Airbag device

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an innovative airbag device capable of protecting the head of an occupant from one side of the head to the anterior and even to the other side of the head. [Solution] An airbag device according to the present invention comprises: an airbag that has a head protective cushion for protecting the head of an occupant by deploying from the upper section on either the left or the right of a vehicle seat; and an inflator that supplies an inflating gas to the airbag. The head protective cushion comprises: a first chamber that protects the area around one side of the occupant's head; a second chamber that is connected to the first chamber and protects the anterior of the occupant's head; a third chamber that is connected to the second chamber and deploys from the anterior of the occupant's head across to the other side; and a fourth chamber that is connected to the third chamber and deploys near the other side of the occupant's head. A contact panel is also provided bridging over the occupant sides of the head protective cushion and is composed of a flexible material with which the occupant and the occupant's head make contact.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an airbag device mounted in a vehicle seat, and more particularly to an airbag device capable of adequately protecting the head of an occupant. [Background technology]

[0002] It is well known that one or more airbag devices are provided in a vehicle to protect the occupant in the event of a vehicle accident. Airbag devices come in various forms, such as a driver airbag device that deploys near the center of the steering wheel to protect the driver, a curtain airbag device that deploys downward inside the window to protect the occupant in the event of a lateral impact or rollover or overturning accident, and a side airbag device that deploys on the side of the occupant (the side of the seat) to protect the occupant in the event of a lateral impact.

[0003] A side airbag device restrains the lateral movement of an occupant by using an airbag that deploys forward from the side of the seat. For example, an invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been proposed that is configured to protect not only the occupant's torso but also the head.

[0004] However, in the airbag device described in Patent Document 1, the deployed airbag can restrain one side (either the left or right side) of the occupant's head, but it is virtually impossible to protect the front or opposite side of the head. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-137307 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has an object to provide an innovative airbag device that can protect an occupant's head from one side to the front and even the other side. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the airbag device of the present invention includes an airbag having a head protection cushion that protects the head of an occupant by deploying from an upper portion on one of the left and right sides of a vehicle seat, and an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag. The head protection cushion includes a first chamber that protects one side of the occupant's head and the vicinity thereof, a second chamber that is connected to the first chamber and protects the front of the occupant's head, a third chamber that is connected to the second chamber and deploys from the front of the occupant's head to the other side, and a fourth chamber that is connected to the third chamber and deploys near the other side of the occupant's head. A contact panel made of a flexible material is provided across the occupant side of the head protection cushion and comes into contact with the occupant's head.

[0008] Here, the contact panel being "bridged" basically means that the area between both ends is not in contact with the head protection cushion and is floating. The "flexible material" may be, for example, the same material as the base fabric that forms the head protection cushion.

[0009] According to the present invention, the head protection cushion includes a first chamber that protects one side of the occupant's head, a second chamber that is connected to the first chamber and protects the front of the occupant's head, a third chamber that is connected to the second chamber and deploys from the front of the occupant's head to the other side, and a fourth chamber that is connected to the third chamber and deploys near the other side of the occupant's head. In this way, the head protection cushion wraps around the occupant's head from one side, the front, and the other side, making it possible to reliably restrain the occupant's head from various directions regardless of the seat position, reclining angle, etc. In addition, when the airbag deploys, there is no need to use the steering wheel, instrument panel, etc. as a reaction surface, and it can independently demonstrate stable performance without depending on the seat position, etc.

[0010] In addition, since a contact panel is provided across the occupant side of the head protection cushion, when the occupant comes into contact with the panel, the chamber portion to which both ends of the contact panel are fixed is pulled inward, and the head protection cushion is prevented from expanding in a direction away from the occupant's head, thereby making it possible to adequately protect the occupant's head from all directions.

[0011] The contact panel is preferably set to a size that includes an area that will come into contact with the head of an AM95 dummy for US crash tests when the occupant is an occupant in the event of a vehicle emergency.

