Side airbag apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10272866-B2
Application number	US-201715622390-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2017
Priority date	Jun 24, 2016
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A side airbag apparatus includes an inflator, an airbag having a main inflation portion and an auxiliary inflation portion, and a restriction portion. The main inflation portion is configured to be inflated by inflation gas supplied from the inflator and deployed forward in a space between a side wail of the vehicle and an occupant seated in a normal posture in a vehicle seat. The auxiliary inflation portion is configured to be inflated in a seat back by the inflation gas from the inflator, thereby pushing the occupant toward an inner side of the vehicle. The restriction portion restricts the auxiliary inflation portion from being inflated toward a gap that is between the rear end section in the outer side portion of the seat back and the rear end section in the middle portion of the seat back.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A side airbag apparatus comprising:
an inflator arranged in an outer side portion of a seat back of a vehicle seat, wherein the seat back includes a middle portion in a vehicle width direction, and the outer side portion is located on an outer side of the middle portion;
an airbag that includes
a main inflation portion stored in the outer side portion of the seat back, wherein the main inflation portion is configured to be inflated by inflation gas supplied from the inflator, project from the seat back, and be deployed forward in a space between a side wall of a vehicle and an occupant seated in a normal posture in the vehicle seat, and
an auxiliary inflation portion, wherein at least a main part of the auxiliary inflation portion is stored in the outer side portion of the seat back, and the auxiliary inflation portion is configured to be inflated in the seat back by the inflation gas from the inflator, thereby pushing the occupant toward an inner side of the vehicle prior to the deployment of the main inflation portion outside the seat back, and

a restriction portion that restricts the auxiliary inflation portion from being inflated toward a gap that is between a rear end section in the outer side portion of the seat back and a rear end section in the middle portion of the seat back, wherein
a seat frame, which forms a framework of the seat back, is arranged in the seat back,
part of the seat frame that is located in the outer side portion of the seat back is constituted by an outer side frame portion,
a space between a rear end of the outer side frame portion and the rear end section in the middle portion of the seat back corresponds to the gap,
the restriction portion is constituted by an outer tension belt, which surrounds the auxiliary inflation portion, and
by being tensioned as the auxiliary inflation portion is inflated, the outer tension belt regulates an inflated shape of the auxiliary inflation portion, thereby restricting inflation of the auxiliary inflation portion toward the gap.

2. The side airbag apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the seat frame includes
a pressure receiving plate arranged at the rear end section in the middle portion of the seat back, and
an outer frame portion, which is separated from and surrounds the pressure receiving plate,

the outer side frame portion is constituted by part of the outer frame portion,
the auxiliary inflation portion is stored at a position forward of the pressure receiving plate, and
a space between the rear end of the outer side frame portion and the pressure receiving plate corresponds to the gap.

3. The side airbag apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the airbag is fixed to the outer side frame portion,
the outer tension belt has an elongated shape,
a first end of the outer tension belt includes an attachment portion that is attached to the outer side frame portion, and
a second end of the outer tension belt is fixed to a section of the airbag that is adjacent to a section fixed to the outer side frame portion, such that, when the auxiliary inflation portion completes inflation, the outer tension belt is tensioned.

4. The side airbag apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the inflator is arranged in one of the main inflation portion and the auxiliary inflation portion,
the main inflation portion and the auxiliary inflation portion each have a communication port,
the main inflation portion and the auxiliary inflation portion are connected to each other via the communication port of the main inflation portion and the communication port of the auxiliary inflation portion,
the main inflation portion and the auxiliary inflation portion are joined to each other by a loop-shaped joint portion provided about the communication port of the main inflation portion and the communication port of the auxiliary inflation portion, and
the second end of the outer tension belt is fixed to the main inflation portion and the auxiliary inflation portion by at least part of the loop-shaped joint portion.

Assignees

• Toyoda Gosei Kk

Inventors

• Hiraiwa Takuya
• Iida Takashi

Classifications

• B60R21/2338

  Tethers · CPC title

• B60R2021/23107

  the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system · CPC title

• B60R2021/0032

  Position of passenger · CPC title

• B60R2021/23382

  Internal tether means · CPC title

• B60R21/23138

  specially adapted for side protection (B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence) · CPC title