Air bag device for passenger seat

• US 5,851,023 A
• Filed: 11/26/1996
• Issued: 12/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagata, Norinari, Kuriyama, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wesson, Theresa M.
• Application Number:
  US08/756,379
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.3, 280/728.2, 280/732
• US Class Current: 280/728.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2172 the cover being connected to the surrounding part and to the module, e.g. floating mounts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2165 characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2171 specially adapted for elongated cylindrical or bottle-like inflators with a symmetry axis perpendicular to the main direction of bag deployment, e.g. extruded reaction canisters B60R21/2176 takes precedence

Abstract

A passenger-side air bag device is provided including a door comprising a cover body and a side wall portion extending downwardly therefrom. Lock legs are disposed on the cover body and are configured to lock the door to the inner circumferential edge of an opening portion of an instrument panel. A housing constructed and arranged to be fixed to a car body includes slot portions into which the side wall portion of the door is fitted, and pawl portions for locking the circumferential edges of the lock holes of the door side wall portion to thereby prevent the door side wall portion from coming off from the slot portion. Gaps are provided in three directions between the door and the housing to compensate for any misalignment between the door and the housing.

Claims

1. An air bag device disposed in an opening of an instrument panel of a vehicle, said air bag device comprising:

an air bag;

door member having a cover body for opening and covering the opening of the instrument panel and a side wall portion extending downwardly from an outer circumferential edge of said cover body, said door member opening upon inflation of said air bag, and said side wall portion having lock holes;

an outer housing disposed adjacent to the opening of the instrument panel;

an inner housing disposed inside of said outer housing so as to form a slot portion between said outer housing and said inner housing, said side wall portion of said door member being inserted and disposed into said slot portion;

a retainer connected with said inner and outer housing;

pawl portions being formed on one of said inner housing and said outer housing so as to be lockable into said lock holes of said side wall portion; and

lock legs disposed on the outer circumferential edge of said cover body and extended downwardly for locking onto an inner circumferential edge of the opening of the instrument panel.

2. The air bag device of claim 1, further comprising an inflator disposed below said inner housing, said inner housing having a covering portion for covering an upper portion of said inflator;

and an opening formed in said covering portion so as to diffuse gas from said inflator.

3. The air bag device of claim 2, wherein said covering portion of said inner housing has a semi-cylindrical curved surface portion.

4. The air bag device of claim 1, wherein said lock legs are deformable inwardly.

5. The air bag device of claim 1, wherein said cover body faces a windshield.

6. The air bag device of claim 1, wherein said side wall portion is substantially rectangular shaped.

7. The air bag device of claim 6, wherein said side wall portion has semi-cylindrical cut out portions on lower opposite transverse sides of said side wall portion.