Self-retaining automotive airbag plate
AssigneeVisteon Global Technologies, Inc.
InventorsThomas D. Belanger, Jr., Gerald W. Stull, Kelvin J. Bennett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An airbag plate for use in an airbag assembly incorporates a protruding push retainer feature to irreversibly secure the airbag plate to an instrument panel upper. The protruding push retainer feature may use a plurality of contact arms or an upwardly exposed flange region, with or without barbs, as a positive retaining feature. The instrument panel upper is coupled to the airbag plate by inserting a raised boss on the engine side of the instrument panel upper through a corresponding protruding push retainer contained on the airbag plate. This push retainer feature then bites into the boss to aid in preventing the airbag plate from separating from the instrument panel upper when an airbag is deployed.
Claims20
An airbag plate comprising:
- a grooved region for securing the airbag plate to an instrument panel upper flange of an instrument panel upper;
- at least one raised flat region;
- a flat region between a grooved surface and said at least one raised flat region;
- and
- a push retainer region within one said at least one raised flat region, said push retainer region capable of being irreversibly coupled with a corresponding boss on said instrument panel upper.
An airbag assembly comprising:
- an airbag canister having an airbag;
- an instrument panel upper having at least one raised boss on an engine side surface;
- and
- an airbag plate between said airbag canister and said instrument panel upper, said airbag plate being formed from a first material and having a push retainer region contained within each one of at least one raised flat regions, wherein each of said push retainer regions corresponds to an irreversibly mates with one of said at least one raised bosses when said airbag plate is coupled with said instrument panel upper.
A method for attaching an airbag plate to an instrument panel upper in an airbag assembly, the method comprising the steps of:
- forming an airbag plate having at least one raised flat region, a flat region between a grooved surface and said at least one raised flat region, and a push retainer region within each one of said at least one raised flat regions;
- and
- irreversibly mating one of at least one bosses contained on an engine side of the instrument panel upper within each one of said at least one push retainer regions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.