Air bag system for automotive vehicle

• US 5,431,438 A
• Filed: 03/09/1994
• Issued: 07/11/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Manabe, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Culbreth, Eric D.
• Application Number:
  US08/208,504
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 280/731, 280/736, 280/743 R, 74/558, 74/552
• US Class Current: 280/731
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 5/003 mounted on the steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2035 using modules containing inflator, bag and cover attachable to the steering wheel as a complete sub-unit steering wheel covers with tear lines B60R21/21656; assembling of modules B60R21/217

Abstract

A modular occupant restraint system for protecting a driver in an automobile during a collision of the automobile has an air bag module, installed in a steering wheel, including an air bag which is inflatable and unfoldable by gas during a collision of the automobile. A baseplate, for installing the air bag module in the steering wheel, is detachably mounted on the steering wheel, and is provided with a mounting bracket through which a horn switch is mounted on the baseplate on one side of the air bag module.

Claims

1. An air bag system for protecting a driver in an automobile during a collision of the automobile, comprising:

a wheel body disposed in the automobile;

an air bag module including at least an air bag which is folded and installed therein and which is inflated and unfolded by gas during a collision of the automobile;

a transverse spoke member having opposing spoke portions secured to said wheel body;

a baseplate detachably mounted on said transverse spoke member, said baseplate including pairs of baseplate mounting portions and baseplate extensions extending at least part way along upper surfaces of said opposing spoke portions for connecting said air bag module to said wheel body so that said air bag module does not move relative to said wheel body;

mounting means, disposed on each of said baseplate mounting portions, for connecting a portion of said base plate extensions, extending upward along said opposing spoke portions, to middle portions of said opposing spoke portions of said transverse spoke member;

securing means, received by said mounting means, for detachably securing said baseplate mounting portions to said opposing spoke portions of said transverse spoke member;

horn switch means, mounted to said baseplate, for sounding a horn;

wherein said air bag module further includes a cover member having an upper wall, a circumferential wall, and extensions from the upper wall overlying the horn switch means, said upper wall, said circumferential wall and said extensions being integrally formed, said circumferential wall forming partition means disposed radially inside of said horn switch means and between said air bag and said horn switch means for preventing the air bag from affecting the horn switch means;

wherein said air bag module further includes an inflation unit for inflating and unfolding said air bag, said air bag system further comprising an additional baseplate, to which said inflation unit is secured, mounted on said baseplate detachably mounted on said transverse spoke member; and

a plurality of bracket portions interposed between the baseplates and providing a clearance between the baseplates.

2. An air bag system as defined by claim 1, wherein said mounting means comprises a nut secured to each of said baseplate mounting portions and said securing means comprises a bolt receivable in said nut.

3. An air bag system as defined by claim 1, wherein each of said baseplate extensions is formed, in one piece, with one of said baseplate mounting portions.

4. An air bag system as defined by claim 3, wherein said horn switch means are mounted to said baseplate extensions.

5. An air bag system as defined by claim 3 and further comprising a lower cover covering a lower surface of said transverse spoke member.

6. An air bag system as defined by claim 5 wherein said lower cover is secured to said transverse spoke member by said securing means.

7. An air bag system as defined by claim 1, and further comprising a pair of obliquely and downwardly extending spoke members extending obliquely and downwardly from right and left portions of said baseplate and secured to both said baseplate and said transverse spoke member.

8. An air bag system as defined by claim 7, wherein each of the obliquely and downwardly extending spoke members includes an additional baseplate mounting portion used to mount said air bag module to said wheel body.

9. An air bag system as defined by claim 1, wherein said baseplate includes a pair of baseplate mounting members, on which said baseplate mounting portions are provided, and a separately formed pair of baseplate extension members, forming said baseplate extensions and to which said horn switch means are mounted.

10. An air bag system for protecting a driver in an automobile during a collision of the automobile, comprising:

a steering wheel disposed in the automobile and having spoke portions;

an air bag module including at least an air bag which is folded and installed in said steering wheel and which is inflated and unfolded by gas during a collision of the automobile;

a primary baseplate detachably mounted on said steering wheel for installing said air bag module in said steering wheel so that said air bag module does not move relative to said steering wheel;

an extension member integrated to said primary baseplate and extending upward along and secured to a middle portion of each of said spoke portions of said steering wheel;

an additional baseplate mounted on said primary baseplate for mounting inflation means for inflating and unfolding said air bag;

a plurality of brackets interposed between said primary baseplate and said additional baseplate so as to provide a clearance therebetween; and

horn switch means mounted to an end portion of said extension member for sounding a horn;

wherein said air bag module further includes a cover member having an upper wall, a circumferential wall, and extensions from the upper wall overlaying the horn switch means, said upper wall, said circumferential wall and said extensions being integrally formed, said circumferential wall forming partition means disposed radially inside of said horn switch means for preventing the air bag from affecting the horn switch means, and wherein each extension member is bolted to one of said spoke portions of the steering wheel so that said primary baseplate is detachably mounted on said steering wheel.

11. An air bag system for protecting a driver in an automobile during a collision of the automobile, comprising:

a steering wheel disposed in the automobile and having spoke portions;

an air bag module including at least an air bag which is folded and installed in said steering wheel and which is inflated and unfolded by gas during a collision of the automobile;

a primary baseplate detachably mounted on said steering wheel for installing said air bag module in said steering wheel so that said air bag module does not move relative to said steering wheel;

an extension member integrated to said primary baseplate and extending upward along and secured to a middle portion of each of said spoke portions of the steering wheel;

an additional baseplate mounted on said primary baseplate for mounting inflation means for inflating and unfolding said air bag;

a plurality of brackets interposed between said primary baseplate and said additional baseplate so as to provide a clearance therebetween; and

horn switch means mounted to an end portion of said extension member for sounding a horn;

wherein said air bag module further includes a cover member having an upper wall, a circumferential wall, and extensions from the upper wall overlaying the horn switch means, said upper wall, said circumferential wall and said extensions being integrally formed, said circumferential wall forming partition means disposed radially inside of said horn switch means for preventing the air bag from affecting the horn switch means, and wherein said primary baseplate comprises a baseplate mounting member for mounting the primary baseplate to said spoke portions of the steering wheel and the baseplate mounting member is bolted to the spoke portions of the steering wheel so that said primary baseplate is detachably mounted on said steering wheel.