AIRBAG DEVICE AND VEHICLE SEAT

Abstract

The present invention is an airbag device installed in a vehicle seat having a seat cushion forming the seat surface and a seatback forming the backrest, a pair of inflators stowed in the left and right side portions of said seatback and generating expansion gas, and an airbag stowed in said seatback in a rolled or folded state and deployed by the expansion gas released from said inflators. The airbag is configured to include a pair of left and right side chambers that deploy from the side of the seatback toward the front and restrain movement of at least the waist to the shoulders of an occupant, and a connection part that connects the pair of side chambers and is positioned above the head of the occupant when the airbag is deployed.

Claims

1. An airbag device, installed in a vehicle seat having a seat cushion forming the seat surface and a seatback forming the backrest, comprising: a pair of inflators stowed in the left and right sides of the seatback that generate expansion gas; and an airbag stowed in the seatback in a rolled or folded state deployed by the expansion gas generated by the inflators, the airbag including: a pair of left and right side chambers that deploy from the side part of the seatback toward the front and restrain movement of at least the waist to the shoulders of the occupant; and a connection part that connects the pair of side chambers and is positioned above the head of the occupant when the airbag is deployed.

2. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the connection part of the airbag includes an expandable upper chamber connected to the side chambers, and the upper chamber is configured so as to deploy from near the upper edge of the seatback to encompass the head of the occupant.

3. The airbag device according to claim 2, wherein the upper chamber is configured so as to deploy from near the rear edge of the upper end of the seatback.

4. The airbag device according to claim 2, wherein expansion gas released from the inflator is configured so as to flow from the side chambers to the upper chamber.

5. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag is provided with a plurality of first connecting members for securing the airbag to the seatback when stowed.

6. The airbag device according to claim 5, wherein at least one each of the first connecting members is provided above and below the inflator on the left and right side portions of the seatback.

7. The airbag device according to claim 5, wherein the first connecting members are provided in the head, chest to abdomen, and waist regions of the occupant on the left and right side portions of the seatback.

8. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein a second connecting member in the shape of a strip with a first end portion connected near the lower end area of the airbag in the stowed state and a second end portion connected to the side part of the seat cushion can be further provided on both the left and right sides of the seat.

9. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein a second connecting member with a first end portion connected near the lower end area of the airbag in the stowed state and a second end portion connected to the side part of the seat cushion is further provided on both the left and right sides of the seat, and the first end portion is formed wider than the second end portion.

10. The airbag device according to claim 8, wherein the first end portions of the second connecting members are connected near the front end portion of the side chambers in the deployed state.

11. The airbag device according to claim 8, further comprising a lower connection part extending along the vehicle width direction inside or at the bottom of the seat cushion and connecting the second end portions of the left and right pair of second connecting members.

12. The airbag, device according to claim 11, wherein the pair of second connecting members and the lower connection part are formed as a single tether.

13. The airbag device according to claim 11, wherein the lower connection part extends in the vehicle width direction forward of the center of the seat cushion in the front-back direction.

14. The airbag device according to claim 13, wherein the lower connection part pushes the seat cushion upward due to the tension created in the second connecting members when the airbag is deployed.

15. A vehicle seat comprising the airbag device described in claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] FIG. 1 is a side view (A) and front view (B) illustrating an airbag device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention mounted in a vehicle seat, where the vehicle seat is illustrated as see-through.

[0034] FIG. 2 illustrates the structure of an airbag used in the airbag device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2(A) is a plan view illustrating the state in which the airbag is unfolded (state prior to being stowed). FIG. 2(B) is a front view illustrating the state in which the airbag is rolled (state when stowed).

[0035] FIG. 3 illustrates the activated state (airbag deployed state) of the airbag device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 3(A) illustrates a view of the side in the vehicle width direction, and FIG. 3(B) illustrates a view from the front.

[0036] FIG. 4 (A) to (D) are side views illustrating a modified example of the airbag device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention, where the vehicle seat is illustrated as see-through.

[0037] FIG. 5(A) is a plan view illustrating the structure of the airbag according to the modified example of embodiment 1, and FIG. 5(B) to (D) are plan views illustrating variations of the second connecting members.

[0038] FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating an airbag device according to embodiment 2 of the present invention mounted in a vehicle seat, where the vehicle seat is illustrated as see-through.

