Occupant restraint system

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an occupant restraint device which enables further improvement in occupant restraint performance of an airbag cushion. [Solution] An occupant restraint device 100 comprises: a side protecting chamber 122 that is expanded and deployed beside an occupant 120; a front protecting chamber 124 that is expanded and deployed in front of the side protecting chamber 122; a connecting duct 138 that sends a gas from the side protecting chamber 122 to the front protecting chamber 124; an inner vent 140 having one end 142 contacting the connecting duct 138; a tether 146 that pulls the inner vent 140 toward the side protecting chamber 122; a tether cutter 148 to which a trailing end of the tether 146 is connected and which, upon receiving a predetermined signal, cuts the tether 146; a determination unit 158 that determines whether or not a vehicle collision is a frontal collision; and a transmission unit B 160b that transmits the predetermined signal to the tether cutter 148 when the determination unit 158 has determined that the collision is a frontal collision.

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Airbag devices are now installed as standard equipment on most modern vehicles. Airbag devices are safety devices that are activated in emergencies such as vehicle collisions, and use an airbag cushion that inflates and deploys with gas pressure to catch and protect the occupant. There are various types of airbag devices depending on the installation location and application. For example, the occupant restraint device disclosed in Patent Document 1 by the present applicant is a side airbag device in which an airbag cushion inflates and deploys from the sides of the seat to both sides of the occupant.

[0003] The occupant restraint device of Patent Document 1 is provided with a belt 140 that expands as the airbag cushion inflates and deploys. The belt 140 uses tension to restrict the movement of the airbag cushion, making it possible to improve the occupant restraint performance of the airbag cushion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2016 / 039160 Brochure Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The occupant restraint device of Patent Document 1 can effectively restrict the movement of the airbag cushion away from the occupant, particularly in the left-right direction, by using a belt, and can dramatically improve the occupant restraint performance of the airbag cushion. However, there is always a demand for improved occupant restraint performance for such occupant restraint devices. In particular, the present inventors have focused on the fact that the areas required in the airbag cushion differ depending on the type of vehicle collision, and have studied further improvements to the technology of Patent Document 1.

[0006] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an occupant restraint device that can further improve the occupant restraint performance of an airbag cushion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a representative configuration of an occupant restraint device according to the present invention is an occupant restraint device for restraining an occupant seated in a vehicle seat, the occupant restraint device comprising: an airbag cushion that is bag-shaped and rolled or folded into a predetermined storage form and stored on at least one end side in the width direction of a seat back of the seat; and an inflator that supplies gas to the airbag cushion, the airbag cushion comprising a side protection chamber that receives gas from the inflator and inflates and deploys to a position to the side of the occupant; a front protection chamber that receives gas from the side protection chamber and inflates and deploys in front of the side protection chamber; The occupant restraint device has one or more connecting ducts for transmitting gas from the side protection chamber to the front protection chamber, and an inner vent having one end in contact with at least one of the connecting ducts, and further comprises a tether whose front end is connected to the other end of the inner vent to pull the inner vent toward the side protection chamber, a tether cutter to which the rear end of the tether is connected and which cuts the tether upon receiving a predetermined signal, a determination unit that determines whether the collision is a forward collision when it detects or predicts a vehicle collision, and a transmission unit that sends a predetermined signal to the tether cutter when the determination unit determines that the collision is a forward collision.

[0008] In the above configuration, the inner vent can be opened and closed by a tether connected to the inner vent, and it is possible to control whether or not to actively inflate the front protection chamber. For example, in the event of a frontal collision, the airbag cushion is actively inflated and deployed up to the front protection chamber to fully restrain the occupant, and in the event of a collision other than a frontal collision, such as a side collision, the side protection chamber of the airbag cushion is preferentially inflated and deployed to quickly restrain the occupant. Therefore, with the above configuration, the occupant restraint performance of the airbag cushion can be improved according to the type of collision.

[0009] The determination unit may further determine whether the collision is a side collision, and the transmission unit may not send a signal to the tether cutter when the determination unit determines that the collision is a side collision.

[0010] According to the above configuration, in the event of a side collision, the tether is not detached from the tether cutter and the inner vent is kept closed, making it possible to quickly inflate and deploy only the side protection chamber to restrain the occupant from the side.

