Airbag tether release mechanism
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An airbag tether release mechanism, comprising:
- a housing;
an initiator positioned within the housing, wherein the initiator is configured such that it provides an inherent seal to prevent the external release of pyrotechnic residues upon deployment;
a cutter operatively connected with the initiator such that deployment of the initiator actuates the cutter; and
a tether restraint structure configured to secure a tether until the tether is released by actuation of the cutter.
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Abstract
Disclosed are embodiments of an airbag tether release mechanism for use with airbag inflation systems. In one embodiment, the mechanism includes an initiator positioned within a housing. The initiator is configured such that it provides an inherent seal to prevent the external release of pyrotechnic residues upon deployment. The device may also include a cutter operatively connected with the initiator such that deployment of the initiator actuates the cutter and a tether restraint structure configured to secure a tether until the tether is released by actuation of the cutter.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. An airbag tether release mechanism, comprising:
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a housing;
an initiator positioned within the housing, wherein the initiator is configured such that it provides an inherent seal to prevent the external release of pyrotechnic residues upon deployment;
a cutter operatively connected with the initiator such that deployment of the initiator actuates the cutter; and
a tether restraint structure configured to secure a tether until the tether is released by actuation of the cutter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for releasing an airbag tether, comprising:
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restraining a tether, wherein the tether is connected to an airbag cushion;
deploying an initiator, wherein the initiator is deployed without externally releasing pyrotechnic residues;
actuating a cutter, wherein the deployment of the initiator actuates the cutter; and
releasing the tether, wherein the actuation of the cutter causes the release of the tether. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An airbag tether release mechanism, comprising:
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a housing;
restraining means for restraining an airbag tether;
an initiator positioned within the housing, wherein the initiator is configured such that it provides an inherent seal to prevent the external release of pyrotechnic residues upon deployment; and
releasing means for releasing the tether from the restraining means, wherein the releasing means is actuated by the initiator. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An airbag tether release mechanism, comprising:
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a housing;
an initiator positioned within the housing, wherein the initiator is configured such that it provides an inherent seal to prevent the external release of pyrotechnic residues upon deployment;
a piston operatively connected with the initiator such that deployment of the initiator actuates the piston;
a tether restraint structure configured to secure a tether until the tether is released by actuation of the piston; and
a vent actuator configured to alter the status of a vent opening in response to the deployment of the initiator. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification