JP6365188B2 - Side airbag device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a side airbag device including an airbag deployed on a side of a vehicle occupant.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a side airbag device that deploys a side airbag between an occupant and a door panel is known as one of airbag devices mounted on a vehicle. The side airbag functions to protect the occupant's chest and trunk by instantly inflating along the side door in the event of a vehicle collision or the like. Further, it has been studied to further improve the protection performance by adding features to the shape of the side airbag.

  For example, among the side airbags, one in which a dent is formed at a position facing the upper arm portion of an occupant has been proposed (see Patent Document 1). There has also been proposed a technique in which the inside of the side airbag is partitioned into a plurality of spaces, and one of the partitioned spaces is inflated and deployed below the upper arm portion (see Patent Document 2). With these structures, the upper arm and shoulders of the occupant can be easily lifted upward, and the pressing load on the chest by the upper arm can be reduced.

Japanese Patent No. 5445595 JP2013-154786A

  In the side airbag device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the side airbag is formed to have a size that covers the occupant's waist and the entire region of the chest, and therefore expands and inflates below the shoulder. Therefore, there is room for improvement in order to improve the protection performance of the raised upper arm and shoulder. On the other hand, in the side airbag apparatus of patent document 2, since the main bag part becomes a shape which expand | deploys to the side of a shoulder part, a shoulder part can be protected. However, since this side airbag device is deployed after the main bag portion is deployed, the sub bag portion is deployed to push up the upper arm portion, the shoulder portion is restrained by the main bag portion, and the amount of pushing up of the upper arm portion becomes insufficient, The pressing load on the chest by the upper arm may not be sufficiently reduced.

  The present case has been devised in view of the above-described problems, and a side airbag device that promotes the upward movement of the upper arm portion of the occupant and can further improve the protection performance of the occupant. One of the purposes is to provide. The present invention is not limited to this purpose, and is a function and effect derived from each configuration shown in the embodiments for carrying out the invention described later, and other effects of the present invention are to obtain a function and effect that cannot be obtained by conventional techniques. Can be positioned.

  (1) A side airbag device disclosed herein includes an airbag that is deployed between an occupant seated in a vehicle seat and a side door, and an inflator that supplies gas to the airbag. It is a bag device. The airbag includes three chambers: a main chamber, a first sub chamber, and a second sub chamber. The main chamber is supplied with gas directly from the inflator and expands to the side of the torso of the occupant. The first sub-chamber is attached to the main chamber so as to be positioned at an upper portion inside the vehicle width direction of the main chamber in the unfolded state, and the gas supplied to the main chamber is supplied to the lower side of the occupant Expand to. The second sub-chamber is attached to at least the first sub-chamber so as to be positioned above the main chamber and the first sub-chamber in the expanded state, and the gas supplied to the first sub-chamber is supplied to the second sub-chamber. Deploy to the side of the passenger's shoulder. In other words, the airbag is deployed in the order of the main chamber, the first sub-chamber, and the second sub-chamber, and the second sub-chamber is positioned above the two chambers that are deployed first. Therefore, it becomes easy to expand to the side of the shoulder of the occupant.

  (2) The airbag is formed on a connection surface between the main chamber and the first sub-chamber, and includes a first series of through holes that communicate the main chamber and the first sub-chamber, and the first sub-chamber. And a second communication hole formed on a connection surface between the first sub chamber and the second sub chamber. The second communication hole communicates the first sub chamber and the second sub chamber. In this case, the first valve body closes the first through hole at the start of the deployment of the main chamber, and opens the first through hole when the internal pressure of the main chamber becomes equal to or higher than a first predetermined pressure, A second valve body that closes the second communication hole at the start of deployment of the first sub-chamber and opens the second communication hole when the internal pressure of the first sub-chamber is equal to or higher than a second predetermined pressure. Is preferred.

