Airbag device for vehicle

Abstract

To obtain an air bag device for vehicle capable of improving occupant's head-protecting performance at head-on collision of the vehicle.SOLUTION: An air bag body 12 of an air bag device 10 for vehicle is housed in a seat back 18. The bag body 12 has a main chamber 50 expanded and spread by receiving a gas supply from an inflator at prediction or detection of head-on collision, and a chamber 60 for forming a binding face. The main chamber 50 is expanded and spread at the lateral of a head H of an occupant P toward a seat front side. The chamber 60 for forming the binding face is expanded and spread in a seat width direction from a tip of the main chamber 50 to cover the front of the head H. Besides, the main chamber 50 and the chamber 60 for forming the binding face are linked by a tether 70. Further, the chamber 60 for forming the binding face is configured to be deformable into such a shape that the binding face facing the head H of the occupant P forms a recess at the seat front side in the expansion / spreading state of the bag body 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an airbag device for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a side airbag device housed in the backrest of a front seat. The airbag of this side airbag device is formed into a bag shape by sewing the outer periphery of two pieces of base fabric. This airbag is configured such that an airbag main body that inflates and deploys between the vehicle body side and the area from the chest to the head of the occupant and an airbag protrusion protruding from the tip of the airbag main body are connected by a planar tether, so that the airbag protrusion is bent at a substantially right angle to the airbag main body in the inflated and deployed state. As a result, when the vehicle collides with an obstacle diagonally ahead, the airbag main body and the airbag protrusion cover the diagonally forward area of ​​the occupant's head, protecting the occupant's head from intrusions entering the vehicle cabin from outside the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-008105 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, the airbag protrusion is formed into a bag shape by the base fabric of the airbag, so that the inflation pressure of the gas when the airbag is inflated and deployed causes the opposing surface (restraint surface) facing the occupant's head to become a curved surface that is convex toward the head. Therefore, in the event of a collision, the occupant's head, which moves toward the front side of the seat due to inertia, may slip on the airbag protrusion, which may reduce the occupant's head restraint performance by the airbag. Therefore, the prior art described above has room for improvement in this respect.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVETION The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an airbag device for a vehicle that can improve the performance of protecting the head of an occupant during a frontal collision of the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] No. 1 Aspects of The vehicle airbag device of the present invention comprises a bag body that is contained inside a seat back or a headrest, and is provided with a main chamber that is supplied with gas from an inflator when a frontal collision is predicted or detected and inflates and deploys toward the front of the seat on one side of the occupant's head, and a restraining surface forming chamber that inflates and deploys from a tip of the main chamber in the seat width direction to cover the front of the head, and a tether that connects the main chamber and the restraining surface forming chamber, and the restraining surface forming chamber is configured to be deformable into a shape such that the restraining surface facing the head is concave toward the front of the seat when the bag body is in an inflated and deployed state.

[0007] No. 1 Aspects of In the vehicle airbag device according to the present invention, a bag body is stored inside a seat back or a headrest, and the bag body has a main chamber that is inflated and deployed by gas supplied from an inflator when a frontal collision is predicted or detected, and a restraining surface forming chamber. The main chamber is inflated and deployed toward the front of the seat on one side of the occupant's head. The restraining surface forming chamber is inflated and deployed from a tip of the main chamber in the seat width direction to cover the front of the head. This allows the restraining surface forming chamber to protect the occupant's head in the event of a frontal collision.

[0008] Here, the bag body has a tether connecting the main chamber and the restraining surface forming chamber. The restraining surface forming chamber is configured so that, when the bag body is inflated and deployed, the restraining surface facing the occupant's head can be deformed into a shape that is concave toward the front side of the seat. When the occupant's head, which moves inertially toward the front side of the seat due to a frontal collision, is received by the restraining surface of the restraining surface forming chamber, tension of the tether is generated between the main chamber and the restraining surface forming chamber. This limits the inclination of the restraining surface forming chamber toward the front side of the seat, so that a sufficient reaction force is applied from the restraining surface forming chamber to the head. Then, the restraining surface pressed by the head is deformed into a shape that is concave toward the front side of the seat, restraining the head. As a result, the occupant's head can be prevented from slipping on the restraining surface forming chamber, so that the restraining surface forming chamber can improve the occupant's head restraining performance.

[0009] No. 2 Aspects of The vehicle airbag device according to the present invention is No. 1 Aspects of In the configuration of (a), the restraining surface is made of a shock absorbing material.

[0010] No. 2 Aspects of In the vehicle airbag device according to the present invention, when the restraining surface of the restraining surface forming chamber receives the head of the occupant, the chamber deforms into a concave shape toward the front of the seat, thereby absorbing the impact energy of the head, thereby improving the head protection performance of the restraining surface forming chamber.

[0011] No. 3 Aspects of The vehicle airbag device according to the present invention is No. 1 or No. 2 Aspects of In the configuration, the restraining surface forming chamber is connected to the main chamber and has an inflatable section that inflates and deploys when supplied with gas from the inflator, and a non-inflatable section that does not receive gas from the inflator, and the non-inflatable section forms the restraining surface that faces the head when the bag body is in an inflated and deployed state.

