Airbag module housing unit, airbag module, and steering wheel
By introducing anchor walls and reinforcements into the airbag module housing unit of the steering wheel, the problem of dents in the airbag outlet area is solved, achieving a higher quality continuous smooth outer surface and a larger residual wall thickness.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202380078887.3
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-11-18
- Filing Date
- 2023-11-16
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-20
AI Technical Summary
In the steering wheel of modern vehicles, it is difficult to maintain a continuous and smooth outer surface while integrating the airbag and operating elements, especially in the airbag outlet area, which is prone to dents, affecting the user experience.
An airbag module housing unit is designed, including a housing and a front side outer wall, which is provided with an anchor wall and reinforcement near the predetermined breaking line to ensure that the outer wall is not bulging when the airbag is triggered, and the predetermined breaking line only bears shear stress.
Through reinforcement measures, the bulge of the outer wall of the shell when the airbag is triggered is avoided, breaking resistance is reduced, and the residual wall thickness is achieved, the continuous smoothness of the outer surface is improved, and the risks of depressions and dents are reduced.
Smart Images
Figure CN120187615A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to an airbag module housing unit for accommodating an airbag of a vehicle occupant restraint system in a vehicle steering wheel, an airbag module, and a steering wheel having an airbag module. Background Art
[0002] In the steering wheels of modern vehicles, operating elements that can be operated by the driver during driving are usually integrated. For example, the operating element is a touch element. In addition, lighting display elements for providing information to the driver are also provided.
[0003] In this case, it is desired to provide a continuous and smooth outer surface that extends from the center of the steering wheel and over the steering wheel spokes.
[0004] However, creating such a continuous smooth surface is challenging because indentations occur, especially in the area of the outlet of the front airbag that should also be integrated into the outer surface, particularly indentations along a predetermined fracture line that defines the outlet, and the material thickness of the predetermined fracture line is reduced compared to the surrounding area. Such indentations can give the user a feeling of poor quality. Summary of the Invention
[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an airbag module housing unit for accommodating an airbag of a vehicle occupant restraint system in a vehicle steering wheel, which has a particularly high-quality, continuous and smooth outer surface.
[0006] According to the present invention, this object is achieved by an airbag module housing unit for accommodating an airbag of a vehicle occupant restraint system in a vehicle steering wheel, the airbag module housing unit including a housing and a front outer wall, the housing defining a receiving space for the airbag and having an outlet for the airbag on the front side, the front outer wall closing the outlet and being visible in the state of being installed in the steering wheel, and the front outer wall having a predetermined fracture line due to material thinning at least partially around the outlet. The outer wall has at least one integrally formed anchoring wall protruding from the back side of the outer wall adjacent to the predetermined fracture line, and the outer wall is fixed to the rest of the airbag module housing unit by means of the at least one anchoring wall, wherein, on the back side in a central section at least partially surrounded by the predetermined fracture line, a separate reinforcing member is fixed to the outer wall.
[0007] When the airbag is triggered, the housing breaks along the predetermined fracture line.
[0008] By means of the anchoring walls and separate reinforcement elements, the outer wall is reinforced in the region of the outlet such that, according to the invention, bulging of the housing, more precisely of the outer wall, when the airbag is triggered is avoided. This results in the fact that the predetermined breaking line is subjected almost exclusively to shear stress, which results in a relatively low breaking resistance. In other words, tensile forces in the region of the predetermined breaking line are avoided.
[0009] Due to the reinforcement according to the invention, the remaining wall thickness of the predetermined breaking line can be increased at the same breaking resistance as in conventional solutions without reinforcement, in particular to at least 1 mm, for example at least 1.5 mm, whereas in known solutions the remaining wall thickness of the predetermined breaking line is less than 1 mm.
[0010] By means of this possibility of increasing the remaining wall thickness, bottlenecks in the injection molding process are alleviated and the risk of forming depressions or indentations on the outside of the housing is reduced.
[0011] Thus, according to the invention, a particularly high-quality, continuously smooth outer side can be produced which does not have indentations.
[0012] Preferably, the reinforcement element is adjacent to the predetermined breaking line. Particularly preferably, the reinforcement element is adjacent to the predetermined breaking line along the entire predetermined breaking line. In this way, a particularly high breaking strength is achieved along the predetermined breaking line, since by means of the reinforcement the housing, in particular the outer wall, is particularly stable and almost undeformable along the predetermined breaking line.