[0012] Here, the "AM95 dummy" is a dummy doll based on the top 5% of American adult males in terms of build, and is modeled after a large adult male with a height of approximately 183 cm, a seated height of approximately 94 cm, and a weight of approximately 101 kg.

[0013] The contact panel can be configured to regulate the direction of deployment of the airbag cushion so that when the head protection cushion is deployed and the occupant's head enters the contact panel, the head protection cushion wraps around the occupant's head.

[0014] The contact panel may include a first contact panel extending to connect an occupant-facing inner surface of the third chamber and an occupant-facing inner surface of the second chamber.

[0015] The contact panel may include a contact panel extending to connect inner surfaces facing an occupant between two chambers selected from the first chamber, the second chamber, the third chamber, and the fourth chamber.

[0016] The contact panel may further include a second contact panel extending to connect the occupant-facing inner surface of the fourth chamber and the occupant-facing inner surface of the second chamber.

[0017] The first contact panel has a slit through which the second contact panel passes, and the first contact panel and the second contact panel can be positioned so as to intersect when the head protection cushion in an deployed state is viewed from above.

[0018] When the head protection cushion is deployed and an occupant's head comes into contact with the first and second contact panels, the second contact panel can be configured to bend and the fourth chamber to be pulled in a direction toward the occupant's head.

[0019] The first chamber and the second chamber are integrally formed by bonding two base fabrics together, a tether extending along a deployment direction on an inner occupant-facing surface of the first chamber and the second chamber; a holding portion that holds the tether along the inner surface in a slidable state; When the head protection cushion is deployed, the tether can restrict forward movement of the second chamber.

[0020] By using the above-mentioned tether, in combination with the contact panel, it becomes possible to deploy the head protection cushion so as to wrap it more reliably around the head of the occupant.

[0021] The tether has a first end connected to an inner surface of the second chamber at a front side in the deployment direction, and a second end reaching a rear side of the second chamber in the deployment direction, The tether may be pulled towards the second end and compressed to form a crimped region in at least the second chamber.

[0022] The third chamber is formed by bonding at least two base fabrics together, An end portion of an inner panel of the base fabric forming the second chamber that faces the occupant can be connected to an end portion of an inner panel of the base fabric forming the third chamber that faces the occupant.

[0023] The third chamber and the fourth chamber may be structured to communicate with each other through a first vent hole, and to be connected to each other by sewing around the first vent hole.

[0024] By connecting the inner panels of the base fabric that make up each chamber, the outward expansion of the connected parts (away from the occupant's head) when the head protection cushion is deployed is limited, making it easier to create a curved shape that surrounds the occupant's head.

[0025] The airbag may further include a side protection cushion that is connected to a lower end of the first chamber and protects the sides of the occupant's body.

[0026] A side airbag device for protecting the side of the occupant may be provided on the side opposite to the side on which the airbag device is housed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view mainly showing the external shape of a vehicle seat to which an airbag device according to the present invention can be applied. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal structure (seat frame) that functions as a framework of the vehicle seat shown in FIG. 1, and an airbag device is omitted from the illustration. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a vehicle seat equipped with an airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the state in which the airbag device is housed as seen through from the outside in the vehicle width direction. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a top view that typically shows a state in which the airbag is deployed in the airbag device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a top perspective view (bird's-eye view) showing a state in which the airbag is deployed in the airbag device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front perspective view showing a state in which the airbag is deployed in the airbag device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the structure of a contact panel used in an airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (A) shows two panels separately and (B) shows an actual state of use. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the shape of a panel constituting an airbag used in an airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention, which defines the first and second chambers. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the shape of a panel constituting an airbag used in an airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention, which panel forms a side protection cushion. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the shape of a panel constituting an airbag used in an airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention, which panel forms a third chamber. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the shape of a panel constituting an airbag used in an airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention, which panel forms a fourth chamber. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a plan view for explaining the connection of the panels shown in FIGS. [Figure 13]FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a state in which the panels shown in FIGS. 8 to 11 are connected. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a plan view showing a part of the compression process of the airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention, and for the sake of convenience, only the first chamber and the second chamber are shown, and the other chambers (FIG. 12) are not shown. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a side view showing a part of the compression process of the airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a top view (bird's-eye view) showing the operation of the airbag device according to the embodiment of the present invention, where (A) shows the state immediately after the head protection cushion is deployed, and (B) shows the state after the occupant's head has entered. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] The airbag device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. In the following description, when an occupant sits on a seat in a normal position, the direction in which the occupant faces is referred to as "forward", the opposite direction is referred to as "rear", and the coordinate axes are referred to as "front-rear direction". When an occupant sits on a seat in a normal position, the right side of the occupant is referred to as "right direction", the left side of the occupant is referred to as "left direction", and the coordinate axes are referred to as "left-right direction". When an occupant sits on a seat in a normal position, the head direction of the occupant is referred to as "upper", the waist direction of the occupant is referred to as "lower", and the coordinate axes are referred to as "up-down direction". In addition, in the deployed airbag, the side facing the occupant (head) is referred to as the inside, and the opposite side is referred to as the outside.

