KR100286483B1 - Air bag apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The airbag device is constructed by attaching a cover body, an airbag, an inflator and the like to the base plate. The side wall portion of the cover body is fitted to the outer circumferential surface of the outer wall portion of the base plate. An annular band is fitted to the outer circumferential surface of the side wall portion. The band is formed in a shape extending in advance along the outer circumferential surface of the side wall portion. The inner engagement piece provided on the base plate is engaged with the inner engagement hole of the cover body. The outer engagement piece provided in the band is engaged with the outer engagement hole of the cover body. The mounting bracket for the handle body is fitted to the recess of the band and secured to the base plate using bolts.

Description

Air bag apparatus

The present invention relates to an airbag apparatus in which an inflated and deployed airbag is wrapped in a cover body.

BACKGROUND ART In order to protect a motor vehicle driver from an impact caused by a collision, an airbag device provided in a boss portion or the like of a steering wheel is commonly known. The airbag apparatus is provided with an inflator for injecting gas, a bag-shaped airbag that is folded and accommodated, a cover body surrounding the airbag, and a base plate on which the inflator, the airbag and the cover body are mounted. The airbag device is configured as follows. That is, when a collision of the vehicle is detected, that is, when a sudden decrease in speed exceeding a predetermined level is detected, gas is rapidly injected from the inflator so as to inflate and deploy the airbag, and the cover body is inflated to unfold in a door manner. It breaks at a predetermined crack line by the pressure of the airbag, and after the airbag protrudes from the cover body, the airbag is inflated and deployed in front of the seated person.

In addition, the cover body is formed by a covering portion surrounding the folded airbag and a mounting piece portion protruding downward from the covering portion, and substantially formed in a box shape with its lower surface opened. In addition, the base plate is provided with a base plate portion on which the inflator and the air bag are mounted, and a support piece portion protruding downward from the base plate portion, and has a substantially bottomless box shape having an open bottom surface thereof. The cover body is fixed to the base plate by fixing the mounting piece portion and the supporting piece portion by a plurality of rivets in a state where the mounting piece portion is inserted into the outer peripheral portion of the support piece portion.

However, in the structure in which a plurality of rivets are used to fix the cover body as mentioned above, a problem arises in that it is difficult to reduce the manufacturing cost because the number of parts is increased and complicated assembly work is required.

In this respect, for example, the structure described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-144139 is known. In such a structure, a pair of contact plates having a flat surface and an inverted " C " shape are disposed along the outer circumference of the mounting piece portion of the cover body fitted to the supporting piece portion of the base plate, whereby the supporting piece portion, the mounting piece The part and the contact plate are integrally attached by a plurality of rivets.

However, in the above structure in which the inverted " C " contact plate is employed, since a plurality of rivets are used, there is a problem that the number of parts is increased and complicated assembly work is required, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost.

Also, for example, the structure described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-298031 is known. In this structure, the supporting piece portion of the base plate and the mounting piece portion of the cover body are made to have a cylindrical shape, and the bundle band is connected to the mounting piece portion in a state where the mounting piece portion is inserted into the outer peripheral portion of the supporting piece portion. Attached to the outer periphery and tied therewith, the mounting piece portion is held between the support piece portion and the bundle band.

However, in the structure employing the bundle band, it is necessary to apply a proper binding force when assembling the cover body to the base plate, there is a problem that it is difficult to control the bundle strength. Furthermore, since there is no means for positioning the bundle band, it is essential that the bundle operation is performed while the tightening band is maintained in a stable position in order to securely bind and fix the cover body. Therefore, a problem arises that the bundle operation becomes complicated. Moreover, once bundled and fixed, it is difficult to separate the cover body, which causes a problem that it is difficult to repair during the process. In the outer circumferential shape other than the circular shape of the corner portion, such as a circular shape, it is difficult to fix it firmly by a bundle, so that the shape of the cover body and the base plate is limited.

Also, for example, the structure described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-206511 is known. In this structure, the side wall portion of the cover body is arranged outside the base plate, and the band is arranged on the outer circumference of the side wall portion. And the band is configured to be heated to a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time in order to be arranged loosely and then thermally compressed, thereby fixing the cover body.

However, in the structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-206511, a process of heating and compressing the band is required, and since it is essential to control the temperature, a problem arises in that the manufacturing cost increases.

Also known is the structure described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 1-109146. This structure is configured such that a plurality of tongue portions protruding downward from the cover body are disposed outside the base plate, and the outer circumference of the tongue portions is compressed by a ring-shaped plate.

However, in the structure described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 1-109146, since a protrusion in the circumferential direction is formed in the tongue of the cover body, it is difficult to provide a process of attaching a ring-shaped plate so as to be caught by the protrusion. Occurs.

As mentioned above, in the structure in which the cover body is fixed by a plurality of rivets, there is a problem that it is difficult to reduce the manufacturing cost, because complicated work such as increasing the number of parts and positioning is required.

In addition, in the structure in which the bundle band is adopted, it is necessary to apply an appropriate bundle force when assembling the cover body to the base plate, and the bundle operation is required to be performed while the bundle band is maintained in the correct position. There is a problem of complexity. Moreover, once tied and fixed, there is a problem that the separation work is difficult and the shape of the cover body and the base plate is limited.

Further, in the structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-206511, there is a problem that the manufacturing cost increases because the heating and compression process of the band is required to control the temperature.

In addition, in the structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 1-109146, since the protrusion in the circumferential direction is formed in the tongue of the cover body, it is difficult to provide a step of attaching a ring-shaped plate to the protrusion.

The present invention has been made in view of these points.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an airbag apparatus in which the cover body can be easily and firmly mounted to the support member.

1 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of an airbag apparatus according to the present invention.

2 is a plan view showing a handle provided with the airbag device.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 'III-III' in the handle of FIG.

4 is a plan view of the airbag apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the airbag apparatus along the line 'V-V' of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the airbag apparatus along the line VI-VI of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the airbag apparatus along the line VII-VII of FIG. 4.

8 is a perspective view showing an annular member of the airbag apparatus.

9 is a partial perspective view showing a state in which the annular member is mounted on the handle body.

10A and 10B are schematic views showing the manufacturing process of the annular member.

11 is a perspective view showing an assembling process of the airbag apparatus.

12A, 12B and 12C are schematic diagrams respectively illustrating a process of assembling the airbag device.

13 is a perspective view of a portion of an annular member according to another embodiment of the present invention.

14 is an exploded perspective view showing an airbag apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing the annular member of the airbag apparatus.

16 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the airbag device is mounted on the handle body.

17 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a state in which the airbag device is mounted to the handle body according to another embodiment of the present invention.

〈Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings〉

1 ... airbag unit 2 ... handle

8 ... Mounting bracket 11 ... Base plate

12.Cover body 15 ... Airbag

16 ... Inflator 17 ... Retainer

18 ... annular band

According to a first aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, an air bag inflated and deployed by the gas inlet; A cover body surrounding the airbag, the cover body having a mounting piece portion substantially cylindrical in shape; A support member, to which the air bag is mounted, having a support portion opposed to an inner circumferential surface of the mounting piece portion; An airbag apparatus having an annular member having a cylindrical shape having a fitting portion formed to fit on an outer circumferential surface of the mounting piece portion is provided.

According to a second aspect of the present invention based on the first aspect, the annular member is fitted to be outsert onto the outer circumferential surface of the mounting piece portion of the cover body.

In the airbag apparatus according to the first and second aspects, the airbag is firmly fixed by holding the mounting piece portion having a substantially cylindrical shape between the support portion of the support member and the fitting portion of the annular member. Since the fitting portion of the annular member is formed in a shape that is inserted into the outer circumferential surface of the mounting piece portion in advance and is fitted therein, the mounting work is easy, and the portion can correspond to the mounting piece portion having various shapes.

According to a third aspect of the present invention based on the first or second side, at least a portion of the fitting portion is formed to be closely attached along the shape of the outer circumferential surface of the mounting piece portion.

According to the third aspect, the mounting piece portion of the airbag is firmly supported by being closely attached to the fitting portion of the annular member. Further, since the annular member is not provided with a portion separated from the mounting piece portion so as to be bent in a valley shape, the annular member can easily maintain its shape against a force to expand the size in the circumferential direction, so that the cover The body can be kept firm.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention based on the first, second or third side, an engagement portion is formed on at least one of the mounting piece portion and the support portion, and the engagement portion is engaged with the other one. The receiving portion is formed.

