JPH0872647A - Air bag device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To reduce the number of part items, to improve the assemblability, and to reduce the weight and the cost by holding and fitting an air bag between a flange piece and a retainer or between the retainer and a stepped part of a container. CONSTITUTION: The front edge of a flange piece 10 is abutted on and stopped by a first side wall part 15a (a first positioning part) through an air bag end part 5a. The rear end is abutted on and stopped to be positioned by a second side wall part 13a (a second positioning part) through the air bag end part 5a. The upper surface is pressed downward by a bottom part (a pressing and holding part) 14 through the air bag end part 5a and held by the upper surface of a retainer 4. The flange piece 10 is held and fixed to the prescribed position. An air bag 5 and a gas generator 3 can be easily fixed to the retainer 4 without providing a tightening member.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automobile air bag system, and more particularly to an improvement in a method of fixing an air bag and a gas generator to a retainer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A specific example of a conventional airbag apparatus of this type will be described with reference to FIG. 7 which is a sectional view. In FIG.
The airbag device 1 mainly includes a gas generator 3, an airbag 5, a retainer 4, a bag cover 2 and the like. The gas generator 3 is composed of a short cylindrical container, has a gas discharge hole 24 in the upper portion, and a mounting flange 3a is formed on the outer periphery of the central portion. The airbag 5 is normally folded small as shown in the drawing, and an opening 5b into which the lower portion of the gas generator 3 is inserted is formed at an end 5a. The retainer 4 is plate-shaped, and has a through hole 4a in which the lower portion of the gas generator 3 is inserted and formed in the central portion, and a downward bent portion 4b in the end portion. Further, the flange 3a of the gas generator 3 is provided with mounting holes 3b at predetermined positions in the circumferential direction (only two positions are illustrated in the drawing), and the end portion 5a of the airbag and the retainer 4 are also corresponding thereto. Mounting holes 5c, 4
c is provided. Reference numeral 6 is a ring-shaped inflator fixing plate having an opening 6a at the center thereof through which the gas generator 3 penetrates.
It is fixed by welding or the like at positions corresponding to c and 4c.

The airbag end 5a and the flange 3a of the gas generator are fixed to the retainer 4 in the following manner. First, the opening 5b is aligned with the through hole 4a of the retainer 4, the end 5a of the airbag is placed, and then the through hole 4a is placed.
The lower part of the gas generator 3 is fitted in a, the flange 3a is weighted thereon, and the inflator fixing plate 6 is further stacked thereon. Then, by fastening the bolt 7 with the nut 8, the end portion 5 a of the airbag and the flange 3 a of the gas generator 3 are fixed to the retainer 4. Retainer 4
Is separately fixed to the center of the vehicle handle with bolts. As a result of being fixed in this way, the gas discharge holes 24 of the gas generator 3 are located inside the airbag, and the inside of the airbag is maintained in an airtight state. Also, the bag cover 2
Has a bottomed cylindrical shape, and the tip is a bent portion 4b of the retainer 4.
Is fitted on the outer periphery of. Therefore, when the gas generator 3 is activated, the air supplied to the airbag 5 is changed by the gas supplied from the gas release holes.
Is inflated, and the bag cover 2 is bent at the bent portion 4 of the retainer 4.
The air bag 5 pops out of the steering wheel and then deploys. As another fixing means, a method of fixing directly or indirectly with various fastening members such as simple bolts and nuts and rivets is used.

[0004]

However, in these airbag devices, as described above, the airbag 5,
Fastening members such as bolts are required to fix the gas generator 3 to the retainer 4, and the fixing work is troublesome. Therefore, there has been a problem that an increase in the total number of parts, an increase in the number of assembly steps and an increase in the number of inspection steps result in an increase in product cost and an increase in weight.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior art, and its object is to reduce the number of parts, improve the assemblability, reduce the weight and reduce the cost. An object of the present invention is to provide an airbag device capable of performing the above.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in an airbag device according to the present invention, a gas generator of a cylindrical container having a gas discharge hole and a portion of the container having the gas discharge hole pass through. An airbag having an opening, and a retainer member for attaching the gas generator and the airbag are provided, and flange pieces are provided at predetermined intervals in a radial direction of the outer periphery of the container of the gas generator, and the retainer is provided. A mounting portion through which a portion having a gas discharge hole of the container passes, a cutout portion around the mounting portion through which the flange piece passes, and a pressing portion that moves the container in the axial direction when the container rotates, The gas generator is attached by being pressed against a step portion due to a difference in diameter of the attachment portion or the container, and the airbag includes the flange piece and the retainer or the step portion of the retainer and the container. Is obtained as mounted is sandwiched between.

