Occupant protection device

Abstract

To provide an occupant crash protection device capable of improving relative position accuracy between an airbag provided in a lap belt part and an occupant.SOLUTION: The occupant protection device 10 includes a seat 1, an airbag 31 stored in a folded state in a lap belt portion 4 of a seat belt 2 and configured to receive an occupant M by being inflated with supplied inflation gas, an airbag 11 stored in a folded state in a left arm rest 1d of the seat 1 and configured to contact the occupant M from the left side by being inflated with supplied inflation gas and fed out to the right side, and an airbag 12 stored in a folded state in a right arm rest 1e of the seat 1 and configured to contact the occupant M from the right side by being inflated with supplied inflation gas and fed out to the left side to sandwich the occupant M together with the airbag 11 from the left-right direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an occupant protection device for protecting an occupant seated in a vehicle seat. [Background technology]

[0002] A seat belt that restrains an occupant in a seat has been widely known as an occupant protection device for protecting an occupant. Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which an airbag is provided in a lap belt portion of the seat belt that restrains the occupant's waist, and the airbag catches and protects the occupant. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-66425 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to maximize the performance of an airbag attached to a lap belt, it is desirable to have high accuracy in the relative position between the occupant and the airbag. Generally, an occupant sits in a seat so that the lateral center of the seat is approximately aligned with the lateral center of the occupant's upper body. Therefore, a configuration for setting the airbag's fully inflated position can be considered based on this premise.

[0005] However, there is a possibility that the occupant may sit to the left or right of the seat. In this case, the relative position of the airbag and the occupant may deviate from the intended position with the above-described configuration. If the relative position of the airbag and the occupant deviates from the intended position, the airbag may not be able to perform to its full potential.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an occupant protection device that can improve the accuracy of the relative position between an airbag provided in a lap belt portion and an occupant. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A representative configuration of an occupant protection device according to the present invention for solving the above problems includes a seat on which a vehicle occupant sits, the seat including a left armrest disposed on the left side of the seat and a right armrest disposed on the right side of the seat; a seat belt having a lap belt portion configured to restrain the waist of the occupant seated in the seat; a first airbag that is folded and stored in the lap belt portion and configured to be inflated by being supplied with inflation gas to receive the occupant; a first inflator that releases inflation gas to be supplied to the first airbag; a second airbag stored in the right armrest, the second airbag being inflated and extended to the right when inflation gas is supplied thereto, and contacting the occupant from the left; a second inflator that releases inflation gas supplied to the second airbag; a third airbag stored in the right armrest, the third airbag being inflated and extended to the left when inflation gas is supplied thereto, and contacting the occupant from the right, and sandwiching the occupant from the left and right together with the second airbag; and a third inflator that releases inflation gas supplied to the third airbag.

[0008] According to the present invention, in an occupant protection device, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the relative position between an airbag provided in a lap belt portion and an occupant. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a seat provided in a vehicle equipped with an occupant protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3]FIG. [Figure 4] This is the left side of the seat. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] 3 is a cross-sectional view of a bag assembly included in the occupant protection device. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bag assembly in an inflated state of the airbag. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a front view of the seat in a state where a part of an airbag of the occupant protection device is inflated. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the seat in a state where some airbags of the passenger protection device are inflated. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a front view of the seat with all airbags of the passenger protection device inflated. [Figure 11] 1 is a plan view of a seat with all airbags of the passenger protection device inflated; FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a left side view of the seat with all airbags of the occupant protection device inflated. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a left side view of the seat with all airbags of the occupant protection device inflated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An occupant protection device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will now be described. The occupant protection device 10 is mounted on a vehicle 50 and protects an occupant M of the vehicle 50. Figures 1, 2, and 3 are perspective views of a seat 1 of the vehicle 50. Figure 4 is a left side view of the seat 1. Figure 5 is a front view of the seat 1. In Figures 2 to 5, an occupant M seated in the seat 1 and fastening a seat belt 2 is shown by a two-dot chain line. Also, Figure 2 shows a state in which the left armrest 1d and right armrest 1e of the seat 1 are positioned in a retracted position P1, which will be described later, and Figures 1, 3 to 5 show a state in which the left armrest 1d and right armrest 1e are positioned in a use position P2, which will be described later.

[0011] In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the left-right direction refers to the left and right directions of the seat 1 of the vehicle 50, specifically the left and right directions as seen from the perspective of the occupant M seated in the seat 1. The front-rear direction refers to the front and rear directions of the seat 1, specifically the front and rear directions as seen from the perspective of the occupant M seated in the seat 1. The up-down direction refers to the up and down directions in the vertical direction. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components described below are not intended to limit the scope of this invention to only those.

[0012] 1 to 5, an occupant protection device 10 includes a seat 1 provided inside a vehicle 50. The seat 1 includes a backrest 1a that contacts the back of an occupant M and supports the upper body MU of the occupant M, a seat portion 1b that contacts the buttocks of the occupant M and supports the lower body of the occupant M, a headrest 1c that contacts the back of the occupant M and supports the head of the occupant M, a left armrest 1d, and a right armrest 1e. The seat 1 also includes a seat belt 2 that restrains the occupant M to the seat 1.

[0013] The left armrest 1d is a member on which the left arm ML of the occupant M is placed, and has a support surface 1d1 on which the left arm ML is placed. The left armrest 1d is equipped with a shaft 1d2 arranged so that its rotation axis extends horizontally, and the shaft 1d2 is pivotally supported on the left side surface 1a1 of the backrest 1a, thereby allowing the left armrest 1d to rotate on the left side surface 1a1 of the backrest 1a. In response to operation by the occupant M, the left armrest 1d rotates about the shaft 1d2 between a retracted position P1, where it is retracted toward the backrest 1a, and a use position P2 on which the left arm ML of the occupant M is placed.

[0014] When the left armrest 1d is located in the use position P2, the left armrest 1d extends forward from the backrest 1a, and the support surface 1d1 is disposed approximately parallel to the seat surface 1b1 of the seat 1b near the abdomen of the occupant M. This makes it easier for the occupant M to place their left arm ML on the support surface 1d1. When the left armrest 1d is located in the retracted position P1, the longitudinal direction of the left armrest 1d is disposed so as to be more aligned with the left side surface 1a1 of the backrest 1a than when the left armrest 1d is located in the use position P2. In other words, when the left armrest 1d is located in the retracted position P1, the angle θ1 ( FIG. 3 ) formed between the longitudinal direction of the left armrest 1d and the left side surface 1a1 of the backrest 1a is smaller than when the left armrest 1d is located in the use position P2. This prevents the left armrest 1d from getting in the way of the occupant M when sitting in the seat 1. If ease of seating for the occupant M is not a consideration, the left armrest 1d may be configured to always be in the use position P2 without rotating between the retracted position P1 and the use position P2.

[0015] Also provided inside the left armrest 1d are an airbag 11 and an inflator 13 that releases inflation gas to be supplied to the airbag 11. The inflator 13 (second inflator) is a cylindrical member that generates inflation gas when activated, and has a discharge port 13a that discharges the inflation gas. The portion of the inflator 13 where the discharge port 13a is formed is located inside the airbag 11. The inflator 13 is electrically connected to a control device 18 via lead wires 15, and is activated when it receives an activation signal from the control device 18.

[0016] The airbag 11 (second airbag) is stored in a folded state inside the left armrest 1d of the seat 1. The airbag 11 has an opening (not shown) through which a portion of the inflator 13 having a discharge port 13a formed therein is inserted. The airbag 11 is inflated by the supply of inflation gas from the inflator 13, and tears open the right side surface 1d3 of the left armrest 1d, causing the airbag 11 to extend rightward from the opened portion. Note that the right side surface 1d3 of the left armrest 1d has a slit (not shown) to facilitate tearing of the airbag 11 when it inflates.

