JP2007302209A - Airbag structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide airbag structure of a seamless type with no seam formed in an area of an instrument panel for installing an airbag, for preventing an installation portion of the airbag installed inside the instrument panel from being viewed by an occupant. <P>SOLUTION: The airbag structure comprises: a shooter fixed to the inside of the instrument panel, having an upper opening, and covering the airbag; and a shooter cover part 14 adjacent to the upper opening of an airbag housing frame body to cover the airbag from the above. The shooter cover part is made of material higher in flexibility than material of the instrument panel, is provided with a hinge part connected with the airbag housing frame body and functioning as a hinge of the shooter cover part in expansion and deployment of the airbag, and is provided with an instrument panel support part. The instrument panel support part 15C is fixed to a part corresponding to the shooter cover part of the instrument panel positioned above the instrument panel support part, and extension promoting means 21 promoting extension in a direction of the deployment of the hinge part in the expansion and deployment of the airbag is formed to the hinge part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an airbag structure installed inside an instrument panel, and in particular, an instrument in which an airbag is installed so that an occupant cannot see the installation location of the airbag installed inside the instrument panel. The present invention relates to a seamless type airbag structure in which a seam is not formed in a region of a ment panel.

  In an airbag system for a passenger's seat in an automobile, when the airbag is installed in the instrument panel and the airbag system operates under specified conditions, the airbag pushes the instrument panel toward the in-car / passenger seat Expanded.

  In such an airbag system for a passenger seat, the entire instrument panel is formed so that a seam is not formed between the airbag lid portion, which is an instrument panel portion covering the airbag, and the instrument panel portion around the airbag lid portion. A so-called seamless type is known which is formed of the same material. This seamless type airbag system is seamless in the instrument panel where passengers in the vehicle can see, and is suitable for giving a high-class feeling. .

  In the seamless type airbag system, a tier, that is, a cut is formed on the lower surface (back surface) of the instrument panel along the edge of the airbag lid portion of the instrument panel that covers the airbag. When the airbag system is operated under specified conditions, the airbag is directed toward the passenger compartment / passenger seat along the notch while breaking and separating the airbag lid portion of the instrument panel from the surrounding instrument panel portion. Will expand and expand.

  Since the airbag lid portion of the instrument panel may scatter toward the occupant when the airbag is inflated and deployed as described above, a shooter for preventing scattering while allowing movement of the airbag lid portion of the instrument panel A lid is provided.

  Inside the instrument panel, the airbag is held from below by an airbag retainer to which an inflator is attached, and surrounded and held from the side by a shooter, that is, a sleeve-like airbag storage frame. The shooter lid part has a part of the edge part joined to the inner surface of the side wall of the airbag housing frame, and a part of the top surface of the shooter cover part is fixed to the bottom surface of the airbag cover part of the instrument panel by bonding or the like. The The joint of the shooter lid joined to the inner surface of the side wall of the airbag storage frame constitutes the hinge of the shooter lid, and when the airbag is inflated and deployed, the shooter lid together with the lid of the instrument panel Since the shooter lid remains fixed to the airbag storage frame while being rotated toward the center of the vehicle and allowing the airbag to inflate and deploy into the vehicle, the instrument panel secured to the shooter lid It is possible to prevent the lid portion from scattering toward the passenger.

This shooter lid portion is formed of a material having higher flexibility and elongation deformation than the material of the instrument panel.
There are various types of shooter lid hinges. For example, it is conventionally known that the hinge is formed into a U shape when viewed from the direction in which the virtual rotation axis of the hinge extends. In this conventional hinge shape, when the airbag is inflated and deployed, the entire surface of the shooter lid is rotated forward in the vehicle front-rear direction, while the opposing surfaces of the U-shaped hinge are deformed to move away from each other. Due to such deformation, the U-shaped hinge becomes approximately twice the length (height) before deformation (extends). Since the internal space of the airbag housing frame is limited, the U-shaped hinge extending twice is advantageous in that it is excellent in space efficiency.

