JP5026314B2 - Air pipe inflator guide pipe - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a guide pipe for an inflator for an air bag, and more particularly to a guide pipe for an inflator for an air bag with improved transportation safety.

  As a side airbag device for an automobile, for example, there is one in which an inflator is installed on a frame of a vehicle seat back and a side airbag is installed so as to be attached to the inflator (for example, Patent Document 1).

  In such a side airbag device, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, a guide pipe 102 made of a metal pipe is connected to the tip of the inflator 101 by caulking, and in one direction of the peripheral wall of the guide pipe 102. A gas injection hole 103 is formed, and the injected gas is changed from the axial center direction of the inflator 101 to a direction orthogonal thereto and guided into a side airbag (not shown).

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2004-291887 (FIGS. 1 and 2)

  By the way, when a fire is generated when transporting the inflator, and gas is generated thereby, in the inflator in which the guide pipe is connected as described above, the gas injection hole 103 is biased in one direction of the guide pipe 102. Therefore, the inflator may jump while rotating due to the jet power of the gas jetted from the gas injection hole. Such jumping prevention measures are stipulated strictly from the viewpoint of safety, particularly according to overseas transportation standards, etc., and depending on the danger during transportation, the packaging (A rank: iron frame, B rank: wooden frame, C rank: cardboard box) is changed.

  The present invention has been made in view of the actual circumstances of the background art described above, and an object thereof is to provide a guide pipe for an inflator for an air bag, which is provided with a measure for transporting the inflator more safely.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention of claim 1 includes a connecting means for connecting to an inflator containing a gas generating agent, a passage for guiding the gas ejected from the inflator into the airbag, and a gas injection hole. A guide pipe of an inflator for an air bag comprising a guide pipe main body, the guide pipe main body having a strength sufficient to withstand the pressure of the jet gas, higher than room temperature, and of the gas generating agent in the inflator The pipe is made of a thermoplastic resin that melts at a temperature lower than the ignition temperature, and the connecting means is a metal pipe that is connected to a guide pipe body formed of the thermoplastic resin and connected to an inflator by caulking. It is characterized by.
Here, the thermoplastic resin forming the guide pipe body is preferably one that melts at 100 to 250 ° C, and more preferably one that melts at 150 to 200 ° C. Examples of the thermoplastic resin that satisfies this temperature condition and has high strength include polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resin, special polyamide (PA6T) resin, and the like.

  Further, the present invention of claim 2 is the invention of claim 1, wherein the coupling between the guide pipe body formed of the thermoplastic resin and the metal pipe as the connecting means is performed when the guide pipe body is molded. It is characterized by being performed by insert molding in which a metal pipe is placed in a mold.

  Further, according to the present invention of claim 3, in the invention of claim 2, a restricting portion is formed at a joint side end portion of the metal pipe with the guide pipe body, and the tip end thereof is stretched outward. A flange is formed, and the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the coupling side end portion of the metal pipe are covered with a thermoplastic resin forming the guide pipe body.

  According to the guide pipe for an air bag inflator according to claim 1 described above, when the air bag inflator to which the guide pipe is connected is transported as a single component, a fire is generated during the transportation, thereby causing the outside air to flow to a predetermined level. When the temperature is reached, the guide pipe body formed of the thermoplastic resin is melted before the gas generating agent in the inflator is ignited. Therefore, even if gas is subsequently generated from the inflator, the gas is released from the opening of the tip of the inflator to the periphery that is not in one direction, so that the inflator is prevented from jumping and transportation safety is ensured. The In addition, since the guide pipe body formed of the thermoplastic resin is connected to the inflator by caulking through a metal pipe as a connecting means, a highly reliable inflator without changing the shape of the inflator Can be connected.

  According to the guide pipe of the inflator for an air bag according to claim 2, the coupling between the guide pipe body formed of the thermoplastic resin and the metal pipe as the connecting means is performed when the guide pipe body is molded. Since it is performed by insert molding in which a metal pipe is arranged in a mold, manufacturing is easy and highly reliable joining is possible.

  Further, according to the inflator for an airbag according to claim 3, a flange is formed at the end of the metal pipe on the joint side with the guide pipe body and projects outwardly at the tip thereof. Since the thermoplastic resin forming the guide pipe body covers the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the coupling side end of the metal pipe, the joining of the guide pipe body and the metal pipe is It is difficult to come off and has high pressure resistance, and the outer diameter of the guide pipe body can be kept small.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a guide pipe of an airbag inflator according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  Here, FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which an airbag inflator (hereinafter also referred to as an inflator module) connected to a guide pipe according to the present invention is installed on a roof side rail of a vehicle. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state before the guide pipe according to the present invention is connected to the inflator. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view and an enlarged sectional view of a main part of a guide pipe according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where the guide pipe according to the present invention is connected to the inflator. FIG. 5 is a partial longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which the side airbag is attached to the inflator module to which the guide pipe according to the present invention is connected.

  In the side airbag device shown in FIG. 1, the inflator module 10 is installed on the roof side rail 2 of the vehicle body 1 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 1 and the side airbag 3 is folded. It is attached below.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the inflator module 10 includes an inflator 11 in which an igniting agent, for example, a mixed gas generating agent of helium and argon is accommodated, and a front end portion of the inflator 11. And a guide pipe 12 that guides the jet gas to the side airbag 3.

  The guide pipe 12 has a guide pipe body 13, which is a thermoplastic resin having a melting point of about 150 ° C., such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resin, special polyamide (PA6T) system. It is formed in a cylindrical shape by resin or the like. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the guide pipe body 13 is closed at the tip, and includes a gas injection hole 14 in one direction of the side surface of the tip. In addition, a pipe 15 made of metal, for example, carbon steel for mechanical structure (STKM), which is a connecting means, is coupled to the guide pipe body 13 at the base end portion.

