Back to results
US 5,496,060 AGranted
One piece detachable cover fastener
AssigneeMorton International, Inc.
InventorsTimothy J. Whited, Russell S. Gans
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeMorton International, Inc.
InventorsTimothy J. Whited, Russell S. Gans
Estimating the term…
A vehicle air bag installation including an inflatable air bag assembly mounted in a rectangular opening in the vehicle instrument panel for deployment of the air bag through the opening. A rectangular net fit cover door engages a recessed abutment around the opening when closed. The abutment includes a plurality of spaced apertures around the opening for receiving fasteners for attaching the cover to the instrument panel. The fasteners comprise elongate thermoplastic resin bodies having a bulbous head, flared wings or shoulders extending from the bulbous head for providing height alignment, an intermediate bulbous portion for centering the fastener in the aperture and a lower end that converges to a flange to facilitate insertion through the apertures. Integral lock-in-tabs are provided in the flange portion to lock the fastener to the abutment. Integral channels molded into the underside of the cover substrate releasably engage the heads of the fasteners. The cover having the fasteners secured to channels in its underside is assembled to the instrument panel by aligning the fasteners with the apertures in the abutment flange. The fasteners are inserted into the apertures and are locked therein by the lock-in tabs to prevent inadvertent premature movement of the cover. Upon deployment of the air bag, the cover is pushed out of the instrument panel surface with the fasteners disengaging from the channels in the underside of the cover.
In an air bag installation for a vehicle in which an inflatable air bag is mounted in a recess in the instrument panel for deployment through a rectangular opening in said instrument panel, having a peripheral recessed abutment with spaced apertures, which is closed by a rectangular cover door that engages the abutment to form a net fit when installed and is secured to the instrument panel, retaining means for releasably securing the door installed in the panel opening, comprising
In an air bag installation for a vehicle in which an air bag is mounted in a recess in the instrument panel for deployment through a rectangular panel opening, having a recessed peripheral abutment with a plurality of spaced apertures, the opening being closed by a rectangular cover door that engages the abutment when installed, retaining means for releasably maintaining the door installed in the panel opening, comprising a plurality of fasteners mounted along the periphery of the door, each fastener having a bulbous head, juxtaposed spaced winged shoulder portions extending from the said head, an underlying intermediate bulbous portion, which has a greater circumference than said bulbous head and a terminal flanged portion with integral lock-in tabs for attachment of the fastener through the apertures to the abutment, a plurality of integral channels molded into the underside of the cover for securing the fasteners bulbous head to said cover to inhibit inadvertent door opening, interengageable surfaces of the cover and peripheral abutment providing a net fit of the cover and instrument panel, whereby inflation of the air bag causes disengagement of the interengageable surfaces thus freeing the cover door to enable door opening, while retaining the fasteners mounted to the abutment.
A unitary thermoplastic resin fastener comprising a bulbous head, juxtaposed spaced winged shoulder portions extending from said head, all underlying intermediate bulbous portion having a periphery that downwardly converges into a terminal flanged foot portion with complimentary integral lock-in tabs for securing the fastener to a support surface, wherein said intermediate bulbous portion has a greater circumference than said bulbous head.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.