[0029] Fig. 1 is a perspective view mainly showing the external shape of a vehicle seat used in an occupant protection device according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal structure (seat frame) that functions as a framework of the vehicle seat shown in Fig. 1, and here, the airbag device (20) is omitted from the illustration.

[0030] A vehicle seat to which the present invention can be applied is, when viewed as a single part, composed of a seat cushion 2 on which an occupant sits, a seat back 1 forming a backrest, and a headrest 3 connected to the upper end of the seat back 1, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 1, an airbag device 20 according to this embodiment is mainly accommodated in a side support portion (far side) of a vehicle seat. Reference numeral 21 denotes a housing that accommodates a part of an airbag (head protection cushion 31) constituting the airbag device 20, and is located at the top of the seat back 1 and fixed to the side of the headrest 3. The housing 21 is configured so that the front or diagonally forward part is ruptured when the airbag device 20 is activated and the airbag 30 is deployed.

[0032] The head protection cushion 31 (see FIG. 3) can be accommodated inside the housing 21 configured as a separate body, or can be accommodated inside the seat back 1 near the upper end thereof. In particular, in the case of a vehicle seat in which the headrest 3 is integrated with the seat back 1, the accommodation space for the head protection cushion 31 can be flexibly set.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 2, a seat back frame 1f is provided inside the seat back 1 to form the framework of the seat, and a pad made of urethane foam or the like is provided on and around the seat back frame 1f, and the surface of the pad is covered with a covering such as leather, fabric, etc. A seat frame 2f is disposed on the bottom side of the seat cushion 2, and a pad made of urethane foam or the like is provided on the top surface and around the seat back frame 2f, and the surface of the pad is covered with a covering such as leather, fabric, etc. The seat frame 2f and the seat back frame 1f are connected via a reclining mechanism 4.

[0034] 2, the seat back frame 1f is configured in a frame shape by seat frames 10 arranged spaced apart on the left and right and extending in the vertical direction, an upper frame connecting the upper ends of the seat frames 10, and a lower frame connecting the lower ends of the seat frames 10. The headrest 3 is configured by providing a cushion member on the outside of the headrest frame.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of an occupant protection device according to the present invention, showing an airbag device 20 housed on the side (far side) of a vehicle seat far from the door, as viewed from the outside in the vehicle width direction.

[0036] 3, the airbag device 20 is accommodated near the upper right end of the seat back 1 of the vehicle seat. As will be described later, the airbag 30 includes a head protection cushion 31 for protecting the head of the occupant, and a side protection cushion 40 for protecting the sides of the torso of the occupant. In this embodiment, the airbag device 20 is disposed on the so-called far side, but it is also possible to dispose it on the near side.

