JP6801621B2 - Side airbag device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention is a side that protects the occupant from the impact by deploying and inflating the airbag on the side of the occupant seated on the vehicle seat when the vehicle is impacted from the side of the vehicle seat. Regarding airbag equipment.

A side airbag device is widely known as a device that protects an occupant from the impact when an impact is applied to the vehicle due to a side collision or the like from the side of the vehicle seat on which the occupant is seated. This side airbag device comprises an airbag module with an airbag and a gas generator. The airbag module is housed in a storage portion provided on the outer side of the seat back of the vehicle seat.

According to this side airbag device, when an impact is applied from the side to a side wall portion such as a side door of a vehicle, expansion gas is supplied to the airbag from a gas generator. The expansion gas expands and expands the airbag, and the airbag pops out of the vehicle seat with a part left in the storage portion. After that, the airbag expands and expands forward between the occupant and the side wall portion. The deployed and inflated airbags intervene between the occupant and the side wall that enters the inside of the vehicle to restrain the occupant and alleviate the side impact transmitted to the occupant through the side wall.

As one aspect of the side airbag device, for example, there is one described in Patent Document 1. In this side airbag device, the airbag module ABM further includes a pressure receiving plate (pressure plate) 81 shown in FIG. The pressure receiving plate 81 receives the pressure of the expansion gas through the expanding and expanding airbag 82 and generates a reaction force toward the front. The pressure receiving plate 81 has an elongated shape in the vertical direction and is rear of the airbag 82. It is located on the side. The alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 14 shows the airbag 82 before it is deployed and expanded.

Flaps (cloth pieces) 83 are sewn to be attached to a plurality of positions of the rear portion of the airbag 82 that are separated in the vertical direction. Then, the pressure receiving plate 81 is inserted into the gap between the airbag 82 and each flap 83, so that the pressure receiving plate 81 is assembled to the airbag module ABM.

JP-A-2014-19393

However, in the conventional side airbag device, in order to assemble the pressure receiving plate 81 to the rear portion of the airbag 82 by the plurality of flaps 83, it is necessary to sew the flaps 83 to a plurality of places of the airbag 82. Further, complicated work such as inserting the pressure receiving plate 81 into the narrow gap between the airbag 82 and each flap 83 is also required. Therefore, there is room for improvement in terms of the assembling property of the pressure receiving plate 81.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a side airbag device capable of improving the assembling property of a pressure receiving plate in an airbag module.

In the side airbag device that solves the above problems, an airbag module including an airbag in a folded state and a gas generator having at least a gas ejection portion arranged in the airbag is seated on a vehicle seat. It is housed in a storage unit provided on the side of the occupant, and the expansion gas is supplied from the gas generator to the airbag in response to an impact applied to the vehicle from the side of the vehicle seat. A side airbag device that deploys and inflates the occupant sideways toward the front, wherein the airbag module is arranged outside the airbag, locked to the gas generator, and deployed and expanded. A pressure receiving plate that receives the pressure of the expansion gas through the expanding airbag and generates a reaction force toward the front is provided, and the airbag module is a main part of the pressure receiving plate and the folded state of the airbag. Among them, at least an airbag cover that is wrapped around a portion where the pressure receiving plate is arranged and is broken by the airbag that expands and expands is further provided, and the airbag covers are different from each other in the winding direction. It is locked to the gas generator at a plurality of places.

According to the above configuration, the pressure receiving plate is arranged outside the airbag in which at least the gas ejection portion of the gas generator is arranged inside itself, and is locked to the gas generator. Then, the airbag cover is wrapped around the main part of the pressure receiving plate and at least the portion of the folded airbag in which the pressure receiving plate is arranged. Then, the airbag cover is locked to the gas generator at a plurality of locations different from each other in the winding direction. By this locking, the airbag cover is held in a state of being wound around the main part of the pressure receiving plate and at least the portion of the folded airbag in which the pressure receiving plate is arranged. The pressure receiving plate between the airbag and the airbag cover is in a state of being assembled to the airbag and the gas generator.

In the side airbag device, the airbag cover has an insertion port, and the airbag in which at least the gas ejection portion of the gas generator is arranged and at least the main part of the pressure receiving plate are the insertion port. The airbag cover includes a cover body that is inserted and accommodated through the airbag, and also has a lid that is connected to the cover body and closes the insertion port. The airbag cover has the insertion port closed by the lid. The airbag is covered with the airbag and the pressure receiving plate in a state of being wound around the airbag, and the airbag cover engages with the gas generator at the cover main body and the lid portion in which the insertion port is closed. It is preferable that it is stopped.

According to the above configuration, when assembling the pressure receiving plate, in the airbag cover, the lid portion connected to the cover body is opened and the insertion port is opened. The folded airbag, the portion of the gas generator including at least the gas ejection part arranged in the airbag, and at least the main part of the pressure receiving plate locked to the gas generator are inserted through the insertion port. It is housed in the cover body. By closing the insertion port with the lid portion, the airbag cover is put on the airbag and the pressure receiving plate in a wound state. Further, the airbag cover is locked to the gas generator at the cover main body and the lid portion in which the insertion port is closed. By this locking, the lid portion is held in a state of closing the insertion opening. At least the main part of the pressure receiving plate is covered with the airbag cover together with the airbag and the gas generator, and is assembled to the airbag and the gas generator.

In the side airbag device, the gas generator has a long gas generator body extending along an axis and a project from the gas generator body in a direction orthogonal to the axis, and the airbag, said. The airbag cover is provided with a pressure receiving plate and mounting protrusions to be inserted into the airbag cover, respectively, and the airbag cover has a locking hole at a position separated from the insertion portion of the mounting protrusion in the winding direction. The airbag cover is locked to the gas generator by being hooked at the locking hole to the airbag, the pressure receiving plate, and the mounting projection inserted into the airbag cover. Is preferable.

