JP2005186887A - Knee airbag device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicular knee airbag device capable of stabilizing the behavior of an airbag when it is deployed. <P>SOLUTION: Since a demarcation part 10 is formed at a part corresponding to a steering column cover of an airbag 9, gas G is introduced in gas flow passages 14 on both sides of the demarcation part 10, and introduced into the demarcation part 10 from a gas inlet 13 in the returning direction to the ejection direction of gas G. Thus, the inflation timing of the demarcation part 10 is delayed, the influence of the interference of the airbag 9 with the steering column cover is reduced, and the airbag 9 instantaneously gets into a space between a knee part and an instrument panel in a stable deploying behavior to reliably protect the knee part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a knee airbag device for a vehicle that protects a driver's knee.

  A steering column cover is provided on an instrument panel of an automobile so as to protrude toward the vehicle interior side from the instrument panel. On the instrument panel located below the steering column cover, a folded airbag and an inflator for inflating the airbag are installed in a case. An opening is formed at the rear of the case, and the opening is covered with a tearable cover.

  In the event of a vehicle collision, the airbag is deployed upward in a state along the instrument panel from the opening of the case by the gas injected from the inflator, and the airbag is positioned between the occupant's knee and the instrument panel. By invading, the occupant's knee is protected.

  The airbag has a width wider than the steering column cover to protect both occupants' knees, and a tether belt that connects the inner surfaces facing each other inside the air bag is open on both sides, It is provided along the left-right direction.

Therefore, at the initial stage of deployment of the airbag, the gas is inflated on the front side of the tether belt, so that the airbag first spreads to the left and right, and then the gas is introduced into the entire airbag from the empty portions on the left and right sides of the tether belt. Then, the airbag is inflated as a whole and is deployed upward along the instrument panel (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2002-337649 A

  However, in such a conventional technique, after the airbag is first deployed in the left-right direction by the tether belt, the entire airbag is inflated, so that the airbag is inflated more than the instrument panel. There is a risk that the deployment behavior until the gap between the knee and the instrument panel is reached becomes unstable due to interference with the steering column cover protruding toward the vehicle interior side. Therefore, conventionally, in order to ensure that the airbag enters the gap between the knee and the instrument panel in a stable state, it is necessary to make the portion corresponding to the steering column cover of the airbag concave in advance. Therefore, it is difficult to manufacture and fold the airbag.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such a conventional technique, and provides a knee airbag device for a vehicle in which the behavior when the airbag is deployed is stabilized.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air bag having a width that extends to the left and right of the steering column cover on an instrument panel positioned below the steering column cover, and a gas ejection portion that guides and ejects the gas from the inflator or the inflator The case is installed, the opening formed at the back of the case is covered with a cover that can be torn or removed, and the airbag is passed from the opening of the case to the instrument panel by the gas injected from the inflator at the time of a vehicle collision. A knee airbag device for a vehicle in which the airbag is deployed upward in a state along which the airbag is intruded between an occupant's knee and an instrument panel, and corresponds to the steering column cover of the airbag The gas flow is substantially along the gas injection direction on both the left and right sides of the partition. The while forming respectively, characterized in that the formation of the gas inlet for introducing a gas in the folding direction to the direction of injection gas compartment portion.

  The invention according to claim 2 is a quadrangle formed in a state in which the partition part is separated from the front end part of the airbag, and the side opposite to the gas injection direction of the partition part is opened as a gas inlet. It is characterized by being.

  The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the partition portion is formed of a tether belt.

  The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the partition portion is formed by sewing.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the partition portion is formed at a portion corresponding to the steering column cover of the airbag, the gas is divided into the left and right sides of the partition portion at the initial stage of deployment of the airbag. The gas is introduced into gas flow paths along the gas injection direction formed on the left and right sides of the partition part. Therefore, at the initial stage of deployment, the airbag is deployed in the left-right direction, and at the same time, the left and right side portions corresponding to the occupants' knees are instantly deployed upward along the instrument panel. Then, gas is introduced from the gas inlet into the partition corresponding to the steering column cover. At this time, since the gas is introduced in the direction of turning back with respect to the injection direction, the expansion timing of the partition portion is delayed, the influence of interference between the airbag and the steering column cover is reduced, and the portion corresponding to the steering column cover of the airbag is reduced. Even if the airbag is not recessed in advance, the airbag can instantly enter the gap between the knee and the instrument panel with a stable deployment behavior, and the knee can be reliably protected.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the partition portion is a quadrangle having a side opposite to the gas injection direction as the gas inlet, the shape of the partition portion is simple and the partition portion can be easily formed. .

