Passenger air bag module with means for retaining an air bag deployment door to a housing

{
  "publication_number": "US5342090A",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A",
  "title": "Passenger air bag module with means for retaining an air bag deployment door to a housing",
  "abstract": "An assembly for an air bag (56) adapted to fit within an opening (22) of a vehicle part (20) including: a housing (44) including: a first wall (100) and an opposite second wall (102), a flexible wall member (106) secured to the first wall (100) defining a space (150) therebetween, one of the first wall (100) and flexible wall member (106) including a plurality of first tabs (112) extending into the space (132), the second wall (102) including a plurality of locating tabs (120) and latching tabs extending outwardly therefrom; a deployment door or cover (30, 40, 42) for enclosing the housing including a hinge portion (40), received in the space, engagable with the first tabs (112) to provide a snap connection therebetween and a seam portion (42) including seam flange (76) engageable with the locating tabs, the seam flange being latched in place by the latching tabs (122) to secure the seam portion (42) to the housing.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An assembly for an air bag (56) adapted to fit within an opening (22) of a vehicle part (20) comprising: a housing (44) comprising: a first wall (100) and an opposite second wall (102), a flexible wall member (106) secured to the first wall (100) defining a space (150) therebetween, one of the first wall (100) and flexible wall member (106) including a plurality of first tabs (112) extending into the space (150), the second wall (102) including a plurality of locating tabs (120) and latching tabs (122;124) extending outwardly therefrom; cover means (30, 40, 42) for enclosing the housing including first means, received in the space (150), including a hinge portion (40) engagable with the first tabs (112) to provide a snap connection therebetween and a seam portion (42) including second means (76, 82) engageable with the locating tabs and third means (76;84) being latched by said latching tabs to secure the seam portion to the housing, the seam portion including a tear seam (80) which tears apart in response to deployment forces generated by an inflating air bag.",
    "2. The assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the cover means comprises a cover (30), and wherein a hinge flange (60) integrally extends from the cover, and wherein the hinge portion (62) is formed proximate a junction of the hinge flange (60) and the cover (30), and wherein the second mean includes a seam flange (76) formed as an integral part of the cover (30) generally opposite the hinge flange (60) and wherein the tear seam (80) is at the junction of the seam flange (76) to the cover, the hinge flange (60) including a plurality of receptacles (70) engagable with a corresponding one of the first tabs (112) when the hinge flange (60) is inserted between the first wall and flexible wall.",
    "3. The assembly as defined in claim 2 wherein the seam flange (76) includes a plurality of openings or slots (82) into which a corresponding one of the locating tabs may enter providing means for mating the cover (30) to the second wall (102).",
    "4. The assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein the seam flange (76) includes a second plurality of openings (84) which are received about a corresponding latching tab on the housing, the openings (84) and the latching members cooperating to secure the seam flange to the housing.",
    "5. A cover and housing combination: the housing comprising a first wall (100) and an opposite second wall (102), a flexible wall member (106) secured to the first wall (100) defining a space (150) therebetween, one of the first wall (100) and flexible wall member (106) including a plurality of first tabs (112) extending into the space (150), the second wall (102) including a plurality of locating tabs (120) and latching tabs (122;124); the cover including a top portion, and first means, received in the space (150) engageable with the first tabs (112) to provide a snap connection therebetween and a seam portion (42) including second means (76,82) engageable with the locating tabs and third means (76;84) being latched by said latching tabs for securing the seam portion to the housing, the seam portion including a tear seam (80).",
    "6. The cover as defined in claim 5 wherein a hinge flange (60) integrally extends from the top portion and wherein a hinge portion (40) is formed proximate the junction of the hinge flange (60) and the top portion (30), and wherein the second means includes a seam flange (76) formed as an integral part of the cover (30) generally opposite the hinge flange (60) and wherein the tear seam (80) is at the junction of the seam flange (76) to the top portion, the hinge flange (60) includes a plurality of receptacles (70) engageable with a corresponding one of the first tabs (112) when the hinge flange (60) is inserted between the first wall and flexible wall.",
