Airbag device

Abstract

To provide an airbag device capable of accurately preventing rainwater from entering a storage area of an airbag.SOLUTION: An airbag device comprises an airbag 35, an inflator 38, a bag holder 50, and an airbag cover 65. The airbag cover comprises a ceiling wall part 66 and a rectangular tubular peripheral wall part 67. The bag holder closes the entire front end of the peripheral wall part and is provided with attachment pieces 57 arranged over the entire periphery on an outer peripheral edge side, extending toward a front end of the peripheral wall part to come into contact with an inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall part. The attachment piece and the front end of the peripheral wall part overlap and are connected to each other by making attachment means 80 pass therethrough together with a cap part 75 in a state where the periphery is covered by the cap part. The cap part includes an outer wall part that covers an area on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall part, an inner wall part that covers an area on the inner peripheral surface of the attachment piece, and a connecting wall part that connects the front ends of the outer and inner wall parts with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an airbag device having an airbag cover that covers the periphery of an airbag and an inflator attached to a bag holder. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there has been an airbag device for a motorcycle (scooter) that is mounted in front of a rider seated on the seat of the scooter (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-52340 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, because motorcycle airbag devices are mounted in locations where they are prone to rainwater splashing on them, there is room for improvement in preventing rainwater from entering the airbag storage area.

[0005] The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an airbag device that can reliably prevent rainwater from entering the airbag storage area. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The airbag device according to the present invention includes: an airbag that is inflatable by injecting inflation gas thereinto and that is folded and stored; an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag; a bag holder for attaching and holding the airbag and the inflator; an airbag cover that covers the folded airbag; An airbag device comprising: The airbag cover comprises a ceiling wall portion having a door portion that can be pushed open by an airbag that is inflated by flowing inflation gas therein, and a substantially square cylindrical peripheral wall portion that is formed to extend from the ceiling wall portion toward the bag holder and can cover the sides of the folded airbag, The bag holder is configured to completely close the tip end side of the peripheral wall portion, and has an attachment piece disposed around the entire periphery on the outer peripheral edge side, the attachment piece extending along the peripheral wall portion toward the tip end side of the peripheral wall portion and being capable of abutting against the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion, The attachment piece and the tip of the peripheral wall portion are overlapped with each other, and are connected by passing the attachment means through the cap portion together with the cap portion in a state where the periphery is covered by the cap portion over the entire periphery. The cap portion has a U-shaped cross section and is configured to cover the periphery of the mounting piece and the tip of the peripheral wall portion, with an outer wall portion arranged to cover the outer peripheral surface side of the peripheral wall portion, an inner wall portion arranged to cover the inner peripheral surface side of the mounting piece, and a connecting wall portion connecting the tips of the outer wall portion and the inner wall portion.

[0007] In the airbag device of the present invention, the bag holder, which holds the folded airbag and inflator, and the airbag cover, which covers the outer periphery of the folded airbag, are connected by abutting the mounting piece formed around the entire periphery of the bag holder against the inner periphery of the distal end of the peripheral wall of the airbag cover, and then passing the mounting means through the cap portion, which covers the entire periphery of both. The cap portion has a U-shaped cross section so as to cover the airbag cover from the outer periphery of the distal end of the peripheral wall, through the distal ends of the peripheral wall and the mounting piece, to the inner periphery of the mounting piece. Therefore, even if the airbag device is installed in a location prone to rainwater, the wide periphery is covered by the cap portion, which prevents rainwater from entering between the distal end and the peripheral wall and the mounting piece. Furthermore, the distal end of the peripheral wall and the mounting piece are connected by passing the mounting means through the peripheral wall and the mounting piece, which means that they come into contact with each other over a fairly wide area. Therefore, even if rainwater were to enter between the peripheral wall portion and the cap portion, it would have to enter through the gap between the outer wall portion of the cap portion and the peripheral wall portion, the gap between the connecting wall portion of the cap portion and the tip surface of the peripheral wall portion, and the gap between the tip of the peripheral wall portion and the mounting piece.In other words, rainwater can only enter the airbag storage area by taking a detour, making it difficult for large amounts of rainwater to enter the interior (airbag storage area side).

[0008] Therefore, the airbag device of the present invention can reliably prevent rainwater from entering the storage area of ​​the airbag.

[0009] Furthermore, in the airbag device of the present invention, if the peripheral wall portion and the mounting piece are configured to have a contact surface portion that is formed perpendicular to the mounting piece and can abut against each other, then the cap portion can be positioned on the outer periphery, which makes it easier to position the tip of the peripheral wall portion and the mounting piece when attaching the mounting means, improving workability during the installation work, which is preferable.

[0010] Furthermore, in the airbag device having the above configuration, the airbag and the inflator are attached to the bag holder using a retainer, The inflator has a cylindrical main body and a flange extending outward from the outer circumferential surface of the main body, and one end of the main body is inserted into an insertion opening formed in the bag holder, with the other end of the main body exposed from the bag holder. The inflator is attached to the bag holder together with the airbag by fastening nuts to the bolts of a retainer disposed inside the folded airbag in a state in which the bolts penetrate the periphery of the inlet opening of the airbag, the bag holder, and the flange. a cover member is disposed on the outer periphery of the bag holder, the cover member being capable of covering substantially the entire area of ​​the other end side of the main body portion exposed from the bag holder; It is preferable that the cover member be configured to be attached to the bag holder together with the inflator and the air bag by utilizing the bolts and nuts of the retainer.

[0011] With the airbag device configured as described above, even if a portion of the inflator main body is exposed from the bag holder, the outer periphery of this exposed portion of the main body (the other end of the main body) is completely covered by the cover member, so that even when the airbag device is installed in a position where it is exposed to rainwater, rainwater can be prevented from getting on the inflator main body. Furthermore, since this cover member is attached to the bag holder together with the inflator and the airbag using a retainer that attaches the inflator and the airbag to the bag holder, a simple attachment structure can be achieved, and an increase in the number of parts and an increase in manufacturing man-hours and costs can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a scooter equipped with an airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a schematic enlarged partial longitudinal cross-sectional view of the airbag device according to the embodiment, taken along the front-rear direction. FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic side view of an airbag device according to an embodiment, as viewed from the left and right sides. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic bottom view of the airbag device of FIG. 3 as seen from the front side. FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the airbag device of FIG. 3 taken along the front-rear direction, and is a cross-sectional view of the VV portion of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 6 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the airbag device of FIG. 3 along the front-rear direction, and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. 4. [Figure 7] 7 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the airbag device of FIG. 3 taken along the left-right direction, and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of FIG. 4. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a bag holder used in an airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic perspective view of an airbag cover used in an airbag device according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a cap portion used in the airbag device according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a cover member used in the airbag device according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cover member of FIG. [Figure 13] 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow of rainwater in the airbag device of the embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, an airbag device M will be described in detail by taking as an example an airbag device M for a motorcycle (scooter 1) mounted thereon as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The airbag device M is mounted on the scooter 1 at a position below the handlebars 11 on the front side of the seat 23. In detail, the airbag device M is disposed slightly above the upper surface of the seat 23 on which the rider D sits, and directly below the center portion 14 (see Figure 1) of the handlebars 11 in the left-right direction.

[0014] In the embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the airbag device M is attached and fixed to the head pipe 4, which serves as the body frame 3 of the scooter 1, and to the down frame portions 5L, 5R that branch off to the left and right from the head pipe 4 and extend downward, using a specified mounting bracket 7.

[0015] In the scooter 1 of this embodiment, the steering shaft 15 connected to the center portion 14 of the handlebar 11 extends downward, passes through the head pipe 4, and is connected to a front fork 27 that suspends a front wheel 26. In addition, a lower cover 24 and a seat 23 are attached and supported to the down frame portions 5L, 5R, and further, a rear wheel 29 is also supported via a predetermined engine, drive mechanism, fuel supply mechanism, suspension, etc. (not shown).

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1, the handlebar 11 has a central portion 14 and left and right portions 12L and 12R that extend upward from the central portion 14 while widening out to the left and right. A left grip portion 13L and a right grip portion 13R are disposed at the ends of the left and right portions 12L and 12R, respectively. The area between the left grip portion 13L and the right grip portion 13R is covered by a handlebar cover 18, and the area around the head pipe 4 is covered by a front cover 19 and a rear cover 20. The lower end of the rear cover 20 is connected to a footboard 21. The handlebar cover 18, front cover 19, rear cover 20, footboard 21, etc. are supported by the down frame portions 5L, 5R and the rear frame portions 6L, 6R using predetermined stays.

[0017] The handle 11 is configured by disposing a handle body 11a made of a metal pipe inside between the left grip portion 13L and the right grip portion 13R, and a steering axis 15 is connected and fixed to a portion of the handle body 11a located in a central portion 14. The periphery of the handle body 11a, excluding the vicinity of the left grip portion 13L and the right grip portion 13R, is covered with a handle cover 18.

[0018] 2 to 7, the airbag device M includes an airbag 35 in a bag-like shape that can be inflated by flowing inflation gas therein, an inflator 38 that supplies inflation gas to the airbag 35, a bag holder 50 for attaching and holding the airbag 35 and the inflator 38, an airbag cover 65 that covers the folded airbag 35, a retainer 45 that attaches the airbag 35 and the inflator 38 to the bag holder 50, a cap portion 75 that covers a tip (front end 67e) of a peripheral wall portion 67 of the airbag cover 65, which will be described later, and an attachment piece 57 of the bag holder 50, which will be described later, and a cover member 85 that is disposed on the outer periphery side (front side in the case of the embodiment) of the bag holder 50. In the case of the embodiment, the airbag device M is mounted on the scooter 1 such that the axial direction of the peripheral wall portion 67 of the airbag cover 65 is inclined slightly rearward and upward with respect to the horizontal direction, as shown in FIG. The periphery of the airbag device M is covered by a handle cover 18, although detailed illustration is omitted. In the embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions are based on the state in which the airbag cover 65 is mounted on the scooter 1, with the front-rear direction being the direction along the axial direction of a peripheral wall portion 67 (described later) of the airbag cover 65, the left-right direction being the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the peripheral wall portion 67 and along the left-right direction of the scooter 1, and the up-down direction being the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the peripheral wall portion 67 and along the up-down direction of the scooter 1.

