JP2003260999A - Method for enclosing air bag - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To hold a thin and long folded shape of a curtain air bag for covering a window part of an automobile by enclosing the air bag with a cylindrical enclosure member. <P>SOLUTION: This air bag is provided with an expansion part to expand and develop by inflow of gas and a mounting piece projectingly provided from the expansion part. A sleeve 20 is formed into a cylindrical shape for covering the expansion part of the air bag folded thin and long and is provided with a slit 20a insertable with the mounting piece therein. The outer periphery can be covered with the sleeve 20 and a cylindrical jig 173 insertable with the folded air bag into the inside is used. An outer periphery of the cylindrical jig 173 is covered with the sleeve 20 to be compressed along an axial direction. The air bag folded thin and long is inserted into the cylindrical jig 173. The air bag is drawn from the inside of the cylindrical jig 173, the sleeve 20 is drawn from the outer periphery of the cylindrical jig 173, the positioning of the slit 20a and the mounting piece is performed, and a projectingly provided piece part is drawn from the slit 20. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an airbag covering method for covering a folded airbag with a covering member to maintain the folded shape of the airbag.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a structure for holding a folded shape of a folded airbag, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-30
The configuration described in Japanese Patent No. 1400 is known. The structure described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-301400 relates to a so-called curtain airbag that deploys in a curtain shape along a side window when a vehicle receives a shock from a side collision. The air bag folded and slender to be stored in the roof side part is bundled with a tape-shaped member at a predetermined interval to maintain its shape. However, in the configuration in which the folded airbags are bundled at a predetermined interval in this manner, the entire airbag is not covered, so there is a possibility that the folded portion may break at the portion between the bundled portions. It is necessary to handle the airbag with care, and when the gas is supplied, it is difficult to uniformly deploy the airbag in the longitudinal direction, and it is necessary to bundle the airbag at multiple points. On the other hand, in the configuration in which the airbags are bundled at many places, the number of steps is increased, and it is difficult to reduce the manufacturing cost.

In this respect, a structure has been considered in which the slender tubular covering member covers the airbag so as to cover the whole of the slenderly folded airbag. However, in the airbag, mounting pieces for mounting on the vehicle body are provided at predetermined intervals from the bag-shaped inflating portion, and the covering member is
Slits for inserting these attachment pieces are formed.
Therefore, for a curtain airbag having a large longitudinal dimension, the work of aligning the attachment piece with the slit and inserting the attachment piece is complicated, and it is difficult to reduce the manufacturing cost.

[0004]

As described above, in the structure of covering the airbag with the elongated tubular covering member so as to cover the whole of the elongated folded airbag, in order to insert the attachment piece into the slit, There is a problem that the work of aligning the positions of the covering member and the folded airbag becomes complicated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method of covering an airbag, in which the folded shape of the airbag can be maintained by covering the folded airbag with a covering member. And

[0006]

A method of covering an airbag according to claim 1, wherein the folded airbag is covered with a covering member to maintain the folded shape of the airbag, and the airbag is a gas. Is inflated and inflated and deployed, and a projecting piece portion projecting from the inflatable portion, and the covering member has a tubular shape that covers the inflating portion of the airbag folded in a slender shape. The installation piece has an insertion part through which the covering member can be covered,
And a step of using a tubular jig having a tubular shape into which the folded airbag can be inserted, covering the outer periphery of the tubular jig with the covering member, and compressing along the axial direction; A step of inserting the folded airbag inside the jig, and pulling out the airbag from the inside of the tubular jig, and pulling out the covering member from the outer circumference of the tubular jig, Align the protruding piece with,
And a step of pulling out the protruding piece portion from the insertion portion.

In this structure, the air bag is pulled out from the inside of the tubular jig and the covering member is pulled out from the outer periphery of the tubular jig, so that the insertion portion and the protruding piece portion can be easily and accurately positioned. The protruding piece portion is easily pulled out from the insertion portion.

A method for covering an airbag according to claim 2 is
In the airbag covering method according to claim 1, the airbag is a curtain airbag which is inflated and deployed along a predetermined surface.

With this construction, also in the curtain airbag which is folded into a long and thin shape, the insertion portion and the protruding piece portion can be easily and accurately aligned, and the protruding piece portion can be easily pulled out from the insertion portion.

The airbag covering method according to claim 3 is
The airbag covering method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the protruding piece portion includes an attachment piece attached to the attached member and a gas introduction port capable of introducing gas into the inflated portion.

In this structure, the protruding piece is
Even in a configuration including a mounting piece to be mounted on the mounted member and a gas introduction port capable of introducing gas to the expansion section, the insertion section and the protruding piece section can be easily and accurately aligned to project from the insertion section. One part is easily pulled out.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of a method for covering an airbag according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, the airbag 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 2, an airbag device 2 provided with this airbag 1 is arranged in a roof side portion 5 of a vehicle compartment 4 of an automobile 3 as a vehicle. The airbag 1 is also called a curtain airbag, a side collision airbag, a side airbag, an inflatable curtain, a head protection airbag, or the like.
When an impact such as a side collision is received, the occupant, which is an object to be protected, is protected by being spread laterally on the side of the occupant.

