Seat cushion airbag

Abstract

To provide a seat cushion airbag capable of protecting a harness led out from an inflator.SOLUTION: The seat cushion airbag 30 is an occupant protection device disposed below the seat surface 211 of the seat cushion 21 on which the occupant 12 is seated. The seat cushion airbag 30 includes an airbag body portion 31, an inflator 34, a harness 35, and a restricting portion 40. The airbag body 31 has a base fabric 32 configured to be inflated and deployed when a collision occurs. The inflator 34 is configured to supply gas to the airbag body 31 when a collision occurs. The harness 35 is electrically connected to the inflator 34 and led out. The regulating part 40 is arranged in the airbag body part 31 so as to fix the harness 35.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat cushion airbag. [Background technology]

[0002] When the vehicle suddenly stops, the occupant is subjected to the inertial force moving forward, which can cause the occupant's lower back to sink deeply into the seat cushion and slip under the seat belt, a phenomenon known as the "submarine phenomenon."

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle seat device that suppresses the submarine phenomenon and prevents excessive impact loads from being applied to the occupant. Specifically, Patent Document 1 describes a push-up body that pushes the occupant upward and rearward in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, and is supported on a seat base below the seat cushion. In this device, when a frontal collision of the vehicle is detected, gas is sent from an inflator to the airbag, causing the airbag to instantaneously inflate. This pushes the rear side of the occupant's waist upward and rearward via the upper surface of the seat cushion, suppressing the submarine phenomenon during a frontal collision. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-163915 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the inventions described in the above-mentioned patent documents leave room for improvement in the configuration of the seat cushion airbag incorporated in the seat.

[0006] Specifically, the manufacturing process for a seat to be installed in a vehicle that has been equipped with measures against the submarine phenomenon involves first incorporating a seat cushion airbag into the seat cushion, and then assembling the seat cushion, seat bag, and headrest together to form the seat.

[0007] The seat cushion airbag incorporates an inflator that discharges gas in the event of a collision. Because the inflator is an electrical component, a harness extends from the inflator. During transportation of the seat cushion airbag, the harness is not secured, and it can sometimes ride up onto the shoulder or other part of the inflator. If this happens, there is a risk that the harness will be pinched between the inflator and another component, such as a retainer, and be damaged when the seat cushion airbag is installed in the seat.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a seat cushion airbag that can protect a harness extending from an inflator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A seat cushion airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention is a seat cushion airbag that is placed under the seat surface of a seat cushion on which an occupant sits, and is equipped with an airbag main body, an inflator, a harness, and a restricting part, wherein the airbag main body has a base fabric configured to inflate and deploy when a collision occurs, the inflator is configured to supply gas to the airbag main body when the collision occurs, the harness is electrically connected to and leads out the inflator, and the restricting part is configured to restrict movement of the harness in the vicinity of the inflator. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the seat cushion airbag of the embodiment of the present invention, the position of the harness can be regulated when the seat cushion airbag is transported, thereby preventing the harness from moving inadvertently when the seat cushion airbag is transported and preventing damage to the harness during the seat assembly process. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle equipped with a seat cushion airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a seat equipped with a seat cushion airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a connection configuration of a vehicle equipped with a seat cushion airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a lower portion of a seat equipped with a seat cushion airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5A] 1 is a side view showing a configuration of a seat equipped with a seat cushion airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention before the seat cushion airbag is activated. [Figure 5B] 1 is a side view showing a state in which a seat cushion airbag is in operation in a seat equipped with a seat cushion airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of a seat cushion airbag according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view further illustrating the configuration of the seat cushion airbag according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8A] FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the configuration of a seat cushion airbag according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8B] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a seat cushion airbag according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9A] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the configuration of a seat cushion airbag according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9B] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a seat cushion airbag according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10A] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the configuration of a seat cushion airbag according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a seat cushion airbag according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] A seat cushion airbag 30 and a vehicle 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the front, rear, up, down, left, and right directions are used, and left and right refer to the left and right when the vehicle 10 is viewed from the front. Furthermore, in the following description, the same components are generally designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated description will be omitted.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle 10 equipped with a seat cushion airbag 30. As shown in FIG.

[0014] The vehicle 10 is a vehicle in which a passenger 12 (described later) rides, and may be, for example, an engine vehicle, a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), an HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle).

[0015] The vehicle 10 includes a front seat 13 and a rear seat 14. The front seat 13 includes a driver's seat with a steering wheel 15 installed in front of it, and a passenger seat adjacent to the driver's seat. The rear seat 14 is disposed behind the front seat 13. The front seat 13 and the rear seat 14 are fixed to the floor of the vehicle body 11. The seat cushion airbag 30 according to this embodiment is applicable to both the front seat 13 and the rear seat 14.

