JPH10152013A - Energy absorber of vehicle side part and manufacture therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To decrease the extension of a skin material itself until a fragile part is opened under the expansion pressure of an air bag, decrease time until its opening and expand the air bag outward a seat in a shorter time in the energy absorber of a vehicle side part comprising an air bag unit provided near the side part of the seal covered with the skin material, and the fragile part provided on the skin material corresponding to the air bag unit and opened under the expansion pressure of the air bag which is expanded outward from the opened brittle part. SOLUTION: As extension restricting means for restricting the extension of a skin material 19 before a fragile part 19a is opened under the expansion pressure of an air bag 24, a plurality of low extension sheet members 38 having an extension factor lower than that of the skin material 19 are bonded integrally to the back surface of the skin material 19 near the fragile part 19a.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an energy absorbing device for a vehicle side and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly to a technical field of an airbag unit provided in a seat on which a skin material is covered. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, it is well known that an airbag unit is provided on a steering wheel to ensure occupant safety in the event of a frontal collision of a vehicle body. On the other hand, in recent years, for example,
As shown in Japanese Patent No. 4491, an airbag unit is disposed on a side portion in a seat, and when the vehicle collides with a vehicle body side portion, the airbag is deployed on the side of the occupant. It has been proposed to protect the occupant by absorbing the energy of the collision.

[0003]

When an airbag unit is provided in a seat as in the above proposed example, the outermost surface of the seat is usually covered with a skin material. A fragile portion that is easily opened when an airbag deployment pressure is received is provided on a skin material corresponding to the bag unit, and the airbag is deployed outside the seat from the opened fragile portion.

[0004] However, since a material having a high elongation is usually used as a skin material so as not to cause wrinkles on the surface,
When the skin material is subjected to the airbag deployment pressure, the skin material is first expanded to the outside of the seat, and then the fragile portion is opened. Therefore, the opening of the fragile portion of the skin material is delayed, and there is room for improvement to deploy the airbag to the outside of the seat faster.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to improve the structure of the skin material so that the skin material itself until the fragile portion is opened by the airbag deployment pressure is improved. An object of the present invention is to reduce the amount of expansion of the airbag, shorten the time until the opening of the airbag as much as possible, and deploy the airbag to the outside of the seat in a shorter time.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided an extension restricting means for restricting extension of a skin material before a fragile portion is opened by an airbag deployment pressure of an airbag unit. Was provided.

More specifically, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the airbag unit includes an airbag unit disposed in a predetermined direction in a vicinity of a side portion of the seat on which the skin material is covered, and A vulnerable portion that is opened by receiving an airbag deployment pressure is provided on a skin material corresponding to the unit, and an energy absorbing device for a vehicle side portion configured so that the airbag is deployed outward of the seat from the opened vulnerable portion. Is assumed.

Further, it is assumed that an extension restricting means for restricting extension of the skin material before the fragile portion is opened by the airbag deployment pressure of the airbag unit is provided.

According to the present invention, since the extension of the skin material itself is restricted, the amount of extension is reduced, and the opening action of the fragile portion by the airbag deployment pressure is promoted. As a result, the time until the fragile portion is opened is shortened, and the airbag is smoothly deployed from the opened fragile portion to the outside of the seat. Therefore, the deployment of the airbag to the outside of the seat can be performed in a shorter time.

[0010] According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the extension restricting means is integrally joined to the back surface of the skin material near the fragile portion and has a lower elongation rate than the skin material. It is assumed to be a shaped member.

Thus, the extension of the skin itself can be restricted with a simple structure, and it is possible to effectively cope with various skin materials. Therefore, a specific configuration of the simple and highly versatile extension limiting means can be easily obtained.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the invention, the low-stretch sheet-like member is joined to both sides of the fragile portion in the direction opposite to the fragile portion.

Thus, the extension of the skin material can be more effectively restricted, and the opening action of the fragile portion by the airbag deployment pressure can be further promoted. Therefore,
The airbag can be deployed more quickly outside the seat.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect of the present invention, the fragile portion is substantially linear, and a plurality of low-stretch sheet-like members are provided at predetermined intervals substantially along the longitudinal direction of the fragile portion. Are spaced apart from each other.

By doing so, wrinkles hardly occur on the surface of the skin material, and the soft feel of the skin material is not hindered. Therefore, good appearance and comfortable sitting can be maintained.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the extension restricting means has both ends attached and fixed to the skin material near both sides of the fragile portion, respectively, and has an intermediate portion inflated by the airbag unit of the airbag unit. It is a low-stretch sheet-like member that is arranged so as to turn around the opposite side and has a lower elongation rate than the skin material.

[0017] As a result, the skin materials near both sides of the fragile portion tend to expand to the outside of the seat due to the airbag deployment pressure, and the intermediate portions of those skin materials are opposite to the airbag deployment side of the airbag unit. Since the sheet is supported so as not to be stretched by the low-stretch sheet-like member arranged so as to turn around, the stretching can be reliably restricted.
Further, the low-stretch sheet-like member also plays a role of guiding the deployment of the airbag to the fragile portion. As a result, the extension of the skin material can be more effectively restricted with a simple configuration. Therefore, the deployment of the airbag to the outside of the seat can be further accelerated.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the extension restricting means is configured to substantially entirely lock the skin material and the pad on the back side of the skin material in the weak portion or in the vicinity of the weak portion. Shall be done.

According to the present invention, since the skin material is locked to the pad having a relatively small amount of expansion, it hardly expands even when the airbag is deployed. Further, it is easy to lock the skin material to the pad. Therefore, the same function and effect as the second aspect can be obtained.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect of the present invention, the extension restricting means is configured to attach the skin material and the pad on the back side of the skin material on both sides of the weak portion in the direction opposite to the weak portion. Shall be done.

