VEHICLE SEAT WITH SIDE AIRBAG APPARATUS

• US 20170182963A1
• Filed: 12/12/2016
• Published: 06/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: HIRAIWA, Takuya, SATO, Yuji, ONO, Minoru, IIDA, Takashi, HOTTA, Masashi
• Granted Patent: US 10,112,569 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23107 the bag being integrated in a multi-bag system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23146 seat mounted
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/23138 specially adapted for side protection B60R21/23184, B60R21/232 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/233 comprising a plurality of individual compartments; comprising two or more bag-like members, one within the other B60R21/232 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

A vehicle seat with a side airbag apparatus includes a seat back having a seat frame, a side airbag apparatus having an airbag and an inflator, and an entry preventing portion. The seat frame includes a pressure receiving plate and an outer frame portion, which surrounds the pressure receiving plate. The airbag and the inflator are installed in the outer side section of the seat back. The airbag includes a main inflation portion and an auxiliary inflation portion. The auxiliary inflation portion is inflated on the front side of the pressure receiving plate prior to inflation of the main inflation portion, thereby pushing the occupant toward the inner side. The entry preventing portion prevents the auxiliary inflation portion being inflated from entering the gap between the outer frame portion and the pressure receiving plate.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat with a side airbag apparatus, comprising:

a seat frame, which forms a framework of a seat back and includes

a pressure receiving plate arranged at a center in a vehicle width direction, and

an outer frame portion, which is separated from and surrounds the pressure receiving plate,

a side airbag apparatus, which includes an airbag and an inflator, wherein the airbag and the inflator are installed in an outer side section of the seat back, and the airbag includes

a main inflation portion, which is configured to be inflated with inflation gas supplied from the inflator and project from the seat back to be deployed forward between a side wall of the vehicle and an occupant leaning against the seat back in a normal posture, and

an auxiliary inflation portion, which is configured to, prior to deployment of the main inflation portion outside the seat back, be inflated on a front side of the pressure receiving plate in the seat back with inflation gas from the inflator, thereby pushing the occupant toward an inner side, and

an entry preventing portion, which prevents the auxiliary inflation portion being inflated from entering a gap between the outer frame portion and the pressure receiving plate.

2. The vehicle seat with a side airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the outer frame portion includes a pair of side frame portions which forms opposite side sections in the vehicle width direction of the outer frame portion,

the side frame portions include

a first side frame portion, which constitutes an inner side section of the outer frame portion, and

a second side frame portion, which constitutes an outer side section of the outer frame portion,

the auxiliary inflation portion is fixed to the second side frame portion,

the entry preventing portion includes a tension belt, which extends in the vehicle width direction and includes

a first end, which is fixed to the first side frame portion, and

a second end, which is fixed to part of the auxiliary inflation portion that is on the inner side of the part fixed to the second side frame portion, and

the tension belt is tensioned when the auxiliary inflation portion is completely inflated.

3. The vehicle seat with a side airbag apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

part of the auxiliary inflation portion that is on the inner side of the part fixed to the second side frame is arranged while being spread in the vehicle width direction, and

the second end of the tension belt is fixed to an end on the inner side of the auxiliary inflation portion in the spread state.

4. The vehicle seat with a side airbag apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the second end of the tension belt is fixed to a middle part in the vehicle width direction of the auxiliary inflation portion,

part of the auxiliary inflation portion that is on the inner side of the part fixed to the tension belt is configured by a plurality of superposed portions, which are superposed on one another in the vehicle width direction, and

part of the auxiliary inflation portion that is on the outer side of the part fixed to the tension belt is arranged to be spread in the vehicle width direction.

5. The vehicle seat with a side airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the outer frame portion includes a pair of side frame portions which forms opposite side sections in the vehicle width direction of the outer frame portion,

the side frame portions include

a first side frame portion, which constitutes an inner side section of the outer frame portion, and

a second side frame portion, which constitutes an outer side section of the outer frame portion,

the auxiliary inflation portion is arranged while being spread in the vehicle width direction,

part of the auxiliary inflation portion on the outer side is fixed to the second side frame portion, and

the entry preventing portion includes a fixing member, which fixes part of the auxiliary inflation portion on the inner side to the pressure receiving plate.

6. The vehicle seat with a side airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the outer frame portion includes a pair of side frame portions which forms opposite side sections in the vehicle width direction of the outer frame portion,

the side frame portions include

a first side frame portion, which constitutes an inner side section of the outer frame portion, and

a second side frame portion, which constitutes an outer side section of the outer frame portion,

the auxiliary inflation portion is fixed to the second side frame portion, and

the entry preventing portion includes a guide member, which guides part of the auxiliary inflation portion that is on the inner side of the part fixed to the second side frame portion to be inflated from the second side frame portion toward the inner side and diagonally forward.

7. The vehicle seat with a side airbag apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the guide member includes an inclined portion, which is located on the inner side of the second side frame portion and is inclined relative to a front-rear direction such that the closer to the inner side, the closer to a rear end of the vehicle seat.

8. The vehicle seat with a side airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the outer frame portion includes a pair of side frame portions which forms opposite side sections in the vehicle width direction of the outer frame portion,

the side frame portions include

a first side frame portion, which constitutes an inner side section of the outer frame portion, and

a second side frame portion, which constitutes an outer side section of the outer frame portion,

the auxiliary inflation portion is fixed to the second side frame portion, and

the entry preventing portion includes a rear belt, which bridges, in a tensioned state, the first and second side frame portions such that part of the rear belt is located behind the auxiliary inflation portion in a spread state.

9. The vehicle seat with a side airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary inflation portion is configured to be completely inflated at an earlier time than the main inflation portion.