 31a of the rear wall portion 31 and the rear edge 32b of the ceiling wall portion 32 when the inflation of the airbag 20B is completed. An extended inflatable portion abutting on the ceiling portion RH is provided, and occupant protection is performed such that the lower end 33f side of the front wall portion 33 and the rear wall portion 31 are connected to the left and right sides of the airbag 20B when the inflation is completed. The point is that a traction member 62 (L, R) similar to the device MPA is provided. Other configurations of the airbag 20B are the same as those of the airbag 20, and the configurations of the other case 8 and the inflator 10 of the occupant protection device MPB are the same as those of the occupant protection device MP. Therefore, in the occupant protection device MPB, the same parts as those of the occupant protection device MP are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and description thereof will be omitted.

  In such an occupant protection device MPB, when the airbag 20B completes inflation, the extended inflatable portion 36 abutting on the ceiling portion RH is unlikely to move forward, suppressing the forward movement of the ceiling wall portion 32, Then, the forward movement of the front wall portion 33 when the occupant M moving to the front wall portion 33 side is received can also be suppressed. In addition, since the front wall portion 33 can be pulled toward the rear wall portion 31 also by the traction members 62 (L, R), the occupant M moving to the front wall portion 33 side can be further received by the front wall portion 33. Forward movement can also be suppressed. As a result, the forward movement of the inner inflatable portion 53 is also restricted, and the inner inflatable portion 53 can stably receive the head H of the occupant M.

  The occupant protection devices MPC and MPD shown in FIGS. The airbags 20C and 20D of the occupant protection devices MPC and MPD are different from the airbag 20 in that, when the inflation of the airbags 20C and 20D is completed, the rear side of the upper edge 31a of the rear wall 31 is rearward. The extended rear inflatable portions 37C and 37D are provided, and the lower end 33f side of the front wall portion 33 and the rear extended inflatable portions 37C and 37D are connected to the left and right sides of the airbags 20C and 20D when the inflation is completed. That is, a connecting member 64 (L, R) is provided. Other configurations of the airbags 20C and 20D are the same as those of the airbag 20, and the configurations of the other cases 8 and the inflator 10 of the occupant protection devices MPC and MPD are the same as those of the occupant protection device MP. Therefore, in the occupant protection devices MPC and MPD, the same parts as those of the occupant protection device MP are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and description thereof will be omitted.

  In these occupant protection devices MPC and MPD, if the airbags 20C and 20D are inflated and the rear extending inflatable portions 37C and 37D extending rearward from the rear wall portion 31 are inflated, the connecting members 64 (L, R) are inflated. Is pulled rearward by the rearward extension of the rear-side expanded portions 37C and 37D, the connecting member 64 (L, R) that pulls rearward moves the front wall 33 away from the rear wall 31. The forward movement of the inner inflatable portion 53 is also restricted, so that the inner inflatable portion 53 can stably receive the head H of the occupant M.

  Note that these connecting members 64 (L, R) are disposed so as to connect the lower end 33f side of the front wall portion 33 and the rear extending inflatable portions 37C, 37D before the airbags 20C, 20D are folded. It may be configured similarly to the traction member 62 (L, R). In the illustrated example, like the traction members 62 (L, R), these connecting members 64 (L, R) extend from the lower end 33f side of the front wall portion 33 and the rear side when the front wall portion 33 is roll-folded. The expansion portions 37C and 37D are connected to each other so as to be twisted when the expansion is completed so as to exert tension.

  Further, in the occupant protection device MPD, the rear-side extended inflatable portion 37D when the inflation is completed extends long downward so as to be able to receive and stop the rear occupant MB. You may comprise.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Sheet, 4a ... Back, 8 ... (Storage part) Case, 20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D ... Airbag, 20a ... Opening, 30 ... (Primary inflation part) Outer inflation part, 31 ... Back wall part, 31a: upper edge, 31b: lower edge, 32: ceiling wall portion, 32a: front edge, 32b: rear edge, 33: front wall portion, 33a: upper edge, 33b: lower edge, 33f: lower end of (side surface), 34 left side portion, 34a upper edge, 35 right side portion, 35a upper edge, 36 extended expansion portion, 37C, 37D rear extension portion, 38 frame expansion portion, 39 (L, R ) ... Vertical rod, 45 ... (horizontal rod) front lower horizontal rod, 46 ... (horizontal rod) front upper horizontal rod, 47 ... (horizontal rod) rear upper horizontal rod, 48 ... (horizontal rod) Part) rear lower horizontal rod part, 50 ... inflow port (of frame-shaped expansion part), 53 ... (secondary expansion part) inner expansion part, 53a ... front end, 54 (L, R) ... support expansion Part, 55 (L, R) ... front support part, 56 (L, R) ... side support part, 58 (L, R) ... inflow port (of the inner expansion part), 62 (L, R) ... traction material , 64 (L, R) ... connecting material,
M: occupant, H: head, Hf: front / front, Hl: left side, Hr: right side, C: chest, Cu: top, Cf: front, Sl: left shoulder, Sr: right shoulder,
G: expansion gas, V: vehicle, MP, MPA, MPB, MPC, MPD: occupant protection device.

