Search

EP-4035955-B1 - AIRBAG CUSHION

EP4035955B1EP 4035955 B1EP4035955 B1EP 4035955B1EP-4035955-B1

Inventors

  • ASADA, Teruyuki
  • KIM, BYUNGHOON

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20220126

Claims (11)

  1. An airbag cushion (30, 130, 230, 330, 430, 530, 630, 730) that includes: an inflator housing region (134, 234, 334, 434, 534, 634, 734) that houses an inflator (32); a main chamber region (135, 235, 335, 435a, 435b, 535a, 535b, 635a, 635b, 735a, 735b) that primarily contributes to restraining an occupant; and a skeletal region (136, 236, 336a, 336b, 436, 536a, 536b, 636a, 636b, 736a, 736b, 736c) that is connected to the inflator housing region (134, 234, 334, 434, 534, 634, 734) and deploys in a rod shape prior to the main chamber, and a first vent hole (144, 248, 344, 348, 450a, 450b, 550a, 550b, 552a, 650a, 650b, 652c, 750a, 750b, 752a, 752b) that discharges the expansion gas into the main chamber is formed in the skeletal region (136, 236, 336a, 336b, 436, 536a, 536b, 636a, 636b, 736a, 736b, 736c), wherein the airbag cushion (30, 130, 230, 330, 430, 530, 630, 730) includes a rear end side (100a) extending in an up-down direction on a lower portion at the rear of the vehicle, an upper rear end side (100b) extending diagonally upward and forward from an upper end of the rear end side, a lower front end side (100d) extending diagonally upward and forward from the lower portion of the rear end side (100a), and an upper front end side (100c) extending between the upper rear end side (100b) and the lower front end side (100d), and the inflator housing region (134, 234, 334, 434, 534, 634, 734) is demarcated by the rear end side (100a), the lower portion of the lower front end side (100d), and the lower portion of the upper rear end side (100b), characterized in that the skeletal region (136, 236, 336a, 336b, 436, 536a, 536b, 636a, 636b, 736a, 736b, 736c) includes a second region extending from a lower portion of the inflator housing region (134, 234, 334, 434, 534, 634, 734) along the lower front end side (100d), and the main chamber is positioned behind the second region.
  2. A side airbag device (20) housed in a vehicle seat, comprising: an airbag cushion (30, 130, 230, 330, 430, 530, 630, 730) according to claim 1 that restrains an occupant by expanding and deploying; and an inflator (32) that supplies expansion gas to the airbag cushion (30, 130, 230, 330, 430, 530, 630, 730).
  3. The side airbag device (20) according to claim 2, wherein a length (D1) in a front-rear direction and a length (D2) in a left-right width direction are essentially the same when the skeletal region (136, 236, 336a, 336b, 436, 536a, 536b, 636a, 636b, 736a, 736b, 736c) in the deployed state is viewed in a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the region.
  4. The side airbag device (20) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the skeletal region (136, 236, 336a, 336b, 436, 536a, 536b, 636a, 636b, 736a, 736b, 736c) generally extends in a linear manner with regard to the longitudinal direction.
  5. The side airbag device (20) according to claim 2, 3 or 4 wherein the inflator housing region (134, 234, 334, 434, 534, 634, 734) is configured to fit inside a side support part of the vehicle seat, when the deployed airbag cushion (30, 130, 230, 330, 430, 530, 630, 730) is viewed from a side of a vehicle.
  6. The side airbag device (20) according to any one of the claims 2 to 5, wherein the skeletal region (136, 236, 336a, 336b, 436, 536a, 536b, 636a, 636b, 736a, 736b, 736c) includes a first region extending from an upper portion of the inflator housing region (134, 234, 334, 434, 534, 634, 734) along the upper rear end side (100b), and the main chamber is positioned in front of the skeletal region (136, 236, 336a, 336b, 436, 536a, 536b, 636a, 636b, 736a, 736b, 736c).
  7. The side airbag device (20) according to any one of the claims 2 to 6, wherein the skeletal region (136, 236, 336a, 336b, 436, 536a, 536b, 636a, 636b, 736a, 736b, 736c) includes a first region extending from an upper portion of the inflator housing region (134, 234, 334, 434, 534, 634, 734) along the upper rear end side (100b) and a second region extending from a lower portion of the inflator housing region (134, 234, 334, 434, 534, 634, 734) along the lower front end side (100d), and the main chamber is positioned between the first region and second region.
  8. The side airbag device (20) according to any one of the claims 2 to 7, wherein the skeletal region (136, 236, 336a, 336b, 436, 536a, 536b, 636a, 636b, 736a, 736b, 736c) includes a third region extending from the inflator housing region (134, 234, 334, 434, 534, 634, 734) to a center position of the upper front end side (100c), and the main chamber is positioned in front of and behind the skeletal region (136, 236, 336a, 336b, 436, 536a, 536b, 636a, 636b, 736a, 736b, 736c).
  9. The side airbag device (20) according to any one of the claims 2 to 8, wherein a baffle plate (140, 142, 240, 340) that regulates the thickness in a vehicle width direction is provided inside the main chamber.
  10. The side airbag device (20) according to claim 9, wherein the baffle plate (140, 142, 240, 340) extends substantially parallel to the skeletal region (136, 236, 336a, 336b, 436, 536a, 536b, 636a, 636b, 736a, 736b, 736c), when the deployed airbag cushion (30, 130, 230, 330, 430, 530, 630, 730) is viewed from the vehicle width direction.
  11. The side airbag device (20) according to any one of the claims 2 to 10, wherein a second vent hole (146) that discharges the expansion gas into the main chamber is formed in the inflator housing region (134, 234, 334, 434, 534, 634, 734) .