(3) The main chamber is formed at an upper portion on the inner side in the vehicle width direction before the gas flows to the first sub-chamber at the time of deployment, and has an inclined portion that is inclined outward in the vehicle width direction toward the upper end. It is preferable.
(4) The inclined portion is formed by a tether having one end attached to the inner surface of the upper portion of the main chamber in the vehicle width direction and the other end attached to the inner surface of the main chamber in the vehicle width direction. Is preferred.
(5) It is preferable that the airbag is provided in the second sub-chamber and includes a discharge unit that discharges gas inside the airbag to the outside.

  According to the disclosed side airbag device, the first sub-chamber deployed below the occupant's side part makes it easier to lift the occupant's upper arm together with the shoulder, so the amount of upward movement of the occupant's upper arm can be reduced. Can be increased. In addition, the main chamber and the first sub-chamber are followed by a second sub-chamber that extends to the side of the occupant's shoulder, so that in addition to the occupant's torso and chest, the lifted occupant's shoulder and upper arm It can protect appropriately and can improve a passenger | crew's protection performance more.

It is a typical side view showing the state where the crew member sat on the vehicle seat to which the side airbag device concerning one embodiment was applied. (A) is a schematic side view of the side airbag device of FIG. 1 in the airbag deployment state (deployment completion state), and (b) is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the airbag [of FIG. AA arrow sectional drawing]. FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view for explaining a deployment state of the airbag of the side airbag device of FIG. 1, in which (a) is an initial deployment state, and (b) is a mid-deployment state. It is a typical perspective view which illustrates the composition of the valve element applied to the side airbag device of Drawing 1, and (a) is at the time of hole closing, and (b) is at the time of hole opening. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the effect | action by the side airbag apparatus of FIG. 1, (a) is a deployment initial state, (b) is a middle deployment state, (c) is a deployment completion state. It is a typical longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the modification of an airbag, and shows the state of an initial stage of expansion | deployment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is merely an example, and there is no intention to exclude various modifications and technical applications that are not explicitly described in the following embodiment. Each configuration of the following embodiments can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and can be selected as necessary or can be appropriately combined.

[1. Constitution]
The side airbag device 1 of the present embodiment is applied to a vehicle seat 10 (seat) shown in FIG. The side airbag device 1 is housed inside the seat back of the vehicle seat 10 and folded inside the side surface facing the side door 20 (see FIG. 5A). FIG. 1 illustrates a deployed state (deployed completion state) of the side airbag device 1 arranged on the left side surface of the left seat (a driver seat in a left-hand drive vehicle and a passenger seat in a right-hand drive vehicle). A similar (symmetry) side airbag device 1 is also arranged in the right seat (the passenger seat in the right-hand drive vehicle and the driver seat in the left-hand drive vehicle).

The side airbag device 1 is provided with an airbag 2 and an inflator 3.
The airbag 2 is a cloth bag that is deployed to the side of the occupant 30 in the event of a vehicle collision or the like. The airbag 2 is inflated instantaneously along the side door 20 of the vehicle, and functions to protect the chest 31A and the abdomen 31B of the occupant 30 (hereinafter, the combined portion is referred to as the trunk 31). The shape of the airbag 2 in the deployed state is formed to cover a portion from the shoulder portion 32 to the trunk portion 31 of the occupant 30 in a side view.

  The inflator 3 is a device that supplies a gas (filling gas) for inflating the airbag 2, and is provided inside the seat back or inside the airbag 2. Here, the supply of gas is started on the condition that a large impact force is applied to the vehicle or the vehicle acceleration becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value. The method of supplying the gas is arbitrary, and may be a method of releasing the pressurized gas stored in the container to the outside of the container, or a method of generating gas by igniting the explosive. These gases are supplied into the airbag 2 through a tube (not shown).

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 (a) and 2 (b), the airbag 2 is composed of three chambers 4, 5, 6, and the main chamber 4 having the largest capacity is provided with a first sub-chamber 5 and a second sub-chamber 5. A sub-chamber 6 is attached and configured. The main chamber 4 is a bag formed by stitching two base fabrics 40 and 41 so as to have a space inside. The main chamber 4 is supplied with gas directly from the inflator 3 and expands to the side of the trunk 31 of the occupant 30. That is, in the airbag 2, the main chamber 4 is first deployed by the gas from the inflator 3 to absorb the impact force from the outside.

