阅读说明：本技术 乘员保护装置 (Occupant protection device ) 是由 深浦和实 山田真史 林丈树 中村敦 增田泰士 佐藤祐司 于 2021-03-30 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种乘员保护装置,用于保护就座于座椅中的乘员,包括：座椅安全带；以及气囊,其布置在安全带中的腰部安全带的区域中。气囊包括气囊主体和调节系绳。抵接乘员的大腿的大腿抵接面布置在气囊主体的下表面侧,约束乘员的上身约束面布置在后表面侧。调节系绳将基部端连接在气囊主体的上下中间部的后表面侧,并且将从基部端向下延伸的前端连接在腰部安全带侧,将长度尺寸设置为能够将气囊主体的连接基部端的连接部朝向腰部安全带侧拉动的尺寸。(The present invention relates to an occupant protection device for protecting an occupant seated in a seat, comprising: a seat belt; and an airbag arranged in the area of the lap belt in the safety belt. The airbag includes an airbag body and an adjusting tether. A thigh abutment surface that abuts a thigh of the occupant is disposed on a lower surface side of the airbag main body, and an upper body restraint surface that restrains the occupant is disposed on a rear surface side. The adjusting tether connects the base end to the rear surface side of the vertically intermediate portion of the airbag main body and connects the front end extending downward from the base end to the lap belt side, and the length dimension is set to a dimension capable of pulling the connection portion of the airbag main body to the connection base end toward the lap belt side.)

1. An occupant protection device that protects an occupant seated in a seat, comprising:

a seat belt; and

an airbag that is disposed in a region of a lap belt, which restrains a waist of the occupant when worn, of the seat belts, and that inflates to cover a front side of the occupant when operated, wherein:

the airbag includes an airbag body that is inflated such that inflation gas flows into the inside and the airbag body protrudes forward and upward in operation, and an adjusting tether that adjusts a position of the airbag body when inflation is completed;

a thigh abutment surface that can abut against a thigh of the occupant when the inflation is completed is arranged on a lower surface side of the airbag main body, and an upper body restraint surface that can restrain an upper body of the occupant when the inflation is completed is arranged on a rear surface side; and is

The adjusting tether connects a base end to a rear surface side of upper and lower intermediate portions of the airbag main body at the completion of the inflation, connects a front end extending downward from the base end to the lap belt side, and is set to a length dimension capable of pulling a connection portion of the airbag main body to which the base end is connected toward the lap belt side.

2. An occupant protection device that protects an occupant seated in a seat, comprising:

a seat belt; and

an airbag that is disposed in a region of a lap belt, which restrains a waist of the occupant when worn, of the seat belts, and that inflates to cover a front side of the occupant when operated, wherein:

the airbag includes an airbag body that is inflated such that inflation gas flows into the inside and the airbag body protrudes forward and upward in operation, and an adjusting tether that adjusts a position of the airbag body when inflation is completed;

a thigh abutment surface that can abut against a thigh of the occupant when the inflation is completed is arranged on a lower surface side of the airbag main body, and an upper body restraint surface that can restrain an upper body of the occupant when the inflation is completed is arranged on a rear surface side; and is

The adjusting tethers are disposed on both left and right sides of the airbag main body at the completion of inflation, each of the adjusting tethers connecting a base end with a side face side of the airbag main body at the completion of inflation, and connecting a front end to a side face side of the seat disposed rearward and downward from the base end.

3. The occupant protection device according to claim 2, wherein

The adjusting tether is configured to connect the base ends to a left side face side and a right side face side of the airbag main body, respectively, in a region on an upper side of the upper body restraint face.

4. The occupant protection device according to claim 3, wherein

The airbag body has a substantially triangular prism shape in which an axial direction is substantially in a left-right direction as an outer shape at the time of completion of inflation, and is configured to include a front wall portion disposed on a front side away from the occupant at the time of completion of the inflation, a rear upper wall portion and a rear lower wall portion disposed on the occupant side at the time of completion of the inflation, and a left wall portion and a right wall portion disposed to face each other in the left-right direction side at the time of completion of the inflation,

the upper body restraint surface is constituted by the rear upper wall portion,

the thigh abutment surface is constituted by the rear lower wall portion,

the airbag main body is configured to be formed by bonding peripheral edges of two base materials of a passenger side panel and a front side panel to each other,

the occupant side panel is configured to include:

an upper portion that forms the rear upper wall portion and an area of a rear upper side of the left and right wall portions; and

a lower portion forming the rear lower wall portion and a rear lower region of the left and right wall portions,

the front side plate forms an area of the front wall portion and a front side of the left and right wall portions, and

the adjustment tether is configured to bond the base end to an area of a bond joining the front side panel and a perimeter of the upper portion.

5. The occupant protection device according to claim 2, wherein:

the airbag includes a rear tether which is located on a rear surface side of the airbag main body and which is

The rear tether, when the inflation is completed, connects a base end to a rear surface side of an upper and lower intermediate portion of the airbag main body, and connects a front end extending downward from the base end to the lap belt side, and a length dimension is set to a dimension capable of pulling a connection portion of the airbag main body to which the base end is connected toward the lap belt side.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an occupant protection apparatus for protecting an occupant seated in a seat.

Background

In recent years, as an occupant protection apparatus, there is provided an apparatus having a configuration,

in which a retainer for accommodating and retaining a folded airbag is provided in front of the waist of an occupant seated in a seat (see, for example, U.S. patent application publication No. 2019/299899).

In this occupant protection device of the related art, the airbag is inflated to protrude forward and upward from the retainer in operation, and upon completion of inflation, the airbag is configured to cover the upper thigh surface to the front surface of the upper body of the occupant.