By doing so, the skin material can be easily and reliably locked to the pad by, for example, an adhesive, and the extension of the skin material can be effectively restricted on both sides of the fragile portion in the facing direction. Therefore, the same function and effect as the third aspect of the invention can be obtained.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, the fragile portion closes an opening of the skin material by sewing, and the strength of the thread at the sewn portion is reduced by the skin material. Is set lower than the other sewn portions.

As a result, the thread of the sewn portion at the fragile portion is cut earlier than the other portions, so that the fragile portion opens reliably and earlier. Therefore, the deployment of the airbag to the outside of the seat can be stably performed in a shorter time.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the invention of the eighth aspect, the sewn portions are formed by folding the skin materials at both ends of the opening and sewing them with the first sewing thread. Are stitched together by a second sewing thread to form a double stitch.

According to the present invention, the skin material around the sewn portion is effectively reinforced by the first sewing thread, so that the surrounding skin material can be prevented from being broken, and the second sewing thread can be reliably used. Can be cut. Therefore, the function and effect of the invention of claim 8 can be further enhanced.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, the airbag is provided with a chest protection portion corresponding to a chest of an occupant sitting on a seat, and substantially above the chest protection portion. A head protection portion corresponding to the head of the occupant is provided continuously.

According to the present invention, the deployment capacity of the airbag is increased, and it is necessary to perform the deployment particularly early. Therefore, the energy absorbing device on the side of the vehicle is most suitable for the case having such an airbag. Device. Therefore,
Effective use of the energy absorbing device on the side of the vehicle can be achieved, and safety of the occupant can be improved.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in accordance with the tenth aspect of the present invention, the chest protecting portion of the airbag is connected to the airbag unit, while the head protecting portion is provided with the airbag deploying gas. It is connected to the chest protection part so as to flow in via the.

In this way, after the chest protector is first deployed, the head protector is deployed above the chest protector. For this reason, in order to deploy the fragile portion to the head protection portion in a short time, it is necessary to open the fragile portion even earlier.
Therefore, the operation and effect of the tenth aspect can be further promoted.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to eleventh aspects of the present invention, the airbag unit is disposed on a side portion of the seat on the side door side close to the seat.

Thus, the airbag can be easily deployed between the occupant and the side door closer to the occupant due to the side collision, and the occupant can be prevented from colliding with the side door. Therefore, further safety of the occupant can be ensured in the event of a side collision.

According to a thirteenth aspect, in the twelfth aspect, the airbag unit is disposed in the seatback such that the airbag is deployed substantially in front of the seatback.

In this manner, the side portion of the seat back is a side support portion bulging forward to support the occupant from the left and right directions, so that the airbag unit is disposed in a relatively large space inside the side support portion. can do. Therefore, the airbag unit can be accommodated in the seat without impairing the sitting comfort of the occupant.

According to a fourteenth aspect, in the twelfth aspect, the airbag unit is provided in the seat cushion so that the airbag is deployed substantially above the seat cushion.

Thus, since the side portion of the seat cushion is also a side support portion bulging upward for supporting the occupant in the left-right direction, the airbag unit can be arranged in a relatively large space inside the side support portion. . Therefore, the same function and effect as the invention of claim 13 can be obtained.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a vehicle side energy absorbing device according to the fifth aspect.

Then, the low-stretch sheet-like material is
After dividing and attaching and fixing one end of each divided sheet-like member to the skin material near both sides of the fragile portion,
After attaching the skin material to the pad and temporarily fixing the divided sheet members to the pad, assembling the assembled skin material and the pad to a seat frame, the other ends of the divided sheet members are assembled. The two are connected to each other on the side opposite to the airbag deployment side of the airbag unit so as to sandwich the airbag unit.

According to the present invention, this manufacturing apparatus can be manufactured more easily than the conventional method of mounting the skin material after mounting the pad on the seat frame. That is, the airbag unit is usually initially attached and fixed to the seat frame, and in order to cover the skin material after assembling the pad to the seat frame, at least one end portion of the low-stretch sheet-like member is required. It is necessary to turn the end of the airbag unit to the side opposite to the airbag deploying side of the airbag unit in a state in which the airbag unit is not fixed to the skin material, and the work is very difficult. However, in the method of the present invention, since the low-stretch sheet-like member is divided into two parts and assembled and preliminarily fixed to the pad, the end is located on the side opposite to the airbag deployment side of the airbag unit as described above. It is not necessary to rotate and fix to the skin material, and the skin material and the pad can be easily assembled to the seat frame. Then, the other ends of the two divided sheet-like members can be easily coupled from the side opposite to the seat surface side of the seat. Therefore, the assembling workability of this device can be improved.

[0039]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(Embodiment 1) FIGS. 1 to 4 show a front left seat 1 of a vehicle in a vehicle side energy absorbing device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention (note that in the following description, the front, rear, left and right of the vehicle will be described). This seat 1 has a seat cushion 2, a seat back 3, and a headrest 4. Sliders 7, 7 extending in the front-rear direction are provided below the left and right ends of the seat cushion 2, respectively.
The front and rear positions of the seat 1 can be adjusted by being engaged with left and right slide rails 8 fixed to the floor via 0 and 10. In addition, seat cushion 2
At the rear, a knuckle member 9 is provided rotatably about a rotation shaft 11 extending in the left-right direction, and the seat back 3 is rotatable around the rotation shaft 11 with respect to the seat cushion 2 via the knuckle member 9. And the angle of the seat back 3 can be adjusted.

The headrest 4 is attached to the seatback 3 by inserting frames 5, 5 projecting from the lower end surface thereof into two holes formed in the upper end surface of the seatback 3.

