Anti-rattle and retention structure for a flangeless inflator of an airbag restraint assembly

• US 5,356,175 A
• Filed: 07/02/1993
• Issued: 10/18/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Morton International Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rose, Larry D., Lauritzen, Donald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US08/086,928
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728 A, 280/741
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• 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

An inflator, which is shorter than a reaction can of an airbag restraint assembly and which has a flangeless base at one end thereof, is mounted in the reaction can. The mounting structure for the flangeless inflator has a generally circular open cylindrical shape, with its sidewall terminated at a first end in a mounting flange and terminating on the other end thereof in a resilient arm flared radially outward at the end thereof. Preferably, intermediate the mounting flange and the resilient arm is a radially-inwardly-extending integral circumferential rib or discrete dimples. The mounting flange of the mounting structure is located in an opening in an end wall of the reaction can, with the resilient arm frictionally engaging and holding the flangeless base of the inflator in the reaction can while the intermediate rib or discrete dimples prevent any significant rearward axial movement of the inflator in the reaction can thereby providing essentially rattle- and squeak-free retention of the flangeless based inflator in the reaction can in an appropriately positioned and centered manner.

Claims

1. An airbag restraint inflator assembly comprising:

a reaction can having a mounting means providing an opening in a first end wall thereof, said opening adapted to receive and position an inflator within a cavity of said reaction can;

an inflator, shorter in dimension than the reaction can, and having a generally cylindrical housing with a flangeless base on a first end thereof;

said reaction can mounting means being a generally open, right circular cylindrical shaped tube formed by a circular sidewall, said sidewall terminating at one end thereof with a radially extending mounting flange having an outer diameter greater than a diameter of said first end wall opening and terminating in a resilient arm on the other end of said sidewall;

said mounting means being located in said reaction can first end wall with said resilient arm engaging and holding the inflator housing by biased radial compression force.

2. The airbag restraint inflator assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said inflator is terminated on a second and opposite end thereof in a threaded stud protruding through a shaped hole in a second and opposite end wall of said reaction can, said shaped hole adapted to receive said threaded stud, and a nut mounted on said stud for mounting and securing said second end of said inflator in said reaction can.

3. The airbag restraint inflator assembly as claimed in claim 2 having a mounting cup positioned in an access opening in said second end wall of said reaction can, said mounting cup having a flat bottom with a shaped opening therein for receiving the threaded stud and an index key on the second end of said inflator, said flat bottom of said mounting cup being clamped between the nut on the threaded stud and the second end of the inflator for centering and retention of the inflator in the cavity of the reaction can.

4. The airbag restraint inflator assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said mounting means further comprises a circumferential rib or discrete dimples extending radially-inwardly from said sidewall intermediate said mounting flange and said resilient arm, and said resilient arm terminates in an end flared radially-outwardly;

said mounting means being mounted in said reaction can first end wall with said resilient arm engaging and holding the inflator housing by biased radial compression force in a manner whereby the base of said first end of said inflator is adjacent the circumferential rib or dimples, thereby providing an essentially squeak- and rattle-free retention of said flangeless based inflator in said reaction can.

5. The airbag restraint inflator assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein said inflator is terminated on a second and opposite end thereof in a threaded stud protruding through a shaped hole in a second and opposite end wall of said reaction can, said shaped hole adapted to receive said threaded stud, and a nut mounted on said stud for mounting and securing said second end of said inflator in said reaction can.

6. The airbag restraint inflator assembly as claimed in claim 5 having a mounting cup positioned in an access opening in said second end wall of said reaction can, said mounting cup having a flat bottom with a shaped opening therein for receiving the threaded stud and an index key on the second end of said inflator, said flat bottom of said mounting cup being clamped between the nut on the threaded stud and the second end of the inflator for centering and retention of the inflator in the cavity of the reaction can.

7. An airbag restraint inflator assembly comprising:

a reaction can having an access opening in a first end wall of said reaction can, said access opening adapted to receive and position mounting means for retaining an inflator within a cavity of said reaction can;

an inflator, shorter in dimension than the reaction can, having a generally cylindrical housing with a flangeless base on a first end thereof and a threaded stud and index key on the second end thereof;

said mounting means positioned in said access opening of said reaction can, said mounting means having a generally open, right circular cylindrical shape to be formed by a circular sidewall, said sidewall terminating at one end thereof with a radially extending mounting flange having an outer diameter greater than a diameter of the access opening in said first end wall, a resilient arm terminating in an end flared radially-outwardly on the other end of said sidewall, a circumferential rib or discrete dimples extending radially-inwardly from said sidewall intermediate said mounting flange and said resilient arm;

said mounting means being mounted in said access opening in the first end wall of said reaction can with said resilient arm frictionally engaging and holding the inflator housing by biased radial compressive force in a manner whereby the flangeless base of said first end of said inflator abuts the intermediate rib or discrete dimples, thereby providing an essentially squeak- and rattle-free retention of said flangeless based inflator in said reaction can.

8. A reaction can adapted to mount an inflator of the type comprising a generally cylindrical housing having a flangeless base at a first end thereof and a threaded stud at a second end thereof, the reaction can comprising:

first and second end walls and first and second sidewalls defining a cavity adapted to receive an inflator;

said first end wall having inflator mounting means provided therein, said inflator mounting means including a right circular cylindrical shaped tube formed by a circular sidewall, said circular sidewall extending from said first end wall into said cavity and terminating in a resilient arm sized to engage and hold the flangeless based first end of an inflator in said cavity by biased radial compression force; and

support means in said second end wall for securing a second end of said inflator.

9. A reaction can as claimed in claim 8 wherein said mounting means further comprises a circumferential rib or discrete dimples extending radially-inwardly from said sidewall intermediate the first end wall of the reaction can and said resilient arm, said mounting means being mounted in said reaction can first end wall with said resilient arm adapted to engage and hold the inflator housing by biased radial compression force in a manner whereby the flangeless base of said first end of said inflator is adjacent the circumferential rib or discrete dimples, thereby providing an essentially squeak- and rattle-free retention of said flangeless based inflator in said reaction can.

10. The reaction can as claimed in claim 9 wherein said support means in said second end wall comprises a mounting cup positioned at an access opening in said second end wall, said mounting cup having a flat bottom with a shaped opening therein for receiving a threaded stud and index key on the second end of said inflator whereby the flat bottom of said mounting cup is adapted to be clamped between a nut threaded on the threaded stud and the other end of the inflator for centering and retention of the inflator in the cavity of said reaction can.