JP4306712B2 - Crew protection device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an occupant leg protection device for protecting an occupant's leg when a car or the like collides.

  As a passenger leg protection device at the time of a collision of a high-speed moving body such as an automobile, a retainer provided in front of the seat, an airbag housed in the retainer, a gas generator for inflating the airbag, Some of them are mainly composed of a cover that covers the retainer at a normal time (when a high-speed moving body such as the automobile does not encounter a collision situation).

  In such an occupant leg protection device, the airbag is housed in a retainer disposed inside the interior panel in a folded state, and the cover and the interior panel cover the retainer. It is provided in one shape.

  When the automobile collides, the gas generator operates to eject gas, and the ejected gas is supplied to the airbag so that the airbag is rapidly expanded. At this time, as the airbag is inflated, the cover is opened, so that the airbag is inflated and deployed between the interior panel and the lower leg of the occupant so that the leg of the occupant is protected. Become.

  An example of this type of passenger leg protection device will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 20 (a) is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of an occupant leg protection device for an automobile, and FIG. 20 (b) is a cross-sectional view of the occupant leg protection device when the airbag is inflated.

  The vehicle occupant leg protection device includes a container-like retainer 2 having an opening on a front surface (occupant-side surface), an airbag 4 that is folded in the retainer 2, and the airbag 4 is inflated. A gas generator 6 for covering the gas generator 6 and a front opening of the retainer 2 are provided, and a cover 7 is provided to open the opening when the airbag 4 is inflated. This cover 7 is flush with the interior panel 10. The cover 7 includes a tear line 12 and a hinge portion 14.

  The occupant leg protection device is disposed at a height facing the lower leg of the occupant sitting on the seat 8. The protection device is fixed to a vehicle body member (not shown) via a bracket 16.

  In this occupant leg protection device, the gas generator 6 performs gas ejection operation at the time of a vehicle collision, the airbag 4 is inflated by this gas, pushes the cover 7 open, and is inflated and deployed in front of the occupant's knee. The passenger's legs are protected.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an occupant leg protection device in which a bolt insertion hole is provided in a cover and a cap is attached to the bolt insertion hole .

An occupant leg protection device of the present invention includes a retainer that is provided in front of a seat and has an opening that opens toward the seat, an airbag housed in the retainer, and an airbag for inflating the airbag. a gas generator, covers the opening, the occupant leg protection apparatus having a cover which starts to open when the airbag is inflated, the bolt insertion holes for inserting the bolts into the cover is provided, The bolt insertion hole is provided with a cap for covering the bolt from the front side. The cover is provided with a recess recessed from the front, and the bolt insertion hole is provided in the center of the recess. The cap is mounted in the concave portion flush with the front surface of the cover, and the claw provided in the cap is inserted into the claw insertion hole provided in the concave portion, whereby the cap is Installed in the recess The occupant leg protection device is configured such that the cover is larger than the retainer, and the cover has a portion that covers the opening of the retainer, and the cover can be opened. The backup portion has a backup portion that extends to the upper side and the left and right sides of the openable portion, and a reinforcing member that supports the backup portion is provided behind the backup portion, whereby the backup portion is open to the opening. The backup portion and the reinforcing member are supported by a vehicle body side strength member via a bracket, and the airbag is inflated so as to overlap the backup portion. The backup portion is provided with the recess and the bolt insertion hole, and the bolt passes through the backup portion and the reinforcing member through the bolt insertion hole. These are fastened to the bracket, and the cap is provided with a return anchor for preventing the cap from falling off, and the claw insertion hole is provided in the recess. A return anchor insertion hole is provided separately, and the claw and the return anchor are separately inserted into the claw insertion hole and the return anchor insertion hole .

According to the occupant leg protection device of the present invention, the head of a bolt for attaching a cover or the like is covered with a cap.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an occupant leg protection device for a driver seat or a passenger seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of a cover 20. is there.

  The occupant leg protection device 1 includes a container-like retainer 2 having an opening on a front surface (occupant side surface), an airbag 4 folded and housed in the retainer 2, and the airbag 4 inflated. The gas generator 6 and the airbag 4 are fixed to the retainer 2 by an attachment member 18.

  The front opening of the retainer 2 is covered with a door portion 21 of a cover 20 installed in front of the seat 8. The cover 20 is arranged flush with the surrounding interior panel 10. The cover 20 is integrally provided with a support piece 23 protruding toward the back side of the interior panel 10, and the support piece 23 is attached to the retainer 2. This attachment may be a rivet or a screw, but in this embodiment, it is locked to a hook 59 protruding from the retainer 2.

  That is, in this embodiment, the opening 58 is provided in the support piece 23 of the cover 20. The hooks 59 provided on the retainer 2 are engaged with the openings 58, so that the support piece 23 is locked to the retainer 2.

  In the cover 20 of this embodiment, an extending piece 60 having an L-shaped cross section is extended into the retainer 2, and the extending piece 21 is fixed to the retainer 2 via an attachment member 61 of the gas generator 6. The configuration shown in FIG.

  The attachment member 61 holds the gas generator 6 so as to enclose it. The attachment member 61 is fixed to the bottom surface of the retainer 2 by bolts 62 and nuts 63. The tip of the extended piece 60 is sandwiched between the attachment member 61 and the bottom surface of the retainer 2. The base end side of the airbag 4 is sandwiched between the attachment member 61 and the bottom surface of the retainer 2 and the extending piece 60, whereby the airbag 4 is attached to the retainer 2.

  On the back surface of the cover 20 (the surface opposite to the side facing the occupant of the cover 20), groove-shaped tear lines (breaking promotion portions) 22 are provided along the three sides of the retainer 2. Further, a groove-like hinge portion 24 is provided along the remaining one side (lower side) of the retainer 2. A region surrounded by the tear line 22 and the hinge portion 24 is a door portion 21.

  The cover 20 extends above and to the left and right sides of the door portion 21, and the extended portion serves as a backup portion 25. A rib 26 is provided on the back surface of the backup unit 25 to make the backup unit 25 high in strength. The ribs 26 are provided in the form of cross beams in the vertical and horizontal directions.

The backup portion 25 is fastened to the bracket 19 by bolts 18 and nuts 18 a, and is supported by the vehicle body side strength member via the bracket 19. The backup portion 25 is provided with a bolt insertion hole 20h through which the bolt 18 is passed. The head of the bolt 18 is disposed in the hole 20h, and the head of the bolt 18 is covered by a cap attached to the hole 20h. A configuration example of the cap will be described later.

  In the occupant leg protection device 1 configured as described above, the gas generator 6 performs a gas ejection operation at the time of a vehicle collision, and the airbag 4 is disposed as indicated by two-dot chain lines 4 'and 21' in FIG. It expands to push open the door portion 21 of the cover 20 and bulge to the front side of the backup portion 25. At this time, the door portion 21 bends about 180 ° along the hinge portion 24. The airbag 4 is inflated and deployed so as to wrap the knee from the lower leg of the passenger in the passenger seat, and protects the legs of the passenger. Further, the airbag 4 overlaps the backup unit 25 of the cover 20 around the retainer 2. In this case, since the backup portion 25 is reinforced by the ribs 26 and supported by the bracket 19, the pressing force applied from the occupant legs to the airbag 4 is countered by the backup portion 25, and the backup portion 25 is retracted. Does not move.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the rib 26 is partially provided with a recess 27, so that the backup portion 25 is deformed so as to buckle when a load of a predetermined level or more is applied to the backup portion 25, thereby You may comprise so that the impact applied to a part may be relieved.

  FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of a cover 20 ′ suitable for application to an occupant leg protection device for a driver's seat.

  The cover 20 ′ has an extending portion 25 e extending upward from left and right upper portions of the backup portion 25. A steering column is disposed in a recess 25f between these extending portions. The other structure of FIG. 4 is the same as FIG.

  FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a cover 20A used in an occupant leg protecting apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this cover 20A, the strength of the backup portion 25 is increased by insert-molding the metal plate 28 instead of the rib. In addition, you may provide both the insert and rib of a metal plate in a backup part.

  FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing an occupant leg protecting apparatus according to still another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the retainer 2A.

  Also in this embodiment, the airbag 4 is accommodated in the retainer 2 </ b> A in a folded state and can be inflated by the gas generator 6.

  In this embodiment, the backup portion 25 of the cover 20B having the door portion 21 that covers the front opening of the retainer 2 is supported from the back side by the reinforcing plate 30 that integrally extends upward from the retainer 2A. The reinforcing plate 30 is supported by the bracket 19. Other configurations are the same as those in FIG. By providing the reinforcing plate 30, the back-up portion 25 is prevented from moving backward when the occupant's leg portion projects into the inflated airbag 4.

  In addition, in order to connect the backup part 25 and the reinforcing plate 30, as shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9A, an opening 30a is provided in the reinforcing plate 30, and a boss part protruding from the back surface of the backup part 25 is provided. After inserting 25a into the opening 30a, the tip may be melted to expand the diameter. Further, as shown in FIG. 9 (b), a hook 25b may protrude from the backup portion 25 in the rearward direction, and the hook 25b may be locked to the opening 30a.

  FIG. 10 is a sectional view of an occupant leg protection device according to a different embodiment, FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the retainer 2B, and FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an engagement relationship between a reinforcing plate and a protrusion.

  In this embodiment, the retainer 2B is provided with a reinforcing plate 31 that integrally extends upward therefrom. The reinforcing plate 31 is supported by the vehicle body side strength member via the bracket 19. The back-up portion 25 is supported on the reinforcing plate 31 via a taper-shaped pin-shaped protrusion 40. The protrusion 40 is inserted into the opening 32 provided in the reinforcing plate 31. A plurality of tongue pieces 33 are extended from the periphery of the opening 32 in the centripetal direction, and the protrusions 40 are inserted into the opening 32 in a state of being in contact with the tip of the tongue piece 33.

  The pressing force when the occupant legs are thrust into the airbag 4 is countered by the reinforcing plate 31 via the backup portion 25 and the protrusions 40. When this pressing force is larger than a predetermined value, the projection 40 is pushed into the opening 32 while plastically deforming the tongue piece 33, whereby the backup portion 25 is slightly retracted and the impact applied to the occupant leg is alleviated. Is done.

  FIGS. 13 and 14 are perspective views of the retainer and the reinforcing frame of the occupant leg protection device according to different embodiments of the present invention, respectively.

  In this embodiment, the reinforcing frames 51 and 51 ′ are fixed to the retainers 50 and 50 ′, and the reinforcing frames 51 and 51 ′ are supported by the vehicle body side strength members 52 and 53. The backup unit 25 is supported on the reinforcing frame 51. FIG. 13 shows a configuration suitable for the driver's seat occupant leg protection device, and FIG. 14 shows a configuration suitable for the passenger's seat occupant leg protection device. In the case of FIG. 14, a grab box can be arranged above the retainer 50 '.

  In the present invention, a reinforcing member 72 such as a reinforcing plate or a reinforcing frame may be connected to the vehicle body side strength member 70 as shown in FIGS.

  In FIG. 15, the strength member 70 is provided with an opening 71, and the crank-shaped bent portion at the tip of the reinforcing member 72 is inserted into the opening 71. FIG. 15 (a) is an exploded perspective view, and FIG. 15 (b) is a sectional view.

  16 (a) and 16 (b), a hook piece 78 protrudes from the reinforcing member 77, and the hook piece 78 is inserted into the opening 76 of the vehicle body side strength member 75 and locked. Instead of the hook piece 78, a hook piece may be formed by tightly attaching a spring fitting 81 to the flat projection piece 80 as in the reinforcing member 79 of FIG. 16 (c).

  FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an instrument panel 90 to which the present invention is applied. A steering column cover 91 is disposed in the driver's seat portion of the instrument panel 90, and the steering shaft 92 is inserted therethrough. A cover 20 ′ is disposed below the instrument panel 90 in front of the driver's seat.