  The guide pipe body 13 formed of the thermoplastic resin and the metal pipe 15 as the connecting means are joined by insert molding in which the metal pipe 15 is placed in a mold when the guide pipe body 13 is molded. It has been broken. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, a narrowed portion 16 is formed at the end of the metal pipe 15 where the guide pipe main body 13 is coupled, and a flange 17 projecting outward is formed at the tip. Yes. Then, the thermoplastic pipe melted at the time of insert molding is poured not only into the outer peripheral surface side but also the inner peripheral surface side into the coupling side end portion of the metal pipe 15, and the guide pipe main body 13 is molded, thereby removing the metal pipe 15. It is difficult to use and has a highly reliable connection structure against internal pressure.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the inflator 11 has a main portion 11a containing a gas generating agent or the like in a cylindrical shape, and has a small-diameter head portion 11b at the tip. In the head 11b, a plurality of gas supply ports 18 are formed at equal intervals on the front peripheral wall thereof, and flange portions 19a and 19b projecting outward from the base are arranged substantially orthogonal to the axial direction of the head 11b. It is installed.

  And the said guide pipe main body 13 is connected with the said inflator 11 via the metal pipe 15 which is the connection means. As shown in FIG. 4, this connecting structure is obtained by caulking the metal pipe 15 in the same manner as in the prior art, so that a metal is formed between the flange portions 19 a and 19 b formed at the base portion of the head portion 11 b of the inflator 11. It is made by biting a part of the pipe made 15.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the gas inlet 3a of the side airbag 3 is attached by the clip 20 to the inflator module 10 to which the guide pipe 12 is connected as described above, and as shown in FIG. It is installed on the vehicle body 1. The inflator module 10 ignites the ignition agent in the inflator 11 due to an impact caused by a vehicle collision or the like, and when the gas generating agent instantly generates a large amount of gas, the generated gas is generated in the guide pipe 12. The gas is supplied into the side airbag 3 through the gas injection holes 14, and the side airbag 3 is inflated vigorously (a state indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1).

  By the way, the inflator module 10 to which the guide pipe 12 is connected is packed and transported alone before being installed in the vehicle. If the outside air becomes high temperature, for example, 150 ° C. or higher due to a fire or the like during the transportation, the guide pipe body 13 is melted at that temperature. Further, when the outside air temperature rises, the explosive in the inflator 11 ignites, and gas is ejected from the inflator 11, the gas is ejected from the gas supply port 18 of the inflator 11. Since they are uniformly formed on the peripheral wall of the head 11b of the inflator, the gas jetting output is canceled out, the inflator module 10 does not jump up, and transportation safety is ensured.

  The preferred embodiment of the guide pipe of the airbag inflator according to the present invention has been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and is described in the claims. Naturally, various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the inflator module 10 is installed on the roof side rail 2 of the vehicle body 1 is shown. However, the inflator module connected with the guide pipe according to the present invention is also applicable to a seat side airbag or the like. can do.
Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the straight pipe guide pipe main body 13 is illustrated, for example, other shapes, such as L shape as shown in FIG. 6, or T shape as shown in FIG. It may be a thing.
Furthermore, the coupling between the guide pipe body 13 and the metal pipe 15 is not limited to the above-described coupling by insert molding, but may be, for example, screwing using a screw or bonding using an adhesive. Good.

It is the conceptual diagram which showed the state which installed the inflator module which connected the guide pipe which concerns on this invention in the roof side rail of the vehicle. It is the perspective view which showed the state before the connection to the inflator of the guide pipe which concerns on this invention. It is the longitudinal cross-sectional view and principal part expanded sectional view of the guide pipe which concern on this invention. It is the longitudinal cross-sectional view which showed the state which connected the guide pipe which concerns on this invention to the inflator. It is the fragmentary longitudinal cross-section which showed the state which attached the side airbag to the inflator module which connected the guide pipe which concerns on this invention. It is the perspective view which showed other embodiment of the guide pipe which concerns on this invention. It is the perspective view which showed other embodiment of the guide pipe which concerns on this invention. It is the longitudinal cross-sectional view which showed the state which connected the conventional guide pipe to the inflator.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Car body 2 Roof side rail 3 Side airbag 3a Gas inflow port 10 Inflator module 11 Inflator 12 Guide pipe 13 Guide pipe main body 14 Gas injection hole 15 Metal pipe 16 Throttle part 17 Flange 18 Gas supply port 19a, 19b Flange part 20 Clip

Claims (3)

A guide pipe of an inflator for an airbag comprising a connecting means for connecting to an inflator containing a gas generating agent, and a guide pipe main body having a passage and a gas injection hole for guiding the gas ejected from the inflator into the airbag. And
The guide pipe body is formed of a thermoplastic resin that has sufficient strength to withstand the pressure of the ejected gas, is melted at a temperature higher than normal temperature and lower than the ignition temperature of the gas generating agent in the inflator, and the connection A guide pipe for an inflator for an air bag, characterized in that the means is a metal pipe coupled to the inflator by caulking, which is coupled to a guide pipe body formed of the thermoplastic resin.   The connection between the guide pipe body formed of the thermoplastic resin and the metal pipe as the connecting means is performed by insert molding in which the metal pipe is placed in a mold when the guide pipe body is molded. The guide pipe of the inflator for airbags of Claim 1 characterized by these.   A narrowed portion is formed at the joint side end of the metal pipe with the guide pipe body, and a flange projecting outward is formed at the tip thereof, and the inner circumference of the joint side end of the metal pipe The guide pipe of the inflator for an air bag according to claim 2, wherein the thermoplastic resin forming the guide pipe body covers the surface and the outer peripheral surface.

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