[0013] The reinforcement element can be formed by an electronic device housing arranged in the receiving space, in particular an electronic device for controlling operating and / or display units arranged on the outer wall is contained in the electronic device housing. For example, the electronic device housing serves to display a logo on the outer wall of the housing. By using the electronic device housing as a reinforcement element, the number of existing components is reduced and a compact structural form is achieved.
[0014] According to one embodiment, the housing is made in two parts and includes a separately manufactured cover on which the outer wall is formed, wherein the at least one anchoring wall is formed on the cover.
[0015] The advantage of providing the outer wall on the separately manufactured cover is that the cover has a relatively small injection molding volume. Since the injection molding volume is relatively small, only a few injection points, for example one or two injection points, are required, so that no or only a few casting boundaries are produced. In addition, less material has to be extruded through the bottleneck. Due to the smaller volume, the cover can be manufactured more quickly compared to a one-piece housing, thereby further reducing the risk of depressions and indentations. Specifically, hardening of the material in the casting boundary or bottleneck region is avoided.
[0016] For example, the outer wall is formed on a film injection molded on the back.
[0017] The housing has, for example, on the front side a laterally outwardly extending, integrally formed plate-shaped wall, which is covered on the front side by the cover, in particular completely covered. Thus, the cover is supported on the plate-shaped wall and stabilized by this wall, which contributes to the cover having a smaller wall thickness in the region of the outer wall and thus being able to have a particularly small volume.
[0018] The housing can be closed at the back by a bottom, in particular: the anchoring wall is fixed on the bottom. This also contributes to the compact structural form of the airbag module housing unit.
[0019] For example, the anchoring wall has a locking end, and the anchoring wall is locked on the rest of the airbag module housing unit by means of the locking end. In this way, a particularly simple fixing of the anchoring wall is achieved, especially without using tools or separate fastening means.
[0020] Furthermore, according to the invention, this object is achieved by an airbag module having an airbag module housing unit according to the invention, wherein a folded airbag is accommodated in the accommodation space of the airbag module housing unit. The same advantages as those already described in connection with the airbag module housing unit are achieved by the airbag module according to the invention.
[0021] Furthermore, according to the invention, this object is achieved by a steering wheel having an airbag module according to the invention, wherein the steering wheel has spokes that connect the steering wheel rim to the hub section, and the housing has a plate-shaped wall that extends laterally outward from the predetermined breaking line, and the plate-shaped wall covers the spokes on the front side (in particular completely) or forms the spokes itself. Thus, the airbag module extends over almost the entire width of the steering wheel, whereby a particularly large outer wall area can be achieved and thus the largest possible functional area.
[0022] The outer wall can be constructed as a stepped-free surface on the front side and can integrate a display unit and / or a human-machine interface. For example, a touchpad and / or a lighting device are integrated in the outer wall. In this way, different functions can be integrated in the steering wheel, especially operating functions, warning functions and / or information functions. Here, the stepped-free surface ensures a particularly high-quality appearance.
[0023] The outer wall can generally have an elongated, rectangular profile on the front side. Thus, in normal driving situations, the user can easily reach all areas of the outer wall. Description of the Drawings
[0024] Other advantages and features of the invention result from the following description and the attached reference drawings. In the figures:
[0025] Figure 1 shows a steering wheel according to the invention,
[0026] Figure 2 Shows an airbag module according to the invention with an airbag module housing unit according to the invention,
[0027] Figure 3 Shows Figure 2 an exploded view of the airbag module,
[0028] Figure 4 Shows Figure 2 another exploded view of the airbag module,
[0029] Figure 5 Shows Figure 2 a cross-sectional view of the airbag module, and
[0030] Figure 6 shows another variant of the airbag module according to the invention and a steering wheel according to the invention. Detailed Description
[0031] Figure 1 Shows a steering wheel 10 of a vehicle having an airbag module 12 received therein.
[0032] In Figure 1 the visible surface of the outer wall 14 of the airbag module 12 is visible.
[0033] The steering wheel 10 has spokes that connect the steering wheel rim 16 to a hub section that is not visible in Figure 1 and are covered by the airbag module 12. It is also conceivable that the airbag module 12 itself forms the spokes.
[0034] The outer wall 14 generally has an elongated, rectangular profile on the front side.