On the outer peripheral portion of the rear portion in the seat back 3,
A frame-shaped seat back frame 13 (seat frame) having upper and lower portions and left and right sides made of a steel pipe material is provided, and each frame projecting from a lower end surface of the headrest 4 is provided above the seat back frame 13. 5, two headrest adjusting members 14, which can adjust the vertical position of the headrest 4 by fitting with
14 is attached and fixed.

Between the left and right sides of the seat back frame 13, a plurality of wire frames 1 extending in the left and right direction, which are made of a wire having a smaller diameter than the seat back frame 13.
8, 18, ... are provided. Both ends of each of the wire frames 18 are fixed to the front sides of the left and right sides of the seat back frame 13 by welding.

Pads 15 are provided on the front side of the respective wire frames 18, and the pads 15 are supported by the respective wire frames 18 so that when the occupant leans on the seat back 3, they do not escape backward. The pad 15 is supported by the seat back frame 13 such that an end of the pad 15 extends backward from the outside of the seat back frame 13. The outer surface of the pad 15 is covered with a skin material 19 made of cloth.
That is, the outermost material of the sheet 1 is covered with the skin material 19.

The left and right ends of the seat cushion 2 are provided with side support portions 2a, 2a swelling upward, and the left and right ends of the seat back 3 are provided with side support portions 3a, 3a swelling forward. It plays a role in supporting the user not to move left and right.

An airbag unit 21 is disposed in the seat back 3 near the side of the side door close to the seat 1, that is, in the left side support portion 3a. The airbag unit 21 has a module can 22 having a substantially U-shaped cross section.
Inside, a cylindrical can-shaped inflator 23 containing an ignition portion and an explosive is housed on the back side, and a folded airbag 24 is housed on the opening side. The above inflator 2
Although not shown, an ignition signal (not shown) is supplied from an acceleration sensor for detecting a side collision to the left side of the automobile, and the ignition signal ignites the explosive according to the ignition signal. The airbag 24 is inflated and deployed by a large amount of gas generated by combustion.

The airbag unit 21 is disposed so that its longitudinal direction substantially coincides with the vertical direction of the seat back 3, and two sets of upper and lower bolts 27, 27 and nuts 28, 28 are provided on the side surface of the module can 22. At mounting member 26
Is fastened to one end. The other end of the attachment member 26 is attached and fixed to the seat back frame 13 by welding. Thus, the airbag unit 21 is fixed to the seat back frame 13 via the attachment member 26. The airbag unit 21 is disposed such that the opening direction of the module can 22, that is, the direction in which the airbag 24 is deployed, is inclined leftward with respect to the front.

The portion of the pad 15 corresponding to the airbag unit 21 on the inner surface of the seat, that is, the portion substantially in front of the opening of the module can 22 in the airbag unit 21 receives the deployment pressure of the airbag 24 and receives the pad 15. A notch groove 33 is provided as a starting point for breaking, and this notch groove 33 is made more fragile than other portions. The cut grooves 33 are provided at substantially the same height in the vertical direction of the module can 22 of the airbag unit 21 and the seat back 3 and over substantially the same length. When the airbag 24 is deployed, the pad 15 starts to break from the cut groove 33 due to the deployment pressure, and a portion on the extension of the cut groove 33 is broken.

A fragile portion 19 a is provided on the skin material 19 corresponding to the airbag unit 21, that is, on the skin material 19 substantially on the extension of the cut groove 33, so as to be opened by receiving the deployment pressure of the airbag 24. ing. That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the fragile portion 19 a is substantially linearly formed at a position of substantially the same height in the vertical direction of the cut groove 33 and the seat back 3 and over a substantially same length. The opening of the skin material 19 is closed by sewing, and the airbag 2 is closed.
4 when it is subjected to the deployment pressure of 4
Are opened, and the opened fragile portion 19a and the pad 1
5, the airbag 24 is deployed outside the seat back 3 and between the occupant of the seat 1 and the left side door.

The sewn portion of the fragile portion 19a is obtained by folding back the skin material 19 at both ends of the opening and sewing the skin material with the first sewing threads 35, 35.
The ends of the two folded portions are double stitched by sewing with the second sewing thread 36. The strength of the first and second sewing threads 35 and 36 of the sewn portion is set lower in the skin material 19 than in the other sewn portions.

The fragile portion 19a is applied to the skin material 19 by the deployment pressure of the airbag 24 of the airbag unit 21.
There is provided an extension restricting means for restricting extension of the skin material 19 before the opening of the opening. That is, the extension restricting means comprises a plurality of low-stretch sheet members 38, 38,... Having a lower elongation rate than the skin material 19, and each of the low-stretch sheet members 38 is provided near the fragile portion 19a. The back surface is integrally bonded to the skin material 19 by adhesion. Then, the plurality of low-stretch sheet-like members 38, 38,.
Are arranged on both sides of the fragile portion 19a in the direction opposite to the fragile portion 19a with a predetermined interval substantially along the longitudinal direction of the linear fragile portion 19a. This vulnerable part 19
Each of the low-stretch sheet-like members 38 on one side extends from the vicinity of the weakened portion 19a to the vicinity of the base of the left side support portion 3a on the seating surface side (front side) of the seat back 3, and each low-stretch sheet-like member on the other side. The member 38 extends from the vicinity of the weak part 19a to the vicinity of the rear side of the left side support part 3a.

As shown in FIG. 3, the airbag 24 is deployed forward from the seat back 3 and between the occupant sitting on the seat 1 and the side door 40 from the abdomen to the head of the occupant. And a chest protector 24a corresponding to the occupant's chest, and the chest protector 24a
And a head protection portion 24b corresponding to the head of the occupant substantially continuously above. The chest protector 24a is directly connected to the inflator 23 of the airbag unit 21 and extends substantially forward from the inflator 23. The head protection section 24b is connected to the chest protection section 24a so that the gas as the airbag deployment gas flows in through the chest protection section 24a, and extends substantially upward. .