  Hereinafter, the state where only the main chamber 4 is expanded is referred to as an initial deployment state. A cross-sectional view of the airbag 2 in the initial deployment state is shown in FIG. In the cross-sectional view of the airbag 2, the thickness of the base fabric 40 and the like is greatly illustrated. The main chamber 4 is formed such that the length in the vehicle width direction (hereinafter referred to as thickness) in the unfolded state is thin at the upper end and thick at the center in the vertical direction, and is the upper part on the inner side in the vehicle width direction (that is, the passenger 30 side). In addition, an inclined portion 4A that is inclined outward toward the upper end is provided. Here, the case where the main chamber 4 is a vertically long ellipse in a side view and a front view is illustrated. The inclined portion 4A is an inclined surface that is provided on the upper portion of the base fabric 40 that forms the side surface of the main chamber 4 on the occupant 30 side when deployed, and is inclined outward as it goes to the upper end.

  The first sub-chamber 5 is a bag body having a space inside, and is attached to the main chamber 4 so as to be positioned at an upper portion on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the main chamber 4 in a developed state. The first sub-chamber 5 is formed by sewing a single base fabric 50 from the outside onto the upper portion of the base fabric 40 that forms the occupant side surface of the main chamber 4 when deployed. That is, the first sub chamber 5 is provided at a position that substantially overlaps the inclined portion 4 </ b> A of the main chamber 4. It can be said that the first sub-chamber 5 forms the inclined portion 4A together with the main chamber 4 because the first sub-chamber 5 hangs down along the inclined surface of the inclined portion 4A before deployment.

  On the connection surface (that is, the base fabric 40) between the main chamber 4 and the first sub chamber 5, a hole portion (hereinafter referred to as a first series of through holes 40h) that connects the main chamber 4 and the first sub chamber 5 is formed. Is done. The gas supplied to the main chamber 4 is developed below the side portion 34 of the occupant 30 (see FIG. 5B) by supplying the gas supplied to the main chamber 4 through the first through hole 40h. That is, the first sub-chamber 5 is deployed following the deployment of the main chamber 4, lifts the side portion 34 of the occupant 30 from below (that is, lifts the shoulder portion 32 upward), and moves the upper arm portion 33 upward. Let

  Hereinafter, the state in which the first sub-chamber 5 has been expanded is referred to as an expanded middle state. A cross-sectional view of the airbag 2 in the mid-deployment state is shown in FIG. Although the shape of the first sub-chamber 5 is not particularly limited, the first sub-chamber 5 is the smallest of the three chambers 4, 5, 6 so as to enter below the side part 34 of the occupant 30 when deployed. For example, it is preferable that the vehicle has a length in the vehicle front-rear direction that is approximately the same as or slightly smaller than that of the main chamber 4, and protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction from the vehicle width direction inner side end portion of the main chamber 4.

  A valve body (hereinafter referred to as a first valve body) that closes the first through hole 40h until the internal pressure of the main chamber 4 reaches a predetermined pressure (hereinafter referred to as a first predetermined pressure P1). 7). The first valve body 7 closes the first series of through holes 40h from the time when gas starts to be supplied to the main chamber 4 until the pressure in the main chamber 4 reaches the first predetermined pressure P1. This is a check valve that shuts off the gas supply to the first sub-chamber 5 and opens the first through hole 40h when the internal pressure of the main chamber 4 becomes equal to or higher than the first predetermined pressure P1.

  That is, the first valve body 7 provides a time difference in the deployment of the main chamber 4 and the first sub-chamber 5, whereby the airbag 2 has at least two states, an initial deployment state and an intermediate deployment state. It will be. The first predetermined pressure P1 is the limit pressure at which the first valve body 7 can keep the first through hole 40h closed, and the material and shape of the first valve body 7, the first through hole It is determined by the size and position of the first valve body 7 with respect to 40h, the location where the first valve body 7 is fixed, and the like.

