JP6729499B2 - Side airbag device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention, when an impact is applied to the vehicle from the side of the vehicle seat, a side that protects the occupant from the impact by deploying and inflating the airbag on the side of the occupant seated on the vehicle seat. The present invention relates to an airbag device.

When an impact is applied to the vehicle from the side of the vehicle seat on which the occupant is seated due to a side impact or the like, a side airbag device equipped with an airbag and a gas generator is provided as a device for protecting the occupant from the impact. Is widely known. In this side airbag device, the airbag is incorporated into a storage portion in the seat back of the vehicle seat together with the gas generator in a folded state. The outer shell portion of the airbag is composed of an airbag body having an inflating portion.

In this side airbag device, when a side impact such as a side door of a vehicle is laterally applied, inflation gas is supplied from the gas generator to the airbag body. The inflation gas causes the airbag body to expand and inflate, and pops out of the vehicle seat with a portion left in the storage portion. After that, the airbag main body expands and inflates forward between the occupant and the side wall portion. The inflated and inflated airbag main body is interposed between the occupant and the side wall portion that enters the inside of the vehicle to restrain the occupant and reduce the side impact transmitted to the occupant through the side wall portion.

As one mode of the side airbag device, for example, there is one described in Patent Document 1. In this side airbag device, the inside of the inflatable portion (bag-shaped portion) is inclined upward so that the front side of the inflatable portion is positioned above the inclined partition portion (partition portion). Is divided into an upper inflatable part (first air chamber) and a lower inflatable part (second air chamber) below the inclined partition part. The upper expansion section includes a support expansion section in which a gas generator (inflator) is arranged, and a protection expansion section located above the support expansion section. A vent hole (gas passage hole) is formed in the inclined section.

In addition, in the description regarding the said patent document 1, the name in parentheses following a member name is the member name used by the same patent document 1.
According to the side airbag device described in Patent Document 1, the inflation gas from the gas generator is first supplied to the supporting and inflating section. Since the support expansion part has a shape that gradually expands from the lower end part toward the upper end part, the expansion gas from the gas generator passes through the support expansion part and flows into the protection expansion part. Therefore, it is possible to deploy the protective inflatable portion at one side of the occupant at a stretch. Further, the inflation gas is supplied to the lower inflation portion through the vent hole of the inclined partition portion.

JP, 2005-85768, A

However, in the side airbag device described in Patent Document 1, the head of the occupant is also protected, and the upper portion of the airbag body is deployed and inflated laterally of the head. As the airbag body, one that is vertically longer than the airbag body in a typical side airbag device is used. Moreover, the inflation gas is supplied to the protective inflation portion at once. Therefore, when the airbag body starts to expand and inflate, the airbag body swings forward due to the inflation gas from the gas generator. Next, the airbag main body swings backward by the reaction of the above-described forward swinging. Such swinging in the front-back direction makes it difficult to position the airbag body laterally of the occupant in a stable posture.

Such a problem may occur not only in the side airbag apparatus for vehicles but also in the side airbag apparatus for vehicles in which the inside of the inflating section is divided into the upper inflating section and the lower inflating section by the inclined partitioning section.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a side airbag device capable of suppressing swinging of the airbag main body in the front-back direction due to deployment and inflation. It is in.

A side airbag device that solves the above problems is incorporated into a storage portion provided on the side of an occupant seated on a vehicle seat, and an inflation gas is generated in response to an impact applied from the side of the vehicle seat. A gas generator that ejects the gas from the gas ejection part, and is incorporated into the storage part, and is expanded by the expansion gas supplied from the gas generator, with a part of itself left in the storage part, A side airbag device including an airbag that is deployed and inflated forward on the side of the occupant, wherein an outer shell portion of the airbag is configured by an airbag body having an inflated portion, and the inflated portion is , The inclined partition portion arranged in the inflatable portion in a state of being inclined so as to be higher toward the front side causes an upper inflatable portion above the inclined partition portion and a lower inflatable portion below the inclined partition portion. The upper inflatable section is partitioned and is positioned below the horizontal inflatable section by the lateral inward section disposed in the inflatable inflatable section so as to extend in the front-rear direction, and at least the gas ejection section of the gas generator is The support expansion section is arranged and a protective expansion section above the lateral partition section, and further, vent holes are formed in the inclined partition section and the lateral partition section, respectively.

According to the above configuration, when an impact is applied to the vehicle from the side of the vehicle seat, the inflation gas is ejected from the gas ejection portion of the gas generator. This expansion gas is first supplied to the support expansion part in which the gas ejection part is arranged. The expansion gas increases the internal pressure of the support expansion part, and the support expansion part starts to expand. The support expansion part is sandwiched by the lateral partition part and the inclined partition part from both upper and lower sides. Therefore, the capacity of the support expansion section is smaller than the capacity of the upper expansion section (first air chamber) described in Patent Document 1 in which the lateral partition section is not provided. Moreover, the inclined partition portion is inclined so that it becomes higher toward the front side. Therefore, the capacity of the support expansion part is smaller than when the inclined partition part is not inclined and extends in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the supporting and inflating portion has a higher pressure than the side airbag device described in Patent Document 1 and faster than the side airbag device in which the inclined partition portion is not inclined.

During the expansion and expansion of the support expansion part, a part of the expansion gas in the support expansion part flows into the protection expansion part through the vent hole of the lateral partition part. The expansion gas increases the internal pressure of the protective expansion section, and the protective expansion section starts to expand after the support expansion section.

Further, another part of the inflation gas in the support inflating section flows into the lower inflating section through the vent hole of the inclined partition section. The expansion gas increases the internal pressure of the lower inflatable portion, and the lower inflatable portion begins to inflate after the supporting inflatable portion.

Each of the support inflating portion, the protective inflating portion, and the lower inflating portion is inflated along the side of the occupant sitting on the vehicle seat.
When the protective inflatable portion and the lower inflatable portion are deployed and inflated, the support inflatable portion has a high pressure as described above. Therefore, the support inflating portion supports the protective inflating portion and the lower inflating portion, and suppresses the swinging of the protective inflating portion and the lower inflating portion in the front-rear direction. The support inflating portion, the protective inflating portion, and the lower inflating portion are positioned laterally of the occupant in a stable posture when the deployment and inflation are completed. The occupant is restrained by the support inflating portion, the protective inflating portion, and the lower inflating portion, and is protected from the impact.

In the above side airbag device, it is preferable that a rear lower end of the inclined partition section is disposed above a lower end of the lower inflatable section.
According to the above configuration, the capacity of the support expansion part is smaller than that in the case where the rear lower end of the inclined partition part is arranged at the lower end of the lower expansion part. As a result, the expansion gas is quickly filled into the support expansion part, and the support expansion part becomes high pressure earlier. Therefore, the effect that the support expansion part suppresses the swinging of the protection expansion part and the lower expansion part is obtained at an early stage.

