Airbag and folding method thereof

Abstract

To provide an airbag which enables an auxiliary chamber to deploy in a direction in which an arm of an occupant is pushed up to push up the arm easily, and to provide a folding method of the airbag.SOLUTION: An airbag 13 includes a bag-like airbag body 20 which is expanded and deployed from a folded and stored state to the side of an occupant by a gas being introduced thereinto. The airbag body 20 has: a main chamber 22; and an auxiliary chamber 23 communicating with the main chamber 22, protruding from the main chamber 22 to the occupant side, and having a capacity smaller than that of the main chamber 22. The auxiliary chamber 23 is folded to the rear lower side in a direction opposite to a direction, in which an arm of the occupant is pushed up, in a non-deployment state and located at a position facing a lower part of the arm of the occupant in a deployment state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an airbag having a bag-shaped airbag body that is inflated and deployed to the side of an occupant when gas is introduced from a folded and stored state, and to a folding method thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a side-impact airbag device that deploys an airbag to the side of an occupant seated in a vehicle seat to protect the occupant during a side collision. In a side-impact airbag device, it is desirable to have the airbag push up the occupant's arms so that the arms are not interposed between the occupant and the airbag, thereby reducing the load (injury value) on the chest caused by the arms. In this regard, for example, there is known an airbag that includes a main chamber and a sub-chamber located on the occupant's side of the main chamber, with the upper ends of each chamber inclined upward toward the outside of the vehicle, so that the upper end of the main chamber or the upper end of the sub-chamber pushes up the occupant's arms even for occupants of different physiques (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-147041 A (page 7, Figures 1-6) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The sub-chamber merely protrudes from the center of the main chamber on the passenger compartment side, and there is room to consider more desirable deployment behavior when gas flows into the sub-chamber.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and has as its object to provide an airbag and a folding method thereof that can easily push up the arms of an occupant by expanding the auxiliary chamber in the direction of pushing up the arms of the occupant. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The airbag described in claim 1 comprises a bag-shaped airbag body that is inflated and deployed to the side of an occupant by introducing gas from a folded and stored state, the airbag body having a main chamber and an auxiliary chamber that is connected to the main chamber, protrudes from the main chamber toward the occupant, and has a smaller volume than the main chamber, and the auxiliary chamber is folded downward and rearward in a non-deployed state, which is opposite to the direction in which the occupant's arms are pushed up, In a folded state, the bag comprises a pocket portion formed by pushing the outer shell over the rear and lower portion, and a surplus portion formed over the rear and lower portion of the auxiliary chamber by the outer shell forming one edge of the pocket portion and overlapping the outer shell forming the other edge side of the pocket portion, and a surplus adjustment portion is formed in the surplus portion to accommodate a part of the surplus portion, In the deployed state, the armrest is positioned opposite the lower part of the occupant's arm.

[0007] request request 2 The airbag described in claim 1 In the airbag described above, the excess adjustment portion is formed in a stepped shape in which a part of the excess portion is pushed in.

[0008] Claim 3 The airbag described in claim 1 or 2 In the airbag described, the auxiliary chamber has a push-up portion in the outer shell that follows the set angle of the arm of a predetermined side collision dummy.

[0009] Claim 4 The airbag described in claim 1 to claim 2 is 3 In any one of the airbags described above, the sub-chamber has an exhaust hole at the front upper side for discharging gas, and gas is introduced from the rear lower side.

[0010] Claim 5The method for folding an airbag described in the document involves folding a bag-shaped airbag body that is provided with a main chamber and an auxiliary chamber that is connected to the main chamber, protrudes from the main chamber toward the occupant, and has a smaller volume than the main chamber, and that is inflated and deployed to the side of the occupant by introducing gas from a folded and stored state, and the auxiliary chamber is folded downward and rearward, which is in the opposite direction to the direction in which the occupant's arms are pushed up. During this folding, the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber is pushed downward toward the rear into the auxiliary chamber to form a pocket extending over the rear and lower part of the auxiliary chamber, and by forming this pocket, a portion of the surplus part located over the rear and lower part of the auxiliary chamber is pushed into the surplus part in a stepped manner by the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber, which forms one edge of the pocket, and the surplus part is then placed on the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber which forms the other edge of the pocket. It is something 。 [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the airbag of claim 1, The airbag can be easily folded downward and rearward, in the opposite direction to the direction in which the occupant's arms are pushed up. The gas introduced into the auxiliary chamber can inflate and deploy the auxiliary chamber in a direction that pushes up the arms of the occupant, making it easy to push up the arms of the occupant.

