JP2001246989A - Pillar trim structure of vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pillar trim structure capable of regulating a developing direction of an air bag and coping with an indoor impact before the air bag operates. SOLUTION: A smooth slope 4a is formed in an upper end part of a pillar trim 4 positioned below an air bag module 5 stored in a space between a roof trim 3 and a side rail 1, a door part 3a having a hinge function is provided in a section covering the air bag module 5 of the roof trim 3, and an overhang part 4b provided with a slight step so as to engage with a tip of the door part 3a is provided in a section where the tip of the door part 3a comes into contact with the pillar trim 4. That is, since a guide regulating a developing direction in a pillar part of the air bag module 5 is not formed by a solid member, an impact absorbing function for an indoor impact is not reduced, and the slope 4a in the upper end part of the pillar trim 4 serves as a guide to easily open the door part 3a of the roof trim 3 and smoothly develops the air bag module 5 downward and along the slope 4a of the pillar trim 4 when the air bag module 5 develops downward.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pillar trim structure for a vehicle that houses a side airbag that covers a door opening on the vehicle interior side when inflated and restrains and protects an occupant's head.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-203289, it is disposed in a bag portion of a roof trim and side rails around a door opening on the inside of a vehicle body, and is lowered when inflated. Side airbags (so-called curtain type airbags) have been developed which cover the door openings on the vehicle cabin side to restrain and protect the occupant's head.

[0003] In this type of airbag, when deployed, the end of the roof trim is pushed open and deployed in a curtain shape over a wide area in the front-rear direction inside the door glass inside, and the occupant's head is mainly exposed to the door glass portion or the like. It is designed to prevent collision with the pillar part, especially since the pillar part has a stronger structure than the glass part, in order to avoid collision between the occupant and the pillar part, it is more reliable than the glass part Need to expand.

For this reason, conventionally, a trim structure at a portion where a roof trim and a pillar trim are continuous in a vehicle equipped with a curtain-type airbag is provided at an upper end of the pillar trim in order to avoid an influence on deployment of the airbag due to the presence of the pillar trim. The part is sunk between the roof trim and the body side sheet metal member, and the deployed airbag is caught on the upper end of the pillar trim and the deployment is hindered,
In order to prevent the operation of deploying inside the pillar trim and peeling off the pillar trim, a guide for controlling the deployment direction is attached and fixed to the airbag unit side or the vehicle body side immediately below the airbag.

[0005]

However, since the guide for controlling the direction of deployment of the airbag at the pillar portion is cantilevered with respect to the direction of deployment of the airbag, the guide is usually taken into consideration in consideration of its strength. Is made of a strong material such as metal.It is located inside the trim made of resin and other materials, but between the trim and the body structure against shock absorption before the airbag operates. The presence of a rigid member is undesirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a pillar trim structure of a vehicle that can regulate the deployment direction of an airbag and can cope with an indoor impact before the airbag is activated. And

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, an upper end portion of a pillar trim is provided in a space formed by a roof trim or a side rail trim and a vehicle body sheet metal member inside a vehicle. A pillar trim structure for a vehicle having a buried structure, wherein a smooth slope reaching the vehicle body sheet metal member is provided at an upper end of the pillar trim.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, an airbag module that expands downward when inflated is interposed in the space so as to suspend an upper end of the pillar trim. And

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, the slope of the pillar trim is extended to a position near a vehicle body mounting portion of the airbag module.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect of the present invention, an engaging portion for engaging with an end of the roof trim is provided at a portion of the pillar trim starting to enter the space. It is characterized by having.

That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a smooth slope is provided at the upper end of the pillar trim, and the slope is embedded in the space formed by the roof trim or the side rail trim and the vehicle body sheet metal member inside the vehicle. To reach the body sheet metal member.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the airbag module is interposed in the space formed by the roof trim or the side rail trim and the body metal member so as to suspend the upper end of the pillar trim. Is used as a downward guide when the bag is deployed.

In this case, it is preferable that the slope provided at the upper end of the pillar trim is extended to the vicinity of the vehicle body mounting portion of the airbag module.
In addition, as described in claim 4, it is desirable to provide an engaging portion that engages with an end of the roof trim at a portion where the pillar trim starts to enter the space.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 relate to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a joint between a side rail and a pillar, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the indoor side in FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a side rail forming a part of a structural member on the roof side of a vehicle body shell, and reference numeral 2 denotes a pillar (for example, a center pillar) joined to the side rail 1 with a door stop flange. ).

