JPH08207692A - Air bag device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an air bag device in which an air bag or a gas generator can be easily and reliably fixed on a base plate and strongly fixed and supported in expansion of the air bag, the ideal expanding shape can be secured, and compactness of the device and easy of assembly are secured. CONSTITUTION: A gas generator 9 is formed into a longitudinal cylindrical shape, the gas generator 9 is housed in an air bag 8, and both ends are fixed on a base plate 7 through the air bag 8. The longitudinal cylindrical shaped gas generator 9 is provided with a detonating fuse part on one end in the longitudinal direction and a gas injecting part on the other end, and the detonating fuse part is connected to a high pressure gas housing part. The gas generator 9 is preferably housed in the air bag 8 in a state it is housed and held inside a cylindrical straitening member. A plurality of gas injection holes are aligned and formed in the longitudinal direction of the straightening member, and the openings of the gas injection holes are gradually increased in the direction to be separated from the gas injection part of the gas generator 9.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an air bag device for instantaneously inflating and deploying an automobile to protect an occupant when an extreme impact is applied to the automobile. More specifically, the air bag device is inflated without being damaged during inflation. The present invention relates to an airbag device that can ideally control the form, can be easily assembled and can be made compact.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an increasing number of vehicles are normally equipped with an air bag device as a means for ensuring the safety of passengers in the event of an automobile collision or the like. The airbag device instantly inflates the airbag into a balloon shape when a strong impact is applied to the vehicle, and elastically supports the upper half of the occupant's body to significantly reduce the impact on the human body. It is said to be extremely effective when worn.

The gas generator used in this airbag device is housed in a disk-shaped case body having a predetermined diameter and thickness, and a plurality of gas ejection holes are arranged at equal intervals on the peripheral wall portion thereof. Is formed. An air bag device that employs this conventional disk-shaped gas generator is, for example, an actual Kaihei 2-910.
No. 51 publication. This airbag device
A flange extends around the periphery of the gas generator, and the opening edge of the airbag is sandwiched between this flange and the central fitting hole of the base plate, and the three members are fastened together by fastening means such as bolts. It is fixed and integrated by. Then, the airbag is rapidly inflated and expanded by the operation of the gas generator by sandwiching the base plate and the flange, and strongly supports the opening edge of the airbag to prevent damage to its attachment part and prevent gas escape. Prevent.

[0004]

However, in the case where the opening edge of the air bag is attached to the periphery of the gas ejection hole formed on the peripheral surface of the disk-shaped gas generator as in the conventional air bag device described above, Since a strong force acts on the opening edge of the airbag, it is necessary to reinforce the opening edge with a reinforcing cloth or the like, and the airbag is sandwiched between the base plate and the flange of the gas generator. In order to fasten the bolt with a fastening member such as a bolt, there is no choice but to form an insertion hole for inserting the bolt in the opening edge portion of the airbag having a diameter substantially the same as that of the gas generator. Since stress is particularly concentrated around this insertion hole, it is necessary to apply a strong surface pressure to pinch it in order to prevent its tearing.
The fixing portion of the airbag becomes large and the structure cannot be simplified.

Further, the gas generating mechanism of the conventional gas generator often generates gas by a chemical reaction such as combustion of chemicals, and when the air bag is deployed, high-temperature, high-pressure gas is a disk-shaped peripheral wall of the gas generator. Radiation is ejected from the ejection holes of the air bag, and this is directed to the attachment part of the airbag cover, which has a thermal effect on the vicinity of the attachment part of the resin airbag cover. In order to realize the shape, the airbag cover must be molded using a material in which thermal characteristics are taken into consideration, which is costly.

Furthermore, the airbag is efficiently folded at the peripheral portion and the surface portion of the disk-shaped gas generator and is stored in the storage space between the base plate and the airbag cover, but the airbag is bulky. This storage operation takes time and labor, and production efficiency is significantly reduced. In addition, automation is difficult and the airbag device tends to be large in size, which not only impairs the appearance but also deteriorates the visibility of the instruments.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the airbag can be securely fixed by a simple method, and there is no loss at the time of its inflation, and an ideal inflation form can be easily realized. At the same time, it is an object of the present invention to provide an airbag device in which the depth of the entire device can be made small and compact, and the work of storing the airbag in the cover can be automated.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an air bag device, which is a main structure of the present invention, in which an air bag and a gas generator are fixedly mounted on a base plate, and the gas generator has a long cylindrical shape. This is achieved by an airbag device characterized in that both ends of the gas generator are fixed to a base plate together with a part of the airbag in a state where the gas generator is built in the airbag.

The gas generator is preferably housed and held inside a tubular rectifying member, and a gas ejection hole is formed in the rectifying member in a direction of inflation and deployment of the airbag. In addition, the airbag is formed with insertion holes for exposing both ends of the gas generator to the outside.
The vent hole described above is provided, and the opening of at least one vent hole is large enough to insert the rectifying member.

According to still another aspect, one of the insertion holes of the airbag has an opening large enough to insert the gas generator body, and the vent hole inserts the rectifying member. The opening is an insufficient size, and the rectifying member is divided into a size that can be inserted into the one insertion hole. In this case, the vent hole is eliminated and at least one of the constituent materials of the airbag is formed. It is also possible to apply a breathable knitted fabric to the part. At this time, the peripheral portion of the insertion hole of the airbag is sandwiched between the gas generator mounting portion of the base plate and the retainer.

