JP2005199765A - Airbag device for knee protection - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an airbag device for knee protection capable of protecting a deploying airbag so that a key accessory A may not interfere with and damage the airbag. <P>SOLUTION: This airbag device S1 for knee protection includes the airbag 40 capable of protecting the knees K of a driver D and an airbag cover 29 disposed so as to cover the vehicle rear side of the airbag 40 stored in a case 13. The airbag cover 29 is positioned on the vehicle front side of the key accessory A being hung from a key E inserted in a key cylinder 6 and includes a moving section 35 which is pushed by the deploying airbag 40 to move to the vehicle rear side, interfere with at least a lower end Ab side of the key accessory A and to move on the key accessory A. The moving section 35 controls a posture of the key accessory A so as to protect the deploying airbag 40 so that the key accessory A may not interfere with and damage the airbag. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a knee protection airbag device in which an airbag that is deployed and inflated by flowing an inflation gas can protect a driver's knee.

Conventionally, in a knee protection airbag device that protects a driver's knee, a folded airbag is stored and held in a case disposed on the front side of the driver. When the inflation gas flows in, the airbag rises along the lower surface of the steering column and completes the deployment and inflation to protect the driver's knee. Furthermore, the airbag is provided with an inflated portion that covers the rear side of the vehicle in the region near the key cylinder when the inflating and inflating is completed, in the vicinity of the corner in the left-right direction on the upper edge side (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
International Publication No. 02/04261 Pamphlet

  However, in conventional knee protection airbag devices, key accessories such as various subkeys and accessories may be suspended from the key inserted into the key cylinder. In that case, when the inflated portion of the airbag that is inflated and inflated comes into contact with the lower end side of the key accessory, in particular, when the lower end side of the key accessory comes in contact with the inflated portion in the orthogonal direction, the gas There is a risk of damaging the airbag so as to cause a leak.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and prevents the deploying and inflating airbag from interfering with the key accessory so as to be damaged, and the driver's knee is accurately protected by the deploying and inflating airbag. An object of the present invention is to provide an air bag device for knee protection.

The airbag apparatus for knee protection according to the present invention is folded and housed in a case disposed below the steering column on the front side of the driver, and protrudes from the case to the vehicle rear side when inflating gas flows in. And an airbag that can complete the deployment and inflation while rising and protect the driver's knee,
An airbag cover disposed so as to cover the vehicle rear side of the stored airbag so that the airbag at the time of deployment and inflation can protrude;
Posture control means that can control the posture of the key accessory so that the key accessory suspended from the key inserted into the key cylinder can be prevented from interfering with the airbag that is deployed and inflated. When,
A knee protection airbag device comprising:
The airbag cover is located on the vehicle front side of the key accessory, and is moved by the airbag that is deployed and inflated to the vehicle rear side. The key accessory can be moved by interfering with at least the lower end side of the key accessory. A moving part,
The posture control means is constituted by a moving part of the airbag.

  In the knee protection airbag device according to the present invention, when the airbag protrudes from the case toward the vehicle rear side and is expanded and inflated while being lifted, the moving part of the airbag cover is suspended from the key. The air bag is pushed by the air bag so as to move from the front side to the rear side, and interferes with at least the lower end side of the key accessory. That is, the moving unit as the posture control means rotates and moves the key accessory suspended from the key to the rear side of the vehicle and raises the lower end side of the key accessory to expand and expand the air. Release the key accessory from the bag. As a result, the key accessory does not come into contact with the inflated portion of the airbag that is inflated and inflated, and does not interfere with the airbag so as to cause gas leakage. Can be completed to protect the driver's knee.

  Therefore, in the knee protection airbag device according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the airbag that is deployed and inflated from interfering with the key accessory so as to be damaged, and the airbag that has completed the inflation can be prevented from being damaged by the driver's knee. Can be protected accurately.

  When the airbag cover is provided with a door portion that is pushed and opened by the inflating airbag and allows the airbag to protrude from the opening at the time of opening, the airbag cover cannot be detached from the case. And when it is pushed by the inflating airbag, it is configured to be held so as to be movable toward the vehicle rear side, and the moving portion is disposed on the upper edge side of the airbag cover above the door portion. You may comprise as follows.

  In such a configuration, the area above the door portion of the airbag cover moves together with the moving portion to the rear side of the vehicle, and the airbag that expands and inflates so as to rise interferes with the key accessory. Even if it does, since the key accessory in the area which interferes changes the direction of the lower end side, it can be smoothly completed without being damaged so as to cause gas leakage.

