TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a side airbag device disposed between a vehicle body and a seat.

BACKGROUND ART

A side airbag device disposed between a seat of a vehicle and a sidewall of a vehicle to body, and configured to deploy toward a side space of an occupant in a broadside collision of the vehicle is known in the art. The side airbag device includes an inflator configured to cause gases to issue which in turn cause an airbag to deploy. The inflator typically has a bolt integrated therewith, and this bolt is oriented in a rearward direction of the seat and fastened to a mount portion of the vehicle body or a seat frame located at the rear side of the inflator (e.g., see Patent document 1).

In the side airbag device of Patent document 1, a module case in which the inflator and the airbag are housed includes an inner portion and an outer portion extending frontward at the left and right sides of the inflator and thus enclosing the inflator, and is fixed to the seat frame at the rear side of the inflator.

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

Patent document 1: JP 5408360 B2

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In the setup disclosed in Patent document 1, the inner portion and the outer portion of the module case (base member) that is fixed at the rear side of the inflator would possibly be forced to spread out and become warped out of shape laterally outward upon deployment of the airbag, and disadvantageously affect the direction of deployment of the airbag.

It would be desirable to provide an airbag device in which an airbag can be caused to deploy stably from a base member.

Against this backdrop, a new form of a side airbag device disposed between a vehicle body and a seat is proposed. A side airbag device disclosed herein, in one aspect, comprises: an airbag; an inflator configured to supply the airbag with gas; a base member configured to accommodate the airbag and the inflator, and to be fixed to the vehicle body; and an outer covering member configured to cover at least a front side of the base member to form a front-facing interior surface. The base member comprises: an inner portion located laterally farther inward within the vehicle body relative to the airbag; an outer portion located laterally farther outward within the vehicle body relative to the airbag; a rear portion located farther rearward relative to the airbag with respect to a front-rear direction of the seat, the rear portion connecting the inner portion and the outer portion; and a bridging portion made of a metal rod, and located apart from and farther frontward relative to the rear portion, the bridging portion connecting the inner portion and the outer portion.

With this configuration, the base member is provided with the bridging portion made of a metal rod connecting the inner portion and the outer portion; therefore, the inner portion and the outer portion are made unlikely to spread out and become warped out of shape laterally outward. This makes it possible to cause the airbag to deploy stably.

In the side airbag device described above, the bridging portion may include a first bridging portion connecting an upper portion of the outer portion and an upper portion of the inner portion. Additionally or alternatively, the bridging portion may include a second bridging portion connecting a lower portion of the outer portion and a lower portion of the inner portion.

Provision of the first bridging portion and/or the second bridging portion can make the base member more unlikely to become warped out of shape.

The side airbag device described above may preferably be configured such that the inflator includes a cylindrical main body and a bolt provided protrusively from the main body, wherein the bridging portion is located farther, than a center of the main body, away from the interior surface.

With this configuration in which the bridging portion is located farther, than the center of the main body of the inflator, away from the interior surface, when the airbag is caused to deploy through the interior surface out into the vehicle interior, the airbag is unlikely to get hitched on the bridging portion, with the result that the airbag can be allowed to deploy stably.

Additionally, the side airbag device may further comprise a mounting bracket which includes an inflator fixing portion to which the inflator is fixed and a base member fixing portion which is located in a position different from a position of the inflator fixing portion and fixed to the base member. Preferably, the inflator fixing portion may have an inflator fixing hole through which a bolt of the inflator is disposed, and the bridging portion may be located farther, than the inflator fixing hole, away from the interior surface.

With this configuration in which the bridging portion is located farther, than the inflator fixing hole, away from the interior surface, when the airbag is caused to deploy through the interior surface out into the vehicle interior, the airbag is unlikely to get hitched on the bridging portion, with the result that the airbag can be allowed to deploy stably.

Moreover, the bridging portion may preferably be located farther, than every part of the main body, away from the interior surface.

With the bridging portion located farther, than every part of the main body, away from the interior surface, when the airbag is caused to deploy through the interior surface out into the vehicle interior, the airbag is unlikely to get hitched on the bridging portion, with the result that the airbag can be allowed to deploy stably.

The side airbag device described above may be configured such that the base member includes a wire frame made of a metal rod, wherein the wire frame includes an outer wire frame making up at least part of the outer portion, and an inner wire frame making up at least part of the inner portion, and wherein the bridging portion connects the outer wire frame and the inner wire frame.

With this configuration in which the base member is made with the wire frame, the rigidity of the base member can be increased easily, so that the side airbag device can be made compact in size.

In another aspect, a side airbag device in which a base member is fixed steadily in position so that the airbag can be caused to deploy stably is proposed. A side airbag device disclosed herein comprises: an airbag; an inflator configured to supply the airbag with gas; a base member configured to accommodate the airbag and the inflator, and to be fixed to the vehicle body; and an outer covering member configured to cover at least a front side of the base member to form a front-facing interior surface. The base member comprises: an outer portion located laterally farther outward within the vehicle body relative to the airbag; and a rear portion located farther rearward relative to the airbag with respect to a front-rear direction of the seat.

