Curtain airbag apparatus for vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a curtain airbag device for an automobile, comprising an inflator that generates gas upon a side collision of the automobile, an airbag cushion that is mounted on a structure of the automobile in a rolled or folded state and expands and deploys downward along the inner surface of the automobile by receiving gas from the inflator, and a torsion prevention member that provides support to the airbag cushion to prevent torsion of the airbag cushion during the process of mounting the folded airbag cushion to the structure, wherein the torsion prevention member is configured to include a support bracket disposed on the outer side of a bracket that mounts the folded airbag cushion to the structure and provides support opposing the rotational direction of the airbag cushion, thereby providing support opposing the torsional force acting on the folded airbag cushion, so as to physically prevent it from being mounted in a torsioned state when mounted to the vehicle body.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a curtain airbag device for an automobile, and more specifically, to a curtain airbag device for an automobile that inflates and deploys between the occupant and the inner side of the automobile during a side collision to protect the occupant. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, an automobile airbag is a safety device that protects occupants by rapidly inflating the airbag with gas in response to a signal from an impact detection sensor during a collision.

[0003] These airbag devices are installed in the steering wheel, dashboard, seats, side walls, etc., of the vehicle, and inflate toward the front or side of the occupants during a collision to protect them.

[0004] In other words, the vehicle may be equipped with front airbags that deploy from the front of the driver and passenger seats, curtain airbags and side airbags that deploy from the sides of the passengers to protect them, and knee airbags to protect the passengers' knees.

[0005] Among such airbag systems for automobiles, curtain airbags are installed along the entire side of the roof liner to protect occupants from impacts applied from the side of the vehicle.

[0006] The curtain airbag unit is stowed along the corners where the vehicle's roof meets the side windows and pillars. Such curtain airbags can be stowed behind the headliner trim at the edges of the headliner, which is the fabric covering the vehicle's roof.

[0007] Meanwhile, various structures and parts of different shapes and uses, such as pillars and brackets, are installed on the vehicle body.

[0008] Patent Documents 1 and 2 below disclose a curtain airbag technology that can avoid interference with structures or parts installed on the vehicle body.

[0009] Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe a curtain airbag device configuration in which a guide chamber is provided at the upper part of the curtain airbag cushion to deploy the curtain airbag cushion downward along the guide chamber to prevent it from getting caught on the pillar trim, and the deployment direction of the curtain airbag cushion is adjusted to improve deployment performance.

[0010] A curtain airbag device according to the prior art is mounted within the roof side rail of a vehicle in a rolled or folded state, and in the event of a side collision of the vehicle, it receives gas from an inflator and expands downward along the inner surface of the vehicle.

[0011] At this time, the curtain airbag cushion must be mounted in the correct position and shape so that it can inflate and deploy in a preset configuration during a side collision of the vehicle.

[0012] In other words, since the airbag cushion is manufactured from fabric, it is difficult to maintain its precise shape solely through its own support when folded, which may lead to twisting or kinking during the installation process inside the vehicle.

[0013] To resolve these problems, the curtain airbag device according to the prior art may mark a marking line on the airbag cushion or additionally install a separate member having a straight shape so as to check whether twisting of the folded airbag cushion occurs.

[0014] However, the method using the aforementioned marking lines involves checking for twisting after installation; as there are instances where the worker fails to check for this, it was difficult to resolve the problem of curtain airbags being installed in a twisted state from the outset.

[0015] When the above-mentioned separate component is additionally installed, there were problems such as an increase in the weight of the curtain airbag device due to the weight of the component, which is manufactured from metal or synthetic resin, as well as increased manufacturing costs and reduced workability.

[0016] Therefore, there is a need to develop technology that can structurally prevent rotational motion causing twisting when curtain airbag devices are installed inside automobiles. Prior art literature

[0017] Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2011-0037598 (Published April 13, 2011) Republic of Korea Patent Registration No. 10-2005748 (Published July 31, 2019) The problem to be solved

[0018] The objective of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned problems by providing a curtain airbag device for an automobile that can prevent twisting when the curtain airbag is installed inside the automobile.

