JP7444111B2 - Occupant protection device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an occupant protection device for protecting an occupant seated on a seat.

Conventionally, as an occupant protection device, there has been one in which a holder that stores and holds a folded airbag is set in front of the waist of an occupant seated on a seat (for example, see Patent Document 1). In this conventional occupant protection device, the airbag is configured to inflate so as to protrude forward and upward from the holding body when activated, and to cover the upper surface of the occupant's thighs to the front of the upper body when inflation is complete. was.

US Patent Application Publication No. 2019/299899

However, in conventional occupant protection devices, the airbag is configured to simply inflate so as to protrude forward and upward from the holder, which may create a gap between the airbag and the occupant when inflation is complete. There was room for improvement in ensuring prompt protection.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an occupant protection device that can quickly protect an occupant using an airbag that has been fully inflated.

The occupant protection device according to the present invention is an occupant protection device for protecting an occupant seated on a seat, and includes:
seat belt and
In a seatbelt, an airbag is disposed in an area of a lap belt that restrains the waist of an occupant when worn, and inflates to cover the front of the occupant when activated;
It is configured to include
The airbag is configured to include a bag body that inflates to protrude forward and upward by allowing inflation gas to flow into the airbag when activated, and a regulating tether that regulates the position of the bag body when inflation is completed. ,
When the bag body is fully inflated, a thigh abutment surface that can come into contact with the occupant's thigh is disposed on the lower side, and an upper body that can restrain the occupant's upper body is provided on the rear side when the bag is fully inflated. It is configured to arrange a restraining surface,
The regulation tether is configured such that its base end is connected to the rear side of the upper and lower intermediate portions of the bag body when inflation is completed, and its tip extending downward from the base end is connected to the lap belt side, It is characterized in that the length dimension is set to a dimension that allows the connection portion that connects the base ends of the bag body to be pulled toward the lap belt side.

In the occupant protection device of the present invention, when the airbag completes inflation, the fully inflated bag body can be towed to the rear side toward the occupant by the regulating tether, and the bag body is inflated away from the occupant. It can be suppressed from doing so. Specifically, in the occupant protection device of the present invention, the regulation tether has its base end connected to an upper and lower intermediate region on the rear side of the bag body, and the regulation tether has its base end connected to the upper and lower middle portions of the bag body to which this base end is connected. Since the connecting part (that is, the upper and lower intermediate parts on the rear side of the bag body) is pulled toward the lap belt side, that is, downward, the upper body restraining surface disposed on the rear side of the bag body when inflation is completed, It can be arranged so as to be close to the passenger side, and in particular, it is possible to prevent the upper end side region of this upper body restraining surface from being arranged so as to be largely separated forward from the passenger. Therefore, the upper body restraining surface can quickly restrain the occupant's upper body. When the upper body is restrained by the upper body restraining surface, the bag body is placed in front of the occupant's upper body with the lower thigh contact surface in contact with the upper surface of the occupant's thigh. Become. As a result, the bag body is supported by the thigh over a wide area of the thigh contact surface, which prevents it from falling over or compressing, and restrains the occupant's upper body (from the chest to the head). Depending on the surface, it can be restrained accurately.

Therefore, in the occupant protection device of the present invention, the occupant can be quickly protected by the fully inflated airbag.

Further, the occupant protection device may have the following configuration.

seat belt and
In a seatbelt, an airbag is disposed in a region of a lap belt that restrains the waist of an occupant when worn, and inflates to cover the front of the occupant when activated;
It is configured to include
The airbag is configured to include a bag body that inflates to protrude forward and upward by allowing inflation gas to flow into the interior when activated, and a regulating tether that regulates the position of the bag body when inflation is completed. ,
When the bag body is fully inflated, a thigh abutting surface that can come into contact with the occupant's thigh is disposed on the lower side, and an upper body that can restrain the occupant's upper body is provided on the rear side when the bag is fully inflated. It is configured to arrange a restraining surface,
Regulation tethers are disposed on both the left and right sides of the bag body when inflation is complete, and their base ends are connected to the sides of the bag body when inflation is complete, and the tips extend rearward and downward from the base end. It is characterized in that it is configured to be connected to the side surface of the arranged sheet.

In the occupant protection device having such a configuration, when the airbag completes inflation, the fully inflated bag body can be pulled to the rear side, which is the passenger side, by the pair of left and right regulating tethers, and the bag body It is possible to suppress expansion away from the occupant. Specifically, in the occupant protection device configured as described above, the restriction tether is arranged to extend from both left and right sides of the bag body, and the tip is connected to the side surface of the seat located rearward and downward from the base end. Because of this configuration, the forward movement of both the left and right edges of the rear surface of the bag body can be accurately regulated by the regulating tether, and the bag body can be pulled rearward toward the passenger side in a well-balanced manner on the left and right sides. The upper body restraint surface, which is disposed on the rear side of the bag body when inflation is completed, can be disposed close to the passenger side. Further, when the bag body is fully inflated, the bag body is placed in front of the occupant's upper body with the lower thigh contacting surface in contact with the upper surface of the occupant's thigh. Therefore, since the bag body is supported by the thighs over a wide area of the thigh contact surface, it is prevented from falling over or compressed, and the upper body of the occupant (from the chest to the head) is supported by the upper body restraining surface. This allows for precise restraint. In addition, in the occupant protection device configured as described above, since the distal end of the regulating tether is connected to the side surface of the seat, the position of the bag main body relative to the seat can also be controlled, and the fully inflated bag main body can be attached to the occupant's waist. can also be restrained to restrict forward movement.

Therefore, even in the occupant protection device having such a configuration, the occupant can be quickly protected by the fully inflated airbag.

