JPH05338514A - Airbag device for side impact - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To deploy the airbag smoothly in the specified direction. [Configuration] Backup plate 15 in the shape of a rectangular deep plate
The lower side wall of the airbag forms an inclined guide surface 15c that smoothly extends toward the upper portion of the armrest 17 so as not to interfere with the armrest 17 when the airbag 14 is deployed.
The air bag 14 is smoothly deployed in a predetermined direction by guiding the deployment direction of the airbag 14.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an airbag for side collision, which is developed between a side wall of a passenger compartment and a passenger during a side collision to protect the passenger from a secondary collision with the side wall of the passenger compartment. It relates to the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An air bag for a side collision air bag device is stored in a folded state in a case which also functions as a mounting plate formed in a container shape. And in the passenger seat,
It is generally housed in a side door on the side of the vehicle.

For example, FIG. 4 shows a conventional side collision airbag device described in Japanese Patent Application No. 3-43537 (not known), which covers the inside of a side door 1 of a vehicle. An opening 3 for inflating an airbag is formed in the door trim 2 by cutting out a corner portion at the upper rear (right side in FIG. 4) in a rectangular shape.

In the side door 1, which is the inner side of the opening 3, the folded airbag 4 and an inflator (not shown) for inflating the airbag 4 are integrally assembled. Box-shaped airbag unit 5
Is attached to the door inner panel 1a by bolting. In addition, a trim cover 6 that closes the opening 3 so as to be opened and closed is provided on a surface of the airbag unit 5 on the vehicle interior side.
Surface fasteners 7a, 7a for attaching
The corresponding airbag unit 5 of the trim cover 6
The surface on the side of the trim cover 6 has surface fasteners 7a,
Surface fasteners 7b, 7b that engage with 7a are attached to absorb an error in attaching the air bag unit 5 to the door inner panel 1a or an error in a position where the opening 3 of the door trim 2 is formed, and the trim cover 6 is attached. By this, the opening 3 can be closed without a gap. Further, an armrest 8 is mounted substantially horizontally on the surface of the door trim 2 on the vehicle interior side at a height avoiding the opening 3 downward.

When a side collision is detected by a collision sensor (not shown) installed in the side door 1 near the outer plate, an ignition signal is sent to the inflator of the airbag unit 5 to ignite the inflator. The airbag 4 is configured to be inflated by the inert gas generated in 1. In addition, the inflating airbag 4 pushes the trim cover 6 that closes the opening 3 for inflating the airbag together with the lid of the airbag unit 5 toward the inside of the vehicle compartment, and the airbag 4 opens the side door 1 and the passenger. Deploy during to protect occupants from secondary collisions.

[0006]

Various parts, such as the armrest 8 and the like, which are mounted on the vehicle interior side of the side door 1, have optimum mounting positions, and are stored in the side door 1. 5 also has an optimum storage position. For example, the optimum storage position of the airbag unit 5 and the optimum mounting position of the armrest 8 are both sides of the range from the shoulder of the occupant to the waist height. The position of the armrest 8 is slightly lower than the position of the airbag unit 5. However, since the upper limit of the storage position of the airbag unit 5 is restricted by the waist line of the side door 1, the lower part of the storage position of the airbag unit 5 and the upper part of the armrest 8 overlap in the height direction. Often.

Therefore, when the airbag unit 5 and the armrest 8 are arranged at optimal positions, the lower portion of the inflating airbag 4 that expands in the event of a vehicle collision is provided inside the airbag storage position inside the vehicle compartment. There is a possibility that the arm rest 8 interferes with the upper part of the arm rest 8 and hinders smooth deployment. Therefore, conventionally, the mounting position of the arm rest 8 is made slightly lower than the optimum position, or the arm rest 8 at the portion where the opening 3 is involved. Is partially cut out so that the airbag can be deployed smoothly.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and allows the airbag to be smoothly deployed even when a part of the interior parts such as the armrest overlaps the opening for inflating the airbag. It is an object of the present invention to provide a side impact airbag device capable of performing such a collision.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As a means for solving the above problems, the present invention is directed to a vehicle interior side of a storage position of an airbag which is deployed at the time of a side collision of a vehicle and protects an occupant.
In a side-collision airbag device in which an interior component is provided at a position where the airbag interferes with the deployment of the airbag, a portion in which the airbag is accommodated and a side of the interior component end that interferes with the airbag are disposed. It is characterized in that it has an inclined guide surface formed so as to smoothly connect to the end portion.

[0010]

As described above, even if a door mounting component such as an armrest is installed at a position where a portion of the airbag interferes with the deployment of the airbag, the portion where the airbag is housed and the door mounting component are installed. Since the inclined guide surface is formed so as to smoothly connect the upper and lower ends, or the left and right inner ends, etc. of the expanding airbag and the cushioning portion, a part of the inflating airbag is formed on this inclined guide surface. It is guided by sliding contact and is smoothly deployed in a predetermined deployment direction.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a side collision airbag device of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

1 and 2 show a first embodiment of the present invention. In this side collision airbag device, a door trim 12 of a side door 11 is cut out to a predetermined size so as to be located above an armrest 14. The opening 12a for inflating the airbag is formed in a substantially rectangular shape.

A rectangular deep plate-shaped backup plate 15 accommodating an inflator 13 and an air bag 14 is provided inside the opening 12a for inflating the airbag.
It is arranged inside the door inner panel 16 in the vehicle interior.

On the outside of the opening 12a (inside the passenger compartment), there is an armrest 17 which is an internal mounting part of the side door 11, and the upper surface of the armrest 17 on which an occupant places his / her arm is lower than the lower lip of the opening 12a. The door trim is at a slightly higher position, that is, at a height that covers a part of the lower side of the opening 12a, and is substantially horizontal while overlapping the lower portion of the backup plate 15 provided inside (outside the vehicle compartment). It is attached to 12 vehicle compartment sides.

