JP2005145169A - Mounting structure for air bag unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase the space utilization efficiency of a space in which an air bag unit is installed in the mounting structure for the air bag unit of the vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: The inflator 10 of the air bag unit 30 is disposed in the hollow part 71b of a steering member body 71 formed in a hollow pipe shape. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an air bag unit mounting structure, and more particularly to an improvement in arrangement with a steering member.

In recent years, the number of vehicles equipped with airbag systems for protecting passengers has increased, and as shown in FIG. 4, as shown in FIG. 4, among the airbag systems for front seat passengers, particularly passengers other than the driver's seat, An airbag unit 30 having an inflator 10 that is generated and an airbag body 20 that is inflated by gas generated by the inflator 10 includes a bracket 80 on an outer peripheral surface of a steering member body 71 that extends in the vehicle width direction of the steering member 70. (Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-71939 A

  By the way, the air bag unit and the steering member are usually concealed on the back side of the decorative panel such as an instrument panel in the vehicle interior. In the concealed space, a glove box, an air conditioner unit, various harnesses, etc. And sensors are also provided. Furthermore, it is expected that various devices such as a control device for a navigation device will be additionally provided in the future, and it is required to further improve the space utilization efficiency of the above-described concealed space.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an attachment structure for an airbag unit that can improve the space utilization efficiency of a space to which the airbag unit is attached.

  An airbag unit mounting structure according to the present invention is an airbag unit mounting structure in which an airbag unit including an airbag body and an inflator is mounted on a steering member. The body portion of the steering member extending in the vehicle width direction is a hollow pipe. The inflator is disposed in a hollow interior of the main body portion of the steering member, and the airbag unit is attached.

  According to the airbag unit mounting structure of the present invention, since the inflator is disposed in the hollow space that is a dead space of the main body portion of the steering member, the occupied space of the inflator in the airbag unit is used as the steering member main body portion. The space utilization efficiency of the space in which the airbag unit is attached can be improved.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the best mode for mounting an airbag unit according to the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in the perspective view of the main part of FIG. 1A, a steering member 70 that supports the steering shaft is disposed in the vehicle front portion along the vehicle width direction. The steering member 70 includes a hollow cylindrical pipe-shaped steering member main body 71 extending in the vehicle width direction, and two fixing portions 72 and 73 joined to both ends of the steering member main body 71. The parts 72 and 73 are respectively fixed to corresponding dash side panels 91 and 92 on both sides of the vehicle body by fastening members (not shown).

  Here, the airbag unit 30 is attached to the left side portion of the steering member body 71 corresponding to the passenger seat. The airbag unit 30 includes an inflator 10 that generates gas and an airbag body 20 that is inflated by being filled with the gas generated by the inflator 10 in an airbag system for protecting an occupant. Unit.

  The airbag unit 30 is attached to the steering member 70 in a state where the inflator 10 of the airbag unit 30 is disposed in the hollow interior 71 b of the steering member main body 71, and the instrument panel 90 together with the steering member 70. It is arranged in the space on the back side.

  As shown in detail in FIG. 2, the airbag unit 30 has the inflator 10 formed in a cylindrical shape, and the airbag main body 20 is folded and housed inside a housing 32 having a housing lid 33. Is disposed adjacent to the inflator 10 in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the inflator 10, and is fixed to the peripheral wall of the inflator 10.

  An opening 71 a having a size that allows the inflator 10 of the airbag unit 30 to pass through the hollow interior 71 b of the steering member main body 71 is formed in a part of the cylindrical peripheral wall of the steering member main body 71.

  The inflator 10 inserted into the hollow interior 71b of the steering member main body 71 through the opening 71a is inserted into the peripheral wall portion of the inflator 10 opposite to the side on which the housing 32 is fixed. Support legs 31, 31 to be supported on the inner surface of the portion 71 are provided.

  The inflator 10 is inserted into the hollow interior 71b, and is arranged so that the axial direction of the inflator 10 is substantially parallel to the axial direction (vehicle width direction) of the steering member main body 71.

