JPH08225049A - Air bag installation for front passenger seat - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To strengthen a container sufficiently against impact caused by the development of an air bag, and also make it rapidly deformed when impact is applied from an instrument panel by making up the container of a rear half section where an inflator is installed, and of a front half section which is so installed as to be capable of being moved afterward with respect to the rear half section. CONSTITUTION: A container 12 is equipped with a rear half section 20 in a container shape, which opens its front surface, and installs an inflator 16, and with a front half section 22 formed out of frame shaped bodies disposed at the insides of the front periphery of the rear half section 20. Mounting fixtures 24 are fixed onto the rear half section 22 by rivets 27, and the J shaped sections 32 of the mounting fixtures 24 are installed onto the insides of leg leaf sections 18b through openings 26, and hook sections 30 at the tip ends are hanged over the hook locking sections 36 of the rear half section 20. By this constitution, when impact is applied from an instrument panel, the front half section 22 is rapidly moved afterward, and impact by the instrument panel can sufficiently be absorbed without restraining the deformation of the instrument panel.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air bag device for a passenger seat, which is provided on an instrument panel (instrument panel) of a vehicle and protects an occupant in the passenger seat by deploying the air bag in the event of a vehicle collision.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a passenger airbag apparatus of this type, a folded airbag and an inflator are attached to a container, and a lid is attached to the container so as to cover the airbag. In the event of a vehicle collision, the inflator is activated and the airbag is greatly expanded toward the interior of the vehicle, thus protecting the occupant.

The instrument panel has a shock (an instrument panel shock) when the occupant collides with the instrument panel, for example, in a collision at an extremely low speed such that the airbag does not deploy.
In order to be able to absorb the shock, a characteristic is defined by the law that it is depressed and deformed when a shock is applied (instrument panel shock regulation). The airbag device for the passenger seat also needs to be deformed by the instrument panel impact.

[0004]

The container of the passenger side airbag device is required to have a deformable property so as to satisfy the instrument panel impact regulation, but even if it is pushed from the inside by the deploying airbag, it is not so much. Is also required to be strong enough not to deform. Therefore, simply making the container fragile in order to clear the instrument panel impact regulation is unsuitable as an airbag device.

That is, if the container is made fragile, the container can be promptly deformed as the instrument panel is deformed when the instrument panel is impacted, but the shocking internal pressure (hereinafter referred to as air pressure) applied to the container from the expanding airbag. It is necessary to make the container strong enough to withstand the impact of bag deployment.

An object of the present invention is to provide an airbag device for a passenger seat, which has a sufficient strength against airbag deployment impact and which is quickly deformed when a large instrument panel impact is applied.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a passenger-side airbag apparatus, a box-shaped container having an open front surface, an airbag folded and stored in the container, and attached to the container. An inflator, and a lid covering the front of the container, a passenger airbag device comprising: a rear half of the container to which the inflator is attached; and a rear half of the rear half due to an instrument panel impact. It is characterized in that it is configured with a front half part that is movably attached to.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the front passenger seat airbag apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the front half portion is a frame-shaped body that circulates outside a front edge of the rear half portion.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the passenger seat airbag apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the front half portion is formed of a frame-like body that circulates inside a front edge of the rear half portion.

A passenger seat airbag apparatus according to a fourth aspect is the airbag apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the front half portion is attached to the lid.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the passenger seat airbag apparatus according to the first aspect, the front half portion is fixed to the rear half portion by a connecting member, and the connecting member is rearwardly moved to the front half portion by an instrument panel impact. It is characterized in that the connection is released when the pressing force of is applied.

[0012] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the passenger side airbag apparatus of the first aspect, the front edge of the rear half portion is a rectangle having first and second long sides and first and second short sides. The first half portion has a U-shaped first U-shaped member extending along the first long side and halfway along the first and second short sides, and the second half portion. A U-shaped second U-shaped member extending along the long side and partway between the first and second short sides, the U-shaped member being the first of the second half. Also, the shaft is rotatably attached to a substantially middle portion of the second short side portion.

[0013]

In the passenger airbag device of the present invention,
When the instrument panel and lid are pressed by the instrument panel impact, the front half of the container moves rearward. For this reason,
The deformation of the instrument panel is not affected by the container.

The inflator of the airbag device is activated,
When the airbag deploys, the front half remains attached to the rear half, and the airbag pushes the lid open to quickly deploy in the vehicle compartment.

By making the front half portion sufficiently strong, the container is hardly deformed even when the airbag deployment impact is applied.

In the passenger airbag device according to the second aspect of the invention, when the front half of the frame is pressed by the instrument panel impact, the frame moves rearward along the outer surface of the rear half.

In the passenger seat airbag device of the third aspect, when the front half of the frame is pressed by the instrument panel impact, the frame moves rearward along the inner surface of the rear half.

