WO2019039333A1

WO2019039333A1 - Side airbag device

Info

Publication number: WO2019039333A1
Application number: PCT/JP2018/030136
Authority: WO
Inventors: 真夫馬; 中島　豊; 喜大山田; 優斗小林; 正明貝原
Original assignee: オートリブディベロップメントエービー; 真夫馬; 中島　豊; 喜大山田; 優斗小林; 正明貝原
Priority date: 2017-08-22
Filing date: 2018-08-10
Publication date: 2019-02-28
Also published as: JPWO2019039333A1

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a side airbag in which a cushion does not easily collapse after inflation and deployment and which can protect the head of an occupant more completely. [Solution] This side airbag device 100 is characterized by being provided with: a pocket-shaped cushion 120 which is provided on a side portion of a seat back 106 of a vehicular seat 104 and is inflated and deployed toward a side portion of the occupant on the vehicular seat by using gas supplied from an inflator 122, wherein the cushion includes a patch 128 which contacts the ceiling 130 of a vehicle 102 during inflation and deployment, and the friction coefficient of the patch is higher than the friction coefficients of the remaining portions, excluding the patch, on the surface of the cushion.

Description

Side airbag device

The present invention relates to a side airbag apparatus provided with a bag-like cushion that is inflated and deployed to the side of a passenger of a vehicle seat at the time of a side collision or the like of a vehicle.

In recent vehicles, air bag devices are almost equipped as standard. The airbag device is a safety device that operates in an emergency such as a vehicle collision, and inflates and deploys the cushion with gas pressure to receive and protect the occupant. As one example, the side airbag device includes a bag-like cushion that is inflated and deployed to the side of the occupant of the vehicle seat at the time of a side collision or the like of the vehicle.

Usually, when a vehicle receives a lateral impact, the occupant moves in the vehicle width direction. For example, when a side collision occurs when an object (collision object) such as another vehicle or utility pole collides on the side door on the passenger seat side, the side airbags for protecting the occupant are roughly classified into two types. The first is a so-called near-side airbag, which is inflated and deployed between the front passenger seat and the side door, and the occupant on the side of the collision object (in this case, the front passenger side occupant) To prevent collision with the side door. The second one is a so-called far-side airbag (patent document 1), which is inflated and deployed between the driver's seat and the passenger's seat, and an occupant on the side opposite to the collision object contact side due to a lateral impact. (In this case, the driver's seat side passenger) protects that the passenger moves to the center of the vehicle which is the far side as viewed from the passenger.

The far-side air bag described in Patent Document 1 is an air bag that is inflated and deployed in a space between occupants seated on a pair of left and right seats of the vehicle, and includes a first expansion portion. The first expansion portion inflates and deploys above the upper end of the headrest portion provided on the seat, above the console box disposed between the seat portions of both seat seats. The upper end portion of the first expansion portion is formed to be in contact with the lower surface of the ceiling portion of the vehicle in the expanded and deployed state.

In Patent Document 1, the upper end surface of the first inflatable portion is in pressure contact with the lower surface of the ceiling portion of the vehicle in a state where the airbag is inflated and deployed, so the upper end portion of the airbag frictionally contacts the lower surface of the ceiling portion. As a result, the function of holding the air bag in a predetermined position is improved, and the passenger protection performance can be further improved as compared with the case of non-contact.

JP, 2010-52619, A

However, the air bag described in Patent Document 1 has only a shape in which the upper end portion is pressed into contact with the ceiling of the vehicle, and may fall if a large impact from the lateral direction is applied to the vehicle. This makes it difficult to reliably receive the occupant's head.

An object of the present invention is to provide a side airbag device capable of protecting a head of an occupant more fully, since the cushion after inflation and deployment becomes difficult to fall.

In order to solve the above-mentioned subject, a typical composition of a side air bag device concerning the present invention is provided in the side of a seat back of a vehicular seat, and uses the gas supplied from an inflator for the vehicular seat. In the side airbag device having a bag-like cushion that inflates and deploys to the side of the occupant, the cushion includes a contact portion that contacts the ceiling of the vehicle during the inflation and deployment, and the coefficient of friction of the contact portion is a contact on the surface of the cushion It is characterized by being higher than the coefficient of friction of the place except for the part.

According to the above configuration, in the cushion after expansion and deployment, the contact portion contacts the ceiling of the vehicle. And since the contact part of a cushion has a coefficient of friction higher than the part except a contact part, when it contacts a ceiling, sufficient frictional force will generate | occur | produce. Therefore, since the cushion of the present invention is less likely to fall down by the contact portion contacting the ceiling of the vehicle as compared with the cushion that does not include the contact portion, impact energy can be easily absorbed and the head of the occupant can be protected.

The above-mentioned cushion may be located between the vehicle seat and the adjacent seat adjacent in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle seat. Thereby, the cushion can function as a far side airbag.

The above cushion may be located between the vehicle seat and the side door. Thereby, the cushion can function as a near side airbag.

A silicon coat may be applied to the above contact portion. Thus, the contact part of a cushion can be formed by giving a silicone coat.

The contact portion may be a separate patch covering the surface of the cushion. Thus, covering the surface of the cushion with a separate patch can enhance the durability of the contact portion of the cushion.

The surface of the patch may be coated with silicon. By applying a silicone coat to the surface of the patch which is the contact portion of the cushion in this manner, the coefficient of friction of the contact portion of the cushion can be made higher than the coefficient of friction of the surface of the cushion excluding the contact portion.

The upper surface of the above-mentioned inflated and deployed cushion is inclined toward any of the vehicle front and rear directions, and the contact portion is positioned at the rear or front side of the vehicle having the highest height among the inclined upper surfaces It is good. Thereby, among the upper surfaces of the cushion, the contact portion located on the rear side or the front side of the vehicle first contacts the ceiling of the vehicle. For this reason, the contact portion can stably contact the predetermined position of the ceiling of the vehicle and stabilize the deployment behavior of the cushion.

The above-mentioned side airbag device further includes at least one internal tether connecting the side surfaces of the cushion, and the internal tether is tensioned by the expansion and deployment of the cushion to prevent the spacing between the side surfaces of the cushion from expanding. It is good to break when it receives tension exceeding a predetermined value. Here, when the vehicle seat is, for example, the driver's seat and the cushion is between the adjacent passenger seats, the cushion after inflation and deployment simultaneously receives the two occupants on both sides, and the cushion is pinched by the two occupants. May be Alternatively, when the above-described vehicle seat is, for example, a driver's seat or a passenger seat and the cushion is between the vehicle seat and the side door, the cushion after inflation and deployment may be pinched by the occupant and the side door . As compared with the case where the cushion between the driver's seat and the passenger's seat receives only one passenger when the cushion is pinched from both sides in this way, the internal pressure of the cushion excessively increases, which is from the viewpoint of protection of the passenger. Not desirable.

So, in the said structure, even if the cushion receives supply of gas from an inflator and inflate-deploys by the internal tether, the part which the space | interval of the side surfaces of a cushion does not expand was provided. Then, if the internal pressure of the cushion is excessively increased, for example, when the cushion is pinched by two occupants, if the tension applied to the cushion thereby increases, the tension applied to the internal tether also increases. When the tension applied to the internal tether exceeds a predetermined value, the internal tether breaks and the distance between the side surfaces of the cushion increases. That is, the width dimension (volume) at the time of inflation deployment of a cushion becomes large, and the internal pressure of a cushion can be lowered. By lowering the internal pressure of the cushion, it is possible to sufficiently absorb impact energy received from, for example, the head of two occupants, for example, and to prevent deterioration of the head injury value.

The tension of the above-described predetermined value may be applied to the internal tether by pinching both sides of the cushion after inflation and deployment by two occupants. Thereby, the cushion is located between the vehicle seat and the adjacent seat adjacent in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle seat, and even if both sides of the cushion after inflation and deployment are caught by two occupants When the tension applied to the contact portion exceeds a predetermined value, the internal tether is broken, so the internal pressure of the cushion can be lowered to protect the heads of the two occupants.

