Headliner assembly having an integral air bag and method of making the same

• US 20020190508A1
• Filed: 06/19/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Jost, Stefan
• Application Number:
  US10/174,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20020190508A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0212 Roof or head liners movable head-liners B60J7/0007
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0225 self supporting head liners
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2013/0287 integrating other functions or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23192 Roof bags, i.e. protecting the occupant in a roll-over situation
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2615 for diverting the gas into a plurality of bags
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2617 Curtain bag nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2346 Soft diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/195 with means to tension the belt in an emergency, e.g. means of the through-anchor or splitted reel typeelectrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01

Abstract

A vehicle headliner assembly having a headliner having a first surface, a second surface, and at least one side edge. The assembly also includes an air bag placed on the second surface of the headliner proximate the side edge. A surface fabric is also included covering at least a portion of the first surface of the headliner and folded over the edge such that the surface fabric covers at least a portion of the air bag. At least a portion of the surface fabric is secured to the second surface of the vehicle headliner. A method of making the wafers is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of making a headliner assembly having an integral air bag for a vehicle, the method comprising:

providing a headliner having a first surface, a second surface, and at least one side edge;

placing an air bag on the second surface of the headliner proximate the at least one edge of the headliner;

providing a surface fabric to cover at least a portion of the first surface of the headliner; and

securing the surface fabric to the headliner so that the surface fabric covers at least a portion of the first surface of the headliner and a portion of the surface fabric folds over the at least one edge of the headliner covering the air bag, and the portion of the surface fabric is secured to the second surface of the air bag such that the air bag is restrained between the surface fabric and the second surface of the headliner.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising piercing the surface fabric about the portion of the fabric that folds over the headliner to facilitate deployment of the air bag.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of securing the surface fabric to the headline comprises providing the portion of the surface fabric that folds over the at least one edge with tabs and securing the tabs to the second surface of the headliner.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the headliner has an aperture for securing the headliner to the vehicle and the air bag has an aperture in alignment with the aperture in the headliner when the air bag is secured to the headliner.

5. A vehicle headliner assembly comprising:

a headliner having a first surface, a second surface, and at least one side edge;

an air bag placed on the second surface of the headliner proximate the side edge; and

a surface fabric covering at least a portion of the first surface of the headliner and folded over the edge such that the surface fabric covers at least a portion of the air bag; and

wherein at least a portion of the surface fabric is secured to the second surface of the vehicle headliner.

6. The headliner assembly of claim 5 wherein the surface fabric comprises a tear seam proximate the edge of the headliner.

7. The headliner assembly of claim 5 wherein the air bag comprises at least one tab having an aperture therein to secure the air bag to the vehicle.

8. The headliner assembly of claim 5 wherein the headliner has an aperture for securing the headliner to the vehicle and the air bag has an aperture in alignment with the aperture in the headliner when the air bag is secured to the headliner.

9. A headliner assembly for a motor vehicle comprising:

a headliner having a first surface, a second surface, and at least one edge;

at least one air bag placed on the first surface of the headliner; and

a surface fabric covering at least a portion of the first surface of the headliner and secured to at least one of the first or the second surface of the headliner such that the surface fabric covers the air bag.

10. The headliner assembly of claim 9 wherein the surface fabric restrains the air bag.

11. The headliner assembly of claim 9 wherein the at least one air bag is secured to the headliner.

12. The headliner assembly of claim 9 wherein the surface fabric is folded over the edge of the headliner and secured to the second side of the headliner.