JP4134882B2 - Curtain airbag device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a curtain airbag device that protects an occupant by inflating and deploying between a vehicle door and the occupant.

  Conventionally, a vehicle such as an automobile is provided with an airbag device that protects an occupant from an impact when the vehicle collides.

  In addition to the airbag device that protects the occupant from a longitudinal collision of the vehicle, many vehicles adopt a curtain airbag device that protects the occupant from a side collision of the vehicle.

  The curtain airbag device is mounted in a pillar garnish (interior material) that covers the roof side rail from the front pillar in the passenger compartment, and inflates and deploys in the form of a curtain between the passenger and the door when the vehicle collides with the side. Thus, the occupant is protected from an impact generated during a side collision or the like.

On the other hand, the curtain airbag device is housed between the roof side rail and the interior material in a state where the airbag is folded, and as a structure for attaching the airbag to the roof side rail, for example, “ An arrangement structure of a protection device for an automobile occupant is known.
JP-A-10-138861.

  In the arrangement structure described in Patent Document 1, a fixed portion of a case that houses an airbag stored in an interior material in a folded state is fixed to a roof side rail with a plurality of bolts. .

  Moreover, as an airbag attachment structure of a curtain airbag apparatus, what is shown, for example in FIG. 8 thru | or FIG. 10 is also well-known.

  In the airbag mounting structure shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, a plurality of clip locking seats e and clips are formed on the inner surface of the partition wall d of the airbag storage chamber c formed on the interior material b that covers the roof side rail a from the passenger compartment side. By projecting the support protrusions f and engaging the leg portions h of the clips g fitted to the clip support protrusions f with the engagement claws i of the clip engagement seats e, the clip g is attached to the interior material b. It is attached.

  Further, the clip g is formed of a thin metal plate having elasticity, and has a substantially square first locking portion j protruding on both sides of the clip support projection f, and each clip g is formed on the roof side rail a. When the fitting hole k is press-fitted from the passenger compartment side, the top of the first locking portion j is locked to the opening edge of the mounting hole k from the inside as shown in FIG. An interior material b is attached.

  On the other hand, the airbag m stored in the airbag storage chamber c of the interior material b is provided with attachment pieces n at the same interval as the clip locking seat e, and is formed on these attachment pieces n. The airbag m is attached to the interior material b by fitting the attachment hole p to the clip locking seat e as shown in FIG.

  However, in the case where the airbag case is attached to the roof side rail with a plurality of bolts, as in the curtain airbag attachment structure described in Patent Document 1, the vehicle is repaired or the curtain airbag is used for maintenance. When detaching from the roof side rail, it is necessary to detach a plurality of bolts using a tool, so that there is a problem that work takes time and work efficiency is poor.

  On the other hand, in the airbag mounting structure shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the first locking portion j of the clip g is pushed and shrunk easily together with the interior material b from the roof side rail a during maintenance or repair of the airbag device. There is an advantage that the airbag m can be removed.

  However, when the airbag m is inflated and deployed due to a side collision with the vehicle, if an excessive tensile force g acts on the attachment piece n of the airbag m, the interior material b is moved upward by the tensile force q as shown in FIG. Due to elastic deformation, the first locking portion j of the clip g may be compressed by the opening edge of the mounting hole k, and the mounting strength of the clip g to the roof side rail a is weakened. And so on.

  The present invention has been made to remedy such a problem. When the airbag is inflated and deployed, taking advantage of the simple structure for removing and maintaining the airbag device as an advantage of the attachment means by the clip. It is an object of the present invention to provide a curtain airbag device in which the attachment strength of the clip to the roof side rail is increased.

  The curtain airbag device of the present invention is stored in an folded state in an interior material attached to a side surface of a roof side rail by a locking means having a clip, and an airbag storage chamber formed in the interior material. A curtain airbag device including a airbag and an attachment piece extended from the airbag and locked to a locking means, wherein the first is for locking the interior material to the roof side rail to the clip. A first locking portion is formed by forming a locking portion and a second locking portion for locking the mounting piece, and causing a tensile force generated in the mounting piece to act on the second locking portion when the airbag is deployed. It is comprised so that the attachment holding force with respect to the roof side rail in a part may be increased.

  With the above configuration, the interior material and the airbag can be easily attached to and detached from the roof side rail by the clip, so that the operation of removing the airbag for repair and maintenance can be efficiently performed in a short time.

  In addition, when the airbag is inflated when the vehicle collides with the side, the second locking portion is expanded by applying a tensile force generated on the mounting piece to the second locking portion, and the second locking portion is provided. The leg portion is also expanded, and the first locking portion that is integrally cut and raised from the leg portion is also expanded, thereby increasing the attachment holding force for the roof side rail in the first locking portion. As a result, the clip does not come out of the roof side rail, and the attachment strength of the airbag device to the roof side rail can be increased.

  In the curtain airbag device of the present invention, the first locking portion is formed by cutting and raising the clip leg portion in a substantially square shape, and the second locking portion is extended from the clip leg portion. It is formed by bending the tip of the nail into a hook shape.

  According to the above configuration, when an excessive tensile force acts on the second locking portion when the airbag is inflated, the first locking portion provided on the leg portion is also expanded as the leg portion of the clip is expanded. And since the retention strength with respect to a roof side rail increases, the attachment strength with respect to the roof side rail of an airbag apparatus can be raised.

In the curtain airbag device of the present invention, the locking position of the mounting piece by the locking means and the locking position of the mounting piece by the second locking portion are set in the tension direction that acts on the mounting piece when the airbag is inflated. In contrast, they are arranged so as not to be on the same line.

  With the above configuration, even if an excessive tensile force acts on the attachment piece, the attachment piece is not damaged from the vicinity of the locking hole formed in the attachment piece, so that the attachment strength of the airbag device to the roof side rail is increased. be able to.

  According to the curtain airbag device of the present invention, since the interior material and the airbag can be easily attached to and detached from the roof side rail by the clip, the operation of removing the airbag for repair and maintenance can be efficiently performed in a short time. In addition, when the air bag inflates when the vehicle collides with the side, the tensile force generated in the mounting piece is applied to the second locking portion, thereby increasing the mounting holding force with respect to the roof side rail in the first locking portion. As a result, the attachment posture of the clip attached to the interior material is not lost, and this prevents the clip from coming out of the roof side rail, thereby increasing the attachment strength of the airbag device to the roof side rail. .

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  1 is a front view schematically showing a state in which the passenger compartment side of the front pillar and the roof side rail is covered with an interior material (pillar garnish), FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2 is an enlarged arrow view from the direction B in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is an enlarged view in a circle C in FIG. 2, FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a clip portion, and FIG.

  The interior material 1 shown in FIG. 1 is provided so as to cover the front pillar provided from the front part to the upper part of the vehicle compartment and the vehicle compartment side of the roof side rail 2, and is a core material integrally formed with a hard resin. The surface of 1a is covered with a skin 1b made of a soft resin.

  The core material 1a of the interior material 1 has a dotted line 1c portion shown in FIG. 1 recessed into the roof side rail 2 as shown in FIG. 2, and an airbag storage chamber 3 is formed in the recessed portion. A plurality of locking means 4 for attaching the interior material 1 to the roof side rail 2 are provided at intervals in the front-rear direction on the outer surface of the side wall 1d located on the roof side rail 2 side of the airbag storage chamber 3. Yes.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the locking means 4 includes a clip support protrusion 4 a that protrudes integrally with the side wall 1 d of the interior material 1, and a clip fixing seat 4 c that protrudes near the base of the clip support protrusion 4 a. 4d and a clip 5 fitted to the clip support protrusion 4a.

  The clip support protrusion 4a has a columnar shape with a substantially rectangular cross section, and the tip has an arc shape with substantially the same curvature as the top of the clip 5, and is substantially the same as the height from the leg 5a to the top of the clip 5. In addition to being formed at a height, a concave groove 4b is formed on one side surface from the tip to the base.

  Of the clip fixing seats 4c and 4d projecting on both sides of the base portion of the clip support projection 4a, one clip fixing seat 4c has a substantially inverted L whose tip is parallel to the side surface of the clip support projection 4a as shown in FIG. A locking groove 4e for inserting the spacer 6 is formed between the tip and the side wall 1d.

  The spacer 6 locks the leg 5a of the clip 5 fitted to the clip support protrusion 4a so as not to drop off, and the locking part 5b formed by bending the leg 5a outward on one side. A notch 6a is formed, and the other side is formed with a notch 6b that fits into the locking groove 4e of the clip fixing seat 4c.

  The other clip fixing seat 4d is divided into two in the longitudinal direction of the clip support projection 4a as shown in FIG. 5, and the step portion 5d of the locking claw 5c formed to be bent outward from the leg portion 5a of the clip 5 is provided. A locking groove 4f to be fitted is formed.

