Tier seam of airbag cover with emblem

Abstract

An airbag cover and associated airbag module designed with a weakened portion configured to specifically accommodate an emblem. In some embodiments, the airbag cover may include an emblem and a tear seam or other weakened portion extending through and / or adjacent to the emblem to create an asymmetrical split such that after deployment and rupture of the tear seam, the airbag cover is configured to form first and second airbag cover pieces, with a greater number and / or weight of the emblem on the first airbag cover piece than on the second airbag cover piece.

Description

Summary of the Invention Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0001] Disclosed herein are various embodiments of an airbag cover having an emblem with a tear seam or other weakened portion, along with an associated airbag module. In some embodiments, the tear seam may be specially designed to accommodate the emblem. For example, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the weakened portion may extend asymmetrically through an emblem having a plurality of pieces such that after deployment, more of the emblem pieces are on one side of the cover than on the other side, or around the emblem such that the cover is split to completely enclose the emblem on one side of the split cover.

[0002] In a more specific example of a driver airbag module according to some embodiments, the module may include an airbag cover to which a plurality of emblem pieces are coupled. The tear seam or other weakened portion may produce an asymmetric split such that after deployment and tearing of the tear seam, the airbag cover is configured to form first and second airbag cover pieces, and may extend across the airbag cover and through the plurality of emblem pieces, such that a larger portion of the plurality of emblem pieces is on the first airbag cover piece than on the second airbag cover piece.

[0003] In some embodiments, the tear seam may comprise a vertical line extending from an upper region of the airbag cover to a lower region of the airbag cover. In some such embodiments, the tear seam may further comprise 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. In some such embodiments, the upper horizontal line and the lower horizontal line may be curved to define a concave surface toward the center of the airbag cover.

[0004] In some embodiments, the airbag cover may be configured such that, after the tear seam is deployed and ruptured, the greater weight of the emblem pieces rests on the first airbag cover piece than on the second airbag cover piece. Alternatively, the tear seam may be formed such that the surface area of ​​the emblem and / or airbag cover pieces can change, and the weight of the airbag cover pieces can be the same or at least substantially the same.

[0005] In some embodiments, the airbag cover may be configured such that, after the tear seam is deployed and ruptured, a greater number of emblem pieces are present on the first airbag cover piece than on the second airbag cover piece. Thus, the emblem pieces may include an odd number of emblem pieces in certain embodiments.

[0006] In another example of an airbag assembly according to several embodiments, the assembly may include an airbag cover in which an inflatable cushion can be housed. An emblem may be attached to the airbag cover, and the emblem may include a single emblem piece or a plurality of individual emblem pieces. The cover may include a weakened portion, such as a tear seam, which may include a vertical section directly adjacent to the emblem, extending from the upper region of the airbag cover to the lower region of the airbag cover and following at least a portion of the contour of the emblem. The weakened portion may further include an upper horizontal section extending between the opposing sides of the vertical section along the upper region, and a lower horizontal section extending between the opposing sides of the vertical section along the lower region. A first hinge may extend between the upper horizontal section and the lower horizontal section on a first lateral side of the airbag cover. Similarly, a second hinge may extend between the upper horizontal section and the lower horizontal section on a second lateral side of the airbag cover opposite the first lateral side. The cover may be configured such that, after the weakened portion is deployed and ruptured, the airbag cover forms first and second airbag cover pieces extending from the first and second hinges.

[0007] In some embodiments, the weakened portion extends asymmetrically through multiple emblem pieces, for example, asymmetrically in terms of weight, area, or number of emblem pieces. In some embodiments, the emblem may include an odd number of emblem pieces. In some such embodiments, the weakened portion may extend through the emblem such that an odd number of emblem pieces are on the first and second airbag cover pieces. In some embodiments, the weakened portion may extend through the emblem such that the first and second airbag cover pieces have uneven weight due to the emblem.

[0008] In some embodiments, the upper and lower horizontal sections may comprise curved or otherwise non-linear lines. For example, in some embodiments, the lines defining the upper and lower horizontal sections may define a concave surface toward the center of the airbag cover.

[0009] In some embodiments, the vertical section may comprise a tier seam formed in a recess associated with at least one emblem piece of the emblem and at least partially aligned lines.