[0019] The airbag 35 is a bag-shaped airbag made of a flexible sheet that can be inflated by the introduction of inflation gas therein. As shown in FIG. 2, the airbag 35 is stored in a folded state in a storage area R that is an area surrounded by the airbag cover 65 and the bag holder 50. Although not shown in detail, the airbag 35 is configured to protect the driver D seated in the seat 23 when fully inflated. Although not shown in detail, the airbag 35 is formed with an inlet opening 35a that is circular and allows the inflation gas to flow into the airbag 35, the periphery of which is attached to the bag holder 50 (see FIGS. 5 and 7). Furthermore, insertion holes 35b are formed around the periphery of the inlet opening 35a, through which bolts 45a of the retainer 45, which will be described later, can be inserted (see FIG. 6). Although not shown in detail, four insertion holes 35b are formed.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 2, 5, and 7, the inflator 38 has a cylindrical main body 39 and a flange 40 extending outward from the outer circumferential surface of the main body 39. A plurality of gas discharge ports 39c are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the main body 39 on the rear end 39b side when mounted. Although not shown in detail, the flange 40 has a rectangular plate-like outer shape and has insertion holes 40a near its four corners through which bolts 45a of a retainer 45 can be inserted (see FIG. 6). The inflator 38, together with the airbag 35 and the cover member 85, is attached to the bag holder 50 using the retainer 45. In this embodiment, the inflator 38 is attached to the bag holder 50 with the flange 40 abutting against the rear side (the surface facing the airbag cover 65) of a main body 51 (described later) of the bag holder 50, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7.

[0021] The retainer 45 is ring-shaped (in this embodiment, a square annular shape) that can press against the periphery of the inlet opening 35a of the airbag 35, and is provided with bolts 45a at four locations near the four corners that protrude forward when the inflator 38 is mounted on the scooter 1 (see FIGS. 4 and 6). The four bolts 45a of the retainer 45, which are disposed inside the airbag 35, are inserted through insertion holes 35b formed around the periphery of the inlet opening 35a of the airbag 35 and through insertion holes 40a formed in the flange portion 40, and then inserted into insertion holes 52b (described later) of the bag holder 50 and through insertion holes 89a (described later) formed in the cover member 85, and nuts 46 are fastened to the bolts 45a protruding from the cover member 85, thereby attaching the inflator 38 to the bag holder 50 together with the airbag 35 and the cover member 85 (see FIG. 6). When the bag holder 50 is attached to the inflator 38, the front portion 39a of the main body 39 is exposed from the bag holder 50, but this front portion 39a is entirely covered by the cover member 85, as shown in Figures 2, 4, 5, and 7. In this embodiment, a waterproof commercially available nut 46 is used as the nut 46 fastened to the bolt 45a protruding from the cover member 85.

[0022] The inflator 38 is electrically connected to an operating circuit (not shown) by connecting a connector 42, to which a lead wire 43 extending from the operating circuit (not shown), to the front end face of the main body 39 (see FIG. 2). A commercially available waterproof connector is used as the connector 42. The lead wire 43 extending from the connector 42 is double-wired and passes through a through-hole 88b (described later) formed in the cover member 85, where it is exposed to the outside (see FIGS. 2, 4, and 5).

