AIRBAG DEVICE AND VEHICLE SEAT
20240083381 ยท 2024-03-14
Inventors
Cpc classification
B60R21/237
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B60R2021/23308
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B60R21/201
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B60R2021/23316
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B60R2021/23161
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B60R21/233
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
B60R21/231
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B60R21/233
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Abstract
When an occupant has moved from a normal seating position, a case can occur where a hood-type airbag cannot be expanded and deployed since the airbag is stopped in the process of expansion and deployment due to contact with the head of the occupant. An airbag device is provided having an airbag, and an inflator for supplying gas to the airbag. In an expanded and deployed state where expansion and deployment of the airbag has been finished, the airbag includes a head protection chamber for blanketing an occupant from a vertex part of the head to a temporal part of the head, and a pair of lateral part protection chambers that are arranged on both of the left/right sides of the head protection chamber and that blanket lateral sides of the occupant.
Claims
1-10. (canceled)
11. An airbag device, comprising: an airbag for integrally covering a head and sides of an occupant seated in a vehicle seat; and an inflator for supplying gas to the airbag, wherein in an expanded and deployed state when the airbag is fully expanded and deployed, the airbag includes a head protecting chamber for covering the head of the occupant and a pair of side protecting chambers adapted to be positioned on a left and a right of the head protecting chamber that cover the sides of the occupant, and the airbag is provided with a slip cloth arranged to deploy so as to cover the head of the occupant when the airbag expands and deploys with the slip cloth positioned on the head protecting chamber in the expanded and deployed state facing the head of the occupant, and has a lower dynamic coefficient of friction than an outer surface of the airbag, wherein the slip cloth is stowed with an upper part thereof folded independently to the airbag.
12. The airbag device according to claim 11, wherein when the airbag when unexpanded is unfolded and laid flat, a first length of the slip cloth in a front-to-back direction is substantially a same length as a second length of the head protecting chamber in the front-to-back direction.
13. The airbag device according to claim 11, wherein when the airbag is unexpanded and is unfolded and laid flat, a length of the slip cloth in a left-right direction is at least capable of covering an upper end part of a headrest of the vehicle seat.
14. The airbag device according to claim 12, wherein when the airbag is unexpanded and is unfolded and laid flat, a length of the slip cloth in a left-right direction is at least a length capable of covering an upper end part of a headrest of the vehicle seat.
15. The airbag device according to claim 11, wherein the slip cloth is connected to the airbag on one of either a first side where the airbag is attached to the vehicle seat or a second side opposite to where the airbag is attached to the vehicle seat.
16. The airbag device according to claim 15, wherein a connection between the slip cloth and the second side of the airbag opposite to where the airbag is attached to the vehicle seat is achieved by connecting near a front end part of the slip cloth and near a front end part of the airbag.
17. The airbag device according to claim 11, wherein the slip cloth is connected to the airbag on two locations, on a side where the airbag is attached to the vehicle seat, and on an opposite side to where the airbag is attached to the vehicle seat.
18. The airbag device according to claim 11, wherein the slip cloth is rolled into a roll shape or folded into a bellows shape overlapping the airbag and stowed in the vehicle seat.
19. (canceled)
20. The airbag device according to claim 11, wherein on an upper side of the airbag in a folded or rolled state, the upper part of the slip cloth that is continuous with a portion of the slip cover that extends from below has a rearward extending part that extends backward along an upper surface of the airbag and a bellows-like portion that is folded upward from the rearward extending part in a bellows-like manner.
21. A vehicle seat, wherein the airbag device according to claim 11 is housed in a manner where the head protecting chamber is positioned on the upper part of a backrest portion of the vehicle seat and the side protecting chambers are positioned separated and facing each other on both sides in a left-right direction of the backrest portion, such that the slip cloth covers the head of the occupant in the expanded and deployed state.
22. An airbag device, comprising: an airbag for integrally covering a head and sides of an occupant seated in a vehicle seat; a slip cloth for deployment with the airbag, the slip cloth stowed with an upper part thereof folded independently to the airbag, the slip cover having a lower dynamic coefficent of friction than an outer surface of the airbag; and an inflator for supplying gas to the airbag.
