Air Bag Assembly and Tether

• US 20140232091A1
• Filed: 10/09/2012
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Gaiser, John, Young, Jeffrey, Salmo, Shakir
• Granted Patent: US 9,290,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/231 characterised by their shape, construction or spatial configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

An air bag (102 or 320) having a tether (30 or 130), the tether formed into a hook (155, 157) and loop or eye (142) configured to be looped about a structure including an inflator (332) to which the air bag and tether are to be secured.

Claims

1. An air bag (102 or 320) having a tether (30 or 130), the tether (30 or 130) formed into a hook (155 or 157) or hooks (155 and 157) and a loop or eye (142) configured to be looped about a structure including an inflator (332) to which the air bag and tether are to be secured.

2. An air bag (102 or 320) having a tether (30 or 130) of claim 1 wherein a medial portion of the tether (30 or 130) is formed into the loop or eye (142).

3. An air bag (102 or 320) having a tether (30 or 130) of claim 2 wherein a portion of the tether (130) is sewn upon itself using a plurality of stitches (146) to form the loop or eye (142).

4. An air bag (102 or 320) having a tether (30 or 130) of claim 1 wherein the tether (30 or 130) has a remote end (150), the remote end (150) being formed into the hook (155 or 157) or hooks (155 and 157).

5. An air bag (102 or 320) having a tether (30 or 130) of claim 4 wherein the remote end (150) is first formed into a plurality of loops (152 and 154), each loop is positioned on an opposite side of the tether (30 or 130).

6. An air bag (102 or 320) having a tether (30 or 130) of claim 5 wherein the loops (152 and 154) form a double hook or barbed structure defining the hooks (155, 157).

7. An air bag (102 or 320) having a tether (30 or 130) of claim 1 wherein the loops (152 and 154) are secured by a plurality of stitches (156) wherein the remote end (150) having the hooks (155 and 157) is formed into a pointed tip or arrow like structure (160).

8. An air bag (102 or 320) having a tether (30 or 130) of claim 7 wherein to secure the air bag to the frame of a seat, the remote end (150) of the tether (130) is looped about the frame, and the pointed end (160) is threaded through the loop or eye (142), subsequently that portion of the tether forming the loop about the seat is pulled moving the barbed structure or double hooks (155 and 157) toward the loop or eye (142) to secure the air bag to the seat.

9. An air bag (102 or 320) having a tether (30 or 130) of claim 1 wherein an end (134) of the tether (130) is secured by stitches (136) to a border region of the air bag (102).

10. An air bag (102 or 320) having a tether (30 or 130) of claim 1 wherein the air bag is a seat airbag (102).

11. An air bag (102 or 320) having a tether (30 or 130) of claim 1 wherein the air bag is a curtain air bag (320).

12. An air bag (102 or 320) having a tether (30 or 130) of claim 11 wherein the curtain air bag (320) has a plurality of tabs (322), each tab (322) having an opening (324) for attachment to mounting locations along a roof rail (302).

13. An air bag (102 or 320) having a tether (30 or 130) of claim 12 wherein the curtain airbag (320) includes an inlet (330) into which an inflator (332) is placed.

14. An air bag (102 or 320) having a tether (30 or 130) of claim 13 wherein the air bag (320) has a location (340) having the tether (30), the tether (30) includes the loop (142).

15. An air bag (102 or 320) having a tether (30 or 130) of claim 14 wherein the tether (30) is secured to a border region (350) of the curtain air bag (320).

16. An air bag (102 or 320) having a tether (30 or 130) of claim 15 wherein the tether (30) has the end (150) wrapped about the inflator (332) and then threaded through the loop (142) securing the airbag in the vicinity of the location (340) to the inflator.