However, in the related-art occupant protection device, since the airbag is inflated only so as to protrude forward and upward from the retainer, there is a possibility that a gap is generated between the airbag and the occupant when the inflation is completed. Therefore, there is room for improvement in quickly protecting an occupant.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention solves the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an occupant protection apparatus capable of protecting an occupant promptly by an airbag that has been inflated.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an occupant protection device that protects an occupant seated in a seat, the occupant protection device including: a seat belt; and an airbag that is disposed in a region of a lap belt, of the seat belts, that restrains a waist of the occupant when worn, and that inflates to cover a front side of the occupant when operated, wherein: the airbag includes an airbag body that is inflated such that inflation gas flows into the inside and the airbag body protrudes forward and upward in operation, and an adjusting tether that adjusts a position of the airbag body when inflation is completed; a thigh abutment surface that can abut against a thigh of the occupant when inflation is completed is disposed on a lower surface side of the airbag main body, and an upper body restraint surface that can restrain an upper body of the occupant when inflation is completed is disposed on a rear surface side; and the adjusting tether connects a base end to a rear surface side of upper and lower intermediate portions of the airbag main body at the completion of inflation, connects a front end extending downward from the base end to the lap belt side, and is set in a length dimension to a dimension capable of pulling a connection portion of the airbag main body connecting the base end toward the lap belt side.

In the occupant protection device of the invention, when the inflation of the airbag is completed, the airbag main body, which has completed the inflation, can be pulled toward the rear side, i.e., the occupant side, by adjusting the tether, and thus the airbag main body can be prevented from inflating away from the occupant. Specifically, in the occupant protection device of the present invention, the adjusting tether connects the base end to the upper and lower intermediate portions on the rear surface side of the airbag main body, and pulls the connecting portion of the airbag main body to which the base end is connected (i.e., the upper and lower intermediate portions on the rear upper surface side of the airbag main body) toward the lap belt side, i.e., downward, whereby the upper body restraint surface disposed on the rear surface side of the airbag main body at the completion of inflation can be disposed close to the occupant side. Therefore, in particular, it is possible to prevent the region on the upper end side of the upper body restraint face from being arranged largely apart from the occupant in the forward direction. Therefore, the upper body restraint surface can quickly restrain the upper body of the occupant. When the upper body is restrained by the upper body restraining surface, the airbag main body is disposed on the front side of the upper body of the occupant, and the upper leg contact surface on the lower surface side is brought into contact with the upper surface of the upper leg of the occupant. Thus, since the thigh abutment surface is widely supported by the thigh portion, the collapse and compression of the airbag main body can be suppressed, and therefore the upper body (from the chest to the head) of the occupant can be accurately restrained by the upper body restraint surface.

Therefore, in the occupant protection apparatus of the present invention, the occupant can be protected quickly by the airbag that has completed inflation.

Further, the occupant protection device may have the following configuration.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an occupant protection device that protects an occupant seated in a seat, the occupant protection device including: a seat belt; and an airbag that is disposed in a region of a lap belt, of the seat belts, that restrains a waist of the occupant when worn, and that inflates to cover a front side of the occupant when operated, wherein: the airbag includes an airbag body that is inflated such that inflation gas flows into the inside and the airbag body protrudes forward and upward in operation, and an adjusting tether that adjusts a position of the airbag body when inflation is completed; a thigh abutment surface that can abut against a thigh of the occupant when inflation is completed is disposed on a lower surface side of the airbag main body, and an upper body restraint surface that can restrain an upper body of the occupant when inflation is completed is disposed on a rear surface side; and the adjusting tethers are arranged on both left and right sides of the airbag main body at the completion of inflation, each of the adjusting tethers connecting a base end with a side face side of the airbag main body at the completion of inflation and connecting a front end to a side face side of the seat arranged rearward and downward from the base end.

In the occupant protection device having such a configuration, when inflation of the airbag is completed, the pair of left and right adjusting tethers can pull the airbag main body, which has completed inflation, toward the rear side, i.e., the occupant side, and therefore the airbag main body can be prevented from inflating away from the occupant. Specifically, in the occupant protection device having the above-described configuration, the adjusting tether is arranged to extend from both left and right sides of the airbag main body, and the front end is connected to the side face side of the seat arranged rearward and downward from the base end. Therefore, the forward movement of both the left and right edge sides of the rear surface of the airbag main body can be accurately adjusted by the adjusting tether, and therefore the airbag main body can be pulled to the rear side (i.e., the occupant side) with good left-right balance. Thereby, the upper body restraint surface disposed on the rear surface side of the airbag main body at the time of completion of inflation can be disposed closer to the occupant side. Further, at the time of completion of inflation, the airbag main body is disposed in front of the upper body of the occupant while bringing the thigh abutment surface on the lower surface side into abutment with the upper surface of the thigh of the occupant. Therefore, since the airbag main body has the thigh abutment surface supported by the thigh over a wide area, collapse and compression are suppressed. As a result, the upper body (from the chest to the head) of the occupant can be accurately restrained by the upper body restraint face. In addition, in the occupant protection device of the above configuration, since the adjusting tether is connected to the side face side on the front end side of the seat, the position of the airbag main body relative to the seat can also be adjusted. Thus, the waist of the occupant can be restrained by the inflated airbag body to restrict the forward movement thereof.

Therefore, even in the occupant protection device having such a configuration, the occupant can be protected quickly by the airbag that has completed inflation.

In the occupant protection device configured as described above, it is preferable that the tether be configured to connect the base ends to the left and right side surfaces of the airbag main body, respectively, in a region on an upper side of the upper body restraint surface. The reason for this is as follows. By adjusting the tether, the forward movement of the upper region on the left and right side surfaces of the airbag main body can be accurately restricted, and therefore the airbag main body can be pulled more stably toward the occupant side, i.e., the rear side. Thus, the upper body restraint surface located on the rear surface side of the airbag main body at the time of inflation can be placed in a wide and stable manner in the vertical direction so as to approach the occupant side.

Specifically, in the occupant protection apparatus of the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the airbag main body has, as an outer shape at the time of completion of inflation, a substantially triangular prism shape in which an axial direction is substantially in a left-right direction, and the airbag main body is configured to include a front wall portion, rear upper and lower wall portions, and left and right wall portions, the front wall portion is disposed on a front side away from the occupant when the inflation is completed, the rear upper wall portion and the rear lower wall portion are disposed on the occupant side when the inflation is completed, the left wall portion and the right wall portion are arranged to face each other in the left-right direction side when the expansion is completed, the upper body restraint surface is constituted by the rear upper wall portion, the thigh contact surface is constituted by the rear lower wall portion, the airbag main body is configured to be formed by bonding peripheral edges of two base materials, a passenger side panel and a front side panel, to each other, the passenger side panel being configured to include: an upper portion that forms the rear upper wall portion and an area of a rear upper side of the left and right wall portions; and a lower portion forming the rear lower wall portion and a rear lower side region of the left and right wall portions, the front side plate forming the front wall portion and a front side region of the left and right wall portions, and the adjusting tether being configured to join the base end to a region of a joining portion joining peripheral edges of the front side plate and the upper portion.

When the occupant protection device has the above-described configuration, the base end of the adjusting tether is not joined to the peripheral wall that is inflated by flowing the inflation gas into the airbag main body, but is joined to the region of the joining portion that connects the outer peripheral edge of the base material forming the peripheral wall, and therefore, the joined state of the base end of the adjusting tether and the airbag main body side can be stabilized at the time of inflation of the airbag. Therefore, the position of the airbag main body can be stably adjusted by adjusting the tether when inflation is completed. Further, the joint portion where the base end of the tether is regulated to be joined to the airbag main body is formed not only in the portion of the peripheral wall where there is a risk of gas leakage, but also in the region where the joint portion is between the inflated peripheral walls of the airbag main body. Therefore, the risk of gas leakage can be suppressed, and the base end of the adjusting tether can be joined to the airbag main body.

In the above occupant protection device, the airbag may include a rear tether that is located on a rear surface side of the airbag main body, and the rear tether may connect a base end to rear surface sides of upper and lower intermediate portions of the airbag main body at the completion of inflation and connect a front end extending downward from the base end to the lap belt side, and a length dimension may be set to a dimension that can pull a connection portion of the airbag main body to which the base end is connected toward the lap belt side.

When the occupant protection apparatus has such a configuration, the position of the airbag main body at the completion of inflation can be adjusted by the rear tether in addition to adjustment by the pair of left and right adjustment tethers. In detail, in the occupant protection device having such a configuration, the connecting portion of the airbag main body to which the base end is connected (the upper and lower intermediate portions on the rear surface side in the airbag main body) can be pulled toward the lap belt side, that is, downward by the rear tether connecting the base end to the upper and lower intermediate portions on the rear surface side of the airbag main body. Therefore, the rear tether can allow the upper body restraint face disposed on the rear surface side of the airbag main body to be disposed close to the occupant side at the time of completion of inflation, in addition to pulling the airbag main body to the rear side, i.e., the occupant side, with good left-right balance by the adjusting tether extending from the left and right side faces. Therefore, in particular, it is possible to prevent the region on the upper end side of the upper body restraint face from being arranged largely apart from the occupant in the forward direction. Thus, in the occupant protection device having the above-described configuration, the upper body of the occupant can be restrained quickly and stably by the upper body restraint surface at the time of completion of inflation.

Drawings

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:

fig. 1 is a perspective view of a seat mounted with an occupant protection device according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the sheet of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the seat of FIG. 1 and showing the seat belt fastened;

fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which an airbag used in the occupant protection apparatus of fig. 1 is inflated by itself;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic vertical cross-sectional views of the airbag of FIG. 4 and illustrate a state before sewing and a state after sewing to a strap attachment portion that adjusts the tether termination;

fig. 6 is a front view of the seat in a state where the airbag is completely inflated in the occupant protection device of the first embodiment;

fig. 7 is a side view of the seat in a state where the airbag is completely inflated in the occupant protection device of the first embodiment;

fig. 8 is a side view showing a state in which an occupant is restrained by a completed-inflated airbag in the occupant protection device of the first embodiment;

fig. 9 is a front view of the seat in a state where the airbag is completely inflated in the occupant protection device according to the second embodiment of the invention;

fig. 10 is a side view of the seat in a state where the airbag is completely inflated in the occupant protection device of the second embodiment;

fig. 11 is a plan view of a seat in a state where the airbag is completely inflated in the occupant protection device of the second embodiment;

fig. 12 is a front view of a seat in a state where an airbag is completely inflated in an occupant protection device using an airbag of another example;

fig. 13 is a side view of the seat in a state where the airbag is completely inflated in the occupant protection device of fig. 12;

fig. 14 is a side view of still another example of a seat in a state where the airbag is completely inflated in an occupant protection device using an airbag;

fig. 15 is a plan view of the seat in a state where the airbag is completely inflated in the occupant protection device of fig. 14;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the portion XVI-XVI of FIG. 14; and

FIG. 17 is a plan view of the side-by-side arrangement of the base material and tuning tether forming the airbag body of the airbag of FIG. 14.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions are the same as those of the seat unless otherwise specified.

First, the occupant protection apparatus S1 of the first embodiment will be described. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, an occupant protection apparatus S1 of the first embodiment is mounted on a seat 1 of a vehicle, and has a configuration including a seatbelt 7, an airbag 25, and an inflator 17. The seat 1 includes a backrest portion 2 and a seat portion 3.

The seat belt 7 is configured to include: a webbing main body 8 that restrains an occupant MP seated on the seat 1; a tongue plate 12 mounted on the belt main body 8; and a buckle 13 connected to the tongue plate 12. One end of the webbing main body 8 is locked to a take-up shaft of a retractor (not shown) provided in the backrest portion 2, and the other end of the webbing main body 8 is locked to a fixing member 14 (see fig. 1 and 2) provided on the left side of the rear end of the seat portion 3 of the seat 1. Specifically, the webbing main body 8 is arranged so as to be exposed to the outside from the upper left edge side of the backrest portion 2. In the case of the present embodiment, in the non-seating state of the occupant, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, the seatbelt body 8 is configured such that the lap belt 10 housing the airbag 25 is exposed to the front surface of the backrest portion 2. The belt body 8 includes a lap belt 10 and a shoulder belt 9 accommodated in the backrest portion 2. In a state where the tongue plate 12 is connected to the buckle 13 when the occupant is seated, the lower body MD (waist) of the occupant MP is restrained by a lap belt arranged substantially in the left-right direction between the fixing member 14 and the buckle 13, and the upper body MU (from the shoulder to the chest) of the occupant MP is restrained by a shoulder belt 9 extending diagonally from the backrest portion 12 to the buckle 13. Specifically, as shown in fig. 1, in the non-seated state of the occupant MP, the lap belt 10 is exposed to the front surface of the backrest 2 so as to substantially follow the up-down direction on the left edge 2a side of the backrest 2.

