JP5952681B2 - Side airbag device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a side airbag device including an airbag that inflates and deploys from the vicinity of a side portion of a seat toward a side of an occupant at the time of a side collision of a vehicle.

  Usually, when a lateral impact is applied to the vehicle, the occupant moves in the vehicle width direction due to inertia. A side airbag is mentioned as an effective safety device for such a case. A side airbag is an airbag that inflates and deploys from the side of a seat back (backrest) to the side of an occupant (for example, Patent Document 1). According to the side airbag, movement of the occupant in the vehicle width direction can be prevented, thereby protecting the occupant from collision with other objects in the vehicle interior.

JP 2012-71723 A

  Various types of current airbags including the above-described side airbags are being reduced in size as performance is improved. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a small side airbag that receives only the head or shoulders of an occupant. In order to protect an occupant using such a small side airbag, it is necessary to inflate and deploy the side airbag with high accuracy in a region assumed in advance. However, the seat to which the side airbag is applied is often a reclining seat. In the reclining seat, when the inclination of the seat back changes, the relative positional relationship between the airbag and the occupant is changed, and the region where the airbag should be inflated and deployed may also change.

  In view of such a problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a side airbag device that can be inflated and deployed toward a set position regardless of a change in inclination of a seat back.

  In order to solve the above problems, a representative configuration of a side airbag device according to the present invention is embedded in a side portion of a seat back of a reclining seat, and rotates parallel to a tilting central axis of a reclining operation of the seat back. An airbag mounting member that has a shaft and is rotatably connected to the side portion by the rotation shaft, an airbag that is mounted on the airbag mounting member, and one end that is rotatable to a position different from the tilting central axis of the reclining seat And a link mechanism connected to the other end so as to be rotatable at a position different from the rotation axis of the airbag mounting member, the link mechanism depending on a reclining angle when the seat back is reclined rearward of the vehicle. The airbag attachment member is rotated so that the airbag is inclined forward of the vehicle.

  Normally, the position of the upper body of the occupant with respect to the seat back (for example, the position of the head) shifts downward as the seat back is tilted backward. In this case, the positional relationship between the airbag and the passenger may be shifted. Therefore, in the above-described configuration, the change in the attitude of the airbag is linked to the reclining operation by the link mechanism, and when the seat back is reclined to the rear of the vehicle, the airbag is inclined forward to follow the position of the occupant. As a result, the airbag is accurately moved toward a preset position such as the side of the head or shoulder of the occupant regardless of changes in the reclining angle of the seat back (the angle formed by the seat bag and the seat cushion). Can expand and deploy.

  The link mechanism described above may include a rod-shaped link rod. According to the link rod, the rotation of the airbag attachment member can be suitably interlocked with the reclining angle of the seat back.

  In order to solve the above problems, another typical configuration of the side airbag device according to the present invention is embedded in a side portion of the seat back of the reclining seat and is parallel to the tilting central axis of the reclining operation of the seat back. An airbag mounting member that is rotatably connected to the side portion by the rotation shaft, an airbag that is mounted on the airbag mounting member, and a tilting central axis of the reclining operation that is non-rotatably installed. And a link mechanism including a link wire having one end connected to the cam and the other end connected to a position different from the rotational axis of the airbag mounting member. Attached to the airbag so that the airbag tilts toward the front of the vehicle by being wrapped around the cam according to the reclining angle when reclining backward Characterized in that for pulling and rotating the timber.

  Even with the link mechanism including the cam and the link wire, the airbag can be inflated and deployed with accuracy toward the set position regardless of the reclining angle of the seat back.

  You may further provide the lock mechanism which locks rotation of said airbag attachment member. For example, if the airbag attachment member is locked so as not to move except during the operation of reclining the seat back, the airbag can be inflated and deployed in a more stable posture in an emergency.