[0010] In another example of a driver airbag module according to several embodiments, the module may comprise an airbag cover and a plurality of emblem pieces coupled to the airbag cover. The plurality of emblem pieces may include an odd number of emblem pieces. The tear seam may extend across the airbag cover and through the plurality of emblem pieces to create an asymmetrical division such that, after the tear seam is deployed and ruptured, the airbag cover forms at least first and second airbag cover pieces. In some embodiments, a greater number of the plurality of emblem pieces may be on the first airbag cover piece than on the second airbag cover piece. In some embodiments, the tier seam may define an "I-shape" which may include a vertical line directly adjacent to at least one of the emblem pieces, extending from the upper region of the airbag cover to the lower region of the airbag cover and following at least a portion of the contour of at least one of the emblem pieces; an upper horizontal line extending along the upper region between opposing sides of the vertical section; and a lower horizontal line extending along the lower region between opposing sides of the vertical section. A first hinge may extend between the upper and lower horizontal lines on a first lateral side of the airbag cover, and a second hinge may extend between the upper and lower horizontal lines on a second lateral side of the airbag cover opposite the first lateral side. In some embodiments, after the deployment and rupture of the weakened portion, the airbag cover may be configured to form first and second airbag cover pieces extending from the first and second hinges.

[0011] In some embodiments, the vertical line may be aligned with a portion of a recess associated with at least one of the multiple emblem pieces.

[0012] Some embodiments may further include a third hinge and / or be configured to form a third airbag cover piece. In some such embodiments, an additional tear-seam section, such as a line extending from the upper horizontal section, may be formed to form the third airbag cover piece.

[0013] In some embodiments, the upper and lower horizontal lines may be curved to define a concave surface toward the center of the airbag cover.

[0014] Features, structures, processes, or properties disclosed herein in relation to one embodiment may be combined in any preferred manner in one or more alternative embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] With reference to the drawings, non-limiting and non-exclusive embodiments of the disclosure, including various embodiments thereof, are described. [Figure 1A] Figure 1A is a top view of a driver's airbag module according to several embodiments. [Figure 1B] Figure 1B is a bottom view of the driver's airbag module shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 2A] Figure 2A is a first perspective view of the driver's airbag module, showing the central and upper portions of the tierseam. [Figure 2B] Figure 2B is a second perspective view of the driver's airbag module, showing the central and lower portions of the tierseam. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the driver's airbag module along the emblem. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the steering wheel of a vehicle equipped with a deployed driver airbag module. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a top view of a driver's airbag module according to another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] Detailed descriptions of apparatus, systems, and methods consistent with various embodiments of this disclosure are provided below. While several embodiments are described, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to any particular embodiment disclosed, but rather encompasses a number of alternative forms, modifications, and equivalents. In addition, while numerous specific details are given in the following description to provide a complete understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein, some embodiments can be implemented without some or all of these details. Furthermore, for clarity and to avoid unnecessarily obscuring this disclosure, certain technical documents known in the relevant art are not described in detail.

[0017] As used herein, the term “substantially” refers to the complete or near-complete degree or extent of an action, characteristic, attribute, state, structure, item, or result that functions as indicated. For example, an object that is “substantially” cylindrical or “substantially” vertical means that the object / characteristic is either cylindrical / vertical or nearly cylindrical / vertical to produce the same or nearly the same function. The exact degree of permissible deviation provided by this term may depend on the specific context. The use of “substantially” is equally applicable when used in a negative implication to refer to the complete or near-complete absence of an action, characteristic, attribute, state, structure, item, or result. For example, a structure that “substantially” lacks a bottom either completely lacks a bottom or nearly completely lacks a bottom to produce substantially the same effect as if the bottom were completely lacking.

[0018] Similarly, as used herein, the term “about” is used to provide flexibility to the endpoints of a numerical range by providing that a given value can be “just above” or “just below” an endpoint while still achieving the function associated with the range.

[0019] Embodiments of the disclosed invention can be best understood by reference to the drawings, and similar parts may be designated by similar numbers. It will be readily apparent that the components of the disclosed embodiments can be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, as generally described and illustrated in the drawings herein. Accordingly, the following detailed description of embodiments of the apparatus and methods of the disclosed invention is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure as claimed, but merely to represent possible embodiments of the disclosure. In addition, unless otherwise specified, the steps of the method do not necessarily have to be performed in any particular order, or even sequentially, and the steps do not necessarily have to be performed only once. Further details regarding specific preferred embodiments and implementations are described herein in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] Figure 1A shows a driver airbag module 100 according to several embodiments. The airbag module 100 comprises an airbag cover 110 containing an airbag cushion (not shown). The airbag cover 110 comprises an emblem 120 including a plurality of emblem pieces 120a, 120b, and 120c. The cover 110 is configured to open when the airbag cushion contained therein is deployed by pivoting opposing hinge portions 115a and 115b. The hinge portions 115a and 115b are defined at least partially by weakened portions, which in a preferred embodiment comprise a tier seam 130.

