JP4258445B2 - Steering wheel damping structure - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vibration damping structure for a steering wheel in a vehicle, and more particularly to a vibration damping structure for a steering wheel on which an airbag device is mounted.

As one example of this type of vibration damping structure, an airbag device assembled to a steering wheel includes a bag holder that holds an airbag, and a gas supply that can inject and supply gas to the airbag. There is a bag holder in which the gas supply unit is supported via an elastic body so as to function as a damper mass of a dynamic damper. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-35391

  In the steering wheel damping structure shown in Patent Document 1 described above, the airbag is housed in a folded state in a bag housing portion formed by a bag holder and a cover assembled to the bag holder, The gas holder is held by the bag holder, and the gas supply unit is supported by the bag holder via an elastic body, and the dome is provided between the airbag and the gas supply unit in order to avoid interference between the airbag and the gas supply unit. A partition wall is provided.

  For this reason, in the damping structure of the steering wheel shown in Patent Document 1 described above, interference between the airbag and the gas supply device can be avoided, and the function as a damper mass of the gas supply device is the same as that of the airbag. It is possible to avoid being blocked by interference. Further, since the airbag is held by the bag holder and does not move like a gas supply device supported by the bag holder via an elastic body, the folded shape of the airbag is maintained and the expected shape is maintained. Expansion and deployment performance is guaranteed. However, this vibration damping structure requires the above-described dome-shaped partition wall, and thus is costly and increases in weight.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to reduce the cost and weight of the vibration damping structure while ensuring the inflation and deployment performance of the airbag. In order to achieve such an object, in the present invention, an airbag device assembled to a steering wheel includes a bag holder that holds an airbag, and a gas supply that can inject and supply gas to the airbag. In the vibration damping structure of a steering wheel configured such that the gas supply unit is supported by the bag holder via an elastic body and functions as a damper mass of a dynamic damper, the airbag is assembled to the bag holder and the bag holder. An inflatable and deployable portion that is accommodated in a folded state in a bag accommodating portion formed by a cover that is held and held by the bag holder, an annular mounting portion that is airtightly fixed to the gas supply, and the annular connected to the mounting portion of the inflatable deployable portion guiding the gas from the gas supply to the inflatable deployable portion Is constituted by Jo connecting portion, wherein said connecting portion and said annular mounting portion of the airbag gas supply unit is placed on the bag housing portion outside, the gas supply to the connecting portion accompanied by the elastic deformation of the elastic member It is characterized by being deformable with the movement of the vessel.

  In the steering wheel damping structure according to the present invention, since the airbag connecting portion, the annular mounting portion, and the gas supply device are arranged outside the bag storage portion, the airbag is stored in a folded state in the bag storage portion. Interference between the inflatable and deployable part of the airbag that hardly moves with respect to the bag holder and the gas supply device that is supported by the bag holder via the elastic body and can always move can be avoided without interposing a partition wall. Is possible.

In addition, since the connecting portion of the airbag can be deformed along with the movement of the gas supply device accompanied by the elastic deformation of the elastic body, the movement of the gas supply device can be favorably maintained. It is possible to obtain a good damper effect due to movement. In addition, since the inflatable part of the airbag is held by the bag holder and does not move like a gas supply supported by the bag holder via an elastic body, the inflatable part of the airbag can be folded. The formed shape is retained, and the expected expansion and deployment performance is guaranteed. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the cost and weight of the vibration damping structure while ensuring the inflation and deployment performance of the airbag.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the steering wheel damping structure according to the present invention shown in FIG. 1, the airbag device assembled to the steering wheel (not shown) includes an annular bag holder 11 that holds the airbag 12, and gas is supplied to the airbag 12. Is provided with a gas supply device 20 capable of injecting and supplying gas.

  The bag holder 11 has an annular plate portion 11a and a cylindrical portion 11b integrally formed on the outer periphery of the annular plate portion 11a. The bag holder 11 is assembled to a hub portion (not shown) of the steering wheel with a well-known configuration. It is attached. A cover 13 is assembled to the bag holder 11, and a gas supply device 20 is assembled via a plurality of damper rubbers 14.

  The airbag 12 is inflated and deployed by the gas injected and supplied from the gas supply device 20 in the event of a vehicle collision to protect the occupant, and is formed by a bag holder 11 and a cover 13 assembled thereto. An inflatable / expandable portion 12a that is accommodated in a folded state and held by the bag holder 11, and an annular mounting that is hermetically fixed on the annular flange portion 22 of the gas supply device 20 using a retainer ring 15 It is comprised by the cylindrical connection part 12c which connects the part 12b, this cyclic | annular attachment part 12b, and the expansion | deployment expandable part 12a, and guides the gas from the gas supply device 20 to the expansion | deployment expandable part 12a.