[0011] The above-mentioned inner vent may have one or more loops formed on the edge of the opening on the other end side through which the tether can be passed, and the opening on the other end side of the inner vent may be squeezed by the tether when the tether is connected to the tether cutter, thereby closing the inner vent.

[0012] According to the above configuration, when the tether is connected to the tether cutter, the amount of gas flowing from the inner vent into the front protection chamber can be suitably suppressed.

[0013] The one or more connecting ducts may be provided in plurality, and the plurality of connecting ducts may be provided at two locations, upper and lower, on the front side of the side protection chamber.

[0014] According to the above configuration, it is possible to ensure the supply of gas from the side protection chamber to the front protection chamber by the multiple connecting ducts.

[0015] The occupant restraint device may further include a first outer vent provided on the main panel that forms the side protection chamber, a guide panel provided on the main panel in an area covering the first outer vent and having upper and lower edges joined to the main panel, and a second outer vent provided on the guide panel at a position overlapping the first outer panel, wherein the tether passes between the main panel and the guide panel and spans between the inner vent and the tether cutter, and the occupant restraint device may further include a shutter panel attached to the tether that slides along the guide panel to a position blocking the space between the first outer vent and the second outer vent when the tether detaches from the tether cutter.

[0016] In the above configuration, the shutter panel attached to the tether can control the opening and closing of each outer vent. This allows the shutter panel to close the first and second outer vents during a front collision, reducing the amount of gas discharged from the side protection chamber to the outside and prioritizing the supply of gas to the front protection chamber. In addition, the first and second outer vents can be opened during a side collision to discharge gas from the side protection chamber to the outside and adjust the internal pressure of the side protection chamber so that it does not become too high. Therefore, the above configuration also allows the occupant restraint performance of the airbag cushion to be improved depending on the type of collision.

[0017] The occupant restraint device may further include a third outer vent provided on the shutter panel, the third outer vent being provided in a position overlapping the first outer vent and the second outer vent when the tether is connected to the tether cutter.

[0018] In the above configuration, by providing the third outer vent in the shutter panel, gas can be discharged from the side protection chamber to the outside when the tether is connected to the tether cutter, and the internal pressure of the side protection chamber can be adjusted so that it does not become too high. Therefore, with the above configuration, it is possible to improve the occupant restraint performance of the airbag cushion according to the type of collision. Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an occupant restraint device that can further improve the occupant restraint performance of an airbag cushion. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state before an occupant restraint device according to the present embodiment is moved; FIG. [Diagram 2] 2 is a top view illustrating the occupant restraint device of FIG. 1 in a state after it has been moved. [Diagram 3] 2 is a side view illustrating the occupant restraint device of FIG. 1 in a state after it has been moved. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the airbag cushion of FIG. 3(a) placed on a flat surface. [Diagram 5] 5 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of the airbag cushion of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an outline of the overall configuration of the occupant restraint device of FIG. [Figure 7] 7 is a flowchart illustrating a process performed by a control unit in FIG. 6(b). [Figure 8] 5(b) is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the inner vent in FIG. 5(b). [Figure 9] 5 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the airbag cushion of FIG. 4. [Figure 10] 9(b) is a diagram illustrating the slide vent structure of FIG. 9(a) in a state before it is moved. FIG. [Figure 11] 9(b) is a diagram illustrating a state after the slide vent structure of FIG. 9(a) has been moved. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific values ​​shown in the embodiment are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are given the same reference numerals to avoid repeated explanations, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0022] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an occupant restraint device 100 according to this embodiment in a state before it is moved. In Fig. 1, members stored inside a seat 102, such as airbag units 108, 110, are shown by phantom lines.

[0023] In this embodiment, when the occupant 120 (see FIG. 2, etc.) is seated in a normal position on the seat 102, the direction in which the occupant 120 faces is referred to as the forward direction, the opposite direction is referred to as the backward direction, the right hand side of the occupant 120 is referred to as the right direction, and the left hand side of the occupant 120 is referred to as the left direction. Furthermore, when the occupant 120 is seated in a normal position, the direction of the head of the occupant 120 is referred to as the upward direction, and the direction of the waist of the occupant 120 is referred to as the downward direction. In the drawings used in the following description, the front-rear, left-right, up-down directions based on the above-mentioned occupant 120 are indicated as necessary by arrows F (Forward), B (Back), L (Left), R (Right), U (up), and D (down).

