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:
Sep. 29, 1998
Filed:
Feb. 26, 1996
Gary G Gordon, Southfield, MI (US);
Scott A Kelley, Algonac, MI (US);
Andrew J Smydra, Rochester, MI (US);
TRW VechicleSafety Systems Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
An inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (20) is attached to a vehicle part (22). The protection device (20) is deployable, upon inflation, through a deployment opening (24) in the vehicle part (22). A cover (60) closes the deployment opening (24) prior to deployment of the protection device (20). The cover (60) moves away from the vehicle part (22) upon deployment of the protection device (20). Attachment devices (82, 300) releasably attach the cover (60) to the vehicle part (22) and comprise a clip (120, 302) which is attachable to one of the cover and the vehicle part. The one of the cover (60) and the vehicle part (22) has a mounting opening (86, 322) and a recess (88, 324) adjacent the mounting opening. The clip (120, 302) includes a retaining portion (152, 364) biased to be received in the recess (88, 324) to inhibit removal of the clip, an opening (162, 380) for alignment with the mounting opening (86, 322), and a resiliently deflectable portion (164, 382). The attachment devices (82, 300) also include a stud (122, 304) which is non-pivotally fixed to the other of the vehicle part (22) and the cover (60). The stud (122, 304) is releasably connectable with the clip (120, 302) and includes a body (180, 400) which is extendable through the mounting opening (86, 322) in the one of the cover (60) and the vehicle part (22). The clip (120, 302) is movable relative to the mounting opening (86, 322) in the one of the cover (60) and the vehicle part (22) to compensate for relative misalignment among the opening (162, 380) in the clip, the mounting opening and the stud (122, 304) during attachment of the cover to the vehicle part.