GB2391520A

GB2391520A - Cover for an air-bag

Info

Publication number: GB2391520A
Application number: GB0218286A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thierry Hondier
Original assignee: Autoliv Development AB
Current assignee: Autoliv Development AB
Priority date: 2002-08-06
Filing date: 2002-08-06
Publication date: 2004-02-11
Anticipated expiration: 2022-08-06
Also published as: GB0218286D0; FR2843578A1; GB2391520B; FR2843578B1

Abstract

A cover for an air-bag, in the form of an envelope (20), comprises two sheets of material (21, 22) superimposed and connected at least at the side edges (24, 25) to form a pocket. One of the sheets of material extends beyond the pocket to form a mounting flap (29), the mounting flap being configured to engage with engagement elements (8) provided on a housing (2). A part of the pocket remote from the flap is cut away (26), this part is preferably provided with a strap (27) to retain a gas generator (40). The cover ir preferably made from a plastic material (e.g. polyethylene) and may be provided with adhesive to secure the cover to the housing. The housing defines a substantially "U" shaped channel with an upper flange (6) provided with the engagement elements to hold the envelope in position. The free edge of the mounting flap is preferably provided with an adhesive (34) to secure the flap to the housing.

Description

PATENTS ACT 1977 2391 520

P 1 6642GB-NF/S]P/j sd DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO A COVER FOR AN AIR-

BAG" THE PRESENT INVENTION relates to a cover for an air-bag, and more particularly relates to a cover for use with a door-mounted side air-bag. The invention relates to a combination of the cover and the air-bag.

It has been proposed previously to provide a transport cover for an air-

bag. GB 2,281,259 discloses a transport cover for an air-bag in the form of two components which are hinged together about a hinge-line and moveable to a closed position with a "clam" action. The cover provides protection for the air-

bag prior to its installation in the vehicle. The cover may be installed, with the air-bag, in a vehicle, to retain the air-bag in a folded condition.

US 5,498,023 discloses a packaging strap for a driver side air-bag. The packaging strap initially has one end secured to a studded ring mounted on the air-bag, and the strap is wound around the folded air-bag with the other end of the strap then being secured to the studded ring to retain the air-bag in its folded condition during initial assembly and subsequent servicing of the air-bag module. The strap is notched at a point along its length so that it will break on deployment of the air-bag.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved air-bag cover. It is envisaged that a preferred embodiment of the invention will be an air-bag cover for use with a door-mounted side air-bag.

According to the present invention there is provided a cover for an air-

bag, the cover being in the form of an envelope, the envelope having two regions of sheet material which are super-imposed and which are interconnected at least at the super-imposed side edges thereof to form a pocket, one of the regions of sheet material extending beyond the pocket to form a mounting flap, the mounting flap being configured to engage with engagement elements provided on a housing, part of the pocket remote from the flap being cut-away.

Preferably the envelope is formed from a single element of sheet material having two regions, one region being folded-back about a fold-line to overlie the other region, the super-imposed side edges of the two regions being interconnected by said seams, the cut-away region being formed at one end of said fold-line.

Advantageously the flap is provided with a plurality of apertures to engage hooks provided on the housing.

Preferably the cover is provided with adhesive to secure the cover to the housing. Preferably the air-bag cover is formed from a plastic material.;

Advantageously the plastic is polyethylene.

Conveniently the cover is provided with a line of mechanical weakness.

Preferably a strap is provided adjacent the cut-out region to retain the gas generator of an air-bag.

Advantageously the air-bag cover is provided in combination with an airbag. Conveniently the above-mentioned combination farther includes a housing, the housing defining a substantially "U"-shaped channel between a vertical support plate, a lower platform and an upper flange, the upper flange being provided with engagement elements, and the flap engaging the engagement elements to hold the envelope and the air-bag in position on the housing. Preferably a free edge of the flap is provided with adhesive which secures the flap to part of the housing. i Advantageously the housing is provided with mounting lugs to mount the housing to a vehicle.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a housing for an air-bag, FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of an envelope for containing an air bag, FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the envelope containing an air-bag mounted on the housing, and FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken through the combination of the envelope air-bag and housing as shown in Figure 3, the sectional view being taken along the line IV-IV.

Referring initially to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, a housing 1 for an air-bag is formed as a metal pressing or stamping. The housing 1 comprises a substantially vertical rectangular back-plate 2.

Protruding forwardly from the lower edge of the support plate 2 is a horizontal platform 3. Protruding from the forward-most edge of the platform 3 are two spaced-apart mounting lugs 4, 5 which extend forwardly of the platform 3. The I mounting lugs 4, 5 are bent so as to facilitate mounting the housing in position on a motor vehicle.

Provided at the upper edge of the vertical support plate 2 of the housing is a forwardly extending upper flange 6. Stamped out of the upper flange 6, adjacent the junction between the flange 6 and the support plate 2, are three engagement elements 7, 8, 9 in the form of hooks. A single mounting element 10 is also stamped out of the upper flange 6, the mounting element 10 being configured to facilitate mounting the housing 1 in position in a motor vehicle.

s At one end of the support plate 2, a substantially vertical forwardly extending side-flange 11 is provided. The side-flange 11 effectively forms one end of a "U"-shaped channel or recess 12 bounded by the support plate 2, the lower platform 3, the upper flange 6 and the side-flange 11.

At the other end of the support plate 2 is a cranked axially extending mounting bracket 13 provided with an aperture 14 therein. The fixing bracket 13 is spaced forwardly from the support plate 2.