According to the fourth aspect, the cover body and the support member can be accurately positioned and easily assembled by the engagement between the engagement portion and the engagement receiving portion. Also, by fitting the annular member to the outer circumferential surface of the mounting piece portion having a substantially cylindrical shape, the engagement between the engagement portion and the engagement receiving portion is maintained, so that the cover body can be firmly fixed to the support member.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, which is based on one of the first to fourth aspects, an engagement portion is formed on at least one of the annular member and the mounting piece portion, and the engagement portion is on the other side thereof. An interlocking accommodating portion is formed to engage the portion.

According to the fifth aspect, the cover body and the annular member can be accurately positioned by the engagement between the engagement portion and the engagement receiving portion, and can be easily assembled. The cover body is also provided by fitting the annular member to the outer circumferential surface of the mounting piece portion having a substantially cylindrical shape and having a support member on its inner circumferential surface in such a manner that the engagement between the engaging portion and the engaging receiving portion is maintained. Can be firmly fixed to the support member.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, which is based on one of the first to fifth aspects, an engagement portion is provided in such a manner as to protrude from at least one of the support portion and the annular member to the other one, and the engagement portion A relief recess is formed in the other one in a manner opposite to that.

According to the sixth aspect, when the support member or the annular member is inserted and fitted, portions other than the engagement receiving portion of the mounting piece portion of the cover body are brought into contact with the sliding portion protruding from the one member. , The remaining members are deformed. However, since the relief recess is formed in the remaining member, the deformed couple is accommodated in the relief recess, thereby facilitating the mounting operation.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, which is based on one of the first to sixth aspects, the mounting piece portion, the support portion and the annular member are respectively engaged with each other.

According to the seventh aspect, the cover body is firmly fixed by engaging the mounting piece portion of the cover body, the support portion of the support member, and the annular member, respectively, if necessary using screws or the like.

According to an eighth aspect of the invention, which is based on any one of the first to seventh aspects, the support and the annular member are in contact with each other and at least partially fixed to each other.

According to the eighth aspect, the support portion of the support member and the annular member are in contact with each other so that they are fixed to each other without passing through the cover body.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, which is based on any one of the first to eighth aspects, a fitting portion into which the mounting member for an airbag device is fitted is provided in the annular member.

According to the ninth aspect, since the annular member is supported by the airbag mounting member for mounting the airbag device and deformation such as expansion in the circumferential direction is limited, the cover body is kept firm.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, which is based on any one of the first to ninth aspects, an expansion portion that expands to the outer circumference is formed in the support portion, and an outer circumferential surface of the expansion portion is a mounting piece portion of the cover body. Is substantially fitted to the outer circumferential surface of the

According to the tenth aspect, since the annular member having a simple ring shape without valley-like bending or the like is employed, the annular member contacts the outer circumferential surface of the mounting piece portion of the cover body and the outer circumferential surface of the expansion portion so as to fit therein. As such, the cover body can be easily and firmly maintained.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, which is based on any one of the first to tenth aspects, an inflation portion that expands to the outer circumference is formed in a support portion of the support member, and an airbag mounting member is formed on an outer circumferential surface of the inflation portion And the outer circumferential surface of the mounting member of the airbag apparatus is substantially aligned with the outer circumferential surface of the mounting piece portion of the cover body.

According to the eleventh aspect, since the annular member having a simple ring shape without a valley-like bending or the like is employed, the annular member is in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the mounting piece portion of the cover body and the outer circumferential surface of the expansion portion so as to fit therein. The cover body can be easily and firmly maintained since it can be in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the airbag device mounting member to be attached.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, which is based on one of the first to eleventh aspects, the annular member is constituted by a rounded elongated plate member, and one end of the plate member is formed in the annular member. The hook piece portion is formed in, the hook member is formed at the other end of the plate member to the annular member, the annular member is formed in a cylindrical shape when the hook piece portion is inserted into the hook receiving portion to be hooked and connected; .

According to the twelfth aspect, since the annular member is easily formed and the deformation in the extending direction of the annular member can be easily limited, the cover body can be easily and firmly maintained.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention based on any one of the first to twelfth aspects, the annular member includes a guide portion for guiding a mounting piece portion of the cover body fitted to the annular member. The guide portion is formed at at least one end edge of the annular member.

According to the thirteenth aspect, workability of fitting the annular member to the outer peripheral surface of the mounting piece portion is improved.

The above and further objects and novel features of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Identical members are denoted by identical reference numerals.

