Cover for accommodating an air bag

Claim 2

A cover for accommodating and covering an air bag in an air bag device, comprising: a main plate portion having side portions and an inner surface, erected piece portions extending from the side portions of the main plate portion and having inner surfaces, a tear line formed at the inner surfaces of the main plate portion and the erected piece portions, said tear line extending across the main plate portion and parts of the erected piece portions and having ends at the erected piece portions, and tear stop means formed in the erected piece portions at the ends of the tear line for stopping tear of the cover when the cover is opened upon inflation of the air bag, said tear stop means being formed of a high strength portion surrounding the end of the tear line except a portion of the tear line, said high strength portion extending outwardly from the inner surface of the erected piece to have a thickness greater than a thickness of the erected piece so that when the cover of the air bag is torn along the tear line upon inflation of the air bag, tear of the cover is surely prevented at the tear stop means.

Claim 3

A cover of claim 1, wherein said tear line includes a central tear line, which extends in a lengthwise direction of said main plate portion at a middle portion of said main plate portion from one end of said main plate portion to the other end thereof, and end tear lines which are continuous to said central tear line and are extended in a widthwise direction of said main plate portion at opposite end portions of said main plate portion and further across said erected piece portions up to said middle portions of said erected piece portions.

Claim 4

A cover of claim 1, wherein said high strength portion is formed by inserting a high strength member having a higher strength than cover material into said cover.

Claim 5

A cover of claim 1, wherein said tear line includes a groove extending inwardly from the inner surface of the main plate portion and the erected piece portions to facilitate tear of the cover.

Claim 6

A cover for accommodating and covering an air bag in an air bag device, comprising: a main plate portion having side portions and an inner surface, erected piece portions extending from the side portions of the main plate portion and having inner surfaces, a tear line formed at the inner surfaces of the main plate portion and the erected piece portions, said tear line having a central tear line with end portions, said central tear line extending substantially across the main plate portion at a middle of the main plate portion, and end tear lines continuously extending in the main plate portion from the end portions of the central tear line substantially perpendicularly to the central tear line, said end tear lines further extending into the erected piece portions and having ends therein, and tear stop means formed in the erected piece portions at the ends of the end tear lines for stopping tear of the cover when the cover is opened upon inflation of the air bag, each tear stop means being formed of a concave portion extending inwardly from the tear line to have a thickness less than a thickness of the tear line so that when the cover of the air bag is torn along the tear line upon inflation of the air bag, tear of the cover is surely prevented at the tear stop means.

Claim 7

A cover for accommodating and covering an air bag in an air bag device, comprising: a main plate portion having side portions and an inner surface, erected piece portions extending from the side portions of the main plate portion and having inner surfaces, a tear line formed at the inner surfaces of the main plate portion and the erected piece portions, said tear line having a central tear line with end portions, said central tear line extending substantially across the main plate portion at a middle of the main plate portion, and end tear lines continuously extending in the main plate portion from the end portions of the central tear line substantially perpendicularly to the central tear line, said end tear lines further extending into the erected piece portions and having ends therein, and tear stop means formed in the erected piece portions at the ends of the end tear lines for stopping tear of the cover when the cover is opened upon inflation of the air bag, each tear stop means being formed of a concave portion extending inwardly from the tear line to have a thickness less than a thickness of the tear line so that when the cover of the air bag is torn along the tear line upon inflation of the air bag, tear of the cover is surely prevented at the tear stop means.

Claim 8

A cover of claim 5, wherein said concave portion has a substantially round shape on said inner surface of said cover.

Claim 9

A cover of claim 5, wherein said tear line includes a groove extending inwardly from the inner surface of the main plate portion and the erected piece portions, said concave portion further inwardly extending from the groove and having a side wall so that a thickness of an area around the side wall is greater than a thickness at the groove to thereby surely prevent tear of the cover at the groove.