Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-14
2002-07-16
Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3616)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S731000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06419261
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an airbag apparatus in which a pad-side mounting leg portion of a pad cover is affixed to a base-side mounting leg portion of a base member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an airbag apparatus for a driver seat comprises: a bag holder which is supported by a steering wheel; an inflator which is affixed to the bag holder and which ejects gas when a vehicle decelerates rapidly; a bag which is kept in a folded state in the vicinity of the inflator; and a pad cover which houses the bag and the inflator between the bag holder and itself, and breaks open and unfolds when a bag inflation pressure which exceeds a predetermined value is exerted.
Conventionally, the pad cover is affixed to the bag holder as described below. That is, as illustrated in
FIG. 6
, a plate lock
102
is provided to the surface of the bag holder
100
at the side opposite to the vehicle occupant side. The leg portion for mounting
110
which is configured so as to protrude to the back surface of the pad cover
108
is nipped between the support leg portion
104
of the bag holder
100
and the nipping portion
106
of the plate lock
102
. The bag holder
100
, the plate lock
102
and the pad cover
108
are fixed in this state by fixing means such as bolts, nuts and the like. Incidentally, the plate lock
102
is mainly used in the four-spoke type steering wheel, and a bracket is used in the three-spoke type steering wheel. Adopting the above-described structure ensures that when the pad cover unfolds, the unfold load is supported by the bag holder
100
and the pad cover
108
is thereby prevented from flying off.
However, in the case of the above structure, the leg portion for mounting
110
of the pad cover
108
is held by two members, namely, the support leg portion
104
of the bag holder
100
and the nipping portion
106
of the plate lock
102
. As a result there is the disadvantage that the number of parts are increased and thereby cost is increased.
A structure in which the effect of the above-described structure is attained with one member is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open No. 11-48895, and is briefly described below.
In the airbag apparatus disclosed in this publication, a plurality of cover mounting portions which are equivalent to the nipping portion of the above-described plate lock, are formed integrally with a side wall portion of the base plate which is equivalent to the above-described bag holder. The mounting wall portion is provided at the covering body, which is equivalent to the pad cover. By the mounting wall portion of the covering body being inserted between the side wall portion of the base plate and the cover mounting portion, the side wall portion of the base plate and the cover mounting portion are claw-fit together with the mounting wall portion of the covering body.
However, in the case of the airbag apparatus disclosed in the above-mentioned publication, because the two wall portions (i.e., the side wall portion and the cover mounting portion) which are disposed so as to be in close proximity to and parallel with each other must be formed integrally with a base plate formed of metal, accurate manufacturing work of the air bag entails difficulty.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In light of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an airbag apparatus in which a pad cover can be securely supported on a base member and the manufacturing work is facilitated.
In the first aspect of the present invention, an airbag apparatus comprises: a high rigidity base member including a base portion to which an inflator which ejects gas when a vehicle rapidly decelerates and a bag which is inflated by the gas are fixed, and a base-side mounting leg portion which is provided at the base portion; and a pad cover formed of resin including a top portion which houses the bag between the base portion of the base member and the top portion, and is provided with an unfolding portion which breaks open and unfolds when an inflation pressure exerted by the bag exceeds a predetermined value, and a pad-side mounting leg portion which is affixed to the base-side mounting leg portion provided on a surface which is opposite to a vehicle occupant side of the top portion; wherein said airbag apparatus further comprises: an engagement mechanism which engages the pad-side mounting leg portion and the base-side mounting leg portions with each other; an obstruction mechanism which includes: spaces which are formed between the pad-side mounting leg portion and support walls provided at the pad-side mounting leg portion and; insertion portions, which are inserted into the spaces provided on the base-side mounting leg portion; such that a releasing of an engagement state of the pad-side mounting leg portion and the base-side mounting leg portion, due to elastic deformation in an unfolding direction of the unfolding portion of the pad cover, is prevented.
The second aspect of the present invention is the airbag apparatus of the first aspect wherein, the engagement mechanism is formed of engagement protrusions which are formed on one of the base-side mounting leg portion and the pad-side mounting leg portion, and engagement openings which are formed on the other of the base-side mounting leg portion and the pad-side mounting leg portion, such that the engagement protrusions can engage with engagement openings.
The third aspect of the present invention is the airbag apparatus of the first aspect wherein, the base end portions of the support walls are integrally formed with the surface which is opposite to the vehicle occupant side of the pad cover.
The fourth aspect of the present invention is the airbag apparatus of the first aspect wherein, the obstruction mechanism obstructs the movement of the insertion portion in directions orthogonal to the engagement and removal directions of the pad-side mounting leg portion and the base-side mounting leg portion.
The fifth aspect of the present invention is the airbag apparatus of the second aspect, further comprising a guide member which guides the engagement of the pad cover and the base member.
The sixth aspect of the present invention is the airbag apparatus of the fifth aspect wherein, the guide member is a taper portion which is provided at a distal end portion of the pad-side mounting leg portion, and guides the engagement of the engagement protrusion formed at the base-side mounting leg portion with the engagement holes formed at the pad-side mounting leg portion.
The seventh aspect of the present invention is the airbag apparatus of fifth aspect wherein, the guide member is a triangular engagement protrusion, when viewed from the side, which is formed on the pad-side mounting leg portion, and guides the engagement of the engagement protrusion with the engagement hole which is formed on the base-side mounting leg portion.
The eighth aspect of the present invention is the airbag apparatus of fifth aspect wherein, both end portions, in a pad cover circumferential direction, of at least one of the support walls are affixed to pad-side mounting leg portion.
According to a first aspect, when the airbag is in a state in which it is not actuated, the pad-side leg for mounting and the base-side leg for mounting are in a state in which they are engaged with each other by the engagement mechanism. Accordingly, in this state, there is no possibility that the pad cover will come apart from the base member.
When there is a rapid deceleration of the vehicle, gas is ejected from the inflator and the bag which is in a folded state is inflated by this gas. At this time, when the bag inflation pressure exceeds a predetermined value, the unfolding portions which are provided at the top portion of the pad cover break open and are unfolded. At this time, the pad-side mounting leg portion also receives force in the unfolding direction from the unfolding portion, and because it attempts to elastically deform in the unfolding direction, there is a possibility that the state in whic
Cole Thomas W.
Dickson Paul N.
Draper Deanna
Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai-Rika-Denki-Seisakusho
Nixon & Peabody LLP
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