Steering wheel with air bag module

• US 5,685,559 A
• Filed: 04/25/1996
• Issued: 11/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Cuevas, Jess A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US08/636,541
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 280/731, 280/728.2, 280/736, 280/741, 280/728.1, 74/552, 411/5, 411/4, 411/3
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/203 in steering wheels or steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/04 Hand wheels
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20834 Hand wheels

Abstract

A vehicle steering wheel assembly (20) includes an air bag module (24) connected with a frame (42) of a vehicle steering wheel (22). The module (24) includes an inflator (62), an air bag (64), and a mounting hub (66). An internal groove (184) in the mounting hub (66) receives resiliently deflectable tabs (208) on the inflator (62) to secure the inflator to the mounting hub. A mounting portion (240) of the air bag (64) is received in one section of an external groove (182) on the mounting hub (66). A base portion (262) of a guide ring (260) is received in another section of the external groove (182). A wall portion (266) of the guide ring retains the mounting portion (240) of the air bag (64) in the groove, to secure the air bag to the mounting hub. The steering wheel frame (42) has a plurality of tabs (164) which are deformed into slots (162) in the mounting hub to secure the module (24) to the frame. A single fastener (40) secures the mounting hub (66) and thereby the module (24) to the vehicle steering shaft (26).

Claims

1. A module comprising:

an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having a mounting portion;

an actuatable inflator which, upon actuation, provides inflation fluid to inflate said inflatable device;

a mounting hub for connection with a steering shaft of a vehicle;

first means for attaching said inflator to said mounting hub at a first location on said mounting hub, said first attaching means including means for defining a first groove in one of said mounting hub and said inflator and a resiliently deflectable tab on the other of said mounting hub and said inflator, said tab being receivable in said first groove; and

second means for attaching said inflatable device to said mounting hub at a second location on said mounting hub, said second attaching means including a member and means for defining a second groove in said mounting hub, said mounting portion of said inflatable device being receivable in a first section of said second groove, said member having a base portion receivable in a second section of said second groove and a wall portion retaining said mounting portion of said inflatable device in said first section of said second groove.

2. The module of claim 1 wherein said mounting hub comprises a tubular portion for receiving said inflator, said tubular portion of said mounting hub being receivable in a frame of a steering wheel of the vehicle, said mounting hub further comprising a central portion which is connectable with the steering shaft of the vehicle.

3. The module of claim 2 further comprising a frame of a steering wheel of the vehicle and means for connecting said tubular portion of said mounting hub with said frame, said means for connecting comprising an end portion of a first one of said tubular portion of said mounting hub and said frame which is deformable into engagement with an end portion of a second one of said tubular portion of said mounting hub and said frame.

4. The module of claim 3 wherein said deformable end portion comprises at least one tab on said steering wheel frame which is bendable from a first position into a second position in a slot in said tubular portion of said mounting hub.

5. The module of claim 2 wherein said first groove is formed in an inner surface of said tubular portion of said mounting hub and said second groove is formed in an outer surface of said tubular portion of said mounting hub, said second groove being spaced apart axially from said first groove.

6. The module of claim 2 wherein said member comprises a guide ring for guiding movement of said module into the steering wheel frame, said wall portion of said guide ring being disposed radially outward of said tubular portion of said mounting hub and radially outward of said first section of said second groove, said wall portion being slidably engageable with an inner surface of the steering wheel frame to guide movement of said module into the steering wheel frame and to clamp said mounting portion of said inflatable device in said first section of said second groove.

7. An apparatus for connection with a steering shaft of a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

a frame for a vehicle steering wheel, said frame having a tubular portion;

a module receivable in said tubular portion of said frame, said module comprising an inflatable occupant protection device, an inflator for inflating said inflatable device, a mounting hub having a portion connectable with the vehicle steering shaft, first means for connecting said inflator with said mounting hub, and second means for connecting said inflatable device with said mounting hub; and

means for connecting said mounting hub with said frame, said connecting means comprising an end portion of a first one of said mounting hub and said tubular portion of said frame which is deformable into engagement with an end portion of a second one of said mounting hub and said tubular portion of said frame to secure said mounting hub for movement with said frame.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said deformable end portion comprises at least one tab on said first one of said mounting hub and said tubular portion of said frame which is bendable from a first position into a second position in a slot in said second one of said mounting hub and said tubular portion of said frame.