In Figs. 1 to 7, reference numeral 1 denotes an airbag device, which is attached to the handle 2 of the vehicle, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The handle 2 has a handle body 3 and an airbag device 1 which is mounted at the seated end, i.e. the front end of the handle body 3 or the like. In this case, the handle 2 is mounted on the handle shaft which is inclined to be adjusted appropriately and which is usually used in an inclined state. In the following description, the seated person side on which the airbag device 1 is mounted is treated as the upper side or the front side, and the vehicle body side is treated as the lower side or the rear side. The handle body 3 includes a rim portion 4 having a circular ring shape, a boss portion 5 positioned inside the rim portion 4, a rim portion 4, and the like. A plurality of spoke parts 6 or the like (four in this embodiment) that connect between the bosses 5 are provided. In addition, a boss 5a fitted to the handle shaft and a boss plate 5b separately or integrally attached to the boss 5a are provided below the boss portion 5. And a pair of mounting bracket 8 provided in both sides and functioning as a mounting member for an airbag apparatus is fixed to the boss plate 5b via a horn switch mechanism by the screw 8a as needed. The airbag device 1 is also mounted to the mounting bracket 8 using a head bolt 9. And the lower part of the boss portion 5 is wrapped by the lower cover (10).

1 to 7, the airbag device (airbag module) 1 includes a base plate 11 corresponding to a support member and a cover body (airbag cover) mounted to the base plate 11; 12, an air bag 15, an inflator 16, a retainer 17, and a band 18 corresponding to the annular member.

The base plate 11 has a substantially symmetrical shape in the lateral direction and is formed by pressing a metal sheet. The base plate 11 is formed such that a base plate portion (flat plate portion) 21 having a substantially octagonal shape (diamond shape in the flat surface) on a flat surface and a substantially box shape having an open lower surface thereof are formed. It is made by the outer circumferential wall portion 22 corresponding to the support portion which is integrally bent (standing) downward from the outer circumferential portion of the base plate portion 21. In addition, in the base plate portion 21, an inflator insertion hole 23 formed of a circular hole is formed in a substantially central portion, and a plurality of bolt through holes 24 are formed on the outer circumference of the inflator insertion hole 23. do. In addition, the outer circumferential wall portion 22 is formed in a polygonal cylindrical shape, so that the inner engagement piece 25 corresponding to the engaging portion is projected by cutting in the radial direction (ie, in the radial direction) from the outer circumferential surface thereof. It is provided integrally. In addition, the outer circumferential wall portion 22 is provided such that the bracket portion 27 (mounting piece) is located on both sides of the base plate. A quadrangular nut 29 into which the head bolt 9 is engaged is attached to the inside of the bolt through hole 28 formed in the bracket 27 by caulking or the like. In addition, the outer circumferential wall portion 22, the through hole 31 having a long narrow shape is formed so as to be located in front and rear of the base plate. The stopper 32 is formed at the lower end of the outer circumferential wall 22 so as to bend outward at a predetermined interval in the outer circumferential direction. Further, a relief recess 33 is formed at a predetermined plurality of positions at the lower end of the outer circumferential wall 22.

On the other hand, the cover body 12 is integrally formed by a synthetic resin, for example, formed by injection molding an olefinic thermoplastic elastomer using a metal mold, and having a handle body provided with four spokes ( It has the external appearance as a center pad assembled to 3). Thus, the cover body 12 is provided with a covering portion 41 which surrounds the surface end of the boss portion 5 and the portion of the spoke portion 6 of the handle body 3 and from the lower surface of the covering portion 41. It is integrally formed by the side wall portion 42 corresponding to the mounting piece portion projecting downward (standing) in the vertical direction. The part enclosed between the covering part 41 and the inner side of the side wall part 42 functions as an air bag receiving part (container part) for accommodating the air bag 15, and has a substantially "H" shape or the like on a flat surface. The crack line 44, which is intended to be weakened, is formed on the lower surface of the covering portion 41 in a convex shape so as to become thin. In addition, the side wall part 42 of the cover body 12 is formed as a polygonal cylinder, and its inner shape is substantially fitted to the outer shape of the base plate part 21 of the base plate 11, and is fitted therein. . The side wall portion 42 includes a plurality of inner engagement holes 46 (first through holes) extending in the radial direction and corresponding to the engagement receiving portions, and external engagement holes 47 corresponding to the engagement receiving portions. Through-holes are each drilled into a rectangular shape. In addition, the side wall portion 42 is formed such that the locking protrusion 48 extending inwardly is located at the front and rear of the cover body 12, and the notch portion 49 extending through in both directions and opened downward is covered. It is formed to be located on both sides of the body (12).

