Airbag device

Abstract

The purpose of this invention is to realize an airbag device with which in the event of a side collision of a vehicle, the durability of a seat can be supported by airbag that inflates and deploys between seats, and occupant-restraining performance can be improved.　One seat 1d and another seat 1n are arranged side by side in the width direction of the vehicle. The airbag device comprises a center side airbag module 20, which has a center side airbag 21 that inflates and deploys toward the vehicle-widthwise center of the occupant 2d sitting in the one seat 1d to protect the occupant, and an inflator 22 for injecting gas that inflates the center side airbag 21. The airbag device also comprises an inter-seat airbag module 30, which has an inter-seat airbag 31 that inflates and deploys so as to fill in the space between the one seat 1d and the other seat 1n and minimizes deformation of the one seat 1d, and an inflator 32 for injecting gas that inflates the inter-seat airbag 31. The center side airbag module 20 is provided on the vehicle-widthwise center side of the one seat 1d. The inter-seat airbag module 30 is provided on the vehicle-widthwise center side of the other seat 1n.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an airbag device that is applied to a vehicle having two or more seats arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, airbag devices are known that restrain and protect an occupant in the event of a side collision of a vehicle. In this type of airbag device, an airbag is inflated and deployed so as to cover the side of an occupant seated in a seat.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes an example of this type of airbag device, a far side airbag device that can protect an occupant against an impact from the far side. This far side airbag device includes an airbag and an inflator that ejects gas to deploy and inflate the airbag. The airbag is fixed to a seat frame in the backrest of a vehicle seat, and is deployed and inflated toward the center of the vehicle compartment. Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which, when inflation gas is ejected from the inflator, forward deployment and inflation of the airbag is promoted rather than upward deployment and inflation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-37287 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, even if the occupant restraint performance of the far side airbag device itself is improved, if the durability of the seat itself is low, the seat will be significantly deformed during a collision, and the airbag will not be able to perform as intended.

[0006] However, conventional airbag devices do not take into consideration the prevention of seat deformation during a side collision. Therefore, if the seat deforms significantly during a side collision, conventional airbag devices may not be able to meet performance standards such as head movement. In addition, improving the durability of the seat itself requires a great deal of time and cost for development.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its main object is to provide an airbag device that can supplement the durability of the seats by inflating and deploying between the seats during a side collision of the vehicle, thereby improving the restraint performance of the occupant.

[0008] In recent years, technology for autonomous vehicles has been advancing. Autonomous vehicles do not require driving operations, and passengers have more freedom in their posture and state while driving. For example, it is expected that the front row seats will be rotated 180 degrees from the forward-facing direction relative to the vehicle, so that passengers in the front row seats can talk to passengers in the rear row seats while facing each other.

[0009] For this reason, in autonomous vehicles, it is necessary to appropriately select an airbag that needs to be deployed to protect the occupants. A second object of the present invention is to provide an airbag device that suppresses deformation of the seat even in such autonomous vehicles, thereby improving the occupant restraint performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention provides an airbag device for use in a vehicle having at least a first seat and a second seat arranged side by side in a vehicle width direction of the vehicle, a center side airbag module including a center side airbag that inflates and deploys at a vehicle width center side of an occupant seated in a first seat to protect the occupant, and an inflator that ejects gas to inflate the center side airbag; an inter-seat airbag module having an inter-seat airbag that inflates and deploys to fill a space between a first seat and a second seat to suppress deformation of the first seat, and an inflator that ejects gas to inflate the inter-seat airbag, The center side airbag module is an airbag device provided on the center side of the first seat in the vehicle width direction, and the between-seat airbag module is provided on the center side of the second seat in the vehicle width direction.

[0011] In the present invention, the inter-seat airbag may be configured such that, when inflation and deployment is complete, it comes into contact with the side surfaces of the side portions of the backrest portions of the first seat and the second seat, and presses the side portions of the backrest portions against each other.

[0012] In the present invention, when inflation and deployment is completed, the inter-seat airbag may have a higher internal gas pressure than the center side airbag.

[0013] In the present invention, the inter-seat airbag may be configured to be out of contact with an occupant seated in the first seat when inflation and deployment are completed.

