JP3128821B2 - Airbag deployment opening structure - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a vehicle safety device, and more particularly to an inflatable cushion device generally referred to as an “airbag”. In this type of device, a fabric cushion (airbag) is stored in a folded state in a storage section defined as a storage space in a vehicle passenger compartment. By operating a crash sensor that detects an instantaneous collision, the airbag is inflated by chemically generated gas and absorbs the impact of drivers and occupants thrown forward when the vehicle is rapidly decelerated by the collision. As described above, the image is developed in a predetermined direction and position.

The folded airbag and gas generating device and other components of the device are housed in a housing provided behind the steering wheel or instrument panel at the front of the passenger seat and are fired by the inflating airbag. Covered by one or more doors opened by pressure.

The housing must be constructed in such a way that it will not be interfered with by others, and when the device is activated, the airbag must deploy quickly. Moreover, the closure must withstand the normal pressure created by accidental contact with the occupant.

2. Description of the Related Art In a typical conventional device, the door shape is clearly visible outward on the surface of an instrument panel or a steering wheel covering an opening where an airbag is deployed.

The presence of a clear door shape detracts from the aesthetics of the interior trim surface and informs many people about the presence of the airbag and, moreover, the imminent possibility that the airbag will deploy, making it anxious. .

The usual way to design a closure is to use a hinged door that is secured by a detent mechanism or a snap connection. It is forcibly opened by the pressure of the inflated airbag. One example of such a closed structure is 19
U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,937 issued May 4, 1982, entitled "Foldable Closure for Gas Cushion (Downwardly Foldabl)
e Covering For a Gus Cushion).

Another common construction is to provide a weak line visible outside on the skin that is broken by the deploying airbag. An example of such a design is “Air Bags in Motor Vehicles”.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,00,010, Aug. 23, 1983 and "Cap like Cover for an Air Bag"
Installation), US Patent No.
See No. 4,334,699.

"Safety Apparatus" (1972)
U.S. Pat. No. 3,640,546 of May 8, covers a closing door,
Disclose an epidermis that has been previously weakened by a seam. This seam will then be confirmed to the touch and will eventually be clearly visible because it does not have any support underneath.

Another approach to "Safety Apparatus" is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,632,136, Jan. 4, 1972. According to the report, a powerful explosive formed in a line breaks the door lock and reinforcement panel slightly earlier than the airbag inflation pushes the door open, opening the locked door. It is to do.

In all of the above arrangements, the profile of the outer closure member is suggested, and some result in the operation of the device that its debris may fly into the occupant compartment.

Most of the above structures separately manufacture and attach the closing door member, which increases the manufacturing cost of the airbag device.

US Patent Application No. 07 / 303,1 filed January 30, 1989
No. 32 discloses an invisible closing member that utilizes the length of a detonating cord that forms an airbag deployment opening in an automotive interior panel to avoid the association of an airbag being mounted. ing.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) The present invention has a pattern shape that forms a deployment opening that opens quickly on an airbag storage portion provided on the back side of a trim panel. The present invention proposes an invisible airbag device that cuts the cover skin of a trim panel.

The section of the trim panel that is partitioned into the pattern shape is easily pushed away by an inner door panel that is opened by an inflatable airbag that is deployed through the opening.

The airbag cover is thus integrated with the trim piece, eliminating the need to manufacture and assemble the trim piece separately.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In the first embodiment, a linear heating member is used. The member is a linear member made of a dissimilar metal in a close contact state. Attached to the trim panel inscribed in the skin layer, this heating element causes rapid metal alloying during operation. This alloying process generates enough heat to instantly crush the skin in the desired pattern shape. The deployment airbag easily tears the compartments of the trim panel along the pattern shape and opens the door.

In another embodiment, a linear explosive is enclosed in a long tubular member extending into the trim panel in the form of an opening pattern to be formed, and the tubular skin has a cover skin portion broken. A series of holes facing the skin portion is provided to allow The products of the explosion of the chemical in the tubular member pass through the hole opening as compressed gas, the explosive power of which is limited and directed due to the breakage of only the cover skin and the inscribed panel member. This ensures that the deployment opening is formed in the trim panel, reduces blast and prevents debris from scattering into the occupant compartment.

In the third embodiment, another form of linear explosive is used, which comprises a tube arranged in a trim panel in the form of a deployment opening pattern. This tube has an explosive layer disposed inside it, and has a slit along its length on the side in contact with the panel part to be broken, so that when the explosive explodes, A blast opens the tube along the slit and the flame front is guided outward in that direction. This centralized flame front tears the skin of the trim panel and ensures that the blast of particles and other debris during the explosion forms a deployment opening without introducing into the occupant compartment.

In each embodiment, one or more rigid inner layer panels are opened by deployment of the airbag, breaching the compartment, and pushing open the cover formed to deploy the airbag.

Each of these embodiments is visibly and tactilely unnoticed and also prevents interference from others and reliably opens for airbag devices located behind the car interior trim panels or trim pieces. And a cover member that enables the airbag to be deployed in a minimum time.

The linear element that imparts this energy is used in combination with means for structurally weakening the skin with a pattern shape that matches the pattern shape of the linear element. This structural weakening is performed by cutting grooves into the inner surface of the skin at a carefully controlled depth so that the skin weakening of the matched pattern shape represents the operating effect of the linear element.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view showing an airbag closing mechanism according to the present invention together with an imaginary line of a front portion of an automobile.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a trim panel having a linear heating member mechanism provided to form an airbag deployment opening according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the structure of the trim panel and the heating member according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of an instrument panel having another airbag deployment opening forming structure according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the instrument panel and the opening forming structure of FIG.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing another opening forming structure according to the present invention through an instrument panel, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an impact tubular member incorporated in the opening forming structure of FIG.

In the following detailed description, certain specific terms are used for clarity, and specific examples are described in US law 35 USC1.
It is described in accordance with 12 requirements, however, without limiting it to the same thing, so long as the invention is likely to have many forms and many variants within the scope of the appended claims. It should not be interpreted in a way.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a main configuration of an airbag safety device mounted in an automobile. The vehicle body 10 has an occupant compartment 12 with various trim panels or trim pieces for finishing the interior.

This airbag system has an instrument panel 14
And a driver-side airbag stored below the steering wheel cover 16. The instrument panel 14 and the steering wheel cover 16 are respectively provided in the passenger compartment. It consists of an interior trim panel or trim piece arranged around it.

Each airbag device includes a receptacle 18 having a folded airbag, which is inflated with gas and deployed into the occupant compartment in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. A plurality of crash sensors 20 are provided at the front of the vehicle, which emit electrical signals to be received by the control unit 22 in the event of a collision, and then activate the gas generator in the housing 18.

Since such airbag systems are well known in the art and the present invention does not concern those details, the details will not be described here.
Here, simply, the gas generator is typically activated by an igniter 24 which senses an electrical signal to ignite a chemical that produces a high temperature reaction and then initiates a chemical reaction that produces large amounts of nitrogen gas for airbag inflation. Let's just say that.

As mentioned above, the airbag must be contained so that it can be deployed at any time before such a collision occurs.

In accordance with the concept of the present invention, the deployment opening provides a controlled, centralized, instantaneous deployment of the airbag in the smooth, unbroken plane of the trim panel, wheel cover, and other pieces mounted on the back of the airbag. It is formed by the application of energy.

Such openings form three sides of a single door or double door, with the sides folded to act as hinges to open by the force of the inflating airbag to form the door. In such a pattern shape, an energy sufficient to form a separation line is instantaneously formed by instantaneously applying energy to the skin.

This trim panel or trim piece is designed to be sufficiently weakened that the compartment in the upper region of the airbag housing is easily torn by the housing door which is pushed open by the airbag itself.

The first embodiment of the present invention illustrates an aspect of the present invention referred to as a "mid-mount" and is illustrated in FIGS. A pair of double doors 28A and 28B are formed on the smooth flat surface 26 of the instrument panel 14 at the moment of device operation and are hinged along opposing sides as they move to form a deployment opening.

In the first embodiment of the present invention, the linear heating member 30 of the skin is provided in the instrument panel 14 in the form of the above-mentioned two-door covering the airbag accommodating portion 18 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the heat generating member 30 is disposed immediately below a cover outer layer made of a vinyl cover.
Trim panels, such as instrument panel 14, are constructed with sufficient structural integrity to allow assembly and withstand normal contact pressures. Such a structure is typically provided by a rigid lower layer 36 of metal or rigid plastic covered by a soft foam layer 32 and covered by a skin 34. According to the concept of the present invention, the lower layer 36 has an opening formed in a shape capable of accommodating the airbag storage portion 18.
Above the hinged inner door or door 35 covering only the foam layer 32 and the skin 34 are reserved.
Such an inner door 35 may alternatively be integrated with the instrument panel 14. Storage section 18
Is mounted by a brace (not shown) so as to be supported below the instrument panel 14 in the position shown in FIG.

The heat generating member 30 is made of a material made of two different metals in close contact with each other. When these heat-generating members reach the heat-generating temperature, a rapid alloying reaction occurs, and at that time, a huge amount of heat is released. Such a material in the form of a thin wire or ribbon consisting of a palladium alloy outer core and an aluminum alloy inner core is a trademark of Pyrofuse, Inc. of Mount Vermon, New York.
(PYROFUZU) is commercially available. Preferably, it has a small diameter, for example 0.004 (about 0.102 mm) or 0.1 mm.
Some of these members, 005 inches (0.127 mm) thick, are screwed together to generate sufficient heat while very high speed reactions are required. This reaction is not an explosion, but rather a thermal shaving off of the vinyl skin 34 into the pattern shape of the heat generating member 30, extruding the inner door 35 and the deployable airbag to separate adjacent portions of the foam layer 32.

The heat generating member 30 is directly connected to the airbag ignition device 24 to ensure that it operates simultaneously with the deployment of the airbag.

4 and 5 show another embodiment of an embodiment referred to as a "top mount," in which a single outer door is shown.
42 is formed on the smooth surface 44 of the horizontal surface of the instrument panel 14 so that the airbag stored in the storage portion 18 below the door 42 can be deployed.

In this example, it is arranged in a groove 33 formed in a foam core 32 of a long tube 46 having a desired shape, and is securely attached by being fixed to one side of the airbag storage portion 18 with a tab 47. I have.

The tube 46 has a series of holes 52 facing the outer skin 34. A long squib 54 is arranged in the tube 46 and passes through a connecting tube 55 with the igniter 24 of the airbag device itself. By the transmission of the shock, it explodes so as to be ignited at the same time. This squib 54 is a low power "Prima Line (Prim
aline) "(trademark).

As a result, a series of gas pressure bursts may pierce or embrittle the skin 34 in a pattern that defines the contour of the door 42, so as to facilitate separation of the door 42 upon contact with the inflatable airbag. Be driven. Enclosure of squib 54 in tube 46 reduces the intensity of the blast and eliminates debris scattering into the occupant compartment.

An alternative embodiment is now shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, where a split sleeve type linear element 58 is formed in a pattern corresponding to the door to be formed in the foam core 32 below the skin 34. It is buried.

The element 58 is fixed to the housing 18 by a tab 59. A thin layer of explosive 60 covers the inside of the plastic tube 61. When exploding, the tip of the flame is slit 62
, And the slit is widened by the pressure created by the explosion.

The tip of this flame tears through the skin 34 and forms a door in the unmarked plane of the instrument panel 14.

Such substances are located in Simsbury, Connecticut.
Unsigned-Bigford, a commercial trademark of the company "NONEL".

The present invention provides an airbag closing member that is invisible to the passengers of a motor vehicle and has sufficient strength against interference from other vehicles. It provides an immediate opening for proper deployment of the device. By integrating the closing door into the trim piece itself, the overall manufacturing costs are reduced and the structure is simplified.