In the side airbag device described above, it is preferable that a front upper end of the inclined partition section is disposed immediately below a front end of the lateral partition section.
According to the above configuration, the capacity of the support inflating portion is smaller than that in the case where the front upper end of the inclined partition portion is arranged at a position further away from the position just below the front end of the lateral partition portion. As a result, the expansion gas is quickly filled into the support expansion part, and the support expansion part becomes high pressure earlier. Therefore, the effect that the support expansion part suppresses the swinging of the protection expansion part and the lower expansion part is obtained at an early stage.

In the side airbag device, it is preferable that, at an initial stage of supplying the inflation gas from the gas generator, an internal pressure of the support inflating portion is higher than an inner pressure of the protective inflating portion and an inner pressure of the lower inflating portion. ..

According to the above configuration, at the initial stage of supplying the inflation gas from the gas generator, the internal pressure of the support inflating portion rises faster than the internal pressure of the protective inflating portion and the internal pressure of the lower inflating portion. In this way, there is a difference in the internal pressure characteristics between the support expansion part and the protective expansion part and the lower expansion part. Therefore, in the initial stage of supplying the inflation gas, the support inflating portion is expanded and inflated on the side of the upper body of the occupant having high impact resistance, and the protective inflating portion and When the lower inflatable portion is expanded and inflated, the inflatable portion can be expanded and inflated laterally of the upper body by an internal pressure suitable for impact resistance, and the upper body can be effectively protected from impact.

In the side airbag device, it is preferable that the sum of the opening areas of the vent holes in the inclined partition portion is set smaller than the sum of the opening areas of the vent holes in the lateral partition portion.

If the sum total of the opening areas of the vent holes is set as in the above configuration, the amount of the inflation gas flowing from the support inflation portion through the vent hole of the lateral partition portion to the protection inflation portion is determined by the support inflation portion. It becomes larger than the amount of expansion gas flowing into the lower expansion part through the vent hole of the inclined partition part. Therefore, the internal pressure of the protective expansion section starts to rise earlier than the internal pressure of the lower expansion section. It is possible to start the expansion and expansion of the protective expansion section earlier than the lower expansion section.

According to the side airbag device described above, it is possible to prevent the airbag body from swinging in the front-rear direction due to deployment and inflation.

The side view which shows the schematic structure of the side airbag apparatus in one embodiment. 1 is a plan view showing a positional relationship among a vehicle seat, an airbag, an occupant, and a side wall portion in an embodiment. In one embodiment, a sectional view of a vehicle seat, an air bag, an occupant, and a positional relationship between a side wall portion as viewed from the front of the vehicle. FIG. 3 is a partial plan cross-sectional view showing an internal structure of a side portion on the vehicle outer side in a seat back in which an airbag module is incorporated in one embodiment. In one embodiment, a side view showing an airbag module in which an airbag body is in a deployed and non-inflated state, together with an occupant and a vehicle seat. FIG. 6 is a side sectional view showing the internal structure of the airbag module of FIG. 5 together with an occupant and a vehicle seat. In one embodiment, an exploded perspective view showing each constituent member of the airbag in a deployed state. FIG. 8A is a sectional view taken along line 8a-8a in FIG. 5, and FIG. 8B is a partial sectional view showing a state in which the lateral partition portion of FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 9a-9a in FIG. 5, and FIG. 9B is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the inclined partition portion of FIG. (A), (b) is explanatory drawing which shows the state in the middle of manufacturing the airbag module precursor in one embodiment. (A), (b) is explanatory drawing which shows the state in the middle of manufacturing an airbag module precursor similarly. (A), (b) is explanatory drawing which shows the state in the middle of manufacturing an airbag module precursor similarly. (A), (b) is explanatory drawing which shows the state in the middle of manufacturing an airbag module precursor similarly. In one embodiment, a characteristic view showing time change of internal pressure of each expansion part. The characteristic view which shows the time change of the internal pressure of each expansion part in a modification.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a side airbag device for a front seat of a vehicle will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14.
In the following description, the forward direction of the vehicle will be described as the front, and the backward direction of the vehicle will be described as the rear. In addition, the center portion in the vehicle width direction (vehicle width direction) is used as a reference, the side closer to the center portion is referred to as the “vehicle inside”, and the side away from the center portion is referred to as the “vehicle outside”. In addition, it is assumed that an occupant having the same physical size as the crash test dummy is seated on the vehicle seat in a predetermined regular posture.

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, in a vehicle 10 as a vehicle, a vehicle seat 12 as a vehicle seat constituting a front seat is arranged near the inside of a side wall 11 of the vehicle. Here, the side wall portion 11 refers to a vehicle constituent member arranged on a side portion of the vehicle 10, and mainly corresponds to a door, a pillar, and the like. The side wall portion 11 corresponding to the front seat is a front door, a center pillar (B pillar), or the like.

The vehicle seat 12 includes a seat cushion 13 and a seat back 14. The seat cushion 13 is attached to the floor of the vehicle body so that the front-rear position can be adjusted. The seat back 14 stands up from a rear portion of the seat cushion 13 in an inclined state so that the seat back 14 is positioned rearward as it goes upward, and the inclination angle is adjustable. The vehicle seat 12 is arranged in the vehicle compartment with the seat back 14 facing forward. The width direction of the vehicle seat 12 arranged in this manner matches the vehicle width direction.

Next, the internal structure of the vehicle exterior side portion of the seat back 14 will be described.
Inside the seat back 14, a seat frame forming the skeleton thereof is arranged. As shown in FIG. 4, a part of the seat frame is arranged inside a side portion of the seat back 14 outside the vehicle, and this portion (hereinafter referred to as “side frame portion 15”) is formed by bending a metal plate or the like. It is formed by doing. A seat pad 16 made of an elastic material such as urethane foam is arranged on the front side of the seat frame including the side frame portion 15. A backboard 17 made of synthetic resin or the like is arranged on the rear side of the seat frame. The seat pad 16 is covered with a skin, but the skin is not shown in FIG.

A storage portion 18 is provided in the seat pad 16 at a location adjacent to the vehicle outer side of the side frame portion 15. An airbag module ABM, which is a main part of the side airbag device, is incorporated in the storage portion 18.

A slit 19 extends obliquely forward and outward of the vehicle from a corner of the storage portion 18 on the front side and the vehicle exterior side. A portion between the front corner 16c and the slit 19 on the vehicle exterior side of the seat pad 16 (a portion surrounded by a chain double-dashed line in FIG. 4) is broken by an airbag 40 described later. The schedule section 22 is configured.

The airbag module ABM includes a gas generator 30 and an airbag 40 as main constituent members. Next, each of these constituent members will be described.
Here, in the present embodiment, the terms “vertical direction” and “front-back direction” of the airbag module ABM and its constituent members are based on the seat back 14 of the vehicle seat 12. The upright direction of the seat back 14 is the "vertical direction" of the airbag module ABM and the like, and the thickness direction of the seat back 14 is the "front-back direction" of the airbag module ABM. As described above, since the seat back 14 is slightly inclined rearward, the “vertical direction” of the airbag module ABM or the like does not exactly match the vertical direction (vertical direction) of the vehicle 10, and may be slightly different. It is inclined. Similarly, the “front-back direction” of the airbag module ABM or the like does not match the front-back direction (horizontal direction) of the vehicle 10 and is slightly inclined.