According to the above configuration, the mounting protrusions protruding from the gas generator main body are inserted into the airbag, the pressure receiving plate and the airbag cover, respectively. The airbag, pressure receiving plate, and airbag cover are each locked to the gas generator by the above insertion. The airbag cover is wrapped around the main part of the pressure receiving plate and at least the portion of the folded airbag in which the pressure receiving plate is arranged. Then, the airbag cover is hooked on the mounting protrusion at a locking hole formed at a position distant from the place where the mounting protrusion is inserted in the winding direction. By this hooking, the airbag cover is locked to the gas generator at two points different from each other in the winding direction.

In the side airbag device, the gas generator is connected to a gas generator main body having a long shape and having the gas ejection portion at one end and the other end of the gas generator main body. The pressure receiving plate constitutes the main part of the pressure receiving plate, and the pressure receiving main body portion around which the airbag cover is wound and the pressure receiving main body portion are provided with a harness arranged outside the airbag cover. It is preferable that the airbag cover is provided with a hooking portion that protrudes and is exposed to the outside of the airbag cover through a window portion formed on the airbag cover so that the harness can be hooked.

According to the above configuration, when the airbag cover is wound around the pressure receiving main body that constitutes the main part of the pressure receiving plate, the hooking portion that protrudes from the pressure receiving main body is exposed to the outside of the airbag cover through the window. Be exposed. The harness connected to the end of the gas generator body opposite to the gas ejection portion and arranged outside the airbag cover is hooked on the hook portion. The harness is locked to the hook to restrain its movement and prevent it from wobbling.

Further, as described above, since the pressure receiving plate has a hooking portion, it is not necessary to separately provide a place for hooking the harness.
In the side airbag device, the pressure receiving plate is preferably made of resin.

Here, if the pressure receiving plate is formed by processing a metal material, there is a possibility that hard protrusions called burrs may be generated on the processed surface. If a pressure receiving plate having a hard burr is used, there is a risk of damaging the airbag that comes in contact with the burr.

In this respect, as described above, if a pressure receiving plate formed of resin is used, even if burrs occur, the burrs are not as hard as metal burrs. Therefore, the phenomenon that burrs damage the airbag is unlikely to occur.

In the side airbag device, the gas generator has a long shape extending in the vertical direction and includes a gas generator main body having the gas ejection portion at the lower end portion, and the upper end of the pressure receiving plate generates the gas. It is preferable that the lower end of the pressure receiving plate is located at the same or lower position than the upper end of the main body of the gas, and the lower end of the pressure receiving plate is located at the same or lower position than the lower end of the gas ejection portion.

According to the above configuration, when the expansion gas is ejected from the gas ejection portion of the gas generator main body, the airbag supplied with the expansion gas expands while canceling (deploying) the folded state. At this time, in the portion of the airbag where the pressure receiving plate is located at the rear, the pressure of the expansion gas is received by the pressure receiving plate, and a reaction force toward the front is generated. Due to this reaction force, the airbag expands and expands more accurately toward the front.

Here, the expansion gas is first supplied to a portion of the airbag near the gas ejection portion, and is supplied later to a portion far from the gas ejection portion. Therefore, in order to generate a reaction force at an early stage to deploy and expand the airbag forward, it is important that the pressure receiving plate is arranged at least near the gas ejection portion. However, this importance is lower at a location far from the gas ejection part than at a location near the gas ejection portion.

In this respect, by locating the lower end of the pressure receiving plate at a position satisfying the above conditions, the pressure receiving plate is located near the gas ejection portion of the lower end of the gas generator main body. Therefore, the pressure of the expansion gas ejected from the gas ejection portion is received by a portion of the pressure receiving plate close to the gas ejection portion, and a reaction force toward the front is generated.

On the other hand, the pressure receiving plate is not located at a position higher than the upper end of the gas generator body. Therefore, the pressure of the expansion gas cannot be received by the pressure receiving plate at a position higher than the upper end of the gas generator main body. However, this has little effect on deploying and expanding the airbag forward due to the reaction force. Rather, the position of the upper end of the pressure receiving plate is lowered, the length of the pressure receiving plate is shortened, and the effect of reducing the cost of the pressure receiving plate can be obtained.

According to the side airbag device, it is possible to improve the assembling property of the pressure receiving plate in the airbag module.

