JP3267690B2 - Airbag device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an airbag device, and more particularly to an airbag device for a passenger seat mounted in an instrument panel.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an airbag device for protecting a passenger in a passenger seat of a vehicle is mounted in an instrument panel located in front of the passenger. The airbag device includes an airbag module configured to house an airbag and a firing device in an airbag case, and an opening formed in an instrument panel to be opened when the airbag is deployed. It consists of an airbag lid to cover.

In the above-described airbag apparatus, when the vehicle suddenly decelerates at a predetermined value or more, the acceleration sensor operates to deploy the airbag in the airbag module in front of the occupant, thereby protecting the occupant. ing.

[0004] However, even when the vehicle is decelerated at a deceleration smaller than the deceleration at which the airbag device operates, the occupant may come into contact with the airbag grid.
In consideration of such a case, if the airbag module is arranged at the back of the instrument panel to prevent interference, a large space is required in layout.

[0005] In view of this, a large number of cutouts with the occupant side open are formed on both side walls in the vehicle width direction of the airbag case to serve as a deformation promoting portion. There has been proposed an arrangement in which the deformation of the instrument panel (or air bag grid) is not hindered, and the air bag module can be arranged close to the inner surface of the instrument panel (for example, JP-A-2-155855). Gazette).

[0006]

However, in the case where a large number of notches are formed on both side walls in the vehicle width direction of the airbag case as in the above-mentioned known example, it is necessary to form a large number of notches as deformation promoting portions. In addition, the number of processing steps increases, and it takes time to select the shape of the notch and the material of the airbag case.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to add an extremely simple means so as to effectively absorb an impact when an occupant abuts on an air bag grid. It is assumed that.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an airbag module mounted in an instrument panel of a vehicle.
Are connected via a hinge to the upper of the airbag module, the airbag apparatus comprising the airbag lid is opening operation during deployment, the hinge, the d
Shock relief to mitigate shock acting on the backgrid
OR means is provided integrally with the hinge Ri cotton in the vehicle width direction full width at the inner surface of the airbag lid, the hinge
The mounting part to the airbag module
The width is narrow from the central portion of the relaxation means .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, as the means for solving the above-mentioned problems, in the airbag apparatus according to the first aspect, the impact reducing means is a lid-side mounting portion of the hinge.

[0010]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained by the above means. That is, even when the vehicle is decelerated with a smaller deceleration than that of activating the airbag device, the occupant may come into contact with the airbag grid.
Is integrated with the hinge over the entire width of the vehicle.
And for that, so that the occupant of the kinetic energy is absorbed by the cushioning action of the shock absorbing means before interferes with the airbag module when the airbag lid is deformed. In addition, the shock absorbing means can be formed integrally with the hinge.
Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced. Further
Attachment to the airbag module at the hinge
A part having a narrow width extending from a central part of the shock absorbing means;
The airbag lid on the end in the vehicle width direction.
Improves the shock load buffering effect when the occupant abuts
In addition, the resistance when opening the air bag grid is small.
Become.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained by the above means. That is, the shock absorbing means is hinged.
The shock absorbing means and the hinge
Since the mounting portion can be integrally formed with the metal side mounting portion , the number of parts can be reduced.

[0012]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the airbag module mounted in the instrument panel of the vehicle is connected to the upper portion of the airbag module via the hinge, and is opened when the airbag module is deployed. In the airbag device comprising an airbag lid, the hinge extends over the entire width of the inner surface of the airbag lid in the vehicle width direction.
Shock absorber is provided integrally with the hinge.
The mounting part to the airbag module
Is as narrow width extending from the central portion of the relieving means, when the occupant is in contact with the airbag lid when the vehicle is decelerated with a small deceleration than operating the air bag system, the air bag lid is deformed by the contact force In doing so, the kinetic energy of the occupant is absorbed by the impact mitigation effect of the impact mitigation means before interfering with the airbag module. There is an excellent effect that a great shock absorbing action can be obtained. Also, shock mitigation
Since the means can be molded integrally with the hinge, the number of parts can be reduced.
Cost reduction and improved assembly workability
There is an excellent effect that can be achieved. further,
When an occupant touches the end of the air bag grid in the vehicle width direction
Improves the shock load buffering effect of
Reduced the resistance when opening the lid
As a result, the safety of the occupants can be ensured, and
The excellent effect that smooth opening operation of the grid can be ensured
There is fruit.

According to the invention of claim 2, in the airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the shock absorbing means as a lid-side attachment portion of the hinge, taken lid side impact relief means and the hinge
Since the attachment part can be integrally formed, the number of parts can be reduced, and there is an excellent effect that cost reduction and improvement in assembly workability can be achieved.

