JPH09175304A - Pad of air bag device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pad for air bag device, which allows installation of a decorative member while the mounting stability is enhanced even when the pad body is easy to elongate as it is structured in a single layer consisting of thermoelastic elastomer. SOLUTION: A pad for an air bag device includes a body 11 made of thermoelastic elastomer, decorative member 30, and a wear plate 40, wherein the pad body 11 is to protrude the air bag by rupturing the part 13 designed to go in rupture when the situation requires it. The decorative member 30 is equipped with a decorative plate part 31 to be fitted in a recess 17 located apart from the rupture part 13 and a mounting leg 35 which extends from the rear surface of the part 31 and passes through a mounting hole 18 penetrating the recess 17 to be coupled with the plate 40. To prevent the plate 40 from dislocation in the direction alongside the rear surface of the pad body 11, fit parts 19, 20, 45, 46 to fit together are formed at the front surface of the plate 40 and at the rear surface of the body 11 in a position apart from the hole 18.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an airbag device mounted on a steering wheel, a front portion of a passenger seat, a door, a seat, etc. of an automobile so as to cover an accommodated airbag and to break the airbag when inflated. The present invention relates to a pad for protruding an airbag by means of the above, and more particularly to a pad having a decorative member arranged on the surface thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, as a pad of an air bag device having a decorative member arranged on the surface thereof, there is known a pad described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 1-81351.

In the above pad, the pad body on which the decorative member is arranged is made of a soft synthetic resin on which the net insert is arranged.

Therefore, the decorative member can be attached and fixed to the pad body even when the pad body is broken when the airbag is inflated. The structure was such that the net insert was sewn and placed so that it was placed.

[0005]

However, in recent years, in order to reduce the cost of the pad, the pad main body is made of a thermoplastic elastomer such as polyolefin or styrene based on a two-layer structure of a net insert and a soft synthetic resin layer. It is supposed to be composed of a single layer structure consisting of

In this case, the thermoplastic elastomer pad body has a larger elongation than the pad body in which the net insert is embedded, and even if a decorative member is sewn to the pad body, the sewn portion may stretch and break. As a result, the decorative member cannot be attached because it cannot be firmly attached.

[0007] As a measure against this, the actual Kaihei 3-103851
As described in the publication, it is conceivable to attach the decorative member to the pad main body by using one split pin-shaped mounting leg. The reason for using a single split pin-shaped mounting leg instead of a plurality of mounting legs is that if multiple mounting holes are provided in the pad body so that the mounting legs are used, the mounting legs can be inserted. The peripheral edge of each mounting hole of the pad body may expand at various ratios when the planned rupture part breaks, and the peripheral parts of the mounting hole may rupture each other. It is presumed that various strains are unlikely to occur at the periphery of the mounting hole at the time of rupture, and the rim of the mounting hole is prevented from being ruptured so that the mounting leg is hard to come off.

However, since the decorative member described in the above publication blinds the through hole of the portion to be broken of the pad body, it is arranged at the portion to be broken. Therefore, the planned breakage part is the part that extends the most until it breaks when the airbag is inflated, and it opens and contracts after it breaks, resulting in the fastest moving speed and a large moment of inertia of the decorative member. Since it is a portion, in the mounting structure of the above publication, there is a risk that the peripheral edge of the mounting hole to which the decorative member is mounted may extend or break, causing the decorative member to come off.

The present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and even if the pad body has a single-layer structure made of a thermoplastic elastomer and is easily stretched, it is possible to improve the mounting stability and arrange the decorative member. An object is to provide a pad for a bag device.

[0010]

The pad according to the present invention comprises:
A pad body made of a thermoplastic elastomer that ruptures a rupture-scheduled portion when the airbag is inflated to project the airbag, and is arranged in a storage recess at a position apart from the rupture-scheduled portion on the pad body surface, and A decorative member that is attached and fixed to the pad main body using a contact plate arranged on the back surface side of the pad main body, and the decorative member is a decorative plate portion that is fitted into a storage recess of the pad main body; A pad of an airbag device, comprising: a mounting leg that extends from the back surface of the decorative plate portion and is connected to the pad through one mounting hole that penetrates the front and back of the storage recess of the pad body. Then, the back surface side of the pad body away from the mounting hole and the front surface side of the contact plate are fitted to each other to prevent the displacement of the contact plate in the direction along the back surface of the pad body. Wherein the engaging portion is formed.

[0011]

In the pad according to the present invention, the decorative member is
By fitting the decorative plate part into the storage recess at a position outside the planned breakage part of the pad main body and inserting the mounting legs extending from the decorative plate part into the mounting holes of the pad main body and connecting it to the pad main body Is attached to.

That is, since the decorative member is arranged away from the part to be broken, even if the part to be broken expands when the airbag is inflated, the peripheral edge of the mounting hole into which the mounting leg is inserted is less affected. , Difficult to grow.

Further, the decorative member is attached to the pad body by using the attachment leg inserted into one attachment hole provided in the pad body. Various distortions are unlikely to occur at the periphery of the hole, and it is possible to prevent breakage of the periphery of the mounting hole.

In particular, the back side of the pad body away from the mounting hole and the front side of the contact plate are fitted to each other so as to prevent the displacement of the contact plate in the direction along the back surface of the pad body. A junction is formed. Therefore, the fitting of the mutual fitting portion between the back surface side of the pad body and the front surface side of the contact plate, and the fitting between the storage recess of the pad body and the decorative plate portion
The decorative member or the contact plate is less likely to be displaced in the vicinity of the storage recess of the pad body, and even if the planned breakage portion is further extended, the peripheral edge of the attachment hole into which the attachment leg is inserted is less likely to be extended.

Therefore, in the pad of the present invention, even if the pad body is easily stretched with the one-layer structure made of thermoplastic elastomer, the extension of the periphery of the mounting hole of the pad body can be suppressed, so that the mounting stability is improved. Decorative members can be placed.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The pad 10 of the embodiment is used for an airbag device 1 arranged above a central boss portion B of a steering wheel W as shown in FIG. 1, and the airbag device 1 is folded. 2 to be stored
And an inflator 4 that supplies inflation gas to the airbag 2, and the airbag 2, the inflator 4, and the pad 1
And a bag holder 5 that holds 0.

The airbag 2 is in the shape of a bag having an opening 2a at the bottom. The inflator 4 is configured to include a columnar main body 4a having a gas discharge port 4b in the upper portion, and a flange portion 4c protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the main body 4a. The bag holder 5 has an inflator body 4 at the center.
bottom wall 6 in which insertion hole 6a for inserting a from below is arranged
And a side wall 7 extending downward from the peripheral edge of the bottom wall 6.

The attachment of the airbag 2 and the inflator 4 to the bag holder 5 is performed by opening the opening 2 in the airbag 2.
An annular retainer 3 arranged at the peripheral edge of a is provided with bolts (not shown) projecting downward. This is done by penetrating the flange portion 4c of and fixing the nut.

The attachment of the pad 10 to the bag holder 5 is performed by fixing the side wall portion 22 extending downward of the pad 10 to the side wall 7 of the bag holder 5 with the contact plate 8 interposed between the pad 10 and the rivet 9. ing.

The pad 10 includes a pad body 11 made of a thermoplastic elastomer such as polyolefin or styrene, a decorative member 30 mounted and fixed to a ceiling wall 12 of the pad body 11, and a back surface of the ceiling wall 12. And a contact plate 40 arranged on the side.

The pad body 11 comprises a ceiling wall portion 12 that covers the folded airbag 2 from above, and a side wall portion 22 that projects downward from the lower surface of the ceiling wall portion 12 in the shape of a rectangular tube. There is.

A plurality of mounting holes 22a for fixing the pad 10 to the side wall 7 of the bag holder 5 with the rivets 9 are formed at predetermined positions of the side wall portion 22.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ceiling wall portion 12 has a thin portion 1 to be broken, which has a substantially H-shape when viewed from above.
3 is formed, and when the airbag 2 is inflated, the portion to be broken 1
3 is broken so that the two door portions 14 and 15 can be opened like a double door.

Then, the door portion 15 located on the front side when the airbag apparatus 1 is arranged on the steering wheel W.
On the side surface, as shown in FIGS.
The decorative plate portion 3 of the decorative member 30, which will be described later, at a position away from the
A storage recess 17 for fitting 1 is formed, and one mounting hole 18 penetrating the front and back is formed in the center of the storage recess 17. The opening shape of the mounting hole 18 is circular so that stress is not concentrated on the inner peripheral surface.

