Self aligning and locking fastener

• US 20010019202A1
• Filed: 02/28/2001
• Published: 09/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Seating Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Magna Seating Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Holdampf, Carl John, Homier, Robert Irving, Bednarski, Matthew Martin
• Granted Patent: US 6,382,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/5825 by hooks, staples, clips, snap fasteners or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/207 in vehicle seats

Abstract

The invention provides the combination of a seat frame and a cover, having a seam, covering the seat frame. An air bag unit, having an air bag, is disposed inside the cover and is supported by the frame. An intensifier sleeve, having a pair of sheets, sandwiches the air bag therebetween with the sheets being connected to the seam of the cover and supported by the seat frame. A fastener is included and has outboard and inboard portions with the portions being connected the free edges of the sheets. The portions each include a back panel and a series of J-shaped hooks. The seat assembly is characterized by an alignment device disposed on the portions to ensure that the J-shaped hooks are aligned when the J-shaped hooks are interleaved with one another such that the outboard portion is securely interconnected to the inboard portion. This ensures that the sheets are securely supported on the seat frame and that the sheets will remain supported on the seat frame during a deployment of the air bag.

Claims

1. A seat assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a seat frame,

a cover covering said seat frame and including at least one seam,

an air bag unit supported by said seat frame and disposed inside said cover, said air bag unit including an air bag,

a pair of sheets sandwiching said air bag therebetween, each of said sheets having a first edge connected to said seam of said cover and a second edge supported by said seat frame, and

a fastener having outboard and inboard portions with said outboard portion being connected to one of said second edges of said sheets and said inboard portion being connected to the other of said second edges of said sheets, said outboard and inboard portions each including a back panel and at least one J-shaped hook disposed on said back panel,

said assembly characterized by an alignment device disposed on at least one of said outboard and inboard portions to ensure that said J-shaped hook of said outboard portion is aligned with said J-shaped hook of said inboard portion when said J-shaped hooks are interleaved with one another, thereby supporting said sheets on said seat frame.

2. An assembly as set forth in

claim 1

wherein said alignment device is further defined as a support rib extending from said back panel of one of said inboard and outboard portions supporting said corresponding J-shaped hook, and the other of said inboard and outboard portions defining a slot for accepting said rib when said J-shaped hooks of said portions are interleaved with one another.

3. An assembly as set forth in

claim 1

wherein said back panels of said inboard and outboard portions extend in a strip between opposite ends and said alignment device is further defined as an end wall mounted to each of said opposite ends of said back panel on one of said portions such that said J-shaped hooks of said portions are disposed between said end walls when said J-shaped hooks are interleaved with one another.

4. An assembly as set forth in

claim 1

wherein said back panels and said J-shaped hooks of said inboard and outboard portions extend in a strip between opposite ends and said alignment device is further defined as an end wall mounted to said opposite ends of said J-shaped hook on one of said portions such that said J-shaped hooks of said portions are disposed between said end walls when said J-shaped hooks of said portions are interleaved with one another.

5. An assembly as set forth in

claim 1

wherein said alignment device is further defined as a locking mechanism extending from at least one of said inboard and outboard portions.

6. An assembly as set forth in

claim 1

wherein said alignment device is further defined as a locking finger extending from at least one of said inboard and outboard portions with a corresponding notch formed within the other of said inboard and outboard portions.

7. An assembly as set forth in

claim 1

wherein said back panels of said inboard and outboard portions extend in a strip between opposite ends and a plurality of J-shaped hooks are disposed in side by side relationship between said opposite ends.

8. An assembly as set forth in

claim 7

wherein each of said J-shaped hooks include a base for engaging opposing J-shaped hooks of the opposite back panel.

9. An assembly as set forth in

claim 7

wherein said alignment device is further defined as support ribs extending from said back panel of said outboard portion supporting said corresponding J-shaped hooks, and said inboard portion defining a series of slots separating adjacent J-shaped hooks with said slots accepting said ribs when said J-shaped hooks of said portions are interleaved with one another.

10. An assembly as set forth in

claim 9

wherein said alignment device is further defined as support ribs extending from said back panel of said inboard portion supporting said corresponding J-shaped hooks, and said outboard portion defining a series of slots separating adjacent J-shaped hooks with said slots accepting said ribs of said inboard portion when said J-shaped hooks of said portions are interleaved with one another.

11. An assembly as set forth in

claim 10

wherein said ribs and slots of said inboard and outboard portions are disposed along said J-shaped hooks in an alternating fashion.

12. An assembly as set forth in

claim 11

wherein each of said ribs is centrally located on each of said J-shaped hooks.

13. An assembly as set forth in

claim 12

wherein a first J-shaped hook on at least one of said outboard and inboard portions includes a first width and a second J-shaped hook on one of said outboard and inboard portions includes a second width with said second width being larger than said first width such that said second J-shaped hook is prevented from interleaving with said first J-shaped hook, thereby further ensuring said alignment of said inboard and outboard portions.

