Locking device

Abstract

To provide a locking tool that allows miniaturization and a reduced number of components compared to conventional ones.SOLUTION: A locking tool 100 includes: a cylindrical member 10; an igniter 20 having a part to be fitted into the cylindrical member 10; and a holder 30 holding the cylindrical member 10 and the igniter 20 and fixed to a part of a bag holder 40. The cylindrical member 10 is a bottomed cylindrical member having an opening provided in an end part on the igniter 20 side, and is an integrally molded component of a bottom part 11, a cylindrical part 12, a flange part 13 and an actuation pin 14. A fragile part 11a as an annular recess is arranged at a position on an inside surface of the bottom part 11 opposite an outer peripheral part 14a of the actuation pin 14. The fragile part 11a is ruptured by a pressure wave which is received upon actuation of the igniter 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a locking device that can instantly release the locking of an operating pin on an object by using an igniter to instantly release the operating pin from the housing, and in particular to a locking device that includes a pyrotechnic that is configured to be suitable for use in controlling the deployment and contraction of automobile airbags, etc. [Background technology]

[0002] Airbag devices have been widely used as an example of safety devices for automobiles and the like. To enhance the impact absorption capacity of airbags for occupants, attempts have been made to control the shape and stiffness (flexibility) of the airbag when the airbag is inflated and deployed. Such control of the shape and stiffness of the airbag is achieved by incorporating various mechanical and electrical elements into the airbag device. One known example of such control is the use of a fastening device that can instantly release the locked state.

[0003] Here, an example of a locking device is one that includes a squib, a holder that holds the squib, a pin that includes a locking portion that locks the object to be locked, and a cup that holds the pin, and is configured by assembling the holder and the cup (see Patent Document 1 below).The cup has an opening at the bottom that faces the ignition portion of the squib, and the pin has a flange that protrudes outward at the base of the locking portion, and in this state, the locking portion is inserted from the inside to the outside of the cup through the opening, and in this state the flange is held by the cup alone. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-315533 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 provides a fastening device made of a pyrotechnic device that has excellent responsiveness and can be manufactured easily and inexpensively. However, in recent years, there has been a demand for further miniaturization and a reduction in the number of parts for such fastening devices.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a locking device that can be made smaller and has fewer parts than conventional devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) The present invention is characterized in that it comprises an igniter, a cup-shaped member having a cylindrical portion that fits into the tip of the igniter, a bottom portion provided on the cylindrical portion on the tip side of the igniter, and an operating pin formed on the outside of the bottom portion and that engages an object to be engaged, and a holder that holds the igniter and the cup-shaped member, wherein a weak portion is formed on the inside of the bottom portion of the cup-shaped member at a position opposite the outer periphery of the operating pin.

[0008] (2) In the fastener of (1) above, the weakened portion is preferably an annular recess.

[0009] (3) It is preferable that the fastening device of (1) or (2) above has a flange portion at the end opposite the bottom side of the cup-shaped member, and that the flange portion and the igniter are both fixed to the holder by crimping a crimping portion provided at the end of the holder on the igniter side from the outside of the flange portion.

[0010] According to the above configurations (1) to (3), a locking device can be made smaller and with fewer parts than conventional devices. Furthermore, by reducing the number of parts, costs can be reduced compared to conventional devices. Furthermore, when activated, the end of the actuation pin on the igniter side is less likely to get caught on the object to be locked, allowing the object to be smoothly released from the actuation pin. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a locking device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the locking device of FIG. 1 after operation. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, a fastener according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] 1, fastening device 100 of this embodiment includes a cylindrical member 10, an igniter 20 having a portion that is fitted into cylindrical member 10, and a holder 30 that holds (fastens) cylindrical member 10 and igniter 20 and is fixed to a portion of a bag holder 40. Bag holder 40 is a case that houses and holds an airbag and a gas generator (not shown), and includes a hole 41. Hole 41 is provided to allow passage of an airbag anchoring member 60 (a member called a tether, for example) used to adjust the inflation of the airbag, and a ring-shaped member 70 (an object to be anchored) provided at the tip of airbag anchoring member 60.

[0014] The cylindrical member 10 is a bottomed cylindrical member having an opening at the end on the igniter 20 side, and is a part in which the bottom 11, the cylindrical portion 12, the flange portion 13, and the actuation pin 14 are integrally molded.

[0015] The bottom 11 has a fragile portion 11a, which is an annular recess, on its inner surface (on the igniter 20 side) at a position facing the outer periphery 14a of the actuation pin 14, which will be described later. The fragile portion 11a is broken by a pressure wave received when the igniter 20 is actuated. Note that the fragile portion 11a may be of any type as long as it is broken by a pressure wave received when the igniter 20 is actuated. In other words, it does not have to be a continuous annular recess, and may be one in which discontinuous recesses are formed in an annular shape.

