Airbag mounting assembly for vehicles

• US 8,246,074 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2010
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Inventors: Choi, Hyoung Ho, Kwon, Hyock In
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Freedman, Laura
• Application Number:
  US12/907,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20110115200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/732, 280/752, 296/187.05, 296/192, 296/193.02, 296/72
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards

Abstract

An airbag mounting assembly for vehicles to mount a passenger airbag housing to a cowl cross bar may include a mounting bracket, a first end thereof being mounted to the passenger airbag housing and a fastening unit mounting a second end of the mounting bracket to the cowl cross bar.

Claims

1. An airbag mounting assembly for vehicles to mount a passenger airbag housing to a cowl cross bar, the airbag mounting assembly comprising:

a mounting bracket, a first end thereof being mounted to the passenger airbag housing; and

a fastening unit mounting a second end of the mounting bracket to the cowl cross bar;

wherein the fastening unit is a cowl bolt;

wherein

the mounting bracket is mounted to at least one end of the passenger airbag housing and is provided with a locking flange at the first end thereof to be mounted to a crush pad; and

the second end of the mounting bracket includes a locking hole to mount the mounting bracket to the cowl cross bar therethrough; and

wherein the mounting bracket comprises;

a first mounting portion mounted to the passenger airbag housing, wherein the first mounting portion includes the locking flange mounted to the crush pad; and

a second mounting portion extending from the first mounting portion while being twisted from the first mounting portion, wherein the second mounting portion includes the locking hole and is mounted to the cowl cross bar by the cowl bolt through the locking hole.

2. The airbag mounting assembly for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the locking flange of the first mounting portion and the locking hole of the second mounting portion have different orientations such that the locking flange and the locking hole are arranged to face the crush pad and the cowl cross bar, respectively.

3. The airbag mounting assembly for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the second mounting portion is provided with a bent part in which a bending moment is generated in response to an external impact applied thereto, the bent part being disposed between the first and second ends of the mounting bracket.

4. The airbag mounting assembly for vehicles according to claim 3, wherein the bent part is provided with a bending slot for allowing a bending moment to be easily generated in the bent part.

5. The airbag mounting assembly for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the mounting bracket comprises a pair of mounting brackets mounted to opposite end surfaces of the passenger airbag housing.

6. The airbag mounting assembly for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the cowl bolt comprises:

a bolt body mounted to an outer surface of the cowl cross bar; and

a locking protrusion protruding from the bolt body and inserted into the locking hole of the second mounting portion,

wherein the locking protrusion inserted into the locking hole is mounted to the second mounting bracket by using a nut.

7. The airbag mounting assembly for vehicles according to claim 6, wherein the bolt body of the cowl bolt is provided with a round surface part corresponding to the outer surface of the cowl cross bar.

8. The airbag mounting assembly for vehicles according to claim 6, wherein the bolt body of the cowl bolt is provided with a flat surface part attached to the outer surface of the cowl cross bar.

9. The airbag mounting assembly for vehicles according to claim 6, further comprising:

a stop flange extending from an end of the second mounting portion in a longitudinal axis of the locking protrusion while being bent therefrom, the stop flange preventing the mounting bracket from being removed from the cowl cross bar when an airbag expands.

10. The airbag mounting assembly for vehicles according to claim 1 wherein the locking hole is a slot.