A vehicle interior panel for use over a deployable airbag includes a substrate that splits during airbag deployment to form an airbag door on one side of a tear seam that pivots away from another portion of the substrate on an opposite side of the tear seam. One or more relief lines are formed in the substrate in a manner that allows the airbag door to preferentially bend along each relief line during airbag deployment. This bending concentrates forces from the deploying airbag to particular and sequential portions of the tear seam to improve tear seam function.

The present invention provides a hinge structure for an air bag door. The hinge structure includes a housing disposed inside a crash pad, an air bag disposed inside the housing, an air bag door disposed on a rear surface of the crash pad adjacent to the air bag, a hinge portion disposed on at least a portion of a rear surface of the air bag door, and a scrim member disposed at least a portion of the hinge portion, the housing and the air bag door, all the components constituting an air bag assembly, wherein the hinge portion is constructed so as to break when the air bag door is opened, and the scrim member serves to enable the air bag door to be opened while being connected to the housing after the hinge portion breaks.

A restraint system (10) for helping to protect an occupant (60) of a vehicle (20) having a seat (50) for the occupant (60) includes a primary airbag (70) having a stored condition within a roof (32) and being inflatable to a deployed condition aligned with the seat (50). A support airbag (76) has a stored condition within the roof (32) and is inflatable to a deployed condition engaging the primary airbag (70).

A side airbag assembly includes a housing and an airbag in the housing. The housing has a top surface and a panel. The panel has a top end and a hinge connecting the top end to the top surface. The panel has a bottom end and two side ends extending from the top end to the bottom end. The panel has weakened joints at the bottom end and the side ends. The panel is rotatable relative to the top surface from an undeployed position to a generally upright position and the panel abuts the top surface in the generally upright position.

A vehicle interior/trim component configured to support an airbag module is disclosed. The component may comprise a structural substrate with a reinforcement to provide a door/opening for airbag deployment. The reinforcement may comprise a pattern of threads (e.g. top stitch to secure the door and bottom stitch). The reinforcement may comprise threads sewn within and/or pressed into a surface of a substrate/panel. The top stitch thread weight may be greater than that of the bottom stitch. The top stitch may comprise a retaining thread/hinge; the bottom stitch may separate upon deployment. The reinforcement may comprise KEVLAR, aramid, nylon, polyester, thread, ceramic fibers, polymeric fibers, synthetic fibers, etc. The structural substrate may comprise a fiber panel, compression-formed component, generally rigid fiber mat, etc. The component may be formed by injecting resin into a mold to form an ancillary component of a composite structure.

A cover device of an airbag including a cover unit formed with first tear lines, and able to be torn along the first tear lines; and a housing unit formed to extend in a direction from a rim of the cover unit, and formed with second tear lines. Portions of the housing unit are torn along the second tear lines and rotate by the cover unit, which is torn and rotates.

A safety device for a vehicle adapted to be arranged facing an airbag, the safety device including: a channel suitable for guiding the airbag, the channel delimiting a central opening for deployment of the airbag, a panel at least partially covering the central opening when the airbag is in an uninflated state, and a net having a first plane-portion being entrapped in the channel and a second plane-portion being entrapped in the panel. The net further includes a third portion extending between the first plane-portion and the second plane-portion, at least a part of the third-portion being entrapped in a receiving portion of the channel, wherein the receiving portion includes at least a portion of reduced thickness.

An airbag device includes an airbag, an airbag case that is made from metal and includes a base wall and a tubular wall, and an airbag cover that is made from synthetic resin and includes a covering wall and a joint wall. The case and cover are coupled together by insertion of hooks of the tubular wall of the case into joint holes of the joint wall of the cover. An approximation-limiting region suppresses the cover as coupled with the case from moving further towards the base wall of the case, and a separation-limiting region suppresses the cover as coupled with the case from moving further away from the base wall of the case. The approximation-limiting region includes an abutment region and a receiving region engageable with the abutment region. The separation-limiting region includes a retaining hole and a projection engageable with an inner surface of the retaining hole.

A rear seat side airbag device includes a case disposed at a vehicle rear side of a cabin-side wall portion of a seat side garnish. The seat side garnish is disposed between a vehicle side portion and a seatback of a rear seat. The case has an opening portion that opens toward the cabin-side wall portion, and houses an airbag module main body. An airbag door covers the opening portion and is surrounded by a tear portion and a hinge portion formed at regions corresponding to the opening portion. A spacer is disposed on the airbag door and projects out into the case.

A spacer fabric may include a hinge layer, a top layer, and an intermediate layer. The hinge layer may include a first tensile strength and at least one perforation. The top layer may include a second tensile strength. The intermediate layer may include a third tensile strength, and may be arranged between the hinge layer and the top layer. The first tensile strength may be higher than the second tensile strength, and the first tensile strength may be higher than the third tensile strength.