JPH0637013U - Cover for airbag device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] Even when an insert plate with a relatively high rigidity is embedded in the airbag cover, the rigidity of the corner portion of the expansion portion that is deployed during sudden deceleration of the vehicle can be reliably reduced, Moreover, a cover for an airbag device is obtained in which a sufficient bonding strength between the insert plate and the airbag cover is obtained and a uniform pressing feeling is obtained when the horn is operated. [Structure] In the corner portions 38C 'and 38D' of the pair of mesh members 38C and 38D of the insert plate 24,
Long holes 46 and 48 are formed, respectively. Therefore, the corner portions 38C 'and 38D' can be weakened, so that the corner portions 38C 'and 38D' are easily deformed even if they come into contact with the occupant's arm or the like during deployment.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to an airbag device cover used in an airbag device for inflating a bag toward an occupant when the vehicle is suddenly decelerated.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 In an airbag device, for example, an airbag device that is attached to the steering wheel, gas is ejected from the inflator into the bag body when the vehicle suddenly decelerates, which causes the bag body to expand and rupture and expand the airbag cover. It has become like this. Therefore, a substantially H-shaped thin portion is formed on the occupant side surface of the airbag cover, and the airbag cover is broken along the thin portion.

However, in the case of the above-described configuration, the corner portions of the pair of deploying portions of the airbag cover that are deployed during sudden deceleration of the vehicle may come into contact with the occupant's arm or the like. In this case, although the occupant is not damaged, there is a problem that the occupant feels a comparatively strong contact feeling when the corner contacts. For this reason, there is a demand to prevent the occupant from coming into contact with the occupant's arm or the like when the corner portion of the deployment portion comes into contact with the occupant during sudden deceleration.

A structure that takes this requirement into consideration is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 2-143250 and will be briefly described below. In FIG. 4, the airbag cover 100 according to this structure is shown in an inverted state. A substantially H-shaped thin portion 102 is formed on the airbag cover 100, and a pair of deployed portions 100A and 100B are formed with the thin portion 102 as a boundary. A plurality of bottomed elongated holes 104 are formed at the corners of the pair of developed portions 100A and 100B. That is, in the structure disclosed in this publication, the rigidity of the corner portions is reduced by partially thinning the corner portions of the pair of developed portions 100A and 100B. As a result, even if the corners of the pair of deployed portions 100A and 100B contact the occupant's arm or the like during sudden vehicle deceleration, the bottomed elongated holes 104 easily deform the corners, reducing the load on the occupant. It is like this.

[0005]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in the case of the structure described above, even if the rigidity of the corner portions of the pair of deployed portions 100A and 100B of the airbag cover 100 can be reduced, a resin insert plate having relatively high rigidity can be formed by insert molding. In the case of embedding, the rigidity eventually becomes high and the meaning of providing the bottomed elongated hole 104 becomes meaningless.

Further, when the insert plate is embedded in the airbag cover 100 having the above structure, if the elongated hole 104 with a bottom is to be provided, resistance is given to the flow of urethane. Therefore, the bonding strength between the insert plate and the deployment portions 100A, 100B of the airbag cover 100 may decrease.

Further, in the airbag cover 100 having the above-described structure, the bottomed elongated hole 104 is arranged on the back surface side, so that the pressing feeling when the occupant presses the deployment portions 100A and 100B during the operation of the horn is uniform. There is a problem that it does not become. In other words, the pressing feeling is different between when the vicinity of the position where the bottomed elongated hole 104 is formed and when where the bottomed elongated hole 104 is not formed are pressed, and some passengers feel a sense of discomfort.

In consideration of the above facts, the present invention reliably reduces the rigidity of the corner portion of the deploying portion deployed when the vehicle decelerates rapidly even when the insert plate having relatively high rigidity is embedded in the air bag cover. It is an object of the present invention to obtain a cover for an airbag device which can achieve a sufficient bonding strength between the insert plate and the air bag cover and can obtain a uniform pressing feeling when the horn operates.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is used in an airbag device for inflating a bag toward an occupant when the vehicle suddenly decelerates, and a deploying portion that breaks and deploys under the pressing force from the bag when the vehicle suddenly decelerates. A cover for an airbag device, comprising: an insert member embedded in the deployable portion along a surface direction of the deployable portion and having a predetermined rigidity, wherein the insert member is provided at a corner portion of the insert member. It is characterized by the provision of a weakened portion that penetrates in the thickness direction.

[0010]

[Action]

 According to the above configuration, when the deploying portion of the airbag device cover is deployed during sudden deceleration of the vehicle, the insert member embedded in the deploying portion along the surface direction of the deploying portion is also deployed when the deploying portion of the airbag device deploys.

Here, in the present invention, since the fragile portion is provided in the corner portion of the insert member having a predetermined rigidity, the rigidity of the corner portion of the insert member can be reduced. Therefore, even if the corner portion of the deployment portion is in contact with the occupant's arm when the deployment portion is deployed, the corner portion of the insert member located inside the corner portion of the deployment portion is easily deformed. The corner itself is also easily deformed. Therefore, the load acting on the occupant can be significantly reduced.