[0014] The present invention provides a second center side airbag module having a second center side airbag that inflates and deploys at the vehicle width center side of an occupant seated on a second seat to protect the occupant, and an inflator that ejects gas to inflate the second center side airbag, the second center side airbag module being provided at the vehicle width center side of the second seat, The vehicle may include a second inter-seat airbag module having a second inter-seat airbag that inflates and deploys to fill the space between the first seat and the second seat to suppress deformation of the first seat, and an inflator that injects gas to inflate the second inter-seat airbag, and the second inter-seat airbag module may be provided on the center side of the first seat in the vehicle width direction.

[0015] The present invention relates to a vehicle that can run with a first seat and a second seat rotated from a forward-facing state relative to the vehicle, the first seat backrest has a center side airbag module provided at one end in the vehicle width direction of the backrest, a third center side airbag module provided at the other end, an inter-seat airbag module provided at one end in the vehicle width direction of the backrest, a second seat backrest has a third inter-seat airbag module provided at the other end, a status acquisition means for acquiring and recording the status of each of the first sheet and the second sheet; a selection means for selecting an airbag required to restrain and protect an occupant seated in the first seat or the second seat from moving in a direction in which an inertial force acts, based on the information acquired by the state acquisition means; The vehicle may further comprise a control means for transmitting a signal to the inflator so that the airbag selected by the selection means is inflated and deployed in the event of a side collision.

[0016] The present invention may further include a means for transmitting a signal to an inflator so as to inflate and deploy an inter-seat airbag provided in a seat adjacent to the seat in which the airbag selected by the selection means is provided. Effect of the Invention

[0017] In the present invention, of the seats lined up in the vehicle width direction, one seat is equipped with a center side airbag, and the other seat is equipped with an inter-seat airbag. When a side collision occurs from the far side, the center side airbag is inflated and deployed to protect the side parts (head, shoulders, abdomen, and waist) of the occupant on the center side in the vehicle width direction, while the inter-seat airbag is inflated and deployed to fill the space between the seats lined up in the vehicle width direction.

[0018] In the event of a far-side collision, an occupant in the first seat will move significantly laterally (towards the center of the vehicle) from the shoulders upward, but the inflated center side airbag will restrain the occupant from moving laterally. In addition, in this invention, the inter-seat airbag inflated and deployed between the first and second seats prevents deformation of the first seat in which the occupant protected by the center site airbag is seated.

[0019] As a result, the present invention can prevent seat deformation from impairing the performance of the center side airbag, such as making it impossible to meet performance standards for head movement. Compared to conventional far side airbag devices, the present invention reduces problems caused by seat deformation, resulting in improved occupant restraint performance.

[0020] In the present invention, it is preferable that the gas pressure inside the inter-seat airbag is higher than that of the center side airbag when inflation and deployment is completed. In order to make the inside of the inter-seat airbag highly pressurized, the inter-seat airbag is preferably configured to inflate and deploy at a position where it does not come into contact with an occupant seated in the first seat.

[0021] In a normal airbag device, the gas pressure inside the airbag must be designed taking into consideration the danger to the occupant, but if a structure is adopted in which the inter-seat airbag is inflated and deployed at a position where it does not come into contact with the occupant, it is possible to make the inter-seat airbag as high-pressure as the resistance of the seats allows, thereby further improving the effect of the inter-seat airbag in suppressing deformation of the adjacent seats.

[0022] Additionally, in autonomous vehicles, the airbags that need to be deployed to protect the occupants vary depending on the orientation of the seat relative to the vehicle's direction of travel.

