Patent ID: 7871104
Filing Date: 2011-01-18
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
1. A vehicle side airbag apparatus, including a side airbag mounted in a seatback of a seat of the vehicle, wherein an upper end of the side airbag is located above a shoulder region and lower than an upper end of a head region, a lower end of the side airbag is located lower than the shoulder region and lower than a chest region, when the side airbag is in a deployed state, and the side airbag covers an area extending from the shoulder region to the chest region, comprising: an inflator that supplies gas to the side airbag, wherein: the side airbag has an exterior surface defining a concave portion which is provided at a position corresponding to the shoulder region in the up-down direction of the vehicle and which is thinner in the lateral direction of the vehicle than other portions of the side airbag, wherein an inner face of the side airbag located interior of the concave portion on a first side is spaced apart from an inner face of the side airbag on a second side in the lateral direction of the vehicle when the side airbag is inflated; an upper portion of the side airbag that is located above the position corresponding to the shoulder region when the side airbag is in the deployed state is longer in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle than a lower portion of the side airbag that is located below the position corresponding to the shoulder region when the side airbag is in the deployed state; a side shape of the deployed side airbag includes a dimension in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle decreasing continuously from the upper end to the lower end; the upper portion is formed to be deployed before the lower portion upon deployment of the side airbag; the lower portion deploys by being pulled up by the deploying force of the upper portion, when the upper portion of the side airbag is being deployed; and wherein the side airbag is configured to deploy in a position such that the shoulder region contacts the concave portion and a portion of the side airbag around the concave portion during a side collision of the vehicle from the early stage of the side collision to the late stage of the side collision, and the concave portion and the portion of the side airbag around the concave portion of the side airbag support the shoulder region from above.