JP2010076576A - Airbag device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an airbag device with a simple structure in which an inflator can be connected with an airbag so as to have appropriate sealability therebetween. <P>SOLUTION: In the airbag device M1, a person-on-board protection part 54 of an airbag 53 is configured by coupling circumferential edges of a person-on-board-side wall part and a vehicle-body-side wall part to each other, and a flow-in port part 60 to be connected with an inflator 31 is arranged on the center side part other than an outer circumferential edge of the vehicle-body-side wall part. The inflator 31 has a body 32 and a diffuser 34 equipped with bolts 37 for attaching the inflator 31 to an accommodating section 41. The airbag 53 is attached to the accommodating section 41 along with the inflator 31 by inserting the body 32 into the diffuser 34 arranged inside thereof, connecting the flow-in port part 60 with the inflator 31 using a clamp 62 arranged on an outer circumferential side of the flow-in port part 60, and fastening the bolts 37 on the side of the accommodating section 41. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an airbag having an occupant protection portion whose inflated shape is substantially plate-shaped, and a substantially cylindrical inlet portion that is formed so as to protrude from the occupant protection portion and is connected to an inflator. The present invention relates to an airbag device provided.

  Conventionally, as an airbag device including an airbag having an occupant protection portion that is substantially plate-shaped inflated, the airbag device is folded and stored in front of the occupant's knees seated in the seat and inflated inside during operation. A knee protecting airbag device including an airbag having an occupant protection portion that inflates the working gas and protects the left and right knees of the occupant can be given. Normally, in a knee protection airbag device, the folded airbag and inflator are stored in a case that opens the vehicle rear side as a storage part, and the occupant protection part of the airbag is The airbag is configured to be disposed substantially along the opening surface of the case so as to cover the vehicle rear side of the case as a storage part, and the airbag is configured to be connected to the inflator in the region of the passenger protection portion. It was.

Also, the knee protection airbag device usually has a limited mounting space, and it is required to make the outer shape as compact as possible, and when the cylinder type inflator is arranged along the front-rear direction The configuration is such that the end side away from the gas discharge port protrudes from the case, and only the portion on the gas discharge port side is inserted into the occupant protection portion of the airbag so that the airbag and the inflator are connected. There was a thing (for example, refer to patent documents 1).
JP 2008-120290 A

  However, in the conventional knee protection airbag device, a circular opening for inserting an inflator is simply provided in the region of the occupant protection portion of the airbag, and the inflator and the airbag are inserted into the opening. Since the bag is attached to the case, the sealing property between the inflator and the airbag is not good, and a separate sealing cloth is provided on the periphery of the opening in order to improve the sealing property. Thus, it is necessary to make this sealing cloth closely contact the periphery of the opening when the vehicle is mounted, and the configuration is not simple.

  This invention solves the above-mentioned subject, and it aims at providing the airbag apparatus which can connect an inflator with favorable sealing property with respect to an airbag as a simple structure.

An airbag device according to the present invention includes an airbag that is folded and stored in a storage portion, and an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag.
The airbag is configured to include an occupant protection part capable of protecting an occupant with a substantially inflated shape, and an inflow port connected to the inflator.
An air bag configured to be connected to an inflow portion by fastening a clamp disposed on the outer peripheral side of the inflow portion while the inflator is a substantially cylindrical cylinder type and is inserted into the inflow portion. In the device
The occupant protection unit is configured by connecting peripheral edges of an occupant side wall portion disposed on the occupant side when the inflation is completed and a vehicle body side wall portion disposed on the vehicle body side when the inflation is completed. The center side excluding the peripheral edge is configured to have an inlet portion configured to protrude from the vehicle body side wall portion,
The inflator is configured to include a main body and a bolt that is attached to the main body in a housing part and is disposed so as to protrude toward the axis orthogonal direction of the main body.
With the airbag protruding from the air bag and the main body of the inflator inserted inside, the clamp is used to connect the inlet part to the inflator and the bolt is fastened to the storage site side. By this, it is attached to the storage site | part side with the inflator, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  In the airbag device of the present invention, the airbag includes a substantially cylindrical inlet portion formed so as to protrude from the vehicle body side wall portion in the occupant protection portion, and the main body of the inflator is inserted into the inlet portion. Since the inflator main body and the inflow part of the airbag are connected by fastening the clamp arranged on the outer peripheral side of the inflow part, as in the conventional case, Compared with the case where an opening for inserting an inflator is provided in the occupant protection portion and the inflator is inserted through this opening, the sealing performance can be improved. That is, in the airbag device of the present invention, there is no need to separately provide a separate sealing cloth or the like for ensuring sealing performance at the periphery of the opening, and the inlet portion of the airbag into which the main body of the inflator is inserted. If the clamp is fastened on the outer peripheral side, the inflator and the airbag can be connected to each other, so that a good sealing property can be secured with a simple configuration. Further, in the airbag device of the present invention, since the airbag is configured to be attached to the storage site side together with the inflator using a bolt provided in the inflator, the increase in the number of parts is suppressed, and the number of manufacturing steps is reduced. In addition, an increase in manufacturing cost can be suppressed.

  Therefore, in the airbag device of the present invention, as a simple configuration, the inflator can be connected to the airbag with good sealing performance.

  Further, in the airbag device of the present invention, since the inlet portion of the airbag is disposed so as to protrude from the center side excluding the outer peripheral edge in the vehicle body side wall portion, the airbag device for knee protection is provided. As described above, the occupant protection unit at the completion of the inflation is suitable for the airbag apparatus configured to cover the storage part and be arranged substantially along the opening surface of the storage part. In addition, since the inflator and the airbag can be well connected with each other, the inflator is also suitable for an airbag device of a type in which a part of the inflator protrudes from the storage part and is stored in the storage part. It is also possible to make the outer shape of the apparatus as compact as possible.

Further, in the airbag device of the present invention, the vehicle body side wall portion is configured by combining the edges of the plurality of vehicle body side base fabrics,
The inflow port portion is configured to extend from the edge of two adjacent vehicle body-side base fabrics, and the substantially rectangular extension portions having the same outer shape are overlapped with each other, and the inflow port in the extension portion is overlapped. It is preferable that the parts overlapping each other on the two sides facing each other with the axis of the part interposed therebetween are coupled to each other.