[0012] request request 2 According to the airbag described in claim 1 In addition to the effects of the airbag described above, the excess portion can be folded compactly without changing the direction of inflation and deployment of the excess portion.

[0013] Claim 3 According to the airbag described in claim 1 or 2 In addition to the effects of the airbag described above, when the sub-chamber is inflated and deployed, the push-up portion can effectively push up the arms.

[0014] Claim 4 According to the airbag described in claim 1 to claim 2, 3 In addition to the effects of any one of the airbags described above, the internal pressure of the auxiliary chamber can be increased early by ensuring time for the gas introduced into the auxiliary chamber to be discharged through the exhaust hole, thereby enhancing the effect of pushing up the arms.

[0015] Claim 5 According to the described airbag folding method, The airbag can be easily folded downward and rearward, in the opposite direction to the direction in which the occupant's arms are pushed up. The auxiliary compartment can be easily folded so that it can be deployed in the direction of pushing up the occupant's arms and the arms can be easily pushed up. 。 [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 5A to 5D are side views showing a folding method of the auxiliary chamber of the airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention in the order of FIGS. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a position corresponding to II in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the airbag in a deployed state as viewed from inside the vehicle compartment. [Figure 4] 4A to 4F are side views showing how to fold the airbag in this order. [Figure 5] 3A to 3D are side views schematically illustrating the inflation and deployment behavior of the airbag in this order. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] In Fig. 3, reference numeral 10 denotes an airbag device. The airbag device 10 is attached to a seat (seat) S in the passenger compartment of an automobile, which is an attachment member, and constitutes a so-called side airbag device that inflates and deploys between an occupant H, who is a protected object seated in the seat S, and an oncoming object, such as a door or window, to protect the occupant H. The occupant H is represented by a side collision dummy defined by, for example, WorldSID-50M or SID-IIs. The occupant H includes a chest CT including arms (upper arms) AR, shoulders SH, abdomen AB, and waist WA. Directions such as front, rear, both sides, and up and down are based on the direction of travel of the automobile, and in Fig. 3 and other figures, arrow F indicates the front, arrow R indicates the rear, arrow U indicates the up, and arrow D indicates the down.

[0019] The airbag device 10 includes an inflator 12 that generates and injects gas, an airbag 13 that inflates and deploys using the gas supplied by the inflator 12, a fixing device (not shown) that connects the inflator 12 and the airbag 13 and fixes them to the seat S, and a resin case (not shown) that serves as a cover for storing these components.

[0020] The inflator 12 includes a substantially cylindrical main body 17 and a gas supply unit 18 protruding from one end of the main body 17. The other end of the main body 17 is provided with a terminal (not shown) for operating the inflator 12. The gas supply unit 18 is disposed at one end of the main body 17. In this embodiment, the inflator 12 is disposed with the gas supply unit 18 located below the main body 17.

[0021] The fixture, which may also be called a retainer, is formed, for example, by bending a metal plate along the outer periphery of the inflator 12. With the fixture holding the inflator 12, a bolt, which is an attachment means, is passed through the airbag 13, and then inserted into a member such as a frame that constitutes the seat S, and then a nut is screwed and tightened, thereby fixing the fixture, the inflator 12, and the rear end of the airbag 13 to the seat S.

[0022] 1(a) and 3, the airbag 13 includes a bag-shaped airbag main body 20. The airbag main body 20 includes a main chamber 22 that is inflated and deployed by the introduction of gas to protect the shoulders SH, chest CT, abdomen AB, and waist WA of the occupant H, and a sub-chamber 23 that is inflated and deployed by the introduction of gas to push up the arms AR (raise the arms).

[0023] The main compartment 22 is formed in a bag-like shape that is flat in the vehicle width direction by overlapping one or more base fabrics and joining the vicinity of the outer periphery by sewing or the like, except for an opening 25 at the rear end where parts are inserted. The main compartment 22 is formed longitudinally in the vertical direction, with the upper side forming a chest / abdominal protection section that protects the shoulders SH and abdomen AB of the occupant H, and the lower side forming a waist protection section that protects the waist WA of the occupant H. The upper end of the main compartment 22 can be deployed, for example, up to the vicinity of the shoulders SH of the occupant H.

