JP5898897B2 - Airbag storage case - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an airbag storage case of an airbag apparatus that inflates in a short time and protects an occupant or the like.

  An airbag device, for example, a passenger seat airbag device, is configured to protect a passenger in a passenger seat by detecting an impact such as a collision of an automobile and inflating and deploying the airbag with an inflation gas ejected from an inflator. Has been.

  Therefore, the airbag device for the passenger seat is configured to store the folded airbag in, for example, a box-shaped storage case and arrange the storage case inside the instrument panel. In the event of a collision, the airbag in the storage case is inflated and deployed with inflation gas, and the lid portion formed on the instrument panel is opened to inflate and deploy the airbag into the vehicle interior.

  The airbag device is disposed in front of the passenger seat in the instrument panel. When an object collides with an air bag device mounting portion of an instrument panel, it is desired that the air bag device before the operation absorbs and reduces the impact on the object, thereby reducing the reaction force received by the object. As a method for this, it is known to give a structure that is crushed by deformation or breakage to the airbag housing case.

  Therefore, in view of this point, for example, the following two techniques are known as conventional storage cases for storing airbags.

  Among them, one technique is to provide a stress concentration part for starting buckling deformation of the container when an impact is applied to the container (storage case) from the front, and the stress concentration part is recessed in the side part of the container. It is configured by providing strips and ridges, and the entire crushing deformation of the container is advanced by the presence of such stress concentration portions to absorb the impact applied to the instrument panel ( Patent Document 1).

  Another technique is to arrange a plastic deformation portion that plastically deforms so that the height dimension can be reduced when an impact force is applied to the peripheral wall portion of the storage case, and the plastic deformation portion is placed on the peripheral wall portion. It is comprised by the through-hole which penetrates inner and outer periphery in the corner part of the meat stealing part and peripheral wall part which dented the outer peripheral surface side (refer patent document 2).

JP-A-6-127324 JP 2001-270412 A

  However, the former technique in the prior art has a stress concentration part formed by forming a concave line part and a convex line part on the side surface part of the container, and the latter technique is a peripheral wall part of the storage case. Since it has a plastic deformation part comprised by forming a meat stealing part and a through-hole in this, the rigidity of a container and a storage case is made low correspondingly. As a result, when the airbag is inflated and deployed, the airbag inflating opening of the container or storage case is deformed into a barrel shape with the middle portion of each side curved outward from the substantially rectangular opening. That is, the so-called “open mouth phenomenon” and “fish mouth phenomenon” are likely to occur. It is not easy to realize a structure that absorbs an impact caused by an object collision while suppressing deformation of the opening.

  Therefore, in view of the problems in the conventional technology, the present invention provides an air bag storage case that exhibits sufficient rigidity when the air bag is inflated and deployed, and that can absorb shock in the collision between the instrument panel and an object. It is intended to provide.

An airbag storage case according to the present invention is an airbag storage case that is disposed inside an instrument panel and that stores an airbag that protrudes when inflated and deployed from the instrument panel. includes a peripheral wall portion surrounding the periphery of the airbag in the state I, an upper side wall and a lower side peripheral wall definitive the peripheral wall, such that the bracing each other in the vertical direction, from top to bottom along the height direction of the peripheral wall It is constructed by interposing a deformable part that deforms so that the height dimension can be reduced when the impact force is applied, and when the deformed part is deformed, the upper side peripheral wall and the lower side peripheral wall are placed with the deformed part inside The present invention is characterized in that it is configured to absorb the impact force by moving the relative displacement.

  With this configuration, when the object hits the vehicle when traveling at a low speed or the like, the instrument panel receives an impact force from above to below along the height direction of the peripheral wall portion. The deformation of the deformed part causes a phenomenon (hereinafter referred to as “shear deformation”) in which the upper side peripheral wall and the lower side peripheral wall move relative to each other so as to overlap, resulting in the impact. Deformation performance that absorbs force can be exhibited. Here, the deformation includes irreversible elongation and bending such as plastic deformation and rupture yield, and behavior such as rupture and elastic deformation in a portion close to the plastic deformation portion. It includes deformation that can be grasped as a mode combined in stages. In addition, when an airbag is inflated and deployed in the event of a collision accident, a shear that moves the upper side peripheral wall and the lower side peripheral wall relative to each other with respect to the load applied to the inner surface of the airbag storage case. Without causing deformation, the so-called “open mouth phenomenon” and “fish mouth phenomenon” at the opening of the airbag storage case can be suppressed, and the airbag can be inflated and deployed more smoothly. Can be done.

  Further, when the connecting wall constituting the deforming portion in the embodiment according to the present invention connects the lower end of the upper side peripheral wall and the upper end of the lower side peripheral wall in the peripheral wall portion, the connecting wall, the upper side peripheral wall, and the lower side peripheral wall The part is configured to have a crank shape.

  By having such a configuration, when the present invention receives the action of an impact force from the upper side to the lower side substantially along the height direction of the peripheral wall portion, the deformed portion is deformed and the upper side peripheral wall and the lower side peripheral wall are By causing shear deformation to move the relative displacement, it is possible to exert deformation performance that only absorbs the impact force, and when the airbag device is activated, the load applied to the lateral direction Since the housing case has sufficient rigidity, it is possible to cause the airbag to be inflated and deployed more smoothly and reliably without causing a deformation called “open mouth phenomenon” or the like.

  Moreover, the connection wall which comprises the deformation | transformation part in embodiment which concerns on this invention is comprised by forming in a step shape by having a several step part.

  By having such a configuration, the present invention performs an impact mitigating action from the upper side to the lower side substantially along the height direction of the peripheral wall portion in a plurality of stages. A large shift amount can be obtained as a sum. In addition, because of the staircase shape, the input position of the impact and the position of the tip of the peripheral wall portion are shifted in the crossing direction with respect to the direction in which the impact is applied.

  Moreover, the connection wall which comprises the deformation | transformation part in embodiment concerning this invention forms the thin part, and is comprised.

  With this configuration, in addition to the effects of the present invention, the present invention further easily causes shear deformation that causes the upper side peripheral wall and the lower side peripheral wall to move relative to each other by the connecting wall having the thin wall portion. be able to.

  Moreover, the thin part formed in the connection wall in embodiment concerning this invention is formed in the perimeter or intermittently of a connection wall, and is comprised.

  With this configuration, in addition to the effects of the above invention, the present invention moves the upper side peripheral wall and the lower side peripheral wall relative to each other by the thin part formed entirely or intermittently around the connection wall. Shear deformation can be more easily caused.

  Furthermore, the deforming part in the embodiment according to the present invention connects the lower end of the upper side peripheral wall and the upper end of the lower side peripheral wall of the peripheral wall part by a projecting connection wall formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section. And a thin-walled portion is formed on each of the upper and lower transverse girders constituting the connecting wall.

  With this configuration, the present invention is such that the deforming portion is connected by a protruding connection wall formed in a U shape that connects the lower end of the upper peripheral wall and the upper end of the lower peripheral wall, and the connection wall Since the upper and lower horizontal girder parts constituting each are formed in a thin shape, it is easy to cause crushing deformation that relatively moves the upper side peripheral wall and the lower side peripheral wall with respect to the deformed part, and hits the object Deformation performance that only absorbs the impact force to the instrument panel can be demonstrated, and when the airbag is inflated and deployed, the load applied to the inner surface of the airbag storage case The deformation of the airbag can be suppressed without causing shear deformation, and the deformation called “open mouth phenomenon” or “fish mouth phenomenon” in the opening of the airbag storage case can be suppressed. It is possible to more smoothly perform the opening operation.

  In this invention, when an object such as an impact test headform hits the instrument panel and the airbag housing case receives an impact in the height direction of the instrument panel, the deformation of the deformable portion The upper peripheral wall and the lower peripheral wall are moved and deformed so as to reduce the height dimension to absorb the impact and relieve the reaction force received by the object. When the airbag is deployed, deformation is also suppressed by the contact of the airbag that inflates in the direction intersecting the height direction, and deformation called “open mouth phenomenon” or “fish mouth phenomenon” can be suppressed.

It is the perspective view which drawn the instrument panel which installed the airbag apparatus for passenger seats which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is AA sectional drawing in FIG. It is the perspective view which decomposed | disassembled and drawn the airbag module and storage case which comprise the airbag apparatus for passenger seats shown in FIG. It is AA sectional drawing at the time of an object hitting the instrument panel drawn in FIG. It is the perspective view which drew the storage case of the airbag which concerns on Example 2 of this invention seeing from diagonally upward. It is BB sectional drawing in the state which mounted | wore the instrument panel with the storage case shown in FIG. It is the perspective view which drawn the corner part vicinity of the storage case of the airbag which concerns on Example 3 of this invention from diagonally upward inner surface direction. It is CC sectional drawing of FIG. It is the perspective view which drawn the corner part vicinity of the storage case of the airbag which concerns on Example 4 of this invention from the diagonally downward outer surface side direction. It is DD sectional drawing of FIG. It is the longitudinal cross-sectional view drawn in the state which attached the principal part of the storage case of the airbag which concerns on Example 5 of this invention to the instrument panel. FIG. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of the storage case shown in FIG. 11 drawn in a state where an object hits the instrument panel. It is the longitudinal cross-sectional view drawn in the state which attached the principal part of the storage case of the airbag which concerns on Example 6 of this invention to the instrument panel. FIG. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view of the storage case shown in FIG. 13 drawn in a state where an object hits the instrument panel.

  The airbag storage case according to the present invention exhibits sufficient rigidity when the airbag is inflated and deployed, and has sufficient deformation performance to alleviate the impact on the object when the object hits the instrument panel. It is configured as follows.

  Next, an embodiment of the airbag storage case of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  First, the structure of Example 1 as an airbag storage case according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an instrument panel 1 on which automobile instruments and the like are installed has a tear-shaped tear line 1 a in a position facing a passenger on the passenger seat (not shown). A portion surrounded by is configured as an airbag door 1b. And the airbag module 2 is installed in the inside facing the airbag door part 1b in the instrument panel 1, as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the airbag module 2 is configured in a state in which a folded airbag 3 and an inflator 4 filled with an inflating gas for inflating and deploying the airbag 3 are packaged by a belt-like body 5 or the like. It is installed inside the instrument panel 1 while being stored in the storage case 6.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the storage case 6 includes a rectangular box-shaped upper case 7 formed of resin, a resin attached below the upper case 7, or a metal such as iron or aluminum. The lower case 8 is configured to be mounted on the vehicle body 10 via a retainer 11. Accordingly, the upper case 7 is formed by molding using a thermoplastic elastomer or the like, and the lower case 8 is also formed by resin molding using a mold or deep drawing by pressing a metal plate such as an aluminum plate or an iron plate. It is formed by.

  The upper case 7 has an opening 7b whose upper part is closed to the door body 7c. The lower case 8 has a square box shape as a whole, and has a peripheral wall portion 8a and a bottom wall portion 8b that surround the periphery of the airbag module 2 that is configured in a state in which the airbag 3 is folded. The upper part is an opening 8c.

  The inflator 4 is fitted and installed in the through hole 8b-1 provided in the bottom wall portion 8b. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the peripheral wall 8a includes a front peripheral wall 8a-1 facing the front side with respect to the vehicle body, a rear peripheral wall 8a-2 facing the rear side, and a left peripheral wall 8a facing the left side. -3 and the right peripheral wall 8a-4 facing the right side are integrally formed in a substantially rectangular shape.

  A plurality of hook pieces 8d having an inverted L-shape are formed on the end portions of the front peripheral wall 8a-1 and the rear peripheral wall 8a-2 facing the opening 8c. As shown in FIG. 2, the hook piece 8 d is engaged with an engagement hole 7 a of the upper case 7 attached to the inner surface of the instrument panel 1 by vibration welding or the like. 8 is suspended.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lower end of the upper peripheral wall 81 and the upper end of the lower peripheral wall 82 in the peripheral wall portion 8 a are connected by interposing a connection wall 83 on the entire periphery. The connecting wall 83 connects the upper side peripheral wall 81 and the lower side peripheral wall 82 in a vertical direction in the height direction of the lower case 8 so that the upper side peripheral wall 82 and the lower side peripheral wall 82 are different from each other. 81 is projected outward.

  In the first embodiment configured as described above, when the object H hits the instrument panel 1 and receives an impact force from the upper side to the lower side substantially along the height direction of the peripheral wall portion 8b, the lower peripheral wall 82 is provided. Is attached to the vehicle body 10, the upper side peripheral wall 81 is attached to the instrument panel 1 side via the upper case 7, and thus a downward shifting force acts on the upper side peripheral wall 81, The lower side peripheral wall 82 is fixed at the bottom of the peripheral wall portion 8b to the vehicle body 10, specifically, a steering member (not shown). Therefore, the upper side peripheral wall 81 moves downward while the lower side peripheral wall 82 is substantially As shown in FIG. 4, the connecting wall 83 does not move, and the connecting wall 83 is inclined in a state where the connection point with the lower end of the upper peripheral wall 81 is lowered from a state substantially parallel to the upper surface of the instrument panel 1. Turn into To.

  Therefore, the connecting wall 83 constitutes a deforming portion that relatively moves the upper side peripheral wall 81 and the lower side peripheral wall 82, so that the deforming performance only absorbs the impact force caused by the object H hitting. Can be demonstrated.

  Further, the load applied when the airbag 3 is inflated and deployed is applied to the upper side peripheral wall 81 and the lower side peripheral wall 82 of the lower case 8 in, for example, the side shown in FIG. 2 (direction parallel to the instrument panel surface). The connection wall 83 is also pressed (surface pressure) due to the inflation of the airbag. A force that causes downward movement of the upper side peripheral wall 81 does not act. Therefore, the upper side peripheral wall 81 and the connection wall 83 and the lower side peripheral wall 82 and the connection wall 83 of the lower case 8 are L-shaped. None, because the combination of these two L-shaped forms a crank shape, it can exhibit strength against surface pressure. As a result, deformation called “open mouth phenomenon” or “fish mouth phenomenon” can be suppressed.

  Next, another embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, in Embodiment 2 according to the present invention shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, there is shown a type in which the lower case 8 is directly attached to the instrument panel 1 using screws or the like without using the upper case 7. The peripheral wall 8a of the lower case 8 is a connecting wall 83 in which the upper peripheral wall 81 and the lower peripheral wall 82 form a deformed portion in the rear peripheral wall 8a-2, the left peripheral wall 8a-3, and the right peripheral wall 8a-4. Accordingly, the upper side peripheral wall 81 is projected outwardly with respect to the lower side peripheral wall 82. The front peripheral wall 8b-1 has a straight wall shape in the vertical direction without the connection wall 83 interposed.

  The second embodiment is a preferable mode when it is assumed that displacement deformation occurs in the rear of the vehicle and the collision of the object H is generated mainly in the vicinity of the rear peripheral wall 8a-2. The position of the instrument panel is selected when the position that covers the rear side inclined surface, which is a part closer to the passenger seat of the instrument panel (rear mount), and the position of the instrument panel that is closer to the front windshield. The case where the collision of the object H is assumed to occur exclusively in the vicinity of the rear peripheral wall 8a-2 is typically the case of the latter top mount. When the object H collides with the vicinity of the rear peripheral wall 8a-2, the front peripheral wall 8a-1 is not displaced and deformed as shown by the one-dot chain line in FIG. 6, but the rear peripheral wall 8a-2 is deformed and deformed, and the left and right peripheral walls 8a -3 and 8a-4 are greatly displaced and deformed on the rear peripheral wall 8a-2 side, that is, tilt deformation.

  7 and 8 show a type in which the lower case 8 is directly attached to the instrument panel 1 using screws or the like without using the upper case 7. Thus, the thin wall portion 84 is formed so as to hit the entire circumference of the connecting wall 83 constituting the deformation portion. Due to the presence of the thin portion 84, when the connecting wall 83 hits the instrument panel 1 with an object H or the like, shear deformation that causes the upper side peripheral wall 81 and the lower side peripheral wall 82 to move relative to each other is more easily caused. Will be able to.

  Further, the fourth embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 similarly shows a type in which the lower case 8 is directly attached to the instrument panel 1 using screws or the like without using the upper case 7. In addition, a thin thin portion 84 is formed by the connecting wall 83 by partially forming a corner portion of the connecting wall 83 constituting the deformed portion into a concave line. Therefore, even if the thin wall portion 84 exists intermittently on the connecting wall 83, when the connecting wall 83 hits the object H or the like against the instrument panel 1, the upper side peripheral wall 81 and the lower side peripheral wall 82 are It is possible to easily cause shear deformation that moves relative to each other.

  In addition, Embodiment 5 of the present invention shown in FIG. 11 similarly shows a type in which the lower case 8 is directly attached to the instrument panel 1 using screws or the like without using the upper case 7. The connecting wall 83 that constitutes the deforming portion is formed by forming a plurality of, for example, two-step step portions 83-1 and 83-2 so as to form a step shape. After all, the thin part 84 is formed.

  By having such a configuration, in the fifth embodiment, the connecting wall 83 is formed in a step shape having step portions 83-1 and 83-2, and therefore, as shown in FIG. This occurs at each point, and the respective step portions 83-1 and 83-2 are slightly shifted and deformed to obtain a considerable amount of displacement deformation (deformation stroke) as a whole.