The operation when the airbag 24 is deployed due to a side collision in the vehicle-side energy absorbing device having the above configuration will be described. First, when the acceleration sensor detects a side impact on the left side of the vehicle, a deployment signal is supplied to the ignition unit of the inflator 23, and the ignition unit is ignited. As a result, the explosive in the inflator 23 burns at a high speed, and a large amount of gas is supplied to the airbag 24.
Tries to expand and expand. And this airbag 24
Attempts to deploy substantially forward in the opening direction of the module can 22, contacts the pad inner surface of the pad 15 and pushes the pad 15 from the seat inner side to the outer side by the developing pressure. For this reason, the pad 15 starts to break from the weak portion, that is, the cut groove 33, and the pad 15 is broken substantially along the extension of the cut groove 33.

Next, the fragile portion 19a of the skin material 19 is opened. Before that, the skin material 19 near the fragile portion 19a is expanded outward by receiving the deployment pressure of the airbag 24, and is expanded. Its opening is delayed by time. However, in the first embodiment, since the extension of the skin material 19 itself is limited by each low-stretch sheet-like member 38, the skin material 1
The extension amount of No. 9 is small, and the time until opening is short. Then, the strength of the first and second sewing threads 35 and 36 of the sewn portion formed as a double stitch in the fragile portion 19a is set lower in the skin material 19 than in the other sewn portions, and
The airbag 24 is attached to the second sewing thread 36 rather than the first sewing thread 35.
Since the developing pressure is greatly applied, only the second sewing thread 36 is cut, and the fragile portion 19a is opened. Furthermore, the first sewing thread 3
5, the skin material 19 around the fragile portion 19a is reinforced, so that the skin material 19 around the fragile portion 19a is reinforced.
The skin material 19 is not broken and opened from the opening before the sewing, and the airbag 24 can be reliably and early deployed from the opening before the sewing.

Subsequently, the airbag 24 is deployed outward and forward of the seat back 3 from the opened fragile portion 19a and the broken portion of the pad 15. At this time, the chest protection part 24a connected to the inflator 23 of the airbag unit 21 is first developed, and then gas flows to the head protection part 24b, and the head protection part 24b is developed. This slightly delays the expansion of the head protection portion 24b, but the time required for the fragile portion 19a of the skin material 19 to open is short, so that the time required for the head protection portion 24b to completely expand is also short. I can do it. As a result, even if a large-capacity airbag 24 having such a head protection portion 24b is provided, the airbag 24 can be deployed in a short time, and the occupant's chest sitting on the seat 1 and The head can be prevented from colliding with the left side door. Therefore, it is possible to effectively use the energy absorbing device on the side of the vehicle, and it is possible to improve occupant safety.

Therefore, in the first embodiment, as the extension restricting means for restricting the expansion of the skin material 19 before the fragile portion 19a is opened by the deployment pressure of the airbag 24 of the airbag unit 21, the vicinity of the fragile portion 19a is used. Skin material 1
9, a plurality of low-stretch sheet-like members 38, 38,... Having a lower elongation rate than the skin material 19 are provided, and the low-stretch sheet-like members 38, 38,. Since it is integrally bonded to the skin material 19 on both sides in the facing direction of the portion 19a, the extension of the skin material 19 itself can be effectively restricted with a simple configuration, and the amount of extension can be reduced. . For this reason, the airbag 2
The opening action of the fragile portion 19a by the deployment pressure of 4 is promoted,
The time until the fragile portion 19a is opened is shortened, and the airbag 24 is smoothly deployed from the opened fragile portion 19a to the outside of the seat back 3. Therefore, the deployment of the airbag 24 to the outside of the seat back 3 can be easily performed in a short time.

Further, a plurality of low-stretch sheet-like members 38,
Are arranged at predetermined intervals substantially along the longitudinal direction of the fragile portion 19a, which is linear, so that wrinkles on the surface of the skin material 19 can be effectively suppressed. The soft feel of the skin material 19 can be maintained. Therefore, appearance and sitting comfort can be improved.

Further, since the airbag unit 21 is disposed in the left side support portion 3a of the seat back 3, the airbag 24 can be easily placed between the occupant and the left side door by a side collision to the left side of the vehicle. The vehicle can be reliably prevented from colliding with the left side door. In addition, a relatively large space can be provided in the side support portion 3a of the seat back 3.
Therefore, the airbag unit 21 can be accommodated in the seat 1 without hindering the sitting comfort of the occupant, and the occupant can be further made safer in a side collision.

In the first embodiment, the sewn portion of the fragile portion 19a is formed by double stitching.
The present invention can be applied to a single stitch sewn only with a single stitch. In this case, the strength of the thread at the sewn portion of the fragile portion 19a is further reduced, or the strength of the base fabric of the laminate normally bonded to the inner surface of the sheet of the skin material 19 is increased, thereby increasing the strength of the fragile portion 19a. Only the thread of the sewn portion can be cut without breaking the surrounding skin material 19, and the airbag 24 can be reliably deployed to the outside of the seat back 3 from the opening of the fragile portion 19a before sewing. .

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 5 shows Embodiment 2 of the present invention (in the following embodiments, the same parts as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. ,
Only the different portions will be described), and the configuration of the sewn portion in the fragile portion 19a which is double stitched is different from that of the first embodiment.

That is, in this embodiment, the fragile portion 19
3A, a resin plate 43 is interposed between the folded portions of the skin material 19, and each folded portion is located between the first folded portion and the first folded portion.
The sewing material 35 is sewn together, and the ends of both folded portions of the skin material 19 are sewn together with the second sewing thread 36.

Therefore, in the second embodiment, since the skin material 19 around the fragile portion 19a is further reinforced by each resin plate 43, the second sewing thread 36 can be more reliably cut, and the fragile portion can be cut. The deployment of the airbag 24 from the opening before sewing in 19a can be made more reliable.

