VEHICLE SEAT AIR BAG GUIDE HAVING FLEXIBLE PANEL WITH INNER EXTREMITY GROMMET SECUREMENT

Abstract

A vehicle seat component (18) includes a side air bag module (18) mounted on a frame (24) within a trim cover (30) that also covers a seat pad (26). An air bag guide (44) includes flexible inner and outer panels (46,48) that extend between a release seam (32) of the trim cover (30) and the air bag module (18) to provide a guiding function to an air bag (36) upon inflation so as to project outwardly through the release seam (32) for use. An inner extremity (52) of the flexible inner panel (46) of the air bag guide (44) has a grommet (58) that is secured to a frame (24) by a threaded stud (38) and a nut (40) that also mount the air bag module on the frame, and the inner extremity (56) of the flexible outer panel (48) is secured in any suitable manner to the seat component.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat including a seat back component constructed in accordance with the invention to include a side air bag module that is shown by hidden line illustration.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the vehicle seat back component taken along the direction of line 2-2 in FIG. 1 with the side air bag module thereof also illustrated by hidden line representation.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken through the seat back component along the direction of line 3-3 in FIG. 2 to further illustrate the construction of the side air bag module and an air bag guide within the seat back component.

FIG. 4 is a partial exploded perspective view illustrating the manner in which an inner extremity of a flexible panel of the air bag guide is secured by a threaded stud, a nut and a grommet.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 3 illustrating an air bag release seam of a trim cover of the seat back component.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 5 illustrating the threaded stud, nut and grommet securement of the inner extremity of the flexible panel of the air bag guide and the manner in which the nut is threaded to its final position by a torque wrench.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 wherein the grommet is clamped between the frame and the air bag module instead of between the frame and the nut.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat component comprising: a frame for mounting on an associated vehicle on which the vehicle seat component is to be used;a seat pad mounted by the frame and having a side extremity;a trim cover extending over the seat pad and having an air bag release seam adjacent the side extremity of the seat pad;an air bag module within the trim cover in a spaced relationship from its air bag release seam, the air bag module including an inflator and a air bag that is inflated by the inflator to project outwardly from the seat component through the air bag release seam of the trim cover, and the air bag module including at least one threaded mounting stud that extends through the frame and the air bag module also including a mounting nut threaded onto the mounting stud to secure the air bag module to the frame;an air bag guide including a panel made of flexible material and have outer and inner extremities with its outer extremities located adjacent the air bag release seam of the cover, the flexible panel extending from its outer extremity to the air bag module and thence respectively inwardly thereof; anda grommet secured to the inner extremity of the flexible inner panel and made of a noncreep material, and the grommet having a hole through which the air bag module mounting stud extends to be secured by the mounting nut.

2. A vehicle seat component as in claim 1 wherein the grommet is secured between the mounting nut and the frame.

3. A vehicle seat component as in claim 1 wherein the grommet is secured between the air bag module and the frame.

4. A vehicle seat component as in claim 1 further including a second flexible panel having outer and inner extremities with its outer extremity located adjacent the air bag release seam, the second flexible panel extending alongside the first mentioned flexible panel from its outer extremity to the air bag module and thence outwardly thereof such that the first mentioned and second flexible panels respectively embody flexible inner and outer panels between which the air bag is guided to the release seam of the trim cover upon inflation, and the inner extremity of the flexible outer panel being secured to the seat component.

5. A vehicle seat component as in claim 4 wherein the air bag module includes a second threaded mounting stud and a second mounting nut threaded onto the second mounting nut to cooperate with the first mentioned threaded mounting stud and mounting nut in securing the air bag module on the frame, the inner extremity of the flexible inner panel including a second grommet made of a noncreep material, and the second grommet having a hole through which the second mounting stud extends to be secured by the second mounting nut.

6. A vehicle seat component as in claim 5 wherein the second grommet is located between the second mounting nut and the frame to cooperate with the first mentioned mounting stud and mounting nut in securing the inner extremity of the flexible inner panel.

7. A vehicle seat component as in claim 5 wherein the second grommet is secured between the air bag module and the frame to cooperate with the first mentioned mounting stud and mounting nut in securing the inner extremity of the flexible inner panel.

