JP2008120207A - Side airbag device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a side airbag device having a structure in which a peripheral connector of a bag body is hard to be affected by high temperature gas ejected from a gas ejection port of an inflator. <P>SOLUTION: The side airbag device comprises the bag body 20, an inflator assembly 40, and an auxiliary member 60. The bag body 20 is inflated and developed between a vehicular seat and a body side portion with gas ejected from the gas ejection port 42, and streamlined by the auxiliary member 60 according to the impact from the vehicle side. In the side airbag device, the auxiliary member 60 is sewn together with the bag body 20 using part of the peripheral connector 27, and an auxiliary connector 65 at a lower side is installed between a fixing portion (72) for the bag body 20 of the auxiliary member 60 and the gas injection port 42 as a specified auxiliary connector. By employing this constitution, the specified auxiliary connector (the auxiliary connector 65) receives the gas from the gas ejection port 42, and the fixing portion (portion 72 to be sewn together) relieves the influence affected from the high temperature gas. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a side airbag device equipped in a vehicle in order to reduce an impact from the side of the vehicle.

  2. Description of the Related Art An airbag device is widely known as a device that protects an occupant from an impact applied to the vehicle. The airbag device includes a bag body formed by stitching the peripheral portions of the pair of overlapping portions of the panel cloth, and an inflator disposed in the bag body with the retainer attached.

  Among such airbag apparatuses, for example, in a side airbag apparatus that protects an occupant from an impact applied from the side of the vehicle, the bag body is incorporated in a seat back (backrest) of a vehicle seat together with an inflator. .

  In the side airbag device, when an impact is applied to the body side portion of the vehicle from the side, the inflator ejects gas from the gas ejection port into the bag body. The bag body is inflated and deployed forward from the seat back in the narrow space between the occupant seated on the vehicle seat and the body side portion by the ejected gas. The inflated and deployed bag body is interposed between the occupant and the body side portion entering the vehicle compartment, and alleviates the side impact transmitted to the occupant through the body side portion.

  In the side airbag device, a hybrid type in which an inflation gas is filled is generally used as an inflator. In this type of inflator, the temperature of the gas ejected from the gas ejection port is not so high. For this reason, a panel cloth made of an inexpensive non-coated cloth that does not have a coating layer for improving heat resistance is used. Further, in order to avoid a problem that the bag body is caught by the corners of the retainer or the like when the bag body is inflated, a reinforcing cloth formed by a non-coated cloth is stitched inside the bag body.

  However, in recent years, an inflator called a pyro type, which is relatively cheaper than the hybrid type and generates a gas for expansion from a gas generating agent by a chemical reaction accompanied by heat generation, has been adopted. In the pyro type inflator, the gas at a higher temperature than the above hybrid type is ejected from the gas ejection port, so the stitched peripheral part of the bag body is greatly affected by the gas, and the bag body formed of the uncoated cloth has a gas effect. This is a problem in terms of damage due to heat and pressure. However, if the entire bag body is formed of a coated cloth, an increase in cost cannot be ignored. Therefore, it is conceivable to use a coated cloth only for a part, for example, as a reinforcing cloth, a cloth formed by the coated cloth having the coating layer.

  In this case, the reinforcing cloth is used in the same manner as the side airbag device using the hybrid type inflator. That is, as shown in at least one of FIGS. 11 and 12, the bag body 81 has a pair of overlapping portions 83A and 83B formed by folding one panel cloth 82 in two, and the peripheral edges thereof. When the portions are formed by stitching, the reinforcing cloth 84 is stitched in a state where one reinforcing cloth 84 is spread at the center portion of the panel cloth 82 before the folding. In this way, the panel cloth 82 sewn with the reinforcing cloth 84 is folded in two at the central portion, so that the reinforcing cloth 84 is also folded in two at the central portion. And the bag main body 81 which has the mounting part 85 is formed by sewing the peripheral part of both the superposition | polymerization parts 83A and 83B of the panel cloth 82 leaving a part (lower part of FIG. 11).

  On the other hand, as the pyro-type inflator 86, one having a plurality of gas outlets 87 in the upper part and a harness 88 connected to the lower end part is used. A retainer 89 having a substantially circular tube shape and having a window 90 on the upper peripheral wall is used. The inflator assembly 91 is formed by inserting and locking the inflator 86 in the retainer 89 so that the gas outlet 87 is exposed at the window 90. The inflator assembly 91 is inserted into the bag body 81 through the lower end of the mounting portion 85. By this insertion, the lower end portion of the inflator assembly 91 is disposed in the mounting portion 85, and the window portion 90 and the gas outlet 87 are disposed between the reinforcing cloths 84 folded in two. Further, in order to prevent gas from leaking between the mounting portion 85 of the bag body 81 and the inflator assembly 91, the mounting portion 85 is attached to the lower portion of the inflator assembly 91 by an annular fastener (not shown). Fastened in an airtight state.

In addition, the following patent document 1 is mentioned as a prior art document concerning this invention. This Patent Document 1 describes a side airbag device in which a reinforcing cloth is sewn to a bag body as described above.
JP 2003-34214 A

  By the way, when the gas outlet 87 is positioned in the bag body 81, the harness 88 is pulled out from the bag body 81, and the inflator assembly 91 is attached to the bag body 81 while ensuring airtightness, in the side airbag device, The structure described above will be adopted. That is, the inflator assembly 91 is inserted from the lower end of the mounting portion 85 of the bag body 81 and the mounting portion 85 is fastened to the inflator assembly 91.

  However, in this structure, the gas outlet 87 of the inflator 86 is located in the bag body 81 in the vicinity of the upper portion of the base portion 85 </ b> A of the mounting portion 85. In the peripheral joint portion 93 formed by stitching the overlapping portions 83A and 83B, the vicinity of the base portion 85A (specific portion 94) is directly exposed to the high-temperature and high-pressure gas immediately after being ejected from the gas ejection port 87. Therefore, in the side airbag device in which the peripheral joint 93 of the bag body 81 is easily affected by the heat and pressure of the gas by using the pyro-type inflator 86, particularly the specific portion 94 is made of gas. The problem arises that it is easily affected by heat.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and the purpose thereof is a side of a structure in which a peripheral edge coupling portion of a bag body is hardly affected by high-temperature gas ejected from a gas ejection port of an inflator. The object is to provide an airbag device.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that a bag main body formed by joining a pair of overlapping portions at a peripheral connecting portion provided at a peripheral portion of the overlapping portion, and at least a gas outlet. An inflator disposed so as to be located in the bag body and a pair of auxiliary polymerization parts are joined by an auxiliary joint part to form a cylinder, and in the bag body in a state surrounding the gas outlet And an auxiliary member that reinforces the bag body and rectifies the gas from the gas outlet, and is ejected from the gas outlet in response to an impact from the side of the vehicle and rectified by the auxiliary member In the side airbag device in which the bag body is inflated and deployed between the vehicle seat and the body side portion of the vehicle by the generated gas, the auxiliary portion is utilized by utilizing a part of the peripheral edge coupling portion. The gist is that the material is fixed to the bag body, and a part of the auxiliary coupling part is provided as a specific auxiliary coupling part between the fixing part of the auxiliary member with respect to the bag main body and the gas outlet. .

  Here, the pair of overlapping portions may be formed by overlapping two base fabrics, or may be formed by folding and overlapping one base fabric. Good. In the former case, each base fabric constitutes each overlapping portion. In the latter case, each overlapped piece of one base fabric constitutes each overlapping portion. Note that there are two modes for the pair of auxiliary polymerization portions as well as the pair of polymerization portions.