In the first and second embodiments, a plurality of low-stretch sheet-like members 38, 38,.
9, the low-stretch sheet-like members 38 may be joined by sewing, and the skin material 19 around the entire fragile portion 19a may be joined.
The present invention can be applied to a case where one low-stretch sheet-like member is joined.

In the first and second embodiments, the pad 1
The cut groove 33 is provided in the surface of the pad 15 inside the sheet so that the pad 5 can be easily broken.
A slit may be provided on the extension of the pad 15 so as to separate the pad 15 so that the pad 15 is surely broken on the extension of the line 3.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 6 shows Embodiment 3 of the present invention.
And the configuration of the sewn portion in the fragile portion 19a is different from those of the first and second embodiments.

That is, in this embodiment, the fragile portion 19
The skin material 19 at both ends of the opening in FIG. a is closed by repeated sewing, and the sewing pitch in the longitudinal direction of the fragile portion 19a is smaller than in the first and second embodiments. Further, the thread of the sewn portion has a higher strength than the other sewn portions. As a result, the strength of the skin material 19 at both ends of the opening in the fragile portion 19a is lower than that of the other portions due to the holes formed by sewing, and the airbag 2
When the developing pressure of 4 is received, the thread of the sewn portion is not cut, and the fragile skin material 19 is broken.

Therefore, in the third embodiment, since the strength of the skin material 19 at both ends of the opening in the weak portion 19a is reduced by sewing, when the deployment pressure of the airbag 24 is received, the skin material around the weak portion 19a is received. 19 is reliably broken, and the airbag 24 can be reliably deployed from the opening.

(Embodiment 4) FIG. 7 shows Embodiment 4 of the present invention.
This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of the extension restricting means for restricting the extension of the skin material 19 before the fragile portion 19a is opened by the deployment pressure of the airbag 24.

That is, in this embodiment, the fragile portion 19
The sewn portion a is a single stitch, and the thread strength of the sewn portion is set lower in the skin material 19 than in the other sewn portions. Further, both ends of a low-stretch sheet-like member 39 having a lower elongation rate than the skin material 19 are attached and fixed to the skin material 19 near both sides of the fragile portion 19a, that is, at both ends of the sewn opening. The low-stretch sheet-like member 39 is disposed so that the intermediate portion thereof turns around the rear side of the airbag unit 21 on the side opposite to the deployed side of the airbag 24, and the left side portion of the airbag unit 21 and the seatback frame 13. Is surrounded by the low-stretch sheet-shaped member 39. This low-stretch sheet-like member 39
Is divided into two parts at an intermediate portion thereof, that is, at the rear side of the airbag unit 21, and the two sheet-shaped members 39
a and 39b are joined by sewing to be integrated.
The low-stretch sheet-like member 39 serves as an extension restricting means.

An opening 15a is formed in the pad 15 at a position corresponding to the airbag unit 21, and an intermediate portion of the low-stretch sheet-like member 39 passes through the opening 15a. It is designed to turn to the rear.

In the vehicle side energy absorbing device having the above-described structure, when the airbag 24 is deployed by the side collision, the airbag 24 is guided by the low-stretch sheet-like member 39 to the skin material 19 of the fragile portion 19a. It comes into contact with the skin material 19 and tries to push it outward. At this time, the low-stretch sheet-like member 39 hardly extends, and cannot be moved forward by being blocked by the airbag unit 21 and the seat back frame 13.
The skin material 19 of a cannot be stretched. For this reason,
The thread of the sewn portion of the fragile portion 19a is cut immediately after the airbag 24 contacts the skin material 19 of the fragile portion 19a. Further, there is no need to break the pad 15, and the airbag 2
4 is not affected by the pad 15 when it is deployed. Therefore, deployment of the airbag 24 from the fragile portion 19a can be performed even earlier.

Here, a method of manufacturing the seat back 3 of the seat 1 in the apparatus having the above configuration will be described. First, the low-stretch sheet-like member 39 is divided into two parts at the intermediate portion, and the divided sheet-like members 39a and 39b are divided.
Are attached and fixed to the skin members 19 at both ends of the opening which is closed by sewing in the fragile portion 19a. Thereafter, the skin material 19 is assembled to the pad 15 and the divided two sheet-like members 39a and 39b are temporarily fixed to the left and right side surfaces of the opening 15a of the pad 15 with an adhesive tape or the like.

After the assembled skin material 19 and pad 15 are assembled to the seat back frame 13 to which the airbag unit 21 has been attached and fixed in advance, the other ends of the divided sheet-like members 39a and 39b are connected to each other. To
Opposite side (rear side) of the airbag unit 21 with the airbag 24 deployed so as to sandwich the airbag unit 21
The seat back 3 is completed by sewing. The divided sheet-like members 39a, 39
In order to connect the other ends of the 9b to each other by sewing on the rear side of the airbag unit 21, for example, a fastener or the like is provided on a part of the skin material 19 on the rear side of the seat back 3, and the seat is removed with the fastener removed. What is necessary is just to make it possible to perform the above-mentioned joining work inside the back 3, and to fasten a fastener after joining.

By manufacturing the seat back 3 by the above method, the seat back 3 can be manufactured more easily than the conventional method of mounting the skin material 19 after mounting the pad 15 on the seat back frame 13. That is, in order to cover the skin material 19 after the pad 15 is attached to the seat back frame 13 to which the airbag unit 21 is attached and fixed, the low-stretch sheet-like member 39 is required.
In a state where at least one end of the
It is necessary to turn the end to the rear side of the airbag unit 21 and fix it to the skin material 19, which is very difficult. However, according to this manufacturing method, since the low-stretch sheet-like member 39 is divided into two parts and assembled and temporarily fixed to the pad 15 in advance, the end portion of the air-bag unit 2
It is not necessary to turn to the rear side of 1 and fix it to the skin material 19, and the skin material 19 and the pad 15 can be easily assembled to the seat back frame 13. Then, from the rear side of the seat back 3, the divided two sheet-shaped members 39a, 39
9b can easily be connected to each other. Therefore, the workability of assembling the seat back 3 can be improved.

