초록 ▼

A side airbag is housed together with an inflator containing a high pressure gas as a module in a door-side side portion of a seat. The side airbag is deployed into a space between the door and an occupant sitting in the seat, on the basis of an instruction signal from an airbag control device. An o

A side airbag is housed together with an inflator containing a high pressure gas as a module in a door-side side portion of a seat. The side airbag is deployed into a space between the door and an occupant sitting in the seat, on the basis of an instruction signal from an airbag control device. An occupant sensor is disposed at a position that is located in an upper portion of a seatback of the seat and shifted from a center of the seatback with respect to directions of a width thereof toward a vehicle body center. By using the occupant sensor, it is determined whether an occupant is present at a seat of a vehicle, excluding a case where an occupant having a constitution smaller than a predetermined constitution is leaning against the side vehicle body portion. The airbag control device permits operation of the side airbag if presence of an occupant is detected by the occupant sensor. The control device prohibits operation of the side airbag if absence of an occupant is detected by the occupant sensor.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A side airbag apparatus for protecting an occupant by deploying a side airbag between the occupant and a side vehicle body portion at the time of an impact, comprising:an occupant sensor that occupies a position that is located in an upper portion of a seatback of a seat of a vehicle, the sensor

1. A side airbag apparatus for protecting an occupant by deploying a side airbag between the occupant and a side vehicle body portion at the time of an impact, comprising:an occupant sensor that occupies a position that is located in an upper portion of a seatback of a seat of a vehicle, the sensor providing output indicative of constitution and position of an occupant in the seat; and control means for changing an operation mode of the side airbag apparatus in accordance with the output of the occupant sensor, wherein the control means at least one of: (1) changes the operation mode if the output of the occupant sensor indicates that no occupant is present or that a first occupant having a constitution smaller than a predetermined constitution is leaning against the side vehicle body portion, and (2) does not change the operation mode if the output of the occupant sensor indicates that the first occupant is not leaning against the side vehicle body portion or that a second occupant has a constitution larger than the predetermined constitution, regardless of whether the second occupant is leaning against the side vehicle body portion.