  According to the above configuration, when an impact is applied to the vehicle from the side, high-temperature and high-pressure gas is ejected from the gas ejection port of the inflator. Here, the gas outlet is surrounded by an auxiliary member arranged in the bag body. For this reason, the gas ejected from the gas ejection port first passes through the auxiliary member. With this passage, the auxiliary member and the bag body expand while canceling (deploying) the folding. At this time, the auxiliary member has a cylindrical shape and exhibits a function of rectifying the gas. With this function, the gas ejected from the gas ejection port flows out of the auxiliary member after flowing in the length direction along the auxiliary member.

  The auxiliary member also functions to reinforce the bag body. That is, immediately after the gas is ejected from the gas ejection port, the gas passes through the auxiliary member as described above. During this passage, the bag body is not directly exposed to the high-temperature gas immediately after jetting, and the bag body is not easily affected by the heat of the gas. Furthermore, the temperature of the gas ejected from the gas ejection port decreases as the distance from the gas ejection port increases. When the gas flows out from the auxiliary member, the temperature of the gas is not a little lowered. Therefore, the influence which a bag main body receives from the heat of the gas after passing an auxiliary member is small.

  Further, in the bag body, among the auxiliary coupling portions in the auxiliary member, a location that is a specific auxiliary coupling portion is located between a location where the auxiliary member is fixed to the bag body and the gas outlet, and the high temperature and pressure Take the gas. Therefore, compared with the case where there is no specific auxiliary coupling part, the influence which the peripheral coupling part which is a fixing location with respect to the bag main body of an auxiliary member receives from the said high temperature gas becomes small.

  In particular, when the specific auxiliary coupling portion breaks due to the influence of the heat of the gas, a part of the energy of the gas is consumed due to the fracture or the like, and the gas added to the peripheral coupling portion The load caused by the energy is reliably suppressed.

  Then, the bag body is inflated and deployed in the space between the vehicle seat and the vehicle body side portion by the gas passing through the auxiliary member as described above. The inflated and deployed bag body is interposed between the occupant and the body side portion that enters the vehicle interior, and side impact transmitted to the occupant through the body side portion is reduced.

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to make the peripheral edge coupling portion of the bag body less susceptible to the high-temperature gas ejected from the gas ejection port of the inflator.
The gist of the invention according to claim 2 is that, in the invention according to claim 1, the fixing portion of the auxiliary member to the bag body is a portion of the peripheral edge coupling portion that is the closest to the gas outlet. To do.

  According to said structure, when a periphery coupling | bond part is influenced from the heat of gas, the degree of the influence is large in the location close | similar to a gas jet nozzle, and becomes small as it distances from a gas jet nozzle. In the second aspect of the invention, the auxiliary member is fixed to the bag body using the portion of the peripheral joint portion that is closest to the gas outlet, and is inherently greatly affected by the heat of the gas. However, by providing the specific auxiliary coupling portion between the fixed location and the gas outlet as described above, a high temperature gas is received by the specific auxiliary coupling portion, and the load due to the heat of the gas applied to the fixed location Can be reliably suppressed.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2, wherein both the polymerized portions are formed of a non-coated cloth having no heat resistant coating layer, and both the auxiliary polymerized portions are formed of the coating layer. The gist is that it is formed of a coated cloth having the same.

  According to said structure, both auxiliary | assistant superposition | polymerization parts formed with the coat cloth which has a heat resistant coating layer exhibit higher heat resistance than both superposition | polymerization parts formed with the non-coat cloth which does not have the same coating layer. Therefore, although the high-temperature gas ejected from the gas outlet passes through the auxiliary member, the influence of the auxiliary member on the heat of the gas by the gas can be reliably reduced.

  Further, as described above, the temperature of the gas ejected from the gas ejection port decreases as the distance from the gas ejection port increases. The place that is most affected by the gas is in the vicinity of the gas outlet, and the influence of other places is smaller than that in the vicinity. Therefore, even if only the auxiliary member located in the vicinity of the gas ejection port is formed by the coat cloth, the influence of the bag body from the heat of the gas can be reduced. In addition, by using the coated cloth only in the places that are truly necessary, the amount of the coated cloth used in the side airbag device can be reduced as much as possible, and the cost increase associated with the use of the coated cloth can be suppressed.

  The specific auxiliary coupling portion may be configured to couple the auxiliary polymerization portions to each other in a state independent from the polymerization portion of the bag body, as in the invention according to claim 4. According to the invention described in Item 5, the auxiliary polymerization portions may be combined with the polymerization portions of the bag body.

  In any of the inventions according to the fourth and fifth aspects, the specific auxiliary coupling portion couples both auxiliary polymerization portions of the auxiliary member. Therefore, by providing the specific auxiliary coupling portion between the fixing portion of the auxiliary member with respect to the bag main body and the gas outlet as described above, the high temperature gas can be received, and the invention according to claim 1. An effect is obtained.

  Further, the peripheral edge coupling portion may be provided by stitching the peripheral edge portions of the two overlapping portions as in the invention according to claim 6, or according to the invention according to claim 7. Thus, it may be provided by adhering the peripheral portions of the two overlapping portions.

  In any of the inventions according to the sixth aspect and the seventh aspect, it is possible to form a bag-shaped bag body by joining both the polymerized portions at the peripheral portion. Further, as described above, the high-temperature gas is received by the specific auxiliary coupling portion provided between the fixing portion of the auxiliary member with respect to the bag body and the gas outlet. Therefore, regardless of whether the peripheral joint portion is provided by stitching or by bonding, the influence of the peripheral joint portion from the heat of the gas can be reduced.

  Furthermore, the auxiliary coupling portion may be provided by stitching the auxiliary polymerization portions as in the invention described in claim 8, or as in the invention according to claim 9. And may be provided by adhering both the auxiliary polymerization portions.

  In any of the inventions according to the eighth and ninth aspects, the two auxiliary polymerization portions are combined to form a cylinder, reinforce the bag body, and rectify the gas from the gas outlet. An auxiliary member can be formed. Further, by providing the auxiliary coupling portion so that the specific auxiliary coupling portion is broken when it is affected by a predetermined degree of heat from the gas, as described above, a part of the energy of the gas is used for the fracture or the like. The load due to the energy of the gas that is consumed and applied to the peripheral joint can be effectively suppressed.

  A tenth aspect of the present invention is the invention according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, wherein a part of the auxiliary coupling portion guides the gas ejected from the gas ejection port in a predetermined direction. The gist is that it functions as:

  According to the above configuration, the gas ejected from the gas ejection port of the inflator is regulated in the process of passing through the auxiliary member by the guide portion that is a part of the auxiliary coupling portion. Due to this restriction, the gas from the gas outlet is guided in a predetermined direction. Therefore, by appropriately setting the position and shape of a part of the auxiliary coupling portion, the gas can be guided in a desired direction and the bag body can be preferentially inflated and deployed in the desired direction.

  According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the tenth aspect, the specific auxiliary coupling portion extends from the vicinity of the gas ejection port in the predetermined direction and also serves as the guide portion. The gist.

  According to said structure, a specific auxiliary | assistant coupling | bond part receives the high temperature gas, and exhibits the function to make small the influence which the fixing location with respect to the bag main body of an auxiliary member receives from the heat of gas, and from a gas jet nozzle. The function of regulating the gas flow and guiding it in a predetermined direction is also exhibited. As described above, the specific auxiliary coupling portion exhibits two functions, so that the cost can be reduced or the space required for the auxiliary member to exhibit both functions can be reduced compared to the case where each function is exhibited by two different portions. It is advantageous to do.

