JP2005153761A - Knee protector structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a knee protector structure established at low cost with a saved space without increasing the number of component parts. <P>SOLUTION: The knee protector structure is equipped with a glove box lid 100 to open and close an opening 12b for a glove box and a damper 200 as an outer lid releasing means to release an outer lid 120 using part of the ejected gas from an inflator 20b which is to spread an air bag 20a. The legs L are protected by the outer lid 120 while the opening 12b is held in the closed condition by an inner lid 110. The damper 200 has a stopper device to fix a piston operated by the ejected gas in such a way as not able to return, and the outer lid 120 is held in the released condition by the stopper device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a knee protector structure for protecting a lower limb of a vehicle occupant.

  Conventionally, as this kind of knee protector structure, what was provided in the glove box of the vehicle is known (for example, refer patent document 1).

  This conventional knee protector structure includes a glove box lid composed of an inner lid and an outer lid, an air bag in the lid mounted between the inner lid and the outer lid, an inflator for inflating the air bag in the lid by ejecting gas, and a vehicle. And a deceleration sensor for detecting the deceleration of the motor.

  When the deceleration sensor detects a sudden deceleration due to a vehicle collision, the inflator ejects gas and deploys the lid airbag. Further, the lid airbag is separated from the inner lid while holding the outer lid, thereby protecting the legs of the occupant.

That is, an occupant's knee is caused to collide with the outer lid, and a local deformation of the airbag in the deployed lid is reduced to reduce an impact force caused by the collision.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-104163 (page 3-5, FIG. 1-2)

  However, the conventional knee protector structure must be provided with a dedicated lid air bag in order to protect the legs. Furthermore, a dedicated inflator for deploying the lid airbag is also required. Therefore, the conventional knee protector structure has a problem that the manufacturing cost increases and the space around the glove box becomes narrow.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a knee protector structure that can reduce the number of parts, reduce the manufacturing cost, and reduce the installation space.

  In order to solve the above problems, the knee protector structure of the present invention has a glove box lid for opening and closing a glove box opening provided in the instrument panel, and the glove box lid includes an inner lid and an outer lid. Yes. Further, the knee protector structure of the present invention has an outer lid releasing means, and the outer lid releasing means releases the outer lid by using a part of the insufflator gas that deploys the airbag. Then, with the glove box opening closed by the inner lid, the lower limbs of the occupant are protected by the released outer lid.

  According to the knee protector structure having such a configuration, the outer lid can be released by the outer lid releasing means by using a part of the jet gas for deploying the airbag. For this reason, an outer lid can be released using the inflator for airbags provided in the circumference | surroundings of a glove box, and a passenger | crew's leg can be protected by this outer lid. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated inflator for releasing the outer lid, and it is possible to protect the lower limbs of the occupant while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

  And since the said outer lid is released in the state which closed the said opening for glove boxes with the said inner lid, it can prevent that the stored thing in a glove box jumps out into a vehicle interior.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described based on examples with reference to the drawings.

  First, the configuration will be described. FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the passenger seat side of the vehicle, with the left side showing the front of the vehicle and the right side showing the rear of the vehicle.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle is provided with a front windshield 10, an instrument panel 12 having an airbag inflation opening 12a, and a glove box 14 having a knee protector structure.

  A closing plate 12d that breaks when the airbag is deployed is provided in the airbag inflation opening 12a. In addition, a steering member 16, a blower 18 for blowing air, and an airbag unit 20 for a passenger seat are provided inside the instrument panel 12 along the vehicle width direction.

  The airbag unit 20 is a unit in which an inflator 20b that generates ejected gas and an airbag 20a that is folded and stored are integrally assembled in an airbag system for protecting an occupant.

  The airbag unit 20 is provided to protect a portion other than the lower limbs L (here, the upper body of the occupant), and is fixed to the steering member 16 via a stay 16a. When a deceleration sensor (not shown) detects a sudden deceleration of the vehicle, the inflator 20b generates an ejection gas, and the airbag 20a is deployed by the ejection gas.

  The glove box 14 is provided in a glove box opening 12b provided in the instrument panel 12, and has a substantially fan shape in a side view.

  The glove box 14 includes a glove box lid 100 that opens and closes the glove box opening 12b, and a damper (outer lid releasing means) 200 that attenuates the opening and closing speed of the glove box lid 100.

