Air bag device for automobile

Claim 1

In combination, an air bag system for restraining and protecting a driver upon a collision and a steering wheel in which said air bag system is installed, comprising: a circular wheel body; a wheel baseplate; spokes, securely fixed to a surface of the wheel baseplate, provided between said circular wheel body and said wheel baseplate; an air bag module installed as a unit to said steering wheel and including (a) a module baseplate formed with an opening, (b) an electrically operated inflator means for generating gas housed in a casing shell held in said opening, said casing shell extending through said opening, (c) an air bag, capable of unfolding, secured to a lip of said module baseplate surrounding said opening of said module baseplate, said electrically operated inflator means inflating and unfolding said air bag when said gas is generated, (d) a top cover overlying said inflator means and said air bag, and (e) a bottom cover assembled to said module baseplate and underlying a bottom of said casing shell; a harness for supplying electric current to said electrically operated inflator means, at least a part of said harness being interposed between said bottom of said casing shell and said bottom cover of said air bag module so that said bottom cover of said air bag module covers and protects said part of said harness; a cover member enclosing said module baseplate, said inflator means, said air bag, said bottom cover, and at least a part of said harness between the cover member and said top cover; and means for directly connecting said module baseplate, said spokes and said cover member together to secure said air bag module to said steering wheel, said bottom cover being interposed between said wheel baseplate and said bottom of said casing shell when said air bag module is secured to said steering wheel.