The housing 1 is configured to receive an air-bag mounted within a soft cover constituted by an envelope 20 shown in Figure 2 which may be made from a sheet of plastic material such as polyethylene, or the material sold under the registered Trade Mark TYVEK.

The envelope 20 is formed from a single sheet of material. A first region 21 is folded up to overlie a larger region 22, thus creating a fold-line 23.

The material in the region of the fold-line 23 is configured so as to be mechanically weaker relative to the rest of the sheet of material. For example, a line of mechanical weakness can be defined along the foldline23 or substantially adjacent thereto. The super-imposed side edges of the two regions 21, 22 are interconnected by seams 24, 25. The seams 24, 25 may be stitched seams or glued seams. The seams may include a gusset to allow expansion of the envelope.

A cut-away region 26 is provided at one end of the fold-line 23, thus providing access to the space defined between the adjacent regions 21, 22. A strap 27 is provided which is connected to the envelope adjacent We cut-away

region 26 The strap 27 has an adhesive strip 28 provided at the free end thereof. i The larger rear region 22 of the envelope extends up above the front region 21 to form a "flap" 29 which can be folded over in the manner of a flap which closes an envelope. The flap 29 is provided with three apertures 30, 31, 32 therein, and has a cut-out region 33 in the top free edge thereof. The free edge is provided with an adhesive strip 34 therealong.

An air-bag, in the folded condition, is to be located within the "pocket" formed between two adjacent regions 21, 22 of the folded-back sheet, with the gas generator of the air-bag protruding through the cut-away corner region 26.

The gas generator may be held in position by means of the strap 27, the adhesive strip 28 being secured to part of the front region 21 of the envelope 20. The combination of the air-bag and envelope 20 may then be mounted on the housing 1 of Figure 1, to provide the combination shown in Figure 3. The apertures 30, 31, 32 formed in the flap 29 of the envelope 20 are engaged with the hooks 7, 8, 9 carried by the upper flange 6 of the housing 1.

The cut-out region 33 provided in the free edge of the flap 29 accommodates the mounting element 10 which extends upwardly from the upper flange 6 of the housing 1. The pocket defined between the two folded-back regions 21, 22 of the envelope containing the air-bag is thus received within the "U,'-shaped channel 12 defined between the lower platform 3, the support plate 2, the upper flange 6 and the side-flarge 11. The gas generator 40 of the air-bag which protrudes through the cut- out region 26 and which is retained by the strap 27, extends Dom the end of the channel 12 adjacent the axially extending mounting bracket 13.

As can be seen from Figure 4, the adhesive strip 34 provided along the free edge of the flap 29 is used to secure the free edge of the flap 29 to the upper region of the rear face of the support plate 2. The smaller sheet region 21, which does not carry the flap 29, is located within the "U"-shaped channel 12, and the upper edge thereof is adjacent the undersurface of the upper horizontal flange 6. The gas generator 40 is received in the lower part of the "U"-shaped channel 12, and the air-bag 41 is protected by the envelope 20.

When the combination of the housing 1, the envelope 20 and the air-

bag 41 are to be mounted in position, the mounting lugs 4, 5 are hooked into the car body and the mounting element 10 is both hooked and screwed to the car body. The mounting bracketl3 is screwed to the door trim.

In the event that the air-bag 41 is to be deployed, gas is supplied by the gas generator 40 to the air-bag 41. The envelope 20 splits along the line of mechanical weakness in the region of the open side of the U- shaped channel allowing the inflating air-bag to emerge from the forward open mouth of the "U"-shaped channel 12.

In the present Specification "comprises" means "includes or consists of"

and "comprising" means "including or consisting of".

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following

Claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in

terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A cover for an air-bag, the cover being in the form of an envelope, the envelope having two regions of sheet material which are super-imposed and which are interconnected at least at the super-imposed side edges thereof to form a pocket, one of the regions of sheet material extending beyond the pocket to form a mounting flap, the mounting flap being configured to engage with engagement elements provided on a housing, part of the pocket remote from the flap being cut-away.

2. An envelope according to Claim 1 formed from a single element of sheet material having two regions, one region being folded-back about a foldline to overlie the other region, the super-imposed side edges of the two regions being interconnected by said seams, the cut-away region being formed at one end of said fold-line.

3. An air-bag cover according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the flap is provided with a plurality of apertures to engage hooks provided on the housing.

4. An air-bag cover according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the cover is provided with adhesive to secure the cover to the housing.

5. An air-bag cover according to any one of the preceding Claims formed from a plastic material.

6. An air-bag cover according to Claim 5 wherein the plastic is polyethylene.

7. An air-bag cover according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the cover is provided with a line of mechanical weakness.

8. An air-bag cover according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein a strap is provided adjacent the cut-out region to retain the gas generator of an air-bag.

9. The combination of an air-bag cover according to any one of the preceding Claims and an air-bag. I

10. A combination according to Claim 9 further including a housing, the housing defining a substantially "U"-shaped channel between a vertical support plate, a lower platform and an upper flange, the upper flange being provided with engagement elements, and the flap engaging the engagement elements to hold the envelope and the air-bag in position on the housing.

11. A combination according to Claim 10 wherein a free edge of the flap is provided with adhesive which secures the flap to part of the housing.

12. A combination according to Claim 10 or 11 wherein the housing is provided with mounting lugs to mount the housing to a vehicle.

13. A cover for an air-bag substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

14. The combination of a cover and an air-bag substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

15. The combination of a cover, an air-bag and a housing substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

16. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.