INTEGRATED PASSENGER AIRBAG GANISTER INTO SEAMLESS SOFT INSTRUMENT PANEL

ENVELOPPE POUR COUSSIN D'AIR PASSAGER INTEGREE DANS UNE PLANCHE DE BORD EN MATERIAU TENDRE SANS RACCORD

English Abstract

An instrument panel assembly (10) for an automotive vehicle comprising an
instrument panel substrate having an upper wall (14) spaced from a lower wall
(16) to define a cavity therebetween. The substrate includes an airbag housing
(18) secured in the cavity and having opposing sides extending from a closed
end (24) adjacent the lower wall (16) and an open end (26) adjacent the upper
wall (14). An airbag module (32) is provided including an inflatable bag and
an inflator for inflating the bag. The airbag module is housed within the
airbag housing (18) between the closed end and the open end. An airbag
covering (42) having a first end (44) affixed to one of the sides of the
airbag housing and a second end (48) abutting the opposite side of the airbag
housing covers the open end (26) of the housing. An instrument panel covering
(50) is affixed to the upper wall (14) and the airbag covering (42) by a foam
in place process for covering and concealing the substrate and the airbag
module.

French Abstract

Cette invention concerne un ensemble planche de bord pour véhicule automobile comprenant un substrat dont les cloisons supérieure et inférieure définissent entre elles une cavité. Dans cette cavité se trouve une enveloppe pour coussin d'air dont les côtés opposés séparent une extrémité fermée adjacente à la cloison inférieure et une extrémité ouverte adjacente à la cloison supérieure. Un module de coussin d'air comprend un coussin gonflable et un gonfleur. Le module de coussin gonflable est logé dans une enveloppe disposée entre l'extrémité fermée et l'extrémité ouverte. Un couvercle de coussin gonflable, présentant une première extrémité fixée à l'un des côtés de l'enveloppe et une seconde extrémité en contact avec l'extrémité opposée de l'enveloppe, recouvre l'extrémité ouverte de l'enveloppe. Un revêtement de planche de bord, fixé à la cloison supérieure et au couvercle de coussin d'air par moussage in situ, recouvre et occulte le substrat et le module de coussin d'air.

Claims

What is claimed is:
1. An instrument panel assembly for an automotive vehicle comprising:
an instrument panel substrate having an upper wall spaced from a lower wall
to define a cavity therebetween, said substrate including an airbag housing
secured in
said cavity and having opposing sides extending from a closed end adjacent
said
lower wall and an open end adjacent said upper wall;
an airbag module including an inflatable bag and an inflator for inflating
said
bag, said airbag module housed within said airbag housing between said closed
end
and said open end;
an airbag covering operatively coupled to said airbag housing to cover said
open end of said airbag housing; and
an instrument panel covering affixed to said upper wall and said airbag
covering
for covering and concealing said substrate and said airbag module.
2. An instrument panel assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said airbag
housing is integrally formed with said instrument panel substrate.
3. An instrument panel assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said open end
of
said airbag housing is defined by flanges extending outwardly from said
respective
sides and attached to said upper wall of said instrument panel substrate.
4. An instrument panel as set forth in claim 3 wherein said instrument panel
covering is formed over said instrument panel substrate and said airbag
covering by a
foam in place process.
5. An instrument panel assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said airbag
covering extends between a first end affixed to one of said sides of said
airbag
housing and a second end abutting said opposite side of said airbag housing
for
covering said open end of said airbag housing, allowing said inflatable bag to
expand
therethrough, and for protecting said airbag module during formation of said
instrument panel covering in said foam in place process.
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6. An instrument panel assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said airbag
covering is generally planar between said first and second ends for covering
said open
end of said airbag housing.
7. An instrument panel assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said upper and
lower walls are spaced apart and generally parallel to define the cavity
therebetween.
8. An instrument panel assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said sides of
said
airbag housing are spaced apart and generally parallel for receiving said
airbag
module therebetween.
9. An instrument panel assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said sides of
said
airbag housing are generally perpendicular to said upper wall.
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Description

CA 02440081 2003-09-08
WO 02/070308 PCT/US02/06961
INTEGRATED PASSENGER AIRBAG CANISTER INTO SEAMLESS SOFT
INSTRUMENT PANEL
Field of Invention
This invention relates to an instrument panel and, more particularly, to an
airbag module integrated into a substrate of a foam in place instrument panel.
Background of Invention
Automotive vehicles commonly include airbag modules attached to the
instrument panel within the vehicle for protecting a vehicle passenger during
a sudden
impact to the vehicle. .The airbag module typically includes a canister for
housing an
inflatable bag and inflator assembly for inflating the bag from the canister.
The
instrument panel typically includes a substrate covered by a foam in place
soft
covering. The canister is independently affixed to the substrate of the
instrument
panel after the instrument panel is formed and assembled. The instrument panel
must
be formed with a cavity for receiving the canister and an opening for allowing
the
inflatable bag to exit therethrough. The canister must also be structurally
affixed to
the instrument panel and supported thereby. The assembly of the canister and
airbag
module to the instrument panel increases the complexity of assembly and the
cost of
the instrument panel due to the excessive structure required and associated
with the
airbag module.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an instrument panel having the canister
portion of the airbag module integrated into the substrate of the instrument
panel such
that the airbag module rnay be assembled to the substrate prior to the foam in
place
process of forming the covering over the substrate and airbag module.
Summary of the Invention
The disadvantages of the prior art may be overcome by forming a one piece
instrument panel substrate with an integrated airbag housing for housing the
airbag
module therein. The airbag housing may be covered to allow a soft instrument
panel
covering to be foam in place affixed to the instrument panel substrate and
cover the
airbag module.