  The glove box lid 100 includes an inner lid 110 and an outer lid 120 that form a storage space S1 for storing small items and the like. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the outer lid 120 is provided with two connecting mechanisms 121 on the left and right sides, so that the outer lid 120 and the inner lid 110 are normally connected to each other. More specifically, the coupling mechanism 121 includes a space S2 provided in the prismatic base 121a, a lid member 121b covering the space S2, a plate member 121c disposed in the space S2, and a plate member 121c. And a spring 121d biased in the direction of the lid member 121b. The plate member 121c is provided with an inclined surface projection 121e and a columnar projection 121f protruding from the lid member 121b.

  The inclined surface-equipped protrusion 121e gradually increases in height from the front to the rear of the vehicle to form an inclined surface. Further, a connecting piece 112 is provided on the side wall 111 of the inner lid 110, and a columnar protrusion 121 f is fitted into the fitting hole 112 a of the connecting piece 112.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the outer lid 120 includes a locking claw 122, which is also connected to the inner lid 110. The locking claw 122 is formed of a flexible resin or the like, and is disengaged from the inner lid 110 when a predetermined force or more is input. .

  Further, the inner lid 110 is provided with a lock mechanism 101 for maintaining the closed state when the glove box opening 12b is closed by the glove box lid 100.

  The lock mechanism 101 includes a knob 101a that faces the knob opening 123 of the outer lid 120, a hook 101b that is locked to a striker 12c extending from the instrument panel 12, and a hook 101b that urges the hook 101b to engage with the striker 12c. And a spring 101c for holding a stop. The occupant can pull the knob 101a forward (toward the vehicle rear side) to release the hook 101b and the striker 12c from being locked against the urging force of the spring 101c.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the outer lid 120 includes a metal plate 124 as an impact transmission member and a bracket 125 as an impact absorbing member that absorbs an impact transmitted from the metal plate 124.

  The metal plate 124 is provided inside the outer lid 120. Further, the bracket 125 is fixed by screws 22 so as to follow the curved outer lid 120. Here, the screw 22 is also screwed to the metal plate 124 so that the shock input to the metal plate 124 is reliably transmitted.

  Although one illustration of the bracket 125 is omitted, the bracket 125 is provided on both the left and right sides of the outer lid 120. Further, the bracket 125 has a substantially letter shape in side view, and when a force is transmitted from the metal plate 124, the bent portion 125a is bent while absorbing the force.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the glove box lid 100 having such a configuration is pivotally supported on the hinges 24 provided on the left and right sides of the glove box lid 100 so that the vicinity of the lower end of the glove box lid 100 can be rotated by a pivot support pin 24a. Thereby, the glove box lid 100 can swing in the vehicle front-rear direction.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a glove box cover 26 that covers the upper surface opening of the storage space S <b> 1 is provided in the instrument panel 12. A rod 26 a is provided on the glove box cover 26, and the rod 26 a hangs along the back wall 113 located on the vehicle front side of the inner lid 110.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the back wall 113 is provided with a plate 114 having a groove 114a extending in the vehicle front-rear direction at the center thereof. Then, the rod 26a is inserted into the groove 114a, whereby the rotation range of the glove box lid 100 is regulated within a predetermined range.

  Although two illustrations of the damper 200 are omitted, two dampers 200 are provided corresponding to the left and right connecting mechanisms 121 of the outer lid 120. As shown in FIG. 6, the damper 200 includes a hollow cylindrical cylinder 210, a disk-shaped damper piston 220 that defines spaces A1 and A2 in the cylinder 210, and a cylinder 210 extending from the damper piston 220. And a coaxial piston rod 221.

  A first cap 211 is attached to the vehicle rear surface of the cylinder 210 with a screw N1, and a second cap 212 is attached to the vehicle front surface with a screw N2. The damper 200 is an air damper in which a gas is enclosed in the cylinder 210, and when an axial force is applied to the piston rod 221, the force is attenuated.

