JP4519760B2 - Inflator mounting structure - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an inflator mounting structure for generating a fluid for inflating an inflatable body of an airbag device.

As an airbag device that is an occupant protection device provided in a vehicle, a door mount type in which an inflatable body disposed between an inner panel of a door and a lining covering the inside of the vehicle interior is deployed upward along the inner surface of the window. There is an airbag device. In this type of airbag device, an inflator that sends an inflating fluid to the inflating body may be disposed laterally with respect to the inflating body that inflates when the vehicle collides due to the in-vehicle layout (for example, Patent Document 1). reference).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-88884

  As described above, in the case of the structure in which the inflator is disposed laterally with respect to the inflating body, when the mounted member on the vehicle body side to which the airbag device is attached is deformed at the time of a vehicle collision, relative rotation occurs between the inflating body and the inflator. As a result, there is a possibility that, for example, a member connecting the expansion body and the inflator may be damaged. For example, when a member to be attached undergoes local deformation at the time of a collision with a vertically long utility pole, standing tree, or the like, which has many events as a side collision, there is a high possibility that the above relative rotation will occur.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an inflator mounting structure capable of suppressing damage caused at the time of a vehicle collision with respect to an airbag device in which an inflator is disposed laterally with respect to an inflatable body.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is arranged on the side of an inflating body (for example, the air bag body 24 in the embodiment) that inflates at the time of a vehicle collision, and sends an inflating fluid to the inflating body. An attachment structure of a substantially cylindrical inflator (for example, the inflator 22 in the embodiment), and a substantially circular shape that rotatably holds the inflator on a mounted member (for example, the door body 11 in the embodiment) on the vehicle body side. by attaching a posture along the vertical direction by a mounting member having arcuate holding portion (holding portion 35, for example in the embodiment) (e.g. attachment members 31 and 32 in the embodiment), comprising a rotatable around an axis along the vertical direction It is characterized by that.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the inflator is attached to the attached member by attachment members (for example, the attachment members 31 and 32 in the embodiment), and the attachment member is attached to the attached member. The movement of the inflator in the vertical direction with respect to the mounting member is restricted.

  According to the first aspect of the invention, since the inflator is attached to the attachment member on the vehicle body side so as to be rotatable around an axis along the vertical direction, the attachment member is deformed at the time of a vehicle collision, and the attachment is attached to the inflator. Even if there is an input that causes relative rotation with the expansion body via the member, the relative rotation with respect to the expansion body can be suppressed by the inflator rotating about the axis along the vertical direction with respect to the attached member. Therefore, even an airbag device in which the inflator is disposed laterally with respect to the inflating body can suppress damage that occurs during a vehicle collision.

  According to the invention of claim 2, since the mounting member for mounting the inflator to the mounted member regulates the vertical movement of the inflator relative to the mounted member, there is no need to provide a separate vertical movement restricting member, The structure can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

An inflator mounting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a door 10 on the right side of a vehicle to which the inflator mounting structure of the present embodiment is applied, and FIG. 2 is an assembly view thereof. Here, the door 10 is attached to a vehicle of an open roof type in which a roof can be opened and closed or detached. In the following description, the door 10 is closed.

  The door 10 includes a metal door main body (attached member) 11 disposed substantially orthogonal to the vehicle width direction, and a vertically movable window extending upward from the door main body 11 along the door main body 11. A glass 12 and a door lining 14 that covers the interior side of the inner panel 13 that constitutes the interior side of the door body 11 and that constitutes a design surface on the interior side of the interior of the door body 11 are provided. The window 15 is opened and closed by raising and lowering the window glass 12 constituting a part thereof. The metal door body 11 is a highly rigid portion of the door 10 and constitutes a part of the vehicle body.

  The door lining 14 is formed with a notch 16 having a rectangular shape in a plan view and a side view in a predetermined range of the rear portion of the upper edge portion, and the airbag apparatus so that a part of the notch 16 matches the notch 16. 18 is arranged.