  However, in the above-described U-shaped hinge, a part of the airbag enters between the U-shaped hinge and the side wall of the airbag storage frame body in the initial stage of inflation and deployment of the airbag. There is a problem that sometimes cannot be obtained.

  As an example of another hinge form with respect to such a U-shaped hinge, Patent Document 1 discloses an L-shaped hinge in which the airbag does not enter between the side wall of the airbag housing frame when the airbag is inflated and deployed. A shooter lid portion is disclosed.

JP 2003-112595 A

  However, when the airbag is inflated and deployed, the L-shaped hinge does not extend twice as long as the folded portion is straightly deformed as in the U-shaped hinge. Therefore, for example, when there is an object on the instrument panel on the front side in the vehicle front-rear direction of the shooter lid part, the hinge part cannot be rotated so as to get over this, and the extension of the hinge part becomes insufficient, There is a problem that the shooter lid portion is not fully opened, and as a result, there is a possibility that the airbag cannot be deployed immediately.

  The present invention has been invented in order to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an airbag structure capable of giving sufficient elongation to the hinge portion of the shooter lid when the airbag is inflated and deployed. To do.

To achieve the above object, an airbag structure having an airbag installed inside an instrument panel according to the present invention accommodates the airbag, which is fixed inside the instrument panel and includes an upper opening. A shooter having a frame shape and a shooter cover that covers the airbag from above, adjacent to the upper opening of the shooter, the shooter cover being more flexible than the material forming the instrument panel Is formed of a high material, is connected to the shooter, and includes a hinge portion that functions as a hinge of the shooter lid when the airbag is inflated and deployed, and an instrument panel support portion, the instrument panel support portion, It is fixed to the shooter cover corresponding part of the instrument panel located above it, and the front The hinge portion, said hinge portion during inflation and deployment of the airbag is stretched promoting means for promoting the extension of the direction to be expanded is formed, characterized in that.
In the present invention, since the extension promoting portion is formed in the hinge portion, when the airbag is deployed, the hinge portion can be extended in addition to the elongation due to the material characteristics that form the hinge portion.

In the present invention, the extension promoting means has an extension portion formed so as to extend obliquely with respect to a deployment direction of the hinge portion when the airbag is inflated and deployed, and the extension portion is inflated of the airbag. It is preferable to deform and stretch substantially along the deployment direction of the hinge portion during deployment.
With this configuration, the extension of the hinge portion can be realized with a simple configuration.

  In this invention, it is preferable that the said hinge part is connected to the said shooter in the position spaced apart downward from the lower surface of the said instrument panel.

In this invention, it is preferable that the said hinge part is formed so that it may extend linearly between the said shooter and the said instrument panel support part.
With this configuration, when the airbag is deployed, it is possible to reliably prevent the airbag from being caught on the hinge portion, and to deploy the airbag along the hinge portion, thereby improving the deployability.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the airbag structure which can give sufficient elongation to the hinge part of a shooter lid part at the time of inflation expansion | deployment of an airbag can be provided.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to an airbag structure of an airbag system for a passenger seat of an automobile.

1 to 3 show an airbag structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a schematic partial sectional view of an instrument panel along a center line in the width direction of a passenger seat (not shown) of a vehicle. The instrument panel is indicated by reference numeral 1 and extends from the front window (not shown) to the rear in the vehicle front-rear direction and downward. The instrument panel 1 is made of a hard synthetic resin material, for example, polypropylene, and an airbag storage frame body for storing an airbag, that is, a shooter 10 is provided therein.

  The shooter 10 is configured by a sleeve member having a generally rectangular upper opening and lower opening. An airbag retainer 11 is attached to the lower opening of the shooter 10 in any known manner. An inflator 12 is attached to the airbag retainer 11, and the inflator 12 is connected to a control device (not shown). The control device is connected to an impact sensor for detecting that an impact has been applied to the front portion of the vehicle, or an impact prediction sensor for detecting such an impact being applied. The inflator 12 is operated under predetermined conditions such as reception of a signal from the sensor.

