Housing for protective air bar retaining systems of automotive vehicles

Abstract

An air bag housing for automotive vehicles is disclosed. The housing includes a pot-like generator carrier to hold the air bag, a cover cap surrounding the generator carrier and having a predetermined breaking line, and a safety plate to secure the cover cap against unauthorized removal. The cover cap includes a reinforcing insert having an interrupted portion in the area of the predetermined breaking line. The reinforcing insert includes an essentially rectangular reinforcing frame made of a dimensionally stable material with a high elastic modulus, such as a metal or plastic. The reinforcing insert may be provided with free cuts or cut-out portions simultaneously forming the predetermined breaking lines, so that two flap-like cover surfaces only connected along an essentially linear connecting line with the circumferential wall are formed. The reinforcing insert may be provided with openings along the connecting lines between the flap-like cover surfaces and the reinforcing frame. Openings may also be provided on the circumferential and cover surfaces. Free cuts or cut-out portions to block edge tearing, may extend from the ends of lateral free cuts in the direction of the connecting line, between the cover flaps and the reinforcing frame.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.