Patent ID: 8033570

Claim:
A side airbag apparatus comprising: an inflator that generates inflation gas in response to an impact applied to a vehicle from a side; and an airbag that is inflated in a space between an occupant seated in a vehicle seat and a side door of the vehicle by the inflation gas supplied by the inflator, wherein the airbag includes a shoulder protecting portion and a lower region protecting portion, which are defined by a partition portion that is located below a top of a door trim of the side door, wherein the shoulder protecting portion protects a shoulder of the occupant by being inflated in a space that is beside the shoulder and beside and in the vicinity of the door trim of the side door, wherein the lower region protecting portion protects a part below the shoulder of the occupant by being inflated in a space below the shoulder protecting portion, and wherein the shoulder protecting portion includes: a support portion, wherein, when the shoulder protecting portion is inflated and falls outward of the vehicle while pivoting on the partition portion, the support portion contacts part of the shoulder protecting portion that is inward of the top of the door trim in the vehicle widthwise direction and below the top, thereby supporting the shoulder protecting portion; and a shoulder receiving portion, wherein, when the shoulder protecting portion is supported by the door trim at the support portion, the shoulder receiving portion is at least partly located above the top of the door trim and contacts the shoulder of the occupant at a position inward of the outer end of the partition portion in the vehicle widthwise direction, thereby receiving the shoulder.