Morton International, Inc.

Kevin W Booth

Howard W Hambleton, Jr

Merle K Ricks

Marcus T Clark

Janiel Sorenson

An improved membrane horn switch having a first main switch section and a second main switch section connected by spaced-apart, relatively narrow first and second bridge members which are rupturable by a force created by an inflating airbag cushion. Each bridge member has a conductive coating in the form of two spaced-apart parallel strips which resist the propagation of stress cracks caused by the bending and twisting of horn actuation, and provide redundancy upon one of the two conductive strips being severed by a stress crack. Improved membrane horn switches having strain relieving bridge members are also provided. Each strain relieving bridge member, in addition to having two spaced-apart conductive strips, also forms a non-straight path between the first main switch section and the second main switch section. The non-straight paths of the strain relieving bridge members allow extra slack and leeway between the first and the second main switch sections of the horn switch, reducing stress on the bridge members. An improved membrane horn switch having a combined bridge member is also provided, and improved membrane horn switches having a combined strain relieving bridge member with a non-straight path are also provided.

Horn membrane switch with rupturable strain relief bridging connector

A membrane horn switch wherein the two membranes sheets of the horn switch have first and second relatively large areas connected by a rupturable, strain relieving bridge member. The bridge members provide an area that is readily rupturable from a force provided by an inflating airbag cushion such that the bridge members can be appropriately placed over a tear seam of a cover of an airbag module in a motor vehicle. Each bridge member of the horn switch has a non-straight path so as to lessen strain fatigue and prolong the durability of the bridge member.

Rupturable strain relieving horn switch bridging member

A horn switch pocket for use with a bend sensor horn switch as part of a horn switch assembly for mounting in a horn switch pocket of an airbag module. The bend sensor horn switch has a variable resistance circuit that is connectable to a horn control circuit and has a plurality of spaced-apart resistive elements. The horn switch jacket substantially encloses the bend sensor horn switch and includes a jacket front cover having a rear inner surface positioned in front of the bend sensor horn switch. A plurality of parallel, spaced-apart, elongated force concentration ribs extend from the rear inner surface with each resistive element positioned behind a force concentration rib. A jacket back cover has a front inner surface positioned behind the bend sensor horn switch. A plurality of parallel spaced-apart elongated support ribs extend from the front inner surface parallel to and offset from the force concentration ribs, so that each resistive element is positioned between two adjacent support ribs, whereby pressure applied to the front cover causes at least one force concentration rib to bend at least one resistive element about two adjacent support ribs. According to another embodiment of the invention, the horn switch assembly includes a membrane horn switch in place of the bend sensor horn switch, and the horn switch jacket simply includes a plurality of spaced-apart cylindrical force concentrators extending from a rear inner surface of a jacket front cover.

Horn switch jacket

A horn switch assembly including an airbag module cover, a bend sensor and a backing plate. The module cover has a front outer face and a rear inner face deformably depressible from the front face. A plurality of parallel, spaced-apart, elongated force concentration ribs are located on the rear inner face of the cover. The bend sensor is positioned under the force concentrators and includes a flexible substrate and a variable resistance circuit connectable to a horn control circuit. The variable resistance circuit has a plurality of spaced-apart resistive elements connected by a plurality of conductive strips. The variable resistance circuit is arranged in a plural of parallel spaced-apart columns adhered to the substrate so that the columns are generally perpendicular to the force concentration ribs and each resistive element is positioned under a force concentration rib. The generally rigid backing plate has a forward surface positioned under the bend sensor. A plurality of parallel spaced-apart elongated support ribs extend forwardly from the backing plate so that the support ribs are generally parallel to and offset from the force concentration ribs and are generally perpendicular to the bend sensor columns so that each conductive strip is positioned over a support rib and each resistive element is positioned between two adjacent support ribs. Pressure applied to the front outer face of the airbag module cover will deformably depress the inner face towards the bend sensor causing at least one force concentration rib to bend at least one resistive element about two adjacent support ribs.

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Roy, UT, United States of America

Kevin W Booth