AIRBAG COVER AND AIRBAG APPARATUS

• US 20100001494A1
• Filed: 06/24/2009
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joyson Safety Systems Japan K.K.
• Original Assignee: Takata Corporation (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: HAYASHI, Shinji
• Granted Patent: US 8,029,015 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/728.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2165 characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening

Abstract

An airbag cover and an airbag apparatus are provided which achieve cost reduction by integrally molding an instrument panel and an inner case as well as ensure the rigidity of the instrument panel without degrading the aesthetically pleasing of the instrument panel. An airbag cover according to one form of the present invention is an airbag cover that is formed by integrally molding a plate-like portion constituting a vehicle interior surface and an inner case that is disposed on the back face of the plate-like portion and constitutes an airbag inflation and deployment path, wherein the plate-like portion constitutes part of the instrument panel disposed in front of an occupant, and the inner case is formed in a position in front of an occupant in a passenger seat, and the side close to a driver'"'"'s seat of the plate-like portion is formed so as to be disposed in the back of a convex portion formed in the middle of the instrument panel, into which onboard equipment is set.

Claims

1. An airbag cover comprising:

a plate portion for extending over an airbag;

depending leg portions extending transverse to the plate portion and formed integrally therewith so that the plate portion and leg portions are of a single piece construction;

a tear line of the plate portion generally between the leg portions;

an opening formed in the plate portion upon airbag deployment and rupture of the tear line; and

peripheral portions of the plate portion extending beyond the leg portions and being sized so that the plate portion has a surface area that is several times greater than of the opening formed in the plate portion.

2. The airbag cover of claim 1, wherein the plate portion surface area is approximately 1000 cm² to approximately 2000 cm² and is approximately three to eight times that of the opening in the plate portion.

3. The airbag cover of claim 1 wherein the peripheral portions including an outermost rim edge, and the opening is disposed at least 30 mm away from the rim edge of the plate portion.

4. The airbag over of claim 1 wherein the plate portion and the leg portions are of an olefin thermoplastic resin which has the following characteristics:

(a) bending modulus of elasticity (JIS-K7203);

500 to 1000 MPa,

(b) tensile break strength;

15 to 40 MPa,

(c) stretch at break;

600% or more, and

(d) Izod impact strength;

not to break away at −

35 degrees centigrade or more.

5. The airbag cover of claim 1, wherein the plate portion has a thickness of 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm, and at least one of the leg portions is partially thicker than the plate portion.

6. The airbag cover of claim 1, wherein the plate portion includes a door that splits open along the tear line upon airbag deployment, and

a hinge portion between the plate portion and at least one of the leg portions that rotatably holds the door and which has a thin portion thinner than the one leg portion.

7. The airbag cover according to claim 6, wherein the hinge portion has a plurality of ribs disposed on an external surface of the thin portion so as to be bendable and bucklable upon airbag deployment and door rotation.

8. The airbag cover of claim 1 in combination with an instrument panel have an opening for the mounting of the vehicle instruments therein, and wherein the airbag cover is sized to have an outer peripheral edge thereof mounted adjacent to the opening of the instrument panel to integrate the instrument panel with the airbag cover.

9. An instrument panel assembly for a vehicle, the instrument panel assembly comprising:

an instrument panel having a convex portion and an opening for vehicle instrumentation with the convex portion extending along the opening;

an airbag cover generally aligned with the instrument panel and including a frangible plate portion;

leg portions integrally formed with the plate portion to depend therefrom with the leg portions operable to guide a deploying airbag upwardly therealong to rupture the frangible plate portion; and

an outer side portion of the frangible plate portion that extends adjacent to and along the convex portion of the instrument panel to form an interface between the instrument panel and the airbag cover that is minimally visible or hidden to an occupant of the vehicle.

10. The instrument panel assembly of claim 9 wherein the instrument panel convex portion has a backside adjacent a windshield of the vehicle, and the outer side portion of the airbag cover plate portion extends along the backside of the instrument panel convex portion.

11. The instrument panel assembly of claim 9 wherein the instrument panel convex portion and the outer side portion of the airbag cover plate portion have matching configurations at the interface therebetween.

12. The instrument panel assembly of claim 9 wherein the frangible plate portion has a door that splits open upon airbag deployment to form an opening in the frangible plate portion for the deploying airbag, and the plate portion including the outer side portion thereof is sized to have a surface area that is several times larger than that of the opening.

13. The instrumental panel assembly of claim 12, wherein the door is formed by a tear line in the plate portion so as to split open, and the tear line is formed by any one of machining, laser beam machining, and ultrasonic machining which follows forming of the airbag cover.

14. The instrument panel assembly of the claim 12 wherein the surface area of the plate portion is between approximately 1000 cm² and approximately 2000 cm² and the surface area of the opening is between approximately 250 cm² and approximately 300 cm².

15. The instrument panel assembly of claim 9 wherein the plate portion and the leg portions are of an olefin thermoplastic resin which has the following characteristics:

(a) bending modulus of elasticity (JIS-K7203);

500 to 1000 MPa,

(b) tensile break strength;

15 to 40 MPa,

(c) stretch at break;

600% or more, and

(d) Izod impact strength;

not to break away at −

35 degrees centigrade or more.

16. The instrument panel assembly of claim 9 in combination with the vehicle having a front driver'"'"'s seat and a front passenger'"'"'s seat, and wherein the leg portions are in front of the passenger'"'"'s seat, and plate portion is sized so that the outer side portion extends to be closer to the driver'"'"'s seat than the passenger'"'"'s seat.