The inflator 17 is disposed below the seating surface of the seat portion 3 in the seat 1. In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 1, the inflator 17 includes an inflator body 18 (detailed illustration omitted) and a tube portion 19 that extends from the inflator body 18 and supplies inflation gas to the airbag 25. The tube portion 19 extends from the inflator body 18 and is disposed with its front end on the left side near the boundary portion between the seat portion 3 and the backrest portion 2 of the seat 1. The distal end of the tube portion 19 is connected to a conduit portion 40, which will be described later, of the airbag 25 by using a jig 20 (see fig. 7).

The airbag 25 is in the form of a bag made of a flexible sheet. As shown in fig. 4, 5A, and 5B, the airbag 25 includes an airbag main body 26, a conduit portion 40 that is connected to the inflator 17 and that causes inflation gas to flow into the airbag main body 26, a seatbelt attachment portion 42 that connects the airbag main body 26 to the lap belt 10, and an adjustment tether 45 that adjusts the position of the airbag main body 26 when inflation is completed. In the case of the present embodiment, the airbag 25 is disposed in the region of the lap belt 10 such that the airbag main body 26 and the adjusting tether 45 are folded into a long shape and overlapped on the upper surface side of the lap belt 10 when the seat belt is worn (refer to fig. 3). That is, in the non-wearing state shown in fig. 1 and 2, the airbag 25 (the folded airbag main body 26, the adjusting tether 45, and the duct portion 40) is positioned on the back side (the backrest portion 2 side) of the lap belt 10. In the case of the present embodiment, the folded airbag 25 and the lap belt 10 are integrated by being covered therearound with the cover 22, which is capable of being ruptured when the airbag 25 is deployed and inflated, as shown in fig. 3.

In the case of the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 4, 5A, and 5B, the outer shape of the airbag main body 26 when inflation is completed has a substantially triangular prism shape in which the axial direction is substantially in the left-right direction. In detail, the inflated shape of the airbag main body 26 when viewed from the left and right sides has a substantially right-angled triangular shape with the hypotenuse at the front side, and the inflated shape of the airbag main body 26 is configured into a substantially rectangular shape that widens vertically when viewed from the front-rear side (refer to fig. 6 and 7). The airbag main body 26 is configured to include: a front wall portion 27 disposed on the front side away from the occupant MP at the time of completion of inflation; a rear upper wall portion 28 and a rear lower wall portion 29 which are disposed on the occupant MP side when inflation is completed; and a left wall portion 30 and a right wall portion 31 which are arranged to face each other in the left-right direction side when the expansion is completed (refer to fig. 4 and 5A, 5B). Further, in the airbag main body 26 of the present embodiment, the rear lower wall portion 29 forms the thigh abutment surface 36 that can come into contact with the thighs MT of the occupant MP at the completion of inflation, and the rear upper wall portion 28 forms the upper body restraint surface 37, and the upper body restraint surface 37 is disposed in front of the occupant MP at the completion of inflation and can restrain the upper body MU of the occupant MP (from the chest MB to the head MH). Specifically, in the case of the present embodiment, the width dimension of the left and right sides at the time of completion of inflation in the airbag main body 26 is set to be smaller than the width dimension of the backrest portion 2 of the seat 1 and equal to the width dimension of the upper body MU, so that the upper body MU of the occupant MP can be stably protected (see fig. 6). Further, the rear upper wall portion 28 and the rear lower wall portion 29 are arranged substantially orthogonal to each other. In the case of the present embodiment, the rear lower wall portion 29 (the thigh abutment surface 36) has a front end 29a located further forward of the thigh MT of the occupant MP. In the case of the present embodiment, the rear upper wall portion 28 (upper body restraint surface 37) has an upper end 28a (see fig. 7) located in front of the head MH of the occupant MP. The airbag main body 26 is provided with vent holes 33 for discharging excess inflation gas that has flowed into the airbag main body, in the left wall portion 30 and the right wall portion 31. When the inflation is completed, the rear lower end side portion of the airbag main body 26 (the portion on the rear end 29B side of the rear lower wall portion 29) communicates with the duct portion 40 through a communication hole (reference numeral is not shown) (see fig. 5A and 5B).

The conduit portion 40 is configured to extend leftward from the balloon body 26. The conduit portion 40 is connected to the tube portion 19 of the inflator 17, is substantially cylindrical with the front end portion 40a side open, and is arranged substantially along the lap belt 10 in the left-right direction when inflation of the airbag 25 is completed. The conduit pipe portion 40 has a configuration in which the leading end 40a side is connected to the pipe portion 19 of the inflator 17 by using the jig 20 as described above. Further, in the case of the present embodiment, the region near the front end 40a of the tube portion 40 is configured such that the outer surface side (the left side surface side in the present embodiment) is pressed by the pressing member 15 extending from the seat 1 side (refer to fig. 7). As shown in fig. 4, 5A, and 5B, a webbing attachment portion 42 for attaching the airbag main body 26 to the lap belt 10 is disposed on the lower surface side of the conduit portion 40. The webbing attachment portion 42 has a generally tubular shape with both ends open so that the lap webbing 10 (see fig. 4) can be inserted.