23. The airbag device of claim 22, wherein the airbag is configured for integrally covering the head and the sides of the occupant seated in the vehicle seat.
24. The airbag device of claim 22, wherein: in an expanded and deployed state when the airbag is fully expanded and deployed, the airbag includes a head protecting chamber for covering the head of the occupant and a pair of side protecting chambers adapted to be positioned on a left and a right of the head protecting chamber that cover the sides of the occupant.
25. The airbag device of claim 24, wherein: the slip cloth is arranged to deploy to cover the head of the occupant when the airbag expands and deploys so as to be positioned on the head protecting chamber in the expanded and deployed state facing the head of the occupant.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0044] If an occupant moves from the regular seating position, a hood-type airbag that has ejected from the vehicle seat may come into contact with the head of the occupant and stop during expansion and deployment, preventing the airbag from expanding and deploying.
[0045] The present invention solves the aforementioned problem by providing a slip cloth on the surface side of the head protecting chamber on the side relative to the head of the occupant in an airbag having a head protecting chamber and a pair of side protecting chambers located on the left and right sides of this head protecting chamber.
EMBODIMENTS
[0046] Embodiment 1 of the invention is described below using
[0047] The airbag device 11 of the present invention includes an airbag 12 that covers the head 2a, the side portion 2b of a shoulder 2ba, upper arm 2bb, and chest 2bc, for example, of an occupant 2 seated in a vehicle seat 1, and an inflator 13 (cylindrical, for example) that ejects gas into the interior of the airbag 12.
[0048] The vehicle seat 1 has a seat cushion 1a and a backrest portion 1b. A headrest 1c is separately attached to the upper part of the backrest portion 1b, as illustrated in
[0049] The airbag 12 has a shape where a left-right direction is longer than an up-down direction, as illustrated in
[0050] Furthermore, the left and right chambers 12c are demarcated by sewing in the inner portion thereof into side protecting chambers 12ca positioned on left and right end portion sides of the airbag 12, and a head protecting chamber 12cb positioned on the center portion of the left and right portions of the airbag 12. In
[0051] In
[0052] The airbag 12, for example, is formed with an insertion part 12d for the inflator 13 for each of the chambers 12c on the left and right sides. Furthermore, gas is supplied to said left and right chambers 12c from separate inflators 13, and the left and right chambers 12c are configured to be fluidly independent.
[0053] In
[0054] The airbag device 11 is further provided with a slip cloth 19 that has a smaller dynamic coefficient of friction than the outer surface of the airbag 12 (head protecting chamber 12cb). The material of the slip cloth 19 can be a cloth or other material with a fluoroplastic coated surface. In an expanded and deployed state, the slip cloth 19 is positioned on the surface side of the head protecting chamber 12cb of the airbag 12 facing the head 2a of the occupant 2 (in other words, positioned along the outer surface of the head protecting chamber 12cb).
[0055] Regarding the dimensions of the slip cloth 19, in a state where the airbag 12 is unexpanded (pre-expansion) and laid flat on a flat surface (a state seen in
[0056] On the other hand, in a flat state of the airbag 12, the length in the left-right direction L2 of the slip cloth 19 (length in the left-right direction as seen in
[0057] This slip cloth 19 prevents the airbag 12 from stopping during expansion and deployment due to the airbag 12 making contact with the head 2a of the occupant 2 at the time of a collision, rollover, or the like, where the occupant 2 moves forward, diagonally forward, in the left-right direction, or in the upper direction from a regular seating position.
[0058] In
[0059] The airbag 12 is stowed in the vehicle seat 1 in a state of being rolled into a roll shape. Alternatively, the airbag 12 is stowed in the vehicle seat 1 in a state of being folded into a bellows shape. Specifically, the head protecting chamber 12cb is positioned on the upper part of the backrest portion 1b of the vehicle seat 1 (see
[0060] When the airbag 12 is housed in the vehicle seat 1, an upper part 19a of the slip cloth 19 shall be folded independently from the rolling or folding of the airbag 12, as illustrated in
[0061] In this case, the folded upper part 19a is positioned on the upper side of the head protecting chamber 12cb which is folded into a bellows shape, as illustrated in
[0062] Specifically, the upper part 19a of the slip cloth 19 has a rear extending part 19aa that extends rearward along the upper surface of the airbag 12, and a bellows shape part 19ab folded into a bellows shape upward from the rear extending part 19aa. The rear extending part 19aa is on the sewed part 20 side of the upper part 19a. In addition, in
[0063] Regarding the airbag device 11 of the present invention stowed in the vehicle seat 1 of the present invention, when subjected to an impact on the vehicle due to a collision, rollover, or the like, a sensor signal causes gas to eject from the inflator 13 to expand and deploy the airbag 12 as described below.
