Passenger airbag module

• US 20070176398A1
• Filed: 01/31/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Vigeant, Peter, Parks, Robert, Geyer, David, Honermann, Bradley
• Granted Patent: US 7,654,556 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/728.200
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/201 Packaging straps or envelopes for inflatable members
• 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

Abstract

A passenger airbag module includes opposite side walls connected by a rear wall. The side walls each include at least one inward projection that traps a semi-cylindrical retainer between the projections and the rear wall. The retainer holds the inflator and airbag within the housing. End walls connect the side walls with interlocking channels thereby preventing the side walls from releasing the retainer, inflator and airbag.

Claims

1. An airbag assembly comprising:

a pair of side walls spaced from one another;

a rear wall connecting the pair of side walls;

an end wall slidably connected to the side walls; and

an airbag between the side walls.

2. The airbag assembly of claim 1 wherein the side walls each include at least one channel formed therein, the end wall being slidable into the channels in a direction toward the rear wall.

3. The airbag assembly of claim 2 wherein the end wall snap-fits to the rear wall.

4. The airbag assembly of claim 2 wherein the end wall includes channels along side edges, the channels in the end wall interlocking with the channels in the side walls.

5. The airbag assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the side walls includes a first projection toward the other of the side walls, the airbag assembly further including a retainer secured between the first projection and the rear wall by the first projection.

6. The airbag assembly of claim 5 further including an inflator between the retainer and the rear wall.

7. The airbag assembly of claim 6 wherein the other of the side walls includes a second projection toward the one of the side walls, the retainer secured between the second projection and the rear wall by the second projection.

8. The airbag assembly of claim 7 wherein the retainer includes a pair of rails between which extend a plurality of arches, the rails secured between the first projection and the second projection and the rear wall.

9. A method for assembling an airbag including the steps of:

a) forming spaced apart walls connected by a rear wall;

b) forming a first projection from one of the walls;

c) placing a retainer between the first projection and the rear wall; and

d) deforming the spaced apart walls toward one another to trap the retainer between the first projection and the rear wall.

10. The method of claim 9 further including the step of placing an inflator between the retainer and the rear wall.

11. The method of claim 10 further including the step of mounting an airbag to the retainer.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the spaced apart walls include a pair of side walls and the first projection is formed from one of the side walls, the method further including the step of forming a second projection from the other of the side walls, the first projection and the second projection protruding toward one another.

13. The method of claim 9 further including the step of, after said step d), securing the side walls to one another by end walls to prevent deformation of the side walls away from one another.

14. An airbag assembly comprising:

a pair of side walls spaced from one another, at least one of the side walls having an inward projection therefrom;

a rear wall connecting the pair of side walls; and

a retainer between the side walls, the retainer positioned between the inward projection and the rear wall, retainer including a pair of rails between which extend a plurality of arches opening toward the rear wall, the plurality of arches defining at least one opening therebetween, the rails trapped between the inward projection and the rear wall.

15. The airbag assembly of claim 14 wherein the pair of side walls each have the inward projection therefrom, the retainer trapped between the inward projections and the rear wall.

16. The airbag assembly of claim 14 wherein the retainer includes L-shaped legs extending through the rear wall and under the rear wall.

17. The airbag assembly of claim 15 further including an inflator trapped between the retainer and the rear wall, the inflator positioned directly between the inward projections.

18. The airbag assembly of claim 17 further including an airbag having a front panel opposite an opening to the airbag, the retainer disposed at least substantially inside the airbag, the airbag pinned between the retainer and the rear wall.

19. The airbag assembly of claim 14 further including at least one end tab projecting forward from the rear wall, the inflator abutting the end tab to define an axial position of the inflator, the end tab including a locating feature complementary to a locating feature on an axial end of the inflator.