In addition, the airbag 15 is formed into a bag shape, for example, by sticking two basic fabrics, a gas inlet 15a formed into a circular hole and into which an inflator 16 is inserted is formed at the center bottom thereof, A plurality of bolt through holes 15b (mounting through holes) are formed around the gas injection hole 15a.

In addition, the inflator 16 is provided with a body portion 16a formed in a substantially circular cylinder shape, and the mounting flange 16b is provided to protrude to the outer peripheral portion of the body portion 16a. A plurality of gas injection holes 16c for injecting gas into the body portion 16a are formed so as to be positioned above the mounting flange 16b, and a plurality of bolt through holes 16d (mounting through holes) are provided in the flange portion ( 16b). In addition, a lead wire is introduced from the lower surface of the body portion 16a so that an inflator cover made of synthetic resin or the like can be fitted therein and mounted therein as necessary.

In addition, the retainer 17 is provided with a retainer body 17a formed in a substantially annular shape. The retainer body 17a is formed to have an inverted " C " cross section, with upper flanges provided at its inner and outer peripheral ends, and four stud bolts 17b having retainer bodies. It is attached downward to 17a. These stud bolts 17b are configured such that the nut 50 can engage the respective stud bolts 17b from their lower ends.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 10B, the ends of the body portions 53 corresponding to the long plate bodies such as metal plates face each other, and the bands 18 are interconnected by the connecting portions 54. It is formed in a predetermined annular shape (loop shape) corresponding to the polygonal cylinder shape. And thereby the fitting portion 55 is formed to be closely attached to the outer peripheral surface of the side wall portion 42 of the cover body 12. Therefore, a substantially "T" shaped through hole 56 having its front end narrowed is formed at one end of the body portion 53 to become a catch receiving portion, and a hammer shape (substantially "T" having its front end widened). Since the insertion portion 57 of the shape) is formed at the other end to become a locking piece portion, the insertion portion 57 is inserted into the through hole 56 as shown in FIG. 10A, and is separated from each other as shown in FIG. 10B. By performing spot welding at three points A while being pulled in the direction, a band 18 having a predetermined length in the circumferential direction is formed.

In addition, the fitting portion 55 of the band 18 is formed to be closely attached to the outer peripheral surface of the side wall portion 42 of the cover body 12. In other words, the inner shape of the fitting portion 55 is formed in the same shape as the outer circumferential surface of the side wall portion 42.

In addition, the outer engagement piece 61 corresponding to the engagement portion is integrally formed inward by incision at various positions of the band 18. And the lower end edge is bent inward so that it may be located in the lower part of each said outer engagement piece 61, and the stopper 62 is formed. In addition, the recesses 64 corresponding to the recesses recessed inwardly are formed at both sides of the band 18. A mounting through hole 65 having a circular hole shape is formed in the recess 64. In addition, the bridge portion 66 having a shape along the outer surface of the side wall portion 42 of the cover body 12 by continuously seamlessly connecting the body portion 53 provided on both sides of the concave portion 64. ) Is formed at the upper end of the recessed portion 64, whereby an open slit 67 is made between the bridge portion 66 and the recessed portion 64. In addition, a guide portion 68 (inclination portion) inclined toward the upper end portion and outwardly is formed at the upper edge of the band 18 along substantially all outer peripheries except the portion adjacent to the connecting portion 54.

9, in the said recessed part 64, the width | variety of the circumferential direction of the part 64a parallel to the body part 53 is set to "W2", and both ends of the said parallel part 64a are made. In other words, if the insertion depth is set to "D2", the "W2" is a mounting bracket (8) fixed to the handle body (3). Is equal to the width W1 of the mounting portion 8b provided at the front end, and "D2" is configured to be equal to the thickness of the mounting portion 8b of the mounting bracket 8. Furthermore, a mounting through hole 8c having a circular hole shape is formed in the mounting portion 8b of the mounting bracket 8 so as to correspond to the mounting through hole 65 of the recess 64.

Next, the manufacturing process of the airbag apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described below.

First, the base plate 11, the cover body 12, the band 18 and the like are formed in a predetermined shape in advance.

Then, by changing the gas inlet 15a of the airbag 15 into an ellipse shape, the retainer 17 is inserted into the airbag 15 from the gas inlet 15a, and each stud bolt 17b is bolt through hole. Pulled out from 15b and the stud bolt 17b is inserted into the bolt through hole 24 of the base plate 11 from the top thereof, so that the outer circumference of the gas inlet 15a is made to the base plate of the base plate 11. It is pressurized on the part 21.

In this state, the automatic assembling work is then started by the automatic assembling apparatus driven by pneumatic or the like. Therefore, the airbag 15 is first folded at the outer circumference of the body portion 16a of the inflator 16 by a device for folding the airbag so as to form a petal shape, so that the airbag 15 is the base of the base plate 11. It is accommodated in the outer shape of the plate portion 21.

In this state, the cover body 12 is then automatically supplied downward from the upper end of the base plate 11 so as to surround and pressurize the airbag, thereby placing the airbag 15 in a folded state. The airbag 15 is accommodated between the base plate 11 and the cover body 12, and the side wall portion 42 is fitted to the outer circumferential portion of the base plate portion 21. In this state, each inner engagement piece 25 of the base plate 11 is engaged with the inner engagement hole 46 of the cover body 12, and the stopper 32 so that the lower end portion of the side wall portion 42 is restricted. Will be in contact with. In addition, the engaging projection 48 projecting from the inner end of the side wall portion 42 is engaged with the through hole 31, so that the cover body 12 is accurately positioned on the base plate 11 and prevented from spreading out. Stays in the state.

Subsequently, after the band 18 is automatically supplied to a predetermined position, the band 18 is subjected to all the circumferences of the outer peripheral end of the side wall portion 42 of the cover body 12 using a pneumatic device (not shown) or the like. Is fitted on. This process is constructed in such a way that, as shown in FIG. 11, the band 18 is first disposed at a predetermined position of the cover body 12 and the band 18 is pressed against the cover body 12. Then, as shown in FIG. 12A, the guide portion 68 provided at the upper edge of the band 18 is slidably contacted to the side wall portion 42, so that the band 18 is easily guided to the correct position. do. Subsequently, when the band 18 is pressed as shown in FIG. 12B, the outer engagement piece 61 comes into contact with the lower end of the side wall portion 42 to press the inner peripheral end thereof. Then, since the relief recess 33 is formed in the base plate 11 corresponding to the position of the outer engagement piece 61, the side wall portion 42 elastically deformed toward the inner circumference is provided in the relief recess 33. Is gently accommodated). Further, when the band 18 is pressed, as shown in Fig. 12C, the outer engagement piece 61 is inserted into the outer engagement hole 47, whereby the side wall portion 42 is deformed to be engaged.

Then, in the state shown in Fig. 12C in which the outer engagement piece 61 is engaged with the outer engagement hole 47, the side wall portion 42 such that the stopper 62 disposed at the bottom of the band 18 limits the amount of fitting. Will come in contact with the lower end of the In addition, the recess 64 is fitted into the notch 49 so that the band 18 is accurately positioned on the cover body 12 and kept out from being spread out.

In this state at the same time, the side wall portion 42 of the cover body 12 is held between the outer circumferential wall portion 22 of the base plate 11 and the band 18, and the band 18 is connected to the inner engagement piece 25. By maintaining the engagement between the inner engagement hole 46 and the base plate 11 maintains the engagement between the outer engagement piece 61 and the outer engagement hole 47, the cover body 12 is the base plate 11 It is firmly mounted on.

Subsequently, the upper side of the body portion 16a of the inflator 16 is pressed into the inflator insertion hole 23 and the gas inlet 15a, and the stud bolt 17b of the retainer 17 is bolted to the flange portion 16b. The base plate 11 and the airbag 15 are retained by the retainer body 17a and the flange portion 16b by inserting the through hole 16d and tightening the nut 50 at the lower end of each stud bolt 17b. Tightened moderately between. Thereby, the assembly of the airbag apparatus 1 is completed.

The airbag device 1 assembled in the above manner is then mounted to the mounting bracket 8 erected on the boss portion 5 of the handle 3. At this time, the mounting portion 8b of the mounting bracket 8 is fitted into the recessed portion 64 of the base plate 11. In this state, the head bolt 9 passes through the bolt through hole 28 of the bracket portion 27 of the base plate 11 and engages with the square nut 29 so as to engage the mounting nut 8b. 8c and the mounting through hole 65 of the band 18 are inserted from the outer end of the mounting portion 8b. In this state, the band 18, which is in close contact with (interposed) with the outer circumferential surface and whose inner circumferential surface is constituted by the side wall portion 42, is bound to the base plate 11 by the head bolt 9.

