JP3414293B2 - Method of folding airbag of airbag device for passenger seat - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of folding an airbag of a passenger airbag device which is disposed at a portion of an instrument panel in front of a passenger seat of a vehicle. <br/> 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an airbag device for a passenger seat, when an airbag is deployed and inflated, an inflation gas flows from a gas inlet and protrudes from a portion of an instrument panel, and the airbag protrudes. It was expanding toward the rear of the vehicle along the downwardly inclined windshield. [0003] The airbag of the passenger airbag device is folded so that the side of the ceiling wall facing the gas inlet approaches the gas inlet, and the front and rear edges approach the center. And a vertical fold that folds both the left and right edges closer to the center, and is stored and fixed in the case. In folding the airbag,
At the time of horizontal folding, there was a case where a front part was folded in a bellows (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-291068). [0005] When the front part is folded in a bellows, the front part expands more quickly than the case of roll folding when the inflation gas flows in, but the collision force of the front part against the windshield increases. Would. Furthermore, when the airbag is deployed and inflated, the airbag is deployed and inflated rearward of the vehicle along the windshield, so that the vicinity of the front edge of the airbag is long and rubs against the windshield. Move to the rear side of the vehicle. Therefore, there is a possibility that the airbag may be damaged. [0007] The present invention is intended to solve the above problems, the front portion of the air bag at the time of expansion and inflation, while suppressing impacts and rubbing against the windshield, the air of the passenger airbag apparatus can be quickly deployed Folding bag
It is intended to provide a folding method . According to the present invention, there is provided a method for folding an airbag of an airbag device for a passenger seat according to the present invention. An inflation gas is caused to flow in from an inlet, and a door arranged on an upper surface of the instrument panel is opened and protruded, and is inflated rearward of the vehicle along a windshield, and is opposed to the gas inflow port. Folded to make the ceiling wall side to approach the gas inlet side,
Passenger air that is folded and stored and fixed in the case by a lateral fold that folds both front and rear edges close to the center and a vertical fold that closes left and right edges near the center How to fold the airbag of the bag device
A law, front portion of the airbag, when the cross-fold,
Fold the front edge side to the ceiling wall side in two folds, fold the folded part on the part to be folded, and repeat the valley fold and mountain fold in a zigzag while maintaining the folded state When the rear portion of the airbag is folded sideways, the rear edge side is the gas inlet side or the ceiling wall center side.
By roll folding to wind on and put on the ceiling wall ,
It is characterized by being folded horizontally. According to the present invention, there is provided an airbag device for a passenger seat according to the present invention .
In the method of folding the airbag, the front side portion of the airbag is folded in a bellows state in a state where the front edge side is folded back on the ceiling wall side when the side bag is folded sideways. In the front part, first, the folded part that has been folded and the part that is to be folded that is formed by folding the folded part are unified and quickly deployed together so as to eliminate bellows folding. [0010] The folded portion is rotated about the fold overlapped with the folded portion as a center of rotation, and is rotated forward to separate the folded portion and eliminate the fold. Then, the folded portion and the folded portion developed along the windshield are further developed so as to eliminate the fold of the bellows fold, and the airbag is inflated. Completed state. That is, a portion where a strong impact is to be applied to the windshield is a fold portion obtained by folding the folded portion in the initial stage of deployment and inflation with the folded portion. [0013] Further, the swelled portions to be brought into contact with the windshield are the folded portions and the folded portions below the fold portions, but the folded portions are not folded. The portion that comes into contact with the windshield under the pressure of the inflation gas is mainly a short portion that is only the folded portion because it is about to rotate forward around the folded portion. Therefore, the impact energy to the windshield when the airbag is deployed and inflated becomes the energy for deploying and inflating the short folded portion so as to eliminate the bellows fold, and the folded portion has a small volume. Because of its small size, the impact force applied to the windshield can be reduced as compared with the case where the front portion of the airbag is simply folded in a bellows. The front edge side of the airbag contacts the windshield only after the folded portion is rotated forward with the folded portion as the center of rotation, so that the length of the front edge of the folded portion can be rubbed against the windshield. Is shortened, and the length of friction with the windshield is shortened, so that damage to the airbag can be suppressed. Therefore, in the method for folding the airbag of the passenger airbag device according to the present invention, the front portion of the airbag at the time of deployment and inflation can be quickly deployed while suppressing impact and rubbing against the windshield. Thus, the occupant restraint performance of the airbag can be improved. Also, when the airbag is inflated and inflated, the rear part of the airbag is in a state where the rolled state is unwound and the resistance at the time of deployment is increased, so the rear part is compared with the front part, It becomes difficult to expand and expand. That is, the front part is