In the passenger airbag apparatus according to claim 4, when the front half is pressed by the impact of the instrument panel when the instrument panel is deformed, the front half is not fixed to the rear half and the front half moves rearward. To do.

According to the fifth aspect of the airbag apparatus for the passenger seat, when the U-shaped member is pushed by the instrument panel impact, the U-shaped member rotates rearward about the shaft.

[0020]

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 7 are explanatory views of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a lid and a container of this embodiment apparatus, and FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are exploded perspective views of essential parts showing an assembly structure of the embodiment apparatus, respectively. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the container, and FIG. 7 is a deformation explanatory view due to an instrument panel impact.

The passenger seat airbag apparatus 10 according to this embodiment includes a container 12, an airbag 14 folded and accommodated in the container 12, an inflator 16 installed in the container 12, and a container 12. It is mainly composed of a lid 18 for covering. This container 1
2 includes a container-shaped rear half portion 20 having an open front surface, and a front half portion 22 formed of a frame-shaped body and arranged outside the front edge of the rear half portion 20.

The lid 18 has a main plate portion 18a arranged flush with the instrument panel, and the main plate portion 18a.
And a leg piece portion 18b erected from the back surface of the. The leg piece portion 18b has an opening 2 through which a mounting bracket 24 for mounting the lid 18 to the container rear half portion 20 is inserted.
6 and a receiving hole 28 for the rivet 27.

The mounting member 24 has a J-shaped portion 32 having a hook portion 30 having a U-shaped end and a tie portion 34 connecting the J-shaped portions 32 to each other.
It has and. The base end side of the J-shaped portion 32 is bent into an L-shape, and this L-shaped bent portion is the leg piece portion 18b.
Is inserted through the opening 26.

A hook engaging portion 36 to which the hook portion 30 is hooked is provided on the side surface of the rear half portion 20 of the container 12, and the hook portion 30 is on the rear side of the container 12 with respect to the hook engaging portion 36. Has been engaged from.

In this embodiment, the claw portion 40 is formed by cutting and raising on the side surface of the container rear half portion 20, and as shown in FIG. 3, the opening 42 formed at the edge portion of the airbag 14 is formed. It is hooked on the claw portion 40, whereby the airbag 14 is held by the container rear half portion 20.

The inflator 16 is, as shown in FIG.
It is fixed by being inserted into the container 12 through an opening 44 formed on the side surface of the container rear half 20.

To assemble the passenger airbag device 10, first, the inflator 16 is attached to the rear half 20 of the container.
And then the airbag 14 is connected to the container rear half 20 by hooking the opening 42 of the airbag 14 on the claw portion 40. Then, the airbag 14 is folded and placed in the container rear half 20.

Next, the mounting member 24 is attached to the lid 18. At this time, as described above, the J-shaped portion 32 is formed into the opening 26.
To insert. Then, the lid 18 to which the mounting metal fitting 24 is attached is covered on the container rear half portion 20, and the hook portion 30 is locked to the hook locking portion 36.

Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the frame-shaped container front half portion 22 is fitted to the outside of the container rear half portion 20 from the rear side of the container rear half portion 20, and is further moved forward to move the container front half portion. 22 is arranged outside the leg piece portion 18b.

Thereafter, the rivet holes 4 respectively provided in the container front half portion 22 and the tie portion 34 of the mounting bracket 24.
The rivet 27 is driven through 6, 48 and the container front half 22 is fixed to the fitting 24.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the container front half portion 22 is fixed to the mounting metal fitting 24, and the mounting metal fitting 24 is held by the leg pieces 18b. It is configured to be connected to the latter half 20 of the container by a connecting member composed of rivets 27.

As shown in FIG. 7, the passenger seat airbag apparatus 10 thus constructed is installed such that the main plate portion 18a is flush with the instrument panel (instrument panel) 50 of the automobile. . When this vehicle collides and an occupant hits the instrument panel 50, the main plate portion 18
a is instrument panel 5 due to instrument panel impact W
It deforms so as to become recessed with 0. At this time, the container front half portion 22 moves rearward (downward in FIG. 7) together with the leg pieces 18b and does not restrain the deformation of the instrument panel 50.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, the hook portion 30 and the hook engaging portion 31 are used to retract the container front half portion 22 when the instrument panel impact W is applied.
Although the mounting bracket 24 is attached to the latter half of the container 20 by the engagement of, the mounting bracket may be attached to the latter half of the container as shown in FIGS.

In FIG. 8, a metal fitting 60 having a crank-shaped cross section is fixed to the latter half 20 of the container by welding or the like.
The pocket portion 62 is formed. The lower end 22a of the container front half 22 is inserted into the pocket 62. When the instrument panel impact W is applied, the metal fitting 60 has a stepped portion 6
It has a shear strength of being sheared at the position of 0a.
When the step portion 60a is sheared, the mounting bracket 24
A and the first half 22 of the container can be moved downward in FIG.

