JPH02306846A - Automotive airbag device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an airbag device for an automobile that restrains and protects an occupant using an airbag that is inflated and deployed by gas pressure.

Conventionally, for example, such an airbag device is shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 49-58546 as a seat restraint device, but in this device, the airbag device is installed at the top of the instrument panel structure extending rearward from the windshield. 1 Uzing (case) in the recessed part
is housed in the housing, and a seat occupant restraint cushion (airbag) is received in the housing. When the housing communicates with a pressure fluid source (gas generator), the seat occupant restraint member protrudes rearward and upward from the housing due to gas pressure, thereby restraining the upper body of the seat occupant.

On the other hand, especially as an occupant restraint device on the passenger seat side, a bulge protection member (bolster) is provided at the bottom of the airbag device as described above to receive and cushion the occupant's bulge, and the upper half of the occupant's body is protected from the airbag. There is one in which the lower body is restrained by a knee bolster.

However, if an additional knee bolster is provided at the bottom of such an airbag system, the number of parts will increase, resulting in higher costs. This often causes problems such as making it impossible to install glove boxers, etc., which are normally provided at this position.

Therefore, the present invention attempts to solve the above problem by providing the airbag device itself with a function as a knee bolster, in other words, by integrating the airbag device and the knee bolster.

For this purpose, the present invention provides an airbag device for an automobile in which an airbag that is inflated and deployed by gas pressure generated from a gas generator is housed in a case, in which at least a portion of the case is #j The energy absorbing part has a structure that can absorb impact energy.

When a large force is applied to the vehicle body due to contact with an obstacle, a gas generator generates gas, and the gas pressure causes the airbag to inflate and deploy, restraining the upper body of the occupant seated in the seat. At this time, the lower body is restrained from moving forward as the bulge is stopped by the energy absorption part of the case, but the impact energy at that time is absorbed by the energy absorption part, so a large pressure is applied to the bulge. Both the upper and lower body are safely protected by the airbag system. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to provide a knee bolster in the bulge protection device that occupies a relatively large area in the lower part of the airbag device, and there is no need for a shock absorbing member to be provided on the wall surface of the vehicle interior, so space efficiency is achieved. It is possible to improve performance and reduce costs.

The energy absorbing portion can be easily formed by making the cross-sectional shape of the wall of the case waveform. Furthermore, if an energy dispersion means is provided between the energy absorbing part and the seat, the impact energy is dispersed and transmitted to the energy absorbing part, so that the energy absorbing effect can be performed more effectively. By attaching the gas generator to the case and connecting the gas generator to the dashboard via a bracket, the case can be easily and firmly fixed to the vehicle body using the highly rigid gas generator. Accordingly, the occupant restraint effect by the airbag and the energy absorbing portion can be ensured.

Furthermore, if the attachment part of the airbag to the case is placed in a position where an energy absorption part is interposed between it and the seat side so that impact energy from the seat side does not directly act on it, deployment of the airbag will cause deformation of the energy absorption part. There will be no hindrance due to

Fig. 1 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing the passenger seat portion of an automobile to which the present invention is applied. 3 is a dash board that partitions the engine compartment 2 and the vehicle compartment 3, and a windshield 4 is attached to the upper end of the dash board. A seat 5 is provided within the engine compartment 2. A instrument panel 6 projects from the upper part of the dash board 1 toward the seat 5 and extends in the width direction of the vehicle body. An airbag device 7 is assembled within this instrument panel 6. The airbag device 7 includes a box-shaped metal case 8 having a substantially rectangular open surface 8a extending in the width direction of the vehicle body. It is housed in the instrument panel 6 facing an opening having the same shape. An airbag 9 made of a flexible material such as rubber is folded tightly and housed in the case 8, and the periphery of the airbag 9 is hermetically fixed to the inner surface of the case 8. The open surface 8a of the case 8 is
The upper edge is covered with Mlo hinged to the upper plate 6a of the instrument panel 6 so as to be openable and closable.

The lid normally forms part of the instrument panel 6.

A cylindrical gas generator 11 extending in the width direction of the vehicle body is disposed at the back of the case 8. This gas generator HE device 11 is fixed to the case 8 and connected to the dash board 1 via a bracket 12. Therefore, the entire airbag device 7 is connected to the dash board 1 via the bracket 12.
Supported by The gas generator 11 contains an appropriate amount of gunpowder, and when this gunpowder is ignited, explosive gas is released into the case 8.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the rear part of the case 8, that is, the side closer to the seat 5, extends from the bottom wall 8b to the side walls 8.
The energy absorbing portion 13 is formed to have a wave-shaped cross section toward c, and has a structure that deforms and absorbs impact energy when an impact is applied from the seat 5 side. Furthermore, the bottom wall 8
A relatively open flat member, that is, an energy diffusion means 14, which protrudes downward over the entire width direction of the vehicle body is integrally bent and formed on the rear end edge of b. This energy diffusion means 14 functions to diffuse the impact energy locally applied from the seat 5 side along the energy diffusion means 14, to have it act uniformly on the energy absorption section 13, and to increase its energy absorption efficiency. . As shown in FIG. 1, since the airbag 9 is attached to the case 8 in front of the energy absorbing section 13, it is not affected by the deformation of the energy absorbing section 13. A glove box ball 5 is provided below the airbag device 7.

When a car crashes, an impact force greater than enough to cause damage to the occupants is applied to the car body, and when an acceleration detection device (not shown) detects this, the gunpowder in the gas generator 11 is ignited by a signal from the detection device. , the resulting high-pressure gas is released into the case 8. This gas pressure causes the airbag 9 folded and housed in the case 8 to expand, pushing the lid 10 open upward as shown by the broken line 10a in FIG. Expand within 3,
It restrains and protects the upper body of a passenger who attempts to move forward. The forward movement of the lower body, which is not restrained by the airbag 9, is restrained when the bulge hits the energy dispersion means 4, but the impact energy at this time is absorbed by the energy absorbing part 13, so a large supporting force is applied to the bulge. will not be added. In addition, the impact energy that acts locally on the energy diffusion means 14 due to the bulge is transferred to the energy diffusion means 1.
4 and transmitted to the energy absorbing section 13 in a distributed manner, an efficient energy absorbing effect can be obtained.

Furthermore, the case 8 is attached to the gas generator 11 and is firmly connected to the dash board 1 via the bracket [2] by utilizing the high rigidity of the gas generator 11, so that the upper and lower body of the occupant is protected from the airbag 9 and energy. Absorption part 1
3, it is possible to firmly restrain the seat 5 while providing cushioning. In this way, the lower body of the occupant can be restrained by the energy absorbing portion I3 formed integrally with the case 8.
There is no particular need to provide a knee bolster below the airbag device 7, and therefore the glove box 15 can be provided below the airbag device 7 as in the conventional case.

In the above embodiment, the rear bottom wall 8b of the steel case 8
The energy absorbing portion 13 is formed by making both side walls 8c have a corrugated cross section, but as shown in FIG. Both side walls may be constructed of flat side plates 16 made of synthetic resin. FIG. 4 shows yet another embodiment of the energy absorbing section 13. In this embodiment, a large number of diamond-shaped holes 17 are punched out in a staggered manner from the bottom wall 8d to the side wall 8e at the rear of the case 8, and each hole 17 is filled with a filler piece 18 made of synthetic resin material. An absorbing portion 13 is formed.

Although the gas generator 11 has been described as having a suitable amount of gunpowder built in, it does not necessarily have to be such a gas generator. For example, it may be a gas generator consisting of a pressure vessel filled with high-pressure gas. good.

It goes without saying that many other modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention.

As described above, in the present invention, in an automobile airbag device in which an airbag that is inflated and deployed by gas pressure generated from a gas generator is housed in a case, at least a portion of the case is Since the energy absorption part has a structure that can absorb impact energy, both the upper and lower body of the occupant are protected by the airbag device, and there is no need to specifically provide a bulge protection device at the bottom of the airbag device, which improves the efficiency of space inside the vehicle. Improvement and cost reduction can be achieved.

The energy absorbing portion can be easily formed by making the cross-sectional shape of the wall of the case waveform.

By providing the energy diffusing means between the energy absorbing section and the seat, the energy absorbing action of the energy absorbing section can be performed more effectively.

By attaching the gas generator to the case and connecting the gas generator to the dash board via the bracket, the case can be simply and rigidly fixed to the vehicle body using the highly rigid gas generator, This makes it possible to ensure the occupant restraint effect by the airbag and the energy absorbing section.

Furthermore, by arranging the attachment part of the airbag to the case in a position where an energy absorbing part is interposed between it and the seat side and impact energy from the seat side does not directly act on it, deployment of the airbag is caused by deformation of the energy absorbing part. There will be no hindrance due to

Figure 1 is a schematic vertical view showing the passenger seat portion of an automobile to which the present invention is applied, and Figure 2 shows the case of the airbag device taken along the line ■-■ in Figure 1. The sectional views shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are partial sectional views similar to FIG. 2, respectively, showing cases according to other embodiments.

1... Datsushi board, 2... Engine compartment, 3...
・Vehicle interior, 4...windshield, 5...seat, 6...
... Instrument panel, 7... Airbag device, 8... Case, 9... Airbag, IO... Lid, 11... Gas generator, 12... Bracket, 13
... Energy absorption section, 14 ... Energy diffusion means,
15...Glove box, 16...Side plate, 17.
... Hole, 18... Filling piece.

Claims (6)

[Claims] (1) In an automobile airbag device comprising an airbag that is inflated and deployed by gas pressure generated from a gas generator and housed in a case, at least a portion of the case is an energy absorbing portion having a structure capable of absorbing impact energy. An airbag device characterized by: (2) The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the energy absorbing portion is formed by making the cross-sectional shape of the wall of the case waveform. (3) The airbag device according to claim 1, further comprising an energy diffusing means for diffusing energy between the energy absorbing portion and the seat and transmitting the energy to the energy absorbing portion. (4) The airbag device according to claim 3, wherein the energy diffusion means is provided at the seat side end of the case. (5) The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the gas generator is attached to the case, and the gas generator is connected to the dashboard via a bracket. (6) An attachment part of the airbag to the case,
The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag device is provided at a position where impact energy from an occupant is not directly applied.