[0019] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a curtain airbag device for an automobile that can prevent twisting of the curtain airbag by providing support against the rotational direction that occurs when mounted inside the automobile.

[0020] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a curtain airbag device for an automobile that can prevent twisting of the airbag cushion without increasing the weight and manufacturing cost of the curtain airbag device. means of solving the problem

[0021] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the curtain airbag device of an automobile according to the present invention comprises an inflator that generates gas when a side collision occurs in the automobile, an airbag cushion that is mounted on a structure of the automobile in a rolled or folded state and expands and deploys downward along the inner surface of the automobile by receiving gas from the inflator, and a torsion prevention member that provides support force to the airbag cushion to prevent torsion of the airbag cushion during the process of mounting the folded airbag cushion to the structure, wherein the torsion prevention member comprises a support bracket disposed on the outer side of a bracket that mounts the folded airbag cushion to the structure and provides support force opposing the rotational direction of the airbag cushion. Effects of the invention

[0022] As described above, according to the curtain airbag device of the automobile according to the present invention, by using a support bracket provided in the anti-torsion part to provide a supporting force that counteracts the torsional force acting on the folded airbag cushion, thereby maintaining the airbag cushion in a state of being accurately mounted to the vehicle body, the effect of physically preventing it from being mounted in a torsional state when mounted to the vehicle body is obtained.

[0023] Accordingly, according to the present invention, the effect of improving the workability of the installation work is obtained by enabling the airbag cushion to be installed on the vehicle body in a folded state without twisting, without the need for the worker to check whether the folded airbag cushion is twisted when installing it on the vehicle body.

[0024] In addition, according to the present invention, the effect of fundamentally preventing twisting of the airbag cushion without increasing the weight and manufacturing cost of the curtain airbag device is obtained. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0026] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a curtain airbag device of an automobile according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention mounted on a structure of an automobile. FIG. 2 is a drawing showing the deployed state of the airbag cushion illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of area A shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the line BB' shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the anti-torsion part illustrated in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a drawing showing the unfolded state of the wrapper illustrated in FIG. 3. FIGS. 7 and FIGS. 8 are perspective views of a twist prevention member installed in an airbag cushion according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9 is a drawing showing a support bracket applied to a torsion prevention part according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an airbag cushion and a torsion prevention part with the support bracket shown in FIG. 9 applied. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0027] A curtain airbag device for an automobile according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0029] The following describes the configuration of a curtain airbag device for a vehicle applied to the passenger side; however, it should be noted that the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto and can be applied in the same way to the driver side as well as the passenger side.

[0030] Furthermore, hereinafter, the direction facing the front of the vehicle, centered on the seats inside the vehicle, is referred to as 'Front (F),' and the direction facing the rear of the vehicle is referred to as 'Rear (B).' In addition, terms indicating directions such as 'Left (L),' 'Right (R),' 'Upward (U),' and 'Downward (D)' are defined as indicating the respective directions based on the aforementioned Front and Rear.

[0031] Additionally, hereinafter, the direction facing the occupant from the outside of the vehicle is referred to as the 'inside,' and the opposite direction is referred to as the 'outside.'

[0032] Therefore, the front and rear (F, B) directions, left and right (L, R) directions, and inner (I) and outer (O) directions of the vehicle can each be expressed as horizontal directions, and the up and down (U, D) directions of the vehicle can be expressed as vertical directions.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a curtain airbag device of a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention mounted on a structure of a vehicle, and FIG. 2 is a drawing showing an airbag cushion shown in FIG. 1 deployed.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a curtain airbag device (10) of a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an inflator (20) that generates gas when a side collision occurs of the vehicle, and an airbag cushion (30) that is mounted within the roof side rail (1) of the vehicle in a rolling or folding state and receives gas from the inflator (20) to expand and deploy downward along the inner surface of the vehicle.