[0064] The ejected gas is guided to the head protecting chamber 12cb and side protecting chambers 12ca via a gas guide 18, expanding and deploying the head protecting chamber 12cb and side protecting chambers 12ca.
[0065] Of these, if the headrest 1c is separately attached to the backrest portion 1b of the vehicle seat 1, the head protecting chamber 12cb expands and deploys from the upper part of the backrest portion 1b bursting over the headrest 1c. Further, if the headrest 1c is integrally formed with the backrest portion 1b, the head protecting chamber 12cb expands and deploys forward from the upper part of the backrest portion 1b (headrest 1c). On the other hand, the side protecting chambers 12ca expand and deploy forward from the left and right side portions of the backrest portion 1b of the vehicle seat 1.
[0066] Here, as the upper end part of the airbag 12 (head protecting chamber 12cb) bursts over and in the forward direction of the vehicle, the slip cloth 19 also bursts out in the forward direction of the vehicle. Therefore, even if the occupant 2 moves from the regular seating position due to a collision or rollover, the slip cloth 19 is deployed to contact and cover the head 2a of the occupant 2, as illustrated in
[0067] In this case, the airbag 12, which has expanded and deployed from a stowed state, expands and deploys from a state immediately after expansion and deployment starts as illustrated in
[0068] Needless to say, while the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned examples, the embodiments may be appropriately changed within the scope of the technical concepts described in each claim.
[0069] In other words, the airbag device and the vehicle seat described above are preferred examples of the present invention, and embodiments other than those described may also be implemented or executed via a variety of methods. Unless otherwise specified in the specification of the present application, there are no limitations to the shape, size, configuration, arrangement, and the like of the components illustrated in the attached drawings in the present invention. Furthermore, expressions and terms used in the specification of the present application are for the purpose of description and are not limiting unless otherwise specified.
[0070] For example, in embodiment 1 as illustrated in
[0071] However, as illustrated in embodiment 2 in
[0072] Specifically, if the airbag 12 is stowed folded into a bellows shape, the slip cloth 19 is also folded into a bellows shape and stowed along the airbag 12, as illustrated in
[0073] On the other hand, if the airbag 12 is stowed rolled up in a roll shape, the slip cloth 19 is also rolled up in a roll shape and stowed along with the airbag 12, as illustrated in
[0074] As illustrated in
[0075] In addition, with the slip cloth 19 as illustrated in
[0076] However, the length in the up-down direction and length in the left-right direction as seen in
[0077] The length in the left-right direction of the slip cloth 19 in
[0078] In
[0079] The airbag 12 is not limited to the configuration illustrated in
[0080] In addition, the airbag 12 illustrated in
[0081] The airbag device 11 that protects the head 2a of the occupant 2, and the side portion 2b of the shoulder 2ba, upper arm 2bb, and chest 2bc of the occupant 2 is described in the embodiments illustrated in
[0082] Furthermore, the airbag 12 described in
EXPLANATION OF CODES
[0083] 1: Vehicle seat [0084] 1b: Seatback [0085] 1c: Headrest [0086] 1ca: Upper end part [0087] 2: Occupant [0088] 2a: Head region [0089] 2b: Side portion [0090] 11: Airbag device [0091] 12: Airbag [0092] 12c: Chamber [0093] 12ca: Side part protection chamber [0094] 12cb: Head region protection chamber [0095] 13: Inflator [0096] 19: Slip cloth [0097] 19a: Upper part [0098] 19aa: Rearward extending part [0099] 20: Sewed part