Patent Publication Number: US-2022212621-A1

Title: Airbag for vehicle

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0001931, filed Jan. 7, 2021, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an airbag for a vehicle and, more particularly, to a structure of an airbag for a vehicle, the structure being applicable to a sunroof of the vehicle and capable of facilitating both a packing process of the airbag and an assembly process of the airbag to the sunroof. 
     2. Discussion of Related Art 
     Recently, a panoramic roof and the like in which a roof of a vehicle may be partially opened according to preferences of consumers are being installed, giving drivers and passengers a sense of openness and helping to ventilate the vehicle. 
     However, when a vehicle accident occurs, a driver or occupant may be thrown out of the vehicle through the open sunroof, resulting in an accident, and when the vehicle rolls over, the driver or occupant may be hit with the sunroof and may suffer bodily harm. 
     A sunroof airbag is deployed to a sunroof side of a vehicle when an accident occurs to prevent a person from colliding with the sunroof or being thrown out of the sunroof and, therefore, is essential for the vehicle in which the sunroof is installed. 
       FIG. 1  shows views illustrating an assembly process of a conventional sunroof airbag module. Conventionally, after forming the folding pack  10  including a cushion folded therein as shown in  FIG. 1 , taping  20  is performed to fix the folding pack not to come loose, and when assembling the folded cushion to the bracket  30 , a removal process of the taping was performed. 
     In the above process, the overall process efficiency is lowered due to the taping and the removal process of the taping, and even after assembling the folded cushion to the bracket, the cushion and the bracket are not fixed well, so the folded cushion moves up, down, left, and right. Accordingly, there was a problem in that it was difficult to mount the airbag module to the sunroof. 
     The foregoing is intended merely to aid in the understanding of the background of the present invention and is not intended to mean that the present invention falls within the purview of the related art that is already known to those skilled in the art. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the related art, the present invention is intended to provide an airbag for a vehicle including a first fixing part configured to fix a folded cushion, and a first binding part and a second binding part configured to fix the cushion to a bracket. 
     In order to achieve the above objective, there may be provided an airbag for a vehicle according to the present invention, the airbag including: a cushion provided on a roof of the vehicle and deployed when gas is injected; first binding parts each formed in a structure protruding from the cushion and provided with a hole configured to bind with a bracket; first fixing parts each provided on the cushion and configured to wrap and fix the cushion; a bracket configured to support the cushion in combination with the cushion; and second binding parts each formed in a structure protruding from the bracket and provided with a hook to restrain the bracket and the cushion through the hole of an associated one of the first binding parts so that the bracket supports the cushion. 
     The first binding parts may be formed at opposite ends of the cushion, respectively, and the second binding parts may be formed at opposite ends of the bracket to face the first binding parts, respectively. 
     The first fixing parts may be formed at opposite ends of the cushion so as to be located on sides of the first binding parts, respectively. 
     Each of the first fixing parts may be provided with a slit at one end thereof, and each of the first fixing parts wrapping the cushion may fix the cushion with the slit passing through an associated one of the first binding parts. 
     The bracket may be provided with second fixing parts to wrap and may fix the cushion and the bracket. 
     The bracket may be provided with second fixing parts to wrap and may fix the cushion and the bracket, and the second fixing parts may be formed at opposite ends of the bracket to be each located on a side of an associated one of the second binding parts. 
     Each of the second fixing parts may be provided with a slit at one end thereof, and each of the second fixing parts wrapping the cushion and the bracket may fix the cushion and the bracket with a slit passing through an associated one of the second binding parts. 
     As described above, according to an airbag for a vehicle of the present invention, efficiency of an assembly process of the sunroof airbag is improved, and an effect of facilitating assembling the airbag to the sunroof is realized. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other objectives, features, and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a view illustrating an assembly process of a conventional sunroof airbag module; 
         FIG. 2  is a view illustrating a cushion of an airbag for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a view illustrating the cushion and a bracket of the airbag for a vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a view illustrating an airbag module for a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above objective and problems will be described with reference to the drawings. On the other hand, when a detailed description of a known technology in the related art in understanding the present invention is not helpful in understanding a core content of the present invention, the description will be omitted, and the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited thereto and may be variously implemented by being changed by those skilled in the art. 
     Specifically, a present airbag for a vehicle is installed on a sunroof of the vehicle and serves to prevent a vehicle occupant from colliding with the sunroof or being thrown out of the sunroof when an accident occurs. 
     The sunroof airbag is installed on the sunroof after a folding pack  10  of a cushion is coupled to a bracket  30 . In order to assemble the sunroof airbag to the sunroof, the following process is performed. 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a sunroof airbag module according to a related art is installed through an assembly process that includes a process of folding a cushion, a process of taping to fix the folded cushion, an assembly process of the folded cushion and bracket, a removal process of the taping of the cushion, and an assembly process of the completed airbag module on the sunroof. 
     However, there is a problem in that overall process efficiency is reduced due to the process of taping the cushion and the removal process of the taping during the above process. 
     In addition, the cushion may not be completely fixed to the bracket after the folded cushion is assembled on the bracket, so the cushion moves up, down, left, and right, so that it is difficult to assemble the airbag module on the sunroof. 