[0036] Generally, the roof side rail (1) is covered by the roof trim and is not visible from inside the vehicle. Multiple pillars supporting the roof are connected to the roof side rail (1). These pillars are referred to as the front pillar (2), center pillar (3), and rear pillar (4), respectively called the 'A pillar', 'B pillar', and 'C pillar', starting from the front of the vehicle. Additionally, if necessary, an additional pillar ('D pillar') may be included on the rear side of the rear pillar (4).

[0037] When a side collision or rollover of the vehicle occurs, first, a sensor (not shown) provided to the vehicle detects the impact, and an ignition signal is transmitted to the inflator (20). The ignition material inside the inflator (20) is ignited to generate gas, and the gas generated from the inflator (20) is supplied into the airbag cushion (30) through the gas inlet (33) described below.

[0038] When gas is received from the inflator (20), the airbag cushion (30) inflates and deploys downward along the inner side of the vehicle to protect the occupant.

[0039] The airbag cushion (30) is formed into a bag shape by sewing an outer panel facing the side of the car and an inner panel facing the occupant, or by a one-piece woven weaving process.

[0040] This airbag cushion (30) includes a front seat protection area (31) and a rear seat protection area (32) so as to protect the occupants in the front and rear seats, respectively, when inflated and deployed, and a gas inlet (33) may be provided at the top of the airbag cushion (30).

[0041] The front seat protection area (31) can cover the entire side surfaces of the vehicle from the front pillar (2) to the center pillar (3) of the vehicle, and the rear seat protection area (32) can cover the entire side surfaces of the vehicle from the center pillar (3) to the rear pillar (4) of the vehicle.

[0042] Of course, if the airbag cushion (30) is applied to a vehicle with three or more rows, it may further include an intermediate protection area (not shown in the drawing) that protects passengers seated in the second or third row seats.

[0043] This airbag cushion (30) has a bag shape that limits the inflatable space inside by the upper and lower walls and the front and rear walls.

[0044] And the front seat protection area (31) and the rear seat protection area (32) of the airbag cushion (30) may each include a plurality of chambers defined by one or more chamber walls so as to effectively form an inflated area using a limited amount of gas.

[0045] The upper, lower, front, rear walls and chamber wall can be formed by sewing the inner and outer panels of the airbag cushion (30) or by weaving them in a one-piece woven manner.

[0046] Of course, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and the upper, lower, front, and rear walls and the chamber wall may be modified to be formed by selecting an appropriate method from among various joining methods such as adhesive, RF welding, and ultrasonic welding.

[0047] And on the top of the airbag cushion (30), multiple tabs may be provided or installed at regular intervals so that it can be mounted on the vehicle body.

[0049] Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the airbag cushion (30) can be mounted to the vehicle body in a folded state by means of a bracket (45) described below and a twist prevention part (40) for preventing twisting.

[0050] That is, during the process of mounting the folded airbag cushion (30) to the structure of the vehicle, i.e., the roof side rail (1), a torsional force is applied to a part or the whole of the folded airbag cushion (30).

[0051] For example, the torsional force may occur in one or more sections of the folded airbag cushion (30) where the aforementioned plurality of tabs or brackets are not installed.

[0052] To resolve this problem, the anti-twisting part (40) applies a support bracket (41) that provides a supporting force against the torsional force acting on the airbag cushion (30) and maintains the folded airbag cushion (30) in a state where it is accurately mounted on the structure, thereby fundamentally preventing it from being mounted in a twisted state when mounted on the vehicle body.

[0053] Therefore, the present invention can improve the workability of the installation process by enabling the airbag cushion to be installed on the vehicle body in a folded state without twisting, without the need for the operator to check whether the folded airbag cushion is twisted during installation on the vehicle body.

[0054] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of area A shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of line BB' shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the anti-twist part shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 6 is a drawing showing the wrapper shown in FIG. 3 in an unfolded state.

