JPH061019U - Airbag cover - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] Covers the opening of the instrument panel that houses the airbag, and when the airbag bulges and deploys, pivots around the thin hinge part formed along the front edge to In the synthetic resin airbag cover that opens the opening,
This prevents the occurrence of a step between the hinge part and the instrument panel due to the deformation of the hinge part with time, and enables the airbag to expand smoothly and swiftly in an emergency. [Structure] A thin-walled hinge portion 23 having a V-shaped cross-section is formed at the front edge of the airbag cover 2, a hinge portion reinforcing member 30 is provided in front of the hinge portion 23, and a front portion of the upper portion of the hinge portion 23 is provided in front. An engaging groove 241 that opens to the hinge portion 23 is provided, and the upper end of the hinge portion reinforcing member 30 is engaged with the engaging groove 241 to reinforce and support the hinge portion 23. When the airbag 12 is inflated and expanded, the hinge portion 23 is pushed up. Is deformed into a linear shape so that the hinge portion 23 and the hinge portion reinforcing member 30 are disengaged from each other.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a vehicle airbag cover structure, and more particularly to an airbag cover that is provided to cover an opening of an instrument panel in front of a passenger seat and opens the opening as the airbag expands. .

[0002]

[Prior art]

 In some vehicles, an airbag device is provided between the occupant and a steering wheel or an instrument panel during a vehicle collision to inflate the airbag to prevent the occupant from colliding forward.

On the passenger side of the vehicle, the airbag is folded and stored in an instrument panel in front of the passenger seat, and in the event of a vehicle collision, the airbag bulges toward the passenger seat from an opening provided in the instrument panel. Deploy to reduce the impact on passengers. This opening is normally covered with an air bag cover, and the air bag cover pivots upward as the airbag expands and expands during a vehicle collision, and the opening is opened.

Conventionally, a pad type airbag cover has been used as an airbag cover (Actual No. 1-81156, No. 25-25346). In recent years, resin-made airbag covers have been increasingly used instead of the pad type for the purpose of cost reduction. Moreover, in order to reduce the weight of the airbag cover, the airbag cover is often made of a thin resin plate.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the resin airbag cover. In the figure, an airbag cover 20 made of a thin resin plate provided to cover the opening 11 of the instrument panel 10 is provided with a thin hinge portion 23 extending downward along the front edge thereof. The connecting portion between the airbag cover 20 and the hinge portion 23 is particularly thin. The lower end of the hinge portion 23 is fixed to an airbag case 14 in which the airbag 12 is folded and stored. Reinforcing ribs 21 and 22 are provided in a lattice pattern on the back surface of the airbag cover 20 to ensure the surface rigidity of this portion.

[0006]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in the resin-made airbag cover having the above-mentioned configuration, since the hinge portion 23 is thin, the hinge portion 23 is easily bent downward, and there is a problem that a step is formed between the airbag cover 20 and the instrument panel 10 and the appearance is poor. is there.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and reinforced the hinge portion without hindering the smooth and swollen expansion of the air bag at the time of a vehicle collision, thereby forming a joint with the instrument panel. The object is to provide an airbag cover that does not have a step between them.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 As shown in FIG. 2, the present invention is provided so as to cover the opening 11 of the instrument panel 1 in front of the passenger seat, and as the airbag 12 housed inside the instrument panel 1 expands and expands, In the airbag cover 2 made of synthetic resin that pivots around the hinge portion 23 formed on the front end edge to open the opening 11, the hinge portion 23 has a thin wall-like cross section that projects forward and extends downward. The hinge reinforcing member 30 is fixed to the front of the hinge 23 so that the lower end is fixed to the airbag case, and the upper front of the hinge 23 is opened forward. The engaging portion 24 having the groove 241 is provided, and the upper end 31 of the reinforcing member 30 is engaged with the engaging groove 241.

[0009]

[Action]

 Normally, the airbag cover 2 is supported and reinforced by the hinge portion reinforcing member 30 to prevent a step from being formed between the airbag cover 2 and the instrument panel 1. In the event of a vehicle collision, the hinge portion 23 extends in a substantially straight line due to the inflation output of the airbag 12, so that the hinge portion 23 can be freely deformed apart from the reinforcing member 30, and the airbag 12 is inflated. Smooth the deployment.

[0010]

【Example】

 The present invention will be described based on the embodiment shown in FIGS. In FIG. 1, an airbag 12 (FIG. 2) is housed inside the instrument panel 1 in front of the passenger seat of a left-hand drive vehicle, and an opening 11 is formed on the upper surface of the instrument panel 1. is there. The opening 11 is covered with the airbag cover 2.

In FIG. 2, the airbag cover 2 is made of a thin plate material made of synthetic resin. Normally, the opening 11 of the instrument panel 1 is closed to be flush with the instrument panel 1. is doing. The airbag 12 is provided in the instrument panel 1 and is stored in a folded state in an airbag case 14 having an opening above.

