AIRBAG MOUNTING ASSEMBLIES WITH DOUBLE-LOCKING WRAPPERS

• US 20100327564A1
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cheal, Blake
• Granted Patent: US 7,980,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• 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

Abstract

Mounting assemblies can be used to retain an inflatable curtain airbag in a packaged configuration and attach the inflatable curtain airbag to a vehicle structure. The mounting assemblies can have a mounting structure and a wrapper that are both coupled to inflatable curtain airbag. The mounting structure is attached to a vehicle structure and the wrapper wraps and retains the inflatable curtain airbag in a packaged configuration. During airbag deployment, the wrapper releases the airbag so that the airbag can adopt a deployed configuration, wherein the mounting structure continues to anchor the inflatable curtain airbag to the vehicle structure.

Claims

1. An airbag mounting assembly, comprising:

a mounting member comprising a woven fabric that is configured to be coupled to an inflatable curtain airbag and mounted to a vehicle structure via a mounting aperture in the mounting member; and

,

a wrapper configured to be coupled to the mounting member, wherein the wrapper comprises a first opening and a second opening, the wrapper being configured to wrap around an exterior surface of an inflatable curtain airbag such that each of the openings can be placed over the mounting member, thereby retaining the inflatable curtain airbag in a packaged configuration.

2. The mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein the mounting member comprises a rectangular shape that has a top portion and a bottom portion.

3. The mounting assembly of claim 2, wherein the wrapper comprises a rectangular shape that has a first half and a second half.

4. The mounting assembly of claim 3, wherein the first half of the wrapper is attached to the top portion of the mounting member such that a long axis of the mounting member is parallel with a long axis of the wrapper.

5. The mounting assembly of claim 3, wherein the first opening and the second opening each comprise elongated slots, and wherein both of the elongated slots are oriented such that they are parallel to each other and perpendicular to a long axis of the wrapper.

6. The mounting assembly of claim 2, wherein the mounting aperture is located on the top portion.

7. The mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein the wrapper is configured to rupture during inflatable airbag deployment, such that the wrapper ceases to retain the inflatable curtain airbag in the packaged configuration.

8. The mounting assembly of claim 7, wherein the wrapper comprises a frangible material.

9. The mounting assembly of claim 8, wherein the frangible material comprises a non-woven material.

10. The mounting assembly of claim 8, wherein the frangible material comprises a plastic film.

11. The mounting assembly of claim 8, wherein the wrapper has a rupture point to facilitate rupturing during inflatable curtain airbag deployment.

12. The mounting assembly of claim 11, wherein the rupture point of the wrapper comprises perforations.

13. The mounting assembly of claim 7, wherein the wrapper comprises a non-frangible material, and wherein the wrapper has a rupture point to facilitate rupturing during inflatable curtain airbag deployment.

14. The mounting assembly of claim 13, wherein the rupture point of the wrapper comprises perforations.

15. The mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein the mounting member and the wrapper comprise one-piece mounting assembly that is formed from a contiguous piece of material, the mounting assembly comprising a mounting member portion and a wrapper portion.

16. The mounting assembly of claim 15, wherein the one-piece mounting assembly comprises a non-frangible material.

17. The mounting assembly of claim 16, wherein the wrapper portion of the one-piece mounting assembly comprises a rupture point.

18. An airbag mounting bracket and wrapper unit formed from a contiguous piece of material, wherein the mounting bracket and wrapper unit is configured to be coupled to an inflatable curtain airbag and mounted to a vehicle structure, the mounting bracket and wrapper unit comprising:

a mounting portion formed on a top portion of the mounting bracket and wrapper unit, wherein the mounting portion comprises;

a mounting aperture, and

a slot that defines a bottom portion of the mounting portion, wherein the bottom portion of the mounting portion comprises a tab; and

a wrapper portion formed on a bottom portion of the mounting bracket and wrapper, wherein the wrapper portion comprises a rupture point, a first opening, and a second opening, and

wherein the wrapper portion is configured to wrap around an exterior surface of the inflatable curtain airbag such that the first opening openings can be placed over the top portion of the mounting member and bracket unit and the second opening receives the tab formed in the bottom portion of the mounting portion, thereby retaining the inflatable curtain airbag in a packaged configuration.

19. The mounting and wrapping unit of claim 18, wherein the unit comprises a woven nylon material

20. The mounting and wrapping unit of claim 18, wherein the rupture point comprises perforations that are located between the slot and the first opening.

21. The mounting and wrapping unit of claim 18, wherein the wrapper portion has a width that is greater than a width of the mounting member portion.

22. A packaged inflatable curtain airbag assembly, comprising:

a mounting member comprising a rectangular piece of woven nylon webbing, wherein the mounting member has a top portion and a bottom portion;

a wrapper comprising a rectangular piece of flexible material with a first half, a second half, a first elongated slot, and a second elongated slot, the first slot being closer to the first half of the wrapper than the second slot, wherein the wrapper is attached to the top portion of the mounting member at the first half via a first set of stitching, and wherein each of the first and second elongated slots are located on the second half of the wrapper; and

,

a rolled inflatable curtain airbag, wherein in an extended configuration, the inflatable curtain airbag has a top portion, and wherein the top portion is attached to the mounting member and the wrapping member via a second set of stitching so that the stitches protrude through the inflatable curtain airbag, the wrapper, and the mounting member,

wherein the wrapper circumnavigates the rolled inflatable curtain airbag, the first slot of the wrapper receives the top portion of the mounting member, and the second slot of the wrapper receives the bottom portion of the mounting member, such that a portion of the wrapper that is between the first slot and the second slot is located on a back side of the mounting member.

23. The packaged inflatable curtain airbag assembly of claim 22, wherein the wrapper comprises a frangible material.

24. The packaged inflatable curtain airbag assembly of claim 23, wherein the frangible material comprises a non-woven material.

25. The mounting assembly of claim 24, wherein the frangible material comprises a plastic film.

26. The mounting assembly of claim 24, wherein the wrapper has a rupture point to facilitate rupturing during inflatable curtain airbag deployment.

27. The mounting assembly of claim 26, wherein the rupture point of the wrapper comprises perforations.

28. The mounting assembly of claim 22, wherein the wrapper comprises a non-frangible material, and wherein the wrapper has a rupture point to facilitate rupturing during inflatable curtain airbag deployment.

29. The mounting assembly of claim 22, wherein the rupture point of the wrapper comprises perforations.