JP3894482B2 - Crew protection device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an occupant protection device that protects an occupant when a vehicle collides or falls.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a device that protects an occupant when a vehicle collides or falls (rolls over), for example, an occupant protection device that protects the occupant's head by deploying an airbag on the side surface of the interior of the vehicle. This occupant protection device is normally housed above the door opening of the vehicle in a state where the airbag is folded. When the vehicle collides, the airbag is lowered by the supply of gas from the inflator. Inflates and expands toward.
[0003]
This type of occupant protection device is arranged so that the folded airbag is elongated along the door opening, and therefore it is necessary to pay attention to the twisting of the airbag when it is attached to the vehicle body. With regard to this twisting problem, the tape material wound around the airbag is marked, or the airbag itself is color-coded, and the operator can easily install the airbag by using these markings and colors as a guide. The technique to do is disclosed (for example, refer patent document 1).
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent No. 3113777 (pages 5 and 6, FIG. 8)
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Since the airbag that is folded and has a long shape has an elongated shape and is easy to bend, it is particularly difficult to perform quality control before being attached to the vehicle body. In order to solve this problem, it is conceivable to cover the airbag with a protective cloth-like member at intervals in the longitudinal direction, and in particular, there is a problem of the sliding of the airbag at a portion in contact with the bracket for mounting on the vehicle body. Therefore, it is preferable to cover with this cloth-like member. However, when the airbag is covered with this cloth-like member, the marking or the like applied to the airbag side is hidden only in that portion, and there is a risk that the efficiency of the airbag attaching operation is reduced accordingly.
[0006]
The present invention was created in order to solve the above-described problems. When the airbag is locally covered with a cloth-like member in the longitudinal direction, twisting of the airbag can be prevented and easily performed. It is an object of the present invention to provide an occupant protection device that can be easily installed.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides an occupant that is disposed in a folded state above a door opening of a vehicle and protects the occupant by inflating and deploying the airbag downward when gas flows in. The air bag body module, which is a protective device and formed as a folded airbag, is provided with a marking that makes it possible to determine the twist of the air bag, and the air bag body module is locally disposed in the longitudinal direction. The covering member is provided with a marking that can determine the twist of the airbag. Like the configuration, by providing a marking that can determine the twist of the airbag on the cover member together with the airbag body module, the visibility of the twisted state of the entire long airbag body module is not reduced. A good airbag can be attached to the vehicle body.
[0008]
Further, if the cover member is made of a cloth-like protector cloth that protects the airbag body module, there is no direct contact between the airbag body module and the mounting bracket or the vehicle body. The problem of sliding is also eliminated, and the airbag body module can be protected.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a layout diagram showing a state in which the occupant protection device is attached, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the vehicle body in the pillar, and FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of the occupant protection device showing a state before being attached to the vehicle body. For convenience, FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the pillars in the front pillar, the center pillar, and the rear pillar and a cross section of the pillar garnish in each pillar.
[0010]
1 and 2, a roof side rail 3 is defined on the side surface of the vehicle body 1 above the door opening 2, and an occupant protection device 4 is disposed in the roof side rail 3. The vehicle shown in FIG. 1 is a so-called four-door type vehicle, and the door opening 2 is divided forward and backward by a center pillar 7.
[0011]
As shown in FIG. 2, the roof side rail 3 has inner panels 9, 10 disposed on the inner surface 5 a of the roof 5 of the vehicle body 1 and inside the front pillar 6, the center pillar 7, and the rear pillar 8 of the vehicle body 1. , 11 and the outer surfaces 12a, 13a, 14a of the front pillar garnish 12, the center pillar garnish 13, and the rear pillar garnish 14 disposed on the inner sides of the front pillar 6, the center pillar 7, and the rear pillar 8, respectively. 1 is formed as a space defined by the outer surface 15a of the roof garnish 15, and extends from the front pillar 6 to the rear pillar 8 along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 1 as shown in FIG. The roof 5 of the vehicle body 1 and the vehicle body frame 16 at the lower part of the vehicle body are connected to each other via a center pillar 7 and an inner panel 10 (FIG. 2), whereby the roof 5 includes the front pillar 6, the center pillar 7, and the rear pillar. 8 and the inner panels 9, 10, 11 (FIG. 2).
[0012]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the occupant protection device 4 has a configuration including an airbag 17 and an inflator 18 that supplies inflation gas to the airbag 17. The inflator 18 has known gas generating means such as a gas storage type and an explosive type, and is connected to the airbag 17 through a pipe 19 and an adapter 20.
[0013]
As shown in FIG.1 and FIG.2, the airbag 17 is coat | covered with the cover 21 made from the nonwoven fabric which exhibited the shape of a long cylindrical bag from the front end to the rear end as a folded state. If the airbag 17 formed by being folded by the cover 21 is referred to as an airbag body module AM (in this case, the cover 21 is also included in the airbag body module AM), as shown in FIG. A plurality of brackets 22 to 26 are attached to the bag body module AM at intervals in the longitudinal direction.
[0014]
Each bracket 22-26 is formed corresponding to the shape of the to-be-attached part of the inner panel 9, 9, and 11 (FIG. 2), respectively. The manner in which the airbag body module AM is fixed to the brackets 22 to 26 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 by taking the bracket 24 as an example. The bracket 24 is formed in a substantially hat-shaped cross section and is formed at the upper part of the center pillar 7. It is located between the inner panel 10 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction and the roof garnish 15 and is attached to the inner panel 10.
[0015]
When the bracket 24 is attached to the inner panel 10, an upper portion of the bracket 24 is bent and formed into a substantially U-shaped cross-section and opens toward the vehicle interior side. It becomes the aspect accommodated in the storage space part 24a. In addition, an airbag fixing portion 24b extends upward from the upper end of the bracket 24. The airbag main body module AM has a notch 21a formed in the upper portion of the cover 21 at a portion accommodated in the accommodating space 24a, and the attached portion 17a formed in a lip shape in the airbag 17 is formed from the notch 21a. It is pulled out upward and fixed to the airbag fixing portion 24b by a rivet 30 or the like.
[0016]
In addition, although description regarding the other brackets 22, 23, 25, and 26 is omitted, in any case, the attached portion 17a formed in the above-described lip shape is drawn upward from the notch 21a of the cover 21 and is attached to each bracket. The structure fixed to the brackets 22, 23, 25, and 26 by the rivet 30 or the like is the same.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 3, the airbag main body module AM is attached to the vehicle body as a unit to which the brackets 22 to 26, the inflator 18, the retainer 31, and the like are attached. Specifically, bolt mounting holes 35 are formed in the brackets 22 to 26, and the airbag main body module AM is connected to the inner panels 9 and 10 by bolts 29 (FIG. 2) via the brackets 22 to 26. , 11 are fastened and fixed. As shown in FIG. 1, the inflator 18 is fixed to the rear pillar 8 via the retainer 31. Thus, regarding the attachment of the airbag main body module AM (airbag 17), the construction for attaching the airbag 17 to the vehicle body side via the brackets 22 to 26 makes it possible to easily and quickly attach the airbag 17. Become.
[0018]
Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the engagement edge 15 b formed at the lower end of the roof garnish 15 is engaged with the engagement grooves 12 b, 13 b, 14 b formed at the upper ends of the front pillar garnish 12, the center pillar garnish 13, and the rear pillar garnish 14. As a result, the airbag main body module AM (occupant protection device 4) is hidden from the indoor side.
[0019]
When the vehicle collides or falls, an ignition current flows through the inflator 18 shown in FIG. 1, and the gas generating material in the inflator 18 ignites to generate gas, which is supplied into the folded airbag 17. Is done. In FIG. 2, the airbag 17 breaks and inflates a cover 21 having a fragile portion (not shown), and presses the side surface portion of the roof garnish 15, whereby the engagement edge 15 b becomes the engagement grooves 12 b and 13 b. 14b and the airbag 17 is inflated and deployed toward the lower side on the indoor side, as indicated by the phantom line.
[0020]
FIG. 4 is an explanatory side view showing a state where the airbag 17 is deployed. When the airbag 17 is deployed, the airbag 17 is inflated and deployed along the window glass of the side door from the front pillar 6 to the rear pillar 8. The airbag 17 shown in the figure has an inflatable portion 17b that inflates when supplied with gas and a non-inflatable gas that is not supplied to reduce the amount of gas required for deployment and shorten the deployment completion time. Although the configuration includes the inflating portion 17c, the entire airbag 17 may be inflated.