  The airbag mounting member may be rotated so that the airbag protects a predetermined part of the occupant during inflation and deployment within a tilting range in which the seat back is reclined. For example, the rotation of the airbag mounting member and the reclining operation can be linked so that the airbag supports the shoulder of the adult occupant during inflation and deployment regardless of the reclining angle. In general, when an impact in the vehicle width direction occurs on the vehicle, the movement of the occupant tends to occur with a behavior that causes the upper body to collapse. Therefore, if interlocked as described above, the body projects in the vehicle width direction in the body, and the efficient shoulder portion is restrained by the airbag to support the upper body, so that the occupant can be efficiently protected. In addition, the passenger | crew in this application includes the adult man and woman of a general and average physique, and even a small adult woman. The physiques of these occupants are determined by the safety standards of automobiles in each country (frontal collision dummy AF05, AM50, side collision dummy SID-IIs, ES-2, etc.). A place such as a part indicates the position of each part of the dummy.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the side airbag apparatus which can be inflate-deployed toward the set position irrespective of the change of the inclination of a seat back can be provided.

It is a figure which illustrates a part of vehicle which applied the side airbag apparatus concerning 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which illustrated the inflated deployment of the airbag of FIG. It is the figure which illustrated the side airbag apparatus of FIG. 2 seeing from the vehicle front side. FIG. 3 is a diagram exemplifying a change in the attitude of the airbag accompanying a change in the inclination of the seat back in FIG. 2. It is the figure which illustrated the locking mechanism with which the link mechanism of Fig.4 (a) is equipped. It is the figure which illustrated the side airbag apparatus concerning 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the seating posture of the occupant corresponding to each state of the seat back.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In the present specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not illustrated. To do.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a part of a vehicle 102 to which a side airbag device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied. The side airbag device 100 described below is configured to be applied to a reclining seat (hereinafter, seat 104).

  The airbag 106 is a bag-shaped part that catches an occupant. For example, textiles using OPW (One-Piece Woven), and a plurality of base fabrics constituting the surface are stacked and sewn or bonded. By that, it is formed. The airbag 106 is housed by being wound or folded around the side portion 108 of the seat back 104 a of the seat 104. Since the airbag 106 in the stored state is covered with a seat cover or the like, it cannot be visually recognized from the outside. The airbag 106 is provided on the side portion 108 on the vehicle exterior side of the seat 104, but may be provided on the side portion on the vehicle interior side. It can also be provided on the sheet 110.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the airbag 106 of FIG. 1 after being inflated and deployed. An inflator (not shown) that is a gas generator is connected to the airbag 106. When an impact or the like occurs in the vehicle 102, an impact detection signal is transmitted from an unillustrated acceleration sensor or the like. As a result, the gas generating agent burns inside the inflator, and the combustion gas is supplied to the airbag 106. The By receiving this gas, the airbag 106 tears the seat cover and the like and inflates and deploys toward the side of the occupant 120. After the airbag 106 is operated, the gas is discharged from the vent hole 112 on the side of the airbag 106.

  In each figure including FIG. 2, a dummy doll imitating an adult occupant is shown as the occupant 120. This dummy doll is a model called AM50, which assumes a physique (height 178 cm, weight 72 kg) that fits 50% of adult males. The adult occupant in the present application includes adult men and women having a general and average physique, and even small adult women. The physiques of these adult occupants are determined by automobile safety standards (frontal collision dummy AF05, side collision dummy SID-IIs, ES-2, etc.) in each country. In addition to the AM 50, the location such as the part is shown including the position of each part of the dummy doll.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the side airbag device 100 of FIG. 2 as viewed from the front side of the vehicle. An arrow A represents a lateral impact generated in the vehicle 102 due to a side collision. An arrow B represents a lateral impact toward the outside of the vehicle, which is received by the occupant 120 due to inertia. As described above, the flow axis of the occupant 120 due to the side collision is the lateral direction indicated by the arrows A and B, that is, the vehicle width direction.

  The airbag 106 is embedded in the seat back 104a and is designed in shape assuming that the airbag 106 supports the shoulder 120b of the occupant 120 during inflation and deployment. When an impact in the vehicle width direction occurs on the vehicle 102, the movement of the occupant 120 tends to occur with a behavior that causes the upper body to fall. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the shoulder portion 120b that protrudes in the vehicle width direction in the body and supports the upper body is efficiently restrained.

  In the present embodiment, the airbag 106 can be inflated and deployed toward the side of the shoulder 120b of the occupant 120 regardless of the reclining angle of the seat back 104a, that is, when the seat back 104a is standing or falling. It has become. First, referring to FIG. FIG. 7 is a view illustrating the sitting posture of the occupant 120 according to each state of the seat back 104a. 7A illustrates the sitting posture of the occupant 120 in a state where the seat back 104a is standing up, and FIG. 7B illustrates the sitting posture of the occupant 120 in a state where the seat back 104a is tilted backward. doing.