  According to the invention described in claim 3, since the partition portion is formed by the tether belt, the thickness of the airbag can be easily adjusted by adjusting the width of the tether belt.

  According to invention of Claim 4, since the division part is formed by sewing, while reducing the number of parts which comprise an airbag, manufacture of an airbag is easy.

  The purpose of providing a knee airbag device for a vehicle in which the behavior when the airbag is deployed is stabilized is that the instrument panel located below the steering column cover has an air width wider than the steering column cover. A bag and a case containing an inflator or a gas ejection part that guides and ejects gas from the inflator are installed, and an opening formed at the rear of the case is covered with a cover that can be cleaved or removed, so that it can be removed from the inflator at the time of a vehicle collision. A knee airbag for a vehicle in which the airbag is deployed upward in a state along the instrument panel from the opening of the case by the injected gas, and the airbag enters between the occupant's knee and the instrument panel. The apparatus is divided into portions corresponding to the steering column cover of the airbag. The gas flow passages substantially along the gas injection direction are formed on both the left and right sides of the partition part, and the gas introduction ports for introducing the gas in the folding direction with respect to the gas injection direction are formed in the partition part. And realized.

  1 to 5 are views showing a first embodiment of the present invention. The first embodiment relates to a knee airbag device on the driver's seat side in a cab-over type light truck. A steering column cover 2 is provided at the base end portion of the steering wheel 1 in a state of projecting to the vehicle interior side from the instrument panel 3 below the steering column cover 2.

  A case 5 having a width substantially corresponding to the left and right knees 4 of the occupant is fixed to the instrument panel 3. The case 5 has a container shape with an opening formed in the rear, and the opening is covered with a cover 6 in a state along the surface of the instrument panel 3. A thin tear portion 7 is formed horizontally on the cover 6 so that the cover 6 can be split up and down.

  An inflator 8 fixed to the bottom is built in the case 5. The airbag 9 is folded in a state including the inflator 8 and stored in the case 5. The airbag 9 is folded in an upwardly wound state from the distal end portion to be deployed.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the airbag 9 has a bag shape with a predetermined thickness having a width wider than the steering column cover 2, and a substantially trapezoidal planar shape with a width expanded toward the tip. I am doing.

  A partition portion 10 formed in a state of being separated from the distal end portion of the airbag 9 is formed inside the airbag 9 by a tether belt 11 having a predetermined width. Both edges of the tether belt 11 are joined to opposite surfaces of the airbag 9 by sewing 12 (see FIG. 5). The tether belt 11 also has a function of regulating the thickness of the airbag 9 when it is inflated. By adjusting the width of the tether belt 11, the thickness of the airbag 9 can be easily adjusted.

  The partition 10 has a trapezoidal shape (square shape) substantially similar to the airbag 9, and the side opposite to the gas G injection direction D (see FIGS. 3 and 4) from the inflator 8 opens as a gas inlet 13. ing. Accordingly, the tether belt 11 forming the partition portion 10 has a U shape. Since the partition part 10 has a trapezoidal shape with the side opposite to the injection direction D of the gas G as the gas introduction port 13, the shape of the partition part 10 is simple and the formation of the partition part 10 is easy.

  Since the partition portion 10 is formed inside the airbag 9, gas flow paths 14 that substantially follow the gas G injection direction D are formed on both the left and right sides of the partition portion 10.

  In the knee airbag device having such a structure, when the vehicle collides, the gas G is injected from the inflator 8 into the airbag 9, and the airbag 9 is inflated by the gas G.

  The airbag 9 inflated in the case 5 pushes the cover 6 up and down from the tear portion 7 and expands upward along the inflator 8. At this time, since the partition portion 10 is formed at a portion corresponding to the steering column cover 2 of the airbag 9, the gas G is contained in the partition portion 10 at the initial stage of deployment of the airbag 9 as shown in FIG. 4. The gas flow is divided into left and right sides and introduced into the gas flow path 14 in a state substantially along the injection direction D.