[0016] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a seat 20 equipped with a seat cushion airbag 30. As shown in Fig. 2, the seat 20 is installed on the floor of the vehicle 10. The seat 20 is equipped with a seat cushion 21 that forms a seating surface for the occupant 12, a seat bag 22 that rises obliquely upward and rearward from the rear end of the seat cushion 21 to form a backrest surface for the occupant 12, and a height-adjustable headrest 23 that supports the head of the occupant 12. The seat cushion 21 also has a built-in seat cushion airbag 30.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a connection configuration of a vehicle 10 equipped with a seat cushion airbag 30. As shown in FIG.

[0018] The vehicle 10 mainly includes a calculation control unit 18, a collision detection unit 16, a collision prediction unit 17, and a seat cushion airbag 30. The seat cushion airbag 30 also includes an inflator 34 and an airbag main body 31.

[0019] The collision detection unit 16 is configured by, for example, an acceleration sensor, and detects the acceleration in the forward and backward directions of the vehicle 10. The collision detection unit 16 detects the impact of a collision acting on the vehicle 10, and outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the acceleration to the calculation control unit 18 as collision detection information.

[0020] The collision prediction unit 17 is configured with a so-called pre-crash safety sensor, such as an on-board camera that captures an image ahead of the vehicle 10 and detects obstacles. Examples of obstacles include moving objects such as pedestrians, motorcycles, and four-wheeled vehicles. The collision prediction unit 17 detects the position and relative speed of the obstacle and predicts a frontal collision of the vehicle 10 with the obstacle. When a collision is predicted, the collision prediction unit 17 predicts the time until the collision between the obstacle and the vehicle 10, and outputs collision prediction information related to the predicted collision time to the calculation control unit 18.

[0021] The arithmetic and control unit 18 is configured by a computer including a CPU and memories such as ROM and RAM, and controls the operation of the seat 20. The arithmetic and control unit 18 may be provided outside or inside the seat 20. The arithmetic and control unit 18 determines whether or not the vehicle 10 has experienced a frontal collision based on the collision detection information input from the collision detection unit 16, and when it determines that the vehicle 10 has experienced a frontal collision, it outputs a command to deploy the seat cushion airbag 30. Furthermore, when it determines that there is a high possibility that the vehicle 10 will experience a frontal collision based on the collision prediction information input from the collision prediction unit 17, it outputs a command to deploy the seat cushion airbag 30.

[0022] Based on the deployment command, the calculation control unit 18 outputs an activation command to the inflator 34. As a result, the inflator 34 generates gas and supplies it to the airbag main body 31, and the airbag main body 31 is inflated and deployed by the supplied gas.

[0023] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the lower part of the seat 20 equipped with the seat cushion airbag 30. As shown in FIG.

[0024] An airbag mounting section 24, also called a retainer box, is provided inside the seat cushion 21 of the seat 20. The airbag mounting section 24 houses an airbag main body 31 and an inflator 34. When the inflator 34 is activated during a frontal collision or the like, the airbag main body 31 inflates and deploys while breaking through the seat surface 211. Here, the seat surface 211 is the upper surface of the seat cushion 21, and is the surface on which an occupant 12, described below, sits.

[0025] The airbag main body 31 is a bag body made of a single piece of base fabric 32. The base fabric 32 is made of a strong, flexible, and easily foldable material, such as polyester yarn or polyamide yarn. The internal space of the airbag main body 31 is connected to an inflator 34. The airbag main body 31 is deployed into a predetermined shape when the inflator 34 supplies gas under the control of the aforementioned calculation and control unit 18.

[0026] Members such as tethers (not shown) that control the final deployment shape are provided at predetermined locations inside the airbag main body 31. In addition, vent holes (not shown) that exhaust gas that fills the airbag main body 31 after inflation and deployment are provided at predetermined locations in the airbag main body 31.

[0027] The inflator 34 has, for example, a cylindrical shape and is provided with a gas outlet in the portion enclosed within the airbag main body 31. The inflator 34 burns chemicals stored therein to generate gas and supplies the gas to the inside of the airbag main body 31. When a frontal collision or the like occurs, the inflator 34 is controlled by the calculation control unit 18 to supply gas to the airbag main body 31.

