CN114802084B - Vehicle side airbag device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a side airbag device for a vehicle. The side airbag device for a vehicle accommodates an airbag body inside a vehicle seat, and the airbag body is configured to include an upper chamber covering the side of the head of the occupant in the expanded and deployed state and a lower chamber covering the side of the occupant from the shoulder to the waist in the expanded and deployed state. In addition, a vent hole is formed in the lower chamber. The inner tube is arranged inside the lower chamber and is configured to include a lower opening portion opening downward in the expanded and deployed state of the airbag body and an upper opening portion formed at a position above the vent hole and opening toward the upper chamber.

Description

Vehicle side airbag device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a side airbag device for a vehicle.

Background Art

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-008017 discloses an airbag divided into a lower air chamber for chest protection and an upper air chamber for head protection, wherein a vent hole is formed at the lower front end of the lower air chamber. In addition, in the airbag device of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-008017, a diffuser (inner tube (sock)) as a flow-rectifying cloth is arranged in the lower air chamber, and a communication hole for distributing gas from an inflator to the lower air chamber is formed in the diffuser.

Summary of the invention

However, in a side airbag that protects a wide range from the head to the waist of an occupant, it is preferable to shorten the length of the inner tube to suppress the increase in cost and weight. However, if the inner tube is shortened, the gas in the upper chamber that protects the head may be discharged from the vent hole.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above facts, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle side airbag device which can reduce the length of the inner tube and protect the head well in a structure that protects a wide range from the head to the waist of the occupant.

The vehicle side airbag device of technical solution 1 comprises: an airbag body, which is accommodated inside a vehicle seat, receives gas supply from an inflation device and expands and deploys laterally to the outside of the seat width direction of the occupant when a side collision is predicted or detected, and is constructed to include an upper chamber that covers the side of the occupant's head in the inflated and deployed state and a lower chamber that covers the side from the shoulder to the waist of the occupant in the inflated and deployed state, and a vent hole is formed in the lower chamber; and an inner tube, which is arranged inside the lower chamber to allow gas from the inflation device to flow to the airbag body, and is constructed to include a lower opening portion and an upper opening portion, the lower opening portion being open downward in the inflated and deployed state of the airbag body, and the upper opening portion being formed at a position above the vent hole and opening toward the upper chamber.

In the vehicle side airbag device of technical solution 1, the airbag body is configured to include an upper chamber covering the side of the occupant's head in the inflated and deployed state and a lower chamber covering the side of the occupant from the shoulder to the waist in the inflated and deployed state. As a result, the occupant's side can be restrained in a wide range during a side collision of the vehicle. In addition, a vent hole is formed in the lower chamber of the airbag body. As a result, the internal pressure of the lower chamber can be prevented from becoming too high.

In addition, an inner tube is provided inside the lower chamber, and a lower opening portion and an upper opening portion are formed in the inner tube. Here, the lower opening portion is formed at a position lower than the upper opening portion and opens downward. Thus, the waist can be restrained in advance, and the initial restraint performance can be ensured. In addition, the upper opening portion is formed at a position higher than the vent hole and opens toward the upper chamber. Thus, the gas from the upper opening portion toward the upper chamber can be suppressed from being discharged from the vent hole.

A vehicle side airbag device according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in claim 1, the lower opening is located below the vent hole in the inflated and deployed state of the airbag body.

In the vehicle side airbag device according to claim 2, since the lower opening is located below the vent hole, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the internal pressure of the waist region requiring a restraining force.

A vehicle side airbag device according to claim 3 is characterized in that, in claim 1 or 2, the inner tube is formed in a shape in which an opening area of the lower opening is larger than an opening area of the upper opening.

In the vehicle side airbag device of the third technical solution, since the opening area of the lower opening is larger than the opening area of the upper opening of the inner tube, more gas can be fed from the lower opening to the lower chamber at the initial stage of inflation of the airbag body, thereby rapidly increasing the internal pressure of the portion corresponding to the waist.

The vehicle side airbag device of claim 4 is characterized in that in claim 3, the vent hole is formed at the front end portion of the lower chamber, and the front end portion of the inner tube is inclined so as to be located behind the seat as it moves toward the upper side of the seat when viewed from the side with the airbag body inflated and deployed.

In the vehicle side airbag device of claim 4, the inner tube is inclined in a direction away from the vent hole as it goes above the seat. This can effectively prevent the gas flowing from the upper opening toward the upper chamber from being discharged to the outside through the vent hole.