  Therefore, at the initial stage of deployment, the airbag 9 is deployed in the left-right direction, and at the same time, the left and right side portions corresponding to both knees 4 of the occupant are instantly deployed upward along the instrument panel 3.

  The gas G that has passed through the gas flow path 14 is then introduced into the partition 10 corresponding to the steering column cover 2. At this time, the direction of the gas G introduced into the partition part 10 from the gas inlet 13 is the folding direction with respect to the injection direction D of the gas G because the gas inlet 13 is formed on the side opposite to the inflator 8. Become.

  Therefore, even if the expansion timing of the partition portion 10 is delayed compared to the other portions and interferes with the steering column cover 2 during the deployment of the airbag 9, the steering column cover 2 is wrapped (see FIG. 5). The influence of interference with the steering column cover 2 is reduced.

  Accordingly, even if the portion of the airbag 9 corresponding to the steering column cover 2 is not recessed, the airbag 9 enters the gap between the knee 4 and the instrument panel 3 instantaneously with a stable deployment behavior, and the knee 9 The part 4 can be reliably protected.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the partition 16 of the airbag 15 is formed only by sewing 17 instead of the tether belt. Therefore, the number of parts (cutting cloth) constituting the airbag 15 can be reduced, and the airbag 15 can be easily manufactured. Other configurations and operational effects are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  In the above embodiment, the quadrangular portions 10 and 16 are shown as quadrilaterals, but other shapes may be used as long as they are formed at portions corresponding to the steering column cover 2.

  Although the example in which the inflator 8 is provided inside the airbags 9 and 15 has been shown, the inflator 8 is installed in a place different from the airbags 9 and 15 and the gas is passed through the gas insertion pipes to the airbags 9 and 15. You may make it introduce | transduce into the gas ejection part provided in the inside, and may eject gas from there.

  Although the cover 6 is structured to be cleaved up and down from the tear portion 7, the cover 6 may be separated from the opening of the case 5 by the expansion force of the airbags 9 and 15 without being cleaved.

Sectional drawing which shows the knee airbag apparatus which concerns on 1st Example of this invention. Sectional drawing equivalent to FIG. 1 which shows the state which the airbag expand | deployed. The perspective view which shows the inflated state of the airbag of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows how the gas inside the airbag of FIG. 3 flows. Sectional drawing which follows the arrow SA-SA line in FIG. Sectional drawing equivalent to FIG. 5 which shows the airbag which concerns on 2nd Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

2 Steering column cover 3 Instrument panel 4 Knee part 5 Case 6 Cover 8 Inflator 9, 15 Air bag 10, 16 Partition part 11 Tether belt 12, 17 Sewing 13 Gas inlet 14 Gas flow path G Gas D Injection direction

Claims (4)

Installed on the instrument panel located below the steering column cover is an airbag having a width that extends to the left and right of the steering column cover, and a case that houses a gas ejection part that guides and ejects gas from the inflator or the inflator,
Cover the opening formed at the rear of the case with a cover that can be cleaved or removed,
A vehicle in which an airbag is deployed upward in a state along the instrument panel from the opening of the case by the gas injected from the inflator at the time of a vehicle collision, and the airbag enters between the occupant's knee and the instrument panel A knee airbag device for
A partition portion is formed in a portion corresponding to the steering column cover of the airbag, gas passages substantially along the gas injection direction are respectively formed on the left and right sides of the partition portion, and the partition portion corresponds to the gas injection direction. A knee airbag device for a vehicle, wherein a gas introduction port for introducing gas in a folding direction is formed. The vehicle knee airbag device according to claim 1,
The vehicle is characterized in that the partition part is a quadrangle formed in a state of being separated from the front end part of the airbag, and the side opposite to the gas injection direction of the partition part is opened as a gas inlet. Knee airbag device. A knee airbag device for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2,
A knee airbag device for a vehicle, wherein the partition portion is formed of a tether belt. A knee airbag device for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2,
A knee airbag device for a vehicle, wherein the partition portion is formed by sewing.