Side airbag connector assembly
AssigneeIrvin Automotive Products, Inc.
InventorsJoseph P. Wieczorek, Timothy O. Hamlin, Bryan Busha
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A connector assembly for use with a side airbag having a tearable seam in a vehicle seat is disclosed. The connector assembly includes a clip member having a slot near one end thereof and an inner chute connected to the clip member via the slot. The connector assembly also includes a rod releaseably secured to the clip member. An outer chute is connected to the rod and the seam on the opposite end thereof. The chute will allow for proper guidance of the airbag during deployment from the seat in a crash situation.
Claims20
A connector assembly for use with a side airbag in a vehicle seat, said assembly including:
- a clip member having a slot near one end thereof;
- an inner chute connected to said clip member via said slot;
- a rod releaseably secured to said clip member;
- and
- an outer chute connected to said rod.
A seat having a deployable side airbag, said seat including:
- a trim cover;
- a frame arranged within the seat;
- a side airbag module connected to said frame;
- a first chute member connected to said trim cover at a seam;
- a second chute member connected to said trim cover at said seam;
- a clip member connected to an end of said first chute member;
- and
- a rod connected to an end of said second chute member, said rod is positively locked with said clip member to secure said chutes at a predetermined position during deployment of the airbag from the seat.
A seat for use in a vehicle, the seat having a side airbag module connected to a frame within the seat, the seat having a trim cover with at least one seam therein, an outer chute member and an inner chute member are connected to the seam on one end and to a connector assembly arranged in the seat on the opposite end thereof, said connector assembly including:
- a clip member having a slot near one end thereof, the inner chute member is arranged through said slot to secure one of the chute members to said clip member, said clip member having a first and second J-shaped channel arranged on an end thereof opposite of said slot, a finger is arranged between said first and said second J-shaped channel, said finger having a predetermined angled surface at one end thereof;
- and
- a rod releaseably engageable with said first J-shaped channel, said second J-shaped channel and said angled surface of said clip member, said rod is secured within a pocket at the end of one of the chute members, said rod is positively locked to said clip member around the frame and side airbag module to provide the inner and outer chute members the ability to guide the deployment of the side airbag through the seam of the seat.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.