Air bag deployment bias apparatus
First Claim
1. A vehicle steering wheel and air bag module assembly comprising:
- a steering wheel having a hub portion and a rim portion and at least one spoke portion connecting the hub portion to the rim portion; and
an air bag module mounted to the hub portion and includingan air bag,an inflator for generating gas to inflate the air bag, anda bias apparatus being a flexible sheet of material attached to the air bag module and having an upper portion folded atop the air bag such that when the inflation of the deploying air bag is blocked, the upper portion of the bias apparatus biases the air bag partially underneath the rim portion of the steering wheel.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle steering wheel and air bag module assembly includes a steering wheel and an air bag module. The steering wheel has a hub portion and a rim portion and at least one spoke portion connecting the hub portion to the rim portion. The air bag module is mounted to the hub portion and includes an air bag, an inflator for generating gas to inflate the air bag, and a bias apparatus. The bias apparatus is a flexible sheet of material attached to the air bag module and having an upper portion folded atop the air bag such that when the inflation of the deploying air bag is blocked, the upper portion of the bias apparatus biases the air bag partially underneath the rim portion of the steering wheel. In addition, when the inflation of the deploying air bag is unrestrained, the bias apparatus drops downwardly away from the deploying air bag permitting the air bag to freely deploy.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A vehicle steering wheel and air bag module assembly comprising:
-
a steering wheel having a hub portion and a rim portion and at least one spoke portion connecting the hub portion to the rim portion; and an air bag module mounted to the hub portion and including an air bag, an inflator for generating gas to inflate the air bag, and a bias apparatus being a flexible sheet of material attached to the air bag module and having an upper portion folded atop the air bag such that when the inflation of the deploying air bag is blocked, the upper portion of the bias apparatus biases the air bag partially underneath the rim portion of the steering wheel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A vehicle steering wheel and air bag module assembly comprising:
-
a steering wheel having a hub portion and a rim portion and at least one spoke portion connecting the hub portion to the rim portion; and an air bag module mounted to the hub portion and including an air bag, an inflator for generating gas to inflate the air bag, and a bias apparatus being a flexible sheet of material attached to the air bag module and having an upper portion folded atop the air bag such that when the inflation of the deploying air bag is blocked, the upper portion of the bias apparatus is trapped between the rim portion and the air bag to bias the inflating air bag partially underneath the rim portion of the steering wheel. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A vehicle steering wheel and air bag module assembly comprising:
-
a steering wheel having a hub portion and a rim portion and at least one spoke portion connecting the hub portion to the rim portion; and an air bag module mounted to the hub portion and including an air bag, an inflator for generating gas to inflate the air bag, and a bias apparatus being a flexible sheet of material having a lower portion attached to the air bag module and having an upper portion folded atop the air bag such that when the inflation of the deploying air bag is blocked, the upper portion of the bias apparatus is trapped between the rim portion and the air bag to bias the inflating air bag underneath the rim portion and when the inflation of the deploying air bag is unrestrained, the bias apparatus drops downwardly away from the deploying air bag permitting the air bag to freely deploy.
-
Specification