Patent Application
20220402453
Several methods are used for coupling an emblem, such as a design, symbol, logo, and/or text, to an airbag cover, such as an airbag cover used in connection with either a driver-side or passenger-side airbag cushion. However, the present inventors have noted that current methodologies result in vulnerabilities to detachment of such emblems, particularly during airbag deployment.
The present inventors have therefore determined that it would be desirable to provide systems and methods that overcome one or more of the limitations of the prior art by improving the coupling means to inhibit detachment. Thus, in some implementations, the inventive concepts disclosed herein may be used to secure one or more fastening pins or other fastening members coupled with one or more emblem elements, such as decorative rings, a vehicle logo, or another decorative emblem positioned on a vehicle steering wheel via a LASER welding process. Additionally, or alternatively, some embodiments may comprise use of a novel sealing plate that may be used, either in conjunction with a LASER welding process or another process involving application of energy to reshape the fastening pin(s), to provide a more secure coupling between the emblem element(s) and the airbag cover.
In a more particular example of a method for coupling an emblem element to an airbag cover, the method may comprise inserting a fastening member, such as a pin, coupled to an emblem element through an opening formed within an airbag cover; and securing the emblem element to the airbag cover by reshaping at least a portion of the fastening member using a LASER welding process.
Some implementations may further comprise use of a sealing plate. For example, some implementations may further comprise welding the sealing plate to the fastening member on a rear surface of the airbag cover using a LASER. In some such implementations and related embodiments, the sealing plate may comprise a recess configured to receive the fastening member. The step of securing the emblem element to the airbag cover may then comprise inserting the fastening member into the recess; and, in some implementations, using a LASER to reshape and combine material from the sealing plate with material from the fastening member to secure the emblem element to the airbag cover.
In some implementations and related embodiments, the sealing plate may comprise a fastening member mounting region and/or a cavity, which cavity may extend about a perimeter of the fastening member mounting region. The step of securing the emblem element to the airbag cover may then comprise aligning the fastening member with the fastening member mounting region and/or using a LASER to reshape material from the fastening member into the cavity to form a barrier at least partially filling the cavity and extending about an axis of the fastening member.
In some embodiments, the airbag cover may comprise a barrier extending from an inner surface of the airbag cover about a perimeter of the opening, which barrier may be part of the airbag cover or may be coupled to the airbag cover by way of a sealing plate. In some related implementations, the step of securing the emblem element to the airbag cover may comprise reshaping the fastening member using a LASER such that the fastening member contacts at least a portion of the barrier.
In some implementations, the step of securing the emblem element to the airbag cover may comprise reshaping the fastening member and reshaping the barrier to combine material from the fastening member with material from the barrier using a LASER.
The fastening member may comprise the same material as the airbag cover or may comprise a material distinct from the material of the airbag cover. Preferably, the material of the fastening member and the material of the airbag cover adjacent to the fastening member both comprise a material compatible for LASER welding, and may therefore comprise materials distinct from typical materials used for these elements in an airbag cover of the prior art. In addition, in some embodiments, some or all of the material of the cover through which the fastening member fastens need not be reshaped and/or involved in the LASER welding process.
In some embodiments and implementations, the fastening member may comprise a coating, which coating, such as graphite or vinyl chloride, which may, in some cases, further facilitate a stable coupling by providing a material that is more readily reshaped and/or recombined with material from the airbag cover. In some embodiments and implementations, the coating material, when used, may be configured to prevent, or at least substantially prevent, chrome and/or other materials used in a chrome plating process from adhering to the fastening members.
The materials of the fastening member and airbag cover may comprise, for example, a thermoplastic polymer. In some embodiments and related implementations, the airbag cover may comprise a thermoplastic olefin, and the fastening member may comprise a polycarbonate alloy.
In another example of a method for coupling an emblem element to an airbag cover, the method may comprise inserting a plurality of fastening members through a respective plurality of holes formed within an airbag cover; and thermally reshaping each of the plurality of fastening members using a LASER to secure an emblem element to the airbag cover.
Some implementations may further comprise thermally reshaping at least a portion of the airbag cover adjacent to each of the plurality of holes to combine material from the airbag cover with material from each of the plurality of fastening members.
