JP5365433B2 - Airbag device for passenger seat - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an airbag device for a front passenger seat without generating a clearance caused by the interposition of a door part between an airbag and an instrument panel. <P>SOLUTION: In this airbag device 10 for the front passenger seat, an intermediate part in the vertical direction of an airbag door 24 is formed as a hinge part 26, and the upper side of the hinge part 26 is formed as an upper side door part 30, and the lower side of the hinge part 26 is formed as a lower side door part 34. An airbag 46 has integrally a bag body part 46A and a knee airbag part 46B. When an inflator 40 operates, the bag body part 46A inflates and deploys toward the upper half body side of an occupant seated on the front passenger seat while deploying the upper side door part 30 to the lower side around the hinge part 26, and the knee airbag part 46B inflates and deploys toward the knee part side of the occupant while deploying the lower side door part 34 to the upper side around the hinge part 26. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an airbag device for a passenger seat that inflates and deploys an airbag toward an occupant side seated in the passenger seat at the time of a frontal collision.

  The following Patent Document 1 discloses a mid-mount type passenger seat airbag configured to inflate and deploy a bag that restrains the upper body of an occupant and a bag (knee airbag) that restrains an occupant's knee with a common inflator. An apparatus is disclosed.

  On the other hand, the following Patent Document 2 discloses a mid-mount type passenger seat airbag in which a bag body that restrains the upper body of an occupant and a sub-bag (knee airbag portion) that restrains an occupant's knee are integrally formed. An apparatus is disclosed.

JP-A-51-23917 Japanese Utility Model Publication No.7-17662

  By the way, in the airbag device for passenger seats of the mid-mount type, an H-shaped tear line is set on the instrument panel, and the tear line is broken (opened) by the inflation pressure of the airbag at the time of a frontal collision. There is a configuration in which the two are spread in the form of double doors in the vertical direction (for example, see FIG. 6). In such a passenger seat airbag device, the door portion 100 deployed downward is interposed between the knee airbag portion 102A of the airbag 102 and the instrument panel 104. Therefore, the door portion 100 is obstructive. Thus, a gap is generated between the knee airbag portion 102A and the instrument panel 104. For this reason, when the knee portion of the occupant inertially moving to the front side of the vehicle is restrained by the knee airbag portion 102A, the knee airbag portion 102A runs idle to the front side of the vehicle by the gap (FIG. 6). 2), which causes a delay in restraining the occupant's knee.

  In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain a passenger seat airbag device in which a gap due to the intervention of a door portion does not occur between the airbag and the instrument panel.

The airbag device for a passenger seat according to the first aspect of the present invention is provided at a position facing the passenger seat in the instrument panel, and a part of the resin constituting itself bulges out to the back side of the instrument panel. with a hinge portion which is formed by elongated portion which is formed is found provided vertically intermediate portion by the upper of the hinge portion is an upper door unit, the lower side of the hinge portion is a lower door portion An air bag door, a gas generator that is provided inside the instrument panel and that operates when a frontal collision occurs to generate gas, and is normally stored in a folded state inside the instrument panel, and the gas generator The gas generated by the vehicle is supplied to the inside, and the upper door part is deployed around the hinge part while being seated on the passenger seat A bag body portion that is inflated and deployed toward the upper body side, and a knee airbag portion that is inflated and deployed toward the occupant's knee side while the lower door portion is deployed upward around the hinge portion. And an airbag having the same.

  In the passenger seat airbag apparatus according to the first aspect, the airbag is stored in a folded state inside the instrument panel in a normal state. When a frontal collision occurs from this state, the gas generator operates to supply gas into the airbag. As a result, the airbag body expands and deploys to the upper body side of the occupant seated in the passenger seat while deploying the upper door portion of the airbag door downward around the hinge portion, and the knee airbag portion of the airbag. The airbag door is inflated and deployed toward the occupant's knee while the lower door of the airbag door is deployed upward around the hinge.

  Here, in the present invention, since the hinge portion of the airbag door is provided between the upper door portion and the lower door portion, the upper door portion and the lower door portion are the bag body in the above-described deployed state. Between the bag body portion and the instrument panel, and between the knee airbag portion and the instrument panel. Therefore, a gap due to the interposition of the door portion does not occur between the airbag (bag main body portion and knee airbag portion) and the instrument panel.

Moreover, in the passenger airbag apparatus of this is, since the hinge portion is constituted by the elongated portion which is formed by a portion of the resin constituting the air bag door bulges to the rear side of the instrument panel, The hinge portion can be smoothly bent when the upper door portion and the lower door portion are unfolded. Therefore, the deployment resistance received by the bag body portion and the knee airbag portion from the upper door portion and the lower door portion is reduced accordingly, and as a result, the bag body portion and the knee airbag portion can be smoothly inflated and deployed.

