Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

James Paul Yizze

Nicholas Andrew Mazzocchi

Frank Qiukui Liu

Thomas Junior Luckett

Kenneth J Kwasnik

Victor A Johnson

Matthew Jameson Hickey

Alan Curtis Moran, Jr

Jeffrey William DeMunnik

Shane Scherbarth

An airbag deployment door for a motor vehicle, the airbag deployment door having a panel and a hinge formed along one side of the panel. The hinge is configured to couple to a panel on the vehicle to allow the panel to pivot, a tear seam extending on an opposite side of the panel, wherein the tear seam is configured to open during the deployment of an airbag, and a scoring line extending through the panel in the shape of a generally Y-shape to form first, second, and third panel members, wherein the scoring lines allow the first, second, and third panel members to fold during deployment of the airbag.

Vehicle instrument panel and foldable airbag deployment door

An air bag chute assembly mounts a passenger air bag module to an automotive instrument panel. An outer flange collar of the assembly attaches to the instrument panel and defines a windshield-facing side. A tubular chute extends interiorly from the collar to a lower end that attaches to the air bag module. A door flap is disposed in an upper end of the chute. An S-shaped hinge has a first edge attached to the door flap. An apron extends from the collar laterally into the deployment path from the windshield-facing side. A second edge of the hinge attaches to the apron so that a sweep zone of the door flap is shifted by a distance corresponding to a reduction in a width of the deployment path at the upper end caused by the apron, reducing interference between the flap and a windshield during air bag deployment.

Restricted-opening door hinge for automotive air bag chute

Growing community of inventors

Washington, MI, United States of America

James Paul Yizze