[0021]
In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, the airbag body module AM is provided with a marking 27 that makes it possible to determine the twist of the airbag 17, and the airbag body module AM is locally covered in the longitudinal direction. A main feature is that the covering member 32 is also provided with a marking 28 that can determine the twist of the airbag 17.
[0022]
In the present embodiment, the covering member 32 includes a cloth-like protector cloth 33 that protects the airbag body module AM. The protector cloth 33 is provided to protect the peripheral portion of the airbag body module AM attached to each of the brackets 22 to 26. In the case of the bracket 24 as shown in FIG. The upper end portion of the airbag 21 is fixed to the airbag fixing portion 24b together with the attached portion 17a of the airbag 17 by the rivet 30 described above.
[0023]
Since the protector cloth 33 is interposed, there is no direct contact between the cover 21 (airbag body module AM) made of a material that is easily broken and the brackets 22 to 26 (FIG. 3 and the like). The problem of sliding is also eliminated, and the airbag body module AM can be protected. The airbag body module AM is covered by the protector cloth 33 and then supported by the brackets 22 to 26 by the tape material 34 as shown in FIG. Of course, the tape material 34 is made of a material or shape that is easily broken when the airbag 17 is inflated. Further, the protector cloth 33 covers the airbag body module AM so as to open as the airbag 17 inflates, and does not hinder the inflation operation of the airbag 17.
[0024]
As shown in FIG. 5, on the airbag body module AM side, the marking 27 described above is a single line L1 along the longitudinal direction of the cover 21 (for example, when the color of the cover 21 is white, In this case, the operator finely adjusts the position of the airbag body module AM so that the line L1 faces the indoor side, and each bracket 22 to 26 (FIG. 3). ) To the car body.
[0025]
At this time, the line L1 is hidden at the place where the protector cloth 33 is interposed, so that the operator cannot directly observe the line, and there is a possibility that the smooth attachment work cannot be performed. That is, unlike the tape material 34, the protector cloth 33 has a large width dimension in the longitudinal direction of the airbag body module AM, so that the line L1 hidden in the protector cloth 33 extends in a straight line in a normal state, or This makes it difficult for the operator to determine whether the state is twisted.
[0026]
Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, by providing the marking 28 on the protector cloth 33, the operator can twist the airbag body module AM with the marking 27 (line L1) as a guide. The state can be easily determined, and the airbag main body module AM can be smoothly attached via the brackets 22 to 26 (FIG. 3). As the marking 28, in addition to the configuration in which the line L2 is formed so as to be the same line as the line L1, as shown in FIG. 6, the marking 28 may be configured as a dot D on an extension line of the line L1.
[0027]
In addition to the above embodiments, the marking 27 on the airbag body module AM side and the marking 28 on the covering member 32 side are provided with a color-coded configuration, slits, or the like as long as the twist of the airbag 17 can be determined. A configuration is also possible.
[0028]
The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the layout, shape, number, and the like of each component are not limited to those described in the drawings, and the present invention can be appropriately modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Is possible.
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, when the covering member that locally covers the airbag body module in the longitudinal direction is provided, the marking is provided on the covering member together with the airbag body module so that the twist of the airbag can be determined. A good airbag can be attached without lowering the visibility of the twisted state over the entire length of the bag body module.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a layout diagram showing a state in which an occupant protection device is attached.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle body in a pillar.
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of an occupant protection device showing a state before being attached to a vehicle body.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory side view showing a state in which the airbag is deployed.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory side view showing markings on the airbag main body module and the covering member.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory side view showing another embodiment relating to each marking of the airbag main body module and the covering member.
FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view showing markings on the airbag main body module and the covering member.
[Explanation of symbols]
AM Airbag body module 1 Car body 2 Door opening 3 Arm member 4 Occupant protection device 17 Airbag 21 Cover 27 Marking (airbag body module side)
28 Marking (covering member side)
32 Cover member 33 Protector cloth

Claims (2)

An occupant protection device that is disposed in a state in which an airbag is folded above a door opening of a vehicle and protects the occupant by inflating and deploying the airbag downward when gas flows in,
The airbag body module formed as an airbag folded state is provided with a marking that makes it possible to determine the twist of the airbag,
The occupant protection device is characterized in that a marking that makes it possible to determine the twist of the airbag is provided on a covering member that locally covers the airbag body module in the longitudinal direction. The occupant protection device according to claim 1, wherein the covering member is made of a cloth-like protector cloth that protects the airbag body module.

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