A co-pilot airbag assembly and a vehicle instrument panel

Abstract

This invention discloses a passenger-side airbag assembly and a vehicle dashboard, relating to the field of vehicle airbag technology. It includes an integrated injection-molded housing, on which a gas generator and an airbag assembly are mounted. The gas generator is connected to a grounding terminal via a grounding harness. The outer mounting surface of the housing has horizontally and vertically distributed support ribs, with a retaining wall on the inner side of each rib. The retaining wall has a notch, and a slot is provided near the notch on each support rib. The slot and notch are used to restrict the rotation of the grounding terminal during assembly. This invention solves the problem of grounding terminal rotation without requiring additional tooling for positioning, ensuring effective grounding of the "generator housing" metal of the PAB assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle airbag technology, and more particularly to a passenger-side airbag assembly and a vehicle dashboard. Background Technology

[0002] Traditionally, the passenger-side airbag assembly in automobiles uses a metal shell, with the generator housing connected to the vehicle body (grounded) via the metal shell, lower metal bracket, and metal tubular beam. However, with technological advancements and increasingly complex automotive structures, plastic-shell passenger-side airbag assemblies have gradually replaced metal shells due to their smaller size, lighter weight, and smaller footprint. Furthermore, to avoid interference with other structures, the lower metal bracket of the passenger-side airbag assembly has been eliminated, resulting in the generator housing not being grounded to the vehicle body, thus failing to meet the grounding requirements for the generator housing.

[0003] Therefore, a new conductive circuit needs to be added to connect to the vehicle body (ground), that is, to connect the passenger-side airbag assembly "generator housing" to the vehicle body via a wiring harness. The connection terminal could be soldered to the generator's metal housing, but the generator's characteristics are similar to gunpowder, making soldering risky and costly. Therefore, screws and nuts are used to connect the "connection terminal" to the "generator housing." However, during assembly, the rotation of the nut causes the connection terminal to rotate, resulting in the wiring harness getting tangled in the tightening gun and damaging the harness. Simultaneously, the "connection terminal" rotates with the rotating nut, posing a risk of exceeding the tightening torque tolerance. To address the connection terminal rotation issue, assembly fixtures are used for positioning during assembly. However, when removing the assembly fixtures, replacing or disassembling passenger-side airbag assembly components still carries the risk of damaging the wiring harness and exceeding the tightening torque tolerance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide a passenger-side airbag assembly and vehicle dashboard that solves the problem of grounding terminal rotation without requiring additional tooling for positioning, thus ensuring effective grounding of the PAB assembly's "generator housing" metal.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solution:

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a passenger-side airbag assembly, including an integrally injection-molded housing, wherein a gas generator and an airbag assembly are mounted on the housing, and the gas generator is connected to a grounding terminal via a grounding wire harness; the outer mounting surface of the housing is provided with transversely and longitudinally distributed support ribs, and a retaining wall is provided on the inner side of the support ribs, wherein the retaining wall has a notch, and a slot is provided on the support rib near the notch, wherein the slot and the notch are used to restrict the rotation of the grounding terminal during assembly.

[0007] As a further implementation, the grounding terminal is fastened to the gas generator flange by a lock nut, and the retaining wall surrounds the outside of the gas generator flange.

[0008] As a further implementation, the grounding terminal is connected to the support ring assembly of the air bag assembly and locked by a lock nut.

[0009] As a further implementation, the grounding harness passes through the slot and connects to the gas generator, and the connector of the grounding harness to the grounding terminal is located in the notch.

[0010] As a further implementation, the slot is a U-shaped slot, and its opening direction is consistent with the installation direction of the gas generator.

[0011] As a further implementation, the shell has support arms at both ends, and the support arms are connected to several vertical reinforcing ribs;

[0012] The inner mounting surface of the housing is provided with a reinforcing structure.

[0013] As a further implementation, the support arm is provided with a positioning protrusion, which is used to mate with the instrument panel positioning hole;

[0014] The inner mounting surface of the housing is also provided with anti-misalignment holes.

[0015] As a further implementation, the support arm is also provided with several connection holes, and inserts are provided around the connection holes.

[0016] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention also provide a vehicle dashboard in which the aforementioned passenger-side airbag assembly is installed.

[0017] As a further implementation, the airbag assembly is bolted to the dashboard.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0019] (1) The outer mounting surface of the housing of the present invention is provided with support ribs distributed laterally and longitudinally, and a retaining wall is provided on the inner side of the support ribs. The retaining wall has a notch, and a slot is provided near the notch of the support rib. The retaining wall, the support rib, and the slot on the support rib cooperate to prevent the rotation of the grounding terminal and the grounding wire harness during the PAB assembly process. The grounding terminal is connected to the support ring assembly and fixed by a locking nut. The current is conducted through the grounding terminal and the grounding wire harness to the metal housing of the gas generator and the support ring assembly to achieve effective grounding.