(Embodiment 5) FIG. 8 shows Embodiment 5 of the present invention.
The expansion restricting means for restricting the expansion of the skin material 19 before the fragile portion 19a is opened by the deployment pressure of the airbag 24 is different from the above-described embodiments comprising the low-extension sheet-like members 38 and 39, The skin material 19 and the pad 15 on the back side of the skin material 19 are locked.

That is, in this embodiment, the fragile portion 19
The skin material 19 and the pad 15 on the back side of the skin material 19 are adhered almost entirely by an adhesive in the vicinity of a or its weak portion 19a. More specifically, the skin material 19 and the pad 15 are stuck on both sides of the fragile portion 19a in the opposing direction with respect to the fragile portion 19a and substantially from the base to the rear side of the left side support portion 3a.

Therefore, in the fifth embodiment, the fragile portion 19a or the skin material 19 in the vicinity of the fragile portion 19a is pushed to the outside of the seat 1 when receiving the deployment pressure of the airbag 24. Is attached to the pad 15 which hardly expands, the expansion of the skin material 19 is limited by the pad 15, and the fragile portion 19a opens in a short time. Therefore, the airbag 24 can be deployed early with a simple configuration.

In the fifth embodiment, the skin material 19 is stuck (locked) almost entirely to the pad 15 in the vicinity of the weak portion 19a or in the vicinity of the weak portion 19a by the adhesive. Any method may be used as long as it can be locked over substantially the entire surface.
Is set in the mold of the pad 15, and the pad 15
Is integrally foamed with the skin material 19 to form the skin material 19.
The present invention can be applied to a case in which is locked to the pad 15.

(Embodiment 6) FIG. 9 shows Embodiment 6 of the present invention.
In the same manner as in the third embodiment, the thread of the sewn portion of the fragile portion 19a is not cut, but the fragile skin material 19 is broken by sewing. The third embodiment differs from the third embodiment in that repeated sewing is not performed and the sewing pitch is not reduced.

That is, in this embodiment, the fragile portion 19
The sewing of the skin material 19 at both ends of the opening in FIG. 4A is the same as the other sewing parts, and only at the upper end of the fragile part 19a is the reinforcing plate 4 made of extruded polyvinyl chloride.
5 is sewn to the skin material 19 at one end of the opening.
As a result, the skin material 19 below the reinforcing plate 45 becomes relatively weaker than the place where the reinforcing plate 45 is sewn together, and when the deployment pressure of the airbag 24 is received, the skin material 19 is located directly below the reinforcing plate 45. Is the starting point of the fracture, and the skin material 19 itself fractures downward.

Therefore, also in this embodiment, as in the third embodiment, the skin material 19 around the fragile portion 19a is provided.
Can be reliably broken, and the airbag 24 can be reliably deployed from the broken portion.

In the sixth embodiment, the reinforcing plate 45 is provided at the upper end of the fragile portion 19a. However, as shown in FIG. 10, only the upper end of the fragile portion 19a is provided with respect to the skin material 19 at both ends of the opening. Alternatively, a U-shaped reinforcing patch 46 may be sewn together to cover it.

(Embodiments 7 to 11) Each of the following Embodiments 7
11 to 11 are basically different from the above embodiments in the configuration of the extension restricting means and the fragile portion 19a.

FIG. 11 shows a seventh embodiment of the present invention, in which an opening plate 47 as an extension restricting means is attached by sewing to a skin material 19 around the opening plate 47, and the opening plate 47 itself is a fragile portion 19a in each of the above embodiments. It has been. The opening plate 47 is made of a thermoplastic elastomer, and has two projections 47a, 47a, which are substantially perpendicular to each other, are formed at the center of the pad 15 side. This allows the opening plate 47
Is strong against the pulling force in the left-right direction, but weak against the pressing force from the pad 15 side, and does not break during normal use. However, the airbag is located between the two projections 47a, 47a. When the deployment pressure of 24 is applied, the skin material 19 immediately breaks and breaks at the center in two without being stretched, and the airbag 24 is deployed outside the seat 1 at an early stage.

FIG. 12 shows an eighth embodiment of the present invention, in which a pair of fasteners 48 that can be fitted in the front-rear direction as extension restricting means are sewn to the skin material 19 at both ends of the opening. One set of fasteners 48 includes one having a fitting hole 48a at the center and the other having a projection 48b fitted at the fitting hole 48a at the center. Are fragile portions 19a. Although this fastener 48 is strong against the pulling force in the left-right direction and does not come off, it is easy to come off when the projection 48b receives a pressing force from the pad 15 side.
When the developing pressure is applied, the fastener 48 comes off immediately without any extension of the skin material 19, and the same operation and effect as those of the seventh embodiment can be obtained.

FIG. 13 shows a ninth embodiment of the present invention, in which a skin material 19 corresponding to the airbag unit 21 is provided with an unsewn opening 19b as an extension restricting means. It is covered by a protection plate 49 made of a vinyl chloride sheet. One end of the protection plate 49 is bent toward the skin material 19 side to open the opening 19b.
It is welded to the skin material 19 in the vicinity. As a result, the skin material 19 does not expand and its opening 19
From b, the airbag 24 is deployed early. On the other hand, since the opening 19b is covered with the protection plate 49, the appearance can be improved, and the occupant can break the skin 19 by hooking something on the opening 19b during normal use. Can be prevented.