[0024] The outer shell of the airbag body 20 that constitutes the main chamber 22 has an occupant-facing portion 26 that is located inside the vehicle cabin when the main chamber 22 is inflated and faces the side of the occupant H, and a vehicle-body-facing portion 27 that is located outside the vehicle cabin and faces the vehicle body, such as the door trim and window portions, when the main chamber 22 is inflated. A gas introduction portion 28 that communicates with the opening 25 and houses the inflator 12 is provided inside the main chamber 22. The gas introduction portion 28 is located at the rear end of the main chamber 22 and is the rear terminal portion in the deployment direction of the airbag body 20 (airbag 13).

[0025] A rectifying section 30 that houses the inflator 12 is disposed in the gas introduction section 28. The rectifying section 30, which is also called a diffuser, is formed from one or more base fabrics and is disposed in a cylindrical shape surrounding the inflator 12. The rectifying section 30 is positioned to extend longitudinally above and below the inflator 12. The rectifying section 30 is formed with a communication port 31, which is an opening through which the gas injected from the inflator 12 is introduced into the main chamber 22. The communication port 31 is formed in a position facing the front of the gas supply section 18 of the inflator 12.

[0026] The auxiliary chamber 23 is formed in a bag shape that protrudes toward the interior of the vehicle, i.e., toward the occupant H, relative to the main chamber 22 by overlapping one or more base fabrics on the main chamber occupant-facing portion 26 of the outer shell of the main chamber 22 and joining the vicinity of its outer periphery to the main chamber occupant-facing portion 26 by sewing or the like. The auxiliary chamber 23 is located near the front of the main chamber 22. In the example shown in the figure, the auxiliary chamber 23 is located in a position ranging from the center to the front end of the main chamber 22. The auxiliary chamber 23 is also located near the center of both the upper and lower ends of the main chamber 22. The auxiliary chamber 23 is formed to have a smaller volume than the main chamber 22. The interior of the auxiliary chamber 23 is in communication with the communication port 31 via a flow path 33 formed inside the airbag body 20. The flow path 33 is located below the rear of the auxiliary chamber 23.

[0027] In this embodiment, the auxiliary compartment 23 has an auxiliary compartment general section 34 and an auxiliary compartment bulging section 35, which is a three-dimensional section that bulges further inward from the auxiliary compartment general section 34 toward the vehicle interior, i.e., toward the occupant H. The auxiliary compartment bulging section 35 is located near the center of the auxiliary compartment general section 34 in the up-down direction and extends in the front-to-rear direction.

[0028] The outer shell of the airbag main body 20 that constitutes the auxiliary chamber 23 has a first auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 40 that forms the upper part of the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber 23, a push-up portion 41 connected to the lower part of the first auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 40, a second auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 42 that is a bulging facing portion connected to the lower part of the push-up portion 41, a rear side portion 43 connected to the rear part of the second auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 42, a lower side portion 44 connected to the lower part of the second auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 42, and a third auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 45 connected to the lower part of the lower side portion 44. These may be formed from a single base fabric or multiple base fabrics.

[0029] The first auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 40 is located at the top of the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber 23. The first auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 40 forms the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber general portion 34. The first auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 40 is the portion that faces the sides of the arms AR of the occupant H when the auxiliary chamber 23 (auxiliary chamber general portion 34) is in an inflated state.

[0030] The push-up portion 41 forms the upper end of the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber expansion portion 35. The push-up portion 41 is a portion that pushes up the arms AR of the occupant H from below when inflated and deployed. In other words, the push-up portion 41 is a portion that faces the lower part of the arms AR of the occupant H when the auxiliary chamber 23 (auxiliary chamber expansion portion 35) is in an inflated state. The push-up portion 41 extends in the front-to-rear direction. The push-up portion 41 is formed in a surface shape that gradually slopes downward from the rear to the front. The slope of the push-up portion 41 is linear. The slope of this push-up portion 41 is set in accordance with a preset angle of the arms AR of the occupant H. Here, the preset set angle of the arms AR is a predetermined set angle determined in a side collision experiment, and is fixed at, for example, 45° forward with respect to a reference line SL that is along the center of the arms AR positioned to the side of the occupant H when viewed from the side. If the push-up portion 41 is not linear, the angle of an imaginary line connecting both front and rear ends of the push-up portion 41 is set as the inclination angle of the push-up portion 41, for example.