[0020] (2) The shell of the present invention is injection molded. The inner surface of the shell is provided with a reinforcing structure and the outer surface is provided with a support rib, which increases the structural strength of the airbag assembly and ensures that the airbag will not be damaged or deformed when it is inflated and deployed. The support ribs distributed laterally and longitudinally on the outer surface of the shell can simultaneously enhance the strength of the retaining wall and the shell itself. During the PAB assembly process, the gas generator is installed after the grounding terminal is installed, which plays a pre-positioning role for the gas generator and improves the assembly accuracy and efficiency.

[0021] (3) The two side arms of the housing of the present invention are provided with positioning protrusions and connection holes for connecting the instrument panel. The bottom surface of the housing is provided with anti-misalignment holes. The positioning protrusions, connection holes and anti-misalignment holes work together to better match the PAB with the instrument panel and the vehicle wiring harness. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the invention.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the airbag assembly housing according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a side view of the airbag assembly housing according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a top view of the airbag assembly housing according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a matching diagram of the housing and airbag frame according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 This is an isometric drawing of the passenger-side airbag assembly according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 Enlarged view of a portion at point A;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a bottom view of the passenger-side airbag assembly housing according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 BB section view;

[0031] Figure 9(a) is an isometric view of an airbag assembly according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 9(b) is an exploded view of the airbag assembly according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 10 This is an assembly drawing of the passenger-side airbag assembly and instrument panel according to one or more embodiments of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the pinout of the passenger-side airbag assembly end sleeve according to one or more embodiments of the present invention.

[0035] Among them, 1. Support arm; 2a. Connecting hole; 2b. Positioning protrusion; 3. Anti-misalignment hole; 4. Vertical reinforcing rib; 5. Reinforcing structure; 6. Airbag; 7. Wiring harness assembly; 8. Locking nut; 9. Grounding harness; 10. Grounding terminal; 11. Gas generator; 12. Housing; 13. Support ring assembly; 14. Airbag assembly; 15. Instrument panel; 16. Airbag assembly; 17. Slot; 18. Barrier; 19. Notch; 20d. Plastic housing; 20c. Plastic housing airbag frame; 21d. Metal housing; 21c. Metal housing airbag frame; 22. Supporting rib; 23. Insert. Detailed Implementation

[0036] It should be noted that the following detailed description is illustrative and intended to provide further explanation of the invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used in this invention have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0037] For ease of description, the words "up," "down," "left," and "right" appearing in this invention only indicate that they are consistent with the up, down, left, and right directions of the accompanying drawings themselves, and do not limit the structure. They are merely for the purpose of facilitating the description of this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0038] Example 1:

[0039] The conventional passenger-side airbag assembly 16 (PAB) of a car has a shell 12 made of cold-rolled steel sheet. The PAB is attached to the airbag frame via metal hooks and sheet metal brackets, and is bolted to the tube beam. Compared with the plastic shell 20d, the metal shell 21d has the following problems: Figure 4As shown, the lateral dimension of the metal housing 21d is f, and the lateral dimension of the plastic housing 20d is e. Since f > e, the space required for the metal housing 21d is greater than that for the plastic housing 20d. Furthermore, in the F / A direction of the entire vehicle, the outer side of the metal housing 21d maintains a certain gap with the metal housing 12 airbag frame 21c, while the plastic housing 20d can fit snugly against the plastic housing airbag frame 20c. The metal housing 21d requires sheet metal support feet to connect to the tube beam, providing fixation and grounding, further increasing the weight of the PAB. Therefore, the demand for the plastic housing 20d is gradually increasing. However, during installation, the plastic housing 20d presents problems such as the connection terminals and wiring harness rotating with the nut, leading to easy damage to the wiring harness and excessive tightening torque.

[0040] Based on this, this embodiment provides a passenger-side airbag assembly with a mechanical anti-rotation structure, which prevents the grounding wire and terminals from rotating during assembly without requiring tooling positioning; Figure 5 As shown, the airbag assembly 16 in this embodiment mainly includes a shell 12, an airbag assembly 14, and a gas generator 11. The shell 12 is integrally injection molded, for example, using PA6+GF40 material. Of course, the material of the shell 12 can be adjusted according to actual requirements. The shell 12 does not require surface treatment, and its weight can be reduced by 30-40%.