8. A vehicle seat component as in claim 4 wherein the release seam includes stitching.

9. A vehicle seat component as in claim 4 wherein the outer extremities of the inner and outer flexible panels have securements to the trim cover.

10. A vehicle seat component as in claim 9 wherein the securements of the outer extremities of the inner and outer flexible panels to the trim cover comprise stitching.

11. A vehicle seat component as in claim 4 wherein the release seam includes stitching and wherein the outer extremities of the inner and outer flexible panels have stitching securements to the trim cover.

12. A vehicle seat component as in claim 4 which comprises a seat back.

13. A vehicle seat component as in claim 4 wherein the air bag module, the air bag guide, and the release seam have outboard locations.

14. A vehicle seat component as in claim 4 which comprises a seat back having outboard side at which the air bag module, the air bag guide, and the release seam are mounted.

15. A vehicle seat component as in claim 1 wherein the grommet has an annular shape including opposite sides that respectively contact the frame and the mounting nut, the grommet having a connecting portion extending between its opposite sides, and the inner extremity of the flexible inner panel being clamped between the opposite sides between which the connecting portion extends.

16. A vehicle seat component as in claim 1 wherein the grommet has an annular shape including opposite sides that respectively contact the frame and the air bag module, the grommet having a connecting portion extending between its opposite sides, and the inner extremity of the flexible inner panel being clamped between the opposite sides between which the connecting portion extends.

17. A vehicle seat component comprising: a frame for mounting on an associated vehicle on which the vehicle seat component is to be used;a seat pad mounted by the frame and having a side extremity;a trim cover extending over the seat pad and having an air bag release seam adjacent the side extremity of the seat pad;an air bag module within the trim cover in a spaced relationship from its air bag release seam, the air bag module including an inflator and a air bag that is inflated by the inflator to outwardly from the seat component through the air bag release seam of the trim cover, the air bag module including a plurality of threaded mounting studs that extend through the frame, and the air bag module also including a plurality of mounting nuts respectively threaded onto the mounting studs to secure the air bag module to the frame;an air bag guide including an inner panel and an outer panel that are each made of flexible material and have outer and inner extremities with their outer extremities located adjacent the air bag release seam of the cover, the flexible inner and outer panels extending alongside each other from their outer extremities to the air bag module and thence respectively inwardly and outwardly thereof;a plurality of grommets secured to the inner extremity of the flexible inner panel at spaced locations from each other, the grommets being made of a noncreep material, each grommet having an annular shape including a hole through which an associated air bag module mounting stud extends, each grommet having opposite sides and a connecting portion extending between its opposite sides and defining the hole through which the associated mounting study extends, and the inner extremity of the flexible inner panel being clamped between the opposite sides of each grommet; andthe inner extremity of the flexible outer panel being secured within the seat.

18. A vehicle seat back comprising: a frame for mounting on an associated vehicle on which the vehicle seat back is to be used;a seat pad mounted by the frame and having an outboard side extremity;a trim cover extending over the seat pad and having an air bag release seam adjacent the side extremity of the seat pad;an air bag module at an outboard side location within the trim cover in a spaced relationship from its air bag release seam, the air bag module including an inflator and a air bag that is inflated by the inflator to project outwardly from the seat back through the air bag release seam of the trim cover, the air bag module including a plurality of threaded mounting studs that extend through the frame, and the air bag module also including a plurality of mounting nuts respectively threaded onto the mounting studs to secure the air bag module to the frame at an outboard location;an air bag guide including an inner panel and an outer panel that are each made of flexible material and have outer and inner extremities with their outer extremities located adjacent the air bag release seam of the trim cover, the flexible inner and outer panels extending alongside each other from their outer extremities to the air bag module and thence respectively inwardly and outwardly thereof;a plurality of grommets secured to the inner extremity of the flexible inner panel at spaced locations from each other, the grommets being made of a noncreep material, each grommet having an annular shape including a hole through which an associated air bag module mounting stud extends, each grommet having opposite sides and a connecting portion extending between its opposite sides and defining the hole through which the associated mounting study extends, and the inner extremity of the flexible inner panel being clamped between the opposite sides of each grommet; andthe inner extremity of the flexible outer panel being secured within the seat.