[0031] The second auxiliary compartment occupant-facing portion 42 forms the main portion of the outer shell of the auxiliary compartment bulge 35. The second auxiliary compartment occupant-facing portion 42 is the portion that faces the side of the occupant H's chest CT below the occupant H's arms AR when the auxiliary compartment 23 (auxiliary compartment bulge 35) is in an inflated state. The second auxiliary compartment occupant-facing portion 42 is located closer to the vehicle interior, i.e., closer to the occupant H, than the first auxiliary compartment occupant-facing portion 40 and the third auxiliary compartment occupant-facing portion 45. The second auxiliary compartment occupant-facing portion 42 is the most protruding surface in the auxiliary compartment 23 that protrudes most toward the occupant H. In this embodiment, the second auxiliary compartment occupant-facing portion 42 is formed in a triangular shape that gradually narrows in the vertical direction from the rear to the front.

[0032] The rear side portion 43 forms the rear end portion of the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber expansion portion 35. The rear side portion 43 is positioned to extend in the vertical direction along the rear edge portion of the second auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 42 when the auxiliary chamber 23 (auxiliary chamber expansion portion 35) is in an inflated state.

[0033] The lower portion 44 forms the lower end of the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber expansion portion 35. The lower portion 44 is positioned to extend in the front-rear direction along the lower edge of the second auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 42 when the auxiliary chamber 23 (auxiliary chamber expansion portion 35) is in an inflated state.

[0034] The push-up portion 41, the second auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 42, the rear portion 43, and the lower portion 44 form the auxiliary chamber bulge portion 35, which protrudes in the shape of a triangular prism with its axial direction aligned with the vehicle width direction relative to the auxiliary chamber general portion 34 toward the inside of the vehicle compartment, i.e., toward the occupant H.

[0035] The third auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 45 is located at the lowest part of the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber 23. The third auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 45 forms the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber general portion 34. The third auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 45 is the portion that faces the side of the abdomen AB of the occupant H when the auxiliary chamber 23 (auxiliary chamber general portion 34) is in an inflated state.

[0036] The auxiliary chamber 23 is also formed with an exhaust hole 47 for discharging gas therein. The exhaust hole 47 is also called a vent hole, etc. In this embodiment, the exhaust hole 47 is formed in the upper front part of the auxiliary chamber 23. In the example shown, the exhaust hole 47 is formed in the upper front end part of the auxiliary chamber general part 34. That is, the exhaust hole 47 is formed in the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber 23, in the first auxiliary chamber occupant-facing part 40. The exhaust hole 47 is also located in a position in the auxiliary chamber 23 diagonally with respect to the flow path 33 into which gas flows.

[0037] Furthermore, mounting holes are formed near the rear end of the airbag body 20. The mounting holes are arranged vertically in a row.

[0038] The airbag device 10 is assembled by inserting an assembly combining the inflator 12 and the fixing device into the airbag main body 20, pulling the bolts of the fixing device out through the mounting holes of the folded airbag main body 20, and folding the airbag 13 into an appropriate state.

[0039] A method for folding the airbag 13 will now be described.

[0040] First, the airbag 13 folds the auxiliary chamber 23 of the airbag main body 20. As shown in FIG. 1( a), the auxiliary chamber 23 pushes the second auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 42 toward the rear and lower side, that is, toward the lower rear corner of the auxiliary chamber 23 where the rear side portion 43 and the lower side portion 44 join. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1( b), the push-up portion 41 is placed flush or nearly flush with the second auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 42 toward the main chamber 22, and the second auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 42 is recessed along the rear side portion 43 and the lower side portion 44. This forms a pocket 50 that extends to the rear and lower part of the auxiliary chamber 23 and has a space outside the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber 23. Furthermore, one edge of the pocket 50 on the passenger compartment side, which is the edge on the passenger compartment side where the rear side portion 43 and the lower side portion 44 and the second auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 42 overlap, is formed as an excess portion 51.

