The present invention relates to a driver airbag apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus having a configuration in which a driver airbag module (20) is mounted on a hub (12) of a steering wheel (10) and a display (30) is mounted on a front side of the airbag module (20), wherein an airbag cover (400) is lift-opened upward by deployment pressure of an airbag cushion (200), an opening angle of the airbag cover (400) is limited by a configuration of an opening angle limiter (500) provided in an airbag housing (100) and the airbag cover (400), and deployment direction of the airbag cushion (200) is controlled by the airbag cover (400) having a limited opening angle so that that airbag cushion may avoid the display (30) and deploy toward the driver through a space (13) between the display (30) and a rim (11) of the steering wheel (10).

A vehicle steering wheel (100) comprising: a frame (10) supporting at least a frame cladding portion (20) visible to an occupant of the vehicle, and a module housing (30) comprising a housing wall (31) integral with the frame cladding portion (20), a safety module (40) at least partially arranged in the module housing (30) and comprising a module cladding portion (50) visible to the vehicle occupant, characterized: in that the safety module (40) comprises at least one bearing surface (411), and in that, during a mounting movement of the safety module (40) in the module housing (30), the housing wall (31) is placed in a reference position by the bearing surface (411), so that the frame cladding portion (20) has a predefined fit with the module cladding portion (50).

A damper unit for use in a vibration-reducing assembly for a steering wheel is disclosed. An elastomeric damper element is molded on an inner sleeve and includes a plurality of elastomeric ribs forming a radially outer engagement surface, and a plurality of elastomeric support studs, which are mutually spaced in a circumferential direction are flexible in all directions transverse to said axis. Methods for making a damper unit and a damper assembly are also disclosed.

A description is given of a bearing unit of a vehicle subassembly, wherein the vehicle subassembly has a vehicle-mounted support, in particular a vehicle steering wheel (10), and a component which is to be fastened on the support, in particular an airbag module. The baring unit comprises at least one adjustable spacer element (14a, 14b, 14c) for orienting the position of the component on the support. Also provided are a bearing unit having a plurality of spacer elements (14a) which can be adjusted independently of one another and a steering wheel subassembly having a vehicle steering wheel (10) and an airbag module, wherein the vehicle steering wheel (10) and the airbag module are connected to each other by the bearing unit. The invention additionally relates to a method for producing a vehicle subassembly having a vehicle-mounted support, a component which is to be fastened on the support and at least one bearing unit.

The invention relates to a device for removably mounting an airbag module on a steering wheel, the mounting device comprises a mounting portion of a resilient ring for forming, in a locking position of the ring, an element for holding at least one hook on the other of the module or the steering wheel, the resilient ring having an unlocking position in which the mounting portion of the ring is no longer in the zone of interaction with the at least one hook, the device further comprises an element for releasing the ring, connected to one of the module or the steering wheel and arranged so as to move the ring during a movement for extracting the module such that the ring is placed back from the locking position.

The invention describes an airbag (10) for a vehicle occupant restraint system, wherein the airbag (10) in the inflated state includes a front side (24) forming an occupant impact surface and an opposite rear side (22). The front side (24) and the rear side (22) are formed by shell portions (14, 16) of the airbag (10) being connected to each other at their outer edges (34, 36). The front side (24) is longer along a centerline (M) extending in the longitudinal direction of the airbag (10) than the rear side (22) so that, in the inflated state, the airbag (10) takes a curved shape. The front side (24) has at least one shaping line (42) extending substantially curved and transversely to the centerline (M) at which shaping line two shell portions (34, 36) are connected to each other. The respective outer edges (34, 36) of the front side (24) and the respective outer edges (34, 36) of the rear side (22) are of the same overall length.

Airbag module coupling interfaces, assemblies, and related methods. Some embodiments may comprise one or more springs each defining a perimeter comprising at least three sides, wherein a first side of which may extend opposite a second side and may be at least partially angled towards the second side at an acute angle. A third side of the spring may connect the first and second sides. A spring mounting structure may be provided and may comprise a guiding interface for coupling the spring to the steering wheel. An opening in the guiding interface may be configured to receive a coupling prong, which may be configured to engage the third side of the spring.

The present invention relates to an illumination apparatus in which a light source module 100 is mounted on a steering wheel 10, an illumination element 200 is mounted on a driver airbag cover 20, and the light of the light source module 100 is transmitted to the illumination element 200 through an optical fiber 300. When the driver airbag cushion is deployed due to an accident, it is possible to prevent the scattering of the light source module 100, thereby preventing injuries to the passengers due to the light source module 100, simplifying the structure of the driver airbag cover 20 and achieving weight reduction.

The invention relates to an airbag module (10) for a vehicle occupant restraint system (12), comprising an airbag (14), an inflator (18), a shaping tether (22) for influencing the airbag deployment geometry which is connected to the airbag (14) at one tether end, and comprising a port release tether (20) which is connected to a discharge port closure (26) of the airbag (14) at one tether end, wherein the port release tether (20) is connected to the discharge port closure (26) so that it releases a discharge port (28) of the airbag (14) from a predetermined tensile tether force, and wherein an activatable tether release device (24) coupled both to the shaping tether (22) and to the port release tether (20) is provided for actively releasing the tethers (20, 22). Furthermore, the invention relates to a method of operating a vehicle occupant restraint system (12) comprising said airbag module (10), wherein airbag deployment takes place in response to predetermined basic conditions, such as in response to the weight of a vehicle occupant (16) and/or of a driving mode for manual or automated and, resp., autonomous driving.

The invention relates to an airbag module (16) for an occupant restraint system, comprising a module cap (28) which in the mounted condition of the airbag module (16) faces an occupant and comprising a module bottom (30) which includes a latch means for securing the airbag module (16) to a vehicle component, wherein the module cap (28) and the module bottom (30) are movable toward each other along a mounting axis (A) until they reach at first an axial pre-mounting position and then an axial final mounting position, the module cap (28) and the module bottom (30) including interacting pre-fixing elements which captively secure the module cap (28) and the module bottom (30) to each other in the pre-mounting position, the module cap (28) and the module bottom (30) including interacting resistance contours which during an axial relative movement of the module cap (28) and the module bottom (30) from the pre-mounting position to the final mounting position have a predetermined mounting resistance. Furthermore, the invention also relates to a method for mounting the airbag module (16) on a steering wheel as well as to a steering assembly (10) comprising such airbag module (16).