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said deformable portion comprises a plurality of tabs on a first one of said mounting hub and said tubular portion of said frame, a second one of said mounting hub and said tubular portion of said frame including surfaces defining a plurality of slots, each one of said tabs being movable from a first position into a second position in a respective one of said plurality of slots.

10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein the vehicle steering shaft is rotatable about a steering axis, said plurality of tabs being spaced apart on said tubular portion of said steering wheel frame in a circular array centered on said axis, said mounting hub of said module including said surfaces defining a plurality of slots, said tabs when in the first position extending parallel to said axis, said tabs when in the second position extending inward from said tubular portion of said frame in a direction transverse to said axis.

11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 7 further including means for connecting said mounting hub with the vehicle steering shaft, comprising a fastener and surfaces defining a fastener opening in said mounting hub, said fastener opening having a threaded portion;

said fastener having a body portion which is engageable with a surface on the vehicle steering shaft to block movement of said mounting hub relative to the steering shaft when said fastener is received in said fastener opening in said mounting hub;

said fastener having a threaded portion which is engageable in said threaded portion of said fastener opening in said mounting hub;

said fastener having a drive head for receiving a driving force to rotate said fastener in said fastener opening in said mounting hub; and

said fastener having a frangible portion disposed intermediate said drive head and said body portion which is frangible upon the application of a driving force to said drive head above a predetermined driving force to enable separation of said drive head from said body portion.

12. A method of assembling a vehicle steering wheel and an air bag module, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a vehicle steering wheel including a frame having a tubular portion;

providing a mounting hub which is connectable with a vehicle steering shaft and which includes a tubular portion;

attaching an inflator within the tubular portion of the mounting hub;

attaching an air bag to the tubular portion of the mounting hub;

positioning the mounting hub in the tubular portion of the steering wheel frame; and

retaining the mounting hub in the steering wheel frame by deforming an end portion of a first one of the tubular portion of the frame and the tubular portion of the mounting hub against an end portion of a second one of the tubular portion of the frame and the tubular portion of the mounting hub.

13. A method as set forth in claim 12 wherein the end portion of the tubular portion of the steering wheel frame comprises a plurality of bendable tabs, the end portion of the tubular portion of the mounting hub comprises surfaces defining a plurality of slots, and wherein said retaining step includes the step of bending the tabs on the steering wheel frame into the slots on the mounting hub to block rotational and axial movement of the mounting hub relative to the steering wheel frame.

14. A method as set forth in claim 13 wherein said step of positioning the mounting hub in the tubular portion of the steering wheel frame includes the step of locating a mounting portion of the air bag between the tubular portion of the steering wheel frame and the tubular portion of the mounting hub to clamp the mounting portion of the air bag in position on the mounting hub.

15. A method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said step of attaching an inflator includes the steps of:

moving the inflator axially into the tubular portion of the mounting hub;

deflecting a plurality of tabs on the inflator radially inward while moving the inflator axially within the tubular portion of the mounting hub; and

resiliently expanding the plurality of tabs radially outward into a groove in the tubular portion of the mounting hub when the inflator moves to a predetermined position within the mounting hub.

16. A module comprising:

an actuatable inflator which, upon actuation, provides inflation fluid to inflate an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device;

a mounting hub which is connectable with a steering shaft of a vehicle; and

means for attaching said inflator to said mounting hub, said attaching means comprising means for defining a groove in a surface of a first one of said mounting hub and said inflator, said attaching means further comprising a plurality of resiliently deflectable tabs on a second one of said mounting hub and said inflator, said tabs deflecting from an initial position upon relative movement of said inflator and said mounting hub toward a predetermined relative position and said tabs returning toward the initial position in said groove upon movement of said inflator and said mounting hub into the predetermined relative position thereby to maintain said inflator and said mounting hub in the predetermined relative position;

said mounting hub having a tubular configuration extending around an axis, said groove extending around an inner peripheral surface of said mounting hub and around said axis, said inflator being disposed at least partially within said mounting hub and said tabs extending radially outward from said inflator into said groove when said inflator and said mounting hub are in the predetermined relative position.

17. A module as set forth in claim 16 wherein said inflator moves in a first direction along said axis upon relative movement of said inflator and said mounting hub toward the predetermined relative position, said tabs extending radially outward and axially in a second direction opposite to said first direction when said inflator and said mounting hub are in the predetermined relative position.