  The clip 5 is formed of a thin metal plate having elasticity, and as shown in FIG. 5, the upper portion has a pair of leg portions 5a connected by an arc-shaped connecting portion 5f, and one leg portion 5a. The above-described locking portion 5b is bent, and the locking leg 5c is bent on the other leg portion 5a.

  The locking claw 5c is narrower than the leg portion 5a at the tip side than the step portion 5d, and a hook-shaped first portion that fits the locking hole 7c of the attachment piece 7a extended from the airbag 7 at the tip portion. Two locking portions 5e are formed.

  Each leg 5a of the clip 5 is formed with a first locking portion 5g that is slightly narrower than the concave groove 4b of the clip support projection 4a.

  As shown in FIG. 5, each first locking portion 5g is bent in a substantially square shape outward from the leg portion 5a, and the base end portion is continuously provided in the tangential direction of the connecting portion 5f. It has elasticity in the contact / separation direction of the clip support protrusion 4a around the installation portion 5f.

  The distal end side of each first locking portion 5g is formed in a small arc shape, and when the bent portion 5h is pressed, the arc-shaped portion 5i is pressed against both side surfaces of the clip support protrusion 4a.

  On the other hand, the air bag 7 has a shape that is inflated and deployed in a curtain shape between the occupant and the door when the vehicle collides with the side, and is formed by sewing a base fabric made of nylon fiber or the like into a bag shape. In addition, a band-shaped attachment piece 7a is formed by integrally molding or sewing a separate one at the same interval as the locking means 4 on the upper edge portion that is on the upper side when expanded.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a square hole-shaped mounting hole 7b into which the clip mounting seats 4c and 4d and the clip support protrusion 4a can be fitted and a second locking portion 5e of the clip 5 are provided at the tip of each mounting piece 7a. A locking hole 7c to be fitted is formed.

  A gas blowing port is formed at one end of the airbag 7, and an inflator (not shown) attached to, for example, a rear pillar is connected to the gas blowing port, and the airbag 7 is folded. 2 is stored in the airbag storage chamber 3 of the interior material 1 as shown in FIG.

  The attachment piece 7a extended from the airbag 7 is pulled out to the locking means 4 side from the long hole 1f formed in the side wall 1d of the airbag storage chamber 3, and the attachment hole 7b is a clip attachment seat 4c, 4d and the clip support protrusion 4a are fitted, and the locking hole 7c is fitted to the second locking portion 5e of the clip 5.

  On the other hand, the compartment side surface of the airbag storage chamber 3 is covered with a cover member 8.

  The surface of the cover member 8 is covered with a skin 1b that covers the surface of the interior material 1, so that the presence of the airbag 7 cannot be seen from the passenger compartment side, and the cover member 8 and the skin 1b are adhesives. The upper and lower back surfaces of the skin 1b and the upper and lower surfaces of the core material 1a are fixed by vibration welding, ultrasonic welding, an adhesive, or the like. The upper edge portion of the cover member 8 is engaged with a slit 1 g formed in the core material 1 a of the interior material 1.

  Further, the lower edge portion of the cover member 8 is loosely fitted into a slit 1h formed at the lower portion of the side wall 1d, and is detached from the side wall 1d when the airbag 7 is inflated.

  Next, the operation of the thus configured curtain airbag device will be described with reference to FIG.

  When the airbag 7 is stored in the airbag storage chamber 3 of the interior material 1 in the folded state and the assembly of the curtain airbag device is completed, the interior material 1 is attached to the side surfaces of the front pillar and the roof side rail 2 in the cabin.

  At the time of attachment, the front end side of the clip 5 is attached to the attachment hole 2a in a state where the plurality of locking means 4 provided inside the interior material 1 and the attachment holes 2a formed in the roof side rail 2 are aligned. The width of the attachment hole 2a is formed to be smaller than the thickness of the clip 5 in advance, but the first locking portion 5g of the clip 5 is elastically deformed in the thickness direction when the clip 5 is pushed in. The interior material 1 can be easily attached to the side rail 2.

  In addition, after the interior material 1 is attached, the bent portion 5h formed on the first engaging portion 5g of the clip 5 is engaged with the opening edge of the attachment hole 2a from the inside, so that the roof side rail 2 can be securely attached. The interior material 1 can be fixed.

  On the other hand, when gas is ejected from the inflator due to an impact when the vehicle collides sideways and the airbag 7 starts to inflate, the cover member 8 is pressed toward the passenger compartment by the inflation pressure of the airbag 7, and the inflation pressure of the airbag 7 is increased. Thus, the lower edge portion of the cover member 8 is detached from the interior material 1, and the airbag 7 is expanded downward as shown in FIG.