Further, in order to secure an opening through which various members can be inserted from the vent hole into the inside of the airbag and a desired degassing ability, the shape of the vent hole is, for example, an elliptical shape, a rhombic shape, a slit, or the like. It is also possible to have various shapes.

[0012]

The most general method for assembling the airbag module will be described. First, the oblong gas generator is inserted into the airbag through the vent hole of the airbag. Since the opening area of the vent hole is set larger than the opening area of the insertion hole for exposing both ends of the gas generator from the inside to the outside, the insertion operation from the vent hole is easy. Then, both ends of the gas generator inserted into the inside of the airbag are exposed from the corresponding through holes, and both ends thereof are strongly fastened to the pair of left and right mounting portions of the base plate with appropriate fastening members. At this time, a washer, a pressing ring, or the like is inserted as necessary. After that, the airbag is folded on the airbag supporting surface of the base plate in a predetermined order and pushed into the inside of the airbag cover, and the peripheral portion of the cover is attached and fixed to the peripheral attaching portion of the base plate.

According to the present invention, by making the gas generator into an elongated cylindrical shape, it is possible to dispose the housing portion of the gas generator at an upper position of the base plate, and at the same time, to provide a folding housing space for the airbag. Since it can be simplified, not only the folding process of the airbag is facilitated, but also the loading work of the airbag into the airbag cover is facilitated and the working efficiency is improved.

The most notable function of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration is that the support region of the airbag extends between the insertion holes, that is, substantially the entire length of the oblong cylindrical gas generator, and the entire region of the region. It is to support the load when the airbag is inflated and deployed. The long cylindrical gas generator body has sufficient strength to hold the high-pressure gas container, and at the initial stage of the airbag deployment, the gas pressure pushes up the tearing portion of the airbag cover together with the airbag to cause the tearing. I will try to let you. At the same time, the internal pressure of the folded airbag acts to inflate the side of the oblong gas generator opposite to the direction in which the bag pops out, but there is a base plate close to the inflating point. At the same time, the long cylindrical gas generators integrally fixed to the left and right brackets support the deployment of the airbag over the entire length as a structural material. Therefore, the airbag is prevented from inflating on the side opposite to the bag pop-out direction of the oblong gas generator. At the same time, the two ends of the elongated cylindrical gas generator and the left and right brackets strongly clamp the airbag together, so that the excessive load acting on the airbag during inflation is distributed over the entire length of the gas generator body. Therefore, stress concentration does not occur at the airbag fixing portion, and as a result, damage to the attachment portion of the airbag is reliably prevented, and the airbag is intended to be surely inflated and deployed in the set direction.

Further, the fixing of the air bag and the gas generator to the base plate is completed simply by fastening the left and right end portions of the gas generator from the inside of the air bag to the base plate through the insertion holes with the shaping member. Therefore, the workability is high and the airbag is only fixed at two positions on the left and right ends of the gas generator. Therefore, it is not necessary to form a large number of holes for inserting a fastening member such as a bolt around the gas ejection holes of the gas generator as in the conventional case, and there are also no many opening portions where the tear stress of the airbag is concentrated. Such a structure leads to simplification of the shape and reduction of auxiliary fixing members, and enables weight reduction and cost reduction of the entire device.
Also, even during the deployment of the airbag, the airbag protruding from the airbag cover is received by almost the entire length of the main body of the elongated cylindrical gas generator, so that the airbag is supported on a relatively wide surface and its mounting portion is supported. The load is not concentrated, the airbag does not break, and the fixed portion of the airbag is not damaged at the same portion without strict reinforcement.

[0016]

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to illustrated embodiments. FIG. 1 is a front view of a steering wheel equipped with a typical airbag device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line I--I of FIG.

The steering wheel 1 is constructed by connecting a boss plate 3 through a plurality of spokes 1b at a position displaced downward from the center of the wheel ring 1a.
A boss 2 projects from the back side of the boss plate 3, and the boss 2 is fixed to the upper end of the steering shaft 4. Brackets (not shown) are projected from the left and right ends of the boss plate 3, and the base plate 7 of the airbag module 5 is fastened to the brackets by torque bolts or the like.

The airbag module 5 comprises an airbag cover 6, a base plate 7, an airbag 8 and a gas generator 9. In the illustrated example, the airbag cover 6 is made of various soft elastomer resins as in the conventional case. , A flat plate-shaped cleavage portion 6b having an eaves portion extending over the periphery on one surface side of the attachment frame portion 6a, and the cleavage portion 6b is formed of a thin H-shaped thin line portion. The tear line 6c is formed, which is substantially the same as the conventional one.

The air bag 8 and the gas generator 9 are housed in a space formed between the air bag cover 6 and the base plate 7, and the gas generator 9 in this embodiment is left and right above the housing space. The air bag 8 is folded and stored in the space portions in front of and below the vehicle.