[0017] The right armrest 1e is a member on which the right arm MR of the occupant M is placed, and has a support surface 1e1 on which the right arm MR is placed. The right armrest 1e is equipped with a shaft 1e2 arranged so that its rotation axis extends horizontally, and the shaft 1e2 is pivotally supported on the right side surface 1a2 of the backrest 1a, thereby allowing the right armrest 1e to rotate on the right side surface 1a2 of the backrest 1a. In response to operation by the occupant M, the right armrest 1e rotates about the shaft 1e2 between a retracted position P1, where it is retracted toward the backrest 1a, and a use position P2 on which the right arm MR of the occupant M is placed.

[0018] When the right armrest 1e is located in the use position P2, the right armrest 1e extends forward from the backrest 1a, and the support surface 1e1 is disposed approximately parallel to the seat surface 1b1 of the seat 1b near the abdomen of the occupant M. This makes it easier for the occupant M to place their right arm MR on the support surface 1e1. When the right armrest 1e is located in the retracted position P1, the longitudinal direction of the right armrest 1e is disposed so as to be more aligned with the right side surface 1a2 of the backrest 1a than when the right armrest 1e is located in the use position P2. In other words, when the right armrest 1e is located in the retracted position P1, the angle θ2 ( FIG. 3 ) formed between the longitudinal direction of the right armrest 1e and the right side surface 1a2 of the backrest 1a is smaller than when the right armrest 1e is located in the use position P2. This prevents the right armrest 1e from getting in the way of the occupant M when sitting in the seat 1. If ease of seating for the occupant M is not a consideration, the right armrest 1e may be configured to always be positioned at the use position P2 without rotating between the retracted position P1 and the use position P2.

[0019] Also provided inside the right armrest 1e are an airbag 12 and an inflator 14 that releases inflation gas to be supplied to the airbag 12. The inflator 14 (third inflator) is a cylindrical member that generates inflation gas when activated, and has a discharge port 14a that discharges the inflation gas. The portion of the inflator 14 where the discharge port 14a is formed is located inside the airbag 12. The inflator 14 is electrically connected to a control device 18 via lead wires 16, and is activated when it receives an activation signal from the control device 18.

[0020] The airbag 12 (third airbag) is stored in a folded state inside the right armrest 1e of the seat 1. The airbag 12 has an opening (not shown) through which a portion of the inflator 14 having a discharge port 14a formed therein is inserted. The airbag 12 is inflated by the supply of inflation gas from the inflator 14, rupturing the left side surface 1e3 of the right armrest 1e and extending leftward from the ruptured portion. Note that the left side surface 1e3 of the right armrest 1e has a slit (not shown) to facilitate rupture of the airbag 12 when it inflates.

[0021] The seat belt 2 is a belt-like member that restrains the occupant M to the seat 1. The seat belt 2 is configured to be retractable from a retraction mechanism 9 provided inside the seat back 1a near the upper left edge. The retraction mechanism 9 has a pretensioner mechanism 9a configured to stop the seat belt 2 from being pulled out suddenly, and to retract the pulled-out seat belt 2 in the event of a collision of the vehicle 50, etc.

[0022] The lower end of the seat belt 2 is a fixed end that is fixed to an anchor member 8 provided on the seat bottom 1b of the seat 1. A tongue 6 is provided in the middle of the seat belt 2. The tongue 6 is fastened to a buckle 7 provided on the right side of the seat bottom 1b of the seat 1. When an occupant M is seated in the seat 1 and the tongue 6 is fastened to the buckle 7, the seat belt 2 is fastened to the occupant M.

[0023] The seat belt 2 when worn by the occupant M includes a shoulder belt portion 3 that extends from the tongue 6 toward the retraction mechanism 9, is positioned in front of the upper body MU of the occupant M, and is configured to restrain the upper body MU of the occupant M, and a lap belt portion 4 that extends from the tongue 6 toward the anchor member 8, is positioned in front of the waist MW of the occupant M, and is configured to restrain the waist MW. The occupant M can release the fastening state of the tongue 6 with respect to the buckle 7 and remove the tongue 6 from the buckle 7 by pressing a release button (not shown) provided on the buckle 7.

[0024] An inflator 32 (first inflator) is fixed to the frame 1b2 of the bottom portion 1b of the seat 1. The inflator 32 releases inflation gas and supplies the inflation gas to an airbag 31 (first airbag) (described below) provided in the lap belt portion 4 of the seat belt 2. The inflator 32 is bent in a generally L-shape from the bottom surface of the bottom portion 1b along the side surface, and has a pipe portion 32a that guides the released inflation gas to the airbag 31. The inflator 32 is electrically connected to the control device 18 via lead wires (not shown), and is activated when it receives an activation signal from the control device 18.

[0025] A bag assembly 30 having an airbag 31 is assembled to the lap belt portion 4 of the seat belt 2. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the bag assembly 30 taken along the line AA shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the bag assembly 30 with the airbag 31 inflated, omitting the airbag cover 34 of the bag assembly 30. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the bag assembly 30 is made up of the airbag 31, a bag connecting portion 33 that connects the airbag 31 to the lap belt portion 4, and the airbag cover 34.

[0026] The airbag 31 has a bag main body 31a that inflates when inflation gas is supplied to it and receives the occupant M, and a conduit 31b that is connected to a pipe 32a of the inflator 32 and guides the inflation gas released from the inflator 32 to an inlet 31a3a of the bag main body 31a, allowing the inflation gas to flow into the bag main body 31a. The bag main body 31a and the conduit 31b are formed from a bag base fabric, which is a woven fabric formed by plain weaving polyester fibers or the like.

[0027] Before inflation gas is supplied from the inflator 32, the bag main body 31a is housed in a folded state inside the airbag cover 34. When inflation gas is supplied from the inflator 32 and inflation is complete, the bag main body 31a is disposed immediately in front of and facing the occupant M, and has a rear wall 31a1 that contacts and receives the upper body MU of the occupant M as the occupant M moves forward, a front wall 31a2 that faces the rear wall 31a1, a lower wall 31a3 that is disposed below and supported by the thighs of the occupant M, and a left wall 31a4 and a right wall 31a5 that are disposed on the left and right sides, respectively. The lower wall 31a3 of the bag main body 31a is provided with two inlet ports 31a3a that are openings for allowing the inflation gas in the conduit 31b to flow in.

[0028] Conduit 31b is a tubular member that is connected to pipe 32a of inflator 32 and bag body 31a, respectively, and extends along the longitudinal direction of lap belt 4. One longitudinal end of conduit 31b is connected to bag body 31a by sewing, and the other end is connected to pipe 32a of inflator 32 by fastening with clamp 37. Conduit 31b has communication port 31b1 that communicates with inlet 31a3a of bag body 31a. Inflation gas supplied to conduit 31b from inflator 32 flows into bag body 31a via communication port 31b1 and inlet 31a3a.

[0029] The bag connecting portion 33 is a tubular member made of the same material as the bag base fabric that forms the airbag 31, and connects the airbag 31 to the lap belt portion 4. The upper surface of the bag connecting portion 33 and the lower surface of the conduit portion 31b of the airbag 31 are connected by stitching. The space inside the tube of the bag connecting portion 33 serves as a belt insertion portion 33a through which the lap belt portion 4 is inserted. The airbag 31 is connected to the lap belt portion 4 via the bag connecting portion 33 by inserting the lap belt portion 4 into the belt insertion portion 33a.

[0030] The airbag cover 34 is a cylindrical member attached to the lap belt portion 4, and houses within the cylindrical interior the entire bag main body portion 31a of the airbag 31 in a folded state, part of the conduit portion 31b, the entire bag connecting portion 33, and part of the lap belt portion 4. When the bag main body portion 31a inflates, the airbag cover 34 receives pressure from the bag main body portion 31a and tears open, allowing the bag main body portion 31a to be unfolded from the torn portion.

