JP2017197094A - Holding member of curtain airbag and curtain airbag device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To smoothly deploy a curtain airbag while assisting inflation and deployment of the curtain airbag by a curtain airbag holding member so as not to be obstructed by a pillar garnish.SOLUTION: A holding member 30 is formed in a substantially L-shaped cross-sectional shape consisting of a vertical wall 40 and a horizontal part 50. A folded curtain airbag 20 is place on the horizontal part 50. The horizontal part 50 has a plurality of grooves 52 along a longitudinal direction R of the curtain airbag 20 and is bent along an outer periphery of the curtain airbag 20. An end part 41 of the vertical wall 40 and an end part 51 of the horizontal part 50 are attached to an attachment surface of a vehicle above a pillar garnish in a state of being connected to each other. The end part 51 of the horizontal part 50 has a fragile part 57 which is broken when the curtain airbag 20 inflates.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a curtain airbag holding member that holds a folded curtain airbag on a roof side rail of a vehicle, and a curtain airbag device including the curtain airbag and the holding member.

  The curtain airbag is stored in a folded state along a roof side rail extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and is held by the roof side rail by a holding member. In the event of a vehicle emergency (such as a side collision), the curtain airbag is inflated and deployed downward along the side wall of the vehicle by the gas generated by the inflator to protect the vehicle occupant. At that time, at the position of the pillar garnish of the vehicle, the curtain airbag may come into strong contact with the upper end of the pillar garnish, and the curtain airbag may enter the gap between the pillar garnish and the vehicle body. Therefore, in order to deploy the curtain airbag accurately, it is necessary to deploy the curtain airbag without being obstructed by the pillar garnish.

  Therefore, conventionally, an airbag device that deploys the deployment member so as to cover the B pillar garnish by the deployment force of the airbag bag body (curtain airbag) and regulates the deployment direction of the airbag bag body by the deployment member is provided. It is known (see Patent Document 1).

  However, in the conventional airbag device described in Patent Document 1, the deployment member surrounds the airbag bag body in a state where only one end portion is supported (a state where the other end portion is not supported), and the airbag bag body is Since it is held on the roof side rail, it is necessary to increase the rigidity of the deployment member. Accordingly, it is difficult to deform the deployment member by the airbag bag body, and there is a possibility that the deployment of the airbag bag body may be delayed. Therefore, there is a possibility that the flow of gas is hindered in the airbag body, and the deployment direction of the airbag body is not stable.

JP 2000-33845 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and its object is to prevent the curtain airbag from being inflated and deployed by a holding member that holds the folded curtain airbag on the roof side rail of the vehicle. The curtain air bag can be smoothly deployed with the assistance of being prevented from being obstructed.

According to the present invention, a curtain airbag stored in a folded state along a roof side rail extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is held on the roof side rail, and the curtain airbag is moved along the side wall of the vehicle by gas from an inflator. It is related with the holding member of the curtain airbag which assists so that it may not be hindered by the pillar garnish of a vehicle. The holding member is formed in a substantially L-shaped cross-sectional shape including a vertical wall adjacent to the mounting surface of the vehicle and a horizontal portion on which the folded curtain airbag is placed, and is higher than the upper end of the pillar garnish. Long in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The horizontal portion has a plurality of grooves along the longitudinal direction of the folded curtain airbag, and is bent along the outer periphery of the folded curtain airbag. The end portion of the vertical wall and the end portion of the horizontal portion are attached to the attachment surface above the pillar garnish while being connected to each other. The end of the horizontal portion has a fragile portion that breaks when the curtain airbag is inflated.
The present invention also relates to a curtain airbag and a curtain airbag device including a curtain airbag holding member.

  According to the present invention, the holding member that holds the folded curtain airbag on the roof side rail of the vehicle assists the curtain airbag inflating and deploying so that it is not obstructed by the pillar garnish, thereby smoothing the curtain airbag. Can be deployed.

It is a figure which shows the curtain airbag apparatus of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the curtain airbag expanded and deployed within the vehicle. It is a perspective view of the holding member of this embodiment. It is a perspective view of the holding member of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the procedure which attaches a holding member to the folded curtain airbag. It is a figure which shows the procedure which attaches a holding member to the folded curtain airbag. It is a figure which shows the procedure which attaches a holding member to the folded curtain airbag. It is sectional drawing of the curtain airbag apparatus mounted in the vehicle. It is sectional drawing which shows the curtain airbag which inflate-deploys in the position of a holding member. It is sectional drawing which shows the curtain airbag which inflate-deploys in the position of a holding member. It is sectional drawing which shows the curtain airbag which inflate-deploys in the position of a holding member. It is sectional drawing which shows the example of the groove | channel formed in the horizontal part of a holding member. It is sectional drawing which shows the example of the groove | channel formed in the horizontal part of a holding member. It is sectional drawing which shows the example of the groove | channel formed in the horizontal part of a holding member.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a curtain airbag holding member and a curtain airbag device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The curtain airbag device according to the present embodiment is an occupant protection device mounted on a vehicle, and protects the vehicle occupant with the curtain airbag. The curtain airbag is held by the vehicle by the curtain airbag holding member of the present embodiment in a folded state.