Hereinafter, the structure of each member of the airbag module 5 will be described in detail, centering on the gas generator 9 which is a main part thereof. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a structure of a typical first embodiment of the airbag module of the present invention with a part of the structure omitted. The gas generator 9 is the most characteristic feature of the present invention, and the main body 9a is not a conventional disk shape but an elongated, for example, thick metal cylindrical body with both ends closed. The main body 9a has a high pressure gas container (not shown) in which a large amount of inert gas, for example, nitrogen gas is compressed and stored, and a starter (not shown) that locally breaks the wall surface of the high pressure gas container at the time of startup. . Two lead wires are connected to a built-in starting portion on one end surface of the cylindrical body 9a and extend to the outside. A large-diameter screw portion 9b is formed by screwing the outer periphery of one end of the main body 9a, and a ring-shaped flange 9c is formed on the outer periphery adjacent to the inside of the large-diameter screw portion 9b. Further, the outer periphery of the large-diameter screw portion 9b is vertically provided with an engaging groove 9g.
Are formed. On the other hand, a small-diameter screw portion 9d is integrally formed on the end surface on the opposite side of the large-diameter screw portion 9b by welding or the like. The mounting position of the small-diameter screw portion 9d is displaced from the center of the end face by a predetermined distance in order to make the direction of the gas ejection hole 9f constant when mounting the gas generator 9 on the base plate 7 as described later. Furthermore,
A ring-shaped narrowed concavity 9e is formed near the end of the main body 9a on the side of the small-diameter screw part 9d, and a plurality of gas ejection holes 9f communicating with the inside are formed at equal intervals on the peripheral surface of the concavity.

The air bag 8 applied to this embodiment is the same in material as the conventional one, and has a perfect bag shape in which two circular cloths made of nylon, for example, are combined and the outer circumference is sewn. As shown in FIG. 4, the inflation behavior of a part of the airbag 8 is controlled so that the air in the airbag 8 is discharged and at the same time the airbag 8 is inflated at a predetermined speed when an external pressure acts on the airbag 8. A vent hole 8a for care is formed. The shape of the vent hole 8a is usually circular, and its diameter is set to be slightly larger than the diameter of the main body 9a of the gas generator 9. However, the shape of the vent hole 8a is not limited to the circular shape, and various shapes such as an elliptical shape, a rhombic shape, or a simple cut having a predetermined length can be adopted as described later. Due to the structure of the gas generator 9 described above, the airbag of the present invention has a large-diameter screw portion 9b and a small-diameter screw portion 9d of the gas generator 9 in the vicinity of the vent hole 8a as shown in FIG. Insertion holes 8b and 8c, which have substantially the same diameter and through which the respective screw portions 9a and 9b can be inserted, have at least the gas generator 9 at least.
Are formed to be separated from each other by at least the length of the main body 9a.

The entire base plate 7 has a rectangular dish shape, and boss plate mounting brackets 7b project downward from the left and right ends of the frame portion 7a. In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a step 7c is provided on the upper surface of the base plate 7 in accordance with the storage shape of the airbag 8 to form the gas generator support surface 7d and the airbag support surface 7e. Even after being mounted in the vehicle, the storage form of the airbag 8 is not deteriorated, and the ideal expansion form is ensured by the reliable expansion and the guide of the step portion.

Further, in this embodiment, due to the structure of the gas generator 9 described above, the mounting bracket 10 of the gas generator 9 is separately attached to the base plate 7. The mounting bracket 10 is made of a pair of left and right flat plate members having an L-shaped cross section, and a plurality of rivet insertion holes 10a are formed in the base plate mounting portion thereof. In addition, a rivet insertion hole 7f corresponding to the rivet insertion hole 10a for attaching the bracket 10 is also formed on the gas generator support surface 7d of the base plate 7, both of which are provided with the rivet 1
It is fixed by 1. Further, one of the pair of mounting brackets 10 has a large-diameter threaded portion insertion hole 10b having the same diameter as the large-diameter threaded portion 9b of the gas generator 9, and the other bracket has a small-diameter threaded portion of the gas generator 9. A small-diameter screw part insertion hole 10c having the same diameter as 9d is formed, and a large-diameter screw part insertion hole 10b is formed.
An engaging projection 10d that engages with the engaging groove 9g formed in the gas generator 9 projects on the inner periphery of the.

In order to assemble these members into the airbag module 5, the oblong gas generator 9 is first inserted into the airbag 8 through the vent hole 8a of the airbag 8. As shown in FIG. 4, since the vent hole 8a has a sufficiently large opening size as compared with the insertion holes 8b and 8c of the screw portions 9b and 9d, this insertion operation can be easily performed. Then, the large-diameter screw portion 9b at one end of the gas generator 9 is exposed from the corresponding insertion hole 8b of the airbag 8, and the screw portion 9b is inserted in the screw portion insertion hole 10b of the one mounting bracket 10.
After engaging and positioning the engaging groove 9g with the engaging protrusion 10d of the screw portion insertion hole 10b, the small diameter screw portion 9d at the other end is exposed from the insertion hole 8c of the airbag 8 and the other mounting bracket It is made to penetrate in the corresponding screw part insertion hole 10c of No. 10.

The large-diameter screw portion 9b and the small-diameter screw portion 9d are tightened with nuts 12 and 14, respectively, and the air bag 8 is hermetically sandwiched between the gas generator 9 and the nuts 12 and 14. At this time, a washer, a pressing ring 13 or the like is inserted as necessary. After this, airbag 8
And left and right mounting brackets 1 fixed to the gas generator 9
0 is fixed to the base plate 7 with rivets 11.
Next, the airbag 8 is folded on the airbag supporting surface 7e of the base plate 7 in a predetermined order and pushed into the inside of the airbag cover 6, and the peripheral edge of the cover 6 is attached and fixed to the peripheral edge mounting portion of the base plate 7. .