[0023] In the present invention, if the vehicle is configured to include a status acquisition means for acquiring and recording the status of each of the first and second seats, a selection means for selecting an airbag required to protect an occupant seated in the first or second seat by restraining them from moving in the direction in which inertial force acts based on the information acquired by the status acquisition means, and a control means for transmitting a signal to an inflator so that the airbag selected by the selection means inflates and deploys in the event of a side collision, it becomes possible to adequately protect occupants even when the seats are rotated and used while driving in autonomous driving mode. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1A is a front view of two seats arranged side by side in a vehicle width direction, on which an airbag device according to an embodiment is mounted. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a top view of each sheet of FIG. 1A. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A is a diagram showing a state in which the airbag device according to the embodiment is attached to the seat frame of each seat. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is a top view of the attached state of FIG. 2A. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A is a front view of the airbag device according to the embodiment after inflation and deployment is completed. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a top view of the fully inflated and deployed state of FIG. 3A. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a side view showing an example of a center side airbag. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of the portion of FIG. 4A in which the inflator is housed, as viewed from above. [Figure 4C] FIG. 4C is a perspective view showing an example of an inter-seat airbag. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a view of an airbag device according to a first modified example of the embodiment in a state where inflation and deployment have been completed, as viewed from the front. [Figure 5B]FIG. 5B is a diagram showing the airbag device according to the first modified example of the embodiment as viewed from above in a mounted state. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a front view of two seats arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction, on which an airbag device according to a second modified example of the embodiment is installed. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a diagram showing the airbag device according to the second modified example of the embodiment as viewed from above in a mounted state. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is a front view of an airbag device according to a second modified example of the embodiment in a state where inflation and deployment have been completed. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a top view of the fully inflated and deployed state of FIG. 7A. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a control unit, a sensor, and a memory for implementing the second modified example of the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing the state acquisition means, the selection means, and the control means executed in the control unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiment is merely an example of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

[0026] In the present invention, an "occupant" refers to a person having a physique equivalent to that of an average male in the United States, conforming to a frontal collision test dummy (Hybrid III AM50 / frontal collision test dummy determined by the NHTSA [National Highway Traffic Safety Administration] standard [49CFR Part572 Subparts E and O]), with approximate dimensions of 175 cm in height, 88 cm in seated height, and 78 kg in weight.

[0027] In addition, in this specification, "upper" and "upper side" may refer to the head direction of the occupant 2d, 2n seated in the normal position of the seat 1d, 1n, and "lower" and "lower side" may refer to the foot direction of the occupant 2d, 2n. Here, "normal position" refers to the center position of the seat cushion 3d, 3n in the left-right direction of the seat 1d, 1n, where the back of the occupant 2d, 2n contacts the backrest 4d, 4n of the seat 1d, 1n from top to bottom. In addition, "front" and "front side" may refer to the front direction of the occupant 2d, 2n seated in the normal position of the seat 1d, 1n, and "rear" and "rear side" may refer to the back direction of the occupant 2d, 2n. In addition, "left" and "left side" may refer to the left hand direction of the occupant 2d, 2n seated in the normal position of the seat 1d, 1n, and "right" and "right side" may refer to the right hand direction of the occupant 2d, 2n.

[0028] This embodiment is an airbag device 10 applied to a vehicle having one seat 1d and another seat 1n arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, the one seat 1d is a driver's seat, the other seat 1n is a passenger seat, and an occupant 2d seated in the one seat 1d operates the steering wheel 7. Although the interior of the vehicle is omitted in FIG. 1A, a center console may be provided between the one seat 1d and the other seat 1n. In FIG. 1B, the bottom side of the page indicates the traveling direction of the vehicle. The one seat 1d corresponds to the first seat, and the other seat 1n corresponds to the second seat.

[0029] [Seat configuration] The first seat 1d and the second seat 1n each include a seat cushion 3d, 3n and a backrest 4d, 4n. Inside the backrest 4d, 4n, seat back frames 8d, 8n are provided that form the framework of the first seat 1d and the second seat 1n. A pad made of, for example, urethane foam material is provided on and around the surface of the seat back frame 8d, 8n. The surface of the pad is covered with a skin such as leather or fabric.

[0030] Although not shown in Fig. 2A, a seating frame is provided on the bottom side of the seat cushions 3d, 3n. A pad is provided on the upper surface and periphery of the seating frame, and the surface of the pad is covered with a skin. The seating frame and the seat back frame 8d, 8n are connected via a reclining mechanism.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 2A, the seat back frames 8d, 8n include side frames that are spaced apart from each other on the left and right and extend in the vertical direction, and an upper frame that connects the upper ends of the side frames together. The seat back frames 8d, 8n may also include a lower frame that connects the lower ends of the side frames together, and may be configured in a frame shape.

[0032] The seat back frames 8d, 8n are molded from resin or metal, and the side frame portions can have, for example, an L-shaped or U-shaped cross section. The side frames have frame side walls extending in the front-rear direction when viewed from above in horizontal section. The airbag device 10 is fixed to the frame side walls of the first seat 1d and the second seat 1n, for example. The backrests 4d, 4n have side support portions that bulge forward at the sides in the vehicle width direction. There is a space inside the side support portions where no pad is arranged, and the airbag device 10 is stored using this space.