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an airbag cushion and a side airbag device equipped in a vehicle seat. BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY In order to protect occupants in the event of a vehicle collision, it is well known that vehicles are equipped with one or a plurality of airbags. These airbags include, for example, various forms such as: a so-called driver airbag which expands from near the center of the steering wheel of an automobile so as to protect a driver; a curtain airbag which deploys downward along an inner side of a window of an automobile so as to protect occupants during collisions in a lateral direction of the vehicle, as well as when overturning and during rollover accidents; and a side airbag stored in a side port of a seat which is deployed between the occupant and a side panel so as to protect the occupant upon impact in the lateral direction of the vehicle. The present invention relates to a side airbag device. In side airbag devices, it is important to stabilize the deployment behavior and deployment shape of an airbag cushion. If the deployed airbag cushion does not take the assumed normal shape, the occupant restraining performance is reduced. Furthermore, if the airbag cushion does not promptly deploy, restraint of an occupant is delayed. From the document US 2016/304047 A1 it is known an airbag cushion comprising all features of the preamble of claim 1. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide an airbag cushion that contributes to stabilizing the deployment behavior and deployment shape of a side airbag device. MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS In order to achieve the aforementioned object, the present invention is an airbag cushion that is defined by the features of claim 1. Furthermore the present invention is a side airbag device housed in a vehicle seat, comprising an airbag cushion according to claim 1 that restrains an occupant by expanding and deploying; and an inflator that supplies expansion gas to the airbag cushion. In the side airbag device according to the present invention with the configuration described above, when the device is activated due to a vehicle collision and expansion gas is supplied from the inflator, the expansion gas flows from the inflator housing region into the skeletal region. The skeletal region deploys prior to the main chamber and deploys in a rod shape. Therefore, the rigidity of the rapidly deploying skeletal region is high, which stabilizes the deployment posture and deployment shape of the airbag cushion overall. Furthermore, a core is formed in a portion of the airbag cushion; therefore, the airbag cushion is not easily deformed when an occupant advances into the deployed airbag. A length in a front-rear direction and a length in a left-right width direction can be essentially the same, when the skeletal region in the deployed state is viewed in a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the region. For example, the cross section can be circular. This shape allows the expansion gas to flow smoothly through the skeletal region and the skeletal region to rapidly expand. Herein, "essentially the same" does not mean completely the same, and allows for an error (width) to the extent that the expansion gas flows smoothly within the skeletal region. For example, when a first length is α and a second length is β, α can be within a range of 0.5 to 1.5 times that of β. The skeletal region can be molded to generally extend in a linear manner in the longitudinal direction. By extending the skeletal region in a linear rod shape, there are no bent portions inside the skeletal region, which accelerates the development of the skeletal region. The inflator housing region can be configured to fit inside a side support part of the vehicle seat when the deployed airbag cushion is viewed from a side of a vehicle. For example, the configuration can be such that, when the airbag cushion in the deployed state is viewed from a side of the vehicle, the upper rear end side (100b) extends between an uppermost point (HP) of the airbag cushion and an upper end of the rear end side (100a), the lower front end side (100d) extends between a lowermost point (LP) and frontmost point (FP) of the airbag cushion, and the upper front end side (100c) extends between the uppermost point (HP) and the frontmost point (FP). Furthermore, a second vent hole that discharges expansion gas into the main chamber can be formed in the inflator housing region. When deploying the main chamber, expansion gas is supplied not only from the skeletal region but also from the inflator housing region, thereby increasing the expansion rate of the main chamber. In this case, the skeletal region is positioned behind the occupant (shoulders and torso), such that the occupant moving in a lateral direction can be quickly restrained. According to the invention, the skeletal region is configur