As described above, according to the vehicle side airbag device of the present invention, in a structure that protects a wide range from the head to the waist of the occupant, the length of the inner tube can be shortened and the head can be well protected.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like symbols represent like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a vehicle seat to which a vehicle side airbag device according to an embodiment is applied, and shows a state in which the side airbag is inflated and deployed.

2 is a front view showing a vehicle seat to which the vehicle side airbag device according to the embodiment is applied, and shows a state in which the side airbag is inflated and deployed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, a vehicle side airbag device 12 equipped with a vehicle side airbag 10 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that arrows FR, UP, and RH in the respective drawings respectively indicate the seat front side, the seat upper side, and the seat right side of a vehicle seat 14 equipped with the vehicle side airbag 10. When the description is made using the front-back, left-right, up-down directions, unless otherwise specified, the front-back direction of the seat front-back direction, the left-right direction of the seat width direction, and the up-down direction of the seat are indicated.

(Vehicle seat 14)

As shown in FIG1 , a vehicle seat 14 equipped with a vehicle side airbag device 12 of the present embodiment is configured to include a seat cushion 16, a seat back 18, and a headrest 20. In addition, the side airbag device 12 of the present embodiment is configured to include a vehicle side airbag 10 (hereinafter referred to as "side airbag 10") and an inflator 42. It should be noted that, as an example, the vehicle seat 14 shown in FIG1 and FIG2 is arranged on the driver's seat on the left side of the vehicle, so that the front of the seat is consistent with the front of the vehicle. In addition, the left and right sides of the seat in the width direction are consistent with the left and right sides in the width direction of the vehicle.

In the vehicle seat 14 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , a dummy P for collision test is seated instead of an actual occupant. The dummy P is, for example, AM50 (50th percentile of American adult males) of WorldSID (World Side Impact Dummy). Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience, the dummy P is referred to as "occupant P".

The seat cushion 16 extends in the seat front-rear direction and the seat width direction, and is configured to support the buttocks and thighs of the occupant P. The seat back 18 is rotatably connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 16 and extends in the seat up-down direction, and is configured to support the back of the occupant P. The headrest 20 is provided at the upper end of the seat back 18 and is configured to support the head H of the occupant P.

(Seat belt device 24)

As shown in Fig. 2, the occupant P is restrained on the vehicle seat 14 by the seat belt device 24. The seat belt device 24 includes a seat belt 26, a tongue plate 30, a buckle 32, and a retractor (not shown).

The seat belt 26 is formed in a long belt shape and includes a shoulder belt 26A for restraining the upper body of the occupant P to the seat back 18 in a buckled state and a lap belt 26B for restraining the occupant's waist L. The shoulder belt 26A extends obliquely from the left shoulder S to the right waist L of the occupant P. The lower end of the shoulder belt 26A passes through the tongue plate 30.

The tongue plate 30 is passed through the seat belt 26 and is configured to be attachable to and detachable from a buckle 32 provided on the right side of the seat. Then, by attaching the tongue plate 30 to the buckle 32, the occupant P is restrained by the seat belt 26.

The seat belt 26 extends from the tongue plate 30 to the left side of the seat, and the portion extending in the seat width direction constitutes a lap belt 26B. Therefore, the right end of the lap belt 26B is connected to the lower end of the shoulder belt 26A. In addition, the left end of the lap belt 26B is fixed to the seat belt anchor 34 provided on the bottom plate 40.

The upper end of the shoulder belt 26A is wound around a shoulder anchor (not shown) provided on the vehicle body. In addition, the end of the belt 26 is wound around a retractor (not shown). Here, when the belt 26 is suddenly pulled out, the emergency lock mechanism of the retractor is activated to lock the pulling out of the belt 26. In addition, the retractor is provided with a pretensioning mechanism that is activated when a collision is detected to forcibly wind up the belt 26.

(Side airbag device 12)

As shown in Fig. 1, the side airbag device 12 includes an inflator 42 and a side airbag 10. The side airbag 10 includes an airbag body 46 and an inner tube 48. The inner tube 48 is also called a diffuser, a fairing, a duct, or an inner tube.

The inflator 42 is a cylinder-type gas generating device formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and its axial direction is along the direction of the side frame (not shown) constituting the frame of the seat back 18. In addition, the lower end of the inflator 42 is connected to the connecting portion 46A of the side airbag 10. Moreover, a gas ejection portion (not shown) is provided at the lower end of the inflator 42, and when a side collision of the vehicle is predicted or detected, gas is generated from the gas ejection portion and supplied to the side airbag 10.

The side airbag 10 is accommodated inside the seat back 18 and is inflated by being supplied with gas generated by the inflator 42 . The surface of the seat back 18 is ruptured by the inflation pressure of the side airbag 10 , and the seat back 18 is inflated and deployed laterally outward relative to the occupant P in the seat width direction.

Here, the airbag body 46 constituting the side airbag 10 is formed into a substantially bag shape by sewing two base fabrics at the sewing portion SE at the outer peripheral end. In addition, the airbag body 46 is configured to include: a connecting portion 46A to which the inflator 42 is connected; an upper chamber 46B covering the side of the head H of the occupant P in the inflated and deployed state; and a lower chamber 46C covering the side of the occupant P from the shoulder S to the waist L in the inflated and deployed state.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the upper chamber 46B is configured to expand and deploy toward the space between the upper rear surface of the shoulder belt 26A and the headrest 20. As an example, the upper chamber 46B of the present embodiment is stored in the upper end portion of the seat back 18 in a state of being folded along the seat width direction. Furthermore, by supplying gas to the upper chamber 46B, the surface of the upper end portion of the seat back 18 is broken by the expansion pressure of the upper chamber 46B, and the upper chamber 46B is configured to expand and deploy toward the space between the shoulder belt 26A and the headrest 20.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the lower chamber 46C is arranged from the upper portion to the lower end portion of the seat back 18 as viewed in the seat width direction. The lower chamber 46C is formed in a substantially elliptical shape with a vertical center portion bulging toward the seat front side.

The connection portion 46A is provided at the rear end portion of the lower chamber 46C, and is formed with an insertion hole into which the inflator 42 is inserted. The lower end portion of the inflator 42 is inserted into the insertion hole.

Here, a vent hole 46D is formed in the lower chamber 46C. In the present embodiment, as an example, the vent hole 46D is formed by not sewing a part of the base fabric of the airbag body 46. The vent hole 46D is located above the seat relative to the part of the lower chamber 46C that restrains the waist L, and is formed at the front end of the lower chamber 46C.

The lower chamber 46C is provided with an inner tube 48. The inner tube 48 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and is a member for allowing the gas from the inflator 42 to flow into the airbag body 46. The inner tube 48 includes a lower opening 48A, an upper opening 48B, and a connecting portion 48C.

The lower opening 48A is provided at the lower end of the inner tube 48 in the inflated and deployed state of the airbag body 46, and is located below the vent hole 46D. In addition, the inner tube 48 opens toward the lower side of the seat, that is, toward the restraint portion of the waist L in the lower chamber 46C. In addition, the opening area of the lower opening 48A is larger than the opening area of the upper opening 48B described later. Specifically, the lower opening 48A of the inner tube 48 is formed so that the front-to-back length is larger than the front-to-back length of the upper opening 48B.

The inner tube 48 has a shorter length in the front-rear direction from the lower opening 48A toward the upper side of the seat, and an upper opening 48B is provided at the upper end of the inner tube 48. The upper opening 48B is formed above the seat relative to the vent hole 46D and opens toward the upper chamber 46B.

The upper opening 48B is located below the upper chamber 46B. Specifically, the upper opening 48B is located slightly below the shoulder S of the occupant P, and the airbag body 46 is sewn in a state of opening toward the upper chamber 46B.

As described above, in the inflated and deployed state, the inner tube 48 is formed in a shape in which the upper portion is narrower than the lower portion in front-rear width, and the front end portion of the inner tube 48 is inclined so as to be located behind the seat as the airbag body 46 moves upward from the seat.

Furthermore, a connection portion 48C is provided at the rear end portion of the inner tube 48. The connection portion 48C is formed into a shape corresponding to the connection portion 46A of the airbag body 46, and is fixed to the side frame (not shown) of the seat back 18 together with the connection portion 46A. Furthermore, the lower end portion of the inflator 42 is inserted into the connection portion 48C. That is, the outer peripheral surface of the lower end portion of the inflator 42 is covered by the connection portion 48C of the inner tube 48, and the outer peripheral surface of the connection portion 48C is covered by the connection portion 46A of the airbag body 46. Therefore, the gas generated from the inflator 42 flows inside the inner tube 48 through the connection portion 48C of the inner tube 48, and flows from the lower opening portion 48A and the upper opening portion 48B to the lower chamber 46C and the upper chamber 46B.

(effect)

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

In the side airbag device 12 of the present embodiment, an airbag body 46 is housed inside the vehicle seat 14, and the airbag body 46 receives gas supply from the inflator 42 and expands and deploys to the side of the occupant P when a side collision is predicted or detected. In addition, the airbag body 46 includes an upper chamber 46B and a lower chamber 46C, and the upper chamber 46B covers the side of the head H of the occupant P, and the lower chamber 46C covers the side of the occupant P from the shoulder S to the waist L. Thus, the occupant P can be restrained in a wide range on the side during a side collision.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since the vent hole 46D is formed in the lower chamber 46C of the airbag body 46 , it is possible to suppress the internal pressure of the lower chamber 46C from becoming excessively high.