[0037] Fig. 4 is a top view showing a schematic state in which the airbag 30 of the airbag device 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention is deployed. Fig. 5 is a top perspective view (bird's-eye view) showing the state in which the airbag 30 is deployed. Fig. 6 is a front perspective view showing the state in which the airbag 30 is deployed. In Figs. 4 and 5, the dashed lines indicate sewing lines.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 4, the airbag device 20 according to this embodiment includes an inflator 160 (see Figs. 6 and 9) that generates inflation gas, and an airbag 30 that is inflated and deployed by the gas supplied from the inflator 160. The airbag 30 includes a head protection cushion 31 (32, 34, 36, 38) that protects the area around the head of an occupant P by deploying from near the upper right end of the vehicle seat, and a side protection cushion 40 that protects the sides of the occupant's torso.

[0039] The head protection cushion 31 includes a first chamber 32 that protects the right side of the head of the occupant P; a second chamber 34 that is connected to the first chamber 32 and protects the front of the head of the occupant P; a third chamber 36 that is connected to the second chamber 34 and deploys from the front to the left side of the head of the occupant P; and a fourth chamber 38 that is connected to the third chamber 36 and deploys on the left side of the head of the occupant P.

[0040] The airbag device 20 further includes a tether 200 that extends in the deployment direction (forward) of the airbag 30 and regulates the deployed shape of the airbag 30, and a retaining member 202 that slidably holds the tether 200 along the surfaces of the first and second chambers 32, 34. The details of the tether 200 and the retaining member 202 will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0041] The tether 200 has a first end 201a connected to the inner surface of the second chamber 34 and a second end 201b opposite the first end 201a. The second end 201b is connected to the seat frame. The second end 201b (rear end) of the tether 200 can be connected to a structural part other than the seat frame, or can be directly connected to the vicinity of the rear end of the first chamber 32.

[0042] The first chamber 32 and the second chamber 34 are integrally molded as a single chamber. The rear portion of the second chamber 34 is bent in a direction approaching the head of the occupant P, which allows the second chamber 34 to be deployed reliably in front of the occupant's head.

[0043] A tether 200 is connected so as to span the first chamber 32 and the second chamber 34, and the second chamber 34 can be bent by the tension of the tether 200 when the airbag 30 is deployed.

[0044] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, in this embodiment, contact panels 50, 60 made of a flexible material are hung on the occupant side of the head protection cushion 31. Here, "hanging" the contact panels 50, 60 basically means that the two ends of the contact panels are not in contact with the head protection cushion and are floating. In addition, the "flexible material" may be, for example, the same material as the base fabric forming the head protection cushion. Details of the structure of the contact panels 50, 60 will be described later.

[0045] As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, the side protection cushion 40 is connected below the first chamber 32. The side protection cushion 40 restrains at least the vicinity of the right shoulder of the occupant P, but may be configured to restrain up to the vicinity of the waist, and is configured to be deployed simultaneously with the first chamber 32 or any one of the chambers prior to deployment. As shown in Figs. 6 and 9, inflation gas is released from an inflator 160 housed in the side protection cushion 40, and the gas flows into the side protection cushion 40 and / or the first chamber 32, and then flows into the second chamber 34, the third chamber 36, and the fourth chamber 38 in this order.

[0046] As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the four chambers (32, 34, 36, 38) are deployed to surround the occupant P from the vicinity of the right head to the vicinity of the left head. The second chamber 34 is deployed to bend from the first chamber 32 toward the occupant (inward) and, at the same time, bends slightly upward as shown in Fig. 6, so as to reliably protect the front, including the diagonally forward, part of the head (face) of the occupant P. Since the airbag 30 (at least the first chamber 32 and the fourth chamber 38) is located above the shoulder of the occupant P, it is possible to prevent the shoulder of the occupant P from interfering with the deployment behavior and causing it to deteriorate. In addition, since the airbag 30 is placed on the shoulder of the occupant P, the distance between the airbag 30 and the head of the occupant P can be reduced, and the occupant's head can be quickly restrained.

