Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-25
2004-07-13
Johnson, Brian L. (Department: 3618)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S728200, C280S728300, C280S731000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06761375
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the structure of a reinforcement plate member used in an automobile airbag apparatus for protecting a driver or passenger upon collision of a vehicle, such as a car, to thereby ensure safety. More particularly, the invention relates to an improvement in the structure of a reinforcement plate member for a fracture-opening section which breaks so as to allow unfolding and expansion of an airbag, which structure enables reliable melt-joining between the reinforcement plate member and the fracture-opening section.
2. Description of the Related Art
An airbag apparatus used in 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. The airbag apparatus is accommodated within an instrument panel on the front-passenger-seat side, or within a steering wheel or side pillar, such that the airbag apparatus faces a driver or passenger. The cover of the instrument panel includes a fracture-opening section for allowing unfolding and expansion of the airbag. The fracture-opening section has a size corresponding to that of an opening portion of the airbag case and is defined by a perforation-like fracture groove surrounding the fracture-opening section.
A reinforcement plate member formed of metal is integrally fixed to the inner wall surface of the fracture-opening section; and a hinge portion of the reinforcement plate member is connected to the instrument panel.
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.
The inflating airbag presses, from inside, the fracture-opening portion of the instrument panel cover (hereinafter referred to as an “interior cover”), including the reinforcement plate member. The fracture-opening section is fractured along a fracture groove and detached from the interior cover. The detached fracture-opening section is opened outward while being turned inside out about the hinge portion of the reinforcement plate member. Simultaneously, the inflating airbag projects outward from the interior cover through the thus-formed opening in the interior cover. Serving as a cushion, the inflated airbag supports a passenger, such as a front seat passenger, at his/her chest and head, thereby protecting the passenger from the impact force of collision.
Generally, the instrument panel of an automobile consists of an instrument panel core formed from a synthetic resin, such as polypropylene, through integral molding, and an instrument panel cover (interior cover), which covers the instrument panel core and is formed of a synthetic resin, such as polypropylene.
A conventional reinforcement plate member attached to the back surface of the fracture-opening section will be described with reference to
FIGS. 1
to
3
.
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a fracture-opening section formed in an interior cover and a reinforcement plate member for reinforcing the fracture-opening section from the inner surface thereof.
FIG. 2
is an explanatory sectional view of a main portion before inflation of an airbag.
FIG. 3
is an explanatory sectional view of the main portion after inflation of the airbag.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, a reinforcement plate member
2
for reinforcing a fracture-opening section
1
has a curved shape corresponding to that of the inner wall surface of the fracture-opening section
1
. The reinforcement plate member
2
has a substantially rectangular shape and an area slightly smaller than that of the fracture-opening section
1
. A hinge portion
3
is formed at one end (upper end) of the reinforcement plate member
2
with respect to the transverse direction (shorter-side direction). The hinge portion
3
extends in the longitudinal direction (longer-side direction) of the reinforcement plate member
2
and is bent outward (in the direction of an arrow) as the airbag inflates. The hinge portion
3
has an intermediate portion
4
bent substantially perpendicular in a direction away from the back surface of the reinforcement plate member
2
, and a connection portion
5
extending upward substantially perpendicular from the end edge of the intermediate portion
4
.
A base portion
6
a
of a support member
6
is fixed to the connection portion
5
by means of nuts and bolts
7
. The support member
6
has two support arms
6
b
, which extend in a direction away from the back surface of the reinforcement plate member
2
. As shown in
FIG. 2
, the distal ends of the support arms
6
b
are fixed to an interior cover
9
by means of tapping screws
8
, whereby the reinforcement plate member
2
is supported by the interior cover
9
.
A case support member
10
is fixed to the base portion
6
a
of the support member
6
by means of the nuts and bolts
7
. An airbag case
11
for accommodating an unillustrated airbag is fixed to the case support member
10
by means of nuts and bolts
12
.
A plurality of depressions
2
A are formed, for reinforcement purpose, on the reinforcement plate member
2
in such a manner as to extend in the transverse direction of the reinforcement plate member
2
and to be arranged at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the reinforcement plate member
2
. Blocks of coupling holes
2
B are formed in the reinforcement plate member
2
while being arranged at predetermined intervals in the transverse and longitudinal directions of the reinforcement plate member
2
over the entire surface thereof. Each block includes a plurality of coupling holes
2
B extending in the transverse direction of the reinforcement plate member
2
and arranged close to one another in the transverse and longitudinal directions of the reinforcement plate member
2
.
For each group of coupling holes
2
B, a plurality of elongated protrusions
1
A are formed on the inner wall surface of the fracture-opening section
1
of the interior cover
9
in a manner as to be aligned with the coupling holes
2
B. The elongated protrusions
1
A are engaged with the corresponding coupling holes
2
B, and the tip ends of the protrusions
1
A projecting from the back surface of the reinforcement plate member
2
are melted through application of heat, such that the tip ends are flattened. Thus, the reinforcement plate member
2
is fixedly attached to the inner wall surface of the fracture-opening section
1
.
In the above-described configuration, when the unillustrated air bag inflates, the inflating airbag presses, from inside, the reinforcement plate member
2
. As a result, the fracture-opening section
1
of the interior cover
9
is fractured along the fracture line and detached from the interior cover
9
. Simultaneously, the hinge portion
3
of the reinforcement plate member
2
having been in the state shown in
FIG. 2
is bent as shown in
FIG. 3
, and the case support member
10
having been in the state shown in
FIG. 2
is bent as shown in FIG.
3
. As a result, the detached fracture-opening section
1
having been in the state shown in
FIG. 2
is opened outward as shown in
FIG. 3
, resulting in formation of an opening
9
A in the interior cover
9
. The unillustrated airbag inflates further and projects outward from the interior cover
9
through the opening
9
A. Thus, the intended purpose is achieved.
However, in the conventional automobile airbag apparatus, when the fracture-opening section
1
of the interior cover
9
fractures from the fracture groove upon inflation of the airbag, the hinge portion
3
of the reinforcement plate member
2
and the case support member
10
Kurachi Yukio
Yasuda Mitsuo
Draper Deanna
Johnson Brian L.
Ladas & Parry
Sanko Gosei Kabushiki Kaisha
LandOfFree
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