Method for folding a vehicle seat and a side airbag

Abstract

To provide a vehicle seat mounted with a side airbag and a method for folding a side airbag which can improve the deployment performance of a head chamber forming the side airbag.SOLUTION: A vehicle seat 14 includes a side airbag 12 having a head chamber 12A. The head chamber 12A is stored along an upper frame of a seat back, and is inflated and deployed between a shoulder belt and a head by receiving the supply of gas from an inflator upon a side impact. The head chamber 12A is stored while being roll-folded from a front end part in a seat longitudinal direction after being folded in a seat vertical direction to reduce a vertical width.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle seat equipped with a side airbag and a method for folding the side airbag.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a side airbag in which a chest section that expands and deploys from a side region of a backrest of a vehicle seat and a head section that expands and deploys from an upper region of the backrest are formed of separate bags and are connected to each other via a tubular filling section. In this side airbag, since the head section expands and deploys between the shoulder belt and the occupant's head, the head can be restrained early during a side collision.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1 above, since the head section is stored along the upper end portion of the seat frame, when the head section is folded and stored in a roll, the head section may overlap with the skeleton of the headrest, which may affect the deployment performance. Therefore, there is room for improvement in this regard in the prior art. Lap Thus, in view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat equipped with a side airbag and a method for folding the side airbag that can improve the deployment performance of a head chamber constituting the side airbag.

[0005]

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] ​ The vehicle seat according to the present invention In the first aspect is stored along the upper frame of the seat back, Of the vehicle and has a side airbag having a head chamber that expands and deploys between the shoulder belt By being supplied from the lower rear side of the seat and the head during a side collision. The head chamber Of the seated occupant is folded back in the vertical direction of the seat to reduce the vertical width, Above the seat rather than the lower rear of the seat where gas from the inflater is supplied and then is stored in a roll-folded state from the front end in the front-rear direction of the seat. Is done width Is small Is done After that, it is stored in a roll-folded state from the front end in the front-rear direction of the seat.

[0007] The vehicle seat according to the present invention In the first aspect In the vehicle seat, Of the vehicle during a side collision, the side airbag is inflated and deployed by receiving gas supply from an inflater. The side airbag has a head chamber stored along the upper frame of the seat back. This head chamber expands and deploys between the shoulder belt Of the seated occupant and the head, Its and restrains the occupant's head early.

[0008] Here, the head chamber Above the seat rather than the lower rear of the seat where gas from the inflater is supplied is folded back in the vertical direction of the seat to reduce the vertical width, Is done width Is small Is done After that, it is stored in a roll-folded state from the front end in the front-rear direction of the seat. Therefore, when the head chamber is stored along the upper frame, it can be stored at a position that does not overlap with the skeleton of the headrest. As a result, the expansion and deployment of the head chamber toward the front side of the seat is not impaired by the headrest, and the deployment performance of the head chamber is improved.

[0009] In this case, "storing the head chamber along the upper frame" is a broad concept that includes not only the case where the entire head chamber is stored along the upper frame but also the case where a part of the head chamber is stored along the upper frame. Also, "during a side collision" includes not only the case where it is detected that an actual side collision has occurred to the vehicle but also the case where it is predicted that a side collision will occur to the vehicle.

[0010] In the vehicle seat according to the present invention, In the second aspect the head chamber is The 1 Aspect in the configuration of, the head chamber is folded back a plurality of times in the vertical direction of the seat Is made in a bellows fold To have a small vertical width by being made into a bellows fold and is.

[0011] In the vehicle seat according to the present invention, In the second aspect the head chamber is folded back a plurality of times in the vertical direction of the seat Is made into a bellows fold with a small vertical width and is. As a result, when the head chamber expands and deploys, the roll fold is released and at the same time the bellows fold is released. And when the bellows fold is released, the head chamber expands upward of the seat and can get over the shoulder belt. As a result, the expansion and deployment of the head chamber toward the front side of the seat is not impaired by the shoulder belt, and the deployment performance of the head chamber is improved.

[0012] In the vehicle seat according to the present invention, In the third aspect the head chamber is The 1 or The 2 Aspect in the configuration of, the head chamber is folded back at the upper end in the vertical direction of the seat Is directed inward in the seat width direction and downward of the seat and is And then folded back inward in the seat width direction and above the seat, resulting in a small vertical width folded back.

