JPH0732961A - Air bag device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To let the head protection of a member of the crew in a front passenger's seat at the time of rear face collision be compatible with a proper developing guide for an air bag at the time of front face collision. CONSTITUTION:The rear wall and the both side walls of a retainer plate 6 guiding the development of a bag 5 are divided into an upper retainer 9 and a lower retainer 10, the lower periphery of the upper retainer 9 and the upper periphery of the lower retainer 10 are folded respectively so as to be formed into hook sections 12 and 13 which are relatively engaged with each other, in this case the hook sections 12 and 13 is so engaged with each other as to be freely released against force from above, and a hinge section 14 is provided at the center section of a front retainer 11.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an airbag device arranged on the passenger side of an instrument panel of an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an airbag device for a passenger seat, for example, June 19, 1990, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
Published by HONDA SRS AIRBAG SYSTE
As shown in M for FRONT PASSENGER, it is known to accommodate a inflator and a bag and provide a metal rectangular tubular retainer plate for guiding the deployment of the bag with a large number of perforations.

[0003]

The airbag unit is designed to be operated by a collision sensor at the time of a frontal collision of a vehicle and not to be operated at the time of a rearward collision. Even when the head hits against the deployment door of the airbag unit by the reaction, the retainer plate is easily plastically deformed and cushioned by the multiple holes provided in the retainer plate as described above. It has an advantage that it works and can protect the head of the occupant.

However, since the retainer plate is provided with a large number of perforations as a countermeasure against a rear surface collision to weaken the rigidity, when the bag inflates during a frontal collision of the vehicle,
The inflation pressure of the bag may cause the retainer plate to expand and deform in the front-rear direction and the vehicle width direction.

Therefore, according to the present invention, even if the occupant hits his / her head in a recoil during a rear collision of the vehicle, the head can be sufficiently protected, and the retainer plate is not expanded and deformed when the front collision of the vehicle occurs. A device is provided.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] An inflator mounted on a vehicle body side member inside the instrument panel and surrounding the inflator, facing an opening formed in the upper surface of the instrument panel on the passenger side. An airbag device having a bag which is fixed to a peripheral edge thereof and is folded and stored, a rectangular tubular retainer plate which stores the inflator and the bag, and a deployment door which covers the opening, wherein at least the retainer plate is provided. The rear wall and both side walls are divided into an upper retainer and a lower retainer, and the lower edge of the upper retainer and the upper edge of the lower retainer are folded back to form hook portions that engage with each other, and these hook portions are subjected to external force from above. The hinge part is attached to the center of the retainer plate front wall in the height direction. It is provided.

[0007]

[Function] When the head of the passenger in the passenger seat hits against the deployment door from the rear oblique direction in the rear impact of the vehicle, this external force causes the hook between the rear and side walls of the retainer plate and the retainer hooks of the retainer. The engagement is disengaged, and the upper retainer moves downward with the hinge portion of the front wall as a fulcrum, and absorbs the impact.

At the time of a frontal collision of a vehicle, even if the bag is inflated, sufficient material rigidity is ensured by the material and plate thickness of the retainer plate, and in particular, reinforcement is made at the engaging portion between the hook portions of the upper retainer and the lower retainer. Since the effect is obtained, the retainer plate does not expand and deform.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 4, reference numeral 1 denotes an air bag unit which is arranged inside the instrument panel 2 on the passenger side so as to face an opening 3 formed in an upper surface 2a of the instrument panel 2, and which is an inflator 4 , A bag 5, a rectangular tubular retainer plate 6 for accommodating the inflator 4 and the bag 5, and a deployment door 7 and are attached to a steering member 8 inside the instrument panel 2. .

The bag 5 surrounds the inflator 4 and is fastened to the periphery of the inflator 4 and folded and housed in the retainer plate 6. The deployment door 7 is hinged to the front edge of the upper opening of the retainer plate 6. It is attached via the bracket 7a, and when the bag 5 is inflated, the hinge bracket 7a is rotated and deployed forward with the attachment portion of the hinge bracket 7a as a fulcrum.

Of course, the deployment door 7 may be of a type that is attached to the front edge of the retainer plate 6 or a type that is attached to the front edge of the opening 3.

The retainer plate 6 is made of a metal panel material, and the rear wall and both side walls are divided into an upper retainer 9 and a lower retainer 10 at a central portion of the height, while the front wall has the upper retainer 9 and the lower retainer 10. The front retainer 11 is formed separately from the front retainer 11, and the upper retainer 9 and the lower retainer 10 are provided on both side edges of the front retainer 11.
The bent flange portions 9a and 10a are superposed and joined to the front edge of the.

On the lower edge of the upper retainer 9, a hook portion 12 is formed by folding back toward the inside, while on the upper edge of the lower retainer 10, a hook portion 13 is formed by folding back toward the outside. The hook portions 12 are engaged and coupled to each other so that the hook portions 12 can be disengaged downward from the hook portions 13 when an external force acts from above.

Further, a bead bulges outward in the vehicle width direction to form a hinge portion 14 at the central portion in the height direction of the front retainer 11.

Of course, the front retainer 11 may be divided into an upper part and a lower part which are connected to each other via a hinge member.

Reference numeral 15 in FIG. 1 denotes a glove box.

According to the structure of the above-described embodiment, the head of the passenger in the passenger seat hits the deployment door 7 from the rearward oblique direction by the reaction when the rear surface of the vehicle collides, and the retainer as shown by the arrow F in FIG. When an external force acts on the plate 6, the hook portion 12 of the upper retainer 9 is applied by this external force to the lower retainer 1.
The hook portion 13 of 0 is disengaged downward and disengaged from each other, and the upper retainer 9 moves downward with the hinge portion 14 of the front retainer 11 as a fulcrum, as shown by the chain line in FIG.

As a result, the metal retainer plate 6 does not act as a rigid body below the deployment door 7, and the impact acting on the head of the passenger in the passenger seat can be mitigated and protected.

On the other hand, at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle, the inflator 4 is actuated by the action of a collision sensor (not shown) and the bag 5 is inflated by the gas generated from the inflator 4. At this time, the retainer plate 6 is made of the same material. And that sufficient surface rigidity is ensured by the plate thickness, and in particular, the rigidity is significantly increased in the engaging portions of the hook portions 12 and 13 of the upper retainer 9 and the lower retainer 10, while the hinge portion of the front retainer 11 is significantly increased. Since the rigidity of the beads constituting 14 is remarkably enhanced and a reinforcing effect is obtained, the retainer plate 6 is not expanded and deformed, and the deployment door 7 is pushed open as shown by the chain line in FIG. As a result, the bag 5 can be inflated and deployed into the vehicle compartment in an appropriate shape.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, the rear wall and both side walls of the retainer plate for deploying and guiding the bag are divided into an upper retainer and a lower retainer, and these are installed from above via the hook portion. The front part of the retainer plate has a hinge part formed in the center part so that it can be detached from the external force. Even when it hits against, the upper retainer shifts downward with the hinge portion as a fulcrum to absorb the impact, and the head of the occupant can be reliably protected.

Moreover, since the retainer plate is not provided with a large number of perforations as in the conventional case, it is possible to guide the deployment to a proper shape without expanding and deforming when the bag is inflated, and for the passenger in the front passenger's seat in the case of a rear collision. It has a practically great effect that both the protection of the head and the proper deployment guide of the bag at the time of a frontal collision can be achieved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional explanatory view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the airbag device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a range A in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a B range portion in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Airbag unit 2 ... Instrument panel 3 ... Opening 4 ... Inflator 5 ... Bag 6 ... Retainer plate 7 ... Day deployment door 9 ... Upper retainer 10 ... Lower retainer 11 ... Front retainer (front wall) 12, 13 ... Hook Part 14 ... Hinge part

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An inflator mounted on a vehicle body-side member inside the instrument panel, facing an opening formed in the upper surface of the instrument panel on the passenger side.
In an airbag device having a bag that is folded and housed around the inflator and fixed to the periphery of the inflator, a rectangular tubular retainer plate that houses the inflator and the bag, and a deployment door that covers the opening. At least the rear wall and both side walls of the retainer plate are divided into an upper retainer and a lower retainer, and a lower edge of the upper retainer and an upper edge of the lower retainer are respectively folded to form hook portions that engage with each other, and these hooks are formed. While the part is detachably engaged with an external force from above,
An airbag device comprising a hinge portion provided at a central portion of a front wall of the retainer plate in a height direction.