  The airbag 13 is accommodated in the shooter 10 in a folded state in a known manner and is operatively connected to the inflator 12. That is, the airbag 13 is supported by the airbag retainer 11 from below, surrounded and held by the airbag storage frame 10 from the side, and inflated and deployed upward from the shooter 10 when the inflator 12 is activated. That is, it will be fired.

  The shooter 10 has a mounting flange 10A extending outward from its upper edge, and the top surface of the mounting flange 10A is fixed to the lower surface (back surface) 1A of the instrument panel 1. This fixing can be performed using any known means such as an adhesive or ultrasonic vibration welding.

  The shooter 10 is also provided with a rectangular shooter lid 14 that covers the airbag 13 from the upper side, adjacent to the upper opening thereof. A front edge portion 14 </ b> A of the shooter lid portion 14 in the vehicle front-rear direction is joined to the inner surface of the front wall of the shooter 10. In this embodiment, the shooter 10, the mounting flange 10A, and the shooter lid 14 are made of a hard synthetic resin material that forms the instrument panel 1, that is, a material that is more flexible than polypropylene, such as thermoplastic olefin (TPO). Are integrally molded.

  Edges other than the front edge part 14A of the shooter lid part 14, that is, the rear edge part 14B, the left side edge part, and the right side edge part are not joined to the inner surface of the shooter 10, and are slightly spaced apart. A gap between the shooter lid portion 14 and the inner surface of the shooter 10 forms an overall “U” shape in plan view.

  The shooter lid portion 14 includes a first hinge portion 15A that extends substantially perpendicularly (that is, substantially horizontal) to the shooter 10 from the joint portion with the inner surface of the front wall of the shooter 10 toward the rear in the vehicle front-rear direction. A second hinge portion 15B extending upward from the rear edge of the first hinge portion 15A substantially parallel (ie, substantially perpendicular) to the shooter 10, and the upper edge (rear edge) of the second hinge portion 15B from the shooter lid portion 14 An instrument panel support portion 15C extending to the rear edge portion 14B, and the first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15B constitute a hinge portion of the entire shooter lid portion 14.

  Extension promotion means is provided on the hinge portion of the shooter lid portion 14, that is, the first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15B. As can be clearly seen in FIG. 2, which is an arrow view seen from the arrow II in FIG. 1, the extension promoting means is provided on the first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15B in the width direction over the entire width thereof. A plurality of (long hole) slits 20 formed at an interval and an extension portion 21 formed between adjacent slits 20 are formed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the slit 20 includes a plurality of first slits 20 </ b> A formed in the right half of the first hinge portion 15 </ b> A and the second hinge portion 15 </ b> B in the width direction (when viewed from the rear in the vehicle front-rear direction). A plurality of second slits 20B formed in the left half of the width direction (when viewed from the rear in the vehicle front-rear direction) and a substantially regular hexagon formed in the center in the width direction of the first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15B. 1 slit, that is, the third slot 20C.

  When viewed in FIG. 2, the second slit 20B is generally formed in a “<” shape, and the first slit 20 </ b> A is formed in a “<” shape in the opposite direction. Therefore, each extending portion 21 configured between the adjacent slits 20A and 20A, between the adjacent slits 20B and 20B, between the adjacent slits 20A and 20C, and between the adjacent slits 20B and 20C is also “ku”. It has a letter shape and a reverse “ku” shape.

  In this embodiment, the slit 20 and thus the extended portion 21 formed between the adjacent slits 20 are formed over the entire first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15B in the vehicle longitudinal direction. However, it may be formed only on a part of the first hinge part 15A and / or the second hinge part 15B, or extended from the whole or part of the second hinge part 15B to the instrument panel support part 15C. Also good.

