JP4793123B2 - Side airbag device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a side airbag device that inflates an airbag that can be inflated between an occupant seated in a vehicle seat and a side wall of a vehicle interior with a gas ejected from an inflator provided therein.

  As a conventional occupant protection device for a vehicle, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, when a large impact force is applied to the vehicle from the lateral direction such as a side collision, the occupant is seated on the vehicle interior side wall and the vehicle seat. There is known a side airbag device in which an airbag is inflated and deployed between the two. In such a side airbag device, various devices have been devised to mitigate the impact acting on the occupant when the airbag is inflated.

For example, a seam that restricts inflation in the vehicle width direction is formed at a position corresponding to the abdomen of an occupant seated on the vehicle seat when the airbag is inflated. This is because more appropriate occupant protection can be achieved by bringing the airbag into contact with the shoulder and waist before the occupant's abdomen when inflated. Similarly, a seam for regulating the thickness of the inflation is formed in the airbag at a position corresponding to the upper limb of the occupant seated on the vehicle seat when the airbag is inflated. When the airbag inflates and presses on the occupant's upper limb, the upper limb may press the occupant's chest due to this pressing force, but the formation of this seam regulates the expansion of the airbag in the vehicle width direction. The contact between the airbag and the upper limb is eased.
JP 2005-313688 A

  By the way, when the seam is used as a means for regulating the thickness of inflation of the airbag as described above, the reinforcing cloth is sewn into the airbag so that the seam is not damaged by the gas jet pressure from the inflator. It is desirable to apply a heavy treatment. Therefore, as the number of places where these seams are formed increases, it is inevitable that the process for manufacturing the side airbag device, particularly the airbag, becomes complicated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its object is to simply configure the upper limb to be pressed against the abdomen and chest of the occupant by contacting the airbag and the limb of the occupant. It is in providing the side airbag apparatus which can be suppressed exactly.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 is directed to an airbag that is inflatable between an occupant seated on a vehicle seat and a vehicle interior side wall by gas ejected from an inflator provided therein. In the side airbag device to be inflated, the airbag is formed so as to be protected from the shoulder portion to the waist portion of the occupant, and a seam that regulates inflation in the vehicle width direction at a position corresponding to the abdomen of the occupant in the vehicle vertical direction when the airbag is inflated. together but are formed annularly, Ri periphery of the vehicle front side of the airbag and the corresponding occupant upper extremity in the vertical direction of the vehicle when inflated the name has a shape recessed to the seam side when inflated, from the inflator The gist is that the gas to be ejected is ejected toward the seam, and the portion where the seam is formed is reinforced .

  In the same configuration, the peripheral portion of the airbag on the front side of the vehicle has a shape recessed toward the seam formed at a position corresponding to the abdomen of the occupant in the vertical direction of the vehicle. Therefore, the length from the peripheral edge to the abdominal seam is shortened without the need to sew the airbag part corresponding to the upper limb part of the occupant in the vertical direction of the vehicle with the seam for the upper limb part. Directional expansion is regulated. Therefore, when the airbag and the upper limb of the occupant are in contact with each other, it is possible to accurately suppress the upper limb from being pressed against the abdomen or chest of the occupant with a simple configuration.

Further, the sheet over arm acts a large force by the gas ejected from the inflator. In this configuration, the seam is formed in an annular shape, so that the force acting on the seam is dispersed, and damage to the seam can be avoided.

The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the side airbag device according to claim 1, the seam is formed in an elliptical shape extending along a vehicle vertical direction when the airbag is inflated. .

  According to this configuration, since the region in which the expansion in the vehicle width direction is restricted by the seam among the portions of the airbag corresponding to the upper limb of the occupant in the vehicle vertical direction is expanded, the airbag and the limb of the occupant Can be suppressed in a more appropriate manner.

  In the side airbag device according to the present invention, it is possible to accurately suppress the upper limb from being pressed against the abdomen and chest of the occupant by contacting the airbag and the limb of the occupant with a simple configuration. become.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the following description, the forward direction of the vehicle will be described as the front (vehicle front), and the reverse direction to the forward direction of the vehicle will be described as the rear (vehicle rear). Further, in the following description, the vertical direction is the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the horizontal direction is the vehicle width direction of the vehicle, which coincides with the horizontal direction during forward movement.

  FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state in which an airbag of a side airbag device is inflated and deployed in a vehicle interior, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a sectional structure of the airbag along the line AA in FIG. is there.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle seat 10 is provided in the vehicle interior. The vehicle seat 10 is a front seat for one person on the right side in the vehicle compartment and adjacent to the side wall 11 (see FIG. 2) of the vehicle. The vehicle seat 10 includes a seat portion 10a, a backrest portion 10b, a headrest 10c, and the like.