The gist of the invention of claim 12 is that, in the invention of claim 10, the guide part is provided separately from the specific auxiliary coupling part.
According to said structure, a specific auxiliary | assistant coupling | bond part exhibits the function which relieve | moderates the influence which the fixing location with respect to the bag main body of an auxiliary member receives from the heat of gas by receiving high temperature gas as mentioned above. Moreover, the guide part exhibits the function of regulating the flow of gas from the gas ejection port and guiding it in a predetermined direction. As described above, the specific auxiliary coupling portion and the guide portion each exhibit a single function different from each other, and therefore the degree of freedom in design is higher than when a single location (specific auxiliary coupling portion) exhibits both functions. This makes it easy to design to maximize the functions of each person.

Moreover, it is preferable that the said specific auxiliary | assistant coupling | bond part is provided in the vicinity of the fixed location with respect to the said bag main body of the said auxiliary member like the invention of Claim 13.
For one thing, the effect of the heat of the gas on the fixed location can be effectively reduced when the gas from the gas outlet is received in the vicinity of the fixed location, rather than at a location away from the fixed location. Because it is considered.

  In addition, if the specific auxiliary coupling portion is provided at a location away from the fixed location, the gas rectifying action by the cylindrical auxiliary member becomes excessively strong, and the gas may flow excessively vigorously in a specific direction. Because it is considered to be. Such a phenomenon is suppressed by arranging the specific auxiliary coupling portion in the vicinity of the fixed portion.

  According to the present invention, the auxiliary member is fixed to the bag body using a part of the peripheral joint part, and the auxiliary joint part is fixed to the bag body of the auxiliary member between the fixing portion of the auxiliary member and the gas outlet of the inflator. Since it was provided in between, the peripheral joint part of the bag body can provide a side airbag device that is not easily affected by the high-temperature gas ejected from the gas ejection port.

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in a side airbag device provided in a vehicle will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the following description, the forward direction of the vehicle will be described as the front (front of the vehicle), and the reverse direction of the vehicle will be described as the rear (rear of the vehicle). Further, in the following description, the vertical direction means the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the horizontal direction is the vehicle width direction of the vehicle and coincides with the horizontal direction when the vehicle moves forward.

  As shown in at least one of FIGS. 1 and 2, a vehicle seat 12 is disposed in the vicinity of the vehicle inner side (upper side in FIG. 2) of the vehicle body side portion 11. Here, the body side portion 11 refers to a member disposed on the side portion of the vehicle, and mainly corresponds to a door, a pillar, and the like. For example, the body side part corresponding to the front seat is a front door, a center pillar (B pillar), or the like. Moreover, the body side part corresponding to a rear seat is the rear part of a side door (rear door), C pillar, the front part of a tire house, a rear quarter, etc.

  Inside the seat back (back) 13 of the vehicle seat 12 and on the side of the vehicle outer side (lower side in FIG. 2), an airbag module 14 that constitutes a main part of the side airbag device is housed. As shown in FIG. 3, the airbag module 14 includes an inversionless type bag body 20, an inflator assembly 40, and an auxiliary member 60 as constituent members. Next, each of these structural members will be described. FIG. 3 schematically shows the airbag module 14 in a state where the bag body 20 is deployed without being filled with gas.

<Bag body 20>
As shown in at least one of FIGS. 3 and 6 (A), the bag body 20 includes a pair of front and back overlapping portions 21A and 21B. Both overlapping portions 21A and 21B are formed by folding (folding in half) one panel cloth 22 having a symmetrical shape in the left-right direction at the center portion thereof. As the panel cloth 22, a woven cloth formed using a material that has high strength and is flexible and can be folded, for example, polyester yarn, polyamide yarn, or the like is used. As the panel cloth 22, a so-called non-coated cloth that does not have a heat-resistant coating layer made of silicone or the like on its surface is used.

  The panel cloth 22 has a quadrangular protrusion 23 that protrudes downward at the center thereof. The protruding portion 23 is a portion that becomes a mounting portion 24 described later. That is, in the bag body 20 formed by folding both the overlapping portions 21A and 21B, the protruding portion 23 is also folded at the central portion, and this location becomes a location (mounting portion 24) related to fastening of the inflator assembly 40. .

Further, the panel cloth 22 has a through hole 25 through which a bolt 52 of a retainer 46 described later is inserted.
3 and 6A is a reinforcing cloth for supplementing the strength of the overlapping portions 21A and 21B, and is stitched to the overlapping portions 21A and 21B. Both the reinforcing cloths 26 and 26 are used as locations where the side edges of a tether (not shown) disposed between the overlapping portions 21A and 21B are sewn. By this stitching, the tether connects the overlapping portions 21A and 21B in the left-right (vehicle width) direction, and regulates the expansion in the vehicle width direction when the bag body 20 is inflated and deployed.

  Both superposition | polymerization parts 21A and 21B are formed in the bag shape by joining in the peripheral coupling | bond part 27 provided in those peripheral parts. In this embodiment, the peripheral joint portion 27 is provided by sewing the peripheral portions of the overlapping portions 21A and 21B with sewing threads. One (upper) end portion 28 of the peripheral joint portion 27 is located on a side 31 related to folding of the overlapping portions 21A and 21B. The other (lower) end portion 29 of the peripheral joint portion 27 is located in the vicinity of the root portion 24A of the mounting portion 24 in the overlapping portions 21A and 21B. That is, the end portion 29 is located at a position slightly spaced forward from the side 31. And between this edge | side 31 and the edge part 29, the insertion port 32 for inserting the inflator assembly 40 is comprised.

When the bag body 20 having the above-described configuration is inflated and deployed, as shown in FIG. 1, the bag body 20 is positioned on the side of a wide region from the shoulder Ps to the waist Pw of the occupant P.
In addition, the said bag main body 20 is not turned over in use. That is, in the airbag module 14, the bag body 20 is used in a state in which a portion outside the peripheral coupling portion 27 is exposed in the overlapping portions 21 </ b> A and 21 </ b> B. Such a usage mode (specification) of the bag body 20 is generally called “inversion-less”.

<Inflator assembly 40>
As shown in FIGS. 4, 5 </ b> A, and 5 </ b> B, the inflator assembly 40 includes an inflator 41 as a gas generation source and a retainer 46 attached to the inflator 41.

  In the present embodiment, a type called a pyrotype is used as the inflator 41. The inflator 41 has a substantially cylindrical shape with both ends closed, and in use, the inflator 41 is disposed so that the axis extends in the vertical direction. In this type, unlike the hybrid type in which a partition of a high-pressure gas cylinder filled with high-pressure gas is broken by a gunpowder or the like and gas is ejected, a gas that generates expansion gas by a chemical reaction accompanied by heat generation in the inflator 41 A generator (not shown) is accommodated. A plurality of gas ejection ports 42 for ejecting gas generated by the gas generating agent radially outward are provided on the upper portion of the inflator 41.

A connector portion 43 is provided at the lower end portion of the inflator 41, and a harness 44 serving as a control signal application wiring to the inflator 41 is connected to the connector portion 43.
On the other hand, the retainer 46 is a member that functions as a diffuser and also has a function of fixing the retainer 46 together with the bag body 20 and the auxiliary member 60 described above in the seat back 13, and most of them bend a plate material such as a metal plate. It is formed by processing. The retainer 46 includes a cylindrical portion 47 whose upper and lower ends are open, and a substantially semi-cylindrical extending portion 48 that extends downward from the cylindrical portion 47. The tubular portion 47 is a portion that wraps around the upper half of the inflator 41, and the extended portion 48 is a portion that covers substantially half of the inflator 41 in the circumferential direction.

