CN116348343A

CN116348343A - Airbag module suitable for mounting to the roof of a vehicle, housing part for use in such an airbag module, and vehicle having such an airbag module

Info

Publication number: CN116348343A
Application number: CN202180067108.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 斯特凡·普雷托; 奥拉·亨里克森; 马库斯·约翰逊; 亚历山大·里斯
Original assignee: Autoliv Development AB
Current assignee: Autoliv Development AB
Priority date: 2020-10-02
Filing date: 2021-09-30
Publication date: 2023-06-27
Also published as: WO2022073837A1; DE102020125859A1

Abstract

An airbag module adapted to be mounted to a roof (R) of a vehicle is described. The airbag module includes an airbag cushion (55), an inflator in fluid communication with the airbag cushion (55), and a housing member (20). The housing part (20) comprises a front section which defines a part of a cover for the airbag cushion (55) when mounted to the roof (R) of the vehicle. The front section comprises a first mounting flange (32) and a second mounting flange (38), the first and second mounting flanges lying in a first plane (E1); -a bottom wall (35) lying in a second plane (E2) remote from and parallel to the first plane (E1); a first side wall (34) from the first side wallThe mounting flange (32) extends to the bottom wall (35) and encloses a first angle (alpha) with the first plane (E1) on the inner side of the cover ₁ ) The method comprises the steps of carrying out a first treatment on the surface of the And a second side wall (36) extending from the second mounting flange (38) to the bottom wall (35) and enclosing a second angle (alpha) with the first plane (E1) on the inner side of the cover ₂ ). In order to allow controlled deformation of the housing upon deployment of the airbag, the first angle (alpha ₁ ) And the second angle (alpha) ₂ ) Both are acute angles between 30 ° and 60 °, preferably between 40 ° and 45 °, in particular 45 ° (fig. 3).

Description

Airbag module suitable for mounting to the roof of a vehicle, housing part for use in such an airbag module, and vehicle having such an airbag module

Description

The present invention relates to an airbag module adapted to be mounted to the roof of a vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1, a housing part for use in such an airbag module according to claim 11 and a vehicle comprising such an airbag module according to claim 12.

The first airbag module that has been introduced into automotive technology is a front airbag module for protecting a driver or front-seat occupant in the event of a substantial frontal collision. Traditionally, such airbag modules are located either inside the steering wheel (driver front airbag module) or in the dashboard (passenger front airbag module).

Newer concepts propose moving the front airbag module from the steering wheel/dashboard to a position between the roof and headliner of the vehicle.

US 6,588,793B2 shows such an airbag module and a vehicle comprising such an airbag module. The airbag module includes a housing, an airbag cushion, and an inflator. The housing has an upper portion and a lower portion. The lower portion shows a mounting flange, side walls extending from the mounting flange, and a bottom wall extending between the side walls. The housing is relatively rigid such that it does not substantially deform when the airbag cushion deploys.

DE 20 2014 003 779 U1 shows another concept. Here, only one housing part is provided and the packaged airbag cushion is located between this housing part and the roof of the vehicle. The housing part is attached at its rear end to the roof of the vehicle and at its front end to the roof of the vehicle via two snap-fit connections. The housing part has no side walls, which means that the cover for the airbag cushion defined by the front section of the housing and the roof is open at its sides. The middle section of the front section of the housing part is bent towards the roof of the vehicle such that the outer surface of the housing part shows a groove. The groove section is at a distance from the ceiling lining and the sunshade curtain attached to the ceiling lining. Thus, when the airbag deploys, the groove section can be deformed to the outside without interfering with the ceiling lining and the sunshade curtain. Such an airbag module is relatively light in weight, but has the following drawbacks: that is, additional measures must be taken to ensure that when the airbag cushion deploys, no portion of the airbag cushion leaves the cover defined by the housing member and the roof of the vehicle at the sides of the cover.

Starting from this prior art, the object of the invention is to provide an airbag module which is suitable for mounting to the roof of a vehicle, at least one housing part of which is lightweight, ensures reproducible deployment behavior of the airbag cushion and does not interfere with the roof lining and/or the sunshade curtain when the airbag is deployed.

This object is achieved by an airbag module according to claim 1. A housing part for use in such an airbag module is defined in claim 11 and a vehicle comprising such an airbag module is defined in claim 12.