By thus forming the gas generator 9 in the shape of an elongated cylinder, it becomes possible to dispose the housing portion of the gas generator 9 above the base plate 7 and at the same time fold the housing of the airbag 8. Since the space can be simplified, not only the folding process of the airbag 8 can be easily automated, but also the work of loading the airbag 8 into the airbag cover 6 is facilitated and the working efficiency is improved.

As the most characteristic function of the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, the support region of the airbag 8 is the insertion hole 8.
It is located between points b and 8c, that is, at a point that extends over substantially the entire length of the gas generator 9 having an elongated cylindrical shape, and supports the load when the airbag is inflated and deployed in the entire region (see FIGS. 5 and 6). The long cylindrical gas generator body 9a has sufficient strength to hold the high pressure gas container. At the initial stage of deployment of the airbag 8, the gas pressure tries to push up the tear line 6c of the airbag cover 6 together with the airbag 8 to cause the airbag 8 to tear. At the same time, the internal pressure of the folded airbag 8 acts to inflate the gas generator 9 in the shape of an oblong cylinder on the side opposite to the bag pop-out direction. However, since the base plate 7 is present close to the opposite side and the long cylindrical gas generator 9 integrally fixed to the left and right brackets 10 supports the expansion of the airbag 8 as a structural material over the entire length, 8 is also prevented from swelling to the side opposite to the bag pop-out direction of the gas generator 9 having an elongated cylindrical shape.
At the same time, the airbag 8 is strongly sandwiched by the flange 9c at one end and the end surface at the other end of the long cylindrical gas generator 9 and the left and right brackets 10, and the airbag 8 at the time of inflation is inflated. Since an excessive load that acts on the air bag 8 is distributed over the entire length of the gas generator main body 9a, stress concentration does not occur at the airbag fixing portion, and as a result, damage to the attachment portion of the airbag 8 can be prevented and the airbag 8 can be prevented. Can be surely expanded and deployed in the set direction.

Further, the airbag 8 and the gas generator 9 are fixed to the base plate 7 simply by inserting the left and right screw portions 9b and 9d of the gas generator 9 into the screw portion insertion hole 10 of the bracket 10.
b and 10c, and is only performed by the operation of fastening with a nut and is fixed at two positions on the left and right ends of the gas generator 9, so that a fastening member such as a bolt is inserted as in the conventional case. There is no need to form a large number of holes around the gas ejection holes 9f of the gas generator 9, and there are also no many openings where the tear stress of the airbag 8 is concentrated. Such a structure leads to simplification of the shape and elimination of the auxiliary fixing member, which enables the weight reduction and cost reduction of the entire apparatus. Further, even while the airbag 8 is being deployed, the airbag 8 jumping out of the airbag cover 6 is received by almost the entire length of the main body 9a of the elongated cylindrical gas generator 9, so that the airbag 8 is supported by a relatively wide surface. Therefore, the load is not concentrated on the mounting portion, and the airbag mounting opening (insertion holes 8b, 8c) is not damaged at the same portion without strict reinforcement.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the main part of the second embodiment. Also in the second embodiment, the air bag cover 6 and the base plate 7 which constitute the air bag module 5.
(The gas generator mounting bracket 10 is included.), The structure of the airbag 8 and the gas generator 9, and the assembling work of the airbag module are substantially the same as those in the above-described embodiment.

In the second embodiment, however, the gas generator 9 is equipped with the rectifying member 15. The rectifying member 15 forms a bulging portion 15a by linearly bulging a part of a hollow cylindrical body having a size that fits into the cylindrical gas generator 9 as shown in the drawing, along with an axis. A plurality of gas ejection holes 15b are formed along the bulging portion 15a at predetermined intervals. And the gas ejection hole 15b is
The size of the hole is gradually increased from the end side to the other end side of the small diameter screw portion 9d of the gas generator 9. This is because the gas ejection holes 9f are unevenly present at one end of the gas generator 9, so that the gas ejected from the gas ejection holes 9f is evenly ejected over the entire length of the gas generator 9.

When mounting the rectifying member 15 on the gas generator 9, the gas generator 9 for the rectifying member 15 is attached.
The insertion position of the gas generator 9 is, for example, the flange 9c.
This is carried out by providing a protrusion 9h on the inner surface of the device, forming a recess 15c at one edge of the flow regulating member 15, and engaging the protrusion 9h with the recess 15c. The gas generator 9 with the rectifying member 15 mounted in this way is inserted into the airbag 8 through the vent hole 8a of the airbag 8 and has screw portions 9b and 9d formed on the left and right ends thereof and having large and small diameters.
Is inserted into the corresponding insertion holes 8b and 8c of the airbag 8 to be exposed to the outside, and thereafter, the airbag module is assembled by the same operation as in the first embodiment. To install the flow regulating member 15 on the gas generator 9, insert the gas generator 9 and the flow regulating member 15 individually into the airbag 8 from the vent holes 8a, and then touch the vent hole 8a. It is also possible to insert and carry out the mounting work inside the airbag 8.

