Trw Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.

Patricia O Stein

Anthony C Burgi

Peter C Feldman

Michael T Tichvon

A steering wheel assembly (,) mounts on a vehicle steering shaft (,) which has a threaded end portion (,). The steering wheel assembly (,) comprises a steering wheel armature (,), an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (,) supported on the steering wheel armature (,), an inflator (,) for providing inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (,), a hub (,) fixedly attached to the steering wheel armature (,) and for non-rotatable attachment to the steering shaft (,), and a rotatable fastener (,) rotatably supported on the hub (,) for axially forcing the hub onto the steering shaft (,) upon rotation of the fastener in a first direction. The fastener (,) has a first end portion (,) including gearing (,) for rotating the fastener and a second end portion (,) for threadedly engaging the threaded end portion (,) of the steering shaft (,) upon rotation of the fastener. A retainer plate (,) spaced from the inflator (,) is fixedly attached with the steering wheel armature (,). The retainer plate (,) overlies the first end portion (,) of the fastener (,) and retains the fastener on the steering wheel armature (,).

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Leonard, MI, United States of America

Patricia O Stein