KR20000012183U - Driver airbag module with membrane switch - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a structure of a driver airbag module embedded in a body of a steering wheel, and more particularly, to a structure of a driver airbag module incorporating a membrane switch. The airbag module structure includes an inflator fixedly coupled to the center of the upper part of the steering column housing, an air cushion bag in which an air cushion is folded on the upper part of the inflator, a protruding bracket panel, and a membrane switch disposed on the upper part of the bracket. The outer surface of both sides of the air cushion bag is wrapped around both sides of the tier, the membrane bag positioned on the upper portion of the air cushion bag, and the tier line corresponding to the tier of the central portion of the membrane bag is formed in the center of the steering column housing It is configured to include an airbag module cover warmed to the top of the.

Description

Driver airbag module with membrane switch

The present invention relates to a structure of a driver airbag module embedded in the body of the steering wheel, and more particularly to a structure of a driver airbag module incorporating a membrane switch.

Typically, the horn switch of the vehicle is usually located at the front of the steering wheel in order for the driver to easily cope with emergencies. In addition, an air bag module that protects the driver from a front collision in the event of a vehicle collision and prevents a secondary collision is also located at the front of the steering wheel. Therefore, since both the horn switch and the airbag module are located together in the steering wheel, their positions must be properly selected so that the two functions can be effectively used.

1A, 1B and 1C illustrate front, side and side cross sectional views of a steering wheel having an airbag module having a floating type horn switch according to the prior art. Referring to FIG. 1A, the airbag module 12 is coupled to the central position of the spokes 11 of the wheel 10. 1B and 1C, the airbag module 12 is floating coupled to a steering wheel body (hereinafter referred to as “wheel body”) 14 which is connected to the steering column 15 and fixes the wheel 10. It can be seen that. The floating coupling between the airbag module 12 and the wheel body 14 is positioned apart from the switch contact 22 coupled to the wheel body 14 by the spring 20. Here, the switch contact 22 is "on" when the airbag module 12 is lowered by applying a constant pressure to the upper portion of the floating airbag module 12 to supply current to the horn (not shown). It is a horn switch.

The steering wheel having the floating horn switch having the above configuration is configured such that the entire airbag module 12 performs one horn switch. Therefore, in order to operate the horn, the upper portion of the airbag module 12 is operated at a predetermined pressure or more so that the airbag module 12 and the switch contact 22 under the spring 20 in the wheel body 14 come into contact with each other. It should be pressurized.

At this time, since the force for pressurizing the airbag module 12 is usually larger than the emotional amount felt by the driver to operate the horn, the driver requires a larger force than expected to operate the horn. If the pressure of the spring 22 is designed to be small in order to reduce the force for pressurizing the airbag module 12, the switch contact 20 is "on" by the weight of the airbag module 12 when the vehicle is accelerated or stopped quickly. The horn malfunctions.

In addition, since the entire airbag module 12 is used as one horn switch, the airbag module 12 requires a distance of about 2.5 mm or more from the switch contact 20. For this reason, the space occupied by the airbag module 12 is reduced by that much, and the internal structure is also complicated because the switch contact 20 must be inside the steering wheel.

In order to improve the structure of the steering wheel having the floating horn switch as described above is shown in Figure 2 a steering wheel incorporating a horn switch in the wheel spokes. FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a structure of a steering wheel having a spoke horn switch according to the related art. Referring to the drawings, the wheel spokes 11 are separately from the airbag module 12 positioned at the center of the wheel spokes 11. Equipped with a separate horn operation switch (13). However, the structure as shown in FIG. 2 solves the problem of the steering wheel having the floating horn switch, but the horn switch 13 is located on the wheel spokes 11, which causes the driver to feel uncomfortable when operating the horn. have. For example, when the horn operation is required in an emergency situation, the area of the horn switch is so small that it is inconvenient to operate, and unless you are an experienced driver, you will not be able to cycle forward to operate the horn, and you must see the steering wheel. The risk is also great.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a structure of a steering wheel in which the membrane switch and the airbag module are optimally embedded to drive the horn.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mounting structure of a steering wheel having a membrane switch formed on top of an airbag positioned over a wide range of the center area of the steering wheel.

The present invention for achieving the above object is an inflator fixedly coupled to the center of the upper portion of the steering column housing and an air cushion bag is folded (air cushion) on the upper portion of the inflator, a bracket panel having a projection and A membrane bag disposed on an upper portion of the bracket and wrapped on an outer surface of both sides of the air cushion bag to correspond to a membrane bag positioned to be spaced apart from an upper portion of the air cushion bag, and a spaced apart line of the spaced membrane bags The tear line is formed in the center and is characterized in that it comprises an airbag module cover which is heated on the upper portion of the steering column housing.

1A, 1B and 1C are views for explaining the structure of a driver airbag module having a floating horn switch according to the prior art.

Figure 2 shows the structure of a steering wheel having a spoke horn switch and a driver airbag module according to the prior art.

3 is a side cross-sectional view of a driver airbag module having a membrane switch according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a cross-sectional view of the airbag deployed in the steering wheel shown in FIG. 3;

5A and 5B show the membrane switch and projection bracket 26 shown in FIG. 3.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that in the following description, only parts necessary for understanding the operation according to the present invention will be described, and descriptions of other parts will be omitted so as not to obscure the subject matter of the present invention.

3 is a side cross-sectional view of a driver airbag module having a membrane switch according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, an airbag module 12 having a membrane switch according to the present invention is coupled to an upper portion of a steering wheel body 14 coupled to a steering column 15.

The airbag module 12 according to the present invention is coupled to the upper portion of the wheel body 14, the inflator (16) for releasing a gas by the deployment control signal, and folding (folding) in the upper portion of the inflator (16) The inner side of both sides of the air cushion bag 18 by including the cushion bag 18, the protruding bracket panel 24, and the membrane switch 26 placed on the bracket 24. Tear line corresponding to a membrane bag 28 positioned with a tier 30 at the top of the air cushion bag 18 and a tier 30 of the membrane bag 28. Line 32 is formed in the center and comprises an airbag module cover 34 which is heated on top of the steering wheel body 14.

The protrusions formed on the plastic brackets 26 embedded in the membrane bag 28 protrude upwards, and each of the membrane switches 24 positioned above the two thin plates are spaced apart from each other. It consists of an electrode plate to which positive and negative voltages are respectively input. At this time, each of the electrode plates in the membrane switch 24 is connected to a power source for driving a horn.

4 is a cross-sectional view of the airbag deployed in the steering wheel shown in FIG. 3, and FIGS. 5A and 5B show the membrane switch 24 and the bracket 26 having protrusions shown in FIG. 3. It is.

Hereinafter, the operation of the membrane switch and the deployment of the airbag according to the present invention will be described in detail.

When the driver lightly presses the upper part of the airbag module cover 34 made of a synthetic resin material having good flexibility, the upper shape of the airbag module cover 34 is deformed. That is, it extends downward and exerts pressure on the top of the membrane bag 28 located below it. When pressure is applied to the top of the membrane bag 28, the membrane switch 24 located therein is pressed by a protrusion formed on the top of the plastic bracket 26. Accordingly, the two thin electrode pads constituting the membrane switch 24 come into contact with each other to operate the horn.

In addition, the airbag module 12 configured as described above is relatively fast deployment of the air cushion bag 18 when a crash accident occurs in the vehicle. For example, when the impulse detection signal is detected by an air bag electronic control unit (not shown), the air bag electronic control unit sends a deployment control signal to the inflator 16 in the air bag module 12. Supply.

At this time, the inflator 16 inflates the folded air cushion bag 18 by releasing the explosive gas in response to the deployment control signal. When the strength of the air cushion bag 18 is inflated to be equal to or higher than the yield strength of the membrane bag 28, the tier formed near the center of the membrane bag 28 is torn, and the airbag module cover 24 is again tiered. Breaking along the 32, the air cushion bag 18 is inflated to the outside as shown in FIG. Thus, it protects the driver from secondary collisions to the steering wheel or the dashboard.

During the operation as described above, the plastic bracket 24 and the membrane switch 26 and the like embedded in the membrane bag 28 move along the path of the brake of the airbag module cover 34 as shown in FIG. 4. However, the debris of the membrane switch 26 and the plastic bracket 24 located underneath is embedded in the membrane bag 28 so that it does not bounce outside and injure the driver.

As described above, the airbag steering wheel having the membrane switch according to the embodiment of the present invention can easily operate the horn even by low pressure, and by preventing the debris of the membrane switch and the plastic bracket from being thrown out to the outside during the airbag deployment Can protect.

Claims (3)

In a driver airbag module having a membrane switch, An inflator fixedly coupled to the center of the upper part of the steering column housing and an air cushion bag folded at the upper part of the inflator; A membrane bag which is formed on the upper side of the air cushion bag by enclosing a projection panel and a membrane switch placed on the upper side of the bracket and being wrapped around both sides of the tier on both sides of the air cushion bag; A driver airbag module having a membrane switch, characterized in that it comprises a airbag module cover formed at a center of the tier line corresponding to the tier of the center of the membrane bag and heated to an upper portion of the steering column housing. 2. The driver airbag module of claim 1, wherein the protrusion formed on the bracket panel in the membrane bag protrudes upward at predetermined intervals. The driver's airbag module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the membrane switch is formed by stacking two thin sheets of thin film.