  The cylindrical portion 47 is provided with a window portion 49 that exposes a part of the gas ejection ports 42 from the retainer 46. Here, a plurality of gas ejection ports 42 are provided on the peripheral wall of the inflator 41, and the cylindrical portion 47 regulates the ejection of gas from these gas ejection ports 42, and the window portion 49 extends from the gas ejection port 42. Allow gas ejection. Therefore, in the cylindrical part 47, the gas ejection direction is determined according to the position of the window part 49. In this embodiment, the window part 49 is formed in the front side part of the cylindrical part 47, and the gas from the gas outlet 42 exposed in the window part 49 spouts through the window part 49 toward the front of the vehicle substantially. Is done.

A slit 51 is formed in the extending portion 48. The slit 51 is a place where a fastener 53 described later is hooked.
In FIG. 4 and FIG. 5B, reference numeral 52 denotes a bolt fixed to the retainer 46, which is inserted into a through hole 63 described later of the auxiliary member 60 and the through hole 25 of the bag body 20. With this insertion, the bolt 52 protruding outside the bag body 20 is fastened to a seat frame (not shown) in the seat back 13. By this fastening, the airbag module 14 is fixed to the seat frame. In the present embodiment, two bolts 52 are used, but this number can be changed as appropriate.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the bolt 52 is inserted through the corresponding through hole 25, the upper half of the inflator assembly 40 is located above the insertion port 32 in the bag body 20. Further, the lower half portion of the inflator assembly 40 is located below the insertion port 32, that is, in the mounting portion 24. An annular fastener 53 is fitted from the outside of the mounting portion 24, and the fastening portion 53 is crimped so as to reduce the diameter at a position corresponding to the slit 51, whereby the mounting portion 24 is airtight to the inflator assembly 40. It is concluded with.

<Auxiliary member 60>
As shown in at least one of FIGS. 3 and 7, the auxiliary member 60 reinforces the bag body 20 (increases the strength against the heat of the gas) and rectifies the gas from the gas outlet 42 of the inflator 41. It is used for this purpose, and includes a pair of front and back auxiliary polymerization portions 61A and 61B. Both auxiliary overlapping portions 61A and 61B are formed by folding (folding in half) one auxiliary cloth 62 having a target shape in the left-right direction at the center portion thereof. As the auxiliary fabric 62, a base fabric that has high strength and is flexible and can be folded in the same manner as the bag body 20, and has a heat-resistant coating layer made of an elastomer such as chloroprene or silicone. A so-called coated cloth formed on the surface of the base cloth is used.

  As described above, the non-coated cloth is used as the panel cloth 22 constituting the bag body 20 and the coated cloth is used as the auxiliary cloth 62 constituting the auxiliary member 60. This is because the use amount of the coated cloth is suppressed to suppress an increase in cost associated with the use of the coated cloth.

  In the auxiliary cloth 62, a through hole 63 is formed at a location corresponding to the through hole 25 of the overlapping portion 21B. The through hole 63 is a hole through which the bolt 52 of the retainer 46 is inserted.

  Both auxiliary overlapping portions 61A and 61B are joined at auxiliary connecting portions 64 and 65 provided respectively at the upper and lower edge portions of the auxiliary overlapping portions 61A and 61B, separately from the bag body 20, so that the front end Is formed in a cylindrical shape having an opening 66. In the present embodiment, the auxiliary coupling portions 64 and 65 are provided by sewing the upper and lower edge portions of the auxiliary overlapping portions 61A and 61B with sewing threads. Since the auxiliary member 60 has a cylindrical shape as described above, the gas ejected from the gas outlet 42 of the inflator 41 flows forward along the auxiliary member 60 and then flows out from the opening 66 at the front end. It becomes.

  The upper auxiliary coupling portion 64 is provided over the entire length in the front-rear direction at the upper edge portion of both auxiliary overlapping portions 61A and 61B. On the other hand, the lower auxiliary coupling portion 65 is not provided over the entire length in the front-rear direction at the lower edge portions of both auxiliary overlapping portions 61A and 61B. The front end portion 67 of the auxiliary coupling portion 65 is located in the opening 66, but the rear end portion 68 is a portion spaced forward from the side 69 related to the folding of the auxiliary overlapping portions 61A and 61B, here the above-described portion. It is located at a location near the lower end portion 29 of the peripheral edge coupling portion 27. An insertion port 71 for inserting the inflator assembly 40 is formed between the side 69 and the rear end portion 68.

  The auxiliary member 60 is disposed in the bag body 20 (between the overlapping portions 21A and 21B) in a state where the through hole 63 is matched with the through hole 25 of the bag body 20. In this state, the side 69 related to the folding of the auxiliary member 60 is in contact with or close to the side 31 related to the folding of the bag body 20.

  The upper half of the inflator assembly 40 described above enters the auxiliary member 60 through the insertion port 71. The gas outlet 42 exposed in the window 49 is located in the vicinity of each upper end of the end 29 of the peripheral joint 27 and the rear end 68 of the auxiliary joint 65. In this way, the auxiliary member 60 is disposed in the bag body 20 so as to surround at least the gas ejection port 42 of the inflator 41.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the auxiliary member 60 is fixed to the bag body 20 by using the vicinity of the lower end portion 29 that is a part of the peripheral edge coupling portion 27. That is, most of the peripheral joint portion 27 joins the peripheral portions of the overlapping portions 21A and 21B of the bag body 20, but a part (the vicinity of the end portion 29) is partially supplemented by the auxiliary member 60. The portions 61A and 61B and the overlapping portions 21A and 21B of the bag body 20 are coupled. In other words, both auxiliary overlapping portions 61A and 61B of the auxiliary member 60 are stitched together with both overlapping portions 21A and 21B of the bag body 20 at their lower end portions. When the jointly sewn portion (the two-dot chain line portion indicated by a thick line in FIG. 3) is expressed as a co-sewn portion 72, the co-sewn portion 72 is a place where the auxiliary member 60 is fixed to the bag body 20. It corresponds to.

  The lower auxiliary coupling portion 65 is provided as a specific auxiliary coupling portion in a region between the co-sewn portion 72 and the gas outlet 42. In the present embodiment, since the region is narrow in the vertical direction, the auxiliary coupling portion 65 is located in the vicinity of the upper portion of the co-sewn portion 72. The main function of the auxiliary coupling portion 65 is to receive the high-temperature and high-pressure gas ejected from the gas ejection port 42 before reaching the co-sewn portion 72. In addition, the auxiliary coupling portion 65 was ejected from the gas ejection port 42. It also has a function as a guide part for guiding gas in a predetermined direction. In the present embodiment, the front lower direction is the predetermined direction. As a configuration for exhibiting the function as the guide portion, the auxiliary coupling portion 65 starts from the vicinity below the gas outlet 42 and extends forward in a state of being inclined so as to become lower from the gas outlet 42 forward. I'm out.

The airbag module 14 configured as described above is manufactured through the following steps, for example.
(I) Formation Process of Bag Body 20 FIG. 6A shows the panel cloth 22 at a stage before being folded in half. When sewing the panel cloth 22, a folding line 76 (refer to a one-dot chain line in FIG. 6A) extending in the vertical direction is set at a central portion of the panel cloth 22 in the left-right direction. The panel cloth 22 is folded forward (folded in two) along the fold line 76 so that the fold line 76 is located on the rear side. As a result of this folding, a pair of front and back overlapping portions 21A and 21B having the same shape as shown in FIG.

  Subsequently, the peripheral portions of the overlapping portions 21A and 21B are sewn with a sewing thread, leaving a part thereof. The reason for leaving a part is to form an opening 77 for inserting the auxiliary member 60 and the inflator assembly 40. By the above stitching, most of the peripheral coupling portion 27 is formed at the peripheral portions of the overlapping portions 21A and 21B, and the overlapping portions 21A and 21B are combined in a substantially bag shape.

