KR20230082657A - air bag device - Google Patents

Abstract

In order to realize an airbag device in which side cushions that inflate and deploy to both sides of a seat behave integrally in the event of a side collision of a vehicle, etc., an airbag device (10) is provided to an occupant (5) seated in a seat (1) of a vehicle. A first side cushion 21 that inflates and deploys to cover one side of the passenger 5, a second side cushion 22 that inflates and deploys to cover the other side of the occupant 5, and the first side cushion 21 and the second side cushion 22 are provided with an airbag (11) having a connection member (23), and an inflator (12) for injecting gas for inflating the airbag (11). In the completed state of inflation and deployment of the airbag 11, the connection member 23 is positioned at a height lower than the top of the occupant 5 in the height range of the upper part of the seat 1, and the height of the seat 1 It becomes a state extended in the width direction.

Description

air bag device

The present invention relates to an airbag device and the like for protecting the side of a passenger.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Conventionally, an airbag device for protecting occupants in a side collision or rollover of a vehicle has been known. In this type of airbag device, the airbag inflates and deploys to cover the side of a passenger seated in a seat.

Patent Literature 1 describes an occupant protection device capable of protecting a occupant against an impact from the near side as well as from an impact from the far side as an airbag device of this type. This occupant restraint device includes an airbag that protects the occupant against impact from the near side and an upper body restraint member that protects the occupant against impact from the far side. The upper body restraining member abuts the passenger's shoulder or chest from the front side of the vehicle to restrain the passenger to the seat. 6 of Patent Literature 1 describes a form in which an airbag is used as an upper body restraining member.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-135016

On the other hand, when a side collision of the vehicle occurs, the occupant moves towards the side where the collision occurred due to inertial force at the beginning of the collision and then moves toward the opposite side due to the impact force caused by the collision. However, in the conventional airbag device, the near-side airbag and the far-side airbag are independent of each other, and as described above, there is a possibility that restraint of a moving occupant cannot be effectively implemented.

The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object of the present invention is to implement an airbag device in which side cushions that inflate and deploy to both sides of a seat behave integrally in the event of a side collision of a vehicle or the like.

An airbag device according to the present invention includes a first side cushion that inflates and deploys to cover one side of a passenger seated in a vehicle seat, and a second side cushion that inflates and deploys to cover the other side of an occupant; , an airbag having a connection member connecting the first side cushion and the second side cushion, and an inflator for injecting a gas for inflating the airbag, and in an inflated state in which the airbag has been completely inflated and deployed, the connection member is connected to the seat of the seat. An airbag device that is located at a height lower than the occupant's head in the upper height range and extends in the width direction of the seat.

In this invention, the connecting member is a duct through which gas can flow, and the inflator is attached to the first side cushion, and part of the gas injected from the inflator to the first side cushion may be supplied to the second side cushion through the duct.

In the present invention, the first side cushion may be installed on the near side close to the seat door, and the second side cushion may be installed on the far side far from the seat door.

In the present invention, the first side cushion expands and deploys to cover one side of the passenger's head, and expands to cover one side of the passenger's torso. It may have a first torso cushion portion that expands, and the second side cushion may have a second head cushion portion that expands and deploys so as to cover the other side of the head portion.

In the present invention, the first side cushion expands and deploys to cover one side of the passenger's head, and expands to cover one side of the passenger's torso. It has a first cushion for the torso that expands, and the second side cushion expands to cover the other side of the head, and expands to cover the second side of the torso. You may have a cushion part for the second body to be deployed.

In the present invention, when a passenger sitting on a seat on one side of a first side cushion and a second side cushion collides in an inflated state, the other side cushion is pulled by one side cushion via a connecting member, thereby reducing the seat You may make it collide with the side of the headrest of the.

In the present invention, in a flat state where an uninflated airbag is unfolded and placed flat on a flat surface, the side fixed to the seat in the direction perpendicular to the left and right directions of the airbag is the rear side and the opposite side is the front side, and the side is laid flat. In , the first side cushion is connected to one end of a connection member extending in the left and right direction of the airbag, and the second side cushion is connected to the other end, and the front end of the connection member is positioned rearward than the front ends of the first side cushion and the second side cushion, respectively. you can do it

In the present invention, each of the first side cushion and the second side cushion in a flat state is located on the outer side of the connection member in the left-right direction of the airbag and extends forward from the front end of the connection member. And, you may have an inner cushion part which extends inward from the part which extended to the front side of the outer cushion part.

In this invention, you may make it overlap with the inner cushion part of a 1st side cushion, and the inner cushion part of a 2nd side cushion, in the flat state.

In the present invention, in the storage state when the airbag is stored in the seat, in each of the first side cushion and the second side cushion, the inner cushion portion is rolled toward the outer cushion portion in a rolling shape, or the inner cushion portion is placed inside the outer cushion portion. The inner cushion part may be rolled in a rolled shape or folded so as to be pushed in or overlap with the outer surface of the outer cushion part.

As for this invention, the airbag may be comprised by mutually connecting the 1st bag part which has a 1st side cushion, and the 2nd bag part which has a 2nd side cushion.

In the present invention, in the airbag, a fixing part for the seat is provided on one side of the first side cushion and the second side cushion, and an inflator accommodating part is provided on the other side, and the airbag may be fixed to the seat by the fixing part and the inflator accommodating part.

In the present invention, in the airbag, the connecting member may also be provided with a fixing portion to the seat.

In the present invention, the headrest is attached to the back of the seat, and the connection member may be positioned forward or backward of the gap between the back and the headrest in the fully inflated state.

