Rear seat occupant protection system

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a vehicle rear seat occupant protection device having improved occupant restraint performance. [Solution] An airbag cushion 108 of an airbag device 100 includes: a cushion front surface portion 118 extending along a seat back surface portion 112; a cushion upper surface portion 122 extending rearward from an upper end of the cushion front surface portion 118; a cushion lower surface portion 124 extending rearward from a lower end of the cushion front surface portion 118; and a cushion rear surface portion 126 joining a rear end of the cushion upper surface portion 122 and a rear end of the cushion lower surface portion 124. The seat back surface portion 112 has a back surface upper portion 112a in the vicinity of an upper end of a seat back 106 and a back surface curved portion 112b that is curved so as to protrude forward from the back surface upper portion 112a. The cushion front surface portion 118 has a front surface upper portion 118a extending along the back surface upper portion 112a, and a front surface bulging portion 118b formed below the front surface upper portion 118a and bulging forward further that the front surface upper portion along the back surface curved portion 112b.

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle rear seat occupant protection device that restrains rear seat occupants. [[Background Art]]

[0002] In recent vehicles, airbag devices are almost universally installed as standard equipment. An airbag device is a safety device that operates in an emergency such as a vehicle collision, and it receives and protects an occupant by using an airbag cushion that inflates and deploys under gas pressure. There are various types of airbag devices depending on the installation location and application. For example, in the driver's seat, a front airbag is provided at the center of the steering wheel. Further, in the passenger seat, a passenger airbag is provided on the instrument panel and its surrounding parts.

[0003] At present, airbag devices for protecting rear seat occupants have also been developed. For example, FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1 discloses an airbag that inflates and deploys rearward from the rear surface of the seat back of a front seat. According to this airbag, it is possible to suitably restrain the occupant of a rear seat from the front side. [[Prior Art Documents]] [[Patent Documents]]

[0004] [[Patent Document 1]] Specification of Chinese Utility Model No. 202283906 [[Summary of the Invention]]

[0005] However, the seat back of a seat is often a smooth area covered by a surface covering. Therefore, there is a risk that the airbag cushion for protecting a rear seat occupant can hardly obtain a reaction force from the seat back when pushed forward by the rear seat occupant. [[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0006] In view of these problems, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle rear-seat occupant protection device with improved occupant restraint performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, a typical configuration of the vehicle rear-seat occupant protection device according to the present invention is a vehicle rear-seat occupant protection device comprising: a seat back portion that forms the back of the seat back of a vehicle seat; an airbag cushion that is stored in a predetermined storage form in the seat back portion and inflates and deploys between the seat back portion and a rear-seat occupant seated in the rear seat behind the seat; and an inflator that supplies gas to the airbag cushion, wherein the airbag cushion has a cushion front portion that extends vertically along the seat back portion; a cushion upper portion that extends rearward from the upper end of the cushion front portion; a cushion lower portion that extends rearward from the lower end of the cushion front portion; and a cushion rear portion that connects the rear end of the cushion upper portion and the rear end of the cushion lower portion in the vertical direction, wherein the cushion front portion has a flat portion that extends along the seat back portion and a bulging portion that is formed above or below the flat portion and bulges forward of the flat portion.

[0008] The airbag cushion described above has a bulge on the front of the cushion, making it easier to contact the back of the seat back. Therefore, when a rear-seat passenger makes contact with the airbag cushion from behind, the front of the cushion makes broad contact with the back of the seat back, generating a reaction force that allows for a more stable posture and effective restraint of the rear-seat passenger.

[0009] The seat back portion described above has an upper back portion near the top edge of the seat back and a curved back portion that curves forward from the upper back portion and extends toward the seat cushion of the seat below, with a flat portion extending along the upper back portion and a bulging portion formed below the flat portion and bulging forward along the curved back portion.

[0010] In a typical seat bag, the upper part of the seat back is raised towards the rear compared to the lower curved part of the seat back. In contrast, in the above configuration, the upper flat part of the front of the airbag cushion is retracted towards the rear compared to the lower bulge. Therefore, when the airbag cushion inflates and deploys, the flat part avoids excessive pressure on the upper part of the seat back, while the flat part and the bulge part make contact with each other along the upper part of the seat back and the curved part of the seat back, respectively. This suppresses vertical and horizontal oscillations, allowing for more stable inflation and deployment. Thus, the above configuration makes it possible to realize a rear-seat occupant protection device with improved occupant restraint performance.

[0011] When the above airbag cushion is viewed from the side, the tangent line of the upper surface of the cushion and the tangent line of the rear surface of the cushion may intersect at an acute angle.

[0012] With the above configuration, the upper corner formed by the upper and rear surfaces of the cushion is sharp, making it easier for the occupant's head to come into contact with the upper corner. Furthermore, since the aforementioned bulge is provided diagonally opposite the upper corner, this configuration allows the airbag cushion to efficiently absorb the load received from the rear-seat occupant.

[0013] When the rear passenger's head comes into contact with the corner between the upper and rear portions of the cushion, the front portion of the cushion may come into contact with the back of the seat, and the lower portion of the cushion may come into contact with the rear passenger's thigh.

[0014] According to the above configuration, the airbag cushion can utilize the seat back and the rear passenger's thighs as reaction surfaces, thereby enabling it to restrain the rear passenger's head and upper body in a more stable position.

[0015] The rear-seat occupant protection device of the vehicle may further include a gas supply unit provided on the back of the seat to supply gas to the airbag cushion.

[0016] According to the above configuration, it becomes possible to efficiently supply gas to the airbag cushions that are shaped to follow the upper back and curved sections of the back.

[0017] The above airbag cushion may further have a gas receiving portion formed on a flat surface and connected to a gas supply portion.