[0024] In addition, in the following description, the directions referred to as inside and outside refer to the side closer to the occupant 120 and the side farther from the occupant 120 in the relative positional relationship of multiple objects as seen by the occupant 120 seated in the above-mentioned normal posture.

[0025] The occupant restraint device 100 includes a pair of left and right airbag units 108, 110 mainly inside a seat back 104 of a seat 102. The airbag units 108, 110 include airbag cushions 112, 114 and belt members 116, 118, respectively.

[0026] In the event of an emergency, such as when an impact occurs to the vehicle, the occupant restraint device 100 restrains an occupant 120 (see FIG. 2, etc.) seated in a seat 102 mainly by using airbag cushions 112, 114. The airbag cushions 112, 114 are bag-shaped members that can be inflated with gas, and are stored in a small, folded and compact form by being rolled or folded, inside both ends of the seat back 104 of the seat 102 in the width direction.

[0027] The belt members 116, 118 are provided for the airbag cushions 112, 114, respectively. The belt members 116, 118 are members that support the inflated and deployed airbag cushions (see FIG. 2), and are stored from within the seat back 104 of the seat 102 to within the seat cushion 106.

[0028] Fig. 2 is a top view illustrating the state after the occupant restraint device 100 in Fig. 1 has been moved. The occupant 120 in Fig. 2(a) is a test dummy AM50 that mimics a physique (height 175 cm, weight 78 kg) that matches 50% of the average American adult male.

[0029] In the occupant restraint device 100 of this embodiment, in the event of a vehicle collision or the like, a pair of left and right airbag cushions 112, 114 inflate and deploy from the sides of the upper body of an occupant 120 seated in a seat 102 toward the front.

[0030] The airbag cushions 112, 114 are supported by belt members 116, 118, respectively, from the side opposite the occupant 120. The belt members 116, 118 bias the airbag cushions 112, 114 toward the occupant 120 and absorb the load from the occupant 120 applied to the airbag cushions 112, 114, thereby increasing the occupant restraining force of the airbag cushions 112, 114.

[0031] Fig. 3 is a side view illustrating the state after movement of the occupant restraint device 100 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3(a) is a view illustrating the occupant restraint device 100 in Fig. 2 as viewed from the right side of the seat 102. The following description will be given taking the airbag cushion 112 on the left side of the seat 102 as an example, representing the airbag cushions 112, 114.

[0032] The airbag cushion 112 is roughly divided into a rear side protection chamber 122 and a front protection chamber 124. The side protection chamber 122 receives gas from an inflator 128 (see FIG. 5(a)) and inflates and deploys to a position to the side of the occupant 120. The front protection chamber 124 receives gas from the side protection chamber 122 and inflates and deploys in front of the side protection chamber 122 and the occupant 120.

[0033] Fig. 3(b) is a diagram illustrating a state in which the side protection chamber 122 in Fig. 3(a) is preferentially inflated and deployed. The airbag cushion 112 of this embodiment can be configured to not actively inflate the front protection chamber 124 during a side collision, for example, by using a sensor (such as the front sensor 154 in Fig. 6(a)) and the control unit 150, which will be described later. That is, the airbag cushion 112 is capable of actively inflating the front protection chamber 124 during a front collision to restrain the occupant 120 from the front as well, and preferentially inflating and deploying the side protection chamber 122 during a side collision to quickly restrain the occupant 120 from the side.

[0034] Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating the airbag cushion 112 of Fig. 3(a) placed on a flat surface. In Fig. 3, the airbag cushion 112 is illustrated with the panel opposite to the occupant 120 (see Fig. 3(a)) facing forward.

[0035] The airbag cushion 112 is formed by stacking and sewing or bonding a plurality of base fabrics that form the surface thereof, or by weaving using OPW (One-Piece Woven).

