JP6865723B2 - Vehicle seat - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle seat provided with a side airbag device.

It is well known that vehicles are equipped with one or more airbags to protect occupants in the event of a vehicle accident. Airbags are, for example, so-called driver airbags that inflate from near the center of the steering wheel to protect the driver, and deploy downward inside the window of the vehicle to cause lateral impact, rollover, or overturning of the vehicle. There are various forms such as a curtain airbag that sometimes protects the occupant, and a side airbag that is deployed between the occupant and the side panel to protect the occupant in the event of a lateral impact of the vehicle. The present invention relates to a side airbag device provided in a vehicle seat.

In the side airbag device, there is a strong demand for compactness of the device because there are many restrictions on the installation area. In addition, appropriate occupant protection performance is required by improving the deployment speed, deployment behavior, and stabilizing the deployment shape.
Further, it is necessary to reduce the damage to the occupant by the airbag in the so-called OOP (Out of Position) situation in which the occupant is not normally seated on the seat.

The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and damage to the occupant due to the airbag in a so-called OOP (Out of Position) situation in which the occupant is not normally seated on the seat. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle seat capable of reducing the number of vehicles.

The means for solving the above problems and their effects will be described below. In the present invention, when the occupant sits in the seat in a normal posture, the direction in which the occupant is facing is referred to as "forward", the opposite direction is referred to as "rear", and the coordinate axes are referred to as "front-back direction". ". When the occupant sits in the seat in a normal posture, the right side of the occupant is referred to as "right direction", the left side of the occupant is referred to as "left direction", and the axis of coordinates is referred to as "left-right direction". Further, when the occupant sits in the seat in a normal posture, the occupant's head direction is referred to as "upward", the occupant's lumbar direction is referred to as "downward", and the coordinate axis is referred to as "vertical direction".

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, in a vehicle seat having a seat cushion forming a seat surface and a seat back forming a backrest, the seat back bulges forward in a side portion in the vehicle width direction. Equipped with a side support section. Inside the side support portion, a side frame extending along the longitudinal direction of the side support portion is arranged, and further, an airbag module is housed. The airbag module includes an airbag that restrains an occupant by expanding and deploying, and an inflator that is provided inside the side frame in the vehicle width direction and supplies expansion gas to the airbag. Inside the seat back, a force cloth is provided so as to surround the airbag module in the housed state.
When the pressure from the occupant is applied to the seat back when the airbag is deployed, the force cloth is released and the airbag bulges out of the seat back, and the pressure from the occupant is applied to the seat. When not participating in the bag, the airbag is configured to deploy only inside the seat back without releasing the force cloth.

Here, the "longitudinal direction of the side support portion" can be expressed as a vertical direction, a vertical direction, or a vertical direction of the seat back.
Further, "inside in the vehicle width direction" is the occupant side when the occupant is seated on the seat.
Further, "enclosing the airbag module" does not need to be in contact with the airbag module, and includes a state in which another member (pad, cushion layer, etc.) is interposed between the airbag module and the airbag module. The airbag module is not limited to continuously enclosing the entire airbag module, but includes a partial enclosing case.
"When the occupant's pressure is applied to the seat back" usually means that the occupant is normally seated in the seat, and "when the occupant's pressure is not applied to the seat back" means. It means that the occupant is not seated in the seat or is seated in a non-regular state (out of position).
"The force cloth is open" means a state in which the restraint on the airbag by the force cloth is released, and includes a state in which the sewn connecting portion is broken (cracked) and a state in which the force cloth itself is broken (cracked). ..

In the vehicle seat having the above configuration, when the pressure from the occupant is applied to the seat back when the airbag is deployed, the force cloth is released and the airbag bulges out of the seat back. As a result, the lateral movement of the occupant can be reliably restrained by the airbag widely deployed forward.

On the other hand, when the pressure from the occupant is not applied to the seat back, the force cloth is not released and the airbag is deployed only inside the seat back. As a result, damage to the occupant who is sitting in an irregular posture (out of position) can be minimized.

