JP2573687Y2 - Airbag cover - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cover structure for an airbag of a vehicle, and more particularly to a cover structure for covering an opening of an instrument panel in front of a passenger seat in which an airbag is stored.
The present invention relates to an airbag cover that opens an opening as an airbag expands and deploys.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Some vehicles are provided with an airbag device for inflating an airbag between an occupant and a steering wheel or an instrument panel at the time of a vehicle collision to prevent the occupant from colliding forward. .

[0003] On the passenger seat side of the vehicle, the airbag is folded and stored in an instrument panel in front of the passenger seat, and in the event of a vehicle collision, inflates toward the passenger seat from an opening provided in the instrument panel. Deploy to reduce the impact of occupants. This opening is normally covered with an airbag cover, and the airbag cover pivots upward with the expansion of the airbag at the time of a vehicle collision, so that the opening is opened.

Conventionally, a pad-type airbag cover has been used as an airbag cover (Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 1-8).
No. 1156, No. 2-25346). In recent years, airbag covers made of resin have been increasingly used in place of the pad type for the purpose of cost reduction. In addition, in order to reduce the weight of the airbag cover, the airbag cover is often made of a thin resin plate, but in this case, unevenness may be generated on the surface due to pressurized thermal strain generated during molding. Since there is a risk of damage due to the inflation force when the airbag is inflated, grid-like reinforcing ribs are integrated on the back of the airbag cover in the vertical direction along the airbag deployment direction and in the horizontal direction crossing the vertical direction. It has secured surface rigidity of d <br/> a bag cover formed on.

[0005]

However, when the reinforcing ribs as described above are provided on the back surface of the airbag cover, when the airbag expands and deploys, the airbag inflates and expands smoothly due to the resistance of the ribs. There is a possibility that the airbag inflates and deploys, which must be performed promptly at the same time as the collision, without delay, causing a delay in timing.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a resin airbag cover having sufficient surface rigidity and enabling smooth and quick inflation and deployment of an airbag. This was done as an issue.

[0007]

In the present invention, the resistance of the ribs of the airbag cover, which hinders the smooth inflation and deployment of the airbag, is mainly based on the resistance of the lateral ribs. As shown in FIG. 2, the airbag 12 is provided to cover the opening 11 of the instrument panel 10 in front of the passenger seat, and is provided at the front edge as the airbag 12 housed inside the instrument panel 10 expands and deploys. In the resin airbag cover 20 which rotates around the hinge portion 23 to open the opening 11, the vertical ribs 2 along the deployment direction of the airbag 12 are provided on the back surface to improve the surface rigidity.
One 1, and a transverse rib 22 which intersects the longitudinal ribs 21 in a grid pattern
It is characterized in that it is formed on the body and the height of the vertical ribs 21 is higher than the height of the horizontal ribs 22.

[0008]

In the event of a vehicle collision, the airbag cover 20 is pivoted upward about the root of the hinge 23 by the expansion of the airbag 12 to open the opening 11 of the instrument panel 10. The airbag 12 expands and deploys in the direction of the passenger seat from the opening 11 along the tip of the vertical rib 21 without receiving the resistance of the horizontal rib of the airbag cover 20 that has turned upward, and reduces the impact of the occupant. .

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described with reference to the embodiments shown in FIGS. In FIG. 1, an airbag 1 is provided inside an instrument panel 10 in front of a passenger seat of a left-hand drive vehicle.
2 (FIG. 2) is stored in the instrument panel 1
An opening 11 is formed on the upper surface. This opening 11
Are covered with an airbag cover 20.

In FIG. 2, an airbag cover 20 is made of a thin plate made of resin, and is normally positioned flush with the instrument panel 10 by closing the opening 11 of the instrument panel 10. ing. Airbag 12
Is provided in the instrument panel 10 and stored in a folded state in an airbag case 14 having an opening upward.

A hinge portion 23 extending obliquely downward is formed integrally with the front edge of the airbag cover 20, and a portion connected to the airbag cover 20 is thinner than a general portion.

