JP2001151060A - Air bag device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air bag device capable of realizing reduction of size and weight of parts and reducing processing cost of the parts for improving productivity. SOLUTION: Mounting holes 66 of this air bag device are formed on each spoke 63 of a steering wheel 26. A plurality of set pins 72 protruding to an inner side are provided on a retainer 12 of the air bag device 10. The set pins 72 are arranged in positions corresponding to the mounting holes 66 of the steering wheel 26. L-shaped clips 73 are incorporated in each set pin 72. A lock part 73a is formed on a tip of the clip 73. The lock part 73a is a substantially rectangular projection protruding only to one side of the clip 73.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an airbag device for protecting a vehicle occupant. In particular, the present invention relates to an airbag device that can be assembled to a vehicle or the like in a snap-on manner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In order to protect occupants in the event of a vehicle collision, airbag devices for a driver, a passenger seat, a rear seat, a side, and the like are provided in most current vehicles. Equipped. The airbag device is generally mounted on a vehicle as a module including a bag, a retainer, an inflator, a cover, and the like. The bag is normally stored in the module in a folded state. The retainer fixes the base end of the bag to the vehicle body. The inflator generates gas for inflating and deploying the bag when the vehicle collides.

[0003] Among the above various airbag devices, those for a driver are mounted on a steering wheel and deploy a bag in front of the driver. A typical steering wheel has an annular rim. A boss is located at the center of the inside of the rim. The boss is fixed to the steering shaft of the vehicle body. The rim and the boss are connected by a plurality of spokes.

Conventional examples of a steering wheel equipped with this type of driver airbag device include, for example, US Pat. No. 5,333,897 and JP-A-9-1833.
No. 54 has been disclosed.

US Pat. No. 5,333,897 discloses an airbag module and a vehicle body structure (steering wheel).
Is disclosed. The fixing means has a plurality of pins installed on the back wall of the airbag module. The pin can be releasably inserted into an opening formed in a support member of the vehicle body structure. The pin has a clip means made of an elastic body. This clip means comes into close contact with the back surface of the support member of the vehicle body structure after the pin is inserted into the opening. An element (locking member) that generates a stress for preventing falling from the support member is connected to the clipping means.

However, the locking member of the fixing means is
The structure protruding radially from the clip means complicates the shape of the clip member. For this reason, the component processing cost increases, and it is not suitable for mass production.

The fixing means disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-183354 is
The vehicle includes a plurality of pins provided on a back wall of the airbag module, and a plurality of openings formed in the vehicle body structure. The tip of the pin is formed in a tapered conical or wedge shape. A detent is provided on the columnar portion of the pin. On the other hand, an elastically deformable locking element is provided in the opening of the vehicle body structure. When the pin is pushed into the opening, the locking element comes into contact with the tip of the pin and is deformed in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. When the pin is further pushed in, the locking element returns elastically and engages the detent. Thereby, the airbag module and the vehicle body structure can be releasably fixed at a plurality of fixing points.

However, this fixing means has a complicated structure because it is necessary to form a detent on the pin or to form a projection on the locking element for locking with the detent of the pin. Therefore, also in this case, the component processing cost is high, which is not suitable for mass production.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an airbag apparatus capable of realizing miniaturization and weight reduction of parts, reducing part processing costs and improving productivity. The purpose is to provide.

[0010]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an airbag device according to a first aspect of the present invention is provided with a folded airbag, fixed to a vehicle body structure, and provided with an airbag. A retainer for holding the proximal end of the bag,
An airbag device comprising: a plurality of airbag device mounting holes formed in the vehicle body structure;
The retainer is formed with a plurality of set pins projecting toward the vehicle body structure side (rear side) corresponding to the mounting holes, and the set pins have elasticity so as to project outside the pins. A clip having a biased lock portion is incorporated, and when the set pin passes through the mounting hole toward the back side, the lock portion of the clip is pressed by the hole wall and sinks into the set pin. Then, after passing through the mounting hole, the lock portion of the clip returns elastically and projects outside the set pin, whereby the retainer is attached to the vehicle body structure, and the lock portion of each clip projects only on one side of the clip. Is provided.

USP 5,333,897 (or USP 5,333,897)
P5,924,831), the lock portion protrudes in multiple directions radially from both sides of the pin or from the pin. Therefore, the structure is complicated and the part processing cost is high. In this aspect of the invention, the locking portion of each clip is provided to protrude only on one side of the clip. For this reason, the structure is simple, and the component processing cost is reduced.

