JP4090270B2 - Pillar garnish for curtain-type airbags - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a pillar garnish for a curtain-type airbag housing automobile.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an airbag device is provided on the front and side surfaces of a vehicle interior in order to safely protect an automobile occupant from an impact at the time of collision. As an airbag device provided to prevent a passenger's head from colliding with a side glass or the like against an impact from the side of the automobile, there is a curtain airbag. As shown in FIG. 6, the curtain-type airbag includes an airbag 61 stored along the roof side portion 51 of the automobile. When the automobile collides, the airbag 61 is inflated by the operation of the inflator 62 along the side glass. It is designed to expand downward in the passenger compartment.
[0003]
A pillar garnish 81 is attached to the pillar portion 52 below the roof side portion 51. The upper part of the pillar garnish 81 covers the lower end 66 of the ceiling member 65 from the vehicle interior side from the viewpoint of improving the aesthetics of the vehicle interior. When the airbag is inflated, the airbag 61 pushes the lower end 66 of the ceiling member 65 into the vehicle compartment and expands from the space between the lower end 66 and the upper end of the pillar garnish 81 downward in the vehicle interior. At this time, the pillar garnish 81 is pushed downward by the airbag 61 with a large force, so that it is necessary to prevent the pillar garnish 81 from coming off the pillar portion 52.
[0004]
Conventionally, in order to prevent the pillar garnish from coming off from the pillar portion with respect to the inflating and deploying of the curtain airbag, the pillar garnish 81 is formed as shown in FIG. 82 and a locking piece 84 integrally formed on the back side of the pillar garnish main body 82, and a locking claw 83 at the tip of the locking piece 84 is formed on the vehicle body panel 53 of the pillar portion 52. It has been proposed to insert and lock into the stop hole 54. Then, when the airbag 61 is inflated, a locking claw 83 is locked to the edge of the locking hole 54 of the pillar portion, thereby preventing the pillar garnish 81 from coming off.
[0005]
However, the performance of the airbag 61 is different for each vehicle. In particular, when the cabin volume of the vehicle is large, the output of the inflator 62 is increased. When the output of the inflator 62 is increased, stress applied to the pillar garnish 81 is increased when the airbag 61 is inflated and deployed. Therefore, if the strength of the locking claw 83 is insufficient, Due to the damage at the portion, the action of preventing the detachment of the pillar garnish 81 by the locking claw 83 cannot be obtained.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As means for increasing the strength of the locking claw 83, it is conceivable to increase the thickness of the locking claw 83 and the locking piece 84. However, since the locking claw 83 and the locking piece 84 and the pillar garnish main body 82 are integrally formed by plastic injection molding or the like, if only the locking claw 83 and the locking piece 84 are made thick, Appearance defects such as sink marks due to shrinkage after molding are likely to occur on the surfaces of the pillar garnish main body 82 corresponding to the locking claws 83 and the locking pieces 84. It should be noted that not only the locking claws 83 and the locking pieces 84 but also the pillar garnish main body 82 can be increased in overall thickness to prevent the sink marks, but in this case, the entire pillar garnish is prevented. It is heavier and more expensive, so it is not practical.
[0007]
In addition, polypropylene (PP) is frequently used as a material for the pillar garnish, but originally PP has a drawback that it is not very strong against excessive impact at low temperatures. It is also possible to use a composite PP reinforced with rubber instead of the PP as a material for the pillar garnish. In this case, the material cost increases, and the rigidity of the pillar garnish decreases. Therefore, it is difficult to say that it is preferable.
[0008]
Furthermore, as another means, a fixed part insertion through hole is opened in the pillar garnish body, a fixing part such as a bolt is inserted into the fixed part insertion through hole from the surface side of the pillar garnish body, and then fixed to the pillar part. There is also known one in which a blindfold cap is fitted into a fixed component insertion through hole. However, in that case, it is difficult to say that the portion of the cap for blindfold gives an uncomfortable aesthetic appearance and is preferable in terms of design.
