JP2017105285A - Occupant protection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an occupant protection device which can effectively protect an occupant from a front face collision and a side face collision by using an airbag which is expanded and deployed from a state of being accommodated in a headrest or seatback.SOLUTION: An occupant protection device 10 which is constituted as an integrated bag body including: a frame duct 35 which is accommodated in a headrest 18, and in which a gas flows into a multi-azimuth airbag 20 which is expanded and deployed by receiving the gas from a gas supply device 32; a front expansion part 40 which is expanded and deployed in front of a head part H of a seated person D in a seat fore-and-aft direction by the gas flowing from the frame duct 35; and a pair of lateral expansion parts 44 which are partitioned into the front expansion part 40 and the frame duct 35, and expanded and deployed by the gas flowing from the gas supply device 32 at both sides of the head part H in a seat width direction at internal pressure higher than those of the expansion part 40 and the frame duct 35.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present disclosure relates to an occupant protection device.

  In the event of a collision, an airbag device is known in which inflator gas is supplied to a bag attached to the gas supply pipe through a gas supply pipe fixed to the seat back, and the bag is inflated so as to surround the front and sides of the occupant. (See Patent Document 1). In addition, the head airbag expands forward from the left and right ends of the headrest of the seat and joins to each other on the front surface of the occupant's head, while the auxiliary airbag for the head extends from the center of the seat headrest. An airbag device that bulges forward and joins a pair of head airbags is known (see Patent Document 2).

JP 2000-344044 A JP2013-018378A

  By the way, in the case of a frontal collision, the distance from the occupant's head to the steering wheel, the instrument panel, etc. is relatively long, and the energy absorption stroke has a margin. On the other hand, in the case of a side collision, the distance from the passenger's head to the side window glass or the like is short. For this reason, in the airbag that is inflated and deployed so as to surround the occupant's head from the front and both sides, the part that restrains the head against a frontal collision and the part that restrains the occupant's head against a side collision The required performance is different, and there is room for improvement in this regard.

  An object of the present disclosure is to provide an occupant protection device that can effectively protect an occupant against a frontal collision and a side collision by an airbag that is inflated and deployed from a state of being stored in a headrest or a seat back.

  The occupant protection device according to the first aspect includes an air bag that is housed in a headrest or a seat back and is inflated and deployed by receiving gas supply, a duct portion into which gas flows from the gas supply device, and a gas that flows in from the duct portion. A front inflating part that is inflated and deployed in front of the occupant's head in the front-rear direction of the occupant, and the front inflating part and the duct part. And a pair of laterally inflated portions that are inflated and deployed at an internal pressure higher than that of the front inflating portion and the duct portion on both sides in the seat width direction.

  In this occupant protection device, when gas is supplied from the gas supply device to the airbag, the front inflating portion is inflated and deployed on the front side of the seat with respect to the occupant's head, and the pair of lateral inflating portions are seat widths relative to the occupant's head. Inflated and deployed on both sides of the direction.

  Here, the front expansion part, the duct part for guiding the gas to the front expansion part, and the pair of lateral expansion parts are partitioned, and the pair of lateral expansion parts are inflated and deployed at a higher internal pressure than the front expansion part and the duct part. The For this reason, for a frontal collision, the airbag itself including the duct portion extending from the headrest or the seat back to the front inflating portion extends in the front-rear direction of the seat while restraining the occupant's head at the front inflating portion. Absorption is accomplished. On the other hand, for a side collision, the lateral expansion part sandwiched between the side part of the vehicle body such as the side window glass and the occupant's head is inflated and deployed with a high internal pressure. Energy absorption is achieved by crushing without bottoming.

  As described above, in the occupant protection device according to the first aspect, the occupant can be effectively protected against the frontal collision and the side collision by the airbag inflated and deployed from the state accommodated in the headrest or the seat back.

  An occupant protection device according to a second aspect is the configuration according to the first aspect, wherein the gas supply device is configured to generate an inflator that generates gas when operated, a first outlet that flows out the gas of the inflator to the duct portion, And a diffuser having a pair of second outlets that have a channel cross-sectional area larger than that of the first outlets and flow the gas of the inflator to the pair of lateral expansion portions.

  In this occupant protection device, a part of the gas generated by the inflator is supplied from the first outlet of the diffuser to the front expansion part via the duct part, and the other part of the gas generated by the inflator is a second pair of diffusers of the diffuser. It is supplied from the outlet to the pair of lateral expansion portions. Since the channel cross-sectional area of the second outlet is larger than the channel cross-sectional area of the first outlet, the pair of lateral expansion parts can be inflated and deployed with an internal pressure higher than that of the front expansion part with a simple structure. it can.

  The occupant protection device according to a third aspect is the configuration according to the first aspect, wherein the gas supply device has a first inflator for flowing the gas generated by operation to the duct part, and a higher output than the first inflator. And a second inflator that discharges the gas generated by the operation to the pair of lateral expansion portions.

  In this occupant protection device, the gas generated by the first inflator is supplied to the front expansion portion via the duct portion, and the gas generated by the second inflator is supplied to the pair of lateral expansion portions. Since the second inflator has a higher output than the first inflator, the pair of lateral expansion parts can be inflated and deployed with a higher internal pressure than the front expansion part with a simple structure.

  As described above, in the occupant protection device according to the present disclosure, the occupant can be effectively protected against a frontal collision and a side collision by the airbag inflated and deployed from the state of being stored in the headrest or the seat back. There is an excellent effect.

