JP3353606B2 - Airbag device - 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 mounted on a vehicle, and more particularly, to an airbag device using a retainer when an airbag that expands at a predetermined time is held by a bag holder.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an airbag device which uses a retainer to hold the periphery of an opening for introducing inflation gas in an airbag to a bag holder, Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-185 is disclosed.
No. 26 is known.

In the airbag device described in the above publication, the periphery of the opening for introducing the inflation gas in the airbag extends from the retainer disposed on the inner periphery of the airbag in the opening to extend the periphery of the opening of the airbag. The holding means is held between the retainer and the bag holder by a fixing means such as a bolt inserted into the bag holder and the locking claw.

[0004] The locking claw extending from the retainer has been formed by cutting and raising the retainer with a processing hole provided in the periphery.

[0005] The bag holder has a through hole through which a bolt as a fixing means penetrates, and a locking hole into which a locking claw is inserted and locked.

[0006]

However, in such an airbag apparatus, the locking hole of the bag holder is penetrated, and the locking claw itself of the retainer is also provided with a processing hole in the periphery and cut and raised from the retainer. Because it is formed
When inflation gas is introduced from the opening into the airbag,
A part of the inflation gas leaks from the airbag through the processing hole and the locking hole.

Particularly, since the processing hole of the retainer and the locking hole of the bag holder are arranged on the periphery of the opening for introducing the inflation gas into the airbag, the inflation gas leaks more easily. In addition, if the inflation gas leaks from the airbag, the time until the inflation of the airbag is completed is undesirably long.

The present invention solves the above problems,
To provide an airbag device capable of preventing leakage of inflation gas even with a structure in which a locking claw of a retainer provided with a processing hole on the periphery is locked to a bag holder via a periphery of an opening of an airbag. Aim.

[0009]

According to the present invention, there is provided an airbag apparatus, wherein a peripheral edge of an opening for introducing an inflation gas in an airbag is disposed on an inner peripheral side of the airbag in the opening. By a fixing means and a locking claw which are extended from the opening portion and inserted into the periphery of the opening and the bag holder,
An airbag device which is held between the retainer and the bag holder, wherein the locking claw is provided with a processing hole therearound and cut and raised from the retainer, wherein the bag holder includes the fixing means. A through-hole for penetrating; and a locking recess for inserting and locking the locking claw, and a bottom plate portion for closing the locking recess is provided at an end of the locking recess in the insertion direction of the locking claw. with the set is Ru configuration, the server
A package holder covers the folded airbag.
Body and a pusher that can hold the side wall extending from the ceiling
And a fixing plate, and is fixed to the main body.
A through hole through which the means penetrates;
And through the locking hole constituting the locking recess, it is formed, prior to
The holding plate has a through hole through which the fixing means passes.
And being integrated with the main body by the fixing means.
A part that covers the locking hole and constitutes the bottom plate part.
It is characterized by having.

[0010]

[0011]

In the airbag device according to the present invention, the bag holder has a through hole for penetrating the fixing means, and a locking recess for inserting and locking the locking claw. At the end in the insertion direction, a bottom plate for closing the locking recess is provided.

Therefore, in the airbag device according to the present invention, the inflation gas is introduced into the airbag from the opening,
Even if a part of the inflation gas tries to pass through the processing hole of the retainer, the processing hole is closed by the bottom wall of the locking concave portion of the bag holder. The bag inflation completion time is not lengthened.