The outer portion includes an outer-side fixing portion to be fixed to the vehicle body, and the rear portion includes a rear-side fixing portion to be fixed to the vehicle body.

With this configuration in which the base member is to be fixed to the vehicle body at the outer-side fixing portion provided in the outer portion and at the rear-side fixing portion provided in the rear portion, the side airbag device can be fixed steadily in position. Therefore, the base member can be kept in position steadily even if a force acted thereon by deployment of the airbag is great, so that the airbag can be caused to deploy stably.

In the side airbag device described above, the outer-side fixing portion may be located closer, than the rear-side fixing portion, to the interior surface.

With the outer-side fixing portion being located closer, than the rear-side fixing portion, to the interior surface, the side airbag device can be fixed steadily in position.

The base member described above may be configured to include a wire frame made of a metal rod.

The side airbag device may further comprise a first fixing plate having a substantially rectangular shape, which first fixing plate includes the outer-side fixing portion. Herein, the wire frame may preferably include an L-shaped portion located along two adjacent sides of the first fixing plate, which L-shaped portion is fixed to the first fixing plate at the two sides of the first fixing plate.

With this L-shaped portion fixed to the two sides of the first fixing plate, the rigidity of the peripheral edges of the first fixing plate can be enhanced, and the side airbag device can be fixed firmly to the vehicle body.

The side airbag device may further comprise a second fixing plate having a substantially rectangular shape, which second fixing plate includes the rear-side fixing portion. Herein, the wire frame may preferably include a U-shaped portion located along three sides of the second fixing plate, which U-shaped portion is fixed to the second fixing plate at the three sides of the second fixing plate.

With this U-shaped portion fixed to the three sides of the second fixing plate, the rigidity of the peripheral edges of the second fixing plate can be enhanced, and the side airbag device can be fixed firmly to the vehicle body.

Proposed as yet another aspect is a side airbag device with an inflator fixed to a vehicle body by a base member made of a wire frame which side airbag device is configured such that an airbag can be made unlikely to get hitched on the wire frame when the airbag is caused to deploy, and thus regularity in shape alteration of the airbag upon deployment can be improved. A side airbag device disclosed herein comprises: an airbag; an inflator configured to supply the airbag with gas; and a base member having a storage space in which the airbag and the inflator are accommodated, and to be fixed to the vehicle body. The base member includes a wire frame made of a metal rod, and a guide plate made of a metal plate which guide plate is located on a storage-space side of a front edge portion of the wire frame and fixed to the wire frame.

With this configuration in which the guide plate is located on the storage-space side of the front edge portion of the wire frame, the airbag can be made unlikely to get hitched on the wire frame, and thus allowed to deploy stably. Moreover, the guide plate may serve to reinforce the front edge portion of the wire frame, so that the rigidity of the base member can be enhanced.

The side airbag device described above may be configured such that the base member comprises an outer portion located laterally farther outward within the vehicle body relative to the airbag, and the guide plate comprises a first guide plate provided along a front edge portion of the outer portion.

With this configuration, the front edge portion of the outer portion can be reinforced; therefore, the front edge portion can be made unlikely to become warped out of shape upon deployment of the airbag, so that the airbag can be caused to stably deploy frontward.

The first guide plate may preferably include, at a rear end portion thereof, a flange extending outward in a lateral direction as defined with respect to the vehicle body.

With this configuration in which the first guide plate includes a flange extending outward in the lateral direction, even when deployment of the airbag tends to cause the outer portion to spread out and become warped outward in the lateral direction, the edge of the flange can come in contact with the vehicle body, and thus serve to restrain the outer portion from becoming warped further.

Moreover, the flange may preferably be in contact with the vehicle body. If the flange is in contact with the vehicle body, the outer portion can be made more unlikely to become warped upon deployment of the airbag.

In the side airbag device describe above, the base member may comprise an inner portion located laterally farther inward within the vehicle body relative to the airbag.

The guide plate may comprise a second guide plate provided along a front edge portion of the inner portion.

Provision of the second guide plate may serve to restrain the inner portion from becoming warped upon deployment of the airbag.

The second guide plate may preferably be parallel to the first guide plate. Herein, the term “parallel” herein referred to may include a position displaced slightly from a parallel position due to manufacturing error or the like, or a position slanting at an angle up to 3 degrees. The side airbag device described above may further comprise an outer covering member configured to cover at least a front side of the base member, and a hook member provided at an end portion of the outer covering member to fasten the outer covering member. Herein, the base member may include an outer covering anchorage portion on which the hook member is hooked, which outer covering anchorage portion is located behind the guide plate as viewed from the storage space.

With this configuration in which the outer covering anchorage portion on which the hook member is hooked is located behind the guide plate as viewed from the storage space, the airbag can be allowed to deploy stably without getting hitched on the outer covering anchorage portion when the airbag is caused to deploy.

