JPH07329676A - Lid installation structure for air bag device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To dispense with a tearable member, facilitate the manufacture of parts, and simplify assembling works by providing a hook section and an engaging section which allow connection to be released with a case expanded outward and deformed by the pressing force of an air bag, providing one of the hook section and the engaging section in the case, and providing the other for a lid. CONSTITUTION:A lid 3 with a reinforcing plate 2 is connected to a case 1, and a hook section 9 and an engaging section 10 are provided for the frontmost sections of the case 1 and the reinforcing plate 2 respectively. When an air bag 5 is developed, the front and rear sections of the case 1 are expanded back and forth, the engaging section 10 is also simultaneously moved back and forth, and an engagement of the engaging section with the hook section 9 of the lid section 3 is thereby released. Pressing force is applied to the lid 3 from its back side, the case 1 is rotated around its leg piece 4 as indicated by an arrow head F, and the air bag 5 is thereby opened. In this constitution, since no tearable section is provided, there is no need for making quality control and production control doubly sure, and the lid 3 can thereby be simply installed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a lid mounting structure for an airbag device for protecting an occupant in a vehicle collision or the like. Specifically, the present invention relates to a lid mounting structure suitable for a passenger seat airbag device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a passenger airbag device, an airbag is folded and stored in a case (also referred to as a container or a retainer), and a front opening of the case is covered with a lid. It has a different structure. When a vehicle collides, an inflator (gas generator) generates gas and deploys an airbag. The lid is pushed to the inside of the vehicle by being pushed by the expanding airbag.

One side portion of the lid is rotatably connected to the case. The other side portion of the lid is connected to the case by a tearable attachment piece. When the lid is pushed by the airbag, the fragile mounting piece tears and the lid opens like a door.

[0004]

The tearable attachment piece must firmly connect the lid to the case when the vehicle is in a normal state, and must surely be torn when the airbag is deployed. Therefore, when manufacturing the tearable attachment piece, it is necessary to strictly select the material and strictly control the manufacturing process. Also, when assembling the airbag device,
The tearable attachment piece must be attached to the case accurately, and the assembly process must be strictly controlled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a lid mounting structure for an airbag device, which allows easy assembly of the airbag device.

[0006]

A lid mounting structure for an airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a case for accommodating a folded airbag, a lid for covering a front opening of the case, and one side portion of the lid. A first connecting means for connecting the lid so that the lid can be rotated forward of the case, and the other side portion of the lid, and the other side portion of the lid when the airbag is deployed. In the lid mounting structure of the airbag device, which comprises a second connecting means connected so as to allow the airbag to be separated from the case, the second connecting means is provided for pushing the airbag to be deployed. A hook portion and an engaging portion that engages with the hook portion, the connection being released by the case being bulged and deformed outward by pressure;
One of the hook portion and the engaging portion is provided on the case, and the other is provided on the lid.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lid mounting structure for an airbag apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein a standing piece is raised from a rear surface of the other side portion of the lid in a rearward direction of the lid. The engaging portion is arranged inside the case with respect to the hook portion, and the engaging portion is provided in a groove shape on the surface of the upright piece facing the case outside, and the hook portion is inserted into the groove. It is characterized by being provided in the case.

[0008]

In the lid mounting structure for the airbag apparatus according to claim 1, the inflator is actuated by a collision of the vehicle,
When the airbag starts to deploy, the airbag strongly presses the inner surfaces of the lid and the case. This pressing force expands the case so that it expands. As a result, the engagement between the hook portion and the engaging portion is released, and the lid opens like a door.

In the lid mounting structure of the airbag device according to the second aspect, the lid is connected to the case by the hook-shaped hook portion entering the groove-shaped engaging portion. When the inflator is actuated and the case is deformed so as to expand, the hook portion is withdrawn from the groove-shaped engaging portion, and the engagement between the hook portion and the engaging portion is released. As a result, the lid opens like a door.

[0010]

EXAMPLES Examples will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an airbag device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a case of the airbag device of FIG. 1, and FIG. It is a perspective view shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, a lid 3 having a reinforcing plate 2 is connected to a case 1 of a passenger seat airbag apparatus. The reinforcing plate 2 is made of a hard synthetic resin or a metal plate such as aluminum. A leg piece 4 is integrally erected from the reinforcing plate 2. The leg pieces 4 are connected to the case 1 together with the airbag 5 by rivets 6. The leg pieces 4 have such strength and rigidity that they are bent and deformed when the lid 3 is opened.

