Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-02
2002-08-20
Boehler, Anne Marie (Department: 3616)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
active
06435542
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an airbag apparatus for a front passenger seat for protecting a passenger sitting in the front passenger seat upon collision of a vehicle, such as a car, to thereby ensure safety of the passenger. More particularly, the invention relates to a reinforcement structure for a fracture-opening section which is formed in an instrument panel cover (hereinafter referred to as an “interior cover”) in opposition to an airbag and which breaks so as to allow unfolding and expansion of the airbag.
2. Description of the Related Art
An airbag apparatus for a front passenger seat of a vehicle, such as a car, basically includes an airbag, an airbag case for accommodating the folded airbag, and an inflater for inflating the airbag. In addition, such an airbag apparatus includes a closure plate which is attached to an opening which is formed in an interior cover in opposition to an opening portion of the airbag case, or a fracture-opening section which is formed in the interior cover and which fractures from a fragile portion so as to separate from the interior cover.
Generally, the instrument panel of an automobile consists of an instrument panel core formed from a synthetic resin, such as polypropylene, and an interior cover, which covers the instrument panel core and is formed of a synthetic resin, such as polypropylene.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 7-172256 discloses an airbag apparatus for a front passenger seat in which an opening is formed in an interior cover, and a closure plate is attached to the opening. Further, in Japanese Patent Application 11-117972, the assignee of the present application has proposed an airbag apparatus for a front passenger seat which has a fracture-opening section formed in an interior cover. Specifically, through application of a laser beam, a fragile contour portion and a fragile center splitting portion are formed to thereby define the fracture-opening section, such that the fracture-opening section can be divided into first and second subsections. First and second reinforcement plate members are fixedly attached to back surfaces of the first and second subsections. Each of the first and second reinforcement plate members has a hinge portion and a bent leg portion. The leg portions of the first and second reinforcement plate members are engaged with hooks fixed to the front and rear walls of an opening portion of an airbag case. Upon inflation of the airbag, the contour portion and the center splitting portion are broken, so that the fracture-opening section opens apart from the interior cover.
FIG. 1
shows a former conventional airbag apparatus for a front passenger seat. The airbag apparatus for a front passenger seat is disposed under a horizontal plane
10
a
of an interior cover
10
located in the vicinity of a windshield
1
a
of a vehicle. The airbag apparatus includes an airbag case
12
having an opening portion
12
a
formed in opposition to the back surface of the interior cover
10
. An airbag
11
is accommodated within the airbag case
12
in a folded state, and is inflated by means of gas from an inflater. An opening lid
13
formed of a flexible synthetic resin is disposed at an opening portion
10
b
formed on the interior cover
10
in opposition to the opening portion
12
a
of the airbag case
12
. Upon inflation of the airbag
11
, grooves
13
a
and
13
b
—which are formed along the centerline of and along the periphery of the opening lid
13
and serve as fragile portions—are broken, so that the opening lid
13
is split into two fracture pieces, which open apart in opposite directions toward the front and rear of the vehicle, respectively. The inflating airbag
11
projects outward through the thus-formed opening.
A mounting leg portion
14
and a plurality of engagement pieces
15
are integrally formed on the back surface of the opening lid
13
. The mounting leg portion
14
assumes the form of a rectangular frame slightly greater in size than the opening portion
12
a
of the airbag case
12
. The engagement pieces
15
are elastically engaged with the edge of the opening portion
10
b
of the interior cover
10
. A plurality of rectangular through-holes
14
c
are formed in front and rear walls
14
b
of the mounting leg portion
14
. When the opening lid
13
is fitted to the opening portion
10
b
of the interior cover
10
, the rectangular through-holes
14
c
are engaged with corresponding hooks
16
fixed to front and rear walls
12
b
of the opening portion
12
a
of the airbag case
12
and to a rear wall
12
b
of the opening portion
12
a
of the airbag case
12
.
When the airbag
11
inflates, through fracture along the grooves
13
a
and
13
b
formed along the centerline of and along the periphery of the opening lid
13
, the opening lid
13
is split into two fracture pieces, which open apart in opposite directions toward the front and rear of the vehicle, respectively. Since the rectangular through-holes
14
c
formed in the front and rear walls
14
b
of the mounting leg portion
14
are engaged with the hooks
16
of the airbag case
12
, scattering of the fracture pieces of the opening lid
13
is prevented.
FIGS. 3A and 3B
show the latter airbag apparatus for a front passenger seat.
FIG. 3A
is an enlarged partial view of the airbag apparatus in which a fragile contour portion
21
a
and a fragile center splitting portion
21
b
are formed in a single-layer interior cover
20
along a fracture line
21
.
FIG. 3B
is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIB—IIIB in FIG.
3
A.
The contour portion
21
a
and the center splitting portion
21
b
are formed on the interior cover
20
by means of a laser. Specifically, a pulsating laser beam from a laser is applied to the interior cover
20
from behind while being moved relatively along the outline edges of reinforcement plate members
25
a
fixed to the back surface of the interior cover
20
. Thus, perforations
23
are formed in the interior cover
20
along the fracture line
21
to thereby form the contour portion
21
a
, which has a size corresponding to the size of an opening portion
22
a
of an airbag case
22
. Similarly, the center splitting portion
21
b
is formed. Upon inflation of an airbag
26
, the contour portion
21
a
and the center splitting portion
21
b
are broken. As a result, the fracture-opening section is split into front and rear subsections
27
a
and
27
b
, which are then turned inside out. Subsequently, the inflating airbag
26
projects outward from the interior cover
20
through the thus-formed opening, and protects the passenger from the impact force of collision.
The thus-configured automobile airbag apparatus functions in the following manner. Upon collision of the vehicle, an impact force caused by the collision is detected by a sensor. A control unit including a CPU judges whether or not the detected impact force is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. When the control unit judges that the impact force is not lower than the predetermined value, the control unit issues a signal for causing the inflater to generate a predetermined gas. The gas is fed to the airbag so as to promptly inflate the airbag.
In the conventional airbag apparatus for a front passenger seat shown in
FIG. 1
, the opening portion
10
b
is formed in the interior cover
10
in such a manner as to face the opening portion
12
a
of the airbag case
12
. The opening lid
13
is a discrete element different from the interior cover
10
and made of a flexible resin material and is fitted into the opening portion
10
b
. Thus, the manufacture and assembly work of the interior cover
10
and the opening lid
13
are rather complicated. Also, when an external force is applied to the opening lid
13
, the opening lid
13
easily deforms when an external force is applied thereto, with possible breakage of the groove
13
a
formed at the center of opening lid
13
, thereby damaging the appearance or design of the interior cover
10
.
Also, in
Nakashima Yoshiharu
Yasuda Mitsuo
Boehler Anne Marie
Fleming Faye M.
Ladas & Parry
Sanko Gosei Kabushiki Kaisha
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