Deploy quickly to the rear of the vehicle along the windshield,
In the state where the rear part is deployed to the rear of the vehicle with a delay along the instrument panel, the ceiling wall part in the course of deployment and inflation is wide and close to the vertical plane,
It will move to the rear of the vehicle. Therefore, folding of the airbag of the airbag device for a passenger seat according to the present invention
In the method , the speed of inflation of the ceiling wall portion of the airbag toward the vehicle rear side can be reduced, and the speed of inflation of the airbag toward the occupant can be reduced. Even if the occupant is restrained, the pressing force on the occupant can be suppressed. An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The passenger seat airbag device M of the embodiment is
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a top-mount type is disposed on an instrument panel (hereinafter abbreviated as an instrument panel) 2 below a windshield 1, and includes a case 7, an inflator 10, a diffuser 11, a retainer 12, It is provided with a lid 14 and an airbag 17. The case 7 is made of sheet metal and includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped main body 8 and a holding plate 9 disposed around an upper portion of the main body 8. The main body 8 includes a lower chamber 8 a for storing the inflator 10 and the folded airbag 1.
And an upper chamber 8b for accommodating the same.
The holding plate member 9 is formed in a substantially quadrangular cylindrical shape so as to cover a lower portion of the upper chamber 8b below a stepped portion 8c disposed on both sides in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and to cover a peripheral wall 8e of the upper chamber 8b. . Step 8c and Step 8 of Presser Plate 9
Through holes 8d and 9a through which the bolts 12a of the retainer 12 are inserted are formed in portions that cover c. Further, the front and rear portions of the peripheral wall 8e of the upper chamber 8b are engaged with side walls 14d, which will be described later, of the lid 14 so that the side walls 14d can be prevented from coming off.
A projection 8f is formed to be inserted into a plurality of locking holes 14e provided in the side wall 14d. Each projection 8f has
Insertion holes 8g for inserting the insertion piece 9 b provided on the pressing member 9 is formed. The inflator 10 is housed and held in the lower chamber 8a of the case 7 as a column having a gas discharge port 10a for inflating gas for inflating the airbag 17. The diffuser 11 is made of sheet metal, and is formed as a substantially rectangular plate whose periphery is curved so as to be able to abut on each step 8c of the case body 8, and is provided at a predetermined position with gas flow holes 11a through which inflation gas can pass. 11a. A through hole 11 b through which each bolt 12 a of the retainer 12 can be inserted is formed on the periphery of the diffuser 11. The retainer 12 is made of a curved rectangular annular sheet metal and includes a plurality of bolts 12a extending downward. The retainer 12 is provided with each bolt 12a.
Are attached to a mounting hole 19a of the airbag 17, a through hole 11b of the diffuser 11, and a through hole 8d of the case body 8.
-Each bolt 12 is inserted through the through hole 9a of the holding member 9.
By screwing the nut 13 into the a, the airbag 17 is fixed to the case 7 together with the diffuser 11 and serves to assemble the case 7 itself. The lid 14 is made of an olefin-based or styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer or the like, and has a ceiling wall 14a disposed in a rectangular opening 2a of the instrument panel 2 which is opened substantially vertically, and a ceiling wall 14a. And a side wall portion 14d extending downward from the lower surface of 14a in a square tube shape. On the ceiling wall 14a, on the lower surface of the outer peripheral edge,
A plurality of locking claws 1 for locking to the opening peripheral edge 2b in order to improve the parting of the ceiling wall portion 14a with the instrument panel 2
4b is formed. In addition, two doors 15 are disposed in the ceiling wall portion 14a at a portion inside the side wall portion 14d and open when the airbag 17 is inflated by breaking the thin wall portion 14c. The breakable portion 14c is formed in an “H” shape when viewed from above in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The two doors 15 are arranged before and after the vehicle, and when the airbag 17 is inflated, the door 15 (F) arranged on the front side is opened forward and the door 15 (F) arranged on the rear side. B) is configured to open rearward. The side wall 14d is provided with a plurality of locking holes 14e for locking the periphery of the projection 8f formed on the peripheral wall 8e of the case body 8 as described above. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the airbag 17 has a bag shape having a gas inlet 18 and uses two woven fabrics of polyamide yarn or polyester yarn having flexibility.
It is formed by suturing the edges. The shape of the airbag 17 when inflated is substantially a truncated quadrangular truncated pyramid as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. The periphery of the gas inlet 18 constitutes a mounting piece 19 to be attached to the case 7, and the mounting piece 19 has bolts 12 of the retainer 12.
a is provided. In addition,
26 is a vent hole. The air bag 17 has
A rectifying cloth 22 is provided to cover the gas inlet 18. The rectifying cloth 22 is made of the same woven cloth as the peripheral wall 20 of the airbag 17, and covers both sides in the left-right direction of the vehicle when mounted on the vehicle, and covers both sides in the front-rear direction of the vehicle when mounted on the vehicle. Like opening
The left and right edges 22c and 22d are sewn to the peripheral wall 20 using the suture thread 25. Furthermore, the rectifying cloth 2 of the embodiment
2 is the front edge 22a of the straightening cloth 22 with respect to the area of the openings 23 and 24 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle (the opening area provided between the front and rear edges 22a and 22b of the straightening cloth 22 and the peripheral wall 20).
Is longer than the rear edge 22b, and the opening 23 on the front side is set to be larger than the opening 24 on the rear side. The folding process of the airbag 17 will be described. First, as shown in FIG.
Is folded so that the side of the ceiling wall 21 facing the gas inlet 18 approaches the side of the gas inlet 18. Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, a horizontal fold H0 is formed so that the front edge 27 of the airbag 17 approaches the central portion 21a of the ceiling wall 21. The front portion 17a of the bag 17 is folded in two. At this time, the front side portion 17a of the airbag 17 includes a folded portion 32 that is folded and a folded portion 33 where the folded portion 32 is overlapped. The horizontal fold is a fold H (H0) in the left-right direction.
And a fold H1) to be described later, and the fold H of the lateral fold runs along the left-right direction of the vehicle when the airbag device M is mounted on the vehicle. Next, as shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C, a fold portion 35 and a rear edge 28 which are front edges generated at the fold H0.
Is folded sideways with a fold line H1 so that と approaches the vicinity of the center O1. At the time of the lateral folding, in the case of the embodiment, the front side portion 17a of the airbag 17 is maintained while the folded portion 32 is folded on the folded portion 33.
Roll folding in which the rear portion 17b is wound with the rear edge 28 side toward the gas inlet 18 side and placed on the ceiling wall portion 21 as a bellows fold in which a fold H1 is formed and zigzag valley folding and mountain folding are repeated. That is, the inner roll is folded. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5D, the left and right edges 29 and 30 are vertically folded so as to approach the vicinity of the center O2. This vertical fold is to make a fold V in the front-rear direction, and the fold V in the vertical fold is along the front-rear direction of the vehicle when the airbag device M is mounted on the vehicle. In the case of the embodiment, the left and right edges 29 and 30 are formed into an inner roll which is rolled toward the gas inlet 18. When folding as shown by B, C and D in FIG. 5, the bolt 12 is actually inserted from each mounting hole 19a.
This is performed in a state in which the retainer 12 is housed in the airbag 17 while projecting a. After the airbag 17 is folded in this way, in order to prevent the airbag 17 from being broken, each of the bolts 12a is protruded, and a breakable sheet material 16 (see FIG. 1) such as a nonwoven fabric or a film is used. Cover, then diffuser 1
Each bolt 12a of the retainer 12 is inserted into the through-hole 11b with respect to the case main body 8 in which the
The airbag 17 is housed while being inserted through 8d, and then the lid 14 is put on the main body 8, and the projection 8f of the peripheral wall 8e is locked on the periphery of each locking hole 14e of the side wall 14d. A bolt 12a is inserted into each through hole 9a, and
The airbag device M can be assembled by disposing the holding plate 9 around the main body 8 from below so as to insert the insertion piece 9b into each insertion hole 8g and screwing the nut 13 to each bolt 12a. it can. And then, lid 1
4 and the bracket (not shown) extending from the case 7 is connected and fixed to a frame of the vehicle, as shown in FIGS. Can be attached to a predetermined portion of the instrument panel 2. After the inflation gas is discharged from the gas discharge port 10a of the inflator 10 after the airbag device M is mounted on the vehicle, the inflation gas G flows into the airbag 17 from the gas inlet 18. And the gas inlet 18
However, since it is covered by the ceiling wall portion 21 with the rectifying cloth 22 interposed, first, the vicinity of the central portion 21a of the ceiling wall portion 21 and the folded portion covering the vicinity of the central portion 21a are formed by the gas inlet 18. The upper part is moved away from the upper part to break the to-be-broken part 14c of the lid 14, and the doors 15 are opened. As shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG.