[0031] The occupant protection device 10 also includes a control device 18 (controller) that controls the pretensioner mechanism 9a and the inflators 13, 14, and 32, and an acceleration sensor 19 electrically connected to the control device 18. The acceleration sensor 19 is attached to the periphery of a front bumper (not shown) of the vehicle 50. The control device 18 is provided inside the vehicle 50 and electrically connected to the inflators 13, 14, and 32 and the pretensioner mechanism 9a. When the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 19 becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value due to a collision of the vehicle 50 or the like, the control device 18 transmits an activation signal to these components to activate the pretensioner mechanism 9a and the inflators 13, 14, and 32.

[0032] Next, a description will be given of the protective operation of the occupant M by the occupant protection device 10. The following mainly describes the protective operation of the occupant M by the occupant protection device 10 when the left armrest 1d and the right armrest 1e are located in the use position P2.

[0033] Fig. 8 is a front view of the seat 1 with the airbags 11 and 12 inflated. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the seat 1 with the airbags 11 and 12 inflated. Fig. 10 is a front view of the seat 1 with the airbags 11, 12, and 31 inflated. Fig. 11 is a plan view of the seat 1 with the airbags 11, 12, and 31 inflated. Fig. 12 is a left side view of the seat 1 with the airbags 11, 12, and 31 inflated. In Figs. 8 to 12, the left armrest 1d and the right armrest 1e are located in the use position P2, and the occupant M seated in the seat 1 is indicated by a two-dot chain line.

[0034] First, when the vehicle 50 collides and the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 19 exceeds a predetermined value, the control device 18 sends an activation signal to the pretensioner mechanism 9a of the retraction mechanism 9. This activates the pretensioner mechanism 9a, which retracts the lap belt portion 4 of the seatbelt 2 toward the tongue 6 and also retracts the shoulder belt portion 3 connected to the lap belt portion 4 toward the shoulder of the occupant M, thereby stabilizing the seated posture of the occupant M in the seat 1.

[0035] Next, the control device 18 sends an activation signal to the inflators 13, 14. This activates the inflators 13, 14, causing them to release inflation gas, which is then supplied into the airbags 11, 12. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the airbag 11, to which inflation gas is supplied, presses and tears the right side surface 1d3 of the left armrest 1d as it inflates, and then extends to the right from the tear, completing its inflation. Also, the airbag 12, to which inflation gas is supplied, presses and tears the left side surface 1e3 of the right armrest 1e as it inflates, and then extends to the left from the tear, completing its inflation.

[0036] The airbag 11 at the time of full inflation has a right wall portion 11a disposed on the right side and abutting against the upper body MU of the occupant M from the left, a left wall portion 11b disposed on the left side and abutting against the right side surface 1d3 of the left armrest 1d to be supported, and a rear wall portion 11c disposed on the rear side and abutting against the backrest 1a of the seat 1 to be supported. In other words, the airbag 11 is configured to abut against the occupant M from the left. Furthermore, in a free state where the occupant M is not in contact with the airbag 11 at the time of full inflation, the upper end portion 11d of the airbag 11 is disposed above the left armrest 1d, and the lower end portion 11e is disposed below the left armrest 1d.

[0037] The airbag 12 at full inflation is disposed in a position symmetrical to the airbag 11 at full inflation with respect to the center of the seat 1 in the left-right direction, and has a left-right symmetrical shape. That is, the airbag 12 at full inflation has a left wall portion 12a disposed on the left side and abutting against the upper body MU of the occupant M from the right, a right wall portion 12b disposed on the right side and abutting against the left side surface 1e3 of the right armrest 1e for support, and a rear wall portion 12c disposed on the rear side and abutting against the backrest 1a of the seat 1 for support. That is, the airbag 12 is configured to abut against the occupant M from the right and sandwich the upper body MU of the occupant M together with the airbag 11 from the left and right, thereby determining the left-right position of the occupant M with respect to the seat 1. Specifically, the left-right position of the occupant M is determined so that the left-right center of the upper body MU of the occupant M and the left-right center of the backrest 1a of the seat 1 approximately coincide with each other. In addition, in a free state where the occupant M is not in contact with the airbag 12, the upper end 12d of the airbag 12 at the time of full inflation is located above the right armrest 1e, and the lower end 12e is located below the right armrest 1e.