[0012] No. 3 Aspects of In the vehicle airbag device according to the present invention, the restraining surface forming chamber includes an inflatable and deployable section that receives gas from the inflator and inflates and deploys, and a non-inflatable and deployable section that does not receive gas. In addition, when the bag body is in an inflated and deployed state, the side surface of the non-inflatable and deployable section that faces the head constitutes a restraining surface, and the head of an occupant that moves due to inertia toward the front side of the seat in a frontal collision is received by the non-inflatable and deployable section. As a result, in the restraining surface forming chamber, the restraining surface that comes into contact with the head is the non-inflatable and deployable section that is not affected by inflation pressure from gas, so that the non-inflatable and deployable section deforms into a shape that forms a concave shape toward the front side of the seat in response to the movement of the head, thereby restraining the head. This improves the occupant head restraint performance of the restraining surface forming chamber. Effect of the Invention

[0013] As explained above, The present invention Related to For vehicles The airbag device has an excellent effect of improving the head protection performance of an occupant in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing a vehicle seat to which a vehicle airbag device according to a first embodiment is applied, showing a state in which a bag body is inflated and deployed. [Diagram 2] 1 is a plan view showing a vehicle seat to which a vehicle airbag device according to a first embodiment is applied, showing a state in which a bag body is inflated and deployed. [Diagram 3] 3 is a side view showing a state in which the base fabric of the bag body according to the first embodiment is cut along line 3-3 in FIG. 2.

[0023] FIG. [Figure 4] 1A is a schematic plan view illustrating the behavior of the bag body when restraining an occupant's head with the vehicle airbag device of the first embodiment, (A) shows the bag body in the early stage of a frontal collision, (B) shows the bag body in the middle stage of a frontal collision, and (C) shows the bag body in the later stage of a frontal collision. [Diagram 5] 10 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 2 and showing a vehicle seat to which a vehicle airbag device according to a second embodiment is applied. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a side view showing a state in which the base fabric of the bag body according to the second embodiment is cut along line 6-6 in FIG. 5. FIG. [Figure 7] 11A and 11B are schematic plan views for explaining the behavior of the vehicle airbag device according to the second embodiment when restraining the head of an occupant, where (A) shows the bag body during an oblique collision, and (B) shows the bag body during a frontal collision. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a front view of a vehicle seat to which a vehicle airbag device according to a third embodiment is applied, showing a state in which the bag body is inflated and deployed. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a plan view of a vehicle seat to which a vehicle airbag device according to a third embodiment is applied, showing a state in which the bag body is inflated and deployed. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view for illustrating the behavior of the vehicle airbag device according to the third embodiment when restraining the head of an occupant, showing the bag body in the later stage of a frontal collision. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] [First embodiment] 1 to 4, the vehicle airbag device 10 according to the first embodiment will be described below. Note that the arrows FR, UP, and RH in each drawing indicate the front side, upper side, and right side of the vehicle seat 14 on which the vehicle airbag device 10 is mounted, respectively. When describing using front-rear, left-right, top-bottom directions, they indicate front-rear in the front-rear direction of the seat, left-right in the width direction of the seat, and top-bottom in the top-bottom direction of the seat, unless otherwise specified.

[0016] 1, 2 and 4, a crash test dummy is shown instead of an actual occupant, and the dummy is, for example, the AM50 (50th percentile of adult males in the United States) of the World Side Impact Dummy (WorldSID). In the following description, the dummy is referred to as "occupant P."

[0017] (Vehicle seat 14) As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a vehicle seat 14 equipped with a vehicle airbag device 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as "airbag device 10") includes a seat cushion 16, a seat back 18, and a headrest 20. As an example, the vehicle seat 14 is disposed in the rear seat on the right side of the vehicle, so that the front of the seat coincides with the front of the vehicle. Also, the left and right sides of the seat width direction coincide with the left and right sides of the vehicle width direction. In Fig. 2, for ease of understanding, the seat cushion 16 of the vehicle seat 14 and a seat belt device 24 described later are omitted.

[0018] The seat cushion 16 extends in the front-rear direction and the width direction of the seat, and is configured to be able to support the buttocks and thighs of the occupant P. The seat back 18 is rotatably connected to a rear end of the seat cushion 16, extends in the up-down direction of the seat, and is configured to be able to support the back of the occupant P. The headrest 20 is provided at the upper end of the seat back 18, and is configured to be able to support the head H of the occupant P.

[0019] (Seatbelt device 24) 1, an occupant P is restrained in a vehicle seat 14 by a seat belt device 24. The seat belt device 24 includes a webbing 26 that restrains the upper body and waist of the occupant.

[0020] The webbing 26 is formed in a long belt shape and includes a shoulder belt 26A that restrains the upper body of the occupant P to the seat back 18 when worn, and a lap belt 26B that restrains the waist of the occupant P. The shoulder belt 26A extends obliquely from the right shoulder to the left waist of the occupant P. The lower end of the shoulder belt 26A is passed through a tongue plate 30.

[0021] The tongue plate 30 is configured to be detachable from a buckle (not shown) provided on the left side of the seat. When the tongue plate 30 is attached to the buckle, the occupant P is restrained by the webbing 26.

[0022] One end of the webbing 26 is passed through the tongue plate 30 and folded back to extend to the right side of the seat, and this portion extending in the seat width direction constitutes a lap belt 26B. Therefore, the left end of the lap belt 26B is connected to the lower end of the shoulder belt 26A. In addition, the right end of the lap belt 26B is fixed to a belt anchor (reference number omitted) provided on the floor panel.

[0023] An upper end of the shoulder belt 26A is wound around a shoulder anchor (not shown) provided on the vehicle body, and an end of the webbing 26 is wound around a retractor (not shown).

[0024] (Vehicle airbag device 10) 1 to 3, the airbag device 10 includes a bag body 12 and an inflator 42. The bag body 12 and the inflator 42 are housed in a box-shaped airbag case 13 in a modularized state.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 2, the airbag case 13 is attached to a seat frame 22 that constitutes the framework of the seat back 18 inside the seat back 18. The seat frame 22 is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front-rear direction of the seat, and its upper end portion is constituted by an upper frame 22A that extends in the seat width direction. The upper frame 22A has a support bracket (not shown) on a side surface on the front side of the seat, and a headrest stay 20A that constitutes the framework of the headrest 20 is connected via the support bracket. The airbag case 13 is fixed to a side surface on the rear side of the seat of the upper frame 22A by a method such as bolt fastening. Therefore, the airbag case 13 is disposed on the rear side of the seat with respect to the upper frame 22A and the headrest stay 20A.

[0026] The bag body 12 is stored in a folded state inside the airbag case 13, and is inflated by being supplied with gas generated by the inflator 42. The bag body 12 is inflated and deployed laterally outward in the seat width direction relative to the occupant P by breaking a tearing portion (not shown) of the airbag case 13 and the skin of the seat back 18 due to the inflation pressure.

[0027] The bag body 12 is configured to include a main chamber 50 that is inflated and deployed toward the front side of the seat on the side of the head H of the occupant P, and a restraining surface forming chamber 60 that is inflated and deployed from a tip end (front end) of the main chamber 50 toward the inside in the seat width direction. That is, when the bag body 12 is in an inflated and deployed state, the side of the head H is covered by the main chamber 50, and the front of the head H is covered by the restraining surface forming chamber 60. This bag body 12 is configured as an integrated bag body in which the main chamber 50 and the restraining surface forming chamber 60 are connected to each other. Details of the bag body 12 will be described later.

[0028] As an example, the inflator 42 is a cylinder-type gas generating device formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, with the axial direction being aligned with the up-down direction of the seat. A gas ejection part 42A is provided at the upper end of the inflator 42, and when a frontal collision of the vehicle is detected or predicted, gas is generated from the gas ejection part 42A and supplied to the bag body 12. Note that a frontal collision of the vehicle includes a frontal collision and an oblique collision.

[0029] 3, the gas ejection portion 42A of the inflator 42 is disposed inside the bag body 12. A stud bolt (not shown) extends from the outer surface of the inflator 42 toward the front side of the seat. This stud bolt penetrates the airbag case 13, and the inflator 42 is fastened to the upper frame 22A by inserting the stud bolt into the upper frame 22A and tightening it with a nut.

[0030] (Bag body 12) The bag body 12 has two base cloths 50A, 50B arranged in the seat width direction. The two base cloths 50A, 50B are sewn together at their outer peripheries to form a bag-like shape, forming the main chamber 50 of the bag body 12. In Figs. 1 to 4, the sewing portion for sewing the outer peripheries of the base cloths 50A, 50B is indicated by the symbol "S1". The main chamber 50 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the seat width direction, and a cylindrical inflator insertion portion 51 is provided at the end portion on the rear side of the seat. The inflator insertion portion 51 is fixed to the upper frame 22A together with the inflator 42 with the gas ejection portion 42A of the inflator inserted therein. As a result, the gas generated from the inflator 42 is supplied to the main chamber 50 through the inflator insertion portion 51. The main chamber 50 is inflated and deployed from the side of the head H of the occupant P toward the front side of the seat, and is configured to restrain the head H from the side.

[0031] Furthermore, the bag body 12 has a restraining surface forming chamber 60 that inflates and deploys from the tip of the main chamber 50 toward the inside in the seat width direction. The restraining surface forming chamber 60 is formed in a rectangular shape having a size that can cover the entire head H of the occupant P when viewed from the seat front-rear direction. A part of the outer periphery of the restraining surface forming chamber 60 communicates with the main chamber 50, and serves as an inflating and deploying section 62 that is inflated and deployed upon receiving gas from the inflator 42. The restraining surface forming chamber 60 is provided with a non-inflating and deploying section 68 that is not supplied with gas from the inflator 42, inside the inflating and deploying section 62. The non-inflating and deploying section 68 is deployed in a curtain-like shape inside the inflating and deploying section 62, and is arranged to cover the front of the head H of the occupant P. The side surface of the non-inflating and deploying section 68 on the seat rear side facing the head H serves as a restraining surface 68A that restrains the head H.

[0032] 1 and 2, the inflating and deploying section 62 is formed in a long bag shape, and is formed, for example, by sewing together two pieces of base fabric 62A, 62B arranged in the front-rear direction of the seat. Specifically, the two pieces of base fabric 62A, 62B are formed into a bag shape by sewing the outer periphery of each at a sewing section S2. The inflating and deploying section 62 includes a first expansion section 64 extending from the main chamber 50 inward in the seat width direction and a second expansion section 66 extending from a tip end of the first expansion section 64 toward the lower side of the seat, and is formed into a bag shape that forms an inverted L shape when viewed from the front-rear direction of the seat. The first expansion section 64 is formed in a bag shape that forms an inverted L shape when viewed from the front-rear direction of the seat. The first expansion section 64 is formed by sewing together an upper end of the restraining surface forming chamber 60. composition The second inflatable portion 66 constitutes the left end portion of the restraining surface forming chamber 60. In this embodiment, the base fabrics 62A, 62B are made of the same fabric material as the base fabrics 50A, 50B constituting the main chamber 50 described above.

[0033] An end portion on the opening side of the inflating and deploying portion 62 (the right end portion in Figs. 1 and 2) is sewn to a base fabric 50B that constitutes the inner surface of the main chamber 50 in the seat width direction. A circular communication opening 52 is formed at the upper end of the tip portion of the base fabric 50B, and an end portion 64A on the opening side of the inflating and deploying portion 62 is sewn to the base fabric 50B by a sewn portion S3 so as to surround the periphery of the communication opening 52. As a result, a portion of the gas supplied from the inflator 42 to the main chamber 50 is supplied to the inflating and deploying portion 62 through the communication opening 52. When the bag body 12 is in an inflated and deployed state, the main chamber 50 and the inflating and deploying portion 62 are disposed in an orientation that is substantially perpendicular to each other in a plan view.

[0034] The non-inflating and deploying portion 68 is disposed in a rectangular region formed between the main chamber 50 and the inflating and deploying portion 62 when the bag body 12 is inflated and deployed. The non-inflating and deploying portion 68 is made of a fabric material different from that of the inflating and deploying portion 62, has a predetermined thickness in the seat front-rear direction, and is rectangular when viewed from the seat front-rear direction. The upper end and left end of the non-inflating and deploying portion 68, which are disposed facing the inner surface of the inflating and deploying portion 62, are sewn together with the base fabrics 62A and 62B of the inflating and deploying portion 62 by the sewing portion S2. The right end of the non-inflating and deploying portion 68, which is disposed facing the inner surface of the main chamber 50, is sewn to the side of the base fabric 50B of the main chamber 50. As a result, when the inflating and deploying portion 62 is inflated and deployed, the non-inflating and deploying portion 68 is deployed in a curtain-like manner between the inflating and deploying portion 62 and the main chamber 50, and is configured to cover the front of the head H of the occupant P.

[0035] Here, the non-inflating and developing portion 68 is made of a shock absorbing material. The shock absorbing material is, for example, a material that is flexible such as a rubber-like material or a mesh material. In other words, the non-inflating and developing portion 68 is set to have a smaller stress against distortion than the base fabrics 50A, 50B, 62A, and 62B that respectively form the main chamber 50 of the bag body 12 and the inflating and developing portion 62 of the restraining surface forming chamber 60. As a result, when the head H of the occupant P comes into contact with the restraining surface 68A of the non-inflating and developing portion 68A due to the impact of a frontal collision of the vehicle, the restraining surface 68A of the non-inflating and developing portion 68A is pressed by the head H and can be deformed into a shape that forms a concave shape toward the front side of the seat (see FIG. 4(B)). In this state, the non-inflating and developing portion 68 functions as a bag body that restrains the head H, and therefore it is possible to prevent the head H of the occupant P from slipping on the restraining surface 68A. As a result, in the event of a frontal collision, the head H of the occupant P, which moves due to inertia toward the front side of the seat, is restrained by the restraining surface 68A without passing through the restraining surface forming chamber 60.

[0036] In this embodiment, the main chamber 50 and the restraining surface forming chamber 60 are connected by a band-shaped tether 70. When a load F (see FIG. 4) in the seat front direction is input from the head H of the occupant P to the restraining surface 68A during a frontal collision, the tether 70 generates a tension T1 between the main chamber 50 and the restraining surface forming chamber 60, and suppresses the restraining surface forming chamber 60 from tilting toward the front side of the seat. By suppressing the forward tilt of the restraining surface forming chamber 60, a sufficient contact area between the non-inflating and deploying portion 68 and the head H (face) is ensured, and the reaction force applied to the head H from the non-inflating and deploying portion 68 can be increased.

[0037] 1 and 2, one end (front end) 70A of the tether 70 in the extension direction is joined to the upper end of the restraining surface forming chamber 60 by a sewn portion S4. More specifically, one end of the tether 70 is joined to the upper end and the middle portion in the extension direction of the first expansion portion 64 extending in the seat width direction in the inflating and deploying portion 62. To specify the position of the sewn portion S4 more precisely, the position of the sewn portion S4 is near the position where the first expansion portion 64 overlaps with the center line C of the vehicle seat 14 in the seat front-rear direction in a plan view, and is fixed at a position away from the main chamber 50 than the center line C.

[0038] Here, in the event of a head-on collision of the vehicle, the trajectory of the head H of the occupant P moving due to inertia can be regarded as the trajectory along the center line C in the seat front-rear direction of the vehicle seat 14 in a plan view. Therefore, by fixing one end 70A of the tether 70 to the vicinity of a position where the end 70A of the tether 70 overlaps with the center line C in a plan view in the first inflatable portion 64, the tension T1 of the tether 70 can be applied to the vicinity of the center of the head H of the occupant P. Therefore, the reaction force applied to the head H from the restraining surface forming chamber 60 can be effectively increased.

[0039] Furthermore, one end 70A of the tether 70 is fixed to the first inflating section 64 at a position farther from the main chamber 50 than the center line C, so that the fixing portion (sewn portion S4) between the inflating and deploying section 62 and the tether 70 is positioned further inward in the seat width direction than the center of the head H of the occupant P. Therefore, even if the head H of the occupant P moves in an inclined direction with respect to the center line C during an oblique collision of the vehicle and comes into contact with a portion of the restraining surface 68A of the restraining-surface-forming chamber 60 on the inner side in the seat width direction, the head H can be restrained by the tension T1 of the tether 70, and therefore it is possible to prevent the head H from slipping through the side of the restraining surface 68A.

[0040] Meanwhile, the other end (front end) 70B of the tether 70 in the extending direction is joined to the upper end of the main chamber 50 by a sewn portion S5. The position of the sewn portion S5 that fixes the other end 70B of the tether 70 to the main chamber 50 is preferably on the seat rear side of the main chamber 50 from the viewpoint of effectively exerting the tension of the tether in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the head (the seat front direction). That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the tension T1 generated in the tether 70 includes a load component T1x directed rearward along the seat front-rear direction and a load component T1y in the seat right direction. Therefore, in order to receive the load F input from the head H of the occupant P to the restraint surface 68A by the tension T1, it is preferable to increase the load component T1x in the seat rear direction, but the load component T1x increases as the angle θ between the center line C of the vehicle seat 14 and the tether 70 decreases. Furthermore, when the angle θ is θ>45°, the load component T1y along the seat width direction is larger than the load component T1x toward the rear, so the angle θ is preferably set to less than θ<45°. Therefore, in this embodiment, the other end 70B of the tether 70 is fixed to the seat rear side of the main chamber 50 within a range in which the angle θ between the center line C and the tether 70 is θ<45° in a plan view.

[0041] (Action and Effects) Next, the operation and effects of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0042] In the airbag device 10 according to the first embodiment, a bag body 12 is stored inside a seat back 18. This bag body 12 has a main chamber 50 that is inflated and deployed by receiving gas from an inflator 42 when a frontal collision is predicted or detected, and a restraining surface forming chamber 60.

[0043] Here, FIG. 4(A) shows a schematic state in which the bag body 12 has been inflated and deployed at the beginning of a frontal collision of the vehicle. As shown in this figure, the main chamber 50 is inflated and deployed toward the front side of the seat at the side of the head H of the occupant P. The restraining surface forming chamber 60 is inflated and deployed in the seat width direction from the tip of the main chamber 50. At this time, the restraining surface forming chamber 68 is disposed in a position perpendicular to the main chamber 50 due to the tension T1 (see FIG. 2) of the tether 70 connecting the main chamber 50 and the restraining surface forming chamber 60, and is configured to cover the front of the head H. In FIG. 2, the components of the tension T1 are shown as a load component T1x in the seat rear direction and a load component T1y in the seat width direction outward. As a result, the main chamber 50 and the restraining surface forming chamber 60 can cover the periphery of the head H of the occupant P at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle, thereby protecting the head H.

[0044] Here, the restraining surface forming chamber 60 is configured so that the restraining surface 68A facing the head H of the occupant P can be deformed into a shape that forms a concave toward the front side of the seat when the bag body 12 is in an inflated and deployed state. Specifically, the restraining surface 68A in this embodiment is configured as a non-inflating and deploying portion 68 that is not acted upon by the inflation pressure of the gas supplied from the inflator 42, and is deformed into a shape that forms a concave toward the front side of the seat following the head H when pressed by the head H of the occupant P. Furthermore, since the non-inflating and deploying portion 68 is configured from an impact absorbing material, it can absorb the collision energy of the head H when it is deformed into a concave shape.

[0045] 4(B), when the head H of the occupant P, which is inertially moving toward the front side of the seat, is received by the restraining surface 68A of the restraining surface forming chamber 60, the restraining surface 68A, which is pressed by the head H, deforms into a shape that forms a concave toward the front side of the seat, imparting a reaction force R1 to the head H and absorbing the collision energy. In addition, in this state, the restraining surface 68A functions as a bag that restrains the head, so that the head H of the occupant P can be prevented from slipping in the restraining surface forming chamber 60. As a result, the head H can be satisfactorily restrained by the restraining surface forming chamber 60, and the head restraining performance of the restraining surface forming chamber 60 is improved.

[0046] 4(C), in the later stage of the frontal collision, the tension T1 of the tether 70 connecting the main chamber 50 and the restraining surface forming chamber 60 increases, limiting the inclination of the restraining surface forming chamber 60 toward the front side of the seat. This ensures a sufficient contact area between the head H and the restraining surface 68A, so that the restrained state of the head H can be maintained, even in the later stage of the collision.

[0047] Second Embodiment Hereinafter, a vehicle airbag device 80 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 5 to 7. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. Note that in Fig. 5, the seat cushion 16 and the seat belt device 24 of the vehicle seat 14 are not shown in order to make the description easier to understand.

[0048] In the vehicle airbag device 80 according to the second embodiment, a support chamber 83 is provided at the tip side of the main chamber 82, and the support chamber 83 supports the restraining surface forming chamber 60 from the seat front side when the bag body 81 is inflated and deployed. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0049] 5, the bag body 81 includes a main chamber 82, a restraining surface forming chamber 60, and a support chamber 83. The main chamber 82 is configured to inflate and deploy from the side of the head H of the occupant P toward the front side of the seat to cover the side of the head H. The restraining surface forming chamber 60 is configured to inflate and deploy from the tip of the main chamber 82 in the seat width direction to cover the front of the head. The support chamber 83 extends from the tip of the main chamber 82 and covers the base end side portion of the restraining surface forming chamber 60 that protrudes from the main chamber 82 from the front side of the seat.

[0050] 6 shows a side view of the base fabric of the bag body 81 cut along the sectional line 6-6 in FIG. 5. As shown in this figure, the bag body 81 has two pieces of base fabric 81A, 81B (see FIG. 5) arranged in the left-right direction of the seat, and is formed into a bag shape by sewing the outer peripheries of the two pieces of base fabric 81A, 81B at a sewing section S1. A cylindrical inflator insertion section 86 that communicates with the internal space of the bag body 81 is provided on the seat rear side of the bag body 81. The gas ejection section 42A of the inflator 42 is inserted into the inflator insertion section 86.

