JP2000289552A - Airbag device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To rapidly deploy an airbag both horizontally and vertically and to smoothly divide a cover member by dividing the cover member vertically in a hinged fashion during deployment of the airbag so that the right and left sides and the upper and lower sides of the airbag are largely opened. SOLUTION: A cover member 21 for this airbag device is equipped with a front wall portion 22 covering the front surface of an airbag 12 and an outer peripheral wall portion covering the outer periphery of the airbag 12 and leading to the front wall portion 22. The outer peripheral wall portion has a pair of upper and lower connecting wall portions 24, 25 connected at their respective rear ends to a mounting plate 20 for fixing an inflator 11, a pair of right and left sidewall portions 26, and hinge portions 27, 28 provided near the rear ends of the pair of upper and lower connecting wall portions 24, 25 and serving as fulcrums of rotation when the cover member 21 is divided. When the airbag 12 is deployed, the outer peripheral wall portion is divided into upper and lower sections in a hinged fashion, and the connecting wall portions 24, 25 located on the upper and lower sides of the airbag 12 and the sidewall portions 26 located on the right and left sides of the airbag 12 are opened.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an airbag device mounted on a steering wheel, and more particularly to a cover member that covers a front side and an outer peripheral side of an airbag when the airbag is deployed, is divided into a vertically open two-sided shape. The present invention relates to an airbag device that is configured to open widely at both sides and to greatly open both left and right sides.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an airbag device mounted on a steering wheel is disposed at a central portion on the rear side of a steering pad. The airbag device includes an inflator, an airbag that is deployed with gas supplied from the inflator, a synthetic resin cover member that covers the front side and the outer peripheral side of the inflator and the airbag, and the like. It has a front wall portion that covers the front side of the bag, and an outer peripheral wall portion that covers the outer peripheral side of the airbag and is continuous with the front wall portion. In a normal airbag device, a substantially H-shaped dividing line (a dividing portion including a dividing groove) is provided on the inner surface of the front wall portion of the cover member.
Is formed, and when the airbag is deployed, the pressure from the inflating airbag breaks the substantially H-shaped dividing line of the front wall of the cover member, and the upper and lower portions of the front wall are turned up and down both sides. The airbag is deployed such that the left end and the right end of the wall turn up to the left and right sides.

On the other hand, in an airbag device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-164814, a bag cover (cover member) includes a front wall portion that covers the front side of the airbag,
A peripheral wall portion connected to the front wall portion and covering the outer peripheral side of the airbag. On this peripheral wall portion, four engaging portions that engage with the four steering wheels are formed. In the bag cover shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 of this publication, an annular break groove is formed in the middle part of the peripheral wall portion and slightly upward, and a horizontal break groove is formed in the front wall portion to divide it vertically. And
A pair of left and right vertical break grooves extending from the horizontal break groove to the annular break groove are also formed on the left and right wall portions of the peripheral wall portion.

The base ends of the upper and lower wall portions of the peripheral wall portion are fixed to a fixing member, and upper and lower hinge portions are provided at boundaries between the upper and lower wall portions of the peripheral wall portion and the front wall portion. Each formed,
When the airbag is deployed, the bag cover is broken from the above-mentioned breaking groove and split up and down with the upper and lower hinge portions as pivot points. In general, at the time of a collision, it is necessary to open the upper and lower sides and the left and right sides of the airbag greatly by rotating the cover member covering the front side and the left and right sides of the airbag upward and downward so as to rapidly deploy the airbag. For this purpose, the structure of the cover member that is cleaved when the airbag is deployed becomes very important.

[0005]

When the airbag is deployed, the cover member of the normal airbag device is split so that the front wall portion is turned up from the H-shaped dividing line, and the entire peripheral wall portion remains. Protrudes forward from the peripheral wall, and then expands in the vertical and horizontal directions. As described above, since the peripheral wall portion regulates the deployment of the airbag, the deployment of the airbag in the vertical and horizontal directions cannot be performed smoothly.