  When the airbag 7 is inflated and deployed downward, an excessive tensile force 10 acts in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 6 on the attachment piece 7 a of the airbag 7, but the locking hole 7 c of the attachment piece 7 a is one of the clips 5. Since it is latched by the 2nd latching | locking part 5e of the latching claw 5c provided in this leg part 5a, the excessive tensile force 10 acts directly on the 2nd latching | locking part 5e.

  As a result, the leg 5a provided with the second locking portion 5e expands upward as shown in FIG. 6, but the clip 5 fitted to the clip support projection 4a has the second locking portion 5e. As the leg portion 5a expands, the first locking portion 5g provided on the leg portion 5a similarly expands upward, and the holding force for the roof side rail 2 increases. Therefore, since the clip 5 does not come off from the attachment hole 2 a of the roof side rail 2, the attachment strength of the interior material 1 to the roof side rail 2 by the excessive pulling force 10, and thus the airbag 7 is increased. Become.

  FIG. 7 shows a modified example of the locking means 4. In this modified example, the locking position of the attachment piece 7a of the airbag 7 by the clip fixing seat 4c of the locking means 4 and the second locking portion 5e. The locking position of the attachment piece 7a of the airbag 7 is made not to be on the same line with respect to the pulling direction acting on the attachment piece 7a. That is, the front end of the locking claw 5c is formed in a substantially T shape that is larger than the width of the leg portion 5a, the hook-shaped second locking portion 5e is formed at both ends thereof, and the attachment piece 7a side has the second A pair of locking holes 7c are formed at positions corresponding to the locking portions 5e.

  Thus, even when an excessive tensile force acts on the attachment piece 7a when the airbag 7 is inflated, the attachment piece 7a is not damaged from the attachment hole 7b formed in the attachment piece 7a or the vicinity of the locking hole 7c. Therefore, the attachment strength of the airbag 7 is increased, and it is not necessary to make the attachment piece 7a wider than necessary, so that the cost of the airbag 7 can be reduced.

  The present invention makes it easy to attach and detach interior materials and airbags to and from the roof side rails with clips, so that the work of removing the airbags for repair and maintenance can be performed efficiently in a short time, and the vehicle is subjected to a side collision. When the airbag is inflated, the tensile force generated in the attachment piece of the airbag is applied to the second locking portion, thereby increasing the mounting holding force with respect to the roof side rail in the first locking portion. As a result, the clip does not come out of the roof side rail, and the mounting strength of the airbag device to the roof side rail can be increased, so that the occupant is protected by inflating and deploying between the vehicle door and the occupant. Attach an airbag to the body panel as well as the curtain airbag device It can be applied to the air bag devices in general.

It is the front view which showed typically the state which attached the interior material equipped with the curtain airbag apparatus which becomes embodiment of this invention to the roof side rail. It is an expanded sectional view which follows the AA line of FIG. It is an arrow view from the B direction of FIG. It is an enlarged view in C circle of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the latching means employ | adopted as the curtain airbag apparatus which becomes embodiment of this invention. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the curtain airbag apparatus which becomes embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the modification of the latching means employ | adopted as the curtain airbag apparatus which becomes embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the conventional curtain airbag apparatus. It is an enlarged view in D circle of FIG. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the conventional curtain airbag apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Interior material 2 Roof side rail 3 Airbag storage chamber 4 Locking means 5 Clip 5a Leg part 5c Locking claw 5e 2nd locking part 5g 1st locking part 7 Airbag 7a Attachment piece

Claims (3)

An interior material attached to a side surface of a roof side rail by a locking means having a clip, an airbag stored in a folded state in an airbag storage chamber formed in the interior material, and the airbag A curtain airbag device that includes a mounting piece that extends further and is locked to the locking means, the first locking portion that locks the interior material to the roof side rail on the clip. And a second locking portion for locking the mounting piece, and when the airbag is deployed, a tensile force generated in the mounting piece is applied to the second locking portion, thereby A curtain airbag device configured to increase an attaching and holding force of the locking portion to the roof side rail. The first locking part is formed by cutting and raising the leg part of the clip in a substantially square shape, and the second locking part is hooked to the tip of a locking claw extending from the leg part of the clip. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the curtain airbag device is formed by being bent into a shape. The locking position of the mounting piece by the locking means and the locking position of the mounting piece by the second locking portion are the same with respect to the pulling direction acting on the mounting piece when the airbag is inflated. The curtain airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the curtain airbag device is arranged so as not to be on a line.

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