In FIG. 9, the lower end 22a of the container front half 22 is attached to the container rear half 2 by the shear pin 64.
It is attached to 0. When the instrument panel impact W is applied, the shear pin 64 is broken, and the fitting 24A and the container front half 22 can be moved downward in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a container 70 of a passenger seat airbag apparatus 10A according to another embodiment of the present invention. The container 70 includes a front half 72 and a rear half 74.
And have. The latter half 74 is the latter half 20 of the container.
It has the same shape as. The front half 72 has a frame shape by combining a pair of U-shaped metal fittings 76 and 78.

The metal fittings 76, 78 are rotatably fastened to the rear half 74 by a fastening shaft 80 such as a pin or a rivet.

FIG. 11 is a side view of a passenger seat airbag apparatus 10A equipped with this container 70, and FIG. 12 is a side view showing a state of deformation when the instrument panel impact W is applied to the apparatus 10A.

The leg 18 of the lid 18 is fixed to the front half 72. When the instrument panel impact W is applied, the U-shaped metal fitting 78 rotates downward about the retaining shaft 80 as shown in FIG. At this time, the latter half 7 of the container
The side surface of 2 is pressed by the metal fitting 78 and deforms so as to be recessed inward.

FIG. 13 shows the embodiment of FIGS.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a passenger seat airbag device 10B according to an embodiment in which a container front half portion 22A is arranged on an inner surface side of a container rear half portion 20. Similar to the front half portion 22, the front half portion 22A has an upper portion fixed to the leg piece portion 18b by a rivet 27, and a lower portion overlapping the inner surface of the container rear half portion 20. Further, the airbag 14 is attached to the container rear half portion 20 by a mounting bracket 86. Other configurations in FIG. 13 are the same as those in FIG. 1, and the same reference numerals indicate the same parts.

When the instrument panel impact W is applied, the front half 2
2A moves downward along the inner surface of the rear half 20.

[0042]

As described above, in the passenger airbag device according to the present invention, when a shock is applied to the instrument panel, the front half of the container is quickly moved rearward and the deformation of the instrument panel is not restricted. Therefore, the instrument panel impact can be absorbed extremely sufficiently.

[0043]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a passenger seat airbag device 10 according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a passenger seat airbag apparatus 10 according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a connection structure between an airbag and a container.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing an assembly structure of a mounting bracket and a lid of the passenger seat airbag apparatus 10 according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a connecting structure of the lid and the rear half of the container of the passenger airbag device 10 according to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a rear half and a front half of the container of the passenger airbag device 10 according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic side view illustrating the operation of the passenger seat airbag device 10 according to the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of main parts of a passenger seat airbag device according to another embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of essential parts of a passenger seat airbag device according to yet another embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a container of a device 10A according to still another embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a side view of the example device 10A.

FIG. 12 is a side view showing the operation of the embodiment apparatus 10A.

FIG. 13 is a passenger airbag device 10B according to an embodiment.
FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 10A, 10B Passenger airbag device 12,70 Container 14 Airbag 16 Inflator 18 Lid 18b Lid leg part 20,74 Container latter half 22,22A, 72 Container front half 24 Mounting bracket 26 Opening 27 Rivet 28 Rivet receiving hole 30 Hook part 32 J-shaped part 36 Hook locking part 80 Fastening shaft

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A box-shaped container having an open front surface, an airbag folded and stored in the container, an inflator attached to the container, and a lid covering the front surface of the container. In the passenger airbag device provided, the container is composed of a rear half portion to which the inflator is attached, and a front half portion that is attached to the rear portion so as to be movable rearward with respect to the rear half portion by an instrument panel impact. An airbag device for the passenger seat. 2. The airbag apparatus for a passenger seat according to claim 1, wherein the front half portion is formed of a frame-shaped body that circulates outside a front edge of the rear half portion. 3. The airbag apparatus for a passenger seat according to claim 1, wherein the front half portion is formed of a frame-shaped body that circulates inside a front edge of the rear half portion. 4. The airbag apparatus for a passenger seat according to claim 1, wherein the front half portion is attached to the lid. 5. The front half according to claim 1, wherein the front half is fixed to the rear half by a connecting member, and the connecting member is connected when a rearward pressing force is applied to the front half by an instrument panel impact. An air bag device for a passenger seat, characterized in that 6. The front edge of the latter half portion according to claim 1, which is a rectangular shape having first and second long sides and first and second short sides, and the front half portion is A U-shaped first U-shaped member extending along the first long side and halfway through the first and second short sides,
A U-shaped second U-shaped member extending along the second long side and halfway through the first and second short sides, wherein the U-shaped member is the second half portion. An airbag device for a passenger seat, wherein the airbag device is rotatably pivotally attached to a substantially middle portion of the first and second short sides.