Occupant protection apparatus and occupant protection method

摘要

A side airbag apparatus includes an airbag that can form a plurality of chambers with a single inflator and protects an occupant from an impact on a side door by deploying the airbag between the occupant and the side door. The chambers of the airbag includes a vehicle sidewall chamber that can be deployed around a shoulder region of the occupant and a compartment chamber that is disposed closer to the inner side of an occupant compartment in the vehicle width direction than the vehicle sidewall chamber and can be deployed around a chest region of the occupant.

主权项

1. An occupant protection apparatus comprising:
an airbag in which a plurality of chambers can be formed with a single inflator, wherein an occupant is protected from a shock of a side impact on a vehicle sidewall by deploying the airbag between the vehicle sidewall and the occupant; and wherein the plurality of chambers of the airbag comprises: a vehicle sidewall chamber that is configured for deployment against a shoulder region of the occupant and a buttock region of the occupant, and the vehicle sidewall chamber having an intermediate portion falling, in a vehicle height direction, between a vehicle sidewall chamber shoulder contact portion and a vehicle sidewall chamber buttock contact portion; and a compartment chamber that is disposed closer to an inner side of an occupant compartment in a vehicle width direction than the vehicle sidewall chamber and which is configured for contact against a side chest region of the occupant and is disposed as to extend inwardly only out from the intermediate portion of the vehicle sidewall chamber; and the inflator includes a gas supply port that ejects supply gas generated in the inflator into the airbag; and the vehicle sidewall chamber and the compartment chamber are deployed in a same direction relative to a deployment directed gas flow direction from the gas supply port into the vehicle sidewall compartment, which same direction is different than the vehicle width direction.