It is a side view showing typically the operation state of the crew member protection device concerning an embodiment. It is a front view showing typically the operation state of the crew member protection device concerning an embodiment. It is a figure which shows the expansion | deployment deployment state of the multidirectional airbag which comprises the passenger | crew protection apparatus which concerns on embodiment, Comprising: (A) is sectional drawing along the 3A-3A line of FIG. 1, (B) is 3B of FIG. It is sectional drawing along a -3B line. It is a figure which shows the schematic whole structure before the action | operation of the passenger | crew protection apparatus which concerns on embodiment, Comprising: (A) is a side view, (B) is a front view. It is the typical expanded side view seen partially cut out for explaining the inflation deployment process of the multidirectional airbag which constitutes the crew member protection device concerning an embodiment. It is a perspective view which expands and shows the inflated deployment state of the multidirectional airbag which constitutes a crew member protection device concerning an embodiment. It is a figure showing typically a seated person's restraint state by a multi-direction airbag of an occupant protection device concerning an embodiment, and (A) is an enlarged side view showing a restraint state at the time of frontal collision, (B) FIG. 5 is an enlarged front sectional view showing a restrained state at the time of a side collision. It is a perspective view which expands and shows the expansion | deployment deployment state of the multidirectional airbag which concerns on the modification of embodiment.

<First Embodiment>
An occupant protection device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. An arrow FR and an arrow UP that are appropriately described in each figure indicate the forward direction (direction toward the seated person) and the upward direction of the vehicle seat 12, respectively. Hereinafter, when simply using the front / rear, up / down, left / right directions, unless otherwise specified, the front / rear direction of the seat, the up / down direction of the seat / up / down direction, and the left / right direction of the front / rear direction of the seat are shown. And Note that an arrow IN appropriately described in each drawing indicates the center side in the vehicle width direction of an automobile as a vehicle on which the vehicle seat 12 is mounted.

(Overall configuration of occupant protection device)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the occupant protection device 10 is mounted on a vehicle seat 12. The vehicle seat 12 is arranged offset to the left or right (left side in the present embodiment) with respect to the center in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body (not shown). In the vehicle seat 12, the front-rear direction of the seat coincides with the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the seat width direction coincides with the vehicle width direction. The vehicle seat 12 includes a seat cushion 14, a seat back 16 having a lower end connected to the rear end of the seat cushion 14, and a headrest 18 attached to the upper end of the seat back 16. Yes.

  4A and 4B, the headrest 18 includes a headrest body 19 attached to the seat back 16 and a module case 34 (functioning as a backboard constituting the rear design of the headrest 18). (Described later). As shown in FIG. 5, the headrest body 19 is attached to the seat back 16 via a headrest stay 19 </ b> S. The headrest stay 19S is configured such that the upper portion 19SU is positioned in front of the lower portion 19SL supported by the seat back 16, and the lower portion 19SL and the upper portion 19SU are connected by an inclined middle portion 19SC.

  1 to 5 illustrate a state in which a crash test dummy (doll) D is seated on a seat cushion 14 of a vehicle seat 12 as a model of an occupant to be protected by the occupant protection device 10. The dummy D is, for example, AM50 (50th percentile of an American adult male) of WorldSID (World Side Impact Dummy). The dummy D is seated in a standard seating posture determined by the collision test method, and the vehicle seat 12 is located at a reference setting position corresponding to the seating posture. Hereinafter, the dummy D is referred to as a “seating person D” for easy understanding.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the occupant protection device 10 includes a multidirectional airbag device 20, a side airbag device 22, and a seat belt for protecting the occupant D from various forms of collision. The apparatus 24 is comprised. Hereinafter, the schematic configuration of the seat belt device 24 and the side airbag device 22 will be described, and then the detailed configuration of the multidirectional airbag device 20 will be described.

  The seat belt device 24 is a three-point seat belt device, and the other end of a belt (webbing) 28 having one end wound around the retractor 26 so as to be drawable is fixed to the anchor 24A. A tongue plate 24T is slidably provided on the belt 28, and the belt 28 is attached to the seated person D by locking the tongue plate 24T to the buckle 24B. The belt 28 is attached to the seated person D, and the shoulder belt 28S from the retractor 26 to the tongue plate 24T is mounted on the upper body of the seated person D, and the belt 28 is connected to the anchor 24A from the tongue plate 24T. The lap belt 28L is configured to be worn on the waist P of the seated person D.

  In this embodiment, the seat belt device 24 is a so-called seat belt device with a seat in which a retractor 26, an anchor 24 </ b> A, and a buckle 24 </ b> B are provided in the vehicle seat 12. In this embodiment, the retractor 26 has a pretensioner function that forcibly winds up the belt 28 when activated. The pretensioner function of the retractor 26 is operated by an ECU 60 described later.

  The side airbag device 22 includes an inflator 22A and a side airbag 22B. The side airbag device 22 is housed in a side portion on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the seat back 16 in a folded state of the side airbag 22B. When the inflator 22A is operated, the inflator 22A generates gas in the side airbag 22B. The side airbag 22B is projected forward from the side portion of the seat back 16 by this gas and is inflated and deployed on the outer side in the vehicle width direction with respect to the seated person D. In this embodiment, the side airbag 22B is configured to inflate and deploy on the outer side in the vehicle width direction with respect to the waist P, the abdomen A, the chest B, and the shoulder S of the seated person D.

(Configuration of multi-directional airbag device)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4A, a multidirectional airbag device 20 includes a multidirectional airbag 30 as an airbag, a gas supply device 32, a module case (also referred to as an airbag case) 34, It is comprised. As will be described later, the multidirectional airbag 30 is folded in a state where a gas supply device 32 is connected so as to be able to supply gas, and is stored in a module case 34. The multi-directional airbag device 20 modularized in this way is provided on the headrest 18 on the seat back 16. This will be specifically described below.