In addition, when an impact such as a collision is applied to the vehicle, a control unit (not shown) operates the inflator 16, whereby an inert gas such as nitrogen gas suddenly moves from the gas inlet 16c to the inside of the airbag 15. Supplied. The airbag 15 is then rapidly inflated and deployed by the gas so that the covering portion 41 of the cover body 12 is destroyed along the crack line 44 by the inflation pressure, so that the cover body 12 Protrudes to the top of the. The airbag 15 is also configured to expand and deploy widely in front of the seated person, to absorb and reduce the impact on the seated person.

When the airbag 15 is inflated, a force is applied to widen the side wall portion 42 in the circumferential direction, but this force is received by the band 18 and also to widen the band 18 in the circumferential direction. The force to be accommodated by the mounting bracket 8 of the handle body 3, so that the cover body 1 can be stably maintained on the base plate (11). In addition, the band 18 is formed in a recessed manner (to be bent in a valley shape) so that the recess 64 is formed by a drawing process, and has a shape that is easily deformed in this direction in the expansion direction. However, since the bridge portion 66 along the outer surface of the side wall portion 42 is provided at the upper end of each recess 64 and both sides of the recess 64 are connected at substantially the shortest distance, the cover body 12 ) Can be firmly maintained as it is easily erected against the force to inflate the band 18 along the circumferential direction. In this case, the protruding direction end of the airbag 15 is formed at least on the upper portion of the band 18 so as to conform to the outer surface of the cover body 12, and thus the bent portion of the band 18 is not formed. The above effect of preventing the size of the circumferential direction from expanding and holding the cover body 12 firmly can be realized similarly.

As mentioned above, according to the present embodiment, the cover body 12 is inserted into the outer circumference of the base plate 11 and the band 18 is fitted into the outer circumference 12 of the cover body. Can be held firmly to the base plate 11, as well as the airbag device 1 can be easily assembled. Therefore, when compared to the structure employing a plurality of rivets and tightening bands, workability is improved, the number of parts is reduced, and automation can be realized in production, etc., manufacturing costs can be reduced.

In addition, the band 18 can be easily manufactured as a member having a size fixed in the circumferential direction by engaging both ends of the metal plate and the like, and can be easily prevented from being deformed in the tensile direction, the cover body 12 ) Can be kept stable. In addition, since the band 18 is formed in a shape to be fitted to the outer circumferential surface of the side wall portion 42 of the cover body 12 in advance, it is unnecessary to control the binding force or the like, so that the band 18 can be easily assembled. The band 18 can correspond to an airbag apparatus having a cover body having sidewall portions formed in various shapes such as a square cylinder shape, flexibility can be improved, and manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In addition, engagement pieces 25, 61 and engagement holes 46, 47, each of which engages with each other, are provided in the base plate 11, the cover body 12, the cover body 12, and the band 18, respectively. As such, they can be easily and accurately positioned and maintained. In addition, since the band 18 is provided with an inclined guide portion 68 at the upper edge thereof, the band 18 can be easily fitted to the outer circumference of the side wall portion 42, and workability can be improved.

In addition, since the relief recess 33 is formed to correspond to the position of the outer end engaging piece 61 on the base plate 11, the side wall portion 42 that is elastically deformed is smoothly applied to the relief recess 33. The airbag device 1 can be easily assembled by being received and the band 18 being gently pressed.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9 and the like, the slit 67 is provided by opening between the recess 64 and the bridge 66. However, the recess corresponding to the fitting portion may be formed in various shapes. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the press operation is performed such that the recess 71 having a substantially box shape is formed without forming a slit. Can be.

In addition, a band having an outer circumferential surface that is substantially flat without a concave portion may be employed.

For example, as shown in Figs. 14 to 16, no recess is formed in the band 81 corresponding to the annular member, and a simple outer peripheral surface 82 having a substantially flat inner and outer peripheral surface is formed. On the contrary, the expansion part 86 which is located at both sides and is expanded outwardly is formed integrally with the base plate 84. The expansion portion 86 is formed with a bracket portion 87 to which the mounting bracket 8 of the handle 3 is closely attached and fixed.

