JP2010254105A - Pillar trim structure of front pillar - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pillar trim structure of a front pillar expanding/deploying an airbag body without impairment of pillar stiffness. <P>SOLUTION: When the airbag body 30 folded and retracted between the front pillar 1 and a pillar trim 10 starts to expand and deploy, an easily breaking portion 14 formed to surround a fixing portion of upper and lower end portions of an assist clip 20 is broken by expanding/deploying pressure, and the pillar trim 10 is separated from the fixing portion of the assist clip 20 and floated. Therefore, a deploying clearance δ of the airbag body 30 is formed between a side end edge portion of the pillar trim 10 and the front pillar 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a pillar trim structure that is mounted so as to cover a side surface of a front pillar of an automobile on a passenger compartment side.

  Like the other trim materials, the pillar trim of the front pillar is molded into the required shape with an appropriate synthetic resin material, and by covering the side surface of the front pillar on the passenger compartment side, that is, the outer surface of the pillar inner In addition, it has both a decorative function and a protector function at the time of a secondary collision at the time of a vehicle collision.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, automobiles equipped with an occupant head protection airbag device generally called a curtain airbag have been known as measures for protecting an occupant head at the time of a side collision.

  In this occupant head protection airbag device, the airbag body is folded and stored along the roof side rail from the front pillar, and when a side collision or roll (rollover) of the vehicle is detected, the inflator is operated to disable An active gas is generated, and this gas is introduced into the airbag body, and the airbag body is inflated and deployed in a curtain shape along the side of the passenger compartment, so that the passenger's head is received and protected by the airbag body. It is what I did.

  The airbag main body is folded and stored inside the pillar trim at the front pillar portion.For example, at the time of a side collision of the vehicle, the rear edge of the pillar trim is pushed away by the inflation and deployment pressure of the airbag main body. In addition, it is configured such that it can be inflated and deployed along the side surface of the passenger compartment from a gap formed between the pillar inner and the rear edge of the pillar trim.

  In order to smoothly inflate and deploy the airbag body along the side surface of the passenger compartment, conventionally, as shown in, for example, Patent Document 1, a thin hinge portion is provided at the upper and lower ends at a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction of the pillar trim. The first half of the pillar trim is formed as a fixed part, while the second half is configured as a movable part, and when the airbag body is inflated and deployed, the substantially second half of the pillar trim is made into a thin-walled hinge by the inflation and deployment pressure. Is known to be able to appropriately inflate and deploy along the side of the cabin of the airbag body.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-301368

  In the conventional structure, since a thin hinge portion is formed over the upper and lower ends at the substantially center portion in the front-rear direction of the pillar trim, trim rigidity, particularly front-rear direction rigidity, cannot be secured. There is a possibility that the alignment with the pillar inner, that is, the pillar trim is poorly installed and the view of the vehicle interior is damaged.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a pillar trim structure of a front pillar that can appropriately inflate and deploy an airbag main body from the inside of the pillar trim along the side of the passenger compartment without impairing the pillar rigidity.

  In the pillar trim structure of the front pillar according to the present invention, the airbag body of the occupant head protection airbag device is folded and stored between the front pillar and the pillar trim that covers the side surface of the passenger compartment side, An assist grip is disposed along the vertical direction of the front pillar, and the assist grip has a structure in which upper and lower ends thereof are fastened and fixed to the front pillar with the pillar trim interposed therebetween. Is formed with an easily breakable portion that surrounds the fixed portions of the upper and lower ends of the assist grip and can be broken by the inflation and deployment pressure of the airbag body. The pillar trim separates from the upper and lower fixed portions of the assist grip due to breakage and floats up. The side edge of the pillar trim and the front That deployment gap of the air bag body is capable formed between the error is mainly characterized.

  When the occupant head protection airbag device is activated and the airbag body folded and stored between the front pillar and the pillar trim starts to inflate and deploy, the easily breakable portion breaks by the inflation and deployment pressure, and the inflation Due to the deployment pressure, the pillar trim separates from the upper and lower fixed portions of the assist grip and floats, and a deployment gap for the airbag body is formed between the side edge of the pillar trim and the front pillar. Thus, the airbag main body is appropriately inflated and deployed along the side of the passenger compartment.

  According to the present invention, when the airbag main body folded and stored between the front pillar and the pillar trim starts to inflate and deploy, and the inflating and deploying pressure acting on the inner surface of the pillar trim becomes a predetermined value or more, the assist grip is applied to the pillar trim. The easy-to-break part formed by surrounding the fixed parts of the upper and lower ends breaks, and the pillar trim separates from the fixed parts of the upper and lower ends of the assist grip and floats, and the side edge of the pillar trim A deployment gap for the airbag body is formed between the front pillar and the front pillar.

  As a result, the airbag body can be smoothly inflated and deployed from the deployment gap toward the vehicle interior side, and the passenger head protecting function of the airbag body can be appropriately exhibited.

  The lift of the pillar trim due to the inflation and deployment pressure of the airbag body is instantaneously performed and the pillar trim behaves so as to be blown off toward the vehicle interior by the inflation and deployment pressure. Since there is a remaining portion between the easily-breakable portions of the pillar trim between the fixed portions, the remaining portion is caught inside the assist grip and the movement of the pillar trim is restricted, so that the pillar trim is scattered to the vehicle interior side. It can be surely prevented to ensure safety.

  Further, the easily breakable portion of the pillar trim is formed in a spot shape surrounding the fixed portions of the upper and lower ends of the assist grip, so that the overall rigidity of the pillar trim does not decrease. The combination of the terminal and the front pillar, so-called building can be done in an orderly manner, and the view of the interior of the vehicle is not slightly impaired.

The side external view which looked at 1st Embodiment of the pillar trim structure of the front pillar which concerns on this invention from the vehicle interior side. The enlarged view which shows the principal part of the pillar trim in the A range part of FIG. Sectional drawing which follows the BB line of FIG. Sectional drawing similar to FIG. 3 which shows the detachment | leave state of a pillar trim. Sectional drawing which follows the CC line | wire of FIG. The enlarged view similar to FIG. 2 which shows 2nd Embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing similar to FIG. 4 which shows the detachment | leave state of the pillar trim in 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a pillar trim structure of a front pillar according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  1 to 5 show a first embodiment of the present invention, in which a front pillar 1 is formed by a pillar outer 2 and a pillar inner 3 in a closed cross section, and a side surface on the vehicle compartment side, that is, the pillar inner 3 is a pillar trim 10. Is entirely covered by.

  The pillar trim 10 is molded into a required shape with an appropriate synthetic resin material. The pillar trim 10 is generally attached to the outer surface thereof with a skin 11 excellent in decoration and touch (see FIGS. 3 to 5), and covers the pillar inner 3 as a whole as described above. Thus, it has both a decoration function and a protector function against a so-called secondary collision in which the occupant collides with the front pillar 1 due to inertia when the vehicle collides.

  The pillar trim 10 is basically fastened and fixed to the pillar inner 3 together with the assist grip 20, and the connecting piece 12 formed by offsetting the upper and lower ends of the pillar trim 10 inward and outward is attached to the roof. Surface alignment with the ceiling trim material 7 and the instrument panel 8 is achieved by inserting and engaging the back side of the ceiling trim material 7 such as a trim or roof rail trim and the side of the instrument panel 8.

  The assist grip 20 is disposed along the vertical direction of the front pillar 1 so that a front seat occupant can easily get on and off by gripping the assist grip 20 when getting on and off. The pillar trim 10 is partially clamped and fixed to a stand 4 joined to the pillar inner 3 by a weld nut 5 and a bolt 6 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

  A recess 21 for receiving the bolt 6 is formed on the upper and lower ends of the assist grip 20, and the opening of the recess 21 is configured to be closed with a resin cap 22. 6 is threaded and fastened to the weld nut 5 provided on the back surface of the stand 4 through the bottom of the recess 21.

  A boss portion 23 is formed on the outer surface side of the concave portion 21, while the boss portion is sandwiched between upper and lower end portions of the assist grip 20 of the pillar trim 10 and fastened together with the stand 4. A recess 13 into which 23 is fitted is formed, and an insertion hole 13a for the bolt 6 is formed at the bottom of the recess 13 (see FIG. 2).

  Further, between the pillar inner 3 and the pillar trim 10, an airbag body 30 of the occupant head protection airbag device is folded and stored in a vertical direction.

  The airbag main body 30 is disposed along a roof side rail (not shown) covered from the front pillar 1 by a vehicle width direction side edge portion 7S of the ceiling trim member 7, and the lower base portion of the front pillar 1 or the roof It is expanded by an inert gas generated by an inflator (not shown) disposed at the rear portion of the side rail, and is deployed in a curtain shape along the side surface of the passenger compartment.

  The pillar trim 10 is formed with an easily breakable portion 14 that surrounds fixed portions of the upper and lower end portions of the assist grip 20 and can be broken by the inflation and deployment pressure of the airbag body 30 as shown in FIG. Has been.

  Thereby, at the time of a side collision or roll (rollover) of the vehicle, the inert gas generated by the operation of the inflator is introduced into the airbag body 30, and the airbag body 30 starts to inflate and deploy. When the expansion and deployment pressure rises to a predetermined value or more, the easily breakable portion 14 is broken, and the pillar trim 10 is detached from the fixed portions of the upper and lower end portions of the assist grip 20 and is lifted as indicated by a chain line in FIG. A deployment gap δ of the airbag main body 30 can be formed between the front and rear edge portions of the pillar trim 10 and the pillar inner 3.

  In the present embodiment, the vertical slits (or grooves) 15 on both the front and rear sides of the recessed portion 13 of the pillar trim 10 and the horizontal slits 16 perpendicular to the vertical slits 15 are provided. The easily breakable portion 14 is formed by partially forming the side surface in a substantially H shape, leaving the discontinuous portion 17 partially at the intersection portion and the bottom portion of the recessed portion 13.

  That is, in this embodiment, when the discontinuous portion 17 of the slits 15 and 16 breaks (breaks), the portion surrounded by the slits 15 and 16 is located above the slits 15 and 15 and near the bottom end. Each crossing line a is expanded upward and downward as a folding point so as to be separated from the fixed portions at the upper and lower ends of the assist grip 20.

  In FIG. 1, WG represents a front window glass, D represents a front door, and DG represents a door glass.

  According to the pillar trim structure of the present embodiment having the above configuration, the airbag body 30 folded and stored between the front pillar 1 and the pillar trim 10 starts to inflate and deploy, and inflates and deploys that acts on the inner surface of the pillar trim 10. When the pressure exceeds a predetermined value, the easy-to-break portion 14 formed by surrounding the fixed portions of the upper and lower ends of the assist grip 20 to the pillar trim 10 is broken, and the pillar trim 10 is broken into upper and lower ends of the assist grip 20. A separation gap δ of the airbag body 10 is formed between the front and rear end edges of the pillar trim 10 and the front pillar 1 (pillar inner 3).

  In the case of the present embodiment, when the airbag body 10 is inflated and deployed, two vertical slits 15 centered on the recessed portion 13 formed in the pillar trim 10 corresponding to the upper and lower ends of the assist grip 20. And the portion surrounded by the slits 16 in the lateral direction is expanded in a double-spreading manner upward and downward with the imaginary broken line a facing inward with the discontinuous portion 17 of the slits 15 and 16 breaking. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, when the recessed portion 13 pressed by the upper and lower ends of the assist grip and the stand 4 is detached from the fixed portions of the upper and lower ends of the assist grip 20. The pillar trim 10 is lifted, and the above-described development gap δ is formed.

  As a result, the airbag body 30 can be smoothly inflated and deployed from the deployment gap δ toward the vehicle interior side along the vehicle interior side surface (front door glass DG) as shown by the chain line in FIG. The passenger head protection function of the airbag body 30 can be appropriately exhibited.