  FIG. 1 is a view showing a curtain airbag device 1 according to the present embodiment, and shows the curtain airbag device 1 together with a side wall 11 of a vehicle 10. In FIG. 1, the curtain airbag device 1 mounted on the vehicle 10 is shown by a chain line through the vehicle 10. Further, the side wall 11 viewed from the inside of the vehicle 10 is indicated by a solid line, and the occupant 2 sitting on the seat of the vehicle 10 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. The arrow S in FIG. 1 is the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10 (the vehicle front-rear direction).

  As shown in the figure, the side wall 11 of the vehicle 10 is located on the side of the vehicle 10 in the width direction (vehicle width direction) with respect to the occupant 2 in the vehicle interior. The vehicle 10 includes a plurality of pillars 12 to 14 (A pillar 12, B pillar 13, C pillar 14), a roof side rail 15, and doors 16A and 16B (front door 16A and rear door 16B) having windows 16C and 16D. ). The plurality of pillars 12 to 14 have pillar garnishes 12 </ b> A to 14 </ b> A, respectively, and are arranged in order from the front part to the rear part of the vehicle 10.

  The A pillar 12 is a front pillar, and the pillar garnish 12 </ b> A is an A pillar garnish (front pillar garnish) that covers the A pillar 12. The B pillar 13 is a center pillar, and the pillar garnish 13 </ b> A is a B pillar garnish (center pillar garnish) that covers the B pillar 13. The C pillar 14 is a rear pillar, and the pillar garnish 14 </ b> A is a C pillar garnish (rear pillar garnish) that covers the C pillar 14. The pillar garnishes 12A to 14A are interior members of the vehicle 10 and are also referred to as pillar trims.

  The A pillar 12 is located in the front part of the side wall 11 in the vehicle longitudinal direction S, and the B pillar 13 is located in the middle part of the side wall 11 in the vehicle longitudinal direction S. The roof side rail 15 extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction S and is disposed along the upper edge of the side wall 11. A head lining 15 </ b> A covers the roof of the vehicle 10 and the roof side rail 15. A side end of the head lining 15A is disposed along the roof side rail 15 and connected to the upper ends of the pillar garnishes 12A to 14A. A part of the roof side rail 15 is an attachment surface 17 of the vehicle 10 to which the curtain airbag device 1 is attached. The mounting surface 17 extends in the vehicle front-rear direction S and is covered by the headlining 15A.

  The curtain airbag device 1 is disposed along the upper edge portion of the side wall 11 and attached to the vehicle 10. In this state, the curtain airbag device 1 is covered with the head lining 15 </ b> A and the pillar garnish 12 </ b> A of the A pillar 12. The curtain airbag device 1 includes a curtain airbag 20 that can be inflated and deployed, a tubular inflator 3, and a holding member 30 for the curtain airbag 20. The curtain airbag 20 includes a plurality of rectangular attachment pieces 21 and a cylindrical gas supply unit 22 and is folded into an elongated shape. The plurality of attachment pieces 21 and the gas supply unit 22 are provided on the upper edge of the curtain airbag 20 and protrude above the vehicle 10.

  The curtain airbag 20 is disposed along the roof side rail 15 and the A pillar 12 in a folded state and is stored in the vehicle 10. The plurality of attachment pieces 21 of the curtain airbag 20 are attachment portions attached to the vehicle 10 and attached to the roof side rail 15 (attachment surface 17) and the A pillar 12 by attachment members (here, bolts 4). The folded curtain airbag 20 is held by the roof side rail 15 and the A pillar 12 by a plurality of attachment pieces 21 and arranged along the vehicle longitudinal direction S. In this state, the curtain airbag 20 is covered with the head lining 15A and the pillar garnish 12A.

  The inflator 3 is a cylinder type gas generator, and is fixed to the gas supply unit 22 in a state where the inflator 3 is disposed in the gas supply unit 22 of the curtain airbag 20. The inflator 3 is attached to the roof side rail 15 by an attachment member and is covered with the head lining 15A. During operation of the curtain airbag device 1, the inflator 3 generates gas in the gas supply unit 22 and supplies the gas into the curtain airbag 20.

  The holding member 30 is disposed along the outer periphery (outer surface) of the folded curtain airbag 20 and attached to the curtain airbag 20. The holding member 30 has a cylindrical shape and surrounds a part of the curtain airbag 20. The folded curtain airbag 20 is disposed inside the holding member 30.

  The holding member 30 is disposed above the vehicle 10 with respect to the pillar garnish 13 </ b> A of the B pillar 13. The holding member 30 is attached to the roof side rail 15 together with the attachment piece 21 of the curtain airbag 20 by one or more bolts 4, and holds the folded curtain airbag 20 on the roof side rail 15. Here, the holding member 30 is attached to the attachment surface 17 of the vehicle 10 provided on the roof side rail 15 together with the two attachment pieces 21 by the two bolts 4.

  The holding member 30 is longer in the vehicle front-rear direction S than the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A, and is disposed along the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A. One end (front end) of the holding member 30 is positioned on the front side of the vehicle 10 with respect to the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A, and the other end (rear end) of the holding member 30 is on the vehicle 10 with respect to the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A. Located on the rear side. The upper end 13 </ b> B of the pillar garnish 13 </ b> A is located below the holding member 30 and in a region between both ends of the holding member 30.

FIG. 2 is a view showing the curtain airbag 20 inflated and deployed in the vehicle 10. In FIG. 2, the head lining 15A and the pillar garnish 12A of the A pillar 12 are omitted.
As shown in the figure, the inflator 3 is actuated based on the actuation signal received from the pointing device of the vehicle 10 in the event of a vehicle emergency (such as a side collision). The inflator 3 generates gas and supplies the gas into the curtain airbag 20. With the gas, the curtain airbag 20 is inflated and deployed in a curtain shape while eliminating the folded shape. At that time, the head lining 15A and the pillar garnish 12A are pushed open by the inflating curtain airbag 20, and the curtain airbag 20 is deployed toward the passenger compartment.

  Within the vehicle 10, the curtain airbag 20 is inflated and deployed downward by gas to cover the side wall 11. The curtain airbag 20 is inflated and deployed along the side wall 11 in a space between the side wall 11 and the occupant 2. The occupant 2 is received and protected by the curtain airbag 20. When the curtain airbag 20 is inflated and deployed, a part of the holding member 30 moves toward the pillar garnish 13A of the B pillar 13 so that the holding member 30 covers the entire upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A. By the holding member 30, the curtain airbag 20 does not contact the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A, and the deployment of the curtain airbag 20 is assisted. When inflating and deploying, the curtain airbag 20 is uninhibited by the pillar garnish 13A and is deployed toward the passenger compartment, and is inflated and deployed along the side wall 11 and the pillar garnish 13A.

  3 and 4 are perspective views of the holding member 30 of the present embodiment, showing the holding member 30 before surrounding a part of the folded curtain airbag 20. 3 and 4 schematically show a part of the curtain airbag 20 held by the holding member 30 with a chain line. 3 shows the holding member 30 viewed from the curtain airbag 20 side, and FIG. 4 shows the back side of the holding member 30 shown in FIG.

  As illustrated, the holding member 30 includes a plate-like vertical wall 40 and a plate-like horizontal portion 50 that is continuous with the vertical wall 40. The holding member 30 is integrally molded by injection molding synthetic resin. The holding member 30 is formed in a substantially L-shaped cross-sectional shape including the vertical wall 40 and the horizontal portion 50. The cross-sectional shape of the holding member 30 is a cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the longitudinal direction R of the folded curtain airbag 20. The curtain airbag 20 is placed on the horizontal portion 50 in a folded state. The vertical wall 40 and the horizontal portion 50 are arranged along the longitudinal direction R of the curtain airbag 20.

  The vertical wall 40 of the holding member 30 is a wall portion disposed on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the folded curtain airbag 20, and the mounting surface is attached to the mounting surface 17 of the vehicle 10. Adjacent to 17. The curtain airbag 20 is disposed inside the vertical wall 40 in the vehicle width direction, and the vertical wall 40 contacts the side surface of the curtain airbag 20.

  The horizontal portion 50 of the holding member 30 protrudes from the vertical wall 40 in the horizontal direction and is disposed below the curtain airbag 20. The holding member 30 includes a vertical wall 40 and a horizontal portion 50, and is formed in a bent shape that bends once between the vertical wall 40 and the horizontal portion 50. An end 41 (upper end) of the vertical wall 40 is one end of the holding member 30, and an end 51 (protruding end) of the horizontal portion 50 is the other end of the holding member 30.

  The holding member 30 has a plurality of convex portions 32 formed at a corner portion 31 (bent portion) between the vertical wall 40 and the horizontal portion 50. Further, the vertical wall 40 has a plurality of convex portions 42 formed on the opposite surface of the curtain airbag 20. The plurality of convex portions 32 are reinforcing portions that reinforce the corner portions 31 of the holding member 30, and the plurality of convex portions 42 are reinforcing portions that reinforce the vertical wall 40. Due to the reinforcement of the convex portions 32 and 42, the rigidity of the corner portion 31 and the vertical wall 40 is higher than the rigidity of the horizontal portion 50. Therefore, when the curtain airbag 20 is inflated and deployed, deformation of the corner portion 31 and the vertical wall 40 is suppressed, and the horizontal portion 50 is deformed while being supported by the vertical wall 40. Therefore, the vertical wall 40 is also a support part that supports the horizontal part 50.

  The horizontal portion 50 of the holding member 30 is a foldable protrusion, and is formed in a shape (protrusion shape) protruding from the vertical wall 40 and the folded curtain airbag 20. The horizontal portion 50 is deformed from a protruding shape to a shape along the outer periphery of the curtain airbag 20 by bending deformation. The horizontal portion 50 has a plurality of grooves 52 arranged in parallel, and is flexibly bent at the positions of the plurality of grooves 52. The plurality of grooves 52 are formed on the surface of the horizontal portion 50 opposite to the curtain airbag 20 and extend along the longitudinal direction R of the folded curtain airbag 20.

  The folded curtain airbag 20 is placed on the placement surface 53 of the horizontal portion 50. The plurality of grooves 52 are linearly formed on the opposite surface 54 of the horizontal portion 50 located on the opposite side of the curtain airbag 20 (mounting surface 53). The portions of the plurality of grooves 52 of the horizontal portion 50 are thinner than portions other than the grooves 52 of the horizontal portion 50 and are easily deformed. Therefore, when the holding member 30 is attached to the curtain airbag 20, the horizontal portion 50 is bent toward the curtain airbag 20 at the positions of the plurality of grooves 52 (see arrow Y1 in FIG. 3), and the curtain airbag It deforms along the outer periphery of the bag 20.

