The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 26, 1995
Filed:
Jul. 22, 1994
David J Bauer, West Bloomfield, MI (US);
John F Huber, Phoenix, AZ (US);
Kenneth J Barnes, Shelby Township, MI (US);
Michael P Towler, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Tip Engineering Group, Inc., Farmington Hills, MI (US);
Abstract
An arrangement is disclosed for forming an air bag deployment opening in an instrument panel behind which a passenger side air bag is stored, just prior to the time the air bag is deployed, the arrangement including a pressure driven cutting edge cutting through the covering layer at the start of air bag deployment. A pyrotechnic charge ignited by the air bag ignition circuitry is used to develop the pressure, and various devices used to drive the cutting edge, including a flattened tube enclosing the charge and expanded by ignition of the charge. A separate door substrate panel and frame are fit into a preformed opening in the instrument panel, and the tube may be mounted to the door substrate panel, the frame, or a separate membrane.