A passenger seat airbag device according to a second aspect of the present invention is the passenger seat airbag device according to the first aspect , wherein the lower door portion is set to have a shorter vertical dimension than the upper door portion. It is characterized by being.

In the passenger seat airbag apparatus according to claim 2 , the lower door portion for inflating and deploying the knee airbag portion toward the knee portion side of the passenger seated occupant includes the airbag body portion of the airbag. The vertical dimension is set shorter than the upper door portion for inflating and deploying toward the upper body side of the seated occupant. That is, since the volume of the knee airbag portion is generally set smaller than the volume of the bag body portion, the vertical dimension of the upper and lower door portions is set according to the volume ratio in the present invention. Thereby, a knee airbag part and a bag main-body part can be inflate-deployed smoothly.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a passenger seat airbag device according to the first or second aspect , wherein the gas generated by the gas generator is provided in the airbag. The cylindrical portion is supplied to the inside of the knee airbag portion through the inside of the tubular portion, and the cylindrical portion is formed with an opening that allows communication between the inside of the cylinder and the inside of the bag main body portion. It is characterized by having.

In the passenger airbag device according to claim 3 , the gas generated by the gas generator is preferentially supplied to the inside of the knee airbag portion through the inside of the cylindrical portion provided in the airbag. The As a result, the knee airbag portion is inflated and deployed. Further, during the inflation and deployment of the knee airbag portion, a part of the gas passing through the cylindrical portion of the cylindrical portion is supplied to the inside of the back main body portion through the opening formed in the cylindrical portion, and the bag main body portion is Inflates and expands. After the knee airbag portion has been inflated and deployed, the entire amount or most of the gas generated by the gas generator is supplied into the back body portion, and the bag body portion is rapidly inflated and deployed. As described above, in this airbag device, gas is preferentially supplied to the knee airbag portion by the tubular portion, so that knee air is required to protect the knee portion of the passenger seated in the passenger seat at an early stage. The bag portion can be rapidly inflated and deployed.

  As described above, in the passenger seat airbag device according to the first aspect of the present invention, no gap is generated between the airbag and the instrument panel due to the intervention of the door portion.

Moreover, in the passenger seat airbag device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the bag body portion and the knee airbag portion can be smoothly inflated and deployed.

In the passenger airbag device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the bag main body and the knee airbag can be smoothly inflated and deployed.

In the passenger airbag device according to the third aspect of the present invention, the knee airbag portion can be rapidly inflated and deployed.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the peripheral member containing the airbag apparatus for front passenger seats concerning 1st Embodiment of this invention, and is a figure which shows the mode at the time of airbag deployment. It is a perspective view which shows the mode at the time of airbag deployment of the airbag apparatus for passenger seats shown by FIG. 1 in the state seen from the vehicle interior side. FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration of an airbag door of the passenger seat airbag apparatus shown in FIG. 1 and showing a state before the airbag door is deployed. FIG. 3 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 2 and shows a state before the airbag is deployed. It is a perspective view which shows the state which the airbag door of the airbag apparatus for passenger seats concerning 2nd Embodiment of this invention expand | deployed. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the peripheral member containing the conventional airbag apparatus for front passenger seats.

<First Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of an airbag device for a passenger seat according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In each figure, an arrow FR indicates the vehicle front side, an arrow UP indicates the vehicle upper side, and an arrow IN indicates the vehicle width direction inner side.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the passenger seat airbag device 10 is provided on an instrument panel 12 of a vehicle. In addition, the member to which the code | symbol 13 was attached | subjected in FIG. 1 is windshield glass. As shown in FIG. 3, the instrument panel 12 includes a resin base material 14 having a predetermined rigidity, and a skin 16 provided at a position spaced from the base material 14 toward the vehicle interior side by a predetermined distance. And a three-layer structure including a foam layer 18 provided between the base material 14 and the skin 16. However, it is not always necessary to have a three-layer structure, and a two-layer instrument panel in which the foam layer 18 is omitted may be adopted.

  A rectangular opening 20 is formed through a step portion at a position facing the passenger seat (not shown) in the base material 14 of the instrument panel 12. A passenger seat airbag apparatus 10 including an airbag module 22 and an airbag door 24 is disposed at a position where the opening 20 is formed.

