Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Patent
1992-01-17
1994-04-26
Tyson, Karin L.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
280732, B60R 2122
Patent
active
053060393
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The Present invention relates to a passenger's air bag assembly inflatable to protect a passenger in a crash.
BACKGROUND ART
A passenger's air bag assembly of this type includes a holder (for example, container) to which an air bag in a folded condition and an inflator are attached. A modular cover is also attached to cover the air bag. The inflator is actuated in a collision so as to deploy the air bag. Deployment of the air bag causes opening of the modular cover in the interior of a vehicle. The air bag is then fully deployed to protect a vehicle occupant.
The modular cover includes a tear line or a bending line. When the inflator is actuated, the air bag forces the modular cover to be ruptured along the tear line or to be bent along the bending line. The modular cover is thus opened in the interior of the vehicle.
Typically, ribs are formed in the rear surface of a modular cover for a passenger's air bag assembly so as to increase the rigidity of the modular cover. When vibration is transferred from a vehicle to the air bag assembly, the air bag may be worn or impaired as a result of rubbing between the air bag in a folded condition and those ribs. To this end, a conventional passenger's air bag assembly includes an air bag made entirely from a high strength cloth. This results in an increase in the production cost of the air bag.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a passenger's air bag assembly comprising a holder, an air bag held in a folded condition in the holder, an inflator held in the holder and adapted to deploy the air bag, and a modular cover attached to the holder to cover the air bag, wherein a cloth is disposed between the modular cover and the air bag.
With the air bag assembly of the present invention, the cloth prevents the air bag and the modular cover from rubbing against each other. Therefore, the air bag is in no way worn.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1a is a perspective view of an air bag assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 1b is a perspective view of the air bag assembly in an inflated condition;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line II--II in FIG. 1a;
FIG. 3 is an exploded view, in perspective, of the air bag assembly;
FIGS. 4 and 5 are exploded views indicated in FIG. 2, in perspective, showing the principal part of the assembly;
FIG. 6 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow VI in FIG. 2;
FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line VII--VII in FIG. 6; and
FIG. 8 illustrates a rivet removably fit in an elongated slot.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
One embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.
FIGS. 1 to 8 show an air bag assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1a is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of the entire air bag prior to inflation. FIG. 1b is a schematic perspective view showing the air bag in an inflated condition. FIG. 2 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line II--II in FIG. 1. FIGS. 3 to 5 are exploded views of the assembly. FIGS. 6 to 8 are views showing the principal parts of the assembly.
An air bag assembly 10 includes a holder or container 12, and a modular cover 14 attached to the front of the container 12. Inflators 16 are fixedly mounted within the container 12. In this embodiment, a subcontainer 20 is inserted into the container 12 to receive an air bag 18 in a folded condition. A plurality of through holes 21 are formed in the subcontainer 20 to permit gases to flow from the inflators 16 into the subcontainer 20 so as to deploy the air bag 18.
The container 12 is a rectangular box and has an open front. A frame 22 has a L-shaped section and is attached to the inner peripheral edge of the opening of the container 12. The subcontainer 20 has a flange 20a, and the air bag 18 has a flange 18a. These flanges 20a and 18a are both secured to the rear surface of the frame 22 by rivets 24.
The reference numeral 18b indicates a cloth (masking cloth)
REFERENCES:
patent: 4842300 (1989-06-01), Ziomek et al.
patent: 4989896 (1991-02-01), DiSalvo et al.
patent: 5060972 (1991-10-01), Satoh et al.
patent: 5080393 (1992-01-01), Dixon, Jr. et al.
patent: 5096222 (1992-03-01), Komerska et al.
Takata Corporation
Tyson Karin L.
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