Vehicle seat air bag guide having flexible panel with inner extremity grommet securement

A vehicle seat component comprising:

• a frame for mounting on an associated vehicle on which the vehicle seat component is to be used;
• a seat pad mounted by the frame and having a side extremity;
• a trim cover extending over the seat pad and having an air bag release seam adjacent the side extremity of the seat pad;
• an air bag module within the trim cover in a spaced relationship from its air bag release seam, the air bag module including an inflator and a air bag that is inflated by the inflator to outwardly from the seat component through the air bag release seam of the trim cover, the air bag module including a plurality of threaded mounting studs that extend through the frame, and the air bag module also including a plurality of mounting nuts respectively threaded onto the mounting studs to secure the air bag module to the frame;
• an air bag guide including an inner panel and an outer panel that are each made of flexible material and have outer and inner extremities with their outer extremities located adjacent the air bag release seam of the cover, the flexible inner and outer panels extending alongside each other from their outer extremities to the air bag module and thence respectively inwardly and outwardly thereof;
• a plurality of grommets secured to the inner extremity of the flexible inner panel at spaced locations from each other, the grommets being made of a noncreep material, each grommet having an annular shape including a hole through which an associated air bag module mounting stud extends, each grommet having opposite sides and a connecting portion extending between its opposite sides and defining the hole through which the associated mounting stud extends, and the inner extremity of the flexible inner panel being clamped between the opposite sides of each grommet;
• and
• the inner extremity of the flexible outer panel being secured within the seat.

A vehicle seat back comprising:

• a frame for mounting on an associated vehicle on which the vehicle seat back is to be used;
• a seat pad mounted by the frame and having an outboard side extremity;
• a trim cover extending over the seat pad and having an air bag release seam adjacent the side extremity of the seat pad;
• an air bag module at an outboard side location within the trim cover in a spaced relationship from its air bag release seam, the air bag module including an inflator and a air bag that is inflated by the inflator to project outwardly from the seat back through the air bag release seam of the trim cover, the air bag module including a plurality of threaded mounting studs that extend through the frame, and the air bag module also including a plurality of mounting nuts respectively threaded onto the mounting studs to secure the air bag module to the frame at an outboard location;
• an air bag guide including an inner panel and an outer panel that are each made of flexible material and have outer and inner extremities with their outer extremities located adjacent the air bag release seam of the trim cover, the flexible inner and outer panels extending alongside each other from their outer extremities to the air bag module and thence respectively inwardly and outwardly thereof;
• a plurality of grommets secured to the inner extremity of the flexible inner panel at spaced locations from each other, the grommets being made of a noncreep material, each grommet having an annular shape including a hole through which an associated air bag module mounting stud extends, each grommet having opposite sides and a connecting portion extending between its opposite sides and defining the hole through which the associated mounting stud extends, and the inner extremity of the flexible inner panel being clamped between the opposite sides of each grommet;
• and
• the inner extremity of the flexible outer panel being secured within the seat.

A vehicle seat component comprising:

• a frame for mounting on an associated vehicle on which the vehicle seat component is to be used;
• a seat pad mounted by the frame and having a side extremity;
• a trim cover extending over the seat pad and having an air bag release seam adjacent the side extremity of the seat pad;
• an air bag module within the trim cover in a spaced relationship from its air bag release seam, the air bag module including an inflator and a air bag that is inflated by the inflator to project outwardly from the seat component through the air bag release seam of the trim cover, and the air bag module including at least one threaded mounting stud that extends through the frame and the air bag module also including a mounting nut threaded onto the mounting stud to secure the air bag module to the frame;
• an air bag guide including a panel made of flexible material and having outer and inner extremities with its outer extremity located adjacent the air bag release seam of the cover, the flexible panel extending from its outer extremity to the air bag module;
• and
• a grommet secured to the inner extremity of the flexible panel and made of a noncreep material, and the grommet having a hole through which the air bag module mounting stud extends to be secured by the mounting nut.