In addition, in the occupant protection device having the above configuration, if the regulation tethers are configured so that their base ends are connected to the left and right side surfaces of the upper region of the upper body restraint surface in the bag body, it is possible to Since the forward movement of the upper area on the left and right side sides can be accurately restricted by the regulating tether, the bag body can be more stably pulled toward the rear side, which is the passenger side, and the inflation It is preferable that the upper body restraint surface disposed on the rear side of the bag body when completed can be disposed so as to be wide and stable in the vertical direction and close to the passenger side.

Specifically, in the occupant protection device having the above configuration, the bag main body has an approximately triangular prism shape with the axial direction substantially parallel to the left-right direction when the bag body is fully inflated, and is placed on the front side away from the occupant when the bag body is fully inflated. a rear upper wall and a rear lower wall that are disposed on the passenger side when the inflation is completed, and a left wall and a right wall that are disposed facing each other on the left and right sides when the inflation is completed. The configuration is such that
The upper body restraint surface is composed of the rear upper wall part,
The thigh contact surface is composed of the posterior lower wall,
The bag body is formed by joining the peripheral edges of two base materials, the passenger side panel and the front side panel, to each other,
the passenger side panel,
an upper part that constitutes the upper rear wall and the upper rear region of the left wall and the right wall;
A lower part that constitutes the lower rear wall and the lower rear area of the left wall and the right wall;
The configuration has the following:
The front panel includes a front wall and a front region of the left wall and the right wall,
Preferably, the proximal end of each regulation tether is coupled to a region of a coupling site that couples the peripheral edges of the front panel and the upper section to each other.

If the occupant protection device has the above configuration, the proximal end of each regulation tether is connected not to the peripheral wall of the bag body that is inflated by flowing inflation gas into the inside, but to the outer peripheral edges of the base materials forming the peripheral wall. Since they are bonded to the area of the bonding site where they are bonded, it is possible to stabilize the bonding state of the proximal end of each regulation tether to the bag body side when the airbag is inflated, and the regulation tethers prevent the inflation from occurring. The position of the bag body upon completion can be stably regulated. In addition, the connection part of the base end of the regulation tether to the bag body is formed in the area where the expanding peripheral walls of the bag body are joined together, rather than in the area of the single peripheral wall where there is a risk of gas leakage. Therefore, the base end of the regulation tether can be coupled to the bag body while suppressing the risk of gas leakage.

Furthermore, in the occupant protection device having the above configuration, the airbag is provided with a rear tether disposed on the rear side of the bag body,
The rear tether is configured such that its base end is connected to the rear side of the upper and lower intermediate portion of the bag body when inflation is completed, and its tip extending downward from the base end is connected to the lap belt side, It is preferable that the length dimension is set to a dimension that allows the connecting portion that connects the proximal ends of the bag body to be pulled toward the lap belt side.

If the occupant protection device has such a configuration, in addition to the regulation by the pair of left and right regulation tethers, the position of the bag body when inflation is completed can be regulated by the rear tether. Specifically, in the occupant protection device configured as described above, the rear tether connects the base end to the upper and lower middle portions on the rear side of the bag body, and the connecting portion of the bag body connects the base end to the upper and lower middle portions of the bag body. (the upper and lower intermediate portions on the rear side of the bag main body) can be pulled toward the lap belt, that is, downward. Therefore, the regulation tethers extending from the left and right sides make it possible to tow the bag body to the rear, which is the passenger side, in a well-balanced manner. The upper body restraint surface to be arranged can be arranged so as to be close to the passenger side, and in particular, the upper body restraint surface can be arranged so that the upper end side area is far away from the passenger forwardly. It can be suppressed. As a result, in the occupant protection device configured as described above, when the airbag completes inflation, the upper body restraining surface can quickly and stably restrain the occupant's upper body.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a seat equipped with an occupant protection device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the seat of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a front view of the seat of FIG. 1, showing a state in which a seat belt is attached. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the airbag used in the occupant protection device of FIG. 1 is inflated alone. FIG. 5 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the airbag of FIG. 4, showing the state before and after the tip of the regulation tether is sewn to the belt attachment portion. FIG. 2 is a front view of the seat in a state where the airbag has completed inflation in the occupant protection device of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side view of the seat in a state where the airbag has completed inflation in the occupant protection device of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a state in which a fully inflated airbag restrains an occupant in the occupant protection device of the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a front view of the seat in a state where the airbag has completed inflation in the occupant protection device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a side view of the seat in a state where the airbag has completed inflation in the occupant protection device of the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the seat in a state where the airbag has completed inflation in the occupant protection device of the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a front view of a seat in a state where the airbag has completed inflation in another example of the occupant protection device using an airbag. FIG. 13 is a side view of the seat in a state where the airbag has completed inflation in the occupant protection device of FIG. 12; FIG. 7 is a side view of a seat in a state where the airbag has completed inflation in yet another example of an occupant protection device using an airbag. 15 is a plan view of the seat in a state where the airbag has completed inflation in the occupant protection device using the airbag shown in FIG. 14. FIG. 15 is a partially enlarged sectional view taken along the line XVI-XVI in FIG. 14. FIG. FIG. 15 is a plan view in which a base material and a regulation tether that constitute a bag body in the airbag shown in FIG. 14 are arranged side by side.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In the embodiment, the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions correspond to the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions of the seat, unless otherwise specified.

First, the occupant protection device S1 of the first embodiment will be explained. The occupant protection device S1 of the first embodiment is mounted on a seat 1 of a vehicle, and has a configuration including a seat belt 7, an airbag 25, and an inflator 17, as shown in FIGS. ing. The seat 1 includes a backrest 2 and a seat 3.