    "7. The cover as defined in claim 6 wherein the seam flange (76) includes a plurality of openings or slots (82) into which a corresponding one of the locating tabs may enter providing means for mating the cover (30) to the second wall (102).",
    "8. The cover as defined in claim 7 wherein the seam flange (76) includes a second plurality of openings (84) which are received about a corresponding latching tab on the housing, the openings (84) and the latching members cooperating to secure the seam flange to the housing.",
    "9. An assembly for an air bag comprising: a housing comprising: a first wall and an opposite second wall, a flexible wall member secured to the first wall defining a space therebetween, one of the first wall and flexible wall member including a plurality of first tabs extending into the space, the second wall including a plurality of locating tabs and latching tabs extending therefrom; cover means, interfitting in the space and with the locating tabs and latching tabs, for enclosing the housing.",
    "10. The assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein the cover means includes first means, received in the space, including a hinge portion engageable with the first tabs to provide a snap connection therebetween and including second means engageable with the locating tabs and third means being latched by said latching tabs to secure a seam portion to the housing, the seam portion including a tear seam which tears apart in response to deployment forces generated by an inflating air bag.",
    "11. The assembly as defined in claim 9 wherein the cover means comprises a cover, a hinge flange extending from the cover, the hinge portion is formed proximate a junction of the hinge flange and the cover, and wherein the second means includes a seam flange formed as an integral part of the cover generally opposite the hinge flange the tear seam at the junction of the seam flange to the cover, the hinge flange including a plurality of receptacles engageable with a corresponding one of the first tabs when the hinge flange is inserted between the first wall and flexible wall.",
    "12. The assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein the seam flange includes a plurality of openings or slots into which a corresponding one of the locating tabs may enter providing means for mating the cover to the second wall.",
    "13. The assembly as defined in claim 12 wherein the seam flange includes a second plurality of openings which are received about a corresponding latching tabs on the housing, the openings and the latching members cooperating to secure the seam flange to the housing."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/968,707 filed Oct. 30, 1992 now abandoned.\n\nThe present application generally relates to an air bag safety system and more specifically to a passenger side air bag system including a housing and deployment door which does not use external fasteners.\n\nU.S. Pat. No. 4,893,833 illustrates a passenger side deployment door having a single, flexible hinge along one side and a frangible member along another side of the cover. The frangible member breaks apart in response to air bag deployment forces permitting the cover to rotate about the hinge. The hinge and frangible member are attached to cooperating structure by external fasteners such as bolts, nuts or rivets, received through bolt/rivet holes which make the assembly process more complicated than necessary. In addition, the bolt/rivet holes provide a source of increased stress within the various portions of the door.\n\nIt is an object of the present invention to provide an improved methodology for retaining an air bag deployment door to its related housing. Accordingly the invention comprises: an assembly for an air bag adapted to fit within an opening of a vehicle part, such as an instrument panel. The assembly comprising: a housing having a first wall and an opposite second wall, and a flexible wall member secured to the first wall defining a space therebetween. One of the first wall and flexible wall members includes a plurality of first tabs extending into the space. The second wall includes a plurality of locating tabs and latching tabs extending outwardly therefrom to engage a portion of a deployment door.",
  "cpc": [
    "B60R 21/2171",
    "B60R 21/20",
    "B60R 21/26"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B60R 21/20",
    "B60R 21/217"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "AlliedSignal Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Greg Sobczak",
    "Mark R. Sturza"
  ],
  "filing_date": "1993-07-08",
  "publication_date": "1994-08-30",
  "grant_date": "1994-08-30",
  "priority_date": "1992-10-30",
  "application_number": "US-8906293-A",
  "family_id": "26780215",
  "cited_by_count": 39,
  "citations": [
    "US4893833A",
    "US4941678A",
    "US5167427A"
  ]
}