[0039] FIG. 7 illustrates the non-activated state (stowed state) of the airbag device according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 7(A) illustrates a view from the front in the vehicle traveling direction, and FIG. 7(B) illustrates a view from the side in the vehicle width direction.

[0040] FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the activated state (airbag deployed state) of the airbag device according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 8(A) illustrates a state in which the seat is not reclined or slightly reclined. FIG. 8(B) illustrates a state in which the seat is greatly reclined.

[0041] FIG. 9 is a schematic view illustrating the activated state (airbag deployed state) of the airbag device according to embodiment 2 of the present invention as viewed from the side in the vehicle width direction.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0042] A vehicle seat according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to accompanying drawings. While this was stated above, “front” in each figure refers to the front of the vehicle (in the direction of travel), “rear” refers to the rear of the vehicle (opposite the direction of travel), “inside” refers to the inside of the vehicle width direction (occupant side), and “outside” refers to the outside of the vehicle width direction (door panel side).

Embodiment 1

[0043] FIG. 1 is a side view (A) and front view (B) illustrating an airbag device 1 according to embodiment 1 of the present invention mounted in a vehicle seat (2, 3), where the vehicle seat (2, 3) is illustrated as see-through. FIG. 2 illustrates the structure of an airbag 14 used in the airbag device 1 according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2(A) is a plan view illustrating the state in which the airbag 14 is unfolded (state prior to being stowed). FIG. 2(B) is a front view illustrating the state in which the airbag is rolled (state when stowed).

[0044] The airbag device 1 according to the present example is equipped in a vehicle seat having a seat cushion 3 forming a seating surface and a seatback 2 forming a backrest. The airbag device 1 includes a pair of inflators 12a and 12b, which are stowed in the left and right side portions of the seatback 2 and generate expansion gas, and an airbag 14 stowed in the seatback 2 in a rolled or folded state that is deployed by the expansion gas discharged from the inflators 12a and 12b. In the present embodiment, the seatback 2 includes an integrated headrest, but this airbag device can also be applied to seats equipped with a headrest as a separate member.

[0045] The airbag 14 is configured to include a pair of left and right side chambers 16a and 16b that deploy from the side of the seatback 2 toward the front and restrain movement of at least the waist to the shoulders of the occupant, and a connection part 18 that connects the pair of side chambers 16a and 16b and is positioned above the head of the occupant when the airbag 14 is deployed. The side chambers 16a and 16b can be symmetrical in shape. The connection part 18 is positioned in the longitudinal center of the airbag 14 when in an unfolded state before stowing (FIG. 2) and is integrally formed using the same fabric as the side chambers 16a and 16b.

[0046] The connection part 18 of the airbag 14 includes an expandable upper chamber that connects to the side chambers 16a and 16b, and the upper chamber is configured to expand from near the upper edge of the seatback 2 to encompass the head of the occupant (FIG. 3). The expanded gas discharged from the inflators 12a and 12b flows from the side chambers 12a, 12b into the upper chamber (18). In addition to being configured as an expandable chamber, the connecting member 18 can also be configured as a non-expandable region. In this case, the thickness in the vertical direction becomes thinner.

[0047] The airbag device 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with first connecting members (tabs) 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d for securing the rolled and compressed airbag 14 to the seatback 2. The first connecting members 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d are arranged one above and one below the inflators 12a and 12b on the left and right side portions of the seatback 2. The inflators 12a and 12b are introduced through the inflator introduction portions 20a and 20b of the airbag 14.

[0048] Installing the first connecting members 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d above and below the inflators 12a and 12b enables securing the area around the inflator where the greatest pressure is generated in the initial stage of deploying the airbag 14, thereby stabilizing the deployment behavior of the airbag 14.

[0049] Note, the first connecting members can be installed in the head region, chest to abdomen region, and waist region of the occupant in the left and right side portions of the seatback 2. In this case, it is possible to restrain and protect the entire range of occupants seated in the seat.

[0050] The airbag device 1 according to the present embodiment is further provided with second connecting members 24a and 24b in the shape of a strip with first end portions (24a1, 24b1) connected to the lower end area of the airbag 14 and second end portions (24a2, 24b2) connected to the side part of the seat cushion 3, on both the left and right sides of the seat. The second connecting members 24a and 24b can be made of the same material (cloth) as the airbag 14. Here, the first end portions (24a1, 24b1) of the second connecting members 24a and 24b are connected near the front end portion of the side chambers 16a and 16b in the deployed state thereof.