The seat belt 7 is configured to include a belt body 8 for restraining the occupant MP seated on the seat 1, a tongue plate 12 attached to the belt body 8, and a buckle 13 for connecting the tongue plate 12. ing. The belt body 8 has one end locked to a winding shaft of a retractor (not shown) disposed within the backrest 2, and the other end thereof as an anchor member disposed to the left of the rear end of the seat 3 of the seat 1. 14 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Specifically, the belt main body 8 is arranged so as to be exposed to the outside from the upper left edge side of the backrest portion 2, and in the case of the embodiment, when the occupant is not seated, the belt main body 8 is In addition, the lap belt 10 in which the airbag 25 is housed is exposed on the front surface of the backrest portion 2. The belt main body 8 includes a lap belt 10 and a shoulder belt 9 stored in the backrest portion 2, and when the passenger is seated, the tongue plate 12 is connected to the buckle 13, and the anchor member 14 and the buckle 13 are connected to each other. The lower body MD (lumbar region) of the occupant MP is restrained by a lap belt 10 arranged substantially along the left-right direction between the shoulder belt 10 and a shoulder belt extending from the left edge of the upper end of the backrest part 2 and arranged diagonally around the buckle 13. 9 restrains the upper body MU (from the shoulders to the chest) of the occupant MP (see FIG. 3). Specifically, when the occupant MP is not seated, the lap belt 10 is exposed on the front surface of the backrest portion 2 on the left edge 2a side of the backrest portion 2, approximately along the vertical direction, as shown in FIG. has been done.

The inflator 17 is disposed at a position below the seat surface of the seat portion 3 of the seat 1. In the case of the embodiment, the inflator 17 includes an inflator main body 18 (details not shown) and a pipe section 19 extending from the inflator main body 18 and supplying inflation gas to the airbag 25, as shown in FIG. ing. The pipe portion 19 extends from the inflator main body 18 and is disposed so that its tip is located near the boundary between the seat portion 3 and the backrest portion 2 on the left side of the seat 1. , and is configured to be connected to a conduit section 40 of the airbag 25, which will be described later, using a clamp 20 (see FIG. 7).

The airbag 25 is a bag-shaped bag made of a flexible sheet, and as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, it is connected to a bag body 26 and an inflator 17 to inflate the bag body 26. The bag includes a conduit section 40 through which a gas flows in, a belt attachment section 42 for connecting the bag body 26 to the lap belt 10, and a regulating tether 45 that regulates the position of the bag body 26 when inflation is completed. In the case of the embodiment, the airbag 25 is constructed by folding the bag main body 26 and the regulation tether 45 into a long shape and stacking them on the top surface of the lap belt 10 when the seat belt 7 is worn. They are arranged in 10 areas (see FIG. 3). That is, in the uninstalled state as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the airbag 25 (folded bag body 26, regulation tether 45, and conduit section 40) is attached to the back side of the lap belt 10 (backrest section 2 side). It is located in . In the case of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the folded airbag 25 and the lap belt 10 are integrally covered with a cover 22 that can be broken when the airbag 25 is deployed and inflated. .

In the case of the embodiment, the bag main body 26 has an approximately triangular prism shape with the axial direction substantially parallel to the left-right direction, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the bag body 26 is fully inflated. To explain in detail, the bag main body 26 has a substantially right-angled triangular shape with an oblique side on the front when viewed from the left and right sides, and when inflated when viewed from the front and rear sides. It is configured so that the completed shape is a substantially rectangular shape with a wider width at the top and bottom (see FIGS. 6 and 7). The bag main body 26 includes a front wall portion 27 disposed on the front side away from the occupant MP when inflation is completed, a rear upper wall portion 28 and a rear lower wall portion 29 that are disposed on the occupant MP side when inflation is completed, and It is configured to include a left wall portion 30 and a right wall portion 31 that are arranged to face each other in the left-right direction (see FIGS. 4 and 5). In the bag main body 26 of the embodiment, the rear lower wall portion 29 constitutes a thigh contact surface 36 that can come into contact with the thigh MT of the occupant MP when inflation is completed, and the rear upper wall portion 28 An upper body restraint surface 37 is arranged in front of the occupant MP and capable of restraining the upper body MU (from the chest MB to the head MH) of the occupant MP upon completion of inflation. Specifically, in the case of the embodiment, the bag body 26 has a width dimension in the left-right direction when the inflation is completed that is smaller than the backrest portion 2 of the seat 1, and is capable of stably protecting the upper body MU of the occupant MP. , is configured to be equivalent to the upper body MU (see FIG. 6). Moreover, the rear upper wall part 28 and the rear lower wall part 29 are arranged so as to be substantially orthogonal to each other, and the rear lower wall part 29 (femoral contact surface 36) has a front end 29a that is In this case, the upper end 28a of the rear upper wall portion 28 (upper body restraining surface 37) is located in front of the occupant MP's head MH in the case of the embodiment. (See FIG. 7). The bag main body 26 is provided with vent holes 33 in the left wall portion 30 and right wall portion 31 for exhausting excess inflation gas that has flowed into the inside. In addition, the bag body 26 is communicated with the conduit portion 40 through a communication hole (not shown in the figure) at the rear lower end side (the rear end 29b side portion of the rear lower wall portion 29) when inflation is completed. (See Figure 5).

The conduit part 40 is configured to extend leftward from the bag body 26 with the base side disposed on the rear lower end side of the bag body 26, and has a substantially cylindrical shape with an open end 40a side. It is connected to the pipe portion 19 of the inflator 17, and is arranged substantially along the left-right direction so as to substantially follow the lap belt 10 when the airbag 25 completes inflation. The conduit portion 40 is configured such that the tip 40a side thereof is connected to the pipe portion 19 of the inflator 17 using the clamp 20 as described above. Further, in the case of the embodiment, the area near the tip 40a of the conduit portion 40 is configured such that the outer surface side (the left side surface side in the embodiment) is pressed down by a pressing member 15 extending from the sheet 1 side (Fig. (see 7). A belt attachment part 42 for connecting the bag body 26 to the lap belt 10 is arranged on the lower surface side of the region on the base side of the conduit part 40, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The belt attachment portion 42 has a substantially cylindrical shape with both ends open so that the lap belt 10 can be inserted therethrough (see FIG. 4).

The regulation tether 45 is disposed on the rear side of the bag body 26, and connects its base end 45a to the rear side of the upper and lower middle portion of the bag body 26 when inflation is completed, and extends downward from the base end 45a. The extending tip 45b is connected to the lap belt 10 side using a connecting portion 45c (see FIGS. 4 and 5). Specifically, the regulation tether 45 has a substantially trapezoidal shape that is wide at the proximal end 45a side and narrows toward the distal end 45b side, and specifically, the width dimension on the proximal end 45a side is as follows: It is set to about 1/3 of the width dimension of the bag body 26 in the left-right direction (see FIG. 6). The regulation tether 45 has a base end that is arranged substantially along the left-right direction, with the left-right center substantially matching the left-right center of the bag body 26 (the left-right center of the rear upper wall portion 28). 45a is sewn over its entire length to the center portion 28b of the rear upper wall portion 28, which is approximately at the vertical center on the rear side of the bag body 26, using a suture thread. Further, the regulating tether 45 is configured to be connected to the lap belt 10 side as a connecting portion 45c by sewing the tip 45b to the belt attaching portion 42. Specifically, the distal end 45b (connection portion 45c) of the regulation tether 45 is sewn (connected) to the vicinity of the rear end of the belt attachment portion 42 using a suture thread (see FIG. 4). As shown in A of FIG. 5, this regulation tether 45 has a length dimension (separation distance between the base end 45a and the tip 45b (connection portion 45c)) of the airbag body 26 when the airbag 25 is fully inflated. The connecting portion (center portion 28b of the rear upper wall portion 28) that connects the proximal ends 45a is set to a size that allows it to be pulled toward the lap belt 10 side. Specifically, in the case of the embodiment, the regulation tether 45 has a length L1 extending from the central portion 28b to the conduit portion 40 in a cross section along the front-rear direction of the bag body 26 in a singly inflated state. It is configured to be smaller than the film length L2 (see A in FIG. 5). As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the bag body 26 is constructed by sewing the connecting portion 45c on the distal end 45b side of the regulating tether 45 to the belt attaching portion 42, thereby attaching the central portion 28b to the regulating tether 45. It is pulled toward the lap belt 10 side (belt attachment part 42 side), and the rear upper wall part 28 is moved in the vertical direction compared to the state before the tip 45b (connection part 45c) is sewn to the belt attachment part 42. They will be arranged at an angle so that they are approximately parallel to each other.

In the occupant protection device S1 of the first embodiment, when the inflator 17 is operated while mounted on a vehicle, the inflation gas discharged from the inflator 17 flows into the bag body 26 through the conduit portion 40. The bag body 26 breaks the cover 22 and protrudes forward and upward from the lap belt 10, completing the inflation as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3 and FIGS. 6 and 7.

In the occupant protection device S1 of the first embodiment, when the airbag 25 is fully inflated, the fully inflated bag body 26 can be towed to the rear side toward the occupant MP by the regulation tether 45. It is possible to suppress the bag main body 26 from expanding away from the occupant MP. Specifically, in the occupant protection device S1 of the first embodiment, the regulation tether 45 has a base end 45a connected to an upper and lower intermediate region on the rear side of the bag body 26, and this base end 45a Since the connecting portion of the bag main body 26 being connected (that is, in the case of the embodiment, the central portion 28b of the rear upper wall portion 28 of the bag main body 26) is pulled toward the lap belt 10 side, that is, toward the downward direction, As shown in FIG. 7, the upper body restraining surface 37 disposed on the rear side of the bag body 26 when inflation is completed can be disposed close to the passenger MP side, and in particular, the upper body restraining surface 37 can be disposed close to the passenger MP side. It is possible to prevent the region on the side (the upper end 28a side of the rear upper wall portion 28) from being arranged so as to be far away from the occupant MP forwardly. Therefore, the upper body restraining surface 37 can quickly restrain the upper body MU of the occupant MP. When the upper body MU is restrained by the upper body restraining surface 37, the bag main body 26 brings the thigh contact surface 36 on the lower surface side into contact with the upper surface of the thigh MT of the occupant MP, while the upper body MU of the occupant MP is restrained. It will be placed in front of the As a result, the bag body 26 is supported by the thigh MT over a wide area of the thigh contact surface 36, so that it is suppressed from falling down or compressed, and the upper body MU (from the chest MB to the head) of the occupant MP is suppressed. MH) can be accurately restrained by the upper body restraining surface 37 (see FIG. 8). Incidentally, in the case of a configuration in which no restriction tether is provided, the rear upper wall portion 28' of the bag main body 26' is arranged to be inclined so that the upper end faces forward, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. It happens.

Therefore, in the occupant protection device S1 of the first embodiment, the occupant MP can be quickly protected by the fully inflated airbag 25.

Next, an occupant protection device S2, which is a second embodiment of the present invention, will be explained. In the occupant protection device S2 of the second embodiment, the constituent members other than the airbag 48 have the same configuration as the above-mentioned occupant protection device S1, and the same members are given the same reference numerals and detailed explanations are given. The explanation will be omitted. As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the airbag 48 includes a bag body 26, a conduit portion 40 that is connected to the inflator 17 and allows inflation gas to flow into the bag body 26, and connects the bag body 26 to the lap belt 10. The bag body 26 is provided with a belt attaching portion (not shown) for controlling the bag body 26, and regulating tethers 50L and 50R that regulate the position of the bag body 26 when the inflation is completed. The airbag 48 has the same configuration as the airbag 25 in the occupant protection system S1 described above, except for the regulation tethers 50L and 50R, so the same members will be given the same reference numerals and detailed explanations will be given. Omitted.

The regulation tethers 50L and 50R are arranged as a left and right pair with substantially the same external shape on both the left and right sides when the bag body 26 is fully inflated, and each has its base end 50a attached to the left and right sides of the bag body 26 when the bag body 26 is fully inflated. , and the tip 50b is connected to the side surface of the seat 1 located rearward and downward from the base end 50a (in the case of the embodiment, the boundary region between the backrest portion 2 and the seat portion 3 on the side surface side of the seat 1). (nearby). Specifically, each of the regulation tethers 50L, 50R has a substantially triangular shape that is wide at the base end 50a side and converges toward the tip 50b side (see FIGS. 9 and 10). The left wall 30 and the right wall 31 of the bag body 26 are connected to each other substantially along the rear edges 30a and 31a, respectively (see FIGS. 10 and 11). Specifically, each regulation tether 50L, 50R has a width dimension in the vertical direction on the side of the base end 50a on the rear edge 30a, 31a side of the left wall 30, right wall 31 (i.e., on the rear upper wall). 28), and the base end 50a is set to about half the lower half of the rear edge 30a, 31a of each left wall 30, right wall 31 over the entire length. It is sewn using suture thread (see Figure 10). The distal end 50b of each regulation tether 50L, 50R serves as a connecting portion 50c on the side surface of the seat 1 located rearward and downward from the base end 50a (specifically, the backrest portion 2 and the seat portion 3 on the side surface side of the seat 1). Specifically, in the embodiment, the connecting portion 50c of the tip 50b of the left regulation tether 50L is arranged on the left side of the sheet 1, and As shown in FIG. 10, the connecting portion 50c of the tip 50b of the right regulating tether 50R is connected to the pressing member 15 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) that presses the outer surface of the tip 40a of the conduit portion 40. 11, it is configured to be connected to a buckle 13 (see FIGS. 1 and 3) of the seat belt 7 arranged on the right side of the seat 1. Each of the regulation tethers 50L, 50R has a length dimension (separation distance between the base end 50a and the tip 50b (connection part 50c)) when the airbag 48 is fully inflated. The lower part 26a (see FIG. 10) is set to a size that allows the lower part 26a (see FIG. 10) to be placed close to the front side of the waist part MW of the occupant MP.

Also in the occupant protection device S2 of the second embodiment, when the airbag 48 completes inflation, the fully inflated bag body 26 is pulled to the rear side, which is the occupant MP side, by the pair of left and right regulating tethers 50L, 50R. The bag body 26 can be prevented from expanding away from the occupant MP. Specifically, in the occupant protection device S2 of the second embodiment, the restriction tethers 50L and 50R are arranged to extend from both left and right sides of the bag body 26, and connect the tip 50b (connection portion 50c) to the base end 50a. Since it is configured to be connected to the side surface side of the seat 1 disposed rearwardly downward from The forward movement of the bag body 26 can be accurately regulated by the regulating tethers 50L and 50R (see FIG. 11), and the bag body 26 can be pulled rearward toward the passenger MP side with good left and right balance. The upper body restraining surface 37 that is placed on the rear side of the bag body 26 when completed can be placed close to the occupant MP side. Further, when the bag body 26 is fully inflated, the thigh contact surface 36 on the lower side is in contact with the upper surface of the thigh MT of the occupant MP, and the bag body 26 is placed in front of the upper body MU of the occupant MP. Become. Therefore, since the bag main body 26 is supported by the thigh MT over a wide area of the thigh contact surface 36, collapse and compression are suppressed, and the upper body of the occupant MP (from the chest MB to the head MH) is supported by the thigh MT. ) can be accurately restrained by the upper body restraining surface 37. Furthermore, in the occupant protection device S2 of the second embodiment, the regulating tethers 50L and 50R have their tips 50b connected to the side surfaces of the seat 1, so that they can also regulate the position of the bag body 26 relative to the seat 1, thereby preventing inflation. By the completed bag body 26, the waist MW of the occupant MP can also be restrained so as to restrict forward movement.

Therefore, in the occupant protection device S2 of the second embodiment as well, the occupant MP can be quickly protected by the fully inflated airbag 48.

Furthermore, in the occupant protection device S2 of the second embodiment, the bag body 26 and the conduit portion 40 are attached to the lap belt 10 by the belt attaching portion 42 so as to be slightly movable relative to the lap belt 10. Regulation tethers 50L and 50R extending from the left and right side surfaces of the bag body 26 and having their tips 50b connected to the seat 1 side can also finely adjust (center) the left and right position of the bag body 26 relative to the occupant MP when the bag body 26 is fully inflated. ,can.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the airbag 48A may be configured to include a rear tether 45A on the rear side of the bag body 26 in addition to the regulation tethers 50L and 50R. good. This rear tether 45A has the same configuration as the regulation tether 45 disposed on the airbag 25 described above. If the airbag 48A has such a configuration, in addition to the regulation by the pair of left and right regulation tethers 50L and 50R, the position of the bag body 26 when inflation is completed can be regulated by the rear tether 45A. Specifically, in the airbag 48A having such a configuration, the rear tether connects the proximal end 45a to the upper and lower intermediate region on the rear side of the bag body 26 (the central region 28b of the rear upper wall portion 28). 45A, it is possible to pull the connecting part of the bag main body 26 that connects the base end 45a (the central part 28b of the rear upper wall part 28 of the bag main body 26) toward the lap belt 10, that is, downward. . Therefore, in addition to being able to tow the bag body 26 to the rear side, which is the passenger MP side, in a well-balanced manner on the left and right sides by the regulating tethers 50L and 50R extending from the left and right side sides, the rear tether 45A also allows The upper body restraining surface 37 disposed on the rear side of the bag body 26 can be disposed close to the occupant MP side, and in particular, the upper end side area of the upper body restraining surface 37 can be extended forward from the occupant MP. It is possible to prevent them from being arranged so as to be separated from each other. As a result, in the airbag 48A, the upper body restraining surface 37 can quickly and stably restrain the upper body MU of the occupant MP upon completion of inflation.

