Simplified passenger air bag module
First Claim
1. An air bag module comprising an air bag having an opening,an air bag retainer ring secured to the air bag about the opening and having a mounting flange,a housing having spaced side and end walls defining a rectangular air bag storage chamber for storing the folded air bag and having an upper air bag deployment opening and a bottom gas discharge opening, a mounting flange extending from each of the side walls, and at least two axially-spaced part-circumferential straps spanning the gas discharge opening to interconnect the side walls and form an inflator cradle,an elongated inflator located on the straps and comprising a substantially cylindrical case having a plurality of gas discharge holes, a cap end and a blank end,an inflator container comprising a U-shaped body forming bottom and side walls, at least two axially-spaced raised part-circumferential ribs formed in the bottom wall, each diametrically opposed from one of the straps to form pairs of straps and ribs, the pairs being spaced from the housing end walls to enable clamping of either an inflator having a case with an outward tapered section near its cap or an inflator having a purely cylindrical casing, and a mounting flange extending from each of the side walls,a plurality of aligned mounting apertures formed in all of the mounting flanges, anda plurality of threaded fasteners extending through the aligned apertures to clamp the air bag retainer ring, the housing and the inflator container together, thereby clamping the inflator between the strap and rib pairs, whereby the ribs space the inflator from the side and bottom walls of the inflator container which functions as a heat shield.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An air bag module comprises an air bag, an air bag retainer ring, a housing, an elongated inflator, and an inflator container. The retainer ring is secured to the air bag about its opening and has a mounting flange. The housing has spaced side and end walls defining a rectangular air bag storage chamber for storing a folded air bag and which has an upper air bag deployment opening and a bottom gas discharge opening. A mounting flange extends from each of the side walls, and four spaced straps span the gas discharge opening to interconnect the side walls and form an inflator cradle. The inflator is located on the straps and comprises a substantially cylindrical case having a plurality of gas discharge holes, a cap end and a blank end. The container comprises a U-shaped body forming bottom and side walls, two spaced raised ribs formed in the bottom wall, and a mounting flange extending from each of the side walls. Three pairs of aligned mounting apertures are formed in all of the mounting flanges. Threaded studs are staked to the retainer ring and extend through the aligned apertures. Nuts engage the stud ends to clamp the retainer ring, the housing and the container together, clamping the inflator between two straps and the ribs. The ribs space the inflator from the side and bottom walls of the container, which functions as a heat shield. The studs are the sole means used to fasten the module components together.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. An air bag module comprising an air bag having an opening,
an air bag retainer ring secured to the air bag about the opening and having a mounting flange, a housing having spaced side and end walls defining a rectangular air bag storage chamber for storing the folded air bag and having an upper air bag deployment opening and a bottom gas discharge opening, a mounting flange extending from each of the side walls, and at least two axially-spaced part-circumferential straps spanning the gas discharge opening to interconnect the side walls and form an inflator cradle, an elongated inflator located on the straps and comprising a substantially cylindrical case having a plurality of gas discharge holes, a cap end and a blank end, an inflator container comprising a U-shaped body forming bottom and side walls, at least two axially-spaced raised part-circumferential ribs formed in the bottom wall, each diametrically opposed from one of the straps to form pairs of straps and ribs, the pairs being spaced from the housing end walls to enable clamping of either an inflator having a case with an outward tapered section near its cap or an inflator having a purely cylindrical casing, and a mounting flange extending from each of the side walls, a plurality of aligned mounting apertures formed in all of the mounting flanges, and a plurality of threaded fasteners extending through the aligned apertures to clamp the air bag retainer ring, the housing and the inflator container together, thereby clamping the inflator between the strap and rib pairs, whereby the ribs space the inflator from the side and bottom walls of the inflator container which functions as a heat shield.
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10. An air bag module comprising
an air bag having an opening, an air bag retainer ring secured to the air bag about the opening and having a mounting flange, a housing having spaced side and end walls defining a rectangular air bag storage chamber for storing the folded air bag and having an upper air bag deployment opening and a bottom gas discharge opening, a mounting flange extending from each of the side walls, and at least two spaced straps spanning the gas discharge opening to interconnect the side walls and form an inflator cradle, an elongated inflator located on the straps and comprising a substantially cylindrical case having a plurality of gas discharge holes, a cap end and a blank end, an inflator container comprising a U-shaped body forming bottom and side walls, at least two spaced raised ribs formed in the bottom wall, and a mounting flange extending from each of the side walls, a plurality of aligned mounting apertures formed in all of the mounting flanges, a plurality of threaded studs secured to the air bag retainer ring and extending through the aligned apertures, a plurality of threaded nuts which engage the studs beneath the container flanges to clamp the air bag retainer ring, the housing and the inflator container together, thereby clamping the inflator between the straps and ribs, whereby the ribs space the inflator from the side and bottom walls of the inflator container which functions as a heat shield, and a cover assembly comprising a main body having weakened sections which define doors and which rupture upon inflation of the air bag to open a deployment opening for the air bag, and a pair of mounting flanges extending from the sides of the main body, each having a plurality of mounting apertures aligned with the apertures in the other mounting flanges.
Specification