In the present invention, in the inflated state, the rear end of one side of the first side cushion and the second side cushion is fixed to the seat frame at a position inside the side surface of one side cushion side of the seat frame of the back of the seat, When one side cushion is pressed to the outside of the seat, the rear of one side cushion may be pressed to the side of the seat.

In the present invention, when a seat belt crosses an inclined downward direction from the first side cushion side to the second side cushion side of the torso of a passenger sitting on the seat, in the inflated state, the first side cushion is the seat belt and the passenger's body. You may make it exist by interposing between them.

In the present invention, the connection member connecting the first side cushion and the second side cushion in the inflated state is located below the passenger's head in the height range of the upper part of the seat. Here, when a side collision of a vehicle occurs, a passenger seated in a seat moves in a horizontal direction from the shoulder portion to a large upper side, and collides with one side cushion. At this time, the side cushion on one side receives the passenger's collision load in the height range of the upper part of the seat corresponding to the upper range from the shoulder of the passenger and moves outward. And along with the movement, the other side cushion is pulled in the lateral direction through the connection member and moves to the passenger side. When the passenger moves toward the side opposite to the initial collision, the passenger collides with the side cushion on the other side.

In the present invention, the connection member is located in a height range where the passenger initially collides. Therefore, the load in the lateral direction directly acts on the connecting member. Therefore, compared to an airbag in which both side cushions are connected from above the head of the occupant, for example, both side cushions move integrally in the horizontal direction. Accordingly, the moving distance until the passenger moving to the opposite side from the initial collision collides with the other side cushion is shortened, and the passenger can be restrained at an early stage. According to the present invention, it is possible to realize an airbag device in which side cushions on both sides of a seat act integrally in a side collision or the like.

1A is a diagram showing a state in which inflation and deployment of an airbag according to an embodiment has been completed, and is a view of a seat on which an occupant is seated as viewed from the front.
Fig. 1B is a view showing a state in which the inflation and deployment of the airbag has been completed, and is a view of a seat without an occupant as viewed from the front.
Fig. 1C is a view showing a state in which the airbag has been completely inflated and deployed, and is a view of a seat without an occupant as viewed from the side of the first side cushion.
Fig. 1D is a view showing a state in which the airbag has been completely inflated and deployed, and is a view of a seat without an occupant as viewed from the side of the second side cushion.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the airbag in a flat state.
Fig. 3A(a) is a plan view of the airbag for explaining a first folding method of the airbag, and Fig. 3A(b) is an AA sectional view in Fig. 3A(a).
Fig. 3B is a plan view of the airbag for explaining a second folding method of the airbag.
3C(a) to (c) are plan views of the airbag for explaining a third folding method of the airbag.
3D(a) to (c) are plan views of an airbag for explaining another method of folding the airbag.
Fig. 4 is a front view of the seat in a state where an airbag is stored;
5 is a view for explaining the behavior of the first side cushion when a passenger collides with the second side cushion.
6(a) to (b) are diagrams for explaining a state in which the first side cushion is interposed between the seat belt and the occupant.
7A (a) to (b) are diagrams for explaining a state where the gas duct is located near the front side of the support member of the headrest.
7B (a) to (b) are diagrams for explaining a state in which the gas duct is located in front of the support member of the headrest and at a position slightly away from the support member.
7C(a) to (b) are diagrams for explaining a state where the gas duct is located near the rear side of the support member of the headrest.
Fig. 8 (a) is a plan view of an airbag according to a first modification of the embodiment, and Fig. 8 (b) is a plan view of an intermediate product of the airbag and a bag body connected to the intermediate product.
Fig. 9 is a plan view of a first bag part and a second bag part, which are intermediate products of an airbag according to a second modification of the embodiment;
Fig. 10 is a plan view of an airbag according to a third modified example of the embodiment in a flat state.
Fig. 11 is a front view of a seat in a state in which an airbag according to a fourth modification of the embodiment has been inflated.
Fig. 12 is an oblique perspective view of a seat viewed from the rear side of the far side in an airbag inflated state according to a fourth modification of the embodiment.
Fig. 13 is a view showing a state in which inflation and deployment of an airbag according to a fifth modification of the embodiment is completed, and is a view of a seat on which an occupant is seated as viewed from the front;

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiment of this invention is described in detail, referring drawings. In addition, the following embodiment is an example of this invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of this invention, its application, or its use.

In the present invention, 'passenger' means front crash test dummy (Hybrid III AM50 / NHTSA [National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: American Highway Traffic Safety Association] standard [49CFR Part572 Subpart E and 0]) It refers to having a physique equivalent to the average male in the United States based on the standard, and the approximate size is 17.5cm in height, 88cm in sitting height, and 78kg in weight.

Also, in this specification, 'upper' and 'upper' refer to the direction of the head of the passenger 5 seated in the regular position of the seat 1 installed in the vehicle, and 'lower' and 'lower' refer to the passenger (5). ) may mean the direction under the feet. In addition, 'front' and 'front' refer to the front direction of the passenger 5 seated in the regular position of the seat 1, and 'rear' and 'rear' refer to the rear direction of the passenger 5 there is In addition, 'left' and 'left' mean the left direction of the passenger 5 seated in the regular position of the seat 1, and 'right' and 'right' mean the right direction of the passenger 5. there is. In addition, the 'regular position' means that the seat cushion 2 in the seat 1 is at the center position in the left and right direction, and the back of the passenger 5 is moved up and down on the back (seat back) 3 of the seat 1. refers to the location of contact. Hereinafter, a 'regular position' may be referred to as a 'regular seat position'.

The present embodiment is an airbag device 10 configured so that side cushions 21 and 22 provided on both sides of a seat 1 in a vehicle move integrally in the event of a side collision or rolling over of a vehicle such as a passenger car. In the airbag device 10, the side cushions 21 and 22 on both sides are integrated into one airbag 11. Hereinafter, the seat 1 on which the airbag device 10 is mounted will be described before explaining the airbag device 10.