[0013] Then, the bag holder, is composed of a predetermined body and the pressing plate, than constituting the bag holder in one piece, the length of the locking hole of the main body component, the depth of the bottom plate portion of the pressing plate Therefore, when the bottom plate is formed by pressing, the processing energy can be reduced. Further, since the main body and the holding plate can be fastened together by a fixing means for holding the airbag, even if the bag holder is constituted by two members, the number of steps for assembling the airbag device does not increase.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The airbag device 1 of the embodiment is shown in FIGS.
As shown in the figure, the steering wheel W is provided above the center boss portion B and includes an airbag 2, a retainer 3, an inflator 7, a pad 9, and a bag holder 16 including a main body 17 and a holding plate 21. It is configured. In the airbag device 1 of the embodiment, a horn switch 25 composed of a membrane switch and a support plate 29 that supports the horn switch 25 are disposed between the folded airbag 2 and the pad 9. I have.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 10, the airbag 2 has a circular opening 2 for introducing an inflation gas at a lower portion thereof.
The air bag device 1 is folded and housed in the airbag device 1 as a substantially spherical bag shape provided with a. On the periphery of the opening 2a,
Four through holes 2b and eight locking holes 2c are formed.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5, the retainer 3 is made of a substantially rectangular ring-shaped sheet metal having an inside diameter equal to the inside diameter of the airbag opening 2a. Eight locking claws 3b formed by cutting and raising downward are provided between the bolts 3a and the bolts 3a. Each bolt 3a is inserted into the through hole 2b of the airbag 2, and each locking claw 3b is inserted into the locking hole 2c of the airbag 2. Each locking claw 3b is formed by pressing, and each locking claw 3b is formed by pressing.
Is formed with a notched processing hole 3c.

The inflator 7 supplies an inflation gas to the airbag 2 and has a substantially cylindrical main body 7a having a gas discharge port 7b disposed at an upper portion thereof, and a substantially square annular flange protruding from the outer periphery of the main body 7a. Part 7c (see FIGS. 2 and 3);
It is composed of The upper part of the main body 7a is
Has an outer diameter that can be inserted into the opening 2a. Four through holes 7d for inserting the bolts 3a of the retainer 3 are formed in the flange portion 7c in correspondence with the respective through holes 2b of the airbag 2.

The pad 9 is formed of a thermoplastic elastomer such as an olefin-based thermoplastic resin, and has a ceiling portion 10 that covers the folded airbag 2, a substantially rectangular cylindrical side wall portion 14 extending downward from the outer peripheral edge of the ceiling portion 10, and , Is configured.

On substantially the entire surface of the ceiling section 10 surrounded by the side wall section 14, a door section 12 is provided which has a thin portion 11 to be broken around and is opened when the airbag 2 is inflated. The door portion 12 is formed so as to be surrounded by the to-be-broken portion 11 which is arranged in a substantially U shape when viewed from above, and the front side of the pad 9 is a hinge portion 10a when opened. This door part 12
The upper part of the folded airbag 2 is covered.

A plurality of pressing projections 13 for pressing when the horn switch 25 is operated are provided on the back surface of the door portion 12.
In addition, a support projection (not shown) for contacting the support plate 29 and keeping a predetermined distance from the horn switch 25 so that the pressing projection 13 does not contact the horn switch 25 except during operation, Support plate 29 for positioning the horn switch 25 in a predetermined position.
And a not-shown positioning projection or the like that engages with the boss.

The side wall portion 14 of the pad 9 covers the side of the folded airbag 2 and serves as a portion for connecting the pad 9 to the bag holder 16. A locking hole 14a for inserting a locking claw 19a extending from a later-described side wall 19 of a main body 17 of the bag holder 16 is formed at a predetermined position in the side wall portion 14.

The bag holder 16 is composed of a main body 17 formed by bending a sheet metal and a holding plate 21.
The airbag 2, the inflator 7, and the pad 9 are held.

The main body 17, as shown in FIGS.
It has a substantially rectangular plate-shaped bottom wall 18 and a side wall 19 extending downward from substantially the entire outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall 18.

In the center of the bottom wall 18, the inflator 7
An insertion hole 18a for inserting the main body 7a from below is formed, and four through holes 18b for inserting the bolts 3a of the retainer 3 and a locking claw 3b of the retainer 3 are formed around the insertion hole 18a. Eight locking holes 18 for locking
c is formed. Further, an insertion hole 18d is formed at a predetermined position near the side wall 19 on the bottom wall 18.

