JP2004352087A - Air bag device for side collision for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air bag device for side collision for an automobile wherein projection degree of a cover member to the inside of a cabin is made small, and spreading resistance of the air bag is also made small. <P>SOLUTION: Since the air bag device has a structure that the air bag 1 mounted to a base member 3 is only covered with a cover member 14, the projection degree to the inside the cabin is small. Since the cover member 14 has flexibility, the spreading resistance of the air bag 1 is small. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a side collision airbag device for an automobile.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A side roof rail is arranged at a position higher than the head of the occupant on the vehicle interior side of the vehicle body, and an airbag for protecting the occupant in the event of a side collision is provided along the side roof rail. A high rigid base member is attached to the side roof rails in the front-rear direction. In addition, brackets made of the same material as the base member are integrally formed on the base member at a plurality of locations along the front-rear direction via hinges.
[0003]
After setting the folded airbag on the base member, the bracket is folded back from the hinge to hold the airbag between the base member and the bracket is fastened together by bolts penetrating the base member. It is fixed to the vehicle body in the state. The bracket is formed of the same high rigidity material as the base member, and does not break easily if it covers the entire airbag. Therefore, a narrow width is formed only at a plurality of locations. In addition, a thin portion for facilitating breakage is set in a part thereof. The entire airbag set on the base member is covered by a cover member that is rotatable about a hinge set at the upper end of the base member.
[0004]
In the event of a side collision of the vehicle, the inflated airbag breaks the bracket from the thin portion, and then rotates the entire cover member toward the interior of the vehicle centering on the hinge at the upper end, so that the airbag is shaped like a curtain downward. (For example, see Patent Document 1).
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-71925
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, such a conventional technique has a double structure in which the airbag set on the base member is covered by the inner bracket and the outer cover member, so that the cover member is placed in the vehicle interior. The degree of protrusion increases, putting pressure on the cabin space. Also, when deploying the airbag, it is necessary to rotate the large cover member as a whole.Therefore, a high-output, large-sized inflator is required to obtain early deployment performance of the airbag, which leads to an increase in vehicle weight. Have been.
[0007]
The present invention has been made by paying attention to such a conventional technique, and it is possible to reduce the degree of protrusion of a cover member toward the vehicle interior and reduce the deployment resistance of the airbag, thereby reducing the airbag deployment resistance. Is provided.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, a rigid base member is attached to the upper part of the vehicle body on the vehicle interior side along the front-rear direction, and a flexible cover member is attached to the base member on the vehicle interior side. The airbag in a folded state is housed between the airbags, and the airbag inflated at the time of a side collision of the vehicle is opened downward and expanded in a curtain shape while pushing and opening the cover member.
[0009]
The invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that the inflated airbag has a structure in which a joint portion between the lower end portion of the cover member and the base member is separated, and the cover member is pushed open from the lower end portion toward the vehicle interior. And
[0010]
The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the inflated airbag has a structure in which the tear line set in the cover member is cleaved, and the cover member is pushed open from the cleaved portion toward the vehicle interior.
[0011]
The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that a concave portion having a shape corresponding to the folded airbag is formed in the base member, and portions other than the concave portion of the cover member and the base member are attached in a superposed state.
[0012]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the base member is divided into a concave portion and a main body which is another portion, and the concave portion is configured to be attachable to the vehicle body, so that the concave portion and the main body can be engaged. It is characterized by the following.
[0013]
The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that the cover member has a surface continuous with the roof trim.
[0014]
The invention according to claim 7 is characterized in that the base member is attached to the vehicle body by a clip formed on the base member.
[0015]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the entire airbag attached to the base member is covered with only the flexible cover member, the cover member can be compared with a conventional double structure. Can be reduced in the degree of protrusion toward the vehicle interior. Further, since the cover member has flexibility, the cover member can be easily pushed open toward the vehicle interior by the inflating airbag, and the deployment resistance of the airbag decreases. Therefore, a large-sized inflator with high output is not required, and the weight of the vehicle body can be reduced.
[0016]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the cover member has flexibility, the joint portion is separated by the inflation force of the airbag by adjusting the joint strength between the lower end portion of the cover member and the base member. The cover member can be pushed open from the lower end toward the vehicle interior.
[0017]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the cover member has flexibility, the tear line is set by the inflation force of the airbag by setting the tear line on the cover member, and the cover member is moved from the cleaved portion to the vehicle interior side. Can be pushed open.
[0018]
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the cover member has a structure in which the cover member is polymerized to a portion other than the concave portion of the base member, a cover member formed of only a material having low shape retention, such as cloth or a soft foamed resin, is also used. can do.
[0019]
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the base member is divided into the concave portion and the main body, which is another portion, when the folded airbag is stored in the concave portion, it is necessary to store the folded airbag in the concave portion, which is a small part. It is easier to handle and the airbag can be easily stored as compared to the case where the large part is stored in the base member as it is.