<Multidirectional airbag>
As shown in FIG. 3A in a cross-sectional view, the multidirectional airbag 30 is configured to place the head H of the seated person D (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “head H”) from the front and both left and right sides. It is configured as an integral bag body that is inflated and deployed so as to surround it. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the multidirectional airbag 30 has a frame duct 35 as a duct portion that is inflated and deployed in a duct shape, and before being deployed in front of the head H. The developing unit 36 includes a pair of lateral developing units 38 that are developed on both the left and right sides of the head H. As shown in FIG. 7 (B), one of the pair of lateral development parts 38 is inflated and deployed between the head H and the side window glass SW as the vehicle body side part, and the other of the pair of lateral development parts 38. Are inflated and deployed on the adjacent seat side (not shown) with respect to the head H. In FIG. 7B, illustration of the side airbag 22B is omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6, the multidirectional airbag 30 includes at least a frame duct 35, a front inflating portion 40, which will be described later, and a lateral inflating portion, which will be described later. 44 is configured as an integral bag body that is partitioned in a communication state or a non-communication state, and is stored in the headrest 18 in a folded state. The multidirectional airbag 30 in this embodiment further includes an upper deploying portion 48 that is deployed above the head H and a rear deploying portion 55 that is deployed behind the head H.

[Frame duct]
The frame duct 35 is provided on both sides in the seat width direction to form a pair, and is configured to be inflated and deployed in a “U” shape opening downward in a side view. Specifically, the frame duct 35 includes a rear duct 35R extending up and down along the headrest 18, an upper duct 35U extending forward from the upper end of the rear duct 35R, and a front end of the upper duct 35U in a side view in the inflated and deployed state. And a front duct 35 </ b> F suspended from the front.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the lower ends of the rear ducts 35R are connected to each other in a communicating state, and a gas supply port 35S to which gas from the gas supply device 32 is supplied is formed at the connection portion. Yes. Each frame duct 35 functions as a duct portion that guides gas from the gas supply device 32 to a front expansion portion 40 described later.

[Previous development part]
The front deployment part 36 includes a front expansion part 40 that includes a part that is deployed in front of the head H, and a non-expansion part 42 that partitions the front expansion part 40 into a plurality of expansion parts. In this embodiment, the front inflating portion 40 has a pair of upper and lower inflating portions 40A that are inflated and deployed adjacent to each other in the sheet width direction with the up-and-down direction as a longitudinal direction, and a lower inflating located below the pair of upper and lower inflating portions 40A. Part 40L. The pair of upper and lower inflating portions 40A is inflated and deployed in front of the head H (front), and the lower inflating portion 40L is inflated and deployed in front of the chest B and shoulder S of the seated person D. Has been.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the non-expandable portion 42 includes a non-expandable portion 42 </ b> A that partitions the pair of vertical expandable portions 40 </ b> A in the seat width direction, and between each vertical expandable portion 40 </ b> A and the front duct 35 </ b> F of the frame duct 35. And an intervening non-inflatable portion 42B. In this embodiment, the non-inflatable portion 42A is configured by a linear seam extending vertically, and the non-inflatable portion 42B is configured as a portion surrounded by an annular (endless) seam extending vertically. Further, the front inflating portion 40 is communicated with the lower portion of the front duct 35F through a communication passage 40R (see FIGS. 1 and 6) positioned below the non-inflating portion 42B at both longitudinal ends of the lower inflating portion 40L. In addition, the lower ends of the pair of upper and lower inflatable portions 40A communicate with the lower inflating portion 40L as a whole.

[Horizontal development part]
The lateral expansion part 38 includes a lateral expansion part 44 that is inflated and deployed on the side of the head H upon receiving gas supply, and a non-expansion part 46 that partitions the lateral expansion part 44 into a plurality of expansion parts. ing. In this embodiment, the laterally expanded portion 38 in the inflated and expanded state is surrounded by the frame duct 35 from the three sides of the rear, upper, and front, and has a substantially rectangular shape in a side view. Further, the laterally extending portion 38 has a size (area) that wraps on substantially the entire head H in a side view. The lateral expansion portion 44 of the lateral expansion portion 38 is formed over the entire length of the frame duct 35 by a U-shaped seam 46A having an inverted U shape that opens downward in the seam constituting the non-expandable portion 46. And partitioned. Thereby, the lateral expansion part 44 is partitioned off from the front expansion part 40 and the frame duct 35 as a duct part. In other words, the lateral expansion portion 44 is not in communication with the front expansion portion 40 and the frame duct 35.

  Further, the non-expandable portion 46 in this embodiment includes a pair of front and rear vertical seams 46B extending from the lower edge of the laterally expanded portion 44 into the opening of the U-shaped seam 46A. The pair of vertical seams 46B partitions the lower portion 44L of the lateral expansion portion 44 into three expansion portions 44L1, 44L2, and 44L3 that are inflated and deployed side by side. The upper portion 44U of the lateral expansion portion 44 is not partitioned in the front-rear direction.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the gas supply to which the gas from the gas supply device 32 is supplied to the rear end of the expansion portion 44 </ b> L <b> 3 that is inflated and deployed on the rearmost side among the components of the left and right lateral expansion portions 44. A mouth 44S is formed. The rear portion of the inflating portion 44L3 wraps around to the lower side of the rear duct 35R of the frame duct 35 and is separated from the rear duct 35R by a seam 46C continuous from the U-shaped seam 46A.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, the left and right laterally deployed portions 38 are in contact with the lower end 44B of each laterally inflated portion 44 on the shoulder S of the seated person D when the multidirectional airbag 30 is inflated and deployed. It is supposed to be. The vertical position of the inflated and deployed multidirectional airbag 30 with respect to the seated person D (head H thereof) is determined by the contact of the lower end 44B of the lateral inflatable part 44 with the shoulder S. In this positioning state, the multi-directional airbag 30 has a front deployment portion 36, left and right lateral deployment portions 38, and an upper deployment portion 48, which will be described later, with respect to a seated person D taking a normal seating posture. It is set as the structure which does not contact (a clearance gap is formed).

