JP4432640B2 - Side airbag device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a side airbag device that is inflated and deployed between an occupant seated on a seat and a vehicle compartment side wall in an emergency to protect the occupant against an input load from the side.

  There is a side airbag device as means for protecting an occupant against a load input from the side of a vehicle body due to a side collision or rollover. This side airbag device is inflated by injecting a high-pressure fluid in the event of an emergency when a load is input from the side of the vehicle body, and between the passenger sitting on the vehicle seat and the side wall of the passenger compartment such as the front door and rear door. An airbag body to be deployed is provided.

  The conventional airbag body is divided into two chambers, a lower chamber corresponding to the occupant shoulder and an upper chamber corresponding to the occupant head, and protects the occupant shoulder with the lower chamber expanded in the emergency. The occupant's head is protected by the expanded upper chamber.

In the inflation of the airbag body, the high-pressure gas generated by the inflator is first supplied to the lower chamber, and then the high-pressure gas is supplied to the upper chamber through a communication hole formed in the partition wall that separates the lower chamber and the upper chamber. (For example, refer patent document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-152011 (page 5, FIG. 5)

  However, when the load is input from the side of the vehicle body and the occupant comes into contact with the airbag body, the timing at which the occupant interferes with the lower chamber and the upper chamber is not limited, but in the conventional side airbag device, Since the lower chamber and the upper chamber are connected to each other through a communication hole formed in the partition wall, the pressure of the lower chamber and the upper chamber that the passenger occupies earlier is connected to the other through the communication hole. You will escape into the room.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, first, after the occupant shoulder interferes with the lower chamber, the occupant head interferes with the upper chamber, but due to the pressing force when the occupant shoulder interferes with the lower chamber, The pressure in the lower chamber escapes from the communication hole to the upper chamber, and it becomes impossible to sufficiently receive the occupant shoulder in the lower chamber, thereby reducing the protective effect of the occupant shoulder.

  This also applies to the case where the airbag body is divided into a plurality of chambers, and different body parts of the occupant are protected in each chamber as long as the communication holes are formed in the partition wall. A malfunction will occur.

  Therefore, the present invention provides an airtight body with a plurality of chambers, each of which has an independent sealed structure, preventing pressure from escaping from a specific chamber to another chamber and improving the passenger's protection effect. Provided is a side airbag device that can be used.

In the present invention, the airbag is deployed between the passenger seated on the vehicle seat and the side wall of the passenger compartment when the high pressure fluid is injected and inflated in an emergency when an impact load is input from the side of the vehicle body. in the side airbag apparatus provided with the body, the interior of the airbag body, with independent closed structures and隔成into a plurality of chambers, disposed inlet of said high pressure fluid to the plurality of chambers, respectively, the airbag body Is provided between the inner and outer main body surfaces, the partition walls positioned between the inner and outer main body surfaces and defining the plurality of chambers, and the inflator for injecting the high-pressure fluid. formed was a separator formed by sewing a plurality of respective inlet formed in the separator, to the most important feature that matches each of the plurality of ejection ports of the inflator .

  According to the present invention, in an emergency, high pressure fluid is injected into the plurality of chambers separating the airbag body from the injection port, and each of the plurality of chambers is individually inflated. At this time, since each chamber has an independent sealed structure, even if the occupant's body part interferes with some of the chambers prior to the other chambers, the pressure in the interfering chambers is applied to the other chambers. It can prevent you from escaping.

  Therefore, even when the occupant's body part interferes with a plurality of compartments at different timings, the occupant's body part can be reliably received in the interfered room, thereby improving the occupant's protective effect. it can.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  1 to 4 show an embodiment of a side airbag device according to the present invention, FIG. 1 is a side view of the airbag body inflated from the seat, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the side airbag device. 3 is a side view of the airbag body in a deployed state, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an attached state of the side airbag device.

  A side airbag device 1 according to the present embodiment is provided on a vehicle seat 10, and as shown in FIG. 1, an airbag body 2 and a cylindrical inflator 3 that supplies a high-pressure gas as a high-pressure fluid to the airbag body 2. And.

  The airbag body 2 is normally folded and stored in the outer portion of the seat back 11 in the vehicle width direction, and in an emergency when an impact load is input from the side of the vehicle body such as a side collision or rollover, When the high pressure gas is injected from the inflator 3 and expands, the occupant C seated on the seat 10 and the side wall of the passenger compartment such as a side door are deployed. Reference numeral 12 denotes a seat cushion.

