US 4,989,896 AGranted

Double door closure for an air bag deployment opening

AssigneeTip Engineering Group, Inc.

InventorsAnthony J. DiSalvo, David J. Bauer

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Abstract

A double door closure for an air bag depolyment opening is disclosed in which bridging portions extend across a line of separation between the doors and are weakened to define a frangible seam fractured by the pressure exerted by the inflating bag. The doors also each have an integral hinge flange formed along the opposite side from the frangible seam and inward raised surfaces defining an area of contact with the air bag to exert maximum shearing stress along the line of separation. In a first embodiment, the doors are of one piece molded construction with the weakening of the bridging portion created by a series of blind pockets molded in from the inside along the line of separation to create a hidden seam. In a second embodiment, the doors are constructed of a support layer and stiffening pieces secured together. In the second embodiment a decorative skin layer overlies the doors, and a piercing piece is driven by the air bag to penetrate the skin layer and initiate tearing.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A closure for a deployment opening for an automotive air bag system, said opening formed in a mounting structure forming a part of the interior structure of an automobile comprising:

a door assemblage of an upper door and a lower door connected together on either side of a line of separation, and together configured to be fit within and completely close off said opening;
hinging means associated with a side of each door opposite said line of separation allowing each of said upper door and lower door to swing out from said opening when said doors are free along said line of separation;
said door assemblage including a bridging portion integral with each of said upper door and lower door and extending across said line of separation, said bridging portion being weakened to form a frangible seam extending along said line of separation;
at least one protrusion extending inwardly from each of said upper and lower closure doors, each protrusion having a peak surface adjacent said line of separation to cause contact with an inflating air bag on said doors so as to insure maximum shearing pressure on said bridging portion;
each protrusion extending from a point adjacent the hinging side to said frangible seam to occupy a substantial proportion of the top to bottom width of the associated doors.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.