  Further, in the state where the inflator 10 is disposed in the hollow interior 71b, the housing 32 is attached with an auxiliary lid 35 that closes the opening 71a, and a mounting stay 34 that fixes the housing 32 to the steering member main body 71 from the outer surface side. It has been.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3 which is a longitudinal section including the axis of the steering member main body 71 in a state where the inflator 10 is disposed in the hollow interior 71b, the gas outlet 11 of the inflator 10 is provided on one end surface of the inflator 10. A gas passage 36 that extends from the gas outlet 11 to the inner surface side of the airbag body 20 is formed outside the end face on the side where the gas outlet 11 is provided.

  The gas passage 36 is formed with an opening 39 communicating with the hollow interior 71b of the steering member main body 70. The opening 39 opens and closes the opening 39 by rotating around a shaft 38 according to a predetermined condition. An open / close door 37 is provided. The open / close door 37 is driven to open / close by an actuator (not shown), and the actuator rotates the open / close door 37 to an arbitrary angular position between a fully closed position indicated by a solid line and a fully open position indicated by a two-dot chain line. Can be made.

  In the fully closed position, the gas ejected from the gas outlet 11 of the inflator 10 is entirely supplied to the airbag body 20 through the gas passage 36 as shown by the black arrow, and in the fully opened position, the inflator 10 The gas ejected from the gas ejection port 11 is not supplied to the airbag main body 20, but passes through the opening 39 of the gas passage 36 as shown by the white arrow, and is entirely in the hollow interior 71 b of the steering member main body 71. escape. Note that, at an intermediate angular position between the fully closed position and the fully open position, part of the gas ejected into the gas passage 36 escapes to the hollow interior 71b of the steering member main body 71 through the opening 39, and the rest is air. The amount of gas supplied to the bag body 20 and supplied to the airbag body 20 can be adjusted according to the opening angle of the open / close door 37.

  The inflator 10 has a steering member in such a direction that the end surface side where the opening 39 is formed is close to the driver's seat Dr side, that is, in a direction in which gas escapes through the hollow interior 71b of the steering member main body 71 toward the driver's seat Dr. It is attached to the hollow interior 71b of the main body 71.

  In the hollow interior 71b, the support leg 31 is fixed to the inner surface of the steering member main body 71 by welding (plug welding or the like), brazing, adhesive, or the like, and the mounting stay 34 externally attaches the spring washer 42. The airbag unit 30 is attached to the steering member 70 in a state where the inflator 10 is disposed in the hollow interior 71b of the steering member main body 71 by being fixed to the peripheral wall surface of the steering member main body 71 by the tapping screw 41. It is done.

  According to the mounting structure of the airbag unit 30 according to the present embodiment configured as described above, the inflator 10 is disposed in the hollow interior 71b that is a dead space of the steering member main body 71, and therefore the airbag unit 30 Of these, the occupied space of the inflator 10 can be included in the occupied space of the steering member main body 71, and the space utilization efficiency of the space to which the airbag unit 30 is attached can be improved.

  The inflator 10 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the airbag main body 20 is disposed adjacent to the inflator 10 in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the inflator 10, and the axial direction of the inflator 10 is set to the axis of the steering member main body 71. Since it is arranged so as to be substantially parallel to the direction, the long inflator 10 can be appropriately accommodated in the elongated hollow interior 71 b of the steering member main body 71.

  Furthermore, by opening the open / close door 37 in accordance with predetermined conditions, a part of the gas ejected from the inflator 10 to the gas passage 36 can be released from the opening 39 of the gas passage 36 and supplied to the airbag body 20. The gas amount to be adjusted can be adjusted according to the predetermined condition.

  Thereby, the internal pressure of the airbag main body 20 can be easily adjusted. For example, the airbag main body with an appropriate internal pressure according to conditions such as the physique of the occupant to be protected by the airbag system and the riding posture. 20 can be inflated.

