Airbag module and cover arrangement

• US 20040004343A1
• Filed: 04/04/2003
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pinsenschaum, Ryan T., Winters, Mark T., Awabdy, Nicholas J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,104,566 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/728.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/21537 characterised by hinges
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2155 with complex motion of the cover; Retraction under the lining during opening
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/216 comprising tether means for limitation of cover motion during deployment

Abstract

A door for an airbag module having a housing, an inflatable cushion, the airbag module being adapted to be used in a vehicle having an instrument panel with an airbag module opening, the door having an inner surface and an outer surface adapted to match the instrument panel, comprising: a first member depending away from the inner surface of the door, the first member being movably secured to the airbag module for relative movement therebetween and remains secured to the module during deployment of the inflatable cushion; a pair of second members depending away from the inner surface of the door, the pair of second members each having an opening for receiving a guiding member depending away from the housing; wherein the configuration of the first member and the openings of the pair of second members allows the door of the airbag module to deploy in a first direction until the first member reaches a point of maximum movement in the first direction, wherein the door continues to deploy in a second direction that is defined by further movement of the guiding member in the opening.

Claims

1. A door for an airbag module having a housing, an inflatable cushion, the airbag module being adapted to be used in a vehicle having an instrument panel with an airbag module opening, the door having an inner surface and an outer surface adapted to match the instrument panel, comprising:

a first member depending away from the inner surface of the door, said first member being movably secured to the airbag module for relative movement therebetween and remains secured to the module during deployment of the inflatable cushion;

a pair of second members depending away from the inner surface of the door, said pair of second members each having an opening for receiving a guiding member depending away from the housing;

wherein the configuration of the first member and the openings of the pair of second members allows the door of the airbag module to deploy in a first direction until the first member reaches a point of maximum movement in said first direction, wherein the door continues to deploy in a second direction that is defined by further movement of said guiding member in said opening.

2. The door as in claim 1, wherein said first direction is upwardly with respect to the instrument panel and said second direction causes one end of the door to move further away from the instrument panel than another end of the door and the openings of the pair of second members define a first path and a second path, said first path coincides with said first direction and said second path coincides with said second direction.

3. The door as in claim 1, wherein each of the pair of second members are configured to be located about side walls of the housing and the guiding members are configured to depend away from the side walls.

4. The door as in claim 1, wherein the openings of the pair of second members define a first path and a second path, said first path coincides with said first direction and said second path coincides with said second direction.

5. The door as in claim 1, wherein the first member is configured to movably engage a securement assembly that depends from a forward end of the housing.

6. The door as in claim 1, wherein the first member is configured to movably engage a securement assembly within an opening of the first member, said securement assembly depending away from a forward end of the housing.

7. The door as in claim 6, wherein the vehicle has a windshield and wherein the first member and the second members are configured to allow the door to deploy first upwardly with respect to the housing and the instrument panel and then forwardly towards the windshield of the vehicle when said securement assembly engages said opening of said first member.

8. The door as in claim 1, wherein the first member and the pair of second members are each configured to allow the door to move in at least three different directions with respect to the housing when the door is secured to the housing and prior to deployment of the inflatable cushion.

9. A door for an airbag module having a housing, an inflatable cushion, the airbag module being adapted to be used in a vehicle having an instrument panel with an airbag module opening, the door having an inner surface and an outer surface adapted to match the instrument panel, comprising:

a first means for movably securing a forward portion of the door to the housing for relative movement therebetween wherein said forward portion remains secured to the module during deployment of the inflatable cushion;

a second means for movably securing side portions of the door to side walls of the housing;

wherein the configuration of the first means and the second means allows the door of the airbag module to deploy in a first direction until the first means reaches a point of maximum movement in said first direction, wherein the door continues to deploy in a second direction that is defined by said second means.

10. The door as in claim 9, wherein said second means comprises a pair of side members depending away from the door and said pair of side members each having an opening configured to receive and engage a guiding member.

11. The door as in claim 9, wherein said second means comprises a pair of side members depending away from the door and said pair of side members each being received within a gap defined by a pair of guiding members for movement therein, said pair of side members each having an end portion adapted to engage said pair of guiding members and define a limit of travel for said pair of side members.

12. The door as in claim 9, wherein said second means comprises a pair of side members depending away from the door and said pair of side members each being adapted to be movably connected to a pair of hinging members that are pivotally secured to the housing at one end and are pivotally or movably secured to the side members at the other end.

13. The door as in claim 9, wherein said second means comprises a pair of side members depending away from the door and said pair of side members each being adapted to be movably connected to a pair of hinging members that are movably secured to the housing at one end and are pivotally or movably secured to the side members at the other end.

14. The door as in claim 9, wherein said second means further comprises a shoulder portion configured to engage a shear pin of the housing when the door is positioned within the airbag module opening of the instrument panel, wherein said shear pin is adapted to sever upon the application of a force against the door causing the door to be depressed within the airbag module opening of the instrument panel.

15. The door as in claim 14, wherein said second means further comprises a pair of side members depending away from the door and said pair of side members each being adapted to be movably connected to a pair of hinging members that are pivotally secured to the housing at one end and are pivotally or movably secured to the side members at the other end.

16. The door as in claim 15, wherein said pair of hinging members are each configured to engage another shear pin of the housing when the door is positioned within the airbag module opening of the instrument panel, wherein said another shear pin is adapted to sever upon the application of a force against the door causing the door to be depressed within the airbag module opening of the instrument panel.

17. The door as in claim 15, wherein said pair of side members and said first means for securing are adapted to allow the cover to be depressed within the airbag module opening when the shear pins are severed.

18. A door for an airbag module having a housing, an inflatable cushion, the airbag module being adapted to be used in a vehicle having an instrument panel with an airbag module opening, the door having an inner surface and an outer surface adapted to match the instrument panel, comprising:

a pair of securing members depending away from the inner surface of the door, each of said pair of securing members having an opening configured to slidably receive a guiding member depending outwardly from a side wall of the housing, said opening of each of said pair of securing members defining two discrete paths of travel for said guiding member, wherein an application of a force to a rearward edge of the door will cause the guiding member to travel in one of said two discrete paths of travel during deployment of the inflatable cushion and the guiding member will travel in the other one of said two discrete paths in absence of the application of said force to said rearward edge of the door.

19. A door as in claim 18, wherein the inflatable cushion will deploy through an opening defined at the forward edge of the door upon application of said force to said rearward edge of the door and the inflatable cushion will deploy through an opening defined at the rearward edge of the door in absence of said force on said rearward edge of the door.

22. The airbag module as in claim 18, wherein the first member is configured to movably engage a securement assembly within an opening of the first member, said securement assembly depending away from a forward end of the housing.

20. An airbag module having an inflatable cushion for use in a vehicle having an interior surface, comprising:

a housing;

a deployment door having an exterior surface and an inner surface, said exterior surface comprises a portion of the interior surface of the vehicle;

a first member integrally formed with and depending away from said inner surface of said door, said first member being movably secured to the airbag module for relative movement therebetween and remains secured to the module during deployment of the inflatable cushion;

a pair of second members integrally formed with and depending away from said inner surface of said door, said pair of second members each having an opening for receiving a guiding member depending away from said housing;

wherein the configuration of said first member and the openings of said pair of second members allows said door of the airbag module to deploy in a first direction until said first member reaches a point of maximum movement in said first direction, wherein said door continues to deploy in a second direction that is defined by further movement of said guiding member in said opening.

21. The airbag module as in claim 20, wherein each of the pair of second members are configured to be located about side walls of the housing and guiding members are configured to depend away from the sidewalls.

23. The airbag module as in claim 20, wherein the vehicle has a windshield and wherein the first member and the second members are configured to allow the door to deploy first upwardly with respect to the housing and the instrument panel and then forwardly towards the windshield of the vehicle when said securement assembly engages said opening of said first member.

24. An airbag module having an inflatable cushion for use in a vehicle having an interior surface, comprising:

a housing;

a deployment door having an exterior surface and an inner surface, said exterior surface comprises a portion of the interior surface of the vehicle;

a first means for movably securing a forward portion of the door to the housing for relative movement therebetween wherein said forward portion remains secured to the module during deployment of the inflatable cushion;

a second means for movably securing side portions of the door to side walls of the housing;

wherein the configuration of the first means and the second means allows the door of the airbag module to deploy in a first direction until the first means reaches a point of maximum movement in said first direction, wherein the door continues to deploy in a second direction that is defined by said second means.

25. The airbag module as in claim 24, wherein said second means comprises a pair of side members depending away from the door and said pair of side members each being received within a gap defined by a pair of guiding members for movement therein, said pair of side members each having an end portion adapted to engage said pair of guiding members and define a limit of travel for said pair of side members.

26. The airbag module as in claim 24, wherein said second means comprises a pair of side members depending away from the door and said pair of side members each being adapted to be movably connected to a pair of hinging members that are pivotally secured to the housing at one end and are pivotally or movably secured to the side members at the other end.

27. The airbag module as in claim 24, wherein said second means comprises a pair of side members depending away from the door and said pair of side members each being adapted to be movably connected to a pair of hinging members that are movably secured to the housing at one end and are pivotally or movably secured to the side members at the other end.

28. The airbag module as in claim 24, wherein said second means further comprises a shoulder portion configured to engage a shear pin of the housing when the door is positioned within the airbag module opening of the instrument panel, wherein said shear pin is adapted to sever upon the application of a force against the door causing the door to be depressed within the airbag module opening of the instrument panel.

29. The airbag module as in claim 28, wherein said second means further comprises a pair of side members depending away from the door and said pair of side members each being adapted to be movably connected to a pair of hinging members that are pivotally secured to the housing at one end and are pivotally or movably secured to the side members at the other end.

30. The airbag module as in claim 29, wherein said pair of hinging members are each configured to engage another shear pin of the housing when the door is positioned within the airbag module opening of the instrument panel, wherein said another shear pin is adapted to sever upon the application of a force against the door causing the door to be depressed within the airbag module opening of the instrument panel.

31. The airbag module as in claim 29, wherein said pair of side members and said first means for securing are adapted to allow the cover to be depressed within the airbag module opening when the shear pins are severed.