Airbag mounting assembly and method of manufacture

• US 20080284142A1
• Filed: 05/14/2007
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cheal, Blake, Jackman, Howard
• Granted Patent: US 7,823,914 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/201 Packaging straps or envelopes for inflatable members
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

An airbag assembly, airbag mounting assembly, and method of assembling an airbag mounting assembly are disclosed. The airbag assembly comprises an airbag and an airbag mounting assembly. In one embodiment, the airbag mounting assembly comprises a mounting bracket, a connecting member, and a wrapping member.

Claims

1. An airbag mounting assembly, comprising:

a mounting bracket including an aperture, the mounting bracket configured to be mounted to a vehicle structure and configured to be coupled to an airbag;

a connecting member coupled to the mounting bracket and configured to interconnect the mounting bracket to the airbag; and

a wrapping member received by the aperture of the mounting bracket, the wrapping member configured to wrap around a portion of the airbag.

2. The airbag mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein the wrapping member comprises a frangible material configured to break upon deployment of the airbag.

3. The airbag mounting assembly of claim 2, wherein the frangible material is non-woven fabric.

4. The airbag mounting assembly of claim 2, wherein the frangible material is a plastic film.

5. The airbag mounting assembly of claim 2, wherein the frangible material is perforated fabric.

6. The airbag mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein the mounting bracket comprises a single planar metal member.

7. The airbag mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein the connecting member is coupled to the mounting bracket by passing through the aperture in the mounting bracket.

8. The airbag mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein the connecting member and the wrapping member are separate pieces of material.

9. The airbag mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein the wrapping member and mounting member comprise a contiguous piece of material.

10. The airbag mounting assembly of claim 9, wherein the wrapping member comprises a first end portion, a second end portion and an intermediate portion between the first and second end portions, such that the connecting member comprises a loop formed from the intermediate portion of the wrapping member.

11. The airbag mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein the wrapping member comprises a first end and a second end and a closure disposed on at least one of the first or second end, such that the first and second ends are couplable adjacent each other via the fastener.

12. An airbag assembly, comprising:

an inflatable curtain airbag including a mounting edge;

a mounting bracket configured to be mounted adjacent a roof rail of a vehicle;

a connecting member interconnecting the mounting bracket and the inflatable curtain airbag;

a wrapping member coupled to the mounting bracket and wrapped around a portion of the inflatable curtain airbag in an undeployed state; and

a fastener securing the connecting member and the wrapping member to the inflatable curtain airbag adjacent its mounting edge.

13. The airbag assembly of claim 12, wherein the mounting bracket comprises an elongated aperture receiving the wrapping member and the connecting member.

14. The airbag assembly of claim 13, wherein the wrapping member comprises a frangible material configured to break upon deployment of the airbag and the connecting member comprises a non-frangible material resistant to breaking upon deployment of the airbag.

15. The airbag assembly of claim 12, wherein the fastener comprises stitching coupling the connecting member and the wrapping member to the inflatable curtain airbag.

16. The airbag assembly of claim 15, wherein the inflatable curtain airbag comprises an attachment tab, the seam being located adjacent the attachment tab.

17. The airbag assembly of claim 16, wherein the attachment tab is an elongated fabric member and the connecting member comprises a portion of the attachment tab looped through an aperture in the mounting bracket.

18. The airbag assembly of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of mounting brackets, a plurality of connecting members and a plurality of wrapping members disposed along the mounting edge of the inflatable curtain airbag.

19. A method of assembling an inflatable curtain airbag assembly, comprising:

providing an inflatable curtain airbag having a mounting edge;

providing a mounting bracket with a connecting member coupled thereto;

placing the connecting member adjacent the mounting edge of the inflatable curtain airbag;

providing a wrapping member configured to wrap around the inflatable curtain airbag in an undeployed state, the wrapping member having a first end, a second end and an intermediate portion between the first and second ends;

placing the intermediate portion of the wrapping member adjacent the mounting edge of the inflatable curtain airbag; and

fastening the connecting member and the wrapping member adjacent the mounting edge of the inflatable curtain airbag with stitching, such that the mounting bracket is coupled to the inflatable curtain airbag via the connecting member.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein providing a mounting bracket comprises providing a mounting bracket having an aperture, the method further comprising:

passing the first or the second end of the wrapping member through the aperture of the mounting bracket.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

wrapping the wrapping member around the inflatable curtain airbag in an undeployed state.

22. An airbag assembly, comprising:

means for cushioning an occupant of a vehicle during a collision event, the cushioning means comprising a mounting edge;

means for mounting the cushioning means to a structure within a vehicle;

means for interconnecting the mounting means to the cushioning means;

means for wrapping a portion of the cushioning means in an undeployed state; and

means for fastening the interconnecting means and the wrapping means adjacent to the mounting edge of the cushioning means.

23. The airbag assembly of claim 22, wherein the mounting means comprises an aperture and the wrapping means extends through the aperture in the mounting means.