Emblemed airbag cover tear seams

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11511698-B1
Application number	US-202117341097-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 7, 2021
Priority date	Jun 7, 2021
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

Airbag covers and related airbag modules designed with weakened portions configured to specifically accommodate emblems. In some embodiments, an airbag cover may comprise an emblem and a tear seam or another weakened portion extending through and/or adjacent to the emblem to create an asymmetrical split such that, following deployment and rupturing of the tear seam, the airbag cover is configured to form first and second airbag cover pieces, wherein a greater number and/or weight of the emblem is on the first airbag cover piece than the second airbag cover piece.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A driver airbag module, comprising:
an airbag cover;
an emblem comprising a plurality of emblem pieces coupled to the airbag cover; and
a tear seam extending across the airbag cover and through the emblem without extending through any individual emblem pieces of the plurality of emblem pieces to create an asymmetrical split such that, following deployment and rupturing of the tear seam, the airbag cover is configured to form first and second airbag cover pieces, wherein a greater portion of the plurality of emblem pieces is on the first airbag cover piece than the second airbag cover piece.

2. The driver airbag module of claim 1 , wherein the tear seam comprises a vertical line extending from an upper region of the airbag cover to a lower region of the airbag cover.

3. The driver airbag module of claim 2 , wherein the tear seam further comprises an upper horizontal line extending in opposite directions from an upper portion of the vertical line and a lower horizontal line extending in opposite directions from a lower portion of the vertical line to form an I shape.

4. The driver airbag module of claim 3 , wherein the upper horizontal line and the lower horizontal line are curved to define concavities towards a center of the airbag cover.

5. The driver airbag module of claim 1 , wherein the airbag cover is configured such that, following deployment and rupturing of the tear seam, a greater weight of the plurality of emblem pieces is on the first airbag cover piece than the second airbag cover piece.

6. The driver airbag module of claim 1 , wherein the airbag cover is configured such that, following deployment and rupturing of the tear seam, a greater number of the plurality of emblem pieces are on the first airbag cover piece than the second airbag cover piece.

7. The driver airbag module of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of emblem pieces comprises an odd number of emblem pieces.

8. An airbag assembly, comprising:
an airbag cover;
an emblem coupled to the airbag cover, wherein the emblem is centered about a peripheral border;
a weakened portion, comprising:
a vertical section extending from an upper region of the airbag cover to a lower region of the airbag cover and immediately adjacent to the emblem to follow at least a portion of a contour of the emblem and to extend through the emblem so as to split the emblem into two asymmetrical portions following severance of the weakened portion;
an upper horizontal section extending between opposing sides of the vertical section along the upper region; and
a lower horizontal section extending between opposing sides of the vertical section along the lower region;

a first hinge extending between the upper horizontal section and the lower horizontal section on a first lateral side of the airbag cover; and
a second hinge extending between the upper horizontal section and the lower horizontal section on a second lateral side of the airbag cover opposite the first lateral side, wherein, following deployment and rupturing of the weakened portion, the airbag cover is configured to form first and second airbag cover pieces extending from the first and second hinges.

9. The airbag assembly of claim 8 , wherein the emblem comprises a plurality of emblem pieces.

10. The airbag assembly of claim 9 , wherein the weakened portion extends asymmetrically through the plurality of emblem pieces.

11. The airbag assembly of claim 10 , wherein the emblem comprises an odd number of emblem pieces, and wherein the weakened portion extends between the plurality of emblem pieces such that an uneven number of emblem pieces are on the first and second airbag cover pieces.

12. The airbag assembly of claim 9 , wherein the weakened portion extends through the emblem such that the first and second airbag cover pieces comprise uneven weights attributable to the emblem.

13. The airbag assembly of claim 12 , wherein the emblem comprises an even number of emblem pieces.

14. The airbag assembly of claim 8 , wherein the weakened portion comprises a tear seam.

15. The airbag assembly of claim 14 , wherein the upper horizontal section and the lower horizontal section comprise lines that are curved.

16. The airbag assembly of claim 15 , wherein the lines defining the upper horizontal section and the lower horizontal section define concavities towards a center of the airbag cover.

17. The airbag assembly of claim 14 , wherein the vertical section comprises a tear seam formed in a line that is at least partially aligned with an indentation associated with at least one emblem piece of the emblem.

18. A driver airbag module, comprising:
an airbag cover;
a decorative emblem comprising a plurality of emblem pieces coupled to the airbag cover, wherein the plurality of emblem pieces comprises an odd number of emblem pieces; and
a tear seam extending across the airbag cover and through the plurality of emblem pieces without extending through any individual emblem pieces of the plurality of emblem pieces to create an asymmetrical split such that, following deployment and rupturing of the tear seam, the airbag cover is configured to form first and second airbag cover pieces, wherein a greater number of the plurality of emblem pieces is on the first airbag cover piece than the second airbag cover piece, and wherein the tear seam defines an “I shape” comprising:
a vertical line extending from an upper region of the airbag cover to a lower region of the airbag cover and immediately adjacent to at least one of the plurality of emblem pieces to follow at least a portion of a contour of the at least one of the plurality of emblem pieces;
an upper horizontal line extending between opposing sides of the vertical section along the upper region; and
a lower horizontal line extending between opposing sides of the vertical section along the lower region;

a first hinge extending between the upper horizontal line and the lower horizontal line on a first lateral side of the airbag cover; and
a second hinge extending between the upper horizontal line and the lower horizontal line on a second lateral side of the airbag cover opposite the first lateral side, wherein, following deployment and rupturing of the weakened portion, the airbag cover is configured to form the first and second airbag cover pieces extending from the first and second hinges.

19. The driver airbag module of claim 18 , wherein the upper horizontal line and the lower horizontal line are curved to define concavities towards a center of the airbag cover.

20. The driver airbag module of claim 18 , wherein the vertical line is at least partially aligned with an indentation associated with at least one of the plurality of emblem pieces.

Assignees

• Autoliv Asp Inc

Inventors

• Ibarra Jason Mark
• Hatfield Mark S
• Soderquist Quin
• Pijaszek Ken
• Johnson Jennifer Marie

Classifications

• B60R21/2165

  characterised by a tear line for defining a deployment opening · CPC title

• B60R2021/21543

  with emblems · CPC title

• B60R21/21656 Primary

  Steering wheel covers or similar cup-shaped covers · CPC title