And the expansion portion 86 is fitted to the notch 49 of the side wall portion 42 of the cover body 12, the mounting portion of the mounting bracket (8) fixed to the bracket 87 of the expansion portion 86 ( The outer side of 8b) is configured to substantially fit with the outer side of the side wall portion 42. And the band 18 and the head bolt 9 are arrange | positioned at the outer peripheral side of the side wall part 42. As shown in FIG. In other words, the head part 9a, the washer 9b, the band 81, the mounting bracket 8 and the base plate 84 of the head bolt 9 are arranged in order from the outer peripheral end, and are integrally bundled. .

In addition, according to the present embodiment, since the outer circumferential surfaces of the side wall portion 42 and the mounting bracket 8 become substantially flat surfaces, even when the band 81 having the substantially flat outer circumferential surface 82 is used, all of the outer circumferences are reduced. Since the cover body 12 can be held in a substantially closely attached state, the cover body 12 can be held firmly. In addition, when the band 81 provided with the substantially flat outer circumferential surface 82 mentioned above is used, the band 18 may be configured in a simple ring shape without any bends, etc. The holding force can be easily prevented from being reduced, and the cover body 12 can be held firmly.

In addition, in the structure shown in FIGS. 14 to 16, the outer circumferential surface (topmost surface) of the inflation portion 86 protrudes outward so as to be substantially aligned with the outer circumferential surface of the side wall portion 42, as shown in FIG. 17. Can be configured. In this structure, the head part 9a, washer 9b, mounting bracket 8, band 81 and base plate 84 of the head bolt 9 are arranged in order from the outer peripheral end and are integrally formed. By binding, the same effect can be obtained.

In addition, the airbag device is not only applied to a steering wheel of a vehicle but also applied to, for example, an airbag device for an auxiliary driver seat occupant provided in an instrument panel core in front of the auxiliary driver seat or an airbag device provided in a seat or a door. Can be. It can also be applied to the need for protection from impacts, such as moving objects, not vehicles such as automobiles.

While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described using specific terms, it is to be understood that such description is for illustrative purposes, and that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the following claims.

As described above, the airbag apparatus of the present invention has an advantage that the cover body can be easily and firmly mounted to the support member.

Claims (12)

An air bag inflated and deployed by gas inflow; A cover body surrounding the airbag, the cover body having a mounting piece portion substantially cylindrical in shape; A support member, to which the air bag is mounted, having a support portion opposed to an inner circumferential surface of the mounting piece portion; An annular member having a cylindrical shape having a fitting portion formed to fit on an outer circumferential surface of the mounting piece portion; Engaging portions are formed in at least one of the mounting piece portion and the support portion; An airbag device, characterized in that the engagement receiving portion for engaging the engagement portion is formed in the other one. The method of claim 1, And the annular member is fitted so as to be outsert onto the outer circumferential surface of the mounting piece portion of the cover body. The method of claim 1, At least a portion of the fitting portion is formed so as to closely adhere along the shape of the outer peripheral surface of the mounting piece portion. The method of claim 1, Engaging portions are formed in at least one of the annular member and the mounting piece portion, An airbag device, characterized in that the engagement receiving portion for engaging the engagement portion is formed in the other one. The method of claim 1, The engaging portion is provided in such a manner as to protrude from at least one of the support and the annular member to the other, Air relief device, characterized in that the relief recess is formed in the other one in a manner opposite to the engaging portion. The method of claim 1, And the mounting piece portion, the support portion and the annular member are engaged with each other. The method of claim 1, And the support and the annular member are in contact with each other and fixed at least in part to each other. The method of claim 1, An airbag device, characterized in that a fitting portion for fitting the mounting member for an airbag device is provided in the annular member. The method of claim 1, An expansion portion that expands to the outer circumference is formed in the support portion, And an outer circumferential surface of the inflation portion is substantially fitted to an outer circumferential surface of a mounting piece portion of the cover body. The method of claim 1, An inflation portion that expands to the outer circumference is formed in the support portion of the support member, The mounting member of the airbag is closely attached to the outer circumferential surface of the inflation portion, And an outer circumferential surface of the mounting member of the airbag device is substantially fitted to the outer circumferential surface of the mounting piece portion of the cover body. The method of claim 1, The annular member is constituted by a rounded long plate member, A hook piece is formed at one end of the plate member in the annular member, and a hook receiving portion is formed at the other end of the plate member in the annular member. And the annular member is formed in a cylindrical shape when the locking piece portion is inserted into the locking receiving portion so as to be hooked and connected. The method of claim 1, The annular member includes a guide portion for guiding a mounting piece portion of the cover body fitted to the annular member, And the guide portion is formed at at least one end edge of the annular member.