  The vehicle is also equipped with a side airbag device 20. The side airbag device 20 is configured to cause gas to be ejected from the inflator 21 into the airbag 22 when an impact is applied to the vehicle from the side thereof, and between the occupant P seated on the vehicle seat 10 and the side wall 11. Then, the airbag 22 is inflated and deployed. By inflating and deploying the airbag 22 in this manner, contact between the occupant P and the side wall 11 is suppressed. Hereinafter, an attached state and a specific configuration of the side airbag device 20 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an airbag 22 is provided on the backrest portion 10 b of the vehicle seat 10. The airbag 22 is accommodated in a folded state in the case 12 before being inflated, and is housed in the backrest portion 10b together with the case 12. When the airbag 22 is inflated, it jumps out of the case 12 and the backrest portion 10b and is deployed in the vehicle interior. In the inflated and deployed state, the airbag 22 is formed in a size that can protect the chest and waist of the occupant P on which the vehicle seat 10 is seated. The airbag 22 is formed in a bag shape by stitching base fabrics 22a and 22b made of two woven fabrics along the outer peripheral edge thereof.

  Further, a cylindrical inflator 21 is fixed to the case 12 in a state of being accommodated in an airbag 22 and covered with the base fabrics 22a and 22b. The inflator 21 is ignited by a gas generating agent provided therein based on detection of an impact from the side of the vehicle by an impact detection sensor (not shown), and the gas is ejected into the airbag 22.

  An annular seam 23 for sewing the base fabrics 22a and 22b is formed at a predetermined position of the airbag 22. The predetermined position is a region from a portion corresponding to the abdomen of the occupant P sitting on the vehicle seat 10 when the airbag 22 is inflated to a portion located above the portion corresponding to the vehicle vertical direction. At this position, the seam 23 is formed in an elliptical shape extending in the vehicle vertical direction. Thus, the seam 23 is formed, so that the region where the seam 23 of the airbag 22 is formed is not filled with gas. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, when the airbag 22 is inflated, the thickness of inflation at a portion corresponding to the abdomen of the occupant P is restricted, and contact between the airbag 22 and the abdomen of the occupant P is suppressed. .

  Further, the seam 23 is formed in a double state as shown in FIG. 1 and a reinforcing cloth 24 is sandwiched between the base cloths 22a and 22b as shown in FIG. The strength of the portion of the airbag 22 where the seam 23 is formed can be improved. This is because when the gas is ejected from the inflator 21 to this portion, a large force may be applied to damage the airbag 22 itself or the seam 23. In addition, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, the side airbag apparatus is similarly provided in the seat of the left side of the compartment.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the airbag 22 has a recess 25a in which a peripheral edge 25 on the front side of the vehicle is recessed toward the rear side of the vehicle, specifically, the seam 23 side when inflated. The recess 25a is formed at a position corresponding to the upper limb Pa of the occupant P seated on the vehicle seat 10 when the airbag 22 is inflated in the vertical direction of the vehicle. Specifically, when the airbag 22 is inflated, the recess 25a is formed so that the elbow portion of the occupant P holding the steering wheel (not shown) and the airbag 22 do not face each other, and the peripheral portion 25 in the recess 25a is It is formed so as to overlap the upper arm of the passenger P. Moreover, the recessed part 25a is formed in the position which opposes an abdominal part from the chest of passenger | crew P in the up-down direction when the airbag 22 is inflated. By forming the recess 25a in this way, the side airbag device 20 of the present embodiment has the following advantages compared to the conventional side airbag device as shown in FIG. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, in the conventional side airbag device 200, the recessed portion is not formed in the peripheral edge portion 250 of the airbag 220, and the position of the airbag 220 facing the upper limb Pa of the occupant P Is formed with a seam 230b for the upper limbs. Therefore, if the seam 230b is not formed in order to simplify the manufacturing of the airbag 220, the distance L1 between the abdominal seam 230a and the peripheral edge 250 is long, so the air facing the upper limb Pa. Expansion of the bag 220 in the vehicle width direction is increased. On the other hand, in the side airbag device 20 of the present embodiment, the distance L between the peripheral edge 25 and the seam 23 in the recess 25a is shorter than the conventional distance L1. The magnitude of inflation of the airbag 22 in the vehicle width direction is proportional to the length in the front-rear direction of the vehicle in the region where the base fabrics 22a and 22b can be displaced in the vehicle width direction. For this reason, without providing a seam for the upper limb, expansion in the vehicle width direction in the region 22c of the airbag 22 sandwiched between the recess 25a and the seam 23 is restricted.