[0013] In the vehicle seat according to the present invention, In the third aspect the head chamber is folded back at the upper end in the vertical direction of the seat Is directed inward in the seat width direction and downward of the seat and is And then folded back inward in the seat width direction and above the seat, resulting in a small vertical width folded back. Thus, by folding back the upper end of the head chamber Inner seat width direction in a bellows shape twice toward the side, when the head chamber expands and deploys, the roll fold is released and at the same time the bellows fold is released Or toward the upper side of the seat Width direction toward the inside of the seat. As a result, when the head chamber expands upward of the seat and gets over the shoulder belt, a good deployment space can be secured between the shoulder belt and the headrest, so that the deployment of the head chamber toward the front side of the seat becomes easy.

[0014] The vehicle seat according to the present invention In the fourth aspect is in one of the configurations of 1 to The 1 to The any one of 3, and in this configuration, the head chamber is formed in the seat Second aspect is rolled up Is roll-folded so that the front end in the front-rear direction is drawn into the inner side in the seat width direction and is in a rolled-up state

[0015] The vehicle seat according to the present invention In the fourth aspect is such that the head chamber is rolled up in the seat So that the front end in the front-rear direction is drawn into the inner side in the seat width direction When the head chamber starts to inflate and deploy, the roll-up is released inward in the seat width direction between the shoulder belt and the headrest. As a result, the inflation and deployment of the head chamber toward the front side of the seat are not impaired by the headrest and the shoulder belt, and the deployment performance is improved

[0016] The vehicle seat according to the present invention In the fifth aspect is in one of the configurations of 4 to The 4 to Aspect In this configuration, the side airbag is housed along the shoulder opening from the side portion of the side frame of the seat back, and further has a trunk chamber that inflates and deploys to the side of the trunk during a side collision. The head chamber and the trunk chamber are configured by a single bag Of the vehicle and is stored in a rolled-up state at the front end portion in the seat front-rear direction Receiving gas supply from the inflater for the seated occupant when it is in a rolled-up state And also and is stored The torso chamber at the front end in the seat front-rear direction Is also drawn into the inner side in the seat width direction in a rolled-up Is done state

[0017] The vehicle seat according to the present invention In the fifth aspect is such that the side airbag has a trunk chamber housed along the shoulder opening from the side portion of the side frame of the seat back. During a side collision of the vehicle, the trunk chamber inflates and deploys to the side of the occupant's trunk Receiving gas supply from the inflater for the seated and restrains the trunk Its occupant's at an early stage

[0018] Here, the side airbag is configured by a single bag for the head chamber and the trunk chamber, so that it can be stored along the upper frame through the shoulder opening from the side portion of the side frame. Furthermore 、 the trunk chamber Also, the front end in the longitudinal direction of the seat Is drawn into the inner side in the seat width direction It is stored in a roll-folded state. That is , the head chamber and the body chamber And The entire side airbag including Is Roll folding Is done. As a result The side airbag can be easily folded, and the deployment performance of the head chamber can also be improved.

[0019] According to the present invention In the sixth aspect The folding method of the side airbag is stored along the upper frame of the seat back When there is a side collision of the vehicle, gas from the inflater is supplied from the lower rear side of the seat and expands and deploys between the shoulder belt and the head of the seated occupant A folding method of a side airbag having a head chamber, wherein the head chamber is Above the seat rather than the lower rear of the seat where gas from the inflater is supplied Folded back in the vertical direction of the seat Its To reduce the vertical width First step of doing so, and the head chamber with a reduced vertical width Rolled up from the front end in the longitudinal direction of the seat Second step of doing so, and has It is.

[0020] According to the present invention In the sixth aspect According to the folding method of the side airbag, as described above, the inflation and deployment of the head chamber to the front side of the seat are not impaired by the headrest, and the deployment performance of the head chamber is improved.

Effect of the Invention

[0021] As described above, in the folding method of the vehicle seat and the side airbag according to the present invention, there is an excellent effect that the deployment performance of the head chamber constituting the side airbag can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8, a vehicle seat 14 equipped with the side airbag device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. In each figure, the arrows FR, UP, LH, and RH indicate the front side, upper side, left side, and right side of the vehicle seat 14 on which the side airbag device 10 is mounted, respectively. When explaining using the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions, unless otherwise specified, the front and rear in the seat front-rear direction, the left and right in the seat width direction, and the up and down in the seat up-down direction are indicated.

[0024] Also, in the vehicle seat 14 shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, a dummy P for a collision test is seated instead of an actual occupant. The dummy P is, as an example, AM50 (50th percentile of an adult male in the United States) of the World Side Impact Dummy (WorldSID). In the following description, the dummy is referred to as "occupant P".