Further, since the fragile portion provided in the insert member penetrates in the thickness direction of the insert member, when the insert member is insert-molded, the resin is also filled in the fragile portion. It Therefore, the connection between the insert member and the expanding portion can be strengthened.

Furthermore, since the brittle effect is sufficiently exerted by providing the fragile portion in the insert member having a predetermined rigidity, it is not necessary to provide the fragile portion in the expanding portion, that is, the back surface of the expanding portion is a flat surface. Can be Therefore, when the occupant presses the expansion portion during operation of the horn, a uniform pressing feeling can be obtained.

[0014]

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 3 shows an airbag device 10 to which an airbag device cover according to the present invention is applied. The airbag device 10 is attached to the hub 12A of the steering wheel 12.

The airbag device 10 includes a substantially box-shaped base plate 14 (also shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) including a base portion 14A and side wall portions 14B and 14C. A circular hole 16 is formed in the center of the base portion 14A, and the side wall portions 14B and 14C are bent and hung toward the side opposite to the occupant. An inflator 18, a bag body 20, and an insert plate 24 embedded in an airbag cover 22 are attached to the base plate 14 described above, which will be described below in this order.

The inflator 18 has a substantially columnar shape, and is arranged to penetrate the circular hole 16 of the base plate 14. A flange 26 extending in the radial direction of the inflator 18 is formed at an axially intermediate portion of the inflator 18. A starter 28 is provided at the axial center of the inflator 18, and a detonator, an enhancer, a gas generating agent 30 and the like, which are not shown, are accommodated at the outer periphery of the starter 28. Therefore, when the vehicle suddenly decelerates, the starter 28 senses this and ignites the detonator to burn the gas generating agent 30 through the enhancer. A large amount of gas generated by the combustion of the gas generating agent 30 is ejected into the bag body 20 described later through a plurality of gas holes 32 formed on the occupant side peripheral surface of the inflator 18.

The bag body 20 is arranged so as to be folded toward the occupant side of the base plate 14 and to cover the occupant side portion of the inflator 18. A ring plate 34 is arranged inside the peripheral portion of the bag body 20 on the opening side. The ring plate 34 and the flange 26 of the inflator 18 are fastened together on the base plate 14. As a result, the peripheral edge portion of the bag body 20 on the opening side is sandwiched between the base plate 14 and the base plate 14 while being pressed against the passenger side surface of the base plate 14.

The airbag cover 22 has a substantially box-like shape including a top wall portion 22A and a side wall portion 22B bent and hung from the outer peripheral portion of the top wall portion 22A toward the occupant side. A substantially H-shaped thin portion 36 (see FIG. 2) is formed on the top wall portion 22A when viewed from the occupant side. Therefore, when the vehicle suddenly decelerates, the airbag cover 22 breaks at the thin portion 36 and deploys in a direction in which the pair of deploying portions 22C and 22D separate from each other (see FIG. 1).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a part of the insert plate 24 is embedded in the airbag cover 22 by insert molding. The insert plate 24 is a resin-integrally molded product and has a predetermined rigidity.

The insert plate 24 includes a frame-shaped base portion 38. From a pair of opposing side portions of the base portion 38, a pair of tongue-shaped attachment flanges 38A extending toward the side opposite to the occupant are formed. Further, a rectangular mounting flange 38B extending toward the side opposite to the occupant is formed from the other pair of opposite side portions of the base portion 38. Then, these mounting flanges 38A, 38B are fitted to the outside of the side wall portions 14B, 14C of the base plate 14 described above, and in this state, the both are fastened with the screw 40.

Further, on the other pair of opposite side portions of the base portion 38 of the insert plate 24 (the side on which the attachment flange 38B is formed), a pair of mesh members integrally extended from their respective upper edges. 38C and 38D are formed. Each of the mesh members 38C and 38D is in the shape of a substantially rectangular flat plate, and is embedded in the expanding portions 22C and 22D of the airbag cover 22 described above, respectively. In the state where the mesh members 38C and 38D are embedded in the expanded portions 22C and 22D, the thin portion 36 is located so as to surround the mesh members 38C and 38D. Therefore, at the time of sudden deceleration of the vehicle, the mesh members 38C and 38D expand in the direction away from each other (the arrow A direction in FIG. 1) together with the expansion portions 22C and 22D. This prevents the urethane in the developing portions 22C and 22D from scattering. The mesh members 38C and 38D of the insert plate 24 also have a function of holding the airbag cover 22 in a predetermined shape in a normal state.

