Airbag device

Abstract

To provide an air bag which facilitates work of inserting an inflator or a retainer into an air bag and mounting it thereon, and can improve workability.SOLUTION: An air bag (20) has an air bag body part (21) provided with an insertion hole part (24), and a guide part (31) mounted on the air bag body part (21), wherein the guide part (31) has a first opening (32) provided on one end in a first direction, a second opening (33) which is provided on the other end in the first direction and has an opening area larger than that of the first opening (32), and a tapered part (35) whose peripheral length perpendicular to the first direction of the guide part (31) gradually decreases toward the first opening (32), and in the air bag body part (21) and the guide part (31), the insertion hole part (24) of the air bag body part (21) and the second opening (33) of the guide part (31) are directly connected to each other and integrated with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention ,workman The present invention relates to an airbag device having an airbag and an inflator. [Background technology]

[0002] Automobiles are equipped with airbag devices that cushion the impact on occupants in the event of a collision. An airbag device typically includes an inflator that generates gas and a bag-shaped airbag body to which the gas is supplied from the inflator. Known airbag devices include a driver's seat airbag device mounted on the steering wheel, a passenger seat airbag device mounted on the instrument panel, a side airbag device that inflates to the outside of the seat, a curtain airbag device that inflates from the side of the roof, and a knee airbag device that inflates from the underside of the steering wheel or instrument panel.

[0003] For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2017-81248 (Patent Document 1) describes a side airbag device. The airbag of the side airbag device described in Patent Document 1 has a slit for inserting an inflator. The airbag is also provided with a cover cloth that covers at least a portion of the slit.

[0004] Patent Document 1 explains that the cover cloth attached to the airbag presses down on the slit and covers the gap between the slit and the outer surface of the inflator, thereby suppressing gas leakage from the slit when the airbag is inflated and reducing the amount of gas leaking out. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-81248 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In an airbag device, in order to install the inflator at a predetermined position within the airbag, a mounting bolt is provided on the inflator or on a retainer that holds the inflator, and the airbag may be provided with a bolt insertion hole portion through which the mounting bolt provided on the inflator or retainer can be inserted.

[0007] For example, when an inflator is provided with a mounting bolt, the inflator is inserted into the airbag, and then while moving the inflator within the airbag, the inflator's mounting bolt is aligned with the position of a bolt insertion hole provided in the airbag, and protrudes from the inside of the airbag to the outside through the bolt insertion hole.

[0008] Furthermore, when a mounting bolt is provided on the retainer, the retainer holding the inflator, or the retainer before holding the inflator, is inserted into the airbag, and then the mounting bolt of the retainer is caused to protrude from the inside of the airbag to the outside through a bolt insertion hole provided in the airbag.

[0009] However, in conventional airbag devices or airbag structures, after inserting an inflator or retainer equipped with a mounting bolt into the airbag, it is difficult to accurately grasp the position and orientation (posture) of the inflator or retainer inside the airbag, making it difficult to insert the mounting bolt into the bolt insertion hole from inside the airbag. In particular, after inserting the inflator or retainer into the airbag, the installation work is often performed without being able to visually check the inflator or retainer from outside the airbag, which reduces work efficiency and delays the work time.

[0010] Furthermore, for example, if the position of the airbag insertion port through which the inflator or retainer is inserted into the airbag and the position of the bolt insertion hole provided in the airbag are separated from each other, or if they are provided on surfaces of the airbag facing different directions, the task of passing the mounting bolt of the inflator or retainer through the bolt insertion hole of the airbag can become even more difficult.

[0011] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, and its object is to provide an airbag assembly that can improve workability by facilitating the work of inserting and attaching an inflator or a retainer into an airbag. Gu and The object of the present invention is to provide an airbag device having an inflator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to achieve the above object, the airbag device provided by the present invention comprises an airbag and ,stomach an airbag device having an inflator, the airbag having a bag-shaped airbag main body portion having an air chamber into which gas is introduced, and a guide portion attached to the airbag main body portion, The inflator is attached within the guide portion of the airbag, The airbag main body has an insertion hole portion that communicates with the air chamber, the guide portion has a cylindrical shape that extends in a first direction, the guide portion has a first opening portion provided at one end portion in the first direction, a second opening portion provided at the other end portion in the first direction and having an opening area larger than that of the first opening portion, and a tapered portion where the circumferential length of the guide portion perpendicular to the first direction gradually decreases toward the first opening portion, the airbag main body and the guide portion are integrated by directly connecting the insertion hole portion of the airbag main body and the second opening portion of the guide portion, and at least a portion of the guide portion and at least a portion of the inflator are inserted and held inside the airbag main body.

[0013] The airbag of the present invention DeviceIn the case where one of the directions perpendicular to the first direction is defined as a second direction, it is preferable that when the guide portion is in a cylindrically expanded state, the size of the second direction at the second opening of the guide portion is 150% or more and 250% or less of the size of the first opening in the second direction.

[0015] In the airbag device of the present invention, it is preferable that the guide portion is held inside the airbag main body portion, the guide portion has a folded portion arranged between the first opening and the second opening, the guide portion is folded at the folded portion so that an inner tubular portion formed between the first opening and the folded portion is arranged inside an outer tubular portion formed between the folded portion and the second opening, and the inflator is attached inside the inner tubular portion of the guide portion.

[0016] In this case, it is preferable that the inner tubular portion and the outer tubular portion each have at least one insertion hole through which a mounting bolt provided on the inflator or on a retainer that holds the inflator is inserted, and that the inner tubular portion and the outer tubular portion are twisted between the first opening or the second opening and the folded portion. Furthermore, it is preferable that the length of the guide portion along the first direction before being folded back at the folding back portion is 200% or more of the length of the inflator along the direction in which it is inserted into the guide portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the airbag and airbag device of the present invention, the work of inserting and attaching the inflator or the retainer into the airbag can be easily performed, thereby improving workability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention in an exploded state; [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an inflator of an airbag device. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a state in which an inflator is held by a guide portion of an airbag. [Figure 4] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a guide portion and an inflator are inserted inside an airbag main body portion. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV shown in FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a schematic diagram showing a main part of an airbag device in which a guide portion is twisted; FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically showing a guide portion according to a first modified example of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically showing a guide portion according to a second modified example of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Example]

[0020] Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing an airbag device according to this embodiment in an exploded state. Fig. 2 is a schematic view showing only an inflator of the airbag device. Fig. 6 is a schematic view showing a main part of the airbag device according to this embodiment. The airbag device 1 of this embodiment is a knee airbag device that inflates and deploys from below the steering wheel or instrument panel in the event of a vehicle collision, etc., to cushion the impact on the knees of the occupant, and is mounted, for example, below or at the bottom of the instrument panel.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the airbag device 1 includes an inflator 10 that generates gas, and an airbag 20 that is inflated and deployed by being supplied with the gas generated by the inflator 10.

[0022] 2, the inflator 10 is a cylindrical inflator 10 formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and includes an inflator main body 11 and a gas ejection part (diffuser) 12. The inflator 10 is configured to generate gas in the inflator main body 11 and eject the gas from the gas ejection part 12 when a signal indicating the detection of a collision or the like is input.

[0023] The inflator 10 has two mounting bolts 13 protruding from the inflator body 11 to secure the inflator 10. The gas outlet 12 is provided with protrusions 14 used to position and secure the inflator 10. The protrusions 14 have a cylindrical or rectangular columnar shape. The protrusions 14 protrude from the gas outlet 12 by the same length as the mounting bolts 13 protrude from the inflator body 11. When viewed from one side of the inflator 10 in the longitudinal direction (not shown), the two mounting bolts 13 and the protrusions 14 protrude in the same direction from the inflator body 11 and the gas outlet 12. The shape, size, and number of the mounting bolts 13 and the protrusions 14 are not limited in the present invention. The inflator of the present invention may be formed without the protrusions 14.

[0024] The airbag 20 has an airbag main body 21 that is inflated when gas is supplied from the inflator 10, and a cylindrical guide portion 31 that is attached to the airbag main body 21 and guides the insertion of the inflator 10 into the airbag main body 21. The airbag main body 21 is formed into a bag shape by overlapping and sewing together two pieces of base fabric. The airbag main body 21 may be formed by sewing together one piece of base fabric or three or more pieces of base fabric into a bag shape. The shape and size of the airbag main body 21 are not particularly limited.