The hinge portion 23 has a shape in which an intermediate portion is bent, and ribs 231 are provided integrally with the hinge portion 23 at a plurality of locations on the lower surface of the airbag cover 20 in front of the hinge portion. Further, in front of the hinge part 23, a hinge part 23 is provided.
A reinforcing member 30 for reinforcement is provided. The reinforcing member 30 is made of a thin iron plate, the lower end of which is fixed to the airbag case 14 together with the hinge portion 23, and the upper end 31 is
It is engaged with the engaging groove 232 provided in the rib 231.

On the back surface of the airbag cover 20, a plurality of ribs 21 and 22 are formed in a grid for reinforcing the airbag cover 20.

The reinforcing ribs formed in a lattice form include vertical ribs 21 provided along the direction of deployment of the airbag 12 indicated by arrows in FIG. 2 and horizontal ribs 22 provided crossing the vertical ribs. Are integrally formed on the back surface of the airbag cover 20. The height of the vertical ribs 21 is slightly higher than the height of the horizontal ribs 22 over the entire length.

Normally, the airbag cover 20 having the above structure is locked to the opening edge of the airbag case 14 by locking members 40 at both end positions of the airbag cover as shown in FIG. The upper end of the locking member 40 is fixed to the back surface of the airbag cover 20, and the lower end is fixed to the airbag case 14. A break portion 41 which is thin and easily broken is formed in the middle of the fixing portions of the locking member 40.

The airbag cover 20 of the present invention having the above-described structure.
Is normally the instrument panel 10 in front of the passenger seat.
The opening 11 is covered. In the event of a vehicle collision, an unillustrated sensor provided at the front of the vehicle detects the collision, and the airbag 1
A gas generator (not shown) provided at a lower portion of the airbag 2 is operated to supply gas into the airbag 12 to deploy the airbag 12 in a direction indicated by an arrow in FIG. For airbag cover 20
When the airbag 12 is pushed up , the breaking portion 41 of the locking member 40 is broken and separated, the engagement between the airbag cover 20 and the airbag case 14 is released, and the airbag cover 20 is inflated by the inflation output of the airbag 12. It is pushed upward and pivots upward with the root of the hinge 23 as a hinge center.

[0017] air bag cover 20 that is pivoted upward is further bulging force acts airbag 12, the hinge portion 23 extends linearly along the airbag case 14.
Accordingly, the rib 231 moves rearward of the vehicle, the upper end 31 of the reinforcing member 30 comes out of the engaging groove 232 provided in the rib 231, and the airbag cover 20 is separated from the reinforcing member 30 and becomes free. As a result, the airbag cover 20
Pivots further upward to open the opening 11. The airbag 12 is deployed along the tip of the vertical rib 21 of the airbag cover 20 from the opened opening 11 and swells between the passenger seat and the instrument panel 10 to reduce the impact of the occupant.

According to the airbag cover of the present invention, the airbag cover 20 can secure sufficient surface rigidity by the reinforcing ribs 21 and 22 provided on the back surface of the airbag cover in the form of a lattice, and the reinforcing ribs 21 and 22 can be secured. Of which, the airbag 20
The height of the vertical ribs 21 along the deployment direction is slightly higher than the height of the horizontal ribs 22, so that the airbag 12 is less likely to receive the resistance of the horizontal ribs 22. And the airbag 12 can be quickly expanded and deployed at the time of a vehicle collision.

[0019]

According to the airbag cover of the present invention, sufficient surface rigidity can be ensured, and the airbag can be smoothly expanded and deployed in the event of a vehicle collision.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an instrument panel in front of a passenger seat of a left-hand drive vehicle equipped with an airbag cover of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the airbag cover of the present invention, taken along a line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the airbag cover of the present invention at a position along the line III-III in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Instrument panel 12 Airbag 20 Airbag cover 21 Vertical rib 22 Horizontal rib 23 Hinge part

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] An airbag is provided to cover an opening of an instrument panel in front of a passenger seat of a vehicle in which an airbag is housed. In the resin airbag cover that moves to open the opening, a vertical rib along the airbag deployment direction, and a grid-like reinforcing rib composed of a horizontal rib intersecting with the vertical rib are integrally formed on the back surface, and An airbag cover characterized in that the height of the vertical ribs is higher than the height of the horizontal ribs.