Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.

Morton International, Inc.

Tg North America Corporation

Peter L Vigeant

David Laird Geyer

Robert Andrew Parks

Joseph Mannino

Michael A Schorle

Michael J Olesko

Darrell A Kellogg

Bryan H Stover

Bradley S Honermann

Norinari Nagata

Tanja Kryzaniwskyj

Minoru Niwa

Stephanie Schneider

Adam Hardin

Merle K Ricks

Gary V Adams

Michael Thomas Rhodes

Steven R Zofchak

William Henry Travis

Joseph M Tata

Ronald J Misetich

William N Castleman

Brian C Parker

April Hamilton

Bradley S Honerman

Sara Anne Schumer

Lionel K Cureau

Jesse A Sheldon

Joseph J Mannino

An airbag assembly includes an airbag cover having a first panel portion. The first panel portion has first lower edge and a plurality of clips formed at the first lower edge. The clips each have a thickness greater than the first panel portion. A case has a plurality of openings configured to receive the clips of the airbag cover. The openings in the case may each be an elongated slot including a wide portion and a contiguous narrow portion that is narrower than the thickness of the clip. Each slot is configured such that the clip can be inserted through the wide portion and then slid to the narrow portion to retain the airbag cover to the case.

Knee airbag assembly

A steering wheel assembly includes an armature having spokes over which a spoke ends of a steering wheel are molded. A back cover connects to the armature and the steering wheel. A trim plate snap-fits directly to the spoke ends of the steering wheel and to the back cover, without connecting directly to the armature. Because the trim plates are directly connected to the same two components with which the trim plates must provide proper fit and finish, proper fit and finish is ensured.

Trim plate for steering wheel

An example trajectory control envelope includes a trajectory control envelope configured to receive an airbag and to control deployment of the airbag.

Airbag trajectory control envelope

An exemplary airbag case includes a floor that is configured to receive an airbag module, a wall extending away from the floor, and a plurality of reinforcement features each extending without interruption from the floor to the wall.

Airbag module case

An example airbag housing assembly includes a base and an end cap. The end cap is positioned at a lateral end of the base. The end cap is configured to be fastened directly to a vehicle.

Airbag housing

An example airbag arrangement includes an example airbag moveable between an expansion-constrained position and an expanded position. The airbag includes a contact face. A tether has a first end connected to the contact face and a second end anchoring the tether. The tether holds the contact face of the airbag in a substantially vertical position.

Externally anchored tether for altering airbag deployment

An example airbag assembly an airbag, a duct having an duct opening for venting gas outside the airbag, and a flap moveable from a first position to a second position. The duct is configured to direct more gas outside the airbag when the flap is in the first position than when the flap is in the second position. A tether is configured to move the flap from the first position to the second position.

Dynamic airbag venting

An exemplary airbag assembly includes an airbag and a duct having an duct opening for venting gas. The duct has a first position and a second position. The duct is configured to direct less gas out of the airbag when in the second position than when in the first position. A tether kinks about the duct to move the duct from the first position to the second position. The inflating causes the tether to kink about the duct.

An example airbag arrangement includes an airbag moveable between an expansion-constrained position and an expanded position. The airbag includes a contact face. A tether has a first tether end connected adjacent an upper portion of the contact face and a second tether end anchoring the tether. The tether holds the contact face in a substantially vertical position.

Externally anchored upper tether for altering airbag deployment

An example airbag assembly includes an airbag having an airbag opening and a duct adjacent the airbag opening. A tether is configured to move the duct between a first position and a second position. The duct communicates a first flow from the duct through the airbag opening in the first position. The duct communicates a second flow from the duct through the airbag opening in the second position. The first flow is greater than the second flow.

An example airbag inflator manifold assembly includes a cap portion establishing a plurality of apertures that are operative to communicate flow from an inflator to an airbag interior. A baffle portion redirects at least some of the flow from the plurality of apertures. A mounting face extends radially from the cap portion and is securable to a flange extending radially from the inflator to hold the cap portion and the baffle portion relative to the inflator.

Airbag inflator manifold

An airbag includes end panels sewn onto opposite ends of the airbag. The end panels include side tabs and a center tab. The side tabs hook onto a retainer. The center tab is sewn to the airbag adjacent the opening in the retainer to pull the airbag against the concave inner surface of the retainer, thereby eliminating bunching and folding of airbag material at the interface of the retainer and inflator.

Passenger airbag

An example airbag assembly includes an airbag and a duct. The duct has a duct opening for venting gas. The duct is moveable between a first position where the duct opening is outside the airbag and a second position where the duct opening is inside the airbag. Inflating the airbag moves the duct between the first position and the second position. The airbag is configured to be inflated by a first stream of gas moving from the duct opening to an interior of the airbag and by a second stream of gas moving from an airbag inflator to the interior of the airbag. The first stream of gas is separate from the second stream of gas.

An example airbag assembly includes an airbag and a duct having an opening for venting gas. The duct moves between a first position where the opening is outside the airbag and a second position where the opening is inside the airbag. Inflating the airbag moves the duct between the first position and the second position.

An example tethered airbag arrangement includes an airbag movable to an expanded position. The airbag includes a contact face. An internal tether constrains expansion of the contact face. An external tether system includes tether portions and at least one bridge portion. The tether portions constrain expansion of the contact face. The bridge portion limits separation between one of the tether portions and an adjacent one of the tether portions as the airbag moves to an expanded position.

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Troy, MI, United States of America

Peter L Vigeant