  The reclining angle of the seat back 104a is an angle formed by the seat bag 104a and the seat cushion 104b. Generally, the reclining angle of the vehicle seat in the normal state is about 90 ° to 110 °, and the reclining angle in the full flat state is about 170 ° to 180 °.

  The position of the upper half of the occupant 120 relative to the seat back 104a in FIG. 7A (for example, the position of the head 120a) shifts downward as the seat back 104a is tilted backward as shown in FIG. 7B. Therefore, the airbag 10 that is set so as to be inflated and deployed near the shoulder 120b of the occupant 120 assuming only the sitting posture of FIG. 7 (a) is used when the seat back 104a of FIG. It will deviate from 120b.

  Therefore, in the side airbag device 100 illustrated in FIG. 2 and the like, the airbag 106 is inclined to the front of the vehicle so as to follow the position of the occupant 120 as the seat back 104a is tilted backward. FIG. 4 is a view exemplifying a change in the attitude of the airbag 106 in accordance with a change in the inclination of the seat back 104a in FIG. FIG. 4A illustrates the standing state of the seat back 104a. The side airbag device 100 is provided with a crank mechanism 126 including an airbag attachment member (attachment member 122) and a link rod 124, whereby the posture of the airbag 106 is changed.

  The attachment member 122 is a member to which the airbag 106 is attached and supports the airbag 106. The shape of the attachment member 122 may be appropriately set such as a housing shape or a plate shape, but in this embodiment, a rectangular plate shape is adopted. Further, the material of the mounting member 122 can be appropriately adopted such as a resin material or a metal material. The attachment member 122 is provided with a rotating shaft 128 and is connected to the side portion 108 by the rotating shaft 128. The rotation shaft 128 is parallel to the tilting central axis 130 of the reclining operation of the seat back 104a, and thus the attachment member 122 can rotate in the same plane as the direction of the reclining operation.

  The link rod 124 is a member that connects the attachment member 122 and the seat cushion 104b. One end 124a of the link rod 124 is rotatably connected to a position different from the tilt center shaft 130 in the seat cushion 104b. Further, the other end 124 b of the link rod 124 is rotatably connected to a position different from the rotation shaft 128 in the mounting member 122. These one end 124 a and the other end 124 b can rotate in the same direction as the rotation shaft 128.

  As illustrated in FIG. 4B, the airbag 106 is tilted forward of the vehicle (rightward in the figure) by the link mechanism 126 including the link rod 124 and the attachment member 122 in conjunction with the reclining operation. Therefore, the airbag 106 is inflated and deployed toward the side so as to protect the shoulder 120b of the occupant 120 regardless of the change in the reclining angle of the seat back 104a within the tilting range in which the seat back 104a is reclined. It is possible. With this configuration, the side airbag device 100 can efficiently and sufficiently protect the occupant 120.

  The link mechanism 126 is effectively provided with a so-called lock mechanism that can be locked (fixed) when the reclining operation is not operated. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a lock mechanism 132 provided in the link mechanism 126 of FIG. In the lock mechanism 132, for example, a gear 134 concentric with the rotating shaft 128 of the mounting member 122 is provided, and a latch 136 that meshes with the gear 134 is further provided. Then, the wire 138 that operates the latch 136 is connected to the reclining lever 140 that is operated by the occupant 120 (see FIG. 2 and the like) when performing the reclining operation. In this configuration, when the reclining lever 140 is pulled up to unlock the tilting central shaft 130, the latch 136 is disengaged from the gear 134. When the reclining lever 140 is pulled down to lock the tilting central shaft 130, the latch 136 and the gear 134 are also engaged and locked. According to such a lock mechanism 132, the attachment member 122 does not move except during the reclining operation, so that the airbag can be inflated and deployed in a more stable posture even when an emergency occurs.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a side airbag device 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6A illustrates the standing state of the seat back 104a. As illustrated in FIG. 6A, the side airbag device 200 includes a link mechanism including a link wire 142 and a cam 144 attached to the tilting central shaft 130 of the seat 104. And by this link mechanism, the posture change of the airbag 106 is linked to the reclining operation. This will be described in detail below.