The tension of the above-described predetermined value may be applied to the internal tether by pinching both sides of the cushion after inflation and deployment by the occupant and the side door. As a result, even if the cushion is located between the vehicle seat and the side door and both sides of the cushion after inflation and deployment are pinched by the occupant and the side door, the tension applied to the contact portion is a predetermined value As the internal tether breaks, the internal pressure of the cushion can be lowered to protect the occupant's head.

The above-mentioned internal tethers are a plurality of first internal tethers arranged in the vehicle vertical direction inside the inflated and deployed cushion, and a plurality of second internal tethers spaced apart from the first internal tether and arranged in the vehicle vertical direction Should be included. As described above, since the side surfaces of the cushion are brought close to each other by the first internal tether and the second internal tether arranged in the vertical direction of the vehicle apart from each other, the distance between the side surfaces of the cushion can be stabilized.

In the side airbag device described above, one end is coupled to the seat frame built in the seatback along the side portion of the seatback of the vehicle seat, the occupant side of the seat frame, and the other end is to the front end of the cushion The system further comprises a coupled external tether, the inflator is mounted on the side opposite to the occupant side of the seat frame, and the cushion is accommodated on the opposite side of the occupant side of the seat frame and supplied from the inflator When expanding and deploying using an inert gas, the movement of the front end portion of the seat frame to the side opposite to the occupant side may be restricted by the external tether. Thus, the cushion is accommodated on the side opposite to the occupant side of the seat frame, one end of the external tether is joined to the occupant side of the seat frame, and the other end is joined to the front end of the cushion. For this reason, at the front end of the cushion, the movement of the seat frame to the side opposite to the occupant side is restricted by the rotating external tether at the time of inflation and deployment. Therefore, the cushion after inflation and deployment is located near the occupant, and the occupant restraint force can be improved.

The external tether may contact the front edge of the seat frame during inflation and deployment of the cushion. Thus, the cushion further restricts the movement of the front end of the cushion starting from the front edge of the seat frame because the external tether contacts the front edge of the seat frame during inflation and deployment. Therefore, the occupant restraint force can be further improved.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a side airbag device in which the cushion after inflation and deployment becomes difficult to fall, and the head of the occupant can be more fully protected.

It is a figure which illustrates a part of vehicles to which a side airbag device in an embodiment of the present invention is applied. It is a figure which illustrates the side airbag apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which illustrates the cushion of FIG. 2 (a). It is a figure which illustrates the cushion of FIG.3 (b) in the state accumulated on the passenger | crew. It is a figure which illustrates the side airbag apparatus at the time of inflation deployment, when one or two crew members are seated by the vehicle of FIG. It is a figure which illustrates the process in which the cushion and the cushion of the accommodation state of FIG.2 (b) inflate-deploy. It is a figure which illustrates the side airbag apparatus in other embodiment of this invention.

100, 100A, 100B, 100C: side air bag device, 102: vehicle, 104, 110: vehicle seat, 106, 112: seat back, 108, 114: seat cushion, 116: side door, 118: seat frame, 120 120A, 120B, 120C ... cushion, 122 ... inflator, 124, 142 ... occupant, 126, 126A, 126B, 126C ... top surface of cushion, 128, 128A ... patch, 130 ... ceiling, 132, 144 ... head of occupant, 134: first internal tether, 136: first internal tether, 138, 140: side of cushion, 150: external tether, 152: one end of external tether, 154: other end of external tether, 156: front end of cushion, 158 ... Stud bolt, 160 ... Front edge of seat frame

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values and the like shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating the understanding of the invention, and the invention is not limited except as otherwise described. In the present specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals to omit repeated description, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not illustrated. Do.