The adjusting tether 45 is disposed on the rear surface side of the airbag main body 26. In the adjusting tether 45, a base end 45A of the adjusting tether 45 is connected to the rear surface side of the vertically intermediate portion of the airbag main body 26 at the time of completion of inflation, and a front end 45B extending downward from this base end 45A serves as a connecting portion 45c and is connected to the lap belt 10 side (refer to fig. 4, 5A, and 5B). In detail, the adjusting tether 45 has a substantially trapezoidal shape in which the base end 45a side is wide and the front end 45b side is narrow. Specifically, the width dimension on the base end 45a side is set to about 1/3 (see fig. 6) of the width dimension on the left-right direction side of the airbag main body 26. Further, in the adjusting tether 45, a base end 45a arranged substantially in the left-right direction is sewn to a central portion 28b of the rear upper wall portion 28 at a substantially vertically center of the rear surface side of the airbag main body 26, so that the left-right direction center substantially coincides with the left-right direction center of the airbag main body 26 (the left-right direction center of the rear upper wall portion 28). Further, the adjusting tether 45 is connected to the lap belt 10 side at a connecting portion 45c by sewing the leading end 45b to the belt attaching portion 42. Specifically, the front end 45b (the connecting portion 45c) of the adjusting tether 45 is sewn (connected) to the vicinity of the rear end of the webbing attaching portion 42 with a sewing thread (refer to fig. 4). As shown in fig. 5A, in this adjuster tether 45, the length dimension (the distance of separation between the base end 45A and the front end 45b (the connecting portion 45 c)) is set so that the connecting portion (the central portion 28b of the rear upper wall portion 28) of the airbag main body 26 connected to the base end 45A can be pulled toward the lap belt 10 side when inflation of the airbag 25 is completed. Specifically, in the case of the present embodiment, in a cross section of the airbag main body 26 in the front-rear direction in the inflated state, the length dimension L1 of the tether 45 is configured to be smaller than the length L2 of the membrane length from the center portion 28b to the conduit portion 40 (refer to fig. 5A). Further, as shown in fig. 5A and 5B, in the airbag main body 26, by sewing the connecting portion 45c on the front end 45B side of the adjusting tether 45 to the seatbelt attaching portion 42, the adjusting tether 45 pulls the central portion 28B to the lap belt 10 side (the seatbelt attaching portion 42 side). Therefore, the rear upper wall portion 28 is inclined substantially in the up-down direction compared to the state before the front end 45b (the connecting portion 45c) is sewn to the webbing attachment portion 42.

In the occupant protection apparatus S1 of the first embodiment, when the inflator 17 is mounted on the vehicle to operate, inflation gas discharged from the inflator 17 will flow into the airbag main body via the conduit pipe portion 40. Thus, the airbag main body 26 ruptures the cover 22 and projects forward and upward from the lap belt 10 to complete inflation, as indicated by alternate long and short dash lines in fig. 3 and 6 and 7.

Thus, in the occupant protection apparatus S1 of the first embodiment, when inflation of the airbag 25 is completed, the airbag main body 26 that has completed inflation can be pulled to the rear side, i.e., the occupant MP side, by adjusting the tether 45, so it is possible to prevent the airbag main body 26 from inflating away from the occupant MP. Specifically, in the occupant protection apparatus S1 of the first embodiment, the adjusting tether 45 connects the base end 45a with the upper and lower intermediate portions on the rear surface side of the airbag main body 26, and pulls the connecting portion of the airbag main body 26 that connects with the base end 45a (i.e., the central portion 28b of the rear upper wall portion 28 in the airbag main body 26 in the case of this embodiment) toward the lap belt 10 side (i.e., downward), so the upper body restraint surface 37 that is disposed on the rear surface side of the airbag main body 26 when inflation is completed can be disposed closer to the occupant MP side, as shown in fig. 7. Therefore, in particular, it is possible to prevent the region on the upper end side of the upper body restraint surface 37 (the upper end 28a side of the rear upper wall portion 28) from being arranged largely apart from the occupant MP in the forward direction. Therefore, the upper body restraint surface 37 can quickly restrain the upper body MU of the occupant MP. When the upper body MU is restrained by the upper body restraining surface 37, the airbag main body 26 is disposed in front of the upper body MU of the occupant MP, and the thigh contact surface 36 on the lower surface side is brought into contact with the upper surface of the thigh MT of the occupant MP. Thus, since the thigh abutment surface 36 is supported over a wide range by the thigh MT, the collapse and compression of the airbag main body 26 can be suppressed, and therefore the upper body MU (from the chest MB to the head MH) of the occupant MP can be accurately restrained by the upper body restraining surface 37 (see fig. 8). In addition, in the case where no adjusting tether is provided, as shown by an alternate long and short dash line in fig. 7, the rear upper wall portion 28 'of the airbag main body 26' is disposed obliquely with the upper end surface facing forward.

Therefore, in the occupant protection apparatus S1 of the first embodiment, the occupant MP can be quickly protected by the airbag 25 that has completed inflation.

Next, an occupant protection device S2 according to a second embodiment of the invention will be described. In the occupant protection apparatus S2 of the second embodiment, components other than the airbag 48 have the same configuration as the above-described occupant protection apparatus S1. Therefore, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals and letters, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. As shown in fig. 9 to 11, the airbag 48 has an airbag main body 26, a conduit portion 40 that is connected to the inflator 17 and that causes inflation gas to flow into the airbag main body 26, a seatbelt attaching portion (not shown) that connects the airbag main body 26 with the lap belt 10, and adjustment tethers 50L, 50R that adjust the position of the airbag main body 26 when inflation is completed. In the airbag 48, the components other than the adjusting tethers 50L and 50R have the same configuration as the airbag 25 in the above-described occupant protection device S1. Therefore, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals and letters, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