[0025] The airbag main body 21 has an air chamber 22 into which gas is introduced. In addition, the airbag main body 21 has a sewn portion (joint) 23 formed with sewing thread and at which base fabrics are sewn together, formed so as to surround at least a portion of the air chamber 22. When the airbag main body 21 is held in an overall flat state before being folded, the airbag main body 21 has a first base fabric portion 21a arranged on one side (for example, the front side in FIG. 1) and a second base fabric portion 21b arranged on the opposite side of the first base fabric portion 21a (for example, the back side in FIG. 1).

[0026] In this embodiment, the first base fabric portion 21a of the airbag main body portion 21 is provided with an insertion hole portion 24 for inserting the guide portion 31 and the inflator 10, and three through-hole portions 25 through which the mounting bolts 13 and protrusions 14 of the inflator 10 held within the airbag main body portion 21 are inserted and protrude outward.

[0027] The insertion hole 24 of the airbag body 21 communicates with the air chamber 22 of the airbag body 21. The insertion hole 24 is formed in a shape and size corresponding to a second opening 33 (described later) of the guide portion 31, and in this embodiment, the insertion hole 24 has a circular or elliptical shape, or a shape similar thereto. Each of the through-holes 25 of the airbag body 21 is formed in a circular (or elliptical) shape. The three through-holes 25 are provided in correspondence with the positional relationship between the mounting bolt 13 and the protrusion 14 of the inflator 10, and are formed with a larger opening area than a second insertion hole 37 (described later) of the guide portion 31.

[0028] The guide portion 31 is formed by sewing together one piece of base fabric or multiple pieces of base fabric. The guide portion 31 has a hollow shape that is elongated in a first direction. In this case, the first direction of the guide portion 31 (the left-right direction in FIG. 1) is the direction along the length of the guide portion 31.

[0029] The guide part 31 has a circular first opening 32 provided at one end in the length direction of the guide part 31 (the end on the left side in FIG. 1), and a circular second opening 33 provided at the other end in the length direction of the guide part 31 (the end on the right side in FIG. 1). In addition, the inner peripheral surface of the guide part 31 is preferably coated with silicone.

[0030] The guide portion 31 has a trumpet-like shape in which the opening area of ​​the second opening 33 is larger than the opening area of ​​the first opening 32. The guide portion 31 also has a straight portion 34 in which the circumferential length (length of a circumference) of the guide portion 31 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (first direction) of the guide portion 31 is constant or approximately constant, and a tapered portion 35 in which the circumferential length of the guide portion 31 gradually decreases toward the first opening 32.

[0031] In this embodiment, the straight portion 34 is provided in the range from the first opening 32 to the center or approximately the center in the length direction of the guide portion 31. The tapered portion 35 is provided in the range from the center or approximately the center in the length direction of the guide portion 31 to the second opening 33. Note that in the present invention, the tapered portion of the guide portion may be provided over the entire length direction of the guide portion, or may be provided in two or more regions of the guide portion.

[0032] The guide portion 31 is also provided with three first insertion holes 36 and three second insertion holes 37 through which the mounting bolts 13 and protrusions 14 of the inflator 10 are inserted. The number of first insertion holes 36 and second insertion holes 37 provided in the guide portion 31 can be changed depending on the number of mounting bolts and protrusions of the inflator to be used.

[0033] In this embodiment, the three first insertion holes 36 are provided in the half (straight portion 34) of the guide portion 31 on the first opening 32 side, corresponding to the positions of the mounting bolt 13 and the protrusion 14 of the inflator 10. The three first insertion holes 36 are formed with the same opening area.

[0034] The three second insertion hole portions 37 are provided in the half (tapered portion 35) of the guide portion 31 on the second opening 33 side, in a positional relationship symmetrical to the first insertion hole portion 36 in the length direction of the guide portion 31. The three second insertion hole portions 37 are formed to have the same opening area as each other, and are formed to have an opening area larger than that of the first insertion hole portion 36.