Inside the case 1, the air bag 5 and an inflator 7 for generating gas for inflating the air bag 5 are incorporated. The airbag 5 is folded so as to be greatly inflated when it is deployed, and is housed in the case 1. The airbag 5 is attached to the inner periphery of the case 1 by the rivets 6 and 8 at the peripheral edge portion.

A hook portion 9 and an engaging portion 10 each having a U-shape in a vertical cross section are provided at the frontmost portions (on the right hand side in FIG. 1) of the case 1 and the reinforcing plate 2. The hook portion 9 and the engaging portion 10 are engaged with each other such that the two horizontal piece portions sandwich the other one horizontal piece portion. As is clear from FIGS. 2 and 3, the engaging portion 10 is the case 1
Two are provided at intervals on the front edge of the. Reference numeral 1a in FIGS. 2 and 3 is an opening into which a rivet 6 for mounting the leg piece 4 of the lid 3 is inserted.

In the passenger airbag apparatus thus constructed, when the inflator 7 is actuated to blow out gas and the airbag 5 starts to be deployed, the front and back portions of the case 1 move to the third position. As shown by arrow E in the figure,
It deforms so as to bulge back and forth. At this time, the engaging portion 10 also moves to the front side together with the front edge of the case 1 which swells to the front side,
The engagement state between the engagement portion 10 and the hook portion 9 of the lid 3 is released.

A pressing force is applied to the lid 3 from the back side by the expanding airbag 5. Therefore,
The lid 3 has a leg 4 as a center of rotation, and is indicated by an arrow F in FIG.
It rotates like. As a result, the case 1 is opened, and the airbag 5 is largely deployed from the case 1 into the passenger compartment.

In the air bag device having the above construction and operation, a tearable member is not used in the portion connecting the lid 3 to the case 1. That is, neither the hook portion 9 nor the engaging portion 10 is provided with a tearable portion. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform extremely thorough quality control when manufacturing the hook portion 9 and the engaging portion 10. Further, even in the lid mounting process at the time of assembling the airbag device, it is not necessary to manage the process extremely, and the mounting of the lid 3 is easy.

In the airbag apparatus according to the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the engaging portion 10 is formed integrally with the case 1 by bending the edge of the case 1. However, as shown in the second embodiment of FIG.
The engaging portion 11 that is separate from the above may be attached to the case 1 with the rivets 8 or the like.

The other structure of FIG. 4 is the same as that of FIG. 1, and the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

Also in the air bag device according to the second embodiment, no fragile member is used as in the previous embodiment, the member is easy to manufacture and the assembling work of the air bag device is simple. Is.

Next, a third embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 will be described. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the airbag device, FIG. 6 is a partial sectional perspective view of the airbag device, and FIGS. 7 and 8 are sectional views for explaining an assembling method, both of which are shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a portion taken along the line VII.

In the airbag apparatus of the third embodiment, the case 21, the lid 23 to which the leg piece 22 is attached at the innermost portion of the case 21, and the standing piece 26 of the lid 23 are locked to the case 21. And a mounting piece 24 for mounting. Although not shown, the case 21 accommodates an airbag and an inflator as in the previous two embodiments.

Reference numeral 25 is an opening through which a rivet or a stud bolt for attaching the leg piece 22 to the case 21 is inserted.

In the present embodiment, the leg piece 22 and the upright piece 26 are made of synthetic resin integrally with the lid 23. An engaging portion 27 formed of a concave groove is provided on the outer surface of the standing piece 26.

The mounting piece 24 has a central portion 24C along the long side of the case 21, a left side portion 24A and a right side portion 24B that wrap around the short side of the case 21. The mounting piece 24 has a U-shape on the tip side, and the most tip portion is a hook portion 28 that enters the engaging portion 27.

A plurality of openings 29 are provided in the central portion 24C of the mounting piece 24. The mounting piece 24 is attached to the case 21 by inserting a stud bolt 30 protruding from the front side of the case 21 into the opening 29 and tightening a nut 31.