[Upper development part and rear development part]
As shown in FIG. 6, the upper unfolding portion 48 includes a pair of front and rear cross inflating portions 48A that are inflated and deployed with the sheet width direction as a longitudinal direction, and a cloth-like non-inflating portion that connects between the front and rear cross inflating portions 48A. 48B. The upper deployment part 48 includes a cloth-like non-expansion part 48C that connects the front cross expansion part 48A and the upper end of the front development part 36 (a pair of upper and lower expansion parts 40A).

  The front and rear cross expansion portions 48A receive gas supply from the upper duct 35U of the frame duct 35, and are inflated and deployed by connecting the pair of upper ducts 35U in the seat width direction. As a result, the front and rear cross inflating portions 48A are configured to deploy an integral inflating portion continuous with the upper duct 35U above the head H. Further, the non-expandable portion 48B is developed by connecting the upper duct 35U in the seat width direction between the front and rear cross-expanded portions 48A.

  The rear development part 55 is a cloth-like non-expansion part, connects the rear cross expansion part 48A and the left and right frame ducts 35 in the upper development part 48, and the cross expansion part 48A and the left and right frame ducts 35. To be deployed between.

<Others>
The multidirectional airbag 30 described above is stored in the headrest 18 (module case 34) in a folded state. The folding configuration of the multidirectional airbag 30 will be described later together with the configuration of the module case 34 together with the configuration of the deployment guide cloth 58.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the multi-directional airbag 30 in an unconstrained inflated and deployed state that does not restrain the seated person D is viewed from the side airbag 22B in the unconstrained inflated and deployed state that does not restrain the seated person D. It does not overlap (does not wrap). In other words, the multidirectional airbag 30 and the side airbag 22B are configured so as not to mutually have inflated and deployed portions that wrap in at least a side view in an unconstrained inflated and deployed state. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the unconstrained inflated and deployed multidirectional airbag 30 is configured not to overlap the unrestrained inflated and deployed side airbag 22B that does not restrain the seated person D in a front view. ing.

[Gas supply device]
As shown in FIG. 6, the gas supply device 32 includes an inflator 50 as a gas generation device and a diffuser 52 as a gas distribution unit as main parts. The inflator 50 is of a combustion type or a cold gas type, and generates gas when activated. In this embodiment, the inflator 50 is a cylinder-type inflator and is disposed in the module case 34 with the sheet width direction as a longitudinal direction as shown in FIG. The operation of the inflator 50 is controlled by an ECU 60 as a control device described later.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the diffuser 52 has an inflow port 52 </ b> A into which the gas of the inflator 50 is introduced, and a first outflow port 52 </ b> B and a second outflow port 52 </ b> C through which the gas flows out to the multidirectional airbag 30. The inflow port 52A is provided at the proximal end portion of the diffuser 52, and a gas ejection pipe 50P protruding from the inflator 50 is inserted in an airtight state.

  The first outlet 52 </ b> B and the second outlet 52 </ b> C are configured to be branched at the tip side of the diffuser 52. In this embodiment, a pair of second outlets 52C is provided corresponding to the pair of left and right lateral expansion portions 44, and the tip end side of the diffuser 52 is branched into three outlets. The first outlet 52B is inserted into the gas supply port 35S of the multidirectional airbag 30 in an airtight state. Further, the pair of second outlets 52C are inserted in the gas supply ports 44S corresponding to the left and right in the multidirectional airbag 30 in an airtight state.

  In this embodiment, the diffuser 52 is configured by a base fabric equivalent to the base fabric constituting the multidirectional airbag 30, and the gap between the gas supply ports 35S and 44S of the multidirectional airbag 30 is airtight by sewing. Sealed to state. As described above, the gas supply device 32 is configured to distribute and supply the gas generated by the inflator 50 to the frame duct 35 and the left and right lateral expansion portions 44 by the diffuser 52. Moreover, in this embodiment, the cylindrical connection part 44C which merged the gas supply port 44S is extended from the right and left lateral expansion parts 44 in the multidirectional airbag 30, and the diffuser 52 of the diffuser 52 is extended by the connection part 44C. The proximal end portion is covered.

  And the channel cross-sectional area of each 2nd outflow port 52C is made larger than the channel cross-sectional area of the 1st outflow port 52B. Thereby, the gas supply device 32 is configured such that the gas supply amount per unit time to each lateral expansion portion 44 is larger than the gas supply amount per unit time to the frame duct 35 and the front expansion portion 40. ing. Further, the capacity of each lateral expansion portion 44 is equal to or less than the sum of the capacities of the frame duct 35 and the front expansion portion 40. As described above, the multidirectional airbag device 20 has a configuration in which the lateral inflating portion 44 of the multidirectional airbag 30 is inflated and deployed at a higher internal pressure than the frame duct 35 and the front inflating portion 40.

[Module case]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the module case 34 is disposed behind the headrest main body 19 on the seat back 16. In this embodiment, the module case 34 is a backboard constituting the headrest 18 (rear design). That is, the module case 34 in the present embodiment is configured to serve as both the element of the multidirectional airbag device 20 and the element of the headrest 18. Therefore, the multidirectional airbag 30 is disposed inside (inside) the rear portion of the headrest 18.

