JPH06156179A - Air bag inner pressure adjusting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To adjust the inner pressure of an air bag when the air bag mounted on an instrumental panel in front of the seat next to the driver's seat a vehicle is expanded. CONSTITUTION:An air bag module mounted on an instrument panel in front of the passenger seat next to the driver's seat of a vehicle stores a bag, an inflator or the like inside a case. An opening part on the front surface of the case is covered by a door 60. A housing 52 to store an inflator 70 has an opening 58, and a slide valve 90 to open/close this opening part 58 is provided. The door 60 is mounted on the housing 52 through a hinge 62. A link 92 is mounted on an overhang part 60a of the door 60, and the other end part of the link 92 is mounted on the slide valve 90. The gas from the inflator immediately after the ignition spreads out a bag 80 while a part of the gas is released from the opening part 58. When the door 60 is pushed to open, the slide valve 90 closes the opening part 58, and the gas is fed to the bag 80. When the door is prevented from being opened, the slide valve 90 is not moved, and the gas is released from the opening part 58.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an internal pressure adjusting device for an airbag, which is installed in a vehicle and protected.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An airbag installed in an instrument panel of a vehicle and deployed at the time of a collision is modularized by accommodating a folded bag and an inflator for supplying gas into the bag. The module is mounted on a vehicle support member. A door is attached to the opening of the case, and when the bag is deployed, the bag pushes the door open from the inside to deploy. The door is
For example, it is attached to the upper part of the case by a hinge and is rotated around the hinge to open it. An airbag device having a hinge door is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 3-102356 and Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No.
It is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 115747.

[0003]

An air bag receives the pressure of the enclosed gas and rapidly expands to expand into a prescribed shape. During this deployment, the bag opens the door rapidly.
At this time, if the door can be opened smoothly, the bag will have a prescribed shape within the required time. However, when the door is deployed, a part of the occupant's body is within the door deployment trajectory,
If you prevent the door from opening, the gas pressure in the bag will rise more rapidly and the door will be pushed open more strongly. Due to the rapid deployment of the door, an excessive impact is applied to the passengers,
When the internal pressure of the bag is high, the bag may collide with an occupant. In particular, the airbag provided on the passenger side has a large capacity, and therefore this measure becomes a problem because an inflator having higher energy is used. The present invention provides an internal pressure adjusting device for an airbag that reduces this impact.

[0004]

The airbag of the present invention comprises:
The housing includes an opening formed in the inflator housing of the housing, a slide valve that opens and closes the opening, and a link mechanism that connects the door and the slide valve.

[0005]

When the airbag is deployed, the opening is closed in conjunction with the opening of the door, and the gas is sent to the airbag side. When the door is blocked from opening, the gas escapes through the opening, preventing the door from opening suddenly.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an outline of a vehicle embodying the present invention, and FIG. A driver's seat 12 and a passenger's seat 14 are provided inside the vehicle 10.
2. Instrument panel 20 in front of passenger seat 14
Is provided. An airbag module 50 is installed in the instrument panel 20 in the front part of the passenger seat 14.
The airbag module 50 includes a housing 52 that accommodates an airbag and an inflator, and a door 60 is provided at the opening of the case. Brackets 54, 56 and the like for mounting the airbag module 50 on the vehicle body side are provided around the housing 52.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the structure of the airbag module 50, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view. The airbag module 50 has a box-shaped housing 52, and the housing 5
A bag 80 is folded inside the container 2 and supported by a bottom plate 82. The opening of the housing 52 is covered with a door 60 having a hinge 62. The inflator 7 is provided in the housing 52.
0 is inserted to supply gas to the bag 80.

An opening 58 is formed on the upper surface of the housing 52, and guide rails 57 are formed on both sides of the opening 58.
Is provided. A plate-shaped slide valve 90 is fitted on the guide rail 57 to open and close the opening 58. Door 6
0 opens and closes around the hinge 62, and its surface is aligned with the surface of the instrument panel 20. Door 6
At the end of 0, the opening of the housing 52 is attached to the overhang 1, and the link 92 is attached to the inside of the overhang portion 60a via the pin 94. The other end of the link 92 engages with the upper portion of the slide valve 90 via a pin 95.

5 and 6 show the operation of deploying the airbag. When the inflator 70 is ignited and the gas G is discharged from the inflator, a part of the gas passes through the slit formed in the bottom plate 82 and is sent into the airbag 80.
The airbag 80 that is inflated by the gas pushes the door 60 open by the deploying force and expands to the passenger side. When the door 60 is pushed open around the hinge 62, the link 92 causes the slide valve 90 to slide along the guide rail 57, closing the opening 58 in the housing 52. Immediately after the inflator 70 is ignited, the opening 58 is open and part of the gas G escapes from the opening 58 to the outside of the housing 52. Since the opening 58 is closed, a larger amount of gas G
Flows into the airbag 80, and the deployment of the airbag 80 is completed as shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 shows an air bag module door 60.
Shows the state in which the body 100 of the occupant is pressed. The inflator 70 is ignited, gas G is generated,
Attempt to deploy the folded airbag 80.
However, the external force prevents the door 60 from opening. In this state, the opening 58 of the housing 52 is open. Then, the gas G from the inflator escapes from the housing 52 through the opening 58, and the air bag 8
Reduce the deployment power of 0. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the door 60 from opening suddenly and giving a large impact to the occupant's body 100 and the like.

FIG. 8 is a graph showing changes in the deployment pressure of the conventional airbag and the airbag of the present invention recorded over time. The airbag of the present invention is shown with a dashed curve, indicating that the pressure at the initial stage of deployment is relieved.

[0012]

As described above, according to the present invention, in the airbag apparatus mounted on the instrument panel of the passenger seat, the housing for inserting the inflator is provided with the opening, and the opening is provided at the hinge door of the airbag apparatus. It is configured to be closed in conjunction with the opening of. When the airbag deploys normally, it pushes the door open, and this action closes the slide valve via the link. Therefore, the deployment pressure of the airbag at the initial stage of deployment is reduced, but thereafter, all the gas participates in the deployment of the airbag, and the airbag is fully deployed. When an external force acts on the door integrated with the surface of the instrument panel to prevent the door from opening, the opening of the housing cannot be closed. Therefore, the gas from the inflator is prevented from escaping from this opening and giving an excessive impact to the occupant and the like.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an appearance of an airbag module.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an airbag module.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the airbag module.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing the deployment of the airbag.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing the deployment of the airbag.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view when the deployment of the airbag is blocked.

FIG. 8 is a graph showing changes in the internal pressure of the airbag.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Vehicle 14 Passenger Seat 20 Instrument Panel 50 Airbag Module 52 Housing 58 Opening 60 Door 62 Hinge 70 Inflator 80 Bag 90 Slide Valve 92 Link

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An airbag including a folded bag, an inflator for supplying gas to the bag, a housing for accommodating the bag and the inflator, and a hinge door provided at an opening of the housing, the inflator being the housing. The housing includes an opening formed in the housing, a slide valve that opens and closes the opening, and a link mechanism that connects the door and the slide valve. A device for adjusting the internal pressure of an air bag that can be closed.