According to the second embodiment having such a structure,
In addition to the operational effects of the first embodiment, the following operational effects are exhibited. The rectifying member 15 is inflated so as to unfold the airbag 8 in the initial stage of the airbag 8 deployment, so that the gas ejection holes 15b of the rectifying member 15 are expanded.
The orientation of is set. Therefore, the gas ejected from the rectifying member 15 is guided in the set direction in a concentrated and well-balanced manner, so that the tear line 6c of the airbag cover 6 can be effectively cleaved and smoothly deployed. Particularly, in an airbag device attached to substantially the center of the steering in a steering neutral state, a long cylindrical gas generator 9 is installed above the inside of the device, and the airbag 8 is supported by the generator 9. Since the structure is fixed, at the initial stage of deployment, it is possible to deploy the gas slightly downward in the horizontal direction, and set the gas flow so that it will inflate sequentially upward, such as during a vehicle collision. For example, a driver restrained by a seat belt moves forward in a driving posture due to inertial force immediately after the collision until the seat belt tensioner acts, but at this time, the airbag 8 is directed toward the driver's chest and abdomen. Be expanded.
Then, when the seat belt tensioner is locked slightly after that, the upper body of the driver moves to fall into the steering around the belt hung on the chest as a fulcrum. 8
The head is caught by. In this way, the airbag 8 can be deployed in synchronism with the movement of the driver and the action of the seat belt at the time of a collision, so that the function of the airbag device is maximized.

Further, as an embodiment in which a more preferable flow regulating member is adopted, FIG. 8 shows an exploded perspective view of an airbag module 5 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The gas generator 9'of this embodiment is also an elongated cylindrical body whose both ends are closed. The substantial structure is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the structure of the members is slightly different due to the difference in the mounting procedure. . That is, the main body 9
a'is a first body portion 9a'-1 with a slightly smaller diameter on the end side through which two lead wires penetrate, and a second body portion with a larger diameter on the other end side.
A body portion 9a'-2 is formed, and a ring-shaped narrowed concavity 9e 'is provided between the both body portions, and a plurality of gas ejection holes 9f communicating with the inside are provided on the peripheral surface thereof at equal intervals. Has been formed. Further, a flange 9c 'is formed in a ring shape so as to project on the peripheral edge of the end of the main body 9a' through which the lead wire passes.

The rectifying member 15 'is a hollow cylindrical body having one end open and the other end closed, and has the same length as the main body 9a' of the gas generator 9'and a diameter of the second cylinder of the gas generator. Part 9a '
-Slightly larger than -2. A ring-shaped flange 15d 'is provided in the vicinity of the open end so as to project on the same circumference, and a plurality of gas ejection holes 15b' are linearly arranged at predetermined intervals and have a flange 9c 'of the gas generator 9'. The size of each hole is sequentially increased from the end portion side to the other end side. This is because the gas ejected from the gas ejection holes 9f 'is evenly ejected over the entire length of the gas generator 9'. On the other hand, when the gas generator 9'is loaded on the closed end surface of the rectifying member 15 ', the second body portion 9a'-2 contacts the rectifying member 15' and the rectifying member 15 '. An insertion hole 15f 'for inserting the small diameter screw portion 9d is formed so that the gas ejection hole 15b' can be positioned in an appropriate direction.

When the structure of the gas generator 9'and the rectifying member 15 'of the third embodiment is adopted, the mounting bracket 7g of the gas generator 9'is provided on the base plate 7 upward from the left and right ends thereof. It is integrally projected with a distance equal to the length of 15 '. The pair of left and right mounting brackets 7g are respectively formed with a first body portion insertion hole 7h and a small diameter screw portion insertion hole 7i of the gas generator 9.

In assembling these, first, only the rectifying member 15 'is housed in the airbag 8 through the vent hole 8a, the open end of the rectifying member 15' is exposed from the insertion hole 8b, and the rectifying member is exposed at the exposed end. A fixing ring 18 having a diameter larger than 15 'and smaller than the flange 15d' is attached. This fixing ring 18 is made of a metal strip,
One end edge thereof is bent outward in a U shape, and the other end edge is slightly bent inward in an L shape. The band width of the fixing ring 18 is set to be slightly larger than the end length of the flow regulating member 15 'protruding from the flange 15d'. Further, a plurality of claw portions 18a are projected from the inner surface of the fixing ring 18 with an appropriate phase difference, and the end edge portion of the insertion hole 8b of the airbag 8 is formed into the U-shaped bent end portion 18b. The claw portion 18a is sandwiched by the flange 15d ', and the claw portion 18a is engaged with the outer periphery of the rectifying member 15'.

In this way, the open end of the rectifying member 15 'and the airbag 8 are temporarily temporarily fixed by the fixing ring 18 and then the small-diameter screw portion insertion hole 15b' of the rectifying member 15 'is inserted through the corresponding airbag 8. The straightening member 15 'is placed between the brackets 7g of the base plate 7 via the airbag 8 so as to overlap the holes 8c. Then, attach the gas generator 9'to the mounting bracket 7g of the base plate 7 from the side of the small diameter screw portion 9d '.
Is inserted through the first body portion insertion hole 7h, penetrates the airbag 8 and the rectifying member 15 ', and projects the small diameter screw portion 9d to the outside from the small diameter screw portion insertion hole 7i of the bracket 7g.
The small-diameter threaded portion 9d 'of the protruding gas generator 9'is tightened with the nut 14 and fixed.