A side view showing a vehicle seat provided with a side airbag device in one embodiment together with an occupant. In one embodiment, a plan sectional view showing a positional relationship between a vehicle seat, an airbag, an occupant, and a side wall portion. In one embodiment, it is a figure which shows the positional relationship of the vehicle seat, the airbag, the occupant and the side wall part, and is the sectional view seen from the front of the vehicle. In one embodiment, a partial plan sectional view showing an internal structure of a side portion on the outside of a vehicle in a seat back in which an airbag module is incorporated. In one embodiment, a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which an airbag module is fastened to a side frame portion. FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view of the airbag module in one embodiment. A partial side view of the airbag module in one embodiment as viewed from the outside of the vehicle. A partial side view of the airbag module in one embodiment as viewed from the inside of the vehicle. Partial rear view of the airbag module in one embodiment as viewed from the rear. (A) and (b) are perspective views of the pressure receiving plate in one embodiment. In one embodiment, it is a figure which shows the state which the pressure receiving plate is attached to the airbag into which a retainer is inserted, and is the side view seen from the outside of a vehicle. In one embodiment, it is a figure which shows the state which the pressure receiving plate is attached to the airbag into which a retainer is inserted, and is the side view seen from the side (inside of a vehicle) opposite to FIG. (A) to (c) are explanatory views explaining how the inflator is attached to the retainer in the airbag and the lid portion of the airbag cover is locked to the cover body. A partial plan sectional view showing a positional relationship between an airbag, a pressure receiving plate and a flap in a conventional side airbag device.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the side airbag device for a vehicle will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13.
In the following description, the forward direction of the vehicle will be described as the front, and the reverse direction of the vehicle will be described as the rear. Further, the central portion in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle is used as a reference, the side approaching the central portion is referred to as "inside the vehicle", and the side away from the central portion is referred to as "outside the vehicle". Further, it is assumed that an occupant having the same physique as the dummy for the collision test is seated on the vehicle seat.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, in the vehicle 10 as a vehicle, a vehicle seat 12 is arranged as a vehicle seat near the inside of the side wall portion 11. Here, the side wall portion 11 refers to a vehicle component member arranged on the side portion of the vehicle 10, and mainly corresponds to a door, a pillar, or the like. For example, the side wall portion 11 corresponding to the front seat is a front door, a center pillar (B pillar), or the like. Further, the side wall portion 11 corresponding to the rear seat is a rear portion of a side door (rear door), a C pillar, a front portion of a tire house, a rear quarter, and the like.

The vehicle seat 12 includes a seat cushion 13 and a seat back 14. The seat cushion 13 is attached to a rail (not shown) installed on the floor of the vehicle body so that the front-rear position can be adjusted. The seat back 14 is tilted so as to be located rearward from the rear portion of the seat cushion 13 toward the upper side, and the tilt angle can be adjusted. The vehicle seat 12 is arranged in the vehicle interior with the seat back 14 facing forward. The width direction of the vehicle seats 12 arranged in this way coincides with the vehicle width direction.

Next, the internal structure of the side portion on the outside of the vehicle in the seat back 14 will be described.
Inside the seat back 14, a seat frame forming the skeleton is arranged. As shown in FIG. 4, a part of the seat frame is arranged on the outer side portion of the vehicle in the seat back 14, and this portion (hereinafter referred to as “side frame portion 15”) is formed by bending a metal plate or the like. Is formed by. A seat pad 16 made of an elastic material such as urethane foam is arranged on the front side of the seat frame including the side frame portion 15. A backboard 17 made of synthetic resin or the like is arranged on the rear side of the seat frame. Although the seat pad 16 is covered with a skin, the illustration of the skin is omitted in FIG.

In the seat pad 16, a storage portion 18 is provided in the vicinity of the vehicle outer side of the side frame portion 15. The storage portion 18 is located on the side of the occupant P1 seated on the vehicle seat 12. The airbag module ABM, which forms the main part of the side airbag device, is incorporated in the storage portion 18.

A slit 19 extends diagonally forward and toward the outside of the vehicle from the corner of the storage portion 18. The portion sandwiched between the front corner portion 16c of the seat pad 16 and the slit 19 (the portion surrounded by the frame of the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 4) constitutes the planned fracture portion 21 to be fractured by the airbag 40 described later. ing.

The airbag module ABM includes a gas generator 30, an airbag 40, an airbag cover 50, and a pressure receiving plate 60 as main components. Next, each of these constituent members will be described.

<Gas generator 30>
The gas generator 30 is composed of a gas generator main body 31 which forms a main part thereof, and a mounting protrusion for mounting the gas generator main body 31 on the side frame portion 15.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the gas generator main body 31 includes an inflator 32 and a retainer 36 that covers the inflator 32, and has an elongated shape that extends substantially vertically along the axis L1. I'm doing it. Here, as the inflator 32, a type called a pyro type is adopted. The inflator 32 has a substantially columnar shape, and a gas generator (not shown) that generates an expansion gas is housed therein. The gas generator main body 31 has a gas ejection portion 33 at the lower end portion thereof. A plurality of gas ejection holes 33a for ejecting expansion gas are provided on the outer peripheral portion of the gas ejection portion 33. Further, at the upper end portion of the gas generator main body 31 opposite to the gas ejection portion 33, a harness 34 (see FIG. 7 and the like) serving as an input wiring for an operation signal to the inflator 32 has a connector 35. Connected via.

As the inflator 32, instead of the pyrotype using the gas generating agent, a type (hybrid type) is used in which the partition wall of the high-pressure gas cylinder filled with the high-pressure gas is broken by an explosive or the like to eject the expansion gas. May be done.

On the other hand, the retainer 36 constitutes the outer peripheral portion of the gas generator main body 31. The retainer 36 functions as a diffuser that controls the direction in which the expansion gas is ejected, and also has a function of fastening the inflator 32 to the side frame portion 15 together with the airbag 40 and the like. Most of the retainer 36 is formed in a substantially tubular shape by bending a plate material such as a metal plate. The retainer 36 is locked to the upper end of the inflator 32 by being crimped so that the upper end thereof is reduced in diameter.

The mounting protrusion is composed of a pair of bolts 37 fixed to the retainer 36. Both bolts 37 project toward the inside of the vehicle from positions separated from each other in the vertical direction of the retainer 36. The protruding direction of both bolts 37 is one of the directions orthogonal to the axis L1 of the gas generator main body 31.

The gas generator main body 31 may be a combination of the inflator 32 and the retainer 36. Further, the gas generator main body 31 may be composed of only the inflator 32. In this case, the mounting protrusion (bolt 37) is directly fixed to the inflator 32.

