The invention relates to a gas bag module comprising a covering cap which is visible from the exterior in an installed state and covers an outlet opening for a gas bag. The module further comprises at least one display integrated in the covering cap and a lighting for the display provided on a rear face of the covering cap. The covering cap has a front wall visible from the exterior with a section covering the outlet opening, the section being connected in one piece with a display section lying over the lighting. In the display section, the covering is constructed so as to be transparent or translucent. The display section is made of a first material component of the covering cap and the covering cap includes a second material component which has a carrier layer in the form of a cup. The base of the cup forms the section closing the outlet opening and the peripheral wall of which laterally delimits an accommodation space for the gas bag.
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4. A gas bag module comprising:
a covering cap for covering an outlet opening for a gas bag of the gas bag module, the covering cap being formed in one piece from first and second material components and including a front wall and a peripheral wall that extends rearwardly from the front wall and laterally delimits an accommodation space for the gas bag, the front wall of the one piece covering cap including a section that covers the outlet opening for the gas bag and a display section, the first material component of the one piece covering cap being in the form of a cup shaped carrier layer that includes the peripheral wall and a base which forms the section of the front wall that covers the outlet opening for the gas bag, the second material component of the one piece covering cap being one of transparent and translucent, overlaying the base of the carrier layer, and forming the display section of the front wall; and a light source located behind the second material component of the covering cap for projecting light onto the display section of the front wall.
1. A gas bag module, comprising
a covering cap which is visible from the exterior in an installed state and covers an outlet opening for a gas bag, at least one display integrated in said covering cap and a lighting for said display provided on a rear face of said covering cap, said covering cap having a front wall visible from the exterior with a section covering said outlet opening, said section being connected in one piece with a display section lying over said lighting, in which display section said covering cap is constructed so as to be one of transparent and translucent, said display section being made of a first material component of said covering cap, and said covering cap including a second material component which has a carrier layer in the form of a cup, a base of which forms said section closing said outlet opening and a peripheral wall of which laterally delimits an accommodation space for said gas bag, said covering cap having one of a transparent and translucent layer with an external, non-transparent covering layer which is not present in a region of said display, wherein said covering layer is removed from the exterior in a subsequent working step.
2. A gas bag module, comprising
a covering cap which is visible from the exterior in an installed state and covers an outlet opening for a gas bag, at least one display integrated in said covering cap and a lighting for said display provided on a rear face of said covering cap, said covering cap having a front wall visible from the exterior with a section covering said outlet opening, said section being connected in one piece with a display section lying over said lighting, in which display section said covering cap is constructed so as to be one of transparent and translucent, said display section being made of a first material component of said covering cap, and said covering cap including a second material component which has a carrier layer in the form of a cup, a base of which forms said section closing said outlet opening and a peripheral wall of which laterally delimits an accommodation space for said gas bag, said covering cap having one of a transparent and translucent layer with an external, non-transparent covering layer which is not present in a region of said display, wherein said one of a transparent and translucent layer extends at least almost entirely across said front wall and said base of said carrier layer.
3. A gas bag module, comprising
a covering cap which is visible from the exterior in an installed state and covers an outlet opening for a gas bag, at least one display integrated in said covering cap and a lighting for said display provided on a rear face of said covering cap, said covering cap having a front wall visible from the exterior with a section covering said outlet opening, said section being connected in one piece with a display section lying over said lighting, in which display section said covering cap is constructed so as to be one of transparent and translucent, said display section being made of a first material component of said covering cap, and said covering cap including a second material component which has a carrier layer in the form of a cup, a base of which forms said section closing said outlet opening and a peripheral wall of which laterally delimits an accommodation space for said gas bag, said covering cap having one of a transparent and translucent layer with an external, non-transparent covering layer which is not present in a region of said display, wherein said one of a transparent and translucent layer forms said first material component and extends laterally beyond said peripheral wall with the formation of a border of said front wall.
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The invention relates to a gas bag module for restraining a vehicle occupant. In particular, the invention relates to a gas bag module integrated in the steering wheel.
Gas bag modules are known, which in addition contain multifunctional keys, mounted from the exterior, for actuation of the telephone, the radio and the like. Here, these keys can be designed as combined operating- and display keys. Through the integration of light-emitting diodes, the symbols are also able to be read on nighttime journeys. The addition of multifunctional keys always involves the formation of a gap between the keys and the covering cap, more precisely its front wall, which is visible from the front face in the installed state. A great effort is required to keep the installation tolerances as small and uniform as possible. In spite of these disadvantages, there is a need to house additional information displays in the vehicle, because modern vehicles are equipped with increasing operating functions, so that it is difficult, in part, to house all the displays in the cockpit. It is endeavored to provide modules with a high-quality external appearance, in which the displays are integrated without a gap occurring between the displays and the remainder of the covering cap. The production of such a gas bag module, in particular the achieving of a sufficient stability of the covering cap is, however, a problem.
