SE537624C2 - Control rod for side mounted air curtain - Google Patents

Abstract

SUMMARY The invention relates to a handlebar (2), preferably intended for use in vehicles such as, for example, in trucks or buses and for steering and retaining an airbag, in particular an air curtain (1,9), in the desired / intended position, the handlebar (2) comprises at least one first upper fastener (3b) for mounting the handlebar (2) in the vehicle. The invention is achieved in that the guide rod (2) is arranged with an upper fastening (3b) designed to be releasably hooked into, hung up in, a fastening (3a) arranged in the cab body of the vehicle.

Description

(12) Patent application Patent application number: (45) Patent granted: (41) Application generally available: Filing date: (24) Deadline: (30) Priority information: (10) SE 02 1350164-8 2015-08-11 2014-08-12 2013 -02-11 2013-02-11 (51) Int.CI .: B6OR 21/232 (2011.01) B6OR 21/2334 (2011.01) Scania CV AB, SE-151 87 SODERTALJE SE Annelie EK, TUMBA SE Annika Ahling, Scania CV AB, 151 87, SOdertalje SE Handlebar for side-mounted air curtain EP 1384632 A1 • DE 102009036280 A1 The invention relates to a handlebar (2), preferably intended for use in vehicles such as trucks or buses and for steering and retaining an airbag, separate sign curtain curtain (1,9), in desired / intended position, wherein the handlebar (2) comprises at least one first upper first (3b) for mounting the handlebar (2) in the vehicle. The invention is achieved in that the guide rod (2) is arranged with an upper head (3b) designed to be releasably hooked into, hung up in, a fixed (3a) in arranged in the cab body of the vehicle. 3a SUMMARY The invention relates to a handlebar (2), preferably intended for use in vehicles such as, for example, in trucks or buses and for steering and retaining an airbag, in particular an air curtain (1,9), in a desired / intended position, wherein the handlebar (2 ) comprises at least one first upper fastener (3b) for mounting the handlebar (2) in the vehicle. The invention is achieved in that the guide rod (2) is arranged with an upper fastening (3b) designed to be releasably hooked into, hung up in, a fastening (3a) arranged in the cab body of the vehicle.

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates generally to curtain rods for vehicles and in particular to control rods for controlling a crash curtain which is activated and biased upwards. The control rod according to the invention must allow a simplified and quick assembly and can be mounted in tight spaces where adjacent interior details justify normal assembly. The invention is particularly intended for use in commercial and / or heavy vehicles such as, for example, trucks, buses, etc., where the function of the control rod according to the invention is above all to support the front edge of the curtain, seen in the direction of the vehicle. The invention can of course be used for other types of vehicles or in other applications where curtain curtains are used as protection for drivers or passengers in the event of an accident. The invention also relates to a vehicle in which a crash curtain and / or handlebar according to the invention is used.

BACKGROUND OF THE TECHNOLOGY In most modern passenger cars today, curtain blinds are used as personal protection in the event of an accident, such as in the event of collisions, election accidents or the like. The crash curtain is usually mounted rolled up at or under the roof panel above the vehicle's side doors and, after activation / inflation, normally covers the entire byre part of the inside of the door or side window, from the front windscreen and the rear to the rear window or luggage compartment. In passenger cars, the front edge or the spirit of the crash curtain is usually mounted a bit down in the car's A-pillar, which is the pillar closest to the windscreen. The A-pillar has such an inclination that the curtain is usually held in place during the development process without other aids, equipment or control devices.

On heavy commercial vehicles, curtain curtains have not yet been used by different shells. But since even heavy commercial vehicles are exposed to accidents, and not least to accidents, where the driver can be thought to hit the inside or side window of the door, there is reason to now introduce this personal protection even for larger / heavier vehicles.

In passenger cars, the A-pillar is thus designed with a large open angle in relation to the upper side beam, which makes it possible to mount the front part of the curtain of fabric curtain in the A-pillar itself and so that it extends along the roof and side beam baked to the next pillar, the sk The B-pillar.

This meant that there are attachment points in the A-pillar that hold the curtain in place even during activation / inflation.

In a heavier truck-type vehicle, the ratio is different as the angle between the cab's A-pillar and side beam is different enough, ie close to 90 degrees, so it is black or impossible to implement the same solution for mounting as in a car. The curtain would not have anything that guides it down in the right way and that holds it in place e.g. in the event of an election accident and clamed, it cannot safely fulfill its function as a full-fledged personal protection. In order to achieve a vertical control of the curtain in the vertical direction, a solution with two rigid guide posts, for example made of steel, which is mounted in the front and rear edge of the curtain and which guides the curtain downwards in the steering direction when it is biased up and unfolded, is required. the curtain in place.

However, this gives some assembly problems in heavier vehicles because vehicle cabins have a more extensive interior which, moreover, is not adapted to the buyer's wishes. For this reason, the interior can look different between different vehicles, even though it is the same basic model. The interior details can be in the carriage for the installation of a crash curtain and its guide rods. An interior detail that can prevent or justify the installation of guide rods is e.g. a shelf placed above the windscreen of the vehicle.

It is also desirable that the assembly is carried out in an aesthetically pleasing manner. For example. viii if possible, the yarns are hidden both attachment points and the guide rods themselves behind interior details and trim panels, which creates further problems during installation and makes it difficult for the fitters to come up with tools to e.g. screw to different screw connections.

A basic need is therefore that the assembly of the curtain and its guide rods should be facilitated and that the mounting of the guide rods should be simple in their construction.

The problem is to design a type of guide bar for side-mounted curtain curtains that do not need to be mounted with traditional screw connections, at least not at the top. Such a solution would entail ergonomic advantages during assembly and speed up assembly, thereby creating cost advantages during manufacture.

The handlebars are usually hidden behind trim panels in the cab and the space for the front handlebar is limited downwards by the truck's entry handle. Each handlebar has two mounting points, one at the top which is located in or near the side beam of the cab and one at the bottom which is therefore placed near the entry handle. Access to the Upper anchorage point, located at or above the A-pillar, is usually limited by a roof shelf which must be mounted by different shells before the curtain 3 and p.g.a. the roof shelf becomes very narrow and it is not possible to fasten a screw.

A number of different solutions for guide rods for curtain curtains are already known.

For example, patent publication WO03037677 discloses a side airbag which is guided by means of guide rods arranged in the front and rear edge of the crash curtain. The guide rods are equipped with a mounting hall in both spirits and are mounted in the vehicle's body / frame preferably with the help of screw connections.

Patent publication DE430717 discloses a variant of a side airbag and its guide rods. It has also been shown how guide rods can be arranged in the front and rear edge of the curtain. How the handlebars are mounted in the vehicle's body / frame is not shown in more detail.

The patent publication EP1510416 shows a further variant of a side airbag and its mounting. At least one guide rod, hidden behind a panel, is used to guide the curtain at one edge thereof, preferably at its rear edge. The guide rod is equipped with a mounting hall at the top and bottom and is mounted in the vehicle body / frame preferably with the help of screw connections.

Kand technology does not show a crash curtain with guide rods that can be mounted in really tight spaces and without the use of screws.

There is a need for a new and improved construction that allows an easy installation of curtain and guide rods and where the guide rods are compact and take up as little space as 4 possible and with a design so that they can be easily mounted even in tight spaces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a guide rod for a curtain which makes it possible to mount the guide rod in narrow spaces and which at the same time facilitates and speeds up the assembly.

A further object of the invention is that the guide rod should be able to be hooked in a fastener and left in the fastener temporarily without further aids such as e.g. a screw connection.

A further object of the invention is that the guide rod should be able to be inserted against the fastener from the side and hooked in place.

A further object of the invention is that the guide rod should be able to be locked in the fastener with the aid of a bayonet socket.

A further object of the invention is that it should be possible to mount the guide rod in a more ergonomic manner for the fitters and which offers a so-called "third hand solution".

A further object of the invention is that the guide rod and its fastening must be so stable that they can handle all load cases that may occur in the event of an accident.

A further object of the invention is that the mounting of the guide rod in its adjacent attachment point is substantially concealed after the final assembly and during use of the vehicle and gives an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

A further object of the invention is that the guide rod should be as simple as possible for its construction and thus be cost-effective to manufacture.

A further object of the invention is that the guide rod and its attachments should be hidden.

These and further objects and advantages are achieved according to the invention with a guide rod which has the features which appear from the cantilevered part of claim 1.

The invention thus generally relates to a curtain for vehicles and in particular to the design of the curtain rod of the curtain and its fastening so that the assembly is simplified and accelerated and can take place without problems, even in tight spaces. The invention is achieved by designing the guide rod so that it can be hooked into a dedicated recess in the vehicle body and where the recess and the guide rod are designed so that the connection is also stored in the mechanical gaskets which may arise in the event of an accident. In order to further secure the connection, the recess in the cab body can be designed as an elongated hole, which can serve as a bayonet socket for the outer part of the guide rod. The guide rod is then designed with one or more disposable flanges which are pressed into the recess, after which the guide rod is rotated so that a welding occurs. Then a screw connection or similar is mounted in the lower end portion of the guide rod. Due to the construction according to the invention, the disadvantages of prior art are eliminated and a much more easily mounted guide rod is obtained. The fastening concept makes it possible to mount a curtain and its guide rods even if, for example, a roof shelf or the like has already been mounted in the vehicle. The invention further entails a so-called third-hand release for the fitter 6 as the guide rod is held in place by itself as soon as it is hooked into the recess.

The invention can of course also be used in other types of vehicles or in other applications where control of a crash curtain is necessary and where the space for mounting a control rod is limited.

The invention also relates to a vehicle in which a handlebar with a fastening as above is used.

The construction according to the invention eliminates the disadvantages of prior art and a more spiritually appropriate, functional and above all easily mounted guide rod is obtained.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following, more detailed description of the invention, and from the accompanying drawings and other claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is described in more detail below in some preferred embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawing figures.

Figure 1 shows a vehicle cab from the inside and how a crash curtain is arranged in the cab frame over one of the left doors and indicates the safe distribution of the crash curtain in an inflated and developed position.

Figure 2 shows in more detail a bar, has a key neck shape, recess for the handlebar at the A-pillar in the vehicle.

Figure 3 shows in more detail a first embodiment of the upper fastening of the guide rod. Figure 4 shows in more detail the guide rod hooked and anchored in the key neck-shaped recess.

The figure shows in more detail an alternative design of the attachment point where an elongated recess in the cab body is inclined, e.g. to enable a bayonet mount.

Figure 6 shows in more detail the release according to figure 5, but where the guide rod itself is provided with flanges which form a bayonet fastening and which are mounted in the recess.

Figure 7 shows in more detail an alternative embodiment of the recess, having a substantially T-shaped halo.

Figure 8 shows the same view as figure 7 but with a handlebar equipped with a corresponding bayonet socket mounted.

Figure 9 shows in more detail an alternative embodiment of the recess, with an additional substantially T-shaped hal.

Figure shows the same view as figure 9 but with a guide rod equipped with a corresponding wing-shaped bayonet socket mounted.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention thus generally relates to a crash curtain 1 for vehicles and in particular to the design of the crash curtain guide rod 2 and its curved fastening 3 so that assembly is simplified, accelerated and can take place in really tight spaces.

Figure 1 shows a part of a cab frame in a heavy vehicle 4 from the inside and how a rolled up curtain 1 is mounted in the cab frame Over one, left, door (not shown) and how a roof shelf 5 At least partially blocks access to the 8 fixed point 3, arranged in the vehicle's A-pillar 6. A rear control rod 7 is also arranged at the vehicle's B-pillar 8 with a corresponding fixed point 3. The control rods 2,7 are intended to control the crash curtain 1 when it is activated and biased up (developed crash curtain is indicated with 9) in the event of an accident said that it takes a correct position and can protect the driver. The guide rods 2.7 are mounted at their lower duck portions with the help of screw connections. The rear handlebar 7 may be slightly longer as the front handlebar 2 is limited at the bottom by the cab entry handle 10. Through the handlebars 2.7 the developed curtain curtain 9 is kept in the intended place inside the side window to prevent the driver from facing the window or being thrown out through the window.

Figure 2 shows in more detail a barrel fastening 3a in the form of a recess 11 designed as a keyhole and arranged at the Astolpen (or B-post) 6 in the vehicle. The circular upper part of the recess 11 allows the guide rod 2 to hook into the recess 11, after which the guide rod 2 is pushed downwards by the fitters so that the guide rod 2 is read laterally. A pressing in the plate of the cabin frame around the recess 11 strengthens the fastening 3a.

Figure 3 shows in more detail a first embodiment of the guide rod 3b of the guide rod 2. The guide rod 2 has a bend at the top which results in the curvature of the guide rod 2 being substantially at a 90 degree angle to the main part of the guide rod 2. TVs & flanges 12a, b are arranged forming a gap 13 therebetween.

Figure 4 shows in more detail the guide rod 2 according to figure 3 hooked and depressed and thus anchored in the key neck-shaped recess 11. The guide rod 2 can only be moved upwards in this layer which is prevented in the final mounted layer by a screw connection arranged in its second lower spirit (not shown) .

Figure shows in more detail an alternative design of the fastening 3 where an elongate recess 14 in the cab body is arranged obliquely. Precisely the fact that the recess 14 is elongate makes it possible 9 to provide a bayonet socket which makes the guide rod 2 weldable to the fastening 14, provided that the fixed fixed point of the guide rod 2 is also formed with a corresponding elongate element or flange.

Figure 6 shows in more detail a release where the guide rod 2 itself is provided with a transversely elongate flange 15. The welding is achieved by fitting the flange 15 of the guide rod 2 into the recess 14 by turning the guide rod 2 slightly, a part of a vary, to a layer where the flange 15 can be pressed into, fits into the recess 14 and then rotates back to a layer where the guide rod 2 hangs substantially vertically and is loaded in the recess 14.

Figure 7 shows in more detail an alternative embodiment of a recess 16, has a substantially but slightly deformed T-shaped hl, which enables a welding function with bayonet socket but where the recess 16 also ensures that the exact final layer of the guide rod 2 can be determined, by shifted down into the groove 16b (see Figure 7).

Figure 8 shows the same view as figure 7 but with a guide rod 2 provided with a corresponding bayonet socket mounted. The elongate flange 17 of the guide rod 2 is visible after assembly.

Figure 9 shows in more detail an alternative embodiment of a recess 18, with an additional substantially T-shaped hal. Baffles 19, 20 or bulges are arranged in the plate near the recess 18 and help to fix and hold the guide rod 2 in place when it is rotated, in order to avoid play and for the guide rod 2 to slip out of its fastening 3 during the assembly phase.

Figure shows the same view as figure 9 but with a guide rod 2 provided with corresponding wing-shaped or propeller-shaped flanges 21a, b mounted to achieve a bayonet socket. The inner and outer flanges 21a, b are slightly offset mounted at the end of the guide rod 2 to achieve an optimal welding and easier mounting. The outer flange 21b is slightly smaller than the inner flange 21a, and the inner flange 21a is thus slightly larger than the recess 18, so that the outer flange 21b can fit into the recess 18 but so as not to bathe the flanges 21a, b by mistake. pushed into the recess 18 during assembly.

At least one flange, e.g. the inner flange 21a, is somewhat resiliently designed so that the fastener 3 is put into mechanical tension when the guide rod 2 is turned in place and the inner flange 21a is pressed against the baffles 19,20.

The above description is primarily intended to facilitate the understanding of the invention. The invention is of course not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, but also other variants of the invention are possible and conceivable terms within the scope of the inventive concept and the scope of protection of the appended claims. For example, the design of the fastener 3 can be made inverted, ie a flange (not shown) can be mounted in, and protrude from, the cab body and a corresponding recess can be formed in the guide rod 2 itself, preferably in its outer part. A control rod according to the invention can of course also be used and mounted in the various posts of the vehicle. 11

Claims (6)

PATENT REQUIREMENTS Handlebar (2,7), preferably intended for use in vehicles such as trucks, buses or the like. and for guiding and retaining an airbag, in particular an air curtain (1,9), in the desired / intended position, the handlebar (2) comprising at least one first upper first (3b) for mounting the handlebar (2) in the vehicle, can be drawn therefrom that the control rod (2) arranged with the upper fastening (3b) designed to be releasably hooked in, hung up 1, a corresponding fastening (3a) arranged in the cab body (4) of the vehicle, furthermore the fastening (3b) of the control rod (2) is formed with a flange (12a, 12b, 15,17,21a, 21b) and the head (3a) in the body of the vehicle is designed as an elongate recess (11,14,18), the guide rod (2) being arranged to fit into the recess ( 11,14,18) and then at least a part of a vary is rotated in a bayonet socket. Guide rod (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper fastening (3b) of the guide rod (2) comprises at least one flange (12a, 12b, 15, 17, 21a, 21b) arranged to be fitted into the recess (11) during assembly. , 14,18) in the body of the vehicle and that the flange (12a, 12b, 15,17,21a, 21b) then retains the handlebar (2) in its position. Steering rod (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the recess (11, 14, 18) in the body of the vehicle is keyhole-shaped. Guide bar (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the recess (11, 14, 18) in the body of the vehicle is substantially T-shaped. Guide rod (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the guide rod (2), after fitting into the recess (11,14,18) in the cab body, is slightly displaceable downwards in the recess (11,14,18) in the vertical direction so that a thing fastening is achieved and so that the lower spirit of the guide rod (2) can be fitted towards a lower fastening. Vehicle comprising a handlebar (2) according to any one of claims 1-5. 13 1 / C 2/3 / C \ 1 Lc) 4 / N.- co a) it N. a) U- Fig 21b