A method and apparatus for attaching a driver airbag module to a steering wheel

• Main Authors: MARTIN FASSBENDER, MATTHEW SHYNN, TIM SCOTT, JIM ALCORN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 15.10.2014
• Subjects: GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL; VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISEPROVIDED FOR

A steering wheel and driver airbag assembly 1 is disclosed in which an airbag module 4 having a container 20 housing a driver airbag is attached to motor vehicle steering wheel 5 by a single snap fastener having a first part 15 on the steering wheel and a second part 22 on the container. To attach the airbag module to the steering wheel a part of the container is brought into contact with the steering wheel, the container is then rotated about a transverse axis so as to engage the second part of the snap fastener located on the container with thefirst part of the snap fastener on the steering wheel. A pair of location means 25 are used to locate the container at a position spaced away from the single snap fastener. The snap fastener may be a hook and snap wire arrangement.