JP3029288U - Airbag - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) 【Abstract】 PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an airbag capable of reducing production cost by satisfying the function as an airbag required for each vehicle type and enabling a common inflator. To do. A tubular part (6) having an open end (5) for introducing gas.
And a main body portion 8 that is deployed toward the occupant, and the tubular portion 6 and the main body portion 8 are integrated to form an airbag.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Technical field to which the device belongs]

 The present invention relates to an airbag device for ensuring the safety of an occupant seated in a driver's seat or a passenger seat from the impact of a vehicle collision accident. The present invention relates to a versatile airbag applicable to vehicles.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 The airbag system uses a steering wheel for the driver's seat and a front passenger's seat for the passenger's seat in order to ensure the safety of passengers sitting in the driver's seat or passenger seat from the impact of a vehicle collision. Each is located inside the instrument panel of. In such an airbag device, for example, in the airbag device for the driver's seat, as shown in FIG. 5, the gas introduction opening 52 of the airbag 54 is superposed on the central opening 52 of the retainer 51. It is fixed by an appropriate means, and at the same time, an inflator 53 is inserted into the opening 52, and its flange 50 is fixed to the retainer 51 with a bolt 62. Further, a bag cover 56 having a fragile portion 55 in the center is fixed to the retainer 51, and an airbag 54 is folded and stored inside the bag cover 56. In the case of a vehicle collision, as shown in the right half of FIG. 5, the inflator 53 releases high-pressure gas to rapidly deploy the airbag 54, and the deploying force breaks the fragile portion 55 of the bag cover 56. It is configured to protect the driver by bulging it out of the bag cover and deploying it in a substantially egg-like shape between the driver and the steering wheel.

An airbag 54 used in such an airbag device has an opening 57 for introducing gas and a plurality of sheets for attaching to a retainer, as shown in FIG. 6 showing the deployed state of the airbag. The annular reinforcing cloth 58 is sewn on and is composed of a rear surface portion 59 made of a body cloth on the side attached to the retainer and a front surface portion 60 made of a body cloth on the side for protecting the driver. In the sewn portion 61 having the same size and located substantially in the center of the airbag in a deployed state, the respective surface portions are sewn with a sewing machine or the like.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 The volume of the above-mentioned conventional airbag device when the airbag is deployed is normally about 35 to 65 liters for the driver's seat, and about 70 to 180 liters for the passenger's seat. As for the airbag, there are optimum values for the height H from the mounting end of the airbag to the tip of the airbag during deployment and the diameter D that regulates the area of the airbag, depending on the characteristics of each vehicle type. Therefore, the optimum storage capacity of the airbag differs for each vehicle type. Therefore, since it is necessary to change the airbag volume depending on each vehicle model, it was necessary to prepare airbags of different sizes for each vehicle model.

As described above, since the volume of the airbag changes depending on each vehicle type, it has been necessary to change the gas generating capacity of the inflator for expanding the airbag. For this purpose, it is possible to prepare one inflator with a large gas generation capacity and apply it to all airbags, but use an expensive large-capacity inflator for an airbag that originally requires a small amount of gas. Not only is it uneconomical to do so, but releasing a large volume of gas against a small volume airbag not only causes problems with the strength of the airbag, but also increases the occupant injury value. There will be a serious problem of increasing risk. For this reason, it was necessary to change the gas generating capacity of the inflator according to the capacity of the airbag for each vehicle type, and it was also necessary to perform many tests on the inflator and design and manufacture it for each vehicle type.

As described above, in the conventional airbag device, the height H and the diameter D at the time of deployment required for each vehicle type are different, and thus the airbag having a different volume and the inflator having a different gas generating capacity are provided. It is necessary to prepare a large number of products, and its production must be a complicated, large-volume, small-quantity production, which requires an increase in development costs and a long period of time for design, which is one of the factors that increase production costs. It was.

In view of the present situation, the present invention can reduce the production cost by enabling the inflator to be shared while satisfying the function as an airbag required for each vehicle type. The purpose is to provide an airbag.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to solve the above problems, the present invention comprises a tubular portion having a gas introduction port and a main body portion that is deployed toward an occupant, and is configured such that the tubular portion and the main body portion are integrated. The airbag has a capacity that can be easily adjusted.

Since the present invention is configured as described above, the main body portion of the air bag having a plurality of basic diameters D is defined, and the main body portion suitable for the vehicle type is used in manufacturing the airbag. Is selected, and a tubular portion selected so as to have an airbag deployment height H suitable for the vehicle type is attached to form an airbag assembly, which facilitates the production of the airbag and Despite the difference in height and diameter of the airbag, the volume can be made almost the same, and as a result, standardization of the inflator is possible.

[0010]

[Embodiment of device]

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the airbag according to the present invention is used as an airbag device for a driver's seat, and shows a state in which the airbag is deployed. As is clear from this figure, the airbag 1 of the present invention is fixed to the retainer 3 together with the inflator 2 by the bolt 4, and the tubular portion 6 having the gas introduction opening 5 and the tubular portion 6 are provided. It is composed of a main body portion 8 which is joined and integrated with the other end portion 7. That is, the main body portion 8 of the airbag 1 has a substantially oval shape, and the opening portion 9 thereof has substantially the same diameter as the end portion 7 of the tubular portion 6, so that the opening portion 9 of the main body portion 8 and the tubular portion 6 are The end portion 7 is integrated by being sewn or bonded. Incidentally, it is also possible to form the shape by integrally knitting it so that it does not have a joint portion like seamless stocking. Here, when the inflator 2 has a circular shape and the gas introduction opening 5 serving as a mounting portion of the airbag to the retainer 3 is also circular, the tubular portion 6 is also cylindrical.

The airbag main body 8 is preset and standardized to have several types of shapes so as to have a predetermined diameter D required for each vehicle type when the airbag is deployed. Therefore, the main body portion 8 is selected according to the characteristics of each vehicle type, and the tubular portion 6 common to each vehicle type is integrated with the main body portion 8 by sewing or the like to manufacture a predetermined airbag.

The airbag 1 manufactured in this manner is fixed to the retainer 3 together with the inflator 2 which is manufactured in advance for each vehicle type, and the airbag 1 is provided in the bag cover 10 as in the conventional example shown in FIG. Store it in the folded state, and fix it to the steering wheel before use.

In the airbag device described above, comparing the deployment state of the airbag 1 with that of the conventional one, as shown in FIG. 2, the height H of the airbag at the time of deployment, which is determined corresponding to each vehicle type, is determined. And the diameter D are the same, it can be seen that the airbag 8 of the present invention has a volume corresponding to the hatched portion in the figure smaller than that of the conventional airbag 1. This means that the required height H and diameter D of the airbag for each type of vehicle can be met with a small-capacity airbag. Thus, it can be seen that the conventional large inflator can be applied to the required range, and the inflator can be easily downsized and standardized. Further, it is possible to cope with airbags having the same diameter D 1 and different heights H by changing only the length h of the tubular portion as appropriate, which facilitates the design and manufacture of the airbag. I understand. In particular, since the height H and the diameter D of the airbag and the gas generating capacity of the inflator for inflating the airbag have a certain allowable range, the diameter D within the predetermined allowable range corresponding to the vehicle type. Even if the main body portion 8 of the inflator is selected and fixed and only the cylindrical portion 6 is changed, that is, only the height H is changed, the change in the volume of the airbag due to the change is small, so that the allowable range of the gas generating capacity of the inflator is small. This makes it extremely easy to design and manufacture an airbag and select an inflator.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment in which the tubular portion of the airbag 1 of the present invention has a bellows-like shape 11. When the airbag is stored, it can be easily folded and absorbs gas pressure. Since there is a portion, the shock absorbing ability is improved.

In the above embodiment, the airbag according to the present invention is used as the driver airbag device, but it can be used as the passenger airbag device as shown in FIG. That is, in this passenger seat airbag device, a module can 22 having a U-shaped cross section, which has the inflator 21 built therein, has a bottom wall 23 fixed to a vehicle body 25 inside an instrument panel 24 in front of the passenger seat. It is firmly fixed to 26. An airbag 28 is fixed to a gas release plate 27 provided inside the module can 22 in a folded state, and a substantially U-shaped locking member 31 is provided on the upper wall and the bottom wall of the module can 22. It is fixed. The locking member 31 is fitted in an opening 35 formed in a side wall 34 extending from the back surface of the door member 33 along the upper wall and the bottom wall of the module can 22.

A clip 37 is integrally projected on the back surface of the peripheral edge of the door surface 36 of the door member 33 formed of synthetic resin, and the clip 37 is formed on the back surface of the airbag mounting opening 38 of the instrument panel 24. The door member 33 is locked in close contact with the instrument panel 24 by its elastic force. A step portion is formed at the opening edge portion of the instrument panel 24, and the peripheral edge of the door member 33 is fitted into the step portion. Further, a break groove 40 is formed in the door member 33, so that the door member 33 is broken at this portion by the deploying force of the airbag 28 and the airbag can be deployed to the outside.