FIG. 14 shows a tenth embodiment of the present invention. As in the ninth embodiment, an opening 19b is provided in the skin material 19. Skin material 19 at both ends of this opening 19b
Are folded and sewn with the resin plate 43 interposed therebetween in the same manner as in the second embodiment, but the ends of both folded portions are not sewn to form the opening 19b. One of the folded portions (the right side in FIG. 14) is simultaneously sewn to a portion where the skin material 19 extending from the rear side of the seat back 3 to the front side is folded and sewn. The opening 19b is covered by a folded portion of the skin material 19 extending from the rear side to the front side of the seat back 3 so as to be invisible from the outside. Thus, the same function and effect as in the ninth embodiment can be obtained. In addition, although the resin plate 43 was provided in each of the folded portions of the skin material 19 at both ends of the opening 19b, the strength of each folded portion is increased so that the opening 19b is not easily opened during normal use. The resin plate 43 may not be provided.

FIG. 15 shows an eleventh embodiment of the present invention. Similar to the ninth and tenth embodiments, the skin material 19 has the opening 1.
9b is provided. The skin members 19 on both sides of the opening 19b are folded and sewn, and the folded portions are overlapped with each other in the front-rear direction. Then, a pair of hook-and-loop fasteners 50 are respectively fixed to the facing surfaces of the folded portions in the front-rear direction, and are locked to each other. By doing so, it is possible to obtain the same functions and effects as in the ninth and tenth embodiments, and it is possible to make the opening 19b more difficult to open during normal use.

In the above embodiments, the airbag unit 21 is connected to the left side support 3a of the seat back 3.
However, the present invention can also be applied to a case where the seat back 3 is disposed in the right side support portion 3a of the seat back 3, so that collision between occupants can be prevented.
Then, the airbag unit 21 is placed in the side support portion 2a of the seat cushion 2 with its module can 22.
When the airbag 24 is arranged so as to be deployed substantially above the seat cushion 2 such that the opening of the airbag 24 is directed substantially upward, similarly to the case where the airbag 24 is arranged in the side support portion 3a of the seatback 3. The present invention can be applied. Further, also in a case where side support portions are provided on both left and right sides of the headrest 4, and a small airbag unit is disposed on the side support portions so that the airbag is deployed substantially forward, thereby protecting the occupant's head and the like. The present invention can be applied.

[0089]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the airbag unit is provided near the side portion of the seat on which the skin material is mounted, and the skin material corresponding to the airbag unit is provided. A vulnerable portion that is opened by receiving an airbag deployment pressure is provided, and the airbag is adapted to an energy absorbing device on a vehicle side portion that is configured so that the airbag is deployed to the outside of the seat from the opened vulnerable portion. By providing the extension restricting means for restricting extension of the skin material before the fragile portion is opened by the airbag deployment pressure of the unit, deployment of the airbag to the outside of the seat can be accelerated. .

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the extension restricting means is a low-stretch sheet-like member which is integrally joined to the back surface of the skin material near the fragile portion and has a lower elongation rate than the skin material. Thus, a simple and highly versatile specific structure of the extension restricting means can be easily obtained.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the low-stretch sheet-like member is joined to both sides of the fragile portion in the direction opposite to the fragile portion, deployment of the airbag to the outside of the seat is further accelerated. Can be planned.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the fragile portion has a substantially linear shape, and a plurality of low-stretch sheet-like members are arranged at predetermined intervals substantially along the longitudinal direction of the fragile portion. The appearance and sitting comfort can be improved.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the extension restricting means is fixedly attached to the skin material at both ends in the vicinity of both sides of the fragile portion, while the intermediate portion turns on the side opposite to the airbag deployment side of the airbag unit. By having a low-stretch sheet-like member with a lower elongation rate than the skin material,
The deployment of the airbag to the outside of the seat can be performed even earlier.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the skin material and the pad on the back side of the skin material are substantially entirely locked in the weak portion or in the vicinity of the weak portion. The operation and effect of the present invention can be obtained.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the skin material and the pad on the back side of the skin material are stuck on both sides of the fragile portion in the facing direction with the fragile portion therebetween. The operation and effect of the invention can be obtained.

According to the invention of claim 8, the fragile portion closes the opening of the skin material by sewing, and the strength of the thread of the sewn portion is set lower than that of other sewn portions in the skin material. As a result, the deployment of the airbag to the outside of the seat can be performed earlier and more stably.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the sewn portion is formed such that the skin materials at both ends of the opening are folded back and sewn with the first sewing thread, and the front ends of the two folded portions of the skin material are the second. The effect of the invention of claim 8 can be further promoted by adopting the double stitch sewn with the sewing thread.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the airbag corresponds to the chest protecting portion corresponding to the chest of the occupant sitting on the seat, and corresponds to the head of the occupant substantially above the chest protecting portion. With the provision of the head protection portion, the energy absorbing device on the side of the vehicle can be effectively used, and the safety of the occupant can be improved.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, while the chest protection portion of the airbag is connected to the airbag unit, the head protection portion is connected to the airbag unit so that the airbag deployment gas flows in through the chest protection portion. By connecting to the chest protection part, the function and effect of the tenth aspect can be further promoted.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, the airbag unit is disposed on the side of the seat on the side door side close to the seat, so that the safety of the occupant in a side collision can be further improved. it can.

According to the thirteenth aspect, the airbag unit is disposed in the seat back so that the air bag is deployed substantially in front of the seat back, so that the occupant can maintain good sitting comfort. In addition, the airbag unit can be accommodated in the seat.

According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the airbag unit is disposed in the seat cushion such that the airbag is deployed substantially above the seat cushion. The effect is obtained.

