US5248532A — Air bag-containing cover

Claim 1

Independent Claim 197 words

An air-bag-containing cover comprising: a soft surface skin layer made of a thermoplastic blended polymeric material containing the following ingredients A, B, C and D: ingredient A: a hydrogenated derivative of a block copolymer comprising styrene and conjugated diene, ingredient B: an olefinic resin, ingredient C: a polyisobutylene with a viscosity average molecular weight of not greater than 70,000, and ingredient D: a hydrocarbon series rubber softening agent with a kinetic viscosity at 40° C. of not greater than 500 cSt and/or polybutene with a number average molecular weight of not greater than 2500, in which blending ratio is: ingredient A=40 to 80% by weight, ingredient B=5 to 30% by weight, ingredient C=2 to 30% by weight ingredient D=0 to 20% by weight, and having a JIS-A hardness according to JIS-K6301 of from 20 to 90, and a rigid core layer made of an olefinic resin having a modulus in flexure according to JIS-K7203 of from 1000 to 7000 kg/cm 2 , in which said core layer has a hardness greater than that of said surface skin layer, and said core layer has a portion for easily bursting the cover upon initiation of the air bag operation.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 197 words

An air-bag-containing cover comprising: a soft surface skin layer made of a thermoplastic blended polymeric material containing the following ingredients A, B, C and D: ingredient A: a hydrogenated derivative of a block copolymer comprising styrene and conjugated diene, ingredient B: an olefinic resin, ingredient C: a polyisobutylene with a viscosity average molecular weight of not greater than 70,000, and ingredient D: a hydrocarbon series rubber softening agent with a kinetic viscosity at 40° C. of not greater than 500 cSt and/or polybutene with a number average molecular weight of not greater than 2500, in which blending ratio is: ingredient A=40 to 80% by weight, ingredient B=5 to 30% by weight, ingredient C=2 to 30% by weight ingredient D=0 to 20% by weight, and having a JIS-A hardness according to JIS-K6301 of from 20 to 90, and a rigid core layer made of an olefinic resin having a modulus in flexure according to JIS-K7203 of from 1000 to 7000 kg/cm 2 , in which said core layer has a hardness greater than that of said surface skin layer, and said core layer has a portion for easily bursting the cover upon initiation of the air bag operation.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 28 words

A cover as defined in claim 1, wherein the portion for easily bursting the cover is notch-like formed by thin walled or portions or stitch-like slits disposed linearly.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 52 words

A cover as defined in claim 1, wherein the ingredient A is a hydrogenated derivative of a styrenic block copolymer represented by the general formula: ##STR3## wherein X represents a polymer block of styrene, Y is an elastomeric polymer block of conjugated diene and n is an integer of 1 to 5.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 30 words

A cover as defined in claim 3, wherein the monomer of the conjugated diene for the polymer block Y in each of the formula described above is butadiene or isoprene.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 32 words

A cover as defined in claim 3, wherein the ratio of the styrene block polymer X in the entire block copolymer of the ingredient A is from 5 to 40% by weight.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 39 words

A cover as defined in claim 3, wherein the number average molecular weight of the polymer block X is from 5000 to 125,000 and the number average molecular weight of the polymer block Y is from 15,000 to 250,000.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 24 words

A cover as defined in claim 1, wherein the ingredient B is a homopolymer or copolymer of α-olefin selected from ethylene, propylene or butene-1.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 28 words

A cover as defined in claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon series rubber softening agent for the ingredient D is a paraffinic or naphthenic extender oil or process oil.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 20 words

A cover as defined in claim 1, wherein the polybutene of the ingredient D comprises isobutylene and n-butene copolymerized therewith.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 34 words

A cover as defined in claim 1, wherein the surface skin layer has a thickness from 0.5 mm to 10 mm for more than 70% of the surface area of the surface skin layer.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 42 words

A cover as defined in claim 1, wherein the surface skin layer is formed by foaming a skin layer material at a ratio of less than about 3.0 times with an aim of improving the soft feeling and reduction of the weight.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 27 words

A cover as defined in claim 1, wherein the olefinic resin for the core layer is a homopolymer or copolymer of α-olefin selected from ethylene or propylene.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 26 words

A cover as defined in claim 1, wherein the core layer further includes an additional elastomer formed of an olefinic rubber comprising ethylene and an alpha-olefin.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 36 words

A cover as defined in claim 1, wherein the core layer further includes an additional elastomer, the ratio of the additional elastomer to the total amount of the olefinic resin is less than 60% by weight.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 20 words

A cover as defined in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the core layer is from 0.5 to 5 mm.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 20 words

A cover as defined in claim 1, wherein the surface of the surface skin layer is covered with a coating.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 30 words

A cover as defined in claim 1, wherein said cover has a breaking performance and appearance, which do not substantially change within a temperature between -40° C. and +80° C.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 249 words

An air bag device comprising: a base retainer, an air bag attached to said base retainer, an inflator attached to said base retainer so as to inject a gas into the air bag to rapidly develop said air bag, and a cover for covering the air bag and secured to the base retainer, said cover comprising: a soft surface skin layer made of a thermoplastic blended polymeric material containing the following ingredients A, B, C and D: ingredient A: a hydrogenated derivative of a block copolymer comprising styrene and conjugated diene, ingredient B: an olefinic resin, ingredient C: a polyisobutylene with a viscosity average molecular weight of not greater than 70,000, and ingredient D: a hydrocarbon series rubber softening agent with a kinetic viscosity at 40° C. of not greater than 500 cSt and/or polybutene with a number average molecular weight of not greater than 2500, in which blending ratio is: ingredient A=40 to 80% by weight, ingredient B=5 to 30% by weight, ingredient C=2 to 30% by weight, ingredient D=0 to 20% by weight, and having a JIS-A hardness according to JIS-K6301 of from 20 to 90, and a rigid core layer made of an olefinic resin having a modulus in flexure according to JIS-K7203 of from 1000 to 7000 kg/cm 2 , in which said core layer has a hardness greater than that of said surface skin layer, and said core layer has a portion for easily bursting the cover upon initiation of the air bag operation.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 249 words

An air bag device comprising: a base retainer, an air bag attached to said base retainer, an inflator attached to said base retainer so as to inject a gas into the air bag to rapidly develop said air bag, and a cover for covering the air bag and secured to the base retainer, said cover comprising: a soft surface skin layer made of a thermoplastic blended polymeric material containing the following ingredients A, B, C and D: ingredient A: a hydrogenated derivative of a block copolymer comprising styrene and conjugated diene, ingredient B: an olefinic resin, ingredient C: a polyisobutylene with a viscosity average molecular weight of not greater than 70,000, and ingredient D: a hydrocarbon series rubber softening agent with a kinetic viscosity at 40° C. of not greater than 500 cSt and/or polybutene with a number average molecular weight of not greater than 2500, in which blending ratio is: ingredient A=40 to 80% by weight, ingredient B=5 to 30% by weight, ingredient C=2 to 30% by weight, ingredient D=0 to 20% by weight, and having a JIS-A hardness according to JIS-K6301 of from 20 to 90, and a rigid core layer made of an olefinic resin having a modulus in flexure according to JIS-K7203 of from 1000 to 7000 kg/cm 2 , in which said core layer has a hardness greater than that of said surface skin layer, and said core layer has a portion for easily bursting the cover upon initiation of the air bag operation.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1996-09-27	1997-03-29	1997-09-28	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2000-09-27	2001-03-29	2001-09-28	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2004-09-27	2005-03-29	2005-09-28	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Air bag-containing cover

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