Further, on the back side of the door portion 15, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, two fittings for fitting with the contact plate 40 are provided at positions apart from the mounting holes 18 on the back side of the storage recess 17. Part 19.2
0 is formed. The fitting portion 19 includes a recessed portion 19b into which a main body 41 of the contact plate 40, which will be described later, is fitted, and a protrusion 19a for forming the recessed portion 19b, which is arranged in a substantially rectangular ring shape corresponding to the outer peripheral edge of the main body 41. It consists of The fitting portion 20 is formed on the ridge 19a in the vicinity of the ridge 19a at both edges of the recess 19b in the front-rear direction (the front-rear direction of the vehicle when the steering wheel W on which the pad 10 is arranged is mounted on the vehicle). It is composed of two concave grooves 20a and 20b along the side.

The decorative member 30, as shown in FIGS.
A substantially rectangular plate-shaped decoration plate portion 31 arranged in the storage recess 17 of the pad body 11, a center of the back surface of the decoration plate portion 31, a mounting hole 18, and a through hole 42 of the contact plate 40, which will be described later, The mounting leg 35 is connected to the plate 40 by being bent and hooked on the back side of the plate 40.

The decorative plate portion 31 includes a potting layer 32 arranged on the front surface side, a decorative layer 33 such as plating, a base 34 made of a hard synthetic resin such as ABS on which irregularities such as predetermined characters are formed, It is configured with.

The mounting leg 35 has a split pin shape and is formed from two leg members 35a.
A head portion 35b (see FIGS. 2, 3 and 5) embedded in 4,
The leg body 35c is formed of a leg body 35c that extends by bending from the head portion 35b, and the leg body 35c is formed with a locking hole 35d into which a locking projection 43 of the contact plate 40 described later is inserted. The leg member 35a is connected to the decorative plate portion 31 by setting the head portion 35b as an insert when the base 34 is molded.

The contact plate 40 is made of a hard synthetic resin such as ABS resin and has a notch 4 at one corner as shown in FIGS.
1a is provided with a substantially rectangular plate-shaped main body 41,
A through hole 42, which is opened in a rectangular shape, for inserting the leg bodies 35c, 35c of the pair of leg members is formed in the center of the. The peripheral edge of the through hole 42 on the front surface side of the main body 41 has a cylindrical shape fitted into the mounting hole 18 so that the leg bodies 35c and 35c and the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole 18 of the pad main body 11 do not come into direct contact with each other. Sleeve 41c
And a through hole 42 is formed in the sleeve 41c.

Further, on the back surface of the main body 41, when the pair of leg main bodies 35c are bent so as to be separated from each other, the locking projections 43 which can be inserted into the locking holes 35d of the respective leg main bodies 35c.
And a locking claw 44 that can lock both edges of each leg body 35c. The locking protrusion 43 and the locking claw 44 are formed in a recessed groove 41b provided on the back surface side of the main body 41.

Further, in the outer peripheral edge on the front surface side of the main body 41, the concave groove 20 constituting the fitting portion 20 of the pad main body 11 is formed.
As the fitting portion 46 fitted to the a.
・ 46b is projected.

The outer peripheral surface of the main body 41 itself corresponds to the fitting portion 45 corresponding to the fitting portion 19 of the pad body 11.

To attach the decorative member 30, first, the fitting portions 19 and 20 on the rear surface side of the pad body 11 are fitted to the fitting portions 45 and 46 of the contact plate 40, that is, the main body of the contact plate 40. 41 is fitted in the recess 19b, and the protrusion 46a
-46b is fitted into the concave grooves 20a and 20b, and the sleeve 41c is fitted into the mounting hole 18, so that the pad main body 11
The contact plate 40 is arranged on the back surface side of the.