  The airbag device 18 includes a horizontally long case 20 that is fitted into the notch 16 of the door lining 14, and extends from the lower part of the case 20 to the side (specifically, the front in the vehicle front-rear direction) and the middle part is bent downward. And a substantially cylindrical inflator 22 connected to the opposite side of the pipe 21 from the case 20.

  Inside the case 20 is accommodated an airbag main body (inflatable body) 24 that inflates at the time of a vehicle collision. The airbag body 24 is housed in the case 20 in a horizontally long state that is folded so as to be sequentially stacked on the upper side, specifically, along the vehicle longitudinal direction, and generates high-pressure gas (fluid) by combustion. Gas is introduced from the inflator 22 filled with propellant through the pipe 21 fitted in the lower portion, and expands upward. As described above, the inflator 22 for sending the inflation gas to the airbag body 24 is disposed on the side of the airbag body 24 (specifically, in the front-rear direction of the vehicle).

  Here, the inflator 22 has a substantially cylindrical shape as a whole, and is connected to the pipe 21 in a posture along the vertical direction. Here, the angle of the inflator 22 with respect to the horizontal is set in a range of 45 ° to 90 ° along the vertical direction according to the layout and the like. In the illustrated example, the angle is set to 90 °, that is, vertical.

  The airbag device 18 has a plurality of attachment pieces 26 formed in the lower part of the case 20, and bolts 28 inserted into insertion holes 27 formed in the attachment pieces 26 are attachment holes 29 of the inner panel 13. As a result, the case 20 is fixed to the inner panel 13 substantially horizontally. Further, the inflator 22 of the airbag device 18 is attached to the attachment hole 33 of the inner panel 13 with the bolt 34 via the attachment members 31 and 32 at two upper and lower positions.

  As shown in more detail in FIGS. 3 and 4, both attachment members 31, 32 have a shape in which flat attachment plate portions 36 are formed at both ends of a substantially arc-shaped holding portion 35. In the upper attachment member 31, the holding portion 35 is hung on the cylindrical attachment portion 37 above the inflator 22, and in this state, the bolts 34 respectively inserted into the insertion holes 38 of both attachment plate portions 36. The inner panel 13 is attached to the inner panel 13 by being screwed into a weld nut 41 fixed to the back side of the corresponding one of the mounting holes 33 of the inner panel 13. The holding member 35 of the lower attachment member 32 is also hung on the cylindrical attachment portion 40 below the inflator 22, and in this state, the bolts 34 respectively inserted into the insertion holes 38 of both attachment plate portions 36. Is attached to the inner panel 13 by being screwed into a weld nut 41 fixed to the back side of the corresponding one of the mounting holes 33 of the inner panel 13. Accordingly, the inflator 22 is attached to the inner panel 13 by the attachment members 31 and 32.

  The inflator 22 has a flange portion 43 formed on the upper side of the upper mounting portion 37 and a flange portion 44 formed on the lower side of the lower mounting portion 40, and the upper mounting member 31 serves as the upper flange portion. The lower attachment member 32 is attached to the inner panel 13 such that the lower attachment member 32 engages the upper surface of the lower flange portion 44. Here, the attachment members 31 and 32 are attached to the inner panel 13 by attachment plate portions 36 provided on both sides of the holding portion 35 while holding the cylindrical attachment portions 37 and 40 of the inflator 22 by the arc-shaped holding portion 35. Since it is attached, the inflator 22 itself is rotatable relative to both attachment members 31 and 32, and is attached to the inner panel 13 so as to be rotatable around its own central axis, that is, around an axis along the vertical direction. . However, in a normal state, the inflator 22 does not rotate because the pipe 21 is connected to the case 20. Further, since the upper mounting member 31 locks the lower surface of the upper flange portion 43 and the lower mounting member 32 locks the upper surface of the lower flange portion 44, the inflator 22 is configured by these mounting members 31 and 32. The vertical movement with respect to the inner panel 13 is restricted.

  The airbag main body 24 is folded so as to be sequentially stacked on the upper side with respect to the connecting portion of the pipe 21, and basically expands on the upper side when deployed with the gas generated by the inflator 22. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the airbag main body 24 has a shape that is long in the vehicle front-rear direction when inflated, and is developed into a plate shape as a whole.

