JP2004210088A - Folding method of air bag and air bag - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a folding method of an air bag folded so that high temperature and high pressure gas blown out from an inflator is not directly blown out to the top of an air bag body. <P>SOLUTION: The air bag body 6 is folded by a process to fold the air bag body 6 from the neighborhood of a gas inflow port 6a in a state of deploying the air bag body 6 in a flat surface shape, a process to fold the air bag body 6 so that reinforcing cloth 8 covers a gas blowout port 4a of the inflator 4 by pulling the neighborhood of the top of the air bag body 6 and a process to sequentially fold the peripheral part of the air bag body 6 so that it is overlapped on a retainer 7 mounted on the gas inflow port 6a and consequently, the high temperature and high pressure gas blown out from the inflator 4 never directly makes contact with the top of the air bag body 6 by directly making contact with the reinforcing cloth 8 folded to cover the gas blowout port 4a, and the top of the air bag body 6 never receives damage from the heat and pressure of the gas. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an airbag folding method and an airbag that absorb the impact of a vehicle collision.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, airbags described in Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2 are known as an airbag that absorbs an impact generated when a vehicle collides.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-2000-79862 (paragraphs 0006, 0007)
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-11-278192 (paragraphs 0005, 0007)
[0004]
The airbag described in Patent Literature 1 has a first deploying portion having a base end connected to a case body at the time of non-deployment and being continuously connected to an opening through which gas at the time of inflation flows, and a first deployable portion. It is formed from a plurality of second developed portions extending back and forth from the upper end of the portion, and when each second developed portion is folded in a bellows shape toward a predetermined point to form a gathering portion, the periphery of the gathering portion is formed. The configuration is such that the airbag storage section of the retainer is stored with the first deployment section wound.
[0005]
The airbag described in Patent Literature 2 is provided with a rectifying cloth inside the airbag so as to cover the gas inflow port, closes both sides in the left-right direction with the rectification cloth, and opens in the up-down direction. The airbag is folded and housed in a case such that the ceiling wall side facing the airbag approaches the gas inlet side.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the conventional airbag has a configuration in which a high-temperature, high-pressure gas ejected from an inflator at the time of a collision flows in from an opening of the airbag and is instantaneously inflated and deployed. When the airbag is folded so that the top of the airbag is located above the gas outlet of the inflator, high-temperature, high-pressure gas is blown directly to the top of the airbag. It is necessary to sew a flameproof cloth on the surface to be protected to protect the main base cloth constituting the top of the airbag.
[0007]
In addition, as in the airbag described in Patent Document 2, a straightening cloth is provided inside the airbag, and high-temperature, high-pressure gas ejected into the airbag is branched in the front-rear direction of the airbag by the straightening cloth. Can prevent high-temperature, high-pressure gas from being ejected directly to the ceiling wall side of the airbag.However, a straightening cloth is provided inside the airbag, or a flameproof cloth is sewn on the main base cloth. In this case, the number of parts is increased because a rectifying cloth and a flameproof cloth are separately required, and a step of sewing the rectifying cloth and the flameproof cloth is required, resulting in an increase in cost.
[0008]
The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem, and provides a method of folding an airbag and an airbag which are folded so that high-temperature, high-pressure gas ejected from an inflator is not ejected directly to the top of the airbag body. Another object of the present invention is to facilitate the sewing of the airbag body and reduce the cost.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the method of folding an airbag according to the present invention comprises forming a gas inlet on the lower surface of the airbag body, and forming the gas inlet on the inner surface of the airbag body having one side and the other side through the gas inlet. A method for folding an airbag formed with a reinforcing cloth, wherein one side of the airbag is folded from the vicinity of the gas inflow port in a state where the airbag body is expanded in a planar shape, and folded so as to overlap with the other side. The present invention is characterized by comprising a polymerization step and a retreating step of moving the base fabric facing the shape of the gas inlet and folding the airbag body so that the reinforcing cloth faces the gas inlet.
