JP3257134B2 - Airbag device for passenger seat - 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 for a passenger seat provided on an instrument panel of a vehicle and for protecting an occupant in a passenger seat by deploying an airbag at the time of a vehicle collision.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a passenger airbag device of this type, a folded airbag and an inflator are attached to a container having a container shape, and a lid is attached so as to cover the airbag. In the event of a vehicle collision, the inflator is activated and the airbag is largely deployed toward the passenger compartment, thereby protecting the occupant.

[0003] In order to absorb the impact of an occupant when an occupant hits the instrument panel, the characteristics of the instrument panel that are depressed and deformed when an impact is applied are regulated by regulations (impact panel impact regulation). The passenger seat airbag device must also clear the instrument panel impact regulation.

[0004]

The container of the passenger airbag device is required to have a deformable characteristic so as to satisfy the instrument panel impact regulation. Alternatively, the container is required to have sufficient strength and to have excellent durability. Therefore, if the lid or the container is simply made weak in order to clear the instrument panel impact regulation, it is not suitable as an airbag device.

According to the present invention, the container has sufficient strength,
Moreover, an object of the present invention is to provide an airbag device for a passenger seat, which is quickly deformed when a large instrument panel impact is applied.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an airbag device for a passenger seat having a box-shaped container having an open front surface and an inflator insertion hole formed in a side surface of a rear portion thereof. An inflator inserted into the container through the inflator insertion hole, and an inflator attached to the container with its longitudinal end protruding outside from the inflator insertion hole; and a front surface of the container. A passenger seat airbag device comprising: a lid that covers the inflator insertion hole in the side surface of the container when an impact is applied to the container from the front. Rutotomoni provided in the forward position, the inflator insertion of the container side
A notch is formed in the inner peripheral surface of the hole near the opening.
It is characterized in that the digits.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the airbag device for a passenger seat according to the first aspect, the opening is a slot-like opening, and extends from the vicinity of the inflator insertion hole toward the front of the container. It is a feature.

[0008]

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a passenger-side airbag device, wherein a front end of the airbag is opened, and a rear side surface is provided with an inflator insertion hole. An inflator which is inserted into the container from the inflator insertion hole, has both longitudinal ends projecting outside from the inflator insertion hole and is attached to the container, and a lid covering the front surface of the container. An airbag device for a passenger seat, comprising: an inflator insertion hole formed in a side surface of the container .
It is characterized in that the circumferential surface has extending notches towards the container front.

[0010]

In the passenger airbag device according to the first aspect, when a large impact is applied to the container from the front, stress concentrates on a portion between the inflator insertion hole and the opening on the side surface of the container, and this portion is stressed. Cracks are formed, and the inflator insertion hole and the opening are easily connected. Then, the container is deformed along the crack and the opening. This deformation of the container absorbs the impact.

In the airbag device for a passenger seat according to the second aspect, since the opening is an elongated hole, the side surface of the container is easily deformed when the container is deformed.

[0012]

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an airbag device for a passenger seat.
When a large impact is applied to the container from the front, the side surface of the container is torn along the notch and the container is deformed, as in the passenger airbag device of the first aspect.

[0014]

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container used in the apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state where an inflator is assembled. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus of the embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view of the embodiment, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are side views for explaining the deformation of the container.

In a passenger airbag apparatus 10 according to this embodiment, an airbag 14 is accommodated in a container 12 in a folded state, and a front opening of the container 12 is connected to a lid 16.
And the inflator 18 is installed at the rear of the container 12. Inflator insertion holes (hereinafter, referred to as openings) are provided on both sides of the rear portion of the container 12.
20 and 22 are provided, and a cylindrical inflator 18 is provided.
Are inserted into the container 12 through the openings 20,22. Each end of the inflator 18 is a container 12
It protrudes outward from the side surface.

The inflator 18 is provided with a boss 24 on the rear side of the outer peripheral surface.
6 are erected. This bolt 26 is
Projecting out of the container 12 through a bolt insertion hole 28 provided on the back surface of the nut, and a nut 30 is tightened. By sufficiently tightening the nut 30, the inflator 18 is firmly fixed to the container 12.

Openings 20, 22 are provided on the side of the container 12.
Notches 32 and 34 are provided so as to face the front of the container from the edge of the container. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the notches 32, 34 are wide at the rear side of the container 12,
It has a substantially triangular shape gradually narrowing toward the front of the container 12. At the front side of the notch 32, 34 of the container 12, a slot-shaped opening (hereinafter, referred to as slot) 36,
38 are provided. The slots 36 and 38 are notches 3
2, 34 and extend in a direction connecting the front surface of the container 12.

A mounting portion 40 that covers the upper surface of the container 12 and a mounting portion 42 that covers the lower surface of the container 12 project from the rear surface of the lid 16. These mounting portions 40, 4
2 is fixed to the container 12 by bolts 44 and 46. Note that rivets may be used instead of bolts. The mounting portion 42 is provided with a groove 48.
8 is engaged with the flange portion 50 on the front surface of the container 12. The side surfaces of the lid 16 in the longitudinal direction are the mounting members 52, 54.
To the front side of the container 12. Grooves are also provided in the mounting members 52 and 54, and the grooves are engaged with flange portions on the front edge side of the container 12. The airbag 14 is connected to the front edge of the container 12 by holding metal fittings 56, 58, 60, 62. The holding members 56 and 58 are fastened to the mounting portions 40 and 42 and the container 12 by the bolts 44 and 46, respectively.

The inside of the container 12 is a plate 64
The inflator 18 is disposed behind the plate 64. The plate 64 is provided with a slit-shaped opening 68 through which gas ejected from the gas ejection port 66 of the inflator 18 passes.

On the side of the container 12, the opening 2
An opening 70 is provided downward from 0 and 22. The opening 70 allows the bolt 26 to pass when the inflator 18 is inserted into the container 12. Also, the container 1 has a container 1
Two slits 72 extending in the front-rear direction are provided. The slit 72 is for guiding the bolt 26 to the opening 28 when the inflator 18 inserted into the container 12 is rotated around its axis. That is, the rear end of the slit 72 is connected to the opening 28.

The upper and lower surfaces of the container 12 are provided with a large number of intake holes 74.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, beads 76 and 78 are provided at the bent portions on the upper and lower surfaces of the container 12, respectively.

The airbag device 10 is mounted on an instrument panel in front of a passenger seat. When a vehicle collides, the inflator 18 is operated, and the airbag 14 is deployed by the ejected gas. The lid 16 is pushed forward by the airbag 14 to be deployed, the mounting portion 42 and the mounting members 52 and 54 are torn at their groove portions, and the lid 16 is pivoted about the mounting portion 40 with the arrow in FIG. Open as A. Thus, the airbag 14 is largely deployed in the vehicle compartment. When the airbag 14 is deployed, air is sucked into the airbag 14 through the air intake hole 74 .

When a large load is applied to the passenger airbag device 10 attached to the instrument panel of the vehicle from the front, as shown in FIG.
The container 12 is deformed so as to be compressed from the front to the rear. That is, the rear portion of the airbag device 10 is firmly fixed to the vehicle body side member, and the rear portion of the container 12 does not retreat, so that the container 12 is compressed in the front-rear direction. At this time, first, the openings 20 and 2 on the side of the container
The inner peripheral surface 2 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the inflator 18. The inflator 18 is made rugged so as to withstand an extremely high gas pressure, and hardly deforms even if the side surface of the container 12 abuts.

After the inner peripheral surfaces of the openings 20 and 22 come into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the inflator 18 as shown in FIG.
The sides of the container 12 are cracked so that the notches 32, 34 are pushed open. Finally, the portion between the notches 32, 34 and the slots 36, 38 is torn, and the notches 32, 34 and the slots 36, 38 are connected.

In this state, when a further compressive force in the front-rear direction acts on the container 12, the side surface of the container 12
As shown in FIG. 6, the openings 20 and 22 are deformed so as to be turned up from the inner peripheral surfaces to the slots 36 and 38. Then, the container 12 is very easily compressed in the front-rear direction.
As described above, the side surface of the container 12 is
By deforming the container 12 so that the container 8 is torn, the deformation of the container 12 proceeds promptly, and the impact of the instrument panel can be sufficiently absorbed.

In this embodiment, the openings 20, 2
2 are provided with notches 32 and 34 on the inner peripheral surface thereof.
Since the long holes 36 and 38 are provided in the vicinity of the container 4, when the container 12 is subjected to a fore-and-aft compression force, the container 1
The two side surfaces are easily torn from the notches 32, 34.

In this embodiment, since the beads 76 and 78 are provided, when the container 12 is deformed,
Is easily deformed along the beads 76 and 78.

In the above embodiment, the long holes 36 and 38 are provided. Instead of providing such long holes, a plurality of small openings 80 may be provided in a row as shown in FIG.

In the above embodiment, the notches 32, 34 and the long holes 3
6, 38 are provided, but in the present invention, a long notch 82 may be provided from the openings 20, 22 toward the front as shown in FIG.

Although the above embodiment relates to an aspirate type airbag device for a passenger seat, it is apparent that the present invention can be applied to airbag devices other than the aspirate type. However, in the aspirate type airbag device, since a large number of intake holes are provided in the container, the container is easily deformed by the instrument panel impact. Therefore, by applying the present invention to an aspirate type passenger airbag device, it is possible to easily cause deformation of the container due to instrument panel impact.

In the present invention, the notch 32, the long holes 36, 38,
A plurality of rows of openings 80 and notches 82 may be provided in parallel with respect to one opening 20 or 22. FIG. 9 shows an example, in which three rows of notches 82 extend in parallel from the opening 20 in front of the container.

[0033]

As described above, in the passenger airbag apparatus of the present invention, when the instrument panel impact is applied to the container, the container is torn along the long hole, and the instrument panel impact is efficiently absorbed. Will be done.

[0034]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container of an embodiment device.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the embodiment device.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing an initial state of a deformed state of the embodiment device.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing the latter half of the deformed state of the embodiment device.

FIG. 7 is a side view of another embodiment device.

FIG. 8 is a side view of still another embodiment device.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a different embodiment device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 airbag device for passenger seat 12 container 14 airbag 16 lid 18 inflator 20,22 opening 32,34 notch 36,38 long hole 80 opening 82 notch

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A box-shaped container having an open front surface and an inflator insertion hole provided on a rear side surface, an airbag folded and stored in the container, and a container inside through the inflator insertion hole. Inserted into
An airbag device for a passenger seat, comprising: an inflator attached to the container with both ends in the longitudinal direction protruding outside from the inflator insertion hole; and a lid covering a front surface of the container. , Rutotomoni an opening connected with the inflator insertion hole when the impact from the front is applied to the container in the forward position of the inflator difference Komiana of the side surfaces of the container, the
Of the inner peripheral surface of the inflator insertion hole on the side of the container,
An airbag device for a passenger seat , wherein a cutout portion is provided in a portion close to an opening . 2. The airbag device for a passenger seat according to claim 1, wherein the opening is a slot-shaped opening, and extends from near the inflator insertion hole toward the front of the container. 3. A box-shaped container having an open front surface and an inflator insertion hole on a rear side surface, an airbag folded and stored in the container, and a container inside through the inflator insertion hole. Inserted into
An airbag device for a passenger seat, comprising: an inflator attached to the container with both ends in the longitudinal direction protruding outside from the inflator insertion hole; and a lid covering a front surface of the container. , the container side, a passenger airbag apparatus, characterized in that the extended inner peripheral surface or <br/> et al container toward the front notch of the inflator insertion hole.