  The cam 144 is provided concentrically with the tilt center shaft 130, but is separated from the tilt center shaft 130 and does not rotate. The cam 144 is connected to one end 142 a of the link wire 142 and is covered with a case 146. The case 146 and the cam 144 are installed independently of each other. When the seat back 104a is tilted backward as shown in FIG. 6B, only the case 146 rotates to wind the link wire 142 around the cam 144. Then, tension is generated in the link wire 142. At this time, the other end 142b of the link wire 142 is connected to the lower part of the attachment member 122 below the rotating shaft 128 from the rear of the vehicle (left side in the figure). With this configuration, when the link wire 142 is wound around the cam 144, the lower portion of the mounting member 122 is pulled rearward of the vehicle and rotated, and the airbag 106 tilts forward of the vehicle. Thus, even with the configuration of the side airbag device 200, the airbag 106 can be inflated and deployed toward the side of the shoulder 120b of the occupant 120 regardless of the change in the inclination of the seat back 104a. . In the present embodiment, the locking mechanism 132 described with reference to FIG. 5 can be provided although illustration is omitted.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, a link mechanism using a link rod 124 (FIG. 4), a link wire 142 or the like (FIG. 6) is used. However, the specific example of the link mechanism is not limited to this. For example, as another example, a link mechanism combining a lever, a rocker, and a crank, a rack and pinion system combining a plurality of gears, a link mechanism of a worm gear system, etc. Thus, the reclining operation of the seat back 104a and the rotation of the attachment member 122 can be interlocked.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described referring an accompanying drawing, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to the example which concerns. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and these are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention. Understood.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the example which applied the airbag apparatus 100 concerning this invention to the motor vehicle was demonstrated, it is also possible to apply to an aircraft, a ship, etc. besides a motor vehicle, and obtains the same effect. Can do.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a side airbag device that includes an airbag that inflates and deploys from the vicinity of a side portion of a seat toward the side of an occupant when a vehicle side impact occurs.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 * 200 ... Side airbag apparatus, 102 ... Vehicle, 104 ... Seat, 104a ... Seat back, 104b ... Seat cushion, 106 * 10 ... Air bag, 108 ... Side part, 110 ... Seat, 112 ... Vent hole, 120 ... Occupant, 120a ... head, 120b ... shoulder, 122 ... mounting member, 124 ... link rod, 124a ... one end of link rod, 124b ... other end of link rod, 126 ... link mechanism, 128 ... rotating shaft, 130 ... tilting Central axis, 132 ... Lock mechanism, 134 ... Gear, 136 ... Latch, 138 ... Wire, 140 ... Reclining lever, 142 ... Link wire, 142a ... One end of link wire, 142b ... Other end, 144 ... Cam, 146 ... Case

Claims (5)

Attached to the side of the seat back of the reclining seat, has an axis of rotation parallel to the tilting central axis of the reclining operation of the seat back, and is attached to the side of the airbag by the axis of rotation. Members,
An airbag attached to the airbag attachment member;
A link mechanism in which one end is rotatably connected to a position different from the tilting central axis of the reclining seat and the other end is rotatably connected to a position different from the rotation axis of the airbag mounting member. ,
The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the link mechanism rotates the airbag attachment member so that the airbag tilts forward according to a reclining angle when the seat back is reclined toward the rear of the vehicle.   The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the link mechanism includes a rod-shaped link rod. Attached to the side of the seat back of the reclining seat, has an axis of rotation parallel to the tilting central axis of the reclining operation of the seat back, and is attached to the side of the airbag by the axis of rotation. Members,
An airbag attached to the airbag attachment member;
A cam that is non-rotatably installed concentrically with the tilting central axis of the reclining operation, and a link wire having one end connected to the cam and the other end connected to a position different from the rotation axis of the airbag mounting member A link mechanism including
The link wire is wound around the cam according to a reclining angle when the seat back is reclined to the rear of the vehicle, and pulls and rotates the airbag attachment member so that the airbag is inclined forward of the vehicle. A side airbag device characterized by the above.   The side airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a lock mechanism that locks rotation of the airbag attachment member.   The said airbag attachment member rotates so that the said airbag may protect the predetermined | prescribed part of a passenger | crew at the time of inflation deployment within the tilting range where the said seat back is reclined. The side airbag device according to item 1.

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