<Gas generator 30>
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the gas generator 30 includes an inflator 31 and a retainer 32 that covers the inflator 31, and has an elongated shape as a whole. Here, a type called a pyrotype is adopted as the inflator 31. The inflator 31 has a substantially columnar shape, and a gas generating agent (not shown) that generates an inflation gas is housed inside the inflator 31. The inflator 31 has a gas ejection portion 31a at the lower end thereof. Further, a harness serving as an input wiring of an operation signal to the inflator 31 is connected to an upper end portion of the inflator 31 via a connector (none of which is shown).

As the inflator 31, a type (hybrid type) in which the partition wall of a high-pressure gas cylinder filled with high-pressure gas is broken by explosive or the like to eject an inflation gas is used instead of the pyrotype using the gas generating agent. You may be asked.

On the other hand, the retainer 32 is a member that functions as a diffuser that controls the ejection direction of the inflation gas and that has the function of attaching the inflator 31 to the side frame portion 15 together with the airbag 40. Most of the retainer 32 is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape by bending a plate material such as a metal plate. Bolts 33 are fixed to the retainer 32 at a plurality of positions separated from each other in the vertical direction, as members for attaching the retainer 32 to the side frame portion 15.

The gas generator 30 may be one in which the inflator 31 and the retainer 32 are integrated. Further, the gas generator 30 may be configured only by the inflator 31 having the bolt 33 without using the retainer 32.

<Airbag body 41>
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the outer shell of the airbag 40 is composed of an airbag body 41.

FIG. 5 shows the airbag module ABM in a state where the airbag body 41 is only expanded and not inflated (hereinafter referred to as “deployed non-inflated state”) together with the occupant P1 and the vehicle seat 12. Further, FIG. 6 shows an airbag module ABM, in which the airbag body 41 of FIG. 5 is cut at the center portion in the vehicle width direction, together with the occupant P1 and the vehicle seat 12, in order to show the internal structure of the airbag module ABM. There is. Further, FIG. 7 shows the respective constituent members of the airbag 40 including the airbag main body 41 in a deployed state.

As shown in FIG. 5 to FIG. 8, the airbag body 41 has one piece of cloth (also called base cloth, panel cloth, etc.) folded in two forward along a fold line 42 set at the center thereof. Are overlapped in the vehicle width direction, and the overlapped portions are combined so as to form a bag shape. Here, in the airbag body 41, in order to distinguish the above-mentioned two superposed portions, one located inside the vehicle is referred to as a body cloth portion 43, and one located outside the vehicle is referred to as a body cloth portion 44. And

In the present embodiment, the cloth piece is folded in two so that the folding line 42 is located at the rear end portion of the airbag body 41, but the folding line 42 is at another end portion, for example, the front end portion, the upper end portion, The cloth piece may be folded in two so as to be located at the lower end or the like. Further, the airbag body 41 may be composed of two pieces of cloth divided along the folding line 42. In this case, the airbag body 41 is formed by stacking two cloth pieces in the vehicle width direction and joining the two cloth pieces into a bag shape. Further, at least one of the main body cloth portions 43, 44 may be composed of two or more cloth pieces.

In the airbag body 41, the outer shapes of the body cloth portions 43 and 44 are line-symmetrical to each other with the fold line 42 as the axis of symmetry. The shapes and sizes of the body cloth portions 43, 44 are lateral to many areas of the upper body of the occupant P1 (areas from the head PH to the waist PP) when the airbag body 41 has completed deployment and inflation. Are formed in a shape and a size that are located in the.

A constricted portion 45 having a smaller dimension in the front-rear direction than the other portions is formed at a location spaced downward from the tops of the body cloth portions 43, 44.
As the material for the both main body cloth portions 43, 44, a material having high strength and flexibility and easily foldable, for example, a woven cloth formed by using polyester thread, polyamide thread or the like is suitable. There is.

The above-mentioned joining of the two body cloth portions 43, 44 is performed by the peripheral joining portion 46 provided on the peripheral portions thereof. In the present embodiment, most of the peripheral edge joint portion 46 is sewn (sewn with a sewing thread) except for the rear end portion (the portion in the vicinity of the folding line 42) of the peripheral edge portions of the main body cloth portions 43 and 44. It is formed by As described above, the point that the connection is made by sewing is the same as in the various connection portions described later. The various joints are the protective joints 48, 49, the annular joints 52, 56, the endless joint 54, and the joints 65-67, 75-77.

Regarding the above sewing, in FIG. 5, FIG. 6 and FIGS. 10 to 13, the sewn portion is represented by three line types. The first line type is a line (a kind of broken line) in which thick lines of a certain length are intermittently arranged, and this shows a state in which the sutured portion is viewed from the side (periphery in FIG. 5). (See the coupling portion 46 and the like). The second line type is a line (a type of broken line) in which thin lines of a certain length (longer than a general broken line) are intermittently arranged and expressed. 3 shows a state of the suture thread which is located at the back of and is not directly visible (hidden) (see the connecting portion 67 and the like in FIG. 5). The third line type is a line (a kind of broken line) in which dots are arranged at regular intervals, which is between the main body cloth portion 43 and the main body cloth portion 44 to be sewn, and the cloth portion 63. The state of the suture between the cloth portion 64 and the cloth portion 64 is shown (refer to the peripheral joint portion 46, the joint portion 67, etc. in FIG. 6). That is, the drawing in which the sewing is represented by the third line type shows the cross-sectional structure along the cross section passing through the sewing portion.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the space between the main body cloth portions 43 and 44, which is surrounded by the peripheral edge joint portion 46, constitutes an inflating portion which is expanded and inflated by the inflation gas.
The peripheral edge connecting portion 46 may be formed by a means different from the suturing using the above-mentioned suture, for example, adhesion using an adhesive. The same applies to the above-mentioned various connecting portions.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8(a), the upper portion of the main body cloth portion 44 on the outer side of the vehicle, more specifically, the upper side of the constricted portion 45 is formed of the same material as the main body cloth portions 43 and 44. The protective cloth 47 is arranged. The protective cloth 47 has substantially the same shape and size as the upper portion of the main body cloth portion 44 (excluding the inner folded portion 57) (see FIG. 7), and is overlaid on the upper portion from the outside of the vehicle. .. The protective cloth 47 is connected to both the main body cloth portions 43 and 44 by protective connecting portions 48 provided along many peripheral portions thereof. Further, the protective cloth 47 is joined to the vehicle body outer side cloth portion 44 by a linear protective joint portion 49 provided along the lower peripheral edge portion thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a reinforcing cloth 51 formed of a material similar to that of the main body cloth portions 43 and 44 in a substantially rectangular shape at a rear portion of the airbag main body 41 and in a central portion in the up-down direction. Are arranged. The reinforcing cloth 51 is arranged in a state of straddling both body cloth portions 43 and 44 via the folding line 42 of the airbag body 41. The reinforcing cloth 51 is connected to both the main body cloth portions 43 and 44 by an annular connecting portion 52 provided along the peripheral edge of the reinforcing cloth 51.

A slit 53 extending in a direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the folding line 42 is formed at the rear end portion of the airbag body 41 that is folded in two and in the central portion in the vertical direction. Slits 53 are also formed at corresponding portions of the reinforcing cloth 51.

In each of the main body cloth portions 43, 44 and the reinforcing cloth 51, an endless joint portion 54 having a horizontally long oval shape is provided around the slit 53. The endless joint portion 54 is for reinforcing the portions of the main body cloth portions 43, 44 and the reinforcing cloth 51 around the slit 53.

Further, bolt holes for inserting the bolts 33 (see FIG. 4) of the retainer 32 into the main body cloth portion 43 on the inner side of the vehicle at a plurality of locations in the vicinity of the folding line 42 and below the slits 53. 55 is open. Bolt holes 55 are also formed in corresponding portions of the reinforcing cloth 51. In the body cloth portion 43 and the reinforcing cloth 51, an annular joint portion 56 is provided around each bolt hole 55. The annular coupling portion 56 is for reinforcing the portion around the bolt holes 55 in the main body cloth portion 43 and the reinforcing cloth 51.

In both the main body cloth portions 43, 44 and the reinforcing cloth 51, the upper part of the slit 53 is an inner folded part 57 that is inserted in the other part while being bent. The upper end portion of the inner folded portion 57 is joined to the other portions of the main body cloth portions 43, 44 by co-sewn by the peripheral joining portion 46 and the protective joining portion 48 described above. Further, with the formation of the inner folded portion 57, both slits 53 are opened to form the insertion port 58 of the gas generator 30.

<Slope division part 60>
As shown in FIG. 6, FIG. 7 and FIG. 9( a ), an inclined partitioning portion 60 is arranged in the inflatable portion in a state of being inclined so that it becomes higher toward the front side. The inclined partition portion 60 has the same structure as that generally called a tether.

The inclined partition portion 60 is formed by a piece of substantially V-shaped cloth piece 61 made of the same material as the main body cloth portions 43, 44. The sloping partition portion 60 folds the cloth piece 61 forward along a fold line 62 set in the central portion of the cloth piece 61 and overlaps the cloth piece 61 in the vehicle width direction. It is formed by straddling over.

The rear lower end of the folded partition section 60 that is folded in two is located above the lower end of the lower inflatable section 68, which will be described later, and below the reinforcing cloth 51. The front upper end of the inclined partition portion 60 is arranged immediately below the front end of a horizontal partition portion 70 described later. Immediately below is a position where the front upper end of the inclined partition 60 contacts or approaches the front end of the lateral partition 70 from below. The inclined partition portion 60 may be formed of two pieces of cloth divided along the folding line 62.

In order to distinguish the above-mentioned two overlapping portions of the inclined partition portion 60, the portion located inside the vehicle is referred to as a cloth portion 63, and the portion located outside the vehicle is referred to as a cloth portion 64. Each of the cloth portions 63 and 64 is inclined such that the cloth portions 63 and 64 become higher toward the front side.

The two-folded inclined partition portion 60 is arranged between the two body cloth portions 43 and 44 with the folding line 62 aligned with the folding line 42 of the airbag body 41. The cloth portion 63 on the inside of the vehicle is connected to the main body cloth portion 43 on the inside of the vehicle by a connecting portion 65 provided along the upper peripheral edge of the cloth portion 63 (see FIG. 6). Similarly, the cloth portion 64 on the outer side of the vehicle is connected to the main body cloth portion 44 on the outer side of the vehicle by the connecting portion 66 provided along the upper peripheral edge portion thereof (see FIG. 5 ). Both of the connecting portions 65 and 66 are inclined so that they are higher toward the front side.

The two cloth portions 63, 64 are connected to each other by a connecting portion 67 provided along the lower peripheral edge portion thereof. Further, the front upper end portions of both cloth portions 63 and 64 are joined to the front end portions (constricted portion 45) of both body cloth portions 43 and 44 by co-sewn by a part of the peripheral edge joining portion 46. By the connection using the connection parts 65 to 67, the inclined partition part 60 is bridged between the main body cloth parts 43 and 44.

In the inflatable portion, a portion below the inclined partition portion 60 constitutes a lower inflatable portion 68 that is deployed and inflated laterally between the front chest PTF and the waist PP of the occupant P1. In the inflating section, a portion above the inclined partition section 60 constitutes an upper inflating section.

A vent hole 69 formed of a round hole is formed in the rear lower end of each of the cloth portions 63 and 64, and the lower expansion portion 68 and the upper expansion portion are communicated with each other by these vent holes 69.
<Horizontal partition 70>
As shown in FIG. 6, FIG. 7 and FIG. 8A, a lateral partitioning portion 70 extending in the front-rear direction is arranged in the upper inflating portion. The lateral partition 70 also has a configuration similar to what is called a tether, like the inclined partition 60.

The lateral partition portion 70 is formed by a single horizontally long cloth piece 71 made of the same material as the main body cloth portions 43 and 44. The lateral partitioning portion 70 folds the cloth piece 71 forward along a fold line 72 set at the central portion in the lengthwise direction and stacks the cloth piece 71 in the vehicle width direction. It is formed by bridging between 43 and 44. The lateral partition 70 may be composed of two pieces of cloth divided along the folding line 72.

In order to distinguish the above-mentioned two overlapped portions of the lateral partition 70, the portion located inside the vehicle is referred to as a cloth portion 73, and the portion located outside the vehicle is referred to as a cloth portion 74.
The folded lateral partition 70 is arranged between the body cloth portions 43, 44 with the fold line 72 aligned with the fold line 42 of the airbag body 41. The cloth portion 73 on the inside of the vehicle is connected to the main body cloth portion 43 on the inside of the vehicle by a connecting portion 75 provided along the lower peripheral edge of the cloth portion 73. Similarly, the cloth portion 74 on the vehicle exterior side is coupled to the body cloth portion 44 on the vehicle exterior side by a coupling portion 76 provided along the lower peripheral edge portion thereof. The coupling portions 75 and 76 extend in the front-rear direction (lateral direction).

The two cloth portions 73, 74 are connected to each other by a connecting portion 77 provided along the upper peripheral edge portion thereof. Further, the front end portions of both cloth portions 73 and 74 are jointed to the constricted portions 45 of both body cloth portions 43 and 44 by co-sewn by part of the peripheral joint portion 46 and part of the protective joint portion 48. ing. The lateral partitioning portion 70 is bridged between the main body cloth portions 43 and 44 by the joining using the joining portions 75 to 77.

In the upper inflating portion, a portion below the lateral partitioning portion 70 constitutes a supporting inflating portion 78 that is deployed and inflated laterally of the rear chest PTR of the occupant P1. In the upper inflating portion, a portion above the lateral partitioning portion 70 constitutes a protective inflating portion 79 that is deployed and inflated on the side of the head PH of the occupant P1.