[About the rough configuration of the seat]

The seat 1 has a seat cushion 2 and a back portion 3 as shown in Figs. 1A to 1D. A headrest 4 is installed at an upper end of the backrest portion 3 via a rod-shaped support member 6. In the seat 1, the backrest 3 and the headrest 4 may be integrally formed.

[About configuration of air bag device]

The airbag device 10 includes an airbag 11 and an inflator 12 (see Fig. 1C). The air bag 11 is a bag body made of fabric. The inflator 12 is a device for injecting gas for inflating the airbag 11 . Hereinafter, the airbag device 10 installed in the seat 1 of the driver's seat or front passenger's seat adjacent to the left and right will be described as an example. Hereinafter, a side closer to the door for the seat 1 may be referred to as a 'near side', and a side far from the door for the seat 1 may be referred to as a 'far side'.

[About the airbag in the fully inflated state]

First, the airbag 11 in a state in which inflation and deployment has been completed (hereinafter referred to as 'inflated state') will be described with reference to FIG. 1 .

As shown in Figs. 1A and 1B, the airbag 11 includes a first side cushion 21 that inflates and deploys to cover one side of a passenger 5 in a regular seating position, and a passenger in a regular seating position ( It is provided with the 2nd side cushion 22 which expands and deploys so that the other side part of 5) may be covered, and the gas duct 23 which connects and passes the 1st side cushion 21 and the 2nd side cushion 22. . The gas duct 23 is corresponded to the connection member which connects the 1st side cushion 21 and the 2nd side cushion 22.

The 1st side cushion 21 is provided in the near side of the seat 1. The rear side of the first side cushion 21 is fixed to the near side of the seat 1. The first side cushion 21 extends forward from a fixed place to the seat 1 as shown in FIG. 1C. The first side cushion 21 includes a first head cushion portion 31 that expands and deploys to cover one side of the head of a passenger 5 in a regular seating position, and a passenger in a regular seating position ( 5) A first body cushioning portion 41 that expands and deploys so as to cover one side of the body (from the shoulder to the abdomen) is provided. The 1st cushion part 31 for a head part is installed standing upright from the front part of the 1st cushion part 41 for a torso rearward and inclined upward.

The second side cushion 22 is provided on the far side of the seat 1. The rear side of the second side cushion 22 is fixed to the far side of the seat 1. The second side cushion 22 extends forward from a fixed place to the seat 1 as shown in FIG. 1D. The second side cushion 22 includes a second head cushion portion 32 that expands and deploys to cover the other side of the head of the passenger 5 in the regular seating position, and the passenger in the regular seating position ( 5) is provided with a cushion part 42 for the second body that expands and deploys so as to cover the other side of the body (shoulder). The 2nd cushion part 32 for a head part is installed standing upright from the front part of the 2nd cushion part 42 for a torso rearward and inclined upward.

The gas duct 23 is formed in a tubular shape and extends along the top surface of the back portion 3 in the width direction of the seat 1 as shown in FIG. 1B. One end of the gas duct 23 opens into the first side cushion 21 and the other end of the gas duct 23 opens into the second side cushion 22 .

The gas duct 23 is located in the upper range X of the seat 1 below the top of the head of the passenger 5 in the normal seating position (see Fig. 1A). In this embodiment, the gas duct 23 is located in front of the gap between the backrest part 3 and the headrest 4. The gas duct 23 has a thickness sufficient to cover the range from the upper end of the backrest 3 to the lower end of the headrest 4. Further, the 'top height range of the seat 1' refers to a range above the center of the backrest portion 3 in the vertical direction.

[About the airbag in a flat state]

Next, the configuration of the airbag 11 in a state where the uninflated airbag 11 is unfolded and placed flat on a flat surface (hereinafter referred to as a "flat state") will be described with reference to FIG. 2 .

The airbag 11 is a bag body constructed by sewing predetermined portions such as an outer periphery in a state where two sheets of base fabric having the same shape and the same size are overlapped. In FIG. 2, the sewing part is shown by the thick broken line. As shown in FIG. 2, the airbag 11 has a horizontally long substantially rectangular shape. In the description of the airbag 11 in a flat state, the long direction of the airbag 11 is referred to as 'left and right direction' and the short direction is referred to as 'front and rear direction', and the airbag 11 is fixed to the seat 1 in the front and rear direction. The side (upper side in Fig. 2) is referred to as 'rear side', and the opposite side is referred to as 'anterior side'. Also, the upper side of the airbag shown in Fig. 2 is the rear side even in the inflated state.

The airbag 11 includes a gas duct 23 extending in the left-right direction, a first side cushion 21 connected to one end of the gas duct 23, and a second side cushion connected to the other end of the gas duct 23. (22) is provided.

The gas duct 23 has a horizontally long substantially rectangular shape. The gas duct 23 is installed on the rear side of the airbag 11. The front end (the position of the horizontal slit 35 in FIG. 2) of the gas duct 23 is located in the rear side of each front end of the 1st side cushion 21 and the 2nd side cushion 22. As shown in FIG. The dimension (thickness) of the front-back direction of the gas duct 23 is less than half of the front-back direction dimension of each side cushion 21,22.

The first side cushion 21 includes a first torso cushion part 41 located outside the gas duct 23 in the left-right direction and a first head cushion part 31 located on the front side of the gas duct 23. ) has The 1st cushion part 41 for fuselage extends forward rather than the front end of the gas duct 23, and comes out. The 1st head cushion part 31 extends inward in the left-right direction (left side in FIG. 2) from the part which extended to the front side of the 1st torso cushion part 41. The first torso cushion portion 41 corresponds to the outer cushion portion, and the first head cushion portion 31 corresponds to the inner cushion portion.