An airbag device according to a second aspect of the present invention is an airbag device including: a folded airbag; and a retainer fixed to a vehicle body structure and holding a base end of the airbag; A plurality of airbag device mounting holes are formed in the retainer, and a plurality of set pins projecting toward the retainer side (front side) are formed in the vehicle body structure in correspondence with the mounting holes. A clip having a lock portion elastically biased to protrude outside the pin is incorporated in the set pin;
When the set pin passes through the mounting hole toward the near side, the lock portion of the clip is pushed by the hole wall and sinks into the set pin, and after passing the mounting hole, the lock portion of the clip returns elastically. And projecting out of the set pin, whereby the retainer is attached to the vehicle body structure, and the lock portion of each clip is provided so as to protrude only to one side of the clip.

[0013] In the airbag device of the present invention, the vehicle body structure is a steering wheel, the plurality of set pins are dispersedly arranged around the steering wheel, and a clip lock portion of each set pin is provided. It is preferable to be arranged so as to protrude outward from the steering wheel axis. With such a configuration, it is possible to easily insert the steering wheel into the steering wheel. Further, the insertion force can be easily changed by changing the type of the common component (clip).

In the airbag device of the present invention, the set pin has a recess for accommodating the clip, the clip has the lock portion formed at a tip end thereof, and the base of the clip is formed. An end is fixed to the retainer, and the elasticity of the clip itself urges the lock portion to protrude out of the set pin recess. in this case,
Since the clip itself forms an urging mechanism, the number of components can be reduced.

Further, in the airbag device of the present invention, the clip is L-shaped, and a hole is formed in a base of the set pin so that a base end of the clip is fitted and fixed. be able to. In this case, the clip can be easily assembled simply by inserting the base end of the clip into the hole.

Further, in the airbag device of the present invention, a spring is disposed around the set pin, and the spring urges the retainer and the steering wheel in a direction for separating them. In this case, a floating structure between the retainer and the steering wheel can be realized. Therefore, a horn switch using the airbag module as a switch can be configured.

In the airbag device of the present invention, a hollow portion and an opening for connecting the hollow portion to the outside are formed in the set pin, and a spring and a spring biased by the spring are set in the hollow portion. An adjuster that slides in the pin axis direction, and a lock member that is pushed by the adjuster and slidable between a position buried in the hollow portion from the opening and a position partially protruding from the opening are incorporated. Is preferred. With such a configuration, the force for releasing the lock portion and the force for insertion can be adjusted by simply changing the spring. Further, the airbag device of the first aspect (see FIG. 4 in the embodiment of the invention) can be fixed more firmly.

Further, in the airbag device of the present invention, it is preferable that the adjuster and the lock member are formed with two slidable inclined portions having different angles at two locations. In this case, since the angle of the friction surface changes in the load direction, the spring constant increases when a certain amount of the module is pushed in, and the insertion force increases. Can be inserted.

Hereinafter, description will be made with reference to the drawings. First Embodiment FIG. 1A is an exploded perspective view of an airbag device and a steering wheel according to a first embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the back. It should be noted that the right part of the figure is omitted. FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the airbag device of this example. FIG. 2 is a front view of the back side of the retainer of the airbag device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a side view of the retainer of FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing a set pin and a clip of the airbag device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5A is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state where the set pin and the clip and the mounting hole are being mounted, and FIG. 5B is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the state after the mounting.

In the following description, the driver side of the steering wheel is referred to as the front side, and the vehicle body side is referred to as the rear side (the side as viewed from FIG. 1). The center of the steering wheel is called the inside, and the side far from the center of the steering wheel is called the outside.

First, the steering wheel 26 as a vehicle body structure will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the steering wheel 26 has a boss 61 at the center. At the center of the boss 61, a sleeve 65 is fixedly arranged. A steering wheel shaft (not shown) is fitted and fixed to the sleeve 65. A plurality of (four in this embodiment) spokes 63 are formed integrally with the boss 61. Each of the spokes 63 includes a horizontal spoke extending left and right and a lateral side, and a lower spoke extending left and right and obliquely downward. The distal end side of each spoke 63 is bent toward the near side. A ring-shaped rim (not shown) is integrally provided at the tip of each of the spokes 63.