[0051] FIG. 3 illustrates the activated state (airbag 14 deployed state) of the airbag device 1 according to embodiment 1. FIG. 3(A) illustrates a view of the side of the vehicle in the width direction, and FIG. 3(B) illustrates a view from the front.

[0052] When a side collision or other event occurs, the inflators 12a and 12b release the expanding gas, causing the airbag 14 to expand and deploy. When the airbag 14 begins to expand, the gas first flows into the side chambers 16a and 16b, and then into the upper chambers that make up the connection part 18. Then, the side chambers 16a and 16b expand from the side of the seatback 2 toward the front. The chamber of the connection part 18, is positioned above the head of the occupant, then expands forward.

[0053] By configuring the airbag 14 according to the present embodiment to include a pair of left and right side chambers 16a and 16b that restrain movement of the occupant from the waist to the shoulders, and a connection part 18 that connects the pair of side chambers 16a and 16b and is located above the head of the occupant, the airbag 14 deploys in a dome shape to cover the occupant seated in the seat 3. As a result, the airbag can reliably restrain movement of the occupant at least in the left-right direction, upward, and diagonally upward, and provide suitable protection from the head to the waist of the occupant.

[0054] In addition, since the connection part 18 is formed as an expandable upper chamber, the connection part 18 expands to encompass the head of the occupant (FIG. 3(B)), which makes it possible to properly absorb impacts on the head.

[0055] In addition, by configuring the expansion gas to flow from the side chambers 16a and 16b to the upper chamber 18, the side chambers 16a and 16b can be expanded first to quickly restrain the lateral movement of the occupant, and then the upper chamber 18 can be expanded to softly protect the head of the occupant. This means that the head and neck, which are vulnerable to impact, can be restrained (protected) relatively softly without applying a large impact in the initial stage of airbag 14 deployment.

[0056] The upper chamber, which constitutes the connection part 18, deploys from near the rear edge of the upper end of the seatback 2. The upper chamber 18 expands from near the rear edge of the upper end of the seatback 2, so that the upper chamber 18 covers the back of the head of the occupant from behind to in front. This avoids the upper chamber 18 directly impacting the head of the occupant when the airbag 14 deploys, and also makes it possible to create a wide area of protection around the head of the occupant. If the seatback and headrest are constructed as separate components, the connecting member 18 is designed to launch over the headrest from the top of the seatback and expand forward.

[0057] In addition, by securing the airbag 14 to the seatback 2 with a plurality of first connecting members 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d, the possibility of a gap between the seatback 2 and the airbag 14 during deployment of said airbag 14 can be reduced. As a result, for example, when an occupant comes into contact with the airbag 14 during a vehicle collision, the occupant will not protrude through the gap between the airbag 14 and the seatback 2, and the occupant can be securely restrained.

[0058] By providing second connecting members 24a and 24b in the shape of a strip that connects the lower end area of the airbag 14 to the side part of the seat cushion 3, the restraint performance near the waist area of the occupant seated in the seat (2, 3) can be improved. In other words, when the waist, which is close to the occupant center of gravity, moves in a direction that pushes the airbag 14 down outward, the second connecting members 24a and 24b can securely hold the airbag 14 and avoid a situation where the occupant is flung out laterally.

[0059] In addition, by connecting the first end portions (24a1, 24b1) of the second connecting members 24a and 24b near the front end portion of the side chambers 16a and 16b, the deployment posture of the side chambers 16a and 16b can be maintained in a suitable state. Assuming that the first end portions (24a1, 24b1) of the second connecting members 24a and 24b are connected near the rear end portion of the side chambers 16a and 16b, the forward portion of the side chambers 16a and 16b will be out of control when the airbag 14 deploys, and the behavior will not be stable. In this regard, by connecting the first end portions (24a1, 24b1) of the second connecting members 24a and 24b near the front end portion of the side chambers 16a and 16b, the deployment posture of the forward portion of the side chambers 16a and 16b can be suitably maintained (controlled), improving occupant restraining performance.

[0060] FIG. 4 (A) to (D) are side views illustrating a modified example of the airbag device 1 according to embodiment 1, where the vehicle seat is illustrated as see-through. These four variations all differ in the arrangement of the inflators (12a, 12b). In the examples of diagrams (A) and (B), the inflators 12a and 12b are arranged on the lower end part of the seatback 2, and due to this, the first connecting members 22c and 22d (22a, 22b) are arranged near the head and waist of the occupant. The only difference between (A) and (B) is the direction in which the inflators 12a and 12b are inserted. In other words, in the example of the diagram (A), inflators 12a and 12b are inserted from above, and in the example of the diagram (B), inflators 12a and 12b are inserted from below.

[0061] In the examples of diagrams (C) and (D), the inflators 12a and 12b are arranged on the upper end part of the seatback 2, and due to this, the first connecting members 22c and 22d (22a, 22b) are arranged near the shoulder and waist of the occupant. The only difference between (A) and (B) is the direction in which the inflators 12a and 12b are inserted. In other words, in the example of the diagram (A), inflators 12a and 12b are inserted from above, and in the example of the diagram (B), inflators 12a and 12b are inserted from below.

[0062] As another variation, a single inflator can be arranged at the back of the seatback 2 and configured to guide the expansion gas from there to both sides of the seatback 2.

Variation of Embodiment 1

[0063] FIG. 5(A) is a plan view illustrating the structure of the airbag according to the modified example of embodiment 1, and FIG. 5(B) to (D) are plan views illustrating variations of the second connecting members. FIG. 5(A) is a drawing corresponding to FIG. 2(A), and only the shape of the second connecting members (124a, 124b) are different, so only those parts will be described.

[0064] As illustrated in FIG. 5(A), the first end portions (124a1, 124b1) of the second connecting members (124a, 124b) are formed wider than the second end portions (124a2, 124b2) thereof. In this example, the second connecting members (124a, 124b) are generally formed in a trapezoidal shape, however, as illustrated in FIG. 5(B) to (D), there are other variations such as a member 224 with the middle portion curved inward, a member 324 with a shape in which the width of the end portion is constant within a given range, and a member 424 which is formed in a triangular shape.

[0065] Regarding the second connecting members (124a, 124b) of variations illustrated in FIG. 5, forming the first end portions 124a1 and 124b1 connected to the airbag wider than the second end portions 124a2 and 124b2 connected to the seat cushion stabilizes the deployment behavior at the lower end of the airbag. The second connecting members (124a, 124b) of the structure in FIG. 5 can also be applied to embodiment 2 described below.

Embodiment 2

[0066] FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating an airbag device 1 according to embodiment 2 of the present invention mounted in a vehicle seat (2, 3), where the vehicle seat (2, 3) is illustrated as see-through. FIG. 7 illustrates the non-activated state (stowed state) of the airbag device 1 according to embodiment 2. FIG. 7(A) illustrates a view from the front in the vehicle traveling direction, and FIG. 7(B) illustrates a view from the side in the vehicle width direction. FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the activated state (airbag deployed state) of the airbag device 1 according to embodiment 2. FIG. 8(A) illustrates a state in which the seatback 2 is not reclined or slightly reclined. FIG. 8(B) illustrates a state in which the seatback 2 is greatly reclined. FIG. 9 is a schematic view illustrating the activated state (airbag deployed state) of the airbag device 1 according to embodiment 2 as viewed from the side in the vehicle width direction.

[0067] Regarding embodiment 2 described below, components identical or equivalent to those in embodiment 1 already described are given the same code and redundant explanations are omitted, but the same functions and effects are achieved.

[0068] The airbag device 1 according to the present embodiment is further provided with a lower connection part 30 that extends generally along the vehicle width direction inside or at the bottom of the seat cushion 3 and connects the second end portions 24a2 and 24b2 of the pair of left and right second connecting members 24a and 24b. The pair of second connecting members 24a and 24b and the lower connection part 30 can be formed as a single tether. In addition to a fabric tether, metal wires or other materials can be employed as the lower connection part 30. The lower connection part 30 can be placed inside the seat cushion 3 or through the space between the seat cushion 3 and the seat frame.

