Airbag trim cover for roof rails of a vehicle

• US 10,538,216 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2018
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: White, John Q., Stakoe, John A., Feiten, Michael T., Bauer, William C., Armitage, Robert R., Stec, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Toan C
• Application Number:
  US15/865,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20190210552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 2807301, 2807302
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0083 Pick-up trucks; Light trucks; Sport utility vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/21537 characterised by hinges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/215 characterised by the covers for the inflatable member B60R21/2176 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle apparatus comprises an airbag secured to a roof rail of a vehicle and a trim cover. The trim cover has a base member fastened to the roof rail, a flap member, and a living hinge integrally molded between the base and flap members. The flap member rotates on the hinge when the airbag deploys. The flap member also, in a covering position, has a distal edge fastenerlessly clipped to the vehicle.

Claims

1. A trim cover for a roof rail of a vehicle, the trim cover comprising:

a base member adapted to be fastened to the roof rail;

a flap member;

a living hinge integrally molded between the base and flap members, wherein the flap member has a distal edge carrying a fastenerless clip of the flap member to releasably attach the distal edge to a rigid structure of the vehicle which is separate from the trim cover while in a covering position that is adapted to conceal an air bag secured to the roof rail in a space behind the flap member, wherein the fastenerless clip is adapted to disengage from the rigid structure in response to an inflation force during deployment of the air bag to rotate the flap member about the living hinge, and wherein the fastenerless clip is adapted to manually re-clip to the rigid structure after a deployed air bag is manually returned to the space behind the flap member.

2. The trim cover of claim 1 wherein the fastenerless clip is comprised of a one-sided clip integrally formed in the distal edge and adapted to mate with a pillar structure supporting the roof rail.

3. The trim cover of claim 1 wherein the fastenerless clip is comprised of a one-sided clip integrally formed in the distal edge and adapted to mate with the roof rail.

4. The trim cover of claim 1 further comprising:

a clip tower projecting from the base member and adapted for fastening the base member to the roof rail.

5. The trim cover of claim 1 wherein an acute angle is between the base and flap members when the flap member is in the covering position.

6. The trim cover of claim 1 wherein the trim cover is molded from a weatherproof material.

7. A vehicle apparatus comprising:

an airbag secured to a roof rail of a vehicle;

a trim cover having;

a base member fastened to the roof rail;

a flap member;

a living hinge integrally molded between the base and flap members, wherein the flap member *has a distal edge carrying a fastenerless clip of the flap member to releasably attach the distal edge to a rigid structure of the vehicle apparatus which is separate from the trim cover while in a covering position that is adapted to conceal the airbag in a space behind the flap member, wherein the fastenerless clip is adapted to disengage from the rigid structure in response to an inflation force to rotate the flap member about the living hinge when the airbag deploys and wherein the fastenerless clip is adapted to manually re-clip to the rigid structure after a deployed air bag is manually returned to the space behind the flap member.

8. The vehicle apparatus of claim 7 wherein the base member is fastened to the roof rail by a screw.

9. The vehicle apparatus of claim 7 wherein the base member is fastened to the roof rail by a clip tower.

10. The vehicle apparatus of claim 7 wherein the distal edge is adapted to mate with a pillar structure supporting the roof rail.

11. The vehicle apparatus of claim 7 wherein the distal edge is adapted to mate with the roof rail.

12. The vehicle apparatus of claim 7 wherein the fastenerless clip is comprised of a one-sided clip integrally formed in the distal edge.

13. The vehicle apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

a bracket to which the base member is fastened and the airbag is secured, wherein the bracket is attached to the roof rail.

14. The vehicle apparatus of claim 7 wherein the trim cover is molded from a weatherproof material.

15. The vehicle apparatus of claim 7 wherein the trim cover is molded from polypropylene.