  The interior of the airbag main body 2 is divided into a lower chamber 2L and an upper chamber 2U with an independent sealing structure. The lower chamber 2L and the upper chamber 2U have high pressure gas inlets 2Lin and 2Uin of the inflator 3, respectively. Is provided.

  The lower chamber 2L is provided at a site corresponding to the occupant waist Cw, and the upper chamber 2U is provided at a site corresponding to the occupant chest Cc.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the airbag main body 2 is formed of an airtight film-like material, and the partition wall 2c that separates the inner and outer main body surfaces 2a and 2b from the lower chamber 2L and the upper chamber 2U. And a separator 2d provided on the arrangement side (right side in the figure) of the inflator 3 and forming the injection ports 2Lin and 2Uin.

  The inner and outer main body surfaces 2a and 2b are provided with winding portions 2e and 2f for housing the inflator 3 on the side where the inflator 3 is disposed, and at the leading ends of the winding portions 2e and 2f, Insertion holes 2e 'and 2f' are formed through which two stud bolts 3a for fixing the inflator 3 to the seat back frame 11a (see FIG. 1) are inserted.

  The stud bolt 3a protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction of the inflator 3, and the airbag main body 2 is stored in the vehicle width direction inner side of the seat back frame 11a in the vehicle width direction outer side portion of the seat back 11. In this state, the stud bolt 3a is coupled to the seat back frame 11a from the inside.

  The partition wall 2c is formed in a band shape with a width that allows the inner and outer main body surfaces 2a and 2b to expand, and a seam allowance 2c 'is provided at the peripheral edge portion excluding the front end portion of the vehicle.

  The separator 2d is shown in a folded state in the figure, but the two folded parts are from the vehicle rear end part (right end part in the figure) of the inner and outer body surfaces 2a, 2b to the winding parts 2e, 2f. The inlets 2Lin and 2Uin are formed at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction at the upper and lower central portions of the broken line portion, and the winding portion 2f of the outer main body surface 2b is formed. An insertion hole 2d 'for the stud bolt 3a is formed on the outer side in the vehicle width direction that overlaps with the insertion hole 2f'.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the airbag main body 2 has a seam allowance 2c 'for the partition wall 2c in the inner and outer main bodies with the partition wall 2c and the separator 2d sandwiched between the inner and outer main body surfaces 2a and 2b. The outer peripheral portions of the inner and outer body surfaces 2a and 2b except for the tips of the winding portions 2e and 2f are sewn together with the separator 2d, and the vehicle rear portion of the partition wall 2c (the right end portion in the figure) is sewn to the surfaces 2a and 2b. ) Is sewn between the two upper and lower inlets 2Lin and 2Uin of the separator 2d.

  By sewing the airbag body 2 in this manner, the inside of the inner and outer body surfaces 2a and 2b is formed in a bag shape, and the inner and outer body surfaces 2a, 2a, The inside of 2b is divided into a lower chamber 2L and an upper chamber 2U, and in this state, the tip portions of the winding portions 2e and 2f protruding from the inner and outer body surfaces 2a and 2b are opened.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the inflator 3 is inserted into the folded-in part of the separator 2 d from the opened end portions of the winding portions 2 e and 2 f, and the inflator 3 is spaced at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction. The stud bolt 3a is inserted into the insertion hole 2d 'of the separator 2d shown in FIG. 2 and the outer body surface 2b side with the two gas outlets 3b, 3c formed being aligned with the inlets 2Lin, 2Uin of the separator 2d. The winding portion 2f of the winding portion 2f is inserted into the insertion hole 2f 'and the winding portion 2e on the inner body surface 2a side is turned around the outer periphery of the inflator 3, and the insertion hole 2e' of the winding portion 2e is inserted into the stud bolt 3a. Insert through.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the protruding lengths L1 and L2 of the winding portions 2e and 2f of the inner and outer body surfaces 2a and 2b are set to L1 > L2, and the winding portion 2e of the inner body surface 2a is an inflator. 3 around the vehicle width direction outside from the front side of 3, and the winding portion 2 f of the outer body surface 2 b passes from the front side of the inflator 3 through the vehicle width direction inside and rear side in the vehicle width direction outside. It is designed to circulate approximately 3/4 rounds.