[0009]
The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides a pillar garnish for a car storing a curtain air bag which is difficult to come off from the pillar portion when the curtain air bag is inflated and deployed, has an excellent appearance, and is inexpensive.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the present invention, a locking claw is provided on the back side of the pillar garnish main body, and when the curtain airbag stored in the roof side part above the pillar part is inflated and deployed, the locking claw is provided at the edge of the locking hole of the pillar part. In the pillar garnish that is locked and makes it difficult to remove the pillar garnish main body from the pillar portion, the locking claw is formed in a locking part different from the pillar garnish main body, and on the back surface of the pillar garnish main body, A latching part fitting seat for fitting the latching part is formed, and the latching part fitting seat has two holding pieces having a substantially L-shaped cross section in the width direction of the pillar garnish body. The protrusions are formed so as to be opposed to each other with a gap, and a gap is formed along the vertical direction between the opposed tips, and a locking part insertion space surrounded by the sandwiching pieces opens at both the upper and lower ends. The locking part is configured to be formed on one side of the board and inserted into the locking part insertion space of the locking part fitting seat portion from below, and the locking part. It consists of a locking piece located in the gap between the front ends of the holding pieces of the fitting seat, and a locking claw is formed on the locking piece .
[0011]
It is preferable that the locking part is fitted to the pillar garnish main body with its upward movement restricted.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is a front view showing an attached state of a pillar garnish according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the locking component of the embodiment and the locking component of the second embodiment, and FIG. 4 shows the locking hole of the pillar portion corresponding to the locking component of the first embodiment and the locking component of the second embodiment. FIGS. 5A and 5B are a diagram illustrating a locking state between the locking component and the pillar portion according to the second embodiment in a cross-section at a position 5-5 in FIG.
[0013]
A pillar garnish 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 includes a pillar garnish main body 11 and a locking part 21, and a center below a roof side part 51 in which a curtain type airbag 61 is stored. It is attached to the vehicle body panel 53 of the pillar portion 52. In addition, the same code | symbol was used for the same thing as FIG. 6, FIG. 7 shown previously. Reference numeral 63 denotes an airbag holding bracket, and 71 denotes a quarter pillar garnish.
[0014]
The pillar garnish main body 11 is a vertically long plastic molded product having a substantially U-shaped cross section so as to cover the center pillar portion 52 of the vehicle body from the vehicle interior side. The pillar garnish main body 11 is formed by known plastic molding such as injection molding, and is made of an appropriate plastic such as PP.
[0015]
In the pillar garnish main body 11, as can be easily understood from FIG. 3, a locking part fitting seat 14 is formed on the upper surface of the back surface. In this example, the latching part fitting seat 14 is opposed to the back surface of the pillar garnish main body 11 with two sandwiching pieces 15, 15 having a substantially L-shaped cross section spaced apart from each other in the width direction W of the pillar garnish main body 11. The gap 15b is formed along the vertical direction between the opposite ends 15a and 15a. The locking part insertion space 16 surrounded by the sandwiching pieces 15 and 15 is open at both upper and lower ends so that the locking part 21 is inserted upward from the lower side.
[0016]
The locking component 21 includes a substrate 22 and a locking piece 23 formed substantially perpendicular to one surface of the substrate 22. The locking part 21 has a thickness and a material that can obtain the strength, and the locking piece 23 and the locking claw 26 at the tip thereof are not damaged when the airbag is inflated. The material of the locking part 21 is not particularly limited, but is preferably made of a material having a higher impact strength than the pillar garnish main body 11, for example, a metal or an elastomer. The elastomer is preferably a thermoplastic elastomer (TPO).
[0017]
The substrate 22 can be inserted into the locking component insertion space 16 of the locking component fitting seat 14 from below, and can be inserted into the locking component fitting seat 14 by insertion. ing. In this example, the substrate 22 has a size such that the upper and lower portions of the substrate 22 protrude from the upper and lower sides of the locking component insertion space, and the protruding upper and lower portions are larger than the width of the locking component insertion space 16. Thus, the anti-detachment engaging portions 24 and 25 project from both sides of the substrate 22 in the width direction. When the holding pieces 15 and 15 of the engaging part fitting seat 14 are fitted between the upper and lower drop-off preventing engaging parts 24 and 25, the upward movement of the engaging part 21 is prevented. In addition, in order to make it easy to insert the locking component 21 into the locking component insertion space 16 from below, the corner portion of the engaging portion 24 at the upper end is chamfered. Further, when the locking component 21 is inserted into the locking component insertion space 16, the clamping pieces 15, 15 of the locking component fitting seat 14 are pushed and deformed by the removal preventing engagement portion 24, so that the clamping A gap 15b between the tip ends 15a and 15a is widened to allow the locking part 21 to be inserted.
