Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Other

Carl David Spamer

Daniel Frank Gillay

Robert Charles Steinbrecher

Araceli Boroel

Disclosed is a vent assembly that includes a fin/actuator sub-assembly that includes an aperture, an inner ring that includes a plurality of protrusions, each protrusion including a retention surface, and an annular retaining member, wherein when the annular retaining member is in a retaining engagement with the fin/actuator sub-assembly and the inner ring, a portion of the annular retaining member is disposed within the aperture of the fin/actuator sub-assembly, and portions of the annular retaining member contact the retention surfaces of the protrusions of the inner ring.

Vent assemblies

Airbag protection shields are disclosed that comprise an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the shield is configured to attach to a vehicle headliner assembly and cover a portion of at least one vehicle component in the headliner assembly, the at least one vehicle component being positioned such that a nearby airbag may contact the at least one vehicle component upon deployment. The protection shields may be configured to protect a headliner assembling containing air ducts and air vents.

Protection shield for vehicle headliner

A vehicle body assembly includes a body structure, a trim panel connected to the body structure and an air bag located between the body structure and the trim panel. A releasable clip assembly connects the body structure and the trim panel. The releasable clip assembly includes a first mating component connected to the body structure and a second mating component connected to the trim panel. The second mating component has a lock position and a release position relative to the first mating component. In the lock position, the second mating component is engaged with the first mating component. The second mating component moves to the release position relative to the first mating component with movement of the trim panel during deployment of the air bag to release the second mating component from the first mating component.

Releasable clip assembly facilitating trim panel movement

The present invention discloses a retention apparatus for a fin subassembly used in connection with a vent assembly of a vehicle including a headliner assembly mounted to an interior vehicle body structure. A curtain side airbag is disposed between the headliner assembly and the vehicle body structure. The headliner is configured to be displaced by the curtain side airbag upon airbag deployment so as to provide a safety feature for passengers of the vehicle. The vent assembly includes a trim cover, a retainer ring and a fin subassembly. The trim cover is mounted to a vehicle headliner and the trim cover having a predetermined inside diameter. The fin subassembly having a plurality of fins configured to direct airflow from an air duct and also having an extended actuator operatively connected to the fins to permit simultaneous and identical movement of the fins. The fin subassembly is mounted in the retainer ring and the retainer ring is rotatably mounted in the trim cover to allow the retainer ring and fin subassembly to freely rotate. The extended actuator having a length greater than that of the predetermined inside diameter of the trim cover to prevent the fin subassembly from detaching from the vent assembly as a whole upon curtain side airbag deployment.

Vent assembly

A trim panel assembly configured to displace so as to allow an airbag to deploy. The trim panel assembly is mounted to the vehicle body structure and the airbag is housed between the vehicle body structure and the trim panel assembly. The trim panel assembly includes a trim panel body, a trim component, and a retainer. The trim panel body includes an aperture and the trim component is seated within the aperture. The trim component may include vehicle accessories such as a map light, or a handle. The retainer is mounted to the hidden surface of the trim panel body and attached to the trim component so as to retain the trim component to the trim panel body during airbag deployment.

Trim panel assembly

A headliner for preventing an assist grip located proximate a curtain side airbag (CSA) from detaching from a motor vehicle frame during deployment of the CSA is provided. The headliner can include a substrate layer with an assist grip aperture dimensioned such that an assist grip attachment end can extend through the substrate layer and attach to sheet metal located adjacent to a back side of the headliner. Proximate to the assist grip aperture is a weakened region within the substrate layer that affords for headliner to bend and/or tear around the assist grip during deployment of the CSA. In addition, a fabric layer attached to and extending across the substrate layer is provided wherein the fabric layer covers the weakened region within the substrate layer.

Growing community of inventors

Brighton, MI, United States of America

Carl David Spamer