WO2022097509A1

WO2022097509A1 - Airbag-embedded seat device

Info

Publication number: WO2022097509A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/039186
Authority: WO
Inventors: 良太石垣; 陽介清水; 義則別府
Original assignee: オートリブディベロップメントエービー; 良太石垣; 陽介清水; 義則別府
Priority date: 2020-11-04
Filing date: 2021-10-23
Publication date: 2022-05-12
Also published as: JPWO2022097509A1; CN116323309A; KR20230098605A; JP7381772B2

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an airbag device capable of effectively suppressing submarining. [Solution] The present invention is an airbag device to be housed inside a vehicle seat comprising: a seat cushion constituting a seat surface; and a reclining seat back. The airbag device comprises: an airbag configured to push an occupant's lower back forward by inflating and deploying; and an angle sensor that detects the reclining angle of the seat back. Additionally, the airbag is deployed in an emergency of a vehicle when the reclining angle of the seat back is greater than a prescribed value.

Description

Airbag device with built-in seat

The present invention relates to an airbag device built in a vehicle seat.

It is well known that one or more airbags are installed in a vehicle to protect the occupants in the event of a vehicle accident. Examples of airbags include so-called driver airbags that inflate from near the center of the steering wheel of a vehicle to protect the driver, and deploy downward inside the window of the vehicle to cause lateral impact or rollover of the vehicle. There are various forms such as a curtain airbag that protects the occupant in the event of a rollover accident, and a side airbag that is deployed between the occupant and the side panel to protect the occupant in the event of a lateral impact of the vehicle.

When a vehicle collides forward, the occupants try to move forward due to inertia, which may cause the so-called "submarine phenomenon" in which passengers slip out of the seat belt, slip off the seat, and slip into the space under their feet. .. In particular, the submarine phenomenon is more likely to occur if the seat is in a position where the reclining position is defeated. When the submarine phenomenon occurs, the seat belt may get caught in the abdomen and chest of the occupant, and in the worst case, the neck, and press the site.

Therefore, as shown in Patent Document 1, an invention has been proposed in which the front end portion of the seat cushion is raised by inflating the airbag in the seat to restrain the forward movement of the occupant's waist.

However, depending on the invention described in Patent Document 1, the submarine phenomenon cannot be effectively prevented.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-118820

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an airbag device capable of effectively suppressing a submarine phenomenon.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is an airbag device housed inside a vehicle seat including a seat cushion constituting a seat surface and a reclining seat back, and is expanded and expanded. It is equipped with an airbag configured to push the occupant's waist forward; and an angle sensor for detecting the reclining angle of the seat back. Then, in an emergency of the vehicle and when the reclining angle of the seat back is larger than a predetermined value, the airbag is deployed.

Here, "in an emergency of a vehicle" means not only the moment when the vehicle actually collides, but also the situation immediately before the collision where the possibility of collision is high and the collision cannot be avoided.

It is preferable to deploy the airbag so that the pelvis of the occupant stands up before the occupant slides forward.

In the present invention, when the reclining angle of the seat back is larger than a predetermined value and a vehicle collision occurs, the airbag is deployed and the occupant's waist is pushed forward to raise the pelvis of the occupant. At this time, the seat belt located near the waist of the occupant can be reliably contacted with the pelvis and restrained. In this regard, in the conventional vehicle seat, when a vehicle collision occurs with a large reclining angle, the occupant's buttocks slide forward on the seat cushion, and the seat belt supporting the waist slips through the pelvis and hangs on the abdomen. There is a fear.

The airbag device can be housed in the lower part of the seat back. In the present invention, it is important that the deployment position of the airbag is sufficiently low, which makes it possible to surely push the waist of the occupant forward and raise the pelvis of the occupant.

The predetermined value of the reclining angle can be an angle of tilting backward by 15 ° with respect to the vertical while the vehicle is horizontal. This angle can be appropriately changed according to the shape of the seat cushion and the seat back, the coefficient of friction, and the like.

The airbag can have a structure in which a frame arranged inside the seat back is deployed as a reaction force surface. By using a rigid frame as the reaction force surface, the airbag can be reliably deployed forward.

It can be configured so that the skin of the seat back is torn and the airbag is exposed to the outside when the airbag device is operated. Alternatively, the airbag can be configured to inflate only inside the seat back (shown).