[0025] (Vehicle seat) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle seat 14 equipped with the side airbag device 10 includes a seat cushion 16, a seat back 18, and a headrest 20. As an example, the vehicle seat 14 is arranged on the driver's seat on the right side of the vehicle, and the front of the seat coincides with the front of the vehicle. Also, the left and right in the seat width direction coincide with the left and right in the vehicle width direction.

[0026] The seat cushion 16 extends in the front-rear direction and the width direction of the seat, and is configured to support the buttocks and thighs of the occupant P. The seat back 18 is rotatably connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 16 and extends in the up-down direction of the seat, and is configured to support the back of the occupant P. The headrest 20 is provided at the upper end of the seat back 18 and is configured to support the head H of the occupant P.

[0027] (Seat belt device) The occupant P is restrained by the seat belt device 24 on the vehicle seat 14. The seat belt device 24 includes a webbing 26 that restrains the upper body and waist of the occupant.

[0028] The webbing 26 is formed in a long strip shape, and includes a shoulder belt 26A that restrains the upper body of the occupant P to the seat back 18 in the mounted state, and a lap belt 26B that restrains the waist of the occupant. The shoulder belt 26A extends obliquely from the right shoulder of the occupant P to the left waist. And the lower end of the shoulder belt 26A is passed through the tongue plate 28.

[0029] The tongue plate 28 is configured to be detachable from a buckle (reference numeral omitted) provided on the left side of the seat. And by attaching the tongue plate 28 to the buckle, the occupant P is restrained by the webbing 26.

[0030] One end of the webbing 26 that is passed through the tongue plate 28 and folded back extends to the right side of the seat, and the lap belt 26B is formed by the portion extending in the width direction of the seat. For this reason, the left end of the lap belt 26B is connected to the lower end of the shoulder belt 26A. Also, the right end of the lap belt 26B is fixed to a belt anchor (not shown) provided on the floor panel.

[0031] The upper end of the shoulder belt 26A is wound around a shoulder anchor (not shown) provided on the vehicle body. Also, the end of the webbing 26 is wound up by a retractor (not shown).

[0032] (Side airbag device) As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the side airbag device 10 includes a side airbag 12, an inflator 42, and a sock 44.

[0033] The side airbag 12 is housed inside the seat back 18 and is fixed to a seat back frame 30 that constitutes the skeleton of the seat back 18. As partially shown in FIG. 2, the seat back frame 30 is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front-rear direction of the seat, and its left and right side portions are constituted by side frames 32 that extend in the up-down direction of the seat. Further, the upper end portion of the seat back frame 30 is constituted by an upper frame 34 that extends in the seat width direction so as to be bridged over the shoulder openings (upper end portions) of the left and right side frames 32. The side airbag 12 is housed along the upper frame 34 via the shoulder opening from the side portion of the side frame 32 arranged on the right side of the seat in a state of being folded in an elongated rod shape.

[0034] The side airbag 12 expands when gas generated by the inflator 42 is supplied. Also, the side airbag 12 expands and deploys between the body of the occupant P and the side surface in the vehicle interior by breaking the skin on the outer side in the seat width direction of the seat back 18 by the inflation pressure.

[0035] The side airbag 12 is constituted by a single bag forming a bag body, and has a head chamber 12A that constitutes the upper part on the upper side of the seat and a body chamber 12B that constitutes the lower part on the lower side of the seat.

[0036] The head chamber 12A is configured to inflate and deploy between the shoulder belt 26A and the occupant P's head H upon receiving the supply of gas from the inflator 42, covering the side of the head H. Further, the torso chamber 12B is configured to inflate and deploy on the side of the occupant P's torso T (the portion extending from the shoulders through the chest to the waist) upon receiving the supply of gas from the inflator 42, covering the side of the torso T. The detailed configuration of the side airbag 12 will be described later.

[0037] The inflator 42 is a cylinder-type gas generator formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and its axial direction is along the side frame 32 of the seat back 18. Further, a gas ejection portion 42A is provided at the lower end of the inflator 42, and when a side collision of the vehicle is detected or predicted, gas is generated from the gas ejection portion 42A and supplied to the side airbag 12.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 3, a part of the inflator 42 is disposed inside the side airbag 12. The inflator 42 has a stud bolt 48 extending inward in the seat width direction from the outer surface disposed inside the side airbag 12. By inserting the stud bolt 48 through the side frame 32 and tightening it with a nut, it is fixed to the side frame 32 together with the base fabric 50 of the side airbag 12.

[0039] Inside the side airbag 12, a sock 44 made of a cloth material is further provided. Note that the sock 44 is also referred to as a duct, an inner tube, a rectifying cloth, or a diffuser.

[0040] The sock 44 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with open upper and lower ends, and extends in the vertical direction of the seat from the head chamber 12A to the torso chamber 12B. A bag-shaped inflator insertion portion 46 is integrally provided at the rear end of the sock 44, and the gas ejection portion 42A of the inflator 42 and the inside of the sock 44 are communicated with each other through the inflator insertion portion 46. For this reason, the gas supplied from the inflator 42 is configured to flow to the head chamber 12A and the torso chamber 12B through the sock 44.

[0041] (Side airbag) The detailed configuration of the side airbag 12 will be described below. The side airbag 12 is formed in a bag shape by arranging two base fabrics 50 made of, for example, nylon-based or polyester-based fabric materials in the sheet width direction and sewing the outer peripheral portions. In FIG. 3, the sewing portion for sewing the outer peripheral portion of the base fabric 50 is indicated by the reference numeral "S1".

[0042] The upper part of the side airbag 12 forms a head chamber 12A that covers the side of the head H of the occupant P during inflation and deployment. This head chamber 12A is formed in a substantially C shape with a cut portion arranged toward the lower side of the sheet when viewed in the sheet width direction. A belt-like support belt 52 is sewn to the rear end portion of the head chamber 12A. One end of this support belt 52 is attached to a stay 36 (see FIG. 2) that constitutes the framework of the headrest 20, thereby stabilizing the behavior of the head chamber 12A during inflation and deployment.

[0043] The lower part of the side airbag 12 forms a body chamber 12B that covers the side of the body T of the occupant during inflation and deployment. This body chamber 12B is formed in a droplet shape with a downward bulge when viewed in the sheet width direction and extends in the vertical direction along the seat back 18.

[0044] (Folding method of side airbag) As described above, the side airbag 12 configured as described above is stored along the framework of the seat back 18 in a state of being folded into an elongated rod shape. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 4, the folding method of the side airbag 12 will be described. In FIG. 4, the sewing portion S1 of the side airbag 12 is omitted from the illustration.

[0045] The folding method of the side airbag 12 according to the present embodiment is roughly divided into a first step of folding back the head chamber 12A in the seat vertical direction and a second step of roll-folding the side airbag 12 from the front end portion in the seat front-rear direction after completion of the first step.

[0046] Referring to FIGS. 4(A) to 4(C), the first step will be described. In FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B), the folding lines of the head chamber 12A in each step are shown as two-dot chain lines.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 4(A), in the first step, first, the upper end portion of the head chamber 12A in the vertical direction of the seat is folded downward toward the occupant P side (inside the seat). Width direction By this step, the portion that was the upper end portion of the head chamber 12A before folding is folded and becomes the lower end portion.

[0048] Next, as shown in FIG. 4(B), the folded lower end portion is folded upward toward the occupant P side.

[0049] Through the above steps, the head chamber 12A is folded in a bellows-like state by being folded multiple times (twice in this embodiment) in the vertical direction of the seat, and as shown in FIG. 4(C), the vertical width in the folded state becomes smaller. Thus, the first step is completed.

[0050] In the second step, as shown in FIGS. 4(D) and 4(E), the side airbag 12 is roll-folded by winding the base fabric 50 around the long and slender winding shaft rod 40.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 4(D), in the second step, the winding shaft rod 40 in a posture with the substantially vertical direction of the seat as the axial direction is set, and the base fabric 50 of the side airbag 12 is roll-folded inward from the front end portion to the rear end portion in the front-rear direction of the seat of the side airbag 12. In this step, the entire side airbag 12 including the head chamber 12A and the body chamber 12B is roll-folded inward.

[0052] Note that the inward roll-fold is a folding method in which the tip of the roll-fold is wound into a roll shape (roll-folded) so as to be rolled inside the seat. Width direction is a folding method of winding in a roll shape (roll-folding) so that the tip of the roll-folding is wound inside the seat.

[0053] Through the above steps, as shown in Fig. 4(E), the head chamber 12A has the state where the rear end in the longitudinal direction of the sheet at the end of winding is folded inwardly. Thus, the second step is completed.

[0054] The side airbag 12 folded through the first step and the second step has an elongated rod-like form. And, as shown in Fig. 2, when stored in the seat back 18, the head chamber 12A is stored along the upper frame 34 of the seat back frame 30, and the body chamber 12B is stored from the side portion of the side frame 32 along the shoulder opening.

[0055] Note that, since the vertical width of the head chamber 12A is set to be small by the first step described above, the tip (upper end portion) is disposed outside the seat Width direction than the stay 36 of the headrest 20. That is, the head chamber 12A is stored at a position that does not overlap with the skeleton of the headrest 20.