[0023] The bag holder 50 is made of sheet metal and includes a main body 51 that completely closes the tip (front end 67e) side of the peripheral wall 67 of the airbag cover 65, and an attachment piece 57 extending from the outer circumferential edge 51a of the main body 51 (see FIGS. 4 to 7). As shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, the bag holder 50 has an outer shape that is wide in both the left and right directions when viewed from the front-to-rear direction. In this embodiment, the main body 51 is configured to have a flat attachment portion 52 at its center to which the airbag 35, inflator 38, and cover member 85 are attached, and a stepped portion 53 that is disposed so as to surround the outer circumferential side of the attachment portion 52. The attachment portion 52 is formed with an insertion opening 52a through which the main body 39 of the inflator 38 can be inserted, and four insertion holes 52b around the periphery of the insertion opening 52a through which the bolts 45a of the retainer 45 can be inserted. The step portion 53 is formed so as to protrude one step further forward than the mounting portion 52, and includes a vertical wall portion 54 that extends from the outer periphery of the mounting portion 52 in the front-to-rear direction (along a peripheral wall portion 67, described later, of the airbag cover 65), and a horizontal wall portion 55 that is disposed so as to extend outward in all directions (along the mounting portion 52 and perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction) from the front end of the vertical wall portion 54. In other words, when the bag holder 50 is mounted on the scooter 1, the airbag 35, inflator 38, and cover member 85 are attached to the mounting portion 52, which is disposed in a position that is relatively rearward (toward a ceiling wall portion 66, described later, of the airbag cover 65). Furthermore, although not shown in detail, a mounting bracket 60 for attaching the airbag device M to the vehicle body of the scooter 1 is disposed at a predetermined position on the bag holder 50 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0024] The mounting pieces 57 are formed to extend forward (along the peripheral wall 67 of the airbag cover 65) from the outer peripheral edge 51a of the main body 51, specifically from the upper edge 55a, lower edge 55b, and left edge 55c, 55d of the side wall 55 of the stepped portion 53 (see FIGS. 5 to 8). In the embodiment, the mounting pieces 57 (57U, 57D, 57L, 57R) are separated at positions near the four corners of the stepped portion 53, as shown in FIG. 8, and are formed in four locations so as to extend over the entire lengths of the upper edge 55a, lower edge 55b, left edge 55c, 55d of the side wall 55. Each of the mounting pieces 57 (57U, 57D, 57L, 57R) is configured to be able to abut against an inner peripheral surface 67h of the peripheral wall portion 67 (specifically, the inner peripheral surfaces 67h of the upper wall portion 67a, the lower wall portion 67b, the left wall portion 67c, and the right wall portion 67d). As shown in FIG. 8, each of the mounting pieces 57 (57U, 57D, 57L, 57R) is formed with a circular mounting hole 57a through which a rivet 80 serving as mounting means can be inserted. Two mounting holes 57a are formed in each of the mounting pieces 57. Further, protruding pieces 58 (58U, 58D, 58L, 58R) are disposed on the front end side of each mounting piece 57 (57U, 57D, 57L, 57R) and protrude outward in all directions, perpendicular to the mounting piece 57 (57U, 57D, 57L, 57R). In this embodiment, each protruding piece 58 (58U, 58D, 58L, 58R) is continuously formed over the entire length of each mounting piece 57 (57U, 57D, 57L, 57R) (see FIG. 8). The rear surface 58a of each of these protruding pieces 58 (58U, 58D, 58L, 58R) is configured to be able to abut against front end surfaces 67g of the upper wall portion 67a, the lower wall portion 67b, the left wall portion 67c, and the right wall portion 67d of the peripheral wall portion 67 (see FIGS. 5 to 7). That is, in the embodiment, the rear surfaces 58a of the protruding pieces 58 (58U, 58D, 58L, 58R) and the front end surfaces 67g of the upper wall portion 67a, the lower wall portion 67b, the left wall portion 67c, and the right wall portion 67d form contact surfaces 70 that can come into contact with each other. In the embodiment, the outward protruding amount of each protruding piece 58 is configured to be substantially the same as the width dimension of the peripheral wall portion 67 (upper wall portion 67a, lower wall portion 67b, left wall portion 67c, right wall portion 67d), as shown in FIGS.

[0025] The airbag cover 65 is made of soft synthetic resin, and in this embodiment, is made of polyolefin thermoplastic elastomer (TPO). The airbag cover 65 is box-shaped with an opening on the front side, and as shown in Figures 3, 5 to 7 and 9, includes a ceiling wall portion 66 that covers the rear of the folded airbag 35, and a peripheral wall portion 67 that is formed to extend from the outer peripheral edge of the ceiling wall portion 66 toward the bag holder 50, which is the front, and covers the sides of the folded airbag 35.

[0026] The ceiling wall 66 has an outer shape like a rectangular plate that is wide on the left and right sides, and is provided with a door 66a that can be pushed open by the airbag 35 that is inflated by the flow of inflation gas therein. Specifically, in the case of this embodiment, only one door 66a is provided, and is configured such that a hinge 66b that serves as the center of rotation when opening is located on the upper edge side, and a breakable portion 66c is located from the left edge to the lower edge and to the right edge, and when pushed by the inflating airbag 35, the breakable portion 66c is broken and the door opens upward about the hinge 66b (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2).

[0027] The peripheral wall portion 67 is formed to extend forward from the outer peripheral edge of the ceiling wall portion 66, and has a rectangular cylindrical shape that can cover the sides (upper, lower, left, and right) of the folded airbag 35. The peripheral wall portion 67 includes an upper wall portion 67a and a lower wall portion 67b that face each other in the vertical direction, and a left wall portion 67c and a right wall portion 67d that face each other in the horizontal direction, and in this embodiment, the upper wall portion 67a, the lower wall portion 67b, the left wall portion 67c, and the right wall portion 67d are interconnected over the entire front-to-rear area (see FIG. 9). On the front end 67e side (tip side) of each of the upper wall portion 67a, the lower wall portion 67b, the left wall portion 67c, and the right wall portion 67d, a circular mounting hole 67f through which a rivet 80 serving as mounting means can be inserted is formed at a position corresponding to the mounting hole 57a formed in each of the mounting pieces 57 (57U, 57D, 57L, 57R) (see FIG. 9). Furthermore, each of the upper wall portion 67a, the lower wall portion 67b, the left wall portion 67c, and the right wall portion 67d is configured so that a front end surface 67g is perpendicular to the axial direction (front-rear direction) of the peripheral wall portion 67 and is aligned along the protruding pieces 58 (58U, 58D, 58L, 58R) provided on the mounting pieces 57 (57U, 57D, 57L, 57R) (see FIGS. 5 to 7). As described above, the front end surfaces 67g of the upper wall portion 67a, the lower wall portion 67b, the left wall portion 67c, and the right wall portion 67d, together with the rear surfaces 58a of the protruding pieces 58 (58U, 58D, 58L, 58R), form abutment surface portions 70 that can abut against each other.

[0028] The cap portion 75 is capable of covering the entire periphery of the front end 67e side of the peripheral wall portion 67 and the mounting piece 57, and in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 10, the outer shape when viewed from the front-rear direction is a rectangular ring. In this embodiment, the cap portion 75 is made of soft synthetic resin (specifically, polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPO)). The cross section of the cap portion 75 is U-shaped so as to cover the periphery of each mounting piece 57 (57U, 57D, 57L, 57R) and the tip (front end 67e) of the peripheral wall portion 67 (upper wall portion 67a, lower wall portion 67b, left wall portion 67c, right wall portion 67d) (see Figs. 5 to 7). Specifically, the cap portion 75 has an outer wall portion 76 arranged to cover the outer peripheral surface side of the front end 67e of the peripheral wall portion 67 (upper wall portion 67a, lower wall portion 67b, left wall portion 67c, right wall portion 67d), an inner wall portion 77 arranged to cover the inner peripheral surface side of each mounting piece 57 (57U, 57D, 57L, 57R), and a connecting wall portion 78 connecting the tips of the outer wall portion 76 and the inner wall portion 77. In the case of the embodiment, the length dimension of the inner wall portion 77 is set to a dimension that can cover the entire front-to-rear area of ​​the mounting pieces 57 (57U, 57D, 57L, 57R), and the length dimension of the outer wall portion 76 is set to be slightly larger than the front-to-rear length dimension of the inner wall portion 77 so that the outer wall portion 76 extends further rearward than the inner wall portion 77. Specifically, the outer wall portion 76 is configured so that its rear end 76b is located rearward of the lateral wall portions 55 that are arranged perpendicular to the front-rear direction at the stepped portion 53 of the bag holder 50 (see FIGS. 5 to 7). In this embodiment, the connecting wall portion 78 is disposed so as to cover the front of the protruding pieces 58 (58U, 58D, 58L, 58R) formed on each of the mounting pieces 57 (57U, 57D, 57L, 57R). Furthermore, insertion holes 76a, 77a that allow insertion of rivets 80 serving as mounting means are formed at predetermined positions of the outer wall portion 76 and the inner wall portion 77 of the cap portion 75 (positions corresponding to the mounting hole 67f formed in the circumferential wall portion 67 and the mounting hole 57a formed in each of the mounting pieces 57) (see FIG. 10). The cap portion 75 is configured to cover the entire circumference of each mounting piece 57 (57U, 57D, 57L, 57R) and the tip (front end 67e) of the peripheral wall portion 67 (upper wall portion 67a, lower wall portion 67b, left wall portion 67c, right wall portion 67d) with almost no gaps.

[0029] The tips (front ends 67e) of the peripheral wall portions 67 (upper wall portion 67a, lower wall portion 67b, left wall portion 67c, right wall portion 67d) of the airbag cover 65 and the mounting pieces 57 (57U, 57D, 57L, 57R) of the bag holder 50 are connected to each other using rivets 80 as mounting means, with the outer peripheries covered by cap portions 75 (see FIGS. 3 to 7). In the case of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, two rivets 80 are provided on each of the mounting pieces 57 (57U, 57D, 57L, 57R), for a total of eight rivets 80.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 and 12, the cover member 85 disposed on the outer periphery of the bag holder 50 (the front side in this embodiment) is made of rubber with a sheet metal core 86 disposed therein. Specifically, the cover member 85 is formed from natural rubber, synthetic rubber, or the like. The cover member 85 has a rectangular outer shape as viewed from the front-rear direction (see FIGS. 4 and 11). Specifically, the cover member 85 has an outer shape as viewed from the front-rear direction that is larger than the flange portion 40 of the inflator 38 and substantially the same as the retainer 45 (see FIGS. 5 to 7). The cover member 85 also includes a main body cover portion 88 that entirely covers the outer periphery of the front region 39a of the main body 39 of the inflator 38, and a peripheral edge portion 89 that extends outward from the rear end of the main body cover portion 88.

[0031] The main body cover 88 is cylindrical and open at the rear and closed at the front so as to completely cover the outer periphery of the front portion 39a of the main body 39 (see FIGS. 5 to 7, 11, and 12). The lower portion 88a, located below the front portion 39a, is configured to partially protrude downward. Two through holes 88b are provided side by side at the front end of the lower portion 88a, as shown in FIG. 11, through which two lead wires 43 extending from the connector 42 connected to the front end of the main body 39 can be inserted. Although FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate the through holes 88b formed through the cover 85 without showing the lead wires, in this embodiment, the lead wires 43 are integrally formed with the cover 85 during manufacture (insert molding) of the cover 85 before the connector is attached. Therefore, the through holes 88b through which the lead wires 43 pass are also formed during the formation of the cover 85. 12, the lower portion 88a does not include the core material 86 except for the rear end side (the peripheral edge portion 89 side). On the rear end side of the lower portion 88a, the peripheral edge portion 89 is formed so as to extend inward from the rear end of the lower portion 88a.

[0032] The peripheral edge portion 89 is formed to extend outward from the rear end side of the main body cover portion 88 and, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, is formed to extend along the mounting portion 52 of the bag holder 50. The vertical width of the peripheral edge portion 89 is set to be approximately the same as the vertical width of the retainer 45, and the horizontal width is set to be slightly larger than the horizontal width of the retainer 45 (see FIGS. 5 and 7). As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 and 12, a core material 86 is disposed throughout the region of this peripheral edge portion 89. Four insertion holes 89a are formed in the peripheral edge portion 89 at positions corresponding to the insertion holes 52b formed in the main body portion 51 of the bag holder 50, through which the bolts 45a of the retainer 45 can be inserted (see FIG. 11). In addition, a seal portion 90 protruding rearward is continuously formed around the entire periphery of the edge on the rear surface 89b side of the peripheral edge portion 89 (see FIGS. 11 and 12). 12, the seal portion 90 includes two protruding bodies 90a, 90a arranged side by side on the inside and outside, and a recessed portion 90b formed to be recessed forward between the protruding bodies 90a, 90a. The seal portion 90 is provided to ensure the sealing performance (waterproof performance) of the cover member 85, and is positioned so that the protruding bodies 90a, 90a are compressed (crushed) between the seal portion 90 and the front surface 52c of the mounting portion 52 of the bag holder 50 when the cover member 85 is attached to the bag holder 50 together with the inflator 38 and the airbag 35 using the retainer 45 (see FIG. 7). Furthermore, when attached to the bag holder 50, the rear surface 89b of the peripheral edge portion 89 of the cover member 85 is brought into contact over its entire surface with the front surface 52c of the mounting portion 52. The cover member 85 is manufactured by insert molding, and although detailed illustrations are omitted, as described above, during this insert molding, the lead wire 43 without a connector attached is also inserted through the through hole 88b and integrated.

[0033] Next, the installation of the airbag device M of this embodiment on the scooter 1 will be described. The connector 42 is connected in advance to the tip end of the lead wire 43 extending from the cover member 85. First, the airbag 35 is folded so that it can be stored within the airbag cover 65 with the retainer 45 stored inside, and the folded airbag 35 is wrapped in a tearable wrapping sheet (not shown) to prevent it from collapsing. Next, the inflator 38 is inserted into the retainer 45 (into the inlet opening 35a of the airbag 35) with the area rearward of the flange portion 40 (the area on the gas discharge port 39c side) and the retainer 45 is integrated with the folded airbag 35 so that the bolts 45a of the retainer 45 protrude from the flange portion 40. Thereafter, the folded airbag 35 and the inflator 38 are placed on the mounting portion 52 of the bag holder 50. At this time, the bolts 45a of the retainer 45 protruding from the flange portion 40 pass through insertion holes 52b formed in the mounting portion 52 and protrude from the mounting portion 52. Thereafter, the connector 42 attached to the tip end of the lead wire 43 arranged to extend from the cover member 85 is connected to the main body portion 39 of the inflator 38, and the cover member 85 is positioned on the front surface 52c of the mounting portion 52 so that the main body portion cover portion 88 covers the periphery of the main body portion 39 and the peripheral edge portion 89 abuts against the mounting portion 52. Then, nuts 46 are fastened to the bolts 45a of the retainer 45 protruding from the peripheral edge portion 89 of the cover member 85, whereby the folded airbag 35, the inflator 38, and the cover member 85 can be attached to the mounting portion 52 of the bag holder 50. Next, the airbag cover 65 is arranged around the folded airbag 35 so that the front end surface 67g of the peripheral wall portion 67 (upper wall portion 67a, lower wall portion 67b, left wall portion 67c, right wall portion 67d) abuts against the rear surface 58a of the protruding pieces 58 (58U, 58D, 58L, 58R) of each mounting piece 57 (57U, 57D, 57L, 57R) of the bag holder 50, and the cap portion 75 is fitted so as to surround the front end 67e side of the peripheral wall portion 67 (upper wall portion 67a, lower wall portion 67b, left wall portion 67c, right wall portion 67d) and the periphery of each mounting piece 57 (57U, 57D, 57L, 57R).Thereafter, the front end 67e of the peripheral wall portion 67 (upper wall portion 67a, lower wall portion 67b, left wall portion 67c, right wall portion 67d) is fastened to each mounting piece 57 (57U, 57D, 57L, 57R) together with the cap portion 75 with rivets 80, thereby assembling the airbag device M.

[0034] The airbag device M assembled in this manner can be mounted on the scooter 1 by electrically connecting the lead wires 43 extending from the cover member 85 to a predetermined control circuit on the vehicle body side and attaching it to the down frame portions 5L, 5R using the mounting brackets 7, 60.

[0035] After the airbag device M is mounted on the scooter 1, if the scooter 1 collides with an obstacle such as a vehicle while traveling and the rider D attempts to move forward on the seat 23, the airbag device M will be activated to protect the rider D. Specifically, when the scooter 1 collides with a vehicle or the like, the inflator 38 is activated and inflation gas is discharged from the gas discharge port 39c, causing the inflation gas to flow into the airbag 35, which inflates and pushes open the door portion 66a of the airbag cover 65. The airbag 35 then inflates so as to protrude rearward and upward from below the handlebars 11, and completes inflation as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1.

[0036] In the airbag device M of the embodiment, the bag holder 50, which holds the folded airbag 35 and the inflator 38, and the airbag cover 65, which covers the outer periphery of the folded airbag 35, are connected by abutting the attachment piece 57 formed around the entire periphery of the bag holder 50 against the inner periphery 67h of the tip (front end 67e) of the peripheral wall portion 67 of the airbag cover 65, and then passing a rivet 80, which serves as attachment means, through the cap portion 75, which covers the entire periphery of both of them, in a mutually overlapping state. The cap portion 75 has a U-shaped cross section so as to cover from the outer periphery of the front end 67e of the peripheral wall portion 67 of the airbag cover 65, through the tip surfaces of the peripheral wall portion 67 and the attachment piece 57 (in the embodiment, the front side of the protruding piece 58 covering the front of the peripheral wall portion 67), and to the inner periphery of the attachment piece 57. Therefore, even if the device is configured to be mounted in a position where it is prone to rainwater, the wide periphery is covered by the cap portion 75, thereby preventing rainwater from entering between the peripheral wall portion 67 and the mounting piece 57 from the tip side (front side). Furthermore, the front end 67e of the peripheral wall portion 67 and the mounting piece 57 are configured to overlap each other and be connected by passing the rivet 80 through them, in other words, they come into contact with each other over a fairly wide area. Therefore, even if rainwater W enters between the peripheral wall portion 67 and the cap portion 75, the rainwater W will enter through the gap between the outer wall portion 76 of the cap portion 75 and the peripheral wall portion 67, the gap between the connecting wall portion 78 of the cap portion 75 and the front end face 67g of the peripheral wall portion 67 (in the embodiment, the gap between the protruding piece 58 and the front end face 67g of the peripheral wall portion 67), and the gap between the front end 67e of the peripheral wall portion 67 and the mounting piece 57 (see Figure 13).In other words, the rainwater W can only enter the storage area R of the airbag 35 by taking a detour, making it difficult for a large amount of rainwater to enter the interior (the storage area R side of the airbag 35).

[0037] In particular, in this embodiment, the airbag device M is mounted on the scooter 1 so that the axial direction of the peripheral wall portion 67 of the airbag cover 65 is inclined slightly rearward and upward relative to the horizontal, and the outer wall portion 76 of the cap portion 75 is also arranged in the front-to-rear direction so as to be aligned with the axial direction of the peripheral wall portion 67 (see FIGS. 2 and 13). Therefore, it is conceivable that rainwater may enter the inside of the cap portion 75 through the gap between the outer wall portion 76 and the peripheral wall portion 67, but as described above, it is difficult for a large amount of rainwater to enter the storage area R, and the airbag 35 and the inflator 38 can be adequately protected from rainwater.

[0038] Therefore, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the intrusion of rainwater into the storage area R of the airbag 35 can be appropriately prevented.

[0039] Furthermore, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the peripheral wall portion 67 and the mounting piece 57 are provided with abutment surfaces 70 that are formed orthogonal to the mounting piece 57 and can abut against each other. In the case of the embodiment, the abutment surfaces 70 are formed by the rear surfaces 58a of the protruding pieces 58 formed to extend from the front ends of the mounting pieces 57 and the front end surfaces 67g of the peripheral wall portion 67. Therefore, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the airbag cover 65 can be set to the bag holder 50 by abutting the front end surfaces 67g of the peripheral wall portion 67 against the rear surfaces 58a of the protruding pieces 58. This facilitates positioning of the front ends 67e of the peripheral wall portion 67 and the mounting piece 57 when the cap portions 75 are disposed on the outer periphery and fastened with the rivets 80, improving workability during the installation work. If such points are not taken into consideration, it is also possible to configure the mounting piece such that no protruding piece is provided and the peripheral wall and the mounting piece do not abut on the surface perpendicular to the mounting piece (no abutting surface is provided). Also, the abutting surface does not have to be formed at the front end of the mounting piece, and for example, a step may be provided in the middle between the front and rear of the mounting piece so that the mounting piece and the peripheral wall can interlock with each other, and this step may form the abutting surface.

[0040] Furthermore, in the airbag device M of the embodiment, the inflator 38 is attached to the bag holder 50 so that one end side (front portion 39a) of the cylindrical main body 39 is exposed from the bag holder 50, but the outer periphery of the front portion 39a of the main body 39 is entirely covered by the cover member 85. Therefore, even when the airbag device M is mounted in a position prone to rainwater splashing on it, as in the embodiment, it is possible to prevent rainwater from splashing on the main body 39 of the inflator 38. Furthermore, since the cover member 85 is attached to the bag holder 50 together with the inflator 38 and the airbag 35 using the retainer 45 that attaches the airbag 35 and the inflator 38 to the bag holder 50, a simple attachment structure can be achieved, and an increase in the number of parts and an increase in manufacturing man-hours and costs can be suppressed.