The airbag may have a structure that expands so as to protrude from the boundary portion between the seat back and the seat cushion. In this way, the urethane layer of the seat bag or seat cushion is formed by projecting the airbag from the boundary portion between the seat back and the seat cushion, or by opening the skin of the seat back to expand the airbag as described above. The resistance of the (cushion layer) can be minimized. That is, when the airbag is deployed, the interference caused by the urethane layer of the seat bag or the seat cushion is reduced, and the airbag can be reliably deployed.

The airbag can include an upper region extending in a band shape from the lower part to the upper part of the seat back.

By providing such an upper area, not only the waist of the occupant but also the entire back can be made to stand, and the effect of raising the pelvis by the airbag becomes more remarkable.

The upper area of the airbag can be configured so that the thickness at the time of deployment increases from the upper part to the lower part.

It is possible to further provide another airbag that is housed inside the seat cushion and is deployed so as to lift the front portion of the seat cushion upward in an emergency of the vehicle.

Since the other airbags lift the front part of the seat cushion, the forward movement of the occupant is restrained, so that the effect of the present invention for erecting the pelvis becomes more remarkable.

The airbag can be configured to expand and expand by the expansion gas generated by the inflator.

The airbag can be configured to expand and expand by the air generated by the air pump.

The air pump can be configured to be driven by a motor.

As described above, in the case of a configuration in which the airbag is inflated and deployed by an air pump using a motor, unlike the inflator, it does not involve ignition by explosives, so after operating the airbag device, a new airbag device is used. The airbag can be reused without having to replace it with a new one. That is, there is an advantage that the airbag device can be operated reversibly.

In the specification of the present application and claims, when the occupant sits in the seat in a normal posture, the direction in which the occupant is facing (the traveling direction of the vehicle) is "forward" and the opposite direction is "rearward". When indicating the axis of coordinates, it is called "front-back direction". When the occupant sits in the seat in a normal posture, the right side of the occupant is referred to as "right direction", the left side of the occupant is referred to as "left direction", and the axis of coordinates is referred to as "left-right direction". In the left-right direction, the area on the occupant side of the side frame of the seat is defined as "inside", and the area opposite to the occupant when viewed from the side frame is indicated as "outside". Further, when the occupant sits in the seat in a normal posture, the occupant's head direction is referred to as "upward", the occupant's waist direction is referred to as "downward", and the coordinate axis is referred to as "upper and lower direction".

The airbag device according to the present invention is applicable not only to the driver's seat and the passenger's seat but also to any seat having a reclining function.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing mainly an external shape of a vehicle seat on which an airbag device according to the present invention can be mounted. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal structure (seat frame) that functions as a frame of the vehicle seat shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a vehicle seat equipped with the airbag device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and schematically shows a state of see-through from the outside in the vehicle width direction. FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a vehicle seat equipped with the airbag device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state in which the seat back is largely reclined from the state of FIG. 5A and 5B are schematic views schematically showing the state of deployment of the airbag device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 5A is a state before deployment and FIG. 5B is a first deployment mode (inside). (Expanded) and (C) indicate the second expanded mode (dissociated unfolded). FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of pelvic restraint of an occupant by the airbag device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and shows a skeleton of the occupant. (A) shows the state before unfolding, and (B) shows the state after unfolding. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of occupant's waist restraint when the airbag device according to the present invention is not equipped (reference example), and shows the skeleton of the occupant. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the airbag device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and shows the mounting state on the seat frame. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of pelvic restraint of the occupant by the airbag device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and shows the skeleton of the occupant. (A) shows the state before unfolding, and (B) shows the state after unfolding. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of pelvic restraint of an occupant by the airbag device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the airbag device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the airbag device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view mainly showing an external shape of a vehicle seat on which the airbag device 20 (see FIG. 2) according to the present invention can be mounted. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal structure (seat frame) that functions as a frame of the vehicle seat shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a vehicle seat equipped with the airbag device 20 according to the present invention, and schematically shows a state of see-through from the outside in the vehicle width direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle seat to which the airbag device 20 according to the present embodiment is applied has a seat cushion 2 at a portion where an occupant sits and a seat forming a backrest when viewed as a part. It is composed of a back 1 and a headrest 3 connected to the upper end of the seat back 1. The seat back 1 includes a back surface 1a to which the back of the occupant is in contact and a side support 12.