The 1st cushion part 31 for a head part exhibits a substantially long rectangular shape (or substantially square shape). The 1st head cushion part 31 adjoins the gas duct 23 via the horizontal slit 35 extending in the left-right direction. In addition, the cushion part 41 for the 1st fuselage has a horizontally long substantially rectangular shape. Strictly speaking, the first cushion portion 41 for the first fuselage gradually shortens as the dimension in the front-back direction approaches the outer end at the outer portion in the left-right direction. The portion on the side of the gas duct 23 in the first body cushion portion 41 constitutes an upper cushion portion 41a for protecting the side portion of the shoulder portion of the passenger 5. The part on the opposite side to the gas duct 23 in the first torso cushion part 41 constitutes a lower cushion part 41b for protecting the side of the chest and abdomen of the passenger 5.

An accommodating part 45 of the inflator 12 is formed on the rear side of the first cushion part 41 for the fuselage. A gas guide 18 is installed in the accommodating portion 45 . The gas guide 18 has a first outlet 18a opening to the upper cushion portion 41a and a second outlet 18b opening to the lower cushion portion 41b as outlets for the gas injected from the inflator 12. .

The 2nd side cushion 22 is the 2nd cushion part 42 for fuselage located outside the gas duct 23 in the left-right direction, and the 2nd cushion part 32 for the head located in the front side of the gas duct 23 ) has The 2nd cushion part 42 for fuselage extends forward rather than the front end of the gas duct 23, and comes out. The second cushion part 32 for a head part extends inward in the left-right direction (right side in FIG. 2) from the part which extended to the front side of the 2nd cushion part 42 for fuselage. The second cushion part 42 for the torso corresponds to the outer cushion part, and the second cushion part 32 for the head part corresponds to the inner cushion part.

The cushion part 32 for a 2nd head part shows a substantially long rectangular shape (or substantially square shape). The 2nd cushion part 32 for head parts adjoins the gas duct 23 via the horizontal slit 35 mentioned above. Further, the cushion portion 42 for the second fuselage has a substantially rectangular shape that is slightly vertically long. The second cushion part 42 for the body is a part for protecting the side part of the shoulder part of the passenger 5.

The first cushion part 31 for the head and the cushion part 32 for the second head part adjoin each other via a vertical slit 36 extending in the front-back direction. The 1st cushion part 31 for a head part and the 2nd cushion part 32 for a head part are formed symmetrically with the vertical slit 36 interposed therebetween. The vertical slit 36 is a notch extending in the front-back direction from the front end of the airbag 11 and is connected to the central position of the horizontal slit 35 at the rear side. The horizontal slits 35 each extend left and right from the rear end of the vertical slits 36 . Combining the horizontal slit 35 and the vertical slit 36 results in a notch having a substantially square shape. Also, the length of the horizontal slit 35 can be adjusted according to the width of the upper end of the seat frame 1a. In this embodiment, each slit 35, 36 is a notch with almost no clearance, but may be a notch with a certain amount of clearance.

At the rear end of the airbag 11, several tabs 16a to 16d are installed as fixing parts for fixing the airbag 11 to the seat frame 1a of the seat 1 (see FIG. 2). Specifically, the airbag 11 includes a first tab 16a located at the outer end (right end in the second) of the first side cushion 21 in the left-right direction, and a first tab 16a in the gas duct 23. The 2nd tab 16b located at the end part on the side cushion 21 side (right end in FIG. 2), and the end part on the side of the 2nd side cushion 22 in the gas duct 23 (in FIG. 2 The 3rd tab 16c located at the left end) and the 4th tab 16d located at the outer end (left end in FIG. 2) of the 2nd side cushion 22 are provided.

[About how to fold the airbag, etc.]

Next, a folding method for accommodating the airbag 11 in the seat 1, a storage form in which the airbag 11 is folded, and an installation state of the airbag 11 to the seat 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 carry out

The airbag 11, in a flat state, is rolled in a rolling shape from the front side toward the rear side or folded in a bellows shape from the front side toward the rear side, so that the size in the front-rear direction is shortened and the airbag 11 is reduced in size in the front-to-back direction, and storage when stored in the seat 1 become a state As a method of winding in a rolling shape, the airbag 11 may be wound on the front side or the rear side in FIG. 2 . Further, substantially the entirety of the airbag 11 may be wound in a rolling shape, or halfway in the front-back direction may be wound in a rolling shape.

In addition, before the airbag 11 is rolled in a rolling shape from the front side toward the rear side or folded in a bellows shape, as shown in FIG. 3A, each cushion portion for the head 31 , 32) may be pushed in (first folding method). In addition, before the airbag 11 is rolled in a rolling shape from the front side toward the rear side or folded in a bellows shape, as shown in FIG. The portions 31 and 32 may be folded into a bellows shape (second folding method). In addition, while the airbag 11 is rolled in a rolling shape from the front side toward the rear side or folded in a bellows shape (see FIG. 3C(b)), as shown in FIG. 3C(c), the cushion portion 41 for each fuselage 42), you may bend each head cushion part 31, 32 at the base (or in the vicinity of the base) so that it overlaps with the outer surface (3rd folding method).