  The module case 34 protrudes above the upper end of the headrest body 19 in a front view, and projects from both sides of the headrest body 19 in the seat width direction. That is, the module case 34 covers the headrest body 19 from the rear. In this embodiment, the module case 34 covers the rear portion of the headrest body 19 from above and from both the left and right sides, and constitutes the rear design of the headrest 18 as described above.

  More specifically, the module case 34 includes a base portion 34B, a main wall 34M as a rear wall, and a pair of side walls 34S that face each other in the seat width direction. The base portion 34 </ b> B is a fixed portion with respect to the upper end of the seat back 16.

  The main wall 34M extends upward from the rear end of the base portion 34B, is inclined forward so that the upper end is positioned forward with respect to the lower end fixed on the seat back 16, and is rearward upward in a side view. It has a curved shape that is convex. The main wall 34M protrudes above the upper end of the headrest main body 19 in a front view and protrudes on both sides of the headrest main body 19 in the seat width direction.

  A space for accommodating the folded multidirectional airbag 30 is formed between the main wall 34 </ b> M and the headrest body 19. Further, the upper end of the main wall 34 </ b> M reaches the top of the headrest body 19. The multi-directional airbag 30 in the inflating and deploying process passes between the upper end portion of the main wall 34M and the headrest body 19.

  The pair of side walls 34S extends forward from both ends of the main wall 34M in the seat width direction, and covers the rear part of the headrest body 19 in a side view. Between the pair of side walls 34 </ b> S and the headrest body 19, the rear duct 35 </ b> R mainly passes through the multidirectional airbag 30 in the inflated and deployed state.

  The module case 34 described above accommodates the folded multidirectional airbag 30 between the headrest body 19 and the module case 34. Further, the gas supply ports 35 </ b> S and 44 </ b> S of the multidirectional airbag 30 are arranged in the module case 34. The inflator 50 connected to the gas supply ports 35S and 44S via the diffuser 52 is fastened to the seat back frame with the stud bolt penetrating the base portion 34B of the module case 34 (not shown). .

  The multidirectional airbag 30 is folded in an outer roll and stored in the module case 34. As shown in FIG. 5, the outer roll folding is a roll-like folding mode in which the unfolding process of the frame duct 35 is reversed in a side view, from the front end side toward the upper side and the rear side. In other words, the outer roll folding is a folding mode in which the roll folding portion 30R is positioned on the side opposite to the head H side in the process of deploying the multidirectional airbag 30, as indicated by an imaginary line in FIG. The As described above, the multi-directional airbag 30 in which the lateral deployment portion 38 is joined to the upper deployment portion 48 and the rear deployment portion 55 has the lateral deployment portion 38 before the front deployment portion 36 and the frame duct 35 are folded outwardly. Folded inside.

  At least a part of the folded multidirectional airbag 30 is disposed behind the upper portion 19SU and the intermediate portion 19SC of the headrest stay 19S of the headrest body 19. In the headrest body 19 of this embodiment, the upper 19SU of the headrest stay 19S and the cushion material (pad) 19C behind the intermediate portion 19SC are formed thin, and the storage space is folded between the cushion material 19C and the module case 34. Is formed. When the multidirectional airbag 30 receives gas supply from the gas supply device 32, the multi-directional airbag 30 is inflated and deployed from between the cushion material 19C and the module case 34 toward the outside of the module case 34 while eliminating the outer roll folding. is there.

  At this time, the main wall 34M of the module case 34 is configured to support the multidirectional airbag 30 in the inflating and deploying process from the rear (taking a reaction force toward the front). At this time, the main wall 34M of the module case 34 is configured to guide the multidirectional airbag 30 in the inflating and deploying process toward the front (front upper side) by the curved shape in the side view described above. Therefore, the main wall 34M in this embodiment functions as a support wall and a guide wall.

  In the module case 34, a deployment guide cloth 58 as a guide cloth is folded and stored together with the multidirectional airbag 30. The deployment guide cloth 58 in the module case 34 has a base portion arranged on the outer side (the main wall 34M side) with respect to the multi-directional airbag 30 folded outward as described above, and the base end side in the inflator 50 or the multi-directional airbag 30. It is connected to the rear development part 55 which is the part. On the other hand, the front end side of the deployment guide cloth 58 has the outer roll folded portion 30R so as to cover the roll folded portion 30R of the multidirectional airbag 30 in the opposite direction (counterclockwise) to the roll direction (clockwise in FIG. 5). It is arranged on the inner side (headrest 18 side).

  The deployment guide cloth 58 is led out of the module case 34 as the multidirectional airbag 30 is inflated and deployed (roll fold cancellation) as shown by an imaginary line in FIG. Thus, the multi-directional airbag 30 is deployed between the multi-directional airbag 30 and the passenger compartment ceiling. Further, the deployment guide cloth 58 has a smaller coefficient of friction with respect to the multidirectional airbag 30 than the ceiling material of an automobile to which the occupant protection device 10 is applied. In this embodiment, the surface of the deployment guide cloth 58 on the ceiling side of the passenger compartment is coated with silicon, and the contact surface of the deployment guide cloth 58 with the multidirectional airbag 30 is a low friction surface that is not coated with silicon. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, the module case 34 and the headrest body 19 are closed by an airbag door 33 in a front view. The airbag door 33 is configured to allow inflation and deployment of the multidirectional airbag 30 forward by being cleaved by the tear line 33T that is a fragile portion by the deployment pressure of the multidirectional airbag 30. Yes.

