JP2008174071A - Airbag storage structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an airbag storage structure preventing a hinge portion of a door pushed to open by an airbag upon the deployment of the airbag from being damaged due to friction with the deploying airbag. <P>SOLUTION: The airbag storage structure comprises the airbag 10; an airbag storage container 11 in which the airbag is folded and stored, and supporting the airbag 10 to a vehicle body side; the door 25r pushed to open while rotating about the hinge portion 26r on an opening portion 23a peripheral edge by deploying force upon the deployment of the airbag 10; and a protecting cloth 12 attached to the inside of the airbag storage container 11, and covering an upper surface of the airbag 20 so as to keep the airbag 10 in a state folded and stored in the airbag storage container 11. On the protecting cloth 12, a weak portion 13 broken by the deploying force of the airbag 10 is formed. The weak portion 13 is arranged so as to allow the protecting cloth 13 broken upon the deployment of the airbag 10 to cover the hinge portion 26r of the door 25r. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an airbag storage structure.

  An automobile is equipped with an airbag system in which an airbag is inflated when an impact greater than a set value is detected in the event of a vehicle collision, and is protected by a passenger. Normally, the airbag is folded and stored in the upper part of the instrument panel on the passenger seat side, the center part of the steering wheel, or the like so that the airbag can be reliably deployed when the airbag system is activated. The folded airbag is wrapped with a belt-like protective cloth so that the folded airbag does not spread. This protective cloth has a cut at the center, and when the airbag system is activated, the protective cloth breaks at the cut by the airbag that is deployed, and the door formed on the instrument panel etc. is pushed open to open the air The bag is designed to unfold. An example of such an airbag storage structure is disclosed in Patent Document 1 below.

Japanese Patent No. 3010228

  However, in the airbag storage structure according to Patent Document 1 described above, the door collides with the windshield glass when the airbag is deployed when a sufficient space between the door formed on the upper part of the instrument panel and the windshield glass cannot be secured. Resulting in. In particular, in recent years, windshield glass tends to have a smaller installation angle with respect to the upper surface of the instrument panel due to considerations for aerodynamic performance and design reasons. It has been difficult to secure enough.

  In this case, it is possible to avoid a collision between the door and the windshield glass by separating the door from the center into two members, a vehicle front side member and a vehicle rear side member. In such a structure, the airbag is rubbed and deployed on the hinge portion of the vehicle rear door on the occupant side, so that the hinge portion of the door on the vehicle rear side is damaged by friction, and the door on the vehicle rear side can be removed and scattered. There is a risk of doing.

  In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an airbag storage structure that prevents the hinge portion of the door that is pushed open by the airbag when the airbag is deployed from being damaged by friction with the deployed airbag. To do.

An airbag storage structure according to a first invention (corresponding to claim 1) for solving the above-described problem is
An airbag mounted on the vehicle;
An airbag storage container in which the airbag is folded and stored and supports the airbag on the vehicle body side;
A door that is provided at the opening for the airbag, and that is rotated around a hinge portion at the periphery of the opening by a deployment force when the airbag is deployed;
A protective cloth that is attached to the airbag storage container and covers the upper surface of the airbag so as to hold the airbag folded and stored in the airbag storage container;
The protective cloth is formed with a fragile portion that is broken by the deployment force of the airbag,
The fragile portion is arranged so that the protective cloth broken when the airbag is deployed covers the hinge portion of the door.

An airbag storage structure according to a second invention (corresponding to claim 2) for solving the above problems is the airbag storage structure according to the first invention,
The airbag is obliquely upward in which the deployment direction is inclined toward the vehicle rear side, and the hinge portion covered by the protective cloth is a hinge portion on the vehicle rear side arranged at the rear edge of the opening. It is characterized by.

An airbag storage structure according to a third invention (corresponding to claim 3) for solving the above problems is the airbag storage structure according to the first invention or the second invention.
The fragile portion is formed on the vehicle front side from the central portion of the upper surface of the protective cloth when the upper surface of the airbag is covered.

An airbag storage structure according to a fourth invention (corresponding to claim 4) for solving the above problems is the airbag storage structure according to any of the first to third inventions,
The fragile portion is formed by a plurality of apertures arranged in a row.

  According to the present invention, an airbag mounted on a vehicle, an airbag storage container that stores the airbag in a folded state and supports the airbag on the vehicle body side, and an opening for the airbag are provided. The door is pivoted around the hinge at the periphery of the opening by the deployment force during deployment, and the door is attached to the airbag storage container, and the airbag is folded and stored in the airbag storage container. A protective cloth that covers the upper surface of the airbag so as to be held. The protective cloth is formed with a fragile portion that is broken by the deployment force of the airbag. Since the hinge portion is disposed so as to cover the hinge portion, it is possible to prevent the hinge portion from being damaged due to friction with the deploying airbag and the door from being scattered.