A vent hole 81 formed of a round hole is formed in an intermediate portion in the front-rear direction of each of the cloth portions 73 and 74, and the support inflating portion 78 and the protective inflating portion 79 are communicated with each other by these vent holes 81. .. Each vent hole 81 has a larger diameter than each vent hole 69.

The airbag body 41, the protective cloth 47, the reinforcing cloth 51, the inclined partition portion 60 and the lateral partition portion 70 constitute the airbag 40.
A large part of the gas generator 30 that extends in a substantially vertical direction except the upper end is the rear end of the support expansion part 78 through the insertion port 58, and the rear part of the reinforcing cloth 51 folded in two. It is inserted at the end. The upper end of the gas generator 30 is exposed to the outside of the airbag body 41. Most of the gas generator 30 except the upper end portion is disposed inside the support expansion portion 78. Most of this includes the gas ejection portion 31a.

The plurality of bolts 33 in the gas generator 30 are inserted into the reinforcing cloth 51 and the main body cloth portion 43 on the inside of the vehicle in the corresponding bolt holes 55. By this insertion, the gas generator 30 is locked while being positioned with respect to the airbag 40. The place where the bolt 33 is inserted in this way is a region where cloth reinforcement is made by being surrounded by the annular joint portion 56.

In addition, in FIG. 4, the illustration of the reinforcing cloth 51 is omitted.
Next, a method for manufacturing the airbag module ABM having the above configuration will be described with reference to each of (a) and (b) of FIGS. In this manufacturing, the airbag module ABM is manufactured at two different manufacturing bases (a first manufacturing base and a second manufacturing base).

At the first manufacturing site, as shown in FIG. 13B, an intermediate-type airbag module for distribution (hereinafter referred to as “module precursor ABM′”) in which a retainer 32 is arranged in an airbag main body 41 is provided. Manufactured. At this stage, the inflator 31 is not inserted into the retainer 32. The module precursor ABM' is transported from the first manufacturing site to the second manufacturing site. At the second manufacturing base, the inflator 31 is inserted and locked in the retainer 32 of the module precursor ABM'.

Here, the work performed when manufacturing the module precursor ABM' at the first manufacturing base will be mainly described.
<First step>
In the first step, as shown in FIG. 10( a ), the airbag body 41 is deployed so that the body cloth portion 43 on the inside of the vehicle is located on the left side and the body cloth portion 44 on the outside of the vehicle is located on the right side. To be A protective cloth 47 is overlaid on the upper part of the main body cloth portion 44 on the outer side of the vehicle from the front side of the paper surface of FIG. The protective cloth 47 is sewn to the body cloth portion 44 on the vehicle exterior side along the peripheral edge of the lower side thereof, so that the protective coupling portion 49 is provided. The lower peripheral edge portion of the protective cloth 47 is in a state of being connected to the body cloth portion 44 on the outer side of the vehicle by the protective connecting portion 49.

<Second step>
In the second step, as shown in FIG. 10B, the airbag main body 41 in the expanded state, in which the protective cloth 47 is sewn as described above, is turned over. That is, in this state, the body cloth portion 43 on the inside of the vehicle is located on the right side, and the body cloth portion 44 on the outside of the vehicle is located on the left side. The protective cloth 47 is located on the back side of the paper surface of FIG. 10B with respect to the upper portion of the main body cloth portion 44 on the vehicle outer side.

The reinforcing cloth 51 is on the fold line 42 and is overlapped so as to straddle both the main body cloth portions 43 and 44. The reinforcing cloth 51 is sewn to the main body cloth portions 43 and 44 along the peripheral edge thereof, so that the annular joint portion 52 is provided. The reinforcing cloth 51 is in a state of being connected to both the main body cloth portions 43, 44 by the annular connecting portion 52.

Further, the body cloth portions 43, 44 and the reinforcing cloth 51 are sewn in an oval shape so as to straddle the folding line 42, so that the body cloth portions 43, 44 and the reinforcing cloth 51 are provided with the endless coupling portion 54. To be Further, the main body cloth portion 43 and the reinforcing cloth 51 inside the vehicle are sewn in a ring shape so as to extend along the fold line 42, so that the main body cloth portion 43 and the reinforcing cloth 51 are provided with the annular joint portion 56.

<Third step>
In the third step, as shown in FIG. 11A, the cloth piece 61 of the inclined partitioning portion 60 and the cloth piece 71 of the lateral partitioning portion 70 are both developed.

With the folding line 62 aligned with the lower portion of the folding line 42, the cloth piece 61 is overlaid on the airbag body 41 and the reinforcing cloth 51 in the expanded state. The vehicle inner side cloth portion 63 is sewn to the vehicle inner side main body cloth portion 43 and the reinforcing cloth 51 along the upper peripheral edge thereof, so that the vehicle inner side joint portion 65 is provided. Similarly, the vehicle exterior side cloth portion 64 is sewn to the vehicle exterior side main body cloth portion 44 and the reinforcing cloth 51 along the upper peripheral edge thereof, thereby providing the vehicle exterior side coupling portion 66. In this way, the cloth piece 61 is joined to the airbag body 41 and the reinforcing cloth 51 by the joining portions 65 and 66 in a state of straddling the both body cloth portions 43 and 44.

Further, with the folding line 72 aligned with the upper portion of the folding line 42, the cloth piece 71 is placed on the airbag body 41 in the expanded state. The vehicle interior side cloth portion 73 is sewn to the vehicle interior side main body cloth portion 43 along the lower peripheral edge thereof, whereby the vehicle interior side coupling portion 75 is provided. Similarly, the vehicle exterior side cloth portion 74 is sewn to the vehicle exterior side main body cloth portion 44 along the lower peripheral edge portion thereof, whereby the vehicle exterior side coupling portion 76 is provided. In this way, the cloth piece 71 is joined to the airbag body 41 by the joining portions 75 and 76 while straddling both body cloth portions 43 and 44.

<Fourth step>
In the fourth step, as shown in FIG. 11B, in the body cloth portion 43 and the reinforcing cloth 51 on the inner side of the vehicle, the bolt holes 55 are formed in the region surrounded by the annular joint portion 56.

In both the body cloth portions 43, 44 and the reinforcing cloth 51, slits 53 extending in a direction orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the fold line 42 are provided in a region surrounded by the endless joint portion 54. It is formed across.

A vent hole 69 is formed in each of the cloth portions 63 and 64 of the cloth piece 61. Further, a vent hole 81 is formed in each of the cloth portions 73 and 74 of the cloth piece 71.
<Fifth step>
In the fifth step, as shown in FIG. 11B, the parts 82 above the joints 75, 76 and the protective cloth 47 in both the body cloth portions 43, 44 and the protective cloth 47 use the joints 75, 76 as a fulcrum. , And is folded back in the direction indicated by arrow A in FIG. By this folding back, the above-mentioned portion 82 and the protective cloth 47 are overlapped with the portions 83 of the both body cloth portions 43 and 44 below the joint portions 75 and 76 from the back side of the paper surface of FIG. The upper portion of the lateral partition 70 above the coupling portions 75 and 76 is exposed.

<Sixth step>
In the sixth step, the airbag body 41 is folded in two along the folding line 42 in the direction indicated by the arrow B in FIG. By folding in two, as shown in FIG. 12B, both cloth portions 73 and 74 of the cloth piece 71 are overlapped.

In this state, the joining portions 77 are formed by stitching the upper peripheral portions of both cloth portions 73 and 74 together.
<Seventh step>
In the seventh step, the portion 82 and the protective cloth 47 that have been folded back in both body cloth portions 43 and 44 are turned upside down in FIG. 12B with the joint portions 75 and 76 as fulcrums. By this inversion, the portion 82 and the protective cloth 47 sandwich the lateral partition 70 from both sides.

Subsequently, in each of the main body cloth portions 43 and 44, the portion 84 below the joint portions 65 and 66 is folded back toward the side away from the inclined partition portion 60 (obliquely rearward and upward) with the joint portions 65 and 66 as a fulcrum. Be done. The directions in which the portions 84 of the body cloth portions 43, 44 are folded back are directions away from each other. For example, the direction in which the portion 84 of the main body cloth portion 43 inside the vehicle is folded back is the direction indicated by the arrow C in FIG. The direction in which the portion 84 of the main body cloth portion 44 outside the vehicle is folded back is the direction opposite to the arrow C. By these folding back, as shown in FIG. 13A, the lower part of the cloth piece 61 below the connecting portions 65 and 66 is exposed.

In this state, the joint portions 67 are formed by sewing the lower peripheral portions of both cloth portions 63 and 64 together.
<Eighth step>
In the eighth step, the portions 84 of the main body cloth portions 43 and 44 that have been folded back are inverted diagonally downward with the joint portions 65 and 66 as fulcrums. As a result of this reversal, as shown in FIG. 13B, the portions 84 of both body cloth portions 43, 44 are in a state of sandwiching the inclined partition portion 60 from both sides.

In addition, in the main body cloth portions 43 and 44, the upper side portion above the slit 53 is inserted into the inside of the other portion in a bent state to form an inner folded portion 57.
Thereafter, although not shown, the protective cloth 47 is folded back around the protective coupling portion 49 as a fulcrum to the back side of the paper surface of FIG. 13B, so that the upper portion of the protective cloth 47 above the protective coupling portion 49 is located outside the vehicle body. It is kept away from the upper part of the cloth portion 44. In this state, the peripheral edge portions of the body cloth portions 43 and 44 are sewn together to form the peripheral edge joint portion 46. Both body cloth portions 43 and 44 are joined together in a bag shape by the peripheral joining portion 46.

Subsequently, the protective cloth 47 is inverted around the protective joint portion 49 as a fulcrum, and is overlaid on the main body cloth portion 44. The peripheral edge portion of the protective cloth 47 and the upper edge portions of the main body cloth portions 43 and 44 are sewn together to form the protective joint portion 48. The protective cloth 47 is connected to the main body cloth portions 43 and 44 by the protective connecting portion 48.

The retainer 32 leaves the upper end portion of itself and is the rear end portion between the main body cloth portions 43 and 44 (inside the airbag main body 41) through the insertion opening 58, and the rear end portion of the reinforcing cloth 51 folded in two. Is inserted. The upper end of the retainer 32 is exposed to the outside of the airbag body 41 through the insertion port 58. The bolts 33 of the retainer 32 are inserted into the reinforcing cloth 51 and the bolt holes 55 of the main body cloth portion 43. Then, as shown in FIG. 13B, the retainer 32 is locked while being positioned with respect to the airbag 40. In this way, the module precursor ABM' in which the retainer 32 is arranged in the airbag 40 is obtained.

The module precursor ABM′ is compacted by folding the airbag 40 and is transported to the second manufacturing site. As a mode of folding the airbag 40, for example, roll folding, bellows folding, etc. are suitable. Roll folding is a folding mode in which one end of the airbag 40 is centered and the other portion is wound around it. The bellows folding is a folding mode in which the airbag 40 is folded back while alternately changing the folding direction by a constant width.

At the second manufacturing site, the inflator 31 is inserted into the retainer 32 of the module precursor ABM'. When the retainer 32 is crimped to the inflator 31, the inflator 31 is locked to the retainer 32. It is possible to obtain the airbag module ABM in a compact form (hereinafter, referred to as “storage form”) that can be easily stored in the storage part 18 (see FIG. 4) of the seat back 14 having a limited size.

When the airbag module ABM is mounted on the vehicle seat 12, the airbag module ABM is stored in the storage portion 18 as shown in FIG. A bolt 33 extending from the gas generator 30 and inserted into the airbag 40 is inserted into the side frame portion 15 from the outside of the vehicle, and a nut 34 is fastened to the bolt 33 in the inserted state from the inside of the vehicle. By this tightening, the gas generator 30 is attached to the side frame portion 15 together with the airbag 40. This work may be performed at the second manufacturing site or at another site.

The gas generator 30 may be attached to the side frame portion 15 by a member different from the above-described bolt 33 and nut 34. Further, the inflator 31 may be directly attached to the side frame portion 15 without using the retainer 32.

The side airbag device includes an impact sensor 91 and a control device 92 shown in FIG. 1 in addition to the airbag module ABM described above. The impact sensor 91 is an acceleration sensor or the like, is provided on the side wall portion 11 of the vehicle 10, and detects an impact applied to the side wall portion 11 from the side. The control device 92 controls the operation of the inflator 31 based on the detection signal of the impact sensor 91.

Further, a seat belt device for restraining the occupant P1 seated on the vehicle seat 12 to the vehicle seat 12 is provided in the vehicle compartment. Are not shown.

The side airbag device of the present embodiment is configured as described above. Next, the operation of this side airbag device will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 14 shows the change over time in the internal pressure of each expansion section at the initial stage of supplying the expansion gas. The characteristic line L1 shows the time change of the internal pressure of the support expansion part 78, the characteristic line L2 shows the time change of the internal pressure of the protective expansion part 79, and the characteristic line L3 shows the time change of the internal pressure of the lower expansion part 68. ing.

When the impact sensor 91 does not detect that the side wall 11 is laterally impacted, the control device 92 does not output an actuation signal for actuating the inflator 31 and the inflation gas is not ejected. .. The airbag body 41 continues to be stored in the storage portion 18 in the storage form.

On the other hand, when the vehicle 10 is traveling or the like, an impact of a predetermined value or more is applied to the side wall portion 11 due to a side impact or the like, and when this is detected by the impact sensor 91, the control device 92 causes the inflator 31 to operate based on the detection signal. In response, an operation signal for operating this is output. In response to this operation signal, the inflation gas is ejected from the gas ejection portion 31a of the inflator 31. The expanded gas that has been ejected is first supplied to the support inflating section 78 that is the inflating section in which the gas ejecting section 31a is arranged. Due to this expansion gas, the internal pressure of the support expansion part 78 starts to rise (see the characteristic line L1 in FIG. 14), and the support expansion part 78 starts expansion. At this time, the reinforcing cloth 51 protects the airbag body 41 from heat and pressure of the inflation gas.