FIG. 9 shows a sectional view of this fixed state. By tightening the nut 14, the gas generator 9 ′ is firmly fixed by firmly sandwiching the mounting bracket 7 g between the flange 9 c ′ and the open end of the rectifying member 15 ′. At this time, the L-shaped bent portion 18c of the fixing ring 18 fitted to the open end of the rectifying member 15 'is further deformed inward, and the bracket 7g of the base plate 7 is interposed at both end edges of the fixing ring 18. Flange 9c 'of gas generator 9'
And the flange 1 of the rectifying member 15 'via the airbag 8
5d 'and 5d' are strongly pressed to increase the fixing force of the airbag 8 and the gas generator 9 '.

According to the third embodiment having such a configuration,
As described above, the gas generator 9'is attached to the base plate 7.
Since the bracket 7g for mounting the bracket can be integrally formed, it is possible to omit the step of separately manufacturing the mounting bracket and further fixing the bracket to the base plate, thereby improving the production efficiency. Of course, the action and effect of the first and second embodiments described above will not be lost.

Here, in the second and third embodiments, 2
Although the flow regulating members 15 and 15 'having various types of configurations have been described in detail, in these flow regulating members 15 and 15', the gas ejection holes 1
A plurality of 5b and 15b 'are linearly provided at a predetermined interval. The shape, number, and arrangement method of these ejection holes 15b, 15b 'are not limited to those described above. For example, the ejection holes 15b and 15b' may be arranged in a zigzag pattern to extend in two directions, the inflation direction of the airbag 8 and the tear line 6c of the airbag cover 6. It is also possible to eject gas at the same time. Furthermore, the rectifying members 15, 1
Even when one gas ejection hole is provided in the substantially central portion of 5 ', the gas is blown in a desired inflating direction of the airbag 8 depending on its shape and diameter, and by providing a cylindrical guide nozzle or the like at the periphery of the hole. It is also possible to adopt a structure for ejecting.

The most basic embodiment of the present invention has been described above. By the way, in the work of assembling the above-described airbag module 5, the vent hole 8a formed in the airbag 8 is used to insert the gas generator 9 and the rectifying member 15 into the airbag 8. Therefore, the vent hole 8a inevitably has to be an opening larger than the maximum circumferential length of the gas generator 9 and the rectifying member 15.

However, as described above, the vent hole 8a prevents the occupant from being repelled by the internal pressure of the airbag 8 when the airbag 8 inflates, when the airbag 8 contacts the occupant. It has a function for adjusting the internal pressure to release the pressure to the outside so that the pressure is appropriate for protecting the occupant. Therefore, the size of the opening is strictly regulated by the type of vehicle, the specifications of the vehicle, and the like. For example, a mode in which a plurality of small holes are provided or a proper ventilation is provided by the woven structure of the airbag without providing a vent hole. However, a mode in which exhaust is performed to alleviate impact is also adopted. Therefore, it may be impossible to directly insert the gas generator 9 or the rectifying member 15 into the vent hole. Therefore, the present invention is based on the gas generator 9
The manner in which the gas generator 9 and the rectifying member 15 can be inserted into the airbag 8 by using the insertion hole 8b of the large-diameter threaded portion 9b was repeatedly examined. An example will be described below.

10 and 11 show a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the fourth embodiment, the airbag 8 has a plurality of small-diameter vent holes 8a, an insertion hole 8b 'having the same diameter as the flange 9c of the gas generator 9, and a small-diameter screw portion 9d of the gas generator 9. An insertion hole 8c is formed. Other than that, the structures of the gas generator 9 and the base plate 7 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

Therefore, when assembling the airbag module 5, the gas generator 9 is inserted through the insertion hole 8b 'having the same diameter as the flange 9c in the work of housing the gas generator 9 in the airbag 8. And the flange 9 of the gas generator 9
c is exposed to the inside, and the large-diameter screw portion 9b is exposed to the outside through the insertion hole 8b 'of the airbag 8, and the large-diameter screw portion 9b is inserted into the insertion hole 10b of the gas generator mounting bracket 10 and the screw portion 9b.
The engaging groove 9g of b and the engaging protrusion 10d of the insertion hole 10b are engaged and inserted, and the nut 12 is tightened and fixed. At this time, the insertion hole 8b 'has the same diameter as the flange 9c of the gas generator 9. Therefore, it is impossible to sandwich the airbag 8 between the flange 9c and the mounting bracket 10. Therefore, in this embodiment, a retainer 16 formed of semicircular divided plate members 16a and 16b and a plate member 17 having a substantially rhombic stop pin as shown in FIG. 10 are used. The diameters of the two semicircular split plate members 16a and 16b are larger than the diameter of the insertion hole 8b 'of the airbag 8, and the radius thereof is set to a size that can be inserted into the insertion hole 8b'. . Further, a concavo-convex portion that engages with the other party is formed in the diameter portion, and in a state where both are engaged, the diameter is smaller than the insertion hole 8b 'and the same as the large-diameter screw portion 9b of the gas generator 9 in the center. A circular hole 16c having a diameter is formed, and the plate member 17 with the stop pin is formed.
Is formed with a pin hole 16d into which a pair of upper and lower stopper pins 17a protruding from one surface are inserted.
Eaves 16e parallel to the central axis are formed continuously on the circumferential portions of 6a and 16b.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing a fixed portion between the gas generator 9 and the airbag 8 by the retainer 16 and the plate member 17 with the retaining pin. As shown in the figure, a circumferential recess 10e is formed on the periphery of the mounting portion of the mounting bracket 10 to which the eave portion 16e formed on the outer periphery of the retainer 16 is fitted. A pair of divided plate members 16a and 16b and a plate member 17 with a retaining pin are previously inserted into the inside of the airbag 8 through the insertion hole 8b ', and inside the airbag 8, the outer surface of the flange 9c of the gas generator 9 is attached. The engaging concave and convex portions of the split plate members 16a and 16b are engaged with each other, and the upper and lower stop pins 17a of the plate member 17 with a stop pin are inserted into the upper and lower pin holes 16d and 16d of the split plate members 16a and 16b, respectively. 16 are integrated, and the nut 12 is tightened and fixed while the airbag 8 is sandwiched by the retainer 16 and the mounting bracket 10. At this time, retainer 16
Since the eaves portion 16e of the airbag fits into the circumferential recess 10e of the mounting bracket 10, the peripheral portion of the insertion hole 8b 'of the airbag 8 is pinched while deformed as shown in FIG. Strength is strengthened.