As for other folding methods, as shown in Figs. 3D(a) to (c), the position where the head cushions 31 and 32 are folded from the inside to the outside may be more inside than Fig. 3(B). Specifically, the position at which the head cushion parts 31 and 32 are initially folded (the dotted-dashed line position in Fig. 3C(a)) may be slightly away from the base of the head cushion parts 31 and 32. And, as shown in Fig. 3D(c), both of the head cushion parts 31 and 32 do not have to overlap with the outer surfaces of the torso cushion parts 41 and 42, either. In addition, although not shown, the cushion parts 31 and 32 for one head part do not have to overlap with the outer surface of the cushion parts 41 and 42 for the torso.

In the case of using the folding method shown in Fig. 3A, in the storage form of the airbag 11, the head cushion parts 31 and 32 are pushed into the body cushion parts 41 and 42 respectively. In addition, when the folding method of FIG. 3B or 3C is used, in the storage form of the airbag 11, the cushion parts 31 and 32 for each head are folded so as to overlap the outer surfaces of the cushion parts 41 and 42 for each body. . Regardless of the storage mode, the airbag 11 moves all or most of the head cushions 31, 32 outward from the position of the base of the head cushions 31, 32 in a flat state. A portion of the duct 23 is thinner than other portions. In addition, when the folding method of FIG. 3D is used, in the storage form of the airbag 11, the cushion for the head 31 is folded so as to overlap the outer surface of the cushion for the body 41 on one side. Also in this case, among the parts of the gas duct 23, the part corresponding to the space between the support members 6 of the headrest 4 is thinner than the other parts.

As shown in FIG. 4, the airbag 11 of the storage type is accommodated in the seat 1 in a curved state along the seat frame 1a. In the airbag 11, the gas duct 23 is stored in the upper part of the backrest part 3, the first side cushion 21 is stored in the near side of the seat 1, and the second side cushion 22 is stored in the seat 1 ) is stored on the far side of

Here, a pair of support members 6 for supporting the headrest 4 are installed at the upper end of the backrest portion 3 . At the upper end of the backrest part 3, it is possible to secure the airbag 11 accommodating part on the front or rear side between the pair of support members 6. However, since the pair of support members 6 and their installation structure are provided, the width that can be secured as the accommodating portion of the airbag 11 becomes narrow. In this embodiment, since the portion of the gas duct 23 is thinner than the other portions in the air bag 11 storage configuration, the gas duct 23 can be easily accommodated in the upper end of the backrest portion 3. In addition, as a folding method, what is necessary is just to fold each head cushion part 31, 32 so that substantially the whole of each head cushion part 31, 32 may be located outside the pair of support member 6.

In addition, the installed airbag 11 stored in the seat 1 is attached to the seat frame 1a of the seat 1 at five locations of the four tabs 16a-16d and the accommodating portion 45 of the inflator 12. It is fixed. In the accommodating portion 45 of the inflator 12, the inflator 12 is fixed to the seat frame 1a by stud bolts (not shown). In this fixing, the stud bolt is passed through the insertion hole of the accommodating portion 45, so that the accommodating portion 45 is also fixed to the seat frame 1a.

Also, in the airbag 11 in the installed state, the gas duct 23 is fixed to the upper end of the seat frame 1a at both left and right sides of the headrest 4 by the second and third tabs 16b and 16c. The gas duct 23 has an inlet side and an outlet side respectively fixed. Therefore, since the shape of the gas duct 23 is relatively stable when the gas injected from the inflator 12 flows, the flow of the gas in the gas duct 23 is smooth. In addition, if the gas duct 23 fixes the inlet side (1st side cushion 21 side) of the inlet side and the outlet side, since gas flows more or less smoothly, you may omit the 3rd tab 16c. On the other hand, since the third tab 16c can suppress the amount of outward movement of the second side cushion 22 subjected to the collision load of the passenger 5, the second tab 16b is omitted when this point is prioritized. You can do it.

In addition, in the airbag 11 in the installed state, the outer side in the left-right direction of each fuselage cushion part 41, 42 in the flattened state becomes the lower side. The outer ends of the cushion portions 41 and 42 for the torso in the horizontal direction in a flat state are fixed to the seat frame 1a by the first tab 16a and the fourth tab 16d. Further, in the airbag 11 in a flat state, a vertical slit 36 is provided between the cushion parts 31 and 32 for the head. Therefore, when the cushion parts 41 and 42 for each torso expand and deploy forward, the cushion parts 31 and 32 for the head rise upward.

[Effects of the present embodiment, etc.]

In the airbag device 10 according to the present embodiment, the inflator 12 receiving a signal from the sensor injects gas into the first side cushion 21 when an impact is applied to the vehicle, for example, due to a side collision or rolling over. Accordingly, the first side cushion 21 expands and deploys. In addition, part of the gas injected from the inflator 12 to the first side cushion 21 passes through the gas duct 23 and is supplied to the second side cushion 22 . Accordingly, the second side cushion 22 expands and deploys. And in the inflation completed state, the gas duct 23 which connects the 1st side cushion 21 and the 2nd side cushion 22 is lower than the head of the passenger 5 in the height range of the upper part of the seat 1. It is located in range (X). Moreover, the 1st side cushion 21 and the 2nd side cushion 22 oppose each other with the rider 5 interposed therebetween.

Here, immediately after the side collision of the far side, the passenger 5 seated on the seat 1 moves in the horizontal direction from the shoulder part of the body to the upper side and collides with the second side cushion 22 . At this time, the second side cushion 22 receives the collision load of the passenger 5 and moves outward in a height range of the upper part of the seat 1 corresponding to the range from the shoulder of the passenger 5 to the upper side. And according to the movement, the 1st side cushion 21 is pulled horizontally via the gas duct 23, and moves to the passenger 5 side. When the passenger 5 moves toward the opposite side from the initial collision, the passenger 5 collides with the first side cushion 21 . On the other hand, immediately after the side collision of the near side, the first side cushion 21 receives the collision load of the passenger 5 and moves outward, and the second side cushion 22 interposes the gas duct 23 according to the movement It is pulled in the horizontal direction and moves to the passenger 5 side.

