Knee pretensioner comprising gas discharge limiting structure

Abstract

The present invention relates to a knee pretensioner comprising a gas discharge limiting structure, the knee pretensioner comprising: a connection unit connected with an anchor or a buckle; and a pressure unit formed with an internal space into which a portion of the connection unit is inserted, the pressure unit being actuated by an impact on the vehicle to inject a fluid into the internal space, and moving the portion of the connection unit in one direction under the pressure of the fluid received therein to pull the anchor or the buckle; wherein the pressure unit is disposed within the internal space and configured to allow fluid to move along an interior of the variable space, the variable space changing in response to movement of the connection unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a knee pre-tensioner including a structure for restricting gas emissions, and more particularly, to a knee pre-tensioner having a structure that completely prevents gas emissions from a micro gas generator under normal operating conditions to prevent passenger safety accidents. In addition, it includes a structure that can prevent parts of the knee pre-tensioner from breaking and shifting in abnormal situations, thereby preventing secondary accidents. Background Art

[0002] To ensure the safety of passengers during a vehicle impact, the retraction of the webbing is restricted so that the passengers sit correctly on the seat, thereby minimizing secondary injuries in accidents.

[0003] However, simply restricting the extraction of the webbing does not completely prevent secondary damage, because unlike restricting the webbing, the anchor or buckle that secures the webbing may still become loose, making it difficult to achieve complete passenger safety. Therefore, recently, a method has been used to prevent safety accidents by increasing the fixing force when moving the anchor or buckle, bringing the webbing closer to the passenger.

[0004] In particular, when the webbing is a safety belt for waist restraint, in order to restrict the extraction of the webbing according to the prior art, a method is adopted in which a micro gas generator (MGG) is ignited by the impact of the vehicle to generate a fluid, and the anchor connected to the safety belt or the buckle connected to the safety belt is introduced into the waist tensioner by the pressure of the fluid.

[0005] Although this method effectively reduces secondary accidents, there is also a problem: during the process of discharging the fluid generated by activation, the gas from the MGG can escape through the connection (C) path leading to the knee pre-tensioner, as Figure 1 shown. Then, due to the gaps or internal spaces within the cable path, this gas may leak through the cable seal (S), which may cause safety problems such as passengers being burned by the fluid.

[0006] In addition, traditional knee pre-tensioners usually install a "safety cover" to direct the MGG emissions towards the vehicle body, which is considered a relatively safe direction. However, if future autonomous vehicle seats can rotate (up to 360 degrees), then the emissions towards the vehicle body may endanger other passengers. This presents an additional safety challenge that the present invention attempts to address. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present invention aims to solve the problems of the above-mentioned prior art. The object of the present invention is to provide a knee pre-tensioner, which includes a structure for restricting gas emission. This structure includes a structure that completely prevents the emission of MGG gas under normal operating conditions to prevent passenger safety accidents, and a structure that prevents the parts of the knee pre-tensioner from breaking and shifting under abnormal operating conditions to prevent secondary accidents.

[0008] The tasks of the present invention are not limited to the above tasks, and through the following description, those skilled in the art will understand other tasks not mentioned.

[0009] A knee pre-tensioner includes a structure for restricting gas emission, which is driven by an impact on the vehicle to move the anchor or buckle of the vehicle, and includes: a connection unit connected to the anchor or buckle; and a pressure unit having an internal space, a part of the connection unit being inserted therein. The pressure unit is driven by an impact on the vehicle to inject fluid into the internal space, and moves the parts of the connection unit in one direction under the pressure of the fluid received therein to pull the anchor or buckle; wherein the pressure unit is disposed within the internal space and is configured to allow the fluid to move along the interior of a variable space that changes in response to the movement of the connection unit.

[0010] In addition, the pressure unit is configured such that when the pressure is below a predetermined value, the fluid moves along the variable space, and when it exceeds the predetermined value, it leaks from the variable space.

[0011] Furthermore, the pressure unit includes a housing part having an elongated internal space, one end of the connection unit being inserted and moving into the elongated internal space; a moving part, one side of which is fixed to one side of the internal space within the housing part, and the other side moving to the other side of the internal space when the connection unit moves to form a variable space; and a driving part connected to the internal space of the housing part and being driven in response to an impact on the vehicle and injecting fluid into the internal space of the housing part.

[0012] Furthermore, the moving part is formed by a telescopic hollow tube having a plurality of connected ends and a variable length.

