JP3144460B2 - Hinge fixing structure of airbag door - 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 installed in an instrument panel of an automobile, and more particularly to a hinged structure for an airbag door that opens when the airbag is activated.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an airbag device developed as an auxiliary system for a seatbelt has been increasingly equipped not only in a driver's seat but also in a passenger seat. The airbag device for the passenger seat is generally installed using a deck cross member inside the instrument panel, whereas the device for the driver's seat is usually installed in the steering wheel. is there.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a conventional airbag apparatus, in which an airbag module 2 containing a bag folded into a reaction can 1 and an inflator is equipped with an instrument using a deck cross member (not shown). It is fixed and installed inside a panel opening 4 formed in the panel 3. This airbag module 2
A bag deployment opening 5 for inflating and deploying the bag is provided on the passenger compartment side (rear side of the vehicle), and the opening 5 has a positional relationship coincident with the panel opening 4 described above. Both openings 4 and 5 are covered by a door 6 when the airbag device is not operated, and the door 6 is attached to the instrument panel 3 on the passenger compartment side.
And substantially the same surface.

[0004] The door 6 of the above-described airbag device is provided with an insert plate 7 such as an aluminum plate on the back surface of the skin and the pad member similar to that of the instrument panel 3, thereby ensuring the necessary strength at normal times. ing. In the vicinity of the upper end of the door 6, there is provided a hinge portion 8 projecting to the back surface together with the insert plate 7, and the hinge portion 8 is superimposed on the lower surface of the open end 9 on the upper portion of the reaction can 1 to form a plate 10 of an elongated plate-like member. And the door 6 is connected and fixed to the reaction can 1 by fastening together with screws 11 or the like.

The opening of the door 6 by the operation of the airbag device is pushed open by the pressure of the bag that expands and deploys with the combustion gas supplied from the inflator. At this time, the thin portion 6a under the door 6 is broken, The door 6 rotates upward and opens about the upper end of the door 6 to which the hinge 8 is fixed.

[0006]

Since the above-described airbag device for the passenger seat is installed inside the instrument panel, an impact when an occupant collides with the instrument panel (hereinafter referred to as an instrument panel). A shock absorbing structure that mitigates and absorbs shocks and minimizes damage to occupants is required in the same manner as instrument panels. For this reason, if the rigidity of the door fixing portion where the open end 9 of the reaction can 1, the hinge portion 8 of the door 6 and the plate 10 are superimposed is too high, the instrument panel impact F
Causes a high acceleration (G), which causes a problem that the instrument panel impact cannot be sufficiently reduced or absorbed.

However, if the rigidity of the door fixing portion is not sufficient, the hinge portion 8 of the door 6 which is opened by receiving an impact force at the time of operating the airbag is strongly pulled, so that the screw fixing portion of the hinge portion 8 is not provided. There is a risk of breaking. When such a break occurs, a problem arises in that the door 6 slips through the fixed portion and scatters due to the operation of the airbag device.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention provides a method for reducing the impact of instrument panel impact.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hinge portion fixing structure of an airbag door which satisfies an absorption requirement and can be firmly fixed so that the door does not fly when the airbag is deployed.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has a panel opening formed in an instrument panel of a vehicle, and an inflator and a bag mounted in the panel opening. An airbag module containing the airbag in a reaction can, a door covering the bag deployment opening of the airbag module and the panel opening, and a lid that is opened at one end by a bag inflated when the door is inflated when the airbag is activated. In a hinge portion fixing structure for an airbag door, comprising a hinge portion connecting one end portion of the door and the reaction can, a plate formed with a plate-like member elongated in the vehicle width direction; And a deformation promoting portion formed by cutting out a long side portion on the vehicle front side in an uneven shape, wherein the plate includes the hinge portion. Sandwiched between the action cans is fixed at the convex portion of the vehicle front-side long side portions, when the door joined by shock greater than a predetermined value is deformed,
It is characterized by being deformed according to the deformation.

[0010]

According to the above-mentioned means of the present invention, the plate having the plate-like member elongated in the vehicle width direction fixes the hinge portion by sandwiching the hinge portion between the plate and the reaction can. Since the long side portion is notched in an uneven shape to form a deformation promoting portion, when an impact of a predetermined value or more is applied and the door is deformed, the deformation promoting portion responds to the deformation and the pitch of the concave portion causes the deformation of the vehicle. Opening and deforming in a fan shape toward the front (inside of the cabin where the instrument panel impact is applied), the pitch of the convex portion of the long side on the front side of the vehicle, which is the fixing point, is widened, and the deformation of the reaction can is suppressed to a small value. This makes it possible to efficiently absorb the energy of the instrument panel impact.

