JP3750573B2 - Airbag device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an airbag device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is an airbag device that protects an occupant by storing a substantially cylindrical inflator in an airbag and inflating and deploying the airbag with gas emitted from the inflator according to a control signal (Japanese Patent No. 2523406, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-82710).
[0003]
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of this type of airbag apparatus. A retainer 102, also called a diffuser, is disposed in the airbag 101, and a cylindrical inflator 103 is inserted inside the retainer 102. The retainer 102 is a cylindrical member having a diameter slightly larger than that of the inflator 103. The openings 104 and 105 at the left and right ends thereof are respectively closed by the flange portion 106 of the inflator 103 and the other by the cap 107. Yes. The left and right side walls of the airbag 101 are provided with left and right openings 108 and 109 corresponding to the openings of the retainer 102, and the opening edges of the two are located between the retainer 102 and the flange 106 or the cap 107. Each is closed by being pinched.
[0004]
FIG. 9 shows another conventional example. In this example, a cylindrical retainer 111 surrounding a columnar inflator 110 is fixed with a bolt 112 protruding downward. In addition, the front portion of the airbag 113 is provided with two attachment pieces 114 and 115 opposed to each other in the front-rear direction, and the two attachment pieces 114 and 115 are overlapped so as to wrap the retainer 111. The bolt 112 of the retainer 111 is passed through the overlapping portion and is tightened with a nut 116.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In these conventional structures, since the cylindrical retainers 102 and 111 having the same length as the inflators 103 and 110 are used, the weight of the airbag device is increased accordingly.
[0006]
Further, in the structure shown in FIG. 8 described above, the inflator 103 is inserted from the opening 108 provided on the side wall of the airbag 101. When the retainer 104 is also inserted from the opening 108, the diameter of the opening 108 is reduced. It is necessary to set the diameter to be equal to the diameter of the inflator 103, that is, one diameter larger than the diameter of the inflator 103. Since such a large opening 108 is difficult to gas seal, an opening for inserting the retainer 104 must be provided separately, and a gas seal structure for that purpose is also required.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides an airbag device in which a gas seal at an insertion port of an airbag for inserting an inflator and a retainer can be easily performed and the weight can be reduced. For the purpose.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
An airbag device according to the present invention includes a columnar inflator having a bolt projecting from a bottom wall on one end side in the axial direction, and an airbag that spreads in an inversely tapered manner from a housing portion that houses the inflator to an occupant restraint surface. And a retainer having at least one bolt that surrounds the outer periphery of the other end side of the inflator, and a pair of opposing side walls in the housing portion through which the bolt of the inflator is inserted into one side wall A hole is provided, and an insertion port for inserting the inflator into the airbag and a through hole through which the retainer bolt is inserted are provided on the other side wall, and the bolt of the inflator inserted from the insertion port The retainer that is inserted into the through-hole of the one side wall, is tightened with a nut from the outside of the airbag, and is disposed inside the airbag. A bolt inserted into the through hole of the other side wall and in which clamped by nuts from the outside of the airbag.
[0009]
In the airbag device of the present invention, one side wall of the pair of opposite side walls of the airbag is fixed by an inflator bolt inserted into the airbag from the insertion port, and the retainer is inserted using an annular retainer. The other side wall of the airbag is fixed with the bolt accommodated in the airbag from the mouth. Thus, in the present invention, an annular retainer is used to fix the other side wall of the airbag provided with the inflator insertion port. Such an annular retainer can be inserted into an opening having a diameter smaller than its own diameter by being laid sideways and inserted. Therefore, even when the diameter of the insertion port is set to be approximately the same as the diameter of the inflator, the annular retainer can be inserted into the airbag from the insertion port, and a cylindrical retainer having the same length as the inflator is used. Compared to the case, the gas sealing of the airbag is easy, and the weight of the apparatus can be reduced.
[0010]
The airbag device of the present invention includes a pair of support members that support both side walls of the airbag together with the inflator, wherein the bolt of the inflator is fixed to one support member, and the bolt of the retainer is fixed to the other It may be fixed to the support member. In this way, the pair of side walls of the airbag may be fixed to the support member using the bolts of the inflator and the retainer, and the airbag and the inflator may be sandwiched between the pair of support members.
