Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Patent
1999-05-13
2000-05-02
Culbreth, Eric
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
2807283, B60R 2116
Patent
active
06056315&
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
The present invention relates to an arrangement for attaching a vehicle safety restraint airbag cover to a housing. It is particularly but not exclusively for use with a driver's side airbag or face bag.
An airbag comprises an inflatable cushion of fabric connected to inflation means such as a gas generator and is folded into a compact form and mounted in the vehicle in a rigid-housing. The housing is usually made of pressed metal. The folded airbag is protected by a cover from damage and from the ingress of dust and dirt. The cover is usually made of a flexible plastics material, particularly on the driver's side where the airbag is mounted in the steering wheel. The cover must be formed and attached in such a way that it acts like a flap when the airbag is deployed in a crash. On the other hand it must be securely mounted in the housing so as not to break loose on deployment and become a dangerous projectile in the interior of the vehicle.
One way of preventing the airbag cover from breaking loose altogether in the event of a crash is to make a tear line, i.e., a line of weakness, in the cover to encourage it to split in a controlled manner. However such a tear line is unsightly and is not generally acceptable to a vehicle manufacturer if it is visible to a vehicle occupant.
It is also known to attach the cover to the housing by frangible rivets but this requires a relatively complex assembly process and the small parts may break loose on deployment of the airbag, becoming dangerous projectiles.
The present invention aims to provide a relatively easy, low cost and safe assembly for an airbag cover using a minimum of parts.
According to the present invention there is provided an airbag arrangement comprising: airbag cushion, bounded by a base wall and a plurality of side walls at least one side wall having at least one catch member extending therefrom outwardly of the space, aperture dimensioned and positioned to receive a respective catch member, and and parallel to the base of the housing, and a side wall which is arranged to extend substantially parallel to the side wall of the housing and to sandwich the hinge member of the cover between the bracket and the housing side wall.
A metal insert may be moulded into the hinge member of the cover to strengthen it and may optionally fit under the raised catch member to assist retention of the cover on the housing.
Preferably, or in addition, the side wall of the bracket is formed with at least one tooth, formed for example by a slot, at its upper edge, which tooth is dimensioned to fit inside the upstanding catch member on the side wall of the housing, so as to lock the hinge member securely to the housing against forces applied to the cover.
Preferably the housing is formed with a plurality of raised catch members which cooperate with respective ones of a plurality of apertures in the hinge member and respective ones of a plurality of teeth in the inflator bracket.
According to a preferred embodiment the upstanding or raised catch member or members are formed as pressed, externally jutting flap members, and take the form of noses.
An airbag arrangement according to the invention provides an improved system for holding an airbag cover securely to an airbag module without the need for rivets or other components. The arrangement is relatively simple to assemble and after assembly provides a strong attachment against very high forces.
The arrangement can be applied to all side walls (there are usually four) of the airbag module, for extra strength.
For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an arrangement according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective drawing of an airbag housing for use in the arrangement of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an airbag cover with hinge for use in the arrangement of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an inflator and bracket for use
REFERENCES:
patent: 5456448 (1995-10-01), Bauer
patent: 5704635 (1998-01-01), Tajiri et al.
Breed Automotive Technology Inc.
Culbreth Eric
Seitzman Markell
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