[0041] 1(c), a portion of surplus portion 51 is folded in steps and pushed into surplus portion 51 for storage. At this time, a portion of surplus portion 51, in this embodiment, the rear portion of surplus portion 51, is picked up, and in the outer shell of auxiliary chamber 23, rear portion 43 and second auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 42 overlapping rear portion 43 are opened, and the portion connected to the front portion is folded in steps so as to be pushed between rear portion 43 and second auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 42, to form surplus adjustment portion 53. Here, "folded in steps" refers to a folding method in which mountain folds and valley folds are positioned alternately, and in this embodiment, surplus adjustment portion 53 is so-called "pushed in step fold" in which valley fold portion 53a is pushed further back (upper) than mountain fold portion 53b. In the example shown in the figure, the surplus adjustment portion 53 is formed so as to push the front portion of the surplus portion 51 into the rear portion of the surplus portion 51, but this is not limited to this, and the surplus adjustment portion 53 may also be formed so as to push the rear portion of the surplus portion 51 into the front portion of the surplus portion 51.

[0042] Then, the surplus portion 51, partially accommodated by the surplus adjustment portion 53, is placed on the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber 23, which forms the other edge side of the pocket portion 50 that is the outer edge of the compartment, i.e., the second auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 42. As a result, the pocket portion 50 is crushed in the vehicle width direction, and the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber 23 is folded flat and placed on the main chamber 22, as shown in FIGS. 1(d) and 2. In this state, the surplus portion 51 is folded into a folded shape in which the rear side of the surplus adjustment portion 53 is inclined upward toward the rear, and the front side of the surplus adjustment portion 53 is inclined downward toward the front. In addition, the push-up portion 41 is located flat at a position above and in front of the surplus portion 51. In particular, the auxiliary chamber bulge 35 of the auxiliary chamber 23 is folded downward toward the rear, which is the opposite direction to the pushing-up direction of the arms AR of the occupant H shown in FIG. 3.

[0043] Thereafter, the airbag 13 folds the entire airbag body 20. As shown in FIG. 4(a), the airbag 13 first folds the lower end of the airbag body 20 upward in the vehicle width direction from a predetermined imaginary line L1 along the front-rear direction to form a lower folded portion 55, which is a first folded portion, as shown in FIG. 4(b). At this time, the lower folded portion 55 is formed, for example, by a portion of the airbag body 20 below the airflow straightening portion 30. The folding method of the lower folded portion 55 may be any method, such as accordion folding or roll folding, and the type is not important. The number of folds of the lower folded portion 55 can also be changed depending on the shape.

[0044] Next, the front end of the airbag body 20 is folded rearward in the vehicle width direction to form a front folding portion 56, which is a second folding portion, as shown in FIG. 4(c). At this time, the front folding portion 56 is folded at least to a position where the exhaust hole 47 (FIG. 4(b)) is blocked. In this embodiment, the front folding portion 56 is folded rearward to near the center of the auxiliary chamber 23 in the fore-and-aft direction. In the example shown, the front folding portion 56 is folded to the position of the surplus portion 51 at the surplus adjustment portion 53. The folding method of the front folding portion 56 may be any method, such as accordion folding or roll folding, and the type is not important. The number of folds of the front folding portion 56 can also be changed depending on the shape.

[0045] Thereafter, the upper end of the airbag body 20 is folded downward in the vehicle width direction along a predetermined imaginary line L2 along the front-rear direction to form an upper folded portion 57, which is a third folded portion, as shown in Figure 4(d). At this time, the tip of the upper folded portion 57 is positioned to block the exhaust hole 47.

[0046] Furthermore, the front end of the airbag body 20 is folded rearward in the vehicle width direction to the position of the mounting hole to form a folded portion 58 as shown in FIG. 4(e). The folding method of the folded portion 58 may be any method, such as roll folding or accordion folding, and the type is not important. Preferably, the folded state of the folded portion 58 is maintained by a holder 60.

[0047] In this state, the upper part of the folding portion 58 is folded downward to overlap the front part of the folding portion 58, and the tip end thereof is further folded upward to form a first folding portion 58a of the folding portion 58 that forms the portion from the lower end of the airbag main body 20 to the auxiliary chamber 23 (FIG. 4(d)), and a second folding portion 58b of the folding portion 58 that forms the portion from above the auxiliary chamber 23 (FIG. 4(d)) to the upper end of the airbag main body 20. Preferably, the second folding portion 58b, together with the first folding portion 58a, is held in the folded state by a holder 61.