  In the airbag device configured as described above, two adjacent vehicle body side base fabrics are arranged so that the extended portions overlap each other in a flatly deployed state, and face each other with the axial center of the inflow port portion in between. If the two sides are joined together, the inlet portion can be formed, so that the cylindrical inlet portion formed so as to protrude from the side wall portion of the vehicle body can be formed by a planar joining operation. This can reduce the number of manufacturing steps and costs of the airbag.

Specifically, in the airbag device configured as described above, the occupant protection portion is configured as a substantially rectangular plate shape with the inflation completion shape,
The connecting lines between the edges of the two vehicle body-side base fabrics having the extending portions are arranged so as to be substantially along the longitudinal direction of the occupant protection portion in the vicinity of the extending portions,
Two coupling sites configured by coupling two opposite sides of the extending portion in the inflow port portion to each other are arranged to face each other on the direction side along the longitudinal direction of the occupant protection portion. Can be exemplified.

Further, when the expansion completion shape of the occupant protection part is a substantially rectangular plate shape, the connection line between the edges of the two vehicle body side base fabrics having the extension part is connected to the short part of the occupant protection part near the extension part. Arrange it so that it is almost along the hand direction,
Constructed so that two coupling sites configured by coupling two opposing sides of the extended portion in the inflow port portion are opposed to each other on the direction side along the short direction of the occupant protection unit May be.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment, a knee protection airbag device will be described as an example of the airbag device.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the knee protection airbag device M <b> 1 of the first embodiment protects the knee K (KL, KR) of the driver D sitting on the driver's seat and covers the steering column 3. This is a type with a steering column that is housed on the side of the lower portion 16a in the column cover 16 arranged in this manner. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the knee protection airbag apparatus M <b> 1 includes a folded airbag 53 and an inflator 31 that supplies inflation gas to the airbag 53 on the lower portion 16 a side in the column cover 16. It is configured to be housed in the provided storage site P1 (see FIGS. 2 to 5).

  In the present specification, the front and rear, up and down, and left and right directions are based on the axial direction O (see FIG. 2) of the steering column 3 unless otherwise specified. The longitudinal direction is defined as the longitudinal direction, the vertical direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering column 3 is defined as the vertical direction, and the horizontal direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the steering column 3 is defined as the horizontal direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the column cover 16 is made of a synthetic resin having a substantially rectangular tube shape so as to cover the steering column 3, and is attached to the column tube 5 of the steering column 3 at an unillustrated portion. (Hereinafter abbreviated as “instrument panel”) 7 protrudes rearward from the storage opening 10, and the front end side is positioned downward along the axial direction O (see FIG. 2) of the steering column 3, and the rear end side is upward. It is disposed in front of the driver D who is seated at an angle so as to be positioned at the front. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the steering column 3 includes a main shaft 4 and a column tube 5 disposed around the main shaft 4, and a steering wheel 1 is connected to the main shaft 4. . The instrument panel 7 includes an upper panel 8 on the upper side and a lower panel 9 on the lower side.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the column cover 16 is provided with a protrusion opening 22 when the airbag 53 protrudes in an area extending from the lower surface 18 a side to the left side surface 18 b and the right side surface 18 c of the outer peripheral surface 18. As described above, a door portion 24 that is pushed and opened by the airbag 53 is provided. The door portion 24 is disposed rearward of the rear surfaces (lower surfaces) 12, 13, and 14 of the instrument panel 7 (see FIGS. 2, 3, and 5), and is arranged along the front-rear direction on the lower surface 18a side of the column cover 16. A front door portion 25 and a rear door portion 26 provided; a left door portion 27 disposed on the left side of the region of the front door portion 25 and the rear door portion 26 on the left side surface 18b side of the column cover 16; The right door portion 28 is disposed on the right side of the area of the front door portion 25 and the rear door portion 26 on the right side surface 18c side. Around each front door portion 25, rear door portion 26, left door portion 27, and right door portion 28 constituting the door portion 24, a planned breakable portion 23 that can be broken by being pushed by an inflating airbag 53 is formed. Has been. The planned fracture portion 23 is configured by providing continuous linear concave grooves on the inner peripheral surface side of the peripheral wall portion 17 constituting the column cover 16 so as to reduce the thickness of the column cover 16 (FIG. 2-5). When the door portion 24 is opened, the front door portion 25 opens forward with the front edge side as the rotation center when opening, and the rear door portion 26 opens rearward with the rear edge side as the rotation center when opening. Moreover, the left door part 27 and the right door part 28 will open upwards by making the upper edge side into the rotation center at the time of opening.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, on the front edge side of the front door portion 25 and the rear edge side of the rear door portion 26 inside the column cover 16, the left and right edges are respectively connected to the left side wall 17 b in the peripheral wall portion 17. Side walls 19 and 20 extending upward from the lower wall 17a of the peripheral wall portion 17 are formed so as to be connected to the right side wall 17c. The side walls 19 and 20 together with the case 41 constitute a storage part P1 for storing the folded airbag 53. Further, the side walls 19 and 20 serve as a mounting wall for attaching the case 41 that houses the folded airbag 53 and the inflator 31, and each of the locking pieces 44a and 45a of the case 41 is inserted into the peripheral edge. Are provided with a plurality of locking holes 19a, 20a for locking the locking pieces 44a, 45a (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

  In the case of the embodiment, the storage portion P1 for storing the folded airbag 53 is surrounded by the left door portion 27 and the right door portion 28 of the door portion 24 on both the left and right sides, and the front and rear sides are described later in the case 41. The case body 42 is surrounded by the side walls 44 and 45, the upper side is surrounded by the ceiling wall 43 of the case body 42, and the lower side is surrounded by the front door part 25 and the rear door part 26 of the door part 24. Is set.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the inflator 31 has a main body 32 having a gas discharge port 33 a for discharging an expansion gas, and an outflow direction of the expansion gas connected to the main body 32 and discharged from the gas discharge port 33 a. And a diffuser 34 that regulates the above. The main body 32 has a substantially columnar shape having a columnar head 33 having a plurality of gas discharge ports 33a radially arranged on the outer peripheral surface side on the distal end side. The head 33 is disposed along the front-rear direction so as to be along the axial direction O of the steering column 3, and the head 33 is disposed on the rear end side. In the case of the embodiment, the main body 32 of the inflator 31 has only the head 33 side inserted into the case main body 42 of the case 41, and the front end 32 a side away from the head 33 protrudes forward from the case main body 42. In the case body 42.

  The diffuser 34 is configured to flow the inflating gas discharged from the gas discharge port 33a toward the diagonally lower left side and the diagonally lower right side. Is configured to extend along the axial direction of the main body 32 of the inflator 31 and has a substantially hexagonal cylindrical shape with the rear end side closed so as to cover the outer peripheral side of the head 33. Specifically, the diffuser 34 has a hexagonal cylindrical shape in which a side located on the upper end side is arranged along the left-right direction in the cross section along the left-right direction, and is arranged at the upper end side (main shaft 4 side). The part arrange | positioned along the left-right direction in FIG. On the front end side of the diffuser 34, an assembly hole 35 that is opened in a circular shape for inserting the main body 32 of the inflator 31 is formed. In addition, in the vicinity of the rear end of the diffuser 34 and obliquely downward on the left and right ends, the inflation gas discharged from the gas discharge ports 33a flows into the airbag 53 toward the left diagonally downward and right diagonally downward. The outflow holes 36 are formed so that each side is cut out into a substantially rectangular shape (see FIGS. 4 to 6). In addition, two bolts 37 projecting upward are juxtaposed along the front-rear direction on the ceiling wall 34a of the diffuser 34 so as to project toward the axis orthogonal direction of the main body 32. In the case of the embodiment, the diffuser 34 is housed in the airbag 53, and the airbag 53 and the inflator 31 are provided with a bolt 37 of the diffuser 34 that protrudes from a mounting hole 61 (described later) of the airbag 53. It protrudes from the ceiling wall 43 mentioned later of 41, and is attached to case 41 by carrying out the nut 38 stop (refer FIG.2,3,5).

  The case 41 constituting the storage portion P1 is made of sheet metal, and as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6, a case for storing the head 33 side (rear end side) of the inflator 31 and the airbag 53. The main body 42 includes a mounting seat portion 48 that protrudes forward from the case main body 42 and fixes the front end 32 a side of the main body 32 of the inflator 31. The case body 42 has a substantially inverted U-shaped cross section, and includes a ceiling wall 43 and side walls 44 and 45 extending downward from front and rear edges of the ceiling wall 43. In each of the side walls 44 and 45, a plurality of locking pieces having a substantially J-shaped cross section are inserted into the locking holes 19 a and 20 a provided in the side walls 19 and 20 of the column cover 16 and connected to the side walls 19 and 20. 44a and 45a are formed (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The ceiling wall 43 is formed with through holes 43a through which the bolts 37 of the inflator 31 pass. An attachment bracket 46 for attaching the case 41 to the column tube 5 is fixed to the ceiling wall 43. In FIG. 6, the mounting bracket is omitted. In the case of the embodiment, the case 41 is connected to the vehicle body side by bolting the mounting bracket 46 to a bracket portion extending from the column tube 5 side.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the front side wall 44 of the case body 42 is separated in the vicinity of the center in the left-right direction, and a mounting seat portion 48 is formed at the separated portion of the side wall 44. Yes. That is, the side wall 44 is configured to include an insertion gap 44b into which the main body 32 of the inflator 31 can be inserted near the center in the left-right direction. The mounting seat portion 48 has the side wall 44 so as to house the main body 32 of the inflator 31 having the head portion 33 inserted into the diffuser 34 housed in the case main body 42 and the exterior portion 60 of the airbag 58 being sheathed. The axial direction of the steering column 3 is a substantially halved cylindrical shape arranged substantially along the axial direction O of the steering column 3, that is, the front-rear direction. Specifically, the mounting seat portion 48 is formed in a substantially half-cylindrical shape so as to cover the lower half of the main body 32 with the inflow port portion 60 of the airbag 58 interposed. When the main body 32 of the inflator 31 is connected to an inlet port 60 (to be described later) of the airbag 53 using a clamp 62, it is fastened together with a portion of the mounting seat 48 near the front end 48a. A co-fastening portion 49 is formed. The joint portion 49 is formed by partially cutting the mounting seat portion 48 along the axial direction so as to be narrower than the surrounding portion. The width dimension is configured such that the clamp 62 can be fitted. That is, the clamp 62 is fitted into the recess 50 formed by cutting out the periphery of the joint fastening portion 49, and the inlet portion 60 of the airbag 53 is connected to the main body 32 of the inflator 31.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, the airbag 53 is a flow connected to the inflator 31 and an occupant protection part 54 that can protect the driver ’s knee K as an occupant with a substantially inflated shape. And an inlet 60.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the occupant protection portion 54 protrudes from the protruding opening 22 formed by opening the door portion 24 of the column cover 16 when the inflation is completed, and is substantially front and rear along the lower surface 18a of the column cover 16. It is arranged along the direction, and is configured as a horizontally long, substantially rectangular plate with the left-right direction elongated to protect both knees K (KL, KR) of the driver D as an occupant. Specifically, the occupant protection portion 54 is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape that is a left-right symmetrical shape with the rear edge 54b side being wide and the front edge 54a side being narrow. 16 covers the lower surface 18a side of the vehicle 16 and the rear surfaces 12, 13, 14 of the instrument panel 7 from the lower side to the left and right sides of the column cover 16, and the vehicle front side of the knees K (KL, KR) of the driver D (See FIGS. 2, 5, and 12). Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, the occupant protection part 54 includes an occupant side wall 55 disposed on the lower surface side that becomes the driver D (occupant) side when the inflation is completed, and a column cover 16 (vehicle body) when the inflation is completed. The vehicle body side wall part 56 arrange | positioned at the upper surface side used as the side is comprised. In the case of the embodiment, the occupant side wall portion 55 and the vehicle body side wall portion 56 have the same outer shape, and the outer peripheral edges are coupled to each other to constitute the occupant protection portion 54.

  Further, in the region of the occupant protection part 54, at positions on both the front and rear sides of the inflow port part 60, as shown in FIGS. 7, 8, and 10, tethers 58F and 58B for regulating the expansion completion shape of the occupant protection part 54 are provided. However, it is arrange | positioned so that the passenger | crew side wall part 55 and the vehicle body side wall part 56 may be connected. Each of the tethers 58F and 58B is configured as a belt-like shape in which the longitudinal direction is along the left-right direction at positions on the front and rear sides of the inflow port portion 60, and both edges (upper edges 58a And the lower edge 58b) are coupled to the passenger side wall 55 and the vehicle body side wall 56, respectively. In the case of the embodiment, each of the tethers 58F and 58B is disposed substantially along the left-right direction so as to provide a gap between the left and right edges of the occupant protection portion 54. Further, in the case of the embodiment, the tether 58B disposed behind the inflow port portion 60 has a suturing portion 76D sewn on the occupant side wall portion 55 on the front side of the sewn portion 76U sewn on the vehicle body side wall portion 56. (See FIGS. 7 and 8). That is, the tether 58B is disposed in the occupant protection portion 54 by shifting the stitching portion 76U with the vehicle body side wall portion 56 rearward from the stitching portion 76D with the occupant side wall portion 55 in order to accommodate the inflator 31 (diffuser 34). (See FIG. 10). Further, in the case of the embodiment, the tethers 58F and 58B are arranged at positions that divide the region of the occupant protection portion 54 into approximately three along the front-rear direction when viewed from the upper surface side (the vehicle body side wall portion 56 side). (See FIG. 7). In the case of the embodiment, the lower edges 58b of the tethers 58F and 58B are a lower part 66, a lower center panel cloth 69, and a lower front panel cloth 70, which will be described later, constituting the passenger side wall 55. When the corresponding edge portions are sewn together, they are sewn together and sewn to the occupant side wall portion 55. Specifically, the lower edge 58b of the tether 58F is sewn together when the rear edge 70a of the lower front panel cloth 70 and the front edge 69a of the lower center panel cloth 69 are sewn, and the lower edge 58b of the tether 58B is When the rear edge 69b of the center panel cloth 69 and the front edge 66a of the lower portion 66 are sewn together, they are sewn together. In the airbag 53 of the embodiment, the lower edge 58b of each tether 58F, 58B is between the lower front panel cloth 70 and the lower central panel cloth 69, or between the lower central panel cloth 69 and the rear panel cloth 63, respectively. It is arranged so as to be sandwiched between the lower side portions 66 and is configured to be slightly exposed on the surface of the occupant side wall 55.

  The inflow port portion 60 is disposed in the case main body 42 when the airbag 53 is completely inflated, and protrudes from the vehicle body side wall portion 56 on the center side excluding the outer peripheral edge of the vehicle body side wall portion 56 in the occupant protection portion 54. (See FIGS. 7, 9, and 10). In the case of the embodiment, the inflow port portion 60 is formed in the vehicle body side wall portion 56 at a position that is substantially the center of the front, rear, left, and right between the tethers 58F and 58B. The inflow port portion 60 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape extending along the front-rear direction so that the front end 60a is directed forward, and the front end 60a side is opened so that the main body 32 of the inflator 31 can be inserted. Yes. The inflow port portion 60 of the airbag 53 is attached to the mounting seat portion of the case 41 by caulking the clamp 62 disposed on the outer peripheral side near the tip 60a in a state where the main body 32 of the inflator 31 is inserted. Along with 48 joint portions 49, the main body 32 of the inflator 31 is connected (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

  Further, in the airbag 53, bolts 37 formed on the diffuser 34 are inserted into the upper surface side of the inflow port portion 60 and the portion of the vehicle body side wall portion 56 continuous from the inflow port portion 60 as shown in FIG. 7. Possible mounting holes 61 are formed at two locations along the front-rear direction.

  The airbag 53 is configured by joining the peripheral edges of a base fabric having a predetermined shape. In the case of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, as shown in FIG. The rear panel cloth 63 constituting the area between the rear edge and the tether 58B, the upper front panel cloth 67 constituting the front half area of the vehicle body side wall part 56, and the area between the tethers 58F and 58B in the passenger side wall part Lower center panel cloth 69, lower front panel cloth 70 forming a region between the front edge of the occupant side wall and the tether 58F, and tether base fabrics 71F, 71B forming the tethers 58F, 58B, It is configured. That is, each rear panel cloth 63, upper front panel cloth 67, lower center panel cloth 69, and lower front panel cloth 70 has a plurality of regions of the vehicle body side wall portion 56 and the occupant side wall portion 55 in the front-rear direction side. It is configured so as to be divided, and each has a substantially strip shape in which the longitudinal direction is substantially along the left-right direction. That is, in the case of the embodiment, the upper part 64 in the rear panel cloth 63 and the upper front panel cloth 67 constitute the vehicle body side wall portion 56 as the vehicle body side base cloth, and the lower part in the rear panel cloth 63. 66, the lower center panel cloth 69, and the lower front panel cloth 70 constitute an occupant side wall 55 as the occupant side base cloth.

  The upper portion 64 of the rear panel cloth 63 and the upper front panel cloth 67 constituting the vehicle body side wall portion 56 are configured so as to divide the vehicle body side wall portion 56 at the front and rear approximate centers, and are adjacent to each other. The extending portions 65 and 68 constituting the inflow port portion 60 are respectively provided on the front edge 64a and the rear edge 67a side. Adjacent front edge 64a and rear edge 67a in upper part 64 having upper portions 65 and 68 and upper front panel cloth 67 are formed so as to be substantially along the left-right direction (longitudinal direction of occupant protection part 54). ing. That is, in the airbag 53 of the embodiment, the stitched portion 75 (see FIGS. 7 and 9) formed by sewing the front edge 64a and the rear edge 67a to the left and right including the vicinity of the extending portions 65 and 68 is provided. Is arranged so as to be substantially along the left-right direction (longitudinal direction of the occupant protection portion 54). Each extending portion 65, 68 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape having the same outer shape so as to extend from the vicinity of the center in the left-right direction at the upper portion 64, the front edge 64a and the rear edge 67a of the upper front panel cloth 67. Has been. Specifically, the inflow port portion 60 overlaps the extending portions 65 and 68, and the extending portions 65 and 68 are opposed to each other with the axial center along the front-rear direction of the inflow port portion 60 therebetween. The parts overlapped by the sides (in other words, the edges 65a, 65b, 68a, 68b arranged so as to be substantially orthogonal to the front edge 64a and the rear edge 67a) are sewn together (combined). ing. That is, in the airbag 53 of the embodiment, the suture portions 74 and 74 configured by sewing the edges 65a, 65b, 68a, and 68b of the extended portions 65 and 68 in the inflow port portion 60, On the left and right edge sides of the entrance portion 60, it is arranged so as to be substantially along the front-rear direction. In other words, it is arranged along the direction (short direction) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the occupant protection portion 54. It will be. In the airbag 53 of the embodiment, two reinforcing cloths 72 and 72 that reinforce the vicinity of the inflow port portion 60 are disposed. The reinforcing cloths 72 and 72 are configured to reinforce the portions of the inlet portion 60 and the vicinity of the portion near the inlet portion 60 in the vehicle body side wall portion 56, and each has a substantially T-shape. The inflow port 60 is disposed in a region between the front and rear tethers 58F and 58B that are the periphery of the inflow port 60.

  The tether base fabrics 71F and 71B have the horizontal width dimension substantially the same as the horizontal width dimension of the tethers 58F and 58B, and the vertical width dimension is approximately twice the vertical width dimension of the tethers 58F and 58B. As shown in FIG. 2, the tethers 58F and 58B are formed by being folded in half at the upper and lower centers. In the case of the embodiment, the tethers 58F and 58B are arranged so that the folded edges are slightly exposed on the surface of the occupant side wall 55.

  In the case of the embodiment, the rear panel cloth 63, the upper front panel cloth 67, the lower center panel cloth 69, the lower front panel cloth 70, the reinforcing cloth 72, and the tether base cloths 71F and 71B constituting the airbag 53 are: It is formed from a woven fabric made of flexible polyester or polyamide yarn.

  Next, manufacture of the airbag 53 of embodiment is demonstrated. A mounting hole 61 is formed in advance in the upper portion 64 of the rear panel cloth 63 and the reinforcing cloth 72 disposed on the rear panel cloth 63 side. First, the reinforcing cloths 72 and 72 are arranged so that the rear panel cloth 63 and the upper front panel cloth 67 are aligned with the outer peripheral edge of the extending portions 65 and 68, the front edge 64a, and the rear edge 67a, respectively. In a state of being sandwiched between the two, the front edge 64a and the rear edge 67a are mutually sewn and the left and right edges 65a, 65b, 68a and 68b of the extending portions 65 and 68 are sewn together to form the side wall portion of the vehicle body. 56 and the inlet 60 are formed. Next, the lower portion 66 of the rear panel cloth 63 and the lower central panel cloth 69 are overlapped so that the front edge 66a and the rear edge 69b are aligned with the lower edge 58b of the tether 58B sandwiched therebetween. The front edge 66a and the rear edge 69b are sewn together. Thereafter, the lower center panel cloth 69 and the lower front panel cloth 70 are overlapped so that the front edge 69a and the rear edge 70a coincide with each other with the lower edge 58b of the tether 58F interposed therebetween. The occupant side walls 55 are formed by sewing the trailing edges 70a together. Thereafter, the upper edges 58a of the tethers 58F and 58B are sewn to the upper front panel cloth 67 and the upper portion 64 of the rear panel cloth 63, respectively, and the passenger side wall 55 and the vehicle body side wall 56 are removed. The airbag 53 can be manufactured by sewing the outer peripheral edges together with the peripheral edges overlapped with each other.

  Then, after the airbag 53 is manufactured, the airbag 53 is folded. Specifically, in the case of the embodiment, the occupant side wall portion 55 and the vehicle body side wall portion 56 are connected with the diffuser 34 stored in the inflow port portion 60 so that the bolt 37 protrudes from the mounting hole 61. The airbag 53 is folded from the flat deployed state so as to reduce the width dimension of the front, rear, left and right. Thereafter, the folded airbag 53 is wrapped around with a wrapping material (not shown) for preventing the folding so as not to collapse. At this time, the bolt 37 and the inflow port portion 60 are projected from the wrapping material. Next, the folded airbag 53 is accommodated in the case body 42 so that the bolt 37 of the diffuser 34 protrudes from the through hole 43 a of the ceiling wall 43, and the nut 37 is attached to the bolt 37 protruding from the ceiling wall 43. 38 is fastened to connect the airbag 53 to the case 41. At this time, the inflow port portion 60 is protruded from the insertion gap 44 b of the side wall 44 in the case main body 42. Next, the main body 32 of the inflator 31 is disposed on the upper surface side of the mounting seat portion 48, the head portion 33 is inserted into the inflow port portion 60, and further inserted into the assembly hole 35 of the diffuser 34. After that, the clamp 62 is arranged at the outer peripheral side of the inlet portion 60 near the tip 60a and corresponding to the joint fastening portion 49 of the mounting seat portion 48, and the clamp 62 is crimped to reduce the diameter, If the main body 32 of the inflator 31 is connected to the inlet portion 60 of the airbag 53 and the case 41, the airbag assembly can be assembled.

  If the mounting bracket 46 formed on the ceiling wall 43 of the case 41 is bolted to the bracket provided on the column tube 5, the airbag assembly can be fixed to the vehicle body side. Thereafter, if a lead wire (not shown) extending from the airbag operating circuit is connected to the main body 32 of the inflator 31 and the column cover 16 is attached to the steering column 3, the knee protecting airbag device M1 can be mounted on the vehicle.

  In the airbag apparatus M1 for knee protection according to the first embodiment, if an operation signal is input to the main body 32 of the inflator 31 via a lead wire (not shown) after being mounted on the vehicle, the airbag device M1 is provided on the head 33 of the main body 32. Expansion gas is discharged from the gas discharge port 33a. Then, the inflation gas flows into the airbag 53 through the outflow hole 36 provided in the diffuser 34. Thereafter, the occupant protection portion 54 of the inflating airbag 53 projects downward from the projection opening 22 formed by pushing open the door portion 24 formed in the column cover 16, as shown in FIGS. As shown in the two-dot chain line and FIG. 12, the expansion is completed.

  In the knee protection airbag device M1 according to the first embodiment, the airbag 53 includes a substantially cylindrical inflow port portion 60 formed so as to protrude from the vehicle body side wall portion 56 of the occupant protection portion 54. The main body 32 of the inflator 31 is inserted into the inflow port portion 60, and the clamp 62 disposed on the outer peripheral side of the inflow port portion 60 is fastened, whereby the inflow port portion of the main body 32 of the inflator 31 and the airbag 53. Since it is the structure which connected with 60, compared with the case where the opening for an inflator insertion is simply provided in the passenger | crew protection part of an airbag, and an inflator is inserted in this opening like the past, sealing performance Can be good. That is, in the knee protection airbag device of the first embodiment, it is not necessary to separately provide a separate sealing cloth or the like for ensuring sealing performance around the periphery of the opening, and the main body 32 of the inflator 31 is inserted. If the clamp 62 is fastened on the outer peripheral side of the inlet port 60 of the airbag 53, the inflator 31 and the airbag 53 can be connected to each other, so that a good sealing property can be secured with a simple configuration. . Further, in the knee protection airbag device M1 of the first embodiment, the airbag 53 uses the bolts 37 provided on the diffuser 34 of the inflator 31 to move together with the inflator 31 to the case 41 side as the storage part P1. Since it is the structure attached, it can suppress the increase in a number of parts, and can also suppress the increase in a manufacturing process number and manufacturing cost.

  Therefore, in the knee protecting airbag device M1 of the first embodiment, the inflator 31 can be connected to the airbag 53 with good sealing performance as a simple configuration.

  In the knee protecting airbag device M1 of the first embodiment, the inflow port portion 60 of the airbag 53 is separated from the center side of the vehicle body side wall portion 56 excluding the outer peripheral edge (in the embodiment, separated from the front and rear edges). Therefore, the occupant protection part 54 at the time of completion of the expansion covers the storage part P1 (case 41) and the protrusion opening 22 in the storage part P1. This is suitable for a knee protection airbag device with a steering column that is arranged so as to be substantially along the opening surface. In the knee protection airbag device M1 of the first embodiment, since the inflator 31 and the airbag 53 can be connected with good sealing properties, the inflator 31 is partially protruded from the case main body 42, It can be accommodated in the case main body 42, and the outer shape of the airbag assembly (airbag device) can be made as compact as possible. Therefore, the peripheral devices are arranged close to each other, and is particularly suitable for a knee protection airbag device with a steering column in which a large mounting space cannot be secured.

  In the knee protection airbag device M1 of the first embodiment, the vehicle body side wall 56 sews the upper part 64 of the rear panel cloth 63, the upper front panel cloth 67, the front edge 64a, and the rear edge 67a. The inflow port portion 60 is configured to extend from the front edge 64a and the rear edge 67a of the adjacent upper portion 64 and the upper front panel cloth 67, and has the same outer shape. It is comprised from the extended part 65,68 of the substantially rectangular shape. Specifically, the inflow port portion 60 overlaps the extending portions 65 and 68, and the two sides (edge portions 65a, 65b, 65, 68) facing each other with the axial center of the inflow port portion 60 in the extending portions 65 and 68 in between. 68a, 68b) are sewn together. That is, in the knee protection airbag device M1 of the first embodiment, the extending portions 65 and 68 are overlapped with each other in a state where the two adjacent upper portions 64 and the upper front panel cloth 67 are flatly deployed. If the edge portions 65a, 65b, 68a, 68b are sewn together, the inflow port portion 60 can be formed, so that the cylindrical shape formed so as to protrude from the vehicle body side wall portion 56 is formed. The inflow port portion 60 can be formed by a flat stitching (joining) operation, and the manufacturing man-hour and cost of the airbag 53 can be reduced.

  In the knee protection airbag device M1 according to the first embodiment, the half-cylindrical mounting seat portion 48 to which the main body 32 of the inflator 31 is attached is formed in the case 41. The mounting seat may be formed so as to extend from the diffuser instead of the case.

  Next, a knee protecting airbag device M2 that is a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the knee protecting airbag device M2 is configured by accommodating the airbag 53A and the inflator 77 on the lower portion 16a side in the column cover 16, as in the first embodiment. The airbag 53A, the inflator 77, and the case 81 that stores the airbag 53A and the inflator 77 are configured. The knee protection airbag device M2 of the second embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the knee protection airbag device M1 of the first embodiment described above, except that the orientation of the main body 32 in the inflator 77 is different. Since 16 has the same configuration as described above, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the inflator 77 includes a main body 32 having a gas discharge port 33 a that discharges an expansion gas, and a diffuser 78 that covers the outer peripheral side of the main body 32. The main body 32 has the same configuration as that of the main body 32 of the inflator 31 used in the knee protecting airbag device M1 of the first embodiment, and the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. In the second embodiment, the main body 32 is disposed along the substantially left-right direction so that the axial direction is substantially orthogonal to the axial direction O of the steering column 3, and the head 33 is disposed on the left side. Further, in the second embodiment, the right end 32b of the main body 32 of the inflator 77 is configured to protrude from the diffuser 78, and the clamp 62A is used to flow the airbag 53A at a portion protruding from the diffuser 78. It is the structure connected to 60 A of inlet parts (refer FIG. 14).

  The diffuser 78 has a substantially cylindrical shape that can cover the main body 32 except for the right end 32b away from the head 33, and a plurality of gas outlets 78a through which the expansion gas can flow out are disposed on the lower surface side. . In the case of the embodiment, the diffuser 78 is configured to hold the main body 32 by the holding portion 78b. The holding portions 78b are formed so as to protrude toward the inner peripheral side, and are disposed radially at the plurality of locations along the axial direction of the diffuser 78, respectively, along the axial direction. Further, the diffuser 78 has two bolts 78c protruding upward in parallel in the left-right direction so as to protrude in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the main body 32. In the second embodiment, the bolt 78c of the diffuser 78 is protruded from a mounting hole 61A provided in the airbag 53A, and is protruded from a ceiling wall 82 (described later) of the case 81, and the nut 79 is fastened to thereby fix the inflator 77. And the airbag 53 </ b> A are attached to the case 81.

  The case 81 is configured to be able to store the folded airbag 53A and the inflator 77, and is made of sheet metal having a substantially inverted U-shaped cross section. The case 81 extends downward from the front and rear edges of the ceiling wall 82. And extending side walls 83 and 84. Similarly to the side walls 44 and 45 in the case main body 42 described above, the side walls 83 and 84 are inserted into the locking holes 19a and 20a provided in the side walls 19 and 20 of the column cover 16 and connected to the side walls 19 and 20, respectively. A plurality of locking pieces 83a, 84a having a substantially J-shaped cross section are formed (see FIG. 13). In the ceiling wall 82, through holes (not shown) through which the bolts 78c of the inflator 77 are passed are formed. An attachment bracket 46 </ b> A for attaching the case 81 to the column tube 5 is also fixed to the ceiling wall 82 of the case 81.

  As shown in FIGS. 15 to 18, the airbag 53 </ b> A has the same configuration as the airbag 53 described above except that the direction of the inflow port portion 60 </ b> A is different. A detailed description is omitted with “A” at the end. In the airbag 53A, the inflow port portion 60A has a front end 60a on the right side at a position that is substantially in the center between the tethers 58FA and 58BA and slightly to the left of the left and right centers in the vehicle body side wall portion 56A. It is comprised as a cylinder shape extended along the left-right direction so that it may face. Further, the inlet portion 60A of the airbag 53A is provided with a clamp 62A disposed on the outer peripheral side in the vicinity of the tip 60a in a state where the inflator 77 is inserted, like the inlet portion 60 in the airbag 53 described above. It is connected to the main body 32 of the inflator 77 by caulking.

  In the airbag 53A of the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 19, the vehicle body side wall portion 56A includes three upper parts 64A of the rear panel cloth 63A, an upper center panel cloth 87, and an upper front panel cloth 67A. The upper center panel cloth 87 is further divided into a left part 88 and a right part 90 on the left and right sides at a position slightly left of the center in the left and right direction. And the extension parts 89 and 91 which comprise the inflow port part 60A are formed in the right edge 88a and the left edge 90a which adjoin in the left side part 88 and the right side part 90, respectively. Adjacent right edge 88a and left edge 90a in the left part 88 and the right part 91 having the extending parts 89, 91 are formed so as to be substantially along the front-rear direction (short direction of the occupant protection part 54A), respectively. Yes. That is, in the airbag 53A of the embodiment, the stitched portion 93 (see FIGS. 15 and 17) configured by sewing the right edge 88a and the left edge 90a together is in the front-rear direction (the shorter direction of the occupant protection portion 54A). ) Are arranged so as to be substantially along. Each of the extending portions 89 and 91 has a substantially rectangular shape with the same outer shape, and is configured such that the width dimension along the front-rear direction is slightly smaller than the width dimension before and after the left portion 88 and the right portion 90. Yes. In the case of the embodiment, the inflow port portion 60A overlaps the extending portions 89 and 91, and the extending portions 89 and 91 face each other with the axial center along the left-right direction of the inflow port portion 60A interposed therebetween. The two overlapping sides (edges 89a, 89b, 91a, 91b arranged so as to be substantially orthogonal to the right edge 88a and the left edge 90a) are sewn together. That is, in the airbag 53A of the embodiment, in the inflow port portion 60A, the stitched portion 92 configured by sewing the edges 89a, 89b, 91a, 91b of the extended portions 89, 91 together is the inflow port portion. It is arranged so as to be substantially along the left-right direction on both front and rear edges of 60A, in other words, to be arranged so as to be substantially along the longitudinal direction of the occupant protection part 54A.

  In the knee protection airbag device M2 of the second embodiment, first, the inflator 77 is inserted into the inflow port portion 60A of the airbag 53A in a flatly deployed state, and the vicinity of the right end 32b of the main body 32 protruding from the diffuser 78. Around the periphery, the clamp 62A is disposed via the tip 60a side of the inflow port portion 60A, and the clamp 53A is caulked to connect the airbag 53A and the inflator 77. Thereafter, the airbag 53A is folded, and the bolts 78c of the diffuser 78 protruding from the airbag 53A are passed through a through hole (not shown) of the ceiling wall 82, and the folded airbag 53A together with the inflator 77 and the side walls 83, If the nut 79 is fastened to the bolt 78c protruding from the ceiling wall 82, the airbag assembly can be assembled.

  And the airbag assembly body assembled in this way can be mounted on a vehicle in the same manner as the knee protection airbag apparatus M1 of the first embodiment. The knee protection airbag device M2 of the second embodiment is also provided in the main body 32 if an operation signal is input to the main body 32 of the inflator 77 via a lead wire (not shown) after being mounted on the vehicle. The inflation gas is discharged from the gas discharge port 33a, and the airbag 53A is deployed and inflated to complete the inflation as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG.

  In the knee protection airbag device M2 of the second embodiment, the airbag 53A is the same as the airbag 53 of the knee protection airbag device M1 of the first embodiment except for the orientation of the inflow port portion 60A. Since the inflow port portion 60A is connected to the main body 32 of the inflator 77 using the clamp 62A, the inflow port portion 60A is similar to the knee protection airbag device M1 of the first embodiment described above. Actions and effects can be obtained. The airbag 53A used in the knee protection airbag device M2 of the second embodiment is configured so that the front end 60a (opening) of the inflow port portion 60A is directed to the right. The direction of the opening of the portion is not limited to this, and the inlet portion may be configured so that the tip is directed leftward.