[0036] The airbag cushion 112 is provided with an upper protection chamber 126 in addition to the side protection chamber 122 and the front protection chamber 124. The upper protection chamber 126 is a portion that inflates to the side of the head of the occupant 120, and is provided so as to extend in a curved manner from the upper side of the side protection chamber 122 toward the front of the vehicle.

[0037] The belt member 116 is connected to a panel on the front side of the front protection chamber 124, on the opposite side to the occupant 120. The belt member 116 is stretched from the seat back 104 to the seat cushion 106 when the airbag cushion 112 is inflated and deployed (see FIG. 3(a)).

[0038] Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the internal configuration of the airbag cushion 112 of Fig. 4. Inside the side protection chamber 122, an inner deflector 130 and an outer inner tube 132 are provided as members for rectifying the gas from the inflator 128.

[0039] The inflator 128 is installed inside the deflector 130, and the deflector 130 rectifies the gas from the inflator 128 in the vertical direction. The inner tube 132 contains the deflector 130 and sends the gas from three vent holes 134a to 134c toward the upper protection chamber 126 and the front protection chamber 124.

[0040] The inflator 128 is of a cylindrical type and is built into the rear side of the inside of the side protection chamber with its longitudinal direction facing up and down. A number of stud bolts (not shown) protrude from the main body of the inflator 128, and the inflator 128 and the airbag cushion 112 are fixed to the seat 102 (see FIG. 1) by fastening the stud bolts to the frame of the seat.

[0041] Currently popular inflators include types filled with a gas generating agent that is burned to generate gas, types filled with compressed gas that supply gas without generating heat, and hybrid types that use both combustion gas and compressed gas. Any type can be used as the inflator 128.

[0042] The side protection chamber 122 and the front protection chamber 124 are connected by connecting ducts 136, 138. The connecting ducts 136, 138 are provided at two locations, upper and lower, on the front side of the side protection chamber 122, and send gas from the side protection chamber 122 to the front protection chamber 124. The connecting duct 136 is provided at the upper part of the front side of the side protection chamber 122, and the connecting duct 136 is provided in the center in the up-down direction on the front side of the side protection chamber 122. These connecting ducts 136, 138 make it possible to ensure a smooth supply of gas from the side protection chamber 122 to the front protection chamber 124.

[0043] In this embodiment, an inner vent 140 is provided in the lower connecting duct 138. The inner vent 140 is a cylindrical member, and one end 142 contacts the connecting duct 138, and the other end 144 is connected to a tether cutter 148 via a tether 146. When the inner vent 140 is pulled by the tether 146, gas does not easily flow through it, but when the tether 146 falls off the tether cutter 148, the other end 144 becomes a free end, allowing gas to flow smoothly.

[0044] The tether cutter 148 is a device that fastens the tether 146, and upon receiving a signal from the control unit 150 (see FIG. 6(b)), an internal blade moves to cut and drop the tether 146. The tether cutter 148 is installed inside the seat 102 (see FIG. 3(a)) on the side of the side protection chamber 122 when viewed from the connecting duct 138 to which the inner vent 140 is connected.

[0045] The tether 146 is a belt-shaped member, and its front end is connected to the other end 144 of the inner vent 140, and its rear end is connected to the tether cutter 148. At this time, the tether 146 is installed in a state where the other end 144 of the inner vent 140 is pulled toward the side protection chamber 122. As a result, the opening of the other end 144 of the inner vent 140 is pulled by the tether 146 and closed.

[0046] 5(b) is a diagram illustrating a state in which the tether 146 has fallen off the tether cutter 148. When the tether cutter 148 is movable, the tether 146 is cut and falls off from the tether cutter 148. When the inner vent 140 is released from being anchored by the tether 146, the other end 144 is pushed toward the front protection chamber 124 by the gas pressure. This opens the inner vent 140 and the connecting duct 138, increasing the flow rate of gas from the connecting duct 138 to the front protection chamber 124, causing the front protection chamber 124 to rapidly inflate and deploy.

[0047] Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating an outline of the overall configuration of the occupant restraint device 100 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6(a) is a block diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the occupant restraint device 100. The control unit 150 included in the occupant restraint device 100 is a device realized as a so-called ECU (Electronic Control Unit).