[0041] Specifically, such as Figures 1-3 As shown, the housing 12 has a cavity for accommodating the air bag assembly 14. The gas generator 11 is mounted on the outside of the housing 12, with the mounting surface of the gas generator 11 serving as the bottom surface of the housing 12. Mounting holes for the gas generator 11 are provided on the bottom surface of the housing 12. Anti-misalignment holes 3 are also provided on the bottom surface of the housing 12, which can position the gas generator 11 and the air bag assembly 14 during installation, preventing misalignment. A reinforcing structure 5 is also provided on the inner bottom surface of the housing 12. The reinforcing structure 5 is symmetrically arranged relative to the mounting holes. In this embodiment, the reinforcing structure 5 is a mesh-like reinforcing rib, which can increase the support strength of the bottom surface of the housing 12.

[0042] The housing 12 has support arms 1 on its left and right sides respectively. The support arms 1 are used to connect the airbag assembly 16 to the instrument panel 15 during assembly. Therefore, the support arms 1 need to be provided with connection holes 2a, the number of which should ensure connection stability. Figure 10 As shown, an insert 23 is added around the connection hole 2a to enhance the installation strength at the connection hole 2a.

[0043] To improve assembly efficiency and precision, a positioning protrusion 2b is provided on the upper surface of the support arm 1. The positioning protrusion 2b engages with the positioning hole on the instrument panel 15 to ensure precise alignment. In this embodiment, the positioning protrusion 2b is a cross-shaped pin, capable of bidirectional positioning in both the X and Y directions. Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, vertical reinforcing ribs 4 are provided on the outer side of the support arm 1. The vertical reinforcing ribs 4 are fixed to the bottom surface of the support arm 1 and the outer side surface of the housing 12. Multiple vertical reinforcing ribs 4 are arranged in the front and rear directions of the housing 12, which can increase the structural strength at the connection between the support arm 1 and the housing 12.

[0044] like Figures 5-7 As shown, the gas generator 11 is mounted to the mounting hole of the housing 12 via a flange, and the flange edge is connected to the gas bag assembly 14 via a grounding terminal 10; combined with Figure 8 As shown in Figure 9, the air bag assembly 14 includes an air bag 6 and a support ring assembly 13. The support ring assembly 13 is mounted on the bottom surface of the air bag 6. The grounding terminal 10 is connected to the support ring assembly 13, and the grounding terminal 10 is connected to the gas generator 11 through the grounding wire harness 9. The electrostatic current of the gas generator 11 housing passes through the grounding terminal 10 and the grounding wire harness 9, and sequentially conducts to the metal housing 12 of the gas generator 11 and the support ring assembly 13, realizing the internal metal grounding of the PAB assembly; at the same time, it is insulated from the ignition component of the gas generator 11, increasing safety.

[0045] The grounding harness 9 is led out from one end of the harness assembly 7 and connected to the grounding terminal 10, while the other end of the harness assembly 7 is connected to the vehicle's wiring harness. In this embodiment, an anti-rotation structure is provided on the outside of the flange to prevent the grounding terminal 10 and the grounding harness 9 from rotating due to the rotational friction of the locking nut 8 during PAB assembly; the anti-rotation structure includes a retaining wall 18 and a supporting rib 22, such as... Figures 5-7 As shown, the retaining wall 18 is located on the outside of the flange. The retaining wall 18 is a closed structure distributed along the circumference of the flange, and its shape is adapted to the flange shape. The retaining wall 18 has a certain distance from the flange edge, and this distance does not affect the normal installation of the flange and the grounding terminal 10.

[0046] The outer side of the retaining wall 18 is provided with horizontally and vertically distributed support ribs 22. The left and right sides of the retaining wall 18 are the first distribution areas of the support ribs 22, and the front and rear sides of the retaining wall 18 are the second distribution areas of the support ribs 22. The first and second distribution areas are symmetrically distributed with respect to the retaining wall 18. In the first distribution area, one end of the horizontally distributed support ribs 22 is connected to the outer wall of the retaining wall 18; in the second distribution area, one end of the vertically distributed support ribs 22 is connected to the outer wall of the retaining wall 18. The horizontally and vertically distributed support ribs 22 provide support for the retaining wall 18 and, together with the reinforcing structure 5 on the inner bottom surface of the shell 12, enhance the overall support strength of the shell 12.

[0047] Because the grounding terminal 10 at one corner of the flange is connected to the grounding harness 9, a connector is provided at the connection end between the grounding harness 9 and the grounding terminal 10. For example... Figure 11 As shown, the grounding harness 9 and the airbag ignition circuit are wired together in the corrugated pipe, insulated from each other, and the insulation resistance is greater than 10MΩ, ensuring that the grounding harness 9 will not break down the ignition circuit and guaranteeing safety.