[0013] In addition, the moving part includes a fixing member configured to receive fluid into the interior and fixed to one side of the internal space; an adjustable member, one end of which is connected to the interior of the fixing member and is configured to slide in the moving direction of the connection unit relative to the fixing member; and a piston member connected to the connection unit and surrounding the other end of the adjustable member and forming a variable space that changes as the connection unit moves.

[0014] Further, the piston member is configured to divide the internal space into a first space in which the fixed member is fixed and a second space in which the adjustable member moves, and wherein the adjustable member and the piston member are moved into the second space by the pressure of the fluid contained in the first space, thereby moving one end of the connection unit.

[0015] Further, when a predetermined pressure is exceeded, the pressure unit is configured to leak the fluid into the disconnected space once the adjustable member is disconnected from the fixed member.

[0016] Further, when a predetermined pressure is exceeded, the pressure unit is configured to cause a safety zone of a moving part located within the internal space to protrude outside the housing part.

[0017] Further, the moving part is formed in the form of a hollow tube having corrugations with variable length from one end to the other end.

[0018] In addition, the knee pre-tensioner including a gas emission restricting structure further includes an exhaust unit that discharges the fluid contained in the pressure unit in a direction opposite to the position of the vehicle passenger.

[0019] To solve the above problems, the knee pre-tensioner of the present invention including a gas emission restricting structure has the effect of preventing passenger safety accidents by completely preventing the gas emission of MGG under normal operating conditions, and has the effect of preventing secondary accidents by preventing the breakage and displacement of the parts of the knee pre-tensioner under abnormal operating conditions.

[0020] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above effects, and from the description of the claims, other effects not mentioned above will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] When reading the detailed description and the content of the invention in conjunction with the drawings, it will be possible to more clearly understand the detailed description of the preferred embodiments according to the present application described below and the content of the invention described above.

[0022] To illustrate the present invention, preferred embodiments are shown in the drawings. However, it should be understood that the present application is not limited to the precise arrangements and manners shown.

[0023] Figure 1 A diagram showing a conventional knee pre-tensioner;

[0024] Figure 2 A diagram showing a knee pre-tensioner including a gas emission restricting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3A diagram showing a moving part in a pressure unit of a knee pretensioner including a gas emission restricting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 A diagram showing a variable structure of a moving part in a pressure unit of a knee pretensioner including a gas emission restricting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figures 5a to 7b A diagram intended to show an operating state of a knee pretensioner including a gas emission restricting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] <Symbol Explanation>

[0029] 10: Knee pretensioner

[0030] 100: Connection unit

[0031] 200: Pressure unit

[0032] 220: Housing part

[0033] 240: Moving part

[0034] 260: Driving part

[0035] 242: Fixed member

[0036] 244: Adjustable member

[0037] 246: Piston member

[0038] 248: Sealing connection member

[0039] 248a, 248b: Protrusions

[0040] 248c: Groove

[0041] 246a: Safety zone

[0042] 300: Exhaust unit Detailed Description of the Invention

[0043] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the object of the present invention can be implemented in detail.

[0044] When describing this embodiment, the same names and the same reference numerals are used for the same components, and the resulting additional description will be omitted.

[0045] Figure 1 A diagram showing a conventional knee pretensioner; Figure 2 A diagram showing a knee pretensioner including a gas emission restricting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3A diagram showing a moving part in a pressure unit of a knee pre-tensioner including a gas emission restricting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 A diagram showing a variable structure of a moving part in a pressure unit of a knee pre-tensioner including a gas emission restricting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figures 5a to 7b A diagram intended to show an operating state of a knee pre-tensioner including a gas emission restricting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] As Figures 2 to 4 As shown, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a knee pre-tensioner 10 including a gas emission restricting structure may include a connection unit 100 and a pressure unit 200.

[0047] As Figures 2 to 4 As shown, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a knee pre-tensioner 10 including a gas emission restricting structure may include a connection unit 100 and a pressure unit 200.

[0048] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a knee pre-tensioner 10 including a gas emission restricting structure is a knee pre-tensioner 10 driven by an impact applied to a vehicle to move an anchor or a buckle of the vehicle, where a webbing is connected to the anchor or the buckle to restrict the withdrawal of the webbing when the knee pre-tensioner 10 is driven.