[0011]
Here, as the support member, a bracket for fixing the airbag and the inflator to the vehicle structural material is preferable. In addition, as a support member, the case which accommodates an airbag and an inflator can also be used, In that case, the both side walls of a case serve as a pair of support members.
[0012]
In the airbag device of the present invention, a flange portion is provided at the other end of the inflator, and the flange portion is sandwiched between the retainer and the other support member together with the opening peripheral edge portion of the insertion port. There is. Thereby, the other end side of the inflator is fixed, and the insertion port of the airbag is effectively gas-sealed.
[0013]
In the airbag device of the present invention, a flange portion is provided at the other end of the inflator, a through hole is provided in the flange portion, and a bolt of the retainer is inserted into the through hole and tightened with the nut. By doing so, the airbag and the other support member may be sandwiched between the retainer and the flange portion, and this also enables fixing and gas sealing of the other end side of the inflator. it can.
[0014]
Furthermore, such fixing and gas sealing of the other end of the inflator can also be achieved by press-fitting and holding the other end of the inflator to the inner periphery of the retainer.
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[0016]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an airbag device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view thereof, and FIGS. 3 to 5 are enlarged perspective views showing an assembly procedure thereof.
[0017]
The airbag apparatus 10 is an airbag apparatus for a passenger seat disposed in an instrument panel in front of a passenger seat. The airbag apparatus 10 is inflated and deployed by an inflator 12 that is a gas generator and gas generated by the inflator 12. And an airbag 14 for protecting the passenger. A phosphorus hose 8, which is a vehicle structural material, is disposed in the instrument panel in the vehicle width direction, and the airbag device 10 is fixedly supported by a pair of left and right brackets (support members) 16, 18 with respect to the phosphorus hose 8. ing.
[0018]
The inflator 12 has a cylindrical shape, and a bolt 20 protrudes from a bottom wall on one end side in the axial direction, and a disc-shaped flange portion 22 is provided at the other end. In this embodiment, the inflator 12 is of a type that includes a plurality of gas supply ports 24 on its peripheral wall and supplies gas into the airbag 14 from there. A type that includes a gas ejection part and supplies gas from the one end part can also be used.
[0019]
The airbag 14 has a substantially side-down quadrangular pyramid shape that extends in a reverse taper shape from an accommodating portion 26 that accommodates the inflator 12 to an occupant restraint surface 28 that receives the occupant, and the instrument 14 is folded into a predetermined shape. Is disposed within the instrument panel. The pair of left and right side walls in the accommodating portion 26 is provided with a through hole 30 through which the bolt 20 of the inflator 12 is inserted in one side wall, and a circular insertion for inserting the inflator 12 into the airbag 14 on the other side wall. The opening 32 is provided at a position facing the through hole 30.
[0020]
Reference numeral 34 denotes a retainer that is disposed inside the airbag 14 and fixes the airbag 14 to the bracket 16. The retainer 34 is an annular flat plate surrounding the peripheral wall of the inflator 12, and a plurality of bolts 36 (four in this embodiment at substantially equal intervals) parallel to the axial direction project from one surface of the retainer 34. Yes.
[0021]
A plurality of through holes 38 through which a plurality of bolts 36 of the retainer 34 are inserted are provided around the insertion opening 32 in the housing portion 26 of the airbag 14.
[0022]
One bracket 18 of the pair of left and right brackets described above is fixed from the outside to the bag side wall provided with the through hole 30. The bracket 18 is provided with a through hole 40 through which the bolt 20 of the inflator 12 is inserted. By tightening the bolt 20 inserted into the through hole 40 with a nut 42 from the outside of the airbag 14, The side wall is fixed to the bracket 18.
[0023]
The other bracket 16 is fixed from the outside to the bag side wall provided with the insertion port 32 and the through hole 38. The bracket 16 is provided with a recess 47 that receives the flange portion 22 of the inflator 12, and a plurality of through holes 46 through which the bolts 36 of the retainer 34 are inserted are provided around the recess 47. The bag side wall is fixed to the bracket 16 by tightening the bolt 36 inserted through the through holes 46 with a nut 48 from the outside of the airbag 14.
[0024]
The brackets 16 and 18 are provided with mounting seat surfaces 44 and 50 to the phosphorus hose 8, respectively. The mounting seat surfaces 44 and 50 are fixed to the phosphorus hose 8 via bolts and nuts.
[0025]
When assembling the airbag device 10, first, as shown in FIG. 2, the retainer 34 is inserted into the airbag 14 from the insertion port 32 of the airbag 14.
[0026]
Here, the insertion port 32 is set to a size that allows the retainer 34 and the inflator 12 to be inserted. Even if the outer diameter of the retainer 34 is larger than the diameter of the insertion port 32, the circumferential length of the insertion port 32 is set to be longer than the outer dimension of the retainer 34 in a state in which the insertion port 32 is laid sideways. 32 can be inserted. Therefore, in this embodiment, the diameter of the insertion port 32 is set to be approximately the same as the diameter of the inflator 12, and the inflator 12 is inserted into the airbag 14 except for the flange portion 22.
[0027]
As shown in FIG. 3, the retainer 34 inserted into the airbag 14 is set in the housing portion 26 by taking out the bolt 36 from the corresponding through hole 38 of the housing portion 26. At this time, the opening at the center of the annular retainer 34 overlaps with the insertion port 32 of the airbag 14 so that the inflator 12 can be inserted into the airbag 14.
[0028]
Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the inflator 12 is inserted into the airbag 14 through the insertion port 32 from the bolt 20 side, and as shown in FIG. 4, the bolt 20 is provided on the opposite side wall of the bag. The insertion port 32 is closed by the flange portion 22 through the hole 30.
[0029]
Next, as shown in FIG. 5, brackets 16 and 18 are attached to the left and right side walls of the accommodating portion 26, and the bolts 20 and 36 are tightened with nuts 42 and 48, so that the airbag 14 and the inflator 12 It is fixed in a state of being sandwiched between 18. Specifically, one end of the inflator 12 is fixed to the bracket 18 with a bolt 20, whereby one side wall of the airbag 14 is also fixed to the bracket 18, and a through hole 30 provided in the side wall of the bag has an end surface of the inflator 12. And the bracket 18 are gas-sealed. The other side wall of the airbag 14 is fixed to the bracket 16 with a bolt 36 of a retainer 34. At that time, the flange portion 22 of the inflator 12 is sandwiched between the retainer 34 and the bracket 16 together with the opening peripheral edge portion of the insertion port 32, thereby fixing the other end side of the inflator 12 and inserting the airbag 14. The mouth 32 is gas sealed.
[0030]
In the airbag device 10 according to the present embodiment configured as described above, one of the left and right sidewalls of the airbag 14 is fixed to the bracket 18 with the bolt 20 of the inflator 12, and the other sidewall is disposed in the airbag 14. The annular retainer 34 is fixed to the bracket 16 with bolts 36. By using such an annular retainer 34, the diameter of the insertion port 32 can be set to be approximately the same as the diameter of the inflator 12, and the gas sealing of the airbag 14 is easier than when using a conventional cylindrical retainer. Thus, high gas sealability is achieved while simplifying the gas seal structure. Moreover, the weight reduction of the airbag apparatus 10 can be attained by using the compact annular retainer 34 compared with the conventional cylindrical retainer.
[0031]
In the above embodiment, the flange portion 22 of the inflator 12 may be formed integrally with the bracket 16, and the bolt 36 of the retainer 34 may be passed through and fixed to the flange portion.
[0032]
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an airbag apparatus 10a according to another embodiment. In this embodiment, a through hole 52 is provided in the flange portion 22 of the inflator 12, and the bolt 36 of the retainer 34 is inserted into the through hole 52 and tightened with a nut 48 from the outside, whereby the retainer 34, the flange portion 22, The air bag 14 and the bracket 16 are sandwiched between them, and thereby, fixing of the end of the inflator 12 on the side opposite to the bolt 20 and gas sealing are achieved.
[0033]
In this case, the bracket 16 is provided with an opening 54 through which the main body of the inflator 12 is inserted. Then, with the retainer 34 set in the accommodating portion 26 of the airbag 14 and the bracket 16 attached to the side wall of the accommodating portion 26, the inflator 12 passes through the opening 54 and the insertion port 32 of the airbag 14 and the airbag 14 14 and the bolt 36 of the retainer 34 is inserted into the through hole 52 of the flange portion 22. By tightening the bolt 36 with a nut 48, the retainer 34, the airbag 14 (specifically, the opening peripheral edge of the insertion port 32), the bracket 16, and the flange portion 22 are fixed in this order from the inside. .
[0034]
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an airbag apparatus 10b according to still another embodiment. In this embodiment, the flange portion is not provided at the end portion of the inflator 12 opposite to the bolt 20, and the inflator 12 is fixed and gas-sealed by press-fitting the end portion into the inner periphery of the retainer 34. ing.
[0035]
That is, the inflator 12 has an end 12a opposite to the bolt 20 that is slightly larger in diameter than the main body barrel, and the inner periphery of the retainer 34 has the circumferential surface of the larger end 12a over the entire circumference. A short cylindrical fitting portion 60 for fitting and holding is provided.
[0036]
In this case, the inflator 12 is inserted from the insertion port 32 of the airbag 14, the bolt 20 is inserted into the through-hole 30 on one side wall of the bag 14 and tightened with the nut 42, and the end portion 12 a is connected to the fitting portion 60 of the retainer 34. The airbag device 10b is assembled by fitting the bolt 36 of the retainer 34 with the nut 48 and fitting it inside.
[0037]
In this manner, the fixing of the end portion 12a opposite to the bolt 20 in the inflator 12 is not limited to the flange portion 22 as in the above-described embodiment, and can be performed by press-fitting into the retainer 34.
[0038]
【The invention's effect】
According to the airbag apparatus of the present invention, one of the opposing side walls of the airbag is fixed by the bolt of the inflator and the other is fixed by the annular retainer disposed in the airbag. Even when the diameter of the inflator insertion port is set to be approximately the same as the diameter of the inflator, the retainer can be inserted into the airbag from the insertion port. Therefore, the gas sealing of the airbag is easy, the bag structure can be simplified, and the weight of the airbag device can be reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the airbag device.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an airbag and an inflator when the airbag device is assembled.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an airbag and a bracket at the time of assembly.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of the airbag device.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an airbag apparatus according to another embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an airbag device according to still another embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional airbag device.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of another conventional airbag apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
10, 10a, 10b ...... Airbag device 12 ... Inflator 14 ... Airbag 16,18 ... Bracket 20 ... Inflator bolt 22 ... Inflator flange 26 ... Housing 30 ... For bolt 20 Through hole 32 ... Insert 34 ... Retainer 36 ... Retainer bolt 38 ... Through hole 42, 48 for bolt 36 ... Nut

Claims (6)

A columnar inflator in which a bolt projects from the bottom wall on one end side in the axial direction;
An airbag that spreads in an inversely tapered manner from a housing portion that houses the inflator to an occupant restraint surface;
An annular shape surrounding the outer periphery of the other end of the inflator, and a retainer having at least one bolt;
A pair of opposing side walls in the housing portion are provided with through holes through which the bolts of the inflator are inserted in one side wall, and an insertion port for inserting the inflator into the airbag and the retainer on the other side wall Through holes through which the bolts of
The bolt of the inflator inserted from the insertion port is inserted into the through hole of the one side wall and is tightened with a nut from the outside of the airbag, and the bolt of the retainer arranged inside the airbag is the other An airbag device, wherein the airbag device is inserted into a through hole in a side wall and tightened with a nut from the outside of the airbag. A pair of support members that support both side walls of the airbag together with the inflator, wherein the bolt of the inflator is fixed to one support member, and the bolt of the retainer is fixed to the other support member. Item 2. The airbag device according to Item 1. The airbag device according to claim 2, wherein the support member is a bracket for fixing the airbag and the inflator to a vehicle structural member. The airbag device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a flange portion is provided at the other end of the inflator, and the flange portion is sandwiched between the retainer and the other support member together with an opening peripheral edge portion of the insertion port. A flange portion is provided at the other end of the inflator, a through hole is provided in the flange portion, and a bolt of the retainer is inserted into the through hole and tightened with the nut, whereby the retainer, the flange portion, The airbag apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the airbag and the other support member are sandwiched between the airbags. The airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the other end portion of the inflator is press-fitted and held in an inner periphery of the retainer.

Images