Here, a plurality of slit-shaped long holes 46 and 48 are formed in the corner portions 38C 'and 38D' of the mesh members 38C and 38D of the insert plate 24 described above. These long holes 46 and 48 are obliquely arranged in the corner portions 38C 'and 38D'. The long holes 46 and 48 penetrate the mesh members 38C and 38D in the thickness direction. Therefore, the long holes 46 and 48 are filled with urethane of the developing portions 22C and 22D. Further, the corner portions 38C'38D 'of the mesh members 38C, 38D are made lower in rigidity than that of the general surface due to the formation of the long holes 46, 48. That is, the mesh members 38C and 38D of the insert plate 24 are weakened at the corner portions 38C 'and 38D'. Therefore, when the pair of deploying portions 22C and 22D are deployed in directions away from each other during sudden vehicle deceleration, if the corner portions 22C 'and 22D' come into contact with the occupant's arm, etc., as shown by the one-dot chain line in FIG. It transforms into.

The operation of this embodiment will be described below. In a normal vehicle traveling state, the starting device 28 maintains the non-operating state, and therefore the bag body 20 is stored between the airbag cover 22 and the base plate 14 while being folded.

From this state, when the vehicle suddenly decelerates, the starting device 28 operates to ignite the detonator, and the gas generating agent 30 is burned through the enhancer. Therefore, a large amount of gas is generated and ejected into the bag body 20 through the gas hole 32 of the inflator 18. Therefore, the bag body 20 expands and presses the pair of deploying portions 22C and 22D of the airbag cover 22 from the inside. As a result, the airbag cover 22 is broken at the thin portion 36, and the pair of deploying portions 22C and 22D are deployed in directions away from each other. Then, the bag 20 is instantly bulged toward the occupant while the unfolding parts 22C and 22D are unfolded.

Here, when the pair of deploying portions 22C and 22D are deployed, for example, when the corner portion 22C ′ of the deploying portion 22C comes into contact with the occupant's arm or the like, the mesh member 38C of the insert plate 24 has a plurality of long lengths. Since the corner portion 38C 'is weakened by forming the hole 46, the corner portion 38C' of the mesh material 38C (and the corner portion 22C 'of the unfolded portion 22C) is deformed as shown by the dashed line in FIG. To do. Therefore, there is almost no load on the occupants.

As described above, in this embodiment, the plurality of elongated holes 46 are formed in the corner portions 38C ′, 38D ′ of the mesh members 38C, 38D of the insert plate 24 embedded in the expanded portions 22C, 22D of the airbag cover 22. , 48, the load acting on the occupant's arm or the like can be significantly reduced even if the corner portion 22C'22D 'of the airbag cover 22 comes into contact with the occupant when the airbag cover 22 is deployed.

Moreover, in this embodiment, since the long holes 46 and 48 formed in the mesh members 38C and 38D of the insert plate 24 are through holes instead of recesses, the insert plate 24 is inserted into the airbag cover 22. At the time of molding, urethane can be filled into the long holes 46 and 48. Therefore, the connection between the insert plate 24 and the air bag cover 22 can be strengthened.

Further, in this embodiment, since the back surface of the airbag cover 22 is a flat surface, even when the occupant presses the airbag cover 22 during the operation of the horn, a uniform pressing feeling can be obtained.

In this embodiment, the plurality of elongated holes 46 and 48 are formed in the corner portions 38C ′ and 38D ′ of the mesh members 38C and 38D of the insert plate 24, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a large number of The small holes may be arranged at the positions where the long holes 46 and 48 are formed, and the corner portions 38C 'and 38D' of the mesh members 38C and 38D of the insert plate 24 having relatively high rigidity can be weakened. Any configuration can be applied.

Further, in the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to the air bag cover 22 provided with the deploying portions 22C and 22D that are deployed in a double door shape as an example, but the invention is not limited to this, and the air bag cover 22 is deployed in one direction. The present invention may be applied to an airbag cover having a deployment portion.

[0032]

[Effect of device]

 As described above, the airbag device cover according to the present invention can secure the rigidity of the corner portion of the deployment portion that is deployed at the time of sudden deceleration of the vehicle even when the relatively rigid insert plate is embedded in the airbag cover. It has an excellent effect that it can be surely lowered, a sufficient bonding strength between the insert plate and the airbag cover can be obtained, and a uniform pressing feeling can be obtained when the horn is operated.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an airbag cover provided with an insert plate according to the present embodiment in a developed state.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the airbag cover of FIG. 1 in a normal state.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where an airbag device including the airbag cover of FIG. 2 is attached to a steering wheel.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Airbag Device 20 Bag Body 22 Airbag Cover (Airbag Device Cover) 36 Thin-walled Part 38C Mesh Material (Insert Member) 38C 'Corner Part 38D Mesh Material (Insert Member) 38D' Corner Part 46 Long Hole (Fragile Part) 48 long hole (fragile part)

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A deployment part used in an airbag device for inflating a bag toward an occupant when the vehicle suddenly decelerates, and which ruptures and deploys when receiving a pressing force from the bag during the vehicle sudden deceleration. A cover for an airbag device, comprising: an insert member embedded in the deployable portion along the surface direction of the deployable portion and having a predetermined rigidity, wherein the insert member is provided at a corner portion of the insert member. A cover for an airbag device, which is provided with a fragile portion penetrating in a thickness direction.