According to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, as a method of manufacturing the vehicle side energy absorbing device according to the fifth aspect, the low-stretch sheet-like member is divided into two parts at an intermediate part, and each of the divided sheets is divided into two parts. After fixing one end of the member to the skin material near both sides of the fragile portion, the skin material is assembled to the pad, and the divided two sheet members are temporarily fixed to the pad, and the assembled skin material and pad are assembled. After assembling to the seat frame, the other end portions of the two divided sheet-like members are connected to each other on the side opposite to the airbag deployment side of the airbag unit so as to sandwich the airbag unit. It is possible to improve the workability of assembling the device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken along line II of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a seat in the vehicle side energy absorbing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a left side view of the seat showing an expanded state of the airbag.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a fragile portion of a skin material in a seat back.

FIG. 5 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 in a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 in a third embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 in a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 in a fifth embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 in the sixth embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 showing a modification of the sixth embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 in a seventh embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 in the eighth embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 in the ninth embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 in the tenth embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 in the eleventh embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Seat 2 Seat cushion 3 Seat back 13 Seat back frame (seat frame) 15 Pad 19 Skin material 19a Fragile part 21 Airbag unit 24 Airbag 35 First sewing thread 36 Second sewing thread 38, 39 Low-stretch sheet-like member ( Extension limit means)

Claims (15)

[Claims] An airbag unit disposed in a predetermined direction in a vicinity of a side portion of a seat on which a skin material is covered, and an airbag is provided on a skin material corresponding to the airbag unit. A vulnerable portion that is opened by receiving a deployment pressure is provided, and the airbag deploys the airbag to the outside of the seat from the opened vulnerable portion. An energy absorbing device for a side portion of a vehicle, further comprising an extension restricting means for restricting extension of a skin material before the fragile portion is opened by pressure. 2. The energy absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein the extension restricting means is integrally joined to the back surface of the skin material near the weak portion and has a lower elongation rate than the skin material. An energy absorbing device for a vehicle side portion, wherein the energy absorbing device is a stretch sheet member. 3. The vehicle-side energy absorbing device according to claim 2, wherein the low-stretch sheet-like member is joined to both sides of the fragile portion in the facing direction with the fragile portion interposed therebetween. Energy absorbing device. 4. The energy absorbing device for a vehicle side part according to claim 2, wherein the fragile portion is substantially linear, and the plurality of low-stretch sheet-like members extend substantially along the longitudinal direction of the fragile portion. An energy absorbing device for a side portion of a vehicle, wherein the energy absorbing device is arranged at a predetermined interval. 5. The energy absorbing device for a vehicle side according to claim 1, wherein the extension restricting means is fixed at both ends to a skin material near both sides of the fragile portion, and the intermediate portion is an airbag unit. It is arranged to go around the side opposite to the bag deployment side,
An energy absorbing device for a side portion of a vehicle, wherein the energy absorbing device is a low-stretch sheet-like member having a lower elongation rate than a skin material. 6. The energy absorbing device for a vehicle side part according to claim 1, wherein the extension restricting means substantially entirely locks the skin material and the pad on the back side of the skin material in the weak part or in the vicinity of the weak part. An energy absorbing device for a side portion of a vehicle, wherein the energy absorbing device is configured as described above. 7. The vehicle-side energy absorbing device according to claim 6, wherein the extension restricting means attaches the skin material and the pad on the back side of the skin material on both sides of the weak portion in the facing direction of the weak portion. An energy absorbing device for a side portion of a vehicle, wherein the energy absorbing device is configured as described above. 8. The energy absorbing device for a vehicle side according to claim 1, wherein the fragile portion is formed by closing an opening of a skin material by sewing, and the strength of the thread of the sewn portion is reduced. An energy absorbing device for a side portion of a vehicle, wherein the surface material is set lower than other sewing portions. 9. The energy absorbing device for a vehicle side according to claim 8, wherein the sewn portions are formed such that skin materials at both ends of the opening are folded back and sewn together with a first sewing thread. An energy absorbing device for a vehicle side portion, wherein a front end of the folded portion is a double stitch stitched by a second sewing thread. 10. The energy absorbing device for a vehicle side according to claim 1, wherein the airbag comprises: a chest protecting portion corresponding to a chest of an occupant sitting on a seat; An energy absorbing device for a side portion of a vehicle, comprising: a head protection portion corresponding to the head of the occupant substantially continuously above. 11. The energy absorbing device for a vehicle side according to claim 10, wherein the chest protecting portion of the airbag is connected to the airbag unit, and the head protecting portion is configured to allow the airbag deploying gas to pass through the chest portion. An energy absorbing device for a side portion of a vehicle, wherein the energy absorbing device is connected to the chest protecting portion so as to flow through the protecting portion. 12. The energy absorbing device for a vehicle side according to claim 1, wherein the airbag unit is disposed on a side portion of the seat on a side door side close to the seat. Characteristic energy absorbing device for vehicle side. 13. The vehicle-side energy absorbing device according to claim 12, wherein the airbag unit is disposed in the seatback such that the airbag is deployed substantially in front of the seatback. Characteristic energy absorbing device for vehicle side. 14. The vehicle-side energy absorbing device according to claim 12, wherein the airbag unit is disposed in the seat cushion such that the airbag is deployed substantially above the seat cushion. Characteristic energy absorbing device for vehicle side. 15. The method for manufacturing an energy absorbing device for a vehicle side according to claim 5, wherein the low-stretch sheet-like member is divided into two at an intermediate portion, and one end of each of the divided sheet-like members. Are fixed to the skin material near both sides of the fragile portion, and then the skin material is assembled to the pad, and the divided sheet members are temporarily fixed to the pad. The assembled skin material and pad are assembled to the seat frame. After that, the other end portions of the two divided sheet-like members are connected to each other on the side opposite to the airbag deployment side of the airbag unit so as to sandwich the airbag unit. Manufacturing method of absorption device.