Further, the present invention is intended to devise the structure of the force cloth and the structure of the seat back, and does not require special measures such as changing the compression method of the airbag or the shape of the airbag itself. The bag module can be used as it is, which contributes to the reduction of manufacturing cost.

By forming a space in which the airbag can be deployed behind the airbag module inside the seat back, the airbag can be easily deployed rearward, and the airbag can be reliably deployed inside the seat.

The opening of the force cloth can be carried out by cleaving the force cloth. For example, the force cloth may have a structure including a sewn portion that opens when the airbag bulges out of the seat back.

The force cloth may include a first force cloth arranged on the outside in the vehicle width direction and a second force cloth arranged on the inside in the vehicle width direction with the airbag module interposed therebetween. The first force cloth may have a structure having a front end located near the front edge of the side support portion and a rear end connected to the side frame. Further, the second force cloth may have a structure having a front end located near the front edge of the side support portion and a rear end fixed to a part of the seat back.

Then, the sewn portion can be formed by sewing the front end of the first force cloth and the front end of the second force cloth.

The seat back includes a cushion layer (urethane pad or the like) arranged around the airbag module and a skin located outside the cushion layer, and the force cloth comprises the cushion layer and the skin. Can be placed in between.

The side airbag according to the present invention can be applied not only to a type deployed on the door side (outside) of the seat but also to a type deployed on the vehicle center side of the seat. Further, the type of side airbag that is deployed on the vehicle center side of the seat is referred to as, for example, a far side airbag, a front center airbag, a rear center airbag, or the like.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view mainly showing an external shape of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the illustration of an airbag unit is omitted. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal structure (seat frame) that functions as a frame of the vehicle seat shown in FIG. 1, and the illustration of the airbag unit is omitted. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which an airbag unit is housed is observed (perspective) from the outside in the vehicle width direction. FIG. 4 is a schematic view (side view) showing a state in which the side airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention is deployed. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the vehicle seat according to the embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to a part of the cross section in the A1-A1 direction of FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a deployed state of an airbag adopted in a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to a cross section in the A2-A2 direction of FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a deployed state of an airbag used in a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a deployed state of an airbag used in a vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a side view (perspective view) showing another aspect (example) of the vehicle seat according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, the vehicle seat according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The "front" shown in each figure is the front of the vehicle (direction of travel), the "rear" is the rear of the vehicle (opposite the direction of travel), and the "inside" is the inside of the vehicle width (passenger side). , "Outside" indicates the outside in the vehicle width direction (door panel side), respectively.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view mainly showing an external shape of the vehicle seat according to the embodiment of the present invention, and the illustration of the airbag module (20) is omitted. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal structure (seat frame) that functions as a frame of the vehicle seat shown in FIG. 1, and the illustration of the airbag module (20) is omitted here as well. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the vehicle seat according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the airbag module 20 is housed on the side surface (near side) close to the door when observed from the outside in the vehicle width direction. ..

When viewed as a part of the vehicle seat according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the seat cushion 2 of the portion where the occupant sits; the seat back 1 forming the backrest; and the upper end of the seat back 1 It is composed of a headrest 3 connected to the headrest 3.

A seat back frame 1f forming the skeleton of the seat is provided inside the seat back 1, and a pad 16 (see FIG. 4) made of urethane foam or the like is provided on the surface and around the seat back frame 1, and the surface of the pad 16 is It is covered with a skin 14 (see FIG. 4) such as leather and fabric. A seating frame 2f is arranged on the bottom side of the seat cushion 2, and a pad made of a urethane foam material or the like is provided on the upper surface and the periphery thereof, and the surface of the pad is covered with a skin 14 such as leather or fabric. The seating frame 2f and the seat back frame 1f are connected via a reclining mechanism 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the seat back frame 1f connects a side frame 10 which is arranged apart from each other on the left and right and extends in the vertical direction, an upper frame which connects the upper end portion of the side frame 10, and a lower end portion. It is configured in a frame shape by the lower frame. The headrest 3 is configured by providing a cushion member on the outside of the headrest frame.