[0035] In addition, the outer wall 14 is configured as a stepped-free surface on the front side.
[0036] In particular, a display unit and / or a human-machine interface is integrated in the outer wall 14 and is visible when the vehicle electronics are activated.
[0037] Figure 2 Shows a perspective view of the airbag module 12.
[0038] In Figure 2 mainly the outer wall 14 is visible, wherein the course of a predetermined fracture line 19 formed by thinning of the material located in the outer wall 14 is shown by means of two parallel dashed lines. In fact, the predetermined fracture line 19 cannot be seen on the exposed surface of the outer wall 14.
[0039] As in Figure 3 and Figure 4As can be seen in the exploded view, the airbag module 12 includes an airbag module housing unit 18 and a folded airbag 20. The airbag 20 is part of a vehicle occupant restraint system.
[0040] The folded airbag 20 is arranged on a carrier 24, thereby simplifying the handling and fixing of the folded airbag 20.
[0041] The airbag module housing unit 18 has a housing 26 in which a receiving space 28 for the airbag 20 is defined.
[0042] The housing 26 has an outlet 30 for the airbag 20 on the front side (shown in dashed lines in Figure 2 ).
[0043] The outlet 30 is closed by an outer wall 14.
[0044] In order to allow the airbag 20 to pop out of the receiving space 28 through the outlet 30, a predetermined fracture line 19 extends locally around the outlet 30, here at the side edges of the outlet 30.
[0045] The area that detaches from the outer wall 14 upon triggering of the airbag inside the predetermined fracture line 19 is fixed to the airbag module housing unit 18, for example, by a restraint strap or a hinge.
[0046] Furthermore, the airbag module housing unit 18 has a bottom 32 by which the housing 26 is closed at the back.
[0047] In this embodiment, the bottom 32 is formed on a carrier 34 on which a gas generator 36 is mounted (see Figure 5 ), and the folded airbag 20 with the carrier 24.
[0048] The receiving space 28 is formed in a sleeve-shaped section 38 of the housing 26, where the sleeve-shaped section 38 forms the peripheral wall of the receiving space 28.
[0049] The housing 26 has a laterally outwardly extending, integrally formed plate-shaped wall 40 on the front side.
[0050] In one embodiment, the plate-shaped wall 40 can form a spoke of the steering wheel 10.
[0051] The outer wall 14 has two integrally formed anchoring walls 42 that protrude from the back of the outer wall 14 and are adjacent to the predetermined fracture line 19. The outer wall 14 is fixed to the rest of the airbag module housing unit 18 by means of these anchoring walls.
[0052] More precisely, the anchoring walls 42 protrude perpendicularly from the outer wall 14.
[0053] In this embodiment, the housing 26 is made in two parts and includes a separately manufactured cover 44 on which the outer wall 14 is formed.
[0054] The cover 44 covers the laterally outwardly extending plate-like wall 40 of the housing 26 on the front side. In this embodiment, the cover 44 completely covers the plate-like wall 40.
[0055] An anchoring wall 42 is integrally formed on the cover 44. The anchoring wall 42 extends vertically starting from the outer wall 14.
[0056] The anchoring wall 42 is fixed to the bottom 32 of the housing 26.
[0057] Specifically, the anchoring wall 42 has a locking end 46, and the anchoring wall is locked to the rest of the airbag module housing unit 18, in particular to the bottom 32, by means of the locking end.
[0058] In the illustrated embodiment, the sleeve-shaped section 38 of the housing 26 is also fixed to the bottom 32 by means of a locking end 48 integrally formed on the sleeve-shaped section 38.
[0059] To simplify the installation of the airbag module housing unit 18, the cover 44 can be first locked to the sleeve-shaped section 38 by means of the anchoring wall 42. To achieve this, as can be seen in the detail view of Figure 3 , the locking end 46 of the anchoring wall 42 on the cover 44 is configured in two stages. In other words, the locking end 46 has two parallel bearing surfaces pointing in the same direction.
[0060] Corresponding grooves 50 for the locking ends 46, 48 are formed in the bottom 32.
[0061] On the back side in the central section 52 at least partially surrounded by the parallel predetermined fracture lines 19, a separate reinforcement 54 (see Figure 4 ) is fixed, for example glued, to the outer wall 14. In a variant according to Figure 4 , the central section 52 extends up to the upper and lower edges of the outer wall 14.