[0038] Next, the control device 18 sends an activation signal to the inflator 32. This activates the inflator 32 to release inflation gas, which is then supplied to the bag main body 31a via the conduit 31b of the airbag 31. As shown in Figures 10, 11, and 12, the bag main body 31a to which the inflation gas is supplied pressurizes and tears the airbag cover 34 as it inflates, and the bag main body 31a is let out from the torn portion of the airbag cover 34, completing inflation.

[0039] When fully inflated, the bag main body 31a is positioned in front of the occupant M. As described above, when fully inflated, the bag main body 31a includes the rear wall 31a1, the front wall 31a2, the lower wall 31a3, the left wall 31a4, and the right wall 31a5. The left wall 31a4 abuts against the right wall 11a of the airbag 11. The right wall 31a5 abuts against the left wall 12a of the airbag 12. In other words, when fully inflated, the bag main body 31a is configured to be sandwiched between the airbags 11 and 12 from the left and right, thereby determining its position in the left and right directions. The bag main body 31a, positioned in front of the occupant M, receives the upper body MU of the occupant M, which moves forward due to the impact caused by a collision of the vehicle 50. In this manner, the occupant protection device 10 protects the occupant M.

[0040] As described above, the occupant protection device 10 according to this embodiment is configured so that the upper body MU of the occupant M is sandwiched between the airbags 11 and 12 from the left and right, thereby determining the left-right position of the occupant M. In other words, even if the occupant M is sitting to the left or right of the seat, the position of the occupant M is corrected to near the center of the seat 1 by the airbags 11 and 12. Therefore, if the position of the bag main body 31a of the airbag 31 provided in the lap belt portion 4 is determined based on this premise, it becomes easier to position the target position of the bag main body 31a directly in front of the occupant M. In other words, according to the occupant protection device 10 according to this embodiment, the position of the occupant M can be determined when the airbag 31 is inflated, thereby improving the accuracy of the relative position between the occupant M and the airbag 31 provided in the lap belt portion 4 compared to a configuration in which the position of the occupant M is not determined. Therefore, the airbag 31 is more likely to provide excellent protection for the occupant M.

[0041] Furthermore, when the airbag 31 is fully inflated, the bag body 31a is sandwiched between the airbags 11 and 12 from the left and right. That is, the airbags 11 and 12 determine the left and right positions of both the occupant M and the bag body 31a. This further improves the accuracy of the relative positions of the two.

[0042] Furthermore, the control device 18 activates the inflators 13, 14 that supply inflation gas to the airbags 11, 12 before activating the inflator 32 that supplies inflation gas to the airbag 31. This not only makes it possible to quickly position the occupant M and make it easier for the airbag 31 to demonstrate its protective performance for the occupant M, but also prevents the occupant M from colliding with the left armrest 1d or the right armrest 1e and sustaining damage before being caught by the airbag 31. Note that, if this point is not taken into consideration, the activation timing of the inflators 13, 14, 32 by the control device 18 is not limited to the above, and for example, the inflators 13, 14, 32 may be activated simultaneously.

[0043] Although the above description has been made regarding the protective operation of the occupant protection device 10 for the occupant M when the left armrest 1d and the right armrest 1e are located in the use position P2, the occupant M is similarly protected even when the left armrest 1d and the right armrest 1e are located in the retracted position P1. FIG. 13 is a left side view of the seat 1 with the left armrest 1d and the right armrest 1e located in the retracted position P1 and the airbags 11, 12, and 31 inflated. As shown in FIG. 13, even when the left armrest 1d and the right armrest 1e are located in the retracted position P1, the airbags 11 and 12 at full inflation sandwich the upper body MU of the occupant M and the bag main body 31a of the airbag 31 at full inflation from the left and right. Furthermore, the operation of the inflators 13, 14, and 32 and the airbags 11, 12, and 31 from the time of a collision of the vehicle 50 to the time of the state shown in FIG. 13 is the same as when the left armrest 1d and the right armrest 1e are located in the use position P2. Therefore, according to the occupant protection device 10 of this embodiment, even when the left armrest 1d and the right armrest 1e are positioned in the retracted position P1, the occupant M can be protected in the same way as when they are positioned in the use position P2.

[0044] Although the present embodiment has been described as having the left armrest 1d supported on the left side surface 1a1 of the backrest 1a of the seat 1 and the right armrest 1e supported on the right side surface 1a2 of the backrest 1a, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, as long as the left armrest 1d is located on the left side of the center in the left-right direction of the seat 1 and the right armrest 1e is located on the right side of the center, they may be supported by other parts of the seat 1. For example, the same effect as above can be obtained by a configuration in which the left armrest 1d is supported on the left side surface of the seat bottom 1b of the seat 1 and the right armrest 1e is supported on the right side surface of the seat bottom 1b.

[0045] In addition, in this embodiment, the occupant protection device 10 has been described using as an example a so-called three-point seat belt 2 in which the seat belt 2 has the shoulder belt portion 3 and the lap belt portion 4, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, even if the present invention is applied to a so-called two-point seat belt 2 in which the seat belt 2 does not have the shoulder belt portion 3 but has the lap belt portion 4, the same effects as those described above can be obtained. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1...seat, 1a...backrest, 1a1...left side, 1a2...right side, 1b...seat, 1d...left armrest, 1e...right armrest, 2...seatbelt, 4...lap belt, 10...occupant protection device, 11...airbag (second airbag), 12...airbag (third airbag), 13...inflator (second inflator), 14...inflator (third inflator), 18...control device (control unit), 31...airbag (first airbag), 32...inflator (first inflator), 50...vehicle, M...occupant, ML...left arm, MR...right arm, MW...waist

Claims

1. A seat for a vehicle occupant to sit on, the seat including a left armrest disposed on the left side of the seat and a right armrest disposed on the right side of the seat; a seat belt having a lap belt portion configured to restrain a waist portion of the occupant seated in the seat; a first airbag that is folded and stored in the lap belt portion and configured to inflate when inflation gas is supplied thereto to receive the occupant; a first inflator that releases inflation gas to be supplied to the first airbag; a second airbag that is folded and stored in the left armrest, and that is configured to be inflated and extended to the right when inflation gas is supplied thereto, and to come into contact with the occupant from the left; a second inflator that releases inflation gas to be supplied to the second airbag; a third airbag that is folded and stored in the right armrest, and that is configured to be inflated and extended to the left when inflation gas is supplied thereto, to come into contact with the occupant from the right side, and to sandwich the occupant from the left and right together with the second airbag; a third inflator that releases inflation gas to be supplied to the third airbag; An occupant protection device comprising:

2. 2. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein, when the first airbag, the second airbag, and the third airbag have completed inflation, the first airbag is sandwiched between the second airbag and the third airbag from the left and right.

3. The seat includes a backrest and a seat. the left armrest is rotatably supported on a left side surface of the backrest and is configured to be rotatable between a use position for placing the left arm of an occupant seated in the seat and a retracted position along the left side surface of the backrest from the use position, the right armrest is rotatably supported on a right side surface of the backrest and is configured to be rotatable between a use position for placing the right arm of an occupant seated in the seat and a retracted position along the right side surface of the backrest from the use position, 3. The occupant protection device according to claim 2, wherein, regardless of whether the left armrest and the right armrest are positioned in the use position or the retracted position, when the first airbag, the second airbag, and the third airbag have completed inflation, the second airbag and the third airbag are configured to sandwich the first airbag and the occupant from the left and right.

4. a control unit that controls the first inflator, the second inflator, and the third inflator; 4. The passenger protection device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit activates the second inflator and the third inflator before activating the first inflator.

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