US 6,206,410 B1Granted

Assembly for housing an inflatable airbag

AssigneeJohnson Controls Technology Company

InventorBetty L. Brown

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Abstract

An assembly of the invention includes a two-section trim cover for covering a component of a vehicle. The outer surfaces of the trim sections are secured to each other thereby forming a plain scam, with margin portions of the trim cover folded inward of the outer surfaces. The assembly further includes a two-section cavity liner for directing the force of the inflatable airbag in a direction toward the plain seam. To prevent the margin portions of the trim cover from blocking the plain seam, the margin portions of the trim cover are secured to the liner sections. The margin portions of the trim cover are, however, secured to the liner sections without substantial penetration through the outer surfaces of the trim cover. For this reason, the assembly offers an aesthetically pleasing housing for an inflatable airbag as the stitching is substantially hidden from a vantage facing the outer surfaces of the trim cover.

Claims15

Dependent claims

An assembly for housing an inflatable airbag, comprising:

a trim cover for covering a component of a vehicle, said trim cover having a first trim section and a second trim section, said first trim section having an outer surface and an inner surface, said second trim section having an outer surface and an inner surface, said outer surface of said first trim section being secured to said outer surface of said second trim section thereby forming a plain seam, said plain seam defining a body portion and a margin portion of said first trim section, and said plain seam defining a body portion and a margin portion of said second trim section;
an inflatable airbag;
and
a cavity liner for directing the force of said inflatable airbag in a direction toward said plain seam, said cavity liner having a first liner section and a second liner section, said first liner section being secured to said first trim section at said plain seam, said plain seam defining a body portion and a margin portion of said first liner section, said margin portion of said first trim section being secured to said margin portion of said first liner section at a first minor tack, said second liner section being secured to said second trim section at said plain seam, and said plain seam defining a body portion and a margin portion of said second liner section, said margin portion of said second trim section being secured to said margin portion of said second liner section at a second minor tack;
wherein said margin portion of said first trim section is secured to said body portion of said first liner section between said first minor tack and said plain seam thereby forming a first margin seam without substantial penetration through said outer surface of said body portion of said first trim section, and wherein said margin portion of said second trim section is secured to said body portion of said second liner section between said second minor tack and said plain seam thereby forming a second margin seam without substantial penetration through said outer surface of said body portion of said second trim section.

2 more elements

An assembly for housing an inflatable airbag, comprising:

a trim cover for covering a component of a vehicle, said trim cover having a first trim section and a second trim section, said first trim section having an outer surface and an inner surface, said second trim section having an outer surface and an inner surface, said outer surface of said first trim section being secured to said outer surface of said second trim section thereby forming a plain seam, said plain seam defining a body portion and a margin portion of said first trim section, and said plain seam defining a body portion and a margin portion of said second trim section;
and
a cavity liner for directing the force of the inflatable airbag in a direction toward said plain seam, said cavity liner having a first liner section and a second liner section, said first liner section being secured to said first trim section at said plain seam, said plain seam defining a body portion and a margin portion of said first liner section, said second liner section being secured to said second trim section at said plain seam, and said plain seam defining a body portion and a margin portion of said second liner section;
wherein said margin portion of said first trim section is secured to said body portion of said first liner section without substantial penetration through said outer surface of said body portion of said first trim section, and wherein said margin portion of said second trim section is secured to said body portion of said second liner section without substantial penetration through said outer surface of said body portion of said second trim section.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.