Next, the operation | movement aspect of this side airbag apparatus 20 is demonstrated.
When a collision detection sensor (not shown) detects a collision from the side of the vehicle, a control means (not shown) operates the inflator 21, and high-pressure gas is ejected from the inflator 21 into the airbag 22. The airbag 22 is expanded between the side wall 11 and the occupant P while being inflated by being filled with the jetted gas. At this time, the airbag 22 is in contact with the chest and waist of the occupant P, but the airbag 22 is restricted from expanding in the vehicle width direction of the region 22c of the airbag 22 sandwiched between the recess 25a and the seam 23. The contact between 22 and the upper limb Pa is alleviated. Therefore, when the airbag 22 and the upper limb Pa of the occupant P are in contact with each other, the upper limb Pa is suppressed from being pressed against the abdomen or chest of the occupant P.

The operational effects of the present embodiment described above are shown below.
(1) The peripheral portion 25 on the vehicle front side of the airbag 22 has a shape that is recessed toward the seam 23 formed at a position corresponding to the abdomen of the occupant P in the vehicle vertical direction. Therefore, even if the region 22c of the airbag 22 corresponding to the upper limb Pa of the occupant P in the vehicle vertical direction is not sewn with a seam, the distance L from the peripheral edge 25 to the seam 23 in the recess 25a is shortened. Expansion of 22c in the vehicle width direction is restricted. Therefore, when the airbag 22 and the upper limb Pa of the occupant P are in contact with each other, it is possible to accurately suppress the upper limb Pa from being pressed against the abdomen or chest of the occupant P with a simple configuration.
(2) The seam 23 is formed in an annular shape. A large force is applied to the seam by the gas ejected from the inflator. In this regard, by forming the seam 23 in an annular shape as in the present embodiment, the force acting on the seam 23 is dispersed, and damage to the seam can be avoided.
(3) When the airbag 22 is inflated, the seam 23 is formed in an elliptical shape extending along the vehicle vertical direction. By forming the seam 23 in this manner, the region of the airbag 22 corresponding to the upper limb Pa of the occupant P in the vertical direction of the vehicle is restricted by the seam 23 from being expanded in the vehicle width direction. The contact between the airbag 22 and the upper limb Pa of the occupant P can be suppressed in a more appropriate manner.

In addition, this embodiment can also be implemented with the following forms which changed this suitably.
-Although the thing of protecting from the passenger | crew's P to the waist | hip | lumbar part was shown as the airbag 22 of this embodiment, the shape and structure of the airbag 22 are not limited to this, For example, an airbag protects a head collectively You may have a part to do.

-As the shape which the peripheral part 25 of the airbag 22 dented, it does not need to be curving like this embodiment, You may employ | adopt the shape which has an angle | corner in a part of the recess.
-The distance L between the recessed part 25a of the peripheral part 25 and the seam 23 can be changed suitably. In other words, by adjusting the length, the expansion in the vehicle width direction of the region 22c sandwiched between the recess 25a and the seam 23 can be easily controlled.

  -The position where the recessed part 25a is formed in the peripheral part 25 is not limited to the thing of this embodiment, and the recessed part 25a does not need to be depressed to the elbow of the passenger | crew P.

The side view which shows the state which the airbag of the side airbag apparatus inflate-deployed in the vehicle interior. Sectional drawing which shows the cross-section of the airbag along the AA line in FIG. The side view which shows the state which the airbag was inflate-deployed in the conventional side airbag apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Vehicle seat, 20 ... Side airbag apparatus, 21 ... Inflator, 22 ... Air bag, 23 ... Seam, 25 ... Peripheral part, 25a ... Recessed part, P ... Passenger, Pa ... Upper limb part.

Claims (2)

In a side airbag device that inflates an airbag that is inflatable between an occupant seated in a vehicle seat and a side wall of a vehicle interior by gas ejected from an inflator provided therein,
The airbag is formed so as to be protected from the shoulder portion to the waist portion of the occupant, and a seam that regulates the expansion in the vehicle width direction is formed in an annular shape at a position corresponding to the abdomen of the occupant in the vehicle vertical direction when the airbag is inflated. Ri periphery of the vehicle front side of the airbag and the corresponding occupant upper extremity in the vertical direction of the vehicle when inflated the name has a shape recessed to the seam side when inflated,
The gas ejected from the inflator is ejected toward the seam, and the portion where the seam is formed is reinforced . In the side airbag device according to claim 1,
The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the seam is formed in an elliptical shape extending along a vehicle vertical direction when the airbag is inflated .

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