<Airbag 40>
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the airbag 40 has a fold line 39 (see FIG. 1) set at the center of a piece of cloth (also referred to as a base cloth, a panel cloth, etc.) in the width direction thereof. It is formed by folding it in half and overlapping it in the vehicle width direction, and joining the overlapped parts. Here, in order to distinguish between the two overlapped portions of the airbag 40, the one located inside the vehicle is referred to as the cloth portion 41, and the one located outside the vehicle is referred to as the cloth portion 42.

In the present embodiment, the cloth piece is folded in half so that the fold line 39 is located at the rear end of the airbag 40, but the fold line 39 is the other end of the airbag 40, for example, the front end. , The cloth piece may be folded in half so as to be located at the upper end, the lower end, and the like. Further, the airbag 40 may be made of two pieces of cloth divided along the folding line 39. Further, the airbag 40 may be composed of three or more pieces of cloth.

When deployed and expanded between the vehicle seat 12 and the side wall portion 11, the airbag 40 occupies a large part of the upper body of the occupant P1, for example, a region corresponding to a portion from the lumbar portion PP to the shoulder portion PS. It is formed in the shape and size to be obtained.

As the cloth piece, a material having high strength, flexibility, and easily foldable material, for example, a woven cloth formed by using polyester yarn, polyamide yarn, or the like is suitable.
The above-mentioned bonding of the folded cloth pieces is made at the peripheral bonding portion 43 provided on the peripheral edge portions thereof. In the present embodiment, the peripheral edge joining portion 43 is formed by sewing (sewn with suture) a portion of the peripheral edge portion of the folded cloth piece excluding the rear end portion and the like. The peripheral edge coupling portion 43 may be formed by means different from the suture using the suture, for example, adhesion using an adhesive.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the insertion port 44 of the gas generator 30 is opened upward at the rear end portion of the airbag 40 and at the intermediate portion (the portion near the upper end portion) in the vertical direction. ing. Further, bolt holes 45 for inserting the bolts 37 of the gas generator 30 are formed in two places below the insertion port 44 in the cloth portion 41 inside the vehicle (see FIG. 6).

Then, the gas generator main body 31 is tilted so that the gas ejection portion 33 is located at the lower end portion of the inflator 32 and is located at the rear side toward the upper portion, and the gas generator main body 31 is reared through the insertion port 44 after the airbag 40. It is inserted in the end. The gas ejection portion 33 is arranged in the airbag 40. The upper end of the gas generator main body 31 and the harness 34 are exposed to the outside of the airbag 40 (see FIG. 7 and the like).

Each bolt 37 is inserted into the corresponding bolt hole 45 of the cloth portion 41 inside the vehicle. By this insertion, the gas generator 30 is locked in a positioned state with respect to the cloth portion 41 inside the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 4, the airbag 40 has a compact form by folding a portion on the front side of the gas generator main body 31. This is because the airbag 40 is suitable for storage with respect to the storage portion 18 having a limited size in the seat back 14. As a mode for folding the airbag 40, for example, roll folding, bellows folding and the like are suitable. Roll folding is a folding mode in which one end of the airbag 40 is centered and the other portion is wound around the one end. The bellows fold is a folding mode in which the airbag 40 is folded back while alternately changing the folding direction by a fixed width.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, in the airbag 40, a binding tape 46 is wrapped around the upper part and the lower part of the folded portion, respectively. The binding tape 46 keeps the airbag 40 in a folded state.

<Airbag cover 50>
As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the airbag cover 50 wraps the folded airbag 40 and is folded when the airbag module ABM is transported or before it is assembled to the storage unit 18. It is for suppressing the shape from collapsing (unfolding), and is also called a wrapping cloth, a wrapping sheet, or the like. The airbag cover 50 is made of a cloth such as a non-woven fabric. The portion of the gas generator 30 exposed from the airbag 40 (the upper end of the gas generator main body 31 and the harness 34) is not wrapped by the airbag cover 50 and is exposed from the airbag cover 50. ing.

The airbag cover 50 includes a cover main body 51 and a lid portion 56. The cover body 51 is a part that constitutes the main part of the airbag cover 50, and is formed of a plurality of cloth pieces. In the cover body 51, the peripheral edges of a part of adjacent cloth pieces are bonded to each other by a bonding means such as heat welding. The portion formed in this embodiment includes the upper end portion, the lower end portion, the front end portion, and the like of the cover main body 51. In the rear part of the cover main body 51, a portion where the peripheral portions are not connected to each other is set in a part between adjacent cloth pieces, and the insertion port 52 (see FIG. 6) is formed by this portion.

The plurality of cloth pieces include a cloth piece 53 on the inside of the vehicle and a cloth piece 54 on the outside of the vehicle. Bolt holes 55 are formed in a pair of cloth pieces 53 inside the vehicle, which are separated from the insertion port 52 in the forward direction and are separated from each other in the vertical direction. The airbag 40 in which many parts of the gas generator main body 31 other than the upper end portion are inserted and folded is housed in the cover main body 51. Further, a pair of bolts 37 of the gas generator 30 are inserted into the corresponding bolt holes 55 in the cloth piece 53 inside the vehicle. Each of the inserted bolts 37 is exposed to the outside of the cover body 51.

The lid portion 56 is integrally formed in the cover main body 51 in a state of being connected to the rear end portion of the cloth piece 54 on the outer side of the vehicle. The lid portion 56 may be formed of a member separate from the cover main body 51, and may be fixed to the cloth piece 54 on the outside of the vehicle by a fixing means such as heat welding. The lid portion 56 covers the rear portion of the cover main body 51 so that the insertion port 52 is closed. In the lid portion 56, bolt holes 57 as locking holes are formed at a pair of locations separated from each other in the vertical direction. Both bolt holes 57 are located at positions separated from the bolt holes 55 through which the bolts 37 are inserted in the winding direction of the airbag cover 50, which will be described later. Then, the pair of bolts 37 exposed from the cover body 51 are inserted into the corresponding bolt holes 57 of the lid portion 56 that closes the insertion port 52, so that the lid portion 56 is locked to the gas generator 30. Has been done. When the lid portion 56 closes the insertion port 52, the lid portion 56 is superposed on the rear portion of the cloth piece 53 inside the vehicle from the inside of the vehicle. By the above-mentioned locking, the lid portion 56 is held in a state of closing the insertion port 52.

At the lower part of the lid portion 56, a window portion 58 formed of a hole for communicating the inside and outside of the airbag cover 50 is opened.
The airbag cover 50 is provided with a fissure portion (not shown) that is pressed and broken by the airbag 40 when the airbag 40 is deployed and expanded. The cleavage portion is composed of, for example, a slit formed in the airbag cover 50.

<Pressure receiving plate 60>
As shown in FIG. 6, the pressure receiving plate 60 is for receiving the pressure of the expansion gas through the expanding and expanding airbag 40 and generating a reaction force toward the front, and the airbag 40 in the folded state. It is arranged between the airbag cover 50 and the airbag cover 50. The pressure receiving plate 60 includes a pressure receiving main body portion 61 and a hooking portion 66, and is formed entirely of a hard resin material.

As shown in FIGS. 10 (a), 10 (b), 11 and 12, the pressure receiving main body 61 is a part constituting the main part of the pressure receiving plate 60, and is a portion arranged in the cover main body 51. is there. The pressure receiving main body portion 61 includes a rear wall portion 62, an inner wall portion 63, and an outer wall portion 65. The rear wall portion 62 has a constant width in the vehicle width direction, and is inclined so as to be located on the rear side toward the upper portion like the gas generator 30. The inner wall portion 63 projects obliquely upward and forward from the side edge portion of the rear wall portion 62 inside the vehicle. Bolt holes 64 are formed in a pair of inner wall portions 63 that are separated from each other in the substantially vertical direction. The outer wall portion 65 projects obliquely upward and forward from the side edge portion of the rear wall portion 62 on the outer side of the vehicle.

The hooking portion 66 is a portion where the harness 34 arranged outside the airbag cover 50 is hooked, and is formed in the lower portion of the rear wall portion 62. More specifically, a rectangular hole 67 is formed in the lower portion of the rear wall portion 62. The hooking portion 66 starts from the inner edge portion 67a of the hole 67 and extends toward the outer edge portion 67b of the vehicle. Most of the hooking portion 66 projects rearward from the pressure receiving main body portion 61. The tip end portion of the hooking portion 66 is separated rearward from the vehicle outer edge portion 67b of the hole 67. With such a configuration, the hooking portion 66 can be elastically deformed in the front-rear direction.

Then, the folded airbag 40 is sandwiched between the inner wall portion 63 and the outer wall portion 65 from both sides in the vehicle width direction, and the pressure receiving plate 60 is in a state where the rear wall portion 62 approaches or comes into contact with the rear surface of the airbag 40. Is attached to the airbag 40 from the rear side. Further, the pressure receiving plate 60 is locked to the gas generator 30 by inserting the pair of bolts 37 inserted into the airbag 40 into the corresponding bolt holes 64 of the inner wall portion 63.

When the pressure receiving plate 60 is attached to the airbag 40 and locked to the gas generator 30 as described above, the upper end 60a of the pressure receiving plate 60 is located at a position lower than the upper end of the gas generator main body 31. ing. Further, the lower end 60b of the pressure receiving plate 60 is located at a position lower than the lower end of the gas ejection portion 33 (see FIG. 5 and the like).

On top of that, as shown in FIG. 6, most of the pressure receiving main body 61, the airbag 40, and most of the gas generator main body 31 except the upper end are housed in the cover main body 51, and the insertion port 52 is covered with the lid. By being closed by 56, it is wrapped by the airbag cover 50.

The hooking portion 66 projecting rearward from the pressure receiving main body portion 61 is exposed to the outside of the airbag cover 50 through the window portion 58 of the lid portion 56. Then, a part of the harness 34 arranged so as to extend in the vertical direction outside (rearward) of the airbag cover 50 is hooked on the hooking portion 66 and locked.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the airbag module ABM is arranged in the storage unit 18. Bolts 37 extending from the gas generator 30 and inserted into the airbag 40, the pressure receiving plate 60, and the airbag cover 50 are inserted into the side frame portion 15 from the outside of the vehicle, and the bolts 37 are inserted into the vehicle inside. The nut 38 is tightened from. By this tightening, the gas generator 30 is fixed to the side frame portion 15 together with the airbag 40, the pressure receiving plate 60, and the airbag cover 50 in an inclined state so as to be located on the rear side toward the upper part.

The gas generator 30 may be fixed to the side frame portion 15 by a member different from the bolt 37 and the nut 38 described above. Even in this case, the gas generator 30 is fixed to the side frame portion 15 at the mounting projection.

The side airbag device includes the impact sensor 71 and the control device 72 shown in FIG. 1 in addition to the above-mentioned airbag module ABM. The impact sensor 71 is composed of an acceleration sensor or the like, and detects an impact applied to the vehicle 10 from the outside through the side wall portion 11. The control device 72 controls the operation of the inflator 32 based on the detection signal from the impact sensor 71.