[0018] As described above, the front of the cushion has a shape in which the upper flat portion is set back relative to the lower bulge portion, thereby preventing the flat portion from excessively pressing against the upper part of the seat back. Furthermore, a gas receiving portion is provided at the top of the bulge portion, so that when gas is supplied from the gas receiving portion, the upper flat portion and the lower bulge portion inflate and expand so that they come into contact with each other along the upper part of the seat back and the curved part of the seat back, respectively, thereby suppressing the vertical and horizontal oscillation of the airbag cushion.

[0019] The above-described airbag cushion may have a pair of side panels that form the airbag side portions on both sides in the width direction of the airbag cushion, and a strip-shaped main panel that connects the edges of the pair of side panels to form the cushion front portion, cushion top portion, cushion bottom portion, and cushion rear portion.

[0020] According to the above configuration, the aforementioned airbag cushion can be realized with a simpler panel configuration.

[0021] The airbag cushion in the above storage configuration may have, when viewed from the side, an upper folded portion that is wound or folded toward the gas receiving portion above the gas receiving portion, and a lower folded portion that is wound or folded toward the gas receiving portion below the gas receiving portion.

[0022] According to the above configuration, the stored airbag cushion inflates and deploys its central vertical section toward the rear seat occupant, while the upper and lower folded sections deploy upward and downward, respectively, enabling rapid occupant restraint and contact between the seat back and the seat rear.

[0023] The above-described bulging portion may be formed above the flat portion. With this configuration, the bulging portion also makes it easier for the airbag cushion to come into contact with the seat back surface of the seat back. Therefore, when a rear-seat occupant contacts the airbag cushion from the rear, the front surface of the airbag cushion widely contacts the seat back surface of the seat back of the seat to obtain a reaction force, making it possible to maintain a more stable posture and restrain the rear-seat occupant.

[0024] The above-described rear surface of the cushion may extend along the shin of a rear-seat occupant who is properly seated in the rear seat. With this configuration, the airbag cushion can maintain a more stable posture and restrain the shin of the rear-seat occupant.

[0025] When the airbag cushion is viewed from a side, the airbag cushion may have a shape in which a tangent to the upper surface of the cushion and a tangent to the rear surface of the cushion intersect at an acute angle.

[0026] With the above configuration, the rear surface of the cushion can be deployed parallel to the shin of the rear-seat occupant, and the shin of the rear-seat occupant can be broadly restrained.

[0027] The airbag cushion further includes an auxiliary member that is belt-shaped, has one end connected to the lower surface of the cushion and the other end connected to the seat back surface, and the auxiliary member may be deployed along the lower surface of the cushion.

[0028] According to the above-described auxiliary member, it is possible to suppress vertical swinging of the airbag cushion during inflation and deployment, and suppress upward movement of the airbag cushion when restraining an occupant. Therefore, even with the above configuration, it is possible to implement a vehicle rear-seat occupant protection device with improved occupant restraint performance.

[0029] One end of the above may be connected to the rear side of the cushion's underside. This configuration allows the tension of the auxiliary member to be transmitted to the rear side of the airbag cushion, making it possible to efficiently suppress the swinging of the airbag cushion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0030] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle rear-seat occupant protection device with improved occupant restraint performance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0031] [Figure 1] This figure illustrates an overview of a vehicle rear-seat occupant protection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1(b) is a perspective view illustrating an airbag cushion on its own. [Figure 3] This is a side view of the airbag cushion shown in Figure 2(a). [Figure 4] Figure 2(b) is an unfolded view of the panel that forms the airbag cushion. [Figure 5] Figure 2(b) illustrates the process of folding the airbag cushion. [Figure 6] Figure 5(d) illustrates the process of inflating and deploying the airbag cushion in its stored configuration. [Figure 7] Figure 1(b) illustrates the process by which the airbag cushion restrains the occupant. [Figure 8] This figure illustrates a different relationship between an occupant and an airbag cushion than that shown in Figure 7. [Figure 9] This figure illustrates an overview of a vehicle rear-seat occupant protection device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] Figure 9(b) shows an example of the airbag cushion shown separately. [Figure 11] Figure 10(b) is a side view of the airbag cushion. [Figure 12] Figure 9(b) illustrates the process by which the airbag cushion restrains the occupant. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0032] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values ​​shown in these embodiments are merely illustrative to facilitate understanding of the invention and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanations, and elements not directly related to the present invention are omitted from the illustrations.

[0033] (First Embodiment) Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a vehicle rear-seat occupant protection device (hereinafter referred to as the airbag device 100) according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1(a) is a diagram illustrating the state of the airbag device 100 before it is activated. In this embodiment, the airbag device 100 is installed on the seat back 106 of a front seat 102, for example, and is implemented as a restraint device for restraining a rear-seat occupant seated in the rear seat 104 from the front.

[0034] Since seats may be able to rotate forward and backward within the vehicle, and the forward and backward direction of the seat may not coincide with the forward and backward direction of the vehicle, the directions used in the following explanation will mainly be assumed to be based on the seat. For example, in each drawing from Figure 1(a) onward, the forward and backward directions of the front seat 102 in the standard position are illustrated with arrows F (Forward) and B (Back), the left and right directions in the width direction of the front seat 102 are illustrated with arrows L (Left) and R (Right), and the up and down directions of the vehicle are illustrated with arrows U (Up) and D (Down). Of these, "up" refers to the direction of the head from the perspective of an occupant in a properly seated position, and "down" refers to the direction of the lower limbs from the perspective of the occupant. Also, for example, with respect to the seat back 106 of the front seat 102, the side that comes into contact with the front seat occupant seated in the front seat 102 is the surface side, and the side opposite the front seat occupant is the back side.