Further, the pressing portion may be provided with a locking portion for locking the flange piece.

It is also possible to provide means for confirming that the flange piece is engaged with the engaging portion.

[0009]

Operation: Align the flange piece of the gas generator with the notch of the retainer, pass the gas generator through the mounting portion of the retainer, and rotate the gas generator to push it axially. It is pressed against the step and attached to the attachment. Further, the airbag is also attached by being sandwiched between the flange piece and the retainer or between the retainer and the step portion. Further, when the pressing portion is provided with a locking portion for locking the flange piece of the gas generator, the positioning is surely performed in the circumferential direction. Further, if a means for confirming that the flange pieces are engaged with each other at the locking portion is provided, the inspection becomes easy.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a lower perspective view showing the assembled state of the essential parts of the airbag device of the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the essential parts of the airbag device of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2, FIG. 5 is a bottom view showing the second embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a side view showing the third embodiment.

First, the outline of the airbag apparatus of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, three flange pieces 10 are provided on the outer periphery of the central portion of the gas generator 3 in the radial direction, while the retainer 4 has a portion (upper portion) having the gas discharge holes 24 of the gas generator 3 passing therethrough. Three notches 1 through which the hole 4a (mounting portion) and the flange piece 10 pass.
1 is provided, and a fixing member (pressing portion) 17 is provided so as to project upward (downward in the drawing) around the through hole 4a. To assemble these, first, the opening 5 of the airbag 5
As shown by an arrow b, the retainer 4 is fitted into a predetermined portion of the fixing member 17, and then the gas generator 3 is attached to the retainer 4.
Through the through hole 4a and the opening 5b of the airbag, the flange piece 10 through the notch 11, and the gas generator 3 is rotated in the circumferential direction as described later.

Next, the structure will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, rectangular flange pieces 10 are provided at three locations in the radial direction on the gas generator 3 at intervals of 120 degrees in the circumferential direction. On the other hand, the retainer 4 is provided with a through hole 4a of the gas generator 3, and a fixing member 17 is arranged around the through hole 4a on the upper surface thereof. The fixing member 17 is
A short cylindrical support portion 17a having the same diameter as the through hole 4a and extending upward from the upper surface of the retainer, and a hollow disk-shaped pressing portion (pressing portion) 17 extending radially from the upper end of the support portion 17a.
b and a rectangular mounting portion 17c which is provided in the lower portion of the support portion 17a and which is provided in the radial direction at intervals of 120 degrees in the circumferential direction.
The mounting portion 17c is fixed to the retainer 4 by welding or the like. As the fixing member 17, a press molded product made of an iron metal plate is used. Further, it may be integrally formed with the retainer 4 by bending a sheet metal or the like, or may be fixed to the retainer 4 by heat caulking or the like using a resin molded product. Since the pressing portion 17b is cantilevered, it has appropriate elasticity in the vertical direction. Reference numeral 18 is a reverse rotation stopper for preventing the gas generator 3 from accidentally rotating in the opposite direction.

The flange piece 10 of the gas generator 3 can be fitted into the pressing portion 17b, and a rectangular notch portion 11 corresponding to the shape of the flange piece 10 is provided in the circumferential direction 120.
Three places are provided at intervals. The cutout portion 11 is provided so as to extend to the support portion 17a. Further, the pressing portion 17b further includes a second positioning portion (locking portion) 13 and a pressing pinch in order from one notch portion 11 between the three notch portions 11 in the clockwise circumferential direction in the illustrated example. A portion 14 and a first positioning portion (locking portion) 15 are provided, and these form an engagement pinching portion 16 on the retainer side.
That is, in the engaging and sandwiching portion 16 of the pressing portion 17a, the inclined portion 13b extending downward from the flat portion 21 of the pressing portion 17b, and the second side wall portion 13 extending upward from the lower end of the inclined portion 13b.
a, a bottom portion 14 extending in the circumferential direction from the upper end of the second side wall portion 13a, a first side wall portion 15a extending downward from the rear end of the bottom portion 14, and an L shape from the rear end of the first side wall portion 15a. A connecting portion 15b extending to the flat portion 21 is formed.
The upward concave portion 14a including the first side wall portion 13a, the bottom portion 14, and the first side wall portion 15a is a flange piece 10 'of the gas generator.
It has a shape corresponding to (representing a flange piece sandwiched at a predetermined position), and as shown in the drawing, it has a depth and a width dimension that can exactly accommodate the flange piece 10 ′ together with the end portion of the airbag 5. are doing. Further, the height h of the bottom surface of the recess 14a from the upper surface of the retainer 4 is such that when the flange piece 10 'is housed together with the end portion of the airbag 5, the pressing portion 17a and the upper surface of the retainer 4 have appropriate elasticity. The size is set so as to be pressed and pinched downward by. Also,
The gap d between the lower end of the inclined portion 13b and the upper surface of the retainer 4 is the thickness of the end portion of the airbag 5 and the flange piece 1 of the gas generator.
The value is smaller than the sum of the thickness of 0 ', and when the flange piece 10' tries to move in the circumferential direction, the elasticity of the pressing portion 17a causes the inclined portion 13a to escape upward so that the flange piece 10 'is The value is set so that it can pass through the gap d. Then, the inclined portion 13a and the second side wall portion 13b described above.
Is the second positioning portion 13, the bottom portion 14 (and the retainer 4) is the pressing and sandwiching portion 14, the first side wall portion 15a and the connecting portion 15b.
Constitute the first positioning portion 15.

