US 2006/0186646 A1 · AIR BAG MODULE COVER WITH LATERAL OPENING AIR BAG DOOR

Abstract

First and second tear seams separated by a central portion of a panel of an air bag module cover define opposing first and second lateral edges of an air bag door, and are adapted so as to provide for a first region of the first central portion. Upon actuation of the associated air bag inflator, the tear seams fracture allowing the air bag to first deploy laterally, after which the first region of the panel is fractured responsive to relatively higher stresses therein, thereby opening the air bag door. In one embodiment, the tear seams extend along portions of the upper and lower boundaries of the air bag door, and a third tear seam is provided between the portions of the first and second tear seams on one of the upper and lower boundaries, wherein the third tear seam is relatively stronger than the first and second tear seams.

Claims22

Dependent claims

An air bag module cover, comprising:

a. a panel adapted to cooperate with an air bag inflator module, wherein said panel has an inner side adapted to face towards an air bag inflator of said air bag inflator module;
b. at least one first tear seam defining at least a portion of a first lateral edge of at least one air bag door in said panel;
and
c. at least one second tear seam defining at least a portion of a second lateral edge of said at least one air bag door in said panel, wherein said first and second lateral edges are opposite to one another, said first and second tear seams are separated from one another by a first central portion of said panel, said first and second tear seams are adapted so as to provide for a first region and at least one second region of said first central portion of said panel, wherein upon actuation of said air bag inflator module said first region is subjected to relatively higher stress than said at least one second region and said first region is subjected to relatively lower stress than either said at least one first tear seam or said at least one second tear seam, so as to provide for fracturing said panel in said first region following a fracture of said at least one first tear seam and said at least one second tear seam, wherein said at least one second region provides for hinging said at least one air bag door from said panel.

1 more element

A method of providing for an air bag door in an air bag module cover, comprising:

a. providing first and second lateral tear seams bounding at least one door in a panel of the air bag module, wherein said first and second lateral tear seams are distal to a central portion of said panel, and said first and second lateral tear seams extend along at least one of a portion of a top edge of said at least one door and a portion of said bottom edge of said at least one door;
b. providing for tearing said first and second lateral tear seams before tearing said central portion of said panel responsive to an actuation of an air bag inflator of said air bag module;
c. providing for adapting said first and second lateral tear seams along said at least one of said portion of said top edge of at least one door and said portion of said bottom edge of said at least one door so as to define first and at least one second regions of said central portion, wherein said first region is subject to a relatively higher stress than said at least one second region responsive to said actuation of said air bag inflator;
d. providing for tearing said panel along said first region after said panel is torn along said first and second lateral tear seams;
and
e. providing for hinging said at least one door about at least one hinge portion in said at least one second region.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Air bag module cover with lateral opening air bag door

Life of this patent

Air bag module cover with lateral opening air bag door

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22