Vehicle air bag module with internal reinforcing structure
First Claim
1. Apparatus comprising a vehicle air bag container including a wall defining a cavity for a gas generator and at least part of a vehicle air bag, said wall further defining an opening in said container, the gas generator being actuatable to generate a gas under a pressure in said cavity, said part of said air bag being adapted to be forced out of said cavity through said opening by the pressure of the gas generated when the gas generator is actuated, a reaction member connecting two spaced apart portions of the wall defining the opening and extending across the opening, said reaction member resisting deformation of the container adjacent the opening as the air bag is forced out of the cavity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A structure and assembly technique for providing an internal reinforcement for an air bag module to restrain bulging of the module while minimizing the size of the module. The air bag module comprises a container with a wall defining a cavity for a gas generator and at least a part of an air bag. The wall also defines an opening through which at least part of the bag is inserted into the cavity. A reaction member, preferably a fabric tether strap, is connected with at least two points of the wall adjacent the container opening and extends across the opening in the container. The tether strap is located internally of the container and resists deformation of the container under the pressures of air bag deployment, without increasing the size of the module. The tether strap is preferably constructed as a part of the air bag itself, and is incorporated into the container at the time the air bag is assembled with the container. Moreover, the assembly process is designed to enable the bag to be folded into the container and around the tether strap, in a manner which is designed to promote effective deployment of the bag despite the incorporation of the tether strap internally relative to the container.
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Citations
27 Claims
- 1. Apparatus comprising a vehicle air bag container including a wall defining a cavity for a gas generator and at least part of a vehicle air bag, said wall further defining an opening in said container, the gas generator being actuatable to generate a gas under a pressure in said cavity, said part of said air bag being adapted to be forced out of said cavity through said opening by the pressure of the gas generated when the gas generator is actuated, a reaction member connecting two spaced apart portions of the wall defining the opening and extending across the opening, said reaction member resisting deformation of the container adjacent the opening as the air bag is forced out of the cavity.
- 13. Apparatus comprising a vehicle air bag structure including a fabric bag having an opening of a predetermined shape and predetermined dimensions and a tether strap connected with the fabric bag at at least two locations adjacent the opening, said fabric bag having means for enabling the portion of said fabric bag adjacent said opening to be secured to a container for said vehicle air bag structure, and said tether strap extending across the opening in the bag.
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20. A method of assembling an air bag module, said module including a container with a wall defining a cavity for receiving a gas generator and a portion of an air bag and an opening through which the air bag and a reaction member are inserted into the cavity, said air bag when inflated having a generally cylindrical profile with a pair of circular end panels and a cylindrical central panel extending between the circular end panels, the cylindrical central panel having an opening corresponding in shape to the opening in the container, and the cylindrical central panel having a distal segment diametrically opposed from said opening in the central panel, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) securing the air bag to the container so that their respective openings are aligned and securing the reaction member to the container to extend across a part of the opening in the container; (b) folding the bag into a predetermined configuration with a pair of outer fabric segments and pleated sections therebetween, the pleated sections being disposed on opposite sides of a center line extending from the opening in the cylindrical central panel to the distal segment; (c) folding the bag material into the container with the pleated sections on opposite sides of said reaction member and the distal segment directly in front of said reaction member; and (d) applying a cover to the container to maintain the folded bag material therein. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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- 24. Apparatus comprising a vehicle air bag structure including a fabric bag having an opening of a pre-determined shape and predetermined dimensions, said opening being dimensioned to allow a flow of gas under pressure through said opening into said fabric bag, said fabric bag being dimensioned to expand to a pre-determined shape when gas under pressure flows through said opening and into said fabric bag, and a tether strap connected with said fabric bag at at least two locations adjacent said opening, said tether strap extending across said opening in said fabric bag, said tether strap adapted to be in a state of tension when gas under pressure flows through said opening and into said fabric bag, to maintain said opening substantially in said pre-determined shape when said fabric bag is secured to an air bag container and gas pressure flows through said opening.
Specification