[0049] The above-mentioned webbing may be a safety belt for restraining a passenger's waist, and it can be understood that if the safety belt can be pulled into the knee pre-tensioner 10 and the withdrawal of the safety belt can be restricted, then even if the safety belt is directly pulled into the knee pre-tensioner 10, all of these are within the scope of the present invention.

[0050] The connection unit 100 may be configured to accommodate an anchor or a buckle into the knee pre-tensioner 10, and may also be configured to accommodate a webbing, such as a winding strap, connected to the above-mentioned anchor or buckle.

[0051] The connection unit 100 may be provided in the form of a cable having a predetermined diameter and may be connected to an anchor or a buckle through a medium.

[0052] As an example, when the webbing is a safety belt, the connection unit 100 may be configured to have a path parallel to the inner space of the pressure unit 200 described later on one side to achieve effective space utilization, while the other side may be configured to vertically descend to an anchor or a buckle provided on one side of the vehicle seat to effectively restrict the withdrawal of the safety belt.

[0053] In other words, the connecting unit 100 is arranged to move in a first path perpendicular to the paths of the housing part 220 and the moving part 240 of the pressure unit 200 to be described later, and then move to the moving part 240, thereby effectively restricting the extraction of the winding strap while minimizing the volume of the knee pre-tensioner 10.

[0054] The pressure unit 200 may include a housing part 220, a moving part 240, and a driving part 260, and may further include a micro gas generator (MGG).

[0055] The pressure unit 200 may have a space formed inside the housing part 220, and a part of the connecting unit 100 may be inserted into this space.

[0056] Then, due to the impact of the vehicle, the pressure unit 200 activates the MGG to inject fluid into the internal space.

[0057] Therefore, the pressure unit 200 can pull the anchor or buckle by moving one end of the connecting unit 100 in one direction based on the pressure of the fluid contained therein.

[0058] In this case, the pressure unit 200 may be arranged to form a variable space inside the internal space and allow the above-mentioned fluid to move along the inside of the variable space.

[0059] Specifically, the pressure unit 200 may be arranged to allow the fluid to move along the above-mentioned variable space without leaking to the outside when the pressure in the internal space is lower than a predetermined pressure.

[0060] In this case, the pressure unit 200 may be arranged to leak fluid from the variable space when the pressure in the internal space exceeds the predetermined pressure.

[0061] For this purpose, the pressure unit 200 may include a housing part 220, a moving part 240, and a driving part 260, where the housing part 220 may be elongated to allow one end of the connecting unit 100 to be inserted and move.

[0062] Specifically, the housing part 220 is elongated to have a straight path and a connecting portion for connecting with the connecting unit 100 is formed.

[0063] In addition, the housing part 220 is arranged such that when the pressure in the internal space exceeds the preset pressure, one side (the inner side) of the moving part 240 to be described later partially protrudes outside the housing part 220, thereby preventing the parts of the knee pre-tensioner 10 from breaking and shifting under abnormal operating conditions, and thus preventing secondary accidents.

[0064] In this case, the moving part 240 is fixed within the housing part 220 on one side of the internal space of the housing part 220, and the other side moves to the other side of the internal space according to the movement of the connection unit 100, and a variable fluid movement path, i.e., a variable space, can be formed in the longitudinal direction of the housing part 200.

[0065] And the driving part 260 can be connected to the internal space of the housing part 220, and can be driven in response to an impact on the vehicle to form a space for injecting fluid into the internal space of the housing part 220.

[0066] The pressure unit 200 may further include an MGG (micro gas generator), which can be in a standby state in an initial state before an impact is applied to the vehicle, but when driven by the impact applied to the vehicle, the fluid moves along the driving part 260, and the fluid is received in the internal space of the housing part 220.

[0067] The structure for forming the variable space of the moving part 240 will be described in more detail below.

[0068] The moving part 240 can be set in various forms as long as a variable space can be formed to form a fluid path of variable length.

[0069] However, through further illustration, the moving part 240 can be set as a series of telescopically connected hollow tubes of variable length.

[0070] Specifically, the moving part 240 may include a fixed member 242, an adjustable member 244, and a piston member 246, wherein the fixed member 242 is fixed to one side of the internal space of the housing part 220 and is arranged to allow fluid to flow into the interior.

[0071] The adjustable member 244 can be arranged to slide in the direction of the movement of the connection unit 100 relative to the fixed member 242.