[0020]
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the cover member has a surface that is continuous with the roof trim, the end of the roof trim can be formed externally with the cover member, and the appearance is good.
[0021]
According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the modularized airbag accommodated between the base member and the cover member can be easily attached to the vehicle body by the clip formed on the base member.
[0022]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0023]
1 to 5 show a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a view of the upper part of an automobile viewed from the interior side of a vehicle, and shows a state in which an airbag 1 is deployed. Side roof rails 2 are formed in the upper part of the vehicle body along the front-rear direction.
[0024]
A rigid base member 3 made of polypropylene is attached along the side roof rail 2. A plurality of seats 4 are formed on the back surface of the base member 3, and a clip 5 is provided on each of the seats 4. Accordingly, the attachment of the base member 3 to the side roof rail 2 is performed by engaging the clip 5 with the attachment hole 6 of the side roof rail 2. Any material may be used as the material of the base member 3 as long as it has rigidity. In addition to polypropylene, a composite material of polypropylene or a synthetic resin such as ABS can be used.
[0025]
The base member 3 is formed with a concave portion 7 whose lower side is opened in the front-rear direction. In addition, slits 8 are formed at three places in the upper corner of the recess 7. The rear end of the concave portion 7 coincides with the rear end of the base member 3 and penetrates backward as an opening.
[0026]
The airbag 1 has three support pieces 9 at three front ends on the upper side, is folded up and down as a whole, and is wound at a plurality of places by a ribbon-shaped wrap 10 (see FIG. 3), and the folded state is maintained. . The rear end of the airbag 1 serves as a gas inlet 11, to which an inflator 12 is connected.
[0027]
The concave portion 7 of the base member 3 has a size corresponding to the folded airbag 1, and the folded airbag 1 is set in the concave portion 7 by being inserted from the opening rear end of the concave portion 7. . Then, the three support pieces 9 on the upper side of the airbag 1 penetrate through the slit 8 of the recess 7 to the back side, and the locking holes 13 formed in the support piece 9 are locked to the seat 4 of the clip 5. . The clip 5 is detachable from the seat 4, and the support piece 9 is locked in the locking hole 13 in a state where the clip 5 is removed from the seat 4 or before the clip 5 is attached.
[0028]
Next, a cover member 14 is attached to the base member 3 on which the airbag 1 is set, from the vehicle interior side. The cover member 14 has a shape corresponding to the base member 3, and a portion other than the concave portion 7 is bonded to the base member 3 in a state of being superimposed thereon. The cover member 14 has a structure in which a urethane foam layer and a backing layer (thermoplastic olefin elastomer / TPO) are laminated on the back surface of the cloth, and has flexibility as a whole. Note that the cover member 14 may be formed of a single material or another combination of the materials constituting the laminate as long as the cover member 14 has flexibility. Even if the cover member 14 is formed only of a material having a low shape retention property such as a cloth or a soft foamed resin, there is no problem because the cover member 14 is polymerized on a portion other than the concave portion 7 of the base member 3.
[0029]
The portion of the cover member 14 that is in contact with the base member 3 is adhered. In particular, the bonding strength of the joint 15 between the lower end of the cover member 14 and the base member 3 is set to be smaller than that of the other portions. The connecting portion 15 is slightly engaged with the weather strip 29. Further, the cover member 14 has a decorative surface having a curvature that is continuous with the roof trim 16, and the cover member 14 forms an end of the roof trim 16 in appearance.
[0030]
Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described. Since the clip 5 is provided on the back surface of the base member 3, the airbag 1 is housed between the base member 3 and the cover member 14, and the modularized airbag 1 is attached to the side roof rail 2 by the clip 5 of the base member 3. It can be easily mounted, and has good mounting workability.
[0031]
After the installation, the decorative surface of the cover member 14 is continuous with the roof trim 16, so that the appearance from the vehicle interior side is good. Since the cover member 14 has flexibility, a tactile sensation (cushioning property) when the occupant touches from the vehicle interior side is also good. Furthermore, in the cover member 14 of this embodiment, since TPO is used as the backing layer, the cover member 14 has excellent low-temperature impact resistance and prevents breakage at low temperatures. The airbag 1 is covered only by the cover member 14 and does not have a double structure as in the related art. Therefore, the degree of protrusion of the cover member 14 toward the vehicle interior is small, and the airbag 1 does not press down the vehicle interior space.
[0032]
Next, at the time of a side collision of the vehicle, the gas of the inflator 12 is injected into the airbag 1 and the airbag 1 is inflated. Due to the expansion force, the lower end of the cover member 14 is separated from the base member 3 at the joint portion 15 having the lowest adhesive strength, and is pushed open toward the vehicle interior.
