Occupant protection device

Abstract

An occupant protection device (S) for protecting an occupant (MP) seated in a seat (1) comprises: a seat belt (7); an airbag (25) arranged in a region of the lap belt (10) that restrains the occupant's (MP) waist when worn; and a cover (45) that covers the outer periphery of the airbag folded and arranged in the region of the lap belt. The airbag is formed into a bag-like shape made of a flexible sheet material, and in a folded state (55), the airbag is held on the lap belt together with the cover (45) that covers the periphery thereof so as to be able to shift relative to the lap belt. One end of the cover that covers the periphery of the folded body is connected to the side of a tongue portion (12) of the seat belt that is connected to a buckle (27) provided on the seat side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an occupant protection device for protecting an occupant sitting on a seat. Background Art

[0002] Currently, as an occupant protection device, as shown in Japanese Patent Gazette No. 2015-51744, there is a structure in which a folded body formed by folding an airbag is arranged in the area of ​​the safety belt that restrains the waist of the occupant when the seat belt is worn. When the seat belt is worn, the folded body is installed around the waist of the occupant sitting on the seat. When the seat belt is worn, the airbag is inflated by the inflating gas flowing into the inside to protect the occupant sitting on the seat.

[0003] In this conventional occupant protection device, the seat belt is arranged so that the lap belt (belt body) is generally aligned in the vertical direction when the seat belt is not being worn. Therefore, the folded body held in the lap belt may be significantly displaced relative to the lap belt when the seat belt is not being worn. Furthermore, if the position of the folded body is significantly displaced relative to the lap belt, the position of the folded body relative to the occupant may also be displaced when the seat belt is being worn, making it difficult to properly position the folded body. Summary of the Invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide an occupant protection device that can suppress displacement of a folded body relative to a lap belt when not being worn and can appropriately maintain the position of the folded body relative to the occupant when the seat belt is being worn.

[0005] The present invention relates to an occupant protection device having the following structure.

[0006] An occupant protection device is used to protect an occupant sitting on a seat.

[0007] The invention is formed into a structure comprising: a seat belt; an airbag arranged in a lap belt area of ​​the seat belt that restrains the waist of the occupant when the seat belt is worn; and a cover that covers the outer peripheral side of the airbag folded and arranged in the lap belt area.

[0008] The airbag is formed into a bag-like shape made of a flexible sheet. In the folded state, the airbag, together with a cover body covering the surrounding area, is held on the lap belt so as to be displaceable in the same manner as the lap belt. The airbag is connected to an inflator arranged on the side of the seat, and inflation gas flows into the airbag, causing the airbag to inflate in a manner that protrudes forward and upward from the lap belt.

[0009] One end side of the cover body covering the periphery of the folded body is connected to the tongue side of the seat belt that is connected to the buckle provided on the seat side.

[0010] In the occupant protection device of the present invention, the folded body formed by folding the airbag is configured such that it is held on the lap belt in a manner that allows displacement relative to the lap belt while being covered by a cover. The cover is configured such that one end is connected to the tongue portion of the seat belt. Therefore, the distance between the folded body (cover) and the tongue portion can be maintained substantially constant. When the seat belt is worn, the folded body can be positioned appropriately relative to the occupant by simply connecting the tongue portion to the buckle.

[0011] Therefore, the occupant protection device of the present invention can suppress displacement of the folded body relative to the lap belt when not being worn, and can appropriately maintain the position of the folded body relative to the occupant when the seat belt is being worn.

[0012] Specifically, if the following structure is formed, that is, a connecting belt having a ring portion for connecting to the lock tongue portion is arranged on one end side of the cover body, and the ring portion of the connecting belt is wound around the lock tongue portion to connect the cover body and the lock tongue portion, then one end side of the cover body can be connected to the lock tongue portion as a simple structure, which is preferred.

