JP3939898B2 - Instrument panel with airbag - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an instrument panel with an airbag in which a separable lid is formed on the instrument panel, and an airbag unit is disposed on the back side of the lid.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, some vehicles, such as automobiles, include an airbag unit on an instrument panel (hereinafter abbreviated as “instrument panel”), and protect an occupant by inflating an airbag built in the airbag unit. In the next figure, an instrument panel having an airbag will be described.
[0003]
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional instrument panel with an airbag.
An instrument panel 100 with an airbag is formed with upper and lower lids 103 and 104 that are separable from the instrument panel main body 101 by inserting perforations 102 (... indicate a plurality) into the instrument panel main body 101. Upper and lower plates 105 and 106 are attached to 103 and 104, upper and lower plates 105 and 106 are attached to instrument panel body 101 with screws 107, and upper and lower mounting brackets 108 and 109 are attached to upper and lower plates 105 and 106 with rivets 110. The airbag unit 115 is attached to the upper and lower mounting brackets 108, 109 via hooks 112, 113.
[0004]
According to the instrument panel with airbag 100, when an airbag (not shown) of the airbag unit 115 is inflated, the perforation 102 is broken by pressing the airbag against the upper and lower lids 103 and 104.
Here, since the upper lid 103 is attached to the upper plate 105 and the lower lid 104 is attached to the lower plate 106, the upper and lower lids 103 and 104 open as indicated by arrows a and b, respectively. As a result, the airbag is inflated from the opening of the instrument panel body 101 to the indoor side to protect the passenger.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the instrument panel with an airbag 100 requires upper and lower plates 105 and 106, screws 107..., Upper and lower mounting brackets 108 and 109, and rivets 110.
In addition, the number of man-hours for assembling a large number of components increases, which increases the cost.
[0006]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an instrument panel with an airbag that can reduce the number of assembly steps by reducing the number of components.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a first aspect of the present invention is to form a lid that can be separated from the instrument panel by perforating the instrument panel, and an airbag via a mounting bracket on the back side of the lid. the unit is arranged, by inflating an air bag that is incorporated in the air bag unit, the instrument panel with an airbag to be broken along the lid perforations, the instrument panel and the mounting bracket are each a thermoplastic together are formed of a resin, said base of the mounting bracket is formed in a frame shape so as to surround said lid, by vibration welding the frame body-shaped base on a back surface of the instrument panel, the instrument panel Airbag with reinforced outer part along perforation A can instrument panel, on the frame body-shaped base, provided with a hinge portion via the extensible connecting part of the bellows-shaped or substantially U-shaped, that the hinge portion was vibration-welded to the back surface of the lid Features.
[0008]
By vibration welding the base of the mounting bracket to the back of the instrument panel, mounting members such as rivets and screws are not required, and the number of components is reduced. For this reason, when attaching the mounting bracket to the instrument panel, the number of mounting steps is reduced, and the mounting bracket is attached to the instrument panel without taking time.
[0009]
Also, the base of the mounting bracket, that is formed in the frame-like so as to surround the lid.
The base of the mounting bracket is vibration welded to the instrument panel so as to surround the lid, thereby reinforcing the periphery of the lid, that is, the outer portion along the perforation. For this reason, the rigidity of an instrument panel can be improved more.
In addition, when the lid is broken by the airbag, the instrument panel is prevented from being deformed and the lid is efficiently broken.
[0010]
Further comprising a hinge portion to the frame-shaped base, and vibration welding the hinge portion on the back surface of the lid.
The lid broken from the instrument panel is connected to the instrument panel by vibration welding the hinge portion of the mounting bracket to the back surface of the lid. This prevents the lid from splashing.
In addition, the frame-like base portion is provided with a hinge portion via a bellows-like or substantially U-shaped extensible connecting portion.
Thereby, when the lid is broken from the instrument panel, the connecting portion can be extended and the lid can be sufficiently opened without interfering with the instrument panel.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. “Front”, “rear”, “left”, “right”, “upper”, and “lower” indicate directions viewed from the driver. The drawings are to be viewed in the direction of the reference numerals.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an instrument panel with an airbag according to the present invention (first embodiment).