[0033] A headrest 6 is attached to the upper end of the backrests 4d, 4n via a rod-shaped support member 5. The support member 5 is located between the upper part of the backrests 4d, 4n and the lower part of the headrest 6. In the following, for example, when the occupant 2d is used as a reference, the side farther from the door for the seat 1d may be referred to as the "far side."

[0034] [Airbag device configuration] The airbag device 10 of this embodiment comprises a center side airbag module 20 mounted on one seat 1d, and an inter-seat airbag module 30 mounted on the other seat 1n.

[0035] The center side airbag module 20 is attached to a side frame portion on the center side in the vehicle width direction of the seatback frame 8d of one seat 1d, and is attached to the front side within the side support portion of the backrest portion 4d (see FIGS. 2A and 2B).

[0036] The center side airbag module 20 is equipped with a center side airbag 21 that inflates and deploys forward from the side support portion of the backrest portion 4d at the center side of the vehicle width direction of an occupant 2d seated in one seat 1d to protect the sides (head, shoulders, abdomen, and waist) of the occupant 2d, and a cylindrical inflator 22 that is installed inside the center side airbag 21 and ejects gas into the center side airbag 21 to inflate it.

[0037] The center side airbag 21 is a bag made of cloth that is longer in the up-down direction than in the front-to-rear direction, as shown in Fig. 4A for example. The outer periphery of a pair of base fabric panels 23 formed symmetrically on the left and right sides is sewn together by stitching 24 so as to have a thickness in the left-right direction.

[0038] When laid flat, the center side airbag 21 is, for example, rolled up from the front to the rear or folded accordion-like from the front to the rear, so that its dimension in the front-to-rear direction is shortened and it assumes the storage configuration when stored in the seat 1d.

[0039] Two stud bolts 22a are provided at an appropriate interval in the longitudinal direction on the outer surface of the inflator 22. The center side airbag 21, which is wound in a roll or folded in a bellows shape, is attached to the seat back frame 8d by using these stud bolts 22a.

[0040] The rear side of the center side airbag 21 is fixed to the far side of the backrest 4d of the seat 1d, and the center side airbag 21 inflates and deploys forward from the fixed location.

[0041] The inter-seat airbag module 30 is attached to a side frame portion on the center side in the vehicle width direction of the seatback frame 8n of the other seat In, and is attached to the rear side within the side support portion of the backrest portion 4d (see Figs. 2A and 2B).

[0042] The inter-seat airbag module 30 includes an inter-seat airbag 31 that inflates and deploys in the vehicle width direction from the side support portion of the backrest portion 4n to fill the space between the one seat 1d and the other seat 1n, thereby suppressing deformation of the one seat 1d in which the center side airbag 21 is stored, and a cylindrical inflator 32 that is installed inside the inter-seat airbag 31 and ejects gas into the inter-seat airbag 31 to inflate it.

[0043] The inter-seat airbag 31 is a bag body that has a required height in the up-down direction and is long in the left-right direction, as shown in FIG. 4C, for example, and is formed into a box shape by sewing together a plurality of base fabric panels so that it has a constant thickness in the front-rear direction as well.

[0044] When laid flat, the inter-seat airbag 31 is, for example, rolled up from the front to the rear or folded accordion-like from the front to the rear, so that its dimension in the front-to-rear direction is shortened and it assumes the storage configuration when stored in the seat 1n.

[0045] Two stud bolts 32a are provided at an appropriate interval in the longitudinal direction on the outer surface of the inflator 32. The inter-seat airbag 31 is fixed to the seat back frame 8n by using the stud bolts 32a in a rolled or bellows-like folded state.

[0046] [Configuration when fully expanded] In this embodiment, when inflation and deployment is completed, the inter-seat airbag 31 has a higher internal gas pressure than the center side airbag 21. The pressure between the airbags is adjusted by, for example, adjusting the amount of gas ejected from the inflator 22 and the inflator 32.