As shown in FIG. 3, a force cloth 40 surrounding the airbag module 20 is provided inside the side support portion 12. The force cloth 40 extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the side frame 10. The details of the power cloth 40 will be described later.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view (side view) showing a state in which the airbag 31 (34, 36) is deployed. As shown in FIG. 4, the airbag 31 (34, 36) has a first chamber 34 that expands toward the front of the side support portion 12; and a second chamber 36 that expands inside the first chamber 34 in the vehicle width direction. To be equipped with.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the vehicle seat according to the embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to a part of the cross section in the A1-A1 direction of FIG. The above-mentioned side frame 10 is molded of resin or metal and can have a U-shaped cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. 5, and the U-shaped direction can be reversed left and right with that of FIG. 5, or a flat plate shape. It can also be. The side frame 10 extends along the vehicle traveling direction when the horizontal cross section is viewed from above, and the airbag module 20 (inflator 30) is arranged inside the side frame 10 (seat center side).

As shown in FIG. 5, the seat back 1 includes a side support portion 12 that bulges in the vehicle traveling direction (front of the vehicle) on the side portion (end portion) in the vehicle width direction. Inside the side support portion 12, the airbag module 20 is housed in a gap in which the urethane pad 16 is not arranged. The airbag module 20 includes an airbag 31 (34, 36) that restrains an occupant by expanding and deploying; and an inflator 30 that supplies an expansion gas to the airbag 31 (34, 36). Reference numeral 25 indicates a door trim.

The seams 18 and 22 of the skin 14 of the seat back 1 are woven inside and connected by sewing. The front seam 18 is designed to open when the airbag 31 is deployed.

The outer surface of the contained airbag 31 is covered with a flexible cover made of fabric (not shown). In the relationship between the first chamber 34 and the second chamber 36, the airbag 31 can be folded or rolled in a bellows shape (“folding” includes rolling), and an optimum compression method can be appropriately adopted. ..

The force cloth 40 can be formed by two strip-shaped first force cloth 401 and second force cloth 402. The first force cloth 401 extends along the outer side (left side surface) of the side support portion 12 in the vehicle width direction through the gap between the skin 14 and the urethane pad 16, and the front end portion 401f is near the front end of the side support portion 12. At that point, the rear end portion 401r is fixed to the side frame 10 through the slit 42. On the other hand, the second force cloth 402 extends along the inside (right side surface) of the side support portion 12 in the vehicle width direction through the gap between the skin 14 and the urethane pad 16, and the front end portion 402f is the front end of the side support portion 12. It reaches the vicinity, and the rear end portion 402r is connected to the skin 14 by sewing near the boundary between the side support portion 12 and the generally flat backrest portion.

As shown in FIG. 5, the front end portions 401f and 402f of the force cloth 40 (401, 402) are connected to each other by sewing 46 inside the seam 18 of the skin 14 at the tip end portion of the side support portion 12. The sewn portion 46 serves as a starting point for opening when the airbag is deployed. As a result, the operation of opening the side support portion 12 when the airbag 31 is deployed is not hindered. By cleaving the force cloth 40 (401, 402), the airbag 31 (mainly, the first chamber 34) expands at once from the cleaved portion (46), and can be quickly deployed to the outside of the side support portion 12. Become.

In the rear portion of the airbag module 20, the force cloth 40 is open, and the airbag module 20 is not enclosed. That is, the force cloth 40 is not connected in a ring shape, and the rear portion is opened in a discontinuous state. Further, inside the seat back 1, a space 404 in which the airbag 31 can be deployed is formed behind the airbag module 20. The range (size, volume) of the space 404 can be appropriately adjusted according to the shape of the urethane pad 16.

Then, when the pressure from the occupant is applied to the seat back 1 (12) when the airbag 20 is deployed, the sewing 46 at the front end portions 401f and 402f of the force cloth 40 (401, 402) is broken, and the airbag 31 Is bulging out of the seat back 1. On the other hand, when the pressure from the occupant is not applied to the seat back 1 (12), the sewing 46 of the front end portions 401f and 402f of the force cloth 40 (401, 402) is not broken, and the airbag 20 is inside the seat back 1. It is designed to be deployed only in.

