Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-12
2001-08-28
Rice, Kenneth R. (Department: 2167)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S732000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279942
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application claims priority of DE 198 51 975.3, filed Nov. 11, 1998, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to an air bag module housing for a motor vehicle, having an oblong basic housing body which is used for receiving a gas generator and an air bag and which is laterally closed by two side covers. The air bag module housing is deformable in the event of an impact of a part of the body, particularly of the head, of a vehicle occupant.
Known air bag module housings are described, for example, in European Patent Document No. EP 0 666 203 A1, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,395,133 and 5,342,082. In European Patent No. EP 0 666 203 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,133, energy-absorbing elements are to be mounted on the edges of the basic housing body. As the result, the shock in the event of an impact of a vehicle occupant's head is to be damped. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,082, the same object is to be achieved by recessing oval openings in the side covers. In addition, V-shaped incisions are made in the edge area of the side covers.
It has been discovered that a modification of the basic housing body alone is not sufficient for ensuring a satisfactory deformation of the air bag module housing. The construction of openings or V-shaped incisions in the side covers results in the risk that, when inflating, the air bag may become hung up therein and tear. In addition, the side covers may break in the areas between the openings or incisions when highly stressed, which results in breaking edges which may cause injury.
For optimizing the deformation of the air bag module housing, EP 0 734 914 B1 and European Patent Document EP 0 818 361 A1 suggests thermally weakening individual areas in the basic housing body. As a result, the moment of resistance is to be reduced in a targeted manner. The thermal weakening of individual areas has the disadvantage, however, that their quality or the presence cannot necessarily be recognized. WO 91/14 110 also relates to the thermal weakening of energy-absorbing structures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to optimize the deformation of the air bag module housing. In addition, the air bag module housing according to the invention is manufacturable in a simple manner and at reasonable cost. Damage to the air bag during inflation is to be prevented. In particular, the criteria of the so-called head impact test are to be met.
These objects have been achieved by providing an air bag module housing for a motor vehicle having an oblong basic housing body, which is used for receiving a gas generator and an air bag and which is laterally closed by two side covers. The air bag module housing is deformed in the event an impact of a part of the body, particularly of the head, of a vehicle occupant, by making at least one slot respectively in the side covers. The slot extends essentially perpendicularly to the expected impact direction of the part of the body along the largest part of the respective side cover to the edge. The slot is formed by two mutually adjoining edges of the respective side cover. These edges form almost no surface of attack for the air bag during the inflating.
As a result, damage to the air bag during inflation are reliably prevented. With the arrangement of the slot essentially perpendicular to the expected impact direction of the part of the body along the largest part of the respective side cover, the resistance of the side cover with respect to a deformation during the impact is reduced. At the end of the slot, the still remaining material of the side cover represents a rotating area about which the two parts of the side cover, which are separated by the slot, rotate in a hinge-like. The torsional resistance can be varied by the amount of the remaining material of the side cover or the length of the slot.
A special embodiment of the invention provides the slot with a through-construction. As a result, the resistance of the side cover to a deformation in the area of the slot is virtually reduced to zero.
Another special embodiment of the invention provides that the side covers have slightly bent sections on one side, preferably on the side of the slot facing away from the gas generator. The bent sections ensure that the two parts of the side cover separated from one another by the slot slide past one another, in the event of a deformation of the air bag module housing.
Still another special embodiment of the invention provides that the cross-section of the basic housing body has at least one bulge at the level of the slot in the side covers. In a construction of side covers with through-slots, two opposite bulges are constructed in the basic housing body. If the slots are not formed in a through-shape in the side covers, the bulge is arranged only on the side of the slot. The bulge provides a defined deformation of the basic housing body. The bulge may, for example, have a semicircular or a triangular cross-section. As an alternative, a thermal weakening of individual areas of the basic housing body may also be provided.
Yet another special embodiment of the invention provides that the wall thickness is reduced in the area of the bulge. This reduces the resistance in the basic housing body against a deformation.
Another special embodiment of the invention provides that the side parts are fastened on the basic housing body by screws or rivets. As the result of the screws or rivets, forces are introduced from the basic housing body into the side covers in the event of a deformation. Alternatively, this can also be achieved by a form closure between the basic housing body and the side covers. The precise placing of the screws or rivets or of the form closure influences the deformation behavior.
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patent: 5533747 (1996-07-01), Rose
patent: 5697637 (1997-12-01), Milne, III
patent: 5826901 (1998-10-01), Adomeit
patent: 0 748 723 (1995-06-01), None
patent: 0 666 203 (1995-08-01), None
patent: 0 734 914 (1996-10-01), None
patent: 0 776 799 (1997-06-01), None
patent: 0 818 361 (1998-01-01), None
patent: 2-155855 (1990-06-01), None
patent: 3032526 (1996-10-01), None
patent: 91/14110 (1991-09-01), None
Bossenmaier Alban
Henkel Jorg
Reiter Friedrich
Rudolf Harald
Steiner Martin
Crowell & Moring , L.L.P.
Daimler-Chrysler AG
Jasmin Lynda
Rice Kenneth R.
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