[0035] Before deployment, the airbag cushion 108 of the airbag device 100 is stored in a storage compartment 110 in a small, rolled-up or folded form. The storage compartment 110 is installed on the seat back portion 112 that forms the back of the seat back 106 of the front seat 102, with its opening 114 facing the rear seat 104. An inflator 116, which is a gas generator, is also installed inside the storage compartment 110.

[0036] The inflator 116 is a device that supplies gas to the airbag cushion 108, and in this embodiment, a disc-shaped (circular) inflator is used. Currently, inflators that are widely used include types that are filled with a gas generating agent and burned to generate gas, types that are filled with compressed gas and supply gas without generating heat, and hybrid types that use both combustion gas and compressed gas. Any of these types can be used as the inflator 116.

[0037] Figure 1(b) illustrates the state after the airbag system 100 has been deployed. The airbag system 100 is activated when a frontal collision is predicted or detected by various sensors.

[0038] The inflator 116 is activated by a signal from a control unit (not shown) and releases gas. The airbag cushion 108 expands and deploys toward the rear seats, opening the lid of its storage compartment due to the pressure of the gas supplied from the inflator 116.

[0039] The airbag cushion 108 inflates and deploys between the seat back portion 112 of the seat back 106 of the front seat 102 and the rear seat occupant seated in the rear seat 104 behind the front seat 102, restraining the rear seat occupant from the front and preventing the rear seat occupant from moving forward.

[0040] Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating the airbag cushion 108 from Figure 1(b) on its own. Figure 2(a) is a perspective view of the airbag cushion 108 from the rear left side. As illustrated in Figure 2, the airbag cushion 108 has a shape close to a cube when viewed from the rear, and mainly uses the rear cushion surface 126 to support the body of the rear seat occupant.

[0041] Figure 2(b) is a perspective view of the airbag cushion 108 shown in Figure 1(b) from the front left side. A gas receiving section 120 is provided at the bottom of the front cushion surface 118 of the airbag cushion 108. The gas receiving section 120 is connected to the inflator 116 (Figure) and receives gas from the inflator 116.

[0042] Figure 3 is a side view of the airbag cushion 108 shown in Figure 2(a). The airbag cushion 108 has a rear portion 126 that is larger vertically than the front portion 118, and overall, the vertical dimensions gradually increase towards the rear.

[0043] The cushion front portion 118 is the part that forms the front of the airbag cushion 108 and extends vertically along the seat back portion 112 (see Figure 1(b)). The cushion upper portion 122 is the part that forms the upper surface of the airbag cushion 108 and extends rearward from the upper end of the cushion front portion 118. The cushion lower portion 124 is the part that forms the lower surface of the airbag cushion 108 and extends rearward from the lower end of the cushion front portion 118. The cushion rear portion 126 is the part that forms the rear surface of the airbag cushion 108 and connects the rear end of the cushion upper portion 122 and the rear end of the cushion lower portion 124 in the vertical direction.

[0044] When viewed from the side, the airbag cushion 108 has a shape such that the angle α1 at which the tangent L1 of the cushion's upper surface 122 intersects with the tangent L2 of the cushion's rear surface 126 is acute (0° < α1 < 90°). In other words, the upper rear corner 128 of the airbag cushion 108, formed by the cushion's upper surface 122 and the cushion's rear surface 126, is formed to be acute. Due to this configuration, as will be described later, the heads of rear-seat occupants are more likely to come into contact with the upper corner 128.

[0045] The cushion front portion 118 described above is shaped to conform to the seat back portion 112 of the seat back 106 (see Figure 1(b)). The seat back portion 112 is the part that forms the back of the seat back 106 of the front seat 102 of the vehicle. The seat back portion 112 is formed including an upper back portion 112a and a lower back curved portion 112b.

[0046] The upper part of the backrest 112a in Figure 1(b) is the portion formed near the upper end of the seat back 106, and is the back of the portion that supports the shoulder area of ​​the front seat occupant when seated in the front seat 102. The upper part of the backrest 112a extends vertically when the seat back 106 is at a standard angle.

[0047] The curved portion of the backrest 112b is the part of the backrest that mainly supports the back and waist of the front seat occupant, and it extends downward toward the seat cushion 130 while curving convexly forward from the upper part of the backrest 112a.

[0048] The cushion front portion 118 in Figure 3 is formed including an upper front upper portion 118a which is a flat portion and a lower front bulge portion 118b which is a bulging portion. The front upper portion 118a extends linearly along the upper back portion 112a of the seat back portion 112 (see Figure 1(b)).

[0049] The front bulge 118b is formed below the front upper part 118a and has a shape that bulges forward from the front upper part 118a along the rear curved part 112b (see Figure 1(b)). The front bulge 118b is formed mainly in the area below the center in the vertical direction of the cushion front part 118.

[0050] In this embodiment, the front bulge portion 118b is formed to bulge forward, including the lower end of the cushion front portion 118. However, the central portion of the lower half of the cushion front portion 118, excluding the lower end, may also be formed to bulge forward.

[0051] As illustrated in Figure 1(b), generally, the seat back portion 112 of the seat bag 106 has a shape in which the upper back portion 112a is raised rearward compared to the lower back curved portion 112b. Correspondingly, in this embodiment, the upper front portion 118a of the cushion front portion 118 of the airbag cushion 108 is set back rearward compared to the lower front bulge portion 118b.

[0052] The gas receiving section 120 in Figure 2(b) is located above the front bulge section 118b and is connected to the inflator 116 (Figure 1(b)), which is the gas supply section. As described above, when the airbag cushion 108 is inflated and deployed, the front upper section 118a is set back relative to the front bulge section 118b, preventing the front upper section 118a from excessively pressing against the back upper section 112a of the seat back section 112. Furthermore, because the gas receiving section 120 is located above the front bulge section 118b, when gas is supplied from the gas receiving section 120, the upper front upper section 118a and the lower front bulge section 118b, as viewed from the gas receiving section 120, come into contact with each other along the back upper section 112a and the back curved section 112b, respectively. As a result, the airbag cushion 108 can inflate and deploy with more stable behavior by suppressing vertical and horizontal oscillations.

[0053] As illustrated in Figure 1(b), in the airbag device 100 of this embodiment, the gas supply unit is formed by the inflator 116 and the airbag cushion 108 being directly connected, and the gas supply unit that supplies gas to the airbag cushion 108 is formed by the inflator 116 itself.

[0054] The inflator 116 is located below the upper part 112a of the backrest or above the curved part 112b of the backrest, and supplies gas directly to the airbag cushion 108 from there. The inflator 116 located in this position enables a gas supply unit that can efficiently supply gas to the airbag cushion 108, which is shaped to conform to the upper part 112a of the backrest and the curve of the backrest of the seat back 106.

[0055] In this embodiment, the gas supply unit is realized by installing the inflator 116 on the seat back portion 112 of the seat back 106, but the configuration of the gas supply unit is not limited to this. For example, it is also possible to install the inflator at the lower part of the curved portion 112b of the seat back 106, extend a pipe-shaped gas guide from there, and install its outlet as the gas supply unit on the upper part 112a of the back.

[0056] Figure 4 is an unfolded view of the panels forming the airbag cushion 108 shown in Figure 2(b). Each panel illustrated in Figure 4 is an inner surface of the airbag cushion 108. The airbag cushion 108 consists of a central main panel 132 and a pair of left and right side panels 134a and 134b.

[0057] The side panels 134a and 134b are provided as a pair in a symmetrical shape on the left and right sides in the width direction of the airbag cushion 108 (see Figure 2(a)), forming the sides of the airbag cushion 108 on both sides in the width direction.

[0058] The main panel 132 is a long, strip-like piece that connects the edges of the pair of side panels 134a and 134b to each other by sewing or other means. The ends of the main panel 132 on both sides in the longitudinal direction are joined to each other by sewing or other means. The main panel 132 forms the cushion front portion 118, the cushion upper portion 122, the cushion lower portion 124, and the cushion rear portion 126.

[0059] The main panel 132 is provided with a gas receiving section 120 that connects to the inflator 116 (see Figure 1(b)). The gas receiving section 120 has a through hole 136 in the center into which a portion of the inflator 116 is inserted, and several bolt holes 138 are provided around it for inserting the stud bolts of the inflator 116. The gas receiving section 120 is connected to the bottom of the storage section 110 with a portion of the inflator 116 inserted, using the bolt holes 138 or the like.

[0060] Thus, the airbag cushion 108 can be realized with a simpler panel configuration using a total of three panel members: a main panel 132 and a pair of side panels 134a and 134b.

[0061] Figure 5 illustrates the process of folding the airbag cushion 108 shown in Figure 2(b). Figure 5(a) shows the airbag cushion 108 from Figure 2(b) folded in the front-to-back direction. To form its storage configuration, the airbag cushion 108 is first compressed in the front-to-back direction.

[0062] Figure 5(b) is a side view of the airbag cushion 108 shown in Figure 5(b). The airbag cushion 108 is compressed in the front-to-back direction, causing it to fold into a vertically elongated shape.

[0063] Figure 5(c) shows the airbag cushion 108 of Figure 5(a) folded in the vertical direction. The airbag cushion 108 is folded in a compressed storage form by folding its upper and lower parts toward the gas supply section 120.

[0064] Figure 5(d) is a side view of the airbag cushion 108 shown in Figure 5(c). When viewed from the side, the stored airbag cushion 108 has an upper folded portion 140a that is wound or folded towards the gas receiving portion 120 above the gas receiving portion 120, and a lower folded portion 140b that is wound or folded towards the gas receiving portion 120 below the gas receiving portion 120.

[0065] Figure 6 illustrates the process of inflation and deployment of the airbag cushion 108 in the stored configuration shown in Figure 5(d). Figure 6(a) illustrates the state of the airbag device 100 before activation. In the stored configuration, the airbag cushion 108 has its upper folded portion 140a stored above the inflator 116 and its lower folded portion 140b stored below the inflator 116.

[0066] Figure 6(b) illustrates the state in which the airbag device 100 shown in Figure 6(a) is activated. When the inflator 116 is activated, gas is supplied to the airbag cushion 108, increasing the internal pressure, and the airbag cushion 108 inflates backward while tearing open the lid of the storage compartment 110.

[0067] Figure 6(c) illustrates the state in which the airbag device 100 shown in Figure 6(b) has progressed. As the airbag cushion 108 emerges from the opening 114 of the storage compartment 110 towards the rear, the central portion 142 inflates and unfolds towards the rear, the upper folded portion 140a inflates and unfolds upward, and the lower folded portion 140b inflates and unfolds downward.

[0068] Figure 6(d) illustrates a further stage of the operation of the airbag device 100 as shown in Figure 6(c). Following Figure 6(c), the airbag cushion 108 expands and deploys with its central vertical section 142 facing the rear seat occupant, while the upper folded section 140a and the lower folded section 140b deploy upward and downward, respectively.

[0069] In this way, the retracted airbag cushion 108 is provided with an upper folded portion 140a and a lower folded portion 140b, which enables rapid occupant restraint and contact between the seat back 106 of the front seat 102 (see Figure 1(b)) and the seat back portion 112.

[0070] Figure 7 illustrates the process by which the airbag cushion 108 in Figure 1(b) restrains the occupant 150. Figure 7(a) illustrates the state immediately after the airbag cushion 108 has inflated and deployed.

[0071] Occupant 150 is an example representing the AF05 dummy, one of the HybridIII (Hybrid Three) human dummy models used for frontal crash tests of automobiles. The AF05 is a human dummy modeled after a petite woman, with a height of 145 cm, a sitting height of 79 cm, and a weight of approximately 45 kg. Each human dummy, including the AF05 dummy, is created in accordance with NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) standards.

[0072] The storage compartment 110 and airbag cushion 108 of the airbag device 100 are configured such that the airbag cushion 108 inflates and deploys above the knees 152 of a small-statured female occupant 150 who is seated in a normal posture in the rear seat 104. In other words, the airbag cushion 108 is positioned at a height that allows it to inflate and deploy smoothly without interfering with the legs of the occupant 150.

[0073] The airbag cushion 108 is positioned so that its upper corner 128 is located approximately in front of the occupant's head 154. This configuration ensures that the occupant 150 makes contact with the airbag cushion 108 from the upper corner 128. Furthermore, the rear surface 126 of the cushion is set to be approximately parallel to the occupant's chest 156 when viewed from the side, thereby suppressing the sagging of the occupant's chest 156.

[0074] Figure 7(b) illustrates the state in which the occupant 150 in Figure 7(a) enters the airbag cushion 108. When the occupant 150's head 154 and upper body are thrown forward due to inertia such as a frontal collision, the airbag cushion 108 restrains and protects the occupant 150 from the front.

[0075] When the occupant 150 comes into contact with the upper corner portion 128 and the rear surface portion 126 of the airbag cushion 108, the front portion 118 of the cushion makes surface contact with the seat back portion 112, and the lower portion 124 of the cushion makes surface contact with the thigh portion 158 of the occupant 150. In this way, the airbag cushion 108 inflates and deploys to fill the space from the seat back portion 112 to the upper body of the occupant 150's thigh portion 158, thereby fully supporting the occupant 150's body and efficiently absorbing the occupant 150's kinetic energy in an emergency.

[0076] As described above, in this embodiment, the airbag cushion 108 has the front upper part 118a and front bulge 118b of the cushion front part 118 formed to conform to the shape of the back upper part 112a and back curved part 112b of the seat back 106 of the front seat 102. Therefore, when a rear seat occupant 150 makes contact with the airbag cushion 108 from behind, the cushion front part 118 makes broad surface contact with the seat back part 112 of the seat back 106 of the front seat 102, thereby obtaining a reaction force from the seat back part 112 and making it possible to restrain the rear seat occupant 150 in a more stable posture.

[0077] Furthermore, the upper front portion 118a of the cushion's front portion 118 is set back more rearward than the lower front bulge portion 118b. This configuration allows the airbag cushion 108 to inflate and deploy with more stable behavior, as the upper front portion 118a does not excessively press against the upper back portion 112a of the seat back portion 112, while the upper front portion 118a and the front bulge portion 118b both make contact along the upper back portion 112a and the curved back portion 112b, respectively, thereby suppressing vertical and horizontal oscillations. These configurations make it possible to realize an airbag device 100 with improved occupant restraint performance.

[0078] The airbag cushion 108 has an acute-angled upper corner 128, which makes it easier for the occupant's head 154 to come into contact with the upper corner 128. The aforementioned front bulge 118b is provided diagonally opposite the upper corner 128. With this configuration, the airbag cushion 108 can efficiently absorb the load received from the rear-seat occupant 150 by distributing the load from the occupant 150 applied from the upper corner 128 to the seat back 106 via the front bulge 118b.

[0079] As described above, when the head 154 of the rear seat occupant 150 comes into contact with the upper corner portion 128, the front portion 118 of the cushion comes into contact with the back portion 112 of the seat, and the lower portion 124 of the cushion comes into contact with the thigh portion 158 of the rear seat occupant 150. With this configuration, the airbag cushion 108 can use the back portion 112 of the seat and the thigh portion 158 of the rear seat occupant 150 as reaction surfaces, making it possible to restrain the head 154 and upper body of the rear seat occupant 150 in a more stable position.

[0080] Figure 8 illustrates a different relationship between occupant 160 and airbag cushion 108 compared to Figure 7. Figure 8(a) illustrates the relationship between airbag cushion 108 and occupant 160, corresponding to Figure 7(a).

[0081] The figure of occupant 160 is an example based on the AM95 dummy, which is a Hybrid III dummy used for frontal crash tests of automobiles. The AM95 dummy is modeled after a large American adult male, with a height of 183 cm, a sitting height of 94 cm, and a weight of approximately 101 kg.

[0082] The storage compartment 110 and airbag cushion 108 of the airbag device 100 can also be configured so that the airbag cushion 108 inflates and deploys above the knees 162 of a large male occupant 160 who is seated in a normal posture in the rear seat 104.

[0083] Figure 8(b) illustrates the state in which the occupant 160 in Figure 8(a) has entered the airbag cushion 108. Even when restraining the occupant 160, the airbag cushion 108 is able to fully support the occupant 160's body and efficiently absorb its kinetic energy by ensuring that the front surface 118 of the cushion is in surface contact with the back surface 112 of the seat and the lower surface 124 of the cushion is in surface contact with the occupant 160's thighs 164.

[0084] As described above, the airbag cushion 108 of this embodiment can be installed to accommodate occupants of various body types, such as the female occupant 150 in Figure 7 and the male occupant 160 in Figure 8. Furthermore, by setting the installation position of the airbag cushion 108 based on the height of the seat cushion of the rear seat 104, it becomes possible to provide restraint performance even for occupants of different body types, such as occupant 150 and occupant 160.