For example, in a so-called out-of-position situation where the occupant does not wear a seatbelt and sits upright on the seat facing the opposite side of the vehicle traveling direction, the airbag sandwiched between the urethane pad 16 and the side frame 10 Since there is no or weak pressure on the rear portion of the 31, the airbag 31 is more easily deployed toward the rear, which is not surrounded by the force cloth 40, and the airbag 31 is inside the seat back 1 (space 404). ) Will complete the deployment. Therefore, the occupant who is seated in an irregular posture is not significantly damaged by the airbag 31 bulging from the seat.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a deployed state of the airbag corresponding to the cross section in the A2-A2 direction of FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the inflator 30 is housed inside the second chamber 36. As the inflator 30, for example, a cylindrical cylinder type inflator can be used. A pair of upper and lower stud bolts 32 project inward in the vehicle width direction from the outer peripheral portion of the inflator 30. These stud bolts 32 are attached (fastened and fixed) to the side frame 10 by nuts. A plurality of gas outlets arranged in the circumferential direction are formed in the inflator 30, and gas is ejected radially from the gas outlets. A diffuser that controls the flow of gas can be provided as needed.

An airbag control ECU mounted on the vehicle is electrically connected to the inflator 30. A satellite sensor for detecting a side collision is electrically connected to the airbag control ECU. The inflator 30 can be configured to operate when the airbag control ECU detects a side collision based on the signal from the satellite sensor.

In the second chamber 36, at least the front side portion of the side support portion 12 is projected and deformed toward the occupant side, and the side support portion 12 comes into contact with and presses on the lumbar portion and shoulder portion of the occupant. This improves the occupant restraint performance at the initial stage when an accident occurs. The capacity of the second chamber 36 is set smaller than the capacity of the first chamber 34. Preferably, the shape and capacity of the second chamber may be adjusted so that the second chamber 36 always deploys only inside the side support portion 12. This allows the second chamber 36 to be fully deployed faster than the first chamber 34, while allowing the first chamber 34 to be filled with more gas.

The first chamber 34 expands forward on the outside of the side support portion 12. The deployment shape and deployment direction of the first chamber 34 are the folding method of the airbag, the arrangement of the folded airbag, the setting of the gas injection direction of the inflator, and the gas flow direction between the second chamber 36 and the first chamber 34. It can be adjusted by such as. As a result, the deployment of the first chamber 34 is less likely to be hindered by the deployment of the second chamber 36, and the deployment of the first chamber 34 becomes smooth. The occupant protection performance is improved by cooperating with the deployment of the second chamber 36 as well as the deployment of the first chamber 34.

As shown in FIG. 6, the two panels 34a and 34b constituting the first chamber 34 are formed into the same shape, and the expansion region 34d is formed by sewing. Similarly, the two panels 36a and 36b constituting the second chamber 36 are formed into the same shape, and the expansion region 36d is formed by sewing the outer edge portion.

A vent hole V1 communicating with the first chamber 34 and the second chamber 36 is formed in the inner panel 34b of the first chamber 34, and the expansion gas inside the second chamber 36 passes through the first chamber V1 through the vent hole V1. It flows into the chamber 34.
In the present invention, the airbag 31 does not necessarily have to be composed of two chambers 34 and 36, and can be applied to an airbag composed of a single chamber and an airbag divided into three or more chambers. Is.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a deployed state of the airbag 31 according to the present embodiment, and shows a situation when the occupant is seated in a normal posture on the seat. On the other hand, FIG. 8 shows a situation when the occupant is seated in a non-regular posture on the seat or when there is no occupant.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the occupant is seated in the seat in a normal posture, the rear portion of the airbag 31 sandwiched between the urethane pad 16 and the side frame 10 is compressed, and it is difficult to deploy the airbag rearward. It will be easy to deploy forward. Therefore, a large force is exerted on the airbag 31 to expand toward the front of the side support portion 12, and the sewn portion 46 of the force cloth 40 and the sewn portion 18 (see FIG. 5) of the skin 14 are cleaved to develop the air. The bag 31 bulges out of the seat back 1 (side support portion 12). As a result, the airbag 31 that is widely deployed forward can reliably restrain the lateral movement of the occupant. By deploying the second chamber 36, the seat back 1 (mainly, the side support portion 12) itself is deformed into a convex state toward the inside in the vehicle width direction.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, when the pressure from the occupant is not applied to the seat back 1, for example, the occupant is sitting upright on the seat facing the opposite side of the vehicle traveling direction without wearing the seat belt. In the so-called out-of-position situation, the airbag 31 is not surrounded by the force cloth 40 because there is no or weak pressure on the rear portion of the airbag 31 sandwiched between the urethane pad 16 and the side frame 10. It will be easier to develop toward. Further, the urethane pad 16 is relatively easily deformed or easily moved inward in the vehicle width direction. As a result, the airbag 31 expands toward the rear space 404 while pushing the urethane pad 16 inward in the vehicle width direction.