[0062] In this embodiment, the reinforcement 54 is adjacent to the predetermined fracture line 19.
[0063] In Figure 5 , the relative positions of the reinforcement 54 and the anchoring wall 42 with respect to the predetermined fracture line 19 can be seen particularly well. Figure 5 shows a cross-section through the airbag module 12.
[0064] The reinforcement 54, in combination with the anchoring wall 42 adjacent to the predetermined fracture line 19, prevents the outer wall 14 from bulging when the airbag 20 is triggered. Thus, the predetermined fracture line 19 almost only bears shear forces, and therefore the fracture resistance along the predetermined fracture line 19 is very small.
[0065] In this embodiment, the reinforcement member 54 is formed by an electronic device box disposed in the accommodation space 28.
[0066] The electronic device box contains an electronic device for controlling the operation and / or display unit provided on the outer wall.
[0067] In an alternative embodiment (not shown in the drawings for simplicity), the housing 26 is configured as a one-piece unit. That is, the outer wall 14, the plate-shaped wall 40, and the sleeve-shaped section 38 are integrally formed. In this case, the sleeve-shaped section 38 and the locking end 48 form a continuous circumferential anchoring wall.
[0068] In accordance with Figure 6 a variant thereof, the housing 26 is configured as a one-piece unit, that is, the separate cover 44 described above no longer exists, but is an integral part of the housing 26 and the outer wall 14. The predetermined fracture line 19 defines the outlet 30 and the central section 52.
Claims
1. An airbag module housing unit (18) for accommodating an airbag (20) of a vehicle occupant restraint system in a steering wheel (10) of a vehicle, the airbag module housing unit comprising: A housing (26) that defines a receiving space (28) for the airbag (20) and has an outlet (30) for the airbag (20) on the front side, and An outer wall (14) on the front side that closes the outlet (30) and is visible in the state of being mounted in the steering wheel (10). The outer wall has a predetermined fracture line (19) formed due to material thinning at least partially surrounding the outlet (30). It is characterized in that The outer wall (14) has at least one integrally formed anchoring wall (42) protruding from the back side of the outer wall (14) adjacent to the predetermined fracture line (19). The outer wall (14) is fixed to the rest of the airbag module housing unit (18) by means of the at least one anchoring wall, and A separate reinforcing member (54) is fixed to the outer wall (14) on the back side in a central section (52) at least partially surrounded by the predetermined fracture line (19).
2. The airbag module housing unit (18) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reinforcing member (54) is adjacent to the predetermined fracture line (19).
3. The airbag module housing unit (18) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The reinforcing member (54) is formed by an electronic device box arranged in the receiving space (28), especially an electronic device for controlling an operation and / or display unit provided on the outer wall (14) is included in the electronic device box.
4. The airbag module housing unit (18) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The housing (26) is made in two parts and includes a separately manufactured cover (44). The outer wall (14) is formed on the cover, and the at least one anchoring wall (42) is formed on the cover (44).
5. The airbag module housing unit (18) according to claim 4, characterized in that, The housing (26) has a laterally outwardly extending, integrally formed plate-like wall (40) on the front side, and the plate-like wall is covered by the cover (44) on the front side, especially completely covered.
6. The airbag module housing unit (18) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The housing (26) is closed on the back side by a bottom (32), especially where the anchoring wall (42) is fixed to the bottom (32).
7. The airbag module housing unit (18) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The anchoring wall (42) has a locking end (46), and the anchoring wall is locked to the rest of the airbag module housing unit (18) by means of the locking end.
8. An airbag module (12), the airbag module having an airbag module housing unit (18) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, A folded airbag (20) is accommodated in the receiving space (28) of the airbag module housing unit (18).
9. A steering wheel (10), the steering wheel having the airbag module (12) according to claim 8, characterized in that, The steering wheel (10) has spokes that connect the steering wheel rim (16) to the hub section, and the housing (26) has a plate-like wall (40) that extends laterally outward from the predetermined fracture line (19). The outer wall (14) is formed at the plate-like wall, and the plate-like wall covers the spokes on the front side, especially completely covers or itself forms the spokes.
10. The steering wheel (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that, The outer wall (14) is constructed as a stepped-free surface on the front side and integrates a display unit and / or a human-machine interface.
11. The steering wheel (10) according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The outer wall (14) generally has an elongated, rectangular profile on the front side.