Some implementations may further comprise coupling a sealing plate to a rear surface of the airbag cover and to at least a subset (in some implementations, all) of the plurality of fastening members. In some implementations, a single sealing plate may be used. Alternatively, a plurality of sealing plates may be used. For example, a separate sealing plate may be used for each fastening member in some implementations.
In some implementations, the step of coupling a sealing plate to the rear surface of the airbag cover may comprise welding the sealing plate to the at least a subset of the plurality of fastening member on the rear surface of the airbag cover using a LASER.
In an example of an airbag module according to some embodiments, the module may comprise an airbag cover and one or more emblem elements coupled to a front surface of the airbag cover. A sealing plate may be coupled to a rear surface of the airbag cover. One or more fastening members may extend from the one or more emblem elements through a corresponding one or more openings in the airbag cover to secure the emblem element to the airbag cover. In some embodiments, each of the one or more fastening members may be integrally coupled with the sealing plate. In some embodiments, this integral coupling may be accomplished by LASER welding or otherwise reshaping and recombining material from the fastening member(s) and/or the airbag cover with the sealing plate.
Some embodiments may further comprise one or more barriers extending from an inner surface of the airbag cover about a perimeter of the opening. Each of the one or more barriers may be integrally coupled with a fastening member of the one or more fastening members, such as, for example, by an integral coupling method, such as LASER WELDING.
The features, structures, steps, or characteristics disclosed herein in connection with one embodiment may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more alternative embodiments.
Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the disclosure are described, including various embodiments of the disclosure with reference to the figures, in which:
A detailed description of apparatus, systems, and methods consistent with various embodiments of the present disclosure is provided below. While several embodiments are described, it should be understood that the disclosure is not limited to any of the specific embodiments disclosed, but instead encompasses numerous alternatives, modifications, and equivalents. In addition, while numerous specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein, some embodiments can be practiced without some or all of these details. Moreover, for the purpose of clarity, certain technical material that is known in the related art has not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosure.
Apparatus, methods, and systems are disclosed herein relating to coupling emblem elements with airbag modules, such as with airbag covers. In some embodiments, a plurality of fastening pins or other fastening members may be inserted through a corresponding plurality of holes formed in the airbag cover or another suitable portion of the airbag module. Preferably these fastening members are smaller in cross-sectional shape and/or size than their corresponding holes. During processing, the fastening members may then be reshaped to, preferably, fill their respective holes entirely to secure the emblem to the airbag module.
The embodiments of the disclosure may be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts may be designated by like numerals. It will be readily understood that the components of the disclosed embodiments, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the apparatus and methods of the disclosure is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, as claimed, but is merely representative of possible embodiments of the disclosure. In addition, the steps of a method do not necessarily need to be executed in any specific order, or even sequentially, nor need the steps be executed only once, unless otherwise specified. Additional details regarding certain preferred embodiments and implementations will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As also shown in
As those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, a tool (not shown) may be used to reshape fastening pin 105 from the shape depicted in
In some embodiments and implementations, material making up the pin(s) 105 may be combined with material making up the cover 102 during the LASER welding process, as shown in
The assembly shown in
As with the embodiment of
However, in preferred implementations and embodiments involving use of LASER welding, it may be desirable to provide one or more openings to allow the LASER beams to pass through the distal surface of plate 220 and impinge on pin 205 and/or cover 202. Thus, as shown in the plan view of
Still another example of a module 400 is shown in
Yet another example of a module 500 is shown in
The foregoing specification has been described with reference to various embodiments and implementations. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, various operational steps, as well as components for carrying out operational steps, may be implemented in various ways depending upon the particular application or in consideration of any number of cost functions associated with the operation of the system. Accordingly, any one or more of the steps may be deleted, modified, or combined with other steps. Further, this disclosure is to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope thereof. Likewise, benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to various embodiments. However, benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced, are not to be construed as a critical, a required, or an essential feature or element.
Those having skill in the art will appreciate that many changes may be made to the details of the above-described embodiments without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. The scope of the present inventions should, therefore, be determined only by the following claims.
