Alliedsignal Inc.

John H Pray

David E Thomas

An apparatus for an air bag safety restraint system comprising a deployment door (70), a chute (30) adapted to fit within an opening (24) within a component (20) of a vehicle and receive a deployment door (70). The chute (30) includes a first side (32a) and second side (32d). The second side (32d) includes a wall portion (34d) a snap-fit mechanism (125). The deployment door (70) including a substrate (70) including a cover member (74), a hinge member (78) formed along one side of the cover member (74), a flange (124) extending from the cover member (74) from a second side thereof and a tear seam (122) between the second side and the flange. The tear seam (122) being stressed and broken upon inflation of the air bag (69) permitting the cover member (74) to rotate about the hinge member permitting the air bag (69) to deploy, the flange (124) including receptacles 134a-c for engaging the snap-fit mechanism (125).

Air bag deployment door with snap fit

An apparatus for use in an air bag safety restraint system including: a deployment door (20) having a first part (36, 38, 39) including a tear seam (38) along one side thereof, attached to a cooperating structure (22) to permit the door to open when the tear seam is stressed, a central portion (32) connected to the first part via the tear seam and an integral hinge (42) connected to the central portion (32) and integral therewith. A door retainer bracket (70) is provided with a plurality of lands (72a-72b) and a plurality of rectangular shaped bosses (74a-74c) each boss having a fastener hole (78) therein. The door retainer bracket is fitted to a flange 44 of the cover 20 such that the lands lie against flat portions of the flange (44) and the bosses extend into corresponding rectangular openings 60a-60c of the flange. A door retainer plate (90) is mated against an outward side (80) of the flange 44 and includes fastener openings (94) aligned to the fastener openings (78) in the door retainer bracket (70).

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Shelby Township, Macomb County, MI, United States of America

John H Pray