JP2019172115A - Attachment structure of knee airbag device of vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a structure which can achieve weight reduction while securing support rigidity during deployment of a knee airbag in an attachment structure of a knee airbag device of a vehicle.SOLUTION: An attachment structure of a knee airbag device 10 includes a vehicle body side bracket 11 which couples the knee airbag device 10 to a hinge pillar 1A of a vehicle body 1. A connector attachment part 14 to which an OBD connector is attached is integrally provided with the vehicle body side bracket 11. The connector attachment part 14 extends to the vehicle rear side from the vehicle body side bracket 11 and is disposed between the vehicle body side bracket 11 and the hinge pillar 1A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a mounting structure for a knee airbag device in a vehicle.

  In vehicles such as automobiles, knee airbag devices that protect passengers' knees when an accident such as a collision occurs have been used. The knee airbag device is arranged in front of the passenger seat so that the airbag can be deployed toward the passenger's knee when an accident occurs.

  As a mounting structure for such a knee airbag device, for example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-210548) includes a knee airbag device, an instrument panel reinforcement (instrument panel member), and an instrument panel reinforcement. A configuration is disclosed in which a bracket is attached to a floor brace (center stay) spanned from a tosment to a tunnel portion of a floor panel. Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-76531) discloses a configuration in which a knee airbag device is attached to an instrument panel reinforcement via a bracket.

JP 2014-210548 A JP 2012-76531 A

  By the way, the knee airbag device needs to protect the passenger by deploying the airbag instantaneously (rapidly) when an accident occurs. For this reason, the mounting structure that supports the knee airbag device is subjected to a large impact during deployment, and therefore requires sufficient rigidity. However, increasing the thickness of the support member in the mounting structure or using a high-rigidity member to increase the rigidity of the mounting structure increases the weight of the vehicle, leading to deterioration in fuel economy and the like. It was.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to achieve weight reduction while ensuring support rigidity when deploying a knee airbag in a mounting structure of a knee airbag device of a vehicle. It is to provide a possible structure.

  In order to achieve the above object, the following solution is adopted in the present invention. That is, as described in claim 1, in the mounting structure of the knee airbag device of the vehicle, the vehicle body side bracket that connects the vehicle body of the vehicle and the knee airbag device is provided, and the vehicle body side bracket includes an external terminal and The connector attachment part to which the connector for connection was attached was provided.

  According to the above solution, the vehicle body side bracket attaches the knee airbag device to a relatively close vehicle body (for example, a hinge pillar), so that the length thereof can be shortened while suppressing an increase in weight. The rigidity can be increased by increasing the plate thickness or using a highly rigid member. Therefore, the connector mounting portion integrated with the high-rigidity vehicle body side bracket can have high mounting rigidity, and the workability of connector mounting is improved. In addition, it is not necessary to provide the connector mounting portion on the instrument panel, and the rigidity of the instrument panel can be lowered, so that the possibility and extent of injury to the passenger due to contact with the instrument panel in the event of an accident can be reduced. . In addition, it is not necessary to provide a member for supporting the connector mounting part separately from the vehicle body side bracket, and the overall weight is reduced. Therefore, the vehicle body side bracket is made thicker or a high rigidity member is used. Can increase the rigidity.

  Preferred embodiments based on the above solution are as described in claims 2 and below in the claims. That is, the connection connector is an OBD connector (corresponding to claim 2). In this case, it is possible to rationally set the OBD connector mounting portion that is necessarily required in the vehicle at an appropriate position.

  The connector mounting portion extends from the vehicle body side bracket toward the rear of the vehicle (corresponding to claim 3). In this case, since the connector mounting portion can be disposed at an appropriate position that does not interfere with the vehicle body side bracket and the knee airbag device, high workability of connector mounting can be ensured.

  The connector mounting portion is disposed between the knee airbag device and a side surface of the vehicle body (corresponding to claim 4). In this case, since the connector attachment portion can be arranged at an appropriate position, high workability of connector attachment can be ensured.

  According to the present invention, since the connector mounting portion is provided on the vehicle body side bracket, the knee airbag device and the connector mounting structure can be configured with high rigidity while suppressing an increase in the overall weight.

The perspective view which shows the compartment front part structure in a vehicle. The top view which shows an example of the attachment structure of the knee airbag apparatus of this invention. The perspective view which shows a vehicle body side bracket.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a front structure of a passenger compartment in a vehicle. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the mounting structure of the knee airbag device on the driver's seat side. In the drawings, only the members related to the mounting structure of the knee airbag device of the present invention in the vehicle compartment front structure are shown, and the other members are not shown.

  As shown in the drawing, an instrument panel member 2 is disposed between the left and right hinge pillars 1A and 1B constituting a part of the vehicle body 1. The instrument panel member 2 is a metal long pipe member, for example, and is disposed inside an instrument panel (not shown). The instrument panel member 2 has an end of the driver's seat side portion 2A (left side portion in FIG. 1) on the right hinge pillar 1A and an end of the passenger seat side portion 2B (right side portion in FIG. 1) on the left hinge pillar 1B. By being attached respectively, it is spanned between both side parts 2A and 2B and extends in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 1.

  The instrument panel member 2 has a driver seat side portion 2A, which requires higher mechanical strength, having a larger diameter than the passenger seat side portion 2B. A steering column (not shown) is attached to the approximate center of the driver seat portion 2A.

  A floor panel 3 is provided below the passenger compartment, and a center portion of the floor panel 3 in the vehicle width direction is a tunnel portion 3A. On the floor panel 3, a driver's seat and a passenger seat (not shown) are disposed so as to be positioned on the left and right of the tunnel portion 3A.

  Knee airbag devices 10 and 20 are respectively arranged in front of the driver's seat and the passenger seat so as to be positioned in front of the passenger's knees. The knee airbag devices 10 and 20 have an airbag inside, and when the accident occurs, the airbag is deployed by an inflator and extends through the outer frame (case) of the knee airbag devices 10 and 20. This protects the occupant's knees.

  The knee airbag device 10 on the driver's seat side (left side) has a left end side on the hinge pillar 1A on the left side of the vehicle body 1 via the vehicle body side bracket 11, and a right end side on the center stay 13 via the center stay side bracket 12 respectively. It is attached. On the other hand, the knee airbag device 20 on the passenger seat side (right side) has an instrument panel member 2 on the right end side through the vehicle body side bracket 21 to the right hinge pillar 1B of the vehicle body 1 and on the left end side through the instrument panel member mounting bracket 22. Are attached to each.

  The knee airbag devices 10 and 20 have a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and are disposed substantially horizontally extending in the vehicle width direction (lateral direction). The vehicle body side brackets 11 and 21 are members made of, for example, metal, and the vehicle body side bracket 11 is connected to the knee airbag devices 10 and 20 as shown in FIG. 11A, 21A, vehicle body side connection portions 11B, 21B connected to hinge pillars 1A, 1B, knee airbag side connection portions 11A, 21A and intermediate portions 11C, 21C provided between vehicle body side connection portions 11B, 21B It has. Intermediate portions 11C and 11B of the vehicle body side brackets 11 and 21 extend substantially horizontally in the vehicle width direction from the knee airbag devices 10 and 20 to the hinge pillars 1A and 1B.

  Thus, since the vehicle body side brackets 11 and 21 are attached to the side part (hinge pillar 1A, 1B) of the vehicle body 1, the length can be shortened. That is, since the knee airbag devices 10 and 20 are arranged extending in the vehicle width direction, the distance to the hinge pillars 1A and 1B is shorter than the distance from the knee airbag devices 10 and 20 to the instrument panel member 2. As a result, the length of the bracket can be made shorter than when the knee airbag devices 10 and 20 are connected to the instrument panel member 2 and supported. Further, the intermediate portions 11C and 21C of the vehicle body side brackets 11 and 21 extend in the vehicle width direction, and are adjacent to the knee airbag devices 10 and 20 in the hinge pillars 1A and 1B in the vehicle width direction (the closest part). Since it is attached to (part), it can be of the minimum necessary length. Therefore, even if the vehicle body side brackets 11 and 21 increase the plate thickness or use a highly rigid member to increase the rigidity, the increase in weight can be suppressed because the length is short. It is possible to achieve both high support rigidity and light weight in the mounting structure.

  Further, since the knee airbag devices 10 and 20 are supported by the vehicle body 1 by the vehicle body side brackets 11 and 21, a part of the load when the knee airbag is deployed is rigid through the vehicle body side brackets 11 and 20. Dispersed in the large vehicle body 1 (hinge pillars 1A, 1B). Therefore, the load at the time of deployment of the knee airbag can be appropriately supported by the vehicle body 1. Further, various members (instrument panel, steering column, etc.) can be attached to reduce the weight distribution to the instrument panel member 2 with a heavy overload.

  The intermediate portions 11C and 21C of the vehicle body side brackets 11 and 21 have a plate shape, and the plate surface of the plate shape extends along a surface that is substantially perpendicular to the vehicle front-rear direction (substantially up and down direction). Are arranged). Thereby, the support rigidity of the direction (diagonal downward direction) which an airbag expand | deploys is improved.

  In the present embodiment, the knee airbag side connecting portion 11 </ b> A of the vehicle body side bracket 11 has a flat plate shape that is disposed and fixed along the upper surface of the knee airbag device 10. Further, the vehicle body side connecting portion 11B and the intermediate portion 11C of the vehicle body side bracket 11 are separate members connected by bolts 11D.

  The center stay 13 has an upper end 13 </ b> A fixed to the instrument panel member 2 and a lower end 13 </ b> B fixed to the tunnel portion 3 </ b> B, and is spanned between the instrument panel member 2 and the tunnel portion 3. The center stay side bracket 12 is made of, for example, metal, and one end is fixed to the right end portion of the knee airbag device 10 and the other end is fixed to the center stay 13.