It will expand and expand. At this time, the airbag 17 of the embodiment protrudes from the opening 2a of the instrument panel 2 and first expands to the left and right sides so as to eliminate vertical folding. In addition, the inflation gas G flowing into the airbag 17 is branched forward and backward by the rectifying cloth 22 and flows, so that the airbag 17 tends to deploy quickly to both sides in the front-rear direction. The front portion 17a of the airbag 17
First, the folded portion 32 that has been folded and the folded portion 33 where the folded portion 32 is overlapped are unified and quickly deployed together so as to eliminate bellows folding. The outline 71 of the airbag 17 shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the folded portion 32 is
With the fold portion 35 overlapped with No. 3 as a center of rotation, the fold portion 35 rotates forward away from the fold portion 33 to eliminate the fold H0. The outline 7 of the airbag 17 shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the folded portion 33, the folded portion 32 developed along the windshield 1,
Are further expanded so that the horizontal folds H0 and H1 are eliminated, and the airbag 17 is
After that, the expansion completion state shown by the outline 74 is obtained. That is, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the portion that is to give a strong impact to the windshield 1 is a fold portion 35 obtained by folding the folded portion 32 in the initial stage of deployment and inflation to the folded portion 33. Becomes The portions that expand so that the folded portion 35 comes into contact with the windshield 1 are the folded portion 32 and the folded portion 33 below the folded portion 35. 32 is about to rotate forward around the fold 35, the inflation gas G
The part that comes into contact with the windshield 1 under the pressure of
Mainly, it is a short portion of only the folded portion 33. Therefore, the impact energy on the windshield 1 when the airbag 17 is deployed and inflated is:
The energy to expand and inflate the short folded portion 33 so as to eliminate the fold H1 of the bellows fold is small, and the folded portion 33 has a small volume and is small. The impact force applied to the windshield 1 can be reduced as compared with the case of simply folding the bellows. Further, near the front edge 27 side of the airbag 17, as shown by the outline 72 of the airbag 17, only after the folded portion 32 has been rotated forward about the fold portion 35 as the center of rotation. , The length of the windshield 1 rubbing against the windshield 1 is reduced, and the other portions of the airbag 17 are also closer to the front edge 27 when the front side portion 17a of the airbag 17 is simply folded in a bellows shape. Since the length of rubbing against the windshield 1 is reduced, damage to the airbag 17 can be suppressed. Therefore, in the method of folding the airbag 17 of the airbag device M for the passenger seat according to the embodiment, the front portion 17a of the airbag 17 at the time of deployment and inflation is quickly deployed while suppressing the impact and rubbing against the windshield 1. The occupant restraint performance of the airbag 17 can be improved. In the embodiment, when the airbag 17 is folded horizontally, the rear portion 17b is folded in an inner roll. Therefore, when the airbag 17 is deployed and inflated,
The rear part 17b is in a state where the rolled state is unwound,
Since the resistance at the time of deployment is increased, and the deployment direction on the rear edge 28 side is downward, opposite to the inflow direction of the inflation gas G, the rear portion 17b is smaller than the front portion 17a.
It becomes difficult to expand and expand. That is, the front portion 17a is quickly deployed to the rear of the vehicle along the windshield 1,
The rear portion 17b is deployed to the rear of the vehicle with a delay along the instrument panel 2, and the ceiling wall portion 2 is being deployed and inflated.
1 moves to the rear of the vehicle on a wide surface and close to a vertical plane. Therefore, in the embodiment, the airbag 1
7, the speed of inflation of the ceiling wall portion 21 toward the rear of the vehicle can be reduced, and the speed of inflation of the airbag 17 toward the occupant can be reduced.
Even if the occupant 7 is restrained during the inflation, the pressing force on the occupant can be suppressed. When the airbag 17 is folded sideways, the rear portion 17b is wound around the rear edge 28 toward the central portion 21a of the ceiling wall 21 without folding the inner roll.
A lateral folding may be performed by a method of winding and folding with a large resistance at the time of inflation and deployment, such as folding an outer roll placed on the top. Of course, if the above operation and effect are not considered,
The rear portion 17b may be folded in a bellows. In the embodiment, when the airbag 17 is vertically folded, the inner roll is folded. As shown in FIG. 5E, the left and right edges 29 and 30 are folded toward the gas inlet 18. Thereafter, the inside roll may be deformed such that the folded portion is placed on the center side of the ceiling wall portion 21. Incidentally, like these, the airbag 1
In the vertical folding of 7, when the inner roll or the deformed inner roll is folded and arranged in the center of the ceiling wall portion 21, the inflation of the airbag 17 is larger than in the case of the bellows fold or the outer roll fold. At this time, the left and right edges 29 and 30 are preferably prevented from unfolding toward the occupant, and the ceiling wall portion 21 is further moved toward the occupant in a state of a wide surface that is expanded in the left and right direction. Further, in the embodiment, the case where the airbag 17 is folded horizontally and vertically is shown. However, the airbag 17 is folded vertically and then horizontally. May be folded. That is, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, first, vertical folding is performed by outer roll folding or bellows folding so that the left and right edges 29 and 30 of the airbag 17 are brought closer to the center O2 side. Next, as shown in FIG. 7C, a horizontal fold fold H0 is formed so that the front edge 27 of the airbag 17 approaches the center portion 21a of the ceiling wall 21. Is folded in two. Thereafter, as shown in FIG.
A fold H1 is formed so that the fold portion 35 and the rear edge 28, which are front edges generated in the above, approach the center O1.
Fold sideways. At the time of this horizontal folding, the folded front portion 17a of the airbag 17 is formed as a bellows-shaped portion, and the rear portion 1
7b may be laterally folded by inner roll folding or the like. Although the airbag 17 is provided with the rectifying cloth 22 as the airbag 17, the rectifying cloth 22 may be omitted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a use mode of an airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view in a front-rear direction of a vehicle. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a use mode of the airbag device of the embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle in a left-right direction. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the airbag used in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an end view of a portion IV-IV in FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a process of folding the airbag according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an inflated state of the airbag of the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a process of folding an airbag according to another embodiment. [Description of Signs] 1 ... windshield, 2 ... (instrument panel) instrument panel, 7 ... case, 15 ... door, 17 ... airbag, 17a ... front side part, 18 ... gas inflow port, 21 ... ceiling wall part, 27 35: front edge; 32: folded portion; 33: folded portion; G: gas for inflation; M: airbag device for the passenger seat.

Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Yuji Kuriyama 1 Ochiai Nagahata, Kasuga-cho, Nishikasugai-gun, Aichi Prefecture Inside Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-6-255437 (JP, A) JP-A-6-166361 (JP, A) JP-A-9-263204 (JP, A) JP-A-7-291068 (JP, A) WO 97/036768 (WO, A1) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , (DB name) B60R 21/16-21/32

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] [Claim 1] An airbag folded and housed and fixed in a case, when inflating and inflating, allows inflation gas to flow from a gas inflow port,
A door arranged on the upper surface of the instrument panel is opened to protrude, and expands rearward of the vehicle along a windshield, and the ceiling wall facing the gas inlet is the gas inlet. Folded so as to approach the side, the front and rear edges are folded so as to approach the center, and the left and right edges are folded by the vertical folding so as to approach the center. A method for folding an airbag of an airbag device for a passenger seat, which is stored and fixed in a front side portion of the airbag, wherein a front edge portion of the airbag is folded in two at a front edge side to a ceiling wall portion side when folded laterally, and is folded. Fold the folded part over the part, keeping the folded state,
To repeat the fold valley fold and mountain zigzag, is bellows-folded, side portion after the air bag, when the cross-fold, the rear edge side gas
Wind toward the inlet or the center of the ceiling wall to
Folding the airbag of the airbag device for the passenger seat, characterized in that it is folded horizontally by roll folding on the well wall.
How to fold .