Patent ID: 7055853

Claim:
A side airbag apparatus, which deploys an airbag between an occupant of a vehicle and a sidewall of the vehicle in order to protect the occupant in the event of side collision of the vehicle, the side airbag apparatus comprising: an airbag unit, which includes an airbag, an inflator, which generates gas for inflating the airbag and supplies the gas to the airbag, and a module case, which stores the airbag and the inflator therein and comprises an opening for the airbag when the inflator inflates the airbag; and a control unit, which ignites the inflator in order to generate gas when acceleration greater than a prescribed value is detected, wherein the air bag, when inflated, inflates toward the occupant mainly in a direction substantially perpendicular and opposite to the side wall from the opening and contacts the waist of the occupant while substantially avoiding contact with a vehicle seat on which the occupant is disposed so as to move the occupant relative to the vehicle seat and sidewall in the direction opposite to the side wall from the opening, and pushes the occupant in the direction from the opening.