An instrument panel 10 with an airbag includes an instrument panel (instrument panel body) 11 disposed in front of the driver's seat, and has a first opening 12 and a second opening 13 for attaching instruments and operation switches to the right and center of the instrument panel body 11. Open and open air outlets 14a, 14b, 15a, 15b for cooling and heating at the left and right ends, an airbag lid 20 is integrally formed on the left side of the first opening 12, and the passenger seat air is provided on the back side of the lid 20. A bag unit 25 is arranged.
[0012]
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an instrument panel with an airbag according to the present invention (first embodiment).
In the instrument panel 10 with an airbag, a lid 20 that is separable from the instrument panel body 11 is formed integrally by inserting a perforation 18 in the instrument panel body 11, and an airbag unit 25 ( 1), and an airbag 26 (shown in FIG. 5) built in the airbag unit 25 is inflated to break the lid 20 along the perforation 18. 11 and the mounting bracket 30 are formed of thermoplastic resin, and the base 31 of the mounting bracket 30 is vibration welded (thermally welded) to the back surface of the instrument panel body 11.
[0013]
The instrument panel body 11 is an integrally molded product of a skin material 11a and a base material 11b in which a base material 11b is joined to the back surface of the skin material 11a, and is a panel in which, for example, the base material 11b is formed of an olefin-based thermoplastic resin. .
The instrument panel main body 11 is integrally formed with a lid 20 that is separable from the instrument panel main body 11 by forming a perforation 18 in a substantially rectangular shape at a portion to which the airbag unit 25 shown in FIG. 1 is attached.
[0014]
The mounting bracket 30 is made of, for example, an olefin-based thermoplastic resin, and includes a base 31 formed in a frame shape so as to surround the lid 20, front and rear mounting plates 34 and 35 integrally formed with the base 31, and a base 31 and a hinge portion 36 integrally formed with 31.
[0015]
The base 31 is formed by integrally forming a plurality of protrusions 32 in parallel on the surface and forming the inner peripheral edge 33 slightly larger than the rectangle of the perforation 18 (that is, the lid 20). The base 31 is attached to the instrument panel body 11 along the outer periphery of the lid 20 by vibration welding the plurality of protrusions 32 to the back surface of the instrument panel body 11.
[0016]
Thereby, the outer part along the perforation 18 of the instrument panel body 11 can be reinforced by the base 31. Therefore, the rigidity of the instrument panel body 11 can be further increased.
In addition, the instrument panel body 11 is prevented from being deformed when the lid 20 is broken by the airbag 26 (shown in FIG. 5). Therefore, the pressing energy of the airbag 26 can be efficiently applied to the lid 20, and the lid 20 can be efficiently broken along the perforation 18.
[0017]
The front mounting plate 34 extends downward from the back surface of the front frame 31a of the base 31 and has a mounting hole 34a formed at the lower end. Further, the rear mounting plate 35 extends downward from the rear surface of the rear frame 31b of the base portion 31 and is disposed in parallel with the front mounting plate 34. As with the front mounting plate 34, a mounting hole 35a (shown in FIG. 4) is provided on the lower end side. Is formed. The airbag unit 25 shown in FIG. 1 is attached between the front and rear mounting plates 34 and 35.
[0018]
The hinge portion 36 is formed integrally with the front frame 31a of the base portion 31 via the connecting portion 37, and is disposed inside the base portion 31, and a plurality of protrusions 38 are integrally formed on the surface. The hinge portion is attached to the back surface of the front end 21 of the lid 20 by vibration welding the plurality of protrusions 38 to the back surface of the front end 21 of the lid 20.
The connecting portion 37 by forming the bellows with thin, upon breaking the lid 20 from the instrument panel main body 11, fully open it by stretching the connecting portion 37 without interfering with Li head 20 to the instrument panel main body 11 Can do.
[0019]
Next, a method for manufacturing the instrument panel 10 with an airbag will be described.
3 (a) to 3 (c) are explanatory diagrams for explaining the attachment procedure of the instrument panel with an airbag (first embodiment) according to the present invention.
In (a), the mounting bracket 30 is placed on a vibration table (not shown). Next, the instrument panel main body 11 is adsorbed to a suction support portion (not shown), and the instrument panel main body 11 is lowered by the suction support portion as shown by the arrow (1).