[0051] Meanwhile, in the front part of the bag body 81 on the front side of the seat, a sewn part S6 is formed by sewing together the base fabrics 81A and 81B in an elliptical shape in the middle part in the up-down direction of the seat, and the inside of the sewn part S6 is a non-inflatable part 87 that is not inflated by the gas supplied from the inflator 42. The inflatable part of the bag body 81 on the rear side of the seat from the non-inflatable part 87 is a main chamber 82, and the inflatable part on the front side of the seat from the non-inflatable part 87 is a support chamber 83. The inside of the support chamber 83 and the inside of the main chamber 82 are communicated at the top and bottom of the non-inflatable part 87. In addition, a circular communication port 88 is formed in the front and upper part of the bag body 81, behind the non-inflatable part 87. The restraining surface forming chamber 60 is joined to the main chamber 82 by sewing the end 64A on the opening side of the inflatable development part 62 with the sewn part S3 so as to surround the periphery of the communication port 88. As a result, the main chamber 82 and the restraining surface forming chamber 60 are configured as an integrated bag body.

[0052] Both ends of a first tether 84 spanning the main chamber 82 and the restraining surface forming chamber 60 are fixed by sewn sections S4, S5 to the upper end of the bag body 81. The configuration of this first tether 84 and its positional relationship with the main chamber 82 are similar to those of the tether 70 of the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0053] In addition, a second tether 85 is disposed at the upper end of the bag body 81 at a position on the seat front side of the first tether 84, and is stretched across the main chamber 82 and the support chamber 83. Both ends of the second tether 85 are fixed to the bag body 81 by stitching parts S7, S7. The second tether 85 is formed in a strip shape like the first tether 84, and one end on the seat front side is fixed to the middle part of the support chamber 83 in the seat width direction, and one end on the seat rear side is fixed to the tip part (front end part) of the main chamber 82. The length of the second tether 85 is set shorter than the distance between the two stitching parts S7, S7 of the bag body 81 where both ends of the second tether 85 are sewn. When gas is supplied from the inflator 42 to the bag body 81, the tension of the second tether 85 causes the support chamber 83 to bend starting from the stitching part S1 of the bag body. As a result, when the bag body 81 is in an inflated and deployed state, the support chamber 83 is bent at a substantially right angle in a plan view relative to the main chamber 82, and is configured to support the base end side of the inflating and deploying portion 62 in the restraining surface forming chamber 60 from the front side of the seat. As a result, when the restraining surface forming chamber 60 moves in a direction tilting toward the front side of the seat due to a load input from the head H of the occupant P, a reaction force is obtained from the support chamber 83, so that the tilt of the restraining surface forming chamber 60 can be regulated.

[0054] As shown in Fig. 6, the position of the non-inflatable portion 87 formed in an elliptical shape in the bag body 81 is formed below the communication port 88 in the vertical direction of the bag body 81. This allows the internal pressure to be sufficiently secured in the support chamber 83 at a portion above the non-inflatable portion 87 that directly supports the inflating and deploying portion 62 of the restraining surface forming chamber 60. The vertical height dimension h3 from the lower end of the bag body 81 to the center O of the non-inflatable portion 87 is set based on the relational expression of the following formula (1). In formula (1), h1 indicates the vertical dimension of the inflatable portion of the bag body 81, and h2 indicates the vertical opening width of the communication port 88 formed in the bag body 81.

[0055]

number

[0056] (Action and effect) The vehicle airbag device 80 having the above-mentioned configuration basically follows the configuration of the airbag device 10 according to the first embodiment, and therefore can obtain the same functions and effects.

[0057] In this embodiment, in the inflated and deployed state of the bag body 81, the support chamber 83 supports the restraining surface forming chamber 60 from the front side of the seat. As a result, as shown in Fig. 7(A), when the head H of the occupant P moves obliquely toward the outside in the seat width direction during an oblique collision of the vehicle, a reaction force R2 can be obtained from the support chamber 83 via the restraining surface forming chamber 60 against the diagonally forward load F input from the head H. In Fig. 7(A), the components of the reaction force R2 are shown as a load component R2x in the seat rear direction and a load component R2y in the seat width direction inside direction. At this time, the head H can be guided to the restraining surface 68A of the restraining surface forming chamber 60 by the load component R2y in the seat width direction inside direction of the reaction force R2.

[0058] 7(B), when the restraining surface forming chamber 60 (restraining surface 68A) is pressed by the head H of the occupant P who is inertially moving toward the front side of the seat, the inclination of the restraining surface forming chamber 60 toward the front side of the seat is restricted by the tension T2 of the second tether 85 in addition to the tension T1 of the first tether 84. As a result, even if the load input from the head H to the restraining surface 68A increases, the inclination of the restraining surface forming chamber 60 can be restricted, so that even when supporting the head of a large occupant or when the collision speed is high, the contact area between the head H and the restraining surface 68A can be sufficiently secured to absorb the impact energy.

[0059] Third Embodiment Hereinafter, a vehicle airbag device 90 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 8 to 10. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. Note that in Fig. 9, the seat cushion 16 and the seat belt device 24 of the vehicle seat 14 are not shown in order to make the description easier to understand.