[0048] With the airbag 13 folded in this manner, the airbag device 10 is stored in a case (not shown) as needed, and then stored on the side of the seat S. The bolts of the fasteners are then fastened to a member such as the frame of the seat S using nuts or the like, thereby attaching the airbag device 10 to the automobile seat S. Furthermore, the terminals of the inflator 12 of the airbag device 10 are connected, for example, via a harness, to a control device serving as control means provided on the vehicle side. The control device includes a CPU and is connected to one or more sensors, which send an ignition signal to activate the inflator 12 in response to the occupant H and the state of the collision. The sensors include, as needed, a CCD camera, a weight sensor built into the seat S, and a seat slide / recline sensor that detects the fore-and-aft position and reclining state of the seat S to detect the body shape and posture of the occupant H. The sensors also include collision detection sensors on the sides of the vehicle body to detect the state of the collision.

[0049] Therefore, when the vehicle receives an impact such as a side collision, the control device activates the inflator 12 in a state appropriate for protecting the occupant H based on the sensing signals of each sensor, and injects gas from the gas supply unit 18. Then, due to the pressure of this gas, the airbag 13 opens the cover, protrudes from the seat S, and inflates and deploys into the gap between the occupant H and the door trim and window.

[0050] At this time, gas injected from the gas supply portion 18 of the inflator 12 toward the outer periphery is introduced from the communication port 31 into the main chamber 22 and the auxiliary chamber 23 via the flow path 33, and the airbag main body 20 expands, thereby releasing the hold by the retainers 60, 61.In the initial stage of deployment, as shown in Figure 5(a), the second folded portion 58b of the folded portion 58 deploys upward, and then the airbag main body 20 deploys up and down and forward as shown in Figure 5(b).

[0051] In this state, the exhaust hole 47 (FIG. 5(c)) of the airbag main body 20 is folded into the front folding portion 56, so that the gas introduced into the auxiliary chamber 23 is not discharged. Therefore, in the middle of the deployment stage, the gas introduced into the auxiliary chamber 23 increases the internal pressure of the auxiliary chamber 23 early, causing the second auxiliary chamber occupant-facing portion 42, the push-up portion 41, the rear portion 43, and the lower portion 44 to rise, and the auxiliary chamber expansion portion 35 to protrude into the vehicle cabin. At this time, the bottom of the pocket 50 rises forward and upward, and the auxiliary chamber expansion portion 35 expands forward and upward so that the surplus portion 51 expands and deploys forward and upward together with the push-up portion 41. Therefore, the flow rate of gas flowing in the same direction as this expansion direction is high, and as shown in FIGS. 5(c) and 5(d), the push-up portion 41 applies a large amount of energy (load) to the arm AR to push it forward and upward, easily pushing up the arm AR as shown in FIG. 3. In addition, the auxiliary chamber general portion 34 of the auxiliary chamber 23, which expands in the vehicle width direction due to the introduction of gas, restrains and protects the chest CT of the occupant H. Furthermore, the main chamber 22, which expands in the vehicle width direction due to the introduction of gas, restrains and protects the shoulders SH, abdomen AB, and waist WA of the occupant H.

[0052] Furthermore, in the later stage of deployment, the gas introduced into the auxiliary chamber 23 is discharged from the exhaust hole 47 due to the exposure of the exhaust hole 47, and the auxiliary chamber 23 maintains an appropriate internal pressure.

[0053] In this way, by folding the auxiliary chamber 23 downward and rearward in the opposite direction to the direction in which the arms AR of the occupant H are pushed up in the non-deployed state, the gas introduced into the auxiliary chamber 23 can inflate and deploy the auxiliary chamber 23 in approximately the same direction as the upward and forward direction that pushes up the arms AR of the occupant H, and by positioning the auxiliary chamber 23 so that it faces the lower parts of the arms AR of the occupant H in the deployed state, it is possible to easily and efficiently push up the arms AR of the occupant H. Therefore, the arms AR of the occupant H are not interposed between the occupant H and the inflated and deployed airbag main body 20, and the load (injury value) on the chest CT by the arms AR can be reduced.

[0054] Specifically, the airbag main body 20 forms a pocket 50 by pushing the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber 23 over the rear and lower part, and by overlapping the surplus part 51 formed over the rear and lower part of the auxiliary chamber 23 by the outer shell forming one edge of the pocket 50 with a portion of it housed in the surplus adjustment part 53 on the outer shell forming the other edge of the pocket 50, the auxiliary chamber 23 can be easily folded downward and rearward, in the opposite direction to the pushing direction of the occupant H.