[0021] The tier seam 130 facilitates the opening of the airbag cover 110 at a desired position, resulting in the desired deployment of the airbag, and includes a vertical section 132 extending from the upper region of the airbag cover 110 to the lower region of the airbag cover 110. The vertical section 132 is also formed to follow and directly adjacent to at least a portion of the emblem 120. In a preferred embodiment, the tier seam 130 follows at least a portion of the contour 122 of the emblem 120, as shown in Figure 1A.

[0022] Further, as shown in FIG. 1A, the vertical section 132 of the tear seam 130 extends linearly above and below the emblem 120, and protrudes away from the straight line so as to extend surrounding the contour of the emblem piece 120b of the emblem 120 on one side. This may be useful for several reasons. For example, by extending the tear seam along a groove or depression already present in the cover 110, as in the case where the tear seam section 132 extends along the contour of the emblem piece 120b, it may be possible to conceal lead-through caused by the tear seam.

[0023] It can also be seen in FIG. 1A that the tear seam section 132 extends asymmetrically through the plurality of emblem pieces 120a / 120b / 120c that collectively define the emblem 120. More specifically, the tear seam portion 132 extends through the emblem 120 such that two emblem pieces, namely emblem pieces 120a and 120b, are associated with one piece or "flap" of the airbag cover 110 after deployment, and the other emblem piece 120c is associated with the other / opposite piece / flap of the airbag cover 110. This may also have advantages for specific applications.

[0024] For example, it may be preferable that one side of the cover is opened slightly earlier than the other side such that a gap is provided on the second side to avoid interference between the two during deployment. However, in some embodiments, it may be preferable that while the weight between two (or more) sections defined by the tear seam or other weakened portions is equal or at least substantially equal, at least a portion of the tear seam still extends asymmetrically through the emblem. This can be achieved, for example, by adding weight to the emblem on the side with fewer emblem pieces, or otherwise adding weight to this side of the airbag cover. Alternatively, the tear seam may be formed such that the weight on each side / portion of the cover is equal or at least substantially equal, for example, by extending the tear seam that asymmetrically divides the emblem in a manner in which the section / portion having a smaller number / portion of the emblem has a larger portion of surface area, which in some cases equalizes or at least reduces the weight discrepancy between the sides / portions.

[0025] As also shown in FIG. 1A, the tear seam 130 further comprises a lower horizontal portion 134 extending in opposite directions from a lower end of a vertical section 132, and an upper horizontal section 136 extending in opposite directions from an upper end of the vertical section 132. Thus, collectively, notwithstanding the fact that the upper horizontal section 136 and the lower horizontal section 134 include curved lines that form a concave surface toward the center of the airbag cover 110, the tear seam 130 defines an "I" shape.

[0026] The upper horizontal section 136 of the tear seam 132 further comprises opposing sections 138a and 136b extending from a central region between the vertical tear seam 130 and terminal ends of horizontal sections 138 on both sides of the cover 110. Sections 138a and 138b first extend obliquely upward toward the top of the cover 110, and then form straight lines toward each other adjacent an upper edge of the cover 110.

[0027] Sections 138a and 138b may be configured to facilitate the mitigation of undesirable cushioning interactions with an occupant in an OOP state, such as the FMVSS 208 state. These sections may allow the emerging cushioning (if partially blocked by the occupant) to find a relief path toward the 12 o'clock position to move behind the steering wheel rim and limit some of the force applied to the occupant.

[0028] Sections 138a and 138b may also be useful in some embodiments to mitigate the “oil can” effect, which is more common in round / circular driver airbag designs, where the cover opens during deployment and disperses the opening effect outward around the opening. Sections 138a and 138b may also be used to provide periphery for the cover to flex instead of stretch.