[0048] To prevent rotation of the grounding terminal 10 and the wiring harness, a notch 19 is provided on the retaining wall 18 near the grounding terminal 10. This notch 19 allows the connector to be positioned at an angle; the contact surface between the notch 19 and the connector is an inclined surface, and the two opposing inclined surfaces prevent rotation of the connector. A slot 17 is provided on the longitudinal support rib 22 of the first distribution area near the notch 19, allowing the grounding wiring harness 9 to pass through. The slot 17 prevents rotation of the grounding wiring harness 9. The specific position of the slot 17 can be adjusted according to the length of the grounding wiring harness 9; when the wiring harness is long, the number of slots 17 can be increased.

[0049] like Figure 6 As shown, the slot 17 is a U-shaped slot, with its opening direction perpendicular to the bottom surface of the housing 12, which is consistent with the installation direction of the gas generator 11. The slot 17 can be achieved by slotting in the block structure or by two columns with a certain distance between them.

[0050] In this embodiment, the housing 12 is injection molded. The inner surface of the housing 12 is provided with a reinforcing structure 5, and the outer surface is provided with supporting ribs 22, increasing the structural strength of the airbag assembly 16 and ensuring that it will not break or deform significantly during airbag inflation and deployment. During PAB assembly, the gas generator 11 is installed after the grounding terminal 10, which serves as a pre-positioning mechanism for the gas generator 11, improving assembly accuracy and efficiency. The grounding terminal 10 is connected to the support ring assembly 13 and fixed by the locking nut 8. Current flows through the grounding terminal 10 and the grounding harness 9 to the metal housing 12 of the gas generator 11 and the support ring assembly 13. Furthermore, the retaining wall 18, the supporting ribs 22, and the slots 17 on the supporting ribs 22 prevent rotation of the grounding terminal 10 and the grounding harness 9 during PAB assembly, achieving effective grounding.

[0051] Therefore, this embodiment achieves the function of grounding the metal casing of the PAB internal generator without adding a lower bracket; and the grounding terminal 10 is fixed to the support ring assembly 13 by the locking nut 8, and the grounding wire harness 9 is limited by the notch 19 and the slot 17; the housing 12 cooperates with the instrument panel 15 through the positioning protrusion 2b and is also connected by bolts; so that the airbag assembly 16 can meet the performance requirements and strength while solving the problem of abnormal noise generated by the assembly.

[0052] Example 2:

[0053] Embodiments of the present invention also provide a vehicle dashboard in which the passenger-side airbag assembly 16 described in Embodiment 1 is installed, as follows: Figure 10As shown, the airbag assembly 16 is connected to the instrument panel 15. The instrument panel 15 has two positioning holes, one square and the other rectangular. The positioning holes of the instrument panel 15 engage with the positioning protrusions on the housing 12 of the airbag assembly 16 to achieve the installation and positioning of the airbag assembly 16 and the instrument panel 15. An insert 23 is provided at the connection between the airbag assembly 16 and the instrument panel 15, and they are connected by bolts.

[0054] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A passenger-side airbag assembly, characterized in that, The device includes an integrally injection-molded housing, on which a gas generator and an air bag assembly are mounted. The gas generator is connected to a grounding terminal via a grounding harness. The outer mounting surface of the housing has horizontally and vertically distributed support ribs, and the inner side of the support ribs has a retaining wall with a notch. The support ribs have a slot near the notch, and the slot and notch are used to restrict the rotation of the grounding terminal during assembly. The grounding terminal is connected to the support ring assembly of the air bag assembly and is locked by a lock nut. Current flows through the grounding terminal and the grounding harness to the metal housing and support ring assembly of the gas generator to achieve grounding. The slot is a U-shaped slot, and its opening direction is consistent with the installation direction of the gas generator. The grounding terminal is fastened to the gas generator flange by a lock nut, and the retaining wall surrounds the outside of the gas generator flange; The grounding harness passes through the slot and connects to the gas generator, and the connector of the grounding harness to the grounding terminal is located in the notch.

2. The passenger-side airbag assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shell has support arms at both ends, and the support arms are connected to several vertical reinforcing ribs; The inner mounting surface of the housing is provided with a reinforcing structure.

3. A passenger-side airbag assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The support arm is provided with a positioning protrusion, which is used to mate with the instrument panel positioning hole; The inner mounting surface of the housing is also provided with anti-misalignment holes.

4. A passenger-side airbag assembly according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The support arm also has several connection holes, and inserts are provided around the connection holes.

5. A vehicle dashboard, characterized in that, The passenger-side airbag assembly as described in any one of claims 1-4 is installed.

6. A vehicle dashboard according to claim 5, characterized in that, The airbag assembly is bolted to the dashboard.

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