Airbag device

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an airbag device capable of appropriately controlling the deployed shape of an airbag. [Solution] The present invention is an airbag device mounted on a vehicle, the airbag device comprising: an airbag that expands and develops to restrict an occupant; a tether that extends in the deployment direction of the airbag and restricts the deployed shape of the airbag; and a holding part which holds the tether in a slidable manner so as to follow the surface of the airbag.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an airbag device mounted on a vehicle, and more particularly to an airbag device capable of appropriately controlling the deployed shape of an airbag. [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] In an airbag device, the shape of the deployed airbag may be controlled to a desired shape. In the airbag device described in Patent Document 1, a tether is used to control the deployed shape of the airbag. However, since the tether is bridged to the surface of the airbag, there is a concern that the tether may directly interfere with the occupant. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-137307 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide an airbag device capable of appropriately controlling the deployed shape of an airbag. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is an airbag device mounted on a vehicle, comprising: an airbag that inflates and deploys to restrain an occupant; a tether that extends in the deployment direction of the airbag and regulates the deployed shape of the airbag; and a retaining portion that holds the tether in a slidable state along the surface of the airbag.

[0007] Here, the "deployment direction" is, for example, generally forward in the case of a side airbag, and generally downward in the case of a curtain airbag.

[0008] In the present invention, the tether slides along the surface of the airbag, so the tether does not protrude from the surface of the airbag like a bridge, which makes it possible to avoid unnecessary interference with the occupant. Also, it becomes possible to reliably and precisely control the deployed shape of the airbag.

[0009] The tether may have a structure having a first end connected to a front surface in the seat front-to-rear direction ahead of the deployment direction of the airbag, and a second end behind the first end on the opposite side from the front of the airbag in the seat front-to-rear direction.

[0010] The second end can be connected to a vehicle structural part such as a seat frame, etc. The second end (rear end) of the tether can also 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 airbag.

[0011] The tether may have a bent portion midway along its length. By providing the bent portion in the tether, the bent portion can be used as a starting point for bending the airbag, and the airbag can be deployed in a reliably bent state.

[0012] The holding portion may have a cross section in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tether shaped like a loop.

[0013] The holding member forming the holding portion can be a long strip-shaped member connected to the surface of the airbag. By holding the tether with the long strip-shaped holding member, the tether slides inside the holding member, and the portion of the holding member that protrudes outward can be minimized. In addition, since the position of the tether does not deviate from the desired (targeted) position, the deployed shape of the airbag can be reliably controlled using the tension of the tether.

[0014] The tether may have a bent portion midway along its length, and the retaining member may have a bent region corresponding to the bent portion of the tether.

[0015] The retaining member may be a plurality of loop-shaped members connected to the surface of the airbag at predetermined intervals, and may be arranged and shaped like "belt loops" on trousers, for example.

[0016] The airbag can be configured to have a compressed portion in which, when folded, a portion of the retaining portion closer to the first end than the bent portion is pulled toward the second end, forming wrinkles in the airbag.

[0017] Here, "wrinkles" refers not only to regular folding such as accordion folding, but also to randomly shrunk shapes. By compressing the airbag to have wrinkles and storing it in a stored state, the compression process of the airbag is simplified (time is reduced).

[0018] The airbag may be configured to deploy from near an upper end of the vehicle seat to protect the area around the head of an occupant.

[0019] The airbag may include 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 on the other side of the occupant's head.

[0020] By adopting such a configuration, the airbag surrounds the occupant's head from one side, the front, and the other side, making it possible to reliably restrain the occupant's head regardless of the seat position, reclining angle, etc. In other words, when the airbag deploys, there is no need to use the steering wheel, instrument panel, etc. as a reaction surface, and stable performance can be achieved without depending on the seat position, etc.

[0021] The airbag includes a first chamber that protects one side of the occupant, 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 on the other side of the occupant. The first end of the tether may be connected to the second chamber, and the second end of the tether may be connected to the first chamber.

[0022] The holding portion may have a bent portion in the middle of the holding portion in the longitudinal direction, at a middle portion or a rear portion of the second chamber. By bending the second chamber in the middle, the second chamber can be reliably positioned in front of the head of the occupant.

[0023] The first chamber and the second chamber can be integrally formed by bonding two pieces of base fabric together, the first end of the tether can be connected near the front end of the second chamber, and the second chamber can be configured to bend from near the bend in a direction approaching the occupant's head.

[0024] The first chamber may include an upper direction portion that first deploys upward, and a forward direction portion that is connected to the upper direction portion and deploys forward. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [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, and the airbag device is not shown. [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 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the airbag device 20 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 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 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 panel forms a side chamber. [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 third chamber. [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 fourth chamber. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a plan view for explaining the connection of the panels shown in FIGS. [Figure 12]FIG. 12 is a plan view showing a state in which the panels shown in FIGS. 7 to 10 are connected. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a part of the compression process of the airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention, and for convenience of explanation, only the first chamber and the second chamber are shown, and the other chambers (FIG. 12) are omitted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] 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.

[0027] Fig. 1 is a perspective view mainly showing the external shape of a vehicle seat used in the passenger protection device according to the present invention, and an airbag device (20) is not shown. 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 again, an airbag device (20) is not shown. Fig. 3 is a schematic side view of the passenger protection device according to the present invention, showing a state in which the airbag device 20 is housed on the side (far side) of the vehicle seat far from the door, as viewed from the outside in the vehicle width direction.

[0028] A vehicle seat to which the present invention is applicable is, when viewed as a whole, 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.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 1, an airbag device 20 according to this embodiment is 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 right 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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 body 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.

[0035] Fig. 4 is a top view showing a schematic diagram of the airbag (30) deployed in the airbag device 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a top perspective view (bird's-eye view) showing the airbag (30) deployed. Fig. 6 is a front perspective view showing the airbag (30) deployed. In Figs. 4 and 5, the dashed lines indicate sewing lines.

[0036] As shown mainly in Fig. 4, the airbag device 20 according to this embodiment includes: an inflator 160 (see Figs. 6 and 8) that generates inflation gas; and an airbag 30 that protects the area around the head of an occupant P by deploying from near the upper right end of a vehicle seat. The airbag 30 includes a first chamber 32 that protects one 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 of the head of the occupant P to the other side; and a fourth chamber 38 that is connected to the third chamber 36 and deploys on the other side of the head of the occupant P.

[0037] 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 holding member 202 that holds the tether 200 slidably along the surface of the airbag 30. The details of the tether 200 and the holding member 202 will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0038] The tether 200 has a first end 201a connected to the inner surface of the second chamber 34 and a second end 201b opposite to 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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] A tether 200 is connected so as to span between the first chamber 32 and the second chamber 34, and the second chamber 34 is bent by the tension of the tether 200 when the airbag 30 is deployed. Note that one end of the tether 200 is connected to the inner surface of the second chamber 34, but the other end can be connected to the surface of the first chamber 32 or another member such as a seat frame.

[0041] As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, the side chamber 40 is connected below the first chamber 32. The side chamber 40 restrains at least the right shoulder area of ​​the occupant P, but may be configured to restrain the occupant P up to the waist area. The side chamber 40 and the first chamber 32 are configured to deploy simultaneously or one of them deploys first, depending on the direction and timing of the force applied to the occupant P to be protected. As shown in Figs. 6 and 8, inflation gas is released from the inflator 160 housed in the side chamber 40, and the gas flows in the order of the first chamber and / or side chamber 40, the second chamber 34, the third chamber 36, and the fourth chamber 38.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] Fig. 7 is a plan view showing the panels (foundation fabrics) forming the first chamber 32 and the second chamber 34. As shown in Fig. 7, the first chamber 32 and the second chamber 34 are integrally formed by bonding together two pieces of foundation fabric 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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] The first chamber 32 is roughly configured to include an upper direction section 132a that guides the gas flowing in from the opening 154 upward, and a front direction section 132b that is connected to the upper direction section 132a and extends forward. In Fig. 7, the dashed lines other than those of the upper direction section 132a and the front direction section 132b indicate sewing lines.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 7, the bent portion 200a is provided near the boundary between the first chamber 32 and the second chamber 34. The tether 200 and the holding member 202 extending from the bent portion 200a toward the first chamber 32 are provided approximately in a straight line. The tether 200 and the holding member 202 extending from the bent portion 200a toward the second chamber 34 are also provided approximately in a straight line. When the first chamber 32 and the second chamber 34 are laid flat before expansion, the lines of the tether 200 and the holding member 202 on the first chamber 32 side and the second chamber 34 side, which are approximately in a straight line, are provided such that the second chamber 34 side is inclined toward the direction where the vent hole 37 between the second chamber 34 and the third chamber 36 is provided, relative to the first chamber 32 side, at the bent portion 200a.

