Driver Side Air Bag
AssigneeKey Safety Systems, Inc.
InventorsBrian C. Ford, Thomas G. Busacca, Robert Arwood
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air bag usable to protect the driver of the vehicle comprising: a face panel; a rear panel of generally the same shape as the face panel and secured to the face panel along its periphery; the rear panel including a centrally located opening configured to receive an air bag inflator that introduces gas into the space formed by the face and rear panels; a tether of elongated shape having first and second ends and a center region, the center region is positioned into a Z-shaped configuration and secured to the face panel proximate a geometric center of the face panel.
Claims15
An air bag (20) usable to protect the driver of the vehicle comprising:
- a face panel (22);
- a rear panel (30) of generally the same shape as the face panel and secured to the face panel along its periphery;
- the rear panel including a centrally located opening (32) configured to receive an air bag inflator that introduces gas into the space formed by the face and rear panels;
- a tether (70) of elongated shape having first (74) and second (76) ends and a center region (78), the center region is secured to the face panel proximate a geometric center of the face panel.
An air bag (20) usable to protect the driver of the vehicle comprising:
- a face panel (22);
- a rear panel (30) of generally the same shape as the face panel and secured to the face panel along its periphery;
- the rear panel including a centrally located opening (32) configured to receive an air bag inflator that introduces gas into the space formed by the face and rear panels;
- a tether (70) of elongated shape having first (74) and second (76) ends secured about the centrally located opening to the rear panel and a center region (78), the center region is configured into a Z-shaped configuration via access through the centrally located opening and secured to the face panel proximate a geometric center of the face panel.
The air bag according to claim 10 wherein first and second ends of the tether are oppositely positioned about the centrally located opening of the rear panel.
A method of assembling an air bag of the type having a face panel, a rear panel, a tether of elongated shape having a first and a second end and a center region, the steps comprising:
- a) securing the first and second ends of the tether to the rear panel opposite one another about the centrally located opening;
- b) joining the face and rear panels together along a joint or seam at their aligned peripheries;
- c) inverting the air bag by pulling the face panel through the centrally located opening;
- d) manipulating the tether so it is positioned beneath the centrally located opening and e) securing the center portion of the tether to the face panel.
An air bag (20) usable to protect the driver of the vehicle comprising:
- a face panel (22);
- a rear panel (30) of generally the same shape as the face panel and secured to the face panel along its periphery;
- the rear panel including a centrally located opening (32) configured to receive an air bag inflator that introduces gas into the space formed by the face and rear panels;
- a tether (70) of elongated shape having first (74) and second (76) ends and a center region (78), the center region is secured to the face panel proximate a geometric center of the face panel and a heat shield (60, 60a, 60b) having a first set of opposing corners, each of the corners of the first set of corners overlaying a respective first or second end of the tether.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.