Further, the automobile 3 is provided with a front seat and a rear seat in which a passenger can sit in a passenger compartment 4, and corresponding to the front seat and the rear seat, a predetermined surface that can be opened at an upper portion is formed. A door provided with a window (side window) 8 is provided. Further, A pillars, B pillars, and C pillars are provided in order from the front side on both sides of the vehicle compartment 4, and a ceiling panel is supported above the pillars via roof side rails 14. Further, a pillar garnish is attached to the vehicle compartment 4 side of each pillar, and a head lining 17 which is a soft or deformable ceiling plate is provided on the vehicle compartment 4 side of a portion extending from the ceiling panel to the roof side rail 14. In addition to being attached, a packing body 18 with which these doors are closely attached is attached at a position where the upper portions of the respective doors abut. Further, each seat is provided with a seat belt, and the B pillar is provided with a support portion that supports these seat belts.

The airbag device 2 is a so-called airbag for front and rear seats capable of protecting passengers in front and rear seats, and is elongated in a roof side portion 5 surrounded by a roof side rail 14 and a headlining 17. An airbag 1 that is folded and stored, an inflator that is stored above the vehicle body of an occupant in the rear seat to supply gas to the airbag 1, and a shape that covers the folded airbag 1 to retain its shape. It is equipped with a sleeve 20 as a cylindrical covering member shown in and is attached to the roof side rail 14 via a bracket.

As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the airbag 1 is provided with an airbag body 21 formed by combining a plurality of base fabrics into a flat bag shape. Further, a tension strap 22 which is a string-like base cloth is attached to the front end portion of the airbag body 21.

The airbag body 21 has an outer base cloth portion 24 arranged on the outer side which is the vehicle body side and an inner base cloth portion 25 arranged on the vehicle compartment 4 side which are overlapped with each other to form a predetermined joint portion. Sewing department
A bag-shaped inflating portion 27 that is sewn at 26 and inflates and expands when gas flows in, and a gas introduction port that is located at the upper center of the airbag body 21 and connects the inflating portion 27 to the outside and that constitutes a protruding piece portion. 28, a sheet-shaped non-expandable portion 29 that does not inflate gas and does not expand and deploy, and the like. In the present embodiment, the outer base cloth portion 24 and the inner base cloth portion 25 are integrally formed by folding the main panel, which is a single base cloth, at the folding line 30. Therefore, the non-inflatable portion 29 located on the lower center side is provided by forming the hole portion 25a in the inner base cloth portion 25.

Further, the inflating portion 27 is an air chamber which is a hollow portion, and a communicating portion 32 located at an upper portion of a central portion in the longitudinal direction which is the front-rear direction of the airbag body 21, and a front portion of the communicating portion 32. It is a front seat expansion chamber 33 as a first expansion part which is a front seat protection part (front seat protection area) communicating with each other, and a rear seat protection part (rear seat protection area) communicating with the rear side of this communication part 32. The rear expansion chamber 34 is provided as a second expansion part.

The sewn portion 26 also includes an outer peripheral sewn portion 36 which is an outer peripheral connecting portion for sewing the outer periphery of the inflated portion 27. The sewn portion 26 can also be provided with a regulation portion that regulates the width dimension of the expansion chambers 33, 34 when they are deployed.

Further, as a means for guiding gas between the outer base cloth portion 24 and the inner base cloth portion 25, or for controlling the width dimension of the expanding portion 27 at the time of expansion, the inner pipe 41 and the front side are arranged. The partition body 42 and the rear partition body 43 are attached by stitching or the like.

The inner pipe 41 guides the gas and protects the outer base cloth portion 24 and the inner base cloth portion 25 from the heat of the gas, and is formed by folding one base cloth,
The outer peripheral sewing portion 36 is integrally sewn and attached to the main panel. Then, the inner pipe 41 is
An opening 45 communicating with the gas inlet 28 is formed, and a first air outlet 46 is formed on the front side and a second air outlet 47 is formed on the rear side, which communicates with the opening 45. Therefore, the gas introduced from the gas introduction port 28 is guided to the inner pipe 41 located in the communication portion 32 and distributed to the front seat expansion chamber 33 and the rear seat expansion chamber 34.

The front partition wall 42 and the rear partition wall 43 are
It guides the gas and regulates the width dimension of the inflating portion 27 at the time of deployment. Each of the base cloth is formed in a substantially square shape, and the communication holes 48 are circular holes or the like at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction. Are formed. The front partition 42 has both sides along the longitudinal direction attached to the outer base cloth portion 24 and the inner base cloth portion 25 by sewing or the like to partition the front seat expansion chamber 33 into upper and lower parts, and the rear partition wall body. Both sides of the longitudinal direction 43 are attached to the outer base cloth portion 24 and the inner base cloth portion 25 by sewing or the like to partition the rear seat expansion chamber 34 into upper and lower parts.

In addition, a plurality of mounting pieces 51, which are mounting portions for mounting on the bracket and constitute a projecting piece portion, are formed at predetermined intervals on the upper edge portion of the airbag body 21, and each mounting piece is formed.
Each of the 51 is formed with a through hole 51a into which an attaching means such as a screw is attached. Furthermore, the airbag body 21
A plurality of handle pieces 52 used when inserting the folded airbag 1 into the sleeve 20 are formed at the front end portion of the.
Then, each handle piece 52 has a through hole which is a hook receiving portion.
52a is formed.