[0029] Sections 138a and 138b are shown formed in the shape of the letter "J," which may be most useful in relation to a cover having a considerable curvature at the 12 o'clock position. However, it is intended that other embodiments in which the cover is flatter may have a linear tear path without requiring the J-shaped hook portion best shown in Figure 2A. In addition, in some embodiments, the width of the bridge may be adjustable, the width and / or depth of the door within the cover may be adjustable, and / or tear seam stops and / or ribs may be provided.

[0030] Figure 1B shows the inner surface of the cover 110. The vertical section 132 of the tier seam 130 is shown extending through the emblem 120. Although the individual emblem pieces are not distinguished in this figure, it can be seen that the tier seam 130 extends into the emblem 120 in an asymmetrical manner.

[0031] Figures 2A and 2B are inclined perspective views showing the upper and lower portions of the tier seam 130, respectively. Figure 2A further shows that portions 138a and 130b of the tier seam 138 extend to the side wall of the cover 110, rather than along the relatively flat portion of the cover 110 that defines the outer surface of the central portion of the steering wheel. This may allow the upper portion of the cover 110 to pivot and detach during deployment, as shown and explained in relation to Figure 4 below.

[0032] The cross-sectional view in Figure 3 better illustrates the alignment of a portion of the contour 122 of the emblem 120 with a portion of the tear seam 130, i.e., the vertical portion 132 of the contour 130 in a preferred embodiment. As shown in this figure, the contour 130 may be created by the edge of the emblem piece 120b. Figure 3 further shows the shape of the tear seam 130. As shown in the figure, in a preferred embodiment, the tear seam 130 may have a seam in the shape of a "V", and in some embodiments, an angle of, for example, about 30 to about 60 degrees may be defined. In some embodiments, the tear seam 130 may have a thickness of about 0.4 to about 0.8 mm (defined from the bottom of the V shape to the nearest Class A outer exposed surface from which the cover material needs to be torn to open the cover).

[0033] Figure 4 shows the airbag module 100 after deployment from the steering wheel 105. The airbag cushion 102 after deployment from the cover 110 is shown by dashed lines. As shown, the deployment and rupture of the weakened portion of the cover 110 forms the first and second airbag cover pieces 110a and 110b from the first and second hinges 115a and 115b, respectively. These are the main components formed after deployment, but there is also an upper component 110c that extends from the upper hinge 115c and is formed at least partially by sections 138a and 138b of the tier seam 130.

[0034] Another embodiment of the airbag module 200 is shown in Figure 5. The airbag module 200 also includes a cover 210, which again includes an emblem 220. However, unlike the emblem 120 of the cover 110, the cover 210 includes only a single emblem piece. The cover 210 is configured to open when the airbag cushion housed therein is deployed by pivoting opposing hinge portions 215a and 215b. The hinge portions 215a and 215b are defined at least partially by a weakened portion, which in a preferred embodiment includes a tear seam.

[0035] The tier seam in Figure 5 includes a vertical section 232 that extends from the upper region of the airbag cover 210 to the lower region of the airbag cover 210. The vertical section 232 is also formed to extend directly adjacent to and follow at least a portion of the emblem 220. In the illustrated embodiment, the tier seam 230 follows at least a portion of the contour of the emblem 220, as shown in Figure 5.

[0036] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the vertical section 232 of the tier seam 230 extends linearly above and below the emblem 220, but protrudes away from that line so as to surround the contour of the emblem 220 on one side. Thus, the tier seam section 232 extends asymmetrically along a single emblem piece that defines the emblem 220.

[0037] Similar to the tier seam of cover 110, the tier seam of cover 210 further comprises a lower horizontal section 234 extending in the opposite direction from the lower end of the vertical section 232, and an upper horizontal section 236 extending in the opposite direction from the upper end of the vertical section 232. Thus, despite the fact that the upper horizontal section 236 and the lower horizontal section 234 include curved lines that form a concave shape toward the center of the airbag cover 210, collectively, the tier seam 230 defines an "I" shape.

[0038] The illustrated embodiment having multiple emblem pieces consists of emblem pieces having tear seams extending along the boundaries between adjacent pieces, but it should be understood that various alternative embodiments are contemplated. For example, in some embodiments, the multiple emblem pieces may be stacked and positioned on top of each other using tear seams extending beneath them, whether or not they are configured to pierce the emblem when unfolded. As another example, in some embodiments, the multiple emblem pieces may be pre-assembled and then, in some such embodiments, inserted into the cover with the tear seams beneath the emblem to allow for uneven division between the emblem pieces after unfolding.