  The first valve body 7 is formed of the same cloth as the base cloths 40 and 41 of the main chamber 4, has the same shape as the first through hole 40 h, and is slightly larger than the first through hole 40 h. The The first valve body 7 is provided so as to close the first through hole 40 h from the inside of the main chamber 4, and a part of the periphery of the first valve body 7 is sewn to the base cloth 40 and fixed. The first valve body 7 of the present embodiment is fixed by being sewn to the base cloth 40 inside the main chamber 4 and above the first through hole 40h. A part of the fixed periphery [symbol 7a in FIG. 2B] serves as a rotation axis of the hinge. Further, the remaining periphery excluding a part of the periphery of the first valve body 7 is not fixed to the base cloth 40, and becomes a portion that is pushed into the first series of through holes 40 h due to an increase in the internal pressure of the main chamber 4.

  The second sub-chamber 6 is a bag body having a space inside, and is located above the main chamber 4 and the first sub-chamber 5 in the deployed state so as to be positioned above the first sub-chamber 5. It is attached to the subchamber 5. The second sub-chamber 6 has a single base cloth 60 on the upper side of the base cloth 41 that forms the side surface on the side door 20 side of the main chamber 4 and the upper part of the base cloth 50 of the first sub-chamber 5, respectively. It is formed by sewing from the outside. The connecting surface (that is, the base fabric 50) between the first sub-chamber 5 and the second sub-chamber 6 is a hole for connecting the first sub-chamber 5 and the second sub-chamber 6 (hereinafter referred to as a second communication hole 50h). ) Is formed.

  The gas supplied to the first sub-chamber 5 is expanded to the side of the shoulder portion 32 of the occupant 30 when the gas supplied to the first sub-chamber 5 is supplied through the second communication hole 50h. That is, the second subchamber 6 is deployed following the deployment of the first subchamber 5, and protects the shoulder portion 32 of the occupant 30 and the raised upper arm portion 33. Hereinafter, the state in which the second sub-chamber 6 is deployed is referred to as a deployment completion state. FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B show the airbag 2 in a deployed state. Although the shape of the second sub-chamber 6 is not particularly limited, the second sub-chamber 6 has a relatively large shape so as to protect the shoulder portion 32 of the occupant 30 and the raised upper arm portion 33 during deployment. For example, it is preferable that the vehicle has a length in the vehicle front-rear direction that is approximately the same as that of the main chamber 4, and has a shape that extends to above the shoulder portion 32 of the passenger 30.

  The second sub-chamber 6 is provided with a vent hole 9 as a discharge part for releasing the gas inside the airbag 2 to the outside. The vent hole 9 is formed in the base cloth 60 and is provided at a position away from the second communication hole 50h. The shape of the vent hole 9 is not particularly limited, but the size of the vent hole 9 is made small so that the gas inside the airbag 2 flows out gently. In addition, the discharge part which discharges | emits the gas inside the airbag 2 is not restricted to the vent hole 9, For example, a slit-shaped vent may be sufficient.

  In the second communication hole 50h, a valve body (hereinafter referred to as a second valve body) that closes the second communication hole 50h until the internal pressure of the first sub chamber 5 reaches a predetermined pressure (hereinafter referred to as a second predetermined pressure P2). 8). The second valve body 8 is used until the pressure in the first sub-chamber 5 reaches the second predetermined pressure P2 from the time when the gas starts to be supplied to the first sub-chamber 5 (the time when the first sub-chamber 5 starts to expand). When the internal pressure of the first sub-chamber 5 is equal to or higher than the second predetermined pressure P2 by blocking the gas supply to the second sub-chamber 6 by closing the second communication hole 50h, the check is made to open the second communication hole 50h. It is a valve.

  That is, the second valve body 8 provides a time difference in the deployment between the first sub-chamber 5 and the second sub-chamber 6, whereby the airbag 2 is in the third deployment state after the middle deployment state. It will have the state of. The second predetermined pressure P2 is a limit pressure at which the second valve body 8 can keep the second communication hole 50h in a closed state. It depends on the size and position of the second valve body 8, the location where the second valve body 8 is fixed, and the like.

  The second valve body 8 is formed of the same cloth as that of the first valve body 7, has the same shape as the second communication hole 50h, and is slightly larger than the second communication hole 50h. The second valve body 8 is provided so as to close the second communication hole 50h from the inside of the first sub-chamber 5, and a part of the periphery of the second valve body 8 is sewn to the base cloth 50 and fixed. The second valve body 8 of the present embodiment is sewn and fixed to the base fabric 50 inside the first sub-chamber 5 and inside the second communication hole 50h in the vehicle width direction. A part of the fixed periphery [reference numeral 8a in FIG. 2 (b)] serves as a rotation axis of the hinge. Further, the remaining periphery excluding a part of the periphery of the second valve body 8 is not fixed to the base cloth 50, and becomes a portion that is pushed into the second communication hole 50h due to an increase in the internal pressure of the first sub chamber 5. .

  Here, an example of the configuration of the first through hole 40h and the first valve body 7 provided between the main chamber 4 and the first sub chamber 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b). . FIGS. 4A and 4B are perspective views when the first valve body 7 is viewed from the inside of the main chamber 4. As shown in FIG. 4A, the first valve body 7 is formed in a rectangular shape that is slightly larger than the rectangular series of through holes 40 h formed in the base fabric 40. Attached from the inside of the main chamber 4 closes the first through hole 40h.

  The first valve body 7 is fixed by sewing only one side 7a that is a part of the periphery of the first valve body 7 on the inner side of the base cloth 40 and on the upper side in the vertical direction of the first through hole 40h. Not fixed against. In the state where the internal pressure of the main chamber 4 is low, the first valve body 7 keeps the first through hole 40h closed because the force pushed into the first through hole 40h is small. The force with which the first valve body 7 is pushed into the first series of through holes 40h increases as the internal pressure of the main chamber 4 increases. Therefore, when the internal pressure of the main chamber 4 rises to the first predetermined pressure P1, the first valve body 7 is fixed while leaving the fixed side 7a inside the base cloth 40 like a rotation axis of the hinge. Three sides that are not present are pushed into the first series of through holes 40h, and the first series of through holes 40h are opened as shown in FIG.

[2. Action]
Next, operation | movement of the side airbag apparatus 1 in the case of a vehicle collision and an effect | action by this are demonstrated using Fig.5 (a)-(c). FIGS. 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams showing an initial deployment state, an intermediate deployment state, and a deployment completion state, respectively. Here, a case where an impact is applied to the vehicle from the left side surface (that is, a case where a left side collision occurs) is illustrated.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, when an impact force (outlined arrow in the figure) is applied to the side door 20 from the outside, the inflator 3 is activated to supply gas to the airbag 2. Thereby, the main chamber 4 of the airbag 2 expands to the side of the trunk portion 31 of the occupant 30 and absorbs the impact force. At the same time, the airbag 2 is pushed toward the occupant 30 as the side door 20 enters the passenger compartment. Here, since the main chamber 4 is provided with the inclined portion 4A, the upper arm portion 33 of the occupant 30 moves upward along the inclined portion 4A as the airbag 2 moves (black arrow in the figure).

  Furthermore, since the deformation of the door trim 21 of the side door 20 has not progressed so much at this time, the lower portion of the main chamber 4 is pushed closer to the occupant 30 side than the upper portion by the protrusion of the armrest portion 21a of the door trim 21. Thereby, the inclination of the inclined portion 4A is further increased, and the movement of the upper arm portion 33 of the occupant 30 is promoted. In addition, since the 1st valve body 7 has obstruct | occluded the 1st through-hole 40h until the internal pressure of the main chamber 4 becomes more than 1st predetermined pressure P1, the airbag 2 is shown to Fig.3 (a). In this way, only the main chamber 4 is deployed, and an initial deployment state is formed, and the inclined portion 4A is formed.