[0047] 4 and 5, in a top view when the airbag 30 is inflated and deployed, the longitudinal direction of the second chamber 34 is angled from the bent region 200a to extend forward of the occupant P with respect to the longitudinal direction of the first chamber 32, which is long in the front-rear direction. The direction of inflation and deployment of the third chamber 36 from the gas inlet of the third chamber 36 near the terminal end of the second chamber 34 to the gas inlet of the fourth chamber 38 is generally opposite in the front-rear direction to the longitudinal direction of the first chamber 32, and is angled with respect to the longitudinal direction of the inflated and deployed second chamber 34 in a direction approaching the occupant P from the terminal end of the second chamber 34. Furthermore, the direction in which the fourth chamber 38 inflates and deploys from the gas inlet of the fourth chamber 38, which is located near the end of the third chamber 36, is generally opposite in the front-rear direction to the longitudinal direction of the first chamber 32, and is angled in a direction approaching the occupant P from the end of the third chamber 36 with respect to the direction of inflation and deployment of the third chamber 36. With this configuration, the airbag 30 inflates and deploys from one of the shoulders of the occupant P so as to wrap around the head of the occupant P.

[0048] FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the structure of contact panels 50, 60 used in an airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (A) shows the two panels 50, 60 separately and (B) shows the actual state of use.

[0049] The contact panels 50, 60 are set to a size (width, length) that can adequately protect the head of an occupant P, which is an AM95 dummy for US crash tests. One end of the first contact panel 60 is connected to the second chamber 34 by stitching 62r at two points (FIG. 8). The other end of the first contact panel 60 is connected to the third chamber 36 by stitching 62f (FIG. 10).

[0050] Meanwhile, one end of the second contact panel 50 is connected to the second chamber 34 by stitching 52r (FIG. 8), and the other end of the second contact panel 50 is connected to the fourth chamber 38 by stitching 52f (FIG. 11).

[0051] As shown in FIG. 7(B), a slit 64 is formed in the first contact panel 60 through which the second contact panel 50 passes, and when the head protection cushion 31 in the deployed state is viewed from above, the first contact panel 60 and the second contact panel 50 are positioned so as to intersect (FIGS. 4 and 5).

[0052] Fig. 8 is a plan view showing the panels (base fabrics) forming the first chamber 32 and the second chamber 34. As shown in Fig. 8, the first chamber 32 and the second chamber 34 are integrally formed by bonding together two base fabrics 130a (inner panel) and 130b (outer panel). In the figure, reference numeral 132 indicates an area corresponding to the first chamber 32, and 134 indicates an area corresponding to the second chamber. When the first chamber 32 and the second chamber 34 are deployed, the inner panel 130a faces the occupant P side.

[0053] The first chamber 32 (region 132) has an opening 154 connected to the side chamber 40 and a tab 152 connected to a tab 164 of the side chamber 40. The opening 154 allows inflation gas to flow into the first chamber 32 from the vicinity of the rear end of the side chamber 40. A vent opening 150a that is in fluid communication with the third chamber 36 is formed so as to extend in a direction along the lower edge of the second chamber near the end of the inner panel of the second chamber 34, and is connected together with a vent opening 150b of the inner panel 136a (see FIG. 9) of the third chamber 36 by sewing around the periphery. The vent openings 150a and 150b form a vent hole 37.

[0054] 8, line L1 indicates the longitudinal direction of the first chamber 32. The longitudinal direction L1 is the direction in which inflation gas flows in the upper direction portion 132a, and can be said to be the main deployment direction of the first chamber.

[0055] Fig. 9 is a plan view showing a panel (base fabric) forming the side protection cushion 40. As shown in Fig. 9, the side protection cushion 40 is formed by bonding together two base fabrics 140a (inner panel) and 140b (outer panel). In the figure, reference numeral 166 denotes an opening connected to the opening 154a of the first chamber 32, and reference numeral 162 denotes an inflator holding portion that houses the inflator 160. Reference numeral 164 denotes a tab connected to the tab 152 of the first chamber 32.

