Davidson Textron Inc.

Everett A Hastings

Richard D Rhodes, Jr

Mark E Dukeshire

John C Galloway

Joseph E McKeever

John A Gardner

A closure for an air bag assembly includes a door having an edge portion of the door that defines a segment of a deployment opening for the air bag when the door is opened and the door is held in a normally closed position by a fastener tab that includes a lip thereon that will cover the edge portion of the door to prevent the air bag from engaging the edge portion during deployment.

Closure for air bag assembly

A vehicle steering wheel has a decorative panel concealing a storage compartment for an inflatable air bag. The panel has a covering which comprises a backing plate having a U-shaped cut line framing the storage compartment and defining a cover door having a hinge line connecting the ends of the cut line U. An inner layer of foam is interposed between the backing plate and an outer skin layer. The skin has a peripheral groove outlining the door and comprises a hinge section overlaying the hinge line and a weakened tear seam line overlying the cut line. The groove is cut through at the bottom along the tear seam line but not along the hinge section. Inflation of the air bag will force the door outwardly, fracturing the foam layer along the tear seam line to swing the door away from the opening about the hinge section to enable deployment of the air bag outwardly of teh panel. The cuts in the panel layers can be made before or after a molding process. Alternate constructions creating the tear seam line are disclosed.

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Farmington, NH, United States of America

Everett A Hastings