[0014]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 4, an instrument panel 3 located in front of a passenger seat 2 in a vehicle interior of the vehicle 1
Inside, an airbag device 4 is mounted. As will be described in detail later, the airbag device 4 includes an airbag module 5 supported in the instrument panel 3 and an airbag lid 6 that is opened when the airbag module 5 is deployed. The air bag grid 6
Is provided in an opening 7 formed in the instrument panel 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, the airbag module 5 is configured by disposing an airbag 9 and an inflator 10 in an airbag case 8 whose occupant side (in other words, the rear side of the vehicle) is open. The ignition device (not shown) operates in response to a signal from an acceleration sensor (not shown) that detects that the vehicle has suddenly decelerated, and the air is supplied by the inflator 10 that operates in response to the operation of the ignition device. Bag 9
Is inflated and deployed toward the occupant, thereby protecting the occupant.

The airbag module 5 is supported by a steering support member 15 via brackets 14 attached to mounting legs 12, 12 provided on the bottom surface of the airbag case 8 by bolts 13, 13.

The air bag grid 6 is provided with the opening 7
In this embodiment, the cover is made of a hollow synthetic resin molded body.

The airbag lid 6 has one end fixed to the upper surface of the airbag case 8 by bolts 16 and the other end to the airbag lid 6 via a hinge 18 fixed to the upper part of the airbag lid 6 by bolts 17. It is connected to the bag module 5.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the hinge 18 is attached to the upper portion of the air backgrid 6 and has a width substantially covering the entire width of the air backgrid 6 in the vehicle width direction. Moreover, a lid-side mounting portion 18a having a hat-shaped cross section, and a module extending from the center of the lid-side mounting portion 18a in the vehicle width direction toward the airbag module 5 and narrower than the lid-side mounting portion 18a. And the side mounting portion 18b. In this embodiment, that has become the lid-side mounting portion 18a acts as a shock absorbing means by elastic deformation.

On the other hand, the airbag lid 6 and the lower end of the airbag case 8 on the occupant side are connected via a connecting member 19 made of synthetic resin. A notch 20 is formed in the connecting member 19 so as to be easily broken when the air bag grid 6 is opened.

Further, in the present embodiment, positioning projections (not shown) are provided on the inner surfaces of both ends in the vehicle width direction of the air bag grid 6 at the both edges of the opening portion 7 of the instrument panel 3 in the vehicle width direction. ) Is mounted on the plate 21 having positioning holes 22 and 22 for engaging with the plate 21.

With the above configuration, the airbag device of the present embodiment has the following operational effects.

The airbag device 4 has a function to protect the occupant by operating when the vehicle 1 suddenly decelerates. However, even when the vehicle 1 is decelerated at a smaller deceleration than when the airbag device 4 is activated, An occupant may come into contact with the airbag lid 6.

In this case, when the airbag lid 6 is deformed and interferes with the airbag case 8, the hinge 1
The kinetic energy of the occupant is absorbed by the shock absorbing action of the lid-side mounting portion 18a of FIG. Therefore, only by adding extremely simple means, the airbag case 8
A very good shock absorbing effect can be obtained irrespective of the material.

Further, in the case of this embodiment, since the lid-side mounting portion 18a of the hinge 18 is made to act as the shock absorbing means, the hinge and the shock absorbing means can be integrally formed, and the number of parts can be reduced. The cost can be reduced, and the assembling workability can be improved.

Further, in the case of this embodiment, the module-side mounting portion 18b of the hinge 18 is replaced with the lid-side mounting portion 18a.
Of the airbag module 5 from the center thereof to the airbag module 5 side, so that the impact load buffering effect when an occupant abuts on the end of the airbag grid 6 in the vehicle width direction is improved, and the airbag grid is improved. 6, the resistance at the time of the opening operation is reduced. Therefore, the safety of the occupant can be ensured, and the smooth opening operation of the airbag lid 6 can also be ensured.

The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that the design can be changed as appropriate without departing from the gist of the invention.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a mounted state of an airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the airbag device according to the embodiment of the present invention in a mounted state.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an airbag grid in the airbag device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic front perspective view of a vehicle provided with the airbag device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 is a vehicle, 3 is an instrument panel, 4 is an airbag device, 5 is an airbag module, 6 is an airbag grid, 8 is an airbag case, 9 is an airbag, 18 is a hinge, and 18a is a shock absorbing means (lid side). Mounting part), 18b
Is the module side mounting part.

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. An airbag apparatus comprising: an airbag module mounted in an instrument panel of a vehicle; and an airbag grid connected to an upper portion of the airbag module via a hinge and opened when deployed. The hinge has a function of reducing impact acting on the air bag grid.
Shock absorbing means is provided in the hinge integral with the Ri cotton in the vehicle width direction full width at the inner surface of the airbag lid for a sum, to the airbag module in the hinge
Mounting portion extends from a central portion of the shock absorbing means.
An airbag device, characterized in that: 2. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the shock absorbing means is a lid-side mounting portion of the hinge.