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US 5,350,190 AGranted
Air bag assembly mount including snap-fit horn attachment
AssigneePrimrose, Inc.
InventorAttila Szigethy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneePrimrose, Inc.
InventorAttila Szigethy
Estimating the term…
A connector for an air bag module or assembly which removably mounts the module to a mounting plate provided by a steering wheel or other support structure. A first embodiment of the connector movably mounts the module to the steering wheel, and provides a horn actuation feature. The module is biased to a normal position wherein a first horn switch contact provided by the steering wheel is spaced from a second horn switch contact provided by the module. The bias is overcome by user-applied force which moves the module inwardly relative to the steering wheel and thereby brings the first and second contacts into engagement and actuates the horn. The connectors of the first embodiment include first and second telescopingly related members and a biasing spring which tends to maintain the second member projecting from the first member. The second member includes a series of spaced-apart resilient arms which cooperate to provide a discontinuous annular or circumferential groove which receives a mounting plate provided by the steering wheel. The arms are radially deformable to disconnect the module from the steering wheel.
An air bag module comprising a base plate and a series of connectors for removably attaching the module to a mounting plate, said connectors comprising an outer member connected to the base plate, an inner member which telescopingly projects from the outer member and releasably connects the module to the mounting plate, and means for biasing the inner member away from the outer member, said outer member being electrically conductive and including a first end which is attached to the base plate and a second end which retains a portion of the inner member within the outer member, said second end cooperating with the mounting plate to define a horn switch, said inner member being electrically insulative and including a series of resiliently deformable arms, said arms cooperating to define an annular groove for the receipt of the mounting plate, said biasing means being intermediate the inner and outer members, said connectors allowing the module to move toward the mounting plate while connected thereto and allowing the module to be disconnected and removed from the mounting plate.
An air bag module comprising a base plate and a series of connectors for removably attaching the module to a mounting plate, said connectors comprising an outer member connected to the base plate, an inner member which telescopingly projects from the outer member and releasably connects the module to the mounting plate, and means for biasing the inner member away from the outer member, said outer member having an end which defines an annular lip, said lip retaining the inner member within the outer member, said inner member having an end which projects through a circular opening in the outer member defined by the annular lip, said inner member end including a series of resiliently deformable arms which cooperate to provide means for releasably capturing and retaining the mounting plate, said biasing means being intermediate the inner and outer members, said connectors allowing the module to move toward the mounting plate while connected thereto and allowing the module to be disconnected and removed from the mounting plate.
A steering wheel comprising an air bag module assembly and a mounting plate, the mounting plate defining a first horn switch contact and the assembly comprising a cover member, an inflator operable to inflate a cushion, a base plate, means for attaching the inflatable cushion to the base plate, and a series of mounting connectors, said cover member overlying the inflatable cushion and the base plate and being separable upon inflation of the cushion to allow the cushion to project outwardly, the inflator extending through the base plate and into the cushion, the improvement comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.