AIRBAG HOUSING AND COVER

Abstract: An airbag arrangement comprising: an airbag; a housing (1), formed of plastics material, for containing the airbag in a deflated, folded condition; a cover (5), formed of flexible material, and attached to the airbag housing (1) by a seal around a substantial portion of the periphery of the housing (1). The seal may be by heat or pressure sensitive glue, by ultrasonic or vibration welding or by deformable lugs (9). This arrangement is cheaper to produce and quicker to assemble, and has the advantage of being generally tamper-proof, since any tampering with the package will be immediately evident from detachment of the cover or tears therein.

Description: A TPBAG HOUS ING ANT) COVKR The present invention relates to a housing and cover for an airbag for a vehicle safety restraint. Traditionally a safety restraint airbag is contained in its uninflated state in a metal housing mounted to a fixed part of the vehicle such as the steering wheel (driver side airbags) or the instrument panel (passenger side) . The folded airbag is protected from the ingress of dirt or dust by a dust cover. When the airbag deploys in a crash situation, the dust cover splits and a door in the instrument panel or steering wheel either detaches, or splits open quickly, and without forming debris which could form dangerous projectiles and injure the vehicle occupant. Commonly the dust cover is formed of a thin, flexible material such as non-woven fabric or a woven polyamide or polyester or polyethylene material and the door is made of rigid material . According to the present invention there is provided an airbag arrangement comprising an airbag, a housing formed of plastics material for containing the airbag in a deflated, folded condition, a cover formed of flexible material and attached to the airbag housing by a seal around a substantial portion of the periphery, for example by heat or pressure sensitive glueing, ultrasonic or vibration welding or via deformed pintype features which may be formed integrally with either the housing or the cover. This arrangement is cheaper to produce and quicker to assemble, and has the advantage of being generally tamper- proof, since any tampering with the package will be immediately evident from detachment of the cover or tears therein. According to one embodiment the flexible material forming the cover can be overprinted with warning messages, with information texts, with bar codes and/or with trade mark material. For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which are given by way of example: Figure 1 illustrates a- first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged view of part A of Figure 1; Figure 3 illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is an enlarged view of part B of Figure 3 ; In Figure 1 an airbag housing 1 is formed of plastics material. It forms a container for an airbag inflator 2 (which may be a gas cylinder or a pyrotechnic type inflator will known to persons skilled in the art) . An uninflated airbag cushion 3 is folded on top of the inflator 2. A dust cover 5 is welded around a substantial part of the peripheral flange 6 of the airbag housing 1 as indicated at 7. The welding may be ultrasonic or vibration welding. The dust cover 5 may alternatively be attached to the plastics airbag housing 1 by heat treatment or along at least a substantial part of the peripheral line at which it contacts the housing flange 6. Figure 2 illustrates in more detail the lines 8 along which the heat treatment or welding is applied. In Figure 3 heat formed joining lugs 9 are formed as upstanding pintype features on the housing 1. These lugs are formed as simple stalks as shown in Figure 4, and are pushed through holes around the periphery of the cover and locally heat treated to form heads 9 as shown in Figure 3 , and to retain the cover. Ultrasonic treatment could also be used.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An airbag arrangement comprising an airbag; a housing, formed of plastics material, for containing the airbag in a deflated, folded condition; a cover, formed of flexible material, and attached to the airbag housing by a seal around a substantial portion of the periphery of the housing. 2. An airbag arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the seal between the airbag housing and the cover is formed by heat sensitive glueing. 3. An airbag arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the seal between the airbag housing and the cover is formed by pressure sensitive glueing. 4. An airbag arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the seal between the airbag housing and the cover is formed by ultrasonic welding. 5. An airbag arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the seal between the airbag housing and the cover is formed by vibration welding. 6. An airbag arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the seal between the airbag housing and the cover is formed by deformable pin members formed integrally with either their housing or the cover. 7. An airbag arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flexible material forming the cover is overprinted with warning messages and/or with information texts and/or with bar codes and/or with trade mark material . 8. An airbag arrangement according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the deformable pin members comprise joining lugs (9) formed as upstanding pin type stalks around the periphery of the housing (1) and holes are provided around the periphery of the cover to receive the lugs (9) . 9. An airbag arrangement according to claim 8 , wherein the lugs (9) are subsequently locally heat or ultrasonically treated to form heads to retain the cover.

Inventors: ROOSEN DIRK, ROSS HUBERT RENE, SAUBERLICH FRANK, STAUB ANDREAS, VOLKMANN MATTHIAS, ROOSEN, DIRK, ROSS, HUBERT, RENE, SAUBERLICH, FRANK, STAUB, ANDREAS, VOLKMANN, MATTHIAS
Applicants: ALLIEDSIGNAL DEUTSCHLAND GMBH, ROOSEN DIRK, ROSS HUBERT RENE, SAUBERLICH FRANK, STAUB ANDREAS, VOLKMANN MATTHIAS, ROOSEN, DIRK, ROSS, HUBERT, RENE, SAUBERLICH, FRANK, STAUB, ANDREAS, VOLKMANN, MATTHIAS
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B60R21
IPC codes: B60R21