  The airbag door 24 is made of a softer resin than the base material 14, and has a substantially rectangular flat plate portion 24 </ b> A mounted in the opening 20 of the base material 14 and a direction perpendicular to the back surface of the flat plate portion 24 </ b> A. And a leg portion 24B extending to the vehicle front side. A hinge portion 26 is provided at an intermediate portion in the vertical direction of the flat plate portion 24A. The hinge portion 26 is constituted by an extra length portion formed by a part of the resin constituting the flat plate portion 24A bulging in a substantially U-shaped cross section toward the back side (vehicle front side) of the instrument panel 12. It extends along the vehicle width direction.

  An upper tear line 28 (see FIG. 4) formed in a substantially inverted U shape when viewed from the front and rear of the vehicle is formed on the back surface side of the flat plate portion 24A above the hinge portion 26. A portion surrounded by the hinge portion 26 is an upper door portion 30. Further, a lower tear line 32 (see FIG. 4) formed in a substantially U shape when viewed from the front and rear of the vehicle is formed on the back side of the flat plate portion 24A below the hinge portion 26. A portion surrounded by the tear line 32 and the hinge portion 26 is a lower door portion 34. The upper tear line 28 and the lower tear line 32 are tear lines that are broken when a bag inflation pressure of a predetermined value or more acts, and are of the so-called invisible type that cannot be seen from the vehicle interior side. In the present embodiment, the vertical dimension L1 of the upper door portion 30 and the vertical dimension L2 of the lower door portion 34 are set to the same dimension (L1 = L2).

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, the airbag module 22 includes a substantially box-shaped airbag case 36 supported by a strength member such as instrument panel reinforcement (not shown) via a bracket. The upper and lower walls of the airbag case 36 are provided with hook-shaped locking portions, and the mounting openings formed in the leg portions 24B of the airbag door 24 are locked to the locking portions, An airbag door 24 is attached to the airbag case 36.

  A concave portion 38 having a semicircular cross section is formed at the center in the vertical direction of the bottom wall portion 36A of the airbag case 36. An inflator 40 as a gas generator formed in a substantially cylindrical shape is accommodated in the recess 38. This inflator 40 is not shown when a frontal collision state is detected by a front airbag sensor (not shown) arranged at a predetermined position in the front part of the vehicle body and a center airbag sensor (not shown) arranged in the center of the vehicle compartment. Actuated by the airbag ECU, gas is ejected from a plurality of gas ejection holes formed in the peripheral wall portion.

  A metal retainer 42 is disposed inside the airbag case 36 on the vehicle rear side of the inflator 40. The retainer 42 includes an outer peripheral portion formed in a substantially rectangular frame shape and a hollow semi-cylindrical semi-cylindrical portion formed inside the outer peripheral portion, and the rear half of the inflator 40 is formed by the semi-cylindrical portion. Covered. A plurality of openings (not shown) are formed in the semi-cylindrical portion, and the retainer 42 functions as a diffuser that rectifies the gas ejected from the inflator 40.

  The retainer 42 is fixed to the bottom wall portion 36A of the airbag case 36 by bolts and nuts (not shown), and the opening side end portion of the airbag 46 is sandwiched between the retainer 42 and the bottom wall portion 36A. It is locked.

  The airbag 46 includes a bag main body portion 46A and a knee airbag portion 46B formed in a bag shape, and a cylindrical portion 46C formed in a cylindrical shape. The bag body portion 46A and the knee airbag portion 46B are an integral bag body that shares an opening. Further, the cylindrical portion 46C is sewn to the bag body portion 46A and the knee airbag portion 46B with the opening on the proximal end side facing the retainer 42, and the distal end side is inserted into the knee airbag portion 46B. Yes. For this reason, the gas generated from the inflator 40 is supplied to the inside of the knee airbag portion 46B through the inside of the cylindrical portion 46C.

  One or more openings 48 are formed in the peripheral wall of the cylindrical portion 46C, and the inside of the cylindrical portion 46C communicates with the inside of the bag main body portion 46A through the opening 48. The volume of the bag body portion 46A is set to, for example, about 60 liters, and the volume of the knee airbag portion 46B is set to, for example, about 10 liters.

  The airbag 46 having the above-described configuration is configured to be stored in a folded state inside the airbag case 36 at a normal time. In this stored state, the bag main body portion 46 </ b> A is disposed to face the upper door portion 30, and the knee airbag portion 46 </ b> B is disposed to face the lower door portion 34.

  Next, the operation and effect of the first embodiment will be described.

  In the passenger seat airbag apparatus 10 configured as described above, when a frontal collision state of the vehicle is detected by an airbag sensor (not shown), a signal is input to the airbag ECU. The airbag ECU determines whether or not the inflator 40 should be operated based on the input signal. If it is determined that the “inflator is activated”, a predetermined current is supplied to the inflator 40. As a result, the inflator 40 is activated to generate gas.