In the airbag device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-164814, a hinge portion serving as a rotation fulcrum when the bag cover is torn is formed by a boundary portion between an upper side wall portion and a lower side wall portion of a peripheral wall portion and a front wall portion. Therefore, even if the rotation angle at the hinge portion at the time of deployment of the airbag is 90 degrees, for example, the upper half and the lower half of the front wall are 90 degrees each.
It only swings up and down and hardly swings up and down. As described above, since the formation position of the hinge portion is not devised, the bag cover is difficult to open greatly when the airbag is deployed, and it is difficult to say that this is advantageous for rapid deployment of the airbag.

[0007] When the bag cover is torn, about half of the proximal end of the peripheral wall is left, so that the remaining peripheral wall prevents rapid deployment of the airbag.
In addition, the engaging portion of the bag cover is formed in a concave shape that engages the steering spoke without play from the front side,
When the airbag is deployed, the engaging portion may interfere with the steering spoke, and the bag cover may not be smoothly disengaged. Furthermore, since the break groove is also formed in the peripheral wall portion of the bag cover in an annular shape, the rigidity of the peripheral wall portion is easily reduced,
The rigidity of the entire bag cover also tends to decrease, and the appearance of the steering wheel pad part may be slightly distorted,
The touch felt by hands may be reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an airbag apparatus, in which a cover member is divided into a double-opened shape when the airbag is deployed, so that the left and right sides and the upper and lower sides of the airbag are largely opened. In such a manner that the cover member can be rapidly deployed in the direction, and the cover member is smoothly divided.

[0009]

An airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the front wall portion covers the inflator, the airbag deployed by the gas supplied from the inflator, and the front side and the outer peripheral side of the airbag, respectively. And a cover member having an outer peripheral wall portion and cleaving when the airbag is deployed. In the airbag device equipped on the steering wheel, the cover member is vertically split when the airbag is deployed. And the outer peripheral walls located on the left and right sides of the airbag are configured to be open.

The gas generated by the inflator at the time of the collision is supplied to the airbag, the airbag is rapidly deployed, and the occupant in the driver's seat is received by the deployed airbag to protect the occupant. Here, the cover member that covers the front side and the outer peripheral side of the airbag is vertically divided into two parts when the airbag is deployed, and the outer peripheral wall portions located on the left and right sides of the airbag are opened. Therefore, the airbag is rapidly inflated to both the left and right sides and is quickly inflated to the upper and lower sides to be rapidly deployed. That is, the airbag can be smoothly and rapidly deployed without being substantially restrained by the cover member.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an airbag device comprising: an inflator; an airbag which is developed by gas supplied from the inflator; and a front wall and an outer peripheral wall which respectively cover a front side and an outer peripheral side of the airbag. A cover member having a cover member that is opened when the airbag is deployed, wherein the cover member is vertically split when the airbag is deployed, and the cover member is separated from the airbag device. It is characterized in that the outer peripheral wall portions located on both upper and lower sides are configured to be open. Regarding the deployment of the airbag at the time of collision,
Is the same as At the time of deployment of the airbag, the cover member is vertically divided into a double-opened shape, and the outer peripheral walls located on both the upper and lower sides of the airbag are opened. As a result, the airbag is rapidly inflated up and down, and is rapidly deployed. That is,
The airbag can be smoothly and rapidly deployed without being restrained from both upper and lower sides of the cover member.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an airbag device comprising: an inflator; an airbag which is deployed by gas supplied from the inflator; and a front wall and an outer peripheral wall which respectively cover a front side and an outer peripheral side of the airbag. A cover member having a cover member that is opened when the airbag is deployed, wherein the cover member is vertically split when the airbag is deployed, and the cover member is separated from the airbag device. The outer peripheral wall portion that covers the outer peripheral side is configured to be open.
The deployment of the airbag at the time of a collision is the same as in the first aspect. At the time of deployment of the airbag, the cover member is vertically divided into a double-opened shape, and an outer peripheral wall portion that covers the outer peripheral side of the airbag is opened. Therefore, the airbag is rapidly inflated to both the left and right sides and is quickly inflated to the upper and lower sides to be rapidly deployed. That is, the airbag can be smoothly and rapidly deployed without being substantially restrained by the cover member.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the airbag apparatus according to the first or third aspect, the airbag is housed inside a cover member such that the airbag expands to both left and right sides when deployed and then expands to both upper and lower sides. It is characterized by the following.
Therefore, at the time of a collision, the airbag is first inflated to the left and right sides and inflated to the upper and lower sides to cleave the cover member, and is deployed to the left and right sides while being expanded to the left and right sides. That is, the airbag can be systematically and rapidly deployed without being entangled.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the airbag apparatus of the fourth aspect, the airbag is folded in a direction corresponding to a vertical direction and then in a horizontal direction. Therefore, similarly to the fourth aspect, when the airbag is deployed, the airbag first expands to the left and right sides and expands to the upper and lower sides to split the cover member, and expands to the left and right sides and expands to the upper and lower sides. . That is, the airbag can be systematically and rapidly deployed without being entangled.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the airbag apparatus according to the fourth aspect, a guide member for guiding the gas ejected from the inflator in the left-right direction is provided. Since the gas ejected from the inflator is guided in the left-right direction by the guide member, the inflation of the airbag in the left-right direction can be promoted, and the deployment in the left-right direction can be promoted.