The structure according to the present invention is, as described above, a passenger (passenger seat).
Although the side airbag device has been described, the steering wheel cover 16 is also applicable to the tribar side airbag device.
Can be employed by having a similar design.

The above structure is also used in combination with structurally (mechanically) weakening the outer skin 34, as shown in FIG.

This weakening must be implemented at a consistent level in manufacturing.

According to one aspect of the invention, this weakening is to form the groove 66 with a pattern of openings to be formed at a consistently controlled depth along the inner surface of the skin 34.
This is realized by making a cut in the outer skin 34.
This groove is located above the linear element.

As mentioned above, it is important that the partial cut inside the epidermis 34 consistently maintain the designed depth. FIG. 9 shows a method for doing this effectively. An appropriate cutter blade 72 is attached to the guide member 74, and this guide member is, for example, a roller, and the cutter blade 72 is
Can be placed on the surface of the epidermis 34 when crossing. The distance below the surface of the skin 34 from which the cutter blade tip 76 projects corresponds to the depth of cut and is set accordingly.

According to one aspect of the method, substantial compression of the skin under the cutter tip 76 should be avoided to maintain a consistent cut depth. The request is to place the skin on a bed made of a material that compresses more easily than the skin,
That is, for example, this is satisfied by disposing the neoprene rubber layer 77 under the vinyl skin. This is the cutter blade tip 76
To allow a slight deflection of the vinyl skin, thereby eliminating moderate compression which results in irregular and inconsistent results.

The partial cut of the inner surface of the skin 34 can be varied across the width of the closure from a maximum depth at the center to a reduced depth at the other side, as shown in FIG. This is done by varying the depth of the cut 66 with a cam control device 78 or other device.

As described above, the operation of the linear element partially weakens the skin 34 (and the foam layer 32) in a predetermined pattern shape,
The force of the inflating airbag then mechanically tears the skin 34 along the pre-weakened groove 66. This positive breaking and bonding effect can provide an invisible seam outside the airbag deployment opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view showing an airbag closing mechanism according to the present invention together with an imaginary line of a front portion of an automobile, and FIG. 2 shows an airbag deploying opening formed according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial perspective view of a trim panel and a heat generating member according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is another enlarged airbag opening according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of an instrument panel having a forming structure, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the instrument panel and the opening forming structure of FIG. 4, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an impact tubular member incorporated in the opening forming structure of FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an example in which the outer skin is weakened. Figure,
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing an example in which the inside of the epidermis is partially cut, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an example in which the cutting depth inside the epidermis is also changed. 10 ... car body, 12 ... crew compartment, 14 ... instrument panel, 16 ... steering wheel cover,
18 …… the airbag compartment, 20 …… the crash sensor,
22 Control unit, 26 Smooth panel surface, 28
A, 28B… door, 30… linear heating element, 32… foam layer, 3
3 ... groove, 34 ... skin, 35 ... inner door, 36 ... hard lower layer, 42 ... door, 44 ... panel smooth surface, 46 ... pipe,
52 ... hole, 54 ... fuse, 55 ... connecting pipe, 58 ... linear element, 60 ... explosive, 66 ... groove, 72 ... cutter blade,
76 ... Cutter blade tip.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-1-122754 (JP, A) JP-A 63-101255 (JP, U) JP-A 64-7055 (JP, U) German patent application published 3545028 (DE, A1) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B60R 21/20 B60K 37/00

Claims (10)

(57) [Claims] When forming an airbag deployment opening in a wide skin of an interior trim piece extending into an occupant compartment of an automobile, the deployment opening occupies a limited area at a predetermined position of the wide skin. A skin covering the airbag folded and stored on the back side of the interior trim piece in the area, and smoothly and continuously connecting the area of the interior trim piece and the area adjacent thereto with the trim; The skin is weakened by partially cutting a groove into the deployment opening occupying the area of the wide skin of the piece, on the inside of the skin, the lower area of the groove, where the airbag Foam support layer inside the skin, including the area where the skin is broken along the groove by the expansion of the skin and a deployment opening is formed in the skin The groove has a sharp bottom shape and is formed relatively narrow, and the support layer of the foam is formed by filling the inside of the groove, and the cut of the groove is formed. A method for forming an airbag deployment opening, the method being carried out after the formation of the skin and placing the skin on a bed made of a material that is more easily compressed than the skin. 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said cut is made in a smooth sheet member forming a skin of said trim piece. 3. The airbag deployment opening forming method according to claim 1, further comprising means for crushing the skin at least around the weakened pattern shape by the energy when the airbag is inflated. 4. An interior trim piece for a vehicle for covering an airbag device stored at a predetermined position in an occupant compartment of a vehicle, wherein the opening is formed so as to be located above a predetermined position of the airbag device. A hard lower layer comprising: an inner door that is in close contact with the periphery of the opening and is hinged to the hard lower layer on one side of the periphery; and a skin that extends smoothly and continuously over the inner door. And a groove cut into the inside of the skin so as to form a predetermined opening shape for covering the inner door; and supporting a foam formed inside the skin including a lower area of the groove. The inner door is pushed open by inflation of the airbag, the support layer of the foam and the skin are broken along the groove, and the airbag is occupant compartment through the opening. The groove has a sharp bottom shape and is formed relatively narrow, and the support layer of the foam is also formed by filling the inside of the groove. The interior trim piece is characterized in that the cut is made after the formation of the skin and the skin is placed on a bed made of a material that is compressed more easily than the skin. 5. The interior trim piece according to claim 4, wherein said skin is made of a vinyl resin sheet. 6. The interior trim piece according to claim 5, wherein the opening of the hard lower layer is formed in advance so as to be located below the groove. 7. A method for weakening a wide skin of an interior trim piece extending into an occupant compartment of a motor vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: A method for weakening a skin in an interior trim piece of an automobile which is ruptured by pressure of a bag and forms a deployment opening so that an airbag can be deployed from the opening. A groove is cut along the pattern defining the deployment opening, where inflation of the airbag causes the airbag to rupture the skin along the groove, forming the deployment opening in the skin to form an airbag in the occupant compartment. Forming a foam support layer inside the skin including the lower area of the groove, wherein the groove has a sharp bottom shape and is formed relatively narrow. The support layer of the foam is also formed by filling the inside of the groove, and the cut of the groove is performed after the formation of the skin, and is made of a material that is more easily compressed than the skin. A method for weakening an interior trim piece, comprising: placing the skin on a bed. 8. An instrument panel for an interior of an automobile having an airbag device provided to be deployed in an occupant compartment of the automobile, wherein the airbag device is usually visually recognized in an occupant space. The instrument panel is installed at a predetermined position on the back side of the instrument panel so as to be concealed, and the instrument panel has a structure fixed in the occupant space. A cover material having an outer surface having an external appearance that extends smoothly and continuously across the installation position of the airbag device so as not to be displayed on the airbag device, wherein the cover is formed by covering the surface of a soft foam layer with a skin. The instrument panel includes a hard lower layer extending below the cover material, and the hard lower layer houses the airbag device. An accommodating portion, an opening for deploying the airbag, and an inner door that closes the opening and closes the opening, and the inner door is hinged to one side of the periphery of the opening, When the airbag is deployed, the cover material is detachable from the contact portion of the periphery of the opening, and the cover material is used to weaken the instrument panel and extend a deployment opening pattern above the opening of the hard lower layer. Partially cut a groove inside the inner skin, the deployment opening pattern is invisible from the occupant space before the airbag is activated, and the groove is cut by a cutter blade. Having a sharp bottom shape and relatively narrow width, the soft foam layer is formed by filling the inside of the groove, and the cut of the groove is formed after the formation of the skin. An instrument panel for an interior of a motor vehicle, wherein the skin is mounted on a bed made of a material that is compressed more easily than the skin. 9. The interior of claim 8, wherein said weakened portion extends along said pattern and includes a linear energy element arranged to crush said cover material when an airbag device is activated. instrument panel. 10. The interior instrument panel according to claim 8, wherein said skin is made of a flexible plastic such as vinyl, and said bed is made of neoprene rubber.