Patent ID: 8226114
Filing Date: 2012-07-24
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
1. A side airbag apparatus for a vehicle having a side airbag attached to a side of a backrest part of a vehicle seat at a position above a hinge mechanism which is mounted on a lower part of the backrest, the apparatus comprising: separation means defining a front airbag chamber and a rear airbag chamber within the side airbag, a connecting passage between a lower extremity of the separation means and a trailing edge of the airbag, said connecting passage connecting the front and rear airbag chambers adjacent the lower extremity of the separation means, an attaching portion provided on an upper rear portion of the rear airbag chamber and attaching the side airbag to the backrest part, and an inflator proximate the attaching portion for injecting a gas into the rear airbag chamber which flows through the connecting passage into the front airbag chamber, wherein the inflator is located at a position corresponding only to an upper half part of the rear airbag chamber and at a rear part of the upper half part of the rear airbag chamber, and the separation means extends downward along a path inclined toward a front of the vehicle from a top extremity of the side airbag, proximate the inflator, to the connecting passage located at a lower part of the side airbag, proximate a seat cushion, and wherein an inlet of the connecting passage is formed to face forward and downward so that the gas flows downward at an inclined angle toward a front of the seat cushion, through the connecting passage into the front airbag chamber, and toward a rear side of the vehicle seat into an area adjacent to the rear airbag chamber and located above a lowermost part of the inflator.