[0055] Furthermore, by forming the surplus adjustment section 53 in a stepped shape by pressing in a part of the surplus section 51, the surplus section 51 can be folded compactly without changing the direction of expansion and deployment of the surplus section 51.

[0056] By forming the push-up part 41 of the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber 23 along the set angle of the arm AR of a predetermined side collision dummy, the arm AR can be effectively pushed up by the push-up part 41 when the auxiliary chamber 23 is inflated and deployed.

[0057] By forming an exhaust hole 47 on the upper front side of the auxiliary chamber 23 and introducing gas into the auxiliary chamber 23 from the lower rear side, it is possible to ensure time for the gas introduced into the auxiliary chamber 23 to be discharged from the exhaust hole 47, and to increase the internal pressure of the auxiliary chamber 23 early, thereby enhancing the effect of the push-up part 41 in pushing up the arm part AR.

[0058] Furthermore, when folding the airbag 13, the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber 23 is pushed toward the rear and lower side into the auxiliary chamber 23 to form a pocket portion 50 extending over the rear and lower part of the auxiliary chamber 23, and by forming the pocket portion 50, a portion of the surplus portion 51 which forms one edge of the pocket portion 50 and is located over the rear and lower part of the auxiliary chamber 23 is pushed in a stepped manner into the surplus portion 51 and stored therein, while the surplus portion 51 is overlapped on the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber 23 which forms the other edge side of the pocket portion 50, thereby allowing the auxiliary chamber 23 to unfold in the direction of pushing up the arms AR of the occupant H, making it possible to easily fold the airbag 13 so that the arms AR can be easily pushed up.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the shapes and configurations of the inflator 12 and the airbag 13 are not limited to those described above, and various configurations can be used. [Industrial Applicability]

[0060] The present invention is, for example, stored in the side of a car seat and deployed between the occupant and the door to It is used as a so-called side airbag to protect passengers. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 13 Airbag 20 Airbag body 22 Main room 23 Antechamber 41 Push-up section 47 Exhaust hole 50 Pocket 51 Surplus 53 Surplus adjustment section AR arm H Crew

Claims

1. The airbag is provided with a bag-shaped airbag body that is folded and stored and then inflated and deployed to the side of the occupant by introducing gas. The airbag main body includes: The main room and an auxiliary chamber that is in communication with the main chamber, protrudes from the main chamber toward the occupant, and has a smaller volume than the main chamber; In a non-deployed state, the auxiliary chamber is folded downward and rearward, in the opposite direction to the direction in which the occupant's arms are pushed up. In the folded state, the auxiliary chamber is provided with a pocket portion formed by pushing the outer shell across the rear and lower portion, and an excess portion formed across the rear and lower portion of the auxiliary chamber by the outer shell that forms one edge of the pocket portion and that is overlapped with the outer shell that forms the other edge side of the pocket. A excess adjustment portion that accommodates a part of the excess portion is formed in the excess portion, and in a deployed state, the excess portion is positioned to face the lower portion of the occupant's arms. An airbag characterized by:

2. The excess adjustment portion is formed in a stepped shape in which part of the excess portion is pressed in.

2. The airbag according to claim 1.

3. The auxiliary chamber has a push-up section on the outer shell that follows the set angle of the arm of a specified side impact dummy.

3. The airbag according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The auxiliary chamber has an exhaust hole on the upper front side to discharge gas, and gas is introduced from the lower rear side.

4. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the airbag is a casing.

5. A method for folding an airbag, the method comprising: folding a bag-shaped airbag body that is provided with a main chamber and an auxiliary chamber that is in communication with the main chamber, protrudes from the main chamber toward an occupant, and has a smaller volume than the main chamber; the airbag body inflates and deploys to the side of an occupant when gas is introduced from a folded and stored state; The auxiliary chamber is folded downward and rearward in the opposite direction to the direction in which the occupant's arms are pushed up, and during this folding, the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber is pushed downward and rearward into the auxiliary chamber to form a pocket extending over the rear and lower parts of the auxiliary chamber. By forming this pocket, a portion of the surplus portion located over the rear and lower parts of the auxiliary chamber is pushed into the surplus portion in a stepped manner by the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber, which forms one edge of the pocket, and the surplus portion is then placed on the outer shell of the auxiliary chamber which forms the other edge of the pocket. A method for folding an airbag.

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