On the back surface of the airbag cover 2, a plurality of ribs for reinforcing the surface rigidity of the airbag cover 2 are provided in a grid pattern. The rib is composed of a vertical rib 21 provided along the deployment direction of the airbag 12 shown by an arrow in the figure, and a horizontal rib 22 provided so as to intersect with the vertical rib 21, which are integrated with the back surface of the airbag cover 20. Is formed in the same way.

As shown in FIG. 2, a thin hinge portion 23 extending downward is integrally formed at the front edge of the airbag cover 2. The connecting portion of the airbag cover 2 with the hinge portion 23 is particularly thin. The hinge portion 23 has a bent portion 230 in the middle thereof and has a V-shaped cross section projecting forward, and the lower end is fixed to the front surface of the airbag case 14 with a bolt 5 (the bolt is a rivet). May be). A rib 24, which is an engaging portion that engages with a hinge portion reinforcing member 30 which will be described later, is provided at a front portion of an upper end of the hinge portion 23 at predetermined intervals in the vehicle width direction. An engaging groove 241 that opens forward is formed in each rib 24.

Further, a reinforcing member 30 for reinforcing and supporting the hinge portion 23 is provided in front of the hinge portion 23. The reinforcing member 30 is made of a thin iron plate, and its lower end is fixed to the airbag case 14 together with the lower end of the hinge portion 23. The upper end 31 of the reinforcing member 30 is bent toward the hinge 23 and engages with the engaging groove 241 of the rib 24.

As shown in FIG. 3, the airbag cover 2 having the above structure is normally locked to the opening edge of the airbag case 14 by the locking members 4 at both end positions of the airbag cover 2. is there. The upper end of the locking member 4 is fixed to the back surface of the airbag cover 2, and the lower end is fixed to the airbag case 14. A breaking portion 41, which is thin and easily broken, is formed between the fixing portions of the locking member 4.

The airbag cover 2 of the present invention having the above-described structure normally covers the opening 11 of the instrument panel 1. At the time of a vehicle collision, a sensor (not shown) provided at the front of the vehicle detects the collision, and a gas generator (not shown) provided at the lower portion of the airbag 12 is activated to supply gas into the airbag 12 to generate air. The bag 12 is deployed in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. On the other hand, the breaking portion 41 of the locking member 4 is broken and separated by pushing up the airbag cover 2 as the airbag 12 bulges and expands, and the engagement between the airbag cover 2 and the airbag case 14 is released. Then, the airbag cover 2 is pushed up by the inflation output of the air bag 12, and pivots upward with the connecting portion between the thin hinge 23 and the airbag cover 2 as the hinge center.

At the same time, due to the pushing force of the bulging of the airbag 12 acting on the airbag cover 2, the hinge portion 23 bent in a dogleg shape is almost along the side wall of the airbag case 14 as shown in FIG. It extends in a straight line. Along with this, the rib 24 moves rearward, the upper end 31 of the reinforcing member 30 slips out of the engaging groove 241 of the rib 24, and as a result, the upper end of the hinge portion 23 becomes free.

The hinge portion 23 whose upper end is in a free state is pushed by the airbag 12 and pivots forward around the lower end fixing portion to allow the airbag 12 to bulge and deploy forward. As a result, the airbag 12 bulges between the occupant and a member in front, for example, the windshield, and cushions the occupant.

[0019]

[Effect of device]

 Therefore, according to the resin airbag cover of the present invention, even if the hinge portion at the front end is formed so as to be easily bent, the hinge portion is supported by the reinforcing member, so that the hinge portion bends downward and the instrument panel is bent. There is no step between and. Further, when the airbag is inflated and deployed, the hinge portion is disengaged from the reinforcing member, and the airbag cover can pivot largely forward around the hinge portion. obtain.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a perspective view of an instrument panel in front of a passenger seat of a left-hand drive vehicle equipped with an airbag cover of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the airbag cover of the present invention taken along the line II-II of FIG.

3 is a sectional view of the airbag cover of the present invention taken along the line III-III of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a view showing the operation of the hinge portion of the airbag cover of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional airbag cover at the same position as in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Instrument Panel 11 Opening Part 12 Airbag 2 Airbag Cover 23 Hinge Part 24 Engaging Part 241 Engaging Groove 30 Hinge Part Reinforcing Member

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An instrument panel, which is provided in front of a passenger seat, in which an airbag is housed, is provided to cover an opening of an instrument panel.
In the airbag cover made of synthetic resin that pivots around the hinge portion formed at the front edge to open the opening as the airbag expands and expands, the front edge of the airbag cover has a cross section that projects forward. Extend downward in a letter shape,
Forming a thin hinge part with the lower end fixed to the airbag case, a hinge part reinforcing member with the lower end fixed to the airbag case is provided in front of the hinge part, and the front part of the hinge part is opened forward. An airbag cover, comprising: an engaging portion having an engaging groove, wherein an upper end of the reinforcing member is engaged with the engaging groove.