  The instrument panel support portion 15C of the shooter lid portion 14 is fixed to the portion of the instrument panel 1 located above, that is, the shooter lid portion corresponding portion 1B. This fixing can also be performed using any known means such as an adhesive. The instrument panel support portion 15C is preferably fixed by welding or the like to the shooter lid corresponding portion 1B over its entire area, but the instrument panel support portion 15C and the shooter lid corresponding portion when the airbag 13 is inflated and deployed. If fixation with 1B is maintained, partial fixation may be used.

  On the lower surface 1A of the instrument panel 1, a tier, that is, a cut 30 is formed along the rear edge portion 14B, the left edge portion, and the right edge portion of the shooter lid portion 14. In this embodiment, the cuts 30 are continuous, but when the airbag 13 is inflated and deployed, the shooter lid corresponding portion 1B of the instrument panel 1 breaks in the same manner as when the continuous cuts 30 are formed. If so, the cut 30 may be discontinuous.

  In the airbag structure described above, when the inflator 12 is actuated by a control device (not shown), the folded airbag 13 is inflated and deployed upward in the shooter 10 (the lateral deployment is the shooter). 10 is applied to the shooter lid portion 14 and the shooter lid portion corresponding portion 1B by applying an upward pressing force. Then, the first hinge portion 15 </ b> A is frontward in the vehicle front-rear direction around the virtual rotation axis L <b> 1 extending in the width direction of the front edge portion 14 </ b> A along the joint portion between the front edge portion 14 </ b> A of the shooter lid portion 14 and the shooter 10. , Rotated and deployed upward (counterclockwise when viewed in FIG. 1).

  Simultaneously with or before and after the rotation (development) of the first hinge portion 15A about the virtual rotation axis L1, the second hinge portion 15B includes the first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15B. Is rotated (deployed) in the vehicle front-rear direction rearward and downward (clockwise as viewed in FIG. 1) around the virtual rotation axis L2 extending in parallel with the virtual rotation axis L1.

  Further, simultaneously with the rotation (deployment) of the first hinge portion 15A about the virtual rotation axis L1, the rotation (deployment) of the second hinge portion 15B about the virtual rotation axis L2, or Before and after, the instrument panel support portion 15C is centered on the virtual rotation axis L3 extending in parallel with the virtual rotation axes L1 and L2 along the joint portion between the second hinge portion 15B and the instrument panel support portion 15C. Next, the vehicle is rotated (deployed) forward and backward in the vehicle longitudinal direction (counterclockwise when viewed in FIG. 1).

  If the first hinge portion 15A and / or the second hinge portion 15B is short due to space reasons inside the instrument panel 1 and the extension of the portion is based only on the material characteristics, the shooter lid portion 14 is fully opened, the air Even in the case where the rapid deployment of the bag is insufficient, in the airbag structure, when the airbag 13 is inflated and deployed, the first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15B extend beyond the characteristics of the material, and the shooter lid portion. 14 fully open, does not hinder the rapid deployment of the airbag.

  That is, FIG. 3A is a view of the shooter lid portion 14 in the initial state, that is, an unloaded state, as viewed from the rear in the vehicle front-rear direction, and is formed on the first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15B. In this state, the extension portion 21 having the shape of "<" and the inverted shape of "<" has only a height, that is, a length LE1. When the airbag 13 is inflated and deployed, and the first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15B are rotated and deployed in the manner described above, the length of the extended portion 21 of the first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15B is increased. The length LE1 is increased when the first hinge portion 15A is substantially vertical, and the extension portions 21 formed on the first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15 are shown in FIG. When viewed, it is pulled up and stretched straight as shown in FIG. 3B to increase to length LE2. More specifically, the lower portion (“\”, “/” portion) of the “<” shape of the extension portion 21 and the inverted “<” shape is displaced and deformed from the inclined state to the vertical state when viewed in FIG. 2. Therefore, the overall height (vertical height) of the portion is increased, and similarly, the "<" shape of the extended portion 21 and the upper part of the reverse "<" shape ("/", "\" portions) are also illustrated. When viewed at 2, the displacement and deformation from the tilted state to the vertical state causes the overall height (vertical height) of this portion to also increase. As a result, the length of the extension portion 21 (the first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15B) is changed from the length LE1 in the initial state (see FIG. 3A) to the length LE2 (see FIG. 3B). ), Which makes it easier to fully open the shooter lid 14 and facilitate the quick deployment of the airbag.