[0013] Furthermore, with respect to the occupant protection device having the above structure, even if the seat belt is configured such that the tongue portion is disposed on the upper end side of the seat backrest when the seat belt is not worn, the folded body (cover body) can be prevented from falling off in a manner separated from the tongue portion when the seat belt is not worn. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of a seat equipped with an occupant protection device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Right side view of the seat, showing the state of wearing the seat belt.

[0016] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Left side view of the seat, showing the state of wearing the seat belt.

[0017] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 The front view of the seat shows the state of wearing the seat belt.

[0018] Figure 5 It is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a single unit of an airbag used in the occupant protection device according to the embodiment is inflated.

[0019] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of an airbag.

[0020] Figure 7 It is a schematic perspective view showing a cover covering the folded body, a lap belt, and a buckle in the occupant protection device according to the embodiment.

[0021] Figure 8 It is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the vicinity of the connection belt portion of the cover body in the occupant protection device according to the embodiment.

[0022] Figure 9 It is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a portion of a main body portion of a cover body in the occupant protection device according to the embodiment.

[0023] Figure 10 This is a front view of a seat in a state where the inflation of the airbag is completed in the occupant protection device according to the embodiment.

[0024] Figure 11 This is a left side view of a seat in a state where the inflation of the airbag is completed in the occupant protection device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the occupant protection device S of the embodiment is mounted on a vehicle seat 1 and has a structure including the following components: a seat belt 7; an airbag 25; an inflator 20 that supplies inflation gas to the airbag 25; and a cover 45 that covers the periphery of a folded body 55 formed by folding the airbag 25. The seat 1 has a backrest portion 2 and a seat portion 3.

[0026] In the embodiment, the seat belt 7 is formed as follows. That is, it is mounted on the seat 1 and comprises: a belt body 8 for protecting the occupant MP sitting on the seat 1; a buckle (tongue plate) 12 as a tongue portion attached to the belt body 8; and a buckle 17 for connecting the buckle 12. One end of the belt body 8 is locked to the reel shaft of a retractor (not shown) arranged in the backrest portion 2, and the other end is locked to the anchor member 18 (see FIG. 1 ) arranged on the left side of the rear end 3b of the seat portion 3 of the seat 1. Figure 1 、 3 ). In detail, the belt body 8 is configured to be exposed to the outside from an insertion hole (reference numeral omitted) formed on the left edge of the upper end of the backrest portion 2. In the embodiment, when the passenger MP is not sitting, the lap belt 10 is configured to be exposed on the front surface of the backrest portion 2. More specifically, in the embodiment, when the passenger MP is not sitting, as shown in FIG. Figure 1As shown, the belt body 8 is arranged in the following manner, that is, the buckle 12 is located near the insertion hole (reference numeral omitted) formed on the upper end side of the left edge 2a of the backrest 2, and the safety belt 10 extends downward from the buckle 12 and extends substantially along the vertical direction on the left edge 2a side of the backrest 2. That is, the buckle 12 is arranged on the upper end 2b side of the backrest 2 in the non-worn state (refer to Figure 1 The belt body 8 is formed as follows: a lap belt 10; and a shoulder belt 9, which is housed in the backrest portion 2. When the occupant is seated, the lap belt 10 is arranged between the anchor member 18 and the buckle 17 in a state where the buckle 12 is connected to the belt buckle 17, so as to restrain the lower body MD (waist) of the occupant MP, and the shoulder belt 9 is extended from the upper left edge of the backrest portion 2 and arranged obliquely to the belt buckle 17 to restrain the upper body MU (from the shoulder to the chest) of the occupant MP (see Figures 2-4 Regarding the seat belt 7, a retractor (not shown) disposed in the backrest portion 2 has a pretensioning mechanism.