[0039] The foregoing specification has been described with reference to various embodiments and implementations. However, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, various operating processes and components for performing those processes may be implemented in various ways depending on the particular application or taking into account any number of cost functions associated with the operation of the system. Thus, any one or more of the processes can be deleted, modified, or combined with other processes. Furthermore, this disclosure should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive, and all such modifications are intended to be within the scope of this disclosure. Similarly, with respect to various embodiments, benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above. However, benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that can produce or make more prominent any benefits, advantages, or solutions should not be construed as important, necessary, or essential features or elements.

[0040] Those skilled in the art will understand that many modifications can be made to the details of the embodiments described above without departing from the basic principles of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be determined solely by the following claims.

Claims

1. A driver's airbag module [100] comprising an airbag cover [110] and a plurality of emblem pieces [120a, 120b, 120c] attached to the airbag cover [110], wherein the driver's airbag module [100] is Equipped with Tiaseum [130], The tier seam [130] extends across the airbag cover [110] and through the gaps between any two of the emblem pieces [120a, 120b, 120c], along the contour of one of the two emblem pieces, in order to create an asymmetrical division such that, after the tier seam [130] is deployed and ruptured, the airbag cover [110] forms the first and second airbag cover pieces [110a, 110b]. A driver's airbag module [100] characterized in that the larger portion of the plurality of emblem pieces [120a, 120b, 120c] is located on the first airbag cover piece [110a], and the smaller portion of the plurality of emblem pieces [120a, 120b, 120c] is located on the second airbag cover piece [110b].

2. The driver's airbag module [100] according to claim 1, wherein the tier seam [130] comprises a vertical line [132] extending from the upper region of the airbag cover [110] to the lower region of the airbag cover [110].

3. The driver airbag module [100] according to claim 2, wherein the tier seam [130] further comprises an upper horizontal section [136] which is a line extending in the opposite direction from the upper portion of the vertical line [132] so as to form an I shape, and a lower horizontal section [134] which is a line extending in the opposite direction from the lower portion of the vertical line [132].

4. The driver airbag module [100] according to claim 3, wherein the upper horizontal section [136] and the lower horizontal section [134] are curved to define a concave surface toward the center of the airbag cover [110].

5. The driver's seat airbag module [100] according to claim 1, wherein the airbag cover [110] is configured such that, after the tear seam [130] is deployed and ruptured, the greater weight of the plurality of emblem pieces [120a, 120b, 120c] is on the first airbag cover piece than the second airbag cover piece.

6. The driver's seat airbag module according to claim 1, wherein the airbag cover is configured such that, after the deployment and rupture of the tear seam, a greater number of the plurality of emblem pieces are located on the first airbag cover piece [110a] than on the second airbag cover piece [110b].

7. The driver's airbag module [100] according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of emblem pieces [120a, 120b, 120c] include an odd number of emblem pieces.

8. The driver airbag module [100] according to claim 1, further comprising a first hinge [115a] extending between an upper horizontal section [136] and a lower horizontal section [134] on a first lateral side of the airbag cover [110].

9. The driver airbag module [100] according to claim 8, further comprising a second hinge [115b] extending between the upper horizontal section [136] and the lower horizontal section [134] on a second lateral side of the airbag cover [110] opposite to the first lateral side, wherein after deployment, the airbag cover [110] is configured to form first and second airbag cover pieces [110a, 110b] extending from the first and second hinges [115a, 115b].

10. The driver airbag module [100] according to claim 8, wherein the upper horizontal section [136] and the lower horizontal section [134] include curved lines.

11. The driver airbag module [100] according to claim 8, wherein the lines defining the upper horizontal section [136] and the lower horizontal section [134] define a concave surface toward the center of the airbag cover [110].

12. The driver airbag module [100] according to claim 1, wherein the tier seam [130] comprises a vertical line [132] extending from the upper region of the airbag cover [110] to the lower region of the airbag cover [110], the vertical line [132] comprising a tier seam formed of a line at least partially aligned with a recess associated with at least one of the plurality of emblem pieces [120a, 120b, 120c].

13. The driver airbag module [100] according to claim 1, wherein the tier seam [130] extends through the plurality of emblem pieces [120a, 120b, 120c] such that the first and second airbag cover pieces [110a, 110b] have an uneven weight.

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