JP2599990Y2 - Airbag device with horn switch - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an airbag device equipped with a horn switch which is disposed at the center of a steering wheel and absorbs and protects the impact of a seated occupant in the event of a car collision.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is provided an airbag device with a horn switch in which an airbag cover is disposed at a central portion of a steering wheel so as to face a driver's seat in order to protect a driver at the time of a collision of an automobile. .

Conventionally, as an airbag device with a horn switch of this type, there is known an airbag device described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 2-127572. This is a steering wheel in which the airbag device is housed in the lower part of the pad part, and the mesh is insert-molded in the inner layer part of the upper part of the pad part. Then, the ends of the membrane switches facing the fixed ends on both sides are formed in a corrugated form, or are sewn and fixed to the mesh, and are embedded by insert molding.

[0004]

In the device disclosed in the above publication, the horn switch is built in the pad portion of the steering wheel by insert molding. Therefore, when the horn switch fails, only the horn switch is replaced. Was difficult. Further, since the horn switch is formed by insert molding, the horn switch must be heat-resistant, and may be damaged during molding. Further, since the horn switch is insert-molded on the pad portion of the steering wheel, the entire pad portion moves even if an occupant presses the pad portion, and the horn switch may not operate properly. Was.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to easily replace only a horn switch and to use a horn switch having no heat resistance. It is an object of the present invention to provide an airbag device with a horn switch that can be used, and can operate the horn switch stably without fear of damaging the horn switch in the device assembling process.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, an airbag device with a horn switch according to the present invention comprises an airbag cover having a storage hole, and an opening of the storage hole which is openably closed. Attached to airbag cover
By having a lid and a horn switch, inserting the horn switch into the storage hole and closing the storage hole with the lid,
The horn switch can be replaced with an airbag cover.
It is characterized by being attached . Also, insert the insertion slot on the side
An airbag cover having a guide piece provided laterally on the inner wall surface of the top plate corresponding to the insertion port;
And a horn switch sandwiched between
Is inserted from the insertion slot and guided and fixed to the guide piece, and the horn switch can be replaced with an airbag cover
It is characterized by the fact that

[0007]

When the occupant presses the airbag cover to operate the horn switch, the pressing force causes the airbag cover to be elastically deformed in the direction of the airbag body. Then, the pressing force is transmitted to the horn switch attached to the airbag cover, and the horn switch is operated to cause the horn to sound.

Since the horn switch can be removed from the side of the airbag cover, the horn switch can be replaced. Further, since the horn switch is housed independently of the airbag cover, it is not scattered even when the airbag bag is inflated and deployed.

[0009]

An embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. This device is arranged at the center of the steering wheel 10. FIGS. 1 to 5 show a first embodiment of the present apparatus, and FIGS. 6 to 10 show a second embodiment of the present apparatus.

First, a first embodiment will be described. 11
Is an airbag cover for storing the folded airbag body 12. The airbag cover 11 may be made of thermoplastic elastomer resin or urethane foam.

The airbag cover 11 has a top plate 13 and side plates 14 extending from four rounds of the top plate 13. A skirt plate 15 is bent from the edge of the top plate 13 so as to surround the side plate 14 in the airbag cover 11. The skirt plate 15 has a notch 16 formed on the side close to the driver's seat when the steering wheel 10 is positioned in the forward running direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, the airbag cover 11
In order to facilitate the breakage of the airbag cover 11 when the airbag bag body 12 is inflated and deployed,
A concave groove 17 is formed so as to be locally thin.

In the airbag cover 11, from the upper end of the side plate 14 corresponding to the notch 16 to the center of the top plate 13, a storage hole 19 having a closed rear end is provided for inserting and storing the horn switch 18. It is provided. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the storage holes 19 are provided on the inner wall surface side of the top plate 13, but may be provided on the outer wall surface side of the top plate 13.

Since the storage hole 19 is formed in the airbag cover 11, the thickness of the airbag cover 11 in this portion becomes relatively thin. As a result, the airbag cover 1
When a pressing force is applied to 1, the portion of the airbag cover 11 where the storage hole 19 is formed is easily deformed. Also,
Top plate 13 of airbag cover 11 having storage hole 19 formed therein
Has a predetermined thickness and a certain rigidity, and the horn switch 18 operates stably.

An opening 19 a of the storage hole 19 is closed by a lid 20 so as to be openable and closable. The lid 20 is formed in a shape that fits into the notch 16 of the skirt plate 15. Engagement holes 21, 21 formed in side plate 14 are formed in lid 20.
Are protrudingly provided. Further, the cover 20 is provided with an insertion hole 24 through which the switch wiring 23 of the horn switch 18 passes. Reference numeral 25 denotes a mounting hole for mounting the lid 20 to the airbag cover 11 and the base plate 27 with bolts 26.

After assembling the airbag device, the horn switch 18 is inserted into the storage hole 19 through the opening 19a,
It is stored and fixed by closing the storage hole 19 with the lid 20. The switch wiring 23 of the horn switch 18 passes through the insertion hole 24 and is drawn out to the steering wheel 10 side. The horn switch 18 does not need to be heat-resistant, and if a failure occurs, only the horn switch 18 can be easily replaced.

The air bag body 12 has a circular shape.
The outer edges of the sheets are sewn together. The airbag bag 12 may be one that is uniformly folded by a conventional automatic folding machine. Airbag bag 12
The peripheral edge of the opening provided at the center of the base material is sandwiched between the ring plate 28 and the base plate 27 with rivets or the like, and is further airtightly connected to the inflator 29.

The inflator 29 is a thin cylindrical container having a gas generating agent sealed therein, and has a plurality of gas outlets 30, 30... Further, a flange 31 is provided on the outer periphery of the inflator 29 beside the gas ejection ports 30, 30,.... The inflator 29 is
The head penetrates through the base plate 27, the opening of the airbag bag body 12, and the ring plate 28, and the flange 3
1 is a base plate 2 with bolts or rivets 32
7 is fixed. The gas outlets 30 of the inflator 29 are surrounded by the airbag bag 12.

The present apparatus is provided with a base plate 27
It is fixed to the steering wheel 10. The airbag cover 1 is attached to the base plate 27 as described above.
1. A folded airbag bag body 12, a ring plate 28, and an inflator 29 are attached.

Next, a second embodiment will be described. 40
Denotes an airbag cover, which may be made of the same material as the airbag cover 11 of the first embodiment. The airbag cover 40 has a top plate 41, a side plate 42 bent and extended from four rounds of the top plate 41, and a skirt plate 43 bent and extended from an edge of the top plate 41 so as to surround the side plate 42. still,
A concave groove (not shown) is formed in the inner wall surface of the top plate 41 of the airbag cover 40, as in the first embodiment.

A cut opening 44 is formed in the skirt plate 43 at a position located on the upper right side when the steering wheel 10 is positioned in the forward running direction (the state shown in FIG. 6). An insertion port 45 is provided at an upper end of the side plate 42 corresponding to the cut opening 44.
On the inner wall surface of the top plate 41, two rows of guide pieces 46, 46 having an L-shaped cross section, which are provided laterally from a portion corresponding to the insertion opening 45, are formed so as to protrude. This guide piece 46,
46 is a horn switch 18 inserted through the insertion slot 45
For guiding and fixing.

Reference numeral 47 denotes a reinforcing plate adhered to the lower surface of the horn switch 18 in order to provide rigidity to the sheet-like horn switch 18 and to operate the horn switch 18 stably. The reinforcing plate 47 may be made of a hard material such as metal or plastic, and may have substantially the same dimensions as the horn switch 18. By attaching the reinforcing plate 47 to the horn switch 18, the horn switch 18 can be guided and inserted into the guide pieces 46, 46 without being affected by the airbag bag 12. Reinforcing plate 47 or guide piece 46,
When the taper 46 is formed in a slightly tapered shape with respect to the insertion direction, the reinforcing plate 47 is tightly fitted as it is inserted therein, and is fixed by frictional resistance.

Horn switch 1 with reinforcing plate 47 attached
8, after the airbag device is assembled, the notch opening 44
It is inserted into the insertion opening 45 which is more visible, guided by the guide pieces 46, 46, and stored and fixed. Horn switch 18
The switch wiring 23 passes through the insertion opening 45 and is drawn out along the outer wall surface of the side plate 42 of the airbag cover 40. The horn switch 18 does not need to be heat-resistant, as in the first embodiment. If the horn switch 18 breaks down, only the horn switch 18 can be easily replaced.

Airbag bag body 12, base plate 2
7, ring plate 28 and inflator 29 are the same as in the first embodiment. The airbag cover 40, the folded airbag bag body 12, the ring plate 28, and the inflator 29 are attached to the base plate 27, and the base plate 27 is attached to the steering wheel 10.

[0025]

[Effect of the Invention] The present invention is configured as described above.
Since the horn switch can be removed from the airbag cover, when the horn switch fails, only the horn switch can be easily replaced from the side of the airbag cover. Further, since the horn switch is fixed by an airbag cover or a reinforcing plate with high rigidity, the performance of the switch is stable. Furthermore,
Since the horn switch is inserted and attached from the side of the airbag cover after the airbag device is assembled, there is no danger of damaging the switch in the switch mounting process, and the switch can be used even if it is not heat-resistant.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of the present apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1 of the first embodiment of the present apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 1 of the first embodiment of the present apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the lower portion of the airbag cover of the first embodiment of the present device.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a lid of the airbag cover of the first embodiment of the present device.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the present apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line C-C of FIG. 6 of the second embodiment of the present apparatus.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a second embodiment of the present apparatus.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a back surface of an airbag cover according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional view of a horn switch insertion portion of a second embodiment of the present device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11, 40 Airbag cover 18 Horn switch 19 Storage hole 19a Opening 20 Lid 46 Guide piece

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B62D 1/04-1/28 B62D 21/16-21/32

Claims (2)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. An airbag cover having a storage hole formed therein,
The opening of the storage hole is opened and closed to close the airbag cover.
A lid that is attached to the chromatography, and a horn switch, insert the horn switch accommodating hole, by the this <br/> closing receiving hole in the lid, replacement takes horn switch into the airbag cover
An airbag device with a horn switch, which is mounted as possible . 2. An insertion port is provided on a side surface and the insertion port is provided.
The airbag cover has a guide piece arranged laterally on the inner wall surface of the top plate, and a horn switch sandwiched between the guide pieces, and the horn switch is inserted from the insertion port.
An airbag device with a horn switch, wherein the horn switch is attached to the guide piece so as to be replaceable with an airbag cover.