The present invention relates to a driver seat airbag device for a vehicle and a method for manufacturing same, the driver seat airbag device comprising: a driver seat airbag mounted in a folded state inside a steering wheel; and an inflator connected to the driver seat airbag to supply gas to allow the driver seat airbag to expand between the steering wheel and a driver at the time of a vehicle collision, wherein: the driver seat airbag has a plurality of tether members and a diffuser installed thereat, the tether members restricting an expansion thickness of the driver seat airbag, the diffuser controlling a supply direction for a gas supplied to the driver seat airbag, the tether members and the diffuser being installed between a front panel facing the front side of the vehicle and a rear panel opposite to the front panel and facing the driver; and the diffuser is installed between the plurality of tether members, and thus the diffuser and the tether members are integrated to simplify an installation structure thereof.

The present invention relates to a driver seat airbag device for a vehicle and a method for manufacturing same, the driver seat airbag device comprising: a driver seat airbag mounted in a folded state inside a steering wheel; and an inflator connected to the driver seat airbag to supply gas to allow the driver seat airbag to expand between the steering wheel and a driver at the time of a vehicle collision, wherein: the driver seat airbag has a plurality of tether members and a diffuser installed thereat, the tether members restricting an expansion thickness of the driver seat airbag, the diffuser controlling a supply direction for a gas supplied to the driver seat airbag, the tether members and the diffuser being installed between a front panel facing the front side of the vehicle and a rear panel opposite to the front panel and facing the driver; and the diffuser is installed between the plurality of tether members, and thus the diffuser and the tether members are integrated to simplify an installation structure thereof.

A coupling device (16) for mounting an airbag module (14) to be oscillating on a steering wheel structure (12) of a vehicle steering wheel (10) includes a mounting member (18) which includes, relative to a steering wheel axis, an axial bottom side (20) which in the assembled state of the vehicle steering wheel (10) faces the steering wheel structure (12) as well as an opposite axial top side (22) which in the assembled state of the vehicle steering wheel (10) faces the airbag module (14), a contact face (24) for a damping element (26) provided on the axial bottom side (20) for oscillating coupling of the mounting member (18) to the steering wheel structure (12), and comprising a locking element (28) disposed on the top side (22) of the mounting member (18) for locking with the prefabricated airbag module (14), wherein the locking element (28) is configured so that the airbag module (14) can be coupled to the mounting member (18) by a locking connection substantially in an axially fixed manner or in an axially restrictedly movable manner.

A coupling device (16) for mounting an airbag module (14) to be oscillating on a steering wheel structure (12) of a vehicle steering wheel (10) includes a mounting member (18) which includes, relative to a steering wheel axis, an axial bottom side (20) which in the assembled state of the vehicle steering wheel (10) faces the steering wheel structure (12) as well as an opposite axial top side (22) which in the assembled state of the vehicle steering wheel (10) faces the airbag module (14), a contact face (24) for a damping element (26) provided on the axial bottom side (20) for oscillating coupling of the mounting member (18) to the steering wheel structure (12), and comprising a locking element (28) disposed on the top side (22) of the mounting member (18) for locking with the prefabricated airbag module (14), wherein the locking element (28) is configured so that the airbag module (14) can be coupled to the mounting member (18) by a locking connection substantially in an axially fixed manner or in an axially restrictedly movable manner.

Various implementations of a horn system include one or more force sensors disposed on a first portion of a driver air bag module and one or more actuators disposed on a second portion of the driver air bag module. For example, the force sensors may be disposed adjacent a perimeter of a base plate of the driver air bag module, and the actuators may extend inwardly toward the force sensors from an inner surface of a cover of the driver air bag module, or vice versa. To actuate the horn, the cover is moved axially toward the base plate, causing the actuators to apply force to the force sensors. Force signals received from the force sensors are used by one or more processors to determine characteristics of the force received and/or select a control message for communicating to the horn system based on the force signal characteristics.

The invention relates to a method of folding an airbag (10), especially for a driver airbag module, comprising a front airbag layer (11) which is connected at least in portions to a rear airbag layer (12), the method comprising the following steps of: a) flatly spreading the airbag (10) onto a support surface (15) so that the front airbag layer (11) comes to rest on the rear airbag layer (12), b) folding, especially zigzag folding, at least in portions each of an upper airbag portion (20) and a lower airbag portion (21) in the direction of a transverse axis (Q) of the airbag (10), c) furling each of a left-hand lateral airbag portion (30) and a right-hand lateral airbag portion (31) in the direction of a longitudinal axis (L) of the airbag (10).

The invention relates to a method of folding an airbag (10), especially for a driver airbag module, comprising a front airbag layer (11) which is connected at least in portions to a rear airbag layer (12), the method comprising the following steps of: a) flatly spreading the airbag (10) onto a support surface (15) so that the front airbag layer (11) comes to rest on the rear airbag layer (12), b) folding, especially zigzag folding, at least in portions each of an upper airbag portion (20) and a lower airbag portion (21) in the direction of a transverse axis (Q) of the airbag (10), c) furling each of a left-hand lateral airbag portion (30) and a right-hand lateral airbag portion (31) in the direction of a longitudinal axis (L) of the airbag (10).

A skin-covered interior trim pad according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a main portion, eaves portion 39 extending out from an outer edge of the main portion, and skin 36 covering the main portion and eaves portion 36, in which: skin 36 includes end edge portion 36d curving along an end portion of eaves portion 39, eaves-front-surface portion 36a covering front surface 39b of eaves portion 39 on a side of front surface 39b of eaves portion 39, and eaves-back-surface portion 36b which extends on a side of back surface 39c of eaves portion 39 toward the outer edge to cover back surface 39c of eaves portion 39, eaves-back-surface portion 36b having the same thermal shrinkage rate as the eaves-front-surface portion, and eaves-front-surface portion 36a being located across end edge portion 36d from eaves-back-surface portion 36b.

A skin-covered interior trim pad according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a main portion, eaves portion 39 extending out from an outer edge of the main portion, and skin 36 covering the main portion and eaves portion 36, in which: skin 36 includes end edge portion 36d curving along an end portion of eaves portion 39, eaves-front-surface portion 36a covering front surface 39b of eaves portion 39 on a side of front surface 39b of eaves portion 39, and eaves-back-surface portion 36b which extends on a side of back surface 39c of eaves portion 39 toward the outer edge to cover back surface 39c of eaves portion 39, eaves-back-surface portion 36b having the same thermal shrinkage rate as the eaves-front-surface portion, and eaves-front-surface portion 36a being located across end edge portion 36d from eaves-back-surface portion 36b.

An airbag device includes an airbag, a blocking member that can adjust an exhaust hole of the airbag to a blocked state and an opened state, a coupling member, and a holding and releasing unit, which maintains a state of blocking the exhaust hole by holding the coupling member. When the holding and releasing unit releases the holding of the coupling member, the blocking member inverts in such a way as to be fed out from an inner peripheral face side of the airbag to an outer peripheral face side through the exhaust hole owing to being pressed by inflating gas, and causes inflating gas to be discharged from a through hole formed between leading end regions of outer peripheral edges of a first panel portion and a second panel portion in the blocking member and a communication hole communicating with the exhaust hole.