The sleeve 20 is a cloth cylinder formed by sewing a rectangular non-woven fabric along the longitudinal direction into a substantially cylindrical shape, and at a predetermined position, the gas introduction port 28 of the airbag 1 is formed.
Slits 20a are formed at a predetermined pitch as an insertion portion for drawing out the vicinity and the attachment piece 51 to the outside.

Next, the shape of the airbag 1 in the folded state will be described.

The airbag 1 is mainly composed of a conduit portion 55.
And a collecting portion 56 serving as a third folding portion. Then, the conduit portion 55 includes the gas inlet port 28,
It is set at a position including the communication portion 32 and a part of the front and rear expansion chambers 33, 34, and in the present embodiment, the upper side of each partition body 42, 43. Further, the conduit portion 55 is located on the gas introduction port 28 side, that is, on the upper side in the longitudinal direction which is the front-back direction.
The folding part 57 and the second folding part 58 located on the side of the collecting part 56 of the first folding part 57. That is, the expansion part
Speaking of the gas supplied to 27, the gas introduced from the gas inlet 28 is the first folding part 57, the second folding part 58,
It is supplied in the order of the collecting unit 56.

The first folding portion 57 is a region from P1 to P2 of the base end portion in FIG. Room 4
It extends in the shape of an arm facing the outside of the and is folded into a plate shape so as to crush it flatly from above and below.

The second folding portion 58 is a region from P2 to P3 of the base end portion in FIG. 2, is extended in an arm shape toward the inside of the vehicle compartment 4 on the vehicle body side, and is flat from above and below. It is folded into a plate so that it can be crushed into.

Further, the collecting portion 56 is a region from P3 to P4 of the base end portion in FIG. 2, and is mainly a portion of the front seat expansion chamber 33 and the rear seat expansion chamber 34, and is wound in a predetermined direction from the lower end portion. It is turned, that is, folded into a roll. In addition,
Here, the predetermined direction is a direction along the window portion 8 when the collecting portion 56 is unwound, and, for example, the airbag 1 attached to the left side when viewed from the front is, as shown in FIG. It is wound to the left from the lower end.

Then, the first folding part 57 and the second folding part
The 58 is arranged so as to surround the collecting portion 56 from the upper side, the first folding portion 57 is arranged toward the vehicle outer side of the collecting portion 56, and the second folding portion 58 is arranged. It is arranged toward the inside of the vehicle in the part 56, and is folded in a parasol shape as a whole.

In the airbag apparatus 2, the inflator is actuated by a control device (not shown) in the event of a side collision of the automobile 3, and gas injected from the inflator is introduced from the gas inlet port 28 into the airbag 1. When the air bag 1 is introduced, the inflating portion 27 is inflated, the sleeve 20 is ruptured, and the head lining 17 is deformed to rapidly project downward from the roof side portion 5 to inflate and deploy the airbag 1 to form a curtain-shaped front and rear portion. The window portion 8 is covered so as to protect the heads and chests of front and rear passengers.

Further, the expansion of the airbag 1 will be described in detail. When the gas is introduced into the airbag 1 from the gas inlet 28 from the state shown in FIG.
It is supplied to the inflating section 27 located in the first folding section 57 and expands the first folding section 57. In this state, the first deployed
The folding portion 57 pushes and moves the other portion of the airbag 1 such as the collecting portion 56 toward the vehicle compartment 4 side, and also pushes and deforms the headlining 17 so that the protruding port of the airbag 1 is Secured. Then, the gas is supplied to the inflating section 27 located in the second folding section 58 to expand the second folding section 58. In this state, the expanded second folded portion 58 further pushes the head lining 17 to deform it, and secures the protruding port of the airbag 1. At the same time, the conduit portion 55 is in a deployed state,
Guide the collecting portion 56 downward. Then, after the conduit section 55 is expanded, the collecting section 56 starts to expand.
This is because the roll-folded gathering portion 56 has a greater resistance to the flow of gas when expanded than the conduit portion 55 folded simply by crushing. Then, the expanding collecting portion 56 expands downward so as to roll along the glass surface of the window portion 8 or the surface of the B pillar, and protects the occupant's head.

Next, referring to FIG. 4, this airbag 1
A folding device 101 that folds a sheet will be described.

The folding device 101 includes a main body box 102 installed on the floor surface, and a table 111 having an upper surface as a mounting surface 110 is fixed to an upper portion of the main body box 102. Further, inside the main body box 102, control means such as a CPU and drive means (not shown) such as a cylinder and a motor are housed, and the operation box is on the front side of the operator of the main body box 102. 114 is attached. Further, the operation box 114 is provided with operation means 115. And this operation means 115
Includes a plurality of switches 115a to 115f. further,
At both ends of the main body box 102 in the longitudinal direction, sensor devices 118 provided with photoelectric sensors are arranged to face each other, and when there is an object between these sensor devices 118, the operation of the folding device 101 is performed. It is supposed to stop.

A storage portion 121 is formed on the table 111 on the back side (one side) of the center portion in the width direction. The accommodating portion 121 is continuous in the longitudinal direction of the table 111 and is formed in a so-called U-groove shape that is recessed downward to a predetermined size, so that the folded airbag 1 can be accommodated in a long shape. Has become. Further, a pair of jig receiving portions 123 are provided on the main body box 102 at both ends of the housing portion 121.