[0055] To explain in detail, the anti-twist member (40) includes a support bracket (41) installed on each bracket (45) for mounting a folded airbag cushion (30) to a roof side rail (1), as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, and a pocket member (42) that fixes one end of the support bracket (41).

[0056] Generally, the folded airbag cushion (30) is mounted on the roof side rail (1) by a bracket (45) connected by a wrapper (43) and a mounting tab (44), with the outer surface wrapped by a wrapper (43).

[0057] The wrapper (43) can be formed using a fabric material in a roughly rectangular shape that extends in the front-to-back direction along the length of the folded airbag cushion (30).

[0058] The mounting tab (44) is formed in a roughly rectangular shape that extends vertically using a fabric material, and the upper end of the mounting tab (44) is connected to the lower end of the wrapper (43) by sewing, and a hook hole (441) may be formed at the lower end of the mounting tab (44) so ​​that the upper end of the bracket (45) is inserted and hung.

[0059] The bracket (45) can be manufactured in a roughly plate shape using a synthetic resin material or a lightweight metal material. The lower part of the bracket (45) can be formed with a wider width, that is, a longer length in the front-to-back direction, compared to the upper part.

[0060] A fastening hole (451) is formed in the upper part of the bracket (45) to allow a bolt (not shown in the drawing) to be fastened so as to be mounted on the roof side rail (1), and a through hole (452) extending in the front-rear direction can be formed in the lower part of the bracket (45) so that a mounting tab (44) can pass through and be wound.

[0061] In this embodiment, the support bracket (41) is positioned on the outer surface of the bracket (45) and can be mounted to the roof side rail (1) by the bolt.

[0062] To this end, the support bracket (41) may be formed in the shape of a roughly rectangular plate that corresponds to the height between the top and bottom of the bracket (45) or extends further.

[0063] A fastening hole (411) may be formed in the support bracket (41) at a position corresponding to the fastening hole (451) of the bracket (45) so that the bolt may be fastened. Additionally, a through hole (412) may be further formed in the support bracket (41) at a position corresponding to the through hole (452) of the bracket (45) so that a mounting tab (44) can be inserted and wound. Here, the height of the through hole (412) may be the same as the height of the through hole (452) formed in the bracket (45), or may be formed smaller than the height of the through hole (452) formed in the bracket (45).

[0064] This support bracket (41) can be formed in a shape corresponding to the inner surface shape of the bracket (45) so that the support bracket (41) can be closely attached to the outer surface of the bracket (45).

[0065] The support bracket (41) can be manufactured using a synthetic resin material or a lightweight metal material so as to prevent an increase in the weight of the curtain airbag device (10).

[0066] Therefore, a seam (46) can be formed in the part where the mounting tab (44) and the wrapper (43) are joined.

[0067] Here, one end of the folded airbag cushion (30), for example, the upper part, may be joined to the mounting tab (44) and the wrapper (43) by a seam (46).

[0068] Additionally, a support seam line (461) may be formed on the upper part of the mounting tab (44) which is inserted into the through holes (412, 452) of the support bracket (45) and the bracket (41) and then withdrawn, so as to join the areas that overlap on the outer and inner sides by a sewing method.

[0069] It is preferable that the support seam (461) be formed at a position close to the bottom of the support bracket (41) and bracket (45) so as to increase the support force at the overlapping portions at both ends of the mounting tab (44) wrapped around the support bracket (41) and bracket (45).

[0070] So, when a torsional force is applied to the folded airbag cushion (30) to rotate it in the C direction, that is, clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 4, the support bracket (41) can physically prevent the twisting of the airbag cushion (30) by generating a support force in the opposite direction of C, that is, counterclockwise direction, along the D direction.

[0071] In this way, the present invention provides a supporting force that counteracts the torsional force acting on the folded airbag cushion by using a support bracket provided in the torsional prevention part, thereby maintaining the airbag cushion in a state of being accurately mounted to the vehicle body, and thus fundamentally prevents it from being mounted in a torsional state when mounted to the vehicle body.

