JP2001122067A - Air bag device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air bag device allowing a lid to be easily and firmly fitted to a case. SOLUTION: This air bag device is provided with a case 20, an air bag 22 and a lid 24. A leg piece part 26 of the lid 24 is inserted in a U-shaped frame 28 fixed to the case 20. Pins 54 of a pin plate 52 are inserted in apertures 44-50 to connect the leg piece part 26 to the case 20.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an airbag device suitable for use in a passenger seat of an automobile, and more particularly to an airbag device having an improved connection structure between a lid and a case.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a passenger airbag device, a folded airbag is housed in a case (sometimes called a container or a retainer), and an edge of a gas receiving port of the airbag is formed. It is attached to the case.

[0003] This case has an open front, and this opening is covered with a lid. This lid is arranged substantially flush with the instrument panel. When the inflator arranged in the case operates to generate gas, the airbag presses the lid from behind, the lid is opened, and the airbag is deployed in the vehicle interior.

[0004] Note that leg portions are erected from the back surface of the lid, and the leg portions are often attached to the case with rivets or bolts. A lid line may be provided with a tear line to open the lid when the airbag is deployed, and the lid may be configured to rupture along the tear line. The lid may be opened by detaching the leg from the case. Further, the lid may be opened by tearing the leg pieces.

In order to attach the leg of the lid to the case, a hook is often welded to the case, and the hook of the hook is inserted into the opening of the leg.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a conventional airbag device employing the hook fitting. The airbag device 1 includes an inflator 2 that generates gas at the time of a vehicle collision or the like, a case 3 that houses the inflator, an airbag 5 that is housed in a folded state inside the case 3,
A lid 6 for closing an opening at the top of the case 3;
Reference numeral 9 denotes an instrument panel.

On the outer surface of the upper part of the case 3, hook fittings 10,
11 are fixed by spot welding. The hook fittings 10 and 11 extend along the upper edge of the case 3, and a plurality of claw-shaped hook portions 12 are integrally provided at appropriate intervals in the extending direction. The leg portion 7 of the lid 6 has a hook portion 1 corresponding to the hook portion 12.
An opening 13 is provided which engages with the opening 2. A thin portion 8 is formed on the inner surface of the lid 6.

To attach the lid 6 to the case 3 in order to assemble the airbag device 1, the lid 6 is pushed in so as to close the opening on the upper surface of the case 3. Then, the leg portion 7 of the lid 6 is elastically deformed outward while the hook portion 1 is being deformed.
When the hook portion 12 and the opening 13 are aligned with each other, the leg portion 7 is restored to the original shape, and the hook portion 12 is inserted into the opening 13.

In the airbag apparatus thus configured, when the inflator 2 operates, the airbag 5 is inflated, the lid 6 is torn along the thin portion 8, and the airbag 5 is deployed in the vehicle compartment.

[0010]

In the prior art shown in FIG. 3, since the hook portion 12 is of a cantilever type, the stress applied near the base of the hook portion 12 is large, and the cross section of the hook portion 12 is large. It is necessary to increase the coefficient. For this reason,
The thickness of the hook portion is increased, making it difficult to perform processing such as bending, and increasing the weight.

Also, as shown in FIG.
When the leg 7 is engaged with the hook 12, the leg 7 needs to be largely bent outward. In the assembly process of mounting the lid 7 on the case 3, the lid 6 is moved toward the case 3. It is necessary to press hard, which hinders assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an airbag device which is easy to assemble and has a very firm lid.

[0013]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An airbag apparatus according to the present invention includes a case having an opening through which an airbag passes when deployed, a gas generating inflator attached to the case, and a gas inflator housed in the case. An airbag device having an airbag, a lid covering the opening of the case, and a leg protruding from the rear surface of the lid. First along the case
A mounting member having a piece and a second piece facing the first piece, wherein the leg piece is inserted between the first piece and the second piece of the mounting member; The leg piece is locked by a penetrating member penetrating the leg piece and the second piece.

In such an airbag device, since the penetrating member is locked to both the first piece and the second piece and is of a double-supported type, a large stress is not locally applied. Also, the leg piece does not come off the mounting member at all. Further, when assembling the airbag device, the leg piece is inserted between the first piece and the second piece of the mounting member without any bending, so that the mounting operation of the lid is simple.

In the airbag device of the present invention, the first
It is preferable that an opening is provided on the piece, the leg piece, the second piece, and the case so as to overlap each other, and the penetrating member is inserted into the opening.

A plurality of openings are provided at intervals in the direction in which the edge of the case extends, and pins are inserted into the respective openings as penetrating members, and these pins are fixed to a common plate. Preferably, the plate is fixed to the mounting member or the case. When the pins are integrated with the plate in this manner, the workability of inserting the pins into the openings becomes extremely good.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lid and a case of the airbag device according to the embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the same.

An airbag device for a passenger seat according to this embodiment comprises a case 20 having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and an airbag 22 folded and arranged in the case 20.
(Not shown in FIG. 1), a lid 24 for covering an opening on the upper surface side of the case 20, and a leg 26 of the lid 24.
And a substantially cylindrical inflator 30 for generating a gas for inflating the airbag 22.

The bottom of the case 20 has a semicircular bulge 3
2 is projected, and the inflator 30 is
, And the pressing member 34 is moved from above to the inflator 30.
Overlaid. The holding member 34 has a flange 34 a overlapping the bottom surface of the case 20.
The edge of the gas inlet of the airbag 22 is sandwiched between a and the bottom surface of the case 20. The flange 34a is fixed to the case 20 by bolts 36 and nuts 38.

The U-shaped frame 28 has a U-shaped cross section having a first piece 40 overlapping the case 20 and a second piece 42 facing the first piece. And is fixed to the case 20 by spot welding or the like. The leg 26 is inserted between the first piece 40 and the second piece 42.

The first piece 40, the second piece 42 and the case 2
0 has coaxial openings 44, 46, 48. The openings 44, 4 are also provided in the leg piece 26.
An opening 50 is provided at a position where the opening 50 overlaps with the openings 6 and 48.

A pin plate 52 is superposed on the outer surface of the second piece 42 of the U-shaped frame 28, and is fixed to the U-shaped frame 28 by spot welding or the like. Pins 54 projecting from the pin plate 52 are provided with openings 46, 50, 4.
4, 48, whereby the leg piece 26 is attached to the case 20.

A plurality of openings 44, 46, 48, 50 are provided along the edge of the case 20.
Are provided for one pin plate 52. The pin plate 52 may be fixed to the case 20 by spot welding or the like.

In the airbag apparatus constructed as described above, the pins 54 are inserted into the openings 46 and the openings 44 and 48 on both sides of the leg piece 26, so that the airbag apparatus has a double-sided system. Even if a large tensile stress is applied from the lid 24 to the leg piece portion 26 when the lid 22 expands, no excessive stress is locally generated on the pin 54 or the U-shaped frame 28. When attaching the lid 24 to the case 20, the U-shaped frame 28
And insert the pin 54 into the opening 44, 46, 48, 50.
It is only necessary to fix the pin plate 52 to the U-shaped frame 28 by inserting it into the U-shaped frame 28, and the workability of attaching the lid 24 is good.

When the inflator 30 performs the gas ejection operation, the airbag 22 is inflated, and the lid 24 is moved to the thin portion 2.
The airbag 22 is cleaved along 4a and inflates into the vehicle compartment. During this inflation, a force for lifting the lid 24 upward in FIGS. 1 and 2 is applied from the airbag 22.
Since the pin 54 inserted into the openings 44, 46, 48, 50 is of a two-sided type, the leg piece 26 is extremely firmly held by the U-shaped frame 28 without the pin 54 coming out of the openings 44 to 50.

In the above embodiment, the leg pieces 26 are provided only on a pair of longitudinal sides of the lid 24.
May also be provided on the short side of this case, and this leg may be connected to the case in the same manner or by other attachment means.

[0027]

As described above, the airbag device of the present invention can easily attach the lid to the case,
The mounting of the lid is also very firm.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a case and a lid of an airbag device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the airbag device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an airbag device according to a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 20 case 22 airbag 24 lid 26 leg piece 28 U-shaped frame (mounting member) 30 inflator 40 first piece 42 second piece 44, 46, 48, 50 opening 52 pin plate 54 pin

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A case having an opening through which an airbag passes when deployed, a gas generating inflator attached to the case, an airbag housed in the case, and the opening of the case. An airbag device comprising: a lid that covers the lid; and a leg piece protruding from the rear surface of the lid. A first piece that extends along the case at an edge of the opening of the case; A mounting member having a second piece facing the piece is provided, and the leg piece is inserted between the first piece and the second piece of the mounting member, the first piece, the leg piece, and the second piece. An airbag device wherein the leg pieces are locked by a penetrating member penetrating the two pieces. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first piece, the leg piece,
An airbag device, wherein an opening is provided in the second piece and the case so as to overlap each other, and the penetrating member is inserted into the opening. 3. The opening according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of openings are provided at intervals in an extending direction of an edge portion of the case, and pins are inserted into the openings as the penetrating members, respectively. An airbag device fixed to a common plate, wherein the plate is fixed to the mounting member or the case.