[0027] In addition, regarding the occupant protection device S of the embodiment, the buckle 12 is formed as follows: a connecting body portion 13 is arranged on the front end 12a side, which is inserted into the buckle 17 and connected, and the area on the base portion 12b side exposed to the outside when connected to the buckle 17 has: a belt body slit 14, which can be inserted into the belt body 8; and a winding hole portion 15, which allows a connecting belt 49, which will be described later, to be inserted and wound around it extending from the cover 45 (see Figure 7 、 8 The winding hole 15 has a belt slit 15a through which the connecting belt 49 can be inserted, and the area on the base side of the belt slit 15a is formed as a connecting shaft portion 15b that can be wound around and connected to a ring portion 49a (described later) of the connecting belt 49. The belt slit 15a is formed approximately parallel to the belt body slit 14, and the connecting shaft portion 15b is formed into a substantially rod-like shape on the base side of the belt slit 15a.

[0028] The inflator 20 is arranged on the side of the seat 1. Specifically, in the embodiment, it is arranged at a position lower than the seat surface 3a of the seat 1. Figure 3 As shown, the inflator 20 includes: an approximately cylindrical inflator body 21 (detailed illustration omitted), which is arranged at a position lower than the seat portion 3 on the back side of the seat 1 so that its axial direction is approximately along the left-right direction; and a pipe portion 22, which extends from the inflator body 21 and supplies inflation gas to the airbag 25. The pipe portion 22 is formed as follows: it extends from the inflator body 21 and is connected to the duct portion 35 of the airbag 25, which will be described later, by a clamp 23 (see Figure 1 、 3In the embodiment, the inflator body 21 is configured to start operating later than the pretensioner of the seat belt 7 in order to restrict withdrawal of the belt body 8 of the seat belt 7 associated with inflation of the airbag 25 .

[0029] like Figure 5 、 6 As shown, the airbag 25 includes an airbag body 26 that inflates to protect the occupant MP, a duct portion 35 connected to the inflator 20 to allow inflation gas to flow into the airbag body 26 , and a mounting portion 40 for retaining the airbag body 26 on the lap belt 10 .

[0030] The airbag body 26 is constructed in such a manner that its outer shape when fully inflated is a triangular prism with its axial direction substantially along the left-right direction, and its fully inflated shape when viewed from the left and right sides is a right triangle with a hypotenuse on the front side, and its fully inflated shape when viewed from the front-back direction is a rectangle with a larger upper and lower width (see FIG. Figure 10 、 11 ).like Figure 5 、 6 As shown, the airbag body 26 includes: a rear wall portion 28, which is arranged on the side of the occupant MP (rear side) when inflation is complete; a front wall portion 27, which is arranged to be opposite to the rear wall portion 28 in the front-rear direction; a lower wall portion 29, which is arranged on the lower end side when inflation is complete; and a left wall portion 30 and a right wall portion 31, which are arranged to be opposite to each other in the left-right direction when inflation is complete. The airbag body 26 is configured so that the upper body MU of the occupant MP is supported by the rear wall portion 28 when inflation is complete. In addition, when the upper body MU is supported by the rear wall portion 28, the lower wall portion 29 is brought into contact with and supported by the thigh MT of the occupant MP, thereby supporting the occupant MP (see Figure 11 The airbag body 26 is structured such that a conduit portion 35 is disposed on the lower surface side of the rear end 29a of the lower wall portion 29, allowing inflation gas from the inflator 20 to flow into the airbag body through the conduit portion 35. Specifically, a circular communication hole 33 communicating with the conduit portion 35 is formed in the area on the rear end 29a side of the lower wall portion 29. In the embodiment, two communication holes 33 are provided side by side in the left and right directions. Furthermore, the airbag body 26 is connected to the conduit portion 35 at the periphery of the communication hole 33.

