Air bag assembly with two piece air bag housing

• US 20030209892A1
• Filed: 05/10/2002
• Published: 11/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Automotive Components Group North America (Lear Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Hier, Michael J., Palazzolo, Jack S., Davis, Joseph J. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,226,079 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/732
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/06 using friction, e.g. spin welding non-plastics elements to plastic elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/08 using ultrasonic vibrations non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/532 Joining single elements to the wall of tubular articles, hollow articles or bars
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/54 Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3038 Air bag covers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/216 comprising tether means for limitation of cover motion during deployment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2165 characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening

Abstract

An air bag assembly, for use with a vehicle having a panel with a breakaway door, includes an air bag housing having first and second housing portions. Each housing portion has a connection flange, and the connection flanges are positioned adjacent each other and secured together. An air bag and inflator are disposed within the air bag housing, and the inflator is operable to inflate the air bag. The assembly further includes a tether having a first end adapted to be secured to the breakaway door of the panel and a second end that is secured between the connection flanges.

Claims

1. An air bag assembly for use with a vehicle having a panel with a breakaway door, the air bag assembly comprising:

an air bag housing including first and second housing portions, each housing portion having a connection flange, the connection flanges being positioned adjacent each other and secured together;

an air bag disposed within the air bag housing;

an inflator disposed within the air bag housing and operable to inflate the air bag; and

a tether having a first end adapted to be secured to the breakaway door of the panel and a second end that is secured between the connection flanges.

2. The air bag assembly of claim 1 further comprising multiple spaced fasteners that secure the connection flanges together.

3. The air bag assembly of claim 2 wherein one of the fasteners extends through the second end of the tether.

4. The air bag assembly of claim 1 wherein the second housing portion includes an additional connection flange that is adapted to be connected to the panel.

5. The air bag assembly of claim 1 wherein the first housing portion comprises a first material, and the second housing portion comprises a second material different than the first material.

6. The air bag assembly of claim 5 wherein the first housing portion comprises metal, and the second housing portion comprises plastic.

7. The air bag assembly of claim 1 wherein the tether comprises a thermoplastic elastomer.

8. The air bag assembly of claim 1 wherein the tether comprises thermoplastic urethane.

9. The air bag assembly of claim 1 wherein the tether comprises a sandwich construction that extends from the first end to the second end, the sandwich construction including a scrim layer sandwiched between two plastic layers.

10. The air bag assembly of claim 1 wherein the tether comprises a reinforcing layer extruded within a plastic layer.

11. A vehicle air bag system comprising:

a panel having a breakaway door;

an air bag housing including first and second housing portions, each housing portion having a connection flange, the connection flanges being positioned adjacent each other and secured together;

an air bag disposed within the air bag housing;

an inflator disposed within the air bag housing and operable to inflate the air bag; and

a tether having a first end secured to the breakaway door of the panel and a second end that is secured between the connection flanges.

12. The air bag system of claim 11 wherein the panel is an instrument panel.

13. The air bag system of claim 11 further comprising multiple spaced fasteners that secure the connection flanges together.

14. The air bag system of claim 13 wherein one of the fasteners extends through the second end of the tether.

15. The air bag system of claim 11 wherein the second housing portion is connected to the panel.

16. The air bag system of claim 15 wherein the second housing portion has an additional connection flange that is vibration welded to the panel.

17. The air bag system of claim 15 wherein the second housing portion has an additional connection flange that is adhesively attached to the panel.

18. The air bag system of claim 11 wherein the first housing portion comprises a first material, and the second housing portion comprises a second material different than the first material.

19. The air bag system of claim 18 wherein the first housing portion comprises metal, and the second housing portion comprises plastic.

20. The air bag system of claim 11 wherein the panel comprises a thermoplastic polyolefin, and the tether comprises a thermoplastic elastomer.

21. The air bag system of claim 11 wherein the panel comprises polycarbonate, and the tether comprises thermoplastic urethane.

22. The air bag system of claim 11 wherein the panel comprises acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, and the tether comprises thermoplastic urethane.

23. The air bag system of claim 11 wherein the tether comprises a sandwich construction that extends from the first end to the second end, the sandwich construction including a scrim layer sandwiched between two plastic layers.

24. The air bag system of claim 11 wherein the tether comprises a reinforcing layer extruded within a plastic layer.

25. A vehicle air bag system comprising:

an instrument panel having a breakaway door;

an air bag housing including a lower housing portion and an upper housing portion, the lower and upper housing portions each having a connection flange positioned adjacent each other, the air bag housing further including spaced fasteners that secure the connection flanges of the lower and upper housing portions to each other, the upper housing portion further including an additional connection flange connected to the instrument panel;

an inflator mounted to the lower housing portion and disposed at least partially within the lower housing portion;

an air bag disposed at least partially within the upper housing portion and operable to be inflated by the inflator;

a tether having a first end secured to the breakaway door of the instrument panel and a second end that is secured between the connection flanges of the lower and upper housing portions by the spaced fasteners, the tether further having a sandwich construction that extends from the first end to the second end, the sandwich construction including a scrim layer sandwiched between two plastic layers.