When the inflation of the airbag main body 26 is completed, the adjusting tethers 50L and 50R are disposed on the left and right sides, and a pair of left and right sides have substantially the same outer shape. In each of the adjusting tethers 50L and 50R, upon completion of inflation, the base end 50a is connected to the side surface side of the airbag main body 26 (in the case of the present embodiment, the vicinity of the boundary of the backrest portion 2 and the seat portion 3 on the side surface side of the seat 1), and the front end 50b is connected to the side surface side of the seat 1 disposed rearward and downward from the base end 50 a. In detail, in the adjusting tethers 50L and 50R, the base end 50a side is wide and has a substantially triangular shape converging toward the front end 50b side (refer to fig. 9 and 10), and further, the base end 50a side is connected to the rear edge 30a and 31a sides of the left and right wall portions 30 and 31 of the airbag main body 26 substantially along the rear edges 30a and 31a, respectively (refer to fig. 10 and 11). Specifically, in each of the adjusting tethers 50L and 50R, the width dimension of the base end 50a side in the up-down direction is set to be about half of the width dimension in the vertical direction of the rear edges 30a and 31a sides (i.e., the rear upper wall portion 28) of the left and right wall portions 30 and 31. Further, in the adjusting tethers 50L and 50R, the base end 50a is sewn over the entire length using a sewing thread in the substantially lower half region near the rear edges 30a, 31a of the left and right wall portions 30, 31 (see fig. 10). The front end 50b of each of the adjusting tethers 50L, 50R is configured to be connected to a side surface side of the seat 1 disposed rearward and downward from the base end 50a (specifically, near a boundary between the backrest portion 2 and the seat portion 3 on the side surface side of the seat 1) as a connecting portion 50 c. Specifically, in the case of the present embodiment, the connecting portion 50c of the front end 50b of the left-side adjusting tether 50L is disposed on the left side surface side of the seat 1, and as shown in fig. 10, the connecting portion 50c is connected to the pressing member 15 (refer to fig. 1 and 2) that presses the outer surface of the conduit portion 40 on the front end portion 40a side, and further, as shown in fig. 9 and 11, the connecting portion 50c of the front end 50b of the right-side adjusting tether 50R is configured to be connected to the buckle 13 of the seatbelt 7 disposed on the right side surface side of the seat 1 (refer to fig. 1 and 3). In each of the adjuster tethers 50L and 50R, the length dimension (the spacing distance between the base end 50a and the front end 50b (the connecting portion 50 c)) is set so that the region on the rear lower end side of the airbag main body 26 (the lower rear portion 26a, refer to fig. 10) can be disposed in the vicinity of the front side of the waist MW of the occupant MP at the time of completion of inflation of the airbag 48.

Also in the occupant protection apparatus S2 of the second embodiment, when inflation of the airbag 48 is completed, the pair of left-right adjusting tethers 50L and 50R can pull the airbag main body 26, whose inflation has been completed, toward the rear side, i.e., the occupant MP side, so it is possible to prevent the airbag main body 26 from inflating away from the occupant MP. Specifically, in the occupant protection apparatus S2 of the second embodiment, the adjusting tethers 50L and 50R are arranged to extend from both left and right sides of the airbag main body 26, while the front ends 50b (the connecting portions 50c) are connected to the side face sides of the seat 1 that are arranged downward rearward from the base end 50 a. Therefore, the forward movement of the left edge 28c side and the right edge 28d side of the rear surface (the upper body restraint surface 37, the rear upper wall portion 28) of the airbag main body 26 can be accurately adjusted by adjusting the tethers 50L and 50R (refer to fig. 11), and therefore the airbag main body 26 can be pulled to the rear side (i.e., the occupant MP side) with good left-right balance. Thereby, the upper body restraint surface 37 disposed on the rear surface side of the airbag main body 26 at the time of completion of inflation can be disposed closer to the occupant MP side. Further, at the completion of inflation, the airbag main body 26 is disposed in front of the upper body MU of the occupant MP while bringing the thigh abutment surface 36 on the lower surface side into abutment with the upper surface of the thigh MT of the occupant MP. Therefore, since the airbag main body 26 has the thigh abutment surface 36 supported by the thigh MT over a wide area, collapse and compression are suppressed. This allows the upper body (from the chest MB to the head MH) of the occupant MP to be accurately restrained by the upper body restraint surface 37. Further, in the occupant protection apparatus S2 of the second embodiment, since the tethers 50L and 50R are adjusted to be connected to the side face side on the front end 50b side of the seat 1, the position of the airbag main body 26 relative to the seat 1 can be adjusted. Thereby, the forward movement can be regulated by restraining the waist MW of the occupant MP with the airbag main body 26 having completed the inflation.

Therefore, even in the occupant protection apparatus S2 of the second embodiment, the occupant MP can be quickly protected by the airbag 48 that has completed inflation.

Further, in the occupant protection apparatus S2 of the second embodiment, the airbag main body 26 and the conduit pipe portion 40 are attached by the webbing attachment portion 42 so as to be slightly movable relative to the lap belt 10. Therefore, by the adjusting tethers 50L and 50R extending from the left and right side surface sides of the airbag main body 26 and connecting the front ends 50b to the seat 1 side, the left and right positions of the airbag main body 26 with respect to the occupant MP can also be finely adjusted (centered) when inflation is completed.

As shown in fig. 12 and 13, the airbag 48A may be an airbag in which: an airbag of the rear tether 45A is disposed on the rear surface side of the airbag main body 26 in addition to the adjusting tethers 50L and 50R. The rear tether 45A has the same configuration as the above-described adjusting tether 45 disposed in the airbag 25. When the airbag 48A has such a configuration, the position of the airbag main body 26 can be adjusted by the rear tether 45A at the time of completion of inflation, in addition to adjustment by the pair of left and right adjusting tethers 50L and 50R. In detail, in the airbag 48A having such a configuration, the connecting portion of the airbag main body 26 to the base end 45a (the central portion 28b of the rear upper wall portion 28 in the airbag main body 26) can be pulled, that is, pulled downward toward the lap belt 10 by the rear tether 45a connecting the base end 45a to the upper and lower intermediate portions of the rear surface side of the airbag main body 26 (the central portion 28b of the rear upper wall portion 28). Therefore, in addition to being able to pull the airbag main body 26 toward the rear side (i.e., the occupant MP side) with good left-right balance by the adjusting tethers 50L and 50R extending from the left and right side surfaces, the rear tether 45A can allow the upper body restraint surface 37 disposed on the rear surface side of the airbag main body 26 to be disposed closer to the occupant MP side when inflation is completed. Therefore, in particular, it is possible to prevent the region on the upper end side of the upper body restraint face 37 from being arranged largely apart from the occupant MP in the forward direction. Thus, the upper body MU of the occupant MP can be restrained quickly and stably by the upper body restraint surface 37 at the time of completion of inflation of the airbag 48A.

Further, as the airbag 48B, an airbag having a configuration shown in fig. 14 and 15 may be used. Similar to the airbag 48 described above, the airbag 48B includes an airbag main body 26B, a tube portion 40, a webbing portion (not shown) for connecting the airbag main body 26B to the lap belt 10, and adjustment tethers 50BL and 50BR that adjust the position of the airbag main body 26B when inflation is completed.

