Nihon Plast Co., Ltd.

Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited

Tanabe Chemical Industrial Inc.

Nissan Motor Company Limited

Chisso Corporation

Kazuo Inaba

Kazuyoshi Nishijima

Tatsuo Hamanaka

Tomokazu Sugiyama

Mitsuyo Maeda

Kazuhiro Kaneko

Hidenori Kurata

Naoki Yamamoto

Tomio Hirata

Tetsuya Yamada

Shigehiro Koga

Kazuyoshi Imai

Yasuhisa Koike

A casing for storing an airbag of an airbag restraint system for an automobile vehicle. The casing is formed of a material comprising (a) a thermoplastic elastomer composition in an amount of 100 parts by weight, the thermoplastic elastomer composition being prepared by a process including mixing 10 to 50 parts by weight of a polyolefine resin with 100 parts by weight of an olefine copolymer rubber to obtain a mixture, dynamically heat-treating the mixture in the presence of an organic peroxide, and then adding 5 to 50 parts by weight of a mineral oil relative to 100 parts by weight of the dynamically heat-treated mixture, the olefine copolymer rubber having a Mooney viscosity (ML.sub.1+4, 100.degree. C.) ranging from 50 to 100; (b) a random copolymer resin in an amount of 20 to 50 parts by weight, containing propylene and at least one kind of 1-olefine other than propylene and having a Melt Flow Rate (230.degree. C.) ranging from 30 to 100; and (c) a modified polypropylene oligomer containing hydroxyl group, in an amount ranging from 1 to 5 parts by weight.

Airbag storing casing

A casing for storing an airbag forming part of an airbag restraint system in an automotive vehicle. The airbag storing casing comprises a main body formed of a material including (a) a thermoplastic elastomer composition in an amount of 100 parts by weight, the thermoplastic elastomer composition being prepared by a process including mixing 10 to 50 parts by weight of a polyolefin resin with 100 parts by weight of an olefin copolymer rubber to obtain a mixture, dynamically heat-treating the mixture in the presence of an organic peroxide, and then adding 5 to 50 parts by weight of a mineral oil relative to 100 parts by weight of the dynamically heat-treated mixture, the olefin copolymer rubber having a Mooney viscosity (ML.sub.1+4, 100.degree. C.) ranging from 50 to 100, and (b) a random copolymer resin in an amount of 20 to 50 parts by weight, containing propylene and at least one kind of 1-olefin other than propylene and having a Melt Flow Rate (230.degree. C.) ranging from 30 to 100. Additionally, a paint is coated on the surface of the main body and includes a resin component including chlorinated polyolefin resin, a modifier including alcohol-modified silicone and polyhydric alcohol, and a hardener including a mixture of an addition product of hexamethylene diisocyanate and polyester polyol, and hexamethylene diisocyanate.

An air bag cover for a vehicle has a main body formed of a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer and a skin layer applied over the main body. The skin layer is preferably of an `integral skin` reaction type polyurethane and is applied over the main body. Break lines may be formed in the main body portion of the airbag cover for permitting an inflated air bag to rip the cover for emerging into the vehicle cabin. The polyurethane elastomer of the main body preferably has a Shore A hardness rating of over 80.

Cover for vehicular air bag

In order to permit a steering wheel to be simply connected to a steering shaft having a frusto conical tapered portion, a serrated or splined portion and a threaded portion, in a manner which permits ready adjustment of the wheels' position which respect to the shaft, the central boss of the steering wheel is divided into separate upper and lower boss members. The lower boss member seats on the tapered portion and is rigidly connected with the steering wheel. The upper boss member fits on the serrated portion so that relative rotation is prevented. By tightening a nut on the threaded portion of the steering shaft, force can be applied through the upper boss member to the lower one in a manner which produces a frictional engagement between the lower boss member and the tapered portion which prevents relative rotation. Various mechanical arrangements are provided between the upper and lower boss members to either limit the amount of relative rotation which can occur therebetween prior the tightening of the nut or control the relative rotation to the degree that accidental relative rotation which is not deliberately induced cannot take place, even in the absence of the nut applying sufficient force to prevent relative rotation between the shaft and the lower boss member.

Steering wheel construction

A vinyl chloride resin composition made lightweight and delustered and having a superior abrasion resistance and a good microballoon-retainability, and molded products such as steering wheel using the same are provided, which composition comprises 100 parts by weight (hereinafter 'by weight' omitted) of a vinyl chloride copolymer consisting of 97.0.about.99.95% of vinyl chloride and 3.0 to 0.05% of a polyethylene glycol di(meth)acrylate having a specified number of ethylene glycol polymerization units and a specified average polymerization degree, 5 to 100 parts of microballoons having a specified s.g., particle diameter and compressive strength, 1 to 20 parts of polyvinyl acetate having a specified average polymerization degree and 30 to 150 parts of a plasticizer.

Vinyl chloride resin composition and molded products using same

An automotive steering wheel assembly has a metallic core and an outer covering of a molded soft plastic material in which switch-receiving recesses are formed for horn switch assemblies each including a base of a hard plastic material, a plastic switch button movably mounted on the base and carrying a movable contact thereon and springs disposed between the switch button and the base. The assembly is inserted into an associated recess and secured to a bracket with a stationary contact disposed in alignment with the movable contact and held between the bracket and the base. The bracket is secured to the metallic core of the steering wheel. The base is so shaped and sized as to be press-fitted into the recess to slightly outwardly deform the surrounding inner peripheral surface of the recess in the plastic outer covering to thereby prevent the occurrence of substantial dimensional change of the recess which would otherwise be caused by thermal deformation of the plastic outer covering during operation of the steering wheel.

Steering wheel assembly for vehicles

In a steering wheel mounted heater, there is provided a heat conductive sheet directly in contact with the outer surface of the rim portion. This conductive sheet is then intimately covered first with an electrically insulating sheet and secondly with an electrically heat generating member. This configuration is provided in order to quickly achieve uniform temperature distribution on a given zone of the steering wheel which zone is most likely gripped by the driver during the vehicle driving.

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Fuji, Japan

Kazuo Inaba