Airbag module with a horn switch foil

US6176516A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• TRW AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS GMBH · DE

Inventors

• Hans-Jurgen Bobler · Munster, DE
• Stefan Gehlert · Ruppertshütten, DE
• Anke Nigrin · Ilmenau, DE
• Willi Wissel · Blankenbach, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 22, 1999
• Grant date: Jan 23, 2001
• Expiry date: Jul 22, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B60Q5/003
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

An airbag module for a vehicle steering wheel comprises a gas generator (1) with an igniter, a folded gas bag (2), an assembly plate (3), a housing (4) with an intermediate cover (5), an outer cover cap (6) optically and haptically adapted to the steering wheel environment, and a horn switch foil (7) to be actuated by pressure exerted on the cover cap (6). A planar actuating element (8) is provided between the horn switch foil (7) and the cover cap (6) and has a consistently defined spacing from the horn foil (7). Range spacers (9) in the form of pins, webs or similar are provided between the actuating element (8) and the cover cap (6) to provide an approximately constant separation distance between the actuating element (8) and the cover cap (6), at least across the entire actuating area of the cover cap.