Seat structure equipped with side impact air bag

• US 5,799,971 A
• Filed: 11/19/1996
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Asada, Koujirou
• Primary Examiner(s): Culbreth, Eric D.
• Application Number:
  US08/752,035
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.3, 280/730.1, 280/730.2
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5825 by hooks, staples, clips, snap fasteners or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/6009 covering more than only the seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2002/5808 comprising opening zones for airbags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2176 the air bag components being completely enclosed in a soft or semi-rigid housing or cover

Abstract

A seat structure equipped with a side impact air bag apparatus in which, when an external force is applied to a side of a vehicle, an air bag apparatus mounted to a side portion of a seat back frame is operated, a sewn portion of seat surface layers is ruptured, and thereafter, an air bag body is unfolded, includes an air bag case, the air bag case having a lid which is opened due to the unfolding of the air bag body. When the lid is opened, a seat pad which is disposed further toward the front of the vehicle than the lid is compressed by the lid toward the inner side of a seat back in the transverse direction of the seat back.

Claims

1. A seat structure for a vehicle equipped with a side impact air bag apparatus, said seat structure comprising:

a seat back having a seat back frame;

an air bag case made of resin and mounted to a side portion of the seat back frame, said air bag case having a lid;

an air bag body contained within said air bag case;

a seat pad disposed toward the front of the vehicle relative to said lid; and

seat surface layers covering said seat pad and having a sewn portion,

wherein, when an external force is applied to a side of the vehicle, the air bag apparatus is activated, the sewn portion is ruptured, and the air bag body is unfolded, said lid of said air bag case opening due to the unfolding of said air bag, and said seat pad being compressed by said lid toward an inner side of said seat back in a transverse direction of said seat back when said lid is opened.

2. A seat structure equipped with a side impact air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said lid is an inner lid which opens toward the inner side of the seat back in the transverse direction of the seat back, said seat structure further comprising:

an outer lid which opens toward an outer side of the seat back in the transverse direction of the seat back, said inner lid and said outer lid forming a double door structure;

wherein a seat surface layer which is disposed further toward the front of the vehicle than said sewn portion is connected to said inner lid.

3. A seat structure equipped with a side impact air bag apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said air bag case includes hinge portions, and said outer lid and said inner lid are integrally formed with said air bag case via at least one respective hinge portion of said hinge portions.

4. A seat structure equipped with a side impact air bag apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said inner lid includes engaging means, and said engaging means directly engages the seat surface layer which is disposed further toward the front of the vehicle than said standard sewn portion.

5. A seat structure equipped with a side impact air bag apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a tension-transmitting member which is provided so as to be connected to the seat surface layer which is disposed further toward the front of the vehicle than said sewn portion, said engaging means formed at said inner lid engaging the seat surface layer, which is disposed further toward the front of the vehicle than said sewn portion, via said tension-transmitting member.

6. A seat structure equipped with a side impact air bag apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said inner lid includes engaging means, and said engaging means directly engages the seat surface layer which is disposed further toward the front of the vehicle than said sewn portion.

7. A seat structure equipped with a side impact air bag apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a tension-transmitting member which is provided to be connected to the seat surface layer which is disposed further toward the front of the vehicle than said sewn portion, and

engaging means formed at said inner lid for engaging the seat surface layer which is disposed further toward the front of the vehicle than said sewn portion via said tension-transmitting member.

8. A seat structure equipped with a side impact air bag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said lid is an inner lid which opens toward the inner side of the seat back in the transverse direction of the seat back, further comprising:

an outer lid which opens toward an outer side of the seat back in the transverse direction of the seat back, said inner lid and said outer lid forming a double door structure; and

a stopper which limits the degree to which said outer lid opens to a predetermined range.

9. A seat structure equipped with a side impact air bag apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said inner lid is provided such that a range over which said inner lid opens is wider than the predetermined range over which said outer lid opens, and said outer lid and said inner lid are integrally formed with said air bag case via respective hinge portions formed at said air bag case.

10. A seat structure equipped with a side impact air bag apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said inner lid includes an engaging portion, wherein said engaging portion is disposed at a rear end portion of a side portion of said inner lid and engages said outer lid, said inner lid and said outer lid being provided such that said inner lid and said outer lid can be separated at said engaging portion due to the inflating pressure of the air bag body.

11. The seat structure according to claim 9, wherein said inner and outer lids are unequal in length.

12. The seat structure according to claim 8, wherein the stopper is fixed to a transverse direction side portion of the seat back frame.

13. A seat structure equipped with a side impact air bag apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said stopper is formed by a rigid material, a longitudinal direction of said stopper extends in a vertical direction of the vehicle, a cross-sectional configuration of said stopper is formed in a substantially U-shaped configuration in which end portions of said stopper are oriented inwardly in the transverse direction of the seat, and said stopper is fixed to a side portion of the seat back frame in the transverse direction of the seat so as to cover the air bag body.

14. The seat structure according to claim 1, wherein a rear end of the seat surface layers is connected to the seat back frame at a position transversely spaced from said sewn portion.

15. The seat structure according to claim 1, the air bag case and the seat pad being constructed and arranged with respect to each other so that, when the air bag unfolds, the seat pad is compressed inwardly without rupturing and the air bag unfolds around a side of the seat pad.

16. A seat structure for a vehicle equipped with a side impact air bag apparatus, said seat structure comprising:

a seat back having a seat back frame;

an air bag case mounted to a side portion of the seat back frame, said air bag case having a lid, said lid forming a double door structure, said lid including an outer lid which opens toward an outer side of the seat back in a transverse direction of the seat back an inner lid which opens toward an inner side of the seat back in the transverse direction of the seat back;

an air bag body contained within said air bag case; and

seat surface layers having a sewn portion, said sewn portion being connected to said inner lid a one of the seat surface layers disposed further toward the front of the vehicle than said sewn portion being connected to said inner lid,

wherein, when an external force is applied to a side of the vehicle, the air bag apparatus is activated, the sewn portion is ruptured, and the air bag body is unfolded, said lid of said air bag case opening due to the unfolding of said air bag.

17. A seat structure equipped with a side impact air bag apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said air bag case is made of a resin and includes hinge portions, and said outer lid and said inner lid are integrally formed with said air bag case via at least one respective hinge portion of said hinge portions.

18. A seat structure equipped with a side impact air bag apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said inner lid includes engaging means, and said engaging means directly engages the seat surface layer which is disposed further toward the front of the vehicle than said sewn portion.

19. A seat structure equipped with a side impact air bag apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

a tension-transmitting member which is provided so as to be connected to the seat surface layer which is disposed further toward the front of the vehicle than said sewn portion, said engaging means formed at said inner lid engaging the seat surface layer which is disposed further toward the front of the vehicle than said sewn portion via said tension-transmitting member.

20. A seat structure equipped with a side impact air bag apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said inner lid includes engaging means, and said engaging means directly engages the seat surface layer which is disposed further toward the front of the vehicle than said sewn portion.

21. A seat structure equipped with a side impact air bag apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

a tension-transmitting member which is provided so as to be connected to the seat surface layer which is disposed further toward the front of the vehicle than said sewn portion, and

engaging means formed at said inner lid for engaging the seat surface layer which is disposed further toward the front of the vehicle than said sewn portion via said tension-transmitting member.

22. A seat structure for a vehicle equipped with a side impact air bag apparatus, said seat structure comprising:

a seat back having a seat back frame;

an air bag case mounted to a side portion of said seat back frame, said air bag case having a lid, said lid including an outer lid which opens toward an outer side of the seat back in a transverse direction of the seat back and an inner lid which opens toward an inner side of the seat back in the transverse direction of the seat back, said lid forming a double door structure;

an air bag body contained within said air bag case;

seat surface layers having a sewn portion; and

a rigid stopper which limits the degree to which said outer lid opens to a predetermined range,

wherein, when an external force is applied to a side of the vehicle, the air bag apparatus is activated, the sewn portion is ruptured, and the air bag body is unfolded, said lid of said air bag case opening due to the unfolding of said air bag.

23. A seat structure equipped with a side impact air bag apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said inner lid is provided such that a range over which said inner lid opens is wider than the predetermined range over which said outer lid opens, and said outer lid and said inner lid are integrally formed with said air bag case via respective hinge portions formed at said air bag case, and said inner lid includes an engaging portion disposed at a rear end portion of a side portion of said inner lid which engages said outer lid, and said inner lid and said outer lid being provided such that said inner lid and said outer lid can be separated at said engaging portion due to inflating pressure of the air bag body.

24. A seat structure equipped with a side impact air bag apparatus according to claim 22, wherein a longitudinal direction of said stopper extends in a vertical direction of the vehicle, a cross-sectional configuration of said stopper is formed in a substantially U-shaped configuration in which end portions of said stopper are oriented inwardly in the transverse direction of the seat, and said stopper is fixed to a side portion of the seat back frame in the transverse direction of the seat so as to cover the air bag body.