The side rail 1 and the pillar 2 are respectively
A roof trim (or side rail trim) 3, which is an interior member made of a synthetic resin or the like, and a pillar trim 4 on the vehicle cabin side, where the periphery of the roof trim 3 and the pillar trim 4 are in contact with each other. Is embedded in the space created between the roof trim 3 and the side rail 1.

An airbag module 5 is accommodated in a space formed between the roof trim 3 and the side rails 1. The airbag module 5 is disposed, for example, from below the front pillar at the periphery of the door opening on the inside of the vehicle to the rear side of the side rail 1, and inflates the end of the roof trim 3 with inflator gas from an inflator (not shown) to open the door. It is deployed in the shape of a curtain in a wide range in the front-rear direction on the indoor side inside the glass, and mainly prevents the occupant's head from colliding with the door glass or the pillar portion. As shown in FIG. It is attached to the side rail 1 at a point.

At the upper end of the pillar trim 4 located below the airbag module 5, an airbag module 5 is provided.
Smooth slopes 4 to provide guidance when deploying downwards
a is formed up to the vicinity of the mounting portion of the airbag module 5, and the airbag module 5 of the roof trim 3 is formed.
Is provided with a door portion 3a having a hinge function so as to be pushed and opened when the airbag module 5 is inflated.

In the present embodiment, the slope 4a is formed on a flat portion of the upper end portion of the pillar trim 4 in a rib structure, and serves as a guide for regulating the direction of the airbag module 5 when the bag is deployed. It is configured to have a shock absorbing function by being disposed obliquely with respect to, and providing a slit or the like.

Further, the tip of the door portion 3a and the pillar trim 4
, Ie, where the pillar trim 4 begins to enter the space created between the roof trim 3 and the side rails 1, a projecting portion (a slight step is provided so as to engage the tip of the door portion 3 a). An engagement portion 4b is provided, and when the airbag module 5 is inflated, the door portion 3a of the roof trim 3 is pushed open so that the tip comes off the projecting portion 4b of the pillar trim 4.

In the pillar trim structure having the above configuration,
When the airbag module 5 is deployed downward by inflation gas from an inflator (not shown), the pillar trim 4
The slope 4a at the upper end serves as a guide to facilitate opening of the door portion 3a of the roof trim 3 and to smoothly deploy downward along the slope 4a of the pillar trim 4.

Accordingly, the upper end portion of the pillar trim 4 does not hinder the deployment of the airbag, and the airbag is deployed in a curtain shape in a wide range in the front-rear direction on the indoor side inside the door glass, so that the head of the occupant is moved. Can be reliably restrained and protected.

Furthermore, since the guide for controlling the deployment direction of the airbag at the pillar portion is formed integrally as the slope 4a at the upper end of the pillar trim 4 without forming a separate body, the number of parts can be reduced. The cost can be reduced by simplifying the mounting work.

Further, as in the prior art, a guide for restricting the deployment direction at the pillar portion of the airbag module 5 is formed of a strong member and is interposed in the space created between the roof trim 3 and the side rail 1. Instead, since the slope 4a integrated with the pillar trim 4 serves as a guide when the airbag is deployed, the safety can be further improved without lowering the shock absorbing function against room impact.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, a smooth slope is provided at the upper end of the pillar trim, and the slope is formed by the roof trim or side rail trim and the vehicle body sheet metal member inside the vehicle. When the airbag is housed in the space, the guide that regulates the deployment direction at the pillar part is not formed with a strong member, as in the past, when the airbag is housed in the space The upper slope of the pillar trim can regulate the direction of deployment as a guide when deploying the airbag, and it does not reduce the impact absorption function against indoor impact and can improve safety more. can get.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a joint between a side rail and a pillar.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the indoor side in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Side rail 2 ... Pillar 3 ... Roof trim 3a ... Door part 4 ... Pillar trim 4a ... Slope 4b ... Overhang part 5 ... Airbag module

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A pillar trim structure for a vehicle having a structure in which an upper end portion of a pillar trim is buried in a space formed by a roof trim or a side rail trim and a vehicle body sheet metal member on the indoor side of the vehicle, wherein the upper end portion of the pillar trim is provided. A pillar trim structure for a vehicle, wherein a smooth slope reaching the vehicle body sheet metal member is provided. 2. The pillar trim structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein an airbag module that expands downward when inflated is interposed in said space so as to suspend an upper end portion of said pillar trim. 3. The pillar trim structure for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a slope of the pillar trim extends to a position near a vehicle body mounting portion of the airbag module. 4. A pillar trim for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein an engagement portion for engaging with an end of said roof trim is provided at a portion of said pillar trim starting to enter said space. Construction.