  The gas generated by the inflator 40 is supplied into the knee airbag section 46B through the cylinder 46C of the airbag 46. As a result, the knee airbag portion 46B is inflated, and the lower door portion 34 of the airbag door 24 is pressed toward the vehicle rear side by the knee airbag portion 46B. When this pressing force rises above a predetermined value, the lower tear line 32 breaks (breaks), and the lower door portion 34 extends around the hinge portion 26 to the upper rear side of the vehicle. As a result, an opening 52 (a bag opening lower opening) having the same shape as the lower door portion 34 is formed in the flat plate portion 24A of the airbag door 24, and the knee airbag portion 46B is connected to the vehicle through the opening 52. It bulges into the room. The knee airbag portion 46B bulging into the passenger compartment extends toward the knee portion of the passenger seated in the passenger seat while the lower door portion 34 is deployed obliquely upward (pushing up) rearward of the vehicle around the hinge portion 26. Inflates and expands. Thereby, the knee part of the passenger | crew who moves to the vehicle front side by the inertia force at the time of a front collision is restrained by the knee airbag part 46B.

  On the other hand, during the inflation and deployment of the knee airbag portion 46B, a part of the gas flowing in the cylindrical portion 46C is supplied into the bag main body portion 46A through the opening 48 of the cylindrical portion 46C. As a result, the bag body portion 46A is inflated, and the upper door portion 30 of the airbag door 24 is pressed toward the vehicle rear side by the bag body portion 46A. When this pressing force rises above a predetermined value, the upper tear line 28 breaks (breaks), and the upper door portion 30 develops around the hinge portion 26 to the lower rear side of the vehicle. As a result, an opening 50 (an upper opening for bag inflation) having the same shape as the upper door portion 30 is formed in the flat plate portion 24A of the airbag door 24, and the bag body portion 46A is inflated into the vehicle interior via the opening 50. Put out. The bag main body 46A bulged into the passenger compartment is inflated and deployed toward the upper body side of the occupant seated in the passenger seat while the upper door 30 is being developed obliquely downward (downward) around the hinge 26. .

  When the inflation and deployment of the knee airbag portion 46B is completed and the internal pressure of the knee airbag portion 46B rises to a predetermined value or more, the distal end side of the cylindrical portion 46C is crushed by the internal pressure. Thereby, the cylindrical part 46C functions as a check valve, and the backflow of gas from the knee airbag part 46B to the inflator 40 side (bag body part 46A side) is prevented. Thereby, the internal pressure of the knee airbag part 46B is maintained.

  Further, in a state where the distal end side of the cylindrical portion 46C is crushed, all or most of the gas generated from the inflator 40 is supplied into the bag main body portion 46A through the opening 48 of the cylindrical portion 46C. As a result, the inflation speed of the bag body 46A increases, and the bag body 46A rapidly inflates and expands toward the upper body side of the passenger seated passenger. As a result, the upper body of the occupant moving to the front side of the vehicle by the inertial force at the time of a frontal collision is restrained by the bag main body 46A.

  Here, in the passenger seat airbag device 10, the hinge portion 26 of the airbag door 24 is provided between the upper door portion 30 and the lower door portion 34. When the knee airbag portion 46B is inflated and deployed (shown in FIG. 1), the upper door portion 30 and the lower door portion 34 are located between the bag body portion 46A and the knee airbag portion 46B, and the bag body portion. It is not interposed between 46A and the instrument panel 12, and between the knee airbag part 46B and the instrument panel 12. For this reason, the space | gap resulting from interposition of the door parts 30 and 34 does not generate | occur | produce between the airbag 46 (bag main-body part 46A and knee airbag part 46B) and the instrument panel 12. FIG.

  Therefore, when a load is input to the bag body 46A and the knee airbag part 46B from a passenger who moves inertially forward, the bag body 46A and the knee airbag part 46B are immediately supported by the instrument panel 12. Thus, the occupant's restraining performance by the bag body 46A and the knee airbag 46B is improved.

  In particular, since no gap is generated between the knee airbag portion 46B that requires early deployment and the instrument panel 12, it is possible to avoid idle running of the knee airbag portion 46B due to the gap, The restraint performance of the occupant knee by the bag 46B can be greatly improved.

  Further, in the passenger seat airbag device 10, the hinge portion 26 is configured by an extra length portion formed by a part of the resin constituting the airbag door 24 bulging out to the back side of the instrument panel 12. Therefore, the hinge portion 26 bends smoothly when the upper door portion 30 and the lower door portion 34 are deployed. Accordingly, the deployment resistance received by the bag main body portion 46A and the knee airbag portion 46B from the upper door portion 30 and the lower door portion 34 is reduced accordingly, and as a result, the bag main body portion 46A and the knee airbag portion 46B are smoothly inflated. Can be deployed.

