JP3689773B2 - Airbag device for automobile - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an airbag device equipped in an instrument panel in a vehicle such as a passenger car.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In many vehicles, for example, an airbag device is provided at an appropriate position of the instrument panel (passenger side, etc.). The airbag device is stored in an airbag storage section inside the instrument panel, and an opening for inflating the airbag is provided on the front surface of the storage section. The opening is normally closed by a door or a cover body, but the door expands under certain conditions so that the airbag is inflated from the opening.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in this type of vehicle instrument panel, a cluster member or the like is provided around the opening or the door. Although this cluster member is a member that is separate and independent from the airbag device, when the airbag is inflated from the opening on the front surface of the airbag storage portion during operation of the airbag device, they may interfere with each other. In this case, the airbag may be damaged by the cluster member or the like, or the smooth operation of the airbag apparatus may be hindered. Further, the protection of the instrument panel body may be insufficient due to the inflation operation of the airbag.
[0004]
The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automotive airbag device capable of realizing the smooth operation and proper function of an airbag and effectively protecting surrounding members.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, an airbag module is attached to the airbag storage portion of the instrument panel via a case, and an elastomer door is attached so as to close the opening of the airbag storage portion. An airbag apparatus for an automobile in which an airbag can be inflated from an opening, wherein a frame-like bracket is fixed around the opening, and the reinforcing bracket of the case is opened when the airbag is inflated. The deformation of the case is regulated so as to abut on the frame-like inner peripheral edge of the bracket around the portion.
[0006]
The automobile airbag device according to claim 2 is characterized in that the frame-shaped bracket is fixed to the instrument panel body and is also used as a grab door striker .
[0007]
The automobile airbag device according to claim 3, wherein a cluster member is disposed at a position close to an upper and lower edge portion of the opening, and the frame-shaped bracket is attached to the case so that the airbag does not interfere with the cluster member. It is characterized by restricting deformation .
[0010]
According to the present invention, by providing the frame-shaped bracket that is fixed to the instrument panel body, the case is restricted from being deformed by the internal pressure of the airbag that is inflated when the airbag apparatus is activated. As a result, the airbag is prevented from inflating more than necessary, so as not to interfere with the cluster member or the like. As a result, the airbag can be smoothly inflated and the cluster member or the like can be protected.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A preferred embodiment of an automotive airbag device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
[0012]
FIG. 1 shows the periphery of an instrument panel 1 according to this embodiment, and an airbag device described later is provided on the passenger seat side of the instrument panel 1. The airbag device is stored in an airbag storage section inside the instrument panel 1, and an airbag inflation opening on the front surface of the storage section is closed by an elastomer door 2. The elastomer door 2 is deployed as indicated by an arrow under certain conditions to open the opening, and the airbag in the airbag storage portion is inflated.
[0013]
FIG. 2 shows a configuration example of the airbag device stored in the airbag storage section inside the instrument panel 1. In the figure, an air bag module 4 is mounted inside an elastomer door 2 via a reinforcing case 3. The airbag module 4 is supported by a reinforcement 5 in the instrument panel 1. As described above, the front surface of the airbag housing portion to which the airbag module 4 is mounted is normally closed by the elastomer door 2 as illustrated. A decorative plate 6 is attached to the outside of the elastomer door 2.
[0014]
A tear line (not shown) is set in the elastomer door 2 so as to be deployed by the inflation of the airbag 4a. The tear line may include a tear line formed along both side edges of the opening for inflating the airbag and a tear line along the lower edge of the opening. These tear lines are formed by making the elastomer door 2 thin, and are broken along the tear line when a certain load is applied to the elastomer door 2. Moreover, in the instrument panel 1 of this embodiment, the cluster 7 is arrange | positioned in the vertical edge vicinity position of the opening part for airbag expansion (FIG. 2, FIG. 3).
[0015]
In particular, in this embodiment, the bracket 8 is fixedly provided so as to restrict the deformation of the reinforcing case 3 around the opening for inflating the airbag. The bracket 8 is fixed to the instrument panel 1 main body by screws 9 as shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the grab door striker 10 can also be used by integrating the bracket 8 with the grab door striker 10.
[0016]
Further, the bracket 8 has a U-shaped cross section and has a substantially frame shape as shown in FIG. As will be described later, the reinforcing bracket 3 a (see FIG. 2) of the reinforcing case 3 can come into contact with the frame-like inner peripheral edge of the bracket 8. In a normal state, an appropriate gap S is set between the reinforcing bracket 3a and the inner peripheral edge of the bracket 8 as shown in FIG.
[0017]
The automobile airbag device according to the present invention is configured as described above, and the operation thereof will be described below.
The front surface of the airbag housing is normally closed by an elastomer door 2 as shown in FIG. When the airbag device is activated, the inflating airbag 4a presses the elastomer door 2 from the inside. Then, this pressure breaks along the tear line of the elastomer door 2, and the airbag 4a bulges from the opening on the front surface of the airbag housing (FIG. 2, two-dot chain line).
[0018]
In this case, the reinforcing case 3 is deformed as indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 4 due to the internal pressure generated by the airbag 4a that bulges as described above. On the other hand, by fixing the frame-shaped bracket 8 to the instrument panel 1 main body, when the reinforcing case 3 is deformed during the operation of the airbag apparatus, the reinforcing bracket 3 a comes into contact with the inner peripheral edge of the bracket 8. Thereby, the deformation | transformation of the reinforcement case 3 is controlled below fixed. Therefore, when the air bag 4a is inflated from the opening for inflating the air bag, it is avoided that the air bag 4a is inflated more than necessary to the cluster 7 side so as not to interfere with the cluster 7 or the like. As a result, the airbag 4a bulges smoothly from the opening, and both the cluster 7 and the airbag 4a can be effectively protected.
[0019]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, by providing a frame-like bracket fixed to the instrument panel body in this type of airbag device, the case is deformed by the internal pressure of the airbag when the airbag device is activated. Is regulated. As a result, the airbag can be prevented from being inflated more than necessary, and can be prevented from interfering with the cluster member or the like. As a result, the airbag can be inflated smoothly and the cluster member and the like can be protected. Accordingly, there are advantages such as realizing a smooth inflation operation and an appropriate function of the airbag, and effectively protecting the peripheral members of the opening.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the periphery of an instrument panel according to an embodiment of an automobile airbag device of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of the airbag device stored in the airbag storage portion in the embodiment of the automotive airbag device of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view around an instrument panel according to an embodiment of an automobile airbag device of the present invention.
4 is an enlarged view of a part A in FIG. 2;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Instrument panel 2 Elastomer door 3 Reinforcing case 4 Air bag module 4a Air bag 5 Reinforce 6 Decorative plate 7 Cluster 8 Bracket 9 Screw 10 Grab door striker

Claims (3)

An airbag module is attached to the airbag housing part of the instrument panel via a case , an elastomer door is attached so as to close the opening part of the airbag housing part, and the airbag can be inflated from the opening part. An automotive airbag device configured as described above,
A frame-shaped bracket is fixed around the opening,
An automobile airbag device characterized in that deformation of the case is restricted by a reinforcing bracket of the case being in contact with a frame-like inner peripheral edge of the bracket around the opening when the airbag is inflated . The automobile airbag device according to claim 1 , wherein the frame-shaped bracket is fixed to the instrument panel body and is also used as a grab door striker. A cluster member is disposed in a position near the upper and lower edges of the opening, and the frame-shaped bracket regulates deformation of the case so that the airbag does not interfere with the cluster member. Item 3. The automobile airbag device according to Item 1 or 2 .

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