[0018]
The locking pieces 23, the locking parts fitted clamping piece tip 15a of the wear seat 14 consists width which can be located in the gap 15b between 15a, downward engagement claw 26 is formed at the tip .
[0019]
In addition, although the said locking component 21 is a thing of 1st Example, the locking component in this invention is not restricted to the thing of the said 1st Example. For example, like the locking component 21A of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the locking piece 23a may have a substantially cruciform shape in front view having locking claws 26a, 26a on both surfaces on the tip side. . Reference numerals 24a and 25a denote disconnection prevention engaging portions formed at the upper and lower ends of the substrate 22a.
[0020]
In this embodiment, a mounting portion 17 for the pillar portion is formed on the back surface of the pillar garnish main body 11 below the locking component fitting seat portion 14 to attach a known plastic or metal clip. It is supposed to be.
[0021]
Furthermore, in this embodiment, an airbag intrusion prevention rib 18 is formed above the locking part fitting seat 14 on the back surface of the pillar garnish main body 11. The airbag intrusion prevention rib 18 restricts the airbag 61 from entering the back side of the upper end of the pillar garnish main body 11 when the airbag 61 is inflated so that the airbag 61 can be inflated and deployed correctly.
[0022]
The vehicle body panel 53 of the pillar portion 52 to which the pillar garnish 10 is attached has a locking hole 54 at a position corresponding to the locking claw 26 of the locking component 21, and a position corresponding to the mounting portion 17. A clip engagement hole (not shown) is formed in the. The clip and clip engagement hole can be engaged and disengaged. For example, the clip has an engagement groove on the outer peripheral surface, and the clip engagement hole of the pillar portion 52 is sized to fit the clip engagement groove, and the clip is press-fitted into the clip engagement hole. An example is one in which a clip and a clip engagement hole are engaged, and the engagement can be released by pulling the clip forcibly.
[0023]
FIG. 4 is a front view showing an outline of a locking hole formed in the vehicle body panel 53 of the pillar portion 52. The locking hole 54 shown in FIG. 4A corresponds to the locking part 21 of the first embodiment as in the pillar portion shown in FIG. 2, and the locking hole 54A shown in FIG. This corresponds to the locking component 21A of the second embodiment. The locking hole 54 of the first embodiment is a rectangular hole into which the locking piece 23 and the locking claw 26 of the locking component 21 of the first embodiment can be inserted, and when the pillar garnish 10 is attached. After inserting the locking piece 23 on the back surface of the pillar garnish main body 11 into the locking hole 54 of the pillar portion 52, the pillar garnish 10 is shifted downward so that the clip of the mounting portion becomes the clip engaging hole of the pillar portion 52. By aligning, as shown in FIG. 2, the locking claw 26 of the locking piece 23 is locked to the edge of the locking hole 54. In this state, the pillar garnish 10 is attached by pressing the pillar garnish main body 11 against the vehicle body panel 53 side of the pillar portion 52 and engaging the clip with the clip engagement hole of the pillar portion. Further, the locking hole 54A of the second embodiment is composed of a T-shaped hole into which the locking piece 23a and the locking claw 26a in the locking component 21A of the second embodiment can be inserted. As in the case of the example, after inserting the locking piece 23a on the back surface of the pillar garnish main body into the locking hole 54A, the pillar garnish is shifted downward to align the position of the clip and the clip engaging hole in FIG. Thus, the locking claw 26a is locked to the edge of the locking hole 54A. In this state, the pillar garnish is attached by pushing the pillar garnish body toward the body panel 53 side of the pillar portion 52. In the state after the pillar garnish 10 is attached, a gap S may exist between the locking claws 26 and 26a and the vehicle body panel 53 of the pillar portion 52 as shown in FIG.