[0028] The harness 35 is a connecting means that electrically connects the inflator 34 and the calculation control unit 18. The connection portion between the harness 35 and the inflator 34 is located close to the airbag placement portion 24. Therefore, if the harness 35 gets caught between the inflator 34 and the airbag placement portion 24, the harness 35 may be damaged. In this embodiment, the position of the harness 35 near the inflator 34 is fixed to prevent such catchment and prevent damage to the harness 35.

[0029] Fig. 5A is a side view showing the configuration of the seat 20 equipped with the seat cushion airbag 30 before the seat cushion airbag 30 is deployed. Fig. 5B is a side view showing the state of the seat 20 equipped with the seat cushion airbag 30 after the seat cushion airbag 30 is deployed. The behavior of the seat cushion airbag 30 from before deployment of the seat 20 to the time of deployment will be described with reference to Figs. 5A and 5B. Here, the behavior when a frontal collision is detected by the collision detection unit 16 described above will be described.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 5A, the seat cushion airbag 30 is housed inside the seat cushion 21 before a frontal collision is detected. Referring to Fig. 3, when the collision detection unit 16 detects a frontal collision of the vehicle 10, the above-mentioned calculation control unit 18 determines that the vehicle 10 has collided frontally, and outputs an activation command to the inflator 34 of the seat cushion airbag 30. Upon receiving the activation command, the inflator 34 supplies gas to the airbag main body 31.

[0031] 5B, when the airbag main body 31 begins to deploy by being supplied with gas from the inflator 34, it breaks through the seat surface 211 and begins to deploy. At this time, the occupant 12 temporarily rises up, centered around the buttocks, and moves away from the seat surface 211, resulting in a half-squat position. The lower legs of the occupant 12 move from a bent state to an extended state, and the movement direction of the lower legs faces from the front toward the floor. This positions the occupant 12 in a position that makes it easy to brace himself so as not to move forward during a frontal collision, thereby preventing the submarine phenomenon.

[0032] Various forms of the seat cushion airbag 30 incorporated in the above-mentioned seat cushion 21 will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 10B. Figures 6 to 10B show the seat cushion airbag 30 before being incorporated in the seat cushion 21, for example, at the transportation stage. Figures 6 to 10B show the seat cushion airbag 30 turned upside down.

[0033] FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the configuration of the seat cushion airbag 30 according to the first embodiment.

[0034] The seat cushion airbag 30 is built into the seat cushion 21 described above. Specifically, the seat cushion airbag 30 is an occupant protection device that is disposed below the seat surface 211 of the seat cushion 21 on which the occupant 12 sits. More specifically, the seat cushion airbag 30 includes an airbag main body 31, an inflator 34, a harness 35, and a restricting portion 40.

[0035] The airbag body 31 has a base fabric 32 configured to inflate and deploy in the event of a collision. As described above, the base fabric 32 is a cloth-like member formed using, for example, polyester yarn or polyamide yarn.

[0036] As described above, the inflator 34 is configured to supply gas to the airbag main body 31 in the event of a collision. The inflator 34 has a cover member made of steel plate and having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with its longitudinal direction along the left-right direction. The electronic devices, chemicals, etc. that constitute the inflator 34 are housed in this cover member. A bolt 37 is fixed to the inflator 34 for fastening it to the airbag placement portion 24 described above. The bolt 37 passes through the covering portion 33, which will be described later.

[0037] The portion of the base fabric 32 where the inflator 34 is disposed is a front portion that does not constitute the airbag main body 31. The front end portion of the base fabric 32 is folded back toward the rear to form the covering portion 33. Here, the covering portion 33 is hatched. With this configuration, the inflator 34 is covered by the main body portion of the base fabric 32 and the covering portion 33. The side edge 331 of the covering portion 33 is an inclined edge that slopes to the right, which is inward in the width direction, toward the rear.

[0038] The harness 35 is electrically connected to and leads out from the inflator 34. In this example, the harness 35 leads out from the side edge 331 toward the left. The harness 35 is made of copper wires or the like covered with synthetic resin. As described above, the harness 35 connects the electronic devices built into the airbag main body 31 to other electrical equipment, such as the arithmetic and control unit 18. A first end of the harness 35 is connected to the inflator 34 via an inflator-side connector 36. A second end of the harness 35 is connected to other electrical equipment via a connection connector 46.

[0039] The clip 45 is a locking member that is fixed to the middle portion of the harness 35. As will be described later, the clip 45 is locked into the notch 41 of the covering portion 33.

[0040] The restricting portion 40 is configured to restrict movement of the harness 35 in the vicinity of the inflator 34. In this embodiment, the restricting portion 40 is a notch 41. The notch 41 is formed in the covering portion 33 made of the base fabric 32 in a portion that covers the inflator 34. Specifically, the notch 41 is a cut formed toward the right in the side edge 331 of the covering portion 33. The notch 41 is a portion that suppresses inadvertent movement of the harness 35 and prevents the harness 35 from riding up onto the inflator 34 during transportation of the seat cushion airbag 30, etc.

[0041] The notch 41 is formed in the vicinity of the inflator-side connector 36. For example, the notch 41 is formed immediately adjacent to the left side of the inflator-side connector 36. In this way, inadvertent movement of the harness 35 in the vicinity of the inflator 34 can be more reliably prevented.

[0042] FIG. 7 is a plan view further illustrating the configuration of the seat cushion airbag 30 according to the first embodiment.

[0043] The clip 45 fixed to the middle portion of the harness 35 is engaged with the notch 41. This prevents the harness 35 from moving unintentionally in the vicinity of the inflator-side connector 36. That is, the harness 35 does not move too far below the covering portion 33 in the vicinity of the inflator-side connector 36. However, it is also possible to insert the middle portion of the harness 35 into the notch 41 and engage it without providing the clip 45. This prevents the harness 35 from moving unintentionally and reduces the number of parts constituting the seat cushion airbag 30. Furthermore, most of the harness 35 is routed along the front side surface of the seat cushion airbag 30.

[0044] Fig. 8A is a plan view showing the configuration of the seat cushion airbag 30 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 8B is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the seat cushion airbag 30 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along the AA cutting line in Fig. 8A.

[0045] 8A and 8B, in the second embodiment, the restricting portion 40 is a tape 42. The tape 42 is a member that bundles the harness 35 near the end of the covering portion 33 made of the base fabric 32 that covers the inflator 34. The tape 42 is disposed to the left of the side edge 331 and to the right of the left side edge of the airbag main body 31. The tape 42 is made of an adhesive synthetic resin.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 8A, the harness 35 is led out from the inflator-side connector 36 toward the left side, bent approximately 180 degrees at a bent portion 351, and extends toward the right.

[0047] The tape 42 is wrapped around the harness 35 so as to bundle the portion of the harness 35 extending from the inflator-side connector 36 toward the left side and the portion of the harness 35 extending from the bent portion 351 toward the right side. As shown in FIG. 8B , the tape 42 is wrapped around the harnesses 35 so as to bundle them together from the periphery. Also, as shown in FIG. 8A , the portion of the harness 35 extending toward the right side of the tape 42 crosses the side edge 331. With this configuration, the portion of the harness 35 bundled by the tape 42 abuts against the side edge 331, thereby functioning as a stopper and suppressing inadvertent movement of the harness 35 near the inflator-side connector 36. That is, the harness 35 does not slip excessively below the covering portion 33 near the inflator-side connector 36. This prevents the harness 35 from climbing up onto the inflator 34.

[0048] Fig. 9A is a plan view showing the configuration of the seat cushion airbag 30 according to the third embodiment. Fig. 9B is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the seat cushion airbag 30 according to the third embodiment. Fig. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in Fig. 9A.

[0049] 9A and 9B , in the third embodiment, the restricting portion 40 is an adhesive member 43 that attaches the harness 35 to the base fabric 32. Specifically, the surface of the harness 35 is covered with a label (not shown) near the inflator-side connector 36. The adhesive member 43 attaches the portion of the harness 35 that is covered with the label to the base fabric 32.

[0050] 9B, adhesive member 43 adheres harness 35 to base fabric 32. Adhesive member 43 is, for example, an adhesive tape having an adhesive surface formed on the underside. Adhesive member 43 is attached to the surface of harness 35 and to the upper surface of base fabric 32 on both sides of harness 35.

[0051] 9A, with the configuration of the adhesive member 43, the harness 35 can be fixed by being attached to the upper surface of the base fabric 32 in the vicinity of the inflator-side connector 36. Therefore, the harness 35 does not get excessively under the covering portion 33 in the vicinity of the inflator-side connector 36. This makes it possible to prevent the harness 35 from riding up onto the inflator 34.

[0052] Fig. 10A is a plan view showing the configuration of the seat cushion airbag 30 according to the fourth embodiment. Fig. 10B is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the seat cushion airbag 30 according to the fourth embodiment. Fig. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along the CC cutting line in Fig. 10A.