Further, since the hinge portion is securely fixed at the protruding portion of the long side of the plate on the front side of the vehicle, it is possible to prevent the door from being broken by the impact at the time of operating the airbag. be able to.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a hinge portion fixing structure for an airbag door according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The same parts as those in the conventional structure are denoted by the same reference numerals,
Detailed description is omitted.

In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, a plate 10 which sandwiches a hinge portion 8 of a door 6 superposed on a lower surface of an open end portion 9 of a reaction can 1 and is fastened together with a screw 11 is provided.
On the other hand, a deformation accelerating portion is provided to make the door 6 easily deformed in response to the deformation of the door 6 which has received the instrument panel impact. That is, according to the present invention, the plate 10 on which the plate-shaped member long in the vehicle width (left / right) direction is formed is notched in an uneven shape on the long side on the front side of the vehicle (reference numeral 12 denotes a notched portion), thereby promoting the deformation. Part is formed. The plate 10 is connected to the hinge 8
Is fixed between the reaction can 1 and a convex portion of the long side on the front side of the vehicle by, for example, a screw 11. Note that reference numeral 10a in FIG. 1A indicates a screw hole.

When the hinge portion 8 of the door 6 is fixed by using the plate 10 having the deformation promoting portion as described above, the periphery of the portion jointly fastened with the screws 11 has a sufficient width in the vehicle longitudinal direction. I have. Accordingly, with respect to the rearward impact force acting on the fixing portion of the door 6 when the airbag is deployed, sufficient rigidity can be secured to prevent detachment, shearing, and deformation of the upper surface, etc., so that the opened door 6 slips through. There is no need to worry about flying.

On the other hand, a notch 12 is provided in a portion away from the joint fastening by the screw 11, and the plate 10 has a continuous plate shape on the input side of the instrument panel impact, but on the opposite side. Deformation promoting portions are formed on the plate 10 by irregularities. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 2, when the instrument panel impact F that is equal to or more than a predetermined value is applied and the door 6 is deformed, the deformation promoting portion of the plate 10 is moved in front of the vehicle by the pitch of the concave portion according to the deformation. (To the side of the cabin where the air acts) and deforms, the pitch of the convex portion of the long side on the front side of the vehicle, which is the fixing point, is widened, and the deformation of the reaction can 1 can be suppressed small. Thereby, the energy of the instrument panel impact can be efficiently absorbed. The energy absorption amount of the instrument panel impact can be adjusted to a certain degree by changing the number, width, and the like of the notches 12.

[0016]

According to the hinge portion fixing structure of the present invention described above, the instrument panel impact requirement can be reduced by providing the deformation promoting portion by cutting the long side portion of the plate for fixing the hinge portion on the vehicle front side into an uneven shape. It is possible to achieve the effect that the door can be prevented from slipping through at the time of opening the lid while being effectively filled.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B show an embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 1A is an exploded perspective view of a main part, and FIG.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are plan views showing the plate shape of FIG. 1, wherein FIG. 2A shows a normal state without deformation, and FIG.
FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of an airbag device showing a conventional example.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Reaction can 2 Airbag module 3 Instrument panel 4 Panel opening 5 Bag deployment opening 6 Door 7 Insert plate 8 Hinge part 9 Open end 10 Plate 10a Screw hole 11 Screw 12 Notch

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An airbag module comprising a panel opening formed in an instrument panel of a vehicle, an inflator and a bag mounted in the panel opening in a reaction can, and a bag deployment opening of the airbag module. A door covering the opening and the panel opening; and a hinge connecting the one end of the door and the reaction can so that the door is opened around an end by the bag inflated when the airbag is activated. In a hinge portion fixing structure for an airbag door, a plate having a plate-like member long in the vehicle width direction and a long side portion on the vehicle front side of the plate are notched in an uneven shape.
The plate is fixed at a convex portion of the long side on the vehicle front side with the hinge portion sandwiched between the reaction can and the hinge portion.
With a constant, when the door joined by shock greater than a predetermined value is deformed, the hinge portion fixing structure of the air bag door, wherein the benzalkonium be deformed according to the deformation.