FIG. 1 is a view showing a part of a vehicle 102 to which a side airbag device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. The side airbag device 100 is embedded in a side portion of the seat back 106 of the vehicle seat 104 on the vehicle center side, as indicated by a dotted line in the figure. The vehicle seat 104 is a right front seat (for example, a driver's seat) in the vehicle 102 and, in addition to the seat back 106, has a seat cushion 108 on which an occupant sits.

In the vehicle 102, a vehicle seat 110 adjacent to the vehicle seat 104 is disposed. The vehicle seat 110 is a left front seat (for example, a front passenger seat), and includes a seat back 112 and a seat cushion 114. Further, the side door 116 is located on the vehicle outer side of the vehicle seat 110. The side airbag device 100 may be embedded in the side surface of the seat back 112 of the vehicle seat 110 on the center side of the vehicle.

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating the side airbag device 100 of FIG. In the drawing, of the seat back 106 of the vehicle seat 104, the skin and the seat pad (e.g., urethane material) are omitted and only the seat frame 118 is illustrated. The seat frame 118 is a member serving as a framework of the seat back 106, and is incorporated in the seat back 106 along the side surface and the upper edge of the seat back 106.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the side airbag device 100 includes a sack-like cushion 120. As shown in FIG. The cushion 120 inflates to the side of the occupant 124 (see FIG. 4) of the vehicle seat 104 using gas supplied from the inflator 122 which is a gas generator in an emergency such as when an impact occurs on the vehicle 102. expand. The cushion 120 is formed into a bag shape by, for example, spinning using OPW (One-Piece Woven).

FIG.2 (b) is the figure which illustrated the mode at the time of storage of the cushion 120 of Fig.2 (a). Although the details of the side airbag device 100 will be described later, the cushion 120 and the inflator 122 are installed outside the seat frame 118 in the vehicle width direction, that is, on the side opposite to the occupant side (see FIG. 6).

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating the cushion 120 of FIG. 2 (a). An arrow X in the drawing indicates the front side of the vehicle. 3 (a) and 3 (b) are a view on arrow A and a view on arrow B of the cushion 120 of FIG. 2 (a). FIG. 4 is a view exemplifying the cushion 120 of FIG. The occupant 124 (driver) is in a state of sitting on the vehicle seat 104.

The upper surface 126 of the inflated and deployed cushion 120 is inclined so as to decrease in height toward the front side of the vehicle as illustrated, and the height on the rear side of the vehicle is the highest. A separate patch 128 is sewn on the rear side of the vehicle having the highest height among the inclined upper surfaces 126.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the patch 128 reliably contacts the ceiling 130 of the vehicle 102 on the upper surface 126 of the inflated and deployed cushion 120. Thus, the patch 128 functions as a contact that contacts the ceiling 130 of the vehicle 102.

Furthermore, the surface of the patch 128 is coated with silicon. Therefore, the patch 128, which is a contact portion of the cushion 120, has a higher coefficient of friction than the portion excluding the patch 128, and generates sufficient frictional force when contacting the ceiling 130. The coefficient of friction of the patch 128 is a coefficient of static friction or a coefficient of dynamic friction obtained by the contact of the patch 128 with the ceiling 130, which is more than a coefficient of static friction or a coefficient of dynamic friction obtained by the contact between the patch 128 and the ceiling 130. It is sufficient if it is large, and it is not limited to a specific number.

Therefore, the cushion 120 does not easily fall down due to sufficient frictional force generated by the patch 128 coming into contact with the ceiling 130 of the vehicle 102, so that it is easy to absorb impact energy, and the head 132 of the occupant 124 overlapping the cushion 120 It can protect. The patch 128 also enhances durability by covering the vehicle rear side of the top surface 126 of the cushion 120. Furthermore, since the patch 128 is at the highest position on the upper surface 126 of the cushion 120, the patch 128 comes into contact with the ceiling 130 of the vehicle 102 first, which makes it easier to stably contact the ceiling 130 at a predetermined position. Can be stabilized.