  FIG. 18 (a) shows the mounting structure of the cap 102 for covering the head of the bolt when the cover 100 is fixed to the vehicle body side bracket 19 (not shown in FIG. 18) with bolts. A perspective view and FIG. 18 (b) are sectional views taken along line BB of FIG. 18 (a).

  The cover 100 is provided with a shallow recess 104 that is recessed from the front surface, and a bolt insertion hole 106 is provided at the center of the recess 104. A plurality of claw insertion holes 108 are provided around the bolt insertion hole 106. By inserting the claw 110 of the cap 102 into the claw insertion hole 108, the cap 102 is mounted flush with the recess 104.

Anchor 112 returns to the caps 102 is provided, the return anchor 112 is inserted into the return anchor insertion hole 114 of the recess 104, thereby being prevented falling off of the cap 102.

  FIG. 19 is an exploded sectional view showing a state where the cover 20B with the cap 102 is attached to the bracket 19. The bolt 18 penetrates the reinforcing plate 30 and the bracket 19 from the bolt insertion hole 106 of the cover 20B. A nut 18 a is fastened to the bolt 18.

  In addition, the said embodiment is an example of this invention and this invention can take forms other than illustration. For example, the door portion of the cover may be opened in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction.

It is sectional drawing which shows embodiment. It is a principal part enlarged view of FIG. It is a back surface perspective view of a cover. It is a back surface perspective view of another cover. It is a one part enlarged perspective view of the back surface of a cover. It is sectional drawing of the cover of different embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows another embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the retainer of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the coupling | bond part of a backup part and a reinforcement plate. It is sectional drawing which shows different embodiment. It is a perspective view of the retainer of FIG. It is an enlarged view which shows the engagement relationship of the opening and protrusion of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the reinforcement member and retainer of another embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the reinforcement member and retainer of another embodiment. It is a connection structure figure of a retainer. It is a connection structure figure of a retainer. It is a perspective view of an instrument panel. It is a block diagram of a cover with a cap. It is principal part sectional drawing of a cover with a cap. It is explanatory drawing of a prior art example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Passenger leg protection device 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D Retainer 4 Air bag 6 Gas generator 10 Interior panel 14 Cover 20, 20 ', 20A, 20B, 20C Cover 25 Backup part 26 Rib 28 Metal plates 30, 31 Reinforcement plate 50 Retainer 59 Hook 60 Extension layer 61 Mounting member 90 Instrument panel 100 Cover 102 Cap 112 Return anchor

Claims (1)

A retainer provided in front of the seat and having an opening that opens toward the seat;
An airbag housed in the retainer;
A gas generator for inflating the airbag;
A cover covering the opening and opening when the airbag is inflated;
In the occupant leg protection apparatus having,
Bolt insertion holes for inserting bolts into the cover are provided,
A cap for covering the bolt from the front side is attached to the bolt insertion hole ,
The cover is provided with a recess recessed from the front surface, the bolt insertion hole is provided in the center of the recess, and the cap is mounted flush with the front surface of the cover in the recess.
The claw provided on the cap is inserted into a claw insertion hole provided in the recess, whereby the cap is a passenger leg protection device attached to the recess,
The cover is larger than the retainer;
The cover has a portion that covers the opening of the retainer and can be opened,
The cover has a backup part that extends above and to the left and right sides of the openable part,
Behind the backup part, a reinforcing member for supporting the backup part is provided, whereby the backup part is stronger than the interior panel around the opening,
The backup portion and the reinforcing member are supported by the vehicle body side strength member via a bracket,
The airbag is inflated so as to overlap the backup portion,
The recess and the bolt insertion hole are provided in the backup part,
The bolt penetrates the backup part and the reinforcing member through the bolt insertion hole, and fastens them to the bracket.
The cap is provided with a return anchor separately from the claw for preventing the cap from falling off,
In the recess, an anchor insertion hole is provided separately from the claw insertion hole,
The claw and the return anchor are inserted into the claw insertion hole and the return anchor insertion hole separately, and the occupant leg protection device is characterized in that

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