[0048] The control unit 150 is connected to a power source 152 and sensors (a front sensor 154 and a side sensor 156), and upon receiving a collision signal from each sensor, sends an activation signal to the inflator 128 (see FIG. 5(a)) of the airbag unit 108 and the tether cutter 148.

[0049] Fig. 6(b) is a block diagram illustrating the functions of the control unit 150 of Fig. 6(a) The control unit 150 includes a determination unit 158 ​​and a transmission unit (transmission unit A 160a, transmission unit B 160b).

[0050] The determination unit 158 ​​determines whether or not a collision has occurred in the vehicle and the type of the collision through the front sensor 154 and the side sensor 156. For example, when the determination unit 158 ​​detects a collision through the front sensor 154, it determines that it is a front collision, and when the determination unit 158 ​​detects a collision only through the side sensor 156, it determines that it is a side collision.

[0051] The transmitting unit A 160a and the transmitting unit B 160b each transmit a movable signal to the inflator 128 and the tether cutter 148 based on the determination result of the determining unit 158. For example, the transmitting unit A 160a transmits a movable signal to the inflator 128 when the determining unit 158 ​​receives a signal indicating that a collision has been detected from each sensor, regardless of whether it is the front sensor 154 or the side sensor 156.

[0052] When the determination unit 158 ​​receives a signal from the front sensor 154 indicating that a collision has been detected, the transmission unit B 160b determines that a front collision has occurred on the vehicle and sends an operating signal to the tether cutter 148. As a result, in the event of a front collision, the front protection chamber 124 is actively inflated and deployed as well, as shown in Fig. 3(a), and in the event of a side collision, only the side protection chamber 122 is actively inflated and deployed, as shown in Fig. 3(b).

[0053] Fig. 7 is a flow chart illustrating the process performed by the control unit 150 in Fig. 6(b). First, in step 170, the determination unit 158 ​​(see Fig. 6(b)) determines whether or not a collision signal has been input from each sensor, regardless of whether it is the front sensor 154 or the side sensor 156. If a collision signal has been input (Yes in step 170), then in step 172, it is determined whether or not the signal is from the front sensor 154. If no collision signal has been input in step 170 (No in step 170), the system goes into a standby state.

[0054] If the signal is from the front sensor 154 (see FIG. 6(b)) (Yes in step 172), signal A is output from the transmission unit A 160a in step 174, and in parallel, signal B is output from the transmission unit B 160b in step 180.

[0055] The signal A output in step 174 is sent to the inflator 128, the inflator 128 is actuated in step 176, and the side protection chamber 122 (see FIG. 5(b)) is deployed in step 178.

[0056] The signal B output in step 180 is sent to the tether cutter 148, the tether cutter 148 is actuated in step 182, and the inner vent 140 is deployed in step 184.

[0057] As a result of steps 178 and 184, the front protection chamber 124 is deployed in the following step 186, and the occupant 120 (see FIG. 3(a)) is also restrained from the front, and the series of processes is then completed.

[0058] On the other hand, if the signal is not from the front sensor 154 (see FIG. 6(b)) in step 172 (No in step 172), signal A is output from the transmitting unit A 160a in step 188, and the inflator 128 is operated in step 190. Then, the side protection chamber (see FIG. 5(a)) is deployed in step 192, and the occupant 120 (see FIG. 3(b)) is restrained from the side, and the process ends.

[0059] As described above, the determination unit 158 ​​(see FIG. 6(b)) determines whether the vehicle collision is a front collision or a side collision, depending on whether a signal has arrived from the front sensor 154. The transmission unit B 160b sends a signal to the tether cutter 148 when the determination unit 158 ​​determines that the collision is a front collision. On the other hand, when the determination unit 158 ​​determines that the collision is a side collision, the transmission unit B 160b does not send a signal to the tether cutter 148. By this process, in the event of a side collision, the tether 146 is not detached from the tether cutter 148, and the inner vent 140 is kept closed to suppress the flow rate of gas into the front protection chamber 124, thereby allowing the side protection chamber 122 to be preferentially inflated and deployed to quickly restrain the occupant from the side.

[0060] In this embodiment, the inner vent 140 is opened and closed by a tether 146 connected to the inner vent 140, and whether or not the front protection chamber 124 is actively inflated is controlled. For example, in the event of a front collision, the airbag cushion 112 (see FIG. 3(a)) is actively inflated and deployed up to the front protection chamber 124 to fully restrain the occupant 120. Also, in the event of a collision other than a front collision, such as a side collision, the side protection chamber 122 of the airbag cushion 112 (see FIG. 3(b)) is preferentially inflated and deployed to quickly restrain the occupant 120. In particular, in the event of a side collision, the front protection chamber 124 is softened or its deployment is delayed to prevent the occupant 120 from being pushed excessively from the front, thereby suppressing the load on the arms, chest, and other parts of the occupant's body.

[0061] In this manner, according to this embodiment, the occupant restraint performance of the airbag cushion 112 can be improved by selectively inflating and deploying the required areas of the airbag cushion 112 depending on the type of collision.

[0062] In the explanation of the control unit 150 with reference to Fig. 6(b), it was stated that when a signal is not received from the front sensor 154, no signal is sent from the transmission unit B 160b to the tether cutter 148. However, this is not limited thereto, and the control unit 150 can also perform processing to delay the signal sent from the transmission unit B 160b to the tether cutter 148 when a signal is not received from the front sensor 154. This processing also makes it possible to quickly restrain the occupant 120 by preferentially inflating and deploying the side protection chamber 122 (see Fig. 3(b)) in the event of a side collision.

[0063] 5(a) and the like, a configuration in which the upper connecting duct 136 is omitted, or a configuration in which the upper connecting duct 136 is also provided with an inner vent 140, etc., can also be implemented. In a configuration in which the upper connecting duct 136 is omitted, by providing only a connecting duct 138 equipped with an inner vent 140, it becomes possible to efficiently control the flow rate of gas into the front protection chamber 124. Similarly, a configuration in which the upper connecting duct 136 is also provided with an inner vent 140 also makes it possible to efficiently control the flow rate of gas into the front protection chamber 124.

[0064] (Modification) Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating a modified example (inner vent 200) of the inner vent 140 in Fig. 5(b). In each of the figures following Fig. 8, the same components as those already described are given the same reference numerals, and the description of the already mentioned components will be omitted. In the following description, components with the same names as those already described will have the same functions unless otherwise specified, even if they are given different reference numerals.

[0065] FIG. 8(a) is a diagram illustrating the state of the inflator 128 of the inner vent 200 (see FIG. 5(a)) before it is moved. The inner vent 200 has a loop 204 through which the tether 146 passes formed on the edge of the opening 202 on the other end 144 side. FIG. 8(b) is a diagram illustrating the state of the inflator 128 of the inner vent 200 when it is moved. When the inflator 128 moves and the airbag cushion 112 inflates and deploys, the tether passing through the loop 204 is pulled between the inner vent 200 and the tether cutter 148, and the opening 202 on the other end 144 side of the inner vent 200 is squeezed by the tether 146 and closed.

[0066] When the tether 146 is connected to the tether cutter 148 (see FIG. 5(a)), i.e., during a side collision, the inner vent 200 narrows the opening 202, thereby closing the inner vent 200 and suitably suppressing the amount of gas flowing into the front protection chamber 124. Thus, by providing the inner vent 200, it becomes possible to give higher priority to the inflation and deployment of the side protection chamber 122.

[0067] As another configuration for the loop 204, it is possible to provide multiple small band-shaped loops, or to provide multiple slits on the edge of the opening 202 and pass the tether 146 through the slits.

[0068] Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating a modified example (airbag cushion 210) of the airbag cushion 112 of Fig. 4. Fig. 9(a) illustrates the airbag cushion 210 from the same direction as Fig. 4. The airbag cushion 210 is different in configuration from the airbag cushion 112 of Fig. 4 in that it includes a slide vent structure 212. In the slide vent structure 212, the tether 146 is exposed from the airbag cushion 210 to the outside, and the amount of gas discharged from inside the airbag cushion 210 to the outside can be adjusted by utilizing this tether 146.

