Airbag device

Abstract

To provide an air bag device in which a hook of a fixation member which stores an air bag can be easily assembled to an opening of a cover which covers the air bag.SOLUTION: An air bag device comprises an inflator, an air bag, a fixation member which stores the air bag, and a cover which covers the air bag. The cover has a lid part and an outer peripheral wall part, an opening, and a regulation part. The fixation member has: a fixing part which fixes the inflator and the air bag; an inner wall part which is provided toward a rear face of the lid part from the fixation part, and at least a part of which is located inside the outer peripheral wall part; and a hook which is provided at a tip of the inner wall part, penetrates the opening from an inner side to an outer side of the outer peripheral wall part, and is bent to the tip side of the outer peripheral wall part. The regulation part projects inside of the outer peripheral wall part with respect to a tip side opening edge which forms the opening, and a tip side end face of the regulation part is continuous with a base end side opening edge which forms the opening.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an airbag device. [Background technology]

[0002] Known airbag devices that are attached to vehicles such as automobiles and inflate and deploy in the event of a vehicle collision to protect occupants include passenger airbag devices in which an airbag inflates and deploys in front of an occupant seated in the passenger seat in the event of a frontal collision, thereby catching and protecting the occupant as they move forward, and side airbag devices in which an airbag inflates and deploys between the side wall inside the vehicle cabin and the occupant seated in the seat in the event of a side collision.

[0003] In its initial state, an airbag is usually stored in a fixed member (housing) in a folded state, and the fixed member storing the airbag is covered with a cover so that it cannot be seen by occupants, and the fixed member is attached to the cover by inserting a hook of the fixed member into an opening in the cover (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0004] Furthermore, for example, Patent Document 3 discloses an airbag device that has a housing that stores an airbag and a cover that covers the airbag, and a hook that protrudes from a side wall of the housing is inserted into a locking hole formed in a side wall (mounting wall) of the cover. In Patent Document 1, when the hook is inserted into the locking hole, the side wall of the cover is bent outward by the hook of the housing, and the housing is inserted into a space formed by the side wall of the cover, and the hook is pushed into a position where it protrudes outward from the locking hole beyond the side wall. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-25943 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-202882 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-123795 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the airbag device described in Patent Document 3, if the housing is pushed too hard when assembling it to the cover, the hooks may end up inserted further than the locking holes, or, after one hook is locked into the locking hole, the first hook may come off when the other hook is pushed into the side wall, causing the hook to end up inserted further in. In either case, the housing must be pulled out of the cover, which increases the number of steps.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned current situation, and aims to provide an airbag device in which the hook of the fixing member that stores the airbag can be easily assembled into the opening of the cover that covers the airbag. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is an airbag comprising an inflator that generates gas, an airbag that is folded and stored and inflates and deploys by the gas, a fixing member that stores the folded airbag, and a cover that covers the airbag stored in the fixing member, wherein the cover comprises a lid portion that faces the interior of the vehicle compartment, an outer peripheral wall portion whose base end is connected to the back surface of the lid portion and whose tip end protrudes from the back surface toward the vehicle body, openings provided in a pair of opposing wall portions of the outer peripheral wall portion, and a regular opening provided inside at least one of the pair of wall portions and closer to the lid portion than the opening. and a restricting portion, wherein the fixing member has a fixing portion that fixes the inflator and the airbag, an inner wall portion that is provided from the fixing portion toward the back surface of the lid portion and at least a portion of which is located inside the outer peripheral wall portion, and a hook that is provided at the tip portion of the inner wall portion and penetrates the opening from the inside to the outside of the outer peripheral wall portion and is bent toward the tip side of the outer peripheral wall portion, and the restricting portion protrudes inside the outer peripheral wall portion beyond the tip side opening edge that forms the opening, and the tip side end face of the restricting portion is continuous with the base side opening edge that forms the opening. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an airbag device in which the hook of the fixing member that houses the airbag can be easily assembled to the opening of the cover that covers the airbag. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating an initial state of an airbag device according to a first embodiment attached to a vehicle, as viewed from the vehicle width direction. [Figure 2] 3 is a schematic diagram of a cover provided in the airbag device according to the first embodiment, viewed from the upper left rear. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a perspective view of the restricting portion of the cover in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic diagram of a cover provided in the airbag device according to the first embodiment, viewed from the front right lower side. FIG. [Figure 5]FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the hook on the rear side of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1 and its vicinity. [Figure 6] 3 is a schematic diagram of a fixing member provided in the airbag device according to the first embodiment, viewed from the upper left rear. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the cover and the fixing member during assembly, illustrating the first stage of the process of hooking the hook on the vehicle rear side of the fixing member into the opening on the vehicle rear side of the cover. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the cover and the fixing member during assembly, illustrating a second stage of the process of hooking the hook on the vehicle rear side of the fixing member into the opening on the vehicle rear side of the cover. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the cover and the fixing member during assembly, illustrating a third stage of the process of hooking the hook on the vehicle rear side of the fixing member into the opening on the vehicle rear side of the cover. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the cover and the fixing member during assembly, illustrating the fourth stage (after the hooks have been fully engaged) of the process of hooking the hooks on the vehicle rear side of the fixing member into the openings on the vehicle rear side of the cover. FIG. [Figure 11] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the cover and the fixing member during assembly, illustrating the first stage of the process of hooking the hook on the vehicle front side of the fixing member into the opening on the vehicle front side of the cover. FIG. [Figure 12] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the cover and the fixing member during assembly, illustrating a second stage of the process of hooking the hook on the vehicle front side of the fixing member into the opening on the vehicle front side of the cover. FIG. [Figure 13] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the cover and the fixing member during assembly, illustrating a third stage of the process of hooking the hook on the vehicle front side of the fixing member into the opening on the vehicle front side of the cover. FIG. [Figure 14] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the cover and the fixing member during assembly, illustrating the fourth stage (after the hooks have been fully engaged) of the process of hooking the hooks on the vehicle front side of the fixing member into the openings on the vehicle front side of the cover. FIG. [Figure 15] 4 is another schematic cross-sectional view of the airbag device according to the first embodiment attached to the vehicle in an initial state, as viewed from the vehicle width direction. FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the airbag device shown in FIG. 15, showing the state after the airbag has been inflated and deployed, as viewed from the vehicle width direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] (Embodiment 1) First, the initial state of the airbag device according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the initial state of the airbag device according to the first embodiment when viewed from the vehicle width direction. Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a cover provided in the airbag device according to the first embodiment when viewed from the upper left rear. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a restricting portion of the cover in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the cover provided in the airbag device according to the first embodiment when viewed from the lower right front. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the hook on the vehicle rear side shown in Fig. 1 and its vicinity. Fig. 6 is a schematic view of a fixing member provided in the airbag device according to the first embodiment when viewed from the upper left rear.

