Passenger air bag system for vehicles

• US 20050082793A1
• Filed: 11/07/2003
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jung Su
• Granted Patent: US 7,066,486 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/728.200
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2171 specially adapted for elongated cylindrical or bottle-like inflators with a symmetry axis perpendicular to the main direction of bag deployment, e.g. extruded reaction canisters B60R21/2176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/26 characterised by the inflation fluid source or means to control inflation fluid flow arrangement or mounting thereof to the vehicle B60R21/20; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure in general F42B3/04; initiators or igniters therefor F42B3/10

Abstract

A passenger air bag system for vehicles includes an air bag housing, an inflator disposed in the air bag housing for discharging gas when a collision of the vehicle occurs, a cushion accommodated in the air bag housing such that the cushion is expanded by means of the gas discharged from the inflator, a retainer disposed between the cushion and the inflator for supporting the cushion, and an inflator holder disposed between the retainer and the inflator. The retainer has a plurality of gas-guiding holes for guiding the gas discharged from the inflator to the cushion. The inflator holder is fixed to the air bag housing together with the retainer for securely holding the inflator by means of a fixing force of the retainer.

Claims

1. A passenger air bag system for vehicles, comprising:

an air bag housing;

an inflator disposed in the air bag housing for discharging gas when a collision of the vehicle occurs;

a cushion accommodated in the air bag housing such that the cushion is expanded by means of the gas discharged from the inflator;

a retainer disposed between the cushion and the inflator for supporting the cushion, the retainer having a plurality of gas-guiding holes for guiding the gas discharged from the inflator to the cushion; and

an inflator holder disposed between the retainer and the inflator, the inflator holder being fixed to the air bag housing together with the retainer for securely holding the inflator by means of a fixing force of the retainer.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the air bag housing has inflator supporting parts formed at both inner ends thereof, respectively, for securely supporting both ends of the inflator.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein each of the inflator supporting parts is formed in the shape of a “

U”

so that the inflator is moved downward and then horizontally placed on the inflator supporting parts.

4. The system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the inflator supporting parts are formed such that the inner sides of the air bag housing are concave towards the inflator, whereby the inflator is tightly supported by means of the inflator supporting parts at both ends of the inflator.

5. The system as set forth in claim 4, wherein each of the inflator supporting parts has the same diameter as the inflator.

6. The system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the inflator has connector-connecting members formed at both ends thereof, respectively, while the connector-connecting members are protruded outwardly so that the inflator is connected to an external device by means of a connector connected to the connector-connecting members.

7. The system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the air bag housing has connector grooves formed at both ends thereof, each of the connector grooves being formed in the shape of a “

U”

for allowing the connector-connecting members to be inserted through the connecter grooves so that the connector-connecting members formed at both ends of the inflator are protruded outward through the connector grooves.

8. The system as set forth in claim 7, wherein the inflator holder has inflator pressing parts formed at both ends thereof, respectively, for pressing the outer circumference of the inflator at both ends of the inflator, the inflator pressing parts corresponding to the inflator supporting parts, respectively.

9. The system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the retainer has a plurality of fixing holes formed at both sides thereof, and the inflator holder has a plurality of fixing holes formed at both sides thereof, the fixing holes of the inflator holder corresponding to the fixing holes of the retainer so that the retainer and the inflator holder are fixed to the air bag housing by means of fixing members fitted in the corresponding fixing holes of the retainer and the inflator holder.

10. The system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the inflator pressing part is pressed by means of the retainer as the fixing members are tightly fitted in the corresponding fixing holes of the retainer and the inflator holder so that the inflator pressing part is tightly placed onto the outer circumference of the inflator at both ends of the inflator.

11. The system as set forth in claim 10, wherein each of the inflator pressing parts has prominent portions protruded toward the inflator.

12. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein each of the prominent portions is bent in the shape of a circle.

13. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the prominent portions of the respective inflator pressing parts are arranged in large numbers.

14. The system as set forth in claim 13, wherein each of the inflator pressing parts has a semicircular section so that the inflator pressing parts surround the outer circumference of the inflator at both ends of the inflator.

15. The system as set forth in claim 14, wherein the inflator holder has diffuser holes formed at the center part thereof for allowing the gas discharged from the inflator to pass therethrough.

16. The system as set forth in claim 15, wherein diffuser holes are arranged in large numbers.

17. The system as set forth in claim 16, further comprising a mesh plate disposed between the inflator holder and the retainer for performing filtering and cooling functions, the mesh plate being formed in the shape of a net.

18. The system as set forth in claim 17, wherein the mesh plate is provided at both sides thereof with a plurality of fixing holes so that the mesh plate is fixed to the air bag housing together with the retainer and the inflator holder by means of the fixing members.