  Here, the lift of the pillar trim 10 due to the inflation and deployment pressure of the airbag body 30 is instantaneously performed, and the pillar trim 10 behaves so as to be blown off toward the vehicle interior by the inflation and deployment pressure. There is a remaining portion 10A between the easily breakable portions 14 and 14 of the pillar trim 10 between the upper and lower ends of the grip 20, and the remaining portion 10A is caught inside the assist grip 20 to move the pillar trim 10. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the pillar trim 10 from scattering toward the vehicle interior side and ensure safety.

  Further, the easily breakable portion 14 of the pillar trim 10 is spot-like surrounding the fixed portions of the upper and lower ends of the assist grip 20, and the overall rigidity of the pillar trim 10 does not decrease. The combination of the front and rear side terminals of 10 and the front pillar 1 (pillar inner 3), so-called building, can be done in an orderly manner, and the view of the vehicle interior is not slightly impaired.

  In the present embodiment, the easily breakable portion 14 of the pillar trim 10 is formed by forming slits 15 and 16 having a discontinuous portion 17 in the middle. The slits 15 and 16 are formed by the skin 11 of the pillar trim 10. Since it is hidden, there is no problem in appearance. Further, if grooves are formed on the back surface of the pillar trim 10 instead of the slits 15 and 16, no trace remains on the front surface side of the pillar trim 10, and the appearance can be improved.

  6 and 7 show a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the easily breakable portion 14 of the pillar trim 10 surrounds the fixed portions of the upper and lower ends of the assist grip 20. It is formed in a substantially annular shape.

  In the present embodiment, the easily breakable portion 14 is configured by forming a slit 18 in an annular shape on the outside of the recessed portion 13 of the pillar trim 10 with a plurality of discontinuous portions 19 in the middle.

  Therefore, according to the structure of the second embodiment, when the airbag main body 30 is inflated and deployed, the discontinuous portion 19 of the annular slit 18 is torn so that the portion surrounded by the annular slit 18 However, as shown in FIG. 7, the upper and lower ends of the assist grip 20 and the stand 4 remain pressed and the pillar trim 10 separates from the fixed portions of the upper and lower ends of the assist grip 20 and floats. It goes up.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, after the pillar trim 10 is detached, the portions clamped by the upper and lower ends of the assist grip 20 remain, and the upper and lower portions 10A between the upper and lower easily breakable portions 14, 14 Since the directional dimension can be reduced, strong interference between the upper and lower end portions of the remaining portion 10A and the upper and lower end portions of the assist grip 20 can be avoided and the lift stroke of the pillar trim 10 can be suppressed during the separation. In addition, the deployment gap δ of the airbag body 10 can be secured sufficiently large.

  The easily breakable portion 14 of the pillar trim 10 is not limited to the shape and structure shown in the above-described embodiment, and the upper and lower end portions of the assist grip 20 are fixed by the inflation and deployment pressure of the airbag body 30. Needless to say, the pillar trim 10 may have any shape and structure as long as the pillar trim 10 can be detached from the fixed portions of the upper and lower ends of the assist grip 20 by breaking around.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Front pillar 10 ... Pillar trim 14 ... Easily breakable part 20 ... Assist grip 30 ... Airbag main body delta ... Gap for deployment

Claims (2)

The airbag body of the passenger head protection airbag device is folded and stored between the front pillar and the pillar trim that covers the side of the passenger compartment.
An assist grip is disposed along the vertical direction of the front pillar,
The assist grip has a structure in which upper and lower ends thereof are fastened and fixed to the front pillar across the pillar trim,
In the pillar trim, an easily breakable portion is formed that surrounds the fixed portions of the upper and lower ends of the assist grip and can be broken by the inflation and deployment pressure of the airbag body.
When the airbag body is inflated and deployed, the pillar trim is lifted off from the fixed portion of the lower end of the assist grip due to the breakage of the easily breakable portion, and the air is interposed between the side edge of the pillar trim and the front pillar. A pillar trim structure of a front pillar, characterized in that a gap for expansion of the bag body can be formed.   The pillar trim structure of a front pillar according to claim 1, wherein the easily breakable portion is formed in a substantially annular shape so as to surround fixed portions of the upper and lower ends of the assist grip.

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