A concave portion 125 is formed on the table 111 on the front side. And this recess 125
Are intermittently formed along the longitudinal direction of the table 111, and are recessed downward in a predetermined dimension. Then, in the recess 125, a saber receiver 1 as a jig receiver
A plurality of 26 are attached, and four are attached in this embodiment. The saber receiver 126 is provided with a so-called U-groove-shaped groove 127 which is located on the same straight line and is recessed downward.

Further, on the table 111, a plurality of, in the present embodiment, five locating pins 131 are arranged on the inner side of the accommodating portion 121. Then, these locate pins 131 are controlled by the control means so that they are projected and retracted from the mounting surface 110 of the table 111.

Further, the table 111 has a housing 121 and a recess.
A plurality of, in the present embodiment, four cutout portions 133 each having a rectangular shape in a plane are formed between the cutout portions 133 and the 125.

The main box 102 has a table 1
A plurality of, four in the present embodiment, are located on the inner side of 11.
A first folding means 141 is provided. And each first
The folding means 141 each include a first restriction plate (first slide plate) 142, a drive means for driving the first restriction plate 142, and the like. Then, each first regulation plate 142 faces the mounting surface 110 of the table 111 and is controlled by the control means.
While moving in the vertical direction, the table 111 moves in the lateral direction, that is, in the front-back direction. That is, table 111
From one side along the surface of the airbag 1 mounted on the mounting surface 110 so as to overlap a part of the edge side including the inflating portion 27 communicating with the gas introduction port 28 of the airbag 1. .
It should be noted that the two first restriction plates 142 located at the ends on both sides
Has a width dimension larger than that of the other two first restriction plates 142, and has a notch 143 extending toward the rear side.

The main body box 102 has a table 111.
A plurality of, in the present embodiment, four holding means 145 as folding part holding means are provided on the back side of the.
Each holding means 145 includes a rod portion 146 provided adjacent to the first folding means 141, and a holding body 147 attached to the upper end portion of the rod portion 146. And
The pressing body 147 faces the mounting surface 110 of the table 111,
It is controlled by the control means to rotate in the horizontal direction and move in the vertical direction.

Further, in each notch 133 of the table 111,
A second folding means 151 is arranged in each case. Each of the second folding means 151 includes a second regulation plate (second slide plate) 152, a driving means for driving the second regulation plate 152, and the like. And each second regulation plate
152 is opposed to the mounting surface 110 of the table 111, and is controlled by the control means to move in the vertical direction and the lateral direction of the table 111, that is, the front-back direction. More specifically, each second regulation plate
Reference numeral 152 denotes a first position that is located in each notch 133 and does not project above the mounting surface 110, and that moves to a position higher than the mounting surface 110, and further to the back side, and then moves to the first restricting plate. It moves between a second position overlapping a part of the edge side so as to overlap 142.

As shown in FIG. 8 and the like, the thickness of the second restricting plate 152 on the back side is smaller than that on the front side in a stepwise manner, and as shown in FIG. , The upper side of the first regulation plate 142.

In this way, a plurality of slide plate sets including the first folding means 141, the second folding means 151, and the holding means 145 are provided along the longitudinal direction of the table 111.
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, A, B, C, D
It is composed of 4 sets.

Further, the folding device 101 is provided with a saber 161 as a third folding part jig shown in FIG. 6 etc. separately from the main body box 102. This saber 161
Includes a pair of long saber main bodies 162 and a pair of saber stoppers 163 attached to both ends of the saber main bodies 162. And each saber body 162 is a board part 1
64 and an edge portion 165 in which both side portions along the longitudinal direction of the substrate portion 164 are bent are formed to have a U-shaped cross section. Also, each saber stop 163 has a substantially cylindrical shape,
A square hole-shaped fitting portion 167 is formed at one end. In this saber 161, the saber main bodies 162 are combined so that the board portions 164 face each other, and both ends of the saber main bodies 162 are fitted with the fitting portions 167 of the saber stopper 163.
It is press-fitted into and assembled as a unit, with a saber holder 126
It is supposed to be placed in.

Further, the folding device 101 includes the main body box 1
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, a sleeve mounting device 171 as a covering member jig is provided as a detachable member in each jig receiving portion 123 of 02. The sleeve mounting device 171 includes a guide tool 172 and an insert tool 173 as a cylindrical jig combined with the guide tool 172. The guide tool 172 includes a guide board portion 174 having a rectangular plate shape, a guide rod 175 protruding from a substantially central portion of the guide board portion 174, and a guide board portion 174 juxtaposed with the guide rod 175. A pair of protruding pin-shaped positioning portions 176 are provided. Further, the guide rod 175 has a columnar shape, and the tip end portion is formed as a taper portion 175a whose diameter dimension decreases toward the tip end side. Also, insert 173
Is a substantially pentagonal plate-shaped flange portion 177, a pipe portion 178 protruding from the flange portion 177, and a pipe portion 17
8 is provided with a pair of circular hole-shaped positioning receiving portions 179 provided laterally. Further, the pipe portion 178 has a cylindrical shape, and taper portions 178a and 178b are formed on the inner surface of the base end portion and the outer surface of the tip end portion so that the diameter dimension decreases toward the tip end side. And these guide tool 172 and insertion tool 173
Insert the guide rod 175 into the pipe part 178,
With the engagement of the positioning receiving portion 179 with the positioning receiving portion 179, the flange portion 177 is superposed on the guide substrate portion 174 so that they can be combined. The guide board portion 1 of the guide tool 172
The 74 is fixed to a workbench (not shown). Furthermore, this sleeve mounting device 171 is, as shown in FIG.
It has a hook 181 as a pulling jig. The hook 181 has a long rod shape, and a hook portion 182 is formed at the tip thereof.

