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. 22, 1998
Filed:
Mar. 29, 1996
Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd., Aichi, JP;
Abstract
A pad covering an air bag has a main body, a backing and a decorative member. The main body may be made from a thermoplastic elastomer and includes a tearing line which tears open when the air bag inflates, a recess formed in its outer surface spaced apart from the tearing line, and a hole formed in the recess and extending between the outer and inner surfaces of the body. The decorative member is arranged in the recess and the hole. The backing is situated on the inner surface of the main body, and has a through hole aligned with the hole of the main body. The decorative member has a decorative plate portion fitted in the recess of the main body, and a support post extending from the inner surface of the decorative plate portion and through the holes of the main body and the backing, and connected to the backing. The inner surface of the main body spaced apart from its hole and the outer surface of the backing facing the main body have mutually engaging portions which prevent the backing from being displaced along the inner surface of the main body. The main body of the pad provides a stable support for the decorative member, even though the thermoplastic elastomer is an easily expandable material.