As shown in FIG. 6, the support expansion part 78 is sandwiched by the lateral partition part 70 and the inclined partition part 60 from both upper and lower sides. Therefore, the capacity of the support expansion section 78 is smaller than the capacity of the upper expansion section (first air chamber) described in Patent Document 1 in which the lateral partition section 70 is not provided. Moreover, the inclined partition portion 60 is inclined so that it becomes higher toward the front side. Therefore, the capacity of the support expansion part 78 is smaller than that in the case where the inclined partition part 60 is not inclined and extends in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the supporting inflation portion 78 is filled with the inflation gas in a shorter time than the side airbag device described in Patent Document 1 and the side airbag device in which the inclined partition portion 60 is not inclined. .. The support expansion part 78 becomes high pressure at an earlier timing.

During the expansion and expansion of the support expansion part 78, a part of the expansion gas in the support expansion part 78 flows into the protection expansion part 79 through the vent hole 81. Due to this expansion gas, the internal pressure of the protective expansion section 79 starts to increase after the increase of the internal pressure of the support expansion section 78 (see the characteristic line L2 in FIG. 14). The protective expansion section 79 starts expansion after the support expansion section 78.

Further, another part of the inflation gas in the support inflation portion 78 flows into the lower inflation portion 68 through the vent hole 69. Due to this expansion gas, the internal pressure of the lower expansion section 68 starts to rise after the increase in the internal pressure of the support expansion section 78 (see the characteristic line L3 in FIG. 14). The lower expansion section 68 starts expansion later than the support expansion section 78.

In the present embodiment, the total opening area of the vent holes 81 in the lateral partition 70 may be larger than the total opening area of the vent holes 69 in the inclined partition 60, and thus the protective inflating section 79 includes the lower inflating section 68. More inflation gas flows in. Therefore, the internal pressure of the protective expansion section 79 starts to rise earlier than the internal pressure of the lower expansion section 68 (see characteristic lines L2 and L3 in FIG. 14). Therefore, the expansion and expansion of the protective expansion part 79 can be started earlier than the lower expansion part 68.

As described above, in the present embodiment, it is possible to start increasing the internal pressure in the order of the support expansion portion 78, the protection expansion portion 79, and the lower expansion portion 68. In other words, the support expansion portion 78, the protection expansion portion 79, and the lower expansion portion 68 can have different internal pressure characteristics.

The expansion of the support expansion part 78, the protection expansion part 79, and the lower expansion part 68 is performed while the folded state is canceled (developed).
The seat pad 16 of the seat back 14 is pressed by the airbag body 41 that expands and inflates, and the seat pad 16 is broken at the breakable portion 22 (see FIG. 4 ). The airbag body 41 jumps forward from the seat back 14 through the broken portion while leaving a part of the airbag body 41 in the storage portion 18.

The airbag main body 41 to which the inflation gas is subsequently supplied is provided between the side wall portion 11 and the upper body of the occupant P1 seated on the vehicle seat 12 as shown by a chain double-dashed line in FIGS. Deploy and expand forward. As the airbag body 41 expands and inflates, the inclined partition portions 60 are pulled to both sides in the vehicle width direction, and the tension state shown in FIG. 9B is obtained. Further, the lateral partition 70 is pulled to both sides in the vehicle width direction, and the tension state shown in FIG. 8B is obtained.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the initial stage of the supply of the inflation gas from the gas generator 30, the support inflating section 78 expands and inflates at the side of the rear chest PTR of the occupant P1 with a high internal pressure. The rear chest PTR is pressed to the inside of the vehicle by the support expansion portion 78 having a high internal pressure. By this pressing, the vehicle outer side portion of the upper body of the occupant P1 is rotated so as to be positioned in front of the vehicle inner side portion. The amount of this rotation reduces the side impact transmitted to the upper body through the side wall 11.

Further, the protective inflatable portion 79 is deployed and inflated on the side of the head PH of the occupant P1 with an internal pressure lower than that of the support inflatable portion 78. Further, the lower inflatable section 68 is deployed and inflated at a lower internal pressure than the support inflatable section 78 on the side of the front chest PTF and the waist PP of the occupant P1.

As a result, the back chest PTR, the head PH, and the front chest PTF and the waist PP are constrained by the support inflating portion 78, the protective inflating portion 79, and the lower inflating portion 68, which are inflated by the internal pressure characteristics in accordance with the impact resistance. To be done. The side impact transmitted from the side wall portion 11 is mitigated by the support inflating portion 78, the protective inflating portion 79, and the lower inflating portion 68, so that the upper body is protected.

By the way, when the protective inflating section 79 and the lower inflating section 68 are deployed and inflated, the support inflating section 78 is at a high pressure as described above. Therefore, the support inflating section 78 supports the protective inflating section 79 and the lower inflating section 68, and suppresses the swinging of the protective inflating section 79 and the lower inflating section 68 in the front-back direction. The support inflating section 78, the protective inflating section 79, and the lower inflating section 68 are positioned in a stable posture on the lateral side of the upper body of the occupant P1 when the expansion and inflation are completed. Then, the support inflating portion 78, the protective inflating portion 79, and the lower inflating portion 68 thus expanded and inflated restrain the upper half of the occupant P1 from the impact.

According to this embodiment, the following effects other than the above can be obtained.
The rear lower end of the inclined partition section 60 is arranged above the lower end of the lower inflating section 68.
Therefore, the capacity of the support expansion part 78 becomes smaller than that in the case where the rear lower end of the inclined partition part 60 is arranged at the lower end of the lower expansion part 68. As a result, the expansion gas is quickly filled into the support expansion part 78, and the support expansion part 78 becomes high pressure earlier. Therefore, the support expansion part 78 can obtain the effect of suppressing the swing of the protection expansion part 79 and the lower expansion part 68 at an early stage.

The upper front end of the inclined partition 60 is arranged immediately below the front end of the horizontal partition 70.
Therefore, the capacity of the support inflating section 78 is smaller than that in the case where the front upper end of the inclined partition section 60 is arranged at a position further away from the front end of the horizontal partition section 70 than immediately below. As a result, the expansion gas is quickly filled into the support expansion part 78, and the support expansion part 78 becomes high pressure earlier. Therefore, the support expansion part 78 can obtain the effect of suppressing the swing of the protection expansion part 79 and the lower expansion part 68 at an early stage.

The protective cloth 47 covers the upper portion (upper side of the constricted portion 45) of the main body cloth portion 44 on the outer side of the vehicle from the outer side of the vehicle. Moreover, the protective joint portion 48 is located on the outer peripheral side of the peripheral edge joint portion 46 and surrounds the peripheral edge joint portion 46. Therefore, even if a constituent member (glass or the like) of the side wall portion 11 is broken due to a side collision or the like and scatters in the vehicle width direction, the scattered matter can be received by the protective cloth 47. The scattered matter can prevent the region surrounded by the peripheral edge joint portion 46 in the main body cloth portion 44 on the outer side of the vehicle and the peripheral edge joint portion 46 itself from being damaged by the scattered matter.