(Ii) Formation Process of Auxiliary Member 60 FIG. 7A shows the auxiliary cloth 62 at a stage before being folded in half. At the time of sewing of the auxiliary cloth 62, a folding line 78 (refer to a one-dot chain line in FIG. 7A) extending in the vertical direction is set at a central portion of the auxiliary cloth 62 in the left-right direction. The auxiliary cloth 62 is folded forward (folded in two) along the fold line 78 so that the fold line 78 is located on the rear side. By this folding, as shown in FIG. 7B, a pair of front and back auxiliary overlapping portions 61A, 61B having a rectangular shape are formed.

  Subsequently, the upper edge portions of the auxiliary overlapping portions 61A and 61B are stitched with a sewing thread to form the upper auxiliary coupling portion 64. Moreover, the lower edge part of both auxiliary superposition | polymerization part 61A, 61B is stitched | sutured with a sewing thread, and the insertion opening 71 and the lower side auxiliary | assistant coupling | bond part 65 (specific auxiliary | assistant coupling | bond part) are formed.

(Iii) Mounting Step of Inflator Assembly 40 As shown in FIG. 7B, a part of the inflator assembly 40 arranged below the auxiliary member 60 is inserted into the auxiliary member 60 through the insertion port 71. The bolt 52 of the retainer 46 is inserted into the through hole 63 of the auxiliary member 60. By this insertion, as shown in FIG. 7C, the inflator assembly 40 is locked in a state of being positioned on the auxiliary member 60. In this state, the substantially upper half of the inflator assembly 40 enters the auxiliary member 60 and the substantially lower half is exposed downward from the auxiliary member 60. Further, the gas outlet 42 of the inflator 41 is located slightly above the rear end portion 68 of the auxiliary coupling portion 65.

(Iv) Fixing process of auxiliary member 60 to bag main body 20 The auxiliary member 60 and the inflator assembly 40 that have been subjected to the mounting process of (iii) above are used as the bag main body 20 that has undergone the forming process of (i) (FIG. 6B). Into the reference) through the opening 77. The bolt 52 of the retainer 46 is inserted into the through hole 25 of the bag body 20. By this insertion, as shown in FIG. 3, the auxiliary member 60 and the inflator assembly 40 are locked in a state of being positioned on the bag body 20.

  Subsequently, a part of the overlapping portions 21A and 21B that are left unsewn in the forming step (i) is stitched. At this time, the portions where both the overlapping portions 21A and 21B overlap the both auxiliary overlapping portions 61A and 61B are sewn together. As a result of this co-sewing, a co-sewn portion 72 is formed as shown in FIG. 3, the peripheral edge coupling portion 27 is all provided, and the auxiliary member 60 is fixed to the bag body 20 at the lower end portion.

(V) Closing step of the mounting portion 24 At the stage after the fixing step (iv) above, there is not a little gap between the inflator assembly 40 and the end portion 29 of the peripheral edge coupling portion 27, The space is not closed. In this state, when the bag body 20 is inflated, the gas from the inflator 41 may leak from the gap. On the other hand, the lower half of the inflator assembly 40 is located below the insertion port 32, that is, at a location corresponding to the mounting portion 24. Therefore, an annular fastener 53 is fitted from the outside of the mounting portion 24, and the fastener 53 is crimped so as to reduce the diameter at a portion corresponding to the slit 51 of the retainer 46 (see FIGS. 5A and 5B). . By this caulking, the mounting portion 24 is fastened to the lower half of the inflator assembly 40 in an airtight state, and the insertion port 32 is substantially closed, and the desired airbag module 14 is obtained.

  In the series of steps, the bag body 20 is sewn in two steps, but may be performed all at once. In this case, the forming step (i) is performed together with the suturing in the fixing step (iv).

  The airbag module 14 formed as described above is made compact by folding the bag body 20 and the auxiliary member 60, and is housed in the seat back 13 and on the side portion outside the vehicle (see FIG. 1). ). The bolts 52 exposed from the bag body 20 are fastened to the seat frame in the seat back 13 by tightening nuts (not shown).

  The side airbag device includes an impact sensor and a control device (not shown) in addition to the airbag module 14 described above. The impact sensor is composed of an acceleration sensor or the like, and is provided on the body side portion 11 (see FIG. 2) of the vehicle. The impact sensor detects an impact applied from the side to the body side portion 11. The control device controls the operation of the inflator 41 based on the detection signal from the impact sensor.

  As described above, the side airbag device of the present embodiment is configured. In this side airbag device, when an impact of a predetermined value or more is applied to the body side portion 11 of the vehicle, and this is detected by the impact sensor, the drive current from the control device to the inflator 41 through the harness 44 based on the detection signal. Is output. By heating based on this driving current, high-temperature and high-pressure gas is generated from the gas generating agent in the inflator 41 and tries to be ejected radially outward from the plurality of gas ejection ports 42. At this time, among the plurality of gas ejection ports 42, the rear one is closed by the cylindrical portion 47 of the retainer 46, and the front one is exposed from the window portion 49. Therefore, gas is ejected from the front gas ejection port 42 toward the front through the window 49. This substantially front includes the front upper and lower fronts as well as the front.

  The ejected high-temperature and high-pressure gas does not immediately blow on the bag body 20 but first passes through the auxiliary member 60. With this passage, the auxiliary member 60 and the bag main body 20 expand while canceling (deploying) the folded state. At this time, the auxiliary member 60 has a cylindrical shape extending forward and has an opening 66 at the front end thereof, thereby exhibiting a gas rectifying function. In practice, the upper auxiliary coupling portion 64 and the lower auxiliary coupling portion 65 (specific auxiliary coupling portion) each regulate the gas flow direction.

  With this function, the gas ejected from the gas ejection port 42 flows forward along the auxiliary member 60 and then flows out from the opening 66 at the front end. Since the upper auxiliary coupling portion 64 is formed in a straight line toward the front, the gas flowing through the upper portion in the auxiliary member 60 blows forward from the opening 66. Further, since the lower auxiliary coupling portion 65 is inclined so as to become lower toward the front side, the gas flowing through the lower portion in the auxiliary member 60 blows out obliquely forward and downward from the opening 66.

  The auxiliary member 60 also exhibits a function of reinforcing the bag body 20 in addition to the rectifying function. That is, the bag body 20 is formed of a non-coated cloth, and has a lower strength against heat than the coated cloth. In this respect, the auxiliary member 60 formed of the coated cloth as described above is provided in the bag body 20 in a state of surrounding the gas outlet 42 of the inflator 41. Therefore, the gas passes through the auxiliary member 60 immediately after being ejected from the gas ejection port 42. Although the temperature and pressure of the gas immediately after being ejected from the gas ejection port 42 are high, since the auxiliary member 60 is formed of the coated cloth as described above, the influence of the auxiliary member 60 from the heat and pressure of the gas. Is small. Further, when the gas passes through the auxiliary member 60, the bag body 20 is not directly exposed to the gas, and the bag body 20 is less affected by the heat and pressure of the high-temperature gas immediately after ejection. Furthermore, the temperature of the gas ejected from the gas ejection port 42 decreases as the distance from the gas ejection port 42 increases. When the gas flows out from the opening 66 of the auxiliary member 60 and moves into the bag main body 20, the temperature of the gas is lowered to some extent. Therefore, the gas flowing out from the opening 66 touches the bag body 20, but the influence of the bag body 20 on the heat of the gas is further reduced.