[0020]
In (b), with the base material 11b of the instrument panel body 11 pressed against the ridges 32, 38 of the mounting bracket 30, the vibration table is driven to vibrate the mounting bracket 30 as shown by the arrow (2). Thereby, the contact surface of the protrusions 32 and 38 and the base material 11b vibrates to generate frictional heat, and the protrusions 32 and 38 and the base material 11b are melted by the frictional heat.
Protrusions 32 and 38 are formed on the base 31 and the hinge part 36, respectively, and the back surface is pressed against the base material 11b of the instrument panel body 11 against these protuberances 32 and 38, thereby increasing the surface pressure of the contact part, and frictional heat. Is generated efficiently.
[0021]
In (c), the base portion 31 and the hinge portion 36 of the mounting bracket 30 are welded to the back surface of the base material 11 b of the instrument panel main body 11.
In the vibration welding, since the contact portion (that is, the weld portion) is scraped off by vibration, it is not necessary to perform cleaning as a pretreatment for the contact portion so strictly. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the time and effort required for cleaning, and it is possible to more easily attach the mounting bracket 30 to the instrument panel body 11.
[0022]
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an instrument panel with an airbag according to the present invention (first embodiment). A perforation 18 is inserted into the instrument panel main body 11, and a frame-like base 31 is vibration welded to the outside of the perforation 18. The state in which the airbag unit 25 is disposed on the back surface side of the lid 20 by vibration welding the hinge portion 36 to the lid 20 and hooking the hooks 27 and 27 to the mounting holes 34a and 35a of the front and rear mounting plates 34 and 35 is shown. .
[0023]
The base 31 of the mounting bracket 30 is thermally welded to the back surface of the instrument panel main body 11. This eliminates the need for mounting members such as rivets and screws, thereby reducing the number of components. Therefore, the mounting man-hour when mounting the mounting bracket 30 to the instrument panel body 11 is reduced to reduce the cost.
Further, the hinge portion 36 of the mounting bracket 30 was thermally welded to the back surface of the lid 20. Therefore, when the lid 20 is broken by the airbag 26 shown in FIG. 5, the lid 20 can be connected to the instrument panel body 11 by the hinge portion 36 so that the lid 20 is not scattered.
[0024]
Further, the mounting bracket 30 reinforces the front and rear mounting plates 34 and 35 by connecting the front frame 31a and the front mounting plate 34 with the front gusset 40 and connecting the rear frame 31b and the rear mounting plate 35 with the rear gusset 41. .
The airbag unit 25 incorporates an airbag 26 (shown in FIG. 5) in a folded state. When the vehicle collides, the airbag unit 25 generates gas and inflates the airbag 26 with the generated gas to occupy the occupant. It is something to protect.
[0025]
FIGS. 5A and 5B are operation explanatory views of the instrument panel with an airbag according to the present invention (first embodiment).
In (a), the inflated airbag 26 is pressed against the lid 20 by inflating the airbag 26 built in the airbag unit 25. As a result, a pressing force F is applied to the lid 20 as shown by an arrow, and the lid 20 is broken along the perforation 18.
[0026]
Here, since the front end 21 of the lid 20 is vibration welded to the hinge portion 36, the lid 20 separated from the instrument panel main body 11 is connected to the hinge portion 36. For this reason, the lid 20 does not scatter and the rear end 22 side opens as shown by the arrow (3).
[0027]
In (b), when the bellows of the connecting portion 37 of the hinge portion 36 extends, the lid 20 opens greatly without interfering with the instrument panel main body 11. The airbag 26 is greatly inflated and passes through the opening 11 c of the instrument panel main body 11, and the airbag 26 is greatly inflated on the surface side (inner side) of the instrument panel main body 11.
[0028]
Next, a second embodiment will be described. Note that the same members as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of an instrument panel with an airbag according to the present invention (second embodiment).
In the instrument panel 50 with an airbag, the perforation 18 is inserted into the instrument panel body 11, the base portion 31 of the mounting bracket 52 is vibration welded to the outside of the perforation 18, and the hinge portion 36 is vibration welded to the lid 20. The airbag unit 25 is disposed on the back side of the lid 20 by hooking the hooks 27, 27 to the mounting holes 34a, 35a.
[0029]
The mounting bracket 52 has a thin connecting portion 55 formed in a substantially U shape (or a substantially V shape), and the other configuration is the same as that of the mounting bracket 30 of the first embodiment. By forming the connecting portion 55 in a substantially U shape, when the lid 20 is broken from the instrument panel main body 11, the lid 20 can be sufficiently opened without interfering with the instrument panel main body 11 by extending the connecting portion 55. .
[0030]
Furthermore, the substantially U-shaped connecting portion 55 can reduce corners (folded portions) as compared with the bellows of the connecting portion 37 of the first embodiment. Therefore, for example, when the mounting bracket 52 is manufactured by injection molding, the molten resin can be filled more smoothly, and the manufacturing time can be shortened.
[0031]
In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the perforation 18 is formed by a plurality of holes has been described. However, the perforation may be formed by a slit.
In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the thermal welding for attaching the mounting bracket to the instrument panel is vibration welding has been described. However, it is possible to attach by other thermal welding such as hot air welding or ultrasonic welding.
[0032]
Although the said embodiment demonstrated the example which formed the instrument panel main body 11 and the attachment bracket 30 with the olefin type thermoplastic resin, you may use another thermoplastic resin. However, there is an advantage that recycling becomes easy by using an olefin-based thermoplastic resin.
[0033]
【The invention's effect】
The present invention exhibits the following effects by the above configuration.
According to the first aspect, the base of the mounting bracket is vibration welded to the back surface of the instrument panel. This eliminates the need for mounting members such as rivets and screws, thereby reducing the number of components. Therefore, when attaching the mounting bracket to the instrument panel, the number of mounting steps can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.
[0034]
In addition, the base of the mounting bracket is formed in a frame-like so as to surround the lid. By vibrating and welding this base to the instrument panel so as to surround the lid, the periphery of the lid, that is, the outer portion along the perforation is reinforced at the base. Therefore, the rigidity of the instrument panel can be further increased.
In addition, the instrument panel is prevented from being deformed when the lid is broken by the airbag. Therefore, the pressing energy of the airbag can be efficiently applied to the lid, and the lid can be efficiently broken along the perforation.
[0035]
Furthermore , the hinge part provided in the frame-shaped base part was vibration welded to the back surface of the lid. For this reason, when the lid is broken by the airbag, the lid can be connected to the instrument panel at the hinge portion. Therefore, when the lid is opened, the lid can be prevented from scattering.
In addition, the frame-like base portion is provided with a hinge portion via a bellows-like or substantially U-shaped extensible connecting portion.
Thereby, when the lid is broken from the instrument panel, the connecting portion can be extended and the lid can be sufficiently opened without interfering with the instrument panel.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an instrument panel with an airbag according to the present invention (first embodiment). FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an instrument panel with an airbag according to the present invention (first embodiment). FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an instrument panel with an airbag according to the present invention (first embodiment). FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the instrument panel with an airbag according to the present invention (first embodiment). FIG. 6 is a sectional view of an instrument panel with an airbag according to the present invention (second embodiment). FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a conventional instrument panel with an airbag. Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10,50 ... Instrument panel with an air bag, 11 ... Instrument panel (instrument panel main body), 18 ... Perforation, 20 ... Lid, 25 ... Air bag unit, 26 ... Air bag, 30, 52 ... Mounting bracket, 31 ... Base part, 36... Hinge part.

Claims (1)

A lid that can be separated from the instrument panel is formed by perforating the instrument panel, and an airbag unit is arranged on the back side of the lid via a mounting bracket, and the airbag built in the airbag unit is installed. In an instrument panel with an airbag that breaks the lid along the perforation by inflating,
Wherein with the instrument panel and the mounting bracket are respectively formed of a thermoplastic resin, the base of the mounting bracket is formed in a frame shape so as to surround said lid,
Wherein by a frame body shaped base for vibration welding to the rear surface of the instrument panel, a said instrument panel instrument panel with an airbag reinforced outer portions along the perforation,
An instrument with an air bag comprising a hinge portion on the frame-like base portion via a bellows-like or substantially U-shaped extensible connecting portion, and the hinge portion is vibration welded to the back surface of the lid . panel.

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