INTEGRATED AIRBAG CLOSING AND INFLATOR MOUNTING MEMBERS FOR INFLATABLE AIRBAG ASSEMBLIES

• US 20110049848A1
• Filed: 09/02/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Walston, Bryan, Gammill, Kurt L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,196,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23123 Heat protection panels
• 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

Inflatable airbag cushions are filled with inflation gas by inflators. The inflators can be coupled in fluid communication with the airbag and are typically mounted within a vehicle structure by a coupling and closing member. The coupling and closing member can be an elongated piece of a flexible material that wraps around an inflator attachment feature on the airbag. The coupling and closing member can also have structures for fixedly attaching the member to a vehicle structure.

Claims

1. An inflatable airbag assembly, comprising:

an inflator;

an inflatable airbag coupled to the inflator at an inflator attachment portion, which comprises an aperture that is in fluid communication with an inflatable void of the inflatable airbag; and

,

a coupling and closing member comprising an elongated flexible member wrapped around the inflator after the inflator has been inserted into the inflator attachment portion such that the inflator and airbag are coupled together, the coupling and closing member being wrapped with sufficient tightness to restrict inflation gas from escaping out of the inflatable airbag via the inflator attachment portion, the coupling and closing member also being configured to couple the inflator to a vehicle structure, and

wherein the coupling and closing member comprises a closing portion that is configured to circumnavigate an outside surface of the inflator attachment portion of the inflatable airbag after the inflator has been inserted into the inflator attachment portion, such that the inflator attachment portion comprises a closed configuration.

2. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the closing portion of the coupling and closing member is configured to be placed under tension such that the closing portion of the coupling and closing member applies a squeezing pressure to the outside surface of the inflator attachment portion when the coupling and closing member is retaining the inflator attachment portion and the inflator in the closed configuration, and

wherein the coupling and closing member is configured such that the coupling and closing member can retain the inflator attachment portion and the inflator in the closed configuration.

3. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the inflator comprises a structure that is configured to interact with the coupling and closing member, when the closing and mounting member is in the closed configuration.

4. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the coupling and closing member comprises an end portion that is configured to be coupled to a vehicle structure.

5. An inflatable airbag assembly, comprising:

an inflatable airbag having an inflator attachment portion, wherein the inflator attachment portion comprises an inflator insert aperture that is contiguous with an inflatable void of the inflatable airbag;

an inflator positioned at the inflator attachment portion of the inflatable airbag, wherein the inflator is located within the inflatable void of the inflator attachment portion of the inflatable airbag; and

,

a coupling and closing member comprising an elongated flexible fabric member having a coupling portion and a closing portion, wherein the coupling and closing member is configured to couple the inflator to the inflatable airbag, close the inflator attachment portion of the inflatable airbag around the inflator, and couple the inflator to a vehicle structure, and

wherein the closing portion of the coupling and closing member is configured to circumnavigate the inflator attachment portion of the inflatable airbag when the closing and coupling member is in a closed configuration, and

wherein in the closed configuration, the closing portion of the coupling and closing member is configured to apply a squeezing pressure on the inflator such that a portion of the inflator attachment portion of the inflatable airbag is closed around the inflator.

6. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 5, wherein the inflatable airbag assembly further comprises a liner that is configured to be located within the inflatable void of the inflatable airbag, and

wherein the liner comprises an inflator portion located on an upper portion that is configured to be located within the inflator attachment portion of the inflatable airbag, and

wherein the liner has an inflator insert aperture that is configured to be located within the inflator insert aperture of the inflator attachment portion of the inflatable airbag.

7. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 6, wherein a portion of the inflator portion of the liner extends beyond the inflator attachment portion of the inflatable airbag, such that a portion of the liner may be said to be located outside the inflatable airbag.

8. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 5, wherein the coupling and closing member is attached to a rear face of the inflatable airbag.

9. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 8, wherein the coupling and closing member is attached the rear face of the inflatable airbag via stitching.

10. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 5, wherein the coupling and closing member comprises a first mounting portion and an opposing second mounting portion, and wherein the closing portion is located between the first and second mounting portions.

11. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 10, wherein each of the mounting portions of the coupling and closing member comprises an aperture through which an inflator attachment member can protrude to couple the coupling and closing member to a vehicle structure.

12. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 11, wherein the inflator attachment member comprises a push pin inflator attachment member.

13. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 5, wherein the closing portion of the coupling and closing member comprises a closing structure that is configured to retain the coupling and closing member in a closed configuration.

14. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 13, wherein the closing structure comprises a first aperture and a second aperture, and

wherein the first and second apertures are located on opposite ends of the closing portion such that the apertures define a boundary between the closing portion and the mounting portions of the coupling and closing member, and

wherein the inflator airbag coupling member on the inflator comprises a protrusion such that in the closed configuration, the closing portion wraps around the inflator and the first and second apertures of the closing portion capture the inflator protrusion.

15. An inflatable airbag assembly, comprising:

an inflatable airbag having an inflator attachment portion, wherein the inflator attachment portion comprises an inflator insert aperture that is contiguous with an inflatable void of the inflatable airbag;

an inflator positioned at the inflator attachment portion of the inflatable airbag, wherein the inflator is located within the inflatable void of the inflator attachment portion of the inflatable airbag; and

,

a coupling and closing member comprising an elongated flexible plastic member that comprises a plastic cable tie having a gear rack and a ratchet, wherein a closing portion of the coupling and closing member is defined by the gear rack and a coupling portion of the coupling and closing member comprises the ratchet, and

wherein the coupling and closing member is configured to couple the inflator to the inflatable airbag, close the inflator attachment portion of the inflatable airbag around the inflator, and couple the inflator to a vehicle structure, and

wherein the closing portion of the coupling and closing member is configured to circumnavigate the inflator attachment portion of the inflatable airbag when the closing and coupling member is in a closed configuration, and

wherein in the closed configuration, the closing portion of the coupling and closing member is configured to apply a squeezing pressure on the inflator such that a portion of the inflator attachment portion of the inflatable airbag is closed around the inflator.

16. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 15, wherein the inflatable airbag assembly further comprises a liner that is configured to be located within the inflatable void of the inflatable airbag, and

wherein the liner comprises an inflator portion located on an upper portion that is configured to be located within the inflator attachment portion of the inflatable airbag, and

wherein the liner has an inflator insert aperture that is configured to be located within the inflator insert aperture of the inflator attachment portion of the inflatable airbag.

17. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 16, wherein a portion of the inflator portion of the liner extends beyond the inflator attachment portion of the inflatable airbag, such that a portion of the liner may be said to be located outside the inflatable airbag.

18. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 17, wherein the coupling portion is configured to interact with a complementary structure in the vehicle such that the coupling portion can couple the inflator to the vehicle.

19. The inflatable airbag assembly of claim 18, wherein the coupling portion comprises a push pin structure.