[0048] In the first chamber 32, the inflation gas first flows into the upper direction portion 132a, so that the first chamber 32 can be quickly and reliably raised to above the shoulders of the occupant P.

[0049] Fig. 8 is a plan view showing the panels (foundation fabrics) forming the side chamber 40. As shown in Fig. 8, the side chamber 40 is formed by bonding together two pieces of foundation fabric 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.

[0050] The side chamber 40 and the first chamber 32 are directly connected at the openings 154a, 166, and the tabs 152, 164 are connected to each other to control the deployment posture. In FIG. 8, the dashed lines other than the inflator 160 indicate sewing lines. The 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 tabs 152, 164 to each other, unintended swinging during inflation and deployment is reduced, and the stability of the inflation and deployment is increased. In addition, by connecting the tabs 152, 164 to each other, the airbag cushion does not expand and deploy in different directions during inflation and deployment, and the occupant P can be protected more integrally and comprehensively.

[0051] Fig. 9 is a plan view showing a panel (base fabric) that forms the third chamber 36. In Fig. 9, the dashed lines indicate sewing lines.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 9, 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. 7 and 9). The vent hole opening 150b is longer in the short side direction than the vent opening 170a, and has a larger opening area.

[0053] Fig. 10 is a plan view showing the panel (base fabric) 138 that forms the fourth chamber 38. In Fig. 10, the dashed lines indicate sewing lines.

[0054] 10, the fourth chamber 38 is formed into a bag shape by folding one panel 138 in half. A vent hole 170b that connects to the vent hole 170a of the third chamber is formed near the center of the panel 138 in the longitudinal direction, and the center line of the vent opening 170b along the longitudinal direction becomes the fold line of the panel 138.

[0055] Fig. 11 is a plan view for explaining the connection of the panels shown in Fig. 7 to Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a plan view showing the connected state of the panels shown in Fig. 7 to Fig. 10. As shown in Fig. 11, the chamber formed by integrating the first chamber 32 and the second chamber 34 is the largest, followed by the side chamber 40. In contrast, the third chamber 36 has a small capacity, and the fourth chamber 38 is designed to have an even smaller capacity.

[0056] 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.

[0057] (Airbag compression) 13 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 chamber 40) are not shown. In practice, the compression process is carried out after all the chambers are connected by sewing as shown in FIG.

[0058] From the state shown in Fig. 13(A), tether 200 is pulled backward (pulled in) to form crinkled wrinkled region 210 around tether 200 in first chamber 32 and second chamber 34 (Fig. 13(B)). Next, the upper and lower parts of wrinkled region 210 are folded accordion-like toward the center and compressed. Note that the "wrinkles" of wrinkled region 210 can be in a form that is randomly shrunk, or in a form that is folded in a somewhat regular manner, such as accordion-like folding.

[0059] The third and fourth chambers 36, 38 are then accordion folded together and rolled. Finally, the side chambers 40 are accordion folded or rolled to complete the compression process of the airbag 30.

[0060] (Airbag deployment behavior) As shown in Figures 4 to 6, in the airbag device 20 according to this embodiment, when a vehicle collision event occurs, the inflator 160 is activated and inflation gas flows from the inflator holding portion 162 located near the rear end of the side chamber 40 into the first chamber 32. When the inflation gas flows into the first chamber 32, the upper direction portion 132a (Figure 7) first inflates, followed by the front direction portion 132b. Next, the gas flows from the first chamber 32 into the second chamber 34.