The cushion 120 further includes a plurality of first internal tethers 134 and a plurality of second internal tethers 136, as shown in phantom in the figure. As illustrated, the plurality of first internal tethers 134 are arranged in the vertical direction of the vehicle inside the inflated and deployed cushion 120. Further, the plurality of second internal tethers 136 are arranged in the vehicle vertical direction so as to be separated from the first internal tether 134 toward the rear side of the vehicle.

The plurality of first internal tethers 134 and second internal tethers 136 are formed when weaving using the OPW, and more specifically, the side surface 138 closer to the occupant 124 and the side farther from the occupant 124 In other words, it is a bundle of sewing threads in which a large number (for example, several hundreds to several thousands) of sewing threads connecting with the side surface 140 are alternately knitted. The plurality of first internal tethers 134 and second internal tethers 136 are tensioned by the expansion and deployment of the cushion 120 to prevent the spacing between the side surfaces 138 and 140, that is, the width dimension of the cushion 120 from expanding. The width dimension of the cushion 120 is adjusted.

As described above, in the cushion 120, the side surfaces 138 and 140 are connected to each other by the first internal tether 134 and the second internal tether 136 arranged in parallel in the vertical direction of the vehicle, spaced apart from each other. Can be stabilized. The plurality of first internal tethers 134 and second internal tethers 136 need not necessarily be arranged in the vertical direction of the vehicle, as long as the width dimension of the cushion 120 can be adjusted. Only one of the two internal tethers 136 need be present.

The first internal tether 134 and the second internal tether 136, which will be described in detail later, break when receiving tension exceeding a predetermined value after expansion and deployment of the cushion 120 (see FIG. 5 (b)).

The “predetermined value” of tension which is a threshold at which breakage occurs is a value determined according to the strength and the number of sewing threads forming the plurality of first internal tethers 134 and second internal tethers 136, although not specifically specified. is there. Since tension increases as the internal pressure of the cushion 120 increases, using tension as a threshold is equivalent to using the internal pressure of the cushion 120 as a threshold.

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating the side airbag device 100 at the time of inflation and deployment when one or two occupants are seated in the vehicle 102 of FIG. FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b) show the side airbag device 100 as viewed from the front of the vehicle when one occupant 124 and two

occupants

124 and 142 are seated. .

Further, in FIG. 5A, the vehicle 102 receives a lateral impact (see arrow D) caused by a side collision, and the occupant 124 receives a lateral impact (see arrow E) toward the center of the vehicle by inertia. The state of moving to the center side is shown. That is, the flow line axes of the occupant 124 accompanying the side collision are in the lateral direction (that is, the vehicle width direction) indicated by the arrows D and E.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the side airbag device 100 receives the head 132 of the occupant 124 who has moved in the direction indicated by the arrow E by the inflated and deployed cushion 120. At this time, in the cushion 120, as shown in FIG. 5A, the plurality of first inner tethers 134 and the second inner tethers 136 are not broken.

Therefore, in the cushion 120, the distance between the side surfaces 138 and 140 is adjusted by the plurality of first internal tethers 134 and the second internal tether 136, and the dimension in the vehicle width direction is Wa. Here, the dimension Wa in the vehicle width direction of the cushion 120 is preset so that the cushion 120 maintains an appropriate internal pressure when the cushion 120 receives the head 132 of one occupant 124.

Therefore, when the cushion 120 receives the head portion 132 of one occupant 124 at the time of inflation and deployment, as shown in FIG. 5A, the cushion 120 maintains an appropriate internal pressure by obtaining the dimension Wa in the vehicle width direction. The head 132 can be protected.

Furthermore, the patch 128 of the cushion 120 is in contact with the ceiling 130 of the vehicle 102 during inflation and deployment. Therefore, in the cushion 120, a sufficient frictional force is generated between the patch 128 and the ceiling 130. Therefore, the cushion 120 does not easily fall down when receiving the head 132 of one occupant 124, and it becomes easy to absorb impact energy, and the head 132 of the occupant 124 can be protected more fully.