  The tip 221a of the piston rod 221 has a substantially T shape. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the left and right base parts 121a are provided with rails 126 extending in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 7, the front end part 221a is slidably fitted into the rails 126. It is.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, a flange 213 extending downward is provided on the outer wall of the cylinder 210. The flange 213 is fixed to the damper bracket 18a by the screw N3, and the damper bracket 18a is fixed to the blower 18 by the screw N4.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the damper 200 includes a cylindrical piston 230. The vehicle front surface of the piston 230 is substantially in close contact with the second cap 212. On the other hand, the vehicle rear surface of the piston 230 is positioned substantially at the center of the cylinder 210 and is in contact with a locking stick 215 provided on the cylinder 210. The locking stick 215 has a thin portion, for example, and breaks when a predetermined force is applied from the piston 230 to allow passage of the piston 230.

  A connection release rod 231 is provided on the upper wall of the piston 230. The connection release rod 231 protrudes from a groove-shaped opening 217 provided on the upper wall of the cylinder 210, bends in an L shape, and extends toward the rear of the vehicle. Further, the distal end 231a of the connection releasing rod 231 has a tapered shape, and an inclined surface facing the protrusion with inclined surface 121e is formed.

  On the other hand, the cylinder 210 is provided with a rod guide 214 having a groove 214a extending in the vehicle front-rear direction, and a connection release rod 231 is slidably disposed in the groove 214a. And the protrusion 121e with an inclined surface is located on the extension of the groove | channel 214a.

  Further, the piston 230 is provided with an air passage 232 communicating from the vehicle rear surface of the piston 230 toward the peripheral wall surface. In a normal state (a state where the piston 230 is not operating), one of the air passages 232 is closed by the peripheral wall of the cylinder 210, and the airtightness inside and outside the cylinder 210 is maintained. An air vent groove 216 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction is provided on the peripheral wall of the cylinder 210. As shown in FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C, the air vent groove 216 is set to coincide with the air passage 232 when the piston 230 moves rearward of the vehicle.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the knee protector structure of the present embodiment has a lead-out pipe 20 c for introducing a part of the gas ejected from the inflator 20 b into the damper 200.

  One end of the outlet tube 20c is connected to the inflator 20b, and the other end is connected to the second cap 212 on the vehicle front side. The lead-out pipe 20c guides a part of the jet gas generated from the inflator 20b into the cylinder 210, whereby the piston 230 can be moved to the vehicle rear side.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, the damper 200 is provided with a stopper device 240 for fixing the piston 230 that has moved to a predetermined position so that it cannot be returned.

  The stopper device 240 includes a rectangular parallelepiped stopper main body 241 that contacts the peripheral wall of the piston 230, and a spring 242 that biases the stopper main body 241 toward the piston 230. The stopper main body 241 and the spring 242 are arranged in a stopper arrangement case 218 provided in the cylinder 210. The stopper arrangement case 218 is closed by a cap 244.

  As shown in FIG. 9C, the stopper device 240 pushes the stopper body 241 into the cylinder 210 by the urging force of the spring 242 when the piston 230 operates and moves to a predetermined position on the vehicle rear side. Yes. Accordingly, the piston 230 that has moved to a predetermined position is configured so as not to return to the vehicle front side.

  Next, the operation of the knee protector structure having such a configuration will be described.

  First, the operation in a state where the inflator 20b does not generate the ejected gas (normal state) will be described.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the glove box 14 that has been opened and closed in a normal state. 10A shows a state where the glove box opening 12b is closed with the glove box lid 100, and FIG. 10B shows a state where the glove box opening 12b is opened with the glove box lid 100. FIG.

  In the normal state, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the connection between the inner lid 110 and the outer lid 120 is held by the connection mechanism 121 and the locking claw 122. For this reason, as shown to Fig.10 (a), (b), the inner lid 110 and the outer lid 120 can be operated integrally, and the opening 12b for glove boxes can be opened and closed. The occupant can release the lock of the lock mechanism 101 by pulling the knob 101a toward the front (rear side of the vehicle), and can close the lock mechanism 101 by pressing the glove box lid 100. Here, although the glove box lid 100 rotates around the pivot pin 24a, the rod 26a is inserted into the groove 114a (FIGS. 1 and 3), so that the rotation range is restricted. For this reason, as shown in FIG.10 (b), the glove box lid 100 stops in a predetermined rotation position.

  Further, when the glove box lid 100 opens and closes the glove box opening 12b, the opening / closing speed is attenuated by the damper. That is, since the glove box lid 100 opens and closes while pulling out or pushing out the piston rod 221, the opening and closing speed is attenuated by the gas resistance in the cylinder 210. Here, since the tip 221 a of the piston rod 221 is slidably inserted into the rail 126, there is no possibility that the glove box lid 100 is locked by the piston rod 221.