Then, the leg body 35c of the pair of leg members 35a constituting the attachment leg 35 of the decoration member 30 is penetrated through the attachment hole 18 of the pad body 11 and the through hole 42 of the contact plate 40, and the decoration plate portion is formed. 5, the protruding portions 35e, 35e are bent so as to move away from each other, the locking projections 43 are inserted into the locking holes 35d, and the leg bodies 35c of the respective leg bodies 35c are inserted. When both edges are locked by the locking claws 44 and each leg body 35c is brought into contact with the back surface of the contact plate 40, the mounting legs 35 are connected to the contact plate 40 and the decorative member 30 is attached to the pad body 11. Can be installed.

The assembly of the airbag device 1 will be described. The retainer 3 is disposed in the airbag 2, the airbag 2 is folded, and the inflator body 4a is inserted into the insertion hole 6a from below, and the retainer 3 is not shown. The bolt is inserted into the bag holder bottom wall 6 and the inflator flange portion 4c, and the nut is fixed. Then, the pad 10 to which the decorative member 30 is attached and fixed is covered on the folded airbag 2, and the side wall portion 22 is fixed to the side wall 7 of the bag holder with the rivet 9 to complete the assembly.

Then, the airbag device 1 may be disposed on the steering wheel W by a mounting means (not shown) provided on the side wall 7 of the bag holder.

After the steering wheel W is mounted on the automobile, if gas is discharged from the gas discharge port 4b of the inflator 4, the portion to be broken 13 is pushed and pushed by the inflating airbag 2 and the door portion 14 is broken. 15 opens, and the airbag 2 is discharged from the pad ceiling wall portion 12 and greatly expands.

At that time, in the pad 10 of the embodiment, since the decorative member 30 is arranged apart from the breakable portion 13, even if the breakable portion 13 expands when the airbag 2 is inflated, the leg of the mounting leg 35 is formed. The peripheral edge of the mounting hole 18 into which the main body 35c / 35c and the sleeve 41c of the contact plate 40 are inserted is less affected and is difficult to stretch. In particular, in the case of the embodiment, a thick ridge 19a having a square annular shape is formed around the mounting hole 18 so as to surround the mounting hole 18, and the influence of the ridge 19a on the inside is It is suppressed by the ridges 19a, and the peripheral edge of the mounting hole 18 is more difficult to extend.

Furthermore, the decorative member 30 is attached to the pad main body 11 by using the leg main bodies 35c, 35c inserted into one mounting hole 18, and the breakable portion 13
Even if it breaks, various strains are unlikely to occur at the peripheral edge of one mounting hole 18, and the peripheral edge of the mounting hole 18 can be prevented from breaking.

In particular, on the back surface side of the pad body 11 away from the mounting hole 18 and the front surface side of the contact plate 40, there are a fitting portion 19 composed of a ridge 19a and a concave portion 19b, and a concave groove 20.
The fitting portion 20 including a and 20b, the contact plate body 41 (fitting portion 45) that fits into the fitting portion 19, and the concave grooves 20a and 20a
a fitting portion 46 consisting of ridges 46a and 46b fitted to b,
Is formed to prevent the contact plate 40 from being displaced in the direction along the back surface of the pad body 11.

Therefore, the mutual fitting portions 19, 20, 45, 46 of the back surface side of the pad body 11 and the front surface side of the contact plate 41 are mutually engaged.
Fitting, the storage recess 17 of the pad body 11 and the decorative plate 3
By fitting with 1, the decorative member 30 and the contact plate 40,
The pad body 11 is less likely to be dislocated from the vicinity of the storage recess 17, and even if the breakable portion 13 further extends, the mounting hole 18
The edge of is difficult to stretch.

Therefore, in the pad 10 of the embodiment,
Even if the pad body 11 is easily stretched with a one-layer structure made of a thermoplastic elastomer, the extension of the periphery of the mounting hole 18 of the pad body 11 can be suppressed, so that the mounting stability can be improved and the decorative member 30 can be arranged. it can.

In the embodiment, the contact plate 4 of the mounting leg 35 is used.
As a connecting structure to 0, each leg body 35c of the pair of leg members 35a is bent and then engaged with the engaging claw 44 of the contact plate 40, and the engaging protrusion 43 is inserted into the engaging hole 35d. Therefore, the leg body 35c is attached to the inflating airbag 2.
Even if they interfere with each other, the through hole 42 of the contact plate 40 and the pad body 11
The mounting leg 35 does not come off from the mounting hole 18 of the
The mounting stability of the door to the door portion 15 is further improved.