[0060] The vehicle airbag device 90 according to the third embodiment is characterized in that the upper end of the main chamber 92 and the upper end of the restraining surface forming chamber 93 are connected by a strip-shaped first tether 96, and the lower end of the main chamber 92 and the lower end of the restraining surface forming chamber 93 are connected by a strip-shaped second tether 97. Also, it differs in that the seat rear side portion of the first tether 96 is joined to the opposing side surface of the main chamber 92, and when tension of a predetermined value or more is generated in the first tether 96, the joined state is released. The other configurations are the same as those of the above-mentioned first embodiment.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the bag body 91 has a main chamber 92 that inflates and deploys from the side of the head H of the occupant P to the front side of the seat to cover the side of the head H, and a restraining surface forming chamber 93 that inflates and deploys from the tip of the main chamber 92 in the seat width direction to cover the front of the head. The main chamber 92 has a configuration corresponding to the main chamber 50 according to the first embodiment, so a detailed description will be omitted. The restraining surface forming chamber 93 has a basically similar configuration to the restraining surface forming chamber 60 according to the first embodiment. However, it is different in that the inflating and deploying portion 94 extends to surround the upper end, left end, and lower end of the non-inflating and deploying portion 95 in order to secure a side surface for fixing the end of the second tether 97 to the lower end of the restraining surface forming chamber 93. That is, the inflating and deploying portion 94 has a rectangular groove shape that is open to the right side of the seat when viewed from the front-rear direction of the seat. The non-inflating and deploying portion 95 has a configuration corresponding to the non-inflating and deploying portion 68 according to the first embodiment.

[0062] The first tether 96 has a seat front portion that diagonally spans the upper end of the main chamber 92 and the upper end of the restraining surface forming chamber 93, and the seat rear region extends rearward along the seat front-rear direction. The front end 96A of the first tether 96 is joined to the upper end of the inflating and deploying portion 94 by a stitched portion S8. The position of the stitched portion S8 is the same as the stitched portion S4 of the first embodiment, and is located near the center line C of the vehicle seat 14 and away from the center line C with respect to the main chamber 92. In addition, the portion of the first tether 96 extending from the middle portion 96B to the rear side is joined to the opposing side surface of the main chamber 92 by a joint portion S9. This joint portion S9 is, for example, a stitched portion, and is configured such that when tension of a predetermined value or more is generated in the first tether 96, the stitching is broken and the joined state is released. Note that this joint portion may be configured such that the main chamber 92 and the first tether 96 are joined by an adhesive. A rear end portion (not shown) of the first tether 96 is fixed to a framework member such as the seat frame 22 or the headrest stay 20A by a method such as bolt fastening. In this embodiment, the rear end portion of the first tether 96 is fastened together with the rear end portion of the bag body 91 to the upper frame 22A by a stud bolt of the inflator 42.

[0063] The second tether 97 has one end (front end) in the extending direction sewn to the lower end of the inflating and deploying portion 94 of the restraining surface forming chamber 93, and the other end sewn to the tip of the main chamber 92, thereby connecting the restraining surface forming chamber 93 and the main chamber 92. The second tether 97 is disposed between the first tether 96 and the main chamber 92 in a plan view, and connects the restraining surface forming chamber 93 and the main chamber 92 at a position closer to the main chamber 92 than the center line C. In other words, the second tether 97 is disposed outside the center line C in the seat width direction in a plan view. This makes it possible to prevent the head H and neck (reference numerals omitted) of the occupant P from interfering with the second tether 97 when the head H moves toward the lower side of the seat in reaction to the upper body of the occupant P being restrained by the seat belt device 24 or the like during a frontal collision of the vehicle.

[0064] (Action and effect) This embodiment basically follows the configuration of the airbag device 10 according to the first embodiment, and therefore can obtain the same functions and effects. That is, as shown in Fig. 9, in the early stage of a frontal collision of a vehicle, when the inflation and deployment of the bag body 91 is completed, the side of the head H of the occupant is covered by the main chamber 92. circle Thus, the front side of the head H is covered by the restraining surface forming chamber 93. At this time, because the portion of the first tether 96 on the seat rear side is joined to the side surface of the main chamber 92, interference between the first tether 96 and the bag body 91 during inflation and deployment can be avoided, and the first tether 96 can be positioned as desired.

[0065] In addition, in the initial state of a frontal collision, the positioning of the restraining surface forming chamber 93 is performed by the portion of the first tether 96 on the seat front side (i.e., the portion on the front side of the joint S9) and the second tether 97, and the restraining surface forming chamber 93 is disposed in an orientation perpendicular to the main chamber 92. Thereafter, when the head H of the occupant P moves toward the seat front side due to inertial movement during the collision, it comes into contact with the restraining surface 95A of the non-inflating and deploying portion 95, and the restraining surface 95A is deformed into a shape that forms a concave toward the seat front side. As a result, the impact energy of the head H is absorbed, and the head H of the occupant P is restrained by the restraining surface 95A. At this time, the upper and lower ends of the restraining surface forming chamber 93 are supported by the tension of the first tether 96 and the second tether 97, so that the positioning of the restraining surface 95A is stabilized, and the impact absorption performance and the head restraining performance can be further improved.

[0066] 10, in the later stage of the frontal collision, a tension T1 is generated in the first tether 96 by a load F input from the head H of the occupant P to the restraining surface 95A. When the tension T1 of the first tether 96 reaches a predetermined value or more, the joint S9 that joins the seat rear side portion of the first tether 96 to the main chamber 92 is released from the joined state. When the joint S9 is released from the joined state, the tensions T1, T3 of the first tether 96 and the second tether 97 in the extended state restrict the inclination of the restraining surface forming chamber 93 (restraining surface 95A) toward the seat front side while maintaining the restraining state of the head H. In this state, the first tether 96 is extended in a straight line connecting the restraining surface forming chamber 93 and the rear end of the main chamber 92, so that the angle θ between the center line C of the vehicle seat and the first tether 96 becomes smaller as shown by the solid line from the two-dot chain line compared to the early stage of the frontal collision. This increases the load component T1x of the tension T1 of the first tether 96 in the seat rear direction, making it possible to further improve the restraint performance for the head H in the later stages of a frontal collision. [supplementary explanation]

[0067] Although the vehicle airbag devices 10, 80, 90 according to the above-mentioned embodiments have been described above, it is needless to say that the respective configurations can be combined and modified without departing from the scope of the present invention, and that the present invention can be embodied in various forms. In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the airbag devices 10, 80, 90 are configured to activate when a frontal collision of the vehicle is predicted or detected, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The airbag devices 10, 80, 90 may be configured to activate when a side collision of the vehicle is predicted or detected.