The airbag module of the present invention includes an airbag cushion, an inflator in fluid communication with the airbag cushion, and a housing member. The housing part comprises a front section defining a part of a cover for an airbag cushion when mounted to the roof of a vehicle, as is known from DE 20 2014 003 779 U1. In contrast to the airbag module described in this document, the front section of the airbag module of the invention comprises a first mounting flange and a second mounting flange, which lie in a first plane; a first sidewall extending from the first mounting flange; and a second sidewall extending from the second mounting flange. By means of these side walls, the cover for the airbag cushion is closed laterally, so that it safely prevents a portion of the airbag cushion from expanding laterally from the housing part. The first sidewall encloses a first angle with the first plane on the inside of the cover, and the second sidewall encloses a second angle with the first plane on the inside of the cover. A bottom wall in the second plane, which is remote from and parallel to the first plane, extends between the two side walls. Both the first angle and the second angle are acute angles between 30 ° and 60 °.

Due to this shape, the side wall and the bottom wall deform together, which results in reproducible deformation of the housing part with a relatively small "stroke" in a direction perpendicular to the first plane and the second plane (typically the vertical direction). In addition, this "joint deformation" dissipates enough energy to safely prevent the housing components from disengaging from the component (typically the roof) to which it is attached.

Although the airbag module of the invention may be substantially as lightweight as the airbag module described in DE 20 2014 003 779 U1, a cover for the airbag that is open only at the front of the airbag module is provided, thereby ensuring proper deployment of the airbag cushion.

When the airbag cushion deploys, the bottom wall and the side walls are typically deformed in such a way as to form a continuous wall that is free of bending and spans from the first mounting flange to the second mounting flange. The continuous wall typically has a substantially uniform curvature.

In order to ensure a uniform force distribution when the airbag deploys, the front section is preferably mirror symmetrical with respect to at least one plane, preferably both planes, perpendicular to the first plane and the second plane.

In a preferred embodiment, the housing component further includes an inflator segment extending from the rear end of the front segment. In order to allow an unimpeded deformation of the front section, the inflator section is preferably connected only to the bottom wall and not to the side wall. In this case, the inflator segment preferably includes a rear wall and a third mounting flange for securely mounting the inflator segment. The inflator is preferably mounted to the rear wall of the inflator segment; but may also be mounted to the roof of the vehicle. To facilitate the manufacturing process of the housing part, which may be for example a stamped and bent sheet metal piece, it is preferred in some embodiments that the third mounting flange is not directly connected to the first and second mounting flanges. In other embodiments, it may be preferred that the third mounting flange is connected to the first and second mounting flanges such that a united U-shaped mounting flange is provided first, wherein the first, second and third mounting flanges are segments of the united mounting flange. This may enhance the overall stiffness of the housing component.

Since the roof of the vehicle is typically flat, this third flange is typically located in a first plane.

Typically, all mounting flanges have an oval shape such that their length exceeds their width, and the length of the third mounting flange extends perpendicular to the length of the first mounting flange and the length of the second mounting flange.

Preferably, the housing part is one-piece. By this feature, a safe and reproducible deformation occurs without risk of breakage. In addition, the one-piece housing component is lightweight and easy to manufacture. Of course, the housing may also be made of more than one piece, for example in such a way that the housing comprises more than one layer or that the housing is welded together in several pieces.

Preferred materials for the housing parts are metals, in particular steel. In this case, the metal sheet from which the housing part is made typically has a thickness of between 1mm and 2.5 mm.

Alternatively, the housing part may be made of a plastic material. In this case, the housing part may be made in particular by cutting, thereby forming a housing part shape, similar to a housing part made of sheet metal. Of course, due to the need for a high strength material (capable of withstanding high retractive forces), it is preferred that the cut is made of a fabric.

In the installed state, the airbag module is mounted to the roof by its mounting flange such that at least a portion of the airbag cushion is located between the bottom wall and a section of the roof. The mounting flange may directly contact the roof of the vehicle, or a relatively thin additional layer may be located between the housing part and the roof of the vehicle. Since this layer does not need to withstand large forces, it can be made of essentially every material, including flexible materials such as foils or webbing. Such a layer may help to hold the airbag package in place during the installation process.

In the installed state, the airbag module is typically covered by a headliner.

The invention will now be described in detail with the aid of preferred embodiments according to the accompanying drawings.