  In the process in which the shooter lid 14 is complexly rotated about the virtual rotation axes L1, L2, and L3 by the airbag 13 that is inflated and deployed, and the extension portion 21 is extended, the instrument panel 1 is cut 30. Accordingly, the shooter cover part corresponding portion 1B of the instrument panel 1 fixed to the shooter cover part 14 is rotated together with the shooter cover part 14, and thus the airbag 13 is moved to the shooter cover part. 14. From inside the space where the shooter cover corresponding part 1B is vacant (while the shooter cover part 14 moved forward in the vehicle and the shooter cover corresponding part 1B are restricted from being deployed toward the front and front windows) Inflates toward the seat.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the airbag structure of 2nd Embodiment of this invention is shown.

  The airbag structure of the second embodiment is generally the same as the airbag structure of the first embodiment, and is only related to the slit 20 (20A to 20C), which is an extension promoting means, the shape of the extension portion 21, and the arrangement position. Is different. Therefore, only the shapes and arrangement positions of the different slits and the like will be described below, and repeated description of other configurations and operations that are the same as the airbag structure of the first embodiment will be omitted.

  The slit 50 of the airbag structure of the second embodiment corresponds to the first slit 20A and the second slit 20B formed over the entire height of the first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15B in the first embodiment, An extended portion 51 formed between adjacent slits 50 corresponds to the extended portion 21 of the first embodiment. All the slits 50 and the extended portions 51 are formed so as to incline in the same direction and extend linearly over the first slit 20A and the second slit 20B.

  When the airbag 13 is inflated and deployed and the first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15B are rotated, the extended portion 51 also starts from the inclined state shown in FIG. 4 (A) corresponding to FIG. 3 (A). 4B corresponding to FIG. 3B is displaced and deformed in the vertical state, and the length of the extended portion 21 (the first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15B) is the length in the initial state. The length LE1 is extended to the length LE2, which makes it easy to fully open the shooter lid 14 and facilitate the rapid deployment of the airbag.

  FIG. 5 shows an airbag structure according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The airbag structure of the third embodiment is also generally the same as the airbag structure of the first embodiment, and is related to the slit 20 (20A to 20C), which is an extension promoting means, the shape of the extension portion 21, and the arrangement position. Only the difference. Therefore, only the shapes and arrangement positions of the different slits and the like will be described below, and repeated description of other configurations and operations that are the same as the airbag structure of the first embodiment will be omitted.

FIGS. 5A and 5B correspond to FIGS. 4A and 4B, respectively.
The airbag structure extension promoting means of the third embodiment includes a plurality of triangular first slots 60A formed in the first hinge portion 15A at equal intervals in the width direction over the entire width thereof, and spaced apart from each other. A plurality of triangular second slots 60B (see FIG. 5B) formed in the second hinge portion 15B so as to face the triangular slots 60A. The extension promoting means also spans the first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15B between the pair of opposing triangular slots 60A and 60B and the pair of adjacent triangular slots 60A and 60B. And a diamond-shaped third slot 60C. The pair of opposing triangular second slots 60A and 60B are shaped and arranged so that the apexes of the triangles face each other. The extension portion 21 corresponding to the extension portion 21 of the first embodiment and the extension portion 51 of the second embodiment includes a pair of opposing triangular slots 60A and 60B and a diamond-shaped third slot 60C adjacent thereto. It is composed of a “ku” shape and an inverted “ku” shape.

