Gerald Christie Schmidt

US Patent:

53203810, Jun 14, 1994

Filed:

Jul 2, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/084992

Inventors:

William J. Barnes - Waterford MI
Joseph P. Spica - Novi MI
Gerald N. Schmidt - Milford MI

Assignee:

General Motors Corporation - Detroit MI

International Classification:

B60R 2116

US Classification:

280728B

Abstract:

According to the invention a vehicle has a panel with an opening through which an air bag is deployed. An air bag deployment door closes the opening in the panel. Upon air bag deployment, the door is forcibly moved out of the opening from a closed position towards an open position by the deploying air bag. A hinge for the deployment door includes a door hinge element carried by the door, and a vehicle hinge element carried by the vehicle. The separate hinge elements have cooperating hinge-forming features which are spaced apart from one another when the door is in the closed position. Upon air bag deployment, the door begins to lift out of the opening and carries the door hinge element into engagement with the vehicle hinge element to hingedly interconnect the cooperating hinge-forming features, thereby anchoring the door to the vehicle and limiting further movement of the door to rotation about an axis defined by the hinge elements. In accordance with this invention, one of the hinge elements may include a hooked leg while the other hinge element may include an apertured leg. The hook and aperture provide cooperating hinge-forming features that form a hinged interconnection upon air bag deployment.