[0061] At this time, 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 opening 150a is generally vertically long.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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.

[0064] In the present invention, since the tether 200 is slid along the surface of the airbag 30, the tether 200 does not protrude from the surface of the airbag 30 in a bridge shape, and unnecessary interference with the occupant P can be avoided. In addition, it becomes possible to reliably and precisely control the deployed shape of the airbag 30. And, due to these structures, the airbag 30 inflates and deploys so as to wrap around the head of the occupant.

[0065] While the present invention has been described in conjunction with the above exemplary embodiments, many equivalent modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure. Accordingly, the above exemplary embodiments of the present invention are considered to be illustrative and not limiting. Various changes may be made to the described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, in the embodiments for carrying out the invention, the description focuses on far-side airbags in the examples, but the present invention can also be used in near-side airbags (the surface of a vehicle seat far from the vehicle door) and single-seat vehicles (vehicles including a portion with only one seat in a row, regardless of whether there is a door) in ultra-compact vehicles such as small mobility vehicles. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied not only to side airbags but also to various types of airbags that require the airbag to be bent midway.

Claims

1. An airbag device mounted in a vehicle, An airbag that inflates and deploys to restrain the occupant; A tether extending in a deployment direction of the airbag and regulating the deployed shape of the airbag; a holding portion that holds the tether in a slidable state along a surface of the airbag; The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the retaining portion has a bent portion midway along the longitudinal direction.

2. 2. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the tether has a first end connected to a front surface in the seat front-rear direction on a front side of the deployment direction of the airbag, and a second end rearward of the first end on an opposite side from the front of the airbag in the seat front-rear direction.

3. 3. The airbag device of claim 2, wherein the second end is coupled to a vehicle structure.

4. An airbag device as described in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the retaining member forming the retaining portion has a cross-section in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tether shaped like a loop.

5. An airbag device as described in claim 4, characterized in that the retaining member is a long, strip-shaped member connected to the surface of the airbag.

6. An airbag device as described in claim 4, characterized in that the retaining member is a plurality of loop-shaped members connected to the surface of the airbag at predetermined intervals.

7. An airbag device as described in claim 4, characterized in that the retaining member is not positioned at a position corresponding to the bent portion.

8. The airbag device as described in claim 2, characterized in that the airbag has a compression portion in which, when folded, the portion of the holding part closer to the first end than the bent portion is pulled toward the second end, forming wrinkles in the airbag.

9. An airbag device as described in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the airbag is configured to protect the area around the head of an occupant by deploying from near the upper end of the seat of the vehicle.

10. The airbag device of claim 9, characterized in that the airbag comprises: a first chamber for protecting one side of the occupant; a second chamber connected to the first chamber for protecting the front of the occupant's head; a third chamber connected to the second chamber and deploying from the front of the occupant's head to the other side; and a fourth chamber connected to the third chamber and deploying on the other side of the occupant.

11. The airbag comprises: a first chamber for protecting one side of the occupant; a second chamber connected to the first chamber for protecting the front of the occupant's head; a third chamber connected to the second chamber and deployed from the front of the occupant's head to the other side; and a fourth chamber connected to the third chamber for deploying on the other side of the occupant.

3. The airbag device of claim 2, wherein a first end of said tether is connected to said second chamber and a second end of said tether is connected to said first chamber.

12. An airbag device as described in claim 10, characterized in that the retaining portion has a bent portion midway along the longitudinal direction of the retaining portion and in an intermediate portion of the second chamber.

13. The tether has a first end connected to a front surface in the seat fore-and-aft direction ahead of the airbag deployment direction, The first chamber and the second chamber are integrally formed by bonding two base fabrics together, the first end of the tether is connected near a front end of the second chamber; 13. The airbag device according to claim 12, wherein the second chamber is configured to bend from the vicinity of the bent portion in a direction approaching the head of the occupant.

14. The airbag device as described in claim 10, characterized in that the first chamber includes an upper direction portion that first deploys upward and a forward direction portion that is connected to the upper direction portion and deploys forward.

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