  When the airbag 13 is inflated and deployed and the first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15B are rotated, the extended portion 61 is also shown in FIG. 5B from the inclined state shown in FIG. Displaced and deformed in the vertical state, the length of the extension portion 61 (the first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15B) is extended from the length LE1 in the initial state to the length LE2. This makes it easy to fully open the shooter lid portion 14 and facilitate the rapid deployment of the airbag.

Next, with reference to FIG.6 and FIG.7, the airbag structure of 4th Embodiment of this invention is shown.
The airbag structure of the fourth embodiment is generally the same as the airbag structure of the first embodiment, and is related to the slit 20 (20A to 20C), which is an extension promoting means, the shape of the extension portion 21, and the arrangement position. Is different. Therefore, only the shape and arrangement position of the different slits will be described below, and repeated description of other configurations and operations that are the same as the airbag structure of the first embodiment will be omitted.

6 corresponds to FIG. 3, and FIG. 7 corresponds to (part of) FIG.
In the airbag structure of the fourth embodiment, the extension promoting means is arranged at equal intervals in the width direction over the entire width of the first hinge portion 15A, the second hinge portion 15B, and the instrument panel support portion 15C. A plurality of slits 40 formed in the above manner. Each slit 40 is formed to incline in the same direction and extend linearly across the entire first hinge portion 15A, the entire second hinge portion 15B, and the front edge portion of the instrument panel support portion 15C. ing.

  The first hinge portion 45A of the shooter lid portion 14 located on the opposite side across the slit 40 of the first hinge portion 15A, the second hinge portion 15B, and the instrument panel support portion 15C, as shown in FIG. The second hinge part 45B is formed longer than the first hinge part 15A, extends substantially perpendicularly from the rear edge of the first hinge part 45A, and the instrument panel support part 45C extends from the upper edge (rear edge) of the second hinge part 45B. Is extended. The virtual rotation axis L4 is along the joint between the first hinge 45A and the second hinge 45B, and the virtual rotation axis is along the joint between the second hinge 45B and the instrument panel support portion 45C. L5 is configured respectively.

  The extension portion 71A is configured by the first hinge portion 15A, the second hinge portion 45B, and the instrument panel support portion 15C between the adjacent slits 40, and the extension portion 71B is formed between the adjacent slits 40 by the first hinge portion 45A and the first hinge portion 45A. The extension part 71A and the extension part 71B are alternately arranged with the slit 40 interposed therebetween. The extended portion 71B is rotated about the virtual rotation axes L1, L4, and L5 when the airbag 13 is inflated and deployed.

  In the extension portions 71A and 71B, when the airbag 13 is inflated and deployed, and the first hinge portion 15A, the second hinge portion 15B, the first hinge portion 45A, and the second hinge portion 45B are rotated, FIG. ) From the inclined state shown in FIG. 6B to the vertical state shown in FIG. 6B, and the length of the extended portion 71A (and the front edge portion of the instrument panel support portion 15C between the slits 40) and the extended portion 71B. Is extended from the length LE1 in the initial state to the length LE2, thereby making it easier to fully open the shooter lid 14 and to easily deploy the airbag.

  FIG. 8 shows an airbag structure according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. The airbag structure of the fifth embodiment is also generally the same as the airbag structure of the first embodiment, but differs only in the shapes of the first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15B (second embodiment). This is not the difference with respect to the slit and the extended portion, unlike the embodiment to the fourth embodiment). Accordingly, only the shapes of the portions corresponding to the first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15B will be described below, and repeated descriptions of other configurations and operations that are the same as the airbag structure of the first embodiment will be given. Omitted.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram corresponding to (part of) FIG. As is apparent from FIG. 8, in the airbag structure of the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the portion of the shooter lid portion 14 corresponding to the first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15B is the inner surface of the front wall of the shooter 10. From the vehicle longitudinal direction rearward and upward to the front edge of the instrument panel support portion 15C.

