Patent ID: 6341796
Filing Date: 2002-01-29
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
An air bag cover for supporting an air bag canister and for closing an opening in an interior trim panel of a vehicle and which is openable when an air bag is deployed from the canister, the cover comprising:a deployment door panel having a concealable side having first and second sides, an exposable side, and an attachment structure adapted for attaching the door panel to the interior trim panel and the air bag canister to the door panel; the attachment structure including a hinge bracket portion at the first side of the concealable side of the door panel for attaching the door panel to the interior trim panel and a bendable bracket portion at the second side of the concealable side of the door panel for supporting the air bag canister, both the hinged and bendable bracket portions being integral with the concealable side of the door panel; the hinged bracket portion having a first hinge part integrally affixed to the concealable side of the door panel and a second hinge part attachable to the interior trim panel; and the first hinge part being connected to and pivotable with respect to the second hinge part by a tear seam which tears when the air bag starts to deploy and in cooperation with the bending of the bendable bracket portion separates the first hinge part from the second hinge part sufficiently to allow the air bag to deploy through the opening in the interior trim panel when the second hinge part is attached to the interior trim panel.