Side-impact airbag assembly
First Claim
1. A side-impact airbag assembly adapted to mount on an internal structural member in a recess of a vehicle seat, the seat having a body defining said recess for receiving the airbag assembly and having an exterior seat trim cover defining a frangible access opening to said recess, the side-impact airbag assembly comprising:
- a. an inflatable airbag cushion mounted in inflation fluid communication with an inflator so that inflation gas from the inflator, when activated, inflates the inflatable airbag cushion,b. securing means for mounting the inflatable airbag cushion and inflator to the internal structural member in the recess;
c. a one-piece, unitary deployment door of resilient material secured along a first edge portion thereof to the securing means and projecting over the airbag cushion and inflator to comprise a deployment door surface portion overlayable by the seat trim cover for shaping the seat trim cover in the area of the recess to smoothly conform with the shape of adjacent parts of the seat trim cover, the door having a distal edge opposite the first edge portion, said distal edge being approximately alignable with the frangible access opening in the seat trim cover.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Assembly is adapted to mount on an internal structural member of a vehicle seat, the seat having a seat body formed with a recess and having a trim cover formed with a frangible opening to said recess. The invention also includes a one-piece resilient plastic deployment door anchored on the structural member and curving over a folded, inflatable airbag cushion and inflator module to comprise a rounded surface smoothly overlayable by the seat trim cover. The door has a distal edge approximately alignable with the frangible access to assist in the opening of the frangible access during deployment of the airbag cushion.
46 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A side-impact airbag assembly adapted to mount on an internal structural member in a recess of a vehicle seat, the seat having a body defining said recess for receiving the airbag assembly and having an exterior seat trim cover defining a frangible access opening to said recess, the side-impact airbag assembly comprising:
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a. an inflatable airbag cushion mounted in inflation fluid communication with an inflator so that inflation gas from the inflator, when activated, inflates the inflatable airbag cushion, b. securing means for mounting the inflatable airbag cushion and inflator to the internal structural member in the recess; c. a one-piece, unitary deployment door of resilient material secured along a first edge portion thereof to the securing means and projecting over the airbag cushion and inflator to comprise a deployment door surface portion overlayable by the seat trim cover for shaping the seat trim cover in the area of the recess to smoothly conform with the shape of adjacent parts of the seat trim cover, the door having a distal edge opposite the first edge portion, said distal edge being approximately alignable with the frangible access opening in the seat trim cover. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A deployment door for a side impact airbag assembly comprising an inflator and a folded, inflatable airbag cushion connected thereto and disposed thereagainst to define a module, the module adapted to be disposed in a recess in a vehicle seat and mounted to an internal structural member of the seat, said seat having an exterior trim cover, the seat trim cover defining a frangible access opening, the deployment door comprising:
a sheet of flexible material adapted to curve partly around the module and be overlain by the trim cover of the seat for shaping the trim cover in the area of the recess to smoothly conform with adjacent parts of the seat trim cover, the door having a securing margin adapted to be clamped between the inflator and the internal structural member of the seat and having a distal edge opposite the securing margin, with said distal edge adapted to be alignable with and proximate the frangible access opening in the seat trim cover. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An airbag cushion deployment door for mounting directly under a seat trim cover of a seat of a vehicle and adjacent a frangible access opening in the seat trim cover and partly around an airbag module in a recess opening in the seat, the deployment door comprising:
a flap of plastic having in a longitudinal direction a generally J-shaped cross-section, said flap of plastic having a securing margin and an opposite distal edge, the flap being more resilient toward the distal edge and more rigid toward the securing margin and having formed, on an outside surface of said flap a plurality of teeth adapted to grip the seat trim cover in a position adjacent the frangible access opening. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A vehicle seat assembly comprising:
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a vehicle seat having an internal structural member, a body defining a recess adjacent the structural member and an exterior seat trim cover over the body, said trim cover defining a frangible access therein to the recess, and a side-impact airbag module assembly disposed in the recess and comprising; a. an inflatable airbag cushion mounted in inflation fluid communication with an inflator so that inflation gas from the inflator, when activated, inflates the inflatable airbag cushion, b. securing means for mounting the inflatable airbag cushion and inflator to the internal structural member; c. a one-piece, unitary deployment door of resilient material secured along a first edge portion thereof to the securing means and projecting partially over the airbag cushion and inflator and comprising a surface portion overlayable by the seat trim cover for shaping the seat trim cover in the area of the recess to smoothly conform with the shape of adjacent parts of the seat trim cover, the door having a distal edge opposite the first edge portion, said distal edge being approximately alignable with the frangible access opening in the seat trim cover. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification