Steering wheel assembly including an airbag tether

• Main Authors: Robert William McCoy, Mangala A Jayasuriya
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 13.09.2017
• Subjects: LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS; MOTOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRAILERS; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL; VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISEPROVIDED FOR

An airbag assembly 46 has a base 50, an airbag 16 supported by the base, and an airbag tether 18 with spaced apart first and second ends, each of the ends being coupled to the base. The airbag is disposed between the base and the tether. There may be a first ring 58 rotatably supported by the base, with the first and second tether ends being coupled to the first ring. A second ring 60 may be fixed relative to the base and rotatably support the first ring. There may be a ballast weight 78 fixed to the first ring. This configuration allows the airbag tether to be maintained in a horizontal position even as a steering wheel is rotated. The first ring may be circular and the tether may be offset from the center of the first ring. There may further be at least one positioning tether 74. Also disclosed is a steering wheel assembly where the base of the airbag assembly is a steering wheel 14. A tether assembly is also disclosed where an airbag tether has spaced apart first and second ends coupled to a first ring, and a second ring rotatably mounted to the first ring.