  The cover 13 has a side wall 13a and an upper wall 13b, and is fixed to the bag holder 11 at the lower end of the side wall 13a. The shape of the upper wall 13b that breaks and deploys when the airbag 12 is inflated and deployed. It is formed of a material, and normally covers and protects the airbag 12. The upper wall 13b of the cover 13 is formed with a V-shaped recess 13b1 that is partially thin and ensures break development.

  Each damper rubber 14 is an elastic body that elastically supports the gas supply device 20, is fixed to the annular plate portion 11 a of the bag holder 11 at the upper end portion, and is a flange portion 22 of the gas supply device 20 at the lower end portion. The intermediate portion is elastically deformable. With this configuration, the gas supply device 20 functions as a damper mass of the dynamic damper.

  The retainer ring 15 is fixed to the annular flange portion 22 of the gas supply device 20 together with the annular mounting portion 12 b of the airbag 12 by a plurality of bolts 16 and nuts 17. Each bolt 16 is fixed to the lower surface of the retainer ring 15 and passes through the annular mounting portion 12 b of the airbag 12 and the annular flange portion 22 of the gas supply device 20.

  The gas supply unit 20 is configured to inject and supply gas toward the airbag 12 at the time of a vehicle collision, and includes a casing 21 and an annular flange portion 22. The casing 21 is constituted by a cylindrical peripheral wall 21a, and an upper wall 21b and a lower wall 21c that close both ends of the upper and lower ends, and a plurality of gas supply holes 21a1 are provided in the upper part of the peripheral wall 21a.

  In the above-described embodiment, since the connecting portion 12c and the annular mounting portion 12b of the airbag 12 and the gas supply device 20 are disposed outside the bag storage portion R, the airbag 12 is accommodated in a folded state in the bag storage portion R. The inflatable and deployable portion 12a of the airbag 12 that hardly moves with respect to the bag holder 11 and the gas supply device 20 that is supported by the bag holder 11 via the respective damper rubbers 14 and can move constantly, It is possible to avoid without interposing.

Moreover, since the connection part 12c of the airbag 12 can deform | transform with the motion of the gas supply device 20 accompanying the elastic deformation of each damper rubber | gum 14, it is possible to maintain the motion of the gas supply device 20 favorably. In addition, it is possible to obtain a good damper effect due to the movement of the gas supply device 20. Further, since the inflatable and deployable portion 12a of the airbag 12 is held by the bag holder 11 and does not move like the gas supply device 20 supported by the bag holder 11 via each damper rubber 14, the airbag 12, the folded shape of the inflatable and deployable portion 12a is maintained, and the expected inflating and deploying performance is guaranteed. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the cost and weight of the vibration damping structure while ensuring the inflation and deployment performance of the airbag 12.

  In the above-described embodiment, each damper rubber 14 and the retainer ring 15 are configured separately as shown in FIG. 1. However, as in the modified embodiment shown in FIG. It is also possible to implement the retainer ring 15 integrally. In the modified embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the lower end of each damper rubber 14 is vulcanized and integrated with the upper surface of the retainer ring 15.

1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an essential part schematically showing an embodiment of a damping structure for a steering wheel according to the present invention. It is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows schematically other embodiment of the damping structure of the steering wheel by this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Bag holder, 12 ... Air bag, 12a ... Inflatable deployable part, 12b ... Ring attachment part, 12c ... Connection part, 13 ... Cover, 14 ... Damper rubber (elastic body), 15 ... Retainer ring, 16 ... Bolt, 17 ... Nuts, 20 ... Gas supply, 21 ... Casing, 21a1 ... Gas supply hole, 22 ... Annular flange part, R ... Bag storage part

Claims (1)

An airbag device assembled to a steering wheel includes a bag holder that holds an airbag, and a gas supply that can inject and supply gas to the airbag, and the gas supply includes an elastic body in the bag holder. In the steering wheel damping structure configured to function as a damper mass of a dynamic damper supported by
The airbag is accommodated in a folded state in a bag storage portion formed by the bag holder and a cover attached to the bag holder, and the inflatable and deployable portion held by the bag holder; and the gas supply device. an annular mounting portion that is air-tightly fixed, is constituted by a tubular connecting portion which connects the inflatable deployable portion and the annular mounting portion directing gas from said gas supply to said inflatable deployable unit,
The connecting portion of the airbag and the annular mounting portion and the gas supply device are arranged outside the bag storage portion, and the connecting portion can be deformed with the movement of the gas supply device accompanied by elastic deformation of the elastic body. A steering wheel damping structure characterized by

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