Abstract: Methods for illuminating (backlighting) an emblem on a steering wheel cover or other indicia within a vehicle include the use of a material that is self-illuminated without electricity. This can involve using self-luminous microspheres or phosphorescent additive materials. Such materials will not be illuminated during the daylight, but when night falls (or other periods of relative darkness), they will illuminate the emblem or other indicia. These materials may be added directly to the plastic that is used to make the emblem.

Abstract: An airbag emblem may be backlit or illuminated to provide the emblem with greater visual appeal. In order to accomplish this illumination, an illumination source is used. This illumination source may be electroluminescent foil. The emblem includes colors that are added or inserted onto the emblem. These colors are translucent so that they may be illuminated by the illumination source. This emblem may be placed as part of an airbag cover on a steering wheel.

Abstract: Inflatable airbags often have inflation gas deflectors to protect the airbag or airbag seams from sustaining damage from the force of the inflation gas and to direct the inflation gas to predetermined areas of the airbag. The deflectors can be coupled to the airbag so that the deflector projects radially away from the surface of the airbag to which the deflector is coupled. The deflectors can also have a plurality of vent apertures.

Abstract: Methods for illuminating (backlighting) an emblem on a steering wheel cover include the use of a light guide, organic LEDs, or a fiber optic rope structure. The fiber optic rope may include many fiber optic filaments bunched together with a light source at one end. When this light source is activated, the filaments glow. For the organic LEDs, several layers of organic paint positioned on a substrate and the organic paint will emit light when a DC current is applied. For the light diffuser, LEDs are placed behind and opaque substrate that diffuses and disperse the light. All of these methods will provide sufficient illumination to backlight an emblem.

Abstract: A backlit (illuminated) emblem is used as part of an airbag cover to increase the visual appeal of the emblem. The emblem may represent the logo or trademark of the vehicle manufacturer. The emblem will generally include one or more windows which are openings or transparent/translucent areas. The emblem is backlit using EL foil. However, the EL foil will include one or more areas of opaque colors that correspond to the position of the windows on the emblem. More specifically, for the areas of the emblem that require opaque colors, the colors are not added to the emblem, but rather, this opaque color will be added to the EL foil and is visible through the windows in the emblem.

Abstract: An airbag emblem may be backlit or illuminated to provide the emblem with greater visual appeal. In order to accomplish this illumination, an illumination source is used. This illumination source may be electroluminescent foil. The emblem includes colors that are added or inserted onto the emblem. These colors are translucent so that they may be illuminated by the illumination source. This emblem may be placed as part of an airbag cover on a steering wheel.

Abstract: A seat mounting structure is disclosed for reducing injury to vehicle occupants in side impact collisions. The seat mounting structure may include an inflation module, a linkage system, a sensor system, and a side airbag. The inflation module may include an inflatable structure and inflator or a piston device. The linkage system attaches the seat mounting structure to a seat and may help guide the movement of the seat. The sensor system may include a radar sensor and an optical sensor to help the sensor system anticipate an impending side impact. The seat mounting structure mitigates injury to the occupant by moving the occupant vertically up and laterally toward a centerline of the vehicle, thus increasing the space between the sidewall of the vehicle and the occupant. Additionally, the inflation module may comprise an inflatable structure that stiffens a floor structure of the vehicle upon inflation.

Abstract: A lighter, low-cost inflatable restraint module is disclosed. The inflatable restraint module may include an inflator positioned within a heat shield. The heat shield and inflator may be disposed within an inflatable cushion. A portion of the cushion containing the inflator and heat shield is situated within a chamber. The chamber may include an opening in the chamber and an extension that projects away from the opening. Attachment of a portion of the inflatable cushion to the extension keeps the portion of the cushion away from the opening of the chamber and, thus, away from potentially damaging heat generated by the inflator. Alternatively, the portion of the cushion may be kept away from the opening by attachment to a cover which is, in turn, attached to the extension. The inflator, heat shield, chamber, and cushion may be secured within an interior region of a canister.

Abstract: A lighter, low-cost inflatable restraint module is disclosed. The inflatable restraint module may include an inflator positioned within a heat shield. The heat shield and inflator may be disposed within an inflatable cushion. A portion of the cushion containing the inflator and heat shield is situated within a chamber. The chamber may include an opening in the chamber and an extension that projects away form the opening. Attachment of a portion of the inflatable cushion to the extension keeps the portion of the cushion away from the opening of the chamber and, thus, away from potentially damaging heat generated by the inflator. Alternatively, the portion of the cushion may be kept away from the opening by attachment to a cover which is, in turn, attached to the extension. The inflator, heat shield, chamber, and cushion may be secured within an interior region of a canister.