[0016] The actuating pin 14 is a columnar member having an outer periphery 14a, and is provided integrally with the outer portion of the bottom 11. In addition, in the state of FIG. 1 (initial state) in which the fastener 100 is fixed to the bag holder 40, the actuating pin 14 fastens the airbag mooring member 60 via the ring-shaped member 70, and the tip of the actuating pin 14 is inserted into a hole 51 formed in a support piece 50 provided on the bag holder 40. Note that instead of using the ring-shaped member 70, the tip of the airbag mooring member 60 may be made into a ring shape to form a ring-shaped portion (not shown), and this ring-shaped portion may be used as the object to be fastened by the actuating pin 14.

[0017] Igniter 20 includes a cap member 21 that covers an ignition portion (not shown), and a pair of terminal pins 22 that are connected to the ignition portion and supplied with a predetermined amount of current. When a vehicle collides, this igniter 20 is activated when a collision is detected by collision detection means (not shown) provided in the vehicle, and based on the detection, a control unit provided in the vehicle supplies electricity to the ignition portion via terminal pins 22.

[0018] In addition, the igniter 20 is fixed with a pair of terminal pins 22 inserted into a pair of holes 35 formed approximately in the center of the holder 30, and with the central axis of the igniter 20 itself approximately aligned with the central axis of the holder 30.

[0019] The holder 30 is a generally cylindrical, integrally molded metal product that includes a female connector portion 31, an end portion 32, and a hole portion 33. The end portion 32 has a generally cylindrical shape before the flange portion 13 is crimped and fixed, and is deformed by being pressed when the flange portion 13 is crimped and fixed.

[0020] In fastener 100 configured as described above, when igniter 20 is activated, the bottom portion 11 receives a pressure wave generated by igniter 20, causing fragile portion 11a to break and actuating pin 14 to move toward support piece portion 50 (see FIG. 2). At this time, the engagement between ring-shaped member 70 and airbag anchoring member 60 is released (see FIG. 2). Then, the tip portions of ring-shaped member 70 and airbag anchoring member 60 pass through hole 41 of bag holder 40, and the airbag (not shown) is released from being anchored by airbag anchoring member 60.

[0021] According to this embodiment, the actuation pin 14 is integrally molded with the cylindrical member 10, making it possible to provide a locking device 100 that is smaller in size and has fewer parts than conventional devices. Furthermore, the reduction in the number of parts also makes it possible to reduce manufacturing costs compared to conventional devices.

[0022] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, only the end portion 32 of the holder 30 is subjected to crimping, which allows for further miniaturization and easier manufacturing than conventional devices, thereby enabling further reduction in manufacturing costs.

[0023] Furthermore, because an annular weakened portion 11a is provided at a position facing outer circumferential portion 14a of actuation pin 14, if weakened portion 11a breaks after actuation, the diameter of the end of actuation pin 14 on the igniter 20 side will be approximately the same as the diameter of outer circumferential portion 14a. As a result, when actuation pin 14 moves toward support piece portion 50, the end of actuation pin 14 on the igniter 20 side is less likely to get caught on ring-shaped member 70. Therefore, when locking device 100 is actuated, ring-shaped member 70 is smoothly released from actuation pin 14.

[0024] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, it should be understood that the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than the above description of the embodiments, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0025] Here, the fastening device 100 in the above embodiment is used to fasten and release the airbag anchoring member 60 via the ring-shaped member 70, but is not limited to this. For example, it can also be used as a fastening device for pushing in a predetermined part (target object) in a locking / releasing device (selectable force limiter, load limiter, etc.) attached to one of the safety devices of an automobile or the like, known as a pretensioner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0026] 10 Cylindrical member 11 Bottom 11a Weak area 12 Cylindrical part 13 Flange 14 Actuation pin 14a Outer periphery 20 Igniter 21 Cap member 22 terminal pins 30 Holder 31 Female connector part 32 End 33, 35, 41 holes 40 Bag Holder 50 Support piece 51 holes 60 Airbag anchoring member 70 Ring-shaped member 100 Locking device

Claims

1. An igniter, a cup-shaped member having a cylindrical portion that fits onto the tip end of the igniter, a bottom portion that is provided on the cylindrical portion on the tip end side of the igniter, and an actuation pin that is formed on the outside of the bottom portion and that engages an object to be engaged; a holder that holds the igniter and the cup-shaped member; Equipped with A locking device characterized in that a weakened portion is formed on the inside of the bottom of the cup-shaped member at a position facing the outer periphery of the actuating pin.

2. 2. The fastener according to claim 1, wherein the weakened portion is an annular recess.

3. a flange portion is provided on an end portion of the cup-shaped member opposite to the bottom side, A fastening device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the flange portion and the igniter are both fixed to the holder by crimping a crimping portion provided at the end of the holder on the igniter side from the outside of the flange portion.

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