Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1997-06-19
2001-01-16
Culbreth, Eric (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S728300, C280S731000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173987
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an air bag apparatus mounted on a steering wheel, front instrument panel, front door trim or the like of an automobile. More particularly it relates to an apparatus for mounting and securing a pad cover onto and to a base plate mounted on a steering wheel, front instrument panel, front door trim or the like by way of a mounting plate or a like element.
The present invention relates also to a process for assembling an air bag apparatus for an automobile, and more particularly to an assembling method and an assembling apparatus for fastening a pad cover and a base plate of an air bag apparatus to each other.
The pad cover is generally referred to “module cover”, “receiving cover, “lid”, “cover door” or “deployment door” and is used as a case or housing for receiving an air bag or acting as cushioning.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, a mounting apparatus for an air bag apparatus of the type mentioned for fixedly mounting on a base plate a pad cover in which an air bag, a gas generator and so forth are accommodated is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid - Open Applications Nos. Showa 55-110643, Showa 63-184549 and Heisei 4-27639.
FIG. 25
shows the mounting apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid - Open Application No. Heisei 4-27639. Referring to
FIG. 25
, the mounting apparatus is applied to an air bag apparatus which includes an air bag
21
mounted on a mounting plate
23
and an air bag cover
24
which covers over the air bag
21
. An upright portion
26
extends uprightly from a peripheral edge of a flat portion
23
A of the mounting plate
23
on which the air bag
21
, an inflator
22
and a retainer
18
(a ring - like element for securing the air bag
21
to the mounting plate
23
) are mounted. A side circumferential wall
25
of the air bag cover
24
is contacted with and held against the upright portion
26
by a stiffening plate
12
, and the elements are secured to each other by means of rivets
13
which extends through them. This particular mounting apparatus is called a “rivet type” mounting apparatus.
Meanwhile,
FIG. 26
shows the mounting apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid - Open Application No. Showa 55-110643. Referring to
FIG. 26
, the mounting apparatus shown includes a mounting plate
23
to which a circumferential edge of a side circumferential wall
25
of an air bag cover
24
, which covers the circumference of an air bag
21
, and is snapped by means of a pawl plate
14
and a regulation wall
16
of the mounting plate
23
. The pawl plate
14
has an arresting pawl
15
which is inserted in and engaged with an arresting groove
28
formed on an inner circumferential face of the side circumferential wall
25
of the air bag cover
24
. The regulation wall
16
of the mounting plate
23
is inserted in an insertion groove
17
formed on a lower end face of the side circumferential wall
25
of the air bag cover
24
. This particular mounting apparatus is called a “snap - in type” mounting apparatus.
With the conventional mounting apparatus for mounting a pad cover on a base plate described above, however, whether they are of the rivet type or the snap - in type, a plurality of plates or parts such as mounting plates or pawl plates are required and the structure of the apparatus is complicated. Consequently, the number of steps in production is great and the operability is low, and also the weight is great. As a result, a high cost of manufacture is required. Further, such a great weight of an air bag apparatus which is mounted at a central portion of a steering wheel of an automobile results in a great moment of inertia around the axis of the steering wheel and deteriorates the steering performance of the automobile.
Additionally, in the air bag apparatus described above, in order to fasten the pad cover to the base plate, the base plate and/or the pad cover are positioned using a robot which can operate in directions of two—or three—axes or are manually operated to secure them by means of rivets, bolts or some other suitable fastening members.
To this end, such rivets, bolts or some other fastening members must be inserted accurately into predetermined holes of the pad cover and the base plate. Accordingly, the operability in assembly to secure the quality assurance is low.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an air bag apparatus of reduced weight which, solving the various subjects of the conventional air bag apparatus described above, is simple in structure and easy to mount a pad cover easily onto a base plate using a simple mounting apparatus for mounting a pad cover onto a base plate while assuring a sufficient strength.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an assembling method and an assembling apparatus by which an air bag apparatus can be assembled in accordance with a simple fastening method of fastening a pad cover onto a base plate and a base plate can be fastened to a pad cover readily with certainty in a short time to achieve improvement in assembling feasibility and productivity.
In order to attain the objects described above, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air bag apparatus which at least includes an air bag for protecting a driver of a vehicle upon collision of the vehicle, a base plate for mounting thereon a gas generator for inflating the air bag, and a pad cover secured to the base plate for accommodating the air bag and the gas generator therein, which is constructed such that part of the base plate is deformed into a predetermined shape to secure the pad cover to the base plate. Preferably, a portion of the base plate is bent to form a side inner face portion and is further folded back to form a side outer face portion, and a terminal portion of the pad cover is held between and secured by the side outer face portion and the side inner face portion of the base plate.
Further, pad cover terminal letting off preventing means may be provided on the side outer face portion or the side inner face portion of the base plate, or an arresting groove or an arresting hole for engaging with the letting off preventing means may be provided at the terminal portion of the pad cover.
According to the present invention, since the air bag apparatus which at least includes an air bag for protecting a driver of a vehicle upon collision of the vehicle, a base plate for mounting thereon a gas generator for inflating the air bag, and a pad cover secured to the base plate for accommodating the air bag and the gas generator therein, is constructed such that part of the base plate is deformed into a predetermined shape to secure the pad cover to the base plate, and preferably, part of the base plate is bent to form a side inner face portion and is further folded back to form a side outer face portion and a terminal portion of the pad cover is held between and secured by the side outer face portion and the side inner face portion of the base plate, by deforming part of the base plate into the predetermined shape, the caulking portion is formed. Consequently, the terminal portion of the pad cover can be mounted on the base plate with sufficient strength using a simple structure.
Further, since, as mounting parts, it is required to prepare only the pad cover and the base plate and the base plate itself has a weight which is at an equal level to that of a conventional base plate without requiring any additional member, the air bag apparatus contributes very much to improvement in operability, reduction in part cost and reduction in weight.
Further, where the pad cover terminal letting off preventing means is provided on the side outer face portion or the side inner face portion of the base plate or the arresting groove or the arresting hole for engaging with the letting off preventing means is provided at the terminal portion of the pad cover, it can be prevented fully that the pad cover broken at a planned break line upon operation of th
Lino Yasuhiro
Matsushima Yosuke
Nishimura Hirohito
Terasawa Tomozane
Bridgestone Corporation
Culbreth Eric
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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