A bar 64 is integrally formed between the left and right lower spokes 63. Furthermore, on the left and right of the boss 61,
A mounting piece 68 is provided. The mounting piece 68 is for mounting a cruise control switch, an audio switch, and the like. At the base end of each of the spokes 63, a mounting hole 66 of the airbag device is formed. The periphery of each mounting hole 66 is machined flat.

The steering wheel 26 is provided with the airbag device 10. As shown in FIG. 1B, the airbag device 10 of the present embodiment includes a retainer 12 attached to a steering wheel 26. A module cover 16 accommodating the folded airbag 14 is attached to the front side of the retainer 12. The module cover 16 is attached to the retainer 12 in a snap-on manner.

A plurality of set pins 7 projecting toward the steering wheel 26 (back side) are provided on the back side of the retainer 12.
2 are provided. The set pin 72 is disposed at a position corresponding to the mounting hole 66 of the steering wheel 26. The diameter of the set pin 72 is formed smaller than the inner diameter of the mounting hole 66. Thereby, the set pin 72
Can swing to some extent in the mounting hole 66. These set pins 72 are made of resin.

As best shown in FIG. 4, the tip 72a of each set pin 72 is smoothly formed in a hemispherical shape. Each set pin 72 incorporates an L-shaped clip 73. More specifically, the set pin 72 has a recess 72 c for accommodating the clip 73.
Are formed. Further, the base of each set pin 72 has a hole 7 into which a base end 73d of the clip 73 can be fitted.
2b is formed. By fitting the base end 73d of the clip 73 into the hole 72b, the set pin 7
2 has a clip 73 incorporated therein. Note that a cutout 73e is formed at the base 73d of the clip 73. The notch 73e is formed on the protrusion 12 on the back surface of the retainer 12.
c.

The distal end of the clip 73 has a lock 73
a is formed. The lock 73 a
Is a substantially triangular projection that protrudes only on one side of the. The leading edge 73b of the locking portion 73a has a gently tapered shape with a tapered end, and the base edge 73c of the locking portion 73a.
Are steps perpendicular to the axis of the set pin 72. Since the lock portion 73a is provided so as to protrude only on one side, the structure is simple and the component processing cost is low. The lock portion 73a is urged by the elasticity of the clip 73 so as to protrude outward from the concave portion 72c of the set pin 72.

A coil spring 77 is arranged around the set pin 72. The front end (the left end in FIG. 4) of the coil spring 77 is located in the spring groove 12 d on the back surface of the retainer 12. Same coil spring 77
Is in contact with the seat plate 79. The seat plate 79 is
It has a hole 79a and is slidably fitted on the outer periphery of the set pin 72. The seat plate 79 includes the coil spring 7.
7, and is hooked on the lock portion 73 a of the clip 73. The seat plate 79 prevents the coil spring 77 from separating, and can abut on the steering wheel 26.

As shown in FIG. 5 (B), after the retainer 12 of the airbag device 10 is assembled into the steering wheel 26, the retainer 12 and the steering wheel 26 are attached by the coil spring 77 in a direction away from each other. Be inspired. In addition, since a floating structure between the retainer 12 and the steering wheel 26 can be realized by the coil spring 77, a horn switch using the airbag module as a switch can also be configured.

The reference numeral 31 in FIGS. 1 and 2 designates a bracket of urging means for slidably connecting the airbag and the steering wheel. This biasing means,
The retainer 12 is formed so as to protrude from the back surface to the back side. In order to make the snap-on mounting more robust when considered in a practical level, it can be screwed to a projection (not shown) on the steering wheel side.

Here, a method of attaching the retainer 12 to the steering wheel 26 will be described. FIG.
As shown in (A), when the set pin 72 of the retainer 12 passes through the mounting hole 66 of the steering wheel 26, the lock portion 73a of the clip 73 is pushed by the hole wall of the mounting hole 66, and It is immersed in the concave portion 72c. From this state, after the set pin 72 is further pushed in and passes through the inside of the mounting hole 66, the locking portion 73 of the clip 73 is
a returns elastically. At this time, as shown in FIG. 5B, the clip 73 protrudes out of the concave portion 72c of the set pin 72, and the lock portion 73a is hooked on the outer end surface of the mounting hole 66. Furthermore, due to the elasticity of the coil spring 77,
The steering wheel 26 is urged away from the retainer 12, and the lock portion 73a is firmly engaged with the back side of the steering wheel 26.

