US 2006/0066088 A1 · INFLATABLE AIRBAG CUSHION FORMED WITH A BLOWN ELASTOMER CORE AND METHODS OF USING AND MANUFACTURING SAME

Abstract

An automotive interior component including a substrate adapted to be mounted inside a passenger cabin of a vehicle and a covering on at least a portion of the substrate adapted to define an airbag cushion deployed as a passenger restraint in the event of a collision. The covering includes a core of a cellular material that loses cohesion when an inflation fluid is injected to define a space between a substrate and an elastic outer layer. As the space fills with inflation fluid, the outer layer elastically expands for defining the airbag cushion. The automotive interior component may be made in a multi-shot molding operation with the substrate being formed in one shot and the covering being formed in another shot.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An automotive interior component providing an airbag cushion capable of being filled by an inflation fluid to restrain an occupant inside a passenger cabin of a vehicle, comprising:

a substrate adapted to be mounted inside the passenger cabin;
and
a covering on at least a portion of said substrate, said covering including an elastic outer layer of a polymer material and a core of said polymer material having a cellular structure positioned between said outer layer and said substrate, said cellular structure of said core configured to lose cohesion upon receipt of the inflation fluid for defining a space between said outer layer and said substrate, and said space filling with the inflation fluid to cause elastic expansion of said outer layer for defining the airbag cushion.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Inflatable airbag cushion formed with a blown elastomer core and methods of using and manufacturing same

Life of this patent

Inflatable airbag cushion formed with a blown elastomer core and methods of using and manufacturing same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14