Mechanism for releasing a latch of air bag door

Abstract

A mechanism for releasing a latch of a door covering an air bag container having a latching unit provided on an air bag door attached through a hinge to an instrument panel of a vehicle at the opposite side to the hinge, a cylinder body mounted near a latching lever in the latching unit and set in an attitude that the latching lever is operated in a latch releasing direction in case of releasing the latching unit by a rod telescoped in the cylinder, an air bag inflater formed with other passage for introducing part of gas generated in the inflater out of the air bag, the other passage being connectd to a vacant chamber at the opposite side to the rod of the cylinder. Since the mechanism releases the latch of the door by operating the cylinder unit by means of gas generated from the inflater, the air bag door can be opened simultaneously at the time of inflation of the air bag. In case of an inspection, the air bag door may sufficiently be opened, but may not be disassembled.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.