[0072] It should be understood that the adjustable member 244 is first connected to be in internal communication with the fixed member 242 so as to transfer the fluid to the interior.

[0073] Therefore, the piston member 246 can be connected to the connection unit 100 to form a variable space that changes as the connection unit 100 moves, and can seal the other end of the adjustable member 244.

[0074] In other words, the internal space can be divided into a first space where the fixed member 242 is fixed and a second space where the adjustable member 244 moves, and these two spaces can be separated by the piston member 246.

[0075] Therefore, asFigure 5a As shown in the operating states of FIGS. 1 to 7, the pressure of the fluid contained in the first space causes the adjustable member 244 and the piston member 246 to move into the second space, thereby moving the first part of the connection unit 100 and thus pulling the anchor or buckle connected to the connection unit 100.

[0076] In the pressure unit 200 having the above-described configuration, in the case of an abnormal operation in which the pressure in the internal space exceeds a predetermined pressure, the adjustable member 244 can be separated from the fixed member 242, and the fluid can leak into the separated space.

[0077] For example, the pressure unit 200 may further include a seal connection member 248 that is fixed to the first side of the inner surface of the fixed member 242.

[0078] The adjustable member 244 can be connected to the above-described seal connection member 248 such that when the pressure in the internal space is lower than the predetermined pressure, the end portion does not disengage from the fixed member 242 through the seal connection member 248, and can be configured to prevent fluid leakage.

[0079] Specifically, the seal connection member 248 can be provided in an annular form, and the protrusions 248a, 248b have curvatures in at least one region of one end and the other end of the inner circumferential surface spaced apart by a predetermined distance.

[0080] A groove 248c is formed between the protrusions 248a, 248b, and when the pressure in the internal space is lower than the predetermined pressure, when the adjustable member 244 moves, the protrusion formed on one side of the adjustable member 244 is caught in the groove 248c, and the adjustable member 244 is not removed from the fixed member 242, and the protrusions 248a, 248b can prevent fluid leakage twice.

[0081] As described above, when the pressure in the internal space exceeds the predetermined pressure, the adjustable member 244 can be disengaged from the fixed member 242 without breaking the adjustable member 244 and the fixed member 242 through the protrusions 248a, 248b having curvatures in at least one region, as Figure 7a and Figure 7b shown.

[0082] In addition, as Figure 7a and Figure 7b shown, when the safety zone 246a formed on the piston member 246 of the moving part 240 located in the internal space is exceeded, the pressure unit 200 may protrude outward from the housing part 220 to prevent the parts of the knee pre-tensioner from breaking and shifting under abnormal operating conditions as described above, thereby preventing secondary accidents.

[0083] The housing part 220 may be formed with a through-hole having a first diameter, the through-hole having a central axis along the longitudinal direction of the housing part 220, such that when the pressure in the internal space is higher than a predetermined pressure, one side (inner side) of the moving part 240 described later may partially protrude outside the housing part 220.

[0084] In this case, the piston member 246 may be formed with a second diameter smaller than the above-described first diameter on one side, and is arranged to extend or retract in the through-hole of the housing part 220.

[0085] Furthermore, the other side of the piston member 246 may be arranged such that when the pressure in the internal space of the housing part 220 is lower than a predetermined pressure, that is, when the piston member 246 operates in a stable state, a restricted area formed by a third diameter larger than the above-described first diameter does not protrude outside the through-hole in the housing part 220.

[0086] At this time, a safety area 246a may be formed on one side of the restricted area of the piston member 246 such that it can naturally move out of the through-hole of the housing part 220 under the above abnormal operating conditions.

[0087] For example, the safety area 246a may be arranged in a row with a gradually increasing diameter towards the through-hole of the housing part 220 on one side of the restricted area, thereby preventing the housing part 220 from breaking under the above abnormal operating conditions.

[0088] Alternatively, the moving part 240 according to an embodiment of the present invention may expand and contract as described above to form a variable space, or it may be integrally provided, although not shown in the drawings, as long as it is arranged to form a variable space and only leaks fluid in a desired direction under abnormal operating conditions.

[0089] For example, the moving part 240 may be arranged in the form of a hollow tube having corrugations with a variable length from one end to the other end, and the above piston member 246 may be combined therewith, all of which are considered to fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0090] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the knee pre-tensioner 10 including a restricted gas discharge structure having the above-described configuration may further include an exhaust unit 300.