  Furthermore, the sixth embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 13 shows a type in which the lower case 8 is directly attached to the instrument panel 1 using screws or the like without using the upper case 7. The connecting wall 83 that constitutes the portion is configured to have a protruding shape formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section so as to connect the lower end of the upper side peripheral wall 81 and the upper end of the lower side peripheral wall 82 in the peripheral wall portion 8b. . Therefore, the connection wall 83 is configured by connecting the pair of upper and lower horizontal beam portions 83a and 83b by the standing wall portion 83c. Moreover, thin portions 84 are formed in the upper and lower horizontal beam portions 83a and 83b, respectively. The lower case 8 according to the fifth embodiment has a lower side peripheral wall 82 having an upper side peripheral wall 81 and a bottom wall portion 8b so as to divide the upper vertical wall 83c-1 and the lower vertical wall 83c-2 in the vertical wall 83c. Are separately formed by injection molding or the like, and thereafter, the tip portions of the upper vertical wall portions 83c-1 and 83c-2 are joined to each other by vibration welding or the like.

  In the sixth embodiment configured as described above, the lower end of the upper peripheral wall 81 and the upper end of the lower peripheral wall 82 are connected by a protruding connection wall 83 formed in a U-shaped cross section, and the connection wall As shown in FIG. 14, the upper and lower horizontal girders 83a and 83b that constitute 83 are formed thin by forming thin portions 84. The peripheral wall 81 and the lower side peripheral wall 82 are relatively moved to easily cause crushing deformation, and exhibit a deformation performance that only absorbs the impact force to the instrument panel 1 due to the object H or the like hitting it. The connecting wall 83 that connects the upper side peripheral wall 81 and the lower side peripheral wall 82 of the lower case 8 to a load applied to the inner surface of the lower case 8 when the airbag 3 is inflated and deployed. For storing the airbag 3 without being deformed and without causing shear deformation that causes the upper side peripheral wall 81 and the lower side peripheral wall 82 to move relative to the connecting wall 83 constituting the deformed portion. The so-called “open mouth phenomenon” in the opening 8 c of the case 6 can be suppressed, and the inflation and deployment operation of the airbag 3 can be performed more smoothly.

  The deformation in the deformed portion in any of the above examples is accompanied by irreversible elongation and bending such as plastic deformation and fracture yield, behavior such as fracture, and elastic deformation in a portion close to the plastic deformation portion. It can be grasped as a mode in which these are combined simultaneously or stepwise.

  This invention exhibits sufficient rigidity when the airbag is inflated and deployed, and has sufficient deformation performance to alleviate the impact on the object when the object hits the instrument panel. It can be said that it is suitable for a case for storing an airbag of an airbag apparatus that inflates and protects an occupant or the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Instrument panel 3 Air bag 4 Inflator 6 Storage case 7 Upper case 8 Lower case 8a Opening 8b Peripheral wall part 81 Upper side peripheral wall 82 Lower side peripheral wall 83 Connection wall (deformation part)
83a, 83b Cross beam part 84 Thin part H Object

Claims (6)

An airbag storage case that is disposed inside an instrument panel and that stores an airbag that protrudes from the instrument panel when inflated and deployed, and surrounds the folded airbag includes a peripheral wall portion, and an upper side wall and a lower side peripheral wall definitive the peripheral wall portion, so that the strain in the vertical directions, high upon the action of an impact force from top to bottom along the height direction of the peripheral wall portion The deformed portion is deformed so that the size can be reduced. The deformed portion is deformed so that the upper peripheral wall and the lower peripheral wall are relatively positioned with the deformed portion in between. A case for storing an airbag, wherein the case is configured to absorb an impact force by being displaced.
  When the connecting wall constituting the deformable portion connects the lower end of the upper side peripheral wall and the upper end of the lower side peripheral wall in the peripheral wall portion, the connecting wall, the upper side peripheral wall, and the lower side peripheral wall portion, The airbag storage case according to claim 1, wherein the airbag has a crank shape.   The case for storing an airbag according to claim 2, wherein the connecting wall constituting the deformable portion is formed in a step shape by having a plurality of step portions.   The airbag storage case according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a thin wall portion is formed on the connecting wall constituting the deformable portion.   The airbag storage case according to claim 4, wherein the thin portion is formed all around the connection wall or intermittently. The deforming portion is configured by connecting a lower end of the upper side peripheral wall and an upper end of the lower side peripheral wall in the peripheral wall portion by a projecting connection wall formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section, 2. A case for storing an airbag according to claim 1, wherein a thin-walled portion is formed on each of the upper and lower lateral girders constituting the connecting wall.

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