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US 2006/0131843 A1Published application
Air bag module
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsWilliam Sherwood, Jeffrey Vinton, Baohua Xiao
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air bag module for a motor vehicle. The air bag module includes a housing, an air bag, an inflator, and a tear panel having a weakened area. The tear panel directs deployment of the air bag away from a vehicle occupant before the weakened area tears.
Claims20
An air bag module for a motor vehicle, the air bag module comprising:
- a housing configured to be disposed proximate the motor vehicle;
- an air bag disposed proximate the housing;
- an inflator configured to provide an inflator gas to inflate the air bag from a stored condition to a deployed condition;
- and
- a tear panel disposed proximate the housing and adapted to tear when the air bag is actuated toward the deployed condition;
- wherein the tear panel directs deployment of the air bag away from a vehicle occupant before the weakened area tears.
3 more elements
An air bag module for a motor vehicle, the air bag module comprising:
- a housing configured to be mounted on the motor vehicle;
- an air bag disposed proximate the housing;
- an inflator configured to provide an inflator gas to inflate the air bag from a stored condition to a deployed condition;
- and
- a tear panel disposed proximate the housing, the tear panel having first and second unattached edges that cooperate with the housing to define first and second openings, respectively, when the air bag is in the stored condition, the tear panel including a weakened area adapted to tear when the air bag is actuated toward the deployed condition;
- wherein the tear panel directs deployment of the air bag through the first and second openings and away from a vehicle occupant before the weakened area tears.
3 more elements
An air bag module for a motor vehicle, the air bag module comprising:
- a housing configured to be disposed proximate the motor vehicle;
- an air bag disposed proximate the housing;
- an inflator configured to provide an inflator gas to inflate the air bag;
- and
- a tear panel having first and second coupling portions disposed proximate the housing when the air bag is deflated and a weakened area adapted to tear when the air bag is inflated;
- wherein the tear panel extends along an arcuate path between the first and second coupling portions and the tear panel cooperates with the housing to define first and second openings through which the air bag deploys when the air bag is inflated and before the weakened area tears.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.