[0069] Fig. 9(b) is an exploded view of the slide vent structure 212 of Fig. 9(a). The slide vent structure 212 has a first outer vent 216 provided in a main panel 214 that forms the side protection chamber 122. Two first outer vents 216 are provided in total, and the tether 146 is exposed to the outside of the airbag cushion 210 from the first outer vent 216 on one side.

[0070] A guide panel 218 is provided in an area covering the first outer vent 216 of the main panel 214. Upper and lower edges 220a, 220b of the guide panel 218 are joined to the main panel 214, and front and rear edges 220c, 220e are kept spaced apart from the main panel 214. A second outer vent 222 is provided in a position of the guide panel 218 overlapping the first outer vent 216.

[0071] The tether 146 passes between the main panel 214 and the guide panel 218, enters the inside of the airbag cushion 210 from the first outer vent 216, and is stretched between the inner vent 140 (see FIG. 5(b)) and the tether cutter 148.

[0072] A shutter panel 224 is attached to a portion of the tether 146 that is exposed from the first outer vent 216. A third outer vent 226 is provided on the shutter panel 224. The third outer vent 226 connects the first outer vent 216 of the main panel 214 and the second outer vent 222 of the guide panel 218, and enables gas to be exhausted from inside the airbag cushion 210.

[0073] Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating the slide vent structure 212 of Fig. 9(a) in a state before it is moved. Fig. 10(a) is an enlarged view of the slide vent structure 212 of Fig. 9(a). The third outer vent 226 of the shutter panel 224 is provided at a position overlapping the first outer vent 216 (see Fig. 9(a)) and the second outer vent 222 when the tether 146 is connected to the tether cutter 148 (see Fig. 5(a)).

[0074] Fig. 10(b) is an AA cross-sectional view of the slide vent structure 212 in Fig. 10(a). By providing the third outer vent 226 to the shutter panel 224, when the tether 146 is connected to the tether cutter 148 (see Fig. 5(a)), i.e., in the event of a side collision, gas is discharged from the side protection chamber 122 to the outside, and the internal pressure of the side protection chamber 122 can be adjusted so that it does not become too high.

[0075] Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state after the sliding vent structure 212 of Fig. 9(a) is moved. Fig. 11(a) illustrates a state in which the shutter panel 224 of Fig. 10(a) has moved forward. When the tether 146 is detached from the tether cutter 148, that is, in the event of a front collision, the shutter panel 224 is pulled by the tether 146 and slides forward along the guide panel 218 as the other end 144 of the inner vent 140 moves into the front protection chamber 124 (see Fig. 5(b)).

[0076] Fig. 11(b) is a BB cross-sectional view of the slide vent structure 212 of Fig. 11(a). As the third outer vent 226 moves forward, the shutter panel 224 blocks the gap between the first outer vent 216 and the second outer vent 222. Therefore, in the event of a frontal collision, the shutter panel 224 can suppress the discharge of gas from the airbag cushion 210 (see Fig. 9(a)) to the outside, and prioritize the supply of gas to the front protection chamber 124.

[0077] As described above, in the airbag cushion 210, the shutter panel 224 attached to the tether 146 makes it possible to adjust the amount of gas discharged from the airbag cushion 210 to the outside in accordance with the type of collision, for example, by opening each outer vent (first outer vent 216, etc.) in the event of a side collision and closing each outer vent in the event of a front collision. In this way, the airbag cushion 210 also makes it possible to improve the occupant restraint performance of the airbag cushion 210 in accordance with the type of collision.

[0078] The occupant restraint performance of the airbag cushion 210 can be set, for example, by changing the diameter of each outer vent such as the first outer vent 216, or by changing the shape of the front protection chamber 124. It is possible to reduce the injury value to the occupant 120 in a side collision by increasing the diameter of each outer vent to increase the amount of gas discharged, or by changing the shape of the front protection chamber 124 to a shape that can prevent the occupant 120 (see FIG. 3(b) etc.) from being pressed by the arm of the occupant 120 (see FIG. 5(b) etc.) in addition to changing the shape of the front protection chamber 124, it is also possible to adjust the pressure and timing at which the front protection chamber 124 is deployed and reduce the injury value to the occupant in a front collision by changing the diameter of the inner vent 140 (see FIG. 5(b) etc.).