Here, as shown in FIG. 5B, the cushion 120 after expansion and deployment may receive not only the occupant 124 seated on the vehicle seat 104 but also the occupant 142 seated on the vehicle seat 110. Hereinafter, the behavior of the cushion 120 in such a situation will be described.

As shown in FIG. 5B, when the cushion 120 after inflation and deployment receives the two

occupants

124 and 142 simultaneously and is pinched by the two

occupants

124 and 142, the internal pressure of the cushion 120 excessively increases. Then, when the internal pressure of the cushion 120 excessively increases, the tension applied to the side surfaces 138 and 140 of the cushion 120 increases.

The increase in tension on the side surfaces 138, 140 of the cushion 120 also increases the tension on the plurality of first internal tethers 134 and second internal tethers 136 shown in FIG. 5 (a). When the tension applied to the plurality of first internal tethers 134 and the second internal tethers 136 exceeds a predetermined value, the plurality of first internal tethers 134 and the second internal tethers 136 break and the side surfaces 138 and 140 of the cushion 120 The distance will be extended.

As a result, the cushion 120 has a dimension Wb larger than the dimension Wa shown in FIG. 5A in the vehicle width direction, so the volume is increased and the internal pressure can be lowered. The breakage of the plurality of first internal tethers 134 and the second internal tether 136 is not limited to the case where all the multiple sewing threads forming these tethers are broken, and the dimension in the vehicle width direction of the cushion 120 is increased Some of the sewing threads may be broken, and there may be sewing threads that do not break.

Accordingly, in the side airbag device 100, the dimension in the vehicle width direction can be increased and the internal pressure of the cushion 120 can be reduced, in a situation where the cushion 120 is sandwiched by the two

occupants

124 and 142. Thus, the cushion 120 can maintain an appropriate internal pressure, and can sufficiently absorb impact energy received from the two

occupants

124 and 142, particularly from the

head

132 and 144, thereby preventing deterioration of the head injury value.

Further, in the side airbag device 100, as shown in FIG. 5B, the patch 128 of the cushion 120 is in contact with the ceiling 130 of the vehicle 102 even in a situation where the cushion 120 is sandwiched by the two

occupants

124 and 142. doing. Therefore, the cushion 120 is less likely to fall down due to a sufficient frictional force generated between the patch 128 and the ceiling 130, so that it is easy to absorb impact energy, and the

head portions

132 and 144 of the

occupants

124 and 142 It can be completely protected.

Here, the side airbag device 100 is positioned between

adjacent vehicle seats

104 and 110, and the cushion 120 after inflation and deployment simultaneously receives the two

occupants

124 and 142 on both sides, and the two occupants 124, Although the situation where cushion 120 is pinched by 142 was illustrated, it is not limited to this. That is, the side airbag device 100 may be embedded in the side surface of the

vehicle seat

104, 110 outside the seat back 106, 112 in the vehicle width direction. In this case, there may be a situation where the cushion 120 after inflation and deployment is pinched by the occupant 124 and a side door (not shown) or the occupant 142 and the side door 116 (see FIG. 1).

Furthermore, although the case where the side airbag apparatus 100 was applied to the vehicle 102 provided with the two

vehicle seats

104 and 110 was demonstrated, it is not limited to this. As an example, the side airbag device 100 may be applied to a single-seat electric vehicle, a so-called micro EV. The micro EV is a vehicle equipped with one vehicle seat. In such a vehicle, the side airbag device 100 is positioned between the vehicle seat and the side door, and there may be a situation where the cushion 120 after inflation and deployment is caught between the occupant and the side door.

Under any circumstances, in the side airbag apparatus 100, if the tension applied to the plurality of first internal tethers 134 and the second internal tether 136 exceeds a predetermined value as the internal pressure of the cushion 120 rises, the internal air pressure is broken. Can be lowered. Therefore, according to the side airbag device 100, the cushion 120 can maintain an appropriate internal pressure, so that the cushion 120 can sufficiently absorb impact energy and prevent deterioration of the head injury value by receiving the occupant's head. it can.