[0069] As illustrated in FIG. 6, the airbag 14 in a rolled and stowed state is positioned behind the longitudinal center line C2 of the seatback 2 and is secured along the center line C2. Here, with regard to the seatback 2, the code 2a indicates the side support and the code 2b indicates the receiving surface (the surface in contact with the back of the occupant). In addition, the center line C2 means a line that passes approximately through the middle of the receiving surface 2b and the back in the front-back direction of the seatback 2. The rolled airbag 14 can be placed above or in front of the center line C2 of the seatback 2.

[0070] The connection position of the second end portion 24b2 (24a2) of the second connecting member 24b (24a) and the lower connection part 30 is forward of the center line C3 in the front-to-back direction of the seat cushion 3. In other words, the lower connection part 30 is arranged to extend in the vehicle width direction in front of the center of the seat cushion 3 in the front-to-back direction (the waist center of the occupant). In addition, the length of the second connecting member 24b (24a) is preferably set as short as possible in a range that does not interfere with the reclining movement of the seatback 2 when the airbag device 1 is not activated.

[0071] The various conditions described above regarding the arrangement of the airbag device 1 can be applied to embodiment 1, except for the lower connection part 30.

[0072] Starting at the state before the airbag device 1 is activated as illustrated in FIG. 7, when the airbag device 1 is activated, the inflators 12a and 12b discharge expansion gas to expand and deploy the airbag 14 (FIG. 8, FIG. 9). When the airbag 14 begins to expand, the gas first flows into the side chambers 16a and 16b, and then into the upper chambers that make up the connection part 18. Then, the side chambers 16a and 16b expand from the side of the seatback 2 toward the front. The chamber of the connection part 18, is positioned above the head of the occupant, then expands forward. The operation up to this point is the same as in embodiment 1 described above.

[0073] When the airbag 14 is deployed, as illustrated in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, tension is generated in the second connecting members 24a and 24b, and the lower connection part 30 connected to the second connecting members 24a and 24b pushes the seat cushion 3 upward. When the seat cushion 3 is pushed upward by the lower connection part 30 due to tension in the second connecting members 24a and 24b, the part forward of the center of the seat cushion 3 lifts the thigh of the occupant, which can properly restrain forward movement of the occupant and reduce the possibility of the so-called “seatbelt submarining.” In FIG. 8, the seat cushion 3 is partially depicted as see-through to ease understanding of the position and shape of the lower connection part 30.

[0074] In the present embodiment, the lifting effect of the seat cushion 3 by the lower connection part 30 is more pronounced in a situation where the seat is greatly reclined (the seatback 2 is greatly tilted (see FIG. 8(B)) than when the seat is not reclined (the seatback 2 is nearly vertical). When the airbag 14 deploys while the seatback 2 is tilted backward, the lower end of the airbag 14 moves backward and at least the forward portion of the seat cushion 3 partially rises. This means that the lower end part of the airbag 14 will move away from the seat cushion 3. This will increase the tension applied to the second connecting members 24a and 24b and lower connection part 30 connected to the lower end part of the airbag 14, causing the seat cushion 3 to be lifted upward with a strong force. Depending on the material, shape, and installation position of the lower connection part 30, the seat cushion 3 may be deformed so that it is inclined backward as a whole.

[0075] In the present embodiment, by providing a lower connection part 30 extending in the vehicle width direction under the seat cushion 3, the second end portions (24a2, 24b2) of the second connecting members 24a and 24b can be secured more reliably. The lower connection part 30 can be composed of a flexible tether as described above, but instead of a tether, a plate made of rigid metal or resin can be employed. When the lower connection part 30 is composed of a rigid plate, the effect of lifting the thigh of the occupant is greater.

[0076] In addition, when the second connecting members 24a and 24b and the lower connection part 30 is made into a single tether, in addition to simplifying the structure (reducing the number of parts), the overall strength can be increased by omitting the connection part.

[0077] By placing the lower connection part 30 forward of the center C3 in the front-to-back direction of the seat cushion 3, the second end portions (24a2, 24b2) of the second connecting members 24a and 24b are placed in a position more forward than the first end portions (24a1, 24b1) thereof when the airbag 14 deploys, thereby imparting suitable tension to the second connecting members 24a and 24b.

[0078] The present invention has been described with reference to embodiments; however, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. In other words, changes can be made as necessary without deviating from the scope of the technical concept of the invention.