Air bag cover assembly

• US 6,733,032 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2002
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schatz, Patrick W., Pinsenschaum, Ryan Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Application Number:
  US10/072,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20020125689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: B60/R 2.120, 280/728.3, 280/732, 280/728.1, 280/731
• US Class Current: 280/728.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2165 characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening

Abstract

An air bag cover assembly for disposition within an automotive vehicle dash panel in overlying relation to an inflatable air bag cushion. The cover assembly includes a door structure having a displaceable interior portion. Upon application of force from the inflatable air bag cushion, the interior portion is displaceable in a hinging manner relative to dash panel and undergoes internal deformation to facilitate desired deployment characteristics for a given configuration.

Claims

1. An air bag cover assembly for disposition within an automotive vehicle dash panel in overlying relation to an inflatable air bag cushion, the cover assembly comprising:

a door structure including a displaceable edge and a displaceable interior portion disposed between the displaceable edge and a hingedly attached edge wherein the interior portion comprises a plurality of integral hinging elements disposed in a patterned arrangement across selected localized segments of the interior portion to define a plurality of spaced hinge lines located at different distances from the displaceable edge between the displaceable edge and the hingedly attached edge so as to enhance internal flexibility of the interior portion at said plurality of hinge lines such that upon inflation of the air bag cushion the interior portion is displaceable in a hinging manner around the hingedly attached edge relative to the dash panel while concurrently undergoing preferential internal deformation at the integral hinging elements along said plurality of hinge lines to assume a substantially concave relation to the air bag cushion.

2. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the door structure is formed from metal.

3. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the door structure is formed from plastic.

4. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the door structure further comprises a plurality of substantially discrete openings extending in spaced relation across the interior portion such that spaces between the openings define at least a portion of the integral hinging elements.

5. The assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the openings are of elongate slotted geometry.

6. The assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the openings are of substantially diamond shaped geometry.

7. The assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the openings are of substantially compressed hourglass geometry.

8. The assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the integral hinging elements comprise localized segments of varying thickness dimension molded into the interior portion.

9. The assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein at least a portion of said localized segments of varying thickness dimension comprise thickness reducing depressions disposed across the interior portion.

10. The assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein said thickness reducing depressions are substantially angular extending to a pointed apex.

11. The assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein said thickness reducing depressions are substantially cusp shaped.

12. The assembly as recited in claim 9, wherein said thickness reducing depressions have a substantially curved profile.

13. The assembly as recited in claim 8, wherein at least a portion of said localized segments of varying thickness dimension comprise pairs of peaks extending in raised relation to at least one surface of the interior portion of the door structure and wherein the peaks within the pairs are separated by a depression such that the peaks and depression form a hinge of substantially saddle shaped profile.

14. An air bag cover assembly for disposition within an automotive vehicle dash panel in overlying relation to an inflatable air bag cushion, the cover assembly comprising;

a door structure comprising a displaceable edge and a displaceable interior portion disposed between the displaceable edge and a hingedly attached edge wherein the interior portion comprises a plurality of openings disposed in a patterned arrangement across selected localized segments of the interior portion at different distances from the displaceable edge such that spaces between the openings define a plurality of integral hinging zones located at different distances from the displaceable edge between the displaceable edge and the hingedly attached edge so as to enhance internal flexibility of the interior portion at said plurality of hinging zones at which preferential localized deformation of the interior portion takes place upon the application of force and such that upon application of force by the air bag cushion the interior portion is displaceable in a hinging manner relative to the dash panel while concurrently undergoing internal deformation to assume a substantially concave relation to the air bag cushion.

15. The assembly as recited in claim 14, wherein the door structure is formed from metal.

16. The assembly as recited in claim 14, wherein the door structure is formed from plastic.

17. The assembly as recited in claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the openings are of elongate slotted geometry.

18. The assembly as recited in claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the openings are of substantially diamond shaped geometry.

19. The assembly as recited in claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the openings are of substantially compressed hourglass geometry.

20. An air bag cover assembly for disposition within an automotive vehicle dash panel in overlying relation to an inflatable air bag cushion, the cover assembly comprising:

a door structure comprising a displaceable interior portion wherein the interior portion comprises a plurality of openings disposed in a patterned arrangement across the interior portion such that spaces between the openings define integral hinging zones at which preferential localized deformation of the interior portion takes place upon the application of force and such that upon application of force by the air bag cushion the interior portion is displaceable in a hinging manner relative to the dash panel while concurrently undergoing internal deformation to assume a substantially concave relation to the air bag cushion, wherein at least a portion of the integral hinging zones comprise localized segments of varying thickness dimension molded into the interior portion.

21. The assembly as recited in claim 20, wherein at least a portion of said localized segments of varying thickness dimension comprise thickness reducing depressions disposed across the interior portion.

22. The assembly as recited in claim 21, wherein said thickness reducing depressions are substantially angular extending to a pointed apex.

23. The assembly as recited in claim 21, wherein said thickness reducing depressions are substantially cusp shaped.

24. The assembly as recited in claim 21, wherein said thickness reducing depressions have a substantially curved profile.

25. The assembly as recited in claim 20, wherein at least a portion of said localized segments of varying thickness dimension comprise pairs of peaks extending in raised relation to at least one surface of the interior portion of the door structure and wherein the peaks within the pairs are separated by a depression such that the peaks and depression form a hinge of substantially saddle shaped profile.