JPH06262994A - Inflatable seat belt device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a seat belt device equipped with an inflating body in the belt part, with which it is possible to inflate and spread the inflating body into a proper shape. CONSTITUTION:The inflated shape of a tube 22 and knit cloth 23 of an inflating structure when it is operating for inflating and spreading, is adjusted by varying the sewing-together strength of a cloth cover 20. The sewing of the cover joint part is weakened (20a) in the areas in contact with the breast of a driver/ passenger and its neighborhood, and it is arranged so that little elongation takes place in the direction of knit longitude while elongation is made free in the unsewn condition in the direction of knit lattitude. The sewing of the joint part is strengthened in the areas not contacting 20b so that the elongation of the knit is checked in both direction along the longitude and lattitude of the knit cloth.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inflatable seatbelt device, and in particular, a part of webbing of a seatbelt device mounted so as to restrain an occupant is formed of a bag-shaped inflatable structure. The present invention relates to an inflatable seat belt device which is normally held in a belt shape at the time of wearing and is inflated to a predetermined shape by a gas ejected from a gas generating means connected at the time of a vehicle collision or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Currently, a seat belt device is an indispensable device for automobiles and the like as a device for restraining an occupant's abrupt movement caused by an acceleration or an impact force generated in a collision to ensure the occupant's physical safety. This type of seat belt device is usually a webbing (hereinafter, a woven belt made of a normal fiber material having a width of about 50 mm as defined in Japanese Industrial Standards is referred to as a webbing in the present specification) and this webbing. A retractor (hereinafter, referred to as ELR :) that is wound by a spring force and is drawn inward, and locks the drawer of the webbing only when an impact is applied to restrain the occupant.
It is called Emergency Locking Retractor. ), A buckle device, a tongue, an anchor, etc., which are installed at appropriate positions for the webbing so that the webbing can be fitted to the body of the occupant.

Conventionally, in the aforementioned seat belt device, the drawer of the webbing is locked by the ELR at the time of collision,
In this state, movement of passengers is restricted.
Recently, in order to improve this occupant restraint performance,
A part of the webbing is formed in a bag shape, and when it is normally installed, this bag-shaped part is folded into a fan shape and weakly adhered to hold it in a band shape (fan hold type), or the folded part is a fastener such as a fastener. There is also proposed a seatbelt device in which the bag-shaped portion is kept in a band shape by means of a blower, and the bag-shaped portion is inflated and expanded by the gas ejected from the gas generator connected to the webbing when the impact is applied (US Pat. No. 3,863).
5, 398, etc.).

According to a seat belt device having an inflatable bag-like portion of this kind (hereinafter referred to as an inflatable seat belt device), a load acting on an occupant can be dispersed over a wider area than conventional webbing. Therefore, the load on the occupant can be reduced, and the safety can be further enhanced. The effect of the inflatable seat belt device can be expected even in the rear seat. That is, in order to install the airbag device for the occupant of the rear seat, the airbag device is usually equipped at the rear portion of the front seat. In order to properly operate the airbag device for the rear seat and effectively restrain and protect the occupant, the front seat structure must have high rigidity. For this reason, when the airbag device is provided, it is difficult to give the front seat a reclining function having a movable portion. Therefore, the inflatable seat belt device, which can be independently installed in the seat and does not have the above-mentioned restriction, is effective for the rear seat.

By the way, in the inflatable seatbelt device of the type in which the bag-shaped portion is folded to form the belt-shaped belt having the predetermined width as described above, the folding margin of the bag-shaped portion is thick and bulky, so the belt is worn by the occupant at the time of wearing. It is difficult to fit the body and it is difficult to smoothly pass through the slip guide of the pillar anchor. For this reason, the user may feel uncomfortable wearing the belt, and the wearing rate may decrease. Further, since the folded portion is adhered and fixed, there is also a problem that it is difficult for the inflated portion to deploy smoothly even if the jet gas is introduced into the bag-shaped portion during inflation and deployment.

Therefore, the applicant has already proposed an inflatable seat belt device which solves these problems (Japanese Patent Application No. 4-210353 and Japanese Patent Application No. 4-2103).
55 application). In the same application, the applicant discloses an invention in which the bag-shaped portion is configured to have a knitted fabric structure, and an invention in which a woven fabric structure having a structure in which a weft yarn (weft yarn) is sufficiently extended in the bag-shaped portion is disclosed. ing. According to these inventions, the seatbelt device is maintained in a relatively thin strip shape during normal wearing, and the bag-shaped portion can be surely and rapidly inflated and deployed in an emergency. .

FIG. 16 (a) schematically shows an example of an inflatable seat belt device in which a part of the shoulder belt has a tubular knitted fabric structure and a bag-shaped rubber tube is inserted therein. is there. Reference numeral 51 in the figure indicates a tongue, and this tongue 51 has a gas flow hole 53 inside which serves as a gas introduction port to the rubber tube in the belt 52. The gas flow hole 53 is provided in a gas generator (not shown) connected to the buckle device 54 when the tongue 51 is engaged and fastened to the buckle device 54 to fix the belt end portion 52a to the vehicle body. It is designed to communicate with the gas flow hole.

FIG. 16 (b) schematically shows a state in which a predetermined gas internal pressure is applied to the belt portion of the inflatable seat belt device having such a structure. As shown in the figure, when the internal pressure of the gas acts on the rubber tube and the tube expands, the bag-shaped knitted fabric structure that wraps the tube adjusts the overall shape to form an elongated spindle shape. In this way, the area of the belt portion in contact with the chest and the like of the occupant is increased, so that the impact applied to the human body is alleviated and the occupant can be effectively protected.

Further, the length of the belt in the longitudinal direction is reduced by ΔL due to the bag-shaped inflating portion expanding in the radial direction. As a result, it is possible to expect a pretensioning effect that further effectively protects the occupant.

[0010]

By the way, the following problems have been clarified from various model experiments and in-vehicle collision experiments of the inflatable seat belt device of the type described above, which are carried out using the full size dummy. That is, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, when a collision occurs and the movement of the dummy D is restrained in a state where the knitted fabric structure portion of the shoulder belt 52 is effectively inflated and deployed, the gas in the tube of the shoulder belt 52 becomes The shoulder belt 52 escapes from the chest position to the space side 52b between the buckle device near the floor and the waist of the dummy D and the space side 52c between the pillar anchor 55 and the shoulder of the dummy D, and the shoulder belt 52 has a gourd shape. It turned out to swell. In this state, the shoulder belt 52 corresponding to the chest position of the important dummy D does not expand to a sufficient area, and the merit of using the expander for the shoulder belt 52 cannot be utilized.

Further, since the tube expands over the entire length in the longitudinal direction, the expansion volume becomes large, the gas pressure in the tube does not rise sufficiently, and it does not expand sufficiently in the radial direction. It is small, and the above-mentioned pretensioning effect cannot be obtained sufficiently.

On the other hand, there is also a problem in mounting. That is, in the inflatable seat belt device described above,
When the belt is stored, the bag-shaped shoulder belt portion is also wound around the ELR installed at the lower position in the pillar. However, the belt portion of the knitted fabric structure is slightly thicker than the belt portion of the woven fabric structure. Therefore, it is necessary to newly equip a special ELR capable of winding such a thick knitted fabric belt. In addition, the seat belt device has an EL
A slip guide is provided on the pillar anchor portion to change the direction of the belt pulled out from the R. This slip guide has a guide opening through which the belt is inserted, but the width of the guide opening is limited to prevent twisting and reversal of the belt, and it is difficult to smoothly pass a thick belt. .

On the other hand, when the belt is simply thinned, it is possible that an occupant may feel unreliable when picking up the webbing during wearing. Therefore,
It is also necessary to maintain the shape and hardness so that some feeling can be obtained when gripping the belt. Also,
It is also necessary to consider the prevention of wear on the surface of the knitted fabric.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, to hold an appropriate inflated shape and internal pressure when restraining the movement of an occupant during inflation and deployment, and to fit at the time of wearing. An object of the present invention is to provide an inflatable seat belt device which is comfortable and has sufficient durability even when it is normally worn and used repeatedly.

[0015]

In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention is a gas generating means which is normally held in a band shape when worn and which is activated when a predetermined threshold value is exceeded. By introducing the gas generated by the inside, an expansion structure having a bag-shaped portion that expands and deploys in a substantially spindle shape, a webbing attached over the range in which the expansion structure abuts at least an occupant, and the expansion structure In an inflatable seatbelt device comprising a tongue fixed to an end portion and having a gas introduction passage from the gas generating means therein, and a buckle device to which the tongue is detachably fitted and locked, the inflatable structure is The bag-shaped portion is made of knitted fabric, and when the bag-shaped portion is inflated and deployed, the knitted fabric expands and expands in the stitch weft direction in a range in which it contacts the chest of the occupant and its vicinity, while Above range In is characterized in that it comprises an expansion limiting means for stitches weft direction of elongation is suppressed.

A second aspect of the present invention is a gas which is formed in a range in which it comes into contact with an occupant, is shaped like a belt when normally worn, and is generated by a gas generating means that operates when a predetermined threshold value is exceeded. And an expansion structure having a bag-shaped portion that expands and deploys in a substantially spindle shape, a webbing in which one end is connected to the expansion structure and the other end is accommodated in a winding means, and the expansion The structure includes a tongue that is fixed to an end portion of the structure that is not a joint end with the webbing and has a gas introduction passage from the gas generating means therein, and a buckle device to which the tongue is detachably fitted and locked. In the inflatable seat belt device, in the inflatable structure, the bag-shaped portion is made of a knitted fabric, and when the bag-shaped portion is inflated and deployed, the knitted fabric is in a range in contact with the chest of the occupant and its vicinity. Stretch in the weft direction While expanding Te, outside the range is characterized in that it comprises an expansion limiting means for stitches weft direction of elongation is suppressed.

In the above invention, the expansion regulating means is
The tubular cover is formed so as to cover the bag-shaped portion and has a joint portion extending in the longitudinal direction, and the tubular cover corresponds to a range contacting the chest of the occupant and the vicinity thereof. Is preferably dissociated by the action internal pressure of the bag-shaped portion in the expansion and deployment operation, and the joint is maintained at the joints other than the above range even during the inflation and expansion.

Further, the joint portion of the tubular cover is preferably formed by sewing. Further, the bag-shaped portion,
It is preferably formed by a circular knit structure.

In the first invention, the webbing is
One end is fixed to the tongue together with the expansion structure,
It is preferable that the other end is housed in the winding means and is formed in at least a range in which the expansion structure abuts the occupant so as to surround the webbing with the webbing as a core material.

In the above invention, the expansion structure is
It is preferable to insert a tubular expandable body that is expandable by introducing the gas into the inside.

In the first and second aspects of the invention, the expansion regulating means winds an expansion regulating portion around the surface of a tubular expandable body that can be inflated by introducing gas, and regulates the expanded shape of the tubular expandable body. It is preferable to prevent the stitches of the bag-shaped portion from extending.

[0022]

According to the first aspect of the invention, the bag-shaped portion in the inflatable structure is made of a knitted fabric, and when the bag-shaped portion is inflated and expanded by the expansion restricting means, the bag-shaped portion comes into contact with the occupant's chest and its vicinity. In the range, the knitted fabric expands and expands in the weft direction, while the expansion in the weft direction is suppressed outside the range. Therefore, when the expansion structure expands and deploys, the chest of the occupant is expanded. The movement can be restrained with a wide contact area as the center, and the expansion volume can be limited to the required capacity, so that the internal pressure of the expansion structure can be increased, and the webbing can be reliably shortened in the longitudinal direction, and as a seat belt device, The pre-tension effect can be exhibited, and the occupant can be more effectively restrained and protected.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the expansion structure is connected to the webbing of which the other end is wound and accommodated in the winding means, and the expansion structure is made to bear the tension of the webbing. Then, the bag-shaped part in the expansion structure is made of knitted fabric,
In addition, an expansion regulating means is provided, and in the range where the expansion and expansion operation of the bag-shaped part at the time of introducing the gas comes into contact with the chest of the occupant and its vicinity, the knitted fabric expands and expands in the stitch weft direction, while the range Since the expansion in the stitch weft direction is suppressed in other cases, the thickness of the expansion structure can be reduced, which improves the handleability of the belt when the belt is attached or stowed. Similarly to the above, when the expansion structure is inflated and deployed, movement can be restricted with a wide contact area centering on the chest of the occupant, and the expansion volume can be limited to the required volume, thus increasing the internal pressure of the expansion structure. As a result, the webbing can be reliably shortened in the longitudinal direction, the pretensioning effect of the seat belt device can be exhibited, and the occupant can be more effectively restrained and protected.

The expansion regulating means is constituted by a tubular cover formed so as to cover the bag-shaped portion and having a joint extending in the longitudinal direction, the tubular cover covering the chest of the occupant and its vicinity. The joint portion corresponding to the range abutting against is dissociated by the action internal pressure of the bag-shaped portion in the expansion and deployment operation, and the joint portion other than the above range is held even during the expansion and deployment, thereby facilitating the operation. It is possible to adjust the expansion shape and the expansion volume when the expansion structure is inflated and deployed, and to effectively protect the bag-like portion at the time of mounting, etc., and to improve the durability of the belt portion constituting the expansion structure. Can be improved.

By forming the joint portion of the tubular cover by sewing, the strength of stitching can be easily adjusted by changing the thread type and the sewing method. Furthermore, by forming the bag-shaped portion with a circular knit structure, the expansion structure can be expanded into an appropriate shape.

In the first invention, one end of the webbing is fixed to the tongue together with the expansion structure, and the other end is wound and accommodated in a winding means, and the expansion structure is used as a core material for the webbing. By forming the belt so as to surround it at least in the range in which it contacts the occupant, it is possible to obtain a belt having a feeling of texture even when the webbing inserted through the inflatable structure is used as a core material.

In the above invention, the expansion structure is
By inserting a tubular inflatable body that can be inflated by introducing gas, the inflatable structure can be effectively and reliably inflated by using the gas.

In the first and second inventions, the expansion restricting means forms an expansion restricting portion on the surface of a tubular expandable body that can be expanded by introducing gas, and restricts the expansion shape of the tubular expandable body. By suppressing the expansion of the bag-shaped portion, it becomes possible to predefine the shape of the inflatable portion and set the expansion shape of the expansion structure, so that the expansion according to the occupant's body shape and extension It is also possible to arrange the structures.

[0029]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the inflatable seat belt device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of the inflatable seat belt device 1. It should be noted that the drawing is shown so that the relationship between the respective components of the inflatable seat belt device 1 incorporated in the right front seat is clear.

In the figure, reference numeral 2 indicates a shoulder belt,
A tongue 3 is fixed to one end 2a of the shoulder belt 2, and is engaged and fixed via a tongue 3 to a buckle device 4 fixed at a predetermined position near the floor between the left and right front seats, and the other end 2b is fixed. It is guided downward by a slip guide 5 of a pillar anchor attached to a pillar (intermediate column) (not shown) so that its position can be adjusted in the vertical direction, and wound around an ELR 6 installed near the floor inside the pillar so as to be wound. Has been done. Further, the lap belt (waist belt) 7 has an anchor plate 8 whose one end is fixed to the base portion of the tongue 3.
The other end is wound around the ELR 9 installed near the floor on the door side beyond the seat surface.

The details of each structure of the shoulder belt, the tongue, and the buckle device will be described below. As shown in FIG. 1, one end 2b of the shoulder belt 2 is wound and housed in the ELR 6, and the other end 2a is connected to the tongue 3 by using one webbing 10 as a threading member. In the present embodiment, as the webbing 10, a polyester thread is densely woven by a twill weave, a plain weave, or the like to have a width of about 50 mm and a thickness of 1.6.
Although a belt-shaped belt having a size of about mm is used, this webbing 10 is the same as that used in a normal seat belt device. In addition, a slightly thick portion covered with the tubular cloth cover 20 is formed in the portion from the abdomen that contacts the body of the occupant to the right shoulder. Inside the thick portion, various bag-like structures as shown in FIG. 2 are accommodated in layers.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 10a indicates a state in which the above-mentioned webbing 10 is located inside the cover 20. Hereinafter, the belts in this portion will be referred to as inner belts 21 in terms of functional distinction, and the belts exposed to the outside and wound around the ELR 6 will be referred to as webbing 10, and different reference numerals 10 and 21 will be given to them. explain. As shown in FIG. 2, the inner belt 21 is inserted in a thin film tube 22 made of silicone rubber in a flat state. The silicone rubber tube 22 has a tubular shape, and an end portion 22a thereof is fixed to a predetermined position of the inner belt 21 so as to maintain airtightness, as shown in FIG. Therefore, when gas is introduced into the tube 22,
It is designed to expand into a slender tubular shape.

The tube 22 is housed in a tubular, flat knitted fabric 23 knitted to have a slightly larger size. In this embodiment, this knitted fabric 23 is composed of a circular knit using polyester processed yarn (1500d), and the knitted fabric 23 of this circular knit has a belt longitudinal direction (warp direction of fabric: vertical direction). It has a property that it is difficult to stretch, and tends to stretch in a direction in which the circumference of the tubular shape increases (the weft direction of the knitted fabric: the weft direction).

Further, the above-mentioned cloth cover 20 is attached so as to cover the entire tubular knitted fabric 23, and as shown in FIG. 4, the knitted fabric 23 and the cover 20 are firmly sewn to the inner belt 21 by die-stitching. It is worn. The cover 2
No. 0 is a portion directly touched by the occupant and is in direct contact with the occupant's clothes, and therefore, a material having a wrinkle-resistant and comfortable touch is preferable as the material, and in this embodiment, polyester processed yarn is warp-knitted. Tricot is used.

As described above, the thick portion has the tube 22 which is inflatable with the inner belt 21 as the core, and one end of which is connected to the gas generating means through the tongue 3 and is introduced at the time of collision. The gas can be inflated and deployed to effectively restrain the movement of the occupant. Less than,
In this specification, the term "expansion structure" is used when referring to the entire expansion site.

Regarding the constituent elements of this expansion structure, the following modified examples can be given in addition to the above-mentioned embodiment. First, as the tube 22, a rubber material that is relatively thin and has heat resistance because it is filled with high-temperature gas inside and has sufficient elasticity even against rapid expansion is suitable. For example, in addition to various thermoplastic elastomers having remarkable rubber elasticity, urethane rubber, fluororubber, rubber / rubber blend products and the like can be used.

In the above-described embodiment of the knitted fabric 23, a circular knit of weft knitting (weft knitting) having no seam for forming a tubular shape is used, but its basic design is plain knitting, rubber knitting ( Various knits such as rib knitting, pearl knitting, and interlock (double-sided knitting) can be used. At this time, by changing the density of the course (C) of the weft knitting loop in the warp direction, the elongation of the knitted fabric 23 in the weft direction can be changed. Flat knitting produces a flat knitted fabric, but two slender knitted fabrics are overlapped and the ends are sewn into a tubular shape, or both ends of one knitted fabric are sewn into a ring shape. Good. Also,
As the cloth used for the cover 20, a plain weave fabric using nylon threads or polyester threads can also be used. It should be noted that, in addition to the fabrics in the examples and the modified examples,
A material such as a resin film or artificial leather may be used as the cover as long as it satisfies requirements such as touch, strength and durability.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a state during expansion and deployment so that the inside of the expansion structure shown in FIG. 2 can be seen. As shown in the figure, when the tube 22 expands due to the introduced gas, the knitted fabric 23 made of a circular knit extends in the lateral direction and expands in a tubular shape. Then, when a predetermined internal pressure is applied, a part of the sewing thread in the portion where the cloth of the cover 20 is sewn is broken. Then, the seam 20a of the cover 20 expands so as to open the mouth, and the tube 22 wrapped in the circular knitted knit fabric 23 expands in a spindle shape so as to protrude from the portion. On the other hand, in the predetermined range of the expansion structure 25 on the pillar anchor side and the predetermined range of the tongue 3 side, the seam 2 of the cover 20 is
0b is firmly sewn on, so that the expansion of the tube 22 is restrained by the cover 20 portion 20c.
0c expands only to a thin cylindrical shape (in this embodiment, the diameter is about 3.6 cm). In addition, the expansion structure 25
The belt expands and develops into a spindle shape, which shortens the length of the belt in the longitudinal direction. At this time, since the circular knitted knitted fabric 23 of the expansion structure 25 bears the tension in the longitudinal direction of the belt, the tension does not act on the inner belt 21 and the inner belt 21 becomes loose.

FIG. 4 shows the expansion structure 25 and the webbing 10.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state of terminal treatment on the slip guide 5 side with (when it is inside the expansion structure 25 as described above, referred to as inner belt 21). Explaining the configuration again collectively, the end of the knitted fabric 23 of the circular knit is integrally bonded together with the end 20d of the cover 20 with an adhesive, and is firmly sewn to the webbing 10 by die sewing. To be done. The end 22a of the silicone rubber tube 22 is adhered to the inner belt 21 inside the knitted fabric 23 inside the sewn portion.

Further, in the tube 22, there is housed a cylindrical bag filter 26 for capturing a burnt residue (residue) such as carbon powder ejected together with the hot reaction gas. The bag filter 26 is made of a cloth filter which is capable of capturing high-temperature fine debris and has a fine mesh that allows gas to freely pass therethrough. Since high-temperature cinders adhere to the inner surface of the filter, it is preferable to use heat-resistant cloth as the material of the filter.

Next, a method for controlling the shape and the expansion volume of the expansion structure 25 when expanded as described above will be described. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the cloth cover 20 used in this embodiment. The cloth cover 20 is formed by sewing an end portion of a knitted cloth material (tricot or the like) having a predetermined size into an elongated tubular shape. In this embodiment, the entire length of the seam portion of the expansion structure 25 in the range of about 800 mm is set. 1 with thin thread (60d)
The needle is sewn twice, and the range (A) of about 300 mm on the tongue 3 side and the range (C) of about 200 mm on the slip guide 5 side are sewn twice with a thick thread (630d) at a finer pitch than the fine thread portion. ing. Therefore, the stitching portion 20a in the range (B) is sewn only with the thin thread. At this time, the strength of the thin yarn is set to such a strength that the occupant cannot cut the stitch when the belt is worn.

When using a thin cover 20 material, another cover 20A as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B is further covered in the range of FIG. It is also preferable that the cover 20e near the tongue 3 is not torn when the gas is rapidly introduced into the tube 22.

FIG. 5C shows the cover 2 shown in FIG.
It is explanatory drawing which showed typically the state which the expansion | swelling structure body 25 which mounted | worn 0 expanded and expanded with the introduction gas. Expansion structure 2
As the expansion operation of No. 5, when a rapid deceleration is detected by a speed sensor equal to or more than a preset threshold value at the time of a collision, an operation signal is output to the gas generator, which causes the gas generator to operate. Then, the reaction gas is rapidly generated. Then, this reaction gas is ejected to expand the expansion structure 25.
Is introduced into the expansion structure 25 through the gas passage hole of the tongue 3 provided at the end of the. This allows the expansion structure 25
The whole rapidly expands into a slender tubular shape, but when the inside of the tube 22 rises to a predetermined internal pressure by the introduced gas, the thin yarn of the seam 20a of the cover 20 is broken, and the expanded circular knit portion is in the range (B). It is exposed in a spindle shape at the part. As a result, the expansion structure 25 has a shape as shown in FIG.

At this time, the expansion volume of the expansion structure 25 is about 1/3 of the same size as that shown in FIG. 16 without the cover 20.
Since the amount of gas generated from the gas generator is constant, the internal pressure of the expansion structure 25 also increases, and the above-mentioned pre-tension effect can be reliably obtained.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing the result of an expansion and deployment experiment of the inflatable seat belt device according to the present invention using a full size dummy D. According to the inflatable seat belt device equipped with the cover 20 shown in FIG. 5, the inflatable structure 25 inflates around the chest of the dummy D. At this time, a wide contact area of about 1.6 times as large as that of the seat belt device of the normal webbing 10 can be secured on the chest of the dummy D, which enables the occupant to be reliably and softly protected. .
At this time, it goes without saying that the position and the range of the tear of the cover 20 can be freely set by changing the position of the seam portion of the cover 20.

Further, as is apparent from FIG. 6, since the expansion structure 25 expands into a slender tubular shape even in a region other than the chest,
The range from the clavicle to the shoulders of the occupant and the range from the abdomen to the waist can be sufficiently and softly protected as compared with ordinary restraint by webbing. By adjusting the stitching strength of the cover used in this way, the expansion range of the expansion structure 25 can be controlled, and an appropriate expansion shape and expansion volume can be reduced. In the above description, the cover is joined by using the sewing thread as an example, but the joints are adhered to each other to change the adhesive area or the like so as to make the adhesive strength different, or the mechanical joint parts are used to make the engaging strength. The same effect can be obtained by adjusting the height.

A modified example of restricting the expansion range of the expansion structure 25 instead of the cover 20 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 (a) shows a knitted fabric 23 made of a circular knit, and this knitted fabric 23 is impregnated with resin to harden a part of the stitches 23a, and the tube 22 inserted inside expands. Even so, the stitches in that part do not stretch.

Further, the knitted cloth 23 is provided with a resin coating 23c showing weak adhesiveness on the entire surface so that the stitches do not stretch even if the knitted cloth is pulled during normal wearing. Then, when the tube 22 is expanded by the introduced gas and the internal pressure acts, the adhesion of the resin coating that has permeated between the stitches is peeled off, and the tube 22 is rapidly expanded. At this time, since both ends 23a to which the resin coating is firmly applied are not deformed because the stitches remain adhered even when the tube 22 expands, only the gas flow passage part expands in a slender cylindrical shape. Also in this modification, expansion deformation close to the state shown in FIG. 6 can be realized. Further, according to this modified example, the expansion range can be controlled by the knitted fabric itself, and the stitches do not stretch during normal wearing due to the weak resin coating, so that the cover 20 can be omitted.

FIG. 3B shows the inserted inner belt 2
1 and the end portion of the silicone rubber tube 22 are welded or bonded to the side portion 22b so that the gas flow passage 22G is formed, and the tube 22 is inserted into the knitted fabric 23 made of the circular knit and expanded. 9 shows a modified example of the structure 25. Also in this modified example, the expansion deformation of the side portion 22b to which the tube 22 is welded or adhered is restrained, so that the expansion deformation having a shape close to the state shown in FIG. 6 can be realized.

FIG. 6C shows a modification in which the reinforcing thread 22c is spirally wound around the end of the silicone rubber tube 22 to restrict the expansion and deformation of the wound portion.
In this modified example, the polyester processed yarn is used as the reinforcing yarn 22c, and it is wound around the outer periphery of the tube 22 at a predetermined pitch and fixed to the surface of the tube 22 with an adhesive or the like. 22 The outer diameter does not expand. At this time, the expanded and deformed state of the tube 22 can be freely set by changing the winding pitch of the reinforcing thread 22c. Further, the reinforcing yarn can be not only wound around the surface of the manufactured tube 22 but also embedded in the tube 22 as a core material at the time of manufacturing the tube 22.

FIG. 8 shows another modification in which the structure of the stitches of the circular knit is changed to control the expansion deformation of the expansion structure 25. This figure schematically shows the surface stitch pattern of the flat knitting, but in such a stitch structure, it is different from the weft yarn loop 23d with the course (C) of the weft (weft yarn) loop 23d being equal to or appropriate interval. By inserting the weft thread 23e, the expansion deformation in the weft direction can be adjusted. That is, the amount of expansion in the weft direction at each position of the knitted fabric 23 can be freely set by changing the number, pitch or thickness, and type of the weft yarns 23e inserted regardless of the stretchable knitted fabric. It goes without saying that this method can be applied to other circular knitting such as rubber knitting and pearl knitting.

Next, the structure of the expansion structure 25 and the tongue 3 having the gas inlet in this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a joint between the tongue 3 and the expansion structure 25. 9 and 10, the end portion 25a of the expansion structure 25 is fixed so as to cover the metal end fitting 31 having a flat rectangular cross section, and is firmly fixed by the caulking fitting 32 so as to further cover the outer periphery thereof. Therefore, the expansion structure 25 does not easily come off from the end fitting 31. Further, the buckle device 4 (not shown) is provided at the tip of the end fitting 31.
The tongue pipe 33 inserted into and engaged with the buckle body is fixed. The tongue pipe 33 has a gas passage hole 34 formed therein, and a reaction gas from a gas generating means (not shown) is introduced into the expansion structure 25 through the gas passage hole 34 and the inside of the end fitting 31. . As described above, the tongue 3 according to the present embodiment includes the end fitting 31 and the crimp fitting 3.
2 and the tongue pipe 33 are integrally configured. Further, the lap belt anchor plate 8 is fitted to the base of the tongue pipe 33,
The end portion 7a of the lap belt 7 made of normal webbing can be fixed.

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a connecting portion between the tongue 3 and each component of the expansion structure 25. As shown in the figure, each part of the expansion structure 25 (inner belt 21, bag filter 26, tube 22, knitted fabric 23,
The cover 20) is multi-layered so as to be in close contact with each other on the outer peripheral portion of the end fitting 31 with the rubber coating 31a, and the inner surface of the outer peripheral portion is covered with the rubber 32a.
2 is fitted. (In FIG. 10, the caulking metal fitting 32 is shown in a separated state.) By adopting such a configuration, the expansion structure 25 is kept airtight at the end 25a thereof, and the high pressure reaction gas Even if it is suddenly introduced into the expansion structure 25, the end fitting 31 is detached,
It will not be damaged.

11 to 13 are explanatory views showing an embodiment of the buckle device. The buckle device 4 fixedly supports the tongue pipe 33 and has a built-in gas generating means.
3 plays a role of introducing the gas into the expansion structure 25 through the gas flow hole 34. The buckle device 4 and the tongue 3
Is connected to the annular groove 33b formed on the outer peripheral surface of the tip portion 33a of the tongue pipe 33, and the metal ball 47 embedded so as to partially project on the inner surface of the connecting hole 44a formed in the buckle device 4. It is done by locking. In FIG. 11, reference numeral 41 indicates a housing, and the buckle device 4 is fixed near the floor surface of a vehicle body (not shown) by a flange plate 42, a part of which is fixed inside the housing 41. Further, a gas generator 43, which is a gas generating means, is fixed to the flange plate 42 in the housing 41, and the buckle body 44 also serving as a gas distribution pipe is fixed to the gas generator 43.
Are firmly connected.

In the figure, the state in which the tongue pipe 33 is engaged is shown. As shown in the figure, in the state where the tongue pipe 33 is fitted and locked in the connecting hole 44a of the buckle body 44, the tongue pipe release ring 45 is pushed against the urging force of the spring 46 by the tongue pipe tip 33a and pushed in the direction of arrow A. . On the other hand, the buckle body 44
Tapered holes 44b are formed at the front end of the outer peripheral surface of the buckle body 44 from the outer peripheral surface side so that a part of the tapered hole 44b projects to the inner peripheral surface of the coupling hole 44a. A metal ball 47 is loosely fitted. This metal ball 47
When the tongue pipe 33 is locked, it is pressed from the outer peripheral surface side of the buckle body 44 by the attachment / detachment operation ring 49 which is urged in the direction of arrow B by the spring 48.
A part of 7 projects into the annular groove 33b formed on the outer peripheral surface of the tongue pipe 33, and the annular groove 33b of the tongue pipe 33 is formed.
The tongue pipe 33 is fixed and locked in the connecting hole 44a.

On the other hand, in order to release the tongue pipe 33, the press button 50 provided on a part of the housing as shown in FIG. 12 may be pushed in the direction of arrow C. The press button 50 is a non-enclosed type operation button, and as shown in FIG. 13, the pressing surface 50a faces the upper front surface of the housing so that the occupant can operate it with one touch.

The mechanism for releasing the tongue 3 from the buckle device 4 will be briefly described below. As shown in FIG. 12, when the press button 50 is pressed in the direction of arrow C, the removable operation ring 4 is moved by the operation arm 50b protruding from the press button.
The protrusion 49a of 9 slides in the direction of arrow C against the urging force of the spring 48, the pressure from the attachment / detachment operation ring 49 disappears, the metal ball 47 becomes free, and the metal ball 47
The pressing and holding of the tongue pipe 33 by the annular groove 33b is released. As a result, the tongue pipe release ring 45 in the buckle body 44 is biased in the arrow D direction by the spring 46, and the tongue pipe 33 is pushed out in the buckle body 44 in the arrow D direction, and the tongue 3 is released from the buckle device 4.

Next, an embodiment of a related invention (referred to as a second invention) in which the above invention (referred to as a first invention) is specified will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a die-stitched portion on the slip guide 5 side of the expansion structure 25 corresponding to FIG. 4 of the embodiment of the first invention in order to explain the second invention. The end portion of the circular knit shown in FIG. 14 is similar to that of FIG.
0d is integrally bonded with an adhesive, and is firmly sewn at a predetermined position of the webbing 10 by die-stitching. Further, the inner belt 21 is provided at the inner position of the sewn portion (again, like the specific invention, the expansion structure 25 of the webbing 10).
It refers to the extended part inside. ) Is welded or adhered to the end portion of the tube 22 made of silicone rubber. This inner belt 21 is a tube 22 made of silicone rubber.
Is cut at the end 22a to which the
Only the cylindrical bag filter 26 having the same function as described above is accommodated in the inside of the container 2.

In the inflatable seat belt device according to the second aspect of the present invention constructed as described above, the inflatable structure 25 itself functions as "webbing" against a slight collision in which the gas generating means does not operate. That is,
Since the expansion structure 25 hardly extends in the longitudinal direction due to the stretch property of the knitted fabric 23 being used, it is possible to bear the acting tension of the belt as in the case of the normal webbing 10 and appropriately restrain the occupant. . In the case of a collision,
Since the inflatable structure 25 inflates in an appropriate shape as in the above invention, the occupant can be restrained and protected by the large area portion of the inflatable structure.

Further, the expansion structure 2 having the above structure
5 does not have the inner belt 21, the expansion structure 25
It is also possible to process the silicone rubber tube 22 as shown in FIG. 15 in order to adjust the expansion range. FIG. 11A shows a modified example in which only the gas flow passage 22G is left and the deformation of a part of the tube 22 is restricted by welding or adhesion. Further, FIG. 2B shows a modified example in which the diameter in the vicinity of the gas inlet is reduced to about the gas flow passage 22G and the reinforcing yarn 22c is wound around the outer circumference of the tube 22 in that state. ing. In the same figure (c), the diameter in the vicinity of the gas inlet is reduced to about the gas flow passage, and the thickness of that portion is increased to form a shape.
This part is prevented from expanding when gas is introduced.

[0061]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the first aspect of the invention, the restraining performance of the conventional webbing is exhibited during normal wearing, and the expansion structure is properly operated during a collision or the like. Since it swells in an inflated shape, the inflatable structure can effectively restrain and protect the occupant's chest with a wide contact area around the occupant's chest, and can effectively bring out the pretensioning effect of the belt due to the inflation. .

According to the second aspect of the invention, since the thickness of the expansion structure is relatively thin, the handling of the belt is improved when the belt is attached or stored, and at the time of collision,
As in the case of the first aspect, when the inflatable structure is inflated and deployed, it is possible to restrain the movement with a wide contact area centering on the chest of the occupant.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an inflatable seat belt device according to the first invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view schematically showing the inside of the inflatable structure when the inflatable seat belt device shown in FIG. 1 is enlarged and is normally worn.

FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view schematically showing the inside of an inflatable structure when the inflatable seat belt device shown in FIG. 2 is inflated and deployed.

FIG. 4 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing the structure of terminal treatment on the slip guide side of the expansion structure.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a sewn state of the cover of the expansion structure and an expansion state of the expansion structure whose expansion shape is regulated by the cover.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing an experimental result of inflating and deploying the inflatable seat belt device according to the present invention using a dummy.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a modified example of a member for restricting the expansion shape of the expansion structure.

FIG. 8 is a plain knitting pattern diagram showing a modified example of the knitted fabric structure.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a joint structure of the tongue and the end portion of the expansion structure.

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional state of the fitting structure shown in FIG.

FIG. 11 is a plan sectional view showing a schematic structure of a locking portion of the buckle device.

FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view showing a tongue releasing operation by the press button of the buckle device.

FIG. 13 is an end view of the buckle device as seen from the front.

FIG. 14 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing the structure of the end treatment on the slip guide side of the expansion structure according to the second invention.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a modified example of a member for restricting the expansion shape of the expansion structure in the second invention.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory view showing an example of an inflatable shape of an inflatable seat belt device having a conventional inflatable body having a knitted fabric structure.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view schematically showing an experimental result of inflating and deploying the inflatable seat belt device shown in FIG. 16 using a dummy.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Inflatable seat belt device 2 Shoulder belt 3 Tongue 4 Buckle device 5 Slip guide 6, 9 Retractor (ELR) 7 Lap belt 10 Webbing 20 Cover 21 Inner belt 22 Tube 23 Knitted cloth 25 Inflatable structure 26 Bag filter 31 End fitting 32 Crimping fitting 33 Tongue pipe 41 Housing 43 Gas generator 44 Buckle body 50 Press button

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. When normally worn, the shape is kept in a band, and
An expansion structure having a bag-shaped portion that introduces a gas generated by a gas generating means that operates when a predetermined threshold is exceeded and expands and expands into a substantially spindle shape, and the expansion structure is at least for an occupant. A webbing attached over the contacting range, a tongue fixed to the end of the expansion structure and having a gas introduction path from the gas generating means inside, and a buckle device to which the tongue is detachably fitted and locked. In the inflatable seat belt device including, the inflatable structure, the bag-shaped portion is made of knitted fabric, when the bag-shaped portion is inflated and deployed, the chest of the occupant and the vicinity thereof in a range in which the bag is contacted. An inflatable seatbelt device comprising an expansion restricting means for suppressing expansion in the stitch weft direction outside the above range while the knitted fabric expands and expands in the stitch weft direction. 2. A gas which is formed in a range in which it comes into contact with an occupant, is shaped like a belt when normally worn, and introduces gas generated by a gas generating means that operates when a predetermined threshold is exceeded. An expansion structure having a bag-shaped portion that expands and deploys in a substantially spindle shape, a webbing having one end connected to the expansion structure and the other end wound around a winding means, and the webbing of the expansion structure An inflatable seatbelt device including a tongue that is fixed to an end portion that is not a joint end of the tongue and has a gas introduction passage from the gas generating means therein, and a buckle device to which the tongue is detachably fitted and locked. In the inflatable structure, the bag-shaped portion is made of a knitted fabric, and when the bag-shaped portion is inflated and deployed, the knitted fabric extends in the stitch weft direction in a range in which the bag is in contact with the chest of the occupant and its vicinity. And then expands, An inflatable seatbelt device comprising an expansion regulating means for suppressing expansion in the stitch weft direction outside the above range. 3. The expansion regulating means comprises a tubular cover formed so as to cover the bag-shaped portion and having a joint portion extending in the longitudinal direction, the tubular cover including the chest of the occupant and the chest. It is characterized in that the joint portion corresponding to a range that abuts in the vicinity is dissociated by the action internal pressure of the bag-shaped portion in the expansion and deployment operation, and the joint portion other than the range is held even during the expansion and deployment. The inflatable seat belt device according to claim 1 or 2. 4. The inflatable seat belt device according to claim 3, wherein the joint portion of the tubular cover is formed by sewing. 5. The inflatable seat belt device according to claim 1, wherein the bag-shaped portion is formed by a circular knit structure. 6. The webbing has one end fixed to the tongue together with the expansion structure, the other end being wound and accommodated in a winding means, and the expansion structure surrounding the webbing using the webbing as a core material. The inflatable seatbelt device according to claim 1, wherein the inflatable seatbelt device is formed so as to cover at least the occupant. 7. The inflatable seat belt according to claim 1, wherein the inflatable structure has a tubular inflatable body, which is inflatable by introducing gas, inserted therein. apparatus. 8. The expansion restricting means forms an expansion restricting portion on the surface of a tubular expandable body that is expandable by introducing gas.
The inflatable seat belt device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein expansion of the bag-shaped portion is suppressed by regulating an expansion shape of the tubular expansion body.