  When the inflator 3 is thus housed in the separator 2d and the insertion holes 2d ', 2f', 2e 'are inserted into the stud bolt 3a, the inflator 3 is firmly secured by the winding portions 2e, 2f. Is held.

  Further, when the inflator 3 is held by the winding portions 2e and 2f, the gas outlets 3b and 3c of the inflator 3 are made to coincide with the inlets 2Lin and 2Uin of the separator 2d. In the present embodiment, these gas outlets 3b 3c and the inlets 2Lin and 2Uin are formed in a horizontally long rectangular shape, and the circumferential length and height of the inlets 2Lin and 2Uin are made larger than the circumferential length and height of the gas outlets 3b and 3c. The inlets 2Lin and 2Uin are included in the opening portions of the gas outlets 3b and 3c.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the airbag main body 2 has a mounting hole 11b in which the stud bolt 3a of the inflator 3 is formed in the seat back frame 11a in a state where the winding portions 2e and 2f are wound around the inflator 3. It is inserted from the inside and fixed with a nut (not shown).

  With the above configuration, according to the side airbag device 1 of the present embodiment, the inflator 3 is activated in an emergency when an impact load is input from the side of the vehicle body, and high-pressure gas is ejected from the gas ejection ports 3b and 3c. The jetted high-pressure gas is injected into the lower chamber 2L and the upper chamber 2U from the inlets 2Lin and 2Uin of the airbag body 2, and both the chambers 2L and 2U are instantaneously expanded.

  Then, the airbag main body 2 stored in the seat back 11 protrudes with the expansion of the lower chamber 2L and the upper chamber 2U, is deployed between the occupant C seated on the seat 10 and the side door, and is caused by a side load. When the occupant C approaches the side door due to inertial force, the occupant waist Cw first interferes with the inflated lower chamber 2L with a buffering action, and then the occupant chest Cc interferes with the upper chamber 2U with a buffering action. The passenger C can be protected by avoiding direct interference with the side door.

  At this time, since the lower chamber 2L and the upper chamber 2U have an independent sealed structure in this embodiment, when the waist Cw of the occupant C interferes with the lower chamber 2L prior to the upper chamber 2U, the interference occurs. It is possible to prevent the pressure in the lower chamber 2L from escaping to the upper chamber 2U.

  Therefore, even if the body part of the occupant C interferes with the lower chamber 2L and the upper chamber 2U separated from each other at different timings, the pressure of the lower chamber 2L previously interfered does not escape and the waist Cw of the occupant C Can be reliably received, so that the protection effect of the occupant can be enhanced.

  By the way, although the side airbag device of the present invention has been described by taking the above embodiment as an example, various other embodiments can be adopted without departing from the gist of the present invention without being limited to this embodiment, For example, the lower chamber 2L and the upper chamber 2U that define the interior of the airbag main body 2 correspond to the waist Cw and chest Cc of the occupant C, but the airbag main body is not limited to this and corresponds to other body parts. The present invention can be applied even when the inside of 2 is divided into a plurality.

It is a side view of the state where the airbag body in one embodiment of the present invention was expanded from the sheet. It is a disassembled perspective view of the side airbag apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the deployment state of the airbag main part in one embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the attachment state of the side airbag apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Side airbag apparatus 2 Airbag main body 2L Lower chamber 2Lin Inlet 2U Upper chamber 2Uin Inlet 3 Inflator 10 Seat 11 Seat back C Crew Cw Lumbar Cc Chest

Claims (2)

Side airbag having an airbag body that is deployed between a passenger seated on a vehicle seat and a side wall of a passenger compartment by inflating by injecting high-pressure fluid in an emergency when an impact load is input from the side of the vehicle body In the device
The interior of the airbag body is separated into a plurality of chambers with independent sealed structures, and the high-pressure fluid inlet is provided in each of the plurality of chambers .
The airbag main body is provided on the inner and outer main body surfaces, a partition wall that is located between the inner and outer main body surfaces and separates the plurality of chambers, and an inflator on the side where the high pressure fluid is ejected. The separator formed with the injection port is formed by sewing,
The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of injection ports formed in the separator respectively correspond to a plurality of jet ports of the inflator . The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of chambers include a lower chamber corresponding to an occupant waist and an upper chamber corresponding to an occupant chest.

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