  Furthermore, if configured in this way, it is also possible to guide the airbag in which the area on the upper side of the door portion of the airbag cover is deployed and inflated while rising to a region where it does not interfere with the key accessory at all. It becomes.

  Also, the airbag cover is pushed by the inflating airbag and opens so that the lower edge side is a hinge part and the upper edge side is rotated to the rear side of the vehicle, and the airbag part can protrude from the opening when opened. In this case, the moving part may be arranged so as to extend upward from the upper edge side of the door part.

  In such a configuration, when the airbag is deployed and inflated, the key accessory can be moved only by opening the door portion without moving the entire airbag cover to the rear side of the vehicle. When holding the airbag cover in a non-operating state, or when the door is configured to open by breaking the periphery, it does not move largely around the breakage area, so the pressing force of the airbag acts on the breakage area. It is easy to make it possible to smoothly break the broken portion.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, a knee protecting airbag device S1 according to a first embodiment can protect a knee K of a driver D. The vehicle is disposed below the steering column 2 on the vehicle front side of the driver D.

  The vertical / front / rear / left / right relationship in this specification is based on the state in which the airbag device S1 is mounted on the vehicle, and is consistent with the vertical / front / rear / left / right relationship of the vehicle when mounted. It is.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the steering column 2 includes a main shaft 3 coupled to the steering wheel 1, a column tube 4 covering the periphery of the main shaft 3, and a column cover 5 covering the periphery thereof. Has been.

  The column cover 5 is made of a synthetic resin having a substantially rectangular tube shape or the like, and is disposed along the axial direction of the main shaft 3 so as to cover the main shaft 3 and the column tube 4 below the steering wheel 1. The column cover 5 is disposed so as to protrude obliquely upward and rearward from an instrument panel (hereinafter referred to as instrument panel) 10. A key cylinder 6 for inserting an ignition key E for starting the engine is disposed on the right side surface 5c of the column cover 5. In the case of the embodiment, an accessory (key accessory) A such as a sub key is connected to the ignition key E inserted into the key cylinder 6 by using a connecting tool J such as a connecting ring so as to hang down. ing.

  The knee protection airbag device S1 stores the folded airbag 40, the inflator 21 that supplies inflation gas to the airbag 40, the folded airbag 40 and the inflator 21, and opens the vehicle rear side. A case 13 and an airbag cover 29 that covers the vehicle rear side of the case 13 are provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the case 13 is made of sheet metal and is arranged on the lower side of the steering column 2. The case 13 has a substantially square cylindrical peripheral wall portion 14 and a bottom wall that closes the vehicle front side of the peripheral wall portion 14. And a substantially rectangular opening 13a on the vehicle rear side. A plurality of locking portions 15 for assembling the side wall portions 31 and 32 of the airbag cover 29 to the case 13 are respectively provided on the outer surface sides of the wall portions 14 a and 14 b facing the top and bottom of the peripheral wall portion 14 of the case 13. (15U · 15D) are provided.

  The locking portion 15U disposed on the outer surface side of the upper wall portion 14a can be inserted into the locking hole 31a of the upper side wall portion 31 of the airbag cover 29 to lock the periphery of the locking hole 31a. It is configured as a locking hook. A plurality of locking hooks 15 </ b> U are arranged along the left-right direction of the vehicle corresponding to the locking holes 31 a of the upper side wall portion 31. The locking portion 15D is configured as a locking projection that can be inserted into the locking hole 32a of the lower wall portion 32 of the airbag cover 29. The locking projection 15D also corresponds to the locking hole 32a of the lower wall portion 32. A plurality of vehicles are arranged along the left-right direction of the vehicle. Then, a hook 16 is inserted into each locking projection 15D to prevent the locking projection 15D from coming off from the locking hole 32a after being inserted into the locking hole 32a. The saddle member 16 is fixed to the case 13 by inserting the insertion portion 16a between the outer surface of the lower side wall portion 32 and the inner peripheral surface of each locking projection 15D.

  Furthermore, the through-hole 14d which can penetrate the edge part of the main body 22 of the inflator 21 is formed in the wall part 14c of the right side in the surrounding wall part 14 (refer FIG. 3). The bottom wall portion 17 is formed with two insertion holes 17a through which the bolts 23d of the inflator 21 are inserted.

  The case 13 includes a flange portion 19 that extends outward from the peripheral wall portion 14 around the opening 13a. The case 13 is fixed to the body side of the vehicle by projecting brackets (not shown) from predetermined portions of the flange portion 19, the peripheral wall portion 14, and the bottom wall portion 17.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the inflator 21 is configured as a cylinder type in which the axial direction is disposed along the left-right direction of the vehicle, and includes a substantially cylindrical main body 22 and a diffuser 23. The main body 22 includes a substantially cylindrical general portion 22a and a small-diameter small-diameter portion 22b protruding from the end surface of the general portion 22a, and a plurality of gas discharge ports 22c are disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the small-diameter portion 22b. It is configured. And the connector 26 which connected the lead wire 27 for an operation signal input to the end surface apart from the small diameter part 22b in the general part 22a is connected.

  The diffuser 23 has a substantially cylindrical shape that can cover the main body 22, and a plurality of gas outlets 23 a through which the expansion gas can flow out are disposed on the rear surface of the vehicle mounted state. The diffuser 23 includes a plurality (two in the embodiment) of bolts 23d that protrude toward the front side of the vehicle. Further, the diffuser 23 includes a plurality of clamping portions 23 c for holding the main body 22. The main body 22 is fixed to the diffuser 23 by inserting the main body 22 into the diffuser 23 from the insertion hole 23b with the small-diameter portion 22b at the head, and further pressing each clamping portion 23c toward the outer peripheral surface of the general portion 22a. Then, the main body 22 can be fixed to the diffuser 23, and each bolt 23 d is inserted into the insertion hole 17 a of the bottom wall portion 17 of the case 13 and the nut 24 is tightened to fix the inflator 21 to the case 13. be able to.

  The inflator 21 receives an operation signal via the lead wire 27 when the airbag operation circuit mounted on the vehicle detects a frontal collision of the vehicle. At the same time, the inflator 21 is mounted on the steering wheel 1. An airbag device (not shown) is also activated.

  The airbag cover 29 is configured to be able to cover the vehicle rear side in the vicinity of the opening 13 a of the case 13 and in the vicinity of the flange portion 19, and is connected and held to the case 13. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the airbag cover 29 is disposed on the lower panel 10 b side at the peripheral edge of the column cover 5 in the instrument panel 10 including the upper panel 10 a and the lower panel 10 b, and protrudes from the instrument panel 10. Covers the lower edge.

  The airbag cover 29 is disposed around the door portions 37 and 38 that cover the opening 13a of the case 13 on the vehicle rear side, as shown in FIGS. And a general portion 30 that is surrounded by the lower panel 10b when mounted on the vehicle. The airbag cover 29 is formed of a portion including the door portions 37 and 38 and the side wall portions 31, 32, 33, and 34 from a thermoplastic elastomer such as polyolefin, and the surrounding general portion 30 is made of polypropylene or the like. It is a two-color molded product formed from a synthetic resin.

  The door portions 37 and 38 are formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape, and are configured by disposing a thin portion to be broken 36 having a substantially H shape around the door portions 37 and 38. The planned break portion 36 has a continuous or intermittent groove on the front surface of the airbag cover 29 so that the door portions 37 and 38 are easily broken when pushed by the inflating airbag 40. Provided and formed. When the planned breakage portion 36 is pushed by the airbag 40 and breaks, the door portion 37 opens upward with the vicinity of the upper side wall portion 31 near the upper end side as a hinge portion 37a, and the door portion 38 opens at the lower end side. The vicinity of the lower side wall portion 32 is opened as a hinge portion 38a by opening downward, and the airbag cover 29 is formed with a substantially rectangular opening 29a for allowing the airbag 40 to protrude.

  In addition, at the portion around the door portions 37 and 38, four side wall portions 31, 32, 33, and 34 that protrude toward the vehicle front side so as to be adjacent to the peripheral wall portion 14 on the outer peripheral side of the peripheral wall portion 14 of the case 13. Is formed. And the upper side wall part 31 arrange | positioned at the upper part side of the case surrounding wall part 14 and the lower side wall part 32 arrange | positioned at the lower part side of the surrounding wall part 14 become a site | part which connects and holds the airbag cover 29 to the case 13, These As described above, each of the locking portions 15 (15U, 15D) disposed on the peripheral wall portion 14 is inserted into each of the wall portions 31 and 32, and the peripheral portions of the locking portions 15 are locked. Locking holes 31a and 32a are respectively formed.

  The wall portions 31 and 32 are formed long in the front-rear direction, and the locking holes 31 a and 32 a are also formed long in the front-rear direction, and are pushed by the air bag 40 when the air bag 40 is inflated. Thus, the case 13 is prevented from coming off from the locking portions 15U and 15D, and the entire airbag cover 29 including the general portion 30 and the door portions 37 and 38 is configured to be movable toward the vehicle rear side. Yes.

  Further, the general portion 30 is formed with a plurality of locking legs 30a that are inserted and locked into the locking holes 10c of the lower panel 10b. These locking legs 30a are easily pulled out of the locking holes 10c when the airbag 40 is pushed rearward and the airbag cover 29 moves backward in the locked state to the periphery of the locking holes 10c. However, it is set so that it cannot be easily removed in normal times.

  Further, the upper right corner portion of the general portion 30 is located on the vehicle front side of the key accessory A when mounted on the vehicle, and is moved to the vehicle rear side by being pushed by the airbag 40 that is deployed and inflated. The moving part 35 that enables the key accessory A to move by interfering with at least the lower end Ab side. The moving portion 35 constitutes posture control means P that changes the posture of the key accessory A so that the airbag 40 that is deployed and inflated is not damaged from the key accessory A. In the case of the first embodiment, the moving part 35 moves backward with respect to the lower end Ab of the key accessory A suspended from the key E, interferes so as to play, and repels the lower end Ab side backward. Is set to let

  Note that the lengths of the locking holes 31a and 32a provided in the wall portions 31 and 32 in the front-rear direction are determined by the moving unit 35 when the airbag cover 29 is moved by being pushed by the inflating airbag 40. As described above, the length of the key accessory A is set so as to be secured.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 6, the airbag 40 has a substantially rectangular plate shape with a lateral width dimension that can protect both knees K of the driver D, as shown in FIGS. And the airbag 40 is comprised so that the driver | operator side wall part 41 may be arrange | positioned at the driver | operator D side and the column side wall part 42 may be arrange | positioned at the column cover 5 side at the time of completion of expansion | deployment. The airbag 40 is formed of a woven fabric made of flexible polyester, polyamide yarn, or the like, and has a single shape in which the walls 41 and 42 are connected to the lower edge 40b of the airbag 40. The cloth material is manufactured by folding it in half at the lower edge 40b side and stitching together the outer peripheral edges.

  And in this airbag 40, when deployment and inflation are completed in a vehicle-mounted state, a cover that covers the vehicle rear side (vehicle rear lower side) of the key cylinder 6 around the corner C on the right edge side on the upper edge 40a side. As an area.

  In the airbag 40, tethers 45 and 46 arranged in the left-right direction are arranged in two upper and lower stages. The tethers 45 and 46 are arranged so as to connect the wall portions 41 and 42 so that the airbag 40 when the inflation is completed can be maintained in a plate shape. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, two insertion holes 43a and 43a and one insertion hole 43b are formed in the portion 43 of the column side wall portion 42 on the lower edge 40b side of the airbag 40. The insertion holes 43 a and 43 a are for inserting the bolts 23 d of the inflator 21, and the insertion hole 43 b is for inserting the main body 22 of the inflator 21. The airbag 40 is attached to the case 13 by causing the main body 22 of the inflator 21 to protrude from the insertion hole 43 b and sandwiching the peripheral edge 43 of each insertion hole 43 a between the diffuser 23 and the bottom wall portion 17 of the case 13. It has been. That is, the airbag 40 is attached and fixed to the bottom wall portion 17 of the case 13 with the peripheral edge of the insertion hole 43 a as the attachment portion 43.

  The assembly of the airbag device S1 of the first embodiment will be described. First, the airbag 40 in which the inflator 21 is housed is manufactured. In this production, the insertion holes 43a and 43b are provided in advance, and the tethers 45 and 46 are sewn to one cloth material in which the driver side wall 41 and the column side wall 42 are connected. The cloth material is folded in half at the position of the lower edge 40b of the airbag 40, and the outer peripheral edges folded in two, that is, the outer peripheral edges of the wall portions 41 and 42 are sewn together to manufacture the airbag 40. . And the inflator 21 folds the cloth material forming the airbag 40 and arranges it in the airbag 40 before the completion of the sewing of the outer peripheries of each other, and after the arrangement, the sewing operation is completed, The inflator 21 is disposed in the airbag 40. At this time, the inflator 21 is stored in the airbag 40 so that the bolt 23d protrudes from each insertion hole 43a and the end of the main body 22 protrudes from the insertion hole 43b.

  Then, with the inflator 21 stored in the airbag 40, first, the airbag 40 is folded so as to be stored in the case 13. In the case of the embodiment, in the folding process of the airbag 40, the folding along the left-right direction is made to correspond to the horizontal folding process in which the upper edge 40a approaches the lower edge 40b, and the width dimension of the case 13. There is a vertical folding process for making a fold along the vertical (front-rear) direction for adjusting the width dimension of the airbag 40 in the left-right direction. In the case of the first embodiment, first, the upper edge 40a side is connected to the column side wall. A horizontal folding process is performed by roll folding on the side of the portion 42, and then a vertical folding process is performed in which the left and right edges 40c and 40d are folded back to the lower side of the central part of the roll folded part to complete the folding process. ing.

  Then, after the folding is completed, the airbag 40 is wrapped with a wrapping film (not shown) that can be broken to prevent the folding. At this time, the bolt 23d of the inflator 21 and the end of the main body 22 protruding from the insertion holes 43a and 43b are protruded from the wrapping film. In addition, as a wrapping film, you may utilize cloth materials, tape materials, and a string material, such as a woven fabric in which the airbag 40 is formed, in addition to a resin sheet material.

  Thereafter, each bolt 23d of the inflator 21 is protruded from the insertion hole 17a, and the end portion of the inflator body 22 is protruded from the insertion hole 14d, so that the inflator 21 is folded into the case 13 together with the folded airbag 40. By storing and fastening a spring nut (not shown) to each bolt 23d, the inflator 21 and the airbag 40 can be stored in the case 13 and attached to the case 13.

  Next, the airbag cover 29 is assembled to the case 13. The air bag cover 29 is assembled to the case 13 by attaching the side wall portions 31, 32, 33, and 34 of the air bag cover 29 to the case peripheral wall portion 14 on the opening 13a side. The locking projections 15D are inserted into the locking holes 31a of the side wall portion 31 and inserted into the locking holes 32a of the lower side wall portion 32 so as to protrude to the outer surface side of the lower side wall portion 32. Between the outer surface of the side wall portion 32 and the inner peripheral surface of each locking projection 15D, the insertion portion 16a of the flange member 16 is inserted, the bolt 23d is passed through the flange member 16, and the nut 24 is inserted into the bolt 23d. When fastened, the airbag cover 29 can be connected and held to the case 13, and the airbag device S1 can be assembled.

  For mounting the airbag device S1 on the vehicle, the connector 26 to which the lead wire 27 is connected is connected to the main body 22 of the inflator 21, and a predetermined bracket extending from the case 13 is connected and fixed to the vehicle body side. At the same time, if the lead wire 27 is connected to the airbag operation circuit, the airbag device S1 can be mounted on the vehicle.

  At this time, the upper panel 10a, the lower panel 10b, and the like are already attached to the vehicle, and the locking leg 30a of the airbag cover 29 is inserted and locked into the locking hole 10c of the lower panel 10b. Moreover, what is necessary is just to attach the undercover 11 after mounting the airbag apparatus S1 in a vehicle.

  If the operation signal is input to the main body 22 of the inflator 21 through the lead wire 27 after the airbag device S1 is mounted on the vehicle, the inflation gas is discharged from the gas discharge port 22c of the inflator 21, and the inflation gas is discharged. Then, the air flows into the airbag 40 through the gas outlet 23a of the diffuser 23. The airbag 40 expands to break a wrapping film (not shown) and pushes the door portions 37 and 38 of the airbag cover 29 to break the planned break portion 36. The airbag 40 opens the doors 37 and 38 and protrudes from the opening 13a of the case 13 and the opening 29a of the doors 37 and 38 toward the rear side of the vehicle as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. In addition, it expands and expands while rising along the column cover lower surface 5a of the steering column 2.

  And in the airbag apparatus S1 for knee protection of 1st Embodiment, when the airbag 40 protrudes from the case 13 to the vehicle rear side, and is expanded and inflated, the moving part 35 of the airbag cover 29 is shown in FIG. As shown in the order of A and B in FIG. 5 and then in the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1, the airbag 40 is pushed against the airbag 40 so as to move from the front side to the rear side of the key accessory A suspended from the key E. It moves to the vehicle rear side and interferes with at least the lower end Ab side of the key accessory A. That is, the moving part 35 as the posture control means P rotates and moves the key accessory A so as to flip the key accessory A toward the rear side of the vehicle and raise the lower end Ab side of the key accessory A, and expands and inflates the airbag. Release key accessory A from 40. As a result, the key accessory A does not contact the inflation portion 40e of the airbag 40 that is deployed and inflated in the orthogonal direction and does not interfere with the airbag 40 so as to cause gas leakage. Can complete the expansion without hindrance and protect the knee K of the driver D.

  Therefore, in the airbag apparatus S1 for knee protection of the first embodiment, the airbag 40 that has been inflated can be prevented from interfering with the key accessory A so that the airbag 40 that is inflated and inflated can be damaged. The knee D of the driver D can be protected accurately.

  In the first embodiment, the airbag cover 29 includes door portions 37 and 38 that are pushed by the inflating airbag 40 to open and allow the airbag 40 to protrude from the opening 29a when opened. Furthermore, the airbag cover 29 cannot be removed by the locking portions 15U and 15D and the locking holes 31a and 32a with respect to the case 13, and when the airbag cover 29 is pushed by the inflating airbag 40, the rear side of the vehicle The movable portion 35 as the posture control means P is disposed on the upper edge 29b side of the airbag cover 29 above the door portions 37 and 38. .

  Therefore, the area 30b above the door portions 37 and 38 in the airbag cover 29 moves to the vehicle rear side together with the moving portion 35, and the airbag 40 that is deployed and inflated to rise is attached to the key. Even if it interferes with the product A, the key accessory A in the area where the interference occurs changes the direction of the lower end Ab side, so that the gas accessory leaks and does not get damaged, so that it smoothly expands. Can be completed. In particular, in the case of the embodiment, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 5B, the inflated portion 40e of the airbag 40 in the middle of deploying and inflating may cause the tip to be rearward even when trying to interfere with the lower end Ab side of the key accessory A. The key accessory A is not damaged because it interferes with the lower end Ab in the directed state from below.

  Furthermore, in the airbag cover 29 of the first embodiment, the case 13 is prevented from coming off from the locking portions 15U and 15D, and the lengths of the locking holes 31a and 32a of the wall portions 31 and 32 are increased in the front-rear direction. If the length is increased and the distance moved backward by being pushed by the inflating airbag 40 is ensured, the upper area 30b of the door portions 37 and 38 is completely lifted by the key accessory A. It is also possible to guide to an area where no interference occurs.

  Next, the knee protection airbag device S2 of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 will be described. In the airbag device S2 of the second embodiment, the airbag cover 49 to be used is the same as that of the first embodiment. Other than the airbag cover 29, the other case 13, the inflator 21, the airbag 40, and the like are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the description of the case 13 and the like that are the same as those in the first embodiment is omitted. .

  The airbag cover 49 is attached to the upper side wall 51 and the lower side wall 52 themselves arranged above and below the walls 14a and 14b of the peripheral wall 14 of the case 13, or the locking hook 15U and the locking projection 15D. The lengths in the front-rear direction of the locking holes 51a and 52a that lock the periphery are shorter than the airbag cover 29 of the first embodiment, and are pushed by the airbag 40 when inflated. The structure in which the moving part 61 as the posture control means P is extended and disposed on the lower door part 58 that is not moved backward but pushed open by the inflating airbag 40 is the air of the first embodiment. It is different from the bag cover 29.

  That is, the airbag cover 49 is configured to be able to cover the vehicle rear side in the vicinity of the opening 13a of the case 13 and in the vicinity of the flange portion 19, and is connected and held to the case 13, and the peripheral edge of the column cover 5 in the instrument panel 10 The lower cover 10 is disposed on the lower panel 10 b side and covers the lower peripheral edge of the column cover 5 protruding from the instrument panel 10.

  The airbag cover 49 is disposed around the upper and lower door portions 57 and 58 that cover the opening 13a of the case 13 on the vehicle rear side, and around the door portions 57 and 58 so as to surround the lower panel 10b when mounted on the vehicle. And a general part 50 surrounded by The airbag cover 59 is also formed of a portion including the door portions 57 and 58 and the side wall portions 51 and 52 from a thermoplastic elastomer such as polyolefin, and the surrounding general portion 50 is formed from a synthetic resin such as polypropylene. It is a two-color molded product.

  In the case of 2nd Embodiment, the general part 50 is arrange | positioned in the area | region below the door parts 57 * 58 of the airbag cover 49, and the area | region of a left edge. The general portion 50 is formed with a plurality of locking legs 50a that are inserted and locked in the locking holes 10c of the lower panel 10b.

  The upper door part 57 is formed in the same shape as the door part 37 of the first embodiment, and the upper edge side is a hinge part 57a, and when the airbag 40 is pushed and opened, the lower edge 57b side is rotated upward. Open like so.

  The lower door 58 is located above the upper edge 59a side of the main body 59 in the main body 59 that covers the rear side of the opening 13a of the case 13 and the right edge side of the airbag cover 59 on the right side of the main body 59. And an extending portion 60 disposed so as to extend to the outside. When the lower edge side is opened by being pushed by the airbag 40 with the hinge part 58a, the upper edge 59a side of the main body part 59 is opened to rotate downward.

  In the case of the second embodiment, the thinly-scheduled breakage portion 56 that is arranged around the door portions 57 and 58 and is pushed by the airbag 40 to break is the lower edge 57b of the upper door portion 57 and the main body of the lower door portion 58. A horizontal bar portion 56a at a boundary portion with the upper edge 59a of the portion 59, a left vertical bar portion 56b on the left edge side of the upper door portion 57 and the lower door portion 58, and extending upward from the right end of the horizontal bar portion 56a, And a right vertical bar portion 56c on the left edge side of the extending portion 60. The planned break portion 56 is also formed by providing a continuous or intermittent groove on the front surface of the airbag cover 49.

  The moving portion 61 disposed at the upper end of the extending portion 60 is positioned on the vehicle front side of the key accessory A when mounted on the vehicle, and is pushed by the airbag 40 that is deployed and inflated, thereby lowering the lower door portion 58. However, when the hinge part 58a is rotated about the hinge part 58a as the center of rotation, the airbag 40 that deploys and inflates by moving the key accessory A by interfering with at least the lower end Ab side of the key accessory A is provided. The posture control means P for changing the posture of the key accessory A is configured so that the key accessory A is not damaged. The moving portion 61 also interferes with the lower end Ab of the key accessory A suspended from the key E so as to rotate and move in the rear lower direction so that the lower end Ab is repelled rearward. Is set.

  The extending portion 60 is formed with a plurality of locking legs 60a that are inserted and locked into the locking holes 10c of the lower panel 10b. These locking legs 60a are easily pulled out of the locking holes 10c when the lower door 58 is opened by being pushed by the airbag 40 in the locked state to the periphery of the locking holes 10c. Normally, it is set so that it cannot be easily removed. On the other hand, the locking leg 50a provided in the general portion 50 has a locking force to the locking hole 10c stronger than that of the locking leg 60a, and even if it is pushed by the airbag 40, the locking leg 50a comes out of the locking hole 10c. It is set so that there is no.

  Further, on the outer periphery side of the peripheral wall portion 14 of the case 13, the upper and lower side wall portions 51. 52 is formed, and as described above, the locking portions 15 (15U and 15D) disposed on the peripheral wall portion 14 are inserted into the wall portions 51 and 52, and the locking portions Locking holes 51a and 52a for locking the peripheral edge to 15 are formed respectively.

  The knee protection airbag device S2 of the second embodiment is mounted on a vehicle as in the first embodiment. When the airbag device S2 mounted on the vehicle is activated and the inflator 21 discharges the inflation gas, the airbag 40 is inflated by inflating the inflation gas, so that the airbag cover 49 is expanded. Doors 57 and 58 are opened, projecting from the opened opening 49a toward the vehicle rear side, and as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the upper edge 40a side of the airbag 40 is placed on the lower surface (rear surface) of the column cover 5. Along the 5a, the column cover 5 is raised to the vicinity of the upper end 5b.

  And in this 2nd Embodiment, if the lower door part 58 opens, attitude control in the upper end of the extension part 60 extended from the main-body part 59 of the lower door part 58 will be shown to AB of FIG. As the means P, the moving part 61 interferes with the lower end Ab of the key accessory A suspended from the key E so as to rotate and move in the rear lower direction, and repels the lower end Ab to the rear side. Thus, the key accessory A is released from the airbag 40 that is inflated and inflated. As a result, the key accessory A does not contact the inflated portion of the airbag 40 that is inflated and inflated, and does not interfere with the airbag 40 so as to cause gas leakage. The expansion can be completed without hindrance, and the knee K of the driver D can be protected.

  Therefore, even in the knee protection airbag device S2 of the second embodiment, the airbag 40 that is deployed and inflated can be prevented from interfering with the key accessory A so as to be damaged. The knee D of the driver D can be protected accurately.

  Further, in this second embodiment, when the airbag 40 is deployed and inflated, the key accessory A can be moved by the opening operation of only the door portion 58 without moving the entire airbag cover 49 to the rear side of the vehicle. Even when the knee protection airbag device S2 is not in operation, the airbag cover 49 is held stably, or even when the door portions 57 and 58 are opened by breaking the periphery, the vicinity of the planned break portion 56 is not moved greatly. Therefore, the pressing force of the airbag 40 can be easily applied to the planned fracture portion 56, and the planned fracture portion 56 can be smoothly broken.

  In the second embodiment, the airbag cover 49 is provided with the upper door portion 57 that opens upward, but only the lower door portion 58 of the lower opening is provided to constitute the airbag cover. Also good.

  In the first and second embodiments, the case where the key cylinder 6 is disposed on the right side surface 5c of the steering column 2 (column cover 5) itself has been described. Alternatively, even when it is arranged at a position away from the column cover 5, it may be dealt with by enlarging the airbag cover.

FIG. 7 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view in the vehicle front-rear direction showing a use state of the knee protecting airbag device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, corresponding to the vicinity of the II portion in FIG. The state of time is indicated by a two-dot chain line. It is a general | schematic expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view of the vehicle front-back direction of the airbag apparatus for knee protection which is 1st Embodiment. It is a general | schematic expanded cross-sectional view of the vehicle front-back direction in the airbag apparatus for knee protection of 1st Embodiment, and respond | corresponds to the III-III site | part of FIG. It is a schematic front view which shows the airbag of the expansion | deployment state which incorporated the inflator of 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the operation state in the knee protection airbag apparatus of 1st Embodiment in order. It is a schematic front view which shows the operation state in the airbag apparatus for knee protection of 1st Embodiment in order. It is a schematic front view which shows the use condition of the airbag apparatus for knee protection of 2nd Embodiment. It is a general | schematic expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view of the vehicle front-back direction in the airbag apparatus for knee protection of 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows in order the action | operation time of the airbag apparatus for knee protection of 2nd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

2 ... Steering column,
6 ... Key cylinder,
13 ... Case,
29.49 ... Airbag cover,
35.61 ... moving part,
37, 38, 57, 58 ... the door,
40 ... Airbag,
P: attitude control means,
E ... key,
A ... Key accessories,
D ... Driver,
K ... knees,
S1, S2 ... Knee protecting airbag device.

Claims (3)

Folded and housed in a case located under the steering column on the front side of the driver, when the inflating gas flows in, it projects from the case to the rear side of the vehicle and rises to complete the expansion and expansion. , With an airbag that can protect the driver's knees,
An airbag cover disposed so as to cover the vehicle rear side of the stored airbag so as to be able to project the airbag at the time of deployment and inflation;
A posture that can control the posture of the key accessory so that the key accessory suspended from the key inserted in the key cylinder can be prevented from interfering with the airbag that is deployed and inflated. Control means;
A knee protection airbag device comprising:
The airbag cover is located on the vehicle front side of the key accessory and is pushed by the airbag that is deployed and inflated to move to the vehicle rear side, interfering with at least the lower end side of the key accessory and the key A moving part capable of moving accessories,
The knee protection airbag device, wherein the posture control means is composed of a moving part of the airbag. The airbag cover is opened by being pushed by the airbag that is inflated, and includes a door portion that allows the airbag to protrude from an opening when the airbag cover is opened. The airbag cover cannot be detached from the case and is inflated. When pushed by the airbag, it is held so that it can move to the vehicle rear side,
The knee protection airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the moving portion is disposed on an upper edge side of the airbag cover above the door portion. The air bag cover is pushed by the inflating air bag and opens so that the lower edge side is a hinge part and the upper edge side is rotated to the rear side of the vehicle, and the air bag can protrude from the opening when opened. Part
The knee protection airbag device according to claim 1, wherein the moving portion is provided so as to extend upward from an upper edge side of the door portion.

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