[0031] In the embodiment, the conduit portion 35 is configured to extend leftward from the lower surface side of the airbag body 26, connect to the tube portion 22 of the inflator 20, close the base side that will become the airbag body 26 side, and open the front end 37a side so as to be connectable to the tube portion 22. Specifically, Figure 5As shown, the duct portion 35 is formed as follows, namely, it has: a base side portion 36 with a large width, which is located on the lower surface side of the airbag body 26; and a front end side portion 37, which is configured to extend to the left side from the airbag body 26 when the inflation is completed. The front end side portion 37 is formed to have a width smaller than the base side portion 36. When the inflation of the airbag 25 is completed, the duct portion 35 is configured to be arranged roughly along the left and right directions in a manner roughly along the safety belt 10, and is formed as follows as described above, that is, the front end 37a side of the front end side portion 37 is connected to the tube portion 22 of the inflator 20 by the clamping member 23. In detail, in the case of the embodiment, the front end side portion 37 of the duct portion 35 is configured in the area on the front end 37a side so as to extend further rearward than the anchoring member 18 that clamps the other end side of the belt body 8 (safety belt 10) (refer to Figure 3 ), the length dimension is set to a dimension that enables the position of the folded body 55 (specifically, the cover body 45 that surrounds the folded body 55 and the base side portion 36, including the base side portion 36 of the duct portion 35 itself) formed by folding the airbag main body 26 to be arranged at an appropriate position around the waist without being restricted by the body shape of the occupant MP wearing the seat belt 7 (sitting on the seat 1) (having a surplus length dimension to cope with occupants with larger bodies).

[0032] like Figure 5 、 6 As shown, the mounting portion 40 for mounting the airbag main body 26 on the lap belt 10 is configured such that it is disposed on the lower surface side of the base-side portion 36 of the duct portion 35 and is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape disposed substantially in the left-right direction along the lap belt 10, allowing the lap belt 10 to be inserted. The airbag 25 is retained on the lap belt 10 so as to be displaceable relative to the lap belt 10 when the lap belt 10 is inserted into the mounting portion 40.

[0033] In the embodiment, the airbag 25 is formed into a structure in which an area of ​​the airbag main body 26 is folded into a long strip, and in a state where the folded body 55 is formed by folding the airbag main body 26, the airbag is held on the lap belt 10 in a manner that allows it to be displaced and moved relative to the lap belt 10. Specifically, although detailed illustrations of the airbag 25 are omitted, the front wall portion 27 overlaps with the rear wall portion 28 and the lower wall portion 29, and the airbag main body 26 that is unfolded approximately flat is folded in a manner that reduces the width dimension in the front-to-back direction, thereby forming a folded body 55 that is long and generally along the left-right direction. Furthermore, the airbag 25 is arranged in an area of ​​the lap belt 10 (see FIG. 1 ) in such a manner that the folded body 55 formed by folding the airbag main body 26 and the base side portion 36 of the duct portion 35 overlap with the upper surface side of the lap belt 10 when the seat belt 7 is worn, and further includes a mounting portion 40 that is covered by a cover 45 on the inside. Figure 7 、 9 ).exist Figure 1 In the non-wearing state shown, the folded body 55 is arranged on the back side (backrest 2 side) of the lap belt 10 exposed on the front surface of the backrest 2. In the embodiment, the front end portion 37 of the duct portion 35 is arranged so as to be exposed on the upper surface side of the lap belt 10 on the left side of the folded body 55 (cover 45) when the seat belt 7 is worn (see FIG. Figure 4 ).

[0034] like Figure 7 、 8 As shown, the cover 45 includes a main body 46 that covers the periphery of the folded body 55 and a connecting belt 49 that connects the cover 45 to the buckle 12 .

[0035] The main body 46 is formed of a flexible sheet material, and in the case of the embodiment, is formed of woven fabric. Including the mounting portion 40 and the lap belt 10, the main body 46 covers the folded body 55 and the base side portion 36 of the duct portion 35, and is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape that is open at both ends in a manner that allows the lap belt 10 and the front end side portion 37 of the duct portion 35 to be inserted. The main body 46 is formed as follows: when the seat belt 7 is worn, a predetermined breaking portion (not shown) is arranged at a specified portion of the area covering the upper side of the folded body 55, and when the airbag 25 is deployed and inflated, the predetermined breaking portion is broken in substantially the entire area in the left-right direction, thereby being configured to allow the airbag body 26 to protrude. In addition, the main body 46 is configured to be able to offset and move relative to the lap belt 10 together with the folded body 55 and the base side portion 36 of the duct portion 35. Specifically, the main body 46 is formed as follows: Figure 7 、 8 As shown, the opening 47R formed on the right end 46b side when the seat belt 7 is worn can be inserted into the lap belt 10, and the connecting belt 49 connected to the peripheral edge (specifically, the upper edge 47a side as described later) can protrude. In addition, regarding the main body 46, the opening 47L formed on the left end 46a side when the seat belt 7 is worn is omitted in detail, and is set to allow only the lap belt 10 and the front end side portion 37 of the duct portion 35 to be inserted (see Figure 7 ) and cannot insert the folded body 55 and the base side portion 36 of the catheter portion 35.

[0036] The connecting belt 49 is used to connect one end side of the main body 46 (the buckle 12 side, that is, the right end 46b side when the seat belt 7 is worn) to the buckle 12 side, and is composed of a flexible belt-like body. In the case of the embodiment, the connecting belt 49 is formed into a ring shape so that the width is smaller than the belt main body 8, and the opening 47R on the right end 46b side of the main body 46 joins (sewn) the two ends to the area on the upper edge 47a side when the seat belt 7 is worn. That is, the connecting belt 49 has the following structure, that is, the whole is formed into a ring portion 49a, and the ring portion 49a is inserted into the belt slit 15a formed in the winding hole portion 15 of the buckle 12 and is wound around the connecting shaft portion 15b, thereby connecting to the buckle 12 (refer to Figure 7 、 8 The length of the connecting belt 49 (loop 49a) is set to a size that enables the folded body 55 (main body 46) to be positioned approximately in the left-right center of the seat 1 (i.e., approximately in the left-right center of the occupant MP seated on the seat 1) when the seat belt 7 is worn (see Figure 4 ).

[0037] In the occupant protection device S of the embodiment, when the occupant MP wears the seat belt 7 and sits on the seat 1 installed in the vehicle, if the inflator 20 is operated, the inflation gas discharged from the inflator 20 flows into the bag body 26 through the duct portion 35, and the bag body 26 of the airbag 25 breaks the main body portion 46 of the cover body 45 and protrudes forward and upward from the lap belt 10, and as shown in FIG. Figure 10 、 11 The expansion is completed as shown.

[0038] Furthermore, the occupant protection device S of the embodiment is configured such that a folded body 55 formed by folding the airbag 25 is held on the lap belt 10 in a manner that allows displacement relative to the lap belt 10 while being covered by the cover 45. However, the cover 45 is configured such that one end (the right end 46b) is connected to the buckle 12 (tongue portion) of the seat belt 7. Therefore, the distance between the folded body 55 (the cover 45) and the buckle 12 can be kept substantially constant. When the seat belt 7 is worn, the folded body 55 can be positioned appropriately relative to the occupant MP by simply connecting the buckle 12 to the buckle 17.

[0039] Therefore, the occupant protection device S of the embodiment can suppress positional displacement of the folded body 55 relative to the lap belt 10 when not being worn, and can appropriately maintain the position of the folded body 55 relative to the occupant MP when the seat belt 7 is being worn.

[0040] Specifically, in the occupant protection device S of the embodiment, a connecting belt 49 having a loop portion 49a for connecting to the buckle 12 is disposed on the right end 46b side of the cover body 45. The loop portion 49a of the connecting belt 49 is wound around the buckle 12, thereby connecting the cover body 45 and the buckle 12. This allows the right end 46b side of the cover body 45 to be connected to the buckle 12 with a simple structure. Furthermore, in the embodiment, the connecting belt 49 is formed into a ring shape as a whole by connecting both ends to the cover body 45. However, the shape of the loop portion is not limited to the embodiment. A structure in which the loop portion capable of being wound around the connecting shaft portion of the buckle is provided only on the front end side of the connecting belt may be used.