Such a passenger seat airbag 28 also has a gas introduction opening 41, which is shown in a folded state in the figure, of a predetermined length from the portion fixed to the gas discharge plate 27. And a main body portion 44 integrally joined to the end opening 43 of the tubular portion 42. Therefore, also in this embodiment, a plurality of types of main body portions 43 that expand into a predetermined shape corresponding to each vehicle type are standardized in advance, and when manufacturing the air bag, the main body portion corresponding to each vehicle type is selected, The end portion 43 of the tubular portion 42 that gives an appropriate height H 1 is integrally manufactured by sewing or the like. An airbag device is produced by fixing the airbag 28 to the gas discharge plate 27. Needless to say, when the mounting portion of the airbag is rectangular, such as the passenger seat airbag, the tubular portion 42 is also a tubular body having a substantially rectangular cross section correspondingly.

[0018]

[Effect of device]

 Since the present invention is configured as described above, conventionally, an airbag having a height H and a diameter D adapted to the characteristics of each vehicle type had to be designed and manufactured each time. Since the airbag is composed of two parts, a tubular portion 6 having a gas introduction opening and a main body portion 8 which is deployed toward the occupant, the length of the tubular portion 6 can be adjusted. When manufacturing airbags, standardize a plurality of types of body parts with different diameters D in advance, select a body part 8 with an appropriate diameter D according to the vehicle type, and adjust the height to suit the vehicle type. Since it becomes possible to manufacture an airbag by selecting the length of the tubular portion 6 so that it becomes H, not only the standardization of the airbag progresses but various tests for airbag design are reduced. As a result, the cost of the airbag can be easily reduced. .

Further, in the airbag of the present invention, the volume around the tubular portion is smaller than that of the conventional airbag, so that the overall capacity of the airbag can be reduced. As a result, the gas generation capacity of the inflator required can be reduced in size, and the inflator can be reduced in size and weight as well as in cost.

Further, in the airbag of the present invention, the capacity of the airbag corresponding to each vehicle type can be adjusted only by adjusting the length of the tubular portion within a considerable range, and the change in the capacity of the airbag caused by the adjustment is small. Therefore, the applicable range of one type of inflator is expanded, standardization of the inflator is further facilitated, and further cost reduction is possible.

Furthermore, since the airbag of the present invention is an air bag having a small capacity for a predetermined height H and diameter D, the airbag can be deployed at a high speed even with the same inflator, and a high-speed collision can be achieved. The passenger protection effect of the vehicle is increased and the deployment holding time is also increased, so the passenger protection effect against a low speed collision is enhanced. As a result, the effect of safety and control design is great, because complicated control devices such as adjusting the ignition timing of the inflator according to the conventionally required collision state are unnecessary or simplified. Can be expected.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a deployed state of an airbag in which an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a driver airbag device.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the airbag of the present invention in a deployed state.

FIG. 3 is a development view of an airbag according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a stored state of an airbag in which an embodiment of the present invention is applied to an airbag device for a passenger seat.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a stored state and a developed state of an airbag device using a conventional airbag.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional airbag in a deployed state.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Airbag 2 Inflator 3 Retainer 5 Mounting Port 6 Airbag Cylindrical Portion 7 Cylindrical Portion Joining End 8 Airbag Main Body 9 Main Body Joining End

Claims (9)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A tubular portion (6) having an open end (5) for introducing gas, and a main body portion (8) expanding toward an occupant. The tubular portion (6) and the main body portion (6). An air bag characterized by being integrated with 8). 2. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein:
An air bag in which the air bag capacity is adjusted by adjusting the length of the tubular portion (6). 3. The airbag according to claim 2, wherein:
The main body part (8) is an airbag configured to adjust the length of the tubular part (6) for one kind selected from a plurality of kinds having different diameters (D). 4. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the tubular portion (6) is a bellows body and is expandable. 5. The airbag according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tubular body (6) has a cylindrical shape and has a circular inflator mounting opening at an opening end thereof. Airbag. 6. The airbag according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tubular body (6) is a tubular body having a substantially rectangular cross section, and has a rectangular mounting port at an opening end thereof. A passenger airbag. 7. The airbag according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the tubular body (6) and the main body portion (8) are sewn and integrated with each other. 8. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the tubular body (6) and the main body (8) are bonded and integrated. 9. The airbag according to claim 1, wherein the tubular body (6) and the main body portion (8) are braided integrally.