[0012] 1, the airbag device 100 according to the first embodiment is an airbag device for a passenger seat, and is arranged to cover an opening in the upper surface of an instrument panel AA located in front of the passenger seat. The airbag device 100 includes an inflator (gas generator) 1 that generates gas, a folded, bag-shaped airbag 2, a fixing member 10 that stores the folded airbag 2, and a cover 50 that covers the airbag 2 stored in the fixing member 10. In this specification, the term "initial state" refers to the state before the inflator 1 is ignited, i.e., before the airbag 2 is inflated and deployed.

[0013] The inflator 1 is activated when the vehicle experiences a frontal collision. First, when a collision detection sensor mounted on the vehicle detects a frontal collision of the vehicle, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) calculates a signal sent from the collision detection sensor and determines the level of the collision. If the determined level of the collision corresponds to a level that requires the airbag 2 to be inflated, the inflator 1 is ignited, and gas is generated by a chemical reaction caused by combustion. The generated gas is released into the airbag 2 from the gas outlet holes of the inflator 1. Note that the type of inflator 1 is not particularly limited, and examples that can be used include a pyrotechnic inflator that uses gas generated by burning a gas generating agent, a stored inflator that uses compressed gas, and a hybrid inflator that uses a mixture of gas generated by burning a gas generating agent and compressed gas.

[0014] The airbag 2 is a bag-shaped body, and before the inflator 1 is activated, it is folded and stored in a fixing member 10 arranged inside the upper surface of the instrument panel AA. When the inflator 1 is activated, the inside of the airbag 2 is filled with gas generated by the inflator 1, and the airbag 2 inflates while unfolding. As a result, the airbag 2 pushes open a lid portion 51 provided on a cover 50, and is inflated and deployed inside the vehicle compartment.

[0015] The airbag 2 can be formed from threads such as nylon 66, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), etc. The surface of the airbag 2 may be coated with an inorganic material such as silicon to improve heat resistance and airtightness.

[0016] A metal annular sandwiching plate 3 having a mounting hole for the inflator 1 is disposed inside the lower surface of the airbag 2. The sandwiching plate 3, the airbag 2, the fixing portion 11 of the fixing member 10, and the flange portion 1a of the inflator 1 are fixed by bolts 4 passing through them and fastened with nuts 5.