Furthermore, an inner tube 48 is provided inside the lower chamber 46C, and a lower opening portion 48A and an upper opening portion 48B are formed in the inner tube 48. Here, the lower opening portion 48A is formed at a position lower than the upper opening portion 48B and opens downward. Thus, the waist L of the occupant P can be restrained in advance, and the initial restraint performance can be ensured. On the other hand, the upper opening portion 48B is formed at a position higher than the vent hole 46D and opens toward the upper chamber. Thus, the gas from the upper opening portion 48B toward the upper chamber 46B can be suppressed from being discharged from the vent hole 46D. In this way, in the side airbag 10 of the present embodiment, in the structure that protects a large range from the head H to the waist L of the occupant P, the length of the inner tube 48 can be shortened, and the head H can be well protected.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since the lower opening 48A of the inner tube 48 is located below the vent hole 46D, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the internal pressure of the waist L requiring a restraining force.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the opening area of the lower opening 48A of the inner tube 48 is larger than the opening area of the upper opening 48B of the inner tube 48. Therefore, more gas can be fed from the lower opening 48A to the lower chamber 46C at the initial stage of inflation of the airbag body 46. Thus, the internal pressure of the portion corresponding to the waist L of the occupant P can be quickly increased.

In the present embodiment, the front end of the inner tube 48 is inclined in a direction away from the vent hole 46D as it goes upward from the seat. This can effectively prevent the gas flowing from the upper opening 48B toward the upper chamber 46B from being discharged to the outside through the vent hole 46D.

The side airbag 10 of the embodiment and the modified example has been described above, but it is of course possible to implement it in various ways without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the upper opening 48B of the inner tube 48 is located slightly below the shoulder S, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the following structure may be adopted: the inner tube 48 is extended to the position of the shoulder S of the occupant P, and the upper opening 48B is located at the shoulder S.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the vent hole 46D is formed at a position between the portion that restrains the chest of the occupant P and the portion that restrains the waist L, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the case where the restraining force of the waist L can be sufficiently obtained, the vent hole 46D may be formed at the lower end of the lower chamber 46C. In addition, in the case where it is desired to reduce the internal pressure of the portion that restrains the chest, the vent hole 46D may be formed in the portion that restrains the chest. Even in this case, if the upper opening 48B is formed at a position above the vent hole 46D, it is possible to suppress the gas from being discharged toward the upper chamber 46B.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the shape of the inner tube 48 is formed such that the upper portion is shorter in front and back than the lower portion, but the present invention is not limited thereto and the inner tube 48 may be formed in another shape. In addition, in the above embodiment, the position of the lower opening 48A is above the waist L, but the present invention is not limited thereto and the lower opening 48A may be located at the waist L.

Furthermore, the shapes of the upper chamber 46B and the lower chamber 46C constituting the airbag body 46 are not particularly limited, and shapes other than those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be adopted.

Claims (2)

1. A vehicle side airbag device, wherein the vehicle side airbag device comprises: an airbag body, the airbag body being accommodated inside a vehicle seat, receiving gas supply from an inflator and inflating and deploying laterally outside the seat width direction of an occupant when a side collision is predicted or detected, and being configured to include an upper chamber covering the side of the occupant's head in the inflated and deployed state and a lower chamber covering the side from the occupant's shoulder to the waist in the inflated and deployed state, and a vent hole being formed in the lower chamber; and an inner tube, the inner tube being arranged inside the lower chamber so that the gas from the inflator flows toward the airbag body, and being configured to include a lower opening portion and an upper opening portion, the lower opening portion opening downward in the inflated and deployed state of the airbag body, and the upper opening portion being formed at a position above the vent hole and opening toward the upper chamber, A connection portion is formed at the rear end and lower portion of the inner tube, into which the lower end of the inflator is inserted and covers the gas ejection portion provided at the lower end of the inflator. The lower opening is located below the vent hole when the airbag body is inflated and deployed, and is formed in a shape in which an opening area of the lower opening is larger than an opening area of the upper opening. The upper opening is arranged below a portion of the lower chamber that covers a shoulder of an occupant. 2. The vehicle side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein: The vent hole is formed at the front end of the lower chamber, The inner tube is inclined such that the front end portion is located behind the seat as it moves toward the upper side of the seat when viewed from the side in the inflated and deployed state of the airbag body.