[0041] In particular, in the airbag device M of this embodiment, the cover member 85 is made of rubber with a core material 86 disposed therein, and is configured to be integrated with the lead wire 43 of the inflator 38 so as to pass through it during manufacturing (insert molding). Therefore, even if the lead wire 43 is configured to pass through it in a position where rainwater may fall, a large gap is unlikely to be formed between the cover member 85 and the lead wire 43, and rainwater that runs along the lead wire 43 can be prevented from entering the cover member 85. Furthermore, the cover member 85 has a seal portion 90 disposed around the entire edge on a rear surface 89b of a peripheral edge portion 89 that abuts against the front surface 52c of the mounting portion 52 of the bag holder 50. The cover member 85 is configured to be attached to the bag holder 50 by crushing (compressing) the protruding bodies 90a, 90a constituting the seal portion 90, with the entire rear surface 89b of the peripheral edge portion 89 abutting against the front surface 52c of the mounting portion 52. Therefore, even if the peripheral portion 89 and the main body portion 51 of the bag holder 50 are arranged in a vertical direction as shown in Figure 2 in a position where rainwater is likely to fall, the intrusion of rainwater through the gap between the peripheral portion 89 and the main body portion 51 of the bag holder 50 can be effectively prevented, and the inflator 38 can be effectively protected from rainwater.

[0042] In the airbag device M of the embodiment, the bag holder 50 is configured to have a stepped portion 53 that protrudes one step forward on the outer peripheral edge 51a side of the main body portion 51. In other words, when mounted on the scooter 1, the airbag 35, inflator 38, and cover member 85 are attached to the mounting portion 52, which is located relatively rearward (toward a ceiling wall portion 66, described later, of the airbag cover 65). This prevents the cover member 85 from being positioned so as to protrude farther forward than the airbag cover 65. The shape of the bag holder is not limited to that of the embodiment, and a bag holder having no stepped portion and simply a flat main body portion may also be used.

[0043] In addition, in the embodiment, an airbag device M for a motorcycle mounted on a scooter 1 is used as an example for explanation, but the airbag device to which the present invention is applicable is not limited to that for motorcycles. The airbag device of the present invention can be applied to airbag devices mounted in positions susceptible to the effects of rainwater, and can also be applied to airbag devices for protecting pedestrians, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1...Scooter (motorcycle), 35...Airbag, 38...Inflator, 39...Main body, 39a...Front portion, 40...Flange portion, 45...Retainer, 45a...Bolt, 46...Nut, 50...Bag holder, 51...Main body, 57 (57U, 57D, 57L, 57R)...Mounting piece, 58 (58U, 58D, 58L, 58R)...Protruding piece, 58a...Rear surface, 65...Airbag Airbag cover, 66...ceiling wall portion, 66a...door portion, 67...peripheral wall portion, 67e...front end, 67g...front end surface, 67h...inner peripheral surface, 70...contact surface portion, 75...cap portion, 76...outer wall portion, 77...inner wall portion, 78...connecting wall portion, 80...rivet (mounting means), 85...cover member, 88...main body cover portion, 89...periphery, M...motorcycle airbag device (airbag device).

Claims

1. an airbag that is inflatable by injecting inflation gas into the airbag and that is folded and stored; an inflator that supplies inflation gas to the airbag; a bag holder for attaching and holding the airbag and the inflator; an airbag cover that covers the folded airbag; An airbag device comprising: the airbag cover comprises: a ceiling wall portion having a door portion that can be pushed open by the airbag that is inflated by flowing inflation gas therein; and a rectangular cylindrical peripheral wall portion that is formed to extend from the ceiling wall portion toward the bag holder and can cover the sides of the folded airbag, the bag holder is configured to completely close the tip end side of the peripheral wall portion, and has an attachment piece disposed around the entire periphery on the outer peripheral edge side, the attachment piece extending along the peripheral wall portion toward the tip end side of the peripheral wall portion and being capable of abutting against the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion, The attachment piece and the tip of the peripheral wall portion are overlapped with each other, and are connected by passing the attachment means through the cap portion together with the cap portion in a state where the periphery is covered by the cap portion over the entire periphery. an inner wall portion arranged to cover the inner peripheral surface of the mounting piece; and a connecting wall portion connecting the tips of the outer wall portion and the inner wall portion, the cap portion having a U-shaped cross section and being configured to cover the periphery of the mounting piece and the tip of the peripheral wall portion.

2. 2. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral wall portion and the mounting piece are formed with abutment surfaces that are formed perpendicular to the mounting piece and can abut against each other.

3. The airbag and the inflator are attached to the bag holder using a retainer, the inflator has a cylindrical main body and a flange extending outward from an outer circumferential surface of the main body, and is configured such that one end of the main body is inserted into an insertion opening formed in the bag holder and the other end of the main body is exposed from the bag holder, and the bolt of the retainer disposed inside the folded airbag is inserted through the periphery of the inlet opening of the airbag, the bag holder, and the flange, and then nuts are fastened to the bolt, thereby attaching the inflator to the bag holder together with the airbag, a cover member that can cover the entire area of ​​the other end side of the main body portion that is exposed from the bag holder is disposed on the outer circumferential side of the bag holder, 3. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is attached to the bag holder together with the inflator and the airbag by utilizing the bolts and nuts of the retainer.

Images