In the airbag apparatus of the fourth embodiment having such a structure, since the airbag 8 has a plurality of vent holes 8a having a relatively small diameter, it is received after the inflation of the airbag 8 is completed. Degassing for shock reduction of the driver is smoothly performed. Since it is not necessary to open the vent hole 8a larger than necessary for the purpose of inserting the oblong cylindrical gas generator 9, it is possible to set an ideal gas vent hole. Further, as described above, instead of the vent hole 8a, a part or the whole of the airbag 8 can be made of a woven fabric or the like having a breathable structure. Only by forming the insertion hole 8b 'having substantially the same diameter as the flange 9c of the container 9, for example, the airbag 8
The gas generator 9 can be housed inside the airbag 8 even when a breathable woven cloth is used as the base material constituting the. Further, in this embodiment, by combining the rectifying member 15, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that described in the second embodiment. In this case, if the outer circumference of the rectifying member 15 is smaller than the outer peripheral length of the flange 9c, the rectifying member 15 can be inserted into the airbag 8 through the insertion hole 8b '.

12 and 13 are an exploded perspective view and a sectional view of an airbag module 5 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is an example in which the vent hole of the airbag is not used when assembling the airbag module, and the structure of the gas generator and the rectifying member applied to this embodiment is applied to the above-mentioned third embodiment. The gas generator 9'and the rectifying member 15 'are substantially the same. However, the rectifying member 15 '
With respect to, the rectifying member 15 'is divided into a cylindrical body 15'-1 and a dividing member 15'-2 having a flange 15d', and one end of the dividing member 15'-2 is, for example, as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the small-diameter fitting portion 15e 'fitted to the main body 15'-1 is provided, which is different from the rectifying member 15' of the third embodiment. This dividing member 15'-2
If the value of the sum of the length and the diameter of the flange 15d 'is smaller than 1/2 of the circumferential length of the insertion hole 8b, the insertion hole 8b having the same diameter as the open end of the rectifying member 15' is inserted. The split member 15'-2 can be inserted into the inside of the airbag 8.
When assembling the airbag module 5, first, the cylindrical main body 15'-1 and the dividing member 15'-2 are inserted into the inside of the airbag 8, respectively, and then the small diameter fitting portion 15e '.
Is fitted to the cylindrical main body 15'-1 to assemble the rectifying member 15 '. The subsequent procedure is the same as that of the above-mentioned third embodiment. If the rectifying member 15 'is composed of the main body 15'-1 and the dividing member 15'-2 in this manner, the rectifying member 15' can be inserted into the airbag 8 even through the vent hole 8a having a relatively small diameter.

Even in the air bag device of the fifth embodiment having such a structure, the presence or absence and shape (size) of the vent hole 8a of the air bag 8 can be freely selected. It is possible to use a woven fabric or the like having a characteristic structure, and the same effect as the vent hole as in the above-described fourth embodiment can be obtained. Of course, this embodiment can also obtain the same effects as those described in the third embodiment.

FIG. 14 shows another embodiment of the flow regulating member 15. The rectifying member 15 is vertically divided, and each of the divided rectifying members 15 has a hinge connecting portion 15f at a dividing edge, and both are connected by a pin 15g. By dividing in this manner, the rectifying member 15 can be inserted into the airbag through a hole having a diameter smaller than that of the rectifying member 15.

Further, FIG. 15 shows a modification of the vent hole 8a. As shown in the figure, the vent hole 8a can be formed in an elliptical shape, a rhombic shape, a slit with a stop hole, an S-shaped slit, or the like. Rectangle vent hole 8a to rectifying member 15
FIG. 16 shows an opening state when inserting the rectifying member 15, and FIG. 17 shows an opening state when inserting the rectifying member 15 from the vent hole 8a by the S-shaped slit. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, when various components such as the flow regulating member are inserted from the vent holes 8a according to these modified examples, in the case of the diamond-shaped vent holes 8a shown in FIG. And the vent hole 8a formed by the S-shaped slit shown in FIG. 17 is opened by shifting the opposite opening edges of the slit up and down with respect to the opening surface, the opening has a substantially circular shape. To open wide,
The work of inserting parts having relatively large dimensions can be performed easily.