The drawings show:

figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view along a plane extending vertically and passing through an upper part of the vehicle including an airbag module in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle according to one embodiment of the invention,

fig. 2 shows what is shown in fig. 1, but with the section away from that of fig. 1 so that the airbag module is shown from the side,

figure 3 shows a cross-section taken along the plane A-A in figure 1,

figure 4 shows what is shown in figure 1 after the inflator has been triggered such that the airbag cushion deploys,

FIG. 5 shows the contents shown in FIG. 4 in a representation according to FIG. 3, meaning a cross-sectional view taken along the plane C-C in FIG. 4, and

fig. 6 shows a variant of the embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 5 in a representation according to fig. 3.

Fig. 1 to 3 show in schematic views a front portion of a roof R of a vehicle, a portion of a windshield W of the vehicle, a portion of a headliner C of the vehicle, and an airbag module 10 attached to the roof R and placed between the roof R and the headliner C. Herein, fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along a plane A-A in fig. 1, fig. 1 is a sectional view taken along a plane B-B in fig. 3, and fig. 2 shows the airbag module in a plan view from the side.

The airbag module 10 is composed of only three components, namely, the housing component 20, the inflator 50, and the airbag package, except for fastening means such as screws or the like. The airbag package includes a folded and/or rolled airbag cushion 55 and may also include a package (not shown). In the embodiment shown, and this is preferred, the housing member 20 is a one-piece and preferably stamped and bent sheet metal member. In this case, the metal sheet generally has a thickness of between 1.5mm and 2.5 mm. In alternative embodiments, the housing part 20 can also be composed of a plastic material, for example of a plastic fabric. It is important that in the case of a housing part 20 made of a plastic material, the plastic material is not so hard that it can be deformed to some extent without breaking.

The housing member 20 may be considered to have a front section 30 and an inflator section 40. In the installed state shown in the drawings, the inflator section 40 is located rearward (with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction (X direction)) of the front section 30. As can be seen in particular from fig. 3, the front section 30 has, viewed in the transverse direction (Y-direction) of the motor vehicle, a first mounting flange 32, a first side wall 34, a bottom wall 35, a second side wall 36 and a second mounting flange 38. The two mounting

flanges

32, 36 have a length in the X direction that exceeds their width in the Y direction and extend parallel to each other in the X direction. The mounting surfaces of the two mounting

flanges

32,38 are connected to the roof R and the mounting

flanges

32, 36 lie in a first plane E1 substantially defined by the roof R of the vehicle. The

side walls

34, 36 extend downwardly from the mounting

flanges

32,38 in an inclined manner such that the first side wall 34 encloses a first angle α with the first plane E1 ₁ And the second side wall 36 encloses a second angle alpha with the first plane E1 ₂ . These two angles alpha ₁ And alpha ₂ Is an "inside angle", meaning that the two angles face each other. Preferably, at least the front section 30 of the housing part 20 is mirror symmetrical, such that the two angles α ₁ 、α ₂ Are identical. In each case two angles α ₁ 、α ₂ Are acute angles meaning that they are less than 90 °. Preferably, the angle is between 40 ° and 50 °, in particular 45 °. The bottom wall 35 extends between the two side walls and lies in a second plane E2 parallel but of course remote from the first plane E1. As can be seen, the second plane E2 is slightly remote from the headliner.

The inflator segment 40 includes its own flange, the third mounting flange 42, and the rear wall 44 extends from the third mounting flange 42 to the bottom wall 35. The inflator 50 is attached to the rear wall, for example, by bolts. The third mounting flange has a length in the Y-direction that exceeds its width in the X-direction, and the third mounting flange 42 extends perpendicular (in their respective length directions) to the first and second mounting

flanges

32, 38.

The third mounting flange 42 is not connected to the first and second mounting

flanges

32,38 and the rear wall 44 is not connected to the

side walls

34, 36 such that there are two lateral free spaces F between the inflator segment 40 and the front segment, as can be seen in fig. 2. Since the mounting flanges do not deform or move during airbag deployment, the third mounting flange 42 may be connected to the first and second mounting

flanges

32,38 in order to enhance the overall rigidity of the housing components such that the forces transmitted to the roof of the vehicle are reduced.