  One embodiment of an airbag storage structure according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 is a perspective view of a main part of an airbag storage structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a main part of the airbag storage structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the protective cloth of the airbag storage structure according to the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view when the airbag is stored in the cross section indicated by AA in FIG. 1, and FIG. It is sectional drawing at the time of airbag deployment in the cross section shown by. In each figure, Fr indicates the front of the vehicle, In indicates the vehicle width direction, and Up indicates the upper side of the vehicle.

  First, the configuration of the main part of the airbag storage structure according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, an airbag 10 mounted on a vehicle includes a reaction can 11 (airbag storage container) that stores the airbag 10 and receives the force of the airbag 10 that is deployed when the airbag 10 is deployed. Arranged inside. The shape of the reaction can 11 is a box shape whose upper surface is open. The material of the reaction can 11 is made of sheet metal in order to ensure rigidity sufficient to receive the force when the airbag 10 is deployed. The reaction can 11 is installed in the upper part of the instrument panel (see FIG. 4) in front of the passenger seat.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the airbag 10 is folded and stored so that it can be easily deployed during deployment. The folded airbag 10 is covered with a protective cloth 12 so as not to spread and stored in the reaction can 11. On the bottom surface 11b of the reaction can 11, an inflator installation hole 11c for installing an inflator (see FIG. 4) for supplying gas into the airbag 10 when the airbag 10 is deployed is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the shape of the protective cloth 12 is a strip shape. The protective cloth 12 has a portion closer to the front side of the vehicle (left side in FIG. 3) than a portion located in the center of the upper surface when the folded airbag 10 (see FIG. 2) indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. The fragile portion 13 is formed so as to cross the protective cloth 12. In addition, in this embodiment, although it was set as the strip | belt shape of the width same as the width | variety of the airbag 10 which folded the protective cloth 12 in the vehicle width direction, for example, several narrow strips are prepared and folded. The airbag 10 may be wrapped.

  The fragile portion 13 includes a large slit portion 13a that is a large opening portion at the center portion, and a small slit portion 13b that is a small opening portion formed on both sides in the vehicle width direction of the large slit portion 13a. Is formed. An inner connecting portion 13c is formed between the large slit portion 13a and the small slit portion 13b, and an outer connecting portion 13d is provided between the small slit portion 13b and the side end portion of the protective cloth 12 in the vehicle width direction. Is formed. In the present embodiment, the fragile portion 13 is formed by the large slit portion 13a and the small slit portion 13b. However, in addition to this, for example, a plurality of small opening portions may be provided in a broken line shape, or the fragile portion may be provided. 13 may be formed of another member having low strength.

  Next, the detail of the airbag storage structure which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. Here, the structure on the vehicle body side is also described. As shown in FIG. 4, the folded airbag 10 is folded and stored in the reaction can 11. As described above, the folded airbag 10 is wrapped by the protective cloth 12. The end 12 a of the protective cloth 12 is held by being sandwiched between the airbag fixing member 14 and the reaction can 11 inside the airbag 10.

  A stud bolt 14 a is attached to the airbag fixing member 14 downward, and the stud bolt 14 a is passed through a stud bolt through hole 15 (see FIG. 3) formed in the end portion of the protective cloth 12, so that the reaction can 11 through the stud bolt through hole 16, and further through the stud bolt through hole 17 a of the inflator 17, and these are fastened and fixed by a nut 18.

  A reaction can fixing member 19 for fixing the reaction can 11 is attached to the lower surface of the reaction can 11. Below the reaction can 11, a deck cross member 20 is installed that extends between side plates (not shown), which is a vehicle body skeleton in the front part of the passenger compartment, and ensures rigidity of the front part of the passenger compartment.

  A reaction can bracket 21 to which the reaction can fixing member 19 is attached is attached to the deck cross member 20 by welding or bolting. The reaction can 11 is fixed to the deck cross member 20 by bolting the reaction can fixing member 19 and the reaction can bracket 21 with bolts 22.