The invention provides a gas bag module which has a high-quality external appearance and into which the displays can be integrated.
This is achieved in a gas bag module which comprises a covering cap which is visible from the exterior in an installed state and covers an outlet opening for a gas bag. The module further comprises at least one display integrated in the covering cap and a lighting for the display provided on a rear face of the covering cap. The covering cap has a front wall visible from the exterior with a section covering the outlet opening, the section being integrally connected, i.e. in one piece, with a display section lying over the lighting. In the display section, the covering is constructed so as to be transparent or translucent. The display section is made of a first material component of the covering cap and the covering cap includes a second material component which has a carrier layer in the form of a cup. The base of the cup forms the section closing the outlet opening and the peripheral wall of which laterally delimits an accommodation space for the gas bag.
According to the invention, the covering cap extends as far as to over the light, i.e. it continues into the display and is constructed so as to be transparent or translucent in the region of the light. Through the construction in one piece, no gap is produced, so that a smooth visible front wall is presented to the occupant from the exterior. The display can either be arranged behind the front wall under the transparent or translucent region. Furthermore, however, the covering cap itself can also form the display, by the covering cap being transparent along lines to create a symbol, e.g. by the transparent section forming a "+" or "-". Of course, a larger display field could also lie behind the transparent region, e.g. an illuminated LCD screen, which can provide various displays. The stability of the covering cap is, however, achieved through the support layer, and this only makes possible the transparent or translucent construction of the first material component. Through the cup-shaped construction of the support layer, the regions which are mainly stressed on opening of the covering cap, are stabilized namely to the side of the gas bag and in the direction outwards.
Preferably, the first material component is connected with the second material component in the region of the base and extends laterally beyond the border of the base and forms in this region the display section.
The transparent or translucent layer forms here the border of the front wall.
In the region of the display section, the covering cap preferably has, at least in these sections forming numbers or symbols, a smaller thickness, so that a greater transparency is achieved.
The previously mentioned possibility that the covering cap itself forms a display can be constructed such that the covering cap has a transparent/translucent layer with an external, impermeable covering layer which is partially not present, namely in the region of the display.
This covering layer can, for example, be subsequently removed from the exterior, e.g. by means of a laser. Alternatively, of course, the transparent layer could be partially covered on application of the opaque covering layer.
An advantageous covering layer is a lacquer which is adapted in terms of color and its surface with the rest of the interior.
The display, e.g. the symbols, can, however, already be introduced into the injection-mold for manufacture of the covering cap and can be coated with a thin translucent layer of lacquer.
Thermoplastic polyurethane or thermoplastic polymer, which are made by the injection-molding process into the covering cap, present themselves as materials for the transparent display section.
The transparent or translucent layer can form only a section of the front wall or else can extend across the entire front wall, which can offer advantages in terms of manufacturing technique.
The preferred embodiment makes provision that the illumination is situated outside the accommodation space, preferably separated from the accommodation space directly by the peripheral wall. Thereby, on its unfolding, the gas bag is prevented from scraping on the lighting of the display, and the lighting or the gas bag are prevented from being damaged. Through the peripheral wall, a three-dimensional separation of the accommodation space from the region with the lighting is achieved. Also, it can be ruled out that the lighting might be pulled along by the unfolding gas bag. For this, the front wall only tears open up to the transition of the front wall to the peripheral wall.
In
The front wall 18 of the covering cap 16 comprises several sections, namely a section 30 closing the accommodation space 22 on the front face, which section 30 extends as far as to the peripheral wall 20, and a display section 32 adjoining thereto laterally in one piece, which lies at the border of the covering cap 16 and covers or even forms displays which may also be operable. Beneath the display section 32, a lighting 34 is arranged to illuminate the display 36 (in
In the embodiment according to
Alternatively, the symbols can also be introduced into the display section 32, by being printed on a foil. In this case, however, a thin, light-permeable layer of lacquer must be provided externally at least in the region of the display section 32.
In order to increase the transparency in the display section 32, the covering in the region of the display 36 has a smaller thickness than in the remaining part of the display section. A corresponding depression is designated by 44.
In the display section 32, a switch can also be integrated, by the display section for example being constructed to be so flexible that by pressing the display section in the region of the corresponding display 36, a microswitch or the like, lying under the display, is actuated.
The embodiment illustrated in
On tearing open of the gas bag, the danger does not exist that the gas bag destroys the lighting 34 or the display 36, 36', because the front wall only tears open in the region of the section 30, which runs as far as to the peripheral wall 20. After swinging open, an outlet opening 50 is exposed, which was previously covered by the section 30.
The covering cap is produced by injection molding, the production of the individual layers forming successive process steps.
Kreuzer, Martin, Neupert, Ralph, Bieber, Udo
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Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
Apr 16 2002 | TRW Automotive Safety Systems GmbH & Co. KG | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / |
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