[0056] The side protection cushion 40 and the first chamber 32 are directly connected at the respective openings 154a, 166, and the deployment posture can be controlled by connecting the tabs 152, 164 together. In FIG. 9, the dashed lines other than the inflator 160 indicate sewing lines. This connection tab 164 is provided on the upper edge of the side protection cushion 40. The tab 152 of the first chamber 32 is provided on the lower edge of the first chamber, and by connecting these, unintended swinging during inflation and deployment is reduced and the stability of the inflation and deployment is increased. In addition, by connecting these, the inflation and deployment directions of the respective airbag cushions do not become different during inflation and deployment, and the occupant can be protected more integrally and comprehensively.

[0057] Fig. 10 is a plan view showing a panel (foundation fabric) that forms the third chamber 36. In Fig. 10, the outer periphery broken lines and the broken lines around the openings 150b and 170a indicate sewing lines.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 10, the third chamber 36 is formed by bonding two base fabrics 136a (inner panel) and 136b (outer panel). Near one end of the inner panel 136a, a vent opening 150b is formed which is connected to the vent opening 150a of the second chamber 34. Near the other end of the inner panel 136a, a vent opening 170a is formed which is connected to the vent opening 170b of the fourth chamber 38. The vent openings 170a and 170b form a vent hole 39 (FIGS. 6 and 13). The vent hole opening 150b is longer in the short side direction than the vent opening 170a, and has a larger opening area.

[0059] Two internal tethers 137a, 137b are provided inside the third chamber 36 near the center, extending generally parallel to the direction in which the inflation gas flows (from one end to the other end). These internal tethers 137a, 137b connect the inner panel 136a and the outer panel 136b to regulate the deployed thickness (direction perpendicular to the paper surface) of the third chamber 36. Note that the deployed thickness of the third chamber 36 can also be regulated by simply connecting the inner panel 136a and the outer panel 136b by sewing instead of using tethers.

[0060] Fig. 11 is a plan view showing the panel (base fabric) 138 that forms the fourth chamber 38. In Fig. 11, the dashed lines around the outer edge and the vent opening 170b indicate sewing lines.

[0061] 11(B), the fourth chamber 38 is formed into a bag shape by folding one panel 138 in half from the center. A vent hole 170b that is connected to the vent opening 170a of the third chamber is formed near the center in the longitudinal direction of the panel 138. The center line of the vent opening 170b along the longitudinal direction becomes the fold line of the panel 138.

[0062] Fig. 12 is a plan view for explaining the connection of the panels shown in Fig. 8 to Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a plan view showing the connected state of the panels shown in Fig. 8 to Fig. 11. As shown in Fig. 12, the chamber formed by integrating the first chamber 32 and the second chamber 34 is the largest, followed by the side protection cushion 40. In contrast, the third chamber 36 has a small capacity, and the fourth chamber 38 has an even smaller capacity.

[0063] The second chamber 34 and the third chamber 36 are connected by sewing only around the periphery of the vent openings 150a and 150b, and the third chamber 36 and the fourth chamber 38 are connected by sewing only around the periphery of the vent openings 170a and 170b.

[0064] It should be noted that the first and second contact panels 60, 50 are not shown in FIG. 13 because they are located behind the third chamber 36 (at the rear of the page).

[0065] (Airbag compression) 14 is a plan view showing a part of the compression process of the airbag 30 according to the embodiment of the present invention, and for convenience of explanation, only the first chamber 32 and the second chamber 34 are shown, and the other chambers (the third chamber 36, the fourth chamber 38, and the side protection cushion 40) are not shown. In practice, the compression process is carried out after all the chambers are connected by sewing as shown in FIG.

[0066] 14(A), tether 200 is pulled backward (pulled in) to form crinkled wrinkled regions 210 around tether 200 in first chamber 32 and second chamber 34 (FIG. 14(B)). Note that the "wrinkles" of wrinkled region 210 may be in the form of random shrinkage, or may be in the form of a more or less regular fold such as an accordion fold.

[0067] 15, the head protection cushion 31 is compressed by rolling or folding in an accordion pattern to form the main folding portion 310. Next, the side protection cushion 40 is compressed in the front-rear direction by rolling or folding in an accordion pattern or the like to form the vertical folding portion 340.