  When the internal pressure of the main chamber 4 becomes equal to or higher than the first predetermined pressure P1, the first valve body 7 opens the first through hole 40h. That is, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), the first valve body 7 has its non-fixed portion pushed into the first sub-chamber 5 through the first through-hole 40h, and the main chamber 4 and the first The sub chamber 5 is communicated. Thereby, since the gas in the main chamber 4 flows into the first sub-chamber 5, the first sub-chamber 5 develops below the side portion 34 of the occupant 30 as shown in FIG. The upper arm portion 33 of the occupant 30 has already started to move upward due to the inclined portion 4A of the main chamber 4, and a space is formed below the side portion 34. Therefore, the first sub-chamber 5 has the side portion 34. It is easy to expand below.

  Here, the side part 34 is a part located below the shoulder part 32, and the shoulder part 32 is a part connecting the upper arm part 33 and the trunk part 31. Therefore, when the side portion 34 is lifted by the development of the first sub-chamber 5, the shoulder portion 32 is also lifted upward, and the entire upper arm portion 33 moves upward together with the shoulder portion 32. On the other hand, due to the development of the first sub-chamber 5, the upper arm portion 33 moves upward by rotating toward the front of the vehicle around the shoulder portion 32. That is, the upper arm portion 33 is moved upward while being rotated by the first sub-chamber 5, so that the upper arm portion 33 is quickly moved upward and promoted upward movement (black arrow in the figure). .

  In addition, since the 2nd valve body 8 has obstruct | occluded the 2nd communicating hole 50h until the internal pressure of the 1st subchamber 5 becomes 2nd predetermined pressure P2 or more, the airbag 2 is shown in FIG.3 (b). As shown, only the main chamber 4 and the first sub-chamber 5 are in an expanded middle state where they are expanded. That is, at this time, the second sub-chamber 6 has not yet been deployed, and the shoulder 32 of the occupant 30 is not restrained, so that the upper arm 33 can easily move upward.

When the internal pressure of the first sub-chamber 5 becomes equal to or higher than the second predetermined pressure P2, the second valve body 8 opens the second communication hole 50h. That is, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the second valve body 8 has the fixed side 8a left inside the base cloth 50 like the rotation axis of the hinge, while the non-fixed portion is the second side. The first sub-chamber 5 is communicated with the second sub-chamber 6 by being pushed into the second sub-chamber 6 through the communication hole 50h. As a result, the gas inside the main chamber 4 and the first sub-chamber 5 flows into the second sub-chamber 6, so that the second sub-chamber 6 is formed on the shoulder 32 of the occupant 30 as shown in FIG. Deploy laterally to protect the raised shoulder 32 and upper arm 33.
2A and 2B, the gas is gradually released from the vent hole 9 provided in the second sub chamber 6.

[3. effect]
(1) According to the above-described side airbag device 1, the main chamber 4 is first deployed, so that impact force such as a vehicle collision can be absorbed and the side of the trunk portion 31 of the occupant 30 is protected. be able to. Further, the first sub-chamber 5 is deployed following the deployment of the main chamber 4, whereby the upper arm portion 33 can be lifted upward while protecting the side of the trunk portion 31 of the occupant 30.

  Here, the first sub-chamber 5 is attached to the main chamber 4 so as to be positioned at an upper portion on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the main chamber 4 in the deployed state, and is deployed below the side portion 34 of the occupant 30. The entire upper arm portion 33 can be lifted while rotating the upper arm portion 33 to move upward. Furthermore, since the second sub-chamber 6 has not been developed yet at this time, the shoulder portion 32 is not restrained. As a result, the upward movement of the upper arm portion 33 of the occupant 30 can be promoted, whereby the pressing load applied to the chest 31A by the upper arm portion 33 can be reduced.