14. An assembly as set forth in

claim 13

wherein said second J-shaped hook is disposed at each of said opposite ends of said back panel of one of said outboard and inboard portions.

15. An assembly as set forth in

claim 14

further including an end wall mounted to each of said opposite ends of said back panel of one of said outboard and inboard portions such that said first and second J-shaped hooks of said portions are disposed between said end walls when said J-shaped hooks of said portions are interleaved with one another.

16. An assembly as set forth in

claim 10

further including a locking mechanism disposed on at least one of said back panels of said portions for locking said outboard and inboard portions together when said portions are interleaved with one another.

17. An assembly as set forth in

claim 16

wherein each of said back panels have upper and lower edges with said upper edge extending beyond said J-shaped hooks to provide a flat connecting section along said upper edge.

18. An assembly as set forth in

claim 17

further including a pair of guides disposed on said flat connecting sections for providing a locator to assist in aligning respective second edges of said sheets with said flat connecting sections.

19. An assembly as set forth in

claim 17

wherein said locking mechanism includes a resilient locking finger extending from said lower edge of one of said inboard and outboard portions with a notch formed in the other of said inboard and outboard portions such that said finger engages said notch during said locking of said portions.

20. An assembly as set forth in

claim 19

wherein said finger and said notch are centrally formed between said plurality of J-shaped hooks.

21. A fastener for use with a seat assembly having an airbag and a pair of sheets sandwiching the air bag therebetween, said fastener comprising:

an outboard portion adapted to be connected to one of the sheets,

said outboard portion including an outboard back panel and at least one outboard J-shaped hook disposed on said outboard back panel,

an inboard portion adapted to be connected to the other of the sheets,

said inboard portion including an inboard back panel and at least one inboard J-shaped hook disposed on said inboard back panel,

said assembly characterized by an alignment device disposed on at least one of said outboard and inboard portions to ensure that said J-shaped hook of said outboard portion is aligned with said J-shaped hook of said inboard portion when said J-shaped hooks are interleaved with one another for supporting the pair of sheets on the seat assembly.

22. An assembly as set forth in

claim 21

wherein said alignment device is further defined as a support rib extending from said back panel of one of said inboard and outboard portions supporting said corresponding J-shaped hook, and the other of said inboard and outboard portions defining a slot for accepting said rib when said J-shaped hooks of said portions are interleaved with one another.

23. An assembly as set forth in

claim 21

wherein said back panels of said inboard and outboard portions extend in a strip between opposite ends and said alignment device is further defined as an end wall mounted to each of said opposite ends of said back panel on one of said portions such that said J-shaped hooks of said portions are disposed between said end walls when said J-shaped hooks are interleaved with one another.

24. An assembly as set forth in

claim 21

wherein said back panels and said J-shaped hooks of said inboard and outboard portions extend in a strip between opposite ends and said alignment device is further defined as an end wall mounted to said opposite ends of said J-shaped hook on one of said portions such that said J-shaped hooks of said portions are disposed between said end walls when said J-shaped hooks of said portions are interleaved with one another.

25. An assembly as set forth in

claim 21

wherein said alignment device is further defined as a locking mechanism extending from at least one of said inboard and outboard portions.

26. An assembly as set forth in

claim 21

wherein said alignment device is further defined as a locking finger extending from at least one of said inboard and outboard portions with a corresponding notch formed within the other of said inboard and outboard portions.

27. An assembly as set forth in

claim 21

wherein said back panels of said inboard and outboard portions extend in a strip between opposite ends and a plurality of J-shaped hooks are disposed in side by side relationship between said opposite ends.

28. An assembly as set forth in

claim 27

wherein said alignment device is further defined as support ribs extending from said back panel of said outboard portion supporting said corresponding J-shaped hooks, and said inboard portion defining a series of slots separating adjacent J-shaped hooks with said slots accepting said ribs when said J-shaped hooks of said portions are interleaved with one another.

29. An assembly as set forth in

claim 28

wherein said alignment device is further defined as support ribs extending from said back panel of said inboard portion supporting said corresponding J-shaped hooks, and said outboard portion defining a series of slots separating adjacent J-shaped hooks with said slots accepting said ribs of said inboard portion when said J-shaped hooks of said portions are interleaved with one another.

30. An assembly as set forth in

claim 27

wherein a first J-shaped hook on at least one of said outboard and inboard portions includes a first width and a second J-shaped hook on one of said outboard and inboard portions includes a second width with said second width being larger than said first width such that said second J-shaped hook is prevented from interleaving with said first J-shaped hook, thereby further ensuring said alignment of said inboard and outboard portions.

31. An assembly as set forth in

claim 30

wherein said second J-shaped hook is disposed at each of said opposite ends of said back panel of one of said outboard and inboard portions.