Further, the vehicle 10 is equipped with a seatbelt device for restraining the occupant P1 seated on the vehicle seat 12, but the seatbelt device is not shown in FIG. 1 and the like.

Next, the actions and effects of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described for each situation.
<Manufacturing of airbag module ABM>
In the manufacture of the airbag module ABM, many parts of the gas generator 30 except the upper end of the retainer 36 are inserted into the rear end of the deployed airbag 40 through the insertion port 44. A pair of bolts 37 protruding from the retainer 36 are inserted into the corresponding bolt holes 45 of the cloth portion 41 inside the vehicle in the airbag 40 (see FIG. 5). By this insertion, the retainer 36 is locked in a positioned state with respect to the cloth portion 41 inside the vehicle. The upper end of the retainer 36 is exposed to the outside of the airbag 40 from the insertion port 44.

Most of the airbag 40, except for the rear end where the retainer 36 is inserted, is folded. This folding makes the airbag 40 a compact form (see FIGS. 11 and 12).

The pressure receiving plate 60 is attached to the folded airbag 40 from the rear side. At the time of this mounting, a pair of bolts 37 are inserted into the corresponding bolt holes 64 of the pressure receiving plate 60 (see FIG. 12). At this stage, the pressure receiving plate 60 is only locked to the bolt 37 in the bolt hole 64, and the pressure receiving plate 60 may come off from the bolt 37 and fall off from the airbag 40.

On the other hand, in the airbag cover 50, the lid portion 56 connected to the cover main body 51 is opened to open the insertion port 52 (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 6). The pressure receiving plate 60 is housed in the cover main body 51 together with the airbag 40 and the retainer 36 through the insertion port 52 (see FIG. 13A). At the time of this accommodation, the pair of bolts 37 are inserted into the corresponding bolt holes 55 in the cover body 51 (see FIG. 8). At this time, the upper end portion of the retainer 36 is exposed from the cover body 51.

As shown in FIGS. 13 (a) and 13 (b), the lid portion 56 is put on the rear portion of the cover main body 51 so that the insertion port 52 is closed. That is, the airbag cover 50 is wrapped around the main portion of the pressure receiving plate 60 (pressure receiving main body 61) and at least the portion of the folded airbag 40 where the pressure receiving plate 60 is arranged. Be done. The lid portion 56 is locked to the retainer 36 by inserting the bolt 37 into the bolt hole 57 of the lid portion 56. In other words, the airbag cover 50 is locked to the gas generator 30 by bolt holes 55 and 57 at a plurality of locations (two locations of the cover body 51 and the lid portion 56) that are different from each other in the winding direction. In other words, the airbag cover 50 is hooked to the bolt 37 at the bolt hole 57, so that the airbag cover 50 is locked to the gas generator 30 at two different locations in the winding direction. By this locking, the airbag cover 50 is held in a state of being wound around the main part of the pressure receiving plate 60 and at least the portion of the folded airbag 40 where the pressure receiving plate 60 is arranged, and the lid is closed. The portion 56 is held in a state where the insertion port 44 is closed (see FIG. 6). The pressure receiving main body 61 of the pressure receiving plate 60 between the airbag 40 and the airbag cover 50 is covered by the airbag cover 50 together with the airbag 40 and most of the retainer 36 except the upper end. , It is in a state of being assembled to the airbag 40 and the retainer 36.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the airbag cover 50 for wrapping the airbag 40 is used. Then, the insertion port 52 is closed by the lid portion 56, and in this state, the bolt hole 57 of the lid portion 56 is hooked on the bolt 37 of the gas generator 30 to lock the lid portion 56 to the retainer 36. The pressure receiving plate 60 can be assembled only by performing such a simple operation.

Therefore, unlike the conventional one shown in FIG. 14, it is not necessary to attach the flaps 83 to the plurality of places of the airbag 82 by sewing. Further, it is not necessary to perform complicated work such as inserting the pressure receiving plate 81 into the narrow gap between the airbag 82 and each flap 83. As a result, the assembling property of the pressure receiving plate 60 in the airbag module ABM is improved.

Further, when the insertion port 52 is closed by the lid portion 56, the hook portion 66 of the pressure receiving plate 60 is exposed to the outside of the airbag cover 50 through the window portion 58.
Here, if the pressure receiving plate 60 is formed by processing a metal material, hard protrusions called burrs may be generated on the processed surface. If the pressure receiving plate 60 having a hard burr is used, there is a concern that the airbag 40 touching the burr may be damaged.

In this respect, in the present embodiment, since the pressure receiving plate 60 formed of a resin material is used, even if burrs occur, the burrs are not as hard as metal burrs. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the phenomenon that the burr damages the airbag 40.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 13 (a) to 13 (c), an inflator 32 having a harness 34 connected to the upper end portion and a gas ejection portion 33 at the lower end portion is inserted into the retainer 36 from above. To. When the inflator 32 is inserted to a predetermined position of the retainer 36, the upper end of the retainer 36 is crimped so as to reduce the diameter, so that the inflator 32 is locked to the inflator 32. At this time, the upper end 60a of the pressure receiving plate 60 is located below the upper end of the retainer 36, and does not hinder the caulking work (see FIG. 5). The connection portion of the harness 34 with the inflator 32 is exposed to the outside of the airbag cover 50. Further, the entire harness 34 is located outside the airbag cover 50.

The harness 34 is stretched downward along the rear surface of the airbag cover 50 (lid 56). The harness 34 is hooked on the hooking portion 66 of the pressure receiving plate 60 exposed from the window portion 58 of the lid portion 56. Then, the harness 34 is locked by the hooking portion 66 to restrain the movement and suppress the wobbling (see FIGS. 7 to 9).

