Patent ID: 7694997

Claim:
An apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising: an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device inflatable between a steering wheel of the vehicle and the vehicle occupant; a housing for helping to support the protection device on the steering wheel; and a cover for helping to conceal the protection device in a stored condition on the steering wheel; the housing comprising a retainer element extending from a side wall of the housing, the retainer element comprising a base portion and a head portion; the cover comprising a retainer aperture through which the head portion is extendable to help secure the cover to the housing, the head portion having a dimension that is greater than a diameter of the retainer aperture, the cover being configured to deform elastically to enlarge the retainer aperture to fit over the head portion and thereafter return to its non-deformed condition to form an interference that helps retain the cover on the retainer element.