  Further, since the second sub-chamber 6 is deployed following the deployment of the first sub-chamber 5, the upper arm portion 33 and the shoulder portion 32 of the occupant 30 lifted can be protected. In other words, since the second sub-chamber 6 expands to the side of the shoulder 32 after the upper arm 33 is lifted by the first sub-chamber 5, even if the upper arm 33 and the shoulder 32 are raised to the height of the door glass. Since the side of the upper arm portion 33 and the shoulder portion 32 can be received at the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the second sub-chamber 6, an object outside the door glass (for example, a collision object such as a utility pole or another vehicle) It can be protected from contact with the door glass itself. Therefore, according to the above-described side airbag device 1, the three chambers 4, 5, and 6 are deployed with a time difference, so that each part of the occupant 30 can be acted more appropriately, and the protection performance of the occupant can be improved. It can be improved further.

  (2) In the above-described side airbag device 1, the first valve body 7 is provided in the first through hole 40 h that communicates the main chamber 4 and the first subchamber 5. A second valve body 8 is provided in the second communication hole 50 h communicating with the sub chamber 6. The first valve body 7 opens the first through hole 40h when the internal pressure of the main chamber 4 increases, and the second valve body 8 opens the second communication hole 50h when the internal pressure of the first sub chamber 5 increases. Therefore, the three chambers 4, 5, and 6 can be developed with an internal pressure difference. That is, the time (time) during which the three chambers 4, 5, 6 are deployed can be accurately controlled, and the passenger's protection performance can be further improved.

  (3) In the above-described side airbag device 1, since the main chamber 4 is provided with the inclined portion 4 </ b> A, the upper arm portion 33 of the occupant 30 can be moved upward along the inclined portion 4 </ b> A by the development of the main chamber 4. it can. That is, prior to the deployment of the first sub-chamber 5, the upper arm portion 33 can be started to move upward, so that a space can be formed below the side portion 34 of the occupant 30. Thereby, the first sub-chamber 5 can be easily developed below the side portion 34, the upper arm portion 33 can be moved upward more quickly, and the upward movement can be facilitated.

(4) In the above-described side airbag device 1, since the vent hole 9 is provided in the second sub chamber 6, the gas inside the airbag 2 escapes from the second sub chamber 6 to the outside. Therefore, the internal pressures of the main chamber 4 and the first sub chamber 5 can be easily increased, and the entire airbag 2 can be deployed earlier.
In the present embodiment, since the vent hole 9 serving as the discharge portion is provided at a position away from the second communication hole 50h, the deployment completion state of the airbag 2 can be maintained longer.

[4. Others]
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
The shapes and configurations of the main chamber 4, the first sub-chamber 5 and the second sub-chamber 6 are examples, and are not limited to the above. For example, the main chamber 4 may have a shape in which a lower end portion (a lower end portion in the long side direction) of a vertically long ellipse is cut out, or may have a rectangular shape close to a rectangle. Even in the case of such a shape, it is preferable that the inclined portion 4 </ b> A is provided in the upper portion of the main chamber 4 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction. Alternatively, the main chamber 4 may be formed by sewing three or more base fabrics.

For example, the first sub-chamber 5 may be formed shorter than the other two chambers 4 and 6 in the vehicle longitudinal direction, or may be formed of two or more base fabrics.
Moreover, the 2nd subchamber 6 should just be located in the upper part of the main chamber 4 and the 1st subchamber 5 in the unfolded state, for example, may be sewn only to the 1st subchamber 5. That is, even if the second sub-chamber 6 and the main chamber 4 are not directly stitched together, the second sub-chamber 6 is deployed to be arranged from the upper part of the first sub-chamber 5 to the upper part of the main chamber 4. Any configuration can be used. The second subchamber 6 may also be formed from two or more base fabrics.