Furthermore, the configuration shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 may be used as the airbag 48B. Like the airbag 48 described above, the airbag 48B includes a bag body 26B, a conduit portion 40, a belt portion (not shown) for connecting the bag body 26B to the lap belt 10, and a It includes regulation tethers 50BL and 50BR that regulate the position.

The bag body 26B has a configuration similar to that of the bag body 26 of the airbag 25 in the occupant protection device S1 described above, and has a substantially triangular prism shape with the axial direction substantially parallel to the left-right direction when the inflation is completed. A front wall portion 27B disposed on the front side away from the occupant MP when inflation is completed, and a rear upper wall portion 28B and a rear lower wall portion 29B disposed on the occupant MP side when inflation is completed, and facing each other on the left and right sides when inflation is complete. It is configured to include a left wall portion 30B and a right wall portion 31B that are arranged as follows. Also in this bag body 26B, the rear lower wall portion 29B constitutes the thigh contact surface 36B, and the rear upper wall portion 28B constitutes the upper body restraint surface 37B.

The bag main body 26B is formed by joining together the peripheral edges of a base fabric having a predetermined shape, and in the case of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, it is composed of two passenger-side panels 60 and a front-side panel 64. ing.

The passenger side panel 60 is disposed on the passenger MP side when inflation is completed, and constitutes a portion from the thigh contact surface 36B to the upper body restraint surface 37B, and is located on the rear upper wall portion 28B of the bag body 26B when inflation is completed. It mainly comprises the area from the rear lower wall portion 29B. Specifically, the passenger side panel 60 mainly includes a lower portion 62 that constitutes the thigh contact surface 36B (rear lower wall portion 29B) and an upper body restraint surface 37B (rear upper wall portion 28B). An upper part 61 that constitutes the upper part 61 is provided. In detail, the lower part 62 constitutes the rear lower wall part 29B and the lower rear area of the left wall part 30B and the right wall part 31B, and the upper part 61 comprises the rear upper wall part 28B, It constitutes the upper rear region of the left wall portion 30B and the right wall portion 31B, both of which have a substantially hexagonal outer shape. The passenger side panel 60 has an external shape in which the lower part 62 and the upper part 61 are connected at one side located on the rear end side when the inflation is completed, and the lower part 62 and the upper part 61 is symmetrical with respect to the connecting portion 60a (see FIG. 17).

The front panel 64 mainly constitutes the front wall 27B of the bag main body 26B when inflation is completed, and in detail, the front wall 27B, the front area of the left wall 30B and the right wall 31B, It consists of The front panel 64 has an outer shape that is formed by connecting the remaining edges (front edges 61c, 62c) of the passenger side panel 60, which are the rear left edges 61a and 62a and the rear right edges 61b and 62b, respectively. It has a hexagonal shape that substantially coincides with the lower part 62 and the upper part 61 which are opened so as to be separated from each other.

The bag body 26B is constructed by folding back the upper part 61 and the lower part 62 of the passenger side panel 60 at the connecting part 60a so that their peripheral edges coincide with each other, so that the rear left edges 61a and 62a are mutually connected, and the rear right edge 61b is folded back. , 62b are sewn (joined) together using a suture thread to form lateral joint parts 54, 54, respectively, and then the remaining front edges 61c, 62c are separated from each other. The front panel 64 in the flattened state is stacked on the upper part 61 and the lower part 62 in the opened state, and the front edges 61c, 62c and the outer peripheral edge 64 of the front panel 64 are connected to the upper joining part 52. It is formed by sewing (joining) using a suture thread so as to form a lower joint part 53 (see FIGS. 14, 15, and 17). In addition, in the bag body 26B of the embodiment, the upper joining part 52, the lower joining part 53, and the side joining parts 54, 54, which are formed by joining the peripheral edges of the passenger side panel 60 and the front side panel 64, are respectively , the connecting margins 52a, 53a, and 54a are exposed on the outer peripheral surface side of the bag body 26B (see FIGS. 14 to 16).

The regulation tethers 50BL and 50BR are arranged as a left and right pair with substantially the same external shape on the left and right sides of the bag main body 26B when the inflation is completed, and each of the regulation tethers 50BL and 50BR has its base end 50a connected to the bag main body when the inflation is completed. 26B, and is configured to be connected to the left and right side surfaces in the upper region of the upper body restraining surface 37B. Specifically, each regulation tether 50BL, 50BR connects the base end 50a to the outer peripheral edge 64a of the front panel 64 and the front edge 61c of the upper part 61 at the end 52b of the upper connecting part 52. The structure is such that it is connected to a nearby area (see FIGS. 16 and 17). Specifically, in the case of the embodiment, the proximal ends 50a of each of the regulation tethers 50BL, 50BR are connected using a suture thread, with connecting portions 55L, 55R provided in the region of the connecting margin 52a of the upper connecting portion 52. are sewn (joined) together. That is, the regulation tethers 50BL, 50BR have their proximal ends 50a located in front and above the regulation tethers 50L, 50R in the airbag 48, and are located in the left wall part 30B and the right wall part 31B. The structure is such that the connection is made at approximately the center of the top, bottom, front and rear of the screen. The distal ends 50b of the regulation tethers 50BL and 50BR are connected to the side surface of the seat 1 similarly to the regulation tethers 50L and 50R in the airbag 48 described above.