[0010]
According to the above method, the high-temperature, high-pressure gas ejected from the gas outlet of the inflator at the time of the collision of the vehicle does not directly hit the top portion of the airbag body by directly hitting the reinforcing cloth folded so as to cover the gas outlet. Therefore, the top of the airbag body is not damaged by the heat and pressure of the gas, and a flameproof cloth is sewn on the inner surface of the top of the airbag body, or a prepared cloth is sewn near the gas inlet to remove the air. There is no need to protect the bag itself.
[0011]
This eliminates the need for a flameproof cloth, so that an airbag can be obtained at low cost by reducing the number of components and the number of steps for sewing the flameproof cloth.
[0012]
In order to achieve the above object, the airbag device of the present invention has a gas inlet formed on the lower surface of the airbag body, and a reinforcing cloth is provided on the inner surface of the airbag body having one side and the other side through the gas inlet. In the formed airbag, the reinforcing cloth is arranged so as to face the gas inlet.
[0013]
With the above configuration, the reinforcing cloth also serves as a flameproof cloth that prevents the top of the airbag body from being damaged by the high-temperature, high-pressure gas ejected from the gas outlet of the inflator. There is no need to sew the cloth or sew a preparation cloth near the gas inlet to protect the airbag body.This reduces the number of parts and the number of steps for sewing the flameproof cloth, making the airbag inexpensive. Is obtained.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0015]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the airbag device, FIG. 2 is a developed view of the airbag, and FIGS. 3 to 8 are explanatory views showing a process of folding the airbag.
[0016]
The airbag device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is used, for example, by being mounted inside an instrument panel 2 installed in front of a passenger seat, and includes an upper case 3a that stores a folded airbag body 6; And a lower case 3b in which the inflator 4 is housed.
[0017]
The lower case 3b is formed by molding a metal plate, and is provided with a partition plate 3d that is curved in a substantially convex arc shape so as to cover the upper surface of the inflator storage portion 3c provided at the bottom. The gas outlet 4a of the inflator 4 housed in the inflator housing 3c is connected to the opening 3e opened in the plate 3d.
[0018]
A plurality of mounting holes 3f are formed in the vicinity of the opening 3e opened in the partition plate 3d, and the distal end side of the fixing tool 5 protruding from the retainer 7 into these mounting holes 3f is inserted from above. The opening 7a of the retainer 7 attached to the gas inlet 6a of the airbag body 6 is airtightly connected to the opening 3e of the partition plate 3d by tightening the nut 5a screwed to the tip of the fixing tool 5. Have been.
[0019]
The retainer 7 is formed by bending a metal plate into a convex arc shape having substantially the same curvature as the partition plate 3d, and has an opening 7a substantially the same as the opening 3e of the partition plate 3d. An opening edge of a gas inlet 6a formed in the airbag main body 6 and a reinforcing cloth 8 sewn around the gas inlet 6a are attached.
[0020]
The airbag body 6 is composed of an upper base cloth 6b and a lower base cloth 6c of substantially the same size formed by cutting a woven cloth such as nylon 66 into an almost elliptical shape as shown in FIG. It is formed in a bag shape by sewing around the base cloths 6b and 6c in an overlapped state. A rectangular gas inlet 6a is provided substantially at the center of the lower base cloth 6c, and a peripheral part of the gas inlet 6a is provided. One or a plurality of circular exhaust holes 6d are formed.
[0021]
On the inner and outer surfaces of the lower base cloth 6c, two substantially elliptical reinforcing cloths 8 having a width and a length several times the width and length of the gas inlet 6a surround the periphery of the gas inlet 6a. It is sewn as follows.
[0022]
These reinforcing cloths 8 are provided so that the attachment portion of the airbag body 6 is not damaged even when stress is concentrated on the attachment portion between the airbag body 6 and the retainer 7 due to the tension when the airbag body 6 is inflated. The airbag body 6 is formed of the same material as that of the airbag body 6, and the peripheral portion of the gas inlet 6 a of the airbag body 6 is sandwiched from above and below to concentrate on the mounting portion of the airbag body 6. The airbag body 6 and the reinforcing cloth 8 disperse and support the generated stress. The reinforcing cloth 8 sewn on the inner side of the lower base cloth 6c is heated at a high temperature discharged from the gas discharge port 4a of the inflator 4. It also serves as a flameproof cloth that receives high-pressure gas directly.
[0023]
Next, the operation of the airbag device 1 configured as described above will be described.
[0024]
In assembling the airbag device 1, first, the airbag body 6 is folded by the steps shown in FIGS.
[0025]
First, in the first step shown in FIG. 2, after the airbag body 6 having the retainer 7 attached to the gas inlet 6a is developed in a plane, the airbag body 6 is moved along one side of the retainer 7 in the second step. 3, and in the third step, the vicinity of the top (surface in contact with the occupant at the time of inflation and deployment) of the upper base fabric 6 b is pulled in the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. 4 to obtain the state shown in FIG. 5.
[0026]
In the fourth step shown in FIG. 5, the reinforcing cloth 8 sewn inside the lower base cloth 6c is folded so as to cover the upper part of the gas inlet 6a, so that the inflator 4 causes the gas to flow into the gas inlet 6a of the airbag body 6. The blown high-temperature, high-pressure gas is received by the reinforcing cloth 8 sewn inside the airbag body 6 so that the reinforcing cloth 8 also serves as a flameproof cloth, whereby the reinforcing cloth 8 is directly transferred to the top of the upper base cloth 6b. Since high-temperature, high-pressure gas does not strike, there is no need to provide a flameproof cloth on the upper base cloth 6b side.
[0027]
After the airbag main body 6 is folded as described above, after the fifth step, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, both sides of the airbag main body 6 are sequentially folded inward, and both edges of the airbag main body 6 are aligned with each other as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the airbag body is folded to be elongated in the left-right direction, and then both ends of the airbag body are folded back to the center side, and further the tip is folded outward, and the airbag is folded on the retainer 7 as shown in FIG. The folding of the bag body 6 is completed, and the folded airbag body 6 is tape-shaped and attached to both sides of the retainer 7 in advance so that the folded airbag body 6 is not broken before being attached to the partition plate. It is bound by the string 9.
[0028]
Note that the folding method after the fifth step is not necessarily limited to the above-described method, and may be, for example, folded in a bellows shape.
[0029]
When the folding of the airbag body 6 is completed, the tip of the fixing tool 5 protruded from the retainer 7 is inserted into the mounting hole 3f formed in the partition plate 3d from above, and the nut 5a is tightened. After the gas inlet 6a of the airbag body 6 is airtightly connected to the opening 3e of the partition plate 3d, the airbag body 6 is housed in the upper case 3a as shown in FIG. The airbag device 1 is assembled by locking the claw 3g protruding from the opening edge into the locking hole 3h of the upper case 3a. The airbag device 1 assembled as described above is, for example, an instrument. It is mounted inside the ment panel 2 as shown in FIG.
[0030]
On the other hand, when a high-temperature, high-pressure gas is ejected from the gas ejection port 4a of the inflator 4 upon sensing an impact generated when a vehicle collides, the high-temperature, high-pressure gas is folded to cover the gas ejection port 4a. It directly hits the reinforcing cloth 8 sewn on the inside of the lower base cloth 6c of the bag main body 6, and flows into the airbag main body 6 from the gas inlet 6a while pushing up the reinforcing cloth 8.
[0031]
As a result, the airbag body 6 is inflated, and the lid 3j provided so as to cover the upper surface of the upper case 3a is pushed up from below, so that the cleavage groove 2a formed in advance on the inner surface of the instrument panel 2 is broken, The airbag body 6 is instantly inflated and deployed toward the occupant, but the high-temperature, high-pressure gas jetted from the gas jet 4a of the inflator 4 directly hits the reinforcing cloth 8 folded so as to cover the gas jet. Since it does not directly hit the top of the airbag body 6, the top of the airbag body 6 is not damaged by the heat and pressure of the gas, and the inner surface of the top of the airbag body 6 and the vicinity of the gas inlet are flameproof. There is no need to sew the cloth to protect the airbag body 6.
[0032]
【The invention's effect】
As described in detail above, the present invention provides an air bag in which a gas inlet is formed on the lower surface of an airbag body and a reinforcing cloth is formed on the inner surface of the airbag body having one side and the other side via the gas inlet. A method of folding a bag, comprising: a polymerization step of folding one side of an airbag from the vicinity of the gas inflow port in a state where an airbag main body is expanded in a planar shape, and folding the airbag to overlap with the other side; A retracting step of moving the base fabric facing the inlet-shaped portion and folding the airbag body so that the reinforcing fabric faces the gas inflow port. The high-temperature, high-pressure gas directly hits the reinforcing cloth folded so as to cover the gas ejection port and does not directly hit the top of the airbag body, so that the heat and pressure of the gas damage the top of the airbag body. This With no, or sewing fireproof fabric on top inner surface of the airbag body, and sewing prepared fabric around the gas inlet, there is no need to protect the airbag body.
[0033]
This eliminates the need for a flameproof cloth, so that an airbag can be obtained at low cost by reducing the number of components and the number of steps for sewing the flameproof cloth. At the same time, when sequentially folding the peripheral portion of the airbag body so as to overlap the retainer, after folding both sides of the airbag body so as to be elongated in the left and right direction, both ends of the airbag body are folded back to the center side, and When the airbag body is inflated by the gas flowing in from the gas inflow port, both edges of the airbag body are inflated while being expanded in the left-right direction because the front end portion is folded outward and overlapped with the retainer. Can be effectively constrained.
[0034]
The airbag device further comprises a gas inlet formed on the lower surface of the airbag body, and a reinforcing cloth formed on the inner surface of the airbag body having one side and the other side through the gas inlet. Is arranged so as to face the gas inlet, so that the reinforcing cloth is a flameproof cloth that prevents the top of the airbag body from being damaged by the high-temperature, high-pressure gas ejected from the gas outlet of the inflator. There is no need to sew a flameproof cloth on the inner surface of the top of the airbag body or sew a preparation cloth near the gas inlet to protect the airbag body. By reducing the number of steps for sewing, an airbag can be obtained at low cost.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an airbag device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a development view of an airbag body provided in the airbag device according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a process diagram showing a method of folding an airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a process chart showing a method of folding an airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a process diagram showing a method of folding an airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a process chart showing a method of folding an airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a process diagram showing a method of folding an airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a process diagram showing a method of folding the airbag according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
4 Inflator 4a Spout 6 Airbag body 6a Gas inlet 6c Lower base cloth 7 Retainer 8 Reinforcement cloth

Claims (2)

A method of folding an airbag in which a gas inlet is formed on a lower surface of an airbag body and a reinforcing cloth is formed on an inner surface of the airbag body having one side and the other side via the gas inlet.
In a state where the airbag body is deployed in a planar shape, a polymerization step of folding one side of the airbag from near the gas inflow port and folding so as to be polymerized to the other side,
A retracting step of moving the base fabric facing the upper part of the gas inlet and folding the airbag body so that the reinforcing cloth faces the gas inlet. An airbag having a gas inlet formed on a lower surface of an airbag body and a reinforcing cloth formed on an inner surface of the airbag body having one side and the other side via the gas inlet, wherein the reinforcing cloth is formed of the gas. An airbag, which is arranged so as to face an inflow port.

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