Air bag mounting assembly
AssigneeFord Motor Company
InventorJohn Boag
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mounting assembly is provided for mounting an air bag module (38) in the instrument panel (10) of an automotive vehicle, which includes a box-like tray member (74) secured to the instrument panel (10) and to the vehicle body (14) that receives an air bag module in snap-fit relationship upon insertion of the air bag module through an aperture (24) in the instrument panel.
Claims16
In an automotive vehicle having a body structure including a laterally extending beam carried therein and instrument panel carried within the body structure and an air bag module carried with the instrument panel and operatively associated with the automotive vehicle for inflatably restraining a vehicle occupant, a mounting assembly for fixedly securing said air bag module within the instrument panel, comprising:
- means defining a generally rectangular aperture through said instrument panel sized to receive said air bag module;
- a generally box-like tray member fixedly secured to the body structure laterally extending beam and the instrument panel and having one open face arranged in juxtaposition with said aperture;
- and
- snap-fit retention means operatively disposed between said air bag module and said tray member to effect snap-fit retention upon insertion of said air bag module into said instrument panel aperture.
A method of assembling an air bag module into the instrument panel of an automotive vehicle of the type having a body structure including a laterally extending beam positioned near the instrument panel, the method comprising the steps of:
- forming an aperture through the instrument panel;
- securing a box-like tray to the instrument panel and to the beam;
- inserting an air bag module through said aperture;
- and
- engaging said air bag module with said tray in snap-fit relationship.
An automotive inflatable occupant restraint system for an automotive vehicle having a body including a laterally extending beam operatively carried in said body, the occupant restraint system comprising:
- an instrument panel mounted within the body;
- an air bag module fixedly secured to said body;
- and
- means defining a generally rectangular aperture through said instrument panel sized to receive said air bag module;
- a generally box-like tray member fixedly secured to the beam and the instrument panel and having one opened face arranged in juxtaposition with said aperture;
- and
- snap-fit retention means operatively disposed between said air bag module and said tray member to effect snap-fit retention upon insertion elf said air bag module into said instrument panel aperture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.