Next, the folding process of the airbag 1, that is, the operation of the folding device 101 will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that, in the following description, the second position B from the left will be described in the drawings, but the same operation is performed at the other positions A, C, and D.

Then, the folding process will be outlined. The process of placing the airbag 1 flatly and placing it, and the airbag 1
Forming a first folding part 57 by folding a part of the end edge part including the inflating part 27 communicating with the gas introduction port 28 into a J-shaped cross section, and a part of the extra part of the airbag 1 continuous to this part. To form a second folded portion 58 by folding the same into an inverted J shape,
Airbag 1 excluding the part and the part of the extra part
Of accumulating the remaining portions of the above to form a gathering portion 56 as a third folding portion, and a step of positioning this gathering portion 56 between the first folding portion 57 and the second folding portion 58. And have.

First, as shown in FIG. 8, in the initial state, the first regulating plate 142 of the first folding means 141 is retracted to the back side, and the holding body 147 of the holding means 145 is set to the upper side and a predetermined rotation position. The second restricting plate 152 of the retracting and second folding means 151 is retracted downward, and the locate pin 131 is projected upward from the mounting surface 110.

Then, as a preparatory step, all or part of the through holes 51a (positions corresponding to P1 in FIGS. 2 and 3) of each attachment piece 51 of the airbag 1 are hooked and fixed to the locate pin 131, respectively, and the airbag is 1 is spread flat on the mounting surface 110 of the table 111.

In the next step, the operating means 115 is operated,
As shown in FIG. 9, the first restriction plate 142 is moved forward and positioned above the position where the first folded portion 57 of the airbag 1 is formed. The position of the first regulation plate 142 is a position above the accommodation portion 121.

In the next step, the operation means 115 is operated,
As shown in FIG. 10, the second restriction plate 152 is raised.

In the next step, the operation means 115 is operated,
As shown in FIG. 11, the second restricting plate 152 is advanced toward the inner side to form the first folding part 57 and the second folding part 58 of the airbag 1 at the same time.

In the next step, the operation means 115 is operated,
As shown in FIG. 12, the presser body 147 is rotated 90 degrees and lowered (arrow a1), and the back side portions of the first folding part 57 and the second folding part 58 are pressed against the mounting surface 110. Attach and hold the shape. Further, if necessary, the through holes 51a of the attachment piece 51 of a part of the airbag 1 are additionally hooked on the locate pin 131.

Next, the second restriction plate 152 is retracted to the front side (arrow b1) and lowered (arrow b2), and the first restriction plate 142 is retracted to the rear side (arrow c1) to move the first restriction plate 152 to the rear side. The regulation plate 142 and the second regulation plate 152 are pulled out from the airbag 1.

Further, the saber 161 is mounted along the front end of the airbag 1 (near P4 in FIG. 3). That is, the airbag 1 is sandwiched by the base plate portion 164 of the saber body 162, and both ends of the saber body 162 are attached to the saber stopper 163.
It is press-fitted into the fitting portion 167 of and the sandwiched state is maintained. Then, the saber 161 is placed on the saber receiver 126.

In the next step, the portion extending from the second folded portion 58 of the airbag 1 is automatically or manually accumulated to form the collecting portion 56. In this step, as shown in FIG. 13, the saber 161 is rolled toward the inner side on the mounting surface 110 so as to be wound around the shaft 161 (arrow d1) to form the roll-wound collecting portion 56. Note that this winding work can be performed by electric power using a motor or the like, in addition to manual work.
Further, in FIG. 13, the saber 161 is omitted for simplification of description.

As the next step, as shown by the arrow e1 in FIG. 13, the collecting section 56 is dropped into the accommodating section 121 together with the first folding section 57. Then, by the accommodating portion 121, the collecting portion 56
With the first folding part 57 along the lower side, which is one side of
The outer shape can be regulated, that is, the shape can be maintained. Next, remove the saber stopper 163 at one end of the saber 161 and
161 is pulled out from the other end side along the longitudinal direction. Then
By operating the operating means 115, as shown in FIG.
Is raised (arrow f1) and rotated 90 degrees (arrow f
2) Release the regulation of the airbag 1 by the pressing body 147.

Then, if necessary, the shape of the airbag 1 is manually adjusted so as to be along the accommodating portion 121.

In the next step, the operation means 115 is operated to
As shown in FIG. 15, lower the locate pin 131 (arrow
g1), the first restriction plate 142 is moved forward (arrow h1).
Then, the first folding plate 58 is moved by the first regulation plate 142.
Is in a state along the upper side which is the other side of the collecting section 56.

Furthermore, if necessary, the shape of the airbag 1 is manually adjusted so as to be along the accommodating portion 121.
That is, between the first restriction plates 142 or the first restriction plates 142
The second folded portion 58 is pushed into the accommodating portion 121 by utilizing the cutout portion 143 formed in the restriction plate 142 of FIG.

The saber 161 may be removed from the airbag 1 after this step.

Next, the process of storing the folded airbag 1 in the sleeve 20 using the sleeve mounting device 171 will be described.

The folding process will be outlined. The airbag 1 provided with a gas inlet 28 through which gas is introduced and an inflating section 27 communicating with the gas inlet 28 has a tubular shape, which is a cloth cylinder. A method of manufacturing an airbag device 2 to be housed in a sleeve 20 as a covering member, wherein the airbag 1 has a mounting piece 51.
The sleeve 20 has a slit 20 through which the mounting piece 51 can be inserted.
and a step of externally compressing the sleeve 20 in the insertion tool 173 which is a cylindrical jig that is an insertion tube, a step of inserting the folded airbag 1 into the insertion tool 173, and The airbag 1 is passed through and the sleeve 20 is inserted into the insertion tool 173.
Is supplied to the airbag 1 from the slit 20a and the mounting piece 51 is pulled out from the slit 20a, and the sleeve 20 is supplied in the longitudinal direction of the airbag 1 to cover the sleeve 20.

In this step, first, as shown in FIG. 16, a sleeve mounting device 171 is prepared in which the guide tool 172 and the insertion tool 173 are combined and removed from the main body box 102. Then, as shown in the right half of FIG. 1, while the tapered portion 175a at the tip of the guide rod 175 is used as a guide, the outer periphery of the pipe portion 178 is covered with the sleeve 20 from one end, and the sleeve 20 is wrinkled. Flange part
Stacked on the 177 side, as shown in the left half of Fig. 1, sleeve 2
The pipe section 178 is covered with the entire length of 0. In this state, for example,
The length dimension of the sleeve 20 is 35 cm.

Then, as shown in FIG.
Remove the sleeve 20 with the insert 173 from 2.

As a next step, as shown in FIG. 18, the flange portion 177 of the insertion tool 173 is fitted and attached to the jig receiving portion 123 of the main body box 102. In this state, the pipe part 1
78 and the accommodating portion 121 coincide with each other, that is, the airbag 1 accommodated in the accommodating portion 121 via the hollow shaft center of the pipe portion 178.
Can be seen.

From this state, as the next step, first, the tension strap 22 of the folded airbag 1 is pulled out from the tip end side through the inside of the pipe portion 178. Next, pass the hook 181 from the tip to the inside of the pipe 178,
As shown in FIG. 19, the hook portion 182 of the hook 181 is hooked in the through hole 52a of the handle piece 52, and as shown in FIG. 20, the airbag 1 is advanced from the opening on the base end side of the pipe portion 178 in the direction of arrow k1. Pull out to the side opening.

Then, in this step, the airbag 1
Is not pulled out all at once, but the attachment pieces 51 are pulled out one by one from the pipe portion 178, so that the displacement of the attachment pieces 51 in the rotational direction, that is, the twisting of the airbag 1, does not occur. Correct the positional deviation between the slit 20a of the sleeve 20 and the mounting piece 51 (L shown in FIG. 5), and
Pull out while accurately aligning the position of 51. At the same time, the sleeve 20 is also gradually fed, that is, supplied in the same direction as the arrow k1. And the slit in the sleeve 20
The mounting piece 51 is aligned with the mounting piece 51 and the mounting piece 51 is pulled out from the slit 20a as shown in FIG. In addition, subsequently, the airbag 1 and the sleeve 20 are pulled out, and other mounting pieces are attached.
The parts of 51 and the gas inlet 28 are sequentially drawn out from a predetermined slit 20a. In this way, by pulling out the airbag 1 and the sleeve 20 little by little, the airbag 1 having a desired folded shape and being held by the sleeve 20 while preventing local loosening and tension. Is obtained. Here, if the airbag 1 is pulled out at once, it becomes difficult to correct slack, tension, and the like.

Further, from this state, by operating the operating means 115, the locate pin 131 is returned to the origin position protruding upward, and is returned to the initial state shown in FIG.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the first airbag 1 such as a curtain airbag (side impact airbag) which has a large longitudinal dimension and which is required to be slenderly and compactly folded is Or, it can be easily folded into a predetermined shape including the third folding portions 56, 57, 58, and the cost required for the work can be reduced. Particularly, as in the airbag 1 of the present embodiment, for a type in which gas is introduced from a conduit portion 55 in the middle portion between the front seat inflation chamber 33 and the rear seat inflation chamber 34, an air bag having a large longitudinal dimension in the front-rear direction is used. With respect to the bag 1, it is possible to easily adjust the deployment balance in the longitudinal direction, and the front and rear windows 8 can be stably and quickly covered with the airbag 1, but a conduit portion 55 through which gas is initially introduced is provided.
May have a complicated shape. In this respect, according to the present embodiment, the airbag 1 can be easily folded even when the conduit 55 has a complicated shape, and the manufacturing cost of the airbag device 2 can be reduced.

That is, after the airbag 1 is spread on the mounting surface 110 of the table 111, the first folding means 141 and the second folding means 151 are used to form the first folding portion 57 and the second folding portion. 58 can be formed, and by forming the collecting portion 56 from this state by an appropriate means, the airbag 1 can be easily folded into a predetermined shape, and the cost required for the work can be reduced. And
The first folding means 141 and the second folding means 151 are a first regulation plate 142 that is movable substantially along the mounting surface 110, and a first regulation plate 142 that is movable so as to overlap with the first regulation plate 142. Since the second folding plate 152 is used, the first folding portion 57 and the second folding portion 58 can be folded with a simple structure, and the manufacturing cost of the folding device 101 can be reduced.

The first and second folded parts 57 and 58 which are folded can be held in shape by the holding means 145.
Even when the collecting portion 56 is formed manually, the work can be facilitated.

Since the groove-shaped accommodating portion 121 is provided at a predetermined position on the mounting surface 110 of the table 111, the folded collecting portion 56 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 121 together with the first folding portion 57. The shape of the collecting portion 56 can be retained, and from this state,
By arranging the second folding portion 58 along the collecting portion 56, the airbag 1 can be easily folded.

In the folding process, the airbag 1
There is no need to apply an excessive force to the above, and there is no need to increase the strength of the base fabric that constitutes the airbag 1, and the airbag 1 can be folded and stored small.

When gas is introduced into the thus folded airbag 1 from the gas inlet port 28, the inflating portion 27 inflates, and the inflation of the inflating portion 27 causes the sleeve to expand.
Since 20 is broken and the first folding part 57, the second folding part 58, and the collecting part 56 that is the third folding part are deployed in this order, the first deployed conduit part 55 is Guided by the folding part 57 and the second folding part 58, the collecting part 56 is stably and smoothly deployed from a desired position to a desired direction, and the airbag 1 is provided on the side surface of the vehicle compartment 4 and the vehicle compartment 4. It can be deployed stably and smoothly with the occupants.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the insertion tool 173
Using the, the airbag 20 such as a curtain airbag (a side impact airbag) that has a long longitudinal dimension and is slenderly and compactly folded can be easily and accurately aligned in the rotational direction and covered with the sleeve 20. , This sleeve
The attachment piece 51 and the gas introduction port 28 can be pulled out from the slit 20a of 20, and the cost required for the work can be reduced.

The insertion tool 173 is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the accommodating portion 121 accommodating the air bag 1 folded in a slender shape, so that it is possible to smoothly and continuously cover the sleeve 20 with the sleeve 20. Therefore, the cost required for the work can be reduced.

Further, since the sleeve 20 can be covered over substantially the entire length of the airbag 1, the folded airbag 1 can be shaped over the entire length as compared with a structure in which a plurality of portions of the airbag are bundled with a string-shaped member or the like. It can be held without any trouble, and the work process such as assembling into an automobile can be facilitated, and the work man-hour can be reduced, and the cost required for the work can be reduced. Further, since the sleeve 20 can be covered over substantially the entire length of the airbag 1, even when gas is supplied to the airbag 1, the airbag 1 can be easily and uniformly expanded.

In the above embodiment, the gathering portion 56 is manually folded into a roll shape, but the present invention is not limited to this structure, and an automatic machine may be used. The gathering portion 56 may be folded into a wavy shape. You can also

Next, with reference to FIGS. 22 to 26, a folding device 201 for folding the collecting portion 56 using an automatic machine will be described. The same components as those of the folding device 101 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 and the like are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. The folding device 201 does not use the saber 161 but uses the height regulating means 211 and the first to third pressing means 21.
It has 4,215,216. And the height regulation means 211
Is provided with a height regulating plate 221 whose lower surface has a planar shape and which moves up and down so as to face the mounting surface 110 by driving means. Further, the first pressing means 214 constitutes a third folding means, is located between the mounting surface 110 and the height regulating plate 221, and is located along the mounting surface 110 by the driving means in front. Move from side to back. Further, the second pressing means 215 can be moved to a position facing the first pressing means 214 by the driving means. Further, the third pressing means 216 is configured to be movable from the upper side to the lower side toward the accommodation portion 121 by the driving means.

With this configuration, in the step of folding the collecting portion 56, that is, from the step shown in FIG. 12, the saber 161 is not used and the height regulating means 211 is lowered to a predetermined height as shown in FIG. And faces the mounting surface 110.
In addition, the first pressing means 214 moves toward the front side of the airbag 1, and the third pressing means 216 is provided at a position facing the first pressing means 214 with a predetermined portion of the airbag 1 interposed therebetween. Moving. From this state, as shown in FIG. 23, the first pressing means 214 advances toward the inner side and folds the airbag 1 in a substantially wavy shape to form the collecting portion 56. Then, the first pressing means 214 and the second pressing means 215
Interlock with each other, and move the portion folded in a wave shape above the accommodation portion 121 and above the first folding portion 57. Next, as shown in FIG. 24, the third pressing means 216 descends and pushes the first folding section 57 and the collecting section 56 into the accommodation section 121. The subsequent steps are similar to those of the above-described embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 25, after lowering the locate pin 131 and raising the presser body 147, the first regulating plate 142 is advanced to the front side, and the second folding plate is formed. The tatami mat part 58 is arranged along the gathering part 56. In this way, the gathering portion 56 is divided into the first folding portion 57 and the second folding portion 58.
The airbag 1 can be folded so as to be sandwiched between and.

