Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-18
2001-07-24
DePumpo, Daniel G. (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C180S090000, C280S732000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264233
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a safety airbag assembly for an automotive vehicle, and particularly to a passenger side airbag assembly that includes a homogeneous one-piece plastic cover formed separately from the associated instrument panel. The cover conceals an airbag canister and an air conditioner duct extending alongside the canister. An opening in the cover is operable to direct conditioned air from the duct into the passenger compartment.
2. Description of Prior Developments
In many automotive vehicles the passenger side airbag canister is concealed behind an instrument panel that has hidden score lines or perforations typically configured in an “H” shaped pattern to outline an openable door in alignment with the airbag canister. When the airbag is deployed, the instrument panel is ruptured along the score lines, whereby the door is opened to permit the inflated airbag to expand through the door opening into the passenger compartment. If the cover is formed as a solid plastic molding without any surface covering such as a foam or plastic skin, the score lines formed on the inside surface of the cover causes grooves and other surface imperfections to form on the outer surface of the cover. This presents a significant drawback as far as the appearance of the cover is concerned.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a simplified door construction for an airbag canister, wherein the door is formed separately from the instrument panel. The separately-formed door is hinged to a hidden frame for disposition within an enlarged opening in the instrument panel. In a preferred practice of the invention, the door or cover protrudes slightly beyond the plane of the instrument panel so as to have an embossed appearance when viewed by a passenger sifting in facing relation to the instrument panel.
The cover can be designed to span the airbag canister and an air conditioning duct located alongside the canister. A relatively small opening in the cover is aligned with the air conditioning duct for conveying conditioned air into the passenger compartment. During deployment of the airbag, e.g., in a vehicle collision, the cover swings to the open position without disturbing the air conditioning duct and its outlet.
The entire cover swings outwardly during deployment rather than the cover splitting open to allow the airbag to pass therethrough. This feature obviates the need for forming score lines on the inner surface of the cover. By eliminating the score lines, surface imperfections such as grooves and sink holes are prevented from forming on the front or outer surface of the cover. This allows the cover to be formed of a homogeneous plastic molding having a smooth molded outer surface which does not need to be covered with a layer of foam or a sheet of plastic skin. If desired, the smooth molded outer surface of the cover can be painted with any desired color.
Specific features of the invention will be apparent from the attached drawings and description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4759568 (1988-07-01), Paefgen et al.
patent: 5333901 (1994-08-01), Barnes
patent: 5393089 (1995-02-01), Palusky et al.
patent: 5395668 (1995-03-01), Ito et al.
patent: 5421608 (1995-06-01), Parker et al.
patent: 5427408 (1995-06-01), Ando et al.
patent: 5451075 (1995-09-01), Parker et al.
patent: 5456487 (1995-10-01), Daris et al.
patent: 5470102 (1995-11-01), Smith et al.
patent: 5498027 (1996-03-01), Kelley et al.
patent: 5516145 (1996-05-01), Williams et al.
patent: 5531471 (1996-07-01), Terai
patent: 5533748 (1996-07-01), Wirt et al.
patent: 5556126 (1996-09-01), Lee
patent: 5560646 (1996-10-01), Gray et al.
patent: 5569959 (1996-10-01), Cooper et al.
patent: 5580083 (1996-12-01), Parker
patent: 5590901 (1997-01-01), MacGregor
patent: 5626357 (1997-05-01), Leonard et al.
patent: 5639115 (1997-06-01), Kelley et al.
patent: 5639116 (1997-06-01), Shimizu et al.
patent: 5662351 (1997-09-01), Phillion et al.
patent: 5755460 (1998-05-01), Barnes et al.
patent: 5904367 (1999-05-01), Warnez et al.
patent: 6050595 (2000-04-01), Knox
DaimlerChrysler Corporation
DePumpo Daniel G.
Dunn David R.
Shurupoff Lawrence J.
LandOfFree
Vehicle airbag assembly does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Vehicle airbag assembly, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Vehicle airbag assembly will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2435156