When the airbag 48B having such a configuration is used, the regulation tethers 50BL and 50BR connect the base ends 50a to the left and right side surfaces of the upper region of the upper body restraint surface 37B in the bag body 26B, respectively. Therefore, the forward movement of the upper region on the left and right sides of the bag body 26B can be accurately restricted by the restriction tethers 50BL and 50BR, and the bag body 26B can be further stabilized. The upper body restraint surface 37B, which can be towed to the rear side that is the occupant MP side, and which is disposed on the rear side of the bag body 26B when inflation is completed, is arranged so as to be wide and stable vertically and close to the occupant MP side. be able to.

Furthermore, in the airbag 48B having the above configuration, the base end 50a of each regulation tether 50BL, 50BR is connected to the peripheral wall (left wall portion 30B, right wall portion 31B) that is inflated by causing inflation gas to flow into the inside of the bag body 26B. Rather, the peripheral edges (front edge 61c and outer peripheral edge 64a) of the front panel 64, which is a base material forming the peripheral wall (left wall portion 30B, right wall portion 31B), and the upper portion 61 of the passenger side panel 60 ) Since they are connected to the region of the upper connecting portion 52 that connects them to each other, the state of connection of the base end 50a of each regulation tether 50BL, 50BR to the bag body 26B side when the airbag 48B is inflated can be checked. By the regulating tethers 50BL and 50BR, the position of the bag main body 26B at the time of completion of inflation can be stably regulated. In addition, the connection parts 55L and 55R of the proximal ends 50a of the regulation tethers 50BL and 50BR to the bag body 26B are not parts of a single peripheral wall where there is a risk of gas leakage, but are connected to each other of the expanding peripheral walls of the bag body 26B. Since it is formed in the region of the upper coupling portion 52, the base ends 50a of the regulation tethers 50BL, 50BR can be coupled to the bag body 26B while suppressing the risk of gas leakage. In addition, in the embodiment, the base ends 50a of the regulation tethers 50BL, 50BR are sewn to form bonding portions 55L, 55R in the bonding margin 52a region of the upper bonding portion 52 after manufacturing the bag body 26B. However, the base end of the regulation tether may be connected to the bag body by co-sewing when the bag body is manufactured (when the peripheral edges of the passenger side panel and the front side panel are joined to each other).

In the airbags 25 and 48A of the embodiment, the regulation tether 45 (rear tether 45A) has a substantially trapezoidal outer shape, and the wide base end 45a is aligned substantially in the left-right direction. Although the main body 26 is connected to the central portion 28b, which is approximately in the vertical center of the rear upper wall portion 28, the external shape of the restriction tether (rear tether) and the connection position with respect to the bag body may vary depending on implementation. It is not limited to the form. When the airbag is fully inflated, if the connecting position of the bag body connecting the base end can be pulled smoothly toward the lap belt, the connecting position of the regulation tether (rear tether) to the bag body is , it may be above or below the center of the top and bottom. Further, the outer shape of the regulation tether (rear tether) is not limited to a trapezoid, but may be, for example, a substantially band-like shape with the width dimension being substantially the same over the entire length. However, since the airbags 25 and 48A of the embodiment are configured to receive the head MH of the occupant MP at the upper end 28a side of the rear upper wall portion 28 when inflation is completed, the restriction tether 45 (rear side tether 45A) It is preferable that the base end 45a of the head MH is not connected to the area that contacts the head MH. Further, from the viewpoint of stably pulling the connecting portion of the bag body downward, it is preferable that the regulating tether (rear tether) has a somewhat wide base end side.

Furthermore, in the airbags 25 and 48A of the embodiment, the connection portion 45c on the tip 45b side of the regulation tether 45 is sewn (connected) to the belt attachment portion 42 through which the lap belt 10 is inserted. The connection position on the distal end side of the regulation tether is not limited to the embodiment, and for example, it may be configured to be connected to the region on the base side of the conduit portion, and furthermore, a cylindrical connection means may be separately provided. It may also be configured to be directly connected to the lap belt by inserting the lap belt therethrough.

Furthermore, in the airbags 48, 48A of the embodiment, the regulation tethers 50L, 50R have a substantially triangular shape with the base end 50a side widened vertically, and the base end 50a is connected to the left wall part 30 of the bag body 26, In the vicinity of the rear edges 30a and 31a of the right wall portion 31, the regulation tethers 50BL and 50BR are configured to be connected to a region approximately in the lower half of the airbag 48B. The left wall portion 30B and the right wall portion 31B are configured to be connected at approximately the center in the front and back and up and down directions. However, the external shape of the regulation tether and the connection position with respect to the bag body are not limited to the embodiment. If it is possible to accurately restrict the forward movement of both the left and right edges of the rear surface of the bag body when inflation is complete, for example, the base end of the restriction tether can be moved away from the rear edges of the left and right walls of the bag body. Alternatively, the regulation tether may have a substantially band-like outer shape, and its base end may be connected to the upper and lower intermediate portions of the left wall and right wall of the bag body. You can also use it as Considering that both left and right edges of the rear surface of the bag body can be stably pulled rearward and downward when inflation is completed, the base end of the regulation tether can be connected near the rear edges of the left and right walls. ,preferable. In addition, considering that the forward movement of the waist can be stably restricted by the region on the rear lower end side of the bag body when inflation is completed, the base end of the regulation tether is connected to the lower end side of the side surface of the bag body. It is preferable to let

Furthermore, in the airbags 48, 48A, 48B of the embodiment, the distal ends 50b (connection portions 50c) of the regulation tethers 50L, 50R, 50BL, 50BR are connected to the buckle 3 of the seat belt 7 and the distal end 40a of the conduit portion 40, respectively. Although the configuration is such that the connecting member that connects the distal end side of the regulation tether is connected to the presser member 15 that presses the side, the connecting member that connects the distal end side of the regulation tether is not limited to the embodiment. It may also be configured to be directly connected to the connecting member that is formed.

