Patent ID: 7354060

Claim:
An air bag module having a base plate and an inner plate that are attached to one another, and an air bag cover adapted to cover and conceal an inflator and a folded air bag, comprising: the base plate having a channel formed along the outer edge thereof; a mounting leg of the cover having an enlarged foot seated within the channel of the base plate; the inner plate generally overlying the base plate and having an outer end portion that partially overlies the channel to capture and retain the enlarged foot of the cover mounting leg within the channel both prior to and upon opening movement of the air bag cover during air bag deployment; and wherein the base plate and the inner plate and the mounting leg are configured such that the initial opening movement of the airbag cover is obtained by rotation of the enlarged foot of the cover mounting leg within the channel, and then the continuing opening movement of the cover is obtained by bending of the mounting leg while the enlarged foot is constrained against further rotation by the channel and the inner plate.