Further, in the embodiment, the protrusion 19a is formed on the back surface of the pad main body 11 so as to cover the periphery of the contact plate 40 so as to have a height substantially equal to the protruding height of the contact plate 40 and the like. When the airbag 2 is inflated, the airbag 2 is less likely to interfere with the contact plate 40 and the leg body 35c, and damage to the airbag 2 during inflation can be prevented.

Further, in the embodiment, the mounting leg 35 provided on the decorative member 30 is shown to be composed of a pair of split pin-shaped leg members 35a, but it may be composed of one leg member 35a. Furthermore, when the base 34 is formed of a metal material, a split pin shape or one mounting leg may be integrally projected from the base 34. Of course, when the mounting leg 35 is separated from the base 34, the mounting leg 35 may be fixed to the base 34 by using welding, heat fusion, an adhesive, caulking or the like.

Further, since it is sufficient that the mounting leg 35 is connected to the contact plate 40, the mounting leg 35 is bent and hooked on the contact plate 40 as in the embodiment. As the shape, the nut 40 may be fastened or caulked from the rear surface side of the contact plate 40 through the through hole 42 to be connected to the contact plate 40.

Furthermore, in the embodiment, the pad body 1
Two types of fitting portions 19 that are fitted to each other on the back surface side away from the mounting hole 18 in 1 and the front surface side of the contact plate 40.
Although the one provided with 45 and the fitting portions 20 and 46 is shown, these fitting portions are not limited to those in the embodiment as long as they can prevent the shift of the contact plate 40 in the direction along the back surface of the pad body 11. It is not limited.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, a projection 21a may be provided on the back surface of the pad body 11 away from the mounting hole 18 so as to continuously or intermittently contact the outer peripheral surface of the contact plate 40. In this case, the fitting portion of the pad body 11 serves as the protrusion 21a, and the fitting portion of the contact plate 40 serves as the outer peripheral surface. Further, as a modified example of FIG. 6, a plurality of recesses may be provided on the front surface side of the contact plate 40, and projections that fit into these recesses may be provided on the back surface side of the pad body 11 away from the mounting holes 18.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG.
It is also possible to provide a protrusion 47 that continuously or intermittently protrudes near the outer peripheral edge of the above, and to provide a recess 21b into which the protrusion 47 is fitted, on the back surface side of the pad body 11 away from the mounting hole 18. In this case, the fitting portion of the pad body 11 becomes the recess 21b, and the fitting portion of the contact plate 40 becomes the protrusion 47.

Further, in the embodiment, the pad 10 arranged on the steering wheel W has been described, but the present invention is applied to a pad for covering an airbag of an airbag device mounted on a front portion of a passenger seat, a door, a seat or the like. Can be used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a usage mode of an airbag device provided with a pad according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the pad of the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of the pad of the same embodiment, which corresponds to a III-III portion in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing a main part of the pad of the same embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the main parts of the pad of the same embodiment, which corresponds to the VV portion in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of a pad showing another embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of a pad showing still another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Airbag apparatus, 2 ... Airbag, 10 ... Pad, 11 ... Pad main body, 17 ... Storage recessed part, 18 ... Mounting hole, 19 * 20 ... Fitting part, 30 ... Decorative member, 31 ... Decorative plate part, 35 ... Mounting legs, 40 ... Contact plate, 42 ... Through hole, 45/46 ... Fitting section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A pad body made of a thermoplastic elastomer that ruptures a portion to be ruptured when the airbag is inflated so as to project the airbag, and is arranged in a storage recess on a surface of the pad body that is out of the portion to be ruptured. And a decorative member that is attached and fixed to the pad main body by using a contact plate arranged on the back surface side of the pad main body, and the decorative member is fitted into the storage recess of the pad main body. Air comprising a plate portion and a mounting leg that extends from the back surface of the decorative plate portion and is connected to the contact plate through one mounting hole that penetrates the front and back surfaces of the storage recess of the pad body. A pad of a bag device, on the back surface side away from the mounting hole in the pad body and the front surface side of the contact plate, for preventing deviation in the direction along the pad body back surface of the contact plate, Pads of the airbag apparatus, wherein a fitting portion for mutually fitted.