The mounting piece 24 has elasticity at a bent portion where the left side portion 24A and the right side portion 24B are connected to the central portion 24C. Also, the left side portion 24
A notch 32 is cut in the vicinity of A and the end of the right side portion 24B, and ears 33 are provided at both ends.

The airbag apparatus of this embodiment having such a component structure is assembled as shown in FIG. That is, the mounting piece 24 is mounted on the case 21 by the nut 31 as described above. An airbag and an inflator are incorporated in the case 21 in advance. The lid 23 is pushed into the case 21 from the rear side in parallel with the opening surface of the case 21 as indicated by an arrow G.

Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the lid 2
The erecting piece 26 of FIG. 3 erects the left side portion 24A and the right side portion 24B of the mounting piece 24 while spreading them outward as indicated by an arrow H, or while pushing the standing piece 26 inward by the mounting piece 24. The piece 26 is pushed into the inside of the mounting piece 24, and further, as shown in FIG.
Engages with the engaging portion 27 of the standing piece 26.

At this time, the notches 32 provided at the end portions of the left side portion 24A and the right side portion 24B of the mounting piece 24 sandwich the both end portions 26A of the upright piece 26 and move the lid 23 in the front-rear direction. to bound. In this state, the leg piece 22 provided in the inner portion of the lid 23 is fixed to the case 21 by driving a rivet or screwing a nut into a stud bolt, and the assembling of the airbag apparatus of this embodiment is completed. To do.

In the passenger seat air bag device thus constructed, when the inflator is actuated to blow out the gas and the air bag starts to expand, the entire peripheral portion of the case 21 is deformed so as to inflate. At this time, the attachment piece 24 moves together with the case 21 to move the hook portion 2
8 is disengaged from the engaging portion 27, and the engagement state of the lid 23 with the case 21 is released.

The lid 23 is pressed from the back side by the expanding airbag, and the lid 23 rotates about the leg piece 22 as a center of rotation to open the case 21. Then, the airbag is largely deployed from the case 21 into the passenger compartment.

In the assembly process of the airbag device according to the third embodiment, the lid 23 is attached to the case 21.
May be attached first, and then the attachment piece 24 may be pushed in from the front of the case 21 to be attached.

Also in the structure of the airbag device according to the third embodiment, the tearable member is not provided as in the previous two embodiments, the parts can be easily manufactured, and the airbag device can be manufactured. Easy to assemble.

[0034]

In the lid mounting structure for an airbag device according to claims 1 and 2, since no tearable member is used, it is easy to manufacture the components of the airbag device, and
Assembly work of the airbag device is easy.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an airbag device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a case of the airbag device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a case of the airbag device shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of an airbag device according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of an airbag device according to a third embodiment.

6 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the airbag device of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the portion along the line VII-VII in FIG. 6 in the middle of connecting the case and the lid.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a connection structure between the case and the lid in a portion along the line VII-VII in FIG.

9 is a sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,1A, 21 Case 2 Reinforcement plate 3,23 Lid 4,22 Leg piece 5 Airbag 6,8 Rivet 9 Hook part 10,11 Engagement part 24 Attachment piece 26 Standing piece 27 Engagement part 28 Hook part

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A case for accommodating a folded airbag, a lid for covering an opening at a front surface of the case, and one side portion of the lid are connected so that the lid can be rotated forward of the case. A second connecting portion that connects the other side portion of the lid with the first connecting means that allows the other side portion to separate from the case when the airbag is deployed. In the lid mounting structure of the airbag device, the second connecting means is connected by the case bulging and deforming outward due to the pressing force of the airbag to be deployed. It is provided with a hook portion and an engaging portion that engages with the hook portion to be released, and one of the hook portion and the engaging portion is provided in the case, and the other is provided in the lid. Attach the lid of the airbag device Elephants. 2. The rising piece according to claim 1, wherein a rising piece is raised from a back surface of the other side portion of the lid in a rearward direction of the lid, and the rising piece is arranged inside the case with respect to the hook portion. The engaging portion is provided in a groove shape on a surface of the upright piece facing the outside of the case, and the hook portion is provided in the case so as to be inserted into the groove. Lid mounting structure for airbag devices.