[0068] (Airbag deployment behavior) In the airbag device 20 according to this embodiment, when a vehicle collision occurs, the inflator 160 is activated and inflation gas flows into the side protection cushion 40 and the first chamber 32 simultaneously or prior to either chamber. Then, gas flows from the first chamber 32 to the second chamber 34.

[0069] At this time, the main folding portion 310 extends forward as if it is unrolled, and the head protection cushion 31 does not interfere with the occupant's head located on the side of the main folding portion 310, and unfolds reliably in a desirable manner above the occupant's shoulders.

[0070] Furthermore, since the first chamber 32 and the second chamber 34 or the second chamber 34 and the seat frame are connected by the tether 200 (FIG. 4), the second chamber 34 is restricted from deploying forward and bends from the bent portion 200a of the tether 200, i.e., the bent region 202a of the retaining member 202, as a starting point, and deploys toward the front of the occupant (FIGS. 4 and 5). Note that the second chamber 34 bends so that the tip side faces upward as shown in FIG. 6, and deploys so that the vent hole 37 is generally vertically long.

[0071] Next, the inflation gas flows from the second chamber 34 to the third chamber 36 through the vent hole 37, and the third chamber 36 deploys in front of the occupant P near the left head. Because the inner panel 134a of the second chamber 34 and the inner panel 136a of the third chamber 36 are connected to each other around the vent hole 37, the behavior of the third chamber 36 deploying to spread outward (away from the occupant's head) is restricted, and a curved shape is created to surround the head of the occupant P.

[0072] Next, the inflation gas flows from the third chamber 36 to the fourth chamber 38 through the vent hole 39, causing the fourth chamber 38 to deploy near the left head of the occupant P. Because the inner panel 136a of the third chamber 36 and the fourth chamber 36 are connected around the vent hole 39, the behavior of the fourth chamber 36 deploying to spread outward (away from the occupant's head) is restricted, and a curved shape is created to surround the head of the occupant P.

[0073] In addition, since the tether 200 is structured to slide along the surface of the airbag 30, the tether 200 does not protrude in a bridge shape from the surface of the airbag 30, and unnecessary interference with the occupant P can be avoided. In addition, the deployed shape of the airbag 30 can be reliably and precisely controlled.

[0074] 16(A) shows the state immediately after the head protection cushion 31 is deployed, and (B) shows the state when the head of the occupant P enters the first and second contact panels 60, 50. When the head protection cushion 31 is fully deployed, the second chamber 34 and the third chamber 36 are pulled inward (toward the occupant) by the first contact panel 60, and the second chamber 34 and the fourth chamber 38 are pulled inward by the second contact panel 50. As a result, the head protection cushion 31 deploys to surround the head of the occupant P.

[0075] Next, when the head of the occupant P comes into contact with (enters) the first and second contact panels 60, 50, as shown in Fig. 16(B), the second contact panel 50 bends near the slit 64 (Fig. 7), and the fourth chamber 38 is pulled even more strongly in the direction approaching the head of the occupant P. As a result, the head protection cushion 31 wraps around the head of the occupant P, making it possible to adequately protect the head from all directions.

[0076] Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with the above exemplary embodiment, many equivalent modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure. Therefore, the above exemplary embodiment of the present invention is considered to be illustrative and not limiting. Various changes may be made to the described embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, although the two contact panels are arranged to cross in the embodiment, they may not necessarily cross. For example, one contact panel may be provided to span the second and third chambers adjacent to each other, and another contact panel may be provided to span the third and fourth chambers.

Claims

1. An airbag having a head protection cushion that protects the head of an occupant by being deployed from an upper portion of one of the left and right sides of a vehicle seat; an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag; The head protection cushion comprises: a first chamber that protects one side of the occupant's head; a second chamber that is connected to the first chamber and protects the front of the occupant's head; a third chamber that is connected to the second chamber and deploys from the front of the occupant's head to the other side; and a fourth chamber that is connected to the third chamber and deploys near the other side of the occupant's head. A contact panel is provided on the occupant side of the head protection cushion and is made of a flexible material so that the occupant and the head come into contact with each other. When an occupant's head enters the contact panel while the head protection cushion is in a deployed state, the contact panel regulates the deployment direction of the airbag so that the head protection cushion wraps around the occupant's head.

