Deformable air bag module housing

A method of deploying an air bag cushion in an instrument panel, comprising:

• providing an air bag module having a housing with a neck portion and an opening at a first side, the opening having a first dimension defined by opposing walls of said neck portion being in a facing spaced relationship, the air bag module including an inflator in fluid communication with the air bag cushion, the inflator and the air bag cushion being disposed within the housing;
• dividing the instrument panel into first and second instrument panel sections, the air bag module being coupled to both the first and second instrument panel sections;
• activating the inflator to generate inflator gas for inflation of the air bag cushion;
• and
• deforming the housing by directing the air bag cushion through the neck portion and the opening of the housing causing the neck portion and opening to expand to a second dimension, said second dimension being greater than said first dimension and resulting in the separation of the first and second instrument panel sections and deployment of the air bag cushion therebetween, wherein said opening having said first dimension is formed prior to the step of activating the inflator.

An air bag module, comprising:

• an air bag cushion;
• an inflator in fluid communication with said air bag cushion, said inflator being configured to release an inflation gas into said air bag cushion upon the detection of predetermined vehicle conditions to inflate said air bag cushion;
• a housing having a first wall, a second wall, and a portion securing said first and second walls to one another such that a cavity is defined therein, said cavity being configured to receive said air bag cushion and said inflator, said first wall having a first neck portion terminating in a first retaining flange, said second wall having a second neck portion terminating in a second retaining flange, said first and second retaining flanges being configured for securement to at least one retaining member of an instrument panel;
• and
• an open mouth being defined between said first and second neck portions, wherein inflation of said air bag cushion causes said air bag cushion to enter said open mouth and to act on said first and second walls and said first and second neck portions to deform said housing such that said first and second retaining flanges separate from one another to permit said air bag cushion to exit the air bag module.

A deformable air bag module for use in an instrument panel of a vehicle, the instrument panel having a first instrument panel section and an adjacent second instrument panel section each being configured and positioned to provide an air bag deployment opening upon activation of an inflator of the deformable air bag module, the deformable air bag module comprising:

• a module housing having a neck portion being defined by a pair of opposing neck walls in a facing spaced relationship and a cushion storage area being configured to receive and enclose an inflatable cushion in an un-inflated state, said neck portion being in fluid communication with said cushion storage area;
• a first flange portion depending away from one of said pair of opposing neck walls and a second flange portion depending away from the other one of said pair of opposing neck walls, said first flange portion being received and engaged by the first instrument panel section and said second flange portion being received and engaged by the second instrument panel section, wherein said pair of opposing neck walls define a neck area having an opening for receiving a portion of said inflatable cushion as said inflatable cushion is inflated by the inflator, said neck area and said opening being formed prior to activation of the inflator;
• and
• wherein further inflation of said portion of said inflatable cushion by the inflator causes said neck portion to expand and said first and second flange portions cause the first and second instrument panels to expand and define the air bag deployment opening.

A deformable air bag module for use in an instrument panel of a vehicle, the instrument panel having a first instrument panel section and an adjacent second instrument panel section each being configured and positioned to provide an air bag deployment opening upon activation of an inflator of the deformable air bag module, the deformable air bag module comprising:

• a module housing having a neck portion being defined by a pair of opposing neck walls in a facing spaced relationship and a cushion storage area being configured to receive and enclose an inflatable cushion in an un-inflated state, said neck portion being in fluid communication with said cushion storage area;
• a first flange portion depending away from one of said pair of opposing neck walls and a second flange portion depending away from the other one of said pair of opposing neck walls, said first flange portion being received and engaged by the first instrument panel section and said second flange portion being received and engaged by the second instrument panel section, wherein said pair of opposing neck walls define a neck area for receiving a portion of said inflatable cushion as said inflatable cushion is inflated by the inflator;
• a first tab portion that depends away from one of said pair of opposing neck walls and a second tab portion that depends away from the other one of said pair of opposing neck walls, said first and second tab portions being configured to direct said inflatable cushion through the air bag deployment opening,
• wherein further inflation of said portion of said inflatable cushion by the inflator causes said neck portion to expand and said first and second flange portions cause the first and second instrument panels to expand and define the air bag deployment opening.

A method for providing a deployment opening in an instrument panel of a vehicle for an inflatable cushion to deploy therethrough, comprising:

• inflating the inflatable cushion from an un-inflated state to a partially inflated state wherein a portion of the inflatable cushion expands from a cushion storage area to a neck portion, the neck portion being in fluid communication with the cushion storage area and the neck portion having a first dimension wherein a pair of opposing neck walls are in a facing spaced relationship, said first dimension allows the portion of the inflatable cushion to expand therein, one of said pair of opposing neck walls being secured to a first instrument panel section and the other of said pair of opposing neck walls being secured to a second instrument panel section;
• separating said first instrument panel section from said second instrument panel section by further inflating the inflatable cushion after said portion of the inflatable cushion is received in said neck portion;
• and
• directing the inflatable cushion through the deployment opening by directing the inflatable cushion with a pair of tab members, one of said pair of tab members being positioned to depend away from one of said opposing neck walls and the other one of said tab members being positioned to depend away from the other one of said opposing neck walls.