Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-08
2003-07-01
Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3616)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S731000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06585288
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The present invention relates to an airbag device for protecting an occupant on a high-speed vehicle, a cover thereof, and an emblem attached to the cover. In particular, the invention relates to an emblem provided in a cover, which is improved such that a rim of the emblem is not conspicuous, the cover having the aforementioned emblem, and an airbag device including the cover.
As airbag devices which protect occupants from an impact of a vehicle collision, a driver's seat airbag device, a front passenger's seat airbag device and the like have been widely used. The driver's seat airbag device is mounted on a boss section of a steering wheel, and includes an inflator which sprouts a gas; an airbag; and a cover or cover body which covers the airbag folded and stored. In the event of vehicle collision, the airbag is inflated by a pressure of a gas sprouted from the inflator, and the cover body formed of a soft resin is torn to open like a door, so that the airbag is inflated and deployed in front of the occupant.
An ornamental plate called an emblem is often attached to the cover of the airbag device, especially, the cover of the driver's side airbag device. As a structure of attaching the emblem to the cover body, there has been known a structure disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 10-273004 and Japanese Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 11-189119. In this structure, a recess section for fitting the emblem therein is formed on a front surface of the cover, and also, through holes are formed in the concave portion. Then, leg portions projecting from the emblem rearwardly are inserted into the through holes, and distal end sides of the leg portions are bent along an inner surface of the cover.
FIG. 7
is a perspective view showing a structure of attaching the emblem disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 10-273004. A cover
21
includes a covering section
22
for covering a part of a spoke section and a boss section, in which an airbag is stored, and an attachment wall section
23
in a form of a substantially rectangular cylinder which projects downwardly from a rear surface of the covering section
22
. In the covering section
22
, tear lines
24
a
and
24
b
as a tearing section are formed. The attachment wall section
23
is provided with rivet holes
23
a
for attaching the cover to a retainer of the airbag device.
At a substantial central portion of the covering section
22
of the cover
21
, there is formed a recess section
28
for attaching the emblem, and an emblem
31
is attached to the recess section
28
. At a central portion of the recess section
28
, a rivet hole
28
b
, which pierces from a front surface side to a rear surface side, is bored, and also, slit-like holes
28
c
are formed at plural positions along an outer peripheral portion of the recess section
28
.
This emblem
31
includes a plurality of legs
32
c
projecting in a rearward direction. Openings
32
d
are formed at the distal end sides of the legs
32
c.
The emblem
31
is fitted into the recess section
28
by inserting the legs
32
c
into the holes
28
c
. Then, the respective legs
32
c
are bent in a leg-closing direction to laminate the respective distal ends with each other. Incidentally, in this case, the openings
32
d
of the respective legs
32
c
accord concentrically. Then, a rivet
33
is urged to pass through the openings
32
d
of the respective legs
32
c
and a rivet hole
28
b
at a center of the recess section
28
, and is attached thereinto. Accordingly, the emblem
31
is fixed to the cover body
21
.
As described above, in the structure in which the legs
32
c
are inserted into the holes
28
c
and bent along the inner surface of the cover body
21
to thereby attach the emblem
31
, especially in case a side surface of the emblem including the legs
32
c
has a light color or a metallic surface (metallic gross surface), deep or front portions of the legs
32
c
inserted into the holes
28
c
are recognized visually, so that an appearance or beauty of the emblem is deteriorated.
Therefore, a coating with the same type of color is applied to the legs
32
c
, so that a conspicuousness of the legs
32
c
is solved. However, on the other hand, rim portions
32
b
of the emblem between the legs
32
c
become conspicuous, resulting in causing another bad impression. Namely, the rim portions
32
b
have metallic surfaces while the legs
32
c
have coated surfaces. Thus, a space between the emblem
31
and a stepped surface of the recess section
28
along the rim portion
32
b
is seen relatively brightly due to polish, while the portions of the aforementioned space around the holes
28
c
are seen as a non-polish surface. Accordingly, an unevenness in shining and tone appears in a peripheral direction of the emblem, resulting in causing a bad impression on the appearance.
The present invention has been made to solve the aforementioned problem in the prior art, and an object of the invention is to provide an emblem which is excellent in appearance in which a space between the emblem and a stepped surface of the cover body is well matched, and to provide a cover using the emblem, and an airbag device including the cover.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the aforementioned object, the present invention provides an emblem provided on an outer surface of a cover of an airbag device. The emblem is formed of a main plate disposed on the outer surface of the cover body; and attachment legs projecting in a direction of a rear side of the emblem from an outer rim portion of the main plate. At least outer surfaces of base end sides of the legs have the same type of color as that of at least a rim portion at a rear side of a side surface of the main plate.
The present invention also provides a cover in which the emblem as stated above is attached on the outer surface of the cover. The cover includes a concave portion provided on the outer surface of the cover, and holes piercing the cover and provided along a stepped surface of the concave portion. In the cover with the emblem, the legs of the emblem are inserted into the holes of the cover, and the legs are bent at an inner side of the cover.
An airbag of the invention includes the cover with the emblem described above.
In the emblem, the cover and the airbag device of the invention described above, since at least the outer surfaces of the legs at the base end sides thereof have the same type of the color as that of at least the rim portion of the side surface of the emblem at the rear side, the space between the side surface of the emblem and the stepped surface of the concave portion of the cover body has a substantially equal tone in the circumferential direction of the emblem, so that the beauty or appearance of the cover body is extremely improved.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5344185 (1994-09-01), Cooke, II
patent: 5678849 (1997-10-01), Davis
patent: 6047984 (2000-04-01), Preisler et al.
patent: 6053526 (2000-04-01), Preisler et al.
patent: 6149186 (2000-11-01), Manfrin
patent: 6158764 (2000-12-01), Preisler et al.
patent: 6322100 (2001-11-01), Cuevas et al.
patent: 0 965 489 (1999-06-01), None
patent: 10-100833 (1998-04-01), None
patent: 10-273004 (1998-10-01), None
patent: 11-189119 (1999-07-01), None
Subaru IMPREZA WRX LIMITED 99 INFO web page, Nov. 30, 1999 http://www.j-garage.com/4120.htm.
Katsurada Haruo
Nishiura Shigekazu
Dickson Paul N.
Ilan Ruth
Takata Corporation
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