[0035] In the guide portion 31 of this embodiment, if one of the directions perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the guide portion 31 (a direction along the radial direction of the guide portion 31) is defined as the second direction, when the guide portion 31 is in a cylindrically expanded state, the size X2 in the second direction at the second opening 33 of the guide portion 31 is 150% to 250%, preferably 200%, of the size X1 in the second direction at the first opening 32 of the guide portion 31 (see Figure 1).

[0036] By making the size X2 of the second opening 33 150% or more of the size X1 of the first opening 32, the inflator 10 can be easily inserted and the workability can be improved when inserting the inflator 10 into the airbag main body 21 while being held by the straight portion 34 of the guide portion 31, as will be described later. By making the size X2 of the second opening 33 250% or less of the size X1 of the first opening 32, the mounting bolts 13 and the protrusions 14 of the inflator 10 can be easily inserted into the three second insertion holes 37 of the guide portion 31. In addition, the position of the inflator 10 can be easily stabilized when inserted inside the airbag main body 21.

[0037] The guide portion 31 of this embodiment is formed so that, in a cylindrically inflated state before being folded back at a folding back portion 41 (described later) (see FIG. 1), the length Y2 of the guide portion 31 along its longitudinal direction is 200% or more of the length Y1 of the inflator 10 (specifically, the length along the direction in which the inflator 10 is inserted into the guide portion 31). This allows the inflator 10 to be stably wrapped over its entire length by the double-layered portion (an inner tubular portion 42 and an outer tubular portion 43 described later) of the guide portion 31 folded back at the folding back portion 41 when the guide portion 31 is inserted into the airbag main body 21 (see, for example, FIGS. 4 and 6). This allows the double-layered portion of the guide portion 31 to protect the airbag main body 21 from gas generated by the inflator 10.

[0038] For example, in conventional airbags, a reinforcing cloth or the like is sometimes provided to protect the airbag from the gas generated from the inflator. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the guide portion 31 that guides the insertion of the inflator 10 is made of two layers, and as described above, the airbag main body 21 can be protected from the gas of the inflator 10 by preventing the gas emitted from the inflator 10 from hitting the airbag main body 21 in a straight line. Therefore, the airbag 20 of this embodiment can stably obtain the same effect as a reinforcing cloth with the guide portion 31 without separately installing a conventional reinforcing cloth (heat patch) to protect the airbag main body from gas, thereby reducing the use of the reinforcing cloth.

[0039] In this embodiment, it is preferable that the length Y2 of the guide portion 31 is 300% or less of the length Y1 of the inflator 10, thereby preventing the guide portion 31 from becoming too large and making it easier for the gas from the inflator 10 to flow smoothly into the air chamber 22 of the airbag main body 21 when the airbag device 1 is activated.

[0040] The guide portion 31 as described above is formed by integrating the airbag main body 21 and the guide portion 31 together to form the airbag 20 by connecting the end portion of the guide portion 31 on the second opening 33 side to the outer peripheral edge portion of the insertion hole 24 of the airbag main body 21 so that the second opening 33 of the guide portion 31 and the insertion hole 24 of the airbag main body 21 are directly connected.

[0041] In the present invention, the method and means for connecting the guide portion 31 to the airbag main body portion 21 are not particularly limited, but for example, the guide portion 31 can be easily connected to the airbag main body portion 21 by sewing together the outer peripheral edge of the insertion hole portion 24 of the airbag main body portion 21 and the end portion of the guide portion 31 on the second opening 33 side by performing sewing processing.

[0042] In this embodiment, when the guide portion 31 is attached to the airbag body 21 and inserted into the airbag body 21, the guide portion 31 is First insertion hole portion 36 and Second insertion hole portion 37 However, it is connected to the airbag main body 21 in a direction facing the second base fabric portion 21b on the opposite side, rather than the first base fabric portion 21a where the through-hole portion 25 of the airbag main body 21 is provided (see Figures 3 and 4).

[0043] Next, a method of attaching the inflator 10 shown in FIG. 2 to the airbag 20 in which the airbag body 21 and the guide portion 31 are integrated will be described. First, the inflator 10 is inserted into the guide portion 31 of the airbag 20 through the first opening 32 of the guide portion 31, and then the mounting bolt 13 and the protrusion 14 of the inflator 10 are fitted to the guide portion 31. First insertion hole portion 36 Then, a first insertion operation is performed in which the inflator 10 is inserted into the guide portion 31 so that the inflator 10 projects outward from the guide portion 31. At this time, the inflator 10 is inserted into the guide portion 31 from the end of the gas ejection portion 12 side of the inflator 10.

[0044] In this first insertion operation, the inflator 10 is inserted into the guide portion 31 while being directly visually checked, and the mounting bolt 13 and the protrusion 14 of the inflator 10 are aligned with the guide portion 31. First insertion hole portion 36 Therefore, the first insertion step can be easily performed in a relatively short time. Furthermore, by performing this first insertion step, the inflator 10 can be held in a predetermined position of the guide portion 31 (specifically, the straight portion 34 of the guide portion 31) in a desired orientation (posture), as shown in FIG.

[0045] After the first insertion operation is completed, the inflator 10 and the guide portion 31 that holds the inflator 10 are inserted into the airbag body 21 through the insertion hole 24 of the airbag body 21, and the mounting bolt 13 and the protrusion 14 of the inflator 10 are attached to the guide portion 31. Second insertion hole portion 37 The second insertion operation is performed by inserting the

[0046] In this second insertion operation, while the guide portion 31 and the inflator 10 are being inserted into the airbag body 21, the guide portion 31 itself is folded back at a position between the first opening 32 and the second opening 33. As a result, the guide portion 31 is held within the airbag body 21, and a folded-back portion 41 is formed in the guide portion 31, as shown in FIG.

[0047] In addition, with the folded portion 41 as the boundary, there are provided an inner tubular portion 42 formed by the portion between the first opening 32 of the guide portion 31 and the folded portion 41, and an outer tubular portion 43 disposed outside the inner tubular portion 42 and formed by the portion between the folded portion 41 and the second opening 33. In the case of this embodiment, the inner tubular portion 42 of the guide portion 31 is formed mainly by the straight portion 34 of the guide portion 31, and the outer tubular portion 43 of the guide portion 31 is formed mainly by the tapered portion 35 of the guide portion 31.

[0048] Furthermore, in the second insertion operation, the inflator 10 is inserted by inserting the mounting bolt 13 and the protrusion 14 of the inflator 10 into the guide portion 31. First insertion hole portion 36Since the inflator 10 is held by the straight portion 34 of the guide portion 31 by being inserted through the insertion hole 24 of the airbag main body 21, even if the inflator 10 is forcefully inserted into the airbag main body 21 through the insertion hole 24 of the airbag main body 21, the inflator 10 is prevented from penetrating deep into the airbag main body 21, and the inflator 10 can be kept in a position where the position and posture of the inflator 10 can be easily grasped by the worker.

[0049] In the second insertion operation, the guide portion 31 is folded back to form the inner cylindrical portion 42 and the outer cylindrical portion 43, and then the guide portion 31 is folded back. First insertion hole portion 36 The mounting bolt 13 and the protrusion 14 of the inflator 10 that have been inserted through the outer tubular portion 43 of the guide portion 31 are then inserted through the second insertion hole 37 formed in the outer tubular portion 43 of the guide portion 31.

[0050] At this time, the inflator 10 is in a state where the mounting bolt 13 and the protrusion 14 are in the guide portion 31. First insertion hole portion 36 As a result, even when the inflator 10 is inserted inside the airbag body 21, the mounting bolt 13 and the protrusion 14 of the inflator 10 can be easily aligned with the guide portion 31. Second insertion hole portion 37 The guide portion 31 can be smoothly inserted into the outer cylindrical portion 43 and protrude outward from the outer cylindrical portion 43. Second insertion hole portion 37 but, First insertion hole portion 36 Since the opening area is larger than that of the guide portion 31, Second insertion hole portion 37 In addition, the mounting bolt 13 and the protrusion 14 of the inflator 10 can be inserted more easily.

[0051] In this case, the inflator main body 11 and the gas ejection part 12 of the inflator 10 are held within the inner cylindrical part 42 of the guide part 31. Second insertion hole portion 37 The mounting bolt 13 and the protrusion 14 protruding outward from the outer tubular portion 43 through the guide portion 31 are held between the second base fabric portion 21b of the airbag main body 21 and the outer tubular portion 43 of the guide portion 31 (see Figure 5).

[0052] After the second insertion operation is completed, the inflator body 11 and the gas ejection part 12 held within the inner tubular part 42 of the guide part 31 are rotated around an axis that corresponds to the insertion direction of the inflator 10. This allows at least the outer tubular part 43 of the guide part 31 (preferably the inner tubular part 42 and the outer tubular part 43) to be easily twisted between the first opening 32 or the second opening 33 of the guide part 31 and the folded-back part 41. At this time, the guide part 31 is twisted within the airbag body 21 to an angle of 180 degrees or close to it.

[0053] By twisting the guide portion 31 in this manner, for example, when gas is generated from the inflator 10, the gas is prevented from leaking out through the first opening 32 of the guide portion 31, and the gas can be efficiently introduced into the air chamber 22 of the airbag main body 21, thereby improving the airtightness of the airbag 20. As a result, the airbag 20 can be inflated quickly from the time of gas generation, and this may also lead to a reduction in the size of the inflator 10. Furthermore, by twisting the guide portion 31 within the airbag main body 21, the mounting bolt 13 and the protrusion 14 of the inflator 10, which protrude outward from the outer tubular portion 43 of the guide portion 31, can be directed toward the first base fabric portion 21a of the airbag main body 21 (see FIGS. 5 and 7).

[0054] Next, the mounting bolt 13 and the protrusion 14 of the inflator 10 facing the first base fabric portion 21a of the airbag main body portion 21 are inserted into the through-hole portion 25 provided in the airbag main body portion 21, respectively, and are caused to protrude outside the airbag main body portion 21 as shown in Figure 7.

[0055] At this time, the inflator 10 is attached to the mounting bolt 13 and the protrusion 14 of the guide portion 31. First insertion hole portion 36 and Second insertion hole portion 37 The airbag body 21 is held in a predetermined position and orientation within the guide portion 31 by being inserted through the through-hole portion 25 of the airbag body 21. Second insertion hole portion 37This makes it easier to insert the mounting bolt 13 and the protrusion 14 of the inflator 10 into the through-hole 25 of the airbag body 21.

[0056] By projecting the mounting bolts 13 of the inflator 10 outside the airbag body 21 in this manner, the guide portion 31 can be held in a twisted state. Also, the mounting bolts 13 projecting from the airbag body 21 can be attached to, for example, an instrument panel.

[0057] As described above, in the airbag device 1 of this embodiment, the airbag 20 is provided with a cylindrical guide portion 31 that holds the inflator 10. Therefore, when the inflator 10 equipped with the mounting bolts 13 is inserted into the airbag main body 21 and attached to a predetermined position, the inflator 10 is prevented from penetrating too deep into the airbag main body 21 or from changing its orientation within the airbag main body 21. As a result, the work of attaching the inflator 10 into the airbag 20 can be easily performed.

[0058] Furthermore, even if the positions of the insertion hole portion 24 and the through-hole portion 25 of the airbag main body portion 21 are separated from each other or are provided on differently facing surfaces of the airbag main body portion 21, as in this embodiment, the inflator 10 can be held and the insertion of the inflator 10 can be guided by the cylindrical guide portion 31 provided on the airbag 20, so that the work of inserting the mounting bolt 13 and protrusion portion 14 of the inflator 10 into the through-hole portion 25 of the airbag main body portion 21 can be performed smoothly.

[0059] Therefore, the airbag device 1 of this embodiment, which is provided with the cylindrical guide portion 31, can improve the workability of attaching the inflator 10 to the airbag 20 and shorten the work time compared to, for example, conventional airbag devices. As a result, the burden on the worker can be reduced and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0060] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible as long as they have substantially the same configuration as the present invention and provide similar operational effects. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the first insertion hole 36 and the second insertion hole 37 provided in the guide portion 31 of the airbag 20 for inserting the mounting bolt 13 and the protrusion 14 of the inflator 10 are both formed in a circular (or elliptical) shape (see FIG. 1, etc.). However, in the present invention, the shapes of the first insertion hole and the second insertion hole provided in the guide portion of the airbag are not particularly limited as long as they can properly maintain gas-tightness within the guide portion.