In this embodiment, the gas duct 23 is located in the height range in which the passenger 5 initially collides. Therefore, the load in the horizontal direction directly acts on the gas duct 23 . Therefore, compared to, for example, an airbag in which both side cushions are connected from above the occupant's head, both side cushions 21 and 22 move integrally in the transverse direction. Accordingly, the moving distance until the passenger 5 moving to the opposite side from the beginning of the collision collides with the side cushions 21 and 22 is shortened, and the passenger 5 can be restrained at an early stage. In addition, since the side cushions 21 and 22, which the passenger 5 initially collides with, are held to some extent by the gas duct 23, the amount of outward movement of the side cushions 21 and 22 is also suppressed, resulting in a side collision. The restraint performance of the generating side is improved. According to this embodiment, it is possible to realize the airbag device 10 in which the side cushions 21 and 22 on both sides of the seat 1 move integrally in the event of a side collision.

In addition, when the vehicle rolls over, the passenger 5 moves left and right according to the rotation of the vehicle. Also in this case, in the airbag device 10 according to the present embodiment, the side cushions 21 and 22 on both sides act integrally, so that the occupant 5 can be restrained at an early stage.

However, conventionally, in order to protect the occupant against a side collision, a curtain airbag that protects the occupant's head in a near-side collision, and a near-side airbag that protects the range from the occupant's shoulder to the waist in a near-side collision There are cases in which airbags and farside airbags that protect the head in the event of a farside collision are installed respectively. Meanwhile, an airbag device capable of responding to automatic driving is required. In automatic driving, it is assumed that the occupant moves the seat back to the rear to take a comfortable posture, or the occupant switches the vehicle front and rear with respect to the orientation of the seat. However, in the conventional airbag configuration described above, it is necessary to expand the protection range of each airbag in order to respond to automatic driving, and problems arise in terms of cost and design.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the occupant 5 can be restrained at an early stage, the size of each side cushion 21, 22 can be suppressed from being enlarged, and each side cushion 21, 22 can be adjusted to an appropriate size. Because of this, it is possible to construct an airbag 11 with good design. In addition, since each of the head cushion portions 31 and 33 is slightly tilted toward the head, the restraining position with respect to the head becomes close to the occupant 5, and the restraining performance can be improved. In addition, since the first side cushion 21 covers the area from the head to the abdomen of the occupant 5, the curtain airbag can be omitted. Accordingly, there is no need to mount the airbag on the roof of the vehicle, and the degree of freedom of vehicle layout is improved. In addition, according to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce cost and weight compared to the case where each side airbag is installed on both sides of the seat 1.

Also, the airbag device 10 can be installed on either the front seat or the rear seat of the vehicle, and can also be installed on the seat of a single-seater vehicle. In addition, since the airbag device 10 does not depend on the vehicle layout, a part or all of the airbag device 10 can be modularized so that it can be applied to several types of vehicles.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the entire airbag 11 can be inflated with one inflator 12, an increase in the number of parts of the airbag device 10 can be suppressed.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the airbag 11 is inflated, the rear of the first head cushion 31 and the second head cushion 32 are positioned between the headrest 4 of the seat 1. face to face (see FIGS. 1C and 1D). When the occupant 5 collides with the second side cushion 22 at the time of a side collision, the second side cushion 22 rotates around an axis in the vertical direction at its rear end and moves toward the outside of the seat 1. move Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the first head cushion part 31 of the first side cushion 21 is pulled by the second side cushion 22 via the gas duct 23, and the headrest 4 collide with the side Since the airbag 11 receives a reaction force from the headrest 4 by this collision, the shaking of the airbag 11 can be suppressed, and the restraining performance of the occupant 5 by the airbag 11 is improved. 5 is a view of the airbag 11 in an inflated state as seen from the rear inclined upper side of the headrest 4. As shown in FIG.

Also, in this embodiment, the first side cushion 1 to which the inflator 12 is installed is installed on the near side of the seat 1. Also, on the near side, the two outlets 18a and 18b of the gas guide 18 open to the upper cushion portion 41a and the lower cushion portion 41b. Therefore, at the time of a near-side collision, the first fuselage cushion portion 41 can be inflated and deployed earlier than other cushion portions, with little delay from the collision to protecting the occupant 5.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the seat belt 7 crosses the torso of the passenger 5 seated on the seat 1 in an inclined downward direction from the first side cushion 21 side to the second side cushion 22 side. In this case, in the inflated state, the first side cushion 21 is interposed between the seat belt 7 and the occupant 5, as shown in FIG. 6 . All of the first side cushions 21 are received by the seat belt 7. Therefore, the reaction force from the 1st side cushion 21 to the passenger 5 acts at an early stage, and restraint of the passenger 5 from the side and front can be performed early. This effect can be obtained regardless of the installation position (B-pillar, seat, etc.) of the upper anchor 7a of the seat belt 7.