[0053] 10A and 10B, in the fourth embodiment, the restricting portion 40 is an adhesive member 44 attached to the harness 35 so as to engage with an end portion of the base fabric 32. Specifically, referring to FIG. 10A, the adhesive member 44 is attached to the harness 35 in the vicinity of the side edge 331 of the covering portion 33, which is part of the base fabric 32.

[0054] 10B, the adhesive member 44 is made of adhesive tape that is attached so as to surround the harness 35. The adhesive member 44 not only surrounds the harness 35, but also adheres its ends to each other. In other words, the adhesive member 44 is attached to the harness 35 by an adhesive structure also known as "cross-attaching."

[0055] 10A, when an external force is applied to the harness 35 during transportation or the like, the adhesive member 44 that is adhered to the harness 35 comes into contact with the side edge 331. That is, the adhesive member 44 functions as a stopper that restricts movement of the harness 35 in the vicinity of the inflator-side connector 36. According to this embodiment, the adhesive member 44 functions as a so-called stopper, thereby preventing the harness 35 from riding up on the inflator 34.

[0056] The technical ideas that can be understood from the above-described embodiment will be described below together with their effects.

[0057] A seat cushion airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention is a seat cushion airbag disposed below a seat surface of a seat cushion on which an occupant sits, and includes an airbag main body, an inflator, a harness, and a restricting part, the airbag main body having a base fabric configured to inflate and deploy in the event of a collision, the inflator configured to supply gas to the airbag main body in the event of the collision, the harness electrically connected to the inflator for guiding the gas, and the restricting part configured to restrict movement of the harness in the vicinity of the inflator. According to the seat cushion airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention, by providing a restricting part that fixes the harness to the airbag main body, inadvertent movement of the harness can be prevented during transportation of the seat cushion airbag, and damage to the harness during the seat assembly process can be prevented.

[0058] In the seat cushion airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention, the restricting portion is a notch formed in the covering portion made of the base fabric that covers the inflator. According to the seat cushion airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention, the notch fixes the position of the harness and prevents the harness from riding up on the inflator.

[0059] In the seat cushion airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention, the restricting portion is a tape that ties the harness together at an end of the covering portion made of the base fabric that covers the inflator. According to the seat cushion airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention, by bundling the harness with the tape at the end of the covering portion, the position of the harness can be fixed and the harness can be prevented from riding up on the inflator.

[0060] In the seat cushion airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention, the restricting portion is an adhesive member that attaches the harness to the base fabric. According to the seat cushion airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention, the position of the harness is fixed by the adhesive member, and the harness can be prevented from riding up on the inflator.

[0061] In the seat cushion airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention, the restricting portion is an adhesive member that is attached to the harness so as to engage with the end of the base fabric. According to the seat cushion airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention, the adhesive member functions as a so-called stopper, thereby preventing the harness from riding up on the inflator.

[0062] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these and can be modified within the scope of the present invention. In addition, the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 10 vehicles 11 Body 12 crew members 13 Front seats 14 Rear seat 15. Steering wheel 16 Collision detection unit 17 Collision Prediction Section 18 Calculation control unit 20 sheets 21 Seat cushion 211 Seat 22 Seat Bag 23 Headrest 24 Airbag placement area 30 Seat cushion airbag 31 Airbag body 32 Base fabric 33 Covering section 331 Side 34 Inflator 35 Harness 351 Bend section 36 Inflator side connector 37 volts 40 Regulatory Department 41 Notch 42 Tape 43 Adhesive material 44 Adhesive member 45 clips 46 Connector

Claims

1. A seat cushion airbag is placed under the seat surface of the seat cushion on which the occupant sits. The airbag includes an airbag body, an inflator, a harness, and a restricting portion. The airbag body has a base fabric configured to inflate and deploy in the event of a collision, The inflator is configured to supply gas to the airbag main body when the collision occurs, The harness is electrically connected to the inflator and leads out the inflator. The seat cushion airbag according to claim 1, wherein the restricting portion is configured to restrict movement of the harness in the vicinity of the inflator.

2. 2. The seat cushion airbag according to claim 1, wherein the restricting portion is a notch formed in a covering portion made of the base fabric that covers the inflator.

3. 2. The seat cushion airbag according to claim 1, wherein the restricting portion is a tape that binds the harness at an end of the covering portion made of the base fabric that covers the inflator.

4. 2. The seat cushion airbag according to claim 1, wherein the restricting portion is an adhesive member that attaches the harness to the base fabric.

5. 2. The seat cushion airbag according to claim 1, wherein the restricting portion is an adhesive member that is attached to the harness so as to engage with an end of the base fabric.

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