  Further, the gas outlet 42 is located in the vicinity of the upper portion of the base portion 24 </ b> A of the mounting portion 24 in the bag body 20, and in the vicinity of the upper portion of the co-sewn portion 72, which is a fixing portion of the auxiliary member 60 to the bag body 20. ing. Therefore, if the auxiliary overlapping portions 61A and 61B of the auxiliary member 60 are not sewn at the lower edge portion of the auxiliary member 60, the co-sewn portion 72 is directly applied to the high-temperature and high-pressure gas immediately after being ejected from the gas outlet 42. Be exposed. By using the pyro-type inflator 41, the peripheral joint portion 27 of the bag body 20 is originally easily affected by the heat of gas, and the above-mentioned joint stitching portion 72 of the peripheral joint portion 27 is further provided. Are more susceptible to the heat of the gas. For this, for example, a countermeasure such as using a sewing thread having high heat resistance can be considered, but an increase in cost is inevitable.

  In this regard, in the present embodiment, the lower auxiliary coupling portion 65 is located between the co-sewn portion 72 and the gas outlet 42. Therefore, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas ejected from the gas ejection port 42 toward the front and lower side is received by the auxiliary coupling portion 65 and hardly reaches the co-sewn portion 72. The influence which the co-sewing part 72 receives from the heat and pressure of the said gas is suppressed, without taking the countermeasure accompanying the above cost increase.

  In particular, when the auxiliary coupling portion 65 breaks due to the influence of the heat and pressure of the gas, the energy of the gas is consumed for the breakage, and the load applied to the co-sewn portion 72 is increased. Is reliably suppressed.

  The bag main body 20 is inflated and deployed in the space between the vehicle seat 12 and the body side portion 11 by the gas flowing out from the opening 66 of the auxiliary member 60 as described above. The inflated and deployed bag body 20 is interposed between the occupant P and the body side part 11 entering the vehicle interior, and the side impact transmitted to the occupant P through the body side part 11 is reduced.

According to the embodiment described in detail above, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) A cylindrical auxiliary member 60 having an opening 66 formed at the front end is disposed in the bag body 20 in a state of surrounding the gas outlet 42. Therefore, the gas ejected from the gas ejection port 42 can be rectified by the auxiliary member 60 and guided in a predetermined direction (forward).

  (2) The auxiliary member 60 is formed by connecting a pair of auxiliary overlapping portions 61A, 61B having higher heat resistance than the overlapping portions 21A, 21B at the auxiliary connecting portions 64, 65. Therefore, the auxiliary member 60 and the bag body 20 can be protected from the heat and pressure of the gas even when the gas from the gas outlet 42 passes through the auxiliary member 60 and flows out of the opening 66.

  (3) The auxiliary member 60 is fixed (co-sewn) to the bag main body 20 using a part of the peripheral connecting portion 27, and the lower auxiliary connecting portion 65 is used as the specific auxiliary connecting portion, and the bag main body of the auxiliary member 60 is used. 20 is provided between the co-sewn portion 72 which is a fixed portion with respect to 20 and the gas ejection port 42. Therefore, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas ejected from the gas ejection port 42 is received by the auxiliary coupling portion 65, and the influence of the co-sewn portion 72 from the heat and pressure of the gas can be reduced.

  In particular, since the auxiliary coupling portion 65 is broken by the heat and pressure of the gas, a part of the energy of the gas can be consumed, and the load due to the gas applied to the co-sewn portion 72 can be reliably reduced.

  (4) Where the peripheral edge portion 27 is affected by the heat and pressure of the gas, the degree of the effect is large at a location near the gas outlet 42 and decreases as the distance from the gas outlet 42 increases. In the present embodiment, the auxiliary member 60 is fixed (co-sewn) to the bag body 20 using the portion of the peripheral edge coupling portion 27 that is closest to the gas outlet 42, and originally from the heat and pressure of the gas. It is greatly affected. However, by providing the lower auxiliary coupling portion 65 as the specific auxiliary coupling portion between the co-sewn portion 72 and the gas outlet 42 as the fixed portion as described above, the high temperature and high pressure gas can be identified. The load received by the auxiliary joint portion can be reliably suppressed by the co-sewn portion 72 from the heat and pressure of the gas.

  (5) Both superposed portions 21A and 21B of the bag body 20 are formed of non-coated cloth, while both auxiliary superposed portions 61A and 61B of the auxiliary member 60 are formed of coated cloth. Therefore, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas ejected from the gas ejection port 42 passes through the auxiliary member 60, but the influence of heat received by the auxiliary member 60 from the gas can be reduced.

  Further, as described above, the temperature of the gas ejected from the gas ejection port 42 decreases as the distance from the gas ejection port 42 increases. The place that is most affected by the gas is in the vicinity of the gas outlet 42, and the influence that other places receive is smaller than the vicinity. Therefore, the load applied to the bag body 20 due to the heat and pressure of the gas can be suppressed only by forming only the auxiliary member 60 located in the vicinity of the gas ejection port 42 by the coat cloth. In addition, by using the coated cloth only in the places that are truly necessary, the amount of the coated cloth used in the airbag module 14 is reduced as much as possible, and the cost of the airbag module 14 and the side airbag device associated with the use of the coated cloth is increased. Can be suppressed.

  (6) A coated fabric having an elastomer coating layer has lower gas permeability than a non-coated fabric not having the same layer. On the other hand, in the side airbag device, it is required that the bag body 20 is inflated and deployed in a short time and the internal pressure is kept high for a certain period of time in response to an impact from the side.

  In this regard, in the present embodiment, as described above, the bag body 20 is formed of a non-coated cloth, the auxiliary member 60 is formed of a coated cloth, and the auxiliary member 60 surrounds the gas ejection port 42. Therefore, compared with the case where the auxiliary member 60 is not used, the escape of gas in the vicinity of the gas ejection port 42 can be suppressed, which is advantageous in satisfying the above requirements.

  (7) The auxiliary coupling portion 65 serving as the specific auxiliary coupling portion couples the front and back auxiliary polymerization portions 61A and 61B, and receives the high-temperature and high-pressure gas from the gas outlet 42. Therefore, from the viewpoint of fulfilling this function, the auxiliary coupling portion 65 couples the auxiliary polymerization portions 61A and 61B to each other in a state independent from the both polymerization portions 21A and 21B of the bag body 20 (Aspect 1). Alternatively, the auxiliary polymerization units 61A and 61B may be combined with the polymerization units 21A and 21B (Aspect 2).

In the present embodiment, the above aspect 1 is adopted. Therefore, compared with the case where aspect 2 is adopted, the following points are superior.
Assuming that the auxiliary coupling portion 65 is formed by stitching, in the case of the mode 2, in addition to both the auxiliary overlapping portions 61A and 61B, holes for passing the sewing thread are also formed in both the overlapping portions 21A and 21B. This hole may cause a decrease in strength of the bag body 20 and gas leakage. On the other hand, in the mode 1 in which only both the auxiliary overlapping portions 61A and 61B are sewn in a state independent of both the overlapping portions 21A and 21B, a hole for passing a sewing thread through both the overlapping portions 21A and 21B cannot be formed. For this reason, the above-mentioned problems associated with drilling can be avoided.

  Assuming the case where the auxiliary coupling portion 65 is broken by a high-temperature and high-pressure gas, in the case of the mode 2, the capacity of the bag body 20 changes considerably before and after the breakage. On the other hand, in the aspect 1, the capacity of the bag body 20 does not change before and after the auxiliary coupling portion 65 is broken. The auxiliary coupling portion 65 can be broken without changing the capacity of the bag body 20.

  (8) As with the other airbag devices, the side airbag device is classified into two types depending on whether the bag body 20 is turned over or not after the peripheral edge coupling portion 27 is formed. In general, the former is called an inversion type and the latter is called an inversionless type.