[0085] (Second Embodiment) Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a vehicle rear-seat occupant protection device (hereinafter referred to as the knee airbag device 200) according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the vehicle rear-seat occupant protection device is implemented as a knee airbag device 200 that restrains the knees 232 of the rear-seat occupant (see Figure 12) from the front.

[0086] Figure 9(a) illustrates the knee airbag device 200 before it is activated. In this embodiment, the knee airbag device 200 is installed on the seatback 206 of the front seat 202.

[0087] Figure 9(b) illustrates the state after the knee airbag device 200 has been activated. The knee airbag device 200 activates when a frontal collision is predicted or detected by various sensors, inflating and deploying the airbag cushion 208.

[0088] Figure 10 is an example of the airbag cushion 208 shown in Figure 9(b) viewed alone. Figure 10(a) is a perspective view of the airbag cushion 208 shown in Figure 9(b) from the rear left side.

[0089] The airbag cushion 208 primarily uses the rear cushion surface 210 to restrain the area from the knee 232 to the shin 234 of the occupant 230 in the rear seat 204 (see Figure 12). The rear cushion surface 210 is set to a width corresponding to the seating area of ​​the occupant 230 in the rear seat 204.

[0090] Figure 10(b) is a perspective view of the airbag cushion 208 shown in Figure 9(b) from the front left side. The front cushion surface 212 of the airbag cushion 208 is set to a width corresponding to the seat back surface 214 (see Figure 12) in order to contact it.

[0091] The airbag cushion 208 has strip-shaped auxiliary members 216 and 217. There are a total of two auxiliary members 216 and 217, which exert tension to suppress the swinging and movement of the airbag cushion 208. One end 216a and 217a of the auxiliary members 216 and 217a is connected to the lower surface portion 220 of the cushion, and the other end 216b and 217b is connected to the storage portion 110 of the seat back portion 214.

[0092] Figure 11 is a side view of the airbag cushion 208 shown in Figure 10(b). The airbag cushion 208 has a rear cushion portion 210 that is larger vertically than the front cushion portion 212, and overall, the vertical dimensions gradually increase towards the rear.

[0093] The front portion 212 of the cushion forms the front of the airbag cushion 208 and inflates and unfolds along the back portion 214 of the seat (see Figure 12).

[0094] The cushion upper portion 218 is the part that forms the upper surface of the airbag cushion 208, and extends slightly downward to the rear from the upper end of the cushion front portion 212.

[0095] The lower cushion portion 220 is the part that forms the lower surface of the airbag cushion 208, and extends downward from the lower end of the cushion front portion 212 towards the rear.

[0096] The cushion rear portion 210 is the part that forms the rear surface of the airbag cushion 208, and connects the rear end of the cushion upper portion 218 and the rear end of the cushion lower portion 220 in the vertical direction. The cushion rear portion 210 extends forward from the cushion upper portion 218 toward the cushion lower portion 220, sloping forward.

[0097] The cushion front portion 212 has a flat portion 222 and a bulging portion 224. The flat portion 222 is a flat area formed on the lower side of the cushion front portion 212, and is provided with a gas receiving portion 120 (see Figure 10(b)).

[0098] The bulging portion 224 is formed on the upper side of the cushion front portion 212 and has a shape that bulges forward more than the flat portion 222. The upper side of the cushion front portion 212 where the bulging portion 224 is located presses more firmly against the seat back portion 214 (see Figure 12). As a result, when the airbag cushion 208 restrains the occupant 230, it is possible to suppress upward rotational movement with the gas receiving portion 120 as the pivot point.

[0099] The rear portion 210 of the cushion extends along the shin 234 of the occupant 230 who is properly seated in the rear seat 204. Since the aforementioned bulge 224 is provided diagonally opposite the rear portion 210 of the cushion, the airbag cushion 208 is able to distribute the load received from the rear portion 210 of the cushion from the bulge 224 to the seat back portion 214, thereby restraining the occupant 230's shin 234 while maintaining a stable posture.

[0100] The airbag cushion 208 is shaped such that, when viewed from the side, the angle α2 at which the tangent L3 of the cushion's upper surface 218 intersects the tangent L4 of the cushion's rear surface 210 is acute (0° < α2 < 90°). In other words, the upper rear end corner 226 of the airbag cushion 208, formed by the cushion's upper surface 218 and the cushion's rear surface 210, is formed to be acute. This configuration allows the cushion's rear surface 210 to be deployed parallel to the shin 234 of the rear seat occupant 230, thereby broadly restraining the shin 234 of the occupant 230.

[0101] The auxiliary members 216 and 217 (see Figure 10(b)) unfold along the lower surface 220 of the cushion. Taking the auxiliary member 216 as an example, one end 216a of the auxiliary member 216 is connected to the rear surface 210 of the lower surface 220 of the cushion, and the other end 216b is connected to the storage compartment 110 of the seat back 214. This configuration allows the tension of the auxiliary members 216 and 217 to be transmitted to the rear surface 210 of the airbag cushion 208, making it possible to efficiently suppress the swinging of the airbag cushion 208.

[0102] Figure 12 illustrates the process by which the airbag cushion 208 in Figure 9(b) restrains the occupant 230. The occupant 230 can range from a petite woman to a large man, similar to occupant 150 in Figure 7(a) and occupant 160 in Figure 8(a).

[0103] The storage compartment 110 and airbag cushion 208 of the knee airbag device 200 are configured such that the airbag cushion 208 inflates and deploys toward the knee 232 when the occupant 230 is seated in the rear seat 204 in a normal posture.

[0104] The airbag cushion 208 is positioned such that its upper corner 226 is located approximately slightly above the knee 232 of the occupant 230. The rear surface 210 of the cushion is set to be approximately parallel to the area from the knee 232 to the shin 234 of the occupant 230 when viewed from the side.