As shown in FIG. 2, a seat back frame 1f forming a skeleton of the seat is provided inside the seat back 1, and a pad (not shown) made of a urethane foam material or the like is provided on the surface and the periphery thereof. The surface of the pad is covered with a skin such as leather or fabric. A seating frame 2f is arranged on the bottom side of the seat cushion 2, and a pad made of urethane foam material or the like is provided on the upper surface and the periphery thereof like the seat back 1, and the surface of the pad is the skin of leather, fabric or the like. Covered by. The seating frame 2f and the seat back frame 1f are connected via a reclining mechanism 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the seat back frame 1f connects a side frame 10 which is arranged apart from each other to the left and right and extends in the vertical direction, an upper frame which connects the upper end portion of the side frame 10, and a lower end portion thereof. It is configured in a frame shape by the lower frame. The headrest 3 is configured by providing a cushion member on the outside of the headrest frame.

(First Example)
FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a vehicle seat equipped with the airbag device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and schematically shows a state of see-through from the outside in the vehicle width direction. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the seat back 1 is largely reclined from the state of FIG.

The airbag device 20 according to the present embodiment is configured to push the occupant's waist forward (or diagonally forward) by expanding and deploying with the inflator 21 that generates the inflatable gas; and the inflator gas released from the inflator 21. It is provided with an airbag 22; and an angle sensor 4a for detecting the reclining angle θ of the seat back 1. When a head-on collision of the vehicle occurs in a situation where the reclining angle of the seat back 1 is larger than a predetermined value, the airbag device 20 is activated and the airbag 22 is deployed.

The inflator 21 is housed inside the airbag 22 and fixed to the frame 1f arranged inside the seat back. The airbag 22 can be deployed with the rigid frame 1f as a reaction force surface, and can be reliably deployed toward the front.

As the angle sensor 4a for detecting the reclining angle of the seat back 1, for example, a potentiometer attached to the reclining shaft or the like can be adopted. The airbag device 20 is activated when the reclining angle θ detected by the angle sensor 4a is tilted more than an angle of 15 ° backward with respect to the vertical while the vehicle is horizontal. It should be noted that such a reference angle can be appropriately changed according to the shape of the seat cushion 2 and the seat back 1, the coefficient of friction, and the like.

If the airbag 22 is deployed when the seat back 1 is not reclining, there is a risk that the pressure from the seat belt will be increased by pushing out the waist of the occupant.

The airbag device 20 is preferably housed near the lower end of the seat back 1, which makes it possible to reliably push the occupant's waist forward and erect the occupant's pelvis before the occupant slides forward. Become.

(Action of the first embodiment)
5A and 5B are schematic views schematically showing the state of deployment of the airbag device 20, where FIG. 5A is a state before the airbag 22 is deployed, and FIG. 5B is a first deployment mode (internal deployment). (C) shows the second expansion form (cleavage expansion).

6A and 6B are explanatory views showing the pelvic restraint of the occupant by the airbag device 20, showing the skeleton of the occupant, where FIG. 6A is a state before the airbag is deployed and FIG. 6B is a state after the airbag is deployed. Indicates the state of.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of occupant's waist restraint when the airbag device according to the present invention is not equipped (reference example), and shows the skeleton of the occupant.

As shown in FIGS. 5 (A) and 6 (A), it is assumed that a head-on collision of a vehicle occurs in a situation where the reclining angle θ of the seat back 1 is larger than a predetermined value (for example, 15 °). When the occurrence of a head-on collision is detected by a collision sensor (not shown), the airbag 22 is deployed and the waist of the occupant is pushed forward or diagonally forward as shown in FIGS. 5 (B) and 6 (B). As a result, the pelvis 30 of the occupant stands up, and the seat belt 32 located near the lumbar region reliably supports the pelvis. In the example shown in FIG. 5B, the airbag 22 is deployed only inside the seat back 1 and is not exposed to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the conventional vehicle seat not provided with the airbag device 20 according to the present invention, when a vehicle collision occurs in a state where the reclining angle is large, the buttocks of the occupant move forward on the seat cushion. Will slip on. As a result, the occupant may slip through the seatbelt 32 due to the so-called submarine phenomenon, or the seatbelt 32 supporting the lumbar region may press the occupant's abdomen.