[0016] The airbag device of the seventh aspect is characterized in that:
6. The invention according to claim 6, wherein the front wall portion and the outer peripheral wall portion of the cover member are continuous with each other, and the outer peripheral wall portion has upper and lower portions each having a base end portion connected to a fixing member for fixing an inflator. A pair of connecting wall portions, a pair of left and right side wall portions, and a hinge portion provided near the base end of the pair of upper and lower connecting wall portions and serving as a pivot point when the cover member is divided. Things.

Since the front wall portion and the outer peripheral wall portion of the cover member are continuous with each other, the cover member can cover the airbag and the front side and the outer peripheral side of the airbag and the inflator. Since the upper and lower hinge portions serving as pivot points when the cover member is divided are provided near the base ends of the pair of upper and lower connecting walls, the cover is divided into upper and lower portions per unit rotation angle of the hinge portion. The swing amount of the member upward and downward increases,
The front side and both left and right sides of the airbag are easily opened.

That is, when the cover member is turned, for example, by 90 degrees at the upper and lower hinge portions when the cover member is torn.
Since the upper half and the lower half of the front wall swing greatly up and down, respectively, about the hinge as the center of rotation, and are turned, for example, 90 degrees, the cover member is greatly opened up and down both sides. . At the same time, the right and left side walls of the outer peripheral wall are also divided vertically, and swing upward and downward about the hinge, so that the left and right sides of the airbag are largely opened.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the invention of the seventh aspect, a dividing line is formed in a front wall portion and a pair of left and right side wall portions of the cover member, and the cover member separates when the airbag is deployed. It is characterized in that it is vertically divided by a line and turns around the upper and lower hinge portions as a turning fulcrum. The dividing line is formed horizontally with respect to the front wall portion, and the dividing lines extending from both ends thereof are formed on one side.
It is formed on a pair of side walls. Since no dividing line is formed in the upper and lower connecting walls, the rigidity of the connecting walls does not decrease. Therefore, the rigidity of the cover member is secured,
It is possible to prevent the appearance of the pad portion of the steering wheel from being distorted and the feel from being reduced.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the airbag device according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the cover member has a plurality of engaging portions respectively engaging with a plurality of steering spokes of a steering wheel; A plurality of interference mitigation parts are provided to alleviate mutual interference with the steering spokes at the time of division. Since the plurality of engaging portions formed on the cover member are respectively engaged with the plurality of steering spokes, the position restraining action of the steering wheel on the cover member can be enhanced. Further, the interference alleviating portion provided in each engaging portion can reduce the mutual interference of the engaging portion with the steering spoke when the cover member is divided.

The airbag device according to claim 10 is the ninth aspect.
The invention is characterized in that each of the interference reducing portions is a thin portion provided in the engaging portion. Since each of the interference reducing portions is a thin portion provided in the engaging portion, the structure of the interference reducing portion can be simplified. An airbag device according to an eleventh aspect is characterized in that, in the invention according to the tenth aspect, each of the interference reducing portions is formed by a notch formed in an engaging portion. Since each interference reducing portion is formed by a cutout formed in the engaging portion, the structure of the interference reducing portion can be simplified.

[0022] The airbag device of claim 12 is claim 8.
In the present invention, the base ends of the pair of left and right side walls are in contact with the front surface of the fixing member, respectively. Since the base end portions of the pair of left and right side walls of the cover member are supported in contact with the front portion of the fixing member, the cover member does not retreat even if the occupant pushes the cover member by hand. The texture and feel of the member can be ensured.