[0073] Next, a method for mounting a curtain airbag device of an automobile according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0074] The operator folds the airbag cushion (30) in a rolling or folding manner and mounts it to the vehicle body using a bracket (45) and a twist prevention part (40).

[0075] First, the worker wraps the outer surface of the folded airbag cushion (30) using a wrapper (43). Then, a support bracket (41) is placed on the outer surface of the bracket (45).

[0076] Next, the mounting tab (44) is sequentially inserted into the through holes (411, 451) of the support bracket (41) and the bracket (45) and is joined to the wrapper (43) by a sewing line (46) formed on the lower part of the wrapper (43) while wound.

[0077] And in the mounting tab (44), a support seam (461) is formed in the portion where the lower parts of the support bracket (41) and the bracket (45) overlap each other to provide support to the support bracket (41) and the bracket (45).

[0078] Next, the installation of the airbag cushion (30) is completed by fastening a bolt through each fastening hole (412, 452) formed in the support bracket (41) and the bracket (45).

[0079] In the process of installing the airbag cushion (30) as described above, a rotational force, i.e., a torsional force, may be applied to the airbag cushion (30) in the direction of C as shown in FIG. 4.

[0080] Therefore, the support bracket (41) can physically prevent twisting of the airbag cushion (30) by generating a support force in the opposite direction of C, that is, in the D direction, in a counterclockwise direction.

[0081] Through the process described above, the present invention provides a supporting force that counteracts the torsional force acting on the folded airbag cushion using a support bracket provided in the torsional prevention part, thereby maintaining the airbag cushion in a state of being accurately mounted to the vehicle body, and thus fundamentally prevents it from being mounted in a torsional state when mounted to the vehicle body.

[0082] Therefore, the present invention can improve the workability of the installation process by enabling the airbag cushion to be installed on the vehicle body in a folded state without twisting, without the need for the operator to check whether the folded airbag cushion is twisted during installation on the vehicle body.

[0084] Meanwhile, FIGS. 7 and FIGS. 8 are perspective views of a twist-prevention member installed in an airbag cushion according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0085] First, in FIG. 7, an insertion part (413) extending downward with a narrower width than the lower part of the support bracket (41) may be provided at the bottom of the support bracket (41).

[0086] And in the mounting tab (44), a pocket (42) may be formed at the position where the insertion part (413) is placed when the support bracket (41), bracket (45), and folded airbag cushion (30) are mounted on the vehicle body.

[0087] That is, the pocket (42) can be formed in a roughly 'U' shape so that an insertion part (413) can be inserted into the inner surface of one side that is positioned on the outer side among the two ends of the overlapping mounting tabs (44).

[0088] Here, the pocket (42) can be formed by sewing or joining with an additional fabric pocket member attached to the surface of the mounting tab (44).

[0089] Of course, the pocket (42) is not necessarily limited to being joined or connected in a U shape.

[0090] That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the pocket (42) may be formed by sewing or joining both ends of the pocket member to the inner surface of the mounting tab (44) in an '11' shape along the vertical direction.

[0091] As such, the present invention can be modified to form a pocket in the mounting tab and insert the lower part of the support bracket into the pocket to provide support against the torsional force acting on the folded airbag cushion.

[0093] Meanwhile, in order to increase the supporting force acting on the folded airbag cushion (30) and to expand the range where the supporting force is provided, the width of the upper and lower parts of the supporting bracket (41), that is, the length in the front-rear direction, may be extended to correspond to the width of the upper and lower parts of the bracket (45). Alternatively, the width of the lower part of the supporting bracket (41) may be extended wider than the width of the lower part of the bracket (45).

[0094] And the vertical length of the support bracket (41) can be formed to be longer than the vertical length of the bracket (45), that is, its height.

[0095] FIG. 9 is a drawing showing a support bracket applied to a torsion prevention part according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an airbag cushion and a torsion prevention part to which the support bracket shown in FIG. 9 is applied.