When the inflator 50 is activated, the airbag cushion 55 deploys from the enclosure defined by the housing member 20 and the roof R. During inflation, the airbag cushion applies a force to the front section of the housing member 20 and, due to the geometry described, the front section deforms consistently so as to have a substantially consistent curvature between the first and second mounting

flanges

32,38, as shown in fig. 5. In this state, there is no longer a boundary between the side wall and the bottom wall. As a result of this deformation, energy is dissipated such that the attachment of the housing part to the roof as well as the housing part itself remains intact. In addition, the extension in the vertical direction (Z direction) towards the headliner is relatively small, so that a small gap between the bottom wall and the headliner in the rest state (see, for example, fig. 1 and 2) is sufficient to avoid the housing component striking the headliner C when the airbag deploys.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 5, a section of the roof R directly forms the upper housing wall. Alternatively, an additional layer 22 may be provided between the roof R and the airbag package. Since this additional layer 22 is supported by the roof R, it can be made of essentially any material. Such additional layers may help ensure that the airbag cushion 55 does not shift during the installation process.

List of reference numerals

10 airbag module

20 housing part

22 additional layers

30 front section of housing part

32 first mounting flange

34 first side wall

35 bottom wall

36 second side wall

38 second mounting flange

39 continuous wall

40 inflator segment

44 rear wall

42 third mounting flange

50 inflator

55 air bag cushion

C ceiling lining

F free space

R roof

W windshield

Claims

1. An airbag module (10) adapted to be mounted to a roof (R) of a vehicle, the airbag module (10) comprising:

an airbag cushion (55),

an inflator (50) in fluid communication with the airbag cushion (55), and a housing member (20),

the housing part (20) comprises a front section (30) defining a portion of a cover for the airbag cushion (55) when mounted to a roof (R) of a vehicle, the front section (30) comprising:

a first mounting flange (32) and a second mounting flange (38), the first mounting flange and the second mounting flange

The second mounting flange is located in a first plane (E1),

a bottom wall (35) located in a second plane (E2) remote from and parallel to said first plane (E1),

a first side wall (34) extending from the first mounting flange (32) to the bottom wall (35) and enclosing with the first plane (E1) on the inner side of the cover

First angle (alpha) ₁ ) And (b)

A second side wall (36) extending from the second mounting flange (38) to the bottom wall (35) and enclosing with the first plane (E1) on the inner side of the cover

Second angle (alpha) ₂ )，

Characterized in that the first angle alpha ₁ And the second angle alpha ₂ Both are acute angles between 30 ° and 60 °, preferably between 40 ° and 45 °, in particular 45 °.

2. Airbag module according to claim 1, characterized in that the bottom wall (35) and the side walls (43,36) are deformed when the airbag cushion (55) is deployed in such a way that a continuous wall (39) is formed which spans from the first mounting flange (34) to the second mounting flange (38), the continuous wall (39) preferably having a substantially uniform curvature.

3. Airbag module according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the front section (30) is mirror symmetrical with respect to a plane perpendicular to the first plane (E1) and the second plane (E2).

4. An airbag module as in any of claims 1-3, wherein the housing member (20) further comprises an inflator segment (40) extending from a rear end of the front segment (30).

5. The airbag module of claim 4 wherein the inflator section (40) includes a rear wall (44) and a third mounting flange (42).

6. An airbag module as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the third mounting flange (42) is located in the first plane (E1).

7. An airbag module as in claim 5 or claim 6, wherein all mounting flanges (32,38,42) have a length exceeding their width, wherein the length of the third mounting flange (42) extends perpendicular to the length of the first mounting flange (32) and the length of the second mounting flange (38).

8. An airbag module as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the housing part (20) is one-piece.

9. Airbag module according to claim 8, characterized in that the housing part (20) is made of sheet metal, preferably having a thickness of between 1.5mm and 2.5mm, preferably having a thickness of 2 mm.

10. Airbag module according to claim 8, characterized in that the housing part (20) is made of a plastic material, in particular a plastic fabric.

11. A housing part (20) for an airbag module (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A vehicle comprising a roof (R) and an airbag module (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, which is mounted to the roof (R) by means of its mounting flange (32,38,42) such that at least a portion of the airbag cushion (55) is located between the bottom wall (35) and a section of the roof (R).

13. The vehicle according to claim 12, characterized in that the airbag module (10) is covered by a roof lining (C).