  Further, since the gas released from the opening 39 of the gas passage 36 is discharged into the hollow interior 71b of the steering member main body 71 which is a closed space, it is not discharged into an unspecified space in the vehicle interior. Can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the electronic parts near the opening 39 and the resin parts such as the instrument panel from being thermally damaged by the high temperature of the gas immediately after being ejected from the inflator 10.

  Further, the gas supplied to the airbag main body 20 contracts the airbag main body 20 by inflating the airbag main body 20 and then gradually escaping from a large number of vent holes formed in the airbag main body 20. However, by opening the open / close door 37 provided in the opening 39 of the gas passage 36 according to the conditions, the gas filled in the airbag main body 20 is caused to flow backward to the opening 39 of the gas passage 36, so that the air The shrinkage of the bag body 20 can also be positively controlled.

  Further, the steering member main body 71 is provided with fixing portions 72 and 73 at both ends, respectively, and the fixing portions 72 and 73 are fixed to dash side panels 91 and 92 of the vehicle, respectively. Although supported, the opening 39 is formed so that the opening 39 of the gas passage 36 is located closer to the driver seat Dr, that is, the gas escapes in the direction of the driver seat Dr. Compared with the structure formed on the side far from the high temperature gas, it is possible to ensure a long distance for the hot gas escaped from the opening 39 of the gas passage 36 to reach the fixed portion 73 that is one end of the steering member 70, The cooling effect when the gas is exhausted from the fixed portion 73 to the outside of the hollow interior 71a can be enhanced.

  That is, according to the structure formed on the side far from the driver's seat Dr, the hot gas escaped from the opening 39 of the gas passage 36 escapes in the direction of the fixed portion 72 that is the other end of the steering member 70. In this case, the distance to the fixing portion 72 is shorter than the distance to escape and pass in the direction of the driver's seat Dr, and is inferior in terms of the gas cooling effect while passing through the hollow interior 71a.

It is a figure which shows the attachment structure of the airbag unit which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, (a) is a principal part perspective view, (b) represents sectional drawing along the AA in (a), respectively. It is a perspective view which shows the detail of the airbag unit attached to a steering member main-body part. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the detail of the airbag unit attached to the steering member main-body part. It is a figure which shows the attachment structure of the conventional airbag unit, (a) is a principal part perspective view, (b) represents sectional drawing along the AA in (a), respectively.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Inflator 11 Gas outlet 20 Airbag main body 30 Airbag unit 31 Support leg 32 Housing 33 Housing lid 34 Mounting stay 35 Auxiliary lid 36 Gas passage 37 Opening / closing door 38 Shaft 39 Opening 41 Tapping screw 42 Spring washer 70 Steering member 71 Steering member main body Portion 71a Notch opening 71b Hollow interior 72, 73 Fixing portion 80 Bracket 90 Instrument panel 91, 92 Dash side panel Dr Driver's seat direction

Claims (4)

In the mounting structure of the airbag unit for mounting the airbag unit including the airbag body and the inflator to the steering member,
An air bag characterized in that a main body portion extending in a vehicle width direction of the steering member is formed in a hollow pipe shape, the inflator is disposed in a hollow interior of the main body portion of the steering member, and the air bag unit is attached. Unit mounting structure. The inflator is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the airbag body is disposed adjacent to the inflator in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the inflator,
2. The air according to claim 1, wherein the inflator is disposed in a hollow interior of the main body so that an axial direction of the inflator is substantially parallel to an axial direction of the main body of the steering member. Bag unit mounting structure.   In the gas passage from the inflator to the airbag body, an opening communicating with the hollow interior of the steering member body is formed, and an opening / closing door that opens and closes according to a predetermined condition is provided in the opening. The mounting structure of the airbag unit according to claim 1 or 2. 4. The airbag unit mounting structure according to claim 3, wherein the opening is formed so that the gas escapes through a hollow interior of the steering member main body toward the driver's seat. 5.

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