[0096] As illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, an extension (414) may be further provided at the lower end of the support bracket (41) so as to protrude downward from the lower end of the bracket (45). That is, the vertical length of the support bracket (41) may be formed to be longer than the vertical length of the bracket (45) as the extension (413) is provided at the lower end of the support bracket (41).

[0097] That is, the extension (414) may extend downward from the seam (46) formed at a position in contact with the outer surface of the folded airbag cushion (30). For example, the extension (414) may extend to a height corresponding to the bottom of the folded airbag cushion (30).

[0098] Therefore, when the folded airbag cushion (30) is mounted on the vehicle body, the extension (414) can firmly support the outer and lower parts of the airbag cushion (30) so that the degree of freedom, that is, clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the airbag cushion (30) or movement in the outer or inner direction, is impossible.

[0099] In this extension (414), an additional sewing hole (415) may be formed at a position lower than the through hole (412) so as to form a sewing line (46).

[0100] In this way, the present invention can extend the support bracket provided in the torsion prevention part downward to firmly support the airbag cushion when mounting the folded airbag cushion to the vehicle body, thereby preventing the airbag cushion's degree of freedom, i.e., movement, and improving the workability of the mounting operation.

[0101] Although the invention made by the inventors has been specifically described according to the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof. Industrial applicability

[0102] The present invention is applied to a technology for a curtain airbag device for an automobile that physically prevents the airbag cushion from being mounted in a twisted state when mounted to the vehicle body by providing a supporting force that counteracts the torsional force acting on the folded airbag cushion using a support bracket provided in a torsional prevention part. Explanation of the symbols

[0103] 1: Roof side rail 2: Front pillar 3: Center pillar 4: Rear pillar 10: Vehicle curtain airbag system 20: Inflator 30: Airbag cushion 31, 32: Front and rear seat protection areas 33: Gas inlet 40: Anti-twist part 41: Support bracket 411: Fastening hole 412: Through hole 413: Insert 414: Extension 415: Sewing hole 42: Pocket 43: Wrapper 44: Mounting tab 45: Bracket 451: Fastening hole 452: Through hole 46: Sewing line 461: Support sewing line

Claims

Claim 1 A curtain airbag device for an automobile, comprising: an inflator that generates gas when a side collision occurs in the automobile; an airbag cushion that is mounted on a structure of the automobile in a rolled or folded state and expands and deploys downward along the inner surface of the automobile by receiving gas from the inflator; and a torsion prevention member that provides support to the airbag cushion to prevent torsion of the airbag cushion during the process of mounting the folded airbag cushion to the structure, wherein the torsion prevention member includes a support bracket disposed on the outer side of a bracket that mounts the folded airbag cushion to the structure and provides support against the rotational direction of the airbag cushion, wherein the support bracket is formed in a shape corresponding to the outer surface of the bracket, and through holes are formed in the lower portions of the bracket and the support bracket, into which mounting tabs are inserted and wound, and a support seam is formed to connect the two overlapping ends of the mounting tabs that are wound into the through holes to provide support to the support bracket. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 A curtain airbag device for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the torsion prevention member further includes a wrapper that wraps the outer surface of the folded airbag cushion, and the mounting tab wraps the outer surface of the wrapper and then hooks onto the bracket to connect the folded airbag cushion, the bracket, and the support bracket, and the two ends of the mounting tab and the wrapper are joined by a seam formed below the support seam. Claim 4 A curtain airbag device for an automobile according to claim 1, characterized in that an insertion portion is extended and formed at the lower end of the support bracket, and a pocket into which the insertion portion is inserted is formed in the mounting tab. Claim 5 A curtain airbag device for an automobile according to claim 4, characterized in that the pocket is formed by sewing or joining while a pocket member is attached to the surface of the mounting tab. Claim 6 A curtain airbag device for an automobile according to claim 4, wherein an extension portion extending longer than the bottom of the bracket is provided at the bottom of the support bracket to limit the degree of freedom of the airbag cushion when the folded airbag cushion is mounted on the vehicle body, and a sewing hole is formed in the extension portion to form the sewing line.

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