     The present invention is to solve such a process problem, and an airbag for a vehicle according to the present invention for achieving the above objective includes: a cushion  100  provided on a roof of the vehicle and deployed when gas is injected; first binding parts  110  each formed in a structure protruding from the cushion and provided with a hole  111  configured to bind with a bracket  200 ; first fixing parts  120  each provided on the cushion and configured to wrap and fix the cushion; the bracket  200  configured to support the cushion in combination with the cushion; and second binding parts  210  each formed in a structure protruding from the bracket and provided with a hook to restrain the bracket and the cushion through the hole  111  of a corresponding one of the first binding parts so that the bracket supports the cushion. 
       FIG. 2  is a view illustrating the cushion of an airbag for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 3  is a view illustrating the cushion and the bracket of the airbag for a vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the cushion  100  used for the airbag is formed by overlapping the fabric used for the cushion up and down and then sewing and is deployed by receiving gas from the inflator  300 . The cushion  100  is folded to reduce the volume in order to be installed inside the vehicle, and in order to prevent the folded cushion  100  from being unwound, the first fixing parts  120  are provided to wrap and fix the cushion. At this time, the first fixing parts  120  do not need to be removed like conventional taping, may be made of a material such as a non-woven fabric, and may each include a tear line to be easily torn when the cushion is deployed. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the folded cushion  100  may be fixed so as not to be released by being wrapped using the first fixing parts  120 . 
     On the other hand, the cushion  100  is provided with the first binding parts  110  and able to be assembled to the bracket  200 . 
     Specifically, the second binding parts  210  provided on the bracket  200  and the first binding parts  110  may be coupled to each other, respectively, thereby allowing the bracket  200  to restrain the cushion  100 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 3 , the second binding parts  210  of the bracket penetrate through the holes  111  formed in the first binding part  110 , respectively, and the second binding parts  210  are each bent in opposite sideways so as not to be removed from the first binding part  110 . 
     In this way, the folded cushion  100  may be fixed so that it does not move up, down, left, and right on the bracket  200 . Accordingly, there is an effect of enabling the airbag module to be conveniently assembled to the sunroof. 
     With reference to  FIG. 2 , the first binding parts  110  may include a pair of the first binding parts positioned at both ends of the cushion  100 , respectively, and with reference to  FIG. 3 , the second binding parts  210  may include a pair of the second binding parts  210  positioned at both ends of the bracket  200 , respectively, to face the first binding parts  110 , respectively. 
     Since the cushion  100  is fixed at both ends, the cushion may be strongly supported by the bracket  200 , thereby being prevented from moving in the bracket  200 . 
     The first fixing parts  120  may include a pair of first fixing parts  120  positioned at both ends of the cushion  100 , respectively, so as to be located on sides of the first binding parts  110  located at both ends of the cushion, respectively. 
     Through this, the folded cushion  100  may be stably fixed, and the more plurality of the first fixing parts  120  is formed, the more stably the cushion may be fixed. In particular, when a plurality of the first fixing parts  120  is formed, it is necessary to form a plurality of tear lines of each of the first fixing parts  120 . In this case, the fixing ability is improved, and it does not interfere with the development of the cushion when the number of the tear lines is sufficient even in the case the plurality of the first fixing parts is formed. 
     The first fixing parts  120  are each provided with a slit  121  at one end thereof, and the first fixing parts  120  wrapping the cushion may each fix the cushion with each of the slits  121  passing through a corresponding one of the first binding parts. 
     After wrapping the cushion, the first fixing parts  120  may each fix the cushion by joining a finishing end to a starting end thereof. However, after wrapping the cushion the first fixing parts  120  may fix the cushion by forming the slits at an end thereof, respectively, in such a manner that each of the first binding parts is allowed to be passed through a corresponding one of the slits  121  and to be hooked thereto. 
     Meanwhile,  FIG. 4  is a view illustrating an airbag module for a vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention, and another embodiment will be described with reference to  FIG. 4 . 
     A bracket  200  may be provided with second fixing parts  220  configured to wrap and fix a cushion  100  and the bracket  200 , and the second fixing parts  220  may include a pair of second fixing parts  220  at both ends of the bracket, respectively, to be each located on a side of a corresponding one of the second binding parts  210 . In addition, a slit is provided at one end of each of the second fixing parts  220 , so the second binding parts  220  wrapping the cushion and the bracket may fix the cushion and the bracket with the slits each passing through a corresponding one of the second binding parts  210 . 
     Specifically, the second fixing parts  220  serve to wrap and fix the cushion  100  and the bracket  200  together. Secondarily, the second fixing parts  220  fix the cushion  100  and the bracket  200 , and as the second fixing parts  220  are provided, the cushion  100  and the bracket  200  may be more strongly bound to each other, thereby allowing the airbag module to be more conveniently assembled to the sunroof. 
     In this case, the second fixing parts  220  may be a non-woven material like first fixing parts  120  and may be each formed with a tear line. Accordingly, as the tear line is cut when the cushion is deployed, the deployment of the cushion  100  may not be disturbed. 
     In addition, the second fixing part  220  may be formed on a side of the second binding part  210  of the bracket, and when the second binding parts  210  are provided at opposite ends of the bracket, the second fixing parts  220  may also be provided on opposite sides of the second binding parts, that is, at both ends of the bracket, respectively. 
     The second fixing parts  220  may be each formed with a slit at one end like the first fixing part  120 , and after wrapping the cushion and the bracket, the second fixing parts  220  may each fix the cushion  100  and the bracket  200  by allowing the slit formed therein to pass through the first binding part  110 . 
     Although shown and described with respect to specific embodiments of the present invention, it will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be variously improved and changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention provided by the following claims.