In addition, in the embodiment, the bag bodies 26, 26B of the airbags 25, 48, 48A, 48B have a substantially triangular prism shape with the axial direction substantially parallel to the left-right direction, so that the airbag When the inflation of the bag bodies 25, 48, 48A, and 48B is completed, even when the occupant MP moves the upper body MU significantly closer to the lower body MD, the bag bodies 26, 26B keep the upper body restraining surfaces 37, 37B in contact with the thighs. Compression that would cause the bags to approach the surfaces 36, 36B and collapse will be suppressed, and the upper body MU of the occupant MP can be accurately restrained by the bag bodies 26, 26B. The fully inflated shape of the airbag is not limited to the embodiment as long as it has a thigh abutting surface and an upper body restraining surface, and for example, the shape of the airbag when viewed from the left and right sides. You may use the one whose expanded shape is approximately L-shaped plate shape.

1... Seat, 2... Backrest, 3... Seat, 7... Seat belt, 20... Lap belt, 17... Inflator, 25, 48, 48A, 48B... Air bag, 26, 26B... Bag body, 28, 28B... Rear upper wall part, 28b...Central side part (connection part), 29, 29B...Rear lower wall part, 30, 30B...Left wall part, 31, 31B...Right wall part, 36, 36B...Thigh contact surface , 37, 37B...Upper body restraint surface, 42...Belt attachment part, 45...Regulation tether, 45A...Rear side tether, 45a...Base end, 45b...Tip, 45c...Connection part, 50L, 50R, 50BL, 50BR...Regulation Tether, 50a... Base end, 50b... Tip, 50c... Connecting part, 52... Upper joining part, 52a... Joining allowance, 60... Passenger side panel, 61... Upper part, 62... Lower part, 64... Front side panel, MP...Occupant, MU...Upper body, MD...Lower body, MT...Thigh, S1, S2...Occupant protection device.

Claims (5)

An occupant protection device for protecting an occupant seated in a seat,
seat belt and
In the seatbelt, an airbag is disposed in a region of a lap belt that restrains the waist of the occupant when worn, and inflates to cover the front of the occupant when activated;
It is configured to include
The airbag has a bag body that inflates to protrude forward and upward by allowing inflation gas to flow into the airbag when activated, a regulating tether that regulates the position of the bag body when inflation is completed, and an inflator connected to the bag body. and a conduit portion for allowing inflation gas to flow into the bag body; and a belt attachment portion for connecting the bag body to a lap belt ;
The conduit portion has a base side disposed on the rear lower end side of the bag body, and is disposed so as to extend leftward or rightward from the bag body so as to substantially follow the lap belt,
The belt attachment part is disposed on the lower surface side of the base side region of the conduit part,
The bag body has a thigh contacting surface capable of coming into contact with the thigh of the occupant on the lower side when the inflation is completed, and restrains the upper body of the occupant on the rear side when the inflation is completed. It is configured to have a possible upper body restraint surface,
The regulation tether connects its base end to the rear side of the upper and lower intermediate portions of the bag body when inflation is completed, and connects the tip extending downward from the base end to the belt attachment portion or the conduit. The bag body is configured to be connected to a region on the base side of the bag body, and the length dimension is set to a dimension that allows a connecting portion that connects the base end of the bag body to be pulled toward the lap belt side. An occupant protection device characterized by: An occupant protection device for protecting an occupant seated in a seat,
seat belt and
In the seatbelt, an airbag is disposed in a region of a lap belt that restrains the waist of the occupant when worn, and inflates to cover the front of the occupant when activated;
It is configured to include
The airbag includes a bag body that inflates to protrude forward and upward by allowing inflation gas to flow into the airbag when activated, and a regulating tether that regulates the position of the bag body when inflation is completed. It is said that
The bag body has a thigh contacting surface capable of coming into contact with the thigh of the occupant on the lower side when the inflation is completed, and restrains the upper body of the occupant on the rear side when the inflation is completed. It is configured to provide a possible upper body restraint surface,
The regulation tethers are disposed on both left and right sides of the bag body when the inflation is completed, and their base ends are connected to the side surfaces of the bag body when the inflation is complete, and their tips are connected to the base ends. An occupant protection device characterized in that it is configured to be connected to a side surface of the seat disposed rearward and downward from the seat. 3. The regulation tether is configured such that its base end is connected to left and right side surfaces of an upper region of the upper body restraint surface in the bag body, respectively. Occupant protection equipment as described. The bag main body has a substantially triangular prism shape with the axial direction substantially parallel to the left-right direction when the inflation is completed, and a front wall portion disposed on the front side away from the occupant when the inflation is completed; It is configured to include a rear upper wall part and a rear lower wall part arranged on the passenger side, and a left wall part and a right wall part arranged facing each other in the left and right direction when inflation is completed,
The upper body restraining surface is composed of the rear upper wall portion,
The thigh contact surface is composed of the rear lower wall portion,
The bag main body is formed by joining the peripheral edges of two base materials, a passenger side panel and a front side panel,
The passenger side panel is
an upper part that constitutes the upper rear wall and the upper rear region of the left wall and the right wall;
a lower portion that constitutes the lower rear wall portion and the lower rear region of the left wall portion and the right wall portion;
It is configured to have
The front panel constitutes the front wall and a front region of the left wall and the right wall,
3. Each of the regulating tethers is configured to have a base end coupled to a region of a coupling portion that couples peripheral edges of the front panel and the upper portion to each other. Occupant protection device described in . The airbag is configured to include a rear tether disposed on the rear side of the bag body,
The rear tether has a base end connected to the rear side of the upper and lower intermediate portions of the bag main body when inflation is completed, and a tip extending downward from the base end connected to the lap belt side. Claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the length dimension is set to a dimension that allows a connection portion of the bag body that connects the base end to be pulled toward the lap belt side. The occupant protection device according to any one of the items.

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