Air bag module with an off-center mounted tubular inflator
First Claim
1. A vehicle air bag module comprising,a module housing including a flat bottom, a slotted section with a curved wall running the width thereof, and having an inflator diffuser opening lying in the plane of the bottom of the module housing and in a portion of said module housing slotted section at a position intermediate the ends thereof,a folded inflatable cushion having a gas inlet rectangularly shaped opening with an inner periphery,a retaining ring extending around the inner periphery of said gas inlet opening of said cushion, said retaining ring having slotted sections with curved walls that match and are disposed adjacent said slotted section of said module housing,a tubular inflator comprising a cylindrical housing and a diffuser that projects laterally outwardly from said inflator at a position intermediate the ends thereof, said tubular inflator being disposed in said slotted section of said module housing with said diffuser extending through said inflator diffuser opening, anda retaining bracket having a slotted section that matches and is disposed adjacent to and extends around the back side of said tubular inflator to hold said inflator in place thereagainst.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An air bag module uses a tubular inflator that is mounted off center in the module with the diffuser lying in the plane of the bottom of the module housing. The housing and inflator retaining bracket combine to make a pocket which changes the direction of some of the gas produced by the inflator and allows all of the gas to flow up into the inflatable cushion. A different housing, retaining ring, cushion and inflator retaining bracket are used in the assemblage of the module than are employed in air bag modules of current production. The appearance and function of the module, however, is not changed to a purchaser of the automotive vehicle in which the module is installed, only the internal components of the module are changed.
14 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A vehicle air bag module comprising,
a module housing including a flat bottom, a slotted section with a curved wall running the width thereof, and having an inflator diffuser opening lying in the plane of the bottom of the module housing and in a portion of said module housing slotted section at a position intermediate the ends thereof, a folded inflatable cushion having a gas inlet rectangularly shaped opening with an inner periphery, a retaining ring extending around the inner periphery of said gas inlet opening of said cushion, said retaining ring having slotