Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Patent
1996-10-02
1998-07-07
Dickson, Paul N.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
280731, 411348, B60R 2116, F16B 2100
Patent
active
057757259
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and device for connecting the housing of an air bag to the dish or skeleton of a steering wheel in an automobile. More particularly, the present invention relates to a snap or spring latch device where the air bag and the steering wheel dish have connectors which snap together.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The driver-side air bag arranged in the steering wheel dish is conventionally fastened by screwing the module, i.e., essentially the air bag housing, against the steering wheel skeleton, wherein it must be ensured for design reasons that the fastening means are not recognized from the outside after mounting. Since the air bag module can be introduced into the steering wheel dish only after mounting of the steering wheel for technical reasons, a considerable amount of mounting is involved. If the screwing of the air bag is performed from the side, the screwing means remain visible and must be provided with a cover for covering. The screwing is therefore performed from the bottom, which is generally also linked with difficulties in view of the fact that the fastening points are poorly accessible and this makes it necessary to rotate the steering wheel after fastening the first screw in order to gain access to the fastening point of the second screw.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The basic object of the present invention is to provide a device by means of which the air bag module can be fastened in the steering wheel dish in a simple and readily re-detachable manner.
The present invention provides a fastening device, by means of which the air bag module can be anchored in the steering wheel dish on anchors invisible from the outside without the use of a tool, wherein removal after fastening is not possible or is possible with a major effort only, so that an unintended or willful removal of the air bag is ruled out.
The present invention includes a locking member mounted on one of the air bag housing or the steering wheel dish. A spring tension catch means is mounted on the other of the air bag housing or the steering wheel dish. The spring tension catch means receives the locking members and engages with the locking members when the locking members is inserted into the spring tension catch means. The spring tension catch means and the locking member then support the air bag housing in the steering wheel dish.
In one embodiment the locking member is a hook and the spring tension catch means is a bracket. The bracket defines a window and the hook is inserted into the window. Also in the bracket is a leg spring which has first and second rights. The first leg is firmly held in the bracket while the second leg is movable in the window and in the path of the hook when the hook is inserted through the window. When the hook is inserted through the window, the second leg is moved by the hook. The leg spring biases the second leg so that the second leg moves into the detent of the hook once the hook has moved into the window. The hook, bracket and spring are formed so that all three of these structures securely hold the air bag to the steering wheel dish.
In another embodiment, a pin is provided on the steering wheel dish. The pin is the locking member which has a circumferential groove. The air bag housing has a sleeve which fits over the pin. The sleeve also defines holes in an area corresponding to the groove and the pin when the air bag is properly positioned in the steering wheel dish. The holes in the sleeve are formed as a ball bearing cage. An outer sleeve is guided on the inner sleeve and biased into a stop position. When the outer sleeve is in the stop position, ball bearings in the holes in the middle sleeve are forced radially inward. When the middle sleeve is mounted on the pin, the balls are forced into the groove on the pin and the middle sleeve and the air bag housing is locked onto the pin.
The size of the groove, the size of the balls and the size of the wall thickness of the middle sleeve are formed so that there is axia
REFERENCES:
patent: 3793685 (1974-02-01), Knecht
patent: 5087069 (1992-02-01), Corbett et al.
patent: 5207544 (1993-05-01), Yamamoto et al.
patent: 5333897 (1994-08-01), Landis et al.
patent: 5350190 (1994-09-01), Szigethy
patent: 5380037 (1995-01-01), Worrell et al.
patent: 5470099 (1995-11-01), Williams
Hodac Hung
Hussy Karl
Dickson Paul N.
Petri AG
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