[0017] The fixing member 10 is attached to an outer peripheral wall portion 52 of a cover 50 that protrudes toward the inside (vehicle body side) of the instrument panel AA by a plurality of hooks 30a and 30b provided on the inner wall portion 13. The fixing member 10 also has an attachment portion 16 that protrudes from the underside, and the attachment portion 16 is attached to a vehicle body member BB by a fixing member CC.

[0018] The cover 50 and the fixing member 10 will be described in detail below in this order.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the cover 50 is a lid material molded from a synthetic resin such as a thermoplastic resin, and has a lid portion 51 facing the interior of the vehicle cabin, an outer peripheral wall portion 52 whose base end 52a is connected to the back surface 51a of the lid portion 51 and whose tip end 52b protrudes from the back surface 51a toward the vehicle body, openings 54a and 54b provided in a pair of opposing wall portions 53a and 53b of the outer peripheral wall portion 52, a regulating portion 70 provided inside the wall portion 53a and closer to the lid portion 51 than the opening 54a, and a flange portion 90 protruding outward from the peripheral edge of the lid portion 51.

[0020] The lid portion 51 is a rectangular portion disposed above the airbag 2 so as to cover the folded airbag 2, and a back surface 51a of the lid portion 51 is provided with a notch portion 51b, such as a linear groove, that allows the airbag 2 to inflate and deploy. The lid portion 51 is divided into a pair of door portions 51c located on both sides of the lid portion 51, and when the notch portion 51b is broken by the airbag 2 inflating and deploying, the pair of door portions 51c rotate about hinges 51d.

[0021] The flange portion 90 is a rectangular frame-shaped portion provided around the periphery of the lid portion 51, and a back surface 90a of the flange portion 90 is provided with a plurality of fixing members 91, such as hooks or clips.

[0022] The lid portion 51 and the flange portion 90 are attached to the instrument panel AA by a fixing member 91 so as to close an opening provided in the instrument panel AA. The lid portion 51 and the flange portion 90 form a common surface, and together with the instrument panel AA, form the front of the passenger seat, which is part of the interior wall that forms the vehicle interior space.

[0023] The outer peripheral wall portion 52 is a standing wall that protrudes from the back surface 51a of the lid portion 51 toward the airbag 2 side (vehicle body side), and is formed so as to surround the folded airbag 2 and the fixing member 10. At least a part of the folded airbag 2 is disposed in a space 58 formed by the outer peripheral wall portion 52. The outer peripheral wall portion 52 surrounds the entire periphery of the folded airbag 2, and also functions as a guide member that controls the deployment of the airbag 2 when it is inflated and deployed. The outer peripheral wall portion 52 is also a peripheral wall portion that surrounds the outside of the inner wall portion 13 of the fixing member 10.

[0024] The outer peripheral wall 52 has a base end 52a on the lid 51 side and a tip 52b on the vehicle body side, and the base end 52a side of the space 58 is covered by the lid 51, while the tip 52b side of the space 58 is open, forming an opening 59. The opening 59 serves as an insertion port through which the fixing member 10 is inserted when the fixing member 10 is attached to the cover 50.

[0025] The outer peripheral wall 52 has a pair of opposing walls 53c and 53d in addition to the walls 53a and 53b. Each of the walls 53a, 53b, 53c, and 53d is formed in a rectangular shape, and the outer peripheral wall 52 is formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape by the walls 53a, 53b, 53c, and 53d.

[0026] The walls 53a and 53b are disposed substantially parallel to each other and face each other across a space 58. The wall 53a is located on the rear side of the vehicle (on the passenger side), and the wall 53b is located on the front side of the vehicle. The walls 53c and 53d are also disposed substantially parallel to each other and face each other across the space 58. The walls 53a and 53b are disposed so as to intersect with the walls 53c and 53d, in this case, so as to be perpendicular to them.

[0027] A plurality of openings 54a are provided in the wall portion 53a. The openings 54a are through-holes that penetrate the wall portion 53a and are arranged in a row in a direction D2 that is perpendicular to the insertion direction D1 of the fixing member 10 into the cover 50. Here, the direction D2 is parallel to the vehicle width direction. Note that only one opening 54a may be provided in the wall portion 53a.

[0028] A plurality of openings 54b are provided in the wall portion 53b. The openings 54b are through holes that penetrate the wall portion 53b and are arranged in a row in the direction D2 perpendicular to the insertion direction D1. Note that only one opening 54b may be provided in the wall portion 53b.

[0029] The same number of openings 54a and 54b are provided on the walls 53a and 53b, respectively, and are arranged at the same positions facing each other. Each of the openings 54a and 54b has a longitudinal shape with both ends 55 in a direction D2 perpendicular to the insertion direction D1, and here, each opening is formed into a substantially rectangular shape with its short side facing the insertion direction D1.