In the example shown in FIG. 6C, the surface of the seat back 1 is torn by the deployment of the airbag 22, and the airbag 22 protrudes forward from the vicinity of the boundary 5 between the seat back 1 and the seat cushion 2. By adopting such a structure, the resistance of the urethane layer (cushion layer) of the seat bag 1 and the seat cushion 2 can be minimized. That is, when the device 20 is operating, interference by the urethane layer (cushion layer) of the seat bag 1 and the seat cushion 2 can be suppressed, and the airbag 22 can be reliably deployed.

(Second Example)
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the airbag device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and shows the mounting state on the seat frame. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of pelvic restraint of the occupant by the airbag device according to the second embodiment, and shows the skeleton of the occupant. (A) shows the state before unfolding, and (B) shows the state after unfolding.

In the first embodiment, the airbag 22 pushes only the vicinity of the waist of the occupant, but in the present embodiment, the airbag 122 is configured to push the back portion forward in addition to the waist of the occupant. Has been done.

As shown in FIG. 8, the airbag 122 used in this embodiment has a lower region 122a arranged at a position corresponding to the waist of an occupant in the lower part of the seat back 1 and a lower region 122a along the seat back 1. It includes an upper region 122b extending upward in a band shape. Here, the upper region 122b of the airbag 122 can be configured so that the thickness at the time of deployment increases stepwise or continuously toward the lower region 122a.

According to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, by adopting the airbag 122 extending in the vertical direction in a band shape, not only the waist of the occupant but also the entire back can be erected, and the effect of erecting the pelvis can be achieved. Becomes more prominent.

(Third Example)
FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of pelvic restraint of an occupant by the airbag device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment has a configuration in which an additional airbag 220 is provided with respect to the first embodiment described above.

The airbag 220 can be molded from fabric, metal or resin, is housed inside the seat cushion 2, and is deployed so as to lift the front portion of the seat cushion 2 upward when a vehicle collision occurs.

The airbag 220 lifts the front part of the seat cushion 2 to restrain the occupant from moving forward. Then, by using such an airbag 220 in combination with the airbag 20 adopted in the first embodiment, the effect of the present invention for raising the pelvis of the occupant at the time of a vehicle collision becomes more remarkable.

(Fourth Example)
FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the airbag device 320 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the air pump 330 and the motor 332 are used instead of the inflator 21 used in the first embodiment described above. That is, the airbag 322 is expanded and expanded by the air pump 330 and the motor 332.

In this embodiment, the air pump 330 driven by the motor 332 sends momentarily compressed air to the airbag 322 to expand and expand the airbag 322. In the case of the first embodiment, since the inflator is not ignited, it is not necessary to replace the airbag device with a new airbag device after the airbag device 320 is operated, and the airbag 322, the airbag 330, and the motor 322 are used as they are. Can be reused. That is, there is an advantage that the airbag device 320 can be operated reversibly.

Since the configuration other than the mechanism for expanding and deploying the airbag 322 is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, duplicate description will be omitted. In addition, this Example can also be applied to the 2nd Example and the 3rd Example.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to Examples, the present invention is not limited to these Examples, and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

Claims

An airbag device housed inside a vehicle seat having a seat cushion constituting the seat surface and a reclining seat back.
With an airbag configured to push the occupant's waist forward by expanding and deploying;
With an angle sensor that detects the reclining angle of the seat back;
An airbag device for deploying an airbag when the reclining angle of the seat back is larger than a predetermined value in an emergency of a vehicle.
The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the pelvis of the occupant stands up before the occupant slides forward by deploying the airbag.
The airbag device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the airbag device is housed in the lower part of the seat back.
The airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the predetermined value of the reclining angle is an angle tilted backward by 15 ° with respect to the vertical in a state where the vehicle is horizontal.
The airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the airbag is deployed with a frame arranged inside the seat back as a reaction force surface.
The air according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when the airbag device is operated, the skin of the seat back is cleaved so that the airbag is exposed to the outside. Bag device.
The airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the airbag is configured to expand only inside the seat back when the airbag device is operated.
The airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the airbag is deployed so as to protrude from a boundary portion between the seat back and the seat cushion.
The airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the airbag includes an upper region extending in a band shape from the lower portion to the upper portion of the seat back.
The airbag device according to claim 9, wherein the upper region of the airbag is configured such that the thickness at the time of deployment increases from the upper portion to the lower portion.
6. The airbag device described.
The airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the airbag is configured to expand and expand by an expansion gas generated by an inflator.
The airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the airbag is configured to be expanded and expanded by the air generated by the air pump.
The airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the airbag device is driven by a motor.
A vehicle seat provided with the airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 14.