[0047] In this embodiment, when the inflation and deployment is completed, the inter-seat airbag 31 is inflated and deployed to a position where it does not come into contact with the occupant sitting in the one seat 1d. This inflation and deployment position is adjusted, for example, by setting the storage position of the inter-seat airbag module 30 to the rear side in the side support portion of the backrest 4n, and setting the storage position of the center side airbag 21 to the front side in the side support portion of the backrest 4d.

[0048] In this embodiment, the inter-seat airbag 31 may be configured to inflate and deploy at a position where it does not overlap with the center side airbag 21 when viewed from the side after inflation and deployment is complete. Alternatively, as long as the deployment behavior of the inter-seat airbag 31 is not hindered, the inter-seat airbag 31 may be configured to inflate and deploy at a position where there is a portion that partially overlaps with the center side airbag 21 when viewed from the side after inflation and deployment is complete.

[0049] [Effects of this embodiment] In the airbag device 10 according to this embodiment, when an impact is applied to the vehicle due to a side collision from the far side as viewed from one seat 1d (a collision from the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3A), the inflator 22 receiving a signal from the sensor injects gas into the center side airbag 21, which inflates and deploys to protect the side part (head, shoulders, abdomen, and waist) of the occupant 2d on the center side in the vehicle width direction. Also, the inflator 32 receiving a signal from the sensor injects gas into the inter-seat airbag 31, which inflates and deploys.

[0050] At this time, when the inter-seat airbag 31 has completed inflation and deployment, it comes into contact with the side surfaces of the side portions of the backrest portions 4d, 4n of the one seat 1d and the other seat 1n, more specifically, it comes into contact with, for example, the entire area of ​​the side surfaces, and presses the sides of the backrest portions 4d, 4n against each other.

[0051] In this embodiment, the inter-seat airbag 31 inflates and deploys between the one seat 1d and the other seat 1n to suppress deformation of the one seat 1d on which the center side airbag 21 is installed and on which the occupant 2d is seated. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the problem of the performance of the center side airbag 21 being impaired due to deformation of the seat 1d is reduced, and the occupant restraint performance is improved.

[0052] In this embodiment, the inter-seat airbag 31 is configured to inflate and deploy at a position that does not contact the occupant 2d, and the gas pressure of the inter-seat airbag 31 is set higher than the gas pressure of the center side airbag 21. For example, if the inter-seat airbag 31 is pressurized as high as the resistance of the seat 1d allows, the effect of suppressing deformation of one seat 1d can be further improved.

[0053] [First Modification of the Embodiment] As shown in FIG. 5B, this modified example has a configuration in which a second inter-seat airbag module 40 is provided behind the center side airbag module 20 in the backrest portion 4d of one seat 1d, and a second center side airbag module 50 is provided in front of the inter-seat airbag module 30 in the backrest portion 4d of the other seat 1n.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 5A, the second inter-seat airbag module 40 includes an inter-seat airbag 41 that inflates and deploys to fill the space between the one seat 1d and the other seat 1n, suppressing deformation of the other seat 1n, and an inflator 42 that injects gas to inflate the inter-seat airbag 41.

[0055] The second center side airbag module 50 includes a center side airbag 51 that inflates and deploys toward the center in the vehicle width direction of an occupant 2n seated in the other seat 1n to protect the occupant 2n, and an inflator 52 that injects gas to inflate the center side airbag 51.

[0056] According to this modified example, in the event of a far-side collision as viewed from the other seat 1n (a collision from the direction of the arrow in Figure 5A), the center side airbag 51 inflates and deploys to protect the side area (head, chest, abdomen, and waist) of the occupant 2n seated in the other seat 1n that is toward the center of the vehicle width direction, and the inter-seat airbag 41 inflates and deploys between the one seat 1d and the other seat 1n to prevent deformation of the other seat 1n.

[0057] Other configurations of this modified example, such as the configurations of the center side airbag module 20 and the inter-seat airbag module 30, are the same as those described in the above embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0058] [Second Modification of the Embodiment] The vehicle of this modified example is an autonomous vehicle, and as shown in FIG. 6A, when the vehicle is traveling in the autonomous driving mode, it can travel autonomously without a driver. The first seat 1d and the second seat 1n are rotated 180 degrees in their respective positions, and the passengers 2d and 2n are seated facing in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle. The steering wheel 7 is not used, and is slid to a position between the first seat 1d and the second seat 1n. In FIG. 6B, the upper side of the paper indicates the traveling direction of the vehicle.

