Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Patent
1999-06-18
2000-08-22
Rice, Kenneth R.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
280732, B60R 2120
Patent
active
061060038
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to an interior trim panel for motor vehicles fitted with an airbag in accordance with the preamble of claim 1.
Passenger restraining devices with an inflatable gas bag, called "airbag" below, are increasingly used in motor vehicles, not only for the driver but also for the passenger, and both as front protection and as a side airbag to protect against a side-on collision. The driver's airbag to protect against head-on accidents has its "natural" place in the steering wheel hub and fits easily into the interior design of the vehicle; on the other hand, both passenger and side airbags require installation places which have a decisive effect on the overall impression of the interior, namely the free area of the dashboard in front of the passenger and the side panels of the doors. Complete airbag units, i.e. installation-ready combinations of gas generator, airbag and cover, interrupt these "design surfaces" through deviations in colour and pattern, but above all through the "seam pattern" which is produced and which, as a result of unavoidable installation tolerances, is frequently irregular and therefore ugly. Therefore there is the tendency to install passenger and side airbags "invisibly", i.e. to arrange them behind continuous covers.
In prior art, on separate complete airbag units, the coverings of the guide channel for the airbag are configured as single- or double-wing flaps, which may be swivelled around "plastic hinges" and thus release a penetration aperture under the pressure of the expanding airbag. This state of the art is also preserved in principle with the "invisible" installation of the airbag. "Flap grooves", i.e. cross-sectional weakenings of the supporting member which form a "plastic hinge" (if necessary reinforced with an incorporated intermediate metal ply), and "tear grooves" which are intended to ensure the opening of the flaps, here predetermine the opening region for the airbag in the continuous trim. The flaps defined by these grooves open under the pressure of the expanding airbag towards the passenger space, such that the airbag can stretch out in that direction (for example DE-GM 295 11 172).
What is problematic here is the tearing behaviour of the cover both in the necessary initial tearing and also as the tearing continues, which should happen as symmetrically as possible in order not to endanger the functioning of the airbag. It is therefore usual (DE-GM 295 11 172), also to weaken the cover along the tear seam in its cross-section, i.e. to notch it here. A cross-sectional weakening of more than 60% is here considered to be necessary and is also to some extent prescribed in works standard specifications. This procedure, however, still has a number of disadvantages: the danger of these flaps breaking away, which then mean an additional injury risk in the passenger area. requires, in view of the thickness tolerance of the covering films, considerable production and inspection outlay. that there is the danger that this region is obvious on the visible face.
There are proposals, therefore, to actuate cutting blades with the expanding airbag, in order to ensure defined tearing open of the cover independently of tolerances in the cover film thickness (U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,335), a type of procedure which requires additional manufacturing outlay and in which the relatively "robust" blades present a further injury risk (the blades sever both the supporting member and the cover).
The same is true for the airbag covering according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,875. Here an additional puncturing device with three puncturing prongs is attached behind a continuous flap, the prongs grasping locally through the closing flap when actuated. The additional puncturing device is connected, towards the airbag side, either by springs and/or a hinge to the continuous closing flap, which has surrounding it towards the decorative layer an erect rim which causes the tearing open of the decorative layer and thus the passage of the airbag. This solution, too, requires considerable manufactu
REFERENCES:
patent: 4989896 (1991-02-01), DiSalvo et al.
patent: 5082310 (1992-01-01), Bauer
patent: 5108128 (1992-04-01), Parker et al.
patent: 5154444 (1992-10-01), Nelson
patent: 5280947 (1994-01-01), Cooper
patent: 5466000 (1995-11-01), Leonard et al.
patent: 5533749 (1996-07-01), Leonard et al.
patent: 5611564 (1997-03-01), Bauer
Creutz Lydia
Rahmstorf Peter
Rice Kenneth R.
Sommer Allibert-Lignotock GmbH
LandOfFree
Interior trim panel for motor vehicles fitted with an airbag does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Interior trim panel for motor vehicles fitted with an airbag, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Interior trim panel for motor vehicles fitted with an airbag will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-572012