  The center stay side bracket 12 includes a knee airbag side connecting portion 12A connected to the knee airbag device 10, a center stay side connecting portion 12B connected to the center stay 13, a knee airbag side connecting portion 12A and the center stay. An intermediate portion 12C is provided in the middle of the side connecting portion 12B. In the present embodiment, the knee airbag side connecting portion 12 </ b> A is connected to the upper surface of the knee airbag device 10 at the lower end and extends upward from the knee airbag device 10. The intermediate portion 12B extends horizontally in the vehicle width direction from the upper end of the knee airbag side connecting portion 12A and reaches the center stay side connecting portion 12B.

  As described above, the center stay side bracket 12 that supports the knee airbag device 10 together with the vehicle body side bracket 11 is also attached to a portion of the center stay 13 that is substantially adjacent to the knee airbag device 10. Therefore, the center stay side bracket 12 can also shorten the length (of the intermediate portion 12C), like the vehicle body side bracket 11, and can increase the support rigidity while achieving weight reduction.

  The intermediate portion 12C of the center stay side bracket 12 has a plate shape, and the plate surface of the plate shape is disposed along a surface substantially perpendicular to the vehicle front-rear direction (extending substantially in the vertical direction). ing. Thereby, the support rigidity of the direction (diagonal downward direction) which an airbag expand | deploys is improved.

  As shown in detail in FIG. 3, the vehicle body side bracket 11 is integrally provided with a connector attachment portion 14 for attaching a connector for connection with an external terminal. The connection connector is, for example, an OBD (On-board diagnostics) connector (self-diagnostic connector). The connector attachment portion 14 is integrally attached to the intermediate portion 11C of the vehicle body side bracket 11 (for example, by welding), and extends substantially horizontally from the lower end side of the intermediate portion 11C toward the rear of the vehicle. Thereby, the connector attachment part 14 integral with the highly rigid vehicle body side bracket 11 can have high attachment rigidity, and the workability | operativity of connector attachment improves.

  Further, since it is not necessary to provide a member for supporting the connector mounting portion 14 separately from the vehicle body side bracket 11 and the weight is reduced as a whole, the vehicle body side bracket 11 is made thicker or a highly rigid member. The rigidity can be increased.

  Moreover, since it is not necessary to provide the connector attachment part 14 in an instrument panel, it is not necessary to reinforce the resin part of an instrument panel. Therefore, since the rigidity of the instrument panel can be lowered, it is possible to reduce the possibility and degree of occupant injury due to contact with the instrument panel when an accident occurs.

  The connector attaching portion 14 extends rearward from the vehicle body side bracket 11 and is disposed between the hinge pillar 1A and the knee airbag device 10. Therefore, the vehicle body side bracket 11 and the knee airbag device 10 do not get in the way when the connector is attached to the connector attachment portion 14, and high workability can be ensured.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, In the range described in the claim, an appropriate change is possible. For example, in the above embodiment, the knee airbag device mounting structure of the present invention is applied to the driver's seat side. However, the present invention is not limited to such a form, and can also be applied to the passenger seat side. It is. Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the connector attaching part 14 was used as another member integrally attached to the vehicle body side bracket 11, you may comprise the connector attaching part 14 and the vehicle body side bracket 11 from one member. Further, the specific shape of the vehicle body side bracket is not limited to the shape of the vehicle body side brackets 11 and 21 of the above embodiment. For example, the vehicle body side connecting portion 11B and the intermediate portion 11C may be configured as a single member, not as separate members.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a knee airbag device mounting structure in a vehicle such as an automobile.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Car body 1A Hinge pillar 1B Hinge pillar 2 Instrument panel 3 Floor panel 3A Tunnel part 10 of a floor panel Knee airbag apparatus 11 Car body side bracket 11A Knee airbag side connection part 11B of a car body side bracket Car body side connection part 11C of a car body side bracket Bracket intermediate portion 12 Center stay side bracket 12A Center stay side bracket knee airbag side connecting portion 12B Center stay side bracket center stay side connecting portion 12C Center stay side bracket intermediate portion 13 Center stay 14 Connector connecting portion 20 Knee air Bag device 21 Car body side bracket 21A Knee airbag side connecting part 21B of car body side bracket Car body side connecting part 21C of car body side bracket Intermediate part 22 of car body side bracket 22 Instrument panel member side bracket The

Claims (4)

In the mounting structure of the vehicle knee airbag device,
A vehicle body side bracket for connecting the vehicle body and the knee airbag device;
A vehicle airbag assembly mounting structure in which a connector mounting portion to which a connector for connection with an external terminal is mounted is provided on the vehicle body side bracket. In the mounting structure of the vehicle knee airbag device according to claim 1,
The connection connector is an OBD connector mounting structure for a vehicle knee airbag device. The vehicle knee airbag device mounting structure according to claim 1 or 2,
The connector mounting portion is a vehicle knee airbag device mounting structure that extends from the vehicle body side bracket toward the rear of the vehicle. In the mounting structure of the knee airbag device of the vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The connector mounting portion is a mounting structure for a knee airbag device of a vehicle disposed between the knee airbag device and a side surface of the vehicle body.

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