On the other hand, when the airbag 8 is inflated, the substantial opening area of the vent hole 8a having the above-mentioned special shape is larger than that of the substantially circular vent hole when opened as described above. Since it is small and the ventilation resistance is large, it is substantially equal to the ventilation amount of a circular vent hole having a small diameter. That is, a large opening can be obtained by deformation for inserting parts, and a vent hole having a small exhaust action can be obtained. Therefore, the vent hole can be used as a component insertion port for assembly while ensuring a predetermined exhaust characteristic. In addition, slit-shaped openings with reinforced edges, triangles with smooth curved corners (diaper shape)
Various shapes are adopted.

[0052]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, by using the gas generator having the elongated cylindrical shape as described above, first, the work of inserting the airbag into the airbag cover can be performed. Work efficiency improves because it becomes easier. Furthermore, since the airbag is fixed at two mounting positions of the gas generator and between them, that is, substantially the entire length of the gas generator, the reliability of the support is increased, and when the airbag is inflated, the two positions are secured. Since no gas is directly ejected toward the mounting position of the air bag and it is not necessary to separately install more through-holes in the airbag at the mounting position, there is no concentration of local stress on the mounting position and there is no load. Becomes smaller. Therefore, the attachment portion of the airbag does not need to be strictly reinforced. Therefore, it has a simple shape and does not require an auxiliary fixing member,
Weight reduction and cost reduction are possible.

Furthermore, since the gas is guided in a desired direction in a concentrated manner and in a well-balanced manner by combining with the rectifying member, the cleaving portion of the airbag cover can be effectively opened and the airbag can be smoothly deployed and operated. In particular, since the airbag body attached at the center of the steering wheel in the steering neutral state can be deployed slightly downward with respect to the horizontal direction at the initial stage of deployment, and the gas flow can be set so as to inflate sequentially upward, Immediately after a collision in which the driver restrained by the seat belt acts on the seat belt tensioner during a collision, the airbag is deployed toward the driver's chest and abdomen, and the seat belt tensioner When locked, the fully deployed airbag catches the head, and the airbag deployment is controlled to prevent the driver's upper body from falling into the steering wheel, and the airbag device protects the body in accordance with the action of the seat belt. The effect is maximized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a steering wheel equipped with a typical airbag device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a first typical airbag module of the present invention.
It is a disassembled perspective view which abbreviate | omits a part of structure of an Example.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the airbag of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the airbag module of the first embodiment when the airbag is inflated.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the gas generator portion when the airbag of the airbag module of the first embodiment is inflated.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an airbag module 5 according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a fixed state according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a split plate pair and a pin plate member according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a fixed portion between a gas generator using a pair of split plates and a pin plate member and an airbag.

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of an airbag module according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of an airbag module of a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of a modified example of the flow regulating member.

FIG. 15 is a front view of an airbag showing a modified example of a vent hole.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view when inserting a rectifying member through a rhombus-shaped vent hole.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view when the flow straightening member is inserted from a vent hole having an S-shaped slit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Steering Wheel 1a Wheel Ring 1a 1b Spoke 1b 2 Boss 2 3 Boss Plate 4 Steering Shaft 5 Airbag Module 6 Airbag Cover 6a Mounting Frame 6b Cleavage 6c Tear Line 7 Base Plate 7a Frame 7b Boss Plate Mounting Bracket 7c Step 7d Gas Generator support surface 7e Airbag support surface 7f Rivet insertion hole 8 Airbag 8a Vent hole 8b, Insertion hole 8c Insertion hole 9 Gas generator 9a Main body 9a 9b Large diameter screw portion 9c Flange 9c 9d Small diameter screw portion 9e Recess 9f Gas ejection Hole 9g Engagement groove 9h Protrusion 10 Gas generator mounting bracket 10a Rivet insertion hole 10b Large diameter screw part insertion hole 10c Small diameter screw part insertion hole 10d Engagement protrusion 11 Rivet 12 Nut 13 Washer (holding ring) 4 nut 15 rectifying member 15a bulged portion 15b gas ejection hole 15c recess 16 retainer 16a dividing plate 16b division plate 16c circular hole 16d pin hole 16e overhang portion 17 with pins plate 17a pin 18 ring

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── (72) Inventor Hiromitsu Harada, 218 Aoshima-cho, Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan Plast Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Naoki Yamamoto, 218, Aoshima-cho, Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan Plast Co., Ltd.

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. An air bag device comprising an air bag and a gas generator fixedly mounted on a base plate, wherein the gas generator has an elongated cylindrical shape, and the gas generator is built in the air bag. The airbag device is characterized in that both ends thereof are fixedly attached to a base plate together with a part of the airbag. 2. The gas generator is housed and held inside a tubular rectifying member, and the rectifying member has a gas ejection hole formed in a direction of inflation and deployment of the airbag. The airbag device described. 3. The airbag apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the airbag is formed with an insertion hole that exposes both ends of the gas generator to the outside and has one or more vent holes. 4. The airbag device according to claim 3, wherein the opening of the vent hole is large enough to insert the rectifying member. 5. The airbag device according to claim 2, wherein the rectifying member is divided into two or more. 6. The air-permeable knitted fabric is applied to at least a part of the constituent material of the airbag.
Or the airbag device according to 2. 7. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the gas generator mounting portion of the base plate and a retainer sandwich the peripheral edge portion of the insertion hole of the airbag. 8. The airbag device according to claim 3, wherein the vent hole has an elliptical shape. 9. The vent hole is diamond-shaped.
The airbag device described. 10. The airbag device according to claim 3, wherein the vent hole is a slit.