On the side wall 19, twelve locking claws 19a are formed at predetermined positions to be inserted and locked into the respective locking holes 14a formed in the side wall portion 14 of the pad 9. Mounting holes 19b are formed at two locations for mounting the steering wheel W on the steering wheel W. Furthermore, the side wall 19
The outer peripheral surface of the pad 9 excluding a portion abutting on an inner peripheral side of a mounting leg 31 of the support plate 29 described later,
Is configured to abut on substantially the entire inner peripheral surface. The portion of the side wall 19 where the mounting leg 31 of the support plate 29 is arranged is recessed inward by the thickness of the mounting leg 31, as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 8 and 9, the holding plate 21 has a horizontal plate portion 22 having substantially the same shape as the bottom wall 18 of the bag holder 16, and a cross section from substantially the entire outer peripheral edge of the horizontal plate portion 22. And a fitting portion 23 extending in a U-shape.

The horizontal plate portion 22 has an insertion hole 18a formed in the bottom wall 18.
Corresponding to, an insertion hole 22a for inserting the main body 7a of the inflator 7 from below is formed. In the periphery of the insertion hole 22a, the through hole 18 of the bag holder bottom wall 18 is provided.
4b, four through holes 22b for inserting the bolts 3a of the retainer 3 are formed, and the locking claws of the retainer 3 are formed at positions corresponding to the locking holes 18c of the bag holder bottom wall 18. Eight bottomed recesses 22c with bottoms for inserting 3b are formed. Further, an insertion hole 22d is formed at a position corresponding to the insertion hole 18d of the bag holder bottom wall 18.

The fitting portion 23 has an outer peripheral wall 23 a disposed on the outer peripheral surface side of the pad side wall portion 14 and a bag holder side wall 19.
Inner peripheral wall 23b disposed on the inner peripheral side of the
3b, and a connecting wall 23c for connecting the two to each other. After the outer peripheral wall 23a of the fitting portion 23 locks each locking claw 19a of the bag holder side wall 19 with the locking hole 14a of the pad side wall portion 14, the locking is released when the airbag 2 is inflated. It serves to press the side wall portion 14 so as not to be present.

In the case of the bag holder 16 of the embodiment, the portion for locking each locking claw 3b of the retainer 3 is the inner peripheral surface of the locking hole 18c of the main body 17 and the bottomed concave portion of the holding plate 21. 22c are the inner peripheral surfaces near the upper end, and these are the locking recesses 1
6a, and the bottom of the bottomed recess 22c is
It becomes the bottom plate part 16b that closes the processing hole 3c.

The horn switch 25 is connected to the door 1 of the pad 9.
The membrane switch is made up of a large membrane switch having a shape corresponding to the shape of a thin film, and is covered with a protective film in a state where two thin electrode plates are opposed to each other with a large number of insulating spacers interposed therebetween. And predetermined lead wires 26 and 27 (see FIG. 3) are connected.

The support plate 29 is made of a synthetic resin, such as an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer, which is more rigid than the pad 9. The support plate 30 is disposed on the lower surface of the horn switch 25 and has the horn switch 25 attached thereto. And a mounting leg 31 extending downward from the side edge.

At the lower end of the mounting leg 31, a bulging portion 31a bulging back and forth is formed. The bulging portion 31a is formed by the side wall portion 19 of the bag holder and the side wall portion of the pad held by the outer peripheral wall 23a of the pressing plate 21. 14 and the support plate 29
Are attached to the bag holder 16.

The assembling of the airbag device 1 will be described. First, the retainer 3 is disposed around the opening 2a in the airbag 2 and the bolts 3a and the locking claws 3b of the retainer 3 are connected to the through holes 2b. And the locking hole 2c, and the airbag 2 is folded. After being folded, the breakable strap 5 (see FIG. 2) is hooked on the bolt 3a of the retainer 3 so as to wrap the folded airbag 2 in order to prevent collapse.

Further, the support portion 30 of the support plate 29 to which the horn switch 25 is attached is arranged on the back side of the door portion 12 of the pad 9, and the mounting leg 31 of the support plate 29 is located on the front side of the pad side wall portion 14. The bulge 3
1a is arranged at the position of the lower end surface of the side wall portion 14.

Thereafter, the bolt 3a and the locking claw 3b of the retainer 3 are inserted into the through holes 18b of the bottom wall 18 of the bag holder body 17.
The folded airbag 2 is disposed on the bottom wall 18 of the bag holder main body 17 and the pad 9 on which the support plate 29 is disposed is covered from above and the pad side wall portion 14 is inserted. The locking claws 19a of the bag holder side wall 19 are locked in the respective locking holes 14a. At this time, the bulging portion 31 a at the lower end of the mounting leg 31 of the support plate 29 is arranged at the position of the lower end surface of the side wall 19. Also, each lead wire 26 of the horn switch 25
27 is inserted into the insertion hole 1 of the bottom wall 18 of the bag holder body 17
8d.

Next, while fitting the fitting portion 23 of the holding plate 21 to the pad side wall portion 14 and the bag holder side wall 19, the bolt 3a and the locking claw 3b of the retainer 3 are pressed to the holding plate horizontal plate portion 22.
The pressing plate 21 is disposed on the lower surface side of the bag holder body 17 while being inserted into the through hole 22b and the bottomed concave portion 22c.
At this time, each lead wire 26 of the horn switch 25
27 protrudes from the insertion hole 22d of the holding plate horizontal plate portion 22.

Then, the main body 7a of the inflator 7 is inserted from below into the insertion holes 22a, 21a, the bolt 3a extending from the retainer 3 is inserted into the through hole 7d of the inflator flange 7c, and the nut 4 is screwed into each bolt 3a. If they are combined, the airbag device 1 can be assembled.

When the nut 4 is screwed into the airbag 2, the periphery of the opening 2 a is held between the retainer 3 and the bottom wall 18 of the bag holder body 17 and is held by the bag holder 16. Become.

Thereafter, the side wall 19 of the bag holder body 17
When the airbag device 1 is mounted on the steering wheel W by using the mounting holes 19b provided in the steering wheel W, the airbag device 1 can be mounted on the steering wheel W. The lead wires 26 and 27 of the horn switch 25 are connected to a predetermined horn switch operation circuit.

When the inflation gas is discharged from the gas discharge port 7b of the inflator 7 after being mounted on the steering wheel W, the airbag 2 starts to expand. Then, the door part 12 of the pad ceiling part 10 is pushed by the airbag 2 via the support part 30 of the support plate 29 and the horn switch 25. Then, the to-be-ruptured portion 11 is broken, the door portion 12 opens around the hinge portion 10c as a center of rotation, and the airbag 2 expands greatly from the opened opening. Incidentally, with respect to the tensile force when the airbag 2 is inflated, each locking claw 3b of the retainer 3 locks the peripheral edge of the locking hole 2c, and each bolt 3
Since a locks the peripheral edge of the through hole 2b, it can sufficiently oppose.

When the airbag 2 is inflated, in the airbag device 1 of the embodiment, the opening 2 a
The gas for inflation is introduced from the inside, and a part of the gas for inflation is supplied to the processing hole 3 c of the retainer 3 and the locking hole 1 of the bag holder body 17.
8c, the processing hole 3c and the locking hole 18c are closed by the bottom plate portion 16b of the bottomed concave portion 22c of the bag holder holding plate 21, so that leakage of the inflation gas is prevented, and The expansion completion time of No. 2 is not lengthened.

Further, in the airbag device 1 of the embodiment, the bag holder 16 is constituted by the main body 17 and the holding plate 21, and the locking hole 18c of the main body 17 is formed more than the bag holder 16 is constituted by one member. The depth of the bottomed recess 22c in the holding plate 21 up to the bottom plate portion 16b can be reduced by the length of the holding plate 21, and the processing energy can be reduced when the bottom plate portion 16b is formed by pressing. Further, since the main body 17 and the holding plate 21 can be jointly fastened with the bolt 3a as a fixing means for holding the airbag 2,
Even if the bag holder 16 is constituted by two members, the number of steps for assembling the airbag device 1 does not increase.

When the bag holder is constituted by one member, the bag holder is constituted as shown in FIG. That is, the bottom wall 47 of the bag holder 46 has an insertion hole 47a for inserting the main body 7a of the inflator 7,
A through hole 47b through which the bolt 3a of the retainer 3 is inserted;
A bottom plate 47d for locking the locking claw 3c of the retainer 3
And a fitting portion 48 that holds the pad side wall portion 14 and the support plate mounting leg 31 may be formed substantially all around the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall 47. The fitting portion 48 includes an outer peripheral wall 48a disposed on the outer peripheral surface side of the pad side wall portion 14, an inner peripheral wall 48b disposed on the inner peripheral surface side of the pad side wall portion 14 and the mounting leg 31, and a peripheral wall 48a. And a connecting wall 48d for connecting.

In such a bag holder 46 as well, since the processing hole 3c of the retainer 3 is closed by the bottom plate portion 47d of the locking concave portion 47c, leakage of the inflation gas of the airbag 2 can be prevented.

Incidentally, in the bag holder 46, a locking claw 48c for locking the locking hole 14a of the pad side wall portion 14.
After the pad side wall portion 14 is fitted into the fitting portion 48, the pad side wall portion 14 is bent and deformed to be locked in each locking hole 14a.

In the embodiment, the bottom plate portions 16b and 47d for closing the processing holes 3c of the retainer 3 are constituted by the members 22 and 46 constituting the bag holder.
For example, at the position of the locking recess 47c of the bag holder 47,
A penetrating locking hole may be formed and a bottom plate portion closing the locking hole may be provided with a cap-shaped member fixed by welding or the like.

Further, in the embodiment, the bolt 3a is exemplified as the fixing means extending from the retainer 3, but in addition,
Rivets or the like may be used.

Furthermore, the airbag device 1 of the embodiment
In the above, the structure in which the side wall portion 14 of the pad 9 is held by using the locking claw 19a with respect to the bag holder 16 has been exemplified, but the outer peripheral wall 23a which presses the outer peripheral surface of the pad side wall portion 14 is described.
-48a is eliminated, and the bag holder side wall 19 and the inner peripheral wall 4 are removed.
8b, the pad side wall portion 14 may be riveted.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an airbag device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the retainer of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a locking claw of the retainer according to the embodiment as viewed from the bottom surface side.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the bag holder body of the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the bag holder body of the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the bag holder holding plate of the embodiment.

9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IX-IX in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a periphery of an opening of the airbag according to the embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Airbag apparatus, 2 ... Airbag, 2a ... Opening, 2b ... Through-hole, 2c ... Locking hole, 3 ... Retainer, 3a ... (Fixing means) bolt, 3b ... Locking claw, 3c ... Processing hole, Reference numeral 9: pad, 14: side wall, 14a: locking hole, 16: 46: bag holder, 16a, 47c: locking recess, 16b, 47d: bottom plate, 17: main body, 19: side wall, 19a: locking claw , 21 ... Presser plate.

Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Shinichi Goto 1 Ochiai Nagahata, Kasuga-cho, Nishikasugai-gun, Aichi Prefecture Inside Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-8-2365 (JP, A) (JP, U) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B60R 21/20

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A peripheral edge of an opening for introducing an inflation gas in an airbag extends from a retainer disposed on an inner peripheral side of the airbag in the opening and is inserted into the peripheral edge of the opening and the bag holder. An airbag device which is held between the retainer and the bag holder by a fixing means and a locking claw provided, and wherein the locking claw is provided with a processing hole therearound and cut out from the retainer. Wherein the bag holder includes a through hole through which the fixing means penetrates, and a locking recess for inserting and locking the locking claw, and at an end of the locking claw in the insertion direction of the locking claw, , together with a configuration in which a bottom plate portion which closes the locking recess Ru disposed
The bag holder covers the folded airbag.
Body that can hold the side wall extending from the ceiling of the pad
And a presser plate, and a through hole through which the fixing means passes through the main body;
A penetrating lock that locks a locking claw to form the locking recess
And a hole is formed, and the pressing plate has a through hole through which the fixing means passes.
And being integrated with the main body by the fixing means.
A part that covers the locking hole and constitutes the bottom plate part.
An airbag device characterized in that: