Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Autoliv Development Ab

Philip Wendel Hopf

David Charles Viano

Minoo Jaswantlal Shah

Axel Kaiser

Barry C Worrell

James Lloyd Webber

Bernd Uwe Zimmerbeutel

James J Simpson

Robert L Jones

William Thomas Shaw

Eric D Carlson

Frank G Meyer

Maria V Villegas

Lawrence B Gardner

Robert M Strahan

Phillip G Williams

A steering wheel assembly, comprising: an insert comprising an armature, a rim portion and at least one spoke connecting the armature to the rim portion; a rim assembly comprising a first rim portion and a second rim portion, the first rim portion and the second rim portion each being configured to be disposed around a periphery of the rim portion of the insert and the first rim portion and the second rim portion are configured to be secured to each other about the rim portion of the insert, the first rim portion and the second rim portion each being separately formed from a polymeric material prior to the securement of the rim assembly to the rim portion of the insert; and a decorative cover disposed about an exterior surface of the rim assembly.

Steering wheel and method of making

A frontal air bag system for a vehicle including an inflator mounted to vehicle structure and an air bag operatively connected to the inflator and mounted to a pillar of the vehicle. The frontal air bag system also includes a trim molding covering the air bag and mounted to the pillar. The air bag, inflated by the inflator, is extended downward and sideways in front of an occupant seated in the vehicle.

Frontal air bag system

This present invention provides a device for retaining an inflator within an air bag module housing in a sealing manner. In a first embodiment, the device comprises an inflator seal member and an inflator seal retainer. The inflator seal member is disposed about an outer surface of the inflator by disposing the inflator through a central opening formed in the inflator seal member. The inflator seal member further has a flange which is received within a retaining groove formed in the module housing for partially locating the inflator within an internal cavity formed in the module housing. The inflator seal retainer is designed to provide high quality seal retention between the inflator and the module housing. In a broad sense, the inflator seal retainer comprises a symmetric star shaped member having spring-like properties. The inflator seal retainer is formed so that it includes a plurality of peaks radially disposed about an opening defined by the inflator seal retainer. Because the inflator seal retainer has spring-like properties, the inflator is intimately receiving within the opening and makes contact with the retainer at distinct contact points. These contact points comprise points where a retention force is applied by the inflator seal retainer to the inflator to aid in the retention of the inflator. The plurality of peaks are disposed in a plurality of retaining slots formed in the module housing to retain the inflator and provide the desired seal.

Inflator seal retainer for an air bag module

A vehicle has an upper front interior corner and at least one seating position for a vehicle occupant. An air bag assembly includes an inflator for generating gas; and an air bag deployable upon generation of gas by the inflator. The air bag is stored in the upper front interior corner of the vehicle, and the air bag is a single integral air bag having a frontal portion and a side portion. The frontal portion and the side portion are in fluid communication with each other. Upon air bag deployment, the frontal portion deploys downwardly and in front of the vehicle occupant and the side portion deploys downwardly and to the side of the vehicle occupant such that the air bag wraps around the occupant during deployment. Preferably, the frontal portion and the side portion are generally 90 degrees relative to each other. Also preferably, the vehicle has air bag assemblies in opposite front upper interior corners that are mirror images of each other for commonization of parts.

Air bag assembly

A cover assembly for an occupant restraint system is formed of relatively irrupturable material and includes longitudinal and lateral portions which overlie like portions of a container housing an inflatable occupant restraint cushion. The juxtaposed edges of these portions are arranged which are juxtaposed to each other across a tear line of the container. One edge of each pair terminates in a U shaped return bent flange and the other edge of each pair terminates in an S shaped return bent flange having a flap which extends across the tear line and abuts the U shaped flange.

Cover assembly for occupant restraint system

A steering wheel assembly for vehicles which incorporates an energy absorbing coupling which mounts the steering wheel for tilting movement with respect to a column to an optimum impact position when the wheel receives inertia load and which provides for subsequent energy management by deformation of a plurality of metallic legs which collapse at controlled rates.

Energy absorbing steering wheel assembly

A horn pad assembly having a large irregularly shaped horn switch subassembly is made by enclosing the horn switch subassembly in a sealed bag of heat shrinkable plastic film to mask the slots and holes in the subassembly, heat shrinking the heat shrinkable plastic film to provide a relatively smooth and taut enclosure, and molding a decorative pad of resilient plastic material onto the portions of the heat shrunk plastic film covering the top sides and underside edges of the horn switch subassembly.

Growing community of inventors

Dayton, OH, United States of America

Philip Wendel Hopf