  Moreover, in the passenger seat airbag device 10, gas is preferentially supplied to the knee airbag portion 46B by the cylindrical portion 46C provided in the airbag 46, so that the knee portion of the passenger seated occupant can be moved early. The knee airbag portion 46B that is required to be protected can be rapidly inflated and deployed. Therefore, the restraining performance of the occupant knee portion by the knee airbag portion 46B can be further improved.

  Further, in the airbag device 10 for the passenger seat, the bag body portion 46A and the knee airbag portion 46B of the airbag 46 are integrally configured and inflated and deployed by the single inflator 40, so that the cost is low. Effective passenger protection can be realized with a simple configuration.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In addition, about the structure and effect | action similar to the said 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol as the said 1st Embodiment is provided, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which the airbag door 24 of the passenger seat airbag apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention is deployed as viewed from the vehicle interior side. This embodiment has basically the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, but in this embodiment, the lower door portion 34 of the airbag door 24 has a vertical dimension larger than that of the upper door portion 30. The bag inflation lower opening 52 for inflating the knee airbag portion 46B is set smaller than the bag inflation upper opening 50 for inflating the bag body portion 46A. ing. In other words, the hinge portion 26 is set at a position offset downward from the vertical center line in the flat plate portion 24 </ b> A of the airbag door 24. The ratio of the vertical dimension L3 of the upper door part 30 and the vertical dimension L4 of the lower door part 34 is set to, for example, about L3: L4 = 5: 3.

  That is, in this embodiment, the volume of the knee airbag portion 46B is set to be smaller than the volume of the bag main body portion 46A, as in the first embodiment. The vertical dimension of the lower door portion 34 is set. Thereby, both the knee airbag part 46B and the bag main body part 46A can be smoothly inflated and deployed.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where the hinge portion 26 of the airbag door 24 is configured by a single extra length portion has been described. However, the present invention according to claim 1 is not limited thereto, and is arranged vertically. A hinge part can also be comprised by two parallel extra length parts. In this case, the upper door portion is developed around the upper surplus portion, and the lower door portion is developed around the lower surplus portion.

  Furthermore, in each said embodiment, it was set as the structure by which gas is preferentially supplied in knee airbag part 46B by the cylindrical part 46C provided in the airbag 46, However, The invention which concerns on Claim 1 is restricted to this It is not a thing. For example, the bag body portion 46A and the knee airbag portion 46B of the airbag 46 are partitioned by a partition cloth (tether), so that gas is preferentially supplied into the knee airbag section 46B, and the partition cloth is You may make it the structure by which gas is supplied in the bag main-body part 46A through the formed opening. Further, for example, when the internal pressure of the knee airbag portion 46B becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value, a so-called tear seam (sewing portion) provided on the partition cloth may be broken to supply gas into the bag main body portion 46A. .

  In addition, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the scope of the invention. Needless to say, the scope of rights of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

10 Airbag Device for Passenger Seat 24 Airbag Door 26 Hinge Part 30 Upper Door Part 34 Lower Door Part 40 Inflator (Gas Generator)
46 Air bag 46A Bag body part 46B Knee airbag part 46C Cylindrical part 48 Opening

Claims (3)

The hinge part which is provided at a position facing the passenger seat in the instrument panel and is formed by an extra length part formed by a part of the resin constituting itself bulging out to the back side of the instrument panel is vertically together provided et the direction intermediate portion, an upper side of the hinge portion is an upper door part, an air bag door below the hinge portion is a lower door portion,
A gas generator that is provided inside the instrument panel and that operates when a frontal collision occurs to generate gas;
The passenger seat is normally stored in a folded state inside the instrument panel, and the gas generated by the gas generator is supplied to the inside, and the upper door portion is developed downward around the hinge portion while the passenger seat A bag body portion that inflates and deploys toward the upper body side of the occupant seated on the knee, and a knee airbag that inflates and deploys toward the knee portion side of the occupant while the lower door portion is deployed upward around the hinge portion An airbag integrally having a portion;
Air bag device for passenger seat equipped with   2. The passenger seat airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lower door portion has a vertical dimension shorter than that of the upper door portion.   The gas generated by the gas generator is supplied to the inside of the knee airbag portion through the inside of the cylindrical portion provided in the airbag, and the cylindrical portion has its own cylinder interior. 3. The passenger seat airbag device according to claim 1, wherein an opening is formed in communication with the interior of the bag main body. 4.

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