Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

David Scott Weckesser

Robert Raymond Niederman

Francis Joseph Holmes

Margaret Ann Fisher

Michael Joseph Vendely

Brian Thomas Finnigan

David L Ernst

Maria T Avila

An air bag module and steering wheel assembly includes an air bag module and a steering wheel. The air bag module includes a base plate and an air bag. At least one mounting member extends from the base plate and through the air bag to attach the air bag to the base plate. A cover has at least one vertically extending side wall including at least one cover slot in which the air bag and base plate are loosely seated therein while leaving the cover free for manual removal from the base plate. The air bag is trapped in the cover slot between side wall and the base plate. The steering wheel has a receiving area for receiving the module therein for attachment to the steering wheel. An upstanding capture plate forms a vertically extending wall generally surrounding the receiving area. The capture plate engages the side wall of the cover when the module is inserted into the receiving area and captures the side wall of the cover and the air bag between the base plate and the capture plate such that the cover and the air bag are anchored to the base plate for withstanding the forces of air bag inflation.

Air bag module and steering wheel assembly

An air bag module is provided in a vehicle having a vertical vehicle axis and having a horizontal vehicle axis. The air bag module includes an inflator having an elongated vertical inflator axis. The inflator discharges inflator gas which is directed in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the vertical inflator axis. An air bag includes a main body portion having a shape that is angled with respect to the longitudinal direction. Preferably, the longitudinal direction is angled upwardly relative the horizontal vehicle axis and the main body portion of the air bag is angled downwardly relative the longitudinal direction. Preferably, the main body portion includes upper and lower downwardly angled edges which are generally parallel to the horizontal vehicle direction when the air bag is inflated.

Air bag module

A steering wheel hub includes a mounting plate which mounts the base of an air bag module on a pair of spaced posts. In one embodiment a pair of horn actuation switches in the form of spring contacts are mounted on the mounting plate between the posts and the upper edge of the plate. The spring contacts are insulated and bias the plates apart. Depressing the upper portion of the air bag module rocks the module on the posts, which deflects the spring contacts into electrical contact with the mounting plate and blows the horn. In another embodiment, the base plate is mounted on the mounting plate by two spaced posts which mount compression springs biasing the plates apart. Modular horn actuation switches are mounted between the posts and the plate upper edge. Depressing the upper portion of the air bag module rocks the base plate into engagement with the switches to blow the horn. In a variation, the modular horn switches are located between the posts and the plate lower edge, which enable horn blowing by depressing the lower portion of the air bag module.

Horn switch actuated by rocking air bag module

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Dayton, OH, United States of America

David Scott Weckesser