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:
Mar. 05, 1996
Filed:
Jan. 05, 1995
Timothy J Whited, Auburn Hills, MI (US);
Russell S Gans, Westland, MI (US);
Morton International, Inc., Chicago, IL (US);
Abstract
A vehicle air bag installation including an inflatable air bag assembly mounted in a rectangular opening in the vehicle instrument panel for deployment of the air bag through the opening. A rectangular net fit cover door engages a recessed abutment around the opening when closed. The abutment includes a plurality of spaced apertures around the opening for receiving fasteners for attaching the cover to the instrument panel. The fasteners comprise elongate thermoplastic resin bodies having a bulbous head, flared wings or shoulders extending from the bulbous head for providing height alignment, an intermediate bulbous portion for centering the fastener in the aperture and a lower end that converges to a flange to facilitate insertion through the apertures. Integral lock-in-tabs are provided in the flange portion to lock the fastener to the abutment. Integral channels molded into the underside of the cover substrate releasably engage the heads of the fasteners. The cover having the fasteners secured to channels in its underside is assembled to the instrument panel by aligning the fasteners with the apertures in the abutment flange. The fasteners are inserted into the apertures and are locked therein by the lock-in tabs to prevent inadvertent premature movement of the cover. Upon deployment of the air bag, the cover is pushed out of the instrument panel surface with the fasteners disengaging from the channels in the underside of the cover.