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating the process of inflating and deploying the cushion 120 and the cushion 120 in the housed state of FIG. 2 (b). Fig.6 (a) is C arrow line view of FIG.2 (b). FIG. 6 (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line FF in FIG. 6 (a). FIG.6 (c) has illustrated the mode that the cushion 120 of the accommodation state of FIG.6 (b) inflate-deploys. In addition, arrow X of FIG.6 (b) and FIG.6 (c) has shown the vehicle front side. The arrow Y indicates the center side of the seat frame 118 in the vehicle width direction, that is, the occupant side.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the side airbag device 100 is installed on the opposite side of the seat frame 118 to the occupant side. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6B, the cushion 120 is installed on the seat frame 118 via the inflator 122, and in the wound or folded state, the cushion 120 is on the side opposite to the occupant side of the seat frame 118. Housed in Further, the inflator 122 is also mounted on the side opposite to the occupant side of the seat frame 118.

The side airbag device 100 further includes an external tether 150, as shown in FIG. 6 (b). As shown in FIG. 6C, the outer tether 150 has one end 152 coupled to the occupant side of the seat frame 118 and the other end 154 coupled to the front end 156 of the cushion 120. One end 152 of the outer tether 150 is coupled to the seat frame 118 using stud bolts 158 which project from the inflator 122 and extend through the seat frame 118.

In such a side airbag device 100, when the cushion 120 inflates and deploys using the gas supplied from the inflator 122, the external tether 150 allows the front end portion 156 of the seat frame 118 to be opposite to the occupant side. Movement is regulated. More specifically, as the outer tether 150 contacts the front edge 160 of the seat frame 118, the outer tether 150 regulates the movement of the front end 156 of the cushion 120 starting from the front edge 160 of the seat frame 118.

Therefore, in the side airbag device 100, when the front end portion 156 of the cushion 120 is inflated and deployed, the movement of the seat frame 118 to the side opposite to the occupant side is restricted by the outer tether 150 that rotates. As a result, the cushion 120 after inflation and deployment is positioned near the occupant, and the occupant restraining force can be improved.

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating

side airbag devices

100A, 100B and 100C according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In the side airbag device 100A shown in FIG. 7A, the upper surface 126A of the inflated and deployed cushion 120A is inclined so that the height decreases toward the rear side of the vehicle, and the height on the front side of the vehicle becomes the highest. There is. A separate patch 128A is sewn on the front side of the vehicle having the highest height among the inclined upper surfaces 126A.

Even in such a side-back device 100A, the patch 128A is at the highest position of the top surface 126A of the cushion 120A. For this reason, the patch 128A comes into contact with the ceiling 130 of the vehicle 102 first, and it becomes easy to stably contact the predetermined position of the ceiling 130, and the deployment behavior of the cushion 120A can be stabilized. Further, the cushion 120A is less likely to fall down due to a sufficient frictional force generated between the patch 128A and the ceiling 130, so that it is easy to absorb impact energy and the head of the occupant can be fully protected.

In the

cushions

120 and 120A,

separate patches

128 and 128A coated with silicon are used as the contact portions, but the invention is not limited thereto, and the vehicle front side or vehicle rear side having the highest height among the

upper surfaces

126 and 126A A silicon coat may be applied directly to the In this way,

separate patches

128 and 128A are not required, and the contact portion can be easily formed.

The side airbag device 100B shown in FIG. 7B differs from the above-described side airbag device 100 in that the upper surface 126B of the cushion 126B does not contact the ceiling 130 of the vehicle 102 and the patch 128 does not exist.

Even in such a side airbag device 100B, the cushion 120B can maintain an appropriate internal pressure by the plurality of first internal tethers 134 and the second internal tether 136, so that the head of one or two occupants, in particular, the head The impact energy received from the part can be sufficiently absorbed, and the deterioration of the head injury value can be prevented.