In this way, when the occupant is not seated in the seat in a normal posture, the airbag 31 completes the deployment inside the seat back 1 and does not bulge to the outside, so that the damage to the occupant is minimized. It can be suppressed. Even if the deployed airbag 31 does not bulge out of the seat, the seat back 1 (mainly, the side support portion 12) itself is configured to be deformed in a convex state toward the inside in the vehicle width direction. Can be done.

FIG. 9 is a side view (perspective view) showing another aspect of the vehicle seat according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, two force cloths 40U and 40L are arranged vertically in a parallel state, and other configurations are the same as those of the embodiment (FIG. 3 and the like) already described. By adopting two (two sets) of force cloths 40U and 40L, it is possible to more reliably regulate the deployment behavior of the airbag 31. The number of force cloths is not limited to one or two, and may be three or more.

Although the present invention has been described in the context of the exemplary embodiments described above, those skilled in the art will appreciate many equivalent modifications and variations in the present disclosure. Therefore, it is considered that the above exemplary embodiments of the present invention are exemplary but not limiting. Various changes can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, in the embodiment for carrying out the invention, the near-side side airbag was mainly described, but the far-side airbag (the surface of the vehicle seat far from the vehicle door), the ultra-small vehicle such as small mobility, etc. It can also be used for single-seat vehicles (vehicles that include a part with only one seat in a row regardless of the presence or absence of a door).

Claims (9)

In a vehicle seat having a seat cushion forming a seat surface and a seat back forming a backrest,
The seat back includes a side support portion that bulges forward on the side portion in the vehicle width direction.
Inside the side support portion, a side frame extending along the longitudinal direction of the side support portion is arranged, and further, an airbag module is housed.
The airbag module includes an airbag that restrains an occupant by expanding and deploying, and an inflator that is provided inside the side frame in the vehicle width direction and supplies expansion gas to the airbag.
Inside the seat back, a force cloth is provided so as to surround the airbag module in the housed state.
When the pressure from the occupant is applied to the seat back when the airbag is deployed, the force cloth is released and the airbag bulges out of the seat back, and the pressure from the occupant is applied to the seat back. A vehicle seat characterized in that when not joined, the airbag is configured to deploy only inside the seat back without the force cloth being released. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the rear portion of the airbag module has a force cloth opening that is not surrounded by the force cloth. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a space in which the airbag can be deployed is formed behind the airbag module inside the seat back. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the opening of the force cloth is performed by cleaving the force cloth. The vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein the force cloth includes a sewn portion that opens when the airbag bulges out of the seat back. The force cloth includes a first force cloth arranged on the outside in the vehicle width direction and a second force cloth arranged on the inside in the vehicle width direction with the airbag module interposed therebetween.
The vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein the first force cloth has a front end located near the front edge of the side support portion and a rear end connected to the side frame. The vehicle seat according to claim 6, wherein the second force cloth has a front end located near the front edge of the side support portion and a rear end fixed to a part of the seat back. The vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein the sewn portion is formed by sewing the front end of the first force cloth and the front end of the second force cloth. The seat back includes a cushion layer arranged around the airbag module and a skin located outside the cushion layer.
The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the force cloth is arranged between the cushion layer and the skin.

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