[0105] When the occupant 230 attempts to move forward due to inertia such as a frontal collision, the occupant 230's knees 232 enter the rear portion 210 of the cushion. When the occupant 230's knees 232 come into contact with the rear portion 210 of the airbag cushion 208, the front portion 212 of the cushion comes into contact with the seat back portion 214, absorbing the load from the occupant 230 and restraining the occupant 230.

[0106] The airbag cushion 208 inflates and deploys so that its rear surface 210 is parallel to the area from the occupant's knee 232 to the shin 234, thereby fully supporting the area around the occupant's knee 232 and efficiently absorbing the occupant's kinetic energy in an emergency.

[0107] The airbag cushion 208 has an inflatable portion 224 on the upper side of the flat portion 222 of the cushion's front portion 212. Therefore, when the occupant's knee 232 comes into contact with the cushion's rear portion 210, the inflatable portion 224 on the upper side of the cushion's front portion 212 presses against the seat back portion 214. This makes it possible for the airbag cushion 208 to suppress upward rotational movement centered around the inflator 116.

[0108] The auxiliary members 216 and 217 suppress vertical oscillation of the airbag cushion 208 when it inflates and deploys, and also suppress upward movement of the airbag cushion 208 when restraining an occupant. The auxiliary members 216 and 217 stabilize the posture of the airbag cushion 208 when restraining an occupant and prevent the occupant 230 from moving towards the front seat 202. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to realize a vehicle rear seat occupant protection device with improved occupant restraint performance.

[0109] The auxiliary members 216 and 217 can also be applied to the lower cushion portion 124 of the airbag cushion 108 shown in Figure 3. The airbag cushion 108 can also be modified by having the auxiliary members 216 and 217 stretched between the lower cushion portion 124 and the vicinity of the storage portion 110, thereby suppressing vertical swinging during inflation and deployment, and upward movement during occupant restraint.

[0110] Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings. However, the embodiments described above are preferred examples of the present invention, and other embodiments can be implemented or carried out in various ways. Unless otherwise stated in this specification, the present invention is not limited to the detailed shapes, sizes, and configurations of the parts shown in the attached drawings. Furthermore, the expressions and terms used in this specification are for illustrative purposes only and are not limited thereto unless otherwise stated.

[0111] Therefore, it is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and these will naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0112] This invention can be used in a vehicle rear-seat occupant protection device that restrains rear-seat occupants. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0113] 100...Airbag device, 102...Front seat, 104...Rear seat, 106...Seat back, 108...Airbag cushion, 110...Storage compartment, 112...Seat back, 112a...Upper back, 112b...Curved back, 114...Opening, 116...Inflator, 118...Front cushion, 118a...Upper front, 118b...Front bulge, 120...Gas supply section, 122...Upper cushion, 124...Lower cushion, 126...Rear cushion, 128...Upper corner, 130...Seat cushion, 132...Main panel, 134a, 134b...Side panel, 136...Through hole, 138...Bolt hole, 140a...Upper folded-over section, 140b...Lower folded-over section ,142...Central part, 150...Occupant, 152...Knee, 154...Head, 156...Chest, 158...Thigh, 160...Occupant, 162...Knee, 164...Thigh, L1...Tangential, L2...Tangential, 200...Knee airbag device, 202...Front seat, 204...Rear seat, 206...Seat back, 208...Airbag cushion, 210...Rear cushion part, 212...Front cushion part, 214...Seat back part, 216, 217...Auxiliary members, 216a, 217a...One end, 216b, 217b...Other end, 218...Upper cushion part, 220...Lower cushion part, 222...Flat part, 224...Bulging part, 226...Upper end corner, 230...Occupant, 232...Knee, 234...Shin, L3...Tangential

Claims

1. A vehicle rear-seat occupant protection device comprising: a seat back portion that forms the back of the seat back of a vehicle seat; an airbag cushion that is stored in a predetermined storage form within the seat back portion and inflates and deploys between the seat back portion and a rear-seat occupant seated in the rear seat behind the seat; and an inflator that supplies gas to the airbag cushion, The aforementioned airbag cushion is The cushion front portion extends vertically along the back of the seat, The upper cushion portion extending rearward from the upper end of the front surface portion of the cushion, The lower surface portion of the cushion extends rearward from the lower end of the front surface portion of the cushion, A rear cushion portion that connects the rear end of the upper cushion portion and the rear end of the lower cushion portion in the vertical direction, It has, The front part of the cushion is, A flat portion extending along the back of the aforementioned seat, A bulge formed above or below the flat portion and extending forward of the flat portion, It has, The aforementioned seat back portion is, The upper part of the backrest near the upper edge of the aforementioned seat back, A curved portion of the backrest that curves forward from the upper part of the backrest and extends downward toward the seat cushion of the seat, It has, The flat portion extends along the upper part of the back surface, The bulging portion is formed below the flat portion and bulges forward along the curved back portion, A vehicle rear-seat occupant protection device characterized in that, when the airbag cushion is viewed from the side, the tangent to the upper surface of the cushion and the tangent to the rear surface of the cushion intersect at an acute angle.

2. The rear seat occupant protection device for a vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that when the head of the rear seat occupant comes into contact with the corner between the upper surface of the cushion and the rear surface of the cushion, the front surface of the cushion comes into contact with the back of the seat and the lower surface of the cushion comes into contact with the thigh of the rear seat occupant.

3. The rear seat occupant protection device of the vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a gas supply unit provided on the back of the seat for supplying gas to the airbag cushion.

