Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-14
2001-01-09
Swann, J. J. (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S731000, C280S732000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06170859
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a cover for a gas bag restraint system with a limiting strap fastened thereto and embedded in the gas bag cover.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
In the case of a restraint, when the cover is torn out from its anchorage by the unfolding gas bag, the limiting strap prevents the cover from being able to hit the occupant of the vehicle and from causing injuries. So that the cover also does not hit the windscreen with too great a kinetic energy, hitherto tear seams have been integrated into the limiting strap, which absorb a part of the kinetic energy so that the cover may strike against the windscreen with reduced kinetic energy. The reduction of the kinetic energy by the provision of tear seams additionally has the effect that the stress between the limiting strap and the cover in the region of the exit place of the limiting strap from the cover does not become too great, because otherwise the danger would exist that the limiting strap tears at the exit place. The tear seams, however, make the limiting strap expensive to manufacture.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a favourably-priced cover which is simpler to manufacture, the kinetic energy of which is largely reduced during tearing out from its anchorage and unfolding of the gas bag, before the cover hits the windscreen. This is achieved with a cover of the type mentioned above in that the embedding of the limiting strap into the cover takes place such that the cover, when it is held back by the limiting strap in the case of restraint, tears open in a defined manner in the region around the exit place of the limiting strap and remains attached to the limiting strap by a region which is not torn open. By tearing open of the cover, a large part of the kinetic energy of the cover can be reduced. The limiting strap is thereby stressed distinctly less and the energy with which the cover hits against the windscreen is reduced. The cover is only torn open to a predetermined extent, so that a complete detachment of the cover from the limiting strap is prevented.
Preferably, the limiting strap is embedded into the cover by injection-moulding or foaming.
According to a preferred embodiment the defined tearing open can take place in that the cover has an inner surface and the limiting strap has a first section embedded in the cover, in which it has an ever decreasing distance from the inner surface up to its exit place. Thereby, the force necessary for tearing open the cover becomes constantly greater with an increasing length of tearing open.
A second embedded section extending between the free, embedded end of the limiting strap and the first section, in which second section the limiting strap has a constant section from the inner surface, serves for fastening of the cover to the limiting strap after the partial tearing open of the cover.
In a preferred embodiment the limiting strap is embedded such that it peels open the cover up to a predetermined point.
A means for the local limitation of the tearing open process can be formed for example by an integral projection provided on the inner side of the cover.
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Shriver J. Allen
Swann J. J.
Tarolli, Sundheim, Covell Tummino & Szabo L.L.P.
TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG
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