The airbag main body 26B has the same configuration as the airbag main body 26 of the airbag 25 in the above-described occupant protection device S1. The airbag main body 26B has a substantially triangular prism shape in which the axial direction is substantially along the left-right direction as an outer shape at the time of completion of inflation. The airbag main body 26B includes: a front wall portion 27B disposed on the front side away from the occupant MP at the time of completion of inflation; a rear upper wall portion 28B and a rear lower wall portion 29B that are disposed on the occupant MP side when inflation is completed; and a left wall portion 30B and a right wall portion 31B that are arranged to face each other in the left-right direction side when the expansion is completed. In this airbag main body 26B, the rear lower wall portion 29B also forms the thigh contact surface 36B, and the rear upper wall portion 28B also forms the upper body restraint surface 37B.

The airbag main body 26B is formed by connecting the peripheral edges of the base cloth having a predetermined shape to each other, and in the case of this embodiment, as shown in fig. 17, the airbag main body 26B is constituted by two passenger side panels 60 and a front side panel 64.

The occupant side panel 60 is disposed on the occupant MP side at the time of completion of inflation and forms a portion from the thigh abutment surface 36B to the upper body restraint surface 37B, and the occupant side panel 60 mainly includes a region from the rear upper wall portion 28B to the rear lower wall portion 29B in the airbag main body 26B at the time of completion of inflation. Specifically, the occupant side panel 60 includes a lower portion 62 (rear lower wall portion 29B) mainly forming the thigh abutment surface 36B and an upper portion 61 (rear upper wall portion 28B) mainly forming the upper body restraint surface 37B. Specifically, the lower portion 62 forms the rear lower wall portion 29B and the rear lower region in the left and right wall portions 30B and 31B, and the upper portion 61 forms the rear upper wall portion 28B and the rear upper region in the left and right wall portions 30B and 31B. The lower portion 62 and the upper portion 61 each have a generally hexagonal outer shape. The occupant side panel 60 has such an outer shape that the lower portion 62 and the upper portion 61 are connected by a side located on the rear end side when inflation is completed. The lower portion 62 and the upper portion 61 are symmetrical with respect to the connecting portion 60a (see fig. 17).

The front side panel 64 mainly forms the front wall portion 27B in the airbag main body 26B when inflation is completed. Specifically, the front side plate 64 forms the front wall portion 27B and the front regions in the left and right wall portions 30B and 31B. The front side plate 64 has a hexagonal outer shape in which, in the occupant side plate 60, left rear edges 61a and 62a and right rear edges 61b and 62b are substantially matched with the lower portion 62 and the upper portion 61 in the opened state so as to separate the remaining joint edges (front edges 61c, 62c) from each other.

The airbag main body 26B is formed as follows (see fig. 14, 15, and 17). The upper portion 61 and the lower portion 62 of the occupant side panel 60 are folded back at the connecting portion 60a so that the peripheral edges match each other, and the left rear edges 61a and 62a and the right rear edges 61b and 62b are sewn (joined) using a sewing thread to form the side joint portions 54 and 54, respectively, and then the front side panel 64 in a flat developed state is superposed on the upper portion 61 and the lower portion 62 in an open state so that the front edges 61c and 62c (which are the remaining edges) are separated from each other, and the front edges 61c and 62c are sewn (joined) using a sewing thread to the outer peripheral edge 64 of the front side panel 64 to form the upper joint portion 52 and the lower joint portion 53. Further, in the airbag main body 26B of this embodiment, the upper bonding site 52, the lower bonding site 53, and the side bonding sites 54 and 54 formed by connecting the peripheral edge of the occupant side panel 60 and the peripheral edge of the front side panel 64 to each other are arranged such that the bonding margins 52a, 53a, and 54a are exposed to the outer peripheral surface side of the airbag main body 26B, respectively (refer to fig. 14 to 16).

At the completion of inflation of the airbag main body 26B, the adjusting tethers 50BL and 50BR are arranged on the left and right sides as left and right pairs having substantially the same outer shape. The adjusting tethers 50BL and 50BR are configured to connect the base ends 50a to the left and right side faces in the upper region of the upper body constraining surface 37B, which is the side face side of the airbag main body 26B at the time of completion of inflation, respectively. Specifically, the adjustment tethers 50BL and 50BR are configured such that the base end 50a is connected to an area near an end portion 52b of the upper joint portion 52 that connects the outer peripheral edge 64a of the front side plate 64 and the front edge 61c of the upper portion 61 (see fig. 16 and 17). Specifically, in the case of the present embodiment, the base ends 50a of the tether 50BL and 50BR are adjusted using suture stitching (bonding) so that the bonding portions 55L and 55R are provided in the region of the bonding margin 52a of the upper bonding portion 52. That is, the adjusting tethers 50BL and 50BR are configured such that the base end 50a is connected to a position forward and upward of the adjusting tethers 50L and 50R in the aforementioned airbag 48, and the position is located substantially at the center of the left wall portion 30B and the right wall portion 31B in the up-down direction and the front-rear direction. The front ends 50b of the adjustment tethers 50BL and 50BR are configured to be attached to the side face side of the seat 1 in the same manner as the adjustment tethers 50L and 50R in the aforementioned airbag 48.

When the airbag 48B having such a configuration is used, the adjusting tethers 50BL and 50BR connect the base end 50a to the left and right side surfaces in the upper region of the upper body restraining surface 37B in the airbag main body 26B, respectively. Therefore, the forward movement of the upper region on the left and right side surfaces of the airbag main body 26B can be accurately adjusted by adjusting the tethers 50BL and 50BR, and therefore the airbag main body 26B can be pulled more stably toward the occupant MP side, i.e., the rear side. At the time of completion of inflation, the upper body restraint face 37B disposed on the rear face side of the airbag main body 26B can be disposed so as to be wide and stably placed close to the occupant MP side in the up-down direction.

In addition, in the airbag 48B having the above-described structure, the base end 50a of the adjusting tethers 50BL and 50BR is not joined to the peripheral walls (the left wall portion 30B, the right wall portion 31B) that are inflated by flowing the inflation gas into the airbag main body 26B, but is joined to the region of the upper joining portion 52 that connects the peripheral edge (the outer peripheral edge 64a) of the front side plate 64, which is the base material forming the peripheral walls (the left wall portion 30B, the right wall portion 31B), with the peripheral edge (the front edge 61c) of the upper portion 61 in the occupant side plate 60. Therefore, when the airbag 48B inflates, the coupled state of the base ends 50a of the adjuster tethers 50BL and 50BR to the airbag main body 26B side can be stabilized. Therefore, at the time of completion of inflation, the position of the airbag main body 26B can be stably adjusted by adjusting the tethers 50BL and 50 BR. Further, the coupling portions 55L and 55R at which the adjusting tethers 50BL and 50BR of the base end 50a are coupled to the airbag body 26B are formed not only in the portions of the peripheral walls at which there is a risk of gas leakage, but also in the region of the upper coupling portion 52 between the inflated peripheral walls of the airbag body 26B. Therefore, the risk of gas leakage can be suppressed, and the base ends 50a of the adjusting tethers 50BL and 50BR can be joined to the airbag main body 26B. In the present embodiment, the base ends 50a of the regulating tethers 50BL and 50BR are sewn so as to form the bonding portions 55L and 55R in the areas of the bonding margins 52a of the upper bonding portion 52 after the manufacture of the airbag main body 26B. However, the base end of the adjusting tether may be configured to be connected to the airbag main body by common sewing when the airbag main body is manufactured (when the peripheral edges of the passenger side panel and the front side panel are joined to each other).

In the airbags 25 and 48A of the embodiment, the adjusting tether 45 (rear tether 45A) has a substantially trapezoidal outer shape, and has a configuration in which a base end 45A having a wide width is connected to a central portion 28b, which is a substantially vertical center of the rear upper wall portion 28 of the airbag main body 26, so as to substantially follow the left-right direction. However, the shape of the adjusting tether (rear tether) and the attachment position with respect to the airbag main body are not limited to the above-described embodiments. The attachment position of the adjusting tether (rear tether) with respect to the airbag main body may be above or below the vertical center as long as the attachment position of the attachment base end of the airbag main body can be smoothly pulled toward the lap belt side when inflation of the airbag is completed. Further, the outer shape of the adjusting tether (rear tether) is not limited to the trapezoidal shape, and may be, for example, a substantially belt shape having substantially the same width dimension over the entire length. However, in the airbags 25 and 48A of the present embodiment, the head MH of the occupant MP is received by the upper end 28A side of the rear upper wall portion 28 at the time of completion of inflation. Therefore, it is preferable that the base end 45A of the adjusting tether 45 (rear tether 45A) is not connected to the region in contact with the head MH. Further, from the viewpoint of stably pulling down the connecting portion of the airbag main body, it is preferable that the adjusting tether (rear tether) is formed at a constant width on the base end side.

In addition, in the airbags 25 and 48A of the present embodiment, the connecting portion 45c on the front end 45b side of the adjusting tether 45 is sewn (connected) to the webbing attaching portion 42 (through which the lap belt 10 is inserted). However, adjusting the connection position of the front end side of the tether is not limited to the present embodiment. For example, the connection location may be connected to the conduit portion or directly to the lap belt side by separately providing a tubular connection means and inserting the lap belt therein.

In addition, in the airbags 48 and 48A of the present embodiment, the adjusting tethers 50L and 50R have a substantially triangular shape, the base end 50A side widens in the vertical direction, and the base end 50A is connected to the lower half of the airbag main body 26 in the vicinity of the rear edges 30A, 31A at the left and right wall portions 30 and 31. In addition, in the airbag 48B, the adjusting tethers 50BL and 50BR are configured to connect the base ends 50a to positions at the approximate centers of the front-rear direction and the up-down direction of the left wall portion 30B and the right wall portion 31B of the airbag main body 26B. However, the shape of the tether and the attachment position with respect to the airbag main body are not limited to the present embodiment. For example, the base end of the adjusting tether may be connected to the front regions of the left and right wall portions of the airbag body, which are away from the rear edge, as long as the forward movement of the left and right edges on the rear surface of the airbag body at the completion of inflation can be accurately adjusted. Further, the adjusting tether may be substantially belt-shaped in outer shape, and the base end may be connected to the vertically intermediate portions of the left and right wall portions of the airbag main body. In view of the fact that both the left and right edge sides on the rear surface of the airbag main body are stably pulled back and down at the completion of inflation, it is preferable that the base end of the adjusting tether is connected in the vicinity of the rear edges (trailing edges) of the left and right wall portions. In addition, in view of the fact that the region on the rear lower end side of the airbag main body can stably regulate the forward movement of the waist portion when inflation is completed, it is preferable that the base end of the regulating tether be connected to the lower end side of the side face of the airbag main body.

In addition, in the airbags 48, 48A, and 48B of the present embodiment, the front ends 50B (the connecting portions 50c) of the adjusting tethers 50L, 50R, 50BL, and 50BR are connected to the buckle 3 of the seatbelt 7 and the pressing member 15 on the front end 40A side of the pressing conduit portion 40, respectively. However, the link member that links the front end side of the adjusting tether is not limited to the present embodiment, and for example, the link member may be configured to be directly connected to a link member that is separately formed, for example, extending from the seat.

In the present embodiment, the airbag main body 26 or 26B in the airbag 25, 48A or 48B has a substantially triangular prism shape with the axial direction aligned substantially in the left-right direction when the inflation is completed. Therefore, even when the occupant MP moves the upper body MU toward the lower body MD significantly when the inflation of the airbag 25, 48A, 48B is completed, the airbag main body 26 or 26B can be suppressed from being compressed and collapsed so that the upper body restraint surface 37 or 37B approaches the thigh contact surface 36 or 36B. Thereby, the upper body MU of the occupant MP can be accurately restrained by the airbag main body 26 or 26B. Further, the inflation completion shape of the airbag is not limited to the above-described embodiment as long as it includes the thigh abutment surface and the upper body restraining surface. For example, as the airbag, an airbag having an inflated shape that is substantially L-shaped when viewed from the left-right direction side may be used.