[0030] 5, the distal opening edge 56 forming the opening 54a approaches the base end 52a of the outer peripheral wall 52 as it extends from the inside to the outside of the outer peripheral wall 52. That is, the end face 56a of the distal opening edge 56 does not directly face the end face 57a of the base opening edge 57 forming the opening 54a, but is inclined toward the space 58. The distal opening edge 56 is the portion of the edge of the wall 53a that surrounds the opening 54a (forming the opening 54a) that is located closer to the distal end 52b. The base opening edge 57 is the portion of the edge of the wall 53a that surrounds the opening 54a (forming the opening 54a) that is located closer to the base end 52a.

[0031] The restricting portion 70 is a protrusion that protrudes from the inner surface 53aa of the wall portion 53a toward the airbag 2 (toward the space 58), and restricts (limits) excessive movement of the fixing member 10, such as when the fixing member 10 is pushed too far toward the lid portion 51 during assembly. The restricting portion 70 is provided in at least the region between the opening 54a and the base end 52a. Here, multiple restricting portions 70, for example, two restricting portions 70, are provided for each opening 54a (adjacent to each opening 54a), but only one restricting portion 70 may also be provided for each opening 54a. Furthermore, one or more restricting portions 70 may be provided for at least one opening 54a.

[0032] 5, the restricting portion 70 protrudes inward (toward the airbag 2 and the space 58) of the outer peripheral wall 52 (wall 53a) beyond the tip-side opening edge 56 that forms the opening 54a (the opening to which the restricting portion 70 is adjacent). That is, the restricting portion 70 protrudes toward the space 58 beyond the inner surface 53aa of the wall 53a on both the tip 52b side and the base end 52a side of the outer peripheral wall 52 relative to the opening 54a.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5 , the distal end surface 70a of the restricting portion 70 is continuous with the proximal opening edge 57 that defines the opening 54a (the opening adjacent to the restricting portion 70). Here, the distal end surface 70a of the restricting portion 70 and the end surface 57a of the proximal opening edge 57 that defines the opening 54a are located on a common plane P1, and the plane P1 is set in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the direction in which the wall portion 53a protrudes from the rear surface 51a of the lid portion 51. However, it is sufficient that the distal end surface 70a and the end surface 57a of the proximal opening edge 57 are smoothly connected without any steps, protrusions, or depressions between them. In other words, it is sufficient that the distal end surface 70a and the end surface 57a of the proximal opening edge 57 are adjacent and share the same boundary line (usually a straight line). For example, the distal end face 70a and the end face 57a of the proximal opening edge 57 may intersect at a predetermined angle (usually greater than 90° and less than 180°) on the same boundary line. The distal end face 70a of the restricting portion 70 is the end face of the restricting portion 70, and is the end face located on the distal end 52b side of the outer peripheral wall portion 52.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 1, in this embodiment, the folded airbag 2 is positioned beyond the restricting portion 70. That is, at least a portion of the lid 51 side of the folded airbag 2 is located closer to the lid 51 than the restricting portion 70. Therefore, the airbag 2 is less likely to get caught on the restricting portion 70 when inflating and deploying, and the airbag 2 can inflate and deploy smoothly. On the other hand, in the airbag device described in Patent Document 1, a convex portion is provided closer to the lid than the folded airbag, so there is a risk that the airbag will get caught on the convex portion when inflating and deploying.

[0035] As shown in Figures 1 and 6, the fixing member 10 is a housing molded from a metal material, and has a fixing portion 11 that fixes the inflator 1 and the airbag 2, an inner wall portion 13 that is provided from the fixing portion 11 toward the back surface 51a of the lid portion 51 and at least a portion of which is located inside the outer peripheral wall portion 52, and hooks 30a and 30b that are provided at the tip portion 13b of the inner wall portion 13, pass through openings 54a and 54b from the inside to the outside of the outer peripheral wall portion 52, and bend toward the tip portion 52b of the outer peripheral wall portion 52.

[0036] The fixing portion 11 is a rectangular bottom surface portion of the fixing member 10, and supports the folded airbag 2 from below. A mounting hole 12 for the inflator 1 is provided in the center of the fixing portion 11.

[0037] The inner wall portion 13 is a standing wall that protrudes from the surface (the surface on the lid portion 51 side) 11a of the fixing portion 11 toward the airbag 2 side (toward the vehicle interior), and is formed so as to surround the folded airbag 2. A part (lower part) of the folded airbag 2 is disposed in a space 17 formed by the inner wall portion 13. The inner wall portion 13 is also a peripheral wall portion provided inside the outer peripheral wall portion 52 of the cover 50. A part of the inner wall portion 13, here the part of the inner wall portion 13 on the lid portion 51 side, is disposed inside the outer peripheral wall portion 52 (inside the space 58). Note that the entire inner wall portion 13 may be disposed inside the outer peripheral wall portion 52 (inside the space 58).

[0038] The inner wall 13 has a base end 13a on the fixing part 11 side and a tip end 13b on the lid part 51 side, and the fixing part 11 is disposed on the base end 13a side of the space 17, and the tip end 13b side of the space 17 is open to form an opening 18. The opening 18 serves as an insertion port through which the airbag 2 is inserted when the folded airbag 2 is assembled to the fixing member 10.

[0039] The inner wall portion 13 has a pair of wall portions 14a and 14b facing each other and a pair of wall portions 14c and 14d facing each other. Each of the wall portions 14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d is formed in a rectangular shape, and the inner wall portion 13 is formed in a square tube shape by the wall portions 14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d. However, two corners of the wall portions 14c and 14d on the fixing portion 11 side are open to form rectangular openings 15. The inner wall portion 13 is formed slightly smaller than the outer peripheral wall portion 52 so that it can be inserted into the space 58 surrounded by the outer peripheral wall portion 52. Note that, although the inner wall portion 13 surrounds the entire periphery of the folded airbag 2 here, it is not necessary for it to surround the entire periphery of the folded airbag 2; for example, it may not have the wall portions 14c and 14d.

[0040] The walls 14a and 14b are disposed substantially parallel to each other and face each other across a space 17. The wall 14a is located on the rear side of the vehicle (on the passenger side), and the wall 14b is located on the front side of the vehicle. The walls 14c and 14d are also disposed substantially parallel to each other and face each other across the space 17. The walls 14a and 14b are disposed so as to intersect with the walls 14c and 14d, in this case, so as to be perpendicular to them.

[0041] A plurality of hooks 30a are provided on the wall portion 14a. The hooks 30a are hook-shaped members provided on the outside of the tip portion 13b of the inner wall portion 13, and the same number of hooks 30a are provided to correspond to the openings 54a in the outer peripheral wall portion 52. Each hook 30a has a protruding portion 31 protruding from the outer surface of the tip portion 13b of the wall portion 14a to the outside of the inner wall portion 13, a bent portion 32 where the protruding portion 31 is bent toward the tip portion 52b of the outer peripheral wall portion 52, i.e., toward the base end portion 13a of the inner wall portion 13, and an extension portion 33 extending from the bent portion 32 toward the tip portion 52b of the outer peripheral wall portion 52 (toward the base end 13a of the inner wall portion 13). To ensure strength, the protruding portion 31 has a recessed portion 35 recessed toward the base end 13a of the inner wall portion 13. Instead of the recess 35, the protrusion 31 may be provided with a protrusion protruding toward the lid 51 side.

[0042] A plurality of hooks 30b are provided on the wall portion 14b. Similarly, the hooks 30b are hook-shaped members provided on the outside of the tip portion 13b of the inner wall portion 13, and the same number of hooks 30b are provided to correspond to the openings 54b of the outer peripheral wall portion 52. The hooks 30b are formed in the same shape as the hooks 30a.

[0043] 5, the length (distance) L1 between the distal opening edge 56 that forms the opening 54a and the proximal opening edge 57 that forms the opening 54a is shorter than the length L2 from the bent portion 32 of the hook 30a to the tip 34 of the hook 30a. Note that the length L1 is the minimum length of the opening 54a in the insertion direction D1 of the fixing member 10 into the cover 50, and is, for example, the length between the outer edge of the distal opening edge 56 and the outer edge of the proximal opening edge 57, as shown in FIG.

[0044] Here, a method of assembling the fixing member 10 to the cover 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 14. FIGS. 7 to 14 are schematic cross-sectional views showing the cover and fixing member during assembly. FIGS. 7 to 10 show the steps of the process of hooking the hook on the vehicle rear side of the fixing member into the opening on the vehicle rear side of the cover, with FIG. 7 showing the first step, FIG. 8 showing the second step, FIG. 9 showing the third step, and FIG. 10 showing the fourth step (after completion of hook engagement). FIGS. 11 to 14 show the steps of the process of hooking the hook on the vehicle front side of the fixing member into the opening on the vehicle front side of the cover, with FIG. 11 showing the first step, FIG. 12 showing the second step, FIG. 13 showing the third step, and FIG. 14 showing the fourth step (after completion of hook engagement). Note that FIGS. 7 to 14 omit illustrations of components other than the cover 50 and fixing member 10.

[0045] First, as shown in Fig. 7, the hook 30a of the fixing member 10 and a part of the inner wall 13 (wall 14a) are inserted into the opening 59 formed by the outer peripheral wall 52 of the cover 50 until one hook 30a of the fixing member 10, to which the folded airbag and inflator are fixed, abuts against the tip end surface 70a of the restricting portion 70 of the cover 50. Next, as shown in Fig. 8, with the fixing member 10 tilted so that the fixing portion 11 of the fixing member 10 faces outward from the outer peripheral wall 52, the hook 30a is slid along the tip end surface 70a of the restricting portion 70 until the tip 34 of the hook 30a protrudes outward from the opening 54a of the outer peripheral wall 52 (wall 53a). Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 9, while the fixing member 10 is tilted, the tip of the hook 30a is moved further outward beyond the opening 54a. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10, the hook 30a penetrates the outer peripheral wall 52 (wall 53a) from the inside to the outside, and is caught in the opening 54a.

[0046] When the hook 30a is hooked onto the opening 54a, the tip end face 70a of the regulating portion 70 is continuous with the base end opening edge 57 that forms the opening 54a (the opening to which the regulating portion 70 is adjacent), so that the hook 30a can slide while being successively brought into contact with the tip end face 70a of the regulating portion 70 and the base end opening edge 57, and the position and posture of the hook 30a can be easily changed.

[0047] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 11, the other hook 30b is brought into contact with the tip of the wall portion 53b to penetrate the opening 54b. Next, as shown in FIG. 12, the hook 30b is pushed into the opening 59 formed by the outer peripheral wall portion 52 while elastically deforming the outer peripheral wall portion 52. Then, as shown in FIG. 13, the hook 30b is pushed into the space 58 inside the outer peripheral wall portion 52, causing the tip of the hook 30b to protrude outward from the opening 54b of the wall portion 53b, thereby penetrating the hook 30b into the opening 54b. At this time, the fixing member 10 rotates around the hook 30a, which is supported by contacting the tip end surface 70a of the restricting portion 70. As a result, the assembly of the fixing member 10 to the cover 50 is completed as shown in FIG. 14.

[0048] The airbag device 100 after assembly has a so-called floating structure. That is, in a state before assembly to a vehicle, such as a delivery state, the hooks 30a and 30b of the fixing member 10 are hooked onto the openings 54a and 54b of the outer peripheral wall portion 52 of the cover 50, respectively, as shown in FIG. 14, and the airbag device 100 can be handled as a single component. When assembled to a vehicle, as shown in FIG. 1, the fixing member 10 is fixed to a vehicle body member BB, and the cover 50 is attached to the instrument panel AA (or to the trim in the case of a rear seat side airbag device), so that the hooks 30a and 30b of the fixing member 10 are floating (floating) while penetrating the openings 54a and 54b of the outer peripheral wall portion 52 of the cover 50. That is, in the initial state of the airbag device 100 after assembly to the vehicle, the fixing member 10 is not in contact with the cover 50. This allows the airbag device 100 to be assembled to the vehicle without being affected by dimensional variations of the vehicle.

[0049] Next, the operation of the airbag device 100 will be described.

[0050] Fig. 15 is another cross-sectional schematic view of the airbag device according to embodiment 1 attached to the vehicle in an initial state, as viewed from the vehicle width direction. As shown in Fig. 15, in the initial state, the airbag device 100 is disposed so as to cover the opening in the upper surface of the instrument panel AA, and is installed below the windshield DD.

[0051] Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the airbag device shown in Fig. 15, showing the state after the airbag is inflated and deployed, as viewed from the vehicle width direction. When the vehicle collides head-on with an obstacle (for example, another vehicle) and the inflator 1 is activated, gas generated from the inflator 1 is introduced into the airbag 2, causing the airbag 2 to inflate while unfolding. When the force applied by the inflated airbag 2 breaks the notched portion 51b of the lid portion 51, the pair of door portions 51c rotate about the hinges 51d toward the interior of the vehicle and open, and the airbag 2 inflates and deploys within the vehicle cabin, as shown in Fig. 16.

[0052] When the airbag 2 inflates and deploys, particularly when the airbag 2 is fully inflated and deployed, the portion of the instrument panel AA on the occupant's side is deformed by the reaction of the airbag 2 inflating and deploying, and the airbag 2 presses the lid 51 from the inside of the vehicle compartment toward the vehicle body, as shown in Figure 16. As the lid 51 is pressed, the outer peripheral wall 52 also moves toward the fixing member 10, but the hook 30a abuts against the tip end surface 70a of the restricting portion 70, preventing the outer peripheral wall 52 from moving excessively.

[0053] As described above, in this embodiment, the distal end surface 70a of the restricting portion 70 is continuous with the base end opening edge 57 that forms the opening 54a. Therefore, when assembling the fixing member 10 to the cover 50, one hook 30a can be inserted into the opening 54a while abutting against the distal end surface 70a of the restricting portion 70. This prevents the hook 30a from being pushed too far toward the lid portion 51 than the opening 54a. Also, when inserting the other hook 30b into the opening 54b, if the hook 30a is supported only by the plate thickness of the base end opening edge 57, the hook 30a would be prone to slipping. However, since the hook 30a can be supported not only by the base end opening edge 57 but also by the distal end surface 70a of the restricting portion 70, the hook 30a is stabilized, and the hook 30b can be assembled without coming off. Therefore, in this embodiment, the hooks 30a and 30b of the fixing member 10 that houses the airbag 2 can be easily assembled to the openings 54a and 54b of the cover 50 that covers the airbag 2.

[0054] In this embodiment, the hook 30a preferably abuts against the tip-side end surface 70a of the restricting portion 70 when the airbag 2 inflates and deploys. As described above, when the airbag 2 inflates and deploys, the folded airbag 2 is pushed open by the gas from the inflator 1 and forcefully inflates and deploys into the vehicle cabin. The recoil of the momentum of the subsequent deployment causes the inflated airbag 2 to move toward the lid 51 and press the lid 51 toward the vehicle body from the inside of the vehicle cabin. When the lid 51 is pressed, the outer peripheral wall 52 (particularly the wall 53a) also moves toward the fixing member 10, but excessive movement of the outer peripheral wall 52 is suppressed by the hook 30a abutting against the tip-side end surface 70a of the restricting portion 70. As a result, the cover 50 can be prevented from coming off the fixing member 10 when the airbag 2 inflates and deploys.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is preferable that the distal opening edge 56 forming the opening 54a approaches the base end 52a of the outer peripheral wall 52 as it moves from the inside to the outside of the outer peripheral wall 52. This allows the opening 54a to be made smaller, thereby ensuring the strength of the outer peripheral wall 52. When the fixing member 10 is attached to the cover 50, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 10 , the hook 30a penetrates the opening 54a in a state in which the fixing member 10 is rotated around the abutment point between one hook 30a and the distal end surface 70a of the restricting portion 70 as a base point. Therefore, the hook 30a can penetrate the opening 54a even if the distal opening edge 56 approaches the base end 52a of the outer peripheral wall 52 as it moves from the inside to the outside of the outer peripheral wall 52.

[0056] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, it is preferable that length L1 between tip-side opening edge 56 that forms opening 54a and base-side opening edge 57 that forms opening 54a be shorter than length L2 from bent portion 32 of hook 30a to tip 34 of hook 30a. This also allows opening 54a to be made smaller, thereby ensuring the strength of outer peripheral wall portion 52. Furthermore, as described above, when fixing member 10 is assembled to cover 50, hook 30a penetrates opening 54a in a state in which fixing member 10 is rotated around the abutment point between one hook 30a and tip-side end face 70a of restriction portion 70 as a base point. Therefore, hook 30a can penetrate opening 54a even if length L1 is shorter than length L2.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the opening 54a has a longitudinal shape having both end portions 55 in a direction D2 perpendicular to the insertion direction D1 of the fixing member 10 into the cover 50, and the restricting portions 70 are preferably provided adjacent to at least both end portions 55 of the opening 54a. As a result, even if the inflated airbag 2 presses the lid portion 51 obliquely from the inside of the vehicle compartment toward the vehicle body when the airbag 2 inflates and deploys, the restricting portions 70 provided adjacent to both end portions 55 can suppress excessive movement of the outer peripheral wall portion 52, thereby preventing the cover 50 from coming off the fixing member 10 due to the inflation and deployment of the airbag 2.

[0058] Other modifications of this embodiment will be described below.

[0059] As described above, in this embodiment, the restricting portions 70 are preferably provided adjacent to at least both ends 55 of the opening 54a. In this case, there is no particular limitation on whether the restricting portions 70 are provided in regions other than the regions adjacent to both ends 55 of the opening 54a. However, from the viewpoint of reducing the amount of material used, it is preferable to provide the restricting portions 70 only in regions adjacent to both ends 55 of the opening 54a, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. On the other hand, the restricting portions 70 may be provided adjacent to the entire opening 54a, or adjacent to a region between adjacent openings 54a. For example, the restricting portions 70 may be provided linearly along a plurality of openings 54a lined up in a row.

[0060] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the restricting portion 70 may be provided adjacent to the opening 54b of the wall portion 53b instead of the opening 54a of the wall portion 53a, or adjacent to each of the openings 54a and 54b. That is, the restricting portion 70 may be provided inside the wall portion 53b instead of the wall portion 53a, or may be provided inside each of the wall portions 53a and 53b. However, in a passenger seat airbag device, from the viewpoint of effectively suppressing excessive movement of the outer peripheral wall portion 52 when the airbag 2 is inflated and deployed, it is preferable that the restricting portion 70 be provided adjacent to at least the opening 54a of the wall portion 53a, and preferably at least inside the wall portion 53a.

[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a passenger seat airbag device has been described, but the airbag device of the present invention is not particularly limited to a passenger seat airbag device, and may be, for example, a rear seat side airbag device attached to the inside of a trim provided in the rear seat of a vehicle.

[0062] The present invention is not limited to the contents described in the above embodiment. The configurations described in the embodiment may be appropriately deleted, added, modified, or combined without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1: Inflator (gas generator) 1a: Flange part of inflator 2: Airbag 3: Clamping plate 4: Bolt 5: Nut 10: Fixing member 11: Fixed part 11a: Surface of the fixed part 12: Inflator mounting hole 13: Inner wall 13a: Base end of inner wall 13b: Tip of inner wall 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d: Walls of the inner wall 15: Wall opening 16: Mounting part 17: Space formed by the inner wall 18: Opening in the inner wall 30a, 30b: Hook 31:Protrusion 32:Bending part 33: Stretching part 34:Hook tip 35: Recess 50: Cover 51: Lid 51a: Back side of lid 51b: Notch 51c: Door section 51d: Hinge 52:Outer wall 52a: Base end of outer wall 52b: Tip of outer wall 53a, 53b, 53c, 53d: Walls of the outer peripheral wall 53aa: inner surface of wall 54a, 54b: openings in the wall 55: Both ends of the wall opening 56: Tip side opening edge forming the opening 56a: End face of the tip opening edge 57: Base edge of opening forming the opening 57a: End face of base end opening edge 58: Space formed by the outer wall 59: Opening in outer wall 70: Regulation Department 70a: Tip end surface of the restricting portion 90: Flange part 90a: Back side of flange 91: Fixing member 100: Airbag device AA: Instrument panel BB: Body parts CC: Fixed member DD: Windshield D1: Insertion direction D2: Direction perpendicular to the insertion direction P1: Plane L1: The length between the distal opening edge that forms the opening and the proximal opening edge that forms the opening L2: The length from the bent part of the hook to the tip of the hook

Claims

1. an inflator that generates gas; an airbag that is folded and stored and inflated and deployed by the gas; a fixing member that stores the folded airbag; a cover that covers the airbag housed in the fixing member, The cover has a lid portion facing the interior of the vehicle cabin, an outer peripheral wall portion whose base end is connected to the back surface of the lid portion and whose tip end protrudes from the back surface toward the vehicle body, an opening provided in each of a pair of opposing wall portions of the outer peripheral wall portion, and a restricting portion provided inside at least one of the pair of wall portions and closer to the lid portion than the opening, the fixing member has a fixing portion that fixes the inflator and the airbag, an inner wall portion that is provided from the fixing portion toward the back surface of the lid portion and at least a portion of which is disposed inside the outer peripheral wall portion, and a hook that is provided at a tip end of the inner wall portion, passes through the opening from the inside to the outside of the outer peripheral wall portion, and is bent toward the tip end side of the outer peripheral wall portion, the restricting portion protrudes inward of the outer peripheral wall portion beyond a tip-side opening edge that forms the opening, The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein a tip end surface of the restricting portion is continuous with a base end opening edge that forms the opening.

2. 2. The airbag device according to claim 1, The airbag device is characterized in that the hook abuts against the tip end surface of the restricting portion when the airbag is inflated and deployed.

3. 3. The airbag device according to claim 1 or 2, The airbag device is characterized in that the tip-side opening edge approaches the base end of the outer peripheral wall portion as it moves from the inside to the outside of the outer peripheral wall portion.

4. The airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the length between the distal end opening edge and the proximal end opening edge is shorter than the length from the bent portion of the hook to the distal end of the hook.

5. The airbag device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the opening has an elongated shape having both ends in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the fixing member into the cover, The airbag device is characterized in that the restricting portions are provided adjacent to at least both end portions of the opening.

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