[0024]
In this way, the pillar garnish 10 attached to the pillar portion 52 has the airbag 61 inflated and pushes the lower end 66 of the ceiling material 65 of the roof side portion 51 into the vehicle interior to thereby push the lower end 66 and the pillar garnish main body 11 together. When deploying into the vehicle compartment from between the upper end, the airbag 61 applies strong pressure downward in the vehicle compartment. However, since the locking claws 26 and 26a of the locking parts 21 and 21A are more firmly locked to the edges of the locking holes 54 and 54A of the pillar portion 52 by the strong downward pressure in the vehicle interior, the pillars Garnish 10 is difficult to come off. In addition, the upward movement of the locking parts 21 and 21A with respect to the pillar garnish main body 11 is restricted by the collision between the locking preventing engagement parts 25 and 25a at the lower part of the board of the locking parts and the locking part fitting seat part 14. Therefore, there is little possibility that the locking claws 26 and 26a are separated from the edges of the locking holes 54 and 54A and the locking is released. Furthermore, since the locking parts 21 and 21A are separate parts from the pillar garnish main body 11, the locking parts 21 and 21A are not limited by the formability of the pillar garnish main body 11 and have strength corresponding to the inflation pressure of the airbag. The locking pieces 23, 23a and the locking claws 26, 26a can be prevented from being damaged when the airbag is inflated.
[0025]
【The invention's effect】
As illustrated and described above, according to the present invention, the locking claw that is locked to the locking hole of the pillar portion when the airbag is inflated to make it difficult to remove the pillar garnish is a locking component that is separate from the pillar garnish main body. The locking part is fitted on the back side of the pillar garnish body, so that the locking part of the pillar garnish body is not limited by the surface appearance or formability of the pillar garnish body according to the inflation pressure of the airbag. Material and thickness can be designed. Therefore, the surface of the pillar garnish main body can be made beautiful, and the difficulty of detachment of the pillar garnish when the airbag is inflated can be further improved. Moreover, even when an expensive material with high strength is used to make it difficult to come off, it is inexpensive because only the locking parts are required.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view showing an attached state of a pillar garnish according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the upper back side of the pillar garnish main body together with the locking part of the first example and the locking part of the second example in the same example.
FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a locking hole of a pillar portion corresponding to the locking component of the first embodiment and the locking component of the second embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 4 and a view taken in the direction of an arrow 5 in FIG.
FIG. 6 is a view showing a roof side portion in which a curtain type airbag is stored and a conventional pillar garnish.
7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 7-7 in FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Pillar garnish 11 Pillar garnish main body 14 Locking part fitting seat part 21 Locking part 23 Locking piece 26 Locking claw 54 Locking hole of pillar part

Claims (2)

A locking claw is provided on the back side of the pillar garnish main body, and when the curtain airbag stored in the roof side part above the pillar part is inflated and deployed, the locking claw is locked to the locking hole edge of the pillar part. In the pillar garnish that makes it difficult to remove the pillar garnish body from the pillar portion,
Wherein the locking claw (26 or 26a) is formed in the pillar garnish separate locking part from the main body (11) (21 or 21A), the back surface of the pillar garnish main body (11), said locking part ( 21 or 21A) is fitted with a locking part fitting seat (14) ,
The engaging part fitting seat (14) has two sandwiching pieces (15, 15) having a substantially L-shaped cross section so as to face each other in the width direction (W) of the pillar garnish body (11) at a required interval. A locking part insertion space (16) that is formed so as to protrude and a gap (15b) is formed along the vertical direction between the opposing tips (15a, 15a), and is surrounded by the clamping pieces (15, 15). Is configured to open at both upper and lower ends,
The locking part (21 or 21A) is inserted into the locking part insertion space (16) of the locking part fitting seat (14) from the lower side (22 or 22a), A locking piece (23 or 23a) which is formed on one surface of the substrate (22 or 22a) and is located in a gap (15b) between the clamping piece tips (15a, 15a) of the locking part fitting seat (14). A curtain garnish for a curtain-type airbag-storing automobile , wherein a locking claw (26 or 26a) is formed on the locking piece (23 or 23a) .   2. A pillar garnish for a curtain-type airbag-housing vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the locking part is fitted to the pillar garnish main body with its upward movement restricted.

Images