Morton International, Inc.

Lisa M Frary

Larry D Rose

Edward Friery

Thomas M Kriska

Trudy C Lewis

A fastenerless air bag module attachment assembly for securing a molded plastic cover to a module housing. The housing includes a trough-shaped body having opposed ends, and a top and bottom wall. An end plate is attached to each opposed sides of the body. The cover has a front face and top, bottom and opposed side legs extending therefrom. Two separate attachment features are provided to secure the cover to the housing. First, the top and bottom cover legs each include an integral attachment, for example, a projection, which slides into a channel disposed integrally in the top and bottom walls of the housing. Secondly, the housing end plates each include a pair of protruding tabs formed integrally therewith. The tabs extend through openings provided in the cover side legs when the housing and cover are assembled. One side leg of the cover is hingedly connected to the front face of the cover to permit assembly. After the cover is properly positioned on the housing, the tabs protruding through the cover openings are deflected to secure the cover in place on the housing.

Passenger air bag module fastenerless cover attachment

A heat resistant fabric shield that protects the inside surfaces of the top and side sections of an air bag cushion is disclosed. The fabric shield is attached to the air bag cushion adjacent to the gas inlet opening. Upon deployment of the cushion the fabric shield is moved into position by the flow of hot gases from the inflator to protect the inside surfaces of the cushion from the hot gases. After deployment the fabric shield falls into position on top of the inflator thus protecting and insulating the cushion from the hot inflator.

Hooded heat shield for an automotive air bag cushion

A passenger airbag module deployment door attachment system includes a molded plastic deployment door unit having a front wall providing a deployment doorway. Attachment legs extend rearwardly from the front wall for interlocking engagement with mating portions of walls of the airbag module. At least one band encircles the attachment legs for holding them in their interlocking engagement. Four attachment legs are shown surrounding a deployment passageway in encircling relationship. This passageway leads from an exit of the airbag module to the deployment doorway. The four attachment legs as shown provide four support surfaces effectively surrounding the deployment passageway for supporting and directing toward the doorway a high-energy expanding cushion (airbag) during its deployment. These attachment legs absorb impact energy and provide reinforcement for the front wall of the molded plastic unit. Each attachment leg has a band-receiving channel with a convex arcuate profile for causing tension 'T' in an attachment band to provide inwardly-directed clamping force 'F' distributed along the band-receiving channel for firmly securing interlocking engagement of the attachment legs to the walls of the airbag module.

Growing community of inventors

South Weber, UT, United States of America

Lisa M Frary