When removing the airbag device 10 from the steering wheel 26, the steering wheel 26
Insert the hollow cylinder into the back of the
Press a to retract. Thereby, the engagement between the set pin 72 and the steering wheel 26 is released, and the airbag device 10 can be removed from the steering wheel 26.

Next, the inflator 18 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, an inflator 18 is mounted on a rear side surface of the retainer 12 via a plate 25. The inflator 18 generates gas for expanding the bag 14 (see FIG. 1B). FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2B, a gas outlet 18a is formed on the front side surface of the inflator 18. Gas is released into the bag 14 from the jet port 18a. The inflator 18 is provided with a body flange 18b. The flange 18b projects outward from the side surface of the inflator 18 and has a square outer periphery. Small holes 18c are formed at four corners of the flange 18b. The bolt 20 is inserted through the small hole 18c. As shown in FIG. 1 (B), a front portion of the inflator 18 is provided with a central opening 12a of the retainer 12.
(See FIG. 2), and protrudes from the front of the retainer 12. On the near side of the retainer 12, the base end (opening end) of the bag 14 pressed by the ring 24 is fixed.

The inflation and deployment of the airbag device 10 is performed as follows. During normal operation of the vehicle, the bag 14 is folded and stored in the module cover 16. When the vehicle collides, a sensor (not shown) detects the collision and sends a firing signal to the inflator 18. Inflator 18
Is ignited, gas is ejected from the gas ejection port 18a into the bag 14, and the bag 14 is deployed.

Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 6A is a partially enlarged side sectional view showing a state in which a set pin, a clip, and a mounting hole are being mounted according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6B is a partially enlarged side sectional view showing a state after attachment. FIG.
(C) is a partial front sectional view of the set pin and the lock member. FIG. 6D is a plan view of the set pin and the lock member as viewed from above.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the second embodiment, a hollow portion 83 is formed in the set pin 81.
Further, the set pin 81 has an opening 84 that connects the hollow portion 83 to the outside. In the hollow part 83,
The spring 85, the adjuster 87, and the lock member 89 are incorporated. The length of the lock member 89 is slightly smaller than the length of the opening 84.

At the lower part of the four corners of the lock member 89, there are provided protrusions 90 projecting in the lateral direction. Each protrusion 90
As clearly shown in FIGS. 6C and 6D, the width is larger than the width of the opening 84. The protrusion 90 prevents the lock member 89 from coming off the set pin 81.

The spring 85 is disposed in the hollow portion 83 on the tip side of the set pin 81. The adjuster 87 is urged by a spring 85, and is slidable in the axial direction of the set pin 81. The adjuster 87 has a first inclined portion 87a and a second inclined portion 87b. The first inclined portion 87a is formed at a steeper angle than the second inclined portion 87b. The adjuster 87 has a constricted portion 87c that is continuous with the first inclined portion 87a.

The lock member 89 includes first and second inclined portions 87a and 87b of the adjuster 87, first and second inclined portions 89a and 89b corresponding to the constricted portion 87c, and constricted portion 89.
c are respectively formed. The lock member 89 is pushed by the adjuster 87 to open the opening 84 of the set pin 81.
6A, and can be slid between a position buried in the hollow portion 83 (FIG. 6A) and a position partially protruding from the opening (FIG. 6B).

Next, the operation of the second embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 6A, when the set pin 81 passes through the mounting hole 66 of the steering wheel 26 in the W direction, the base end of the lock member 89 is pushed by the hole wall of the mounting hole 66. 6 (A) is displaced in the X direction. At this time,
The second inclined portion 89b of the lock member 89 and the adjuster 87
Contact the second inclined portion 87b, and both constricted portions 87c, 8c
9c engages. Then, the adjuster 87 slides in the Y direction in FIG. 6A against the elastic force of the spring 85.

From this state, the set pin 81 is
6, the adjuster 87 slides in the Y ′ direction by the elastic force of the spring 85, as shown in FIG. At this time, the first inclined portion 89a of the lock member 89
And the first inclined portion 87a of the adjuster 87 comes into contact, and the lock member 89 protrudes outside the opening 84 (in the X 'direction). At this time, the lock member 89 is prevented from coming off when the projection 90 contacts the inner surface of the set pin 81. As a result, the lock member 89 is fixed in a state of being sandwiched between the first inclined portion 87a of the adjuster 87 and the end surface of the mounting hole 66, and becomes a locked state.