  In the knee protection airbag devices M1 and M2 of the first and second embodiments, the inflators 31 and 77 include a main body 32 and diffusers 34 and 78 that cover the periphery of the main body 32. 78 has bolts 37 and 79 arranged so as to protrude in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the main body 32. However, as an inflator, a diffuser is not provided, and the bolt is directly projected from the main body. You may use the thing of the structure which has.

  In the embodiment, the airbag device for protecting the knee has been described as an example. However, the airbag device to which the present invention can be applied is not limited to this, for example, the side incorporated in the backrest portion of the seat. You may apply this invention to the airbag apparatus for a collision.

1 is a schematic side view of the vicinity of a column cover on which a knee protecting airbag device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is mounted. It is a general | schematic expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view along the front-back direction of the column cover vicinity in which the airbag apparatus for knee protection of 1st Embodiment is mounted. FIG. 3 is a schematic enlarged longitudinal sectional view in which the vicinity of the lower part of the column cover in FIG. 2 is further enlarged. It is a general | schematic expanded cross-sectional view of the column cover vicinity in which the airbag apparatus for knee protection of 1st Embodiment is mounted, and respond | corresponds to the IV-IV site | part of FIG. It is a general | schematic expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view along the left-right direction of the column cover vicinity in which the airbag apparatus for knee protection of 1st Embodiment is mounted, and respond | corresponds to the VV site | part of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the case and inflator used for the airbag apparatus for knee protection of 1st Embodiment. It is the top view which looked at the airbag used for the airbag apparatus for knee protection of 1st Embodiment from the vehicle body side. It is the bottom view which looked at the airbag used for the airbag apparatus for knee protection of 1st Embodiment from the passenger | crew side. It is the schematic perspective view which looked at the airbag used for the airbag for knee protection of 1st Embodiment from the vehicle body side. It is sectional drawing of the state which expanded the airbag of FIG. 7 alone, and respond | corresponds to the XX site | part of FIG. It is a top view which shows the base fabric which comprises the airbag of FIG. In the knee protection airbag device of the first embodiment, it is a schematic enlarged longitudinal sectional view along the front-rear direction showing the inflated state of the airbag. It is a general | schematic expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view along the front-back direction of the column cover vicinity in which the airbag apparatus for knee protection of 2nd Embodiment of this invention is mounted. It is a general | schematic expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view along the left-right direction of the column cover vicinity in which the airbag apparatus for knee protection of 2nd Embodiment is mounted. It is the top view which looked at the airbag used for the airbag apparatus for knee protection of 2nd Embodiment from the vehicle body side. It is the bottom view which looked at the airbag used for the airbag apparatus for knee protection of 2nd Embodiment from the passenger | crew side. It is the schematic perspective view which looked at the airbag used for the airbag for knee protection of 2nd Embodiment from the vehicle body side. It is sectional drawing of the state which expanded the airbag of FIG. 15 alone, and respond | corresponds to the XVIII-XVIII site | part of FIG. It is a top view which shows the base fabric which comprises the airbag of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... Steering wheel,
3 ... Steering column,
16 ... Column cover,
31, 77 ... Inflator,
32 ... body,
34, 78 ... Diffuser,
41, 81 ... case,
53, 53A ... airbags,
54, 54A ... Crew protection part,
55, 55A ... occupant side wall,
56, 56A ... the side wall of the vehicle body,
60, 60A ... Inlet part,
61, 61A ... mounting holes,
62 ... clamp,
D ... Driver (occupant),
K (KL, KR) ... knees,
P1, P2 ... storage part,
M1, M2 ... Knee protecting airbag devices.

Claims (4)

An airbag that is folded and stored in a storage part; and an inflator that supplies an inflation gas to the airbag.
The airbag is configured to include an occupant protection part capable of protecting an occupant with a substantially inflated shape, and an inflow port connected to the inflator,
The inflator is a substantially cylindrical cylinder type, and is connected to the inlet portion by fastening a clamp disposed on the outer peripheral side of the inlet portion while being inserted into the inlet portion. In the airbag device having the configuration,
The occupant protection portion is configured by combining peripheral edges of an occupant side wall portion arranged on the occupant side when the inflation is completed and a vehicle body side wall portion arranged on the vehicle body side when the inflation is completed, and the vehicle body side wall portion In the central side excluding the outer peripheral edge of the inflow portion, the inflow port portion configured to protrude from the vehicle body side wall portion is disposed,
The inflator is configured to include a main body, and a bolt that is attached to the main body and is disposed so as to protrude in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the main body.
In the state that the airbag projects the bolt and the body of the inflator is inserted therein, the clamp is used to connect the inlet portion to the inflator, and The airbag device is attached to the storage site side together with the inflator by fastening a bolt to the storage site side. The vehicle body side wall portion is configured by joining edges of a plurality of vehicle body side base fabrics,
The inflow port portion is configured to extend from an edge portion of two adjacent vehicle body-side base fabrics, and each of the substantially rectangular extension portions having the same outer shape is overlapped with each other. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the airbag devices are configured by joining portions overlapping each other on two sides facing each other with the axial center of the inflow port portion therebetween. The occupant protection part is configured as a substantially rectangular plate shape with an expansion completion shape,
The connecting line between the edges of the two vehicle body-side base fabrics having the extending portion is disposed so as to be substantially along the longitudinal direction of the occupant protection portion at a portion near the extending portion,
Two coupling sites configured by coupling two opposing sides of the extended portion in the inflow port portion are arranged to face each other on the direction side along the longitudinal direction of the occupant protection portion. The airbag device according to claim 2. The occupant protection part is configured as a substantially rectangular plate shape with an expansion completion shape,
The connection line between the edges of the two vehicle body-side base fabrics having the extension part is arranged so as to be substantially along the short direction of the occupant protection part in the vicinity of the extension part,
Two coupling sites configured by coupling two opposing sides of the extended portion in the inflow port portion are arranged to face each other on the direction side along the short direction of the occupant protection portion. The airbag device according to claim 2, wherein

Images