[0033]
At this time, since the cover member 14 has flexibility, the cover member 14 does not rotate as a whole, but only the lower portion of the cover member 14 is deformed toward the vehicle interior, and 1 allows the curtain to unfold downward. Therefore, the deployment resistance when the airbag 1 is deployed downward is small, and even if the inflator 12 has a normal output, the airbag 1 can be quickly deployed.
[0034]
6 and 7 are views showing a second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the strength of the connecting portion 18 at the lower end of the cover member 17 is set to be strong, and a tear line 19 that is easily broken is formed in a portion corresponding to the concave portion 7 of the cover member 17 along the front-rear direction.
[0035]
Therefore, when the airbag 1 is inflated at the time of a side collision of the vehicle, the cover member 17 is torn off from the tear line 19, and both sides are pushed open toward the vehicle interior, and the airbag 1 is curtained downward from there. It can be deployed in a shape. The other configuration and operation and effect are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the common portions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping description will be omitted.
[0036]
8 and 9 are views showing a third embodiment of the present invention. In the third embodiment, the base member 20 is divided into a concave portion 21 and another main body 22. The seat 4 and the clip 5 are formed in the recess 21. The claw portion 23 is formed in the concave portion 21. A rib 24 for holding the concave portion 21 is formed on the main body 22, and a groove 25 for engaging the claw 23 is formed on the rib 24. At the tip of the rib 24, an inclined surface 26 in the opening direction is formed on the inner surface side.
[0037]
The folded airbag 1 is stored in the recess 21. At this time, since the operation of storing the airbag 1 in the concave portion 21 which is a small part is easier than in the case of the entire cover member in which the large part remains as in the previous embodiment, the operation of storing the airbag 1 is performed. easy.
[0038]
A cover member 27 is previously bonded to the main body 22 other than the concave portion 21. A tear line 28 is also formed on the cover member 27. Then, the main body 22 to which the cover member 27 is adhered is engaged with the concave portion 21 in which the airbag 1 is accommodated by the claw portion 23 and the groove portion 25 to be modularized. Since the inclined surface 26 is formed at the tip of the rib 24, it is easy to align the rib 24 with the concave portion 21. Then, the module is attached to the side roof rail 2 using the clip 5 formed in the recess 21.
[0039]
The airbag 1 inflated at the time of the side collision ruptures the tear line 28 of the cover member 27 and deploys to the vehicle interior. The inflation reaction force of the airbag 1 at this time is applied to the concave portion 21, but since the concave portion 21 is attached to the side roof rail 2 via the clip 5, it can be reliably received on the vehicle body side.
[0040]
In each of the above embodiments, an example is shown in which the cover members 14, 17, 27 are bonded to the base members 3, 20 by bonding. However, the present invention is not limited to this. May be used.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle interior showing a state in which an airbag according to a first embodiment of the present invention is deployed downward.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle interior corresponding to FIG. 1, showing a state before inflation of the airbag.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a base member, an airbag, and a cover member of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line SA-SA shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 4, showing a state after the inflation of the airbag.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing an airbag device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 6, showing a state after the inflation of the airbag.
FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing an airbag device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 8, showing a state after the inflation of the airbag.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 airbag 2 side roof rail (body)
3, 20 Base member 5 Clip 7, 21 Recess 14, 17, 27 Cover member 16 Roof trim 19, 28 Tear line 22 Main body

Claims (7)

An airbag in a folded state between a rigid base member attached to the upper part of the vehicle body on the vehicle interior side in the front-rear direction and a flexible cover member attached to the vehicle interior side of the base member. An airbag device for a side collision of an automobile, wherein the airbag inflated at the time of a side collision of the automobile is deployed downward in a curtain shape while pushing and opening the cover member. It is a side collision airbag apparatus of the automobile of Claim 1, Comprising:
The inflated airbag has a structure in which a joint between a lower end portion of a cover member and a base member is separated, and the cover member is pushed open from the lower end portion to the interior of the vehicle. Bag device. It is a side collision airbag apparatus of the automobile of Claim 1, Comprising:
An airbag device for a side collision of an automobile, wherein the inflated airbag has a structure in which a tear line set in a cover member is cleaved, and the cover member is pushed open from a cleaved portion toward a vehicle interior. An automobile side collision airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
An airbag device for a side collision of an automobile, wherein a concave portion having a shape corresponding to a folded airbag is formed in a base member, and portions other than the concave portion of the cover member and the base member are attached in a superposed state. It is a side collision airbag apparatus of the automobile of Claim 4, Comprising:
The base member is divided into a concave portion and a main body, which is another portion, and the concave portion is configured to be attachable to the vehicle body, so that the concave portion and the main body can be engaged with each other. Airbag device for collision. An automobile side collision airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
An airbag device for a side collision of an automobile, wherein the cover member has a surface continuous with the roof trim. It is a side collision airbag apparatus of the motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
An airbag device for a side collision of an automobile, wherein the base member is attached to a vehicle body by a clip formed on the base member.

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