JPH01136847A - Structure for installing gas generator for air bag - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simply carry out positioning and installation to a steering column and a shaft by tacking an air bag gas generator to the back side of a steering wheel by means of through bolts which can be installed from the front side of the steering wheel. CONSTITUTION:A gas generator 17 for an air bag is integrally assembled with the back side in the center portion of a steering wheel 14 leaving a certain interval 30 via seal rings 25, 26 by means of through bolts 27 which can be installed from the front side of the steering wheel 14. The gas generator 17 is integrally assembled with the top face of a steering tube 12 being inserted on a main shaft 11 with machine screws 36 and, then, the steering wheel 14 is installed with a nut 37. After installing both, the through bolts 27 are removed to make the steering wheel 14 rotatable. Thereby, the positioning and installation of an air-bag gas generator can be simply carried out.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to the mounting structure of an airbag gas generator mounted on a steering wheel portion of an automobile.

[Prior Art] An airbag is sometimes installed in the steering wheel of an automobile for the purpose of protecting the driver's seat occupant. It has swelled to the size of . Conventionally, this gas generator for an air bag has been attached to a steering wheel portion, for example, as shown in FIG. In the figure, 1 indicates a gas generator, which is attached to the front side of the steering wheel 2. The inflation gas generated from this is ejected from the gas ejection hole 3 and rapidly inflates an airbag (the path shown) attached to the front side of the steering wheel 2.

However, in terms of structure, installing the gas generator 1 on the steering wheel 2 (on the front side) as described above increases the moment of inertia (weight) of the steering wheel 2 due to the gas generator 1. Problems may occur, such as requiring operating force and, furthermore, making it difficult to return the steering wheel after steering.

Regarding the above problem, a gas generator is installed inside the steering column tube on the rear side of the steering wheel.
There is a known structure in which a gas passage is provided in the steering wheel so that inflation gas generated by a gas generator in a column tube is guided to an airbag attached to the front side of the steering wheel (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 48 -33531
@Publication). If such a structure is adopted, the gas generating device does not increase the moment of inertia of the steering wheel, so the occurrence of the above-mentioned problems can be suppressed.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional structure as shown in the above-mentioned Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 48-33531, the gas generator is made as a single component, and the narrow Since it must be inserted into the column tube, which is a space, and precisely positioned and fixed, there is a problem that it is not easy to assemble.

An object of the present invention is to improve the ease of assembling the gas generator in a structure in which the gas generator is mounted inside the steering column tube in order to suppress an increase in the moment of inertia of the steering wheel.

[Means for solving the problem] In order to achieve this object, the structure of the installation of the airbag gas generator of the present invention is such that the airbag gas generator is temporarily fixed to the rear side of the steering wheel. Fastening means are provided. The gas generator is inserted into the steering column tube while being temporarily fastened by this fastening means, and the steering wheel is attached to the steering main shaft, and the gas generator is fixed to the steering column tube side and the steering wheel is fixed to the steering main shaft. Additionally, the fastening means is removed from the front side of the steering wheel.

The fastening means includes, for example, a through bolt extending from the front surface of the steering wheel to the gas generator.

[Function] In this structure, the gas generator and the steering wheel are installed with the gas generator temporarily fixed to the steering wheel, so it is extremely difficult to insert the gas generator into the column tube. It is easy to perform, and by simply attaching the steering wheel to the steering main shaft, it is possible to set the gas generator in a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the column tube, which is in a fixed positional relationship with respect to the steering main shaft.
Positioning and fixing of the gas generator within the column tube is facilitated.

[Embodiments] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the mounting structure of the airbag gas generator of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a structure according to one embodiment of the invention.

In the figure, 11 is the steering main shaft, 12
14 shows a steering column tube equipped with an extension tube 13 having an enlarged diameter, and 14 shows a steering wheel.

The steering main shaft 11 has a column tube 1
2 through a bearing 15 and a snap ring 16, and is positioned and fixed.

The gas generator 17 is housed in the extension tube 13 of the steering column tube 12, but the figure shows a state before assembly of the gas generator 17 and the steering wheel 14 is completed. The gas generator 17 is
It is constructed by connecting a diffuser 19 having a gas ejection hole 18 and a closure 20 with a screw 21,
A space 22 between the diffuser and the closure is filled with an ignition agent, a gas generating agent, a filter, and the like. In this embodiment, the collision detection sensor 23 is attached to the closure 20 with a screw 2.
An example of installation in step 4 is shown.

The steering wheel 14 and column tube 17 are
They are connected to be relatively rotatable via seal rings 25 and 26, and in the intermediate state of the assembly shown in the figure, they are connected and fixed to each other by through bolts 27 as fastening means. In this state, the optimum gap 30 between the gas generator 17 and the bottom of the steering wheel 14 is secured by the depth of the screw hole 28 provided in the differential user 19 and the flange 29 provided in the bolt 27. There is.

The steering wheel 14 has a penetrating gas passage 31.
is provided, and the gas ejection hole 18 of the gas generator 17
The inflation gas ejected from the seal ring 25.2
6, the air bag 33 mounted on a base plate 32 attached to the steering wheel 14 is inflated through the gas passage 31.

In the apparatus having the above configuration, the gas generator 17 is assembled as follows.

Before attaching the steering wheel 14 and the gas generator 17 to the steering main shaft 11 and the column tube 12, the steering wheel 14 and the gas generator 17 are temporarily fastened in advance with a through bolt 27 to identify the connection. They can therefore be treated as a directional assembly. In this state, as described above, the gap 30 between the gas generator 17 and the steering wheel 14 is adjusted to a predetermined value by the flange 29 of the through bolt 27 and the screw hole 28 of the differential user 19.

In the above assembled state, the gas generator 17 is connected to the extension tube 1 of the steering column tube 12.
3, and the steering wheel 14 is attached to the steering main shaft 11.

At this time, by finely adjusting the steering wheel 14 in the rotational direction, the convex portion 34 provided on the closure 20 of the gas generator 17 can be easily inserted into the hole 35 provided on the extension tube 13. Can be positioned. Then, with the screw 36, the gas generator 17
is fixed to the extension tube 13. The steering wheel 14 is mounted on the steering main shaft 11 and then fixed with a nut 37 as in the prior art.

At this point, the through bolt 27 is no longer needed and is removed to the front side of the steering wheel. The airbag assembly base plate 32 is then attached to the steering wheel 14. At this time, if the length of the bolt 27 is set sufficiently long so that the bolt 27 and the base plate 32 interfere with each other, the bolt 27 can be
Forgetting to remove item 7 is reliably prevented.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the structure of the installation of the gas generator for an airbag according to the present invention, the gas generator is assembled into the column tube in an assembly state in which the gas generator is connected to the steering wheel in a predetermined positional relationship. This makes it easy to insert into the column tube, hold until it is inserted and fixed, and position and fix it inside the column tube, greatly improving ease of assembly. The effect of being able to do this is obtained.

In addition, since the steering wheel and gas generator can be connected before assembly and the Medaka can be handled as if it were a single assembled part,
It also becomes convenient in terms of parts management and assembly process management.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a peripheral structure of an airbag gas generator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a structure in which a conventional gas generator is attached. 11...Steering main shaft 12...Steering column tube 13...Extension tube 14. ...... Steering wheel 17 ...... Gas generator 1
8・・・・・・・・・・・・Gas outlet 19・・・・・・
・・・・・・Deaf user-23・・・・・・・・・
...Collision detection sensor 25.26...Seal ring 27...Through bolt 28 as a fastening means...Screw Hole 29...Flange 30...
·······gap

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In an airbag device in which the airbag gas generator is located on the rear side of the steering wheel, the airbag gas generator and the steering wheel are temporarily attached to the device, and the airbag is in the temporarily attached state. Installation of a gas generator for an air bag, characterized in that the gas generator for an air bag is provided with a fastening means that can be removed from the front side of the steering wheel after the steering wheels are respectively installed on the steering main shaft in the steering column tube. structure.