  Further, the main chamber 4 may have a structure for forming the inclined portion 4A. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the inclined portion 4 </ b> A may be formed by a plurality of tethers 4 </ b> B provided inside the main chamber 4. In this case, it is preferable that one end of the tether 4B is attached to the inner surface of the upper portion of the main chamber 4 in the vehicle width direction and the other end is attached to the inner surface of the main chamber 4 in the vehicle width direction. With such a configuration, when the main chamber 4 is deployed, the internal tether 4B pulls the upper portion of the main chamber 4 in the vehicle width direction and the outer side in the vehicle width direction. An inclined portion 4A is formed at the top. Therefore, the inclined portion 4A can be easily formed.

In the above-described embodiment, the first valve body 7 and the second valve formed of the same cloth as the base cloths 40 and 41 of the main chamber 4 are used as the valve body that closes the first communication hole 40h and the second communication hole 50h. Although the body 8 was illustrated, the material of these valve bodies 7 and 8 is not restricted to the above. Further, the configurations of the valve bodies 7 and 8 are not limited to those illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B, and a time difference is provided in the deployment of the main chamber 4, the first sub chamber 5, and the second sub chamber 6. If it is a check valve, its shape and size can be set as appropriate.
In addition, since the passenger | crew's shoulder part 32 and the upper arm part 33 can be lifted by expansion | deployment of the 1st subchamber 5, you may abbreviate | omit the inclination part 4A of the main chamber 4. FIG. Further, since the airbag 2 is expanded and gas escapes from the gap, a discharge portion such as a vent hole 9 or a slit-shaped vent may be omitted.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Side airbag apparatus 2 Airbag 3 Inflator 4 Main chamber 4A Inclined part 4B Tether 5 First subchamber 6 Second subchamber 7 First valve body 8 Second valve body 9 Vent hole (discharge part)
10 Vehicle seat (seat)
20 Side door 30 Crew 31 Body part 32 Shoulder part 33 Upper arm part 34 Side part 40 Base cloth (connection surface)
40h First through hole 50 Base fabric (connection surface)
50h Second communication hole

Claims (5)

A side airbag device comprising an airbag deployed between an occupant seated in a vehicle seat and a side door, and an inflator for supplying gas to the airbag,
The airbag is
A main chamber that is supplied with gas directly from the inflator and expands to the side of the torso of the occupant;
A first sub-chamber that is attached to the main chamber so as to be positioned at an upper portion in the vehicle width direction of the main chamber in the expanded state, and that is supplied with the gas supplied to the main chamber and expands below the side of the occupant When,
At least the first sub-chamber is attached to the upper part of the main chamber and the first sub-chamber in the unfolded state, and the gas supplied to the first sub-chamber is supplied to the side of the shoulder of the occupant And a second sub-chamber that is deployed on the side airbag device. The airbag is
A first series of through holes formed in a connection surface between the main chamber and the first sub-chamber and communicating the main chamber and the first sub-chamber;
A second communication hole formed on a connection surface between the first sub-chamber and the second sub-chamber and communicating the first sub-chamber and the second sub-chamber;
A first valve body that closes the first through-hole at the start of deployment of the main chamber, and opens the first through-hole when the internal pressure of the main chamber is equal to or higher than a first predetermined pressure;
A second valve body that closes the second communication hole at the start of deployment of the first sub-chamber and opens the second communication hole when the internal pressure of the first sub-chamber is equal to or higher than a second predetermined pressure. The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein The main chamber has an inclined portion that is formed at an upper portion on the inner side in the vehicle width direction before the gas flows to the first sub chamber at the time of deployment, and is inclined toward the upper end in the vehicle width direction. The side airbag device according to claim 1 or 2. The inclined portion is formed by a tether having one end attached to the inner surface of the main chamber inner side in the vehicle width direction and the other end attached to the inner surface of the main chamber in the vehicle width direction outer side. The side airbag device according to claim 3. 5. The side according to claim 1, wherein the airbag is provided in the second sub-chamber and includes a discharge unit that discharges gas inside the airbag to the outside. 6. Airbag device.

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