In this embodiment, the gas duct 23 in an expanded state is located near the front side of the support member 6 as shown in FIG. 7A. In this case, the gas duct 23 is accommodated on the front side of the support member 6 at the upper end of the backrest portion 3, and each tab 16b, 16c provided in the gas duct 23, for example, is a seat frame ( It is fixed to the upper part of the upper part of 1a). Further, as shown in Fig. 7B, the position of the gas duct 23 in the expanded state in the front-back direction may be further forward than the position in Fig. 7A. In the case of Fig. 7B, each of the tabs 16b and 16c is fixed to the front side of the upper end of the seat frame 1a. As the gas duct 23 is forward, each side cushion 21, 22 is pushed forward, and the rearward movement of each side cushion 21, 22 can be suppressed. In addition, the position of the gas duct 23 in the expansion completed state in the front-back direction may exist behind the support member 6 as shown in FIG. 7C. In this case, the gas duct 23 is housed behind the support member 6 at the upper end of the backrest 3. Each tab 16b, 16c is fixed to the rear side of the upper end of the seat frame 1a. When the gas duct 23 is behind the supporting member 6, the gas duct 23 does not come into contact with the neck of the passenger 5. Therefore, it is possible to avoid being crushed by the gas duct 23 at the time of inflation and deployment due to contact with the neck of the passenger 5 . 7A to C(b), the gas duct 23 is shown painted black.

[First Modification of Embodiment]

In this modified example, in a state where the airbag 11 is placed flat, the first head cushion part 31 and the second head cushion part 32 overlap each other as shown in Fig. 8(a). The length of each head cushion part 31, 32 in the left-right direction in the flattened state is long compared with the above-mentioned embodiment.

In the manufacture of the airbag 11 according to this modified example, a sewing process is performed in which two base fabrics are overlapped and a predetermined portion such as the outer periphery is sewn, so that the tip side portion of each head cushion portion 31, 32 is not provided. An intermediate product 50 is prepared. As shown in Fig. 8(b), in the intermediate product 50, only the base portions 51 and 52 of the head cushion portions 31 and 32 are provided. The tip sides of the stump side portions 51 and 52 are not sewn and are open. Furthermore, a pair of bag bodies 55 and 56 corresponding to the distal end side portions of the respective head cushion portions 31 and 32 are separately prepared. Each of the bag bodies 55 and 56 has a substantially rectangular shape or a substantially square shape, and the outer peripheral portion is sewn leaving one side.

And in the connection process after a sewing process, the bag bodies 55 and 56 are respectively connected to the front end side of the root side parts 51 and 52 of each head cushion part 31 and 32 in the intermediate product 50. In this way, the head cushion parts 31 and 32 and the airbag 11 are completed.

According to this modified example, the height of each head cushion portion 31, 32 in the inflated state can be increased, and the range of protection for the head of the occupant 5 can be expanded.

[Second Modification of Embodiment]

In the airbag 11 according to this modified example, the first bag part 71 having the first side cushion 21 and the second bag part 72 having the second side cushion 22 are mutually connected by, for example, sewing. constituted by being connected. As shown in FIG. 9, the 1st bag part 71 has a part (right part in FIG. 2) 23a of the gas duct 23. The 2nd bag part 72 has the remaining part (left part in FIG. 2) 23b of the gas duct 23. The first bag part 71 and the second bag part 72 have these parts 23a and 23b so that the inside of the right part 23a of the gas duct 23 and the inside of the left part 23b of the gas duct 23 are connected. The front ends of the are connected to each other by, for example, sewing. Accordingly, the airbag 11 is manufactured in which the first head cushion part 31 and the second head cushion part 32 overlap each other in the same manner as in FIG. 8 .

[Third Modified Example of Embodiment]

As shown in FIG. 10, the airbag 11 according to this modified example has only one tab used as a fixing part to the seat 1, compared to the fourth tab 16d in FIG. The airbag 11 is fixed to the seat 1 only in two places: the fourth tab 16d and the accommodating portion 45 of the inflator 12. According to this modified example, since the number of places where the tabs 16 are installed in the seat frame 1a is small, it is easy to remodel the seat frame according to the airbag 11.

[Fourth Modification of Embodiment]

In the airbag 11 according to this modified example, the rear end of the second side cushion 22 sits at a position inside the seat frame 1a of the back portion 3 of the side surface 1b on the side of the second side cushion 22. It is fixed to the frame 1a. In Fig. 11, the fourth tab 16d is fixed to the inside of the side surface 1b of the seat frame 1a. In this case, in the front view of the seat 1, most of the rear part 22a of the second side cushion 22 is located inside the side surface 1b of the seat frame 1a. Therefore, when the 2nd side cushion 22 is pushed outward of the seat 1, as shown in FIG. 12, the rear part 22a of the 2nd side cushion 22 is pressed against the side part of the seat 1. According to this modified example, the restraint performance of the far side by the airbag 11 can be improved. Moreover, you may apply the same fixed position also about the 1st side cushion 21. In other words, you may fix the rear end of the 1st side cushion 21 to the seat frame 1a at the position inside the side surface on the side of the 1st side cushion 21 among the seat frame 1a.

[Fifth Modified Example of Embodiment]

As shown in FIG. 13, in the airbag 11 according to this modified example, the protection range of the second side cushion 22 in the height direction of the second cushion part 42 for the fuselage is different from that of the first cushion part 41 for the fuselage. equal The cushion portion 42 for the second torso expands and deploys so as to cover the range from the shoulder to the abdomen of the passenger 5 in the normal seating position from the side. Such an airbag 11 can be used in a single-seater ultra-small mobility vehicle or the like. In addition, in FIG. 13, although the 1st side cushion 21 and the 2nd side cushion 22 are made horizontally symmetrical, they may not be symmetrical.

[Other modifications]

The connection member 23 which connects the 1st side cushion 21 and the 2nd side cushion 22 in embodiment mentioned above may be a member in which gas cannot flow through inside. As the connecting member 23, a belt-shaped member made of one base fabric can be used. In this case, a second inflator may be installed on the second side cushion 22, or a pipeline branching into two is used, and the airbag device 10 is configured so that gas is supplied from one inflator to both side cushions 21 and 22. can be configured.