In the first and second embodiments,
Although the set pin is provided on the retainer side (front side) and the mounting hole is provided on the steering wheel side (rear side), the mounting hole is provided on the retainer side (front side).
A set pin may be provided on the steering wheel side (back side).

[0042]

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, there is an effect that the size and weight of parts can be reduced, the processing cost of parts can be reduced, and the productivity can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is an exploded perspective view of an airbag device and a steering wheel according to a first embodiment of the present invention as viewed from a rear side. FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the airbag device of this example.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the back side of the retainer of the airbag device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the retainer of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing a set pin and a clip of the airbag device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5A is a partially enlarged sectional view showing a state in which a set pin, a clip, and a mounting hole are being mounted;
(B) is a partial enlarged sectional view showing the state after attachment.

FIG. 6A is a partially enlarged side sectional view showing a state in which a set pin, a clip, and a mounting hole are being mounted according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6B is a partially enlarged side sectional view showing a state after attachment. FIG. 6C is a partial front sectional view of the set pin and the lock member. FIG. 6D is a plan view of the set pin and the lock member as viewed from above.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Airbag apparatus 12 Retainer 14 Airbag 16 Module cover 18 Inflator 26 Steering wheel 61 Boss 63 Spoke 65 Sleeve 66 Mounting hole 72 Set pin 72a Tip 72b Hole 72c Concave 73 Clip 73a Lock 73b Edge 73c Edge 73d Base end 73e Notch portion 77 Coil spring 79 Seat plate 81 Set pin 83 Hollow portion 84 Opening 85 Spring 87 Adjuster 87a First inclined portion 87b Second inclined portion 87c Narrow portion 89 Lock member 89a First inclined portion 89b Second inclined portion 89c Part 90 protrusion

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An airbag apparatus comprising: a folded airbag; and a retainer fixed to a vehicle body structure and holding a base end of the airbag. The vehicle body structure includes a plurality of airbags. A bag device mounting hole is formed, and a plurality of set pins projecting toward the vehicle body structure side (rear side) are formed in the retainer corresponding to the mounting hole. A clip having a lock portion elastically biased so as to protrude outside the pin is incorporated. When the set pin passes through the mounting hole toward the back side, the lock portion of the clip is a hole. After being pushed by the wall and immersed in the set pin, after passing through the mounting hole, the lock portion of the clip is elastically restored and protrudes out of the set pin. Department Is provided so as to protrude from only one side of the clip. 2. An airbag device comprising: a folded airbag; and a retainer fixed to a vehicle body structure and holding a base end of the airbag; wherein the retainer includes a plurality of airbag devices. An attachment hole is formed, and a plurality of set pins protruding toward the retainer side (front side) are formed in the vehicle body structure in correspondence with the attachment hole. When the set pin passes through the mounting hole toward the front side, the lock portion of the clip is attached to the hole wall. After being pushed into the set pin, after passing through the mounting hole, the lock portion of the clip is elastically restored and protrudes out of the set pin, whereby the retainer is attached to the vehicle body structure, and the lock of each of the clips is performed. The airbag device, wherein the portion is provided so as to protrude only on one side of the clip. 3. The vehicle body structure is a steering wheel, wherein the plurality of set pins are dispersedly arranged around the steering wheel, and a clip lock portion of each set pin is disposed outward of the steering wheel shaft. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag device is disposed so as to protrude toward the airbag. 4. A recess for accommodating the clip is formed in the set pin, the lock is formed at a distal end of the clip, and a base end of the clip is fixed to the retainer. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the locking portion is urged by the elasticity of the clip itself so as to protrude out of the set pin recess. 5. The airbag according to claim 4, wherein the clip has an L-shape, and a hole is formed in a base of the set pin so that a base end of the clip is fitted and fixed. apparatus. 6. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein a spring is disposed around the set pin, and the spring urges the retainer and the steering wheel in a direction to separate the steering wheel. 7. A hollow portion and an opening connecting the hollow portion to the outside are formed in the set pin, and a spring and an adjuster urged by the spring to slide in the axial direction of the set pin are formed in the hollow portion. And a lock member slidable between a position pushed by the adjuster and buried in the hollow portion from the opening and a position partially protruding from the opening. Item 7. The airbag device according to Item 6. 8. The airbag device according to claim 6, wherein the adjuster and the lock member are formed with two slidable inclined portions having different angles at two locations.