[0041] Furthermore, in the occupant protection device S of the embodiment, the seat belt 7 is configured such that, in the non-wearing state, the buckle 12 is disposed on the upper end 2b side of the backrest portion 2 of the seat 1. Specifically, the seat belt 7 is configured such that the lap belt 10 is disposed on the left edge 2a side of the backrest portion 2 in a manner extending downward from the buckle 12 substantially along the vertical direction (see FIG. Figure 1 ), even in the non-worn state, the connecting belt 49 can reliably prevent the folded body 55 (cover body 45) from falling (slipping relative to the safety belt 10) in a manner isolated from the buckle 12, and the distance between the folded body 55 (cover body 45) and the buckle 12 can be maintained approximately constant.

[0042] Furthermore, the occupant protection device S of the embodiment is configured such that the seat belt 7 and the inflator 20 are mounted on the seat 1. Therefore, even when the seat 1 is used while moving relative to the vehicle by sliding or rotating it significantly in the fore-aft direction, the airbag 25 can reliably protect the occupant MP seated in the seat 1. Of course, the occupant protection device of the present invention is not limited to seats of this configuration; the retractor can also be mounted on a seat that restrains the occupant using a seat belt mounted on the vehicle body. Furthermore, the inflator can also be mounted on the vehicle body.

Claims

1. An occupant protection device (S) for protecting an occupant (MP) seated on a seat (1), wherein: The invention is formed into the following structure, namely, comprising: a seat belt (7); an air bag (25) arranged in a region of a lap belt (10) for restraining the waist of the occupant when the seat belt is worn; and a cover (45) covering the outer peripheral side of the air bag folded and arranged in the region of the lap belt. The airbag is formed into a bag-like shape composed of a flexible sheet body, and in a folded state (55), the airbag is held on the safety belt together with the cover body covering the periphery in a manner capable of shifting relative to the safety belt, and is connected to an inflator (20) arranged on the seat side, so that inflation gas flows into the airbag and the airbag is inflated in a manner protruding from the safety belt toward the front and upper side. Connecting one end (46b) of the cover body covering the periphery of the folded body to the tongue portion (12) of the seat belt connected to the buckle (17) provided on the seat side, The cover (45) has a connecting belt (49) on one end (46b) side, and the connecting belt (49) has a ring portion (49a) for connecting with the locking tongue portion (12). The connecting belt (49) is formed by a flexible belt-shaped body. The locking tongue portion (12) has a connecting main body portion (13) on the front end side that is inserted into the belt buckle (17) and connected, and is provided with: a belt main body slit (14) in the area on the base side, which can be used to insert the safety waist belt (10); and a winding hole portion (15) that is arranged closer to the base side than the belt main body slit (14) so ​​that the ring portion (49a) can be inserted and wound around it. The locking tongue portion (12) is configured to connect the cover body by inserting the ring portion (49a) into the winding hole portion (15) and winding the ring portion (49a) around the surrounding area.

2. The occupant protection device (S) according to claim 1, wherein: The seat belt (7) is constructed in such a manner that, in a non-wearing state, the tongue portion (12) is arranged on the upper end (2b) side of the backrest portion (2) of the seat (1).

3. The occupant protection device (S) according to claim 1, wherein: The inflator (20) is arranged on the back side of the seat (1) at a position lower than the seat surface (3a). The airbag (25) is formed into the following structure, namely, it has: an airbag main body (26) which is inflated in a manner capable of protecting the occupant (MP); and a duct portion (35) which extends from the lower surface side of the airbag main body, connects the front end side to the inflator (20) so that the inflation gas flows into the airbag main body, and is held by the safety belt (10) on the lower surface side of the duct portion. The duct portion is arranged so as to extend rearward of a portion where one end of the lap belt is locked to the seat portion in a region on the front end side connected to the inflator.

4. The occupant protection device (S) according to claim 1, wherein: The inflator (20) and the seat belt (7) are mounted on the seat (1).

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