Claims
- 1. In combination, an air bag system for restraining and protecting a driver upon a collision and a steering wheel in which said air bag system is installed, comprising:
- a circular wheel body;
- a wheel baseplate;
- spokes, securely fixed to a surface of the wheel baseplate, provided between said circular wheel body and said wheel baseplate;
- an air bag module installed as a unit to said steering wheel and including (a) a module baseplate formed with an opening, (b) an electrically operated inflator means for generating gas housed in a casing shell held in said opening, said casing shell extending through said opening, (c) an air bag, capable of unfolding, secured to a lip of said module baseplate surrounding said opening of said module baseplate, said electrically operated inflator means inflating and unfolding said air bag when said gas is generated, (d) a top cover overlying said inflator means and said air bag, and (e) a bottom cover assembled to said module baseplate and underlying a bottom of said casing shell;
- a harness for supplying electric current to said electrically operated inflator means, at least a part of said harness being interposed between said bottom of said casing shell and said bottom cover of said air bag module so that said bottom cover of said air bag module covers and protects said part of said harness;
- a cover member enclosing said module baseplate, said inflator means, said air bag, said bottom cover, and at least a part of said harness between the cover member and said top cover; and
- means for directly connecting said module baseplate, said spokes and said cover member together to secure said air bag module to said steering wheel, said bottom cover being interposed between said wheel baseplate and said bottom of said casing shell when said air bag module is secured to said steering wheel.
- 2. An air bag system and steering wheel combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said module baseplate comprises a substantially rectangularly shaped bottom portion formed with said opening and a long portion through which said air bag module is assembled to said steering wheel.
- 3. An air bag system and steering wheel combustion as defined in claim 2, wherein said module baseplate further comprises a mounting portion, extending upward from a peripheral edge of said substantially rectangularly shaped bottom portion, for supporting a horn switch.
- 4. An air bag system and steering wheel combustion as defined in claim 3, wherein, said top cover comprises a substantially rectangularly shaped cover portion and a protecting wall portion extending downward from said substantially rectangularly shaped cover portion, between said air bag and said mounting portion, for protecting said air bag during an inflation of said air bag.
- 5. An air bag system and steering wheel combination as defined in claim 4, wherein said top cover further comprises a flexible portion extending from said substantially rectangularly shaped cover portion over said mounting portion, said flexible portion actuating said horn switch when it is bent.
- 6. An air bag system and steering wheel combination as defined in claim 4, wherein said top cover comprises a body made of a synthetic resin and a fabric net embedded in said body.
- 7. An air bag system and steering wheel combination as defined in claim 4, and further comprising an ornamental skin of a synthetic resin covering an outer surface of said top cover.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
2-34775 |
Mar 1990 |
JPX |
|
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/677,405, filed Apr. 1, 1991, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
Number |
Date |
Country |
62-234781 |
Oct 1987 |
JPX |
0184549 |
Jul 1988 |
JPX |
3182115 |
Jul 1988 |
JPX |
0235144 |
Sep 1988 |
JPX |
0249743 |
Oct 1990 |
JPX |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
677405 |
Apr 1991 |
|