JP3312985B2 - Automotive airbag door opening adjustment structure - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure of an airbag door for an automobile, and more particularly to a structure for adjusting the opening of an airbag door.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, an airbag device for a passenger seat of an automobile is mounted inside a passenger compartment-side member (specifically, an instrument panel) in front of a passenger seat. An airbag deployment opening is formed in the vehicle-side member, and the opening is covered by an airbag door having the same type of appearance as the vehicle-side member in a normal state. Once the vehicle receives a large impact due to a collision or the like, the airbag accommodated in the airbag accommodating portion (canister) in the opening is actuated and inflated. The airbag door covering the vehicle is opened, and the airbag is deployed into the vehicle interior through the opening to safely protect the occupant.

The present inventors have previously proposed a structure of an automobile airbag door in which an airbag door is connected by a door opening regulating belt.

According to this structure, the impact energy from the airbag is reduced by the extension of the opening regulating belt,
The opening speed of the airbag door is reduced, and the opening position is regulated by the belt, so that a collision with the windshield can be avoided, and the possibility of breakage of the door and glass is reduced, which is advantageous in terms of safety. .

[0005] However, such a structure requires sewing and heat treatment of the end of the door opening regulation belt, which may complicate the working process. Also,
In some cases, it is necessary to attach a buckle member or the like to the door opening regulation belt, which causes an increase in the manufacturing cost of such an airbag door.

Further, when a door opening regulation belt is used, the way in which the belt expands varies depending on the pressure when the airbag is deployed, and the opening speed of the door varies, and the opening locus may not be constant. Further, the turning radius of the airbag door becomes large, and when the airbag door is opened, the rear portion of the door may collide with the vehicle interior member on the upper surface of the instrument panel, and the vehicle interior member may be damaged.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been proposed in view of the above-mentioned problems, and the airbag door hits a windshield or the like when the airbag is deployed by always keeping the opening trajectory constant. It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure for adjusting the opening of an airbag door for an automobile, which can not only prevent the airbag from opening, but also adjust the opening by absorbing the opening energy of the airbag door. Another object of the present invention is to provide a very simple and economical structure for adjusting the opening of an airbag door for an automobile, which does not require complicated processing steps.

[0008]

That is, the present invention provides:
An airbag door which is opened and rotated around a hinge portion in accordance with inflation and deployment of an airbag provided in the airbag housing portion, wherein the side portion of the airbag door has the hinge portion as a center. An opening adjusting member having an arc-shaped groove portion that coincides with the rotation locus from the time of closing the door to the time of opening the door is integrally provided, and the width of the groove portion is partially reduced in the arc-shaped groove. The airbag accommodating portion projects into an arc-shaped groove of the opening adjustment member, and engages with a frictional resistance portion in the groove when the airbag door is rotated and opened. An opening degree of an automobile airbag door, wherein an engagement projection is formed to reduce the opening speed of the bag door and to stop at the end of the groove to stop rotation and opening of the airbag door. Adjustment structure According to the.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an airbag device showing an example in which a frictional resistance portion of the structure of the present invention is formed by an uneven portion, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a main part in an assembled state, FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view of a state where the airbag is deployed.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an opening adjusting member showing an example in which the frictional resistance portion is formed by a narrow groove, FIG. 6 is a side view thereof, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a side view of an opening adjustment member showing an example formed over the end portion, FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example in which the opening adjustment member and the hinge portion are formed integrally with the airbag door, FIG. FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a main part in an assembled state, FIG. 11 is a side view showing an example in which an airbag body is covered with a surface material,
FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view showing a joint structure between the airbag body and the surface material, and FIG. 13 is a side view showing an example in which the airbag body is covered with a surface material including a foamed plastic layer.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the structure of the present invention allows the airbag B to be reliably and safely opened without deploying the airbag door 10 on a windshield or a vehicle interior member when the airbag B is deployed. For the structure. As shown in FIG. 1, the airbag door 10 has a known structure formed in a predetermined door shape, and includes a vehicle side member or an airbag housing 41 via a hinge 11.
And covers the opening 42 thereof.

The hinge portion 11 includes a rotation hole 12 and a rotation shaft 13 and is provided at the end of the airbag door 10 on the windshield side or in the vicinity thereof. This hinge part 1
1 is to insert the rotary shaft 13 into rotary holes 12 provided on both sides of the end portion of the airbag door 10,
Is attached to the vehicle interior side member. The airbag door 10 moves with the inflation and deployment of the airbag B,
It rotates around the rotation shaft 13 and opens.

The use of the hinge portion 11 causes the airbag door 10 to rotate about the rotation shaft 13, so that the airbag door 1 can be opened by the pressure of the airbag B when it is deployed.
Even when there is a difference in the rotation speed of 0, the rotation trajectory is always constant, and it is possible to prevent the rotation locus from hitting the vehicle interior side member or the like. Further, since the rotating shaft 13 is directly fixed to the vehicle compartment side member, the accuracy of the mounting position of the airbag door 10 is extremely good.

It is preferable that the hinge 11 be provided on the windshield rather than on the opening 42 of the airbag housing 41. As a result, the inflated airbag B hits the rotation tip side of the airbag door 10, and its rotation and opening is extremely reliable and easy.

By the way, in the above-described hinge structure, the deployment pressure of the airbag B transmitted to the back surface of the airbag door 10 is completely replaced by the rotational movement of the airbag door 10 about the rotation shaft 13. Therefore, the door 10
Is extremely fast. Therefore, at the time of opening,
The airbag door 10 may hit the windshield and break the glass. Therefore, immediately before the windshield, it is desirable to regulate the degree of opening of the door to some extent to reduce the opening speed. Therefore, in the structure of the present invention,
The airbag door 10 is provided with an opening adjustment member 20 for regulating the opening and adjusting the opening speed.

The opening adjusting member 20 is made of metal, plastic, or the like, and has an arc-shaped groove portion 21 and a frictional resistance portion 22. The arc-shaped groove 21 is for defining the rotation angle of the airbag door 10, and
0 is formed in a shape coinciding with the rotation trajectory from the closed state to the rotation opening around the hinge 11. Therefore, it is preferable that the central angle θ defining the arc shape of the arc-shaped groove portion 21 is formed to be the same as the angle when the airbag door 10 when closed is opened just before hitting the windshield. It can be set appropriately depending on the position of the bag door and the like.

In this example, the frictional resistance portion 22 is formed of a concavo-convex portion as shown in the figure, and is formed so as to protrude from the inner wall surface of the arcuate groove portion 21 so that the groove width of the arcuate groove portion 21 is partially reduced. I have. The frictional resistance part 22 is provided in the airbag door 10.
When the airbag door is deployed, frictional resistance is given to the engagement protrusion 30 described later, and the opening speed of the airbag door 10 is reduced.
The shape of the frictional resistance portion 22 may be a corrugated shape, a saw blade shape, or the like, in addition to the uneven shape as shown in the figure.

The opening adjusting member 20 can be easily obtained by pressing a metal or molding a plastic.

The opening adjusting member 20 having the above-described structure is provided.
Is integrally fixed to a side portion of the airbag door 10 with the arc-shaped groove portion 21 along the side surface of the airbag housing portion 41 via a mounting portion 24 provided at the upper end thereof. The mounting portion 24 is provided so as to protrude in the surface direction of the opening degree adjusting member 20, and as shown in FIG. 2, is engaged with the mounting recess 15 provided on the back surface of the side of the airbag door 10. The opening adjustment member 20 is connected to the airbag door 1.
0.

On the other hand, an engagement projection 30 projecting into the arc-shaped groove 21 of the opening adjustment member 20 is formed above the side of the airbag housing 41. This engagement projection 30
3 is for reducing the opening speed of the airbag door 10, and as can be understood from FIG. 3, when the airbag door 10 is closed, it projects from the uppermost part of the arc-shaped groove 21. It is provided at a position where The engagement protrusion 30 is formed to be thicker than the groove width in the arc-shaped groove 21 narrowed by the frictional resistance part 22.
Reference numeral 40 in the drawing denotes a vehicle interior side member.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the airbag door 10 is rotated and opened by the deployment of the airbag B, the engagement adjusting portion 30 rotates with the rotation of the opening adjustment member 20 as shown in FIG. The frictional portion 22 slides while being crushed, and the friction reduces the opening speed of the airbag door 10. Further, the engagement protrusion 30 is engaged with the terminal end portion 26 in the arc-shaped groove portion 22 to surely stop the rotation opening of the airbag door 10. for that reason,
Not only is the rotation trajectory and the opening of the airbag door 10 defined, but also by absorbing the opening energy, the opening speed of the airbag door 10 is reduced, and the collision with the windshield and the vehicle interior member is prevented. To prevent.

In this embodiment, a well-known bolt member or the like is used for the engaging projection 30 and is attached to the airbag housing 41 from outside the airbag housing 41. Reference numeral 31 denotes a fastening bolt.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show an embodiment in which the frictional resistance portion 52 in the arc-shaped groove portion 51 of the opening adjustment member 50 is formed by a narrow groove portion. Friction resistance part 52 in this case
The relationship between the groove width and the diameter c of the engagement protrusion 55 is as shown in FIG.
c> a ≧ b.

FIG. 7 shows the arc-shaped groove 6 of the opening adjustment member 60.
This is an example in which the frictional resistance portion 62 in No. 1 is formed from 61 m in the arc-shaped groove portion to the terminal end portion 61e. In such an opening degree adjusting member 60, the opening is smoothly performed immediately after the opening of the airbag door, but thereafter the resistance is applied and the opening speed is regulated.

FIG. 8 and subsequent figures show an example in which the opening adjustment member is formed integrally with the airbag door body. 8 to 10, the opening adjustment member 70 is formed integrally with the airbag door main body 71 and the hinge portion 75.
In this example, these components can be integrally formed by a plastic molded product. Here, the opening adjustment member 7
Reference numeral 0 extends integrally from the side back surface of the airbag door main body 71. 8 to 10, reference numeral 72 denotes an arc-shaped groove portion, 73 denotes a frictional resistance portion, 74 denotes an engagement projection, 76 denotes a hinge mounting portion, 77 denotes a mounting bolt, and 78 denotes an airbag housing portion. It goes without saying that the friction resistance portion may be the narrow arc groove portion described above.

FIGS. 11 to 13 show examples in which the airbag body is covered with a skin material. That is,
In FIGS. 11 and 12, the opening adjustment member 80 is formed of a metal material such as iron integrally with the airbag door main body 81 and the hinge portion 82, and the airbag door main body 81 is made of a plastic surface material 85. Coated.

When the plastic surface material 85 is coated on the airbag door body 81, as shown in FIG.
A large number of heat caulking bosses 86 may be provided on the rear surface side of the plastic surface material 85, and the bosses 86 may be inserted into the through holes 87 formed in the airbag door body 81 and then heat caulked. Reference numeral 88 in FIG. 11 indicates a heat caulking portion. Reference numeral 89 in FIG. 12 is a hinge mounting hole.

FIG. 13 shows that the opening adjustment member 90 is formed integrally with the airbag door main body 91 and the hinge portion 92, of which the airbag door main body 91 is formed by a surface material 95 including a foamed plastic layer 96. It is a coated example. As the foamed plastic layer 96, a polyurethane foamed layer is generally used, and the foamed plastic layer 96 is covered with a skin 97 such as a vinyl chloride resin. The airbag door main body 91 may be made of a metal material or plastic.

[0029]

As shown and described above, according to the structure for adjusting the opening degree of an automobile airbag door according to the present invention, not only is the opening locus of the airbag door always constant, but the opening energy is absorbed. Therefore, the airbag door can be prevented from hitting the windshield or the vehicle interior member when the airbag is deployed. Moreover, the inventive structure does not require complicated processing steps and can be implemented very simply and economically.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an airbag device showing an example in which a frictional resistance portion of the structure according to the present invention is formed by an uneven portion.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a main part in an assembled state.

FIG. 3 is a side view thereof.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state where an airbag is deployed.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an opening adjustment member showing an example in which a frictional resistance portion is formed by a narrow groove.

FIG. 6 is a side view thereof.

FIG. 7 is a side view of an opening adjusting member showing an example in which a frictional resistance portion is formed from the middle of the arc-shaped groove portion to the end portion.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example in which an opening adjustment member and a hinge portion are formed integrally with an airbag door.

FIG. 9 is a side view thereof.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a main part in an assembled state.

FIG. 11 is a side view showing an example in which an airbag body is covered with a surface material.

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view showing a connection structure between an airbag body and a surface material.

FIG. 13 is a side view showing an example in which an airbag body is covered with a surface material including a foamed plastic layer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Airbag door 11 Hinge part 12 Rotation hole 13 Rotation shaft 20 Opening adjustment member 21 Arc-shaped groove part 22 Friction resistance part 26 Termination part 30 Engagement projection

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-4-356246 (JP, A) JP-A-3-110965 (JP, U) JP 2-102855 (JP, Y2) (58) Fields investigated (Int) .Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B60R 21/20

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. An airbag door which is rotatably opened about a hinge portion in accordance with inflation and deployment of an airbag provided in an airbag housing portion, wherein the hinge portion is provided on a side portion of the airbag door. An opening adjusting member having an arc-shaped groove portion that coincides with the rotation locus from the time of closing the door to the time of opening the door around the center is provided integrally, and the width of the groove portion is partially formed in the arc-shaped groove portion. The airbag receiving portion protrudes into the arc-shaped groove of the opening adjustment member, and engages with the frictional resistance portion in the groove when the airbag door is opened. The vehicle airbag according to claim 1, further comprising an engagement protrusion for reducing the opening speed of the airbag door and engaging with the end of the groove to stop the rotation of the airbag door. Opening adjustment structure of. 2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the frictional resistance portion is an uneven portion. 3. An opening adjusting structure for an automobile airbag door according to claim 1, wherein said frictional resistance portion is a narrow groove. 4. The opening adjustment structure for an automobile airbag door according to claim 1, wherein the frictional resistance portion is formed from the middle to the end of the arc-shaped groove. 5. The opening adjustment structure for an automobile airbag door according to claim 1, wherein the opening adjustment member is formed integrally with the airbag door main body. 6. The vehicle airbag door opening adjustment structure according to claim 1, wherein the opening adjustment member and the hinge portion are formed integrally with the airbag door body.