  An instrument panel 23 is installed above the reaction can 11. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper end portion of the side surface 11 a on the vehicle width direction side of the upper portion of the reaction can 11 has an inclined structure in which the front side of the vehicle is low and the rear side is high, and when installed inside the upper portion of the instrument panel The bottom surface of the reaction can 11 faces obliquely upward on the vehicle rear side.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the reaction can 11 is arranged such that the airbag 10 is inclined obliquely upward toward the rear side of the vehicle when the reaction can 11 is installed at the lower part of the instrument panel. Therefore, the airbag 10 can be positively deployed on the passenger side who rides in the passenger seat.

  The instrument panel 23 is formed with an airbag deployment opening 23a that passes when the airbag 10 is deployed. A retainer case 24 for guiding the airbag 10 to be properly deployed is installed between the upper and lower end portions 11d of the front and rear sides of the reaction can 11 and the airbag deployment opening 23a of the instrument panel. Thereby, it can prevent that the airbag 10 expand | deploys to the instrument panel 23 back surface side.

  Formed on the upper part of the retainer case 24 are a vehicle front door 25f and a vehicle rear door 25r that are pushed open when the airbag 10 is deployed. The door 25f is attached to the main body of the retainer case 24 by a hinge 26f, and the door 25r is attached to the main body of the retainer case 24 by the hinge 26r. A cover 27 is fitted on the upper surfaces of the doors 25f and 25r and inside the airbag deployment opening 23a of the instrument panel 23. The doors 25f and 25r and the cover 27 are joined together by adhesion or welding.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the airbag 10 is deployed by the gas ejected from the inflator 17 (indicated by an arrow in FIG. 5), the protective cloth 12 is connected to the inner connecting portion 13c (see FIG. 4) at the weakened portion 13 (see FIG. 4). 3) and the outer connecting portion 13d (see FIG. 3) are broken to be divided into a protective cloth 12b on the vehicle rear side and a protective cloth 12c on the vehicle front side.

  Then, the end portion 12d of the protective cloth 12c on the vehicle rear side covers the hinge portion 26r on the vehicle rear side to protect the hinge portion 26r. Further, the slippery protective cloth 12 (for example, made of nylon) improves the slippage of the airbag 10 when deployed at the hinge portion 26r. From these things, damage to the hinge part 26r by the airbag 10 rubbing the hinge part 26r of the door 25r on the vehicle rear side can be prevented.

  As described above, according to the airbag storage structure according to the present embodiment, the hinge portion 26r of the vehicle rear side door 25r that is pushed open by the airbag 10 when the airbag 10 is deployed is broken when the airbag 10 is deployed. The airbag 11 is covered with the end portion 12d of the protective cloth 12c, and the sliding of the airbag 11 during deployment at the hinge portion 26r of the door 25r on the vehicle rear side can be improved. It is possible to prevent the portion 26r from being damaged. Further, since the fragile portion 13 is formed by the large slit portion 14a and the small slit portion 14b, it is not necessary to prepare another new part, so that the hinge portion 26r has a simple structure while suppressing an increase in cost. Can prevent damage.

It is a perspective view of the principal part of the airbag storage structure which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which showed the structure of the principal part of the airbag storage structure which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the protection cloth of the airbag storage structure concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing at the time of the airbag accommodation in the cross section shown by AA in FIG. It is sectional drawing at the time of the airbag expansion | deployment in the cross section shown by AA in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

10 Airbag 11 Reaction Can (Airbag Storage Container)
12 Protective cloth 13 Fragile part 14a Large slit part (opening part)
14b Small slit (opening)
23a Airbag deployment opening (opening)
25r Vehicle rear door (door)
26r Vehicle rear side hinge (hinge)

Claims (4)

An airbag mounted on the vehicle;
An airbag storage container in which the airbag is folded and stored and supports the airbag on the vehicle body side;
A door that is provided at the opening for the airbag, and that is rotated around a hinge portion at the periphery of the opening by a deployment force when the airbag is deployed;
A protective cloth that is attached to the airbag storage container and covers the upper surface of the airbag so as to hold the airbag folded and stored in the airbag storage container;
The protective cloth is formed with a fragile portion that is broken by the deployment force of the airbag,
The fragile portion is arranged so that the protective cloth broken when the airbag is deployed covers the hinge portion of the door. The airbag is obliquely upward in which the deployment direction is inclined toward the vehicle rear side,
The airbag storage structure according to claim 1, wherein the hinge portion covered by the protective cloth is a hinge portion on a vehicle rear side disposed at a rear edge portion of the opening. 3. The air according to claim 1, wherein the fragile portion is formed on the vehicle front side from a center portion of the upper surface of the protective cloth when the upper surface of the airbag is covered. Bag storage structure. The airbag storage structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fragile portion is formed by a plurality of apertures arranged in a row.

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