  Due to the bending of the horizontal portion 50, the end portion 51 of the horizontal portion 50 overlaps the end portion 41 of the vertical wall 40. The end portion 41 of the vertical wall 40 and the end portion 51 of the horizontal portion 50 are overlapped and connected to each other above the folded curtain airbag 20. Further, the end portion 41 of the vertical wall 40 and the end portion 51 of the horizontal portion 50 are attached to the attachment surface 17 above the pillar garnish 13A in a state where they are connected to each other. The holding member 30 is attached to the attachment surface 17 of the vehicle 10 by the connected end portions 41 and 51.

  The end portion 41 of the vertical wall 40 and the end portion 51 of the horizontal portion 50 have attachment portions 43 and 55 that are attached to the attachment surface 17 of the vehicle 10 while being connected to each other. Two attachment portions 43 are provided at the end portion 41 of the vertical wall 40 and are formed at positions separated in the longitudinal direction R of the folded curtain airbag 20. Further, the two attachment portions 55 are provided at the end portion 51 of the horizontal portion 50 and are formed at positions separated in the longitudinal direction R of the folded curtain airbag 20. Due to the bending of the horizontal portion 50, the two attachment portions 55 of the horizontal portion 50 overlap the attachment portions 43 of the vertical wall 40.

  The attachment portion 43 of the vertical wall 40 is a rectangular protrusion, and has an engagement portion 44 and an attachment hole 45. Further, the vertical wall 40 includes a mounting portion 46 that is mounted on the mounting portion 43 and a bendable connection portion 47 that connects the mounting portion 46 to the mounting portion 43. The engaging portion 44 has a plurality of engaging protrusions 44A, and engages with the attaching portion 55 and the mounting portion 46 of the horizontal portion 50 by the engaging protrusion 44A. The plurality of engaging protrusions 44 </ b> A are elastically deformable hooks and are formed around a circular mounting hole 45. The mounting portion 46 is a rectangular tab and includes a fitting hole 46A, a concave portion 46B, and a convex portion 46C. The fitting hole 46A and the convex portion 46C are located in the concave portion 46B.

  The mounting portion 55 of the horizontal portion 50 has an engagement hole 56 and is formed in a loop shape. When connecting the mounting portions 43 and 55, the mounting portion 55 of the horizontal portion 50 is moved to the mounting portion 43 of the vertical wall 40 (see arrow Y1 in FIG. 3), and the engaging protrusion 44A of the engaging portion 44 is engaged with the engaging hole. 56. Further, the attaching portion 55 of the horizontal portion 50 is hooked on the engaging protrusion 44A, and the attaching portion 55 is engaged with the engaging protrusion 44A. Thereby, the end portion 51 of the horizontal portion 50 is engaged with the engaging portion 44 of the attachment portion 43 and the end portion 41 of the vertical wall 40. Next, the connecting portion 47 is bent, and the mounting portion 46 is pressed against the mounting portion 43 (see arrow Y2 in FIG. 3).

  The plurality of engaging protrusions 44A of the engaging portion 44 are inserted into the fitting holes 46A of the mounting portion 46 and fit into the fitting holes 46A. At the same time, the plurality of engaging protrusions 44A are hooked on the edge of the fitting hole 46A, and the mounting portion 46 engages with the plurality of engaging protrusions 44A. Thereby, the mounting portion 46 is engaged with the engaging portion 44 of the mounting portion 43 and is mounted on the mounting portion 43. The fitting hole 46 </ b> A and the attachment hole 45 face each other, and the attachment hole 45 is not blocked by the mounting portion 46. The bolt 4 (see FIG. 1) is inserted into the mounting hole 45 and disposed in the mounting hole 45. The end portions 41 and 51 (attachment portions 43 and 55) are attached to the attachment surface 17 of the vehicle 10 by the bolt 4 in the attachment hole 45.

  The mounting portion 55 of the horizontal portion 50 is accommodated in the concave portion 46B of the mounting portion 46, and the convex portion 46C of the mounting portion 46 is disposed in the engagement hole 56 of the mounting portion 55. The mounting portion 55 of the horizontal portion 50 is sandwiched between the mounting portion 43 and the mounting portion 46 and connected to the mounting portion 43 of the vertical wall 40. Thereby, the end part 41 of the vertical wall 40 and the end part 51 of the horizontal part 50 are overlapped and connected to each other. When the end portions 41 and 51 are attached to the attachment surface 17 with the bolts 4, the attachment portion 55 in the recess portion 46 </ b> B is prevented from being crushed by the protrusion portion 46 </ b> C that contacts the attachment portion 43.

5-7 is a figure which shows the procedure of mounting | wearing with the holding member 30 to the curtain airbag 20 folded. 5A to 7A show a part of the curtain airbag 20 and the holding member 30 as viewed from the direction of the arrow Y3 in FIG. 3, and a portion hidden by the curtain airbag 20 of the holding member 30 is indicated by a chain line. 5B to 7B are cross-sectional views of the curtain airbag 20 and the holding member 30 cut along the line ZZ in FIGS. 5A to 7A.
As shown in the drawing, the holding member 30 is disposed along the curtain airbag 20 by aligning the positions of the two mounting portions 43 of the vertical wall 40 with the positions of the two mounting pieces 21 of the curtain airbag 20 (see FIG. 5). ).

  The curtain airbag 20 has a circular through hole 23 formed in an attachment piece 21 to the vehicle 10. The engaging protrusion 44 </ b> A of the engaging portion 44 is inserted into the through hole 23 of the attachment piece 21 and disposed in the through hole 23. The attachment piece 21 is hooked on the engagement protrusion 44A and engaged with the engagement protrusion 44A. Thereby, the attachment piece 21 of the curtain airbag 20 is engaged with the engagement portion 44 of the attachment portion 43 and the end portion 41 of the vertical wall 40, and is disposed at the end portion 41 of the vertical wall 40. Further, the vertical wall 40 of the holding member 30 is disposed along the outer periphery of the folded curtain airbag 20, and the curtain airbag 20 is placed on the horizontal portion 50 of the holding member 30.

  Next, the horizontal portion 50 of the holding member 30 is bent at the positions of the plurality of grooves 52 and disposed along the outer periphery of the folded curtain airbag 20 (see FIG. 6). At that time, the opening of the plurality of grooves 52 is increased, and the horizontal portion 50 is bent along the outer periphery of the curtain airbag 20. Further, the holding member 30 is deformed into a cylindrical shape, and the vertical wall 40 and the horizontal portion 50 of the holding member 30 surround a part of the curtain airbag 20. By bending the horizontal portion 50, the holding member 30 becomes a compact shape along the outer periphery of the curtain airbag 20.

  Subsequently, the end portion 51 (attachment portion 55) of the horizontal portion 50 is engaged with the end portion 41 (engagement portion 44 of the attachment portion 43) of the vertical wall 40. The attachment piece 21 of the curtain airbag 20 is sandwiched between the end portion 51 (attachment portion 55) of the horizontal portion 50 and the end portion 41 (attachment portion 43) of the vertical wall 40. In this state, the mounting portion 46 of the vertical wall 40 is mounted on the mounting portion 43 (see FIG. 7). Accordingly, the end portion 51 of the horizontal portion 50 is held by the end portion 41 of the vertical wall 40, and the end portion 41 of the vertical wall 40 and the end portion 51 of the horizontal portion 50 are connected. Further, the attachment piece 21 of the curtain airbag 20 is attached to the end portion 41 of the vertical wall 40 and the end portion 51 of the horizontal portion 50.

  The holding member 30 is attached to a part of the folded curtain airbag 20. Subsequently, the inflator 3 is fixed to the gas supply unit 22 of the curtain airbag 20 to manufacture the curtain airbag device 1 (see FIG. 1). Thereafter, the curtain airbag device 1 is attached to the vehicle 10 with the bolts 4 or the like, and the curtain airbag device 1 is mounted on the vehicle 10.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the curtain airbag device 1 mounted on the vehicle 10, showing the vehicle 10 and the curtain airbag device 1 cut along the line XX in FIG.
As illustrated, the vehicle 10 has a nut 18 fixed to the mounting surface 17 by welding. The bolt 4 is attached to the nut 18 in a state where the bolt 4 is inserted into the attachment hole 45 of the vertical wall 40. With the bolt 4 and the nut 18, the end portion 41 of the vertical wall 40 and the end portion 51 of the horizontal portion 50, together with the mounting piece 21, the pillar garnish 13 </ b> A with the mounting piece 21 of the curtain airbag 20 sandwiched between them. It is attached to the attachment surface 17 of the vehicle 10 located above the vehicle.

  In the vehicle 10, the holding member 30 is disposed above the pillar garnish 13 </ b> A of the B pillar 13 and holds the folded curtain airbag 20 on the roof side rail 15. The horizontal portion 50 of the holding member 30 is disposed on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the folded curtain airbag 20 and contacts the side surface of the curtain airbag 20. The folded curtain airbag 20 is disposed outside the horizontal portion 50 in the vehicle width direction, and is disposed between the horizontal portion 50 and the vertical wall 40.

  The holding airbag 30 and the folded curtain airbag 20 are accommodated in the space between the roof side rail 15 and the head lining 15A and covered with the head lining 15A. Below the holding member 30, the side end 15B of the head lining 15A contacts the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A and is connected to the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A. The holding member 30 does not contact the head lining 15A, and a space is formed between the holding member 30 and the head lining 15A.

  When the inflator 3 generates gas (see FIG. 1), the gas is supplied from the inflator 3 toward the front end and the rear end of the curtain airbag 20, and the curtain airbag 20 is gradually inflated. At that time, the gas reaches the position of the holding member 30 from the inflator 3 and is also supplied to the portion of the curtain airbag 20 held by the holding member 30. The curtain airbag 20 is inflated inside the holding member 30 by the gas.

9 to 11 are cross-sectional views showing the curtain airbag 20 that is inflated and deployed at the position of the holding member 30.
As illustrated, when the inflation of the curtain airbag 20 is started, the horizontal portion 50 of the holding member 30 is broken at a predetermined position by the force applied from the curtain airbag 20 to the holding member 30.

  The end portion 51 of the horizontal portion 50 has a fragile portion 57 that can be broken by a force applied from the inflating curtain airbag 20. The fragile portion 57 is a portion that is more fragile than the other portions of the horizontal portion 50, and is a part (breakable portion) of the end portion 51. For example, the weakened portion 57 is formed at the end portion 51 of the horizontal portion 50 by forming a weakened portion (notch, thin portion, stepped portion, etc.) at the end portion 51 of the horizontal portion 50. Alternatively, the force concentration portion becomes the fragile portion 57 in the end portion 51 of the horizontal portion 50 and breaks. Here, the attachment portion 55 of the horizontal portion 50 is broken by the expansion of the curtain airbag 20. For example, the attachment portion 55 is broken at two bases and separated from other portions of the horizontal portion 50. Therefore, a part of the attachment portion 55 is the weakened portion 57 of the end portion 51.

  When the curtain airbag 20 is inflated, the fragile portion 57 is broken, and the folded horizontal portion 50 is released from the end portion 41 of the vertical wall 40 (see FIG. 9). As the curtain airbag 20 is inflated, the horizontal portion 50 of the holding member 30 moves toward the head lining 15 </ b> A with the portion broken at the fragile portion 57 as the tip while eliminating the bending. At this time, the horizontal portion 50 is easily deformed by the plurality of grooves 52 in a direction in which bending is eliminated (a direction in which the opening of the plurality of grooves 52 returns to the original opening (the opening shown in FIGS. 3 to 5)).

  Here, the horizontal portion 50 is elastically deformed when bent at the portions of the plurality of grooves 52. When the fragile portion 57 breaks, the elastic deformation of the horizontal portion 50 is restored by the elastic force, and part or all of the bending of the horizontal portion 50 is eliminated. As described above, the horizontal portion 50 can self-resolve part or all of the bending by using the restoration by the elastic force, and the original shape before the bending (the shape shown in FIGS. ) To transform itself. As the fragile portion 57 is broken (released from the end portion 41), the horizontal portion 50 is easily deformed toward the original shape.

  On the other hand, even when the horizontal portion 50 is plastically deformed when bent at the portions of the plurality of grooves 52, the horizontal portion 50 is easily deformed at the portions of the grooves 52. Therefore, by being pushed by the curtain airbag 20 that is inflated and deployed, the horizontal portion 50 is easily deformed toward the original shape by eliminating the bending. Therefore, regardless of the deformation mode of the horizontal portion 50, the bending of the horizontal portion 50 is easily eliminated by the plurality of grooves 52 in the initial stage of the inflation and deployment of the curtain airbag 20. Further, the horizontal portion 50 moves accurately toward the head lining 15A, and the curtain airbag 20 is deployed smoothly and accurately.

  The horizontal portion 50 of the holding member 30 moves toward the inside in the vehicle width direction and contacts the headlining 15A. The horizontal portion 50 is pressed against the head lining 15A by the inflating curtain airbag 20, and the head lining 15A is pressed inward in the vehicle width direction. As a result, the side end 15B of the head lining 15A is disengaged from the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A, and an opening 5 is formed between the head lining 15A and the pillar garnish 13A (see FIG. 10). The curtain airbag 20 passes through the opening 5 and expands toward the passenger compartment.

  As the curtain airbag 20 is inflated and deployed, the horizontal portion 50 of the holding member 30 is pushed and deformed by the curtain airbag 20 and is pushed out of the opening 5 into the passenger compartment and moves toward the pillar garnish 13A. . At that time, the opening of the plurality of grooves 52 returns to the original opening, and the horizontal portion 50 is deformed toward the opposite surface 54 side so that the opening of the grooves 52 is smaller than the original opening. Since the portions of the plurality of grooves 52 of the horizontal portion 50 are easily deformed, the horizontal portion 50 is easily deformed by the curtain airbag 20 that is inflated and deployed, and the deployment of the curtain airbag 20 proceeds smoothly and accurately.

  The horizontal portion 50 covers the entire upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A and is disposed between the curtain airbag 20 and the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A. The horizontal portion 50 prevents the curtain airbag 20 from coming into contact with the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A. Further, the horizontal portion 50 prevents the curtain airbag 20 from entering the gap between the pillar garnish 13A and the vehicle 10 body.

  As the horizontal portion 50 of the holding member 30 is pushed and deformed by the curtain airbag 20 that is inflated and deployed, the openings of the plurality of grooves 52 are gradually reduced. Until the groove 52 is closed, the horizontal portion 50 is easily bent toward the opposite surface 54 at the portion of the groove 52 and smoothly deforms in accordance with the shape of the curtain airbag 20 that is inflated and deployed. After the groove 52 is closed, the horizontal portion 50 needs to be deformed at portions other than the groove 52, so that the horizontal portion 50 is difficult to deform. As a result, the deformation of the horizontal portion 50 is suppressed compared to before the groove 52 is closed. The horizontal portion 50 is deformed toward the opposite surface 54 side by, for example, bending deformation or bending deformation.

  Here, when the groove 52 near the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A is closed among the plurality of grooves 52 of the horizontal portion 50, a gap 6 is formed between the horizontal portion 50 and the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A ( (See FIG. 10). As a result, in a state where the groove 52 is closed, the horizontal portion 50 is pushed by the curtain airbag 20 that is inflated and deployed, and is deformed by the gap 6. When the horizontal portion 50 comes into contact with the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A (see FIG. 11), the horizontal portion 50 is hardly deformed, and therefore, the horizontal portion 50 and the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A are prevented from strongly colliding. The Moreover, when the horizontal part 50 contacts the pillar garnish 13A, the impact of the pillar garnish 13A is relieved, and the deformation of the horizontal part 50 and the pillar garnish 13A is suppressed.

  The horizontal portion 50 of the holding member 30 prevents the curtain airbag 20 from coming into contact with the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A and suppresses deformation of the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A. Further, the horizontal portion 50 moves downward, which is the deployment direction of the curtain airbag 20. Therefore, the curtain airbag 20 is prevented from being caught by the horizontal portion 50, and the curtain airbag 20 is smoothly deployed. The horizontal portion 50 is also a guide portion that guides the deployment of the curtain airbag 20. When the curtain airbag 20 is inflated and deployed downward along the side wall 11 of the vehicle 10 by gas, the curtain airbag 20 is guided by the horizontal portion 50 at the position of the pillar garnish 13A of the vehicle 10.

  In a state of being attached to the attachment surface 17 of the vehicle 10, the holding member 30 assists the deployment of the curtain airbag 20 so that the deployment of the curtain airbag 20 is not inhibited by the pillar garnish 13A. The holding member 30 helps the curtain airbag 20 to inflate and deploy downward along the side wall 11 of the vehicle 10 so that the pillar garnish 13A is not hindered.

  At the time of a side collision, the side wall 11 of the vehicle 10 is moved inward in the vehicle width direction by the collision vehicle, and the B pillar 13 is deformed inward in the vehicle width direction. At the same time, the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A moves inward in the vehicle width direction. Even in this case, the portions of the plurality of grooves 52 of the horizontal portion 50 are bent according to the position of the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A. The horizontal portion 50 is easily deformed in response to the movement of the pillar garnish 13 </ b> A by bending deformation, and assists the deployment of the curtain airbag 20. Therefore, the curtain airbag 20 is deployed smoothly.

  As described above, when the groove 52 near the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A is closed among the plurality of grooves 52 of the horizontal portion 50, a gap 6 is formed between the horizontal portion 50 and the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A. (See FIG. 10). The gap 6 is set based on, for example, the amount by which the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A moves inward in the vehicle width direction during a side collision. By doing in this way, when the upper end 13B of pillar garnish 13A moves to the inner side of the vehicle width direction, it is suppressed that the upper end 13B of pillar garnish 13A and the horizontal part 50 collide strongly. Further, the inflation and deployment of the curtain airbag 20 is assisted by the holding member 30 so that the curtain airbag 20 is smoothly deployed.

  As described above, the curtain member 20 can be smoothly deployed by assisting the pillar garnish 13A from being hindered by the pillar garnish 13A by the holding member 30 of the present embodiment. Further, the curtain airbag 20 can be accurately inflated and deployed along the side wall 11. Since the horizontal portion 50 of the holding member 30 can be deformed by itself toward the original shape, the influence on the deployment behavior of the curtain airbag 20 can be reduced. As a result, the curtain airbag 20 can be deployed more uniformly by reducing the difference in deployment behavior between the portion of the curtain airbag 20 covered by the holding member 30 and the portion not covered by the holding member 30. Can do.

  When the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A moves inward in the vehicle width direction, the horizontal portion 50 of the holding member 30 is deformed corresponding to the movement of the upper end 13B of the pillar garnish 13A. Therefore, during the inflation and deployment of the curtain airbag 20, the horizontal portion 50 can assist the deployment of the curtain airbag 20 so that it is not hindered by the pillar garnish 13A.

  By forming the holding member 30 from a synthetic resin, the horizontal portion 50 can be easily deformed. However, the holding member 30 may be formed of a material other than the synthetic resin. The holding member 30 is preferably integrally formed. On the other hand, you may form the vertical wall 40 and the horizontal part 50 separately. In this case, the horizontal portion 50 is fixed to the vertical wall 40, and the holding member 30 is formed.

  The end portion 41 of the vertical wall 40 and the end portion 51 of the horizontal portion 50 can be attached to the attachment surface 17 of the vehicle 10 in a state where they are connected in advance. At the same time, the attachment piece 21 of the curtain airbag 20 can be attached to the attachment surface 17 together with the end portions 41 and 51. Therefore, the holding member 30 and the curtain airbag 20 can be easily attached to the attachment surface 17. By attaching two places of the holding member 30 to the attachment surface 17, the holding member 30 does not rotate and the holding member 30 is stabilized. When the fragile portion 57 of the horizontal portion 50 is disposed in the recess 46 </ b> B of the mounting portion 46, the fragile portion 57 can be prevented from being crushed by tightening the bolt 4.

  The plurality of grooves 52 are formed in the horizontal portion 50 of the holding member 30 along the longitudinal direction R of the folded curtain airbag 20. The horizontal portion 50 is easy to bend along the outer periphery of the curtain airbag 20 by the plurality of grooves 52 and in a direction to cancel the folding, and is difficult to bend in other directions. Therefore, the horizontal portion 50 can be easily folded along the outer periphery of the folded curtain airbag 20. Further, since the bending of the horizontal portion 50 is easily eliminated, the holding member 30 can reliably assist the deployment of the curtain airbag 20 and can smoothly deploy the curtain airbag 20. By securing the rigidity required for the horizontal portion 50 of the holding member 30, the folded curtain airbag 20 can be reliably held on the roof side rail 15 by the holding member 30.

  The shape (deformed shape) of the horizontal portion 50 when the curtain airbag 20 is inflated and deployed can be adjusted by the plurality of grooves 52 of the horizontal portion 50. Corresponding to the deformed shape of the horizontal portion 50, the intervals of the plurality of grooves 52 are set. For example, the plurality of grooves 52 may be formed at equal intervals, or the plurality of grooves 52 may be formed at different intervals. Further, the depth of the groove 52 is set corresponding to the deformed shape of the horizontal portion 50. For example, the plurality of grooves 52 may be formed at the same depth, or the plurality of grooves 52 may be formed at different depths. The depth may be changed in one groove 52. Specifically, the end of the groove 52 is formed deeper than the other part, or the end of the groove 52 is formed shallower than the other part. Corresponding to the deformed shape of the horizontal portion 50, the width or cross-sectional shape of the groove 52 may be changed.

12 to 14 are cross-sectional views showing examples of the grooves 52 formed in the horizontal portion 50 of the holding member 30, and show cross sections of the horizontal portions 50 orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the grooves 52. FIGS. 12A to 14A show the horizontal portion 50 that is not bent, and FIGS. 12B to 14B show deformed shapes of the horizontal portion 50.
As shown in the figure, the horizontal portion 50 of the holding member 30 is bent at the position of the groove 52 and deformed into a predetermined deformed shape with the groove 52 closed.

  When the horizontal portion 50 has the same thickness (see FIGS. 12 and 13), the thickness of the horizontal portion 50 at the position of the groove 52 is changed by changing the depth of the groove 52. Accordingly, the ease of bending of the horizontal portion 50 changes. The deeper the groove 52, the easier it is for the horizontal portion 50 to bend. Therefore, the horizontal portion 50 (see FIG. 13) having the deep groove 52 bends more easily than the horizontal portion 50 (see FIG. 12) having the shallow groove 52. When the groove 52 is formed in a V-shaped cross-sectional shape (see FIG. 14), the groove 52 gradually becomes wider from the bottom toward the opening. As a result, the horizontal portion 50 is bent more greatly until the groove 52 is closed, and the bending angle of the horizontal portion 50 is increased.

  Here, the holding member 30 assists the deployment of the curtain airbag 20 in the pillar garnish 13A of the B pillar 13. On the other hand, in the pillar garnish of the pillars other than the B pillar 13, the holding member 30 may assist the deployment of the curtain airbag 20. Further, in one pillar garnish, the deployment of the curtain airbag 20 may be assisted by the holding member 30, and in the plurality of pillar garnishes, the deployment of the curtain airbag 20 may be assisted by the holding member 30.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Curtain airbag apparatus, 2 ... Crew, 3 ... Inflator, 4 ... Bolt, 5 ... Opening, 6 ... Clearance, 10 ... Vehicle, 11 ... Side wall , 12 ... A pillar, 13 ... B pillar, 14 ... C pillar, 15 ... Roof side rail, 17 ... Mounting surface, 18 ... Nut, 20 ... Curtain airbag , 21 ... mounting piece, 22 ... gas supply part, 23 ... through hole, 30 ... holding member, 31 ... corner part, 32 ... convex part, 40 ... vertical wall , 41 ... end, 42 ... convex part, 43 ... attachment part, 44 ... engagement part, 45 ... attachment hole, 46 ... attachment part, 47 ... connection part , 50 ... horizontal part, 51 ... end, 52 ... groove, 53 ... mounting surface, 54 ... opposite surface, 55 ... mounting part, 56 ... engagement , 57 ... fragile portion.

Claims (4)

A curtain airbag stored in a folded state along a roof side rail extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is held on the roof side rail, and the curtain airbag is inflated downward along the side wall of the vehicle by the gas of the inflator. A curtain airbag holding member that assists the vehicle's pillar garnish not to be hindered in deployment,
A vertical wall adjacent to the mounting surface of the vehicle and a substantially L-shaped cross-sectional shape formed of a horizontal portion on which the folded curtain airbag is placed, and the vehicle's front-rear direction rather than the upper end of the pillar garnish Long
The horizontal portion has a plurality of grooves along the longitudinal direction of the folded curtain airbag, is folded along the outer periphery of the folded curtain airbag,
The end of the vertical wall and the end of the horizontal part are attached to the attachment surface above the pillar garnish in a state of being connected to each other,
The end portion of the horizontal portion is a curtain airbag holding member having a fragile portion that is broken when the curtain airbag is inflated. In the curtain airbag holding member according to claim 1,
The plurality of grooves are curtain airbag holding members formed on a surface of the horizontal portion opposite to the curtain airbag. In the holding member of the curtain airbag according to claim 1 or 2,
The end of the vertical wall and the end of the horizontal portion hold a curtain airbag that is attached to the attachment surface together with the attachment piece, with the attachment piece of the curtain airbag attached to the vehicle between them. Element.   A curtain airbag device comprising a curtain airbag and the curtain airbag holding member according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Images