[0056] (Thickness reduction portion and thickness reduction process) Here, Fig. 5 shows a side view of the side airbag 12 folded through the first step and the second step. As shown in this figure, in the state of being folded in a roll shape, the thickness of the side airbag at the time of storage, that is, the folding thickness, is the roll diameter (diameter) φ when the side airbag 12 is viewed from the seat vertical direction (winding axis direction).

[0057] The roll diameter φ of the side airbag 12 becomes larger as the number of sheets of the base fabric 50 laminated in the radial direction increases. Therefore, as the side airbag 12 becomes larger and has a larger capacity, the roll diameter φ becomes larger as the number of times of folding the base fabric 50 increases. In particular, in the head chamber 12A of the present embodiment, since the base fabric 50 is folded back in the seat vertical direction prior to roll folding, the roll diameter φ is larger in a predetermined region than in other regions.

[0058] For example, FIG. 5(B) shows a cross-section obtained by cutting the lower end of the head chamber 12A along the line 5B-5B of FIG. 5(A). In an example of the present embodiment, the lower end of the folded head chamber 12A is a first region 12A1 where the number of base fabrics 50 laminated in the radial direction is relatively small, and the size of its roll diameter φ1 is substantially equal to that of the body chamber 12B.

[0059] On the other hand, FIG. 5(C) shows a cross-section obtained by cutting the upper end of the head chamber 12A along the line 5C-5C of FIG. 5(A). As shown in this figure, in an example of the present embodiment, the upper end of the folded head chamber 12A is a second region 12A2 where the number of base fabrics 50 laminated in the radial direction is larger than that in the first region 12A1. Therefore, the roll diameter φ2 of this second region 12A2 is larger than the roll diameter φ1 of the first region 12A1.

[0060] Here, when the head chamber 12A is stored along the upper frame 34 of the seat back frame 30, the roll diameter φ of the head chamber 12A is the folding thickness in the seat height direction. Therefore, in a region where the roll diameter is large like the second region 12A2, it is necessary to secure a mounting space in consideration of the folding thickness in the seat height direction.

[0061] However, since the headrest 20 is provided above the upper frame 34, there are significant design constraints on the mounting space in the seat height direction (vertical direction of the seat). Therefore, in a region where the roll diameter φ becomes large like the second region 12A2 of the head chamber 12A, it is desirable to provide means for saving the mounting space during storage.

[0062] Therefore, in the present embodiment, in a region where the folding thickness of the head chamber 12A is thick like the second region 12A2, at least a part of the outer peripheral portion of the head chamber 12A is formed with a thickness reduction portion 60. The thickness reduction portion 60 is subjected to a thickness reduction process for reducing the folding thickness of the head chamber 12A by pressurization.

[0063] FIG. 6 schematically shows an example of the thickness reduction process. In this schematic view, the state of the head chamber 12A as viewed from the winding axis direction is shown. As shown in this figure, the thickness reduction process of the present embodiment is a heat press using a mold 62. In the process by heat press, the folded head chamber 12A is arranged at a position facing a recess 64 formed inside the mold 62, and the outer peripheral portion of the head chamber 12A is pressurized and heated within the mold 62. Thereby, the roll diameter φ of the head chamber 12A can be reduced. In FIG. 6, the outer shape of the head chamber 12A before the thickness reduction process is shown by a two-dot chain line.

[0064] Further, the recess 64 of the present embodiment is formed with a substantially circular outer peripheral shape, and the entire circumference of the outer peripheral portion can be evenly pressurized and heated.

[0065] The heat press having the above configuration has a certain effect even when it is composed of the base fabric 50 of the side airbag 12, but it is more preferably a coated base fabric. When the base fabric 50 is composed of a coated base fabric, a part of the surface of the coating material such as silicone resin or nylon resin applied to the base fabric 50 melts and cures again by heating. Therefore, compared with the non-coated base fabric, the shape reduced by pressurization can be well maintained.

[0066] FIG. 2 shows the head chamber 12A housed in the seat back 18 after the thickness reduction process. In FIG. 2, the second region 12A2 in which the thickness reduction portion 60 is formed is shown as a region surrounded by a two-dot chain line. As shown in this figure, the folding thickness of the second region 12A2 is reduced by the thickness reduction portion 60, and the head chamber 12A is set to have a substantially uniform folding thickness from the base end (first region 12A1) to the tip (second region 12A2) housed along the upper frame 34. In this way, the mounting space of the head chamber 12A can be made more space-saving.