[0079] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the above-described embodiment is a preferred example of the present invention, and other embodiments can be implemented or performed in various ways. Unless otherwise specified in the present specification, the present invention is not limited to the shape, size, and configuration of the detailed parts shown in the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the expressions and terms used in the present specification are for the purpose of explanation, and are not limited thereto unless otherwise specified.

[0080] Therefore, it will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and it will be understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0081] The present invention can be used in an occupant restraint device that restrains an occupant seated in a vehicle seat. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 100... occupant restraint device, 102... seat, 104... seat back, 106... seat cushion, 108, 110... airbag unit, 112, 114... airbag cushion, 116, 118... belt member, 120... occupant, 122... side protection chamber, 124... front protection chamber, 126... upper protection chamber, 128... inflator, 130... deflector, 132... inner tube, 134a to 134c... vent holes, 136... connecting duct, 138... connecting duct, 140... inner vent, 142... one end, 144... other end, 146... tether , 148... tether cutter, 150... control unit, 152... power supply, 154... front sensor, 156... side sensor, 158... determination unit, 160a... transmission unit A, 160b... transmission unit B, 200... inner vent, 202... opening, 204... loop, 210... airbag cushion, 212... slide vent structure, 214... main panel, 216... first outer vent, 218... guide panel, 220a... upper edge, 220b... lower edge, 220c... front edge, 220d... rear edge, 222... second outer vent, 224... shutter panel, 226... third outer vent

Claims

1. An occupant restraint device for restraining an occupant seated in a vehicle seat, The occupant restraint device is an airbag cushion that is bag-shaped and that is rolled or folded into a predetermined storage form and stored on at least one end side in the width direction of a seat back of the seat; an inflator for supplying gas to the airbag cushion; Equipped with The airbag cushion comprises: a side protection chamber that receives gas from the inflator and inflates and deploys to a position to the side of the occupant; a front protection chamber that receives gas from the side protection chamber and expands and deploys forward of the side protection chamber; one or more connecting ducts for conveying gas from the side guard chambers to the front guard chamber; an inner vent, one end of which is in contact with at least one of the connecting ducts; having The occupant restraint device further comprises: a tether having a front end connected to the other end of the inner vent and pulling the inner vent toward the side protection chamber; a tether cutter to which the rear end of the tether is connected and which cuts the tether upon receiving a predetermined signal; a determination unit that, when detecting or predicting a vehicle collision, determines whether the collision is a front collision; a transmission unit that transmits the predetermined signal to the tether cutter when the determination unit determines that the collision is the front collision; An occupant restraint device comprising:

2. The determination unit is further capable of determining whether the collision is a side collision, 2. The passenger restraint device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting unit does not send a signal to the tether cutter when the determining unit determines that the collision is a side collision.

3. The inner vent has one or more loops formed on an edge of the opening on the other end side through which the tether passes, 3. The passenger restraint device according to claim 1, wherein the opening on the other end side of the inner vent is squeezed by the tether when the tether is connected to the tether cutter, so that the inner vent is in a closed state.

4. The one or more connecting ducts are provided in plurality, 3. The passenger restraint device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of connecting ducts are provided at two positions, upper and lower, on the front side of the side protection chamber.

5. The occupant restraint device further comprises: a first outer vent provided in a main panel forming the side protection chamber; a guide panel provided in an area covering the first outer vent of the main panel and having upper and lower edges joined to the main panel; a second outer vent provided on the guide panel at a position overlapping the first outer vent; Equipped with The tether passes between the main panel and the guide panel and is stretched between the inner vent and the tether cutter, The occupant restraint device further comprises:

3. An occupant restraint device as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a shutter panel attached to the tether and configured to slide along the guide panel to a position blocking the gap between the first outer vent and the second outer vent when the tether detaches from the tether cutter.

6. The occupant restraint device further includes a third outer vent provided in the shutter panel, 6. The passenger restraint device according to claim 5, wherein the third outer vent is provided at a position overlapping the first outer vent and the second outer vent when the tether is connected to the tether cutter.

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