  Further, in the normal state, the piston 230 is locked by the locking stick 215, and the position does not change even when the glove box lid 100 is opened and closed.

  Next, the operation of the knee protector structure when the inflator 20b generates jet gas (when the airbag is activated) will be described.

  FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C are schematic views showing the operation of the glove box 14 when the airbag is activated in stages.

  When the inflator 20b generates an ejected gas due to a frontal collision of the vehicle, the ejected gas is introduced into the airbag 20a and the airbag is deployed. Part of the jet gas generated by the inflator 20b is introduced into the cylinder 210 of the damper 200 through the outlet pipe 20c. The jet gas that deploys the airbag 20a has a high pressure, and this pressure causes the piston 230 to break the locking stick 215 (FIG. 6) and operate toward the vehicle rear side. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9A, the connection release rod 231 moves along the groove of the rod guide 214, and the tip 231a slides on the sloped projection 121e and sinks the sloped projection 121e. As a result, the columnar protrusion 121f also sinks, and the connection (FIG. 2) between the columnar protrusion 121f and the connecting piece 112 is released.

  When the connection at the connection mechanism 121 is released, the connection release rod 231 further advances, and the outer lid 120 is pushed to the rear of the vehicle, the engagement between the flexible locking claw 122 (FIG. 4) and the inner lid 110 is also performed. Canceled. Thereby, the inner lid 110 and the outer lid 120 are separated, and the outer lid 120 can be rotated independently of the inner lid 110.

  When the piston 230 operates, the air passage 232 coincides with the air vent groove 216, and the space A1 (FIG. 6) communicates with the outside of the cylinder 210. As a result, the gas in the space A1 is discharged out of the cylinder 210, and a faster operation of the piston 230 becomes possible. For this reason, the outer lid 120 can be released in a short time after the collision, and the occupant's lower limb L can be more reliably protected.

  As shown in FIG. 9B, when the piston 230 reaches the damper piston 220 and starts to press the damper piston 220, the outer lid 120 is released according to the movement amount of the piston rod 221. Here, since the knob 101a is located in the knob opening 123 (FIG. 4), the outer lid 120 does not interfere with the knob 101a. At this time, the inner lid 110 holds the closed state of the glove box opening 12 b by the lock mechanism 101. Therefore, even if the outer lid 120 is released, there is no possibility that the articles stored in the glove box 14 will jump out into the passenger compartment. Further, since the tip 221 a of the piston rod 221 is slidably inserted into the rail 126, there is no possibility that the outer lid 120 is locked by the piston rod 221.

  9C, when the piston 230 moves to a predetermined position where the damper piston 220 is sandwiched between the first cap 211 and the piston 230, the stopper main body 241 is pushed out into the cylinder 210 by the spring 242. . As a result, the piston 230 that has moved to a predetermined position cannot be returned to the front of the vehicle. Thus, when the piston 230 is fixed at a predetermined position, the damper piston 220 and the piston rod 221 are fixed, and thereby the outer lid 120 is also fixed. That is, the outer lid 120 is maintained in a predetermined release posture by the stopper device 240.

  Here, in the normal state, the rotation angle of the glove box lid 100 is regulated by the plate 114 and the rod 26a (FIG. 3). However, since the plate 114 is provided on the inner lid 110, the rotation range of the outer lid 120 that is disconnected from the inner lid 110 is not restricted by the rod 26a. Therefore, in this knee protector structure, the outer lid 120 can be in a desired release posture without being restricted by the rotation range of the glove box lid 100 at the normal time. For this reason, the outer lid 120 can be fixed in a release posture suitable for protecting the occupant's lower limbs.

  When the occupant's lower limb L collides with the outer lid 120, the impact is transmitted to the bracket 125 via the metal plate 124 (FIG. 5). And the bending part 125a of the bracket 125 absorbs an impact, and the damage of the leg L is reduced.