As described above, since the pressure receiving plate 60 has the hooking portion 66, it is not necessary to separately provide a place for hooking the harness 34.
<When the side airbag device is not operating>
When the impact sensor 71 does not detect that an impact has been applied to the side wall portion 11, the control device 72 does not output an operation signal for operating the inflator 32, and the expansion gas is not ejected. As shown in FIG. 4, the airbag 40 continues to be stored in the storage unit 18 in a folded state.

<When the side airbag device is activated>
On the other hand, when an impact of a predetermined value or more is applied to the side wall portion 11 due to a side collision or the like while the vehicle 10 is traveling, and this is detected by the impact sensor 71, the controller 72 sends the inflator 32 based on the detection signal. However, an operation signal for operating this is output. In response to this operation signal, expansion gas is ejected from the gas ejection hole 33a of the gas ejection unit 33.

The airbag 40 that has been supplied with the expansion gas expands while the folded state is resolved (deployed). The expanding airbag 40 presses the airbag cover 50 and breaks the cleaved portion. The airbag 40 exits the airbag cover 50 from the broken portion.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the expansion gas is ejected from the inflator 32, the pressure of the expansion gas is applied by the pressure receiving plate 60, particularly the rear wall portion 62, at the portion of the airbag 40 where the pressure receiving plate 60 is located behind. It is received and a reaction force is generated toward the front. Due to this reaction force, the airbag 40 expands and expands more accurately toward the front.

The expansion of the airbag 40 is performed in the reverse order of the folded order, accompanied by the cancellation of the folded state. The seat pad 16 of the seat back 14 is pressed by the airbag 40 that expands and expands in this way, and the seat pad 16 is broken at the planned fracture portion 21 (see FIG. 4). The airbag 40, with a part thereof left in the storage portion 18, protrudes forward from the seat back 14 through the broken portion.

After that, the airbag 40 to which the expansion gas is supplied is located between the side wall portion 11 and the upper body of the occupant P1 seated on the vehicle seat 12, as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIGS. 2 and 3. Deploy and expand forward.

The upper body of the occupant P1 (the area from the lumbar PP to the shoulder PS) is pressed and restrained by the deployed and inflated airbag 40. As a result, the impact from the side transmitted through the side wall portion 11 is alleviated by the airbag 40, and the upper body is protected.

Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the expansion gas is first supplied to the portion of the airbag 40 near the gas ejection portion 33, and is supplied to the portion far from the gas ejection portion 33 with a delay. Will be done. Therefore, in order to generate a reaction force at an early stage to deploy and expand the airbag 40 forward, it is important that the pressure receiving plate 60 is arranged at least near the gas ejection portion 33. However, this importance is lower at a location away from the gas ejection portion 33 than at a location near the gas ejection portion 33.

In this respect, in the present embodiment, the lower end 60b of the pressure receiving plate 60 is located at a position lower than the lower end of the gas ejection portion 33, so that the lower end portion 33 of the gas generator main body 31 is near the gas ejection portion 33, that is, gas. The pressure receiving plate 60 is located not only at the same height as the ejection portion 33 but also at a height close to that. Therefore, the pressure of the expansion gas ejected from the gas ejection portion 33 is received by a portion of the pressure receiving plate 60 close to the gas ejection portion 33, and a reaction force toward the front is generated.

On the other hand, the pressure receiving plate 60 is not located at the same height as well as at a position higher than the upper end of the gas generator main body 31. Therefore, the pressure of the expansion gas is not received by the pressure receiving plate 60 near the upper end of the gas generator main body 31. However, this has little effect on deploying and expanding the airbag 40 forward due to the reaction force. Rather, the position of the upper end 60a of the pressure receiving plate 60 is lowered, the length of the pressure receiving plate 60 in the vertical direction is shortened, and the effect of reducing the cost of the pressure receiving plate 60 can be obtained.

In addition, the above-described embodiment can also be implemented as a modified example in which this is modified as follows.
<About the storage unit 18 of the airbag module ABM>
A storage portion 18 may be provided on the side wall portion 11 instead of the seat back 14 of the vehicle seat 12, and the airbag module ABM may be incorporated therein.

<About gas generator 30>
The gas generator 30 may be arranged with respect to the airbag 40 in a manner different from the above embodiment, provided that at least the gas ejection portion 33 is arranged in the airbag 40. For example, the entire gas generator 30 may be arranged so as to be housed in the airbag 40.

-The mounting protrusion may be changed to a member different from the bolt, provided that the gas generator main body 31 can be fixed to the vehicle.
<About airbag 40>
The airbag 40 may be substantially entirely inflated as in the above embodiment, but is partially provided with a non-expandable portion that is not supplied with expansion gas and does not expand. May be good.

-As the airbag 40, an airbag whose interior is divided into a plurality of rooms (expansion chambers) may be used.
-The portion of the upper body of the occupant P1 protected by the side airbag device may be changed to a portion different from the above embodiment. In this case, the shape and size of the airbag 40 are changed to a shape and size that can protect the target portion of the upper body of the occupant P1.

<About airbag cover 50>
The airbag cover 50 may have both ends open in the length direction while being covered with the pressure receiving plate 60 and the airbag 40.

In this case, the airbag cover 50 does not take the form of the cover main body 51 and the lid portion 56, unlike the above-described embodiment. The entire airbag cover 50 is wound around the main portion of the pressure receiving plate 60 and the folded airbag 40, and is locked to the gas generator 30 at a plurality of locations different from each other in the winding direction. By this locking, the airbag cover 50 is held in a wound state. The pressure receiving plate 60 between the airbag 40 and the airbag cover 50 is in a state of being assembled to the airbag 40 and the gas generator 30, and the same effect as that of the above embodiment can be obtained.