[0023] The airbag device of claim 13 is claim 8.
In the present invention, the base end portions of the pair of left and right side walls are respectively connected to a fixing member by a pin member which is broken when the cover member is cut off. Therefore, the fixing strength of the base end of the pair of left and right side walls to the fixing member can be increased.

[0024] The airbag device of the fourteenth aspect is the eighth aspect.
In the present invention, the base end portions of the pair of left and right side walls are connected to a fixing member by rivets penetrating a dividing line. Therefore, the base ends of the pair of left and right side walls can be firmly fixed to the fixing member by rivets, and since the rivets penetrating the dividing line are used, there is no support for dividing the cover member.

[0025]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to an airbag device mounted on a steering wheel of an automobile. Note that the front of FIG. 2 will be described as the front.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG.
An airbag device 10 for the driver's seat is mounted on the steering wheel 2 in front of the driver's seat 1, and an airbag device 50 for the passenger's seat is mounted on the dashboard 4 in front of the passenger's seat 3. 10, 50 common control boxes 5 are provided on the lower side of the dashboard 4. In FIG. 1, both airbag devices 10, 50 are used.
Are shown in dashed lines.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the steering wheel 2 has a bottom wall 9 to which a steering shaft is connected, four steering spokes 6, 7, and a wheel body 8, and a driver's seat. The airbag device 10 includes a bottom wall 9, steering spokes 6 and 7, and a wheel body 8.
And the airbag device 10
Cover member 21 also serves as a steering pad. The steering spokes 6 and 7 are the spoke body 6
b, 7b, and covering portions 6a, 7a that cover the tips of the spoke bodies 6b, 7b.

Next, the airbag device 10 for the driver's seat will be described. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG.
Is an inflator 11, an airbag 12 deployed with gas supplied from the inflator 11, and an inflator 1.
A diffuser 13 is provided as a guide member for guiding the gas ejected from 1 in the left-right direction, and a storage case 14 for storing the inflator 11, the airbag 12, and the diffuser 13 is provided.

The storage case 14 includes a metal mounting plate 20 fixedly mounted on the steering wheel 2.
And a single cover made of a synthetic resin that covers the front side and the outer peripheral side of the airbag 12 and is divided into upper and lower openings when the airbag 12 is deployed, so that the left and right sides and the upper and lower sides are open. And a member 21.

As shown in FIG. 4 to FIG.
Includes a front wall portion 22 that covers the front side and the outer peripheral side of the airbag 12, respectively, and an outer peripheral wall portion 23 that is continuous with the front wall portion 22. The outer peripheral wall portion 23 includes a pair of upper and lower connecting wall portions 24 and 25 whose base ends are respectively connected to a mounting plate 20 (corresponding to a fixing member) for fixing the inflator 11, and a pair of left and right side wall portions. 26, and hinge portions 27 and 28 which are provided near the base ends of the pair of upper and lower connecting walls 24 and 25 and serve as pivot points when the cover member 21 is divided.

The base end of the upper connecting wall 24 has a plurality (3
Rivets 24a are connected to the substantially horizontal upper surface of the mounting plate 20, and the base end of the lower connecting wall 25 is connected to the substantially horizontal lower surface of the mounting plate 20 by a plurality of (two) rivets 25a. Connected to the department. The base ends of the pair of left and right side walls 26 are in contact with the front surface of the mounting plate 20, respectively. The hinge portions 27 and 28 are, for example, rivets 24 a and 25 a of the connecting wall portions 24 and 25.
Rivet 24 by thinning the area immediately in front of
a and 25a, respectively.

The cover member 21 has a second outer peripheral wall 29 continuous with the outer peripheral portion of the front wall portion 22. The second outer peripheral wall 29 is composed of four steering spokes 6,7. Four engaging portions 30 and 32 respectively engaging with the inner ends of the resin covering portions 6 a and 7 b (see FIGS. 4 and 7), and these engaging portions 30 and 32 cover when the cover member 21 is divided. Part 6
Thin portions 31 and 33 are provided as interference reducing portions for reducing interference with the a and 7a. Engaging parts 30, 32
Is formed in a concave shape to be engaged with the covering portions 6a, 7b from the front side without play, and the thin portions 3 are provided at the front ends of the engaging portions 30, 32.
1, 33 are formed.

At the center in the vertical direction of the front wall portion 22 of the cover member 21, a dividing line 35 is formed in the left-right direction, and a pair of left and right dividing lines 36 connected to the dividing line 35 is formed on the pair of left and right side wall portions 26. Are formed substantially in the front-rear direction, and a pair of left and right dividing lines 37 are formed substantially in the front-rear direction at vertical positions corresponding to the dividing lines 36 in the second outer peripheral wall portion 29. When the airbag 12 is deployed, the cover member 21
It is vertically divided by these dividing lines 35 to 37 and pivots about the upper and lower hinges 27 and 28 as pivot points. The dividing lines 35 to 37 are formed by forming grooves in the cover member 21 from the inner surface side.

FIG. 13 shows that when the airbag 12 is deployed, the cover member 21 is divided into upper and lower parts,
A pivots upward about 120 degrees about the hinge 27 as a fulcrum, and the lower cover body 21B pivots about 90 degrees downward about the hinge 28 as a fulcrum.
, The left and right sides and the upper and lower sides are almost completely open to the part in which is stored.

The inflator 11 has, for example, a structure in which a gas generating agent is housed in a cylindrical case, and its base end is air-tightly mounted on a mounting plate 20. When a collision of the vehicle is detected by the control box 5, the drive unit supplies electricity to the inflator 11 so that the gas generating agent reacts to generate gas for deployment. A plurality of outlets (not shown) for blowing the generated gas are provided on the outer peripheral portion of the cylindrical case.

The airbag 12 is formed, for example, by connecting outer ends of a pair of substantially circular film materials made of cloth by sewing.
The base end portion is sandwiched between the mounting plate 20 and the holding plate 16 together with the diffuser 13, and in this state, the airbag 12 and the diffuser 13 are folded and stored in the storage case 14.

The method of folding the airbag 12 will be described. The substantially circular airbag 12 shown in FIG. 9 is expanded as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, after being folded in a reverse roll shape from the end to the center in the direction a corresponding to the vertical direction, as shown in FIG. 11, the end is moved from the end to the center in the direction b (left and right). It is folded in a reverse roll shape. 9 to 11, illustration of members other than the airbag 12 is omitted.

The diffuser 13 is made of, for example, a cloth having no air permeability. As shown in FIG. 12, the base end of the diffuser 13 is sandwiched between the mounting plate 20 and the holding plate 16 in front of the base end of the airbag 12. ing. When the airbag 12 is deployed, the diffuser 13 receives the gas ejected from the inflator 11 and expands as shown in FIG. 13. In this state, the diffuser 13 becomes a wall in front of the inflator 11 and the diffuser 13 The pair of openings 13a face in the left-right direction, and the inflator 11
The gas ejected from is guided in the left-right direction.

The operation and effect of the airbag device 10 will be described. When the collision of the vehicle is detected by the control box 5, the drive unit of the control box 5 supplies electricity to the inflator 11 of the airbag device 10,
The gas generated by the inflator 11 is supplied to the airbag 12, and the airbag 12 is inflated and cleaves the cover member 21 to rapidly deploy. The occupant in the driver's seat 1 is received and protected by the deployed airbag 12.

When the pressure from the inflating airbag 12 acts on the cover member 21 when the airbag 12 is deployed, the dividing lines 35 to 37 of the cover member 21 break, and the cover member 21 is separated from the dividing lines 35 to 37. The upper cover split body 21A is separated into upper and lower cover split bodies 21A and 21B.
The cover member 21B is rotated by 20 degrees, the lower cover divided body 21B is rotated downward by about 90 degrees with the hinge portion 28 as a rotation fulcrum, and the cover member 21 is vertically split into two open parts.

As described above, the cover member 21 that covers the front side and the outer peripheral side of the airbag 12 is vertically divided into two sides when the airbag 12 is deployed, and the cover member 21 is positioned on both left and right sides of the outer peripheral wall 23 of the cover member 21. Since the side wall portion 26 and the connecting wall portions 24 and 25 located on both the upper and lower sides can be substantially completely opened, the airbag 12 expands rapidly on both the upper and lower sides while rapidly expanding on both the left and right sides. That is, the airbag 12
Can be smoothly and rapidly deployed without being substantially restrained by the cover member 21.

Since the airbag 12 is folded in the direction corresponding to the up-down direction and then in the left-right direction, the airbag 12 can be first inflated to the left and right sides and then deployed to both the top and bottom sides. Since the diffuser 13 for guiding the gas ejected from the airbag in the left-right direction is provided, the expansion of the airbag in the left-right direction can be promoted, and the deployment in the left-right direction can be promoted. That is, the airbag 12 can be systematically and rapidly deployed without being entangled.

The upper and lower hinge portions 27 and 28 serving as pivot points when the cover member 21 is divided are connected to a pair of upper and lower connecting wall portions 2.
4 and 25 are provided near the base end, so that the hinge portions 27 and 2 are provided.
Cover divided body 2 vertically divided per unit rotation angle of 8
The swing amounts of the airbags 1A and 21B upward and downward are increased, and the front side and the left and right sides of the airbag 12 are easily opened.

Since a dividing line is not formed in the upper and lower connecting walls 24 and 25, the rigidity of the connecting walls 24 and 25 does not decrease, so that the rigidity of the cover member 21 can be ensured. Since the base end portions of the pair of left and right side wall portions 26 of the cover member 21 are supported in contact with the front surface portion of the mounting plate 20, respectively,
When the cover member 21 is pushed by hand, the cover member 21 does not retreat, so that the texture and feel of the cover member 21 can be secured.

The plurality of engaging portions 3 formed on the cover member 21
0 and 32 are respectively engaged with the covering portions 6a and 7a of the plurality of steering spokes 6 and 7, so that the position restraining action of the steering wheel 2 with respect to the cover member 21 can be enhanced. The cover member 2 is formed by the thin portions 31 and 33 provided as interference reducing portions provided.
The mutual interference of the engaging portions 30, 32 with the covering portions 6a, 7a at the time of the division can be alleviated. In addition, since the interference reducing portions are the thin portions 31 and 33 provided in the engaging portions 30 and 32, the structure of the interference reducing portion can be simplified.

Next, a modification of the airbag device 10 will be described. However, the same components as those in the above embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals. 1) As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, a dividing line 40 may be provided in each side wall portion 26 by forming a groove along the dividing line 36 from the opposite side. 2] As shown in FIG. 16, the base end of each side wall 26 may be connected to the mounting plate 20 by a pin member 41 which is broken when the cover member 21 is cut off. As a result, the fixing strength of the base end portions of the pair of left and right side wall portions 26 to the mounting plate 20 can be increased. 3) As shown in FIG. 17, the base end of each side wall 26 may be connected to the mounting plate 20 by a rivet 42 passing through the dividing line 36. In other words, the base ends of the pair of left and right side walls 26 are attached by the rivets 42 to the mounting plate 20.
In addition, since the rivet 42 penetrating the dividing line 36 is used, there is no need to support the dividing of the cover member 21.

4) The thin portion 3
Instead of 1 and 33, a notch may be formed in the engaging portions 30 and 32. 5] The base end of the side wall 26 may be configured to abut on a member other than the mounting plate 20. 6] The breaking line 36 may be omitted from the side wall portion 26 and a cut in a substantially front-rear direction may be made.

[0048]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the cover member having the front wall portion and the outer peripheral wall portion respectively covering the front side and the outer peripheral side of the airbag is formed so as to open up and down when the airbag is deployed. Since the outer peripheral wall portions located on the left and right sides of the airbag are opened by being divided, the airbag is rapidly inflated to the left and right sides and rapidly inflated to the upper and lower sides to rapidly deploy. That is, the airbag can be smoothly and rapidly deployed without being restrained by the cover member at all.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the airbag is deployed, the cover member having the front wall portion and the outer peripheral wall portion that respectively cover the front side and the outer peripheral side of the airbag is vertically divided into two-parts. Then, the outer peripheral wall portions located on the upper and lower sides of the airbag are opened. As a result, the airbag is rapidly inflated up and down, and is rapidly deployed. That is, the airbag can be smoothly and rapidly deployed without being restrained from both upper and lower sides of the cover member.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the airbag is deployed, the cover member having the front wall portion and the outer peripheral wall portion that respectively cover the front side and the outer peripheral side of the airbag is vertically split into two open parts. Then, the outer peripheral wall portion covering the outer peripheral side of the airbag is opened. Therefore, the airbag is rapidly inflated to both the left and right sides and is quickly inflated to the upper and lower sides to be rapidly deployed. That is, the airbag can be smoothly and rapidly deployed without being substantially restrained by the cover member.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the airbag is
Since the airbag is housed inside the cover member so that it expands to the left and right sides at the time of deployment and then expands to the upper and lower sides, at the time of collision, the airbag expands to the left and right sides first while expanding to the left and right sides and tears the cover member And expand to the top and bottom sides while expanding to the left and right sides. That is, the airbag can be systematically and rapidly deployed without being entangled. Other effects similar to those of the first or third aspect are exhibited.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the airbag is folded in the direction corresponding to the up-down direction and then in the left-right direction. While expanding to the left and right sides, it expands to the upper and lower sides to split the cover member, and expands to the upper and lower sides while expanding to the left and right sides. That is, the airbag can be systematically and rapidly deployed without being entangled.
The other effects are the same as those of the fourth aspect.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the guide member for guiding the gas ejected from the inflator in the left-right direction is provided, the expansion of the airbag in the left-right direction is promoted, and the deployment in the left-right direction is promoted. Can be. The other effects are the same as those of the fourth aspect.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the front wall portion and the outer peripheral wall portion of the cover member are continuous, the cover member covers the airbag and the front side and the outer peripheral side of the airbag and the inflator. be able to. Since the upper and lower hinge portions, which are pivot points when the cover member is divided, are provided near the base ends of the pair of upper and lower connecting walls, the upper and lower hinge members are separated from each other by a unit rotation angle of the hinge portion. In this case, the swing amount in the downward direction becomes large, and the front side and the left and right sides of the airbag are easily opened.

That is, when the cover member is turned, for example, by 90 degrees at the upper and lower hinge portions,
The upper half and the lower half of the front wall part swing greatly up and down, respectively, about the hinge part and rotate, for example, by 90 degrees, so that the cover member opens greatly up and down both sides. . At the same time, the right and left side walls of the outer peripheral wall are also divided vertically, and swing upward and downward about the hinge, so that the left and right sides of the airbag are largely opened. In addition, the same effect as any one of the first to sixth aspects is obtained.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since no dividing line is formed in the upper and lower connecting walls, the rigidity of the connecting walls does not decrease. Therefore, the rigidity of the cover member can be ensured, and it is possible to prevent the appearance of the pad portion of the steering wheel from being distorted or the feel from being reduced. The other effects are the same as those of the seventh aspect.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, since the plurality of engagement portions formed on the cover member are respectively engaged with the plurality of steering spokes, the position restraining action of the steering wheel with respect to the cover member can be enhanced. Further, the interference alleviating portion provided in each engaging portion can reduce the mutual interference of the engaging portion with the steering spoke when the cover member is divided. The other effects are the same as those of the eighth aspect.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, since each interference reducing portion is a thin portion provided in the engaging portion, the structure of the interference reducing portion can be simplified. The other effects are the same as those of the ninth aspect. According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, since each of the interference reducing portions is formed by the notch formed in the engaging portion, the structure of the interference reducing portion can be simplified. The other effects are the same as those of the tenth aspect.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, since the base ends of the pair of left and right side walls of the cover member are supported in contact with the front surface of the fixing member, the occupant pushes the cover member by hand. Since the cover member does not recede, the texture and feel of the cover member can be ensured. The other effects are the same as those of the eighth aspect. According to the invention of claim 13,
The fixing strength of the base end portions of the pair of left and right side walls to the fixing member can be increased. The other effects are the same as those of the eighth aspect.

According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the base ends of the pair of left and right side walls can be firmly fixed to the fixing member by rivets, and a rivet that penetrates the dividing line is used to support the dividing of the cover member. Never come. The other effects are the same as those of the eighth aspect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an automobile according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of the automobile viewed from a passenger compartment side.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a steering wheel equipped with an airbag device.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a rear view of a cover member of the airbag device.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the cover member.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view in which a part of the cover member is cut away.

FIG. 9 is a development view of the airbag.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the airbag (in a state where the airbag is folded in the left-right direction).

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an airbag (in a state of being folded up and down).

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of a main part of the airbag device.

FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the airbag device (in an expanded state of the airbag).

FIG. 14 is a perspective view from the back side of the cover member according to the modified formation.

FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along line XV-XV of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a sectional view of a main part of a cover member according to another modification.

FIG. 17 is a side view of a main part of a cover member according to still another modification.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 2 steering wheel 6, 7 steering spoke 10 airbag device 11 inflator 12 airbag 13 diffuser (guide member) 20 mounting plate (fixing member) 21 cover member 22 front wall 23 outer peripheral wall 24, 25 connecting wall 26 side wall 27, 28 Hinge part 30, 32 Engagement part 31, 33 Thin part 35-37, 40 Cutting line 41 Pin member 42 Rivet

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. An airbag having an inflator, an airbag deployed by gas supplied from the inflator, a front wall portion and an outer peripheral wall portion respectively covering a front side and an outer peripheral side of the airbag, and deploying the airbag. A cover member that is sometimes cleaved, wherein the cover member is vertically split when the airbag is deployed, and the outer periphery is positioned on both left and right sides of the airbag. An airbag device, wherein a wall portion is configured to open. 2. An inflator having an inflator, an airbag which is deployed with gas supplied from the inflator, a front wall portion and an outer peripheral wall portion which respectively cover a front side and an outer peripheral side of the airbag, and deploy the airbag. A cover member which is sometimes split, and wherein the cover member is divided into a double-opened shape when the airbag is deployed, and the outer periphery is positioned on both upper and lower sides of the airbag. An airbag device, wherein a wall portion is configured to open. 3. An airbag having an inflator, an airbag deployed by gas supplied from the inflator, a front wall portion and an outer peripheral wall portion respectively covering a front side and an outer peripheral side of the airbag, and deploying the airbag. A cover member that is sometimes split, and the cover member is divided into a vertically open double-sided shape when the airbag is deployed, and the outer peripheral wall covers the outer peripheral side of the airbag. An airbag device characterized in that a part is configured to be opened. 4. The airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag is housed inside a cover member so that the airbag expands to both left and right sides when deployed and then expands to both upper and lower sides. . 5. The airbag device according to claim 4, wherein the airbag is folded in a direction corresponding to an up-down direction and then in a left-right direction. 6. The airbag device according to claim 4, further comprising a guide member for guiding the gas ejected from the inflator in the left-right direction. 7. A front wall portion and an outer peripheral wall portion of the cover member are continuous with each other, and the outer peripheral wall portion is a pair of upper and lower connecting wall portions each having a base end connected to a fixing member for fixing the inflator. And a pair of left and right side walls and a hinge portion provided near a base end of the pair of upper and lower connecting walls and serving as a pivot point when the cover member is divided. The airbag device according to any one of the above items. 8. A dividing line is formed in a front wall portion and a pair of left and right side wall portions of the cover member, and when the airbag is deployed, the cover member is vertically divided by the dividing line to rotate the upper and lower hinge portions. The airbag device according to claim 7, wherein the airbag device rotates as a fulcrum. 9. A plurality of engaging portions respectively engaging with a plurality of steering spokes of a steering wheel on the cover member, and a plurality of engaging portions for alleviating mutual interference with the steering spokes when the cover member is divided. The airbag device according to claim 8, further comprising: an interference reducing portion. 10. The airbag device according to claim 9, wherein each of the interference reducing portions is a thin portion provided in an engaging portion. 11. The airbag device according to claim 10, wherein each of the interference reducing portions includes a notch formed in an engaging portion. 12. The airbag device according to claim 8, wherein the base ends of the pair of left and right side walls are respectively in contact with a front surface of a fixing member. 13. The airbag device according to claim 8, wherein the base ends of the pair of left and right side walls are respectively connected to fixing members by pin members that are broken when the cover member is cut off. . 14. The airbag device according to claim 8, wherein the base ends of the pair of left and right side walls are connected to a fixing member by rivets penetrating a dividing line.