4. A vehicle rear seat occupant protection device comprising: a seat back portion that forms the back of the seat back of a vehicle seat; an airbag cushion that is stored in a predetermined storage form in the seat back portion and inflates and deploys between the seat back portion and a rear seat occupant seated in the rear seat behind the seat; and an inflator that supplies gas to the airbag cushion, The aforementioned airbag cushion is The cushion front portion extends vertically along the back of the seat, The upper cushion portion extending rearward from the upper end of the front surface portion of the cushion, The lower surface portion of the cushion extends rearward from the lower end of the front surface portion of the cushion, A rear cushion portion that connects the rear end of the upper cushion portion and the rear end of the lower cushion portion in the vertical direction, It has, The front part of the cushion is, A flat portion extending along the back of the aforementioned seat, A bulge formed above or below the flat portion and extending forward of the flat portion, It has, The rear seat occupant protection device of the vehicle further includes a gas supply unit provided on the back of the seat to supply gas to the airbag cushion, The airbag cushion further has a gas receiving portion formed on the flat portion and connected to the gas supply portion, making it a vehicle rear-seat occupant protection device.

5. The aforementioned airbag cushion is A pair of side panels forming the airbag side portions on both sides in the width direction of the airbag cushion, A strip-shaped main panel that connects the edges of the pair of side panels to form the front portion of the cushion, the upper portion of the cushion, the lower portion of the cushion, and the rear portion of the cushion, A vehicle rear seat occupant protection device according to claim 1 or 4, characterized by having the following features.

6. When the aforementioned stored airbag cushion is viewed from the side, An upper folded portion which is wound or folded towards the gas receiving portion above the gas receiving portion, A lower folded portion that is wound or folded towards the gas receiving portion below the gas receiving portion, The rear seat occupant protection device for a vehicle according to claim 4, characterized by having the following features.

7. The rear passenger protection device for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that the bulging portion is formed above the flat portion.

8. A vehicle rear seat occupant protection device comprising: a seat back portion that forms the back of the seat back of a vehicle seat; an airbag cushion that is stored in a predetermined storage form in the seat back portion and inflates and deploys between the seat back portion and a rear seat occupant seated in the rear seat behind the seat; and an inflator that supplies gas to the airbag cushion, The aforementioned airbag cushion is The cushion front portion extends vertically along the back of the seat, The upper cushion portion extending rearward from the upper end of the front surface portion of the cushion, The lower surface portion of the cushion extends rearward from the lower end of the front surface portion of the cushion, A rear cushion portion that connects the rear end of the upper cushion portion and the rear end of the lower cushion portion in the vertical direction, It has, The front part of the cushion is, A flat portion extending along the back of the aforementioned seat, A bulge formed above or below the flat portion and extending forward of the flat portion, It has, The bulging portion is formed above the flat portion, The rear cushion portion of the vehicle's rear seat occupant protection device is characterized in that it extends along the shins of a rear seat occupant who is properly seated in the rear seat.

9. The vehicle rear-seat occupant protection device according to claim 8, characterized in that when the airbag cushion is viewed from the side, the tangent to the upper surface of the cushion and the tangent to the rear surface of the cushion intersect at an acute angle.

10. A vehicle rear seat occupant protection device comprising: a seat back portion that forms the back of the seat back of a vehicle seat; an airbag cushion that is stored in a predetermined storage form in the seat back portion and inflates and deploys between the seat back portion and a rear seat occupant seated in the rear seat behind the seat; and an inflator that supplies gas to the airbag cushion, The aforementioned airbag cushion is The cushion front portion extends vertically along the back of the seat, The upper cushion portion extending rearward from the upper end of the front surface portion of the cushion, The lower surface portion of the cushion extends rearward from the lower end of the front surface portion of the cushion, A rear cushion portion that connects the rear end of the upper cushion portion and the rear end of the lower cushion portion in the vertical direction, It has, The front part of the cushion is, A flat portion extending along the back of the aforementioned seat, A bulge formed above or below the flat portion and extending forward of the flat portion, It has, The aforementioned seat back portion is, The upper part of the backrest near the upper edge of the aforementioned seat back, A curved portion of the backrest that curves forward from the upper part of the backrest and extends downward toward the seat cushion of the seat, It has, The flat portion extends along the upper part of the back surface, The bulging portion is formed below the flat portion and bulges forward along the curved back portion, The airbag cushion further includes an auxiliary member which is strip-shaped, with one end connected to the lower surface of the cushion and the other end connected to the back of the seat. The vehicle rear seat occupant protection device is characterized in that the auxiliary member unfolds along the lower surface of the cushion.

11. A vehicle rear seat occupant protection device comprising: a seat back portion that forms the back of the seat back of a vehicle seat; an airbag cushion that is stored in a predetermined storage form in the seat back portion and inflates and deploys between the seat back portion and a rear seat occupant seated in the rear seat behind the seat; and an inflator that supplies gas to the airbag cushion, The aforementioned airbag cushion is The cushion front portion extends vertically along the back of the seat, The upper cushion portion extending rearward from the upper end of the front surface portion of the cushion, The lower surface portion of the cushion extends rearward from the lower end of the front surface portion of the cushion, A rear cushion portion that connects the rear end of the upper cushion portion and the rear end of the lower cushion portion in the vertical direction, It has, The front part of the cushion is, A flat portion extending along the back of the aforementioned seat, A bulge formed above or below the flat portion and extending forward of the flat portion, It has, The bulging portion is formed above the flat portion, The airbag cushion further includes an auxiliary member which is strip-shaped, with one end connected to the lower surface of the cushion and the other end connected to the back of the seat. The vehicle rear seat occupant protection device is characterized in that the auxiliary member unfolds along the lower surface of the cushion.

12. The vehicle rear seat occupant protection device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that one end is connected to the rear side of the lower surface of the cushion.

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