Abstract: A seat-mounted side impact airbag module deployment door and a vehicle seat having such a deployment door are provided by a deployment door having a fabric outer panel, a fabric inner panel and an intermediate panel of rigid, resilient material, and in which the inner panel has spaced, parallel engagement elements held by retaining elements on the outer surface of sidewalls of a canister housing of an airbag module assembly placed in a seat recess and attached to an internal structural member of the seat. The fabric outer panel of the deployment door matches the adjacent fabric trim cover portion of the seat into which the deployment door is mounted.

Abstract: A hybrid inflator for a vehicle airbag module produces an initial release of essentially unheated, stored, pressurized gas from the gas storage chamber of the inflator by way of a projectile, releasable from a nozzle opening in a combustion chamber housing upon combustion of a gas-generating combustible material housed within the combustion chamber housing, which ruptures and passes through a frangible burst element retaining the stored, pressurized gas in the gas storage chamber of the inflator, thereby permitting, initially, the unheated, stored, pressurized gas to discharge through the ruptured burst element and flow externally past the combustion chamber housing in an isolation housing and then to exit the inflator through gas exhaust ports in the inflator.

Abstract: A simplified airbag module assembly includes three unique features. These comprise a retainer tube with an anchor tab, a module housing with an attachment flange, and an airbag with a button hole for the anchor tab. Only two fasteners are required to complete the module assembly.

Abstract: An improved retainer rod for a passenger-side airbag is formed of two different plastics having different physical characteristics by a dual durometer extrusion process. The improved retainer rod has a cylindrical main body of a hard rigid plastic which can withstand bag deployment forces and a sheet-like flag of softer flexible plastic which can be sewn to the bag material.

Abstract: A side impact airbag module including an inflator and a folded airbag is formed into a module by means of an extruded cover. The cover encircles the inflator and airbag and incorporates structure for releasing the airbag upon inflation. Optional end caps may be attached to one or both ends of the module.

Abstract: A temperature compensating low pressure sensor for verifying loss of gas from an inflator of a vehicle restraint safety system. The sensor includes a housing and a pressure diaphragm in communication with the fluid in the inflator. A temperature sensitive bimetallic thermostat is disposed within the housing. The thermostat expands with relation to a change in temperature of the fluid at the same rate as the pressure diaphragm. A retainer in communication with the pressure diaphragm is movably disposed in the housing. A stack of spring washers is disposed between the retainer and the thermostat for counteracting the pressure of the fluid acting upon the diaphragm. A contact arm in contact with the thermostat moves with the retainer.

Abstract: An automotive passenger airbag module is assembled by securing two endcaps to a chute or housing. The endcaps have tabs which engage channels in the sidewalls of the housing and may be secured by staking portions of the channels to hold the tabs fast during deployment of the airbag.

Abstract: A fully extended pleat for a passenger side air bag cushion employs folds which extend fully across the folded cushion rather than terminating near the center of the folded cushion. A packing advantage of this fold is that there is no free volume or dead space between the pleats thereby reducing the pack size. A performance advantage is that surface friction between the pleats acts to retards somewhat the cushion deployment to reduce hitting and slapping of the occupants in the event of a crash. Finally, a process advantage is that the pleats do not have to be controlled to a specific depth, thereby allowing the folding mechanisms to be concerned only with the final width of the pleats and allowing one less control in the folding operation.

Abstract: An inflator substantially shorter than the reaction canister is employed in a passenger-side airbag module. In order to properly distribute the inflating gas, a diffuser is employed which forms a plenum chamber having gas discharge openings in preselected locations relative to the mouth of the airbag.

Abstract: A device for securing a passenger-side inflator to a module housing without the use of fasteners or special tools is disclosed. An elastically flexible tab formed into one wall of the canister and placed at an angle of about 3.degree. to about 45.degree. engages with a boss or recessed section at one end of the inflator. A raised section may be formed in the base of the inflator, which raised section engages with the outer wall of the inflator causing it to further engage with the canister.

Abstract: A passenger side airbag module includes a reaction canister whose sidewalls define a pair of channels on opposite sides of its open mouth. An unperforated cushion cover carries a pair of splines which are engaged by the channels. One spline/channel combination locks the cover securely to the canister. The other spline/channel combination forms a snap-fit engagement which disengages under the force of the expanding airbag.