[0067] (Deployment behavior of the head chamber) The following describes in detail the behavior of the head chamber 12A during inflation and deployment. First, referring to the plan view of FIG. 7, the behavior of the head chamber 12A will be described.

[0068] When gas from the inflator 42 is supplied to the side airbag 12, the skin at the upper end of the seat back 18 is torn, and the head chamber 12A expands and deploys toward the front side of the seat. At this time, since the head chamber 12A is arranged at a position that does not overlap with the skeleton of the headrest 20 along the upper frame 34, it can be deployed toward the front side of the seat while suppressing interference with the skeleton of the headrest 20.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 7(A), at the initial stage of inflation and deployment, the inner roll fold applied to the rear end of the head chamber 12A is released. At this time, the inner roll fold of the head chamber 12A is released inward between the shoulder belt 26A and the headrest 20, so that a deployment space is secured between the shoulder belt 26A and the headrest 20. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7(B), the head chamber 12A can straddle the shoulder belt 26A and deploy toward the front side of the seat. Width direction As shown in FIG. 7(B), the head chamber 12A can straddle the shoulder belt 26A and deploy toward the front side of the seat.

[0070] Next, referring to the rear view of the vehicle seat 14 shown in FIG. 8, the behavior of the head chamber 12A will be described. As shown in FIGS. 8(A) to 8(C), when the head chamber 12A is inflated and deployed, the roll fold is released, and at the same time, the bellows fold formed by folding the head chamber 12A back and forth in the seat vertical direction is released. When this bellows fold is released, the upper end of the head chamber 12A expands upward on the seat and can easily straddle the shoulder belt 26A.

[0071] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since the head chamber 12A is folded back in the seat vertical direction toward the occupant P side, the bellows fold is released upward and inward on the seat. Therefore, a deployment space for the head chamber 12A can be favorably secured between the shoulder belt 26A and the headrest 20. Width direction Therefore, a deployment space for the head chamber 12A can be favorably secured between the shoulder belt 26A and the headrest 20.

[0072] Even when the upper end of the head chamber 12A is folded back once below the seat and stored, a certain effect of quickly deploying the head chamber 12A above the seat can be obtained. However, by folding it twice as in the present embodiment, the swing of the head chamber 12A in the seat width direction during deployment can be reduced, so the deployability above the seat can be enhanced.

[0073] (Function and Effect) As described above, in the vehicle seat 14 of the present embodiment, during a side collision, the side airbag 12 is inflated and deployed by receiving gas supply from the inflator 42. This side airbag 12 has a head chamber 12A stored along the upper frame 34 of the seat back 18. The head chamber 12A inflates and deploys between the shoulder belt 26A and the head H, and restrains the head H of the occupant P at an early stage.

[0074] Here, the head chamber 12A is folded back in the seat vertical direction to reduce the vertical width, and then stored in a state of being roll-folded from the front end in the seat front-rear direction. Therefore, when the head chamber 12A is stored along the upper frame 34, it can be stored at a position that does not overlap with the skeleton of the headrest 20. As a result, the inflation and deployment of the head chamber 12A toward the front side of the seat is not impaired by the headrest 20, and the deployment performance of the head chamber 12A is improved.

[0075] Also, in the present embodiment, the head chamber 12A is folded back a plurality of times in the seat vertical direction to be pleated. Specifically, the head chamber 12A folds back the upper end in the seat vertical direction downward toward the occupant P side, folds back the folded lower end upward toward the occupant P side, and then is roll-folded from the front end in the seat front-rear direction. As a result, at the initial stage of the inflation and deployment of the head chamber 12A, the roll-fold is released, and at the same time, above the seat and on the seat Width directionThe bellows folds are released toward the inside. As a result, the head chamber 12A expands above the seat to cross over the shoulder belt 26A, and a deployment space is secured between the shoulder belt 26A and the headrest 20. As a result, the inflation and deployment of the head chamber 12A toward the front side of the seat is not impaired by the shoulder belt 26A, and the deployment performance of the head chamber 12A is improved.

[0076] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since it is stored in a state of being internally rolled up from the front end portion in the front-rear direction of the seat, the rear end portion at the end of winding of the head chamber 12A is internally rolled up. As a result, at the initial stage of inflation and deployment of the head chamber, between the shoulder belt and the headrest, the seat Width direction The internal roll fold is released toward the inside. As a result, the inflation and deployment of the head chamber 12A toward the front side of the seat is not impaired by the headrest 20 and the shoulder belt 26A, so that the deployment performance of the head chamber 12A can be enhanced.