  In the airbag device 18 described above, the inflator 22 is ignited when a deployment condition such as a gravitational acceleration of a predetermined level or more is detected at the time of a vehicle collision, and the folded airbag body 24 is inflated with gas generated by the inflator 22. To do. Then, since the airbag main body 24 was folded so as to be sequentially stacked on the upper side, the case 20 is opened, and the airbag main body 24 is expanded upward along the inner surface of the window glass 12 as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. To do.

  According to the present embodiment described above, the inflator 22 is attached to the inner panel 13 of the vehicle body side door 10 so as to be rotatable about an axis along the vertical direction. Even if there is an input that causes relative rotation between the inflator 22 and the airbag body 24 via the inner panel 13, the inflator 22 rotates around the axis along the vertical direction with respect to the inner panel 13, Relative rotation with respect to the airbag body 24 can be suppressed.

  For example, in contrast to the normal state shown in FIG. 5A, a colliding object 50 such as a long utility pole or standing tree collides from the side as shown in FIG. Even if the inflator 22 occurs, the relative rotation with respect to the airbag main body 24 and the case 20 can be suppressed by rotating the inflator 22 around the axis along the vertical direction with respect to the inner panel 13. 5 (a) and 5 (b), the same position of the inflator 22 is indicated by an arrow A. As shown in FIG. 5 (a) and FIG. 5 (b), the airbag body 24 and the case 20 at the same position of the inflator 22 before and after deformation are shown. Changes in the rotational position can be suppressed. Therefore, even the airbag device 18 in which the inflator 22 is disposed on the side with respect to the airbag body 24 can suppress damage caused during a vehicle collision.

  In addition, since the long inflator 22 is attached along the vertical direction, the overall length of the airbag device 18 in the lateral direction can be shortened. From this point, the airbag device 18 is also used as the inner panel 13 at the time of a vehicle collision. It becomes difficult to be affected by the deformation of the vehicle, and damage caused at the time of a vehicle collision can be suppressed.

  Furthermore, since the attachment members 31 and 32 for attaching the inflator 22 to the inner panel 13 restrict the vertical movement of the inflator 22 with respect to the inner panel 13, it is not necessary to provide a separate vertical movement restricting member, and the structure is simplified. And cost can be reduced.

  In addition, although the example applied to the airbag apparatus 18 provided in the door 10 of a vehicle was demonstrated above, as long as the airbag apparatus arrange | positions an inflator laterally with respect to an airbag main body, any airbag apparatus It is also applicable to. For example, the present invention can also be applied to an airbag device provided below a rear side window of a coupe type vehicle or an airbag device provided below a tailgate window.

It is a disassembled perspective view of the door to which the attachment structure of the inflator of one Embodiment of this invention was applied. It is a perspective view of the door to which the attachment structure of the inflator of one Embodiment of this invention was applied. It is a perspective view which shows the attachment structure of the inflator of one Embodiment of this invention. It is a plane sectional view showing the attachment structure of the inflator of one embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view which shows roughly the attachment structure of the inflator of one Embodiment of this invention, Comprising: (a) shows the state before a vehicle collision, (b) shows the state after a vehicle collision, respectively.

Explanation of symbols

11 Door body (attached member)
18 Airbag Device 22 Inflator 24 Airbag Body (Inflatable Body)
31, 32 Mounting member

Claims (2)

A substantially cylindrical inflator mounting structure that is disposed on the side of an inflatable body that expands in the event of a vehicle collision and sends an inflating fluid to the inflatable body,
Said inflator to the mounting member on the vehicle body side, by attaching in a posture along the vertical direction by a mounting member having a substantially arc-shaped holding portion for rotatably holding the inflator, as rotatable around an axis along the vertical direction An inflator mounting structure characterized by comprising:   2. The inflator attachment according to claim 1, wherein the inflator is attached to the attachment member by an attachment member, and the attachment member regulates the vertical movement of the inflator relative to the attachment member. Construction.

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