[0068] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the airbag case 13 is directly fixed to the upper frame 22A, but the present invention is not limited to this. The airbag case 13 may be fixed to the upper frame 22A via a bracket. In this case, the inflator 42 is fastened to the bracket by inserting a stud bolt through the bracket and tightening it with a nut.

[0069] In addition, in each of the above-described embodiments, the vehicle airbag device 10, 80, 90 is configured to be housed in the seat back 18 of the vehicle seat 14, but the present invention is not limited to this. The vehicle airbag device may be configured to be housed inside the headrest. In this case, the airbag case in which the bag body is housed is fixed to the side surface of the headrest stay, which constitutes the framework of the headrest, on the seat rear side by a method such as bolt fastening directly or via a bracket.

[0070] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the ends of the various tethers 70, 84, 85, 96 are joined to the upper ends of the bag bodies 12, 81, 91, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is sufficient that the tethers 70, 84, 85, 96 are positioned so as not to interfere with the head H of the occupant P when inflated and deployed. On the other hand, if the end of the tether 70 is joined to the upper ends of the bag bodies 12, 81, 91, the tethers 70, 84, 85, 96 can be folded without being wound around the bag body 12 when the bag body 12 and the tethers 70, 84, 85, 96 are housed in the airbag case 13. Therefore, interference of the tethers 70, 84, 85, 96 with the bag body 12 is suppressed when inflated and deployed, the deployment behavior of the bag body 12 is stabilized, and the tethers 70, 84, 85, 96 can be positioned as desired.

[0071] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the non-inflating and deploying portion 68, 95 of the restraining surface forming chamber 60, 93 is formed of a cloth material configured separately from the inflating and deploying portion 62, 94, but the present invention is not limited to this. The inflating and deploying portion and the non-inflating and deploying portion of the restraining surface forming chamber may be configured of a single cloth material. For example, the outer periphery of two pieces of cloth material (such as a base fabric) arranged in the front-rear direction of the seat is sewn to form a bag-shaped restraining surface forming chamber. Then, the two pieces of cloth material are joined in the front-rear direction of the seat at a portion facing the occupant, thereby forming a non-inflating and deploying portion having a restraining surface.

[0072] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the non-inflating and deploying portion 68, 95 of the restraining surface forming chamber 60, 93 constitutes the restraining surface 68A, 95A, but the present invention is not limited to this. The inflating and deploying portion of the restraining surface forming chamber may constitute the restraining surface. In this case, the outer periphery of two pieces of cloth material (base cloth, etc.) arranged in the front-rear direction of the seat may be sewn to form a bag-shaped restraining surface forming chamber, and the cloth material on the rear side of the seat facing the occupant's head may be formed of an impact absorbing material to serve as the restraining surface. As a result, similar to each of the above embodiments, the restraining surface for the head can be changed to a shape that forms a concave shape toward the front side of the seat during a frontal collision of the vehicle.

[0073] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the configuration in which the main chamber of the bag body inflates and deploys from the outer side of the head of the occupant in the vehicle width direction to the front side has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to a configuration in which the main chamber inflates and deploys from the inner side of the head of the occupant in the vehicle width direction (the center side in the vehicle width direction) to the front side. Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the configuration on the right side of the vehicle has been described as an example, but the present invention can also be applied to the driver's seat and passenger seat in the front seats. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 10. Airbag device for vehicle 12 Bag body 14 Vehicle seats 18 Seat back 20 Headrest 42 Inflator 50 Main Chamber 60 Chamber for forming restraining surface 62 Inflatable expansion section 68 Non-inflatable deployment section 68A Restraint surface 70 Tether 80 Airbag device for vehicle 81 Bag body 82 Main Chamber 84 First Tether (Tether) 90 Airbag device for vehicle 91 Bag body 92 Main Chamber 93 Chamber for forming restraining surface 94 Inflatable section 95 Non-inflatable deployment section 96 First Tether (Tether)

Claims

1. a bag body including a main chamber that is accommodated in a seat back or a head restraint and that receives gas from an inflator when a frontal collision is predicted or detected, and that inflates and deploys toward the front side of the seat through one side of the occupant's head, and a restraining surface forming chamber that deploys from the seat front end of the main chamber toward the inside in the seat width direction to cover the front of the head; a tether connecting the main chamber and the restraint surface forming chamber; Equipped with The restraint surface forming chamber includes: a first expansion section that expands and deploys from an upper end portion of the main chamber toward an inner side in a seat width direction; a second inflation portion that inflates and deploys from an inner end portion in the seat width direction of the first inflation portion toward a lower side of the seat; a curtain-shaped non-inflatable portion supported by the main chamber, the first inflatable portion, and the second inflatable portion; An airbag device for a vehicle comprising:

2. 2. The vehicle airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the non-inflating and deploying portion is made of an impact absorbing material.

3. 3. The vehicle airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the main chamber includes a support chamber that supports an outer end portion of the restraining surface forming chamber in the seat width direction from a front side of the seat.

Images