In the above-described embodiment, the connecting member 23 in an already inflated state should just be located in the range X lower than the head of the passenger 5 in the height range of the upper part of the seat 1, and for example, get on board. It may be located at a height corresponding to the chest of the person 5. The inflated connection member 23 extends along the surface of the backrest portion 3 in the width direction of the seat 1 .

In the embodiment described above, the airbag 11 may be configured such that the protection range of the first side cushion 21 is from the head of the occupant 5 to the waist.

In the embodiment described above, the airbag 11 may be configured so that the protection range of the second side cushion 22 is only the head, or the airbag 11 may be configured so that the protection range is the abdomen or waist. Also, when the center console of a vehicle is large, the space in which the second side cushion 22 can be expanded and deployed becomes narrow. In this case, the second side cushion 22 may be expanded and deployed along the upper surface of the center console.

In the embodiment described above, you may provide the head cushion parts 31 and 32 only to one side of the 1st side cushion 21 and the 2nd side cushion 22. As shown in FIG.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be applied to an airbag device that protects the side of a passenger.

1 seat
3 backrest
4 headrest
5 riders
10 airbag device
11 airbag
12 inflator
16a-16d tab (fixed part)
21 First side cushion
22 Second side cushion
23 gas duct (connection member)
31 cushion part for the first head (inner cushion part)
32 Cushion part for the second head (inner cushion part)
41 Cushion part for the first fuselage (outer cushion part)
42 Cushion part for the second fuselage (outer cushion part)

Claims (16)

A first side cushion that inflates and deploys to cover one side of an occupant seated in a seat of a vehicle, a second side cushion that inflates and deploys to cover the other side of the occupant, An airbag having a connection member connecting the second side cushion;
an inflator for injecting gas for inflating the airbag;
In a state in which the inflation and deployment of the airbag is completed, the connection member is located at a height lower than the top of the occupant's head in the height range of the upper part of the seat and extends in the width direction of the seat. airbag device. According to claim 1,
The connection member is a duct through which gas can flow,
The inflator is installed on the first side cushion,
A part of the gas injected from the inflator to the first side cushion is supplied to the second side cushion through the duct. According to claim 2,
The first side cushion is installed at a near side close to the seat door,
The second side cushion is installed on a far side far from the seat door. According to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The first side cushion includes a first head cushion portion that inflates and deploys to cover one side of the passenger's head, and a first cushion that expands and deploys to cover one side of the passenger's torso. 1 has a cushion part for the fuselage,
The airbag device having a second head cushion portion in which the second side cushion expands and deploys to cover the other side portion of the head portion. According to claim 1 or 2,
The first side cushion includes a first head cushion portion that inflates and deploys to cover one side of the passenger's head, and a first cushion that expands and deploys to cover one side of the passenger's torso. 1 has a cushion for the fuselage,
The second side cushion includes a second cushion for the head that expands and deploys to cover the other side of the head and a second cushion for the torso that expands and deploys to cover the other side of the torso. airbag device. According to any one of claims 1 to 5,
In the inflated state, when a passenger sitting on the seat collides with one of the first side cushion and the second side cushion, the other side cushion is pulled by the one side cushion via the connection member, and the seat Airbag device impacting the side of the headrest of the vehicle. According to any one of claims 1 to 6,
In a flat state in which the uninflated airbag is spread and placed flat on a flat surface, the side fixed to the seat in a direction orthogonal to the left and right directions of the airbag is the rear side and the opposite side is the front side,
In the flat state, the first side cushion is connected to one end of the connection member extending in the left-right direction of the airbag, and the second side cushion is connected to the other end, and the front end of the connection member is connected to the first side cushion and An airbag device located behind the front end of each of the second side cushions. According to claim 7,
Each of the first side cushion and the second side cushion in the flat state is located outside the connection member in the left-right direction of the airbag and extends forward from the front end of the connection member. and an inner cushioning portion extending inwardly from the forwardly extending portion of the outer cushioning portion. According to claim 8,
In the flat state, the inner cushion portion of the first side cushion and the inner cushion portion of the second side cushion overlap each other. The method of claim 8 or 9,
In a storage form when the airbag is stored in the seat, the inner cushion part in each of the first side cushion and the second side cushion is rolled toward the outer cushion part in a rolling shape, or the inner cushion part is inside the outer cushion part. The airbag device according to claim 1 , wherein the inner cushion part is rolled in a rolling shape or folded so as to push the cushion part in or overlap an outer surface of the outer cushion part. According to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The airbag device is configured by connecting a first bag part having the first side cushion and a second bag part having the second side cushion to each other. According to any one of claims 1 to 11,
In the airbag, a fixing part for the seat is installed on one side of the first side cushion and the second side cushion, and a receiving part for the inflator is installed on the other side.
The airbag device is fixed to the seat at the fixing part and the accommodating part of the inflator. According to claim 12,
In the airbag, an airbag device in which a fixing part for a seat is provided in the connecting member as well. According to any one of claims 1 to 13,
The seat has a headrest installed on the backrest,
The airbag device of claim 1 , wherein in the inflated state, the connecting member is located in front or rear of the gap between the backrest and the headrest. According to any one of claims 1 to 14,
In the inflated state, one rear end of the first side cushion and the second side cushion is fixed to the seat frame at a position inside the side surface of the one side cushion side of the seat frame of the back of the seat, The airbag device of claim 1 , wherein a rear portion of the one side cushion is pressed toward the side of the seat when the one side cushion is pushed outward from the seat. According to any one of claims 1 to 15,
In the torso of the occupant sitting on the seat, when the seat belt crosses in an inclined downward direction from the first side cushion side to the second side cushion side, in the inflated state, the first side cushion is connected to the seat belt. An airbag device interposed between the occupants.

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