CA 02440081 2003-09-08
WO 02/070308 PCT/US02/06961
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an instrument
panel assembly for an automotive vehicle comprising an instrument panel
substrate
having an upper wall spaced from a lower wall to define a cavity therebetween.
The
substrate includes an airbag housing secured in the cavity and having opposing
sides
extending from a closed end adjacent the lower wall and an open end adjacent
the
upper wall. An airbag module is provided including an inflatable bag and an
inflator
for inflating the bag. The airbag module is housed within the airbag housing
between
the closed end and the open end. An airbag covering is operatively coupled to
the
airbag housing to cover the open end of the airbag housing. An instrument
panel
covering is affixed to the upper wall and the airbag covering for covering and
concealing the substrate and the airbag module.
Description of the Drawings
In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the present invention,
Figure 1 is a sectional view of the instrument panel assembly and integrated
airbag module.
Description of the Invention
Referring to Figure 1, an instrument panel assembly is generally shown at 10
for use in an automotive vehicle. The instrument panel assembly 10 includes a
preformed, one piece, instrument panel substrate 12 which is typically molded
of
plastic and adapted to be fixedly secured within the interior compartment of
the
vehicle to form the dash/instrument panel of the vehicle. The substrate 12
includes an
upper wall 14 and a lower wall 16 spaced from the upper wall 14 to form a
cavity
therebetween. A generally U-shaped airbag housing 18, defined by spaced apart
opposing sides 20, 22, extends from a closed first end 24 adjacent the lower
wall 16 to
an open second end 26 adjacent the upper wall 14. The open end 26 is defined
by
flanges 28, 30 extending outwardly from the respective sides 20, 22 and
attached to
the upper wall 14 of the substrate 12. The airbag housing 18 may be integrally
formed with the substrate 12 to form a one piece instrument panel substrate,
or may
be attached to one or both of the upper and lower walls 14, 16. The airbag
housing 18
supports and houses a soft pack airbag module 32 therein. The airbag module 32
is
fixedly secured to the housing 18 by a pair of side fasteners 34 and a lower
fastener
36. The lower fastener 36 also extends through the lower wall 16 of the
substrate 12
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CA 02440081 2003-09-08
WO 02/070308 PCT/US02/06961
for securing the module 32, housing 18 and substrate 12 to the vehicle. The
airbag
module 32 includes an inflatable bag 38 and an inflator 40, as is commonly
known to
one having ordinary skill in the art.
The instrument panel assembly 10 further includes an airbag covering 42
operatively coupled to the airbag housing 18 to cover the open end 26 of the
housing
18. More specifically, the covering 42 is a generally planar panel extending
between
the sides 20, 22 of the housing 18 to cover the open end 26. A first end 44 of
the
covering 42 is fixedly attached to the flange 28 of the housing 18 by a
fastener 46,
while an opposite second end 48 abuts the flange 30, but is free from
attachment to
the housing 18. The assembly 10 also includes an instrument panel covering 50
attached to the upper wall 14 of the substrate 12 for covering the substrate
and airbag
module 32. The instrument panel covering 50 may be a urethane foam layer
having a
soft, cosmetic, textile outer surface or trim cover wrapping, as is commonly
known in
the art. The instrument panel covering 50 is attached to the substrate 12 by a
foam in
place process, thermoforming operation, or other conventional manufacturing
method.
In assembly, the substrate 12 is preformed by molding, injecting, or the like,
the upper and lower walls 14, 16 and the airbag housing 18. The airbag module
32 is
then assembled in the airbag housing 18 and secured thereto by the fasteners
34, 36.
The airbag covering 42 is attached to the housing 18 by the fastener 46 to
cover the
open end 26 and the airbag module 32. The covering 42 protects the airbag
module
32 during the foam in place process and provides a door for allowing the
inflatable
bag 38 to expand therethrough. Once the covering 42 is attached to the
substrate 12
to cover and protect the airbag module 32, the substrate 12 and covering 42
are
covered by the instrument panel covering 50 via the foam in place process.
This
assembly forms an integrated airbag module into a seamless soft instrument
panel
while eliminating an independent canister to house the airbag module within
the
instrument panel substrate. That is, the housing 18 for the airbag module 32
is
integrated into the substrate 12 and then covered by the airbag covering 42 to
allow
foaming of the soft instrument panel covering 50.
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CA 02440081 2003-09-08
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The above-described embodiment of the invention is intended to be an
example of the present invention and alterations and modifications may be
effected
thereto, by those of skill in the art, without departing from the scope of the
invention.
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Representative Drawing