[0059] In this modification, in addition to providing the center side airbag module 20 described in the above embodiment at one end in the vehicle width direction of the backrest 4d of the one seat 1d, a third center side airbag module 60 is provided at the other end in the vehicle width direction of the backrest 4d. As shown in Fig. 7A, the third center side airbag module 60 includes a third center side airbag 61 that inflates and deploys to the side of the occupant 2d seated in the one seat 1d, and an inflator 62 that supplies gas to the third center side airbag 61.

[0060] In this modification, in addition to providing one end of the backrest 4n of the other seat 1n in the vehicle width direction as described in the above embodiment, a third inter-seat airbag module 70 is provided at the other end of the backrest 4n in the vehicle width direction. As shown in Fig. 7A, the third inter-seat airbag module 70 includes a third inter-seat airbag 71 that inflates and deploys to fill the space between the one seat 1d and the other seat 1n and suppresses deformation of the one seat 1d, and an inflator 72 that supplies gas to the third inter-seat airbag 71.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 8, the vehicle of this modified example includes a control unit 100, a sensor 101, and a memory 102. The control unit 100 is specifically configured by a microcomputer equipped with a CPU. The memory 102 is configured by, for example, a ROM. The control unit 100 is, for example, fixed and stored in a seat back frame 8d of the backrest portion 4d. The control unit 100 executes an application stored in the memory 102 in the CPU, and executes, for example, the process shown in the flowchart of Fig. 9.

[0062] The vehicle of this modified example includes a plurality of sensors 101. The sensor 101 detects, for example, the state of the first seat 1d and the second seat 1n, and the respective states of the occupants 2d, 2n seated in each seat. The state of the first seat 1d and the second seat 1n detected by the sensor 101 includes the orientation of each seat. The orientation of each seat is determined, for example, by setting a state in which the first seat 1d and the second seat 1n are facing in the same direction as the forward direction of the vehicle as a reference position (0 degrees), and individually detecting how many degrees the first seat 1d and the second seat 1n have been rotated from this reference position.

[0063] The information detected by the sensor 101 may include, in addition to the orientation of the first seat 1d and the second seat 1n, the reclining angle of the backrests 4d, 4n, the presence or absence of occupants 2d, 2n, and whether or not the seat belts are fastened.

[0064] In other words, the sensor 101 is a sensor group consisting of multiple sensors 101, and in addition to including a sensor for detecting a vehicle collision and a sensor for detecting the orientation of the one seat 1d and the other seat 1n, it may also include a sensor for detecting the tilt angle of the backrest portions 4d, 4n, a sensor for detecting the load applied to the seat cushions 3n, 3d, a sensor for detecting whether the anchor portion of the seat belt is fastened to the buckle portion, and the like.

[0065] In this modified example, as shown in FIG. 6B, a third center side airbag module 60 is provided on the side opposite to the position where the center side airbag module 20 is provided in the backrest portion 4d of one seat 1d, and a third inter-seat airbag module 70 is provided on the side opposite to the position where the inter-seat airbag module 30 is provided in the backrest portion 4d of the other seat 1n.

[0066] In an autonomous vehicle, the airbag that needs to be deployed to protect the occupant differs depending on the orientation of the seat relative to the vehicle's traveling direction. Therefore, the control unit 100 performs the control described below to determine an inflator that will activate an airbag required to protect the occupant from among the inflators 22, 32, 62, and 72, and transmits an activation signal to that inflator.

[0067] Fig. 9 is a flow chart showing an example of processing performed by the control unit 100 of this modified example. First, the control unit 100 acquires data on the state of the one seat 1d and the other seat 1n from the sensor 101 (step S1). In the case of the state of Fig. 6A, data indicating that each seat is rotated 180 degrees is acquired. This step S1 corresponds to a state acquisition means.

[0068] Next, the control unit 100 selects an airbag that needs to be deployed to protect the occupant 2d, for example (step S2). Specifically, the control unit 100 selects an airbag that is required to protect the occupant 2d seated in one seat 1d by restraining the occupant 2d from moving in the direction in which the inertial force acts when a side collision occurs, based on the information acquired by the state acquisition means (step S1).

[0069] For example, when the vehicle is traveling in the autonomous driving mode as shown in Fig. 6A, in order to prepare for a side collision from the far side as seen from the occupant 2d, it is necessary to suppress the occupant moving toward the part where the impact is applied. In other words, since it is necessary to receive and protect the occupant 2d moving toward the center in the vehicle width direction, unlike the normal driving mode described in the above embodiment, it is necessary to select the third center side airbag 61 rather than the center side airbag 21. Also, in order to suppress deformation of one seat 1d, it is necessary to select the third inter-seat airbag 71 rather than the inter-seat airbag 31. This step S2 corresponds to a selection means.

[0070] Next, the control unit 100 determines whether or not a collision requiring the deployment of an airbag has been detected based on information from the sensor 101 (step S3). If the control unit 100 has not detected a collision in step S3, the process proceeds to No, and the processes of steps S1 and S2 are repeated at regular intervals. On the other hand, if the control unit 100 has detected a collision in step S3, the process proceeds to Yes.

[0071] In the next step S4, the control unit 100 transmits an activation signal to the inflator 62 of the center side airbag module 60 selected by the selection means (step S2). This activates the inflator 62, causing the center side airbag 61 to inflate and deploy, thereby restraining the occupant 2d from moving toward the center in the vehicle width direction.

[0072] In addition, in step S4, in order to suppress deformation of the one seat 1d in which the center side airbag 61 selected by the selection means (step S2) is installed, a signal is also sent to the inflator 72 so that the inter-seat airbag 71 installed in the other seat 1n is inflated and deployed. These steps S3 and S4 correspond to the control means.

[0073] Other configurations of this modified example, such as the configurations of the center side airbag module 20 and the inter-seat airbag module 30, are the same as those described in the above embodiment, and therefore will not be described again. When the vehicle of this modified example is driven in normal mode and a side collision occurs from the far side as seen by the occupant 2d, the center side airbag 21 and the inter-seat airbag 31 inflate and deploy.

[0074] According to this modified example, when the one seat 1d and the other seat 1n are rotated 180 degrees relative to the forward direction of the vehicle, the center side airbag 61 and the inter-seat airbag 71 that can handle a side collision from the far side as seen from the one seat 1d (a collision from the direction of the arrow in Figure 7A) are selected, and when a collision occurs, these airbags are deployed to protect the occupant 2d from the impact of the accident.

[0075] In this modified example, the airbag that needs to be deployed to protect the occupant is selected before the collision, and the system is prepared for a side collision. Therefore, in this modified example, the time until the airbag starts to deploy can be shortened.

[0076] [Other variations] In the above-described embodiment, either one of the seats 1d and the other seat 1n may be the driver's seat, or may be a seat in an autonomous vehicle in which there is no concept of a fixed driver's seat.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the first seat 1d and the second seat 1n do not need to be the front row of the vehicle, and may be, for example, the second row or other rows in a large vehicle having captain seats. Also, the vehicle may have one or more seats arranged side by side in addition to the first seat 1d and the second seat 1n. The vehicle may have a center console between the first seat 1d and the second seat 1n.

[0078] In the above-described embodiment, the center side airbag 21 may be configured to include a head cushion portion that inflates and deploys to cover one side of the head of the occupant 2d seated in one seat 1d, and a torso cushion portion that inflates and deploys to cover one side of the torso (from the shoulders to the abdomen) of the occupant 2d. In this case, the protection range of the torso cushion portion may be configured to be from the shoulders to the waist of the occupant 2d.

[0079] In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 100 may be stored inside the seat cushions 3d, 3n or the headrest 6, or may be fixed to the back side of the seat cushions 3d, 3n.

[0080] In the above-described embodiment, if the center console of the vehicle is large, the space in which the inter-seat airbag 31 can be inflated and deployed is narrowed. In this case, the inter-seat airbag 31 may be configured to inflate and deploy along the upper surface of the center console.

[0081] In the above-described embodiment, the first and second modified examples may be combined. That is, one seat 1d may be equipped with the center side airbag module 20, the second inter-seat airbag 40, and the third inter-seat airbag module 60, and the other seat 1n may be equipped with the inter-seat airbag module 30, the second center side airbag 50, and the third inter-seat airbag module 70.