  As described above, the knee protector structure of the present invention releases the outer lid 120 by using the glove box lid 100 that opens and closes the glove box opening 12b and the part of the gas ejected from the inflator 20b that deploys the airbag 20a. A damper 200 is provided as an outer lid releasing means, and the lower limb L is protected by the released outer lid 120. According to the knee protector structure having such a configuration, the outer lid 120 can be released by using a part of the gas ejected from the inflator 20b, and the lower limb of the occupant can be protected by the outer lid 120. Since the inflator 20b deploys the airbag 20a that protects a portion other than the lower limb L, the knee protector structure does not require a dedicated inflator to release the outer lid 120. Therefore, it is possible to protect the lower limb L while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

  In addition, since the outer lid 120 including the metal plate 124 and the bracket 125 is configured to protect the lower limb L, there is no need to provide a dedicated airbag for protecting the lower limb L. Therefore, the number of parts can be further reduced.

  In the present embodiment, a damper 200 for attenuating the opening / closing speed of the glove box lid 100 is used as the outer lid releasing means for releasing the outer lid 120. And it is comprised so that piston 230 may be operated by a part of jet gas, and, thereby, outer lid 120 is released. For this reason, a dedicated device for releasing the outer lid 120 at the time of a collision or the like is not required separately, and the number of parts can be further reduced. And by reducing the number of parts in this way, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost and save space around the glove box 14.

  Further, in this knee protector structure, when the outer lid 120 is released, the inner lid 110 keeps the closed state of the glove box opening 12b, so that the stored items in the glove box 14 are prevented from jumping into the vehicle interior. Can do.

  Further, the damper 200 has a stopper device 240 that fixes the piston 230 operated by the ejected gas so as not to be reversible, and the stopper device 240 maintains the releasing posture of the outer lid 120. For this reason, the outer lid 120 can more reliably absorb the impact of the lower limbs L.

  The specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and changes in design within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention.

  For example, as in the above-described embodiment, it is preferable to use a damper as the outer lid opening means, but the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. In other words, the outer lid opening means may be any device that can open and close the outer lid using a part of the gas ejected from the inflator that deploys the airbag.

  Moreover, in the said Example, although the outer lid was open | released using the inflator of the passenger seat passenger | crew's upper body airbag, you may use the inflator of the airbag provided in another site | part. For example, the outer lid may be opened using part of the gas ejected from the inflator for the side airbag.

  Furthermore, the bracket to be attached to the outer lid is not limited to screwing, and may be attached by thermal caulking or the like.

It is sectional drawing of the knee protector structure based on the Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the connection mechanism which connects an inner lid and an outer lid which the knee protector structure which concerns on the Example of this invention has. It is a perspective view of the glove box lid which the knee protector structure concerning the example of the present invention has. It is sectional drawing of the glove box lid opening / closing lock mechanism which the knee protector structure based on the Example of this invention has. It is a fragmentary perspective view of the outer lid which the knee protector structure concerning the example of the present invention has. It is a perspective view of the damper (outer lid release means) which the knee protector structure which concerns on the Example of this invention has. It is a perspective view of the piston rod front-end | tip and rail which the knee protector structure based on the Example of this invention has. It is a perspective view explaining the attachment method of the damper which the knee protector structure concerning the Example of this invention has. In the knee protector structure according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is a schematic diagram illustrating the outer lid release operation, (a) is an initial stage of the outer lid release operation, (b) is an intermediate stage of the outer lid release operation, (C) shows the completion stage of the outer lid releasing operation, respectively. It is a schematic diagram explaining the opening / closing operation | movement of a glove box lid in the knee protector structure based on the Example of this invention, (a) has shown the closed state, (b) has each shown the open state.

Explanation of symbols

12 instrument panel 12b glove box opening 20a airbag 20b inflator 100 glove box lid 110 inner lid 120 outer lid 200 damper (outer lid opening means)
230 Piston 240 Stopper device

Claims (3)

A glove box lid that includes an inner lid and an outer lid, and that opens and closes a glove box opening provided in the instrument panel;
An outer lid releasing means for releasing the outer lid by using a part of the gas ejected from the inflator for deploying the airbag;
A knee protector structure in which a lower limb of an occupant is protected by the released outer lid in a state where the glove box opening is closed by the inner lid. The outer lid releasing means is a damper for attenuating the opening and closing speed of the glove box lid;
The knee protector structure according to claim 1, wherein a piston of the damper is operated by a part of the jet gas to release the outer lid. 3. The knee protector structure according to claim 2, wherein the damper has a stopper device that fixes the piston operated by the jet gas so as not to be reversible, and maintains the releasing posture of the outer lid by the stopper device. .

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