The backup plate 15 in the shape of a rectangular deep plate provided inside the opening 12a is attached such that its lower side wall overlaps with the interior of the vehicle compartment below the backup plate 15. The inclined guide surface 15c is formed by the surface on the airbag storage side so as to incline obliquely upward in FIG. 1 toward the upper end of the armrest 17, and the mounting flange 15a at the lower portion thereof is bolted to the armrest 17. The upper and both side mounting flanges 15b are bolted to the door inner panel 16 for firm mounting.

Further, the lower portion of the opening 12a is openably and closably covered by a trim cover 18 attached to the armrest 17, and the trim cover 18 is accommodated in the air inside the side door 11. When the bag is pushed from the inside of the door when the bag is inflated, the lower part thereof is opened to the inside of the vehicle compartment as a hinge to allow the bag to swell from the opening 12a of the airbag 14 and to open the trim cover 18 Is the backup plate 1
The inclined guide surface 15 formed by the lower side wall 5
The guide surface 18a gradually and continuously extends upward from c to guide the expanding direction of the inflating airbag 14 in a predetermined direction. In addition, in FIG. 1, reference character G is a window glass.

Next, the operation of this embodiment configured as described above will be explained. When a collision sensor (not shown) arranged in the side door 11 or the like detects a side collision, the backup plate 15 is detected. Provided inflator 13
The ignition signal is sent to the inflator 13 and the inert gas generated in the ignited inflator 13 is filled in the folded airbag 14. Then, the airbag 14 filled with the inert gas inflates and pushes open the trim cover 18 that closes the opening 12a and bulges into the vehicle interior. At this time,
Since the inclined guide surface 15c is formed below the backup plate 15 in which the airbag 14 is housed,
The airbag 14 is guided by the inclined guide surface 15c without interfering with the upper portion of the armrest 17 that closes the lower side of the opening 12a, and smoothly inflates into the vehicle interior. Further, the trim cover 1 is opened with its lower side used as a hinge.
The upper surface of 8 serves as a guide surface 18a continuous as a smooth slope on the extension of the inclined guide surface 15c, so that the airbag 14 bulging from the opening 12a is guided by the guide surface 18a.
The passengers are guided to deploy in a predetermined direction and protect the occupant from a secondary collision.

As described above, in the side collision airbag device of this embodiment, even if the armrest 17 is overlapped in the deploying direction of the airbag 14, the inclined guide surface 15c formed in the lower portion of the backup plate 15 causes the airbag. Since the 14 can be smoothly inflated and deployed, there is no restriction on the mounting position of the armrest 17, and the airbag 14 and the armrest 17 can be arranged at optimal positions.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, instead of the inclined guide surface formed by inclining the lower side wall of the backup plate,
In this embodiment, an inclined guide surface is formed on the armrest, and the same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the detailed description thereof will be omitted and described below.

The side impact airbag device has an inflator 13 and an airbag 14 on the inside (outside of the vehicle compartment) of an airbag inflation opening 12a formed by cutting out the door trim 12 of the side door 21. A rectangular backing plate-shaped backup plate 25 that is housed is arranged on the interior side of the door inner panel 16. Further, outside the opening 12a, the armrest 27 has a height that covers a part of the lower side of the opening 12a and overlaps with the lower portion of the backup plate 25 provided inside the door (inside the vehicle compartment). Installed on.

The armrest 27 attached to the outside of the door trim 12 is cut off at the upper corner outside the vehicle body (on the right side in FIG. 3), and the backup plate 2 is removed.
Inclination guide surface 2 that extends obliquely upward in the vehicle interior direction from the lower end of 5
7a is formed. Furthermore, this opening 12a is
Trim cover 2 with its lower part attached to armrest 27
8 is openably and closably covered, and the trim cover 28 is pushed when the airbag 14 accommodated in the door inside thereof is inflated and opens toward the vehicle interior with the lower side as a fulcrum. In addition to allowing the bag 14 to swell from the opening 12a, the upper surface of the trim cover 28 in the opened state serves as a guide surface 28a that is continuous above the inclined guide surface 27a formed on the armrest 27 and expands. The airbag 14 is designed to guide the deployment direction of the airbag 14 in a predetermined direction, and has the same operation and effect as in the case of the first embodiment.

[0022]

As described above, in the side collision airbag device of the present invention, the portion in which the airbag is housed and the end of the interior part that interferes with the airbag are smoothly connected. Since the formed inclined guide surface is provided, the airbag can be smoothly deployed in the predetermined direction without any trouble even if the interior parts are provided in a state of overlapping in the deployment direction of the airbag.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken along the line II of FIG. 2 showing a first embodiment of a side impact airbag device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an inside view of a side door showing the door trim of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 1 of a side door equipped with an airbag device of a second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a side door showing an example of a conventional side impact airbag device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Side Door 12 Door Trim 12a Airbag Inflation Opening 15 Backup Plate 15c Inclined Guide Surface 17 Arm Rest 18 Trim Cover 18a Guide Surface 25 Backup Plate 27 Arm Rest 27a Inclined Guide Surface

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A side collision in which an interior component is provided at a position inside a vehicle compartment where a airbag is deployed to protect an occupant by deploying the vehicle when a side collision occurs, at a position where the interior part interferes when the airbag deploys. The airbag device is provided with an inclined guide surface formed so as to smoothly connect a portion in which the airbag is stored and an end portion of the interior component that interferes with the airbag. Airbag device for side impact.