[0091] For example, the exhaust unit 300 may be arranged to discharge the fluid contained in the pressure unit 200 in a direction opposite to the position of the vehicle passenger.

[0092] For example, the exhaust unit 300 may be provided at one end of the housing part 220, and may form an exhaust port to discharge the fluid injected into the internal space under the above abnormal operating state in a direction different from the longitudinal direction of the housing part 220.

[0093] The orientation of the exhaust port can be changed, but it may be convenient to set it to exhaust in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the housing part 220.

[0094] The exhaust unit 300 can communicate with the above-mentioned first space in the internal space so that the fluid injected into the internal space can be discharged through the above-mentioned exhaust port.

[0095] Therefore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the knee pre-tensioner 10 including the restricted gas emission structure can completely prevent MGG emissions under normal operating conditions, thereby preventing passenger safety accidents.

[0096] It can also prevent secondary accidents by preventing parts from breaking and falling off the knee pre-tensioner 10 under abnormal operating conditions.

[0097] In addition, it does not deviate much from the geometry of the conventional knee pre-tensioner, so it is easy to be directly applied to current production vehicles.

[0098] As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that in addition to the above embodiments, the present invention can also be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the gist or scope.

[0099] Therefore, the above embodiments are not restrictive, but should be regarded as illustrative, and thus the present invention is not limited to the above description and can be modified within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A knee pretensioner including a gas exhaust restriction structure, characterized in that: The knee pretensioner is actuated by an impact on the vehicle to move the vehicle's anchor or buckle, comprising: a connecting unit connected to the anchor or buckle; and a pressure unit formed with an internal space into which a part of the connection unit is inserted, the pressure unit being driven by an impact on the vehicle to inject a fluid into the internal space and to move a part of the connection unit in one direction under the pressure of the fluid received therein to pull the anchor or buckle; The pressure unit is disposed in the inner space and is configured to allow the fluid to move along the inside of the variable space, and the variable space changes in response to the movement of the connection unit.

2. The knee pretensioner comprising a gas exhaust restriction structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure unit is configured such that when the pressure is lower than a predetermined value, the fluid moves along the variable space, and when the pressure exceeds the predetermined value, the fluid leaks from the variable space.

3. The knee pretensioner comprising a gas exhaust restriction structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure unit comprises, a housing part having an elongated inner space into which one end of the connecting unit is inserted and moved; a moving part, one side of which is fixed to one side of the internal space in the housing part, and the other side of which moves to the other side of the internal space to form a variable space when the connecting unit moves; as well as A driving part is connected to the inner space of the housing part and is driven in response to an impact on the vehicle and injects a fluid toward the inner space of the housing part.

4. The knee pretensioner comprising a gas exhaust restriction structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The moving part is formed by a telescopic hollow tube having a plurality of ends connected thereto and having a variable length.

5. The knee pretensioner comprising a gas exhaust restriction structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The moving parts include: a fixing member configured to receive the fluid inside and fixed to one side of the interior space; an adjustable member having one end connected to the interior of the fixed member and arranged to slide in a moving direction of the connecting unit relative to the fixed member; as well as A piston member is connected to the connection unit, surrounds the other end of the adjustable member, and forms a variable space that changes with the movement of the connection unit.

6. The knee pretensioner comprising a structure for limiting gas discharge according to claim 5, characterized in that: The piston member is configured to divide the inner space into a first space in which the fixed member is fixed and a second space in which the adjustable member moves, And wherein the adjustable member and the piston member are moved into the second space by the pressure of the fluid contained in the first space, thereby moving one end of the connection unit.

7. The knee pretensioner comprising a structure for limiting gas discharge according to claim 3, characterized in that: When a predetermined pressure is exceeded, the pressure unit is configured to leak the fluid into the disconnected space once the adjustable member is disconnected from the fixed member.

8. The knee pretensioner comprising a structure for limiting gas discharge according to claim 7, characterized in that: When a predetermined pressure is exceeded, the pressure unit is configured to cause a safety zone of the moving part located within the inner space to protrude out of the housing part.

9. The knee pretensioner including a structure for limiting gas discharge according to claim 3, characterized in that: The moving part is formed in the form of a hollow tube having corrugations of variable length from one end to the other end.

10. The knee pretensioner including a structure for limiting gas discharge according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also included is an exhaust unit that exhausts the fluid contained in the pressure cell in a direction opposite to the position of a vehicle passenger.

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