Garnish

• US 20100109300A1
• Filed: 10/13/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ando, Hikaru, Inui, Shuji, Higuchi, Yasuyuki, Hishida, Yu
• Granted Patent: US 7,931,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/728.300
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/025 Pillars; Roof rails
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/0275 comprising removable or hinged parts for accessing storage compartments B60R7/04; for airbag deployment B60R21/215
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/161 characterised by additional means for controlling deployment trajectory
• 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 garnish includes a garnish body which covers a folded air bag and a locking portion which is inserted to be locked in a mounting hole in a mounting base on a vehicle body. The locking portion holds the garnish body which is pressed by the air bag when the air bag is inflated to move so as to form a projecting space for the air bag.

The locking portion includes a locking main body portion which is inserted to be locked in the mounting hole and a connecting piece portion. The connecting piece portion includes a locking base portion on which the locking main body portion is provided, connecting portions which are connected to a rear surface of the garnish body, and deformable portions lying between the locking base portion and the connecting portions and is molded integrally with the garnish body. The deformable portions deform to extend a distance between the locking base portion and the connecting portion when the garnish body moves towards a vehicle interior side.

Claims

1. A garnish comprising:

a garnish body mounted on a vehicle body which faces a vehicle interior side and covers a folded air bag; and

a locking portion inserted into a mounting hole in a mounting base provided on the vehicle body so as to mount the garnish body on the mounting base,

the locking portion holding the garnish body pushed by the air bag when the air bag is inflated to move towards the vehicle interior side so as to form a gap through which the air bag projects between the vehicle body and the garnish and prevent dislocation of the garnish body from the mounting base, wherein

the locking portion comprises a locking main body portion which is inserted into the mounting hole so as to be locked on the mounting base and a connecting piece portion which extends from the locking main body portion so as to be connected to a rear surface side of the garnish body, wherein

the connecting piece portion comprises;

a locking base portion on which the locking main body portion is disposed;

connecting portions which are connected to the rear surface side of the garnish body; and

deformable portions which are bent to be disposed between the locking base portion and the connecting portions, and

the connecting piece portion is molded integrally with the garnish body, and wherein

the deformable portions deform to extend a distance between the locking base portion and the connecting portions and prevent dislocation of the locking portion from the mounting base when the garnish body moves towards the vehicle interior side.

2. A garnish as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the deformable portions extend from both sides of the locking base so as to expand apart from each other while being bent, and the connecting portions that are connected to the rear surface side of the garnish body are provided at distal ends of the deformable portions.

3. A garnish as set forth in claim 1, wherein

a pressing projection which is pressed by the air bag when the air bag is inflated is disposed on a rear surface of the garnish body in a position lying in the vicinity of the locking portion to project from a surrounding general surface.

4. A garnish as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the locking portion is provided with the connecting piece portion and the locking main body portion molded integrally therewith.