2. 2. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the contact panel is set to a size including an area where the head of an AM95 dummy for US crash tests contacts the occupant in the event of a vehicle emergency.

3. An airbag device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the airbag further includes a side protection cushion connected to the lower end of the first chamber and protecting the side of the occupant's body.

4. An airbag having a head protection cushion that protects the head of an occupant by deploying from the upper part of one of the left and right sides of a vehicle seat; an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag; The head protection cushion comprises: a first chamber that protects one side of the occupant's head; a second chamber that is connected to the first chamber and protects the front of the occupant's head; a third chamber that is connected to the second chamber and deploys from the front of the occupant's head to the other side; and a fourth chamber that is connected to the third chamber and deploys near the other side of the occupant's head. A contact panel is provided on the occupant side of the head protection cushion and is made of a flexible material so that the occupant and the head come into contact with each other. The airbag device is characterized in that the contact panel includes a contact panel extending so as to connect inner surfaces facing an occupant between two chambers selected from the first chamber, the second chamber, the third chamber, and the fourth chamber.

5. 2. The airbag device of claim 1, wherein the contact panels include a first contact panel extending to connect an occupant-facing inner surface of the third chamber and an occupant-facing inner surface of the second chamber.

6. 6. The airbag device of claim 5, wherein said contact panels further include a second contact panel extending to connect an occupant-facing inner surface of said fourth chamber with an occupant-facing inner surface of said second chamber.

7. The first contact panel has a slit through which the second contact panel passes, 7. The airbag device according to claim 6, wherein the first contact panel and the second contact panel are disposed so as to intersect with each other when the head protection cushion in the deployed state is viewed from above.

8. 8. The airbag device according to claim 7, wherein when the head protection cushion is deployed and an occupant's head comes into contact with the first and second contact panels, the second contact panel is bent and the fourth chamber is pulled in a direction toward the occupant's head.

9. An airbag having a head protection cushion that protects the head of an occupant by deploying from an upper portion of one of the left and right sides of a vehicle seat; an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag; The head protection cushion comprises: a first chamber that protects one side of the occupant's head; a second chamber that is connected to the first chamber and protects the front of the occupant's head; a third chamber that is connected to the second chamber and deploys from the front of the occupant's head to the other side; and a fourth chamber that is connected to the third chamber and deploys near the other side of the occupant's head. A contact panel is provided on the occupant side of the head protection cushion and is made of a flexible material so that the occupant and the head come into contact with each other. The first chamber and the second chamber are integrally formed by bonding two base fabrics together, a tether extending along a deployment direction on an inner surface of the first chamber and the second chamber facing the occupant; a holding portion that holds the tether along the inner surface in a slidable state; 2. An airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the tether restricts forward movement of the second chamber when the head protection cushion is deployed.

10. The tether has a first end connected to an inner surface of the second chamber at a front side in the deployment direction, and a second end reaching a rear side of the second chamber in the deployment direction, 10. The airbag device of claim 9, wherein the tether is pulled toward the second end and compressed to form a crimped region in at least the second chamber.

11. The third chamber is formed by bonding at least two base fabrics together, The airbag device according to claim 10, characterized in that an end portion of an inner panel of the base fabric forming the second chamber that faces the occupant is connected to an end portion of an inner panel of the base fabric forming the third chamber that faces the occupant.

12. 12. The airbag device according to claim 11, wherein the third chamber and the fourth chamber communicate with each other through a first vent hole, and are connected to each other by sewing around the first vent hole.

13. A vehicle seat equipped with an airbag device as described in claim 1 or 2.

14. A vehicle seat as described in Claim 13, characterized in that a side airbag device for protecting the side of an occupant is provided on the side opposite to the side on which the airbag device is housed.

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