(Configuration of ECU)
The multi-directional airbag device 20, the side airbag device 22, and the seat belt device 24 constituting the occupant protection device 10 are controlled by an ECU 60 as a control device, as shown in FIG. ing. Specifically, the inflator 50 of the multidirectional airbag device 20, the inflator 22A of the side airbag device 22, and the retractor 26 (pretensioner function) of the seat belt device 24 are electrically connected to the ECU 60, respectively. The ECU 60 is electrically connected to the collision sensor 62 (or sensor group).

  Based on information from the collision sensor 62, the ECU 60 can detect or predict various forms of frontal collision (occurrence or unavoidable) with respect to the applied automobile for each collision form described below. Further, the ECU 60 can detect or predict a side collision (occurrence or unavoidable) with respect to the applied vehicle based on information from the collision sensor 62.

  When the ECU 60 detects or predicts a side collision based on information from the collision sensor 62, the ECU 60 activates the inflators 22A and 50. Further, when the ECU 60 detects or predicts a frontal collision based on information from the collision sensor 62, the ECU 60 operates the inflator 50 and the retractor 26. In addition, the form of the front collision in which the ECU 60 operates the inflator 50 and the retractor 26 is a full-wrap front collision, an offset front collision, or the like.

  The ECU 60 activates the inflators 22A and 50 and the retractor 26 when detecting or predicting a frontal collision at a position offset by a predetermined value or more to one side in the vehicle width direction among the frontal collisions based on information from the collision sensor 62. It is supposed to let you. Such a frontal collision at a position offset by a predetermined value or more on one side in the vehicle width direction includes an oblique collision and a minute lap collision.

  Here, the oblique collision (MDB oblique collision, oblique collision) is, for example, a collision from an oblique front defined by NHTSA (for example, a relative angle of 15 ° with the collision partner and a lap amount of about 35% in the vehicle width direction) Clash). In this embodiment, an oblique collision at a relative speed of 90 km / hr is assumed as an example. In addition, the minute lap collision is a collision in which the lap amount in the vehicle width direction with the collision partner specified by IIHS is 25% or less among the frontal collision of the automobile. For example, a collision to the outside in the vehicle width direction with respect to a front side member that is a vehicle body skeleton corresponds to a minute lap collision. In this embodiment, a minute lap collision at a relative speed of 64 km / hr is assumed as an example.

(Function and effect)
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. First, the outline of the protective action of the seated person against various types of collision will be described, and then the effects of the lateral expansion portion 44 being inflated and deployed with an internal pressure higher than that of the front expansion portion 40 will be described.

<Overview>
In the occupant protection device 10 configured as described above, when the ECU 60 detects or predicts a side collision based on information from the collision sensor 62, the ECU 60 activates the inflators 22A and 50. Then, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the side airbag 22B of the side airbag device 22 is inflated and deployed on the outside in the vehicle width direction with respect to the seated person D, and the multidirectional airbag of the multidirectional airbag device 20 is expanded. The bag 30 is inflated and deployed so as to surround the head H of the seated person D.

  Thereby, the seated person D is restrained from the side by the side airbag 22B in the shoulder S, the chest B, and the abdomen A, and the head H from the side mainly by the lateral deployment part 38 of the multidirectional airbag 30. Restrained and protected against side collisions.

  When the ECU 60 detects or predicts a frontal collision based on information from the collision sensor 62, the ECU 60 activates the inflator 50 and the retractor 26. As a result, the belt 28 of the seat belt device 24 is forcibly taken up by the retractor 26 and the multi-directional airbag 30 of the multi-directional airbag device 20 is inflated and deployed so as to surround the head H of the seated person D. .

  As a result, the upper body of the seated person D is restrained by the belt 28, and the head H and the chest B are restrained from the front mainly by the front deployment part 36 of the multidirectional airbag 30 to be protected against a frontal collision. .

  Further, when the ECU 60 detects or predicts an oblique collision based on the information from the collision sensor 62, the ECU 60 activates the inflators 22A and 50 and the retractor 26. As a result, the belt 28 of the seat belt device 24 is forcibly taken up by the retractor 26 and the multi-directional airbag 30 of the multi-directional airbag device 20 is inflated and deployed so as to surround the head H of the seated person D. . Further, the side airbag 22B of the side airbag device 22 is inflated and deployed on the outside of the seat occupant D in the vehicle width direction.

  Thus, the seated person D has the shoulder S, the chest B, and the abdomen A restrained from the side by the side airbag 22B, the upper body is restrained by the belt 28, and the head H and the chest B are multidirectional air. The bag 30 is restrained from the front and the side by at least one of the front deployment portion 36 and the lateral deployment portion 38. The seat occupant D is protected against an oblique collision by the side airbag 22B, the belt 28, and the multidirectional airbag 30. Note that the protection mode of the occupant D by the occupant protection device 10 in the case of a minute lap collision is also substantially the same as the protection mode of the occupant D by the occupant protection device 10 in the case of an oblique collision.

  As described above, in the occupant protection device 10, the multi-directional airbag device 20, the side airbag device 22, and the seat belt device 24 provided on the vehicle seat 12 allow the occupant D to be protected against various types of collisions. Can be protected. For this reason, in the automobile to which the occupant protection device 10 is applied, the setting of other airbag devices can be omitted. For example, when the vehicle seat 12 to which the occupant protection device 10 is applied is a driver's seat, it is possible to omit setting of a driver's seat airbag device provided on the steering wheel and a curtain airbag device provided on the roof side portion. . Further, for example, when the vehicle seat 12 to which the occupant protection device 10 is applied is a passenger seat, setting of a passenger airbag device provided on the instrument panel and a curtain airbag device provided on the roof side portion is omitted. Can do. Furthermore, for example, when the vehicle seat 12 to which the occupant protection device 10 is applied is a seat in the second row or later, the setting of the curtain airbag device provided in the roof side portion can be omitted.

<Operational effect of the lateral expansion part being inflated and deployed at a higher internal pressure than the front expansion part etc.>
As described above, in the case of a frontal collision, the seated person D is restrained from the front by the front deployment part 36 of the multidirectional airbag 30, that is, the front inflating part 40. At this time, a relatively wide space (long in the front-rear direction) exists between the head H and chest B of the seated person D and the steering wheel and instrument panel. For this reason, with respect to the frontal collision, the frame duct extending from the headrest 18 to the front inflating portion 40 as shown in FIG. 7A as the head H of the seated person D is restrained by the front inflating portion 40. The multidirectional airbag 30 including the 35 and the lateral inflating portion 44 extends in the front-rear direction as a whole. The energy absorption of the seated person D is achieved by the stretching of the multidirectional airbag 30 in the front-rear direction.

  On the other hand, in the case of a side collision, as shown in FIG. 7B, on the collision side (near side) in the vehicle width direction, the lateral inflating portion 44 is located between the head H of the seated person D and the side window glass SW. Inflated between. At this time, the space between the head H of the seated person D and the side window glass SW is narrow, and is almost occupied by the lateral expansion portion 44. For this reason, the lateral expansion portion 44 is required to have energy absorption performance (load per stroke) by its own compression deformation.

  Here, in the occupant protection device 10 according to the present embodiment, the lateral inflating portion 44 is inflated and deployed at a high internal pressure with respect to the front inflating portion 40 and the frame duct 35, so that the lateral inflating portion 44 is compressed and deformed during a side collision. Energy absorption of the head H is achieved by (crushed without bottoming). On the other hand, in the event of a frontal collision, energy absorption is achieved by stretching the multidirectional airbag 30 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the front inflating portion 40 is more demanding of energy absorption performance by compressive deformation than the lateral inflating portion 44. The degree is small. In the present embodiment, as described above, the energy due to the longitudinal expansion of the multidirectional airbag 30 while the head H and the chest B of the seated person D are softly received by the front inflating portion 40 inflated and deployed with a relatively low internal pressure. Absorption is accomplished. For this reason, the peak of the load which acts on the head H in the energy absorption process is suppressed low.

  Thus, in the occupant protection device 10 (multidirectional airbag device 20) according to the present embodiment, the multidirectional airbag 30 that is inflated and deployed from the state accommodated in the headrest 18 is seated against the frontal collision and the side collision. The person D can be effectively protected.

  In the occupant protection device 10, the cross-sectional area of the second outlet 52C of the diffuser 52 through which the gas generated by the inflator 50 flows out to the multidirectional airbag 30 is larger than the cross-sectional area of the first outlet 52B. It is. For this reason, it is possible to inflate and deploy the pair of lateral inflating portions 44 with an internal pressure higher than that of the front inflating portion 40 with a simple structure.

<Modification of gas supply device>
In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the gas supply device 32 includes the inflator 50 and the diffuser 52 as main parts has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, instead of the gas supply device 32, the gas supply device 64 shown in FIG.

  The gas supply device 64 includes two inflators 66 and 68. The inflator 66 supplies gas to the frame duct 35 and the front expansion part 40, and corresponds to a first inflator. The inflator 68 supplies gas to the pair of lateral expansion portions 44, and corresponds to a second inflator.

  In this modification, a cylindrical connecting portion 35C extends from the gas supply port 35S of the frame duct 35, and a gas ejection pipe 66P protruding from the inflator 66 is inserted into the connecting portion 35C in an airtight state. . A cylindrical connecting portion 44C that joins the gas supply ports 44S extends from the left and right lateral expansion portions 44, and a gas ejection pipe 68P protruding from the inflator 68 is airtight in the connecting portion 44C. Has been inserted.

  In the gas supply device 64, the output of the inflator 68 is higher than that of the inflator 66. Specifically, the inflator 68 is configured such that the gas generation amount per unit time and the total gas generation amount are both larger than those of the inflator 66. The outputs (capacities) of the inflators 66 and 68 are set such that the lateral inflating portion 44 of the multidirectional airbag 30 is inflated and deployed at a higher internal pressure than the frame duct 35 and the front inflating portion 40.

  In the configuration provided with the gas supply device 64 according to this modification, the inflator 68 has a higher output than the inflator 66, so that the pair of lateral inflating portions 44 are made to have a higher internal pressure than the front inflating portion 40 with a simple structure. Can be inflated and deployed.

(Other variations)
In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the occupant protection device 10 includes the side airbag device 22 has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the occupant protection device 10 may be configured not to include the side airbag device 22. Further, in the configuration in which the occupant protection device 10 includes the side airbag device, the configuration is not limited to the configuration in which the side airbag device is provided in the vehicle seat 12. For example, the occupant protection device 10 may include a side airbag device provided on a side door or the like. Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the occupant protection device 10 includes the side airbag device 22 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction is shown, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the occupant protection device 10 may include a side airbag device disposed on the center side in the vehicle width direction instead of or in addition to the side airbag device 22 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the occupant protection device 10 includes the seat belt device 24 has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the occupant protection device 10 may not include the seat belt device 24. Further, the configuration in which the occupant protection device 10 includes the seat belt device is not limited to the configuration in which the seat belt device is provided in the vehicle seat 12. For example, a configuration in which a retractor, an anchor, a buckle, and the like are provided on the vehicle body side may be employed. Further, in the configuration in which the occupant protection device 10 includes a seat belt device, the seat belt device is not limited to a three-point type, and may be a four-point type or a two-point type seat belt device.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the example in which the seat width direction of the vehicle seat 12 is made to coincide with the vehicle width direction is shown, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the vehicle seat 12 may be disposed obliquely with respect to the vehicle body, and may be configured such that the direction relative to the vehicle body can be changed (rotated about the vertical axis). In such a configuration, the configuration including the multidirectional airbag 30 that is inflated and deployed around the head H of the seated person D can contribute to good protection of the head H. Further, since the multi-directional airbag 30 before being inflated and deployed is housed in the headrest 18, it is difficult to interfere with the interior surface of the vehicle interior and the vehicle interior components, and hinders the operation of changing the orientation of the vehicle seat 12 relative to the vehicle body. Is suppressed or prevented. Furthermore, the vehicle seat 12 is not limited to a configuration that is disposed at a position offset from the center of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction. For example, the center of the seat width direction may coincide with the center of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction. .

  Furthermore, in each of the above-described embodiments, an example in which the multidirectional airbag device 20 is accommodated in the headrest 18 as a whole has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, a part or all of the multidirectional airbag device may be housed in the seat back 16 or may be housed in a headrest integrated seat back like a bucket type seat. Furthermore, the multidirectional airbag device 20 may be provided across the seat back 16 and the headrest 18. That is, this indication is not restricted to what is applied to composition in which a headrest and a seat back are distinguished clearly. Further, for example, in a configuration in which the seat back 16 includes a back board, the multi-directional airbag device 20 may be accommodated between the back board and the seat back main body. Further, in the configuration in which the multidirectional airbag device 20 is provided in the headrest, it is sufficient if the form can fulfill the function of the headrest. For example, the multidirectional airbag device 20 may be provided between the cushion material and the skin material of the headrest. good.

  Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the multidirectional airbag 30 is inflated and deployed between the module case 34 and the upper portion of the headrest body 19 and the left and right side portions in the front view. It is not limited to this. For example, the multi-directional airbag 30 may be deployed only from above the headrest body 19.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the multidirectional airbag 30 is configured to include the rear deployment portion 55 has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. It is sufficient that the multidirectional airbag includes at least a front inflating portion and left and right lateral inflating portions. In addition to the front expansion portion and the left and right lateral expansion portions, it is preferable to include an upper expansion portion.

  Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the multidirectional airbag 30 is inflated and deployed between the module case 34 and the upper portion of the headrest body 19 and the left and right side portions in the front view. It is not limited to this. For example, the multi-directional airbag 30 may be deployed only from above the headrest body 19.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the example in which the multidirectional airbag 30 is folded on the outer roll is shown, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the multidirectional airbag 30 may be accommodated in the headrest 18 or the like in another folding manner such as bellows folding.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the multidirectional airbag device 20 includes the deployment guide cloth 58 has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, a configuration without the deployment guide cloth 58 may be adopted. In addition, for example, instead of the configuration in which the deployment guide cloth 58 is provided, the ceiling material of the vehicle interior ceiling may be configured with a low friction material, or the vehicle interior ceiling may be subjected to low friction processing.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the flow path cross-sectional area of the second outlet 52C of the diffuser 52 is larger than the flow path cross-sectional area of the first outlet 52B is shown, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. . If the pair of lateral expansion portions 44 are configured to be inflated and deployed at an internal pressure higher than that of the front expansion portion 40 and the frame duct 35, the flow path cross-sectional area of the second outflow port 52C is the flow path cross-sectional area of the first outflow port 52B. Or less than or equal to Similarly, in the modified example of FIG. 8 described above, an example in which the inflator 68 has a higher output than the inflator 66 is shown, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The output of the inflator 68 may be equal to or less than the output of the inflator 66 as long as the pair of lateral expansion portions 44 are inflated and deployed with an internal pressure higher than that of the front expansion portion 40 and the frame duct 35. Further, for example, the inflator 68 may be configured by a pair of inflators corresponding to the respective lateral expansion portions 44.

  In addition, it goes without saying that the present disclosure can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the configurations (elements) of the above-described embodiments and modifications may be appropriately combined or rearranged.

10 occupant protection device 16 seat back 18 headrest 30 multidirectional airbag (airbag)
32 Gas supply device 35 Frame duct (duct part)
40 Front expansion portion 44 Lateral expansion portion 50 Inflator 52 Diffuser 52B First outlet 52C Second outlet 64 Gas supply device 66 Inflator (first inflator)
68 Inflator (second inflator)

Claims (3)

An airbag that is housed in a headrest or seat back and is inflated and deployed by receiving gas supply,
A duct part into which gas is introduced from a gas supply device;
A front inflating portion that is inflated and deployed in front of the front and rear direction of the occupant's head by the gas flowing in from the duct portion;
The front inflating part and the duct part are separated from each other, and the inner pressure is higher than the front inflating part and the duct part on both sides in the seat width direction with respect to the head of the occupant by the gas flowing in from the gas supply device. A pair of laterally expanded portions that are inflated and deployed;
An occupant protection device configured as an integral bag body. The gas supply device includes:
An inflator that generates gas when activated;
A first outlet for flowing the gas of the inflator to the duct portion, and a pair of second outlets having a flow passage cross-sectional area larger than the first outlet and for flowing the gas of the inflator to the pair of lateral expansion portions A diffuser having an outlet,
The occupant protection device according to claim 1, comprising: The gas supply device includes:
A first inflator for flowing the generated gas to the duct part;
A second inflator that has a higher output than the first inflator and that is activated to flow out the generated gas to the pair of lateral expansion portions;
The occupant protection device according to claim 1, comprising:

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