Next, in FIG. 4 which is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2, the retainer side end portion 5a of the airbag 5 has a hole shape corresponding to the diameter of the cylindrical support portion 17b of the fixing member 17. The end portion 5a is arranged along the lower surface of the pressing portion 17a of the fixed portion 17 as shown in the drawing. Therefore, in the portion where the flange piece 10 of the gas generator exists, as described above,
It is clamped and fixed to the retainer 4 together with the flange piece 10, but is not particularly clamped in the portion where the flange piece 10 does not exist. Therefore, the gas supplied from the gas generator may leak from this portion, but the airbag has a mechanism to intentionally gradually release the gas from the separately provided gas leakage hole after deployment, There is no hindrance.

Next, the operation of this airbag device will be described with reference to FIG.
~ It demonstrates by FIG. At the time of assembling the airbag device, first, as shown in FIG.
The end portion 5a of the airbag 5 is placed along the lower surface of a. Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the cutout portion 11 of the fixing member 17 is formed.
Align the flange piece 10 of the gas generator 3 with the retainer 4
Through-hole 4a and opening 5b of the airbag (not shown)
The gas generator 3 is fitted in and rotated in the clockwise direction (arrow 22 direction). Next, in FIG. 3, when the flange piece 10 of the gas generator 3 hits the inclined portion 13 of the fixed portion 17 (arrow, two-dot chain line), the flange piece 10 is guided by this inclined portion and descends, Hits the upper surface of the retainer 4 (arrow). When the engaging portion 10 further rotates, the entire pressing portion 17a including the inclined portion 13b escapes upward in the drawing (arrow), and the engaging portion 10 passes through the lower end of the inclined portion 13b and reaches the recess 14a (arrow). Then, the entire pressing portion 17a including the inclined portion 13 is returned downward (arrow), and the flange piece 10 '(dashed line) is fitted in the recess 14a together with the end portion 5a of the airbag. As a result, the front end of the flange piece 10 'has the first side wall portion 15a (the first side wall portion 15a).
(Positioning portion) is abutted and stopped via the airbag end portion 5a, and its rear end is abutted and stopped by the second side wall portion 13a (second positioning portion) via the airbag end portion 5a for positioning. It In addition, the upper surface of the airbag 5
It is pressed downward by the bottom portion (pressing / holding portion) 14 via a and is held between the retainer 4 and the upper surface. As a result, the flange piece 10 is held and fixed at that position. Therefore,
The airbag 5 and the gas generator 3 can be easily fixed to the retainer 3 without requiring a fastening member.

In the above-described embodiments in FIGS. 3 and 4, the case where the end portion 5a of the airbag is placed above the flange piece 10 of the gas generator 3 has been described. It may be placed below the flange piece 10. In this case, the width of the recess 14a is set to the flange piece 3 of the gas generator.
The width is approximately the same as the width. Even with such a configuration, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment.

Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 5, one flange piece 1 of the gas generator 3
A small-diameter first through hole 18 is provided in the central portion of 0, and a small-diameter second through hole 19 is similarly provided in the central portion of the pressing and sandwiching portion 14 of the fixing member 17.
The through hole 19 is provided at a position where it overlaps with the first through hole 18 when the flange piece 10 is held at the correct position of the pressing holding portion 14. According to this structure, the quality of the assembled state can be easily inspected visually at the time of assembly, and the reliability is improved. Further, the inspection can be automated by using the optical sensor, and the inspection staff can be reduced. The first through hole 18 on the flange side may be a hemispherical projection. In this case, if it is not held in the correct position, a gap is created between the flange piece 10 and the pressing and sandwiching portion 14, and if it is held in the correct position, the gap disappears, so that visual confirmation is easily possible. .

Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6A and 6B are different from FIG. 3 in the following points. That is, as shown in FIG. 6 (a), the gas generator 33 has a step portion 33 a in the radial direction in the upper portion (the portion having the gas discharge hole 24), and the flange piece 10 has the step portion 3 a.
3a is provided at a predetermined interval in the axial direction. On the other hand, in the retainer 4, instead of the fixing member 17 of FIG. 3, as shown in FIG. 6B, the inclined portion 3 is sequentially arranged in the circumferential direction from the cutout portion 11.
4, a drop-in portion 35 is provided. The drop portion 35 is a recess having a shape that can be fitted to the flange piece 10, and the inclined portion 34 is for guiding the flange piece 10 to the drop portion 35. Also, the step 3
The distance L between the flange 3 and the flange 3 is equal to the end 5 of the airbag.
When the flange piece 10 is positioned at this drop-in portion 35 of the retainer 4 with the a being held, the retainer 4 is axially moved.
It is set so that it is pressed against and held. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6A, the end portion 5a of the airbag is sandwiched between the step portion 33a of the gas generator 3 and the retainer 4,
As shown by the arrow in FIG. 6B, when the flange piece 10 is passed through the notch 11 of the retainer and rotated in the circumferential direction, the gas generator moves downward in the drawing as the inclined portion moves, and the step portion 33a. The flange piece 10 is pressed against the retainer 4 and fixed in the axial direction, and is also fixed in the circumferential direction by being dropped into the drop-in portion (locking portion) 35. On the other hand, the end 5a of the airbag has a step 33
Since it is sandwiched between a and the retainer 4 and the entire circumference of the opening is sealed unlike the case of FIG. 3, the method of this embodiment can be used to prevent gas leakage. The end portion 5 a of the airbag may be sandwiched between the retainer 4 and the flange piece 10. In this case, the size of the drop portion 35 is set to allow for the thickness of the airbag.

[0019]

As described above, in the airbag device of the present invention, the flange pieces are projected at predetermined intervals in the radial direction of the outer circumference of the container of the gas generator, and the retainer is provided with the gas discharge hole of the container. A mounting portion through which the flange piece passes, a cutout portion around the mounting portion through which the flange piece passes, and a pressing portion that moves the container in the axial direction when the container rotates, the gas generator is
The airbag is attached by being pressed against the attachment portion or the step portion, and the airbag is attached by being sandwiched between the flange piece and the retainer or between the retainer and the step portion. It is possible to reduce the number of parts, improve the assemblability, reduce the weight, and reduce the cost without the need. Further, in particular, if a means for confirming that the flange piece is engaged with the engaging portion is provided, the inspection becomes easy,
It is possible to achieve certainty and automation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a lower perspective view of a main part of an airbag device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a main part of the airbag device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a view on arrow B of FIG.

4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a main part of the airbag device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a main part of an airbag device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of a conventional airbag device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Airbag Device 3 Gas Generator 4 Retainer (Retainer Member) 4a Through Hole (Mounting Part) 5 Airbag 5a Airbag End 5b Opening 10 Flange Piece 11 Notch 13 13 Second Positioning (Locking) 15 First positioning portion (locking portion) 17 Fixing member (pressing portion) 18 First through hole (confirmation means) 19 Second through hole (confirmation means) 33a Step portion 34 Inclined portion (pressing portion) 35 Dropping portion ( (Locking part)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A gas generator for a cylindrical container having a gas discharge hole, an airbag having an opening through which a portion of the container having the gas discharge hole passes, and a retainer member for mounting the gas generator and the airbag. Comprising, a flange piece is provided to project at a predetermined interval in the outer peripheral radial direction of the container of the gas generator, the retainer, a mounting portion through which a portion having a gas discharge hole of the container passes, and the flange piece. A cutout portion around the mounting portion that passes through and a pressing portion that moves the container in the axial direction when the container rotates are provided, and the gas generator presses against the mounting portion or a step portion due to a difference in diameter of the container. Installed, the airbag is
An airbag device, wherein the flange piece and the retainer or the retainer and a stepped portion of a container are sandwiched and attached. 2. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing portion is provided with a locking portion for locking the flange piece. 3. The airbag device according to claim 2, further comprising a confirmation means for confirming that the flange piece is engaged with the locking portion.