[0077] Also, in the present embodiment, the side airbag 12 is composed of a single bag, and the head chamber 12A and the body chamber 12B are stored in a state of being internally rolled up from the front end portion in the front-rear direction of the seat. As a result, by internally rolling up the entire side airbag 12 including the head chamber 12A and the body chamber 12B, the side airbag 12 can be easily folded.

[0078] Also, in the present embodiment, the head chamber 12A has a thickness reduction portion 60 at at least a part of the outer peripheral portion. Since the thickness reduction portion 60 is subjected to a thickness reduction process for reducing the folding thickness by pressurization, by compressing at least a part of the outer peripheral portion, the folded shape can be reduced in size. Therefore, for a portion with a thick folding thickness with respect to the mounting space allowed based on the seat design, by forming the thickness reduction portion 60, it is possible to save space in the mounting space. As a result, it becomes easy to secure a mounting space corresponding to the seat design, and it is possible to cope with an increase in size and capacity of the head chamber 12A.

[0079] Further, the thickness reduction portion 60 of the present embodiment is formed by heat-pressing the outer peripheral portion of the head chamber in the folded state. Since the thickness reduction portion formed in this way does not require an additional member other than the side airbag, the manufacturing process is not complicated and can be easily manufactured.

[0080] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since it is stored in the seat back 18 in a state of being roll-folded from the front end portion in the front-rear direction of the seat, there is little variation in the base fabric at the outer peripheral portion and it is easy to maintain the shape. Therefore, after the head chamber 12A is folded, it is easy to perform the thickness reduction process, and the workability is excellent. [Supplementary Explanation]

[0081] As described above, the vehicle seat 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described. However, it goes without saying that the present invention can be implemented in various modes without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0082] (Modification Example 1 of Thickness Reduction Process) For example, in the heat press used in the above embodiment, the entire circumference of the outer peripheral portion of the head chamber 12A was uniformly pressurized and heated to reduce the folding thickness, but it is not limited to this. For example, as in Modification Example 1 shown in FIG. 9, a concave portion 72 having a substantially elliptical outer peripheral shape is formed in the mold 62 used for the heat press, and the thickness reduction portion 70 is formed so that the shape of the head chamber 12A after processing becomes a flat shape in the seat height direction. Thereby, when the head chamber 12A is stored along the upper frame 34, the folding thickness in the seat height direction can be further reduced by the thickness reduction portion 70.

[0083] Also, the thickness reduction process can be performed with the surface material disposed on the outer peripheral portion of the head chamber 12A in the folded state, as shown in FIG. 10.

[0084] (Modification Example 2 of Thickness Reduction Process) For example, as in Modification 2 shown in FIG. 10(A), the outer peripheral portion of the head chamber 12A may be covered with a heat-meltable surface material 82 and heat-pressed with a mold 62. As an example, the surface material 82 is composed of a heat-melt felt (non-woven fabric) formed of a resin material having heat-melting properties. In the thickness-reduced portion 80 formed in this way, the shape of the head chamber 12A after reduction is maintained by the surface material 82 melted on the surface of the outer peripheral portion. Therefore, the manageability of the side airbag 12 is improved, and it is possible to easily attach it to the seat back 18.

[0085] (Modification 3 of the thickness reduction process) Further, for example, as in Modification 3 shown in FIG. 10(B), the thickness reduction process may be a method that utilizes pressurization based on the contraction force of the surface material 92. The thickness reduction process of this Modification 3 is performed by covering the outer peripheral portion of the folded head chamber 12A with a heat-shrinkable film having heat-shrinkability by heating, and then heating the surface material 92 from the outside. The surface material 92 can form a thickness-reduced portion 90 that pressurizes the outer peripheral portion of the head chamber 12A by the contraction force due to heating and reduces the folded thickness of the head chamber 12A. In Modification 3, the surface material 92 is composed of a film, but it is not limited to this, and it may be composed of a heat-shrinkable tube.

[0086] (Modification 4 of the thickness reduction process) Also, as in Modification 4 shown in FIG. 10(C), the surface material 102 used for the thickness reduction process may be composed of a sheet-like member having shrinkability due to elastic force. As an example, this surface material 102 is a sheet-like member made of a stretchable rubber material, and is wound around the outer peripheral portion of the head chamber 12A in a state stretched by elastic deformation. The head chamber 12A is pressurized by the elastic restoring force of the surface material 102, and a thickness-reduced portion 100 with a reduced folded thickness is formed. Note that the surface material 102 according to Modification 4 is not limited to a sheet-like member, and may be composed of a tube-like member.