[0061] For example, in the present invention, as shown in a first modified example of the guide portion in Fig. 8, the guide portion 31a may be formed so that the first insertion hole portion 36a and the second insertion hole portion 37a have a slit shape, and as shown in a second modified example of the guide portion in Fig. 9, the guide portion 31b may be formed so that the first insertion hole portion 36b and the second insertion hole portion 37b have a diamond shape. Furthermore, in the present invention, the shape of the through-hole portion provided in the airbag main body is not particularly limited.

[0062] In the above-described embodiment, the inflator 10 equipped with the mounting bolts 13 and protrusions 14 is inserted into the airbag body 21 while held by the guide portion 31 of the airbag 20. However, in the present invention, it is also possible to mount and hold the inflator, which consists of the inflator body and gas ejection portion, on a retainer provided with mounting bolts and protrusions, and then insert the inflator into the airbag body while the inflator is held by the guide portion of the airbag together with the retainer.

[0063] Furthermore, although the airbag device 1 of the embodiment is formed as a knee airbag device as described above, the airbag device of the present invention is not limited to this and may be formed as, for example, a driver's seat airbag device, a passenger seat airbag device, a side airbag device, or a curtain airbag device. The overall shape and size of the airbag are also not particularly limited and can be changed depending on, for example, the type and shape of the automobile, the installation position of the airbag device, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1 Airbag device 10 Inflator 11 Inflator body 12 Gas outlet (diffuser) 13 Mounting bolt 14 Protrusion 20 Airbag 21 Airbag body 21a 1st base fabric section 21b 2nd base fabric part 22 Air chamber 23 Sewing section (joint section) 24 Insertion hole 25 Through-hole section 31 Guide section 31a, 31b Guide section 32 First Opening 33 Second Opening 34 Straight section 35 Tapered section 36 First insertion hole portion 36a, 36b First insertion hole portion 37 Second insertion hole 37a, 37b Second insertion hole portion 41 Folded section 42 Inner cylinder part 43 Outer cylinder part X1: Size of the first opening in the second direction X2: Size of the second opening in the second direction Y1 Inflator length Y2: Length along the length of the guide part

Claims

1. An airbag device having an airbag and an inflator, The airbag has a bag-shaped airbag body portion having an air chamber into which gas is introduced, and a guide portion attached to the airbag body portion, The inflator is attached within the guide portion of the airbag, the airbag body has an insertion hole communicating with the air chamber, The guide portion has a cylindrical shape extending in a first direction, the guide portion has a first opening provided at one end in the first direction, a second opening provided at the other end in the first direction and having an opening area larger than that of the first opening, and a tapered portion in which a circumferential length of the guide portion perpendicular to the first direction gradually decreases toward the first opening, the airbag body and the guide portion are integrated with each other by directly connecting the insertion hole of the airbag body and the second opening of the guide portion, At least a part of the guide portion and at least a part of the inflator are inserted and held inside the airbag body. An airbag device characterized by:

2. When one of the directions orthogonal to the first direction is defined as a second direction, in a state in which the guide portion is bulged into a cylindrical shape, the size of the second opening of the guide portion in the second direction is 150% to 250% of the size of the first opening in the second direction.

2. The airbag device according to claim 1.

3. The guide portion is held inside the airbag body portion, the guide portion has a folded portion disposed between the first opening and the second opening, the guide portion is folded at the folded portion so that an inner tubular portion formed between the first opening and the folded portion is disposed inside an outer tubular portion formed between the folded portion and the second opening, The inflator is attached to the inner cylindrical portion of the guide portion.

2. The airbag device according to claim 1.

4. At least one insertion hole is formed in each of the inner cylindrical portion and the outer cylindrical portion, through which a mounting bolt provided on the inflator or a retainer that holds the inflator is inserted; The inner tubular portion and the outer tubular portion are twisted between the first opening or the second opening and the folded portion.

4. The airbag device according to claim 3.

5. The length of the guide portion along the first direction before being folded back at the folding back portion is 200% or more of the length of the inflator along the direction in which it is inserted into the guide portion.

5. The airbag device according to claim 3 or 4.

Images