Claims (8)

When the inflation gas flows in, the head of the occupant seated on the vehicle seat can be protected so as to protrude upward from a storage portion disposed on the back side of the seat, and then protrude forward, An occupant protection device comprising: an airbag configured to expand downward to surround the periphery of the head and complete inflation,
The airbag when inflation is completed,
A rear wall portion extending upward from the storage site and disposed on the back side of the head, a ceiling wall portion extending forward from an upper end of the rear wall portion, and a head wall extending downward from a front end of the ceiling wall portion; A front wall portion disposed on the front side of the portion, and a bottom side including a left portion and a right portion disposed on the left and right sides of the head so as to connect the rear wall portion and the front wall portion. While making it approximately cup-shaped with an opening,
As a part to be inflated by flowing the inflation gas,
The rear wall portion, the ceiling wall portion, the front wall portion, the left side portion, and the right side portion can be unfolded in a substantially cup shape around the head, and the cup-shaped outer shape can be maintained. An outer inflation portion to complete the inflation,
An inner inflatable portion arranged on the inner peripheral side of the outer inflatable portion, supported by the outer inflatable portion, and capable of receiving both left and right sides of the head from the front side of the head,
Is configured with
As the expansion form of the outer expansion section and the inner expansion section, the outer expansion section is a primary expansion section, the inner expansion section is a secondary expansion section, and the inner expansion section expands later than the outer expansion section. And start
The inflation start timing of the inner inflation portion, the outer inflation portion at the time of inflation, the rear wall portion, the ceiling wall portion, the front wall portion, the left side portion, and the right side portion, around the head. An occupant protection device characterized in that the occupant protection device is set after the timing when the occupant is deployed in a substantially cup shape.   The inner inflatable portion is disposed such that an inflow port for inflow of the inflation gas is located at a front end side when the inflation is completed, and communicates with a portion of the outer inflatable portion that is disposed on the front wall portion. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein The inner inflatable portion is constituted by a pair of left and right support inflatable portions separated left and right,
The left and right support inflatable portions are respectively a front support portion capable of restraining the front side above the vicinity of the upper part of the occupant's chest, and extend rearward from the upper portion of the front support portion, and extend in the left and right direction of the occupant's head. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, further comprising: a side support portion capable of restraining a side surface. The outer inflatable portion is configured to include a frame-shaped inflatable portion that expands into a rod shape,
The frame-shaped inflatable portion,
Right and left vertical rod portions having a substantially inverted U-shape extending from the vicinity of the left and right edges of the rear wall portion through the outer peripheral edges of the left and right portions to near the lower ends of the left and right edges of the front wall portion; ,
A plurality of horizontal rods arranged along the left-right direction to connect the left and right vertical rods,
Is configured with
The occupant protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an inflation gas is caused to flow from a rear lower end side of the vertical rod portion.   The horizontal rod portion is a front lower horizontal rod portion disposed on a lower edge side of the front wall portion, a front upper horizontal rod portion disposed on an upper edge side of the front wall portion, and an upper edge side of the rear wall portion. The occupant protection device according to claim 4, wherein the occupant protection device is provided with a rear upper horizontal rod portion to be disposed. The horizontal rod portion includes a rear lower horizontal rod portion disposed on a lower edge side of the rear wall portion,
The rear lower horizontal rod portion is provided with an inflation gas inlet at the center in the left-right direction so as to be able to supply the inflation gas by branching to the rear lower end sides of the left and right vertical rod portions. The occupant protection device according to claim 5, wherein   On both left and right sides of the airbag at the time of completion of inflation, a traction member capable of regulating the separation of the front wall from the rear wall connects the lower end of the front wall to the rear wall. The occupant protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: The airbag when inflation is completed,
A rear extension member that expands to extend rearward from the rear wall portion;
A connecting member that connects the left and right sides of the rear extending inflation portion and the front wall portion with each other to regulate the separation of the front wall portion from the rear wall portion side,
The occupant protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the occupant protection device is configured to include:

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