  In the reversal type, the outer portions of the overlapping portions 21 </ b> A and 21 </ b> B from the peripheral coupling portion 27 are positioned inside the bag body 20 by turning over. This portion serves to reduce the load applied to the peripheral joint portion 27 when gas is ejected from the inflator. On the other hand, in the inversion-less type, since the portion outside the peripheral joint portion 27 is exposed to the outside of the bag body 20 in both the overlapping portions 21A and 21B, the effect of reducing the load due to the gas as described above is obtained. Absent. Therefore, a larger load is applied to the peripheral coupling portion 27 than the inversion type.

  In the present embodiment, a side airbag device using an inversionless type bag body 20 is employed. Therefore, the configuration of the present embodiment that receives the heat and pressure of gas by the auxiliary coupling portion 65 is particularly effective in protecting the peripheral coupling portion 27 that is more susceptible to gas than the inversion type.

  (9) The peripheral joint portion 27 provided by stitching the overlapping portions 21A and 21B with the sewing thread, in particular the joint stitching portion 72, is easily affected by the gas from the pyro-type inflator 41 as described above. Therefore, the configuration of the present embodiment that receives the heat and pressure of the gas by the auxiliary coupling portion 65 is effective in protecting the peripheral coupling portion 27 (co-sewn portion 72) that is easily affected by such gas.

  (10) The auxiliary coupling portions 64 and 65 are provided by stitching the auxiliary overlapping portions 61A and 61B with sewing threads. In this configuration, the strength of the auxiliary coupling portions 64 and 65 is appropriately set so that the specific auxiliary coupling portion (auxiliary coupling portion 65) breaks when it is affected by a predetermined degree of heat from the gas. Therefore, a part of the energy of the gas can be consumed, and the load applied by the energy of the gas to the peripheral joint portion 27 can be effectively suppressed. For example, the strength of the auxiliary coupling portions 64 and 65 can be set to a suitable value by variously changing the sewing interval, the type of sewing thread, and the like.

  (11) The lower auxiliary coupling portion 65 serving as the specific auxiliary coupling portion is provided so as to extend from the vicinity of the front side of the gas ejection port 42 in a predetermined direction (front and lower). In this way, the auxiliary coupling portion 65 functions as a guide portion that guides a part (lower portion) of the gas ejected from the gas ejection port 42 in a predetermined direction (front and lower). Therefore, the bag body 20 can be preferentially inflated and deployed in a desired direction (in this case, the front lower side) by the gas thus guided.

  Further, as described above, the auxiliary coupling portion 65 receives a high-temperature and high-pressure gas, thereby exerting a function of reducing the influence of the co-sewn portion 72 from the heat and pressure of the gas. The function of regulating the gas flow and guiding it in a predetermined direction is also exhibited. Thus, since the auxiliary | assistant coupling | bond part 65 exhibits two functions, compared with the case where each function is exhibited by two different parts, it is advantageous when reducing manufacturing cost. In addition, the auxiliary member 60 is advantageous in reducing the space required for exhibiting both functions.

  (12) The specific auxiliary coupling portion (auxiliary coupling portion 65) is provided in the vicinity of the fixing portion (co-sewn portion 72) of the auxiliary member 60 with respect to the bag body 20. Therefore, the gas from the gas ejection port 42 can be received in the vicinity of the co-sewn portion 72, and the influence of the heat and pressure of the gas on the co-sewn portion 72 is effectively reduced as compared with the case where the gas is received at a distant place. I can.

  (13) When the specific auxiliary coupling portion (auxiliary coupling portion 65) is provided at a location away from the location where the auxiliary member 60 is fixed to the bag body 20 (co-sewn portion 72), the gas rectifying action of the cylindrical auxiliary member 60 May become excessively strong and the gas may flow excessively vigorously in a particular direction. In this respect, in the present embodiment provided in the vicinity of the auxiliary joint portion 65 and the joint portion 72, such a phenomenon can be suppressed.

Note that the present invention can be embodied in another embodiment described below.
-The specific auxiliary coupling part (lower auxiliary coupling part 65) couples both auxiliary polymerization parts 61A and 61B to each other in a state independent of the polymerization parts 21A and 21B of the bag body 20 as in the above embodiment. Although there may be, both auxiliary superposition | polymerization part 61A, 61B may be couple | bonded with both superposition | polymerization part 21A, 21B.

  Even if it changes like the latter, the auxiliary | assistant coupling | bond part 65 couple | bonds both auxiliary superposition | polymerization parts 61A and 61B mutually similarly to the said embodiment. Therefore, as long as the condition that the auxiliary coupling portion 65 is located between the fixing portion (co-sewn portion 72) of the auxiliary member 60 with respect to the bag body 20 and the gas ejection port 42, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas can be received. The influence of the fixed portion (co-sewn portion 72) from the high-temperature and high-pressure gas can be reduced.

  In the above-described embodiment, the present invention is embodied in a reversing-less type side airbag device in which the bag body 20 is not turned over after the peripheral edge coupling portion 27 is formed. It may be embodied in a bag device. Even in this case, the peripheral coupling portion 27 can be protected from the heat and pressure of the gas by receiving the heat and pressure of the gas by the auxiliary coupling portion 65.

  The peripheral joint portion 27 in the bag body 20 may be provided by bonding instead of stitching. Even in this case, both the overlapping portions 21A and 21B can be combined, and the fixing portion (co-sewn portion 72) in the peripheral connecting portion 27 can be obtained by receiving the heat and pressure of the gas by the auxiliary connecting portion 65. It can be protected from the heat and pressure of the gas.

  The upper and lower auxiliary coupling portions 64 and 65 in the auxiliary member 60 may be provided by bonding instead of stitching. Even in this case, both of the auxiliary overlapping portions 61A and 61B can be combined, and the fixing portion (co-sewing) in the peripheral connecting portion 27 is received by receiving the heat and pressure of the gas by the lower auxiliary connecting portion 65. The part 72) can be protected from the heat and pressure of the gas.

  Further, in this configuration, by appropriately setting the strength of the auxiliary coupling portions 64 and 65 so that the specific auxiliary coupling portion (auxiliary coupling portion 65) is broken when it is affected by a predetermined degree of heat from the gas, A part of the energy of the gas is consumed for the breakage, and the load applied to the peripheral joint portion 27 by the energy of the gas can be effectively suppressed. For example, the strength of the auxiliary coupling portions 64 and 65 can be set to a suitable value by variously changing the application amount and application area of the adhesive, and the type of the adhesive.

  As described above, the temperature and pressure of the gas ejected from the gas ejection port 42 decrease as the distance from the gas ejection port 42 increases, and when the gas flows out from the opening 66 of the auxiliary member 60, the gas The temperature of the is lowered to some extent. Therefore, you may change the front-back length of the auxiliary member 60 according to the calorie | heat amount which gas has. That is, the auxiliary member 60 is lengthened back and forth as the amount of heat increases. By doing in this way, the gas in which the temperature fell can be made to flow out from the opening part 66 of the auxiliary member 60 irrespective of the amount of heat. The influence which the bag main body 20 receives from the heat and pressure of gas can be made small, suppressing the usage-amount of a coat cloth.

  In the side airbag device, the direction in which the bag body 20 is inflated and deployed differs depending on the direction in which the gas flows from the gas outlet 42. Therefore, it is desirable to determine the gas flow direction in accordance with the portion of the body of the occupant P that is preferentially protected by the bag body 20.

  On the other hand, the auxiliary coupling portion 65 in the auxiliary member 60 has a function of regulating the gas flow and guiding it in a predetermined direction as described above. Therefore, you may change the shape of the auxiliary | assistant coupling | bond part 65 in the auxiliary member 60 according to the distribution direction of gas. FIG. 8 shows an example. As shown in FIG. 8, when the gas is desired to flow straight forward, the auxiliary coupling portion 65 may be provided so as to extend linearly from the vicinity of the lower portion of the window portion 49 toward the front. In addition, when it is desired to flow the gas obliquely forward and upward, the auxiliary coupling portion 65 may be provided so as to extend in an inclined state so as to start from directly below the window portion 49 and increase toward the front side. In this case, the auxiliary coupling portion 65 may be provided linearly, may be provided in an arc shape so as to bulge upward, or may be provided in an arc shape so as to be recessed downward.

In FIG. 8, all modifications of the auxiliary coupling portion 65 are shown for convenience of explanation, but in actuality, any one of the auxiliary coupling portions 65 is provided alone.
-As the inflator assembly 40, you may use a type long upwards rather than the said embodiment. An example is shown in FIG. The positions of the window 49 in the retainer 46 and the gas outlet 42 of the inflator 41 in the auxiliary member 60 are higher than in the above embodiment. The window part 49 and the gas jet nozzle 42 are located in the location spaced apart from the joint part 72 upward to some extent. In this case, the formation position of the auxiliary coupling portion 65 (specific auxiliary coupling portion) is set to a position (not near) that is spaced apart from the co-sewn portion 72 to some extent in accordance with the position of the gas ejection port 42 and the like. May be.

  As shown in FIG. 10, as a part of the auxiliary coupling part that couples both auxiliary polymerization parts 61 </ b> A and 61 </ b> B, the gas is ejected from the gas outlet 42 separately from the specific auxiliary coupling part (lower auxiliary coupling part 65). A guide 79 that guides the gas in a predetermined direction may be provided.

  In this case, the gas ejected from the gas ejection port 42 of the inflator 41 is regulated by the guide portion 79 in the process of passing through the auxiliary member 60. Due to this restriction, the gas from the gas outlet 42 is guided in a predetermined direction. Therefore, by appropriately setting the position and shape of the guide portion 79 as a part of the auxiliary coupling portion, the bag body 20 can be preferentially inflated and deployed in the desired direction by guiding the gas in the desired direction. it can.

  Moreover, the specific auxiliary | assistant coupling | bond part (auxiliary coupling | bond part 65) receives the high temperature / high pressure gas as mentioned above, and the fixed location (co-sewing part 72) with respect to the bag main body 20 of the auxiliary member 60 is from the heat and pressure of gas. Demonstrates the ability to reduce the impact. The guide part 79 exhibits the function of regulating the flow of gas from the gas ejection port 42 and guiding it in a predetermined direction. Thus, since the specific auxiliary coupling part (auxiliary coupling part 65) and the guide part 79 each exhibit a single function different from each other, compared to a case where the single part (auxiliary coupling part 65) exhibits both functions. Therefore, the degree of freedom in design is high, and the design that maximizes the functions of each person becomes easy.

  As shown in FIG. 10, a plurality of specific auxiliary coupling portions (lower auxiliary coupling portions 65) may be provided, or a plurality of the guide portions 79 may be provided. Further, only one of the auxiliary coupling portion 65 and the guide portion 79 may be provided.

  The position and shape of the auxiliary coupling portion 65 (specific auxiliary coupling portion) within a range that satisfies the condition that the auxiliary member 60 is fixed to the bag main body 20 (co-sewn portion 72) and the gas ejection port 42. May be changed as appropriate.

  The inflator 41 may have a configuration provided in advance with the retainer 46.

In one Embodiment which actualized this invention, the schematic side view of the vehicle seat to which a side airbag apparatus is applied. The schematic plan view explaining the positional relationship of the vehicle seat and body side part in the embodiment. The side view which fractures | ruptures and shows some airbag modules in the embodiment. The perspective view which shows the state before an inflator is inserted in the retainer in the embodiment. It is a figure which shows the embodiment, (A) is a side view of an inflator assembly, (B) is a rear view of the inflator assembly. It is a figure which shows the same embodiment, (A) is a front view which shows the panel cloth before folding in half, (B) is the panel cloth in the state by which the most part of the peripheral coupling | bond part was provided by being folded in half. FIG. It is a figure which shows the same embodiment, (A)-(C) is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the process of forming an auxiliary member from an auxiliary cloth and mounting | wearing with an inflator assembly. The partial side view which shows the internal structure of the airbag module provided with the specific auxiliary | assistant coupling | bond part of the form different from the said embodiment. The partial side view which shows the internal structure of the airbag module similarly provided with the specific auxiliary | assistant coupling | bond part of the form different from the said embodiment. The partial side view which shows the internal structure of the airbag module similarly provided with the specific auxiliary | assistant coupling | bond part of the form different from the said embodiment. The side view which fractures | ruptures and shows a part of bag main body about the conventional side airbag apparatus. The front view which shows the state before folding the bag main body and reinforcing fabric in the side airbag apparatus of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Body side part, 12 ... Vehicle seat, 20 ... Bag main body, 21A, 21B ... Superposition | polymerization part, 27 ... Peripheral coupling part, 41 ... Inflator, 42 ... Gas ejection port, 60 ... Auxiliary member, 61A, 61B ... Auxiliary Superposition part, 64 ... auxiliary joint part, 65 ... auxiliary joint part (specific auxiliary joint part, guide part), 72 ... co-sewn part (fixed part), 79 ... guide part.

Claims (13)

A bag body formed by combining a pair of overlapping portions at a peripheral connecting portion provided at a peripheral portion of the overlapping portion;
An inflator arranged so that at least a gas outlet is located in the bag body;
A pair of auxiliary overlapping portions are connected to each other by an auxiliary connecting portion to form a cylindrical shape, which is disposed in the bag body in a state of surrounding the gas outlet, reinforces the bag body, and from the gas outlet. An auxiliary member that rectifies the gas of the vehicle, and the bag body, the vehicle seat, and the vehicle that are ejected from the gas outlet in response to an impact from the side of the vehicle and rectified by the auxiliary member In the side airbag device adapted to be inflated and deployed between the body side parts,
The auxiliary member is fixed to the bag body using a part of the peripheral coupling part, and a part of the auxiliary coupling part is used as a specific auxiliary coupling part to fix the auxiliary member to the bag main body and the gas. A side airbag device provided between a jet port. 2. The side airbag device according to claim 1, wherein a fixing location of the auxiliary member with respect to the bag main body is a location closest to the gas ejection port in the peripheral joint portion. The side airbag device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein both the polymerized portions are formed of a non-coated cloth having no heat-resistant coating layer, and the both auxiliary polymerized portions are formed of a coated cloth having the coating layer. . The side airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the specific auxiliary coupling portion couples the auxiliary polymerization portions to each other in a state independent of the polymerization portion of the bag body. The side airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the specific auxiliary coupling unit is configured to couple the auxiliary polymerization units together with the polymerization units of the bag body. The side airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the peripheral edge coupling portion is provided by stitching the peripheral edge portions of the two overlapping portions. The side airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the peripheral joint portion is provided by adhering peripheral portions of the two overlapping portions. The side airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the auxiliary coupling portion is provided by stitching the auxiliary overlapping portions. The side airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the auxiliary coupling portion is provided by bonding the auxiliary polymerization portions. The side airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a part of the auxiliary coupling portion functions as a guide portion that guides gas ejected from the gas ejection port in a predetermined direction. The side airbag device according to claim 10, wherein the specific auxiliary coupling portion extends in the predetermined direction from the vicinity of the gas ejection port, and also serves as the guide portion. The side airbag device according to claim 10, wherein the guide portion is provided separately from the specific auxiliary coupling portion. The side airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the specific auxiliary coupling portion is provided in the vicinity of a fixing portion of the auxiliary member with respect to the bag body.

Images