  The inclined wall portion 70 is the same as the slit 20 and the extended portion 21 in the first embodiment, the slit 50 and the extended portion 51 in the second embodiment, or the slots 60A, 60B and 60C and the extended portion 61 in the third embodiment. Formed, arranged slits, stretched portions are formed.

  As in the above-described embodiment, the length of the extended portion is extended from the length in the initial state due to the change in the geometric shape of the extended portion when the airbag 13 is inflated and deployed. It becomes easy to fully open, and it becomes easy to quickly deploy the airbag. In addition to this, in this embodiment, unlike the first to fourth embodiments, the inclined wall portions 70 corresponding to the first hinge portion 15A and the second hinge portion 15B extend linearly. It is possible to prevent the airbag 13 from being caught by the hinge part at the initial stage of the inflation and deployment of the bag 13.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made.
For example, the present invention may be applied to the above U-shaped hinge portion. In this case, the vertical length of the hinge portion can be shortened, and the airbag 13 can be prevented from being caught by the hinge portion. .

  In any of the above-described embodiments, the present invention is applied to an airbag structure for a passenger seat of an automobile, but can also be applied to an airbag structure for a driver seat of a train, for example.

FIG. 2 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of an instrument panel along a center line in the width direction of a passenger seat of a vehicle. It is the arrow line view seen from the arrow II of FIG. (A) is the figure which looked at the shooter cover part from the vehicle front-back direction back, (B) is a figure which shows a shooter cover part in the state by which the hinge part was extended. (A) is a figure showing a 2nd embodiment corresponding to Drawing 3 (A), and (B) is a figure showing a 2nd embodiment corresponding to Drawing 3 (B). (A) is a figure which shows 3rd Embodiment corresponding to FIG. 3 (A), (B) is a figure which shows 3rd Embodiment corresponding to FIG. 3 (B). (A) is a figure which shows 4th Embodiment corresponding to FIG. 3 (A), (B) is a figure which shows 4th Embodiment corresponding to FIG. 3 (B). It is a partial schematic sectional view which shows 4th Embodiment corresponding to a part of FIG. It is a partial schematic sectional view which shows 5th Embodiment corresponding to a part of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Instrument panel 1B Shooter cover part corresponding part 10 Shooter 13 Air bag 14 Shooter cover part 15A (45A) 1st hinge part, 15B (45B) 2nd hinge part (hinge part)
15C instrument panel support part 20, 40, 50, 60 slit, 21, 51, 61, 71 extension part (extension promoting means)

Claims (4)

An airbag structure having an airbag installed inside an instrument panel,
A frame-shaped shooter that is fixed inside the instrument panel and has an upper opening and that houses the airbag;
Adjacent to the upper opening of the shooter, it has a shooter lid that covers the airbag from above, and the shooter lid is
Formed of a material having higher flexibility than the material forming the instrument panel;
A hinge portion connected to the shooter and functioning as a hinge of the shooter lid when the airbag is inflated and deployed;
An instrument panel support part, and the instrument panel support part is fixed to a shooter cover part corresponding part of the instrument panel located above the instrument panel support part,
The hinge part is formed with extension promoting means for promoting extension in a direction in which the hinge part is deployed when the airbag is inflated and deployed.
Airbag structure.   The extension promoting means has an extension portion formed so as to extend obliquely with respect to the deployment direction of the hinge portion when the airbag is inflated and deployed, and the extension portion substantially extends when the airbag is inflated and deployed. The airbag structure according to claim 1, wherein the airbag structure is deformed and stretched along a deployment direction of the hinge portion.   The airbag structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the hinge portion is connected to the shooter at a position spaced downward from a lower surface of the instrument panel.   The airbag structure according to claim 3, wherein the hinge portion is shaped to extend linearly between the shooter and the instrument panel support portion.

Images