The above embodiment can be implemented as a modified example in which the following modifications are made.
<About the expansion part>
The airbag main body 41 may be composed of an inflatable portion as in the above-described embodiment, but has a non-inflatable portion that does not inflate because the inflation gas is not supplied. May be

<About the gas generator 30>
The gas generator 30 may be arranged in a manner different from that of the above-described embodiment, provided that at least the gas ejection portion 31a is arranged inside the support expansion portion 78. For example, the entire gas generator 30 may be disposed inside the support expansion part 78. Further, only the gas ejection part 31a and its peripheral portion are located inside the support expansion part 78, and the rest of the gas generator 30 is located outside the support expansion part 78, for example, the lower expansion part 68 and the protection expansion part 79. Thus, the gas generator 30 may be arranged.

<About the inclined partition 60 and the horizontal partition 70>
The slanted partition 60 is sewn (bonded) in a state where the body cloth portions 43 and 44 are in contact with each other instead of the tether formed by bridging the cloth pieces between the body cloth portions 43 and 44 of the airbag body 41. It may be constituted by a seam formed by. Similar changes may be made to the lateral partition 70.

The rear lower end of the inclined partitioning portion 60 may be arranged at the lower end of the lower inflating portion 68.
The front upper end of the inclined partition portion 60 may be arranged at a position farther away from the front end of the lateral partition portion 70 than the above embodiment.

<About vent holes 69 and 81>
The plurality of vent holes 69 may be provided for each of the cloth portions 63 and 64, or may be provided only on one of the cloth portions 63 and 64.

The plurality of vent holes 81 may be provided for each of the cloth portions 73 and 74, or may be provided only on one of the cloth portions 73 and 74.
The magnitude relationship between the sum of the opening areas of the vent holes 81 and the sum of the opening areas of the vent holes 69 may be changed to a relationship different from that of the above embodiment. By doing so, the relationship between the amount of inflation gas flowing from the support inflation portion 78 into the protective inflation portion 79 and the amount of inflation gas flowing into the lower inflation portion 68 is changed to a different one from the above embodiment. However, the relationship of the internal pressure increase start timing can be changed to one different from the above embodiment.

For example, FIG. 15 shows a temporal change in the internal pressure of each inflating portion when the sum of the opening areas of the vent holes 81 and the sum of the opening areas of the vent holes 69 are set to be equal. In this case, it is possible to start increasing the internal pressure (characteristic line L3) of the lower expansion section 68 from a time close to the time when the internal pressure of the protective expansion section 79 (characteristic line L2) starts to increase.

The vent hole 81 in the lateral partition 70 may be formed at a position different from that in the above-described embodiment. By doing so, the inflow mode of the inflation gas from the support inflation portion 78 to the protection inflation portion 79 can be changed.

The vent hole 69 in the inclined partition portion 60 may be formed at a position different from that in the above embodiment. By doing so, the inflow mode of the inflation gas from the support inflating section 78 to the lower inflating section 68 can be changed.

<Regarding the storage section 18 of the airbag module ABM>
-Instead of the seat back 14 of the vehicle seat 12, a storage portion 18 may be provided in the side wall portion 11 and the airbag module ABM may be incorporated therein.

<Applicable target>
-The above side airbag device can be applied not only to the front seats but also to the rear seats. In this case, the side wall portion 11 corresponding to the rear seat is a rear portion of a side door (rear door), a C pillar, a front portion of a tire house, a rear quarter, and the like.

The airbag module ABM may be attached to a garnish arranged between the side wall portion 11 and the seat back. For example, a case in which the airbag module ABM is arranged inside may be attached to the garnish. The garnish may be formed with a breakable portion (tear line) that is broken by the airbag body 41.

In this rear seat side airbag device, the garnish is pushed forward by the airbag body 41 that expands and inflates, and is fractured at the scheduled fracture portion having low strength. The airbag 40 jumps forward from the garnish through the broken portion while leaving a part of it in the case. After that, the airbag main body 41 to which the inflation gas is supplied is deployed and inflated forward between the side wall portion 11 and the upper half of the occupant P1 seated in the vehicle seat (rear seat). The upper body of the occupant P1 is restrained by the airbag body 41. The side impact transmitted through the side wall 11 is mitigated by the airbag body 41, and the upper body is protected.

The side airbag device can also be applied to a side airbag device that protects a region of the upper half of the occupant P1 different from the above-described embodiment.
In the vehicle in which the vehicle seat 12 is arranged in a posture in which the seat back 14 faces a direction different from the front of the vehicle, for example, the side airbag device, the side airbag device is disposed laterally to the vehicle seat 12 (side of the vehicle). It is also applicable to a side airbag device of a type that protects the occupant P1 from the impact when the impact is applied from the front-back direction.

The vehicle 10 to which the side airbag device is applied is not limited to a private vehicle, but includes various industrial vehicles.
The side airbag device can be applied to a side airbag device mounted on a vehicle seat other than the vehicle 10, for example, a vehicle seat in an aircraft, a ship, or the like.

12... Vehicle seat (vehicle seat), 18... Storage part, 30... Gas generator, 31a... Gas ejection part, 40... Air bag, 41... Air bag body, 60... Slanted partition part, 68... Lower inflating part , 69, 81... Vent hole, 70... Horizontal partition, 78... Support expansion part (upper expansion part), 79... Protective expansion part (upper expansion part), P1... Occupant.

Claims (5)

A gas generator incorporated in a storage portion provided on a side of an occupant seated on a vehicle seat and ejecting inflation gas from a gas ejection portion in response to an impact applied from the side of the vehicle seat; Incorporated in the storage part, expanded by the inflation gas supplied from the gas generator, and while leaving a part of itself in the storage part, expands forward toward the side of the occupant. And a side airbag device including an inflating airbag,
The outer shell portion of the airbag is composed of an airbag body having an inflatable portion,
The inflatable section is disposed in the inflatable section such that the inflatable section is inclined so as to be higher toward the front side, and the inflatable section has an upper inflatable section above the inclinable section and a lower inferior side to the inclinable section. It is divided into an inflatable part,
The upper expansion part is positioned below the horizontal partition part by the lateral partition part arranged in the same inflatable part so as to extend in the front-rear direction, and at least the gas ejection part of the gas generator is arranged. Partitioned into a support inflatable part and a protective inflatable part above the lateral partitioning part,
Further, the side airbag device has vent holes formed in the inclined partition portion and the lateral partition portion, respectively. The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein a rear lower end of the inclined partition portion is disposed above a lower end of the lower inflatable portion. The side airbag device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a front upper end of the inclined partition portion is arranged immediately below a front end of the lateral partition portion. The internal pressure of the support expansion part becomes higher than the internal pressure of the protective expansion part and the internal pressure of the lower expansion part at an early stage of the supply of the expansion gas from the gas generator. The side airbag device described in. The side air according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a total opening area of the vent holes in the inclined partition is set smaller than a total opening area of the vent holes in the lateral partition. Bag device.