According to this structure, the table 111
Third for accumulating the airbag 1 from the other side toward the one side
First folding means, that is, a portion continuous with the second folding portion 58 is accumulated on the side of the second folding portion 58 to form the collecting portion 56.
Since the pressing means 214 is provided, the first and second folding parts 5
After the folding work of 7, 58, the folding work of the collecting portion 56 can be automated, and the time and cost required for folding the airbag 1 can be easily reduced.

The airbag 1 is not limited to the above embodiment, but various shapes can be adopted.
For example, a configuration in which the gas introduction port 28 is provided at the rear end of the airbag body 21 can be applied. Further, a sealing material or the like may be applied to each sewn portion 26 of the airbag 1 to improve airtightness.

Further, the airbag is not limited to the structure in which it is deployed from the upper side to the lower side to cover the side window portion of the automobile, but it is necessary to inflate and deploy the airbag in a plane shape along a predetermined surface. It can be applied to bag folding.

[0086]

According to the airbag covering method of the first aspect, the airbag is pulled out from the inside of the tubular jig, and the covering member is pulled out from the outer periphery of the tubular jig, so that the insertion portion and the protrusion are protruded. The projection piece can be easily and accurately aligned with the insertion piece, and the protruding piece can be easily pulled out from the insertion portion.

According to the airbag covering method of the second aspect, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, the insertion portion and the projecting piece portion can be easily and accurately aligned even in the case of a curtain airbag which is long and thin. Then, the protruding piece can be easily pulled out from the insertion portion.

According to the airbag covering method of the third aspect, in addition to the effect of the first or second aspect, a gas is introduced into the inflating portion and the attaching piece attached to the attached member as the protruding piece portion. Even for a configuration including a possible gas inlet, the insertion portion and the protruding piece can be easily and accurately aligned,
It is possible to easily pull out the protruding piece portion from the insertion portion.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an embodiment of a method for covering an airbag of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the airbag device showing the embodiment of the airbag as above, taken at a position corresponding to II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the same airbag.

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view showing an embodiment of the airbag folding device of the above.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a step of inserting the same airbag into the covering member.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a part of the same airbag folding device.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of a disassembled state showing a sleeve mounting device of the airbag folding device.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing a folding process of the airbag folding device of the above.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing a folding process following the step of FIG. 8 of the airbag airbag folding apparatus.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing the folding process following the folding process of the airbag folding apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a folding process following the step of FIG. 10 of the airbag folding device.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory view showing a folding process following the step of FIG. 11 of the airbag airbag folding apparatus.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory view showing a folding step following the step of FIG. 12 of the airbag airbag folding apparatus.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory view showing a folding process following the step of FIG. 13 of the airbag airbag folding device.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory view showing a folding process following the step of FIG. 14 of the airbag folding device of the above.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory view showing a folding process following the step of FIG. 15 of the airbag folding device of the above.

FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing a folding process following the step of FIG. 16 of the airbag airbag folding device.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory view showing a folding process following the step of FIG. 17 of the airbag folding device of the same.

FIG. 19 is an explanatory view showing a folding process following the step of FIG. 18 of the airbag folding device of the above.

FIG. 20 is an explanatory view showing a folding process following the step of FIG. 19 of the airbag airbag folding apparatus.

FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram showing a folding process following the step of FIG. 20 of the airbag airbag folding apparatus.

FIG. 22 is an explanatory view showing a folding process showing another embodiment of the airbag folding device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 23 is an explanatory view showing a folding process following the step of FIG. 22 of the airbag airbag folding device.

FIG. 24 is an explanatory view showing a folding process following the step of FIG. 23 of the airbag folding device of the above.

FIG. 25 is an explanatory diagram showing a folding process following the step of FIG. 24 of the airbag airbag folding device.

FIG. 26 is an explanatory view showing a folding process following the step of FIG. 25 of the airbag folding device of the above.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 airbag 8 Windows that form the prescribed surface 20 Sleeve as a covering member 20a slit as insertion part 27 Expansion part 28 Gas inlet that forms the protruding piece 51 Mounting piece that forms the protruding piece 173 Insert tool as a cylindrical jig

Continued front page    (72) Inventor Kiyohiro Masatoshi             218 Aoshima-cho, Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture Japan Plus             Inside the corporation F-term (reference) 3D054 AA02 AA03 AA04 AA07 AA18                       CC04 CC11 CC29 CC30 CC34                       CC50 EE20 EE25

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A method for covering a folded airbag with a covering member to maintain the folded shape of the airbag, wherein the airbag has an inflating portion into which gas is inflated and deployed and a protrusion from the inflating portion. The protruding member is provided, the covering member has a tubular shape that covers the inflated portion of the airbag folded in a slender shape, and the protruding member includes an insertion portion through which the protruding member can be inserted. A tubular jig having a tubular shape that can be put on the outer periphery and into which the folded airbag can be inserted is used. And compressing, inserting the folded airbag inside the tubular jig, pulling out the airbag from the inside of the tubular jig, and covering from the outer circumference of the tubular jig. Pull out the member and insert it And a projecting piece part are aligned with each other, and the projecting piece part is pulled out from the insertion part. 2. The method of covering an airbag according to claim 1, wherein the airbag is a curtain airbag which is inflated and deployed along a predetermined surface. 3. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the projecting piece portion includes a mounting piece to be mounted on the mounted member and a gas introduction port capable of introducing gas into the inflating portion. Coating method.