[0087] The thickness reduction portions 90 and 100 formed by the thickness reduction process of the above Modification 3 and Modification 4 are covered by the surface materials 92 and 102 at the outer peripheral portions, and the shape after contraction is maintained. Thereby, the manageability of the side airbag is improved, and the attachment to the seat back can be facilitated.

[0088] Furthermore, since the surface materials 92 and 102 have shrinkability due to heat or shrinkability based on elastic force, a dedicated mold or press machine is not required as in the case of performing thickness shrinkage processing by heat pressing. Thereby, the facility scale during manufacturing can be suppressed.

[0089] (Modification 5 of the thickness reduction process) Also, as in the thickness shrinkage process of Modification 5 shown in FIG. 10(D), a surface material 112 that does not have a shrinking force by itself may be used. In this case, for example, by winding the surface material 112 around the outer peripheral portion of the head chamber 12A in a stretched state, a thickness reduction process that pressurizes the outer peripheral portion and reduces the folded thickness is possible. The thickness reduction portion 110 formed in this way can be formed using a known wrapping material used as a packaging material for the airbag, so that the material cost can be suppressed.

[0090] As shown in FIG. 11, in the surface materials 82, 92, 102, and 112 of the thickness reduction portions 80, 90, 100, and 110 according to the above-described Modifications 2 to 5, a cleavage portion 120 is formed facing the front side of the seat in the storage state of the head chamber 12A. As an example, this cleavage portion 120 is formed by arranging a plurality of thin grooves formed on the surface of the surface materials 82, 92, 102, and 112 or a plurality of through holes formed therethrough in a line shape. Thereby, when the side airbag 12 expands and deploys, the surface materials 82, 92, 102, and 112 are quickly cleaved along the cleavage portion 120 by the gas pressure applied from the head chamber 12A. Thereby, the expansion and deployment of the head chamber 12A to the front side of the seat is not impaired by the surface materials 82, 92, 102, and 112, and the deployment performance can be improved.

[0091] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the side airbag 12 is configured to deploy and expand from the side outside the vehicle width direction of the occupant P's body, but the present invention is not limited to this. The side airbag 12 may be configured to deploy and expand from the side inside the vehicle width direction (center side of the vehicle) of the occupant P's body.

[0092] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the side airbag device 10 is mounted on the front seat of the vehicle. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the side airbag device 10 may be mounted on the rear seat of the vehicle.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0093] 12 Side airbag 12A Head chamber 12B Torso chamber 14 Vehicle seat 18 Seat back 26A Shoulder belt 32 Side frame 34 Upper frame 42 Inflator P Occupant H Head

Claims

1. A side airbag having a head chamber that is stored along the upper frame of the seat back and that inflates and expands between the shoulder belt and the head of the seated occupant when gas from an inflator is supplied from the lower rear side of the seat during a side collision of the vehicle. The head chamber of the vehicle seat is stored in a state of being roll-folded from the front end portion in the front-rear direction of the seat after being folded back in the up-down direction of the seat so that the up-down width is reduced after being folded back in the up-down direction of the seat above the lower rear side of the seat where the gas from the inflator is supplied.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the head chamber is formed in a bellows fold that is folded back a plurality of times in the up-down direction of the seat so that the up-down width is reduced.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the head chamber is folded back inward in the seat width direction and downward on the seat side, and then folded back inward in the seat width direction and upward on the seat side, so that the up-down width is reduced.

4. The vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the head chamber is roll-folded such that the front end portion in the front-rear direction of the seat is drawn inward in the seat width direction.

5. The side airbag is further provided with a torso chamber that is stored along the side portion of the side frame of the seat back and extends from the shoulder opening, and that inflates and expands to the side of the torso of the seated occupant when receiving the supply of gas from the inflator during a side collision of the vehicle. The head chamber and the torso chamber of the vehicle seat according to claim 4 are formed of a single bag, and the torso chamber is also stored in a state of being roll-folded such that the front end portion in the front-rear direction of the seat is drawn inward in the seat width direction.

6. A method of folding a side airbag having a head chamber that is stored along the upper frame of the seat back and that inflates and expands between the shoulder belt and the head of the seated occupant when gas from an inflator is supplied from the lower rear side of the seat during a side collision of the vehicle. A first step of folding back the head chamber in the up-down direction of the seat above the lower rear side of the seat where the gas from the inflator is supplied to reduce the up-down width thereof. A second step of roll-folding the head chamber having a reduced up-down width from the front end portion in the front-rear direction thereof. A method of folding a side airbag having the above steps.

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