The airbag cover 50 may be locked to the gas generator 30 at three or more locations in the winding direction.
<About the pressure receiving plate 60>
The pressure receiving plate 60 may be formed of a hard material different from the resin. For example, if the problem of damage to the airbag 40 due to burrs is solved, the pressure receiving plate 60 may be formed of a metal material.

-For example, when the retainer 36 is locked to the inflator 32 by a method other than caulking, or the gas generator main body 31 is composed only of the inflator 32, the height of the upper end 60a of the pressure receiving plate 60 is gas. It may be set at the same height as the upper end of the generator main body 31. Even in this case, the same actions and effects as those in the above embodiment can be obtained.

The height of the lower end 60b of the pressure receiving plate 60 may be set to the same height as the lower end of the gas ejection portion 33. Even in this case, the same actions and effects as those in the above embodiment can be obtained.
-The hooking portion 66 may be provided at a position different from the rear wall portion 62 on the pressure receiving plate 60, provided that the harness 34 can be hooked.

The hooking portion 66 may be provided on a member different from the pressure receiving plate 60 among the members constituting the airbag module ABM. In this case, the pressure receiving plate 60 is composed of only the pressure receiving main body 61. The entire pressure receiving plate 60 (pressure receiving main body 61) is arranged between the airbag 40 and the airbag cover 50.

<Others>
The side airbag device is used in a vehicle in which the vehicle seat 12 is arranged in a direction different from the front of the vehicle, for example, in a posture in which the seat back 14 faces sideways, with respect to the vehicle seat 12. It can also be applied to a side airbag device of a type that protects the upper body of the occupant P1 from the impact when an impact is applied from the front-rear direction.

-Vehicles to which the above side airbag device is applied include not only private vehicles but also various industrial vehicles.
-The above side airbag device can also be applied to a side airbag device mounted on a vehicle seat in a vehicle other than a vehicle, for example, an aircraft or a ship.

10 ... Vehicle (vehicle), 12 ... Vehicle seat (vehicle seat), 18 ... Storage section, 30 ... Gas generator, 31 ... Gas generator body, 33 ... Gas ejection section, 34 ... Harness, 37 ... Bolt ( Mounting protrusion), 40 ... airbag, 50 ... airbag cover, 51 ... cover body, 52 ... insertion port, 56 ... lid, 57 ... bolt hole (locking hole), 58 ... window, 60 ... pressure receiving plate, 60a ... upper end, 60b ... lower end, 61 ... pressure receiving main body, 66 ... hooking part, ABM ... airbag module, L1 ... axis, P1 ... occupant.

Claims (5)

An airbag module including an airbag in a folded state and a gas generator having at least a gas ejection part arranged in the airbag is provided on the side of an occupant seated on a vehicle seat. The gas generator supplies expansion gas to the airbag in response to an impact applied to the vehicle from the side of the vehicle seat, and the airbag is directed forward on the side of the occupant. A side airbag device that deploys and inflates
The airbag module is arranged outside the airbag, is locked to the gas generator, and receives the pressure of the expansion gas through the airbag that expands and expands, and generates a reaction force toward the front. Equipped with a board
The airbag module is covered with a main portion of the pressure receiving plate and at least a portion of the folded airbag in which the pressure receiving plate is arranged, and is expanded and expanded. It further comprises an airbag cover that is broken by the airbag, and the airbag cover is locked to the gas generator at a plurality of different locations in the winding direction .
The gas generator has a long shape and is connected to a gas generator main body having the gas ejection portion at one end and the other end of the gas generator main body, and is connected to the airbag cover. Equipped with an externally placed harness
The pressure receiving plate constitutes the main part of the pressure receiving plate, and the airbag is provided through a pressure receiving main body portion around which the airbag cover is wound and a window portion protruding from the pressure receiving main body portion and formed on the airbag cover. A side airbag device that is exposed to the outside of the cover and includes a hooking portion on which the harness is hooked . The airbag cover has an insertion port, and an airbag in which at least the gas ejection portion of the gas generator is arranged and at least a main part of the pressure receiving plate are inserted and accommodated through the insertion port. A cover body is provided, and a lid portion that is connected to the cover body and closes the insertion port is provided.
The airbag cover is covered with the airbag and the pressure receiving plate in a state of being wound around the airbag and the pressure receiving plate by closing the insertion port with the lid portion.
The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag cover is locked to the gas generator at the cover main body and the lid portion in a state where the insertion port is closed. The gas generator has a long gas generator body extending along an axis and a projecting direction from the gas generator body in a direction orthogonal to the axis, and the airbag, the pressure receiving plate, and the airbag cover. Equipped with mounting protrusions to be inserted into each
The airbag cover has a locking hole at a position away from the place where the mounting protrusion is inserted in the winding direction.
The claim that the airbag cover is locked to the gas generator by being hooked at the locking hole to the airbag, the pressure receiving plate, and the mounting projection inserted into the airbag cover. The side airbag device according to 1 or 2. The side airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the pressure receiving plate is made of resin. The gas generator has a long shape extending in the vertical direction, and includes a gas generator main body having the gas ejection portion at the lower end portion.
Claim that the upper end of the pressure receiving plate is located at the same or lower position with respect to the upper end of the gas generator main body, and the lower end of the pressure receiving plate is located at the same or lower position with respect to the lower end of the gas ejection portion. The side airbag device according to any one of 1 to 4 .