KR101189469B1

KR101189469B1 - Apparatus for mounting knee air bag

Info

Publication number: KR101189469B1
Application number: KR20100117318A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 박준모
Original assignee: 현대자동차주식회사
Priority date: 2010-11-24
Filing date: 2010-11-24
Publication date: 2012-10-12
Also published as: KR20120055880A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a knee airbag installation apparatus for a vehicle, wherein the knee airbag installation apparatus does not simultaneously touch the airbag module (5) in which the driver's left and right knees (6, 7) are deployed at the same time, and one of the knees contacts first and the other one. Even if the knee is in contact afterwards, the contact time difference between the left and right knees 6 and 7 can be reduced as much as possible, thereby preventing a difference in the injury value of the left and right knees 6 and 7 of the driver. Furthermore, since the driver's left and right knees 6 and 7 are in contact with the air bag cushion 5, the air bag module 4 including the air bag cushion 5 moves toward the cowl cross member 1 to absorb shocks. As a result, the driver's knee injury can be greatly reduced.

Description

Apparatus for mounting knee air bag

The present invention relates to a knee airbag installation apparatus for a vehicle, and more particularly to a technique for a vehicle knee airbag installation apparatus that can further enhance the driver knee protection function.

As a way to protect the safety of the occupants, the vehicle is equipped with several types of airbags, among which the knee airbags for protecting the driver's knees are installed so that the airbag module including the inflator is located under the steering wheel. .

That is, in the conventional knee air bag, as shown in FIG. 1, two mounting brackets 2 and 3 are coupled to the cowl cross member 1, and an air bag module including an inflator to the two mounting brackets 2 and 3. (4) is a fixed installation structure.

Therefore, if the airbag cushion 5 is deployed backward by the explosion of the inflator, which receives the signal of the airbag control unit during a collision and collision accident, the driver's left and right knees 6 and 7 come into contact with the deployed airbag cushion 5. As a result, the driver's knees 6 and 7 are protected.

By the way, when the airbag module 4 is installed to rotate left and right on the basis of the normal state or the driver's seat position is incorrect, the deployed airbag cushion 5 is connected to the left and right knees 6 and 7 of the driver. At the same time, one of the knees is in contact first and then the other knee is in contact after a certain time.

As described above, when an excessive time difference occurs when the driver's left and right knees 6 and 7 come into contact with the airbag cushion 5, one of the knees that first comes into contact with the airbag cushion 5 is the airbag cushion ( 5), and the other knee that later comes into contact with the airbag cushion 5 is not sufficiently protected by the airbag cushion 5, so that the driver's left and right knees 6 and 7 Injury was a difference problem.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, the situation in which the left and right knees of the driver do not contact the deployed airbag module at the same time without contacting one of the knees first contact with the other knee after that Even so, by minimizing the contact time difference between the left and right knees, it is possible to prevent the difference between the left and right knee injuries. The object is to provide a device.

Knee airbag installation apparatus for a vehicle according to the present invention for achieving the above object, the shock absorbing device is coupled to the cowl cross member protruding toward the driver; And a rotating shaft installed through the shock absorbing device and the airbag module so that the airbag module is coupled to the shock absorbing device in a rotatable state in a horizontal direction.

Here, the shock absorbing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention comprises: two airbag brackets having one end fixedly coupled to the cowl cross member and the other end fixedly coupled to the airbag module in a parallel state; The two airbag brackets are characterized in that the inner side facing each other consisting of a shock absorbing projection formed to be continuously connected in the longitudinal direction of the airbag bracket, respectively.

The shock absorbing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes an airbag block fixedly coupled to the airbag module and installed through the rotating shaft to allow shaft rotation; One end is fixedly coupled to the cowl cross member and the other end is fixedly coupled to the airbag block, characterized in that consisting of a support member that can absorb the movement force of the airbag module when the airbag module moves toward the cowl cross member when an external force is applied. It is done.

Vehicle knee airbag installation apparatus according to the present invention, even if the situation in which one of the knees first contact and the other one after the contact does not occur at the same time without the driver's left and right knees in contact with the deployed airbag module at the same time As the time difference can be reduced as much as possible, it is possible to prevent a difference in the left and right knee injury values of the driver. Furthermore, the airbag module including the airbag cushion is moved toward the cowl cross member when the driver's left and right knees are in contact with the airbag cushion. As the shock can be absorbed while moving, the driver's knee injury can be greatly reduced.

1 is a view showing the installation structure of the conventional knee airbag,
2 is a view of the installation device of the knee airbag according to the present invention, a view having a shock absorbing device of the first embodiment,
3 is a view of the installation device of the knee airbag according to the present invention, a view having a shock absorbing device of the second embodiment,
4 is a view of the knee airbag installation apparatus having a support member of another embodiment in FIG.
5 and 6 are views for showing the operation of the installation device of the knee airbag according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The vehicle knee airbag is installed to have an airbag module including an inflator connected to the cowl cross member.

That is, the vehicle knee airbag installation apparatus according to the present invention, as shown in Fig. 2 and 3, the shock absorbing device 10 is coupled to the cowl cross member (1) protruding in the direction toward the driver, the shock absorbing device The airbag module 4 is configured to include a rotating shaft 20 installed through the shock absorbing device 10 and the airbag module 4 so that the airbag module 4 is rotatably coupled to the left and right directions.

That is, the airbag module 4 is installed in a structure capable of rotating with respect to the shock absorbing device 10 about the rotating shaft 20.

On the other hand, the shock absorbing device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is fixedly coupled to the cowl cross member 1 and the other end is fixedly coupled to the airbag module 4 in a parallel state as shown in FIG. Shock absorbing protrusions which are continuously formed along the longitudinal direction of the airbag brackets 11 and 12 on the inner surfaces of the two airbag brackets 11 and 12 facing each other in the two airbag brackets 11 and 12, respectively. It consists of (11a, 12a).

Here, the shock absorbing projections (11a, 12a) is a structure formed projecting in an arc-shaped cross-section toward the airbag brackets (11, 12) facing each other.

When the shock absorbing device 10 is configured to have two airbag brackets 11 and 12 and shock absorbing protrusions 11a and 12a as described above, the rotating shaft 20 is connected to the two airbag brackets 11 and 12. It is fitted between the formed shock absorbing projections (11a, 12a) is installed so as to rotate the shaft while being installed to move toward the cowl cross member (1) along the impact absorbing projections (11a, 12a) when an external force is applied.

That is, when an external force acts on the airbag module 4, the airbag module 4 receives a force to move toward the cowl cross member 1 together with the rotation shaft 20. In this case, the rotation shaft 20 absorbs shock. In the process of moving toward the cowl cross member 1 along the protrusions 11a and 12a, the airbag module 4 may absorb the movement force of the airbag module 4.

In addition, the shock absorbing device 10 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is fixedly coupled to the airbag module 4 as shown in FIG. 3, and the airbag block 13 is installed to penetrate the rotating shaft 20 to enable shaft rotation. And one end fixedly coupled to the cowl cross member 1 and the other end fixedly coupled to the airbag block 13 when the airbag module 4 moves toward the cowl cross member 1 when an external force is applied. It is composed of a supporting member capable of absorbing the moving force of the module (4).

Here, the support member may be a spring 14 that is elastically variable in length according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 3, or in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 4 the airbag It may be a shape-variable bracket 15 that can absorb the movement force of the airbag module 4 while being deformed by the movement force of the module 4.

If the support member is constituted by the shape-variable bracket 15, the shape-variable bracket 15 is preferably installed in the form of an X (X) while having two pieces in order to have a more improved shock absorbing structure.

The operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

First, in an abnormal state in which the airbag module 4 is rotated to the right as shown in FIG. 5 based on the normal state installed toward the driver, an inflator having a collision and a collision accident and receiving a signal from the airbag control unit is When the airbag cushion 5 is exploded and deployed backward (A situation), the left knee 6 of the driver's left and right knees 6 and 7 first comes into contact with the left side of the airbag cushion 5 (B situation).

Then, the airbag cushion 5 is subjected to a pressing force by the left knee 6 so that the hinge shaft 20 is axially rotated in the clockwise direction in the illustrated state, and at the same time the airbag module 4 coupled with the hinge shaft 20. ) And the airbag cushion 5 are also rotated clockwise as shown by the arrow R1.

When the airbag cushion 5 rotates, the right side of the airbag cushion 5 eventually comes into contact with the right knee 7, and when the driver's left and right knees 6 and 7 come into contact with the airbag cushion 5. At this time, the airbag cushion 5 is subjected to a large pressing force by the left and right knees 6 and 7 of the driver.

Here, since the rotation operation of the airbag cushion 5 proceeds very quickly, the time taken for both the left and right knees 6 and 7 of the driver to contact the airbag cushion 5 is very short.

When a large pressing force by the driver is transmitted to the airbag cushion 5 as described above, the rotary shaft 20 connected through the airbag cushion 5 and the airbag module 4 has airbag brackets 11 and 12 as shown by arrow M1. While moving toward the cowl cross member (1) along the shock absorbing projections (11a, 12a) of (C situation) to absorb the movement force of the airbag module (4), thereby the driver's left and right knees (6, 7) Since the impact at the point of contact with the airbag cushion 5 can be greatly reduced, the driver's knee injury can be greatly reduced.

The above description is a case where the shock absorbing device 10 is the airbag brackets 11 and 12. If the spring 14 is installed as shown in FIG. 3, the structure for absorbing the shock through the elastic deformation of the spring 14 is provided. If the structure variable bracket 15 is installed as shown in Figure 4 will be a structure that absorbs the impact through the distortion deformation of the shape variable bracket 15, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In addition, FIG. 6 is an abnormal state in which the driver's seat posture is rotated to the right side without facing the front of the vehicle, and the following process is the same as that of FIG.

However, since the right knee 7 contacts the airbag cushion 5 first and the left knee 6 contacts later, the airbag module 4 and the airbag cushion 5 coupled with the hinge shaft 20 are shown by arrows. Like R2, the structure rotates counterclockwise.

Therefore, the present invention does not contact the airbag module 5 in which the driver's left and right knees 6 and 7 are not simultaneously contacted, even if one of the knees contacts first and the other of the knees subsequently touches the left and right knees. As the contact time difference of (6,7) can be reduced as much as possible, it is possible to prevent a difference in the injury values of the left and right knees (6,7) of the driver. I can greatly reduce it.

In addition, the airbag module 4 including the airbag cushion 5 moves toward the cowl cross member 1 from the time when the driver's left and right knees 6 and 7 are in contact with the airbag cushion 5. As a result, the driver's knee injury can be greatly reduced.

1-Cowl Cross Member 4-Airbag Module
10-Shock Absorber 11,12-Airbag Bracket
11a, 12a-Shock Absorber 13-Airbag Block
14-Spring 15-Shape Adjustable Bracket
20-axis of rotation

Claims

A shock absorbing device coupled to the cowl cross member so as to protrude in a direction toward the driver;
A rotating shaft installed through the shock absorber and the airbag module so that the airbag module is rotatably coupled to the left and right directions with respect to the shock absorber
Knee airbag installation apparatus for a vehicle comprising a.

The method of claim 1, wherein the shock absorbing device
Two airbag brackets having one end fixedly coupled to the cowl cross member and the other end fixedly coupled to the airbag module in a parallel state;
Shock absorbing protrusions formed in the two airbag brackets facing each other continuously in the airbag bracket in the longitudinal direction, respectively
Knee airbag installation apparatus for a vehicle, characterized in that consisting of.

The method according to claim 2, wherein the shock absorbing projections are formed to protrude in an arc-shaped cross-section toward the airbag bracket facing each other
Knee airbag installation apparatus for a vehicle, characterized in that.

The method of claim 2, wherein the rotating shaft is installed between the shock absorbing projections formed on the two airbag brackets so as to rotate the shaft while being installed to move toward the cowl cross member along the shock absorbing projection when an external force is applied.
Knee airbag installation apparatus for a vehicle, characterized in that.

The method of claim 1, wherein the shock absorbing device
An airbag block fixedly coupled to the airbag module and installed through the rotation shaft to allow shaft rotation;
One end is fixedly coupled to the cowl cross member and the other end is fixedly coupled to the airbag block to support the absorbing movement force of the airbag module when the airbag module moves toward the cowl cross member when an external force is applied.
Knee airbag installation apparatus for a vehicle, characterized in that consisting of.

The method of claim 5, wherein the support member is a spring that is elastically variable in length
Knee airbag installation apparatus for a vehicle, characterized in that.

The method according to claim 5, wherein the support member is deformed by the movement force of the airbag module is a shape-variable bracket that can absorb the movement force of the airbag module
Knee airbag installation apparatus for a vehicle, characterized in that.

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein two shape-variable brackets are installed in the form of an X (X).