[0082] In the above-described embodiment, when the control unit 100 determines that no occupant is seated in the one seat 1d and / or the other seat 1n based on information from a sensor that detects the load on the seat cushions 3d, 3n, the control means (step S3) may determine that deployment of the airbag is not necessary. [Industrial Applicability]

[0083] The airbag device of the present invention can be applied to both the front and rear seats of a vehicle. The airbag device of the present invention can be modularized so that all or part of the airbag device can be applied to a plurality of vehicle models, regardless of the layout of the vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1d One seat (1st seat) 1n Other seat (2nd seat) 2d,2n crew 3d,3n seat cushion 4d, 4n Backrest 5 Supporting member 6 Headrest 7. Steering 8d,8n Seat back frame 10 Airbag device 20 Center side airbag module 21 Center side airbag 22 Inflator 30 Seat Airbag Module 31 Seat airbag 32 Inflator 40 Second seat airbag module 41 Second seat airbag 42 Inflator 50 2nd center side airbag module 51 2nd center side airbag 52 Inflator 60 3rd center side airbag module 61 3rd center side airbag 62 Inflator 70 Third seat airbag module 71 Third seat airbag 72 Inflator

Claims

1. An airbag device for use in a vehicle having at least a first seat and a second seat arranged side by side in a vehicle width direction of the vehicle, a center side airbag module including a center side airbag that inflates and deploys at a vehicle width direction center side of an occupant seated in the first seat and an inflator that ejects gas to inflate the center side airbag; an inter-seat airbag module including an inter-seat airbag that inflates and deploys to fill a space between the first seat and the second seat, and an inflator that ejects gas to inflate the inter-seat airbag, the center side airbag module is provided on a center side of the first seat in a vehicle width direction, and the between-seat airbag module is provided on a center side of the second seat in a vehicle width direction, a second center side airbag module having a second center side airbag that inflates and deploys at a vehicle width center side of an occupant seated on the second seat and an inflator that ejects gas to inflate the second center side airbag, the second center side airbag module being provided at the vehicle width center side of the second seat, An airbag device comprising: a second inter-seat airbag module having a second inter-seat airbag that inflates and deploys to fill the space between the first seat and the second seat, and an inflator that injects gas to inflate the second inter-seat airbag, the second inter-seat airbag module being provided on the center side of the first seat in the vehicle width direction.

2. An airbag device for use in a vehicle having at least a first seat and a second seat arranged side by side in a vehicle width direction, a center side airbag module including a center side airbag that inflates and deploys at a vehicle width direction center side of an occupant seated in the first seat and an inflator that ejects gas to inflate the center side airbag; an inter-seat airbag module including an inter-seat airbag that inflates and deploys to fill a space between the first seat and the second seat, and an inflator that ejects gas to inflate the inter-seat airbag, the center side airbag module is provided on a center side of the first seat in a vehicle width direction, and the between-seat airbag module is provided on a center side of the second seat in a vehicle width direction, The vehicle is capable of traveling in a state in which the first seat and the second seat are rotated from a forward-facing state relative to the vehicle, the center side airbag module is provided at one end of a backrest portion of the first seat in a vehicle width direction, a third center side airbag module is provided at the other end, the inter-seat airbag module is provided at one end of a backrest portion of the second seat in a vehicle width direction, and a third inter-seat airbag module is provided at the other end, a status acquisition means for acquiring and recording the status of each of the first sheet and the second sheet; a selection means for selecting an airbag required to restrain and protect an occupant seated in the first seat or the second seat from moving in a direction in which an inertial force acts, based on the information acquired by the state acquisition means; and control means for transmitting a signal to an inflator so that the airbag selected by the selection means is inflated and deployed in the event of a side collision.

3. An airbag device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, when inflation and deployment is complete, the inter-seat airbag contacts the side surfaces of the side portions of the backrest portions of the first seat and the second seat, and presses the side portions of the backrest portions against each other.

4. An airbag device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, when inflation and deployment is complete, the inter-seat airbag has a higher internal gas pressure than the center side airbag.

5. An airbag device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein when inflation and deployment is complete, the inter-seat airbag is out of contact with an occupant seated in the first seat.

6. An airbag device as described in claim 2, wherein the control means includes a means for transmitting a signal to an inflator so as to inflate and deploy an inter-seat airbag provided in the other seat adjacent to the seat in which the airbag selected by the selection means is provided.

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