In the side airbag device 100C shown in FIG. 7C, the upper surface 126C of the cushion 120C does not come in contact with the ceiling 130 of the vehicle 102 with respect to the side airbag device 100 described above, and there are no patches 128 The first internal tether 134 and the second internal tether 136 also do not exist.

Even in such a side airbag device 100C, as in the side airbag device 100, the cushion 120 is accommodated on the side opposite to the occupant side of the seat frame 118, and the external tether 150 is further provided. The following effects are obtained. That is, as shown in FIG. 6C, when the cushion 120 inflates and deploys using the gas supplied from the inflator 122, the seat frame 118 on the side opposite to the occupant side is rotated by the rotating external tether 150. By restricting the movement of the front end portion 156, the cushion 120 after inflation and deployment is positioned near the occupant, and the occupant restraining force can be improved.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is obvious that those skilled in the art can conceive of various changes or modifications within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that they are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention. Be done.

Further, although the example in which the side airbag apparatus 100 according to the present invention is applied to a car has been described in the above embodiment, the present invention can also be applied to an aircraft or a ship other than a car. be able to.

The present invention can be applied to a side airbag device provided with a bag-like cushion that is inflated and deployed to the side of the occupant of the vehicle seat at the time of a side collision or the like of the vehicle.

Claims

In a side airbag device provided on a side of a seat back of a vehicle seat and having a bag-like cushion that inflates and deploys to the side of an occupant of the vehicle seat using gas supplied from an inflator.
The cushion includes a contact portion that contacts the ceiling of the vehicle when inflated and deployed.
The friction coefficient of the contact portion is higher than the friction coefficient of the portion of the surface of the cushion excluding the contact portion.
The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the cushion is located between the vehicle seat and an adjacent seat adjacent in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle seat.
The said airbag is located between the said vehicle seat and a side door, The side airbag apparatus of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned.
The side air bag device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a silicon coat is applied to the contact portion.
The said contact part is a separate patch which covers the surface of the said cushion, The side airbag apparatus of any one of Claim 1 to 3 characterized by the above-mentioned.
6. The side airbag device according to claim 5, wherein a silicon coat is applied to the surface of the patch.
The upper surface of the inflated and deployed cushion is inclined toward either of the vehicle front and rear directions,
The side air according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the contact portion is positioned on the rear side or the front side of the vehicle having the highest height among the inclined upper surfaces. Bag equipment.
The side airbag device further comprises at least one internal tether connecting the sides of the cushion,
The internal tether is characterized in that tension is applied by expansion and deployment of the cushion to prevent an increase in the distance between the side surfaces of the cushion, and the internal tether is broken when subjected to tension exceeding a predetermined value. 7. A side airbag device according to any one of 7 to 7.
The side airbag device according to claim 8, wherein the tension of the predetermined value is applied to the internal tether by pinching both sides of the cushion after inflation and deployment by two occupants.
The side airbag device according to claim 8, wherein the tension of the predetermined value is applied to the internal tether by pinching both sides of the cushion after inflation and deployment by the occupant and the side door.
The internal tethers are a plurality of first internal tethers arranged in the vehicle vertical direction inside the inflated and deployed cushion, and a plurality of second internal tethers spaced apart from the first internal tether and arranged in the vehicle vertical direction The side airbag device according to any one of claims 8 to 10, comprising:
The side airbag device is
A seat frame built in the seatback along a side portion of the seatback of the vehicle seat;
And an external tether having one end coupled to the occupant side of the seat frame and the other end coupled to the front end of the cushion.
The inflator is mounted on the side opposite to the occupant side of the seat frame,
The cushion is
The seat frame is accommodated on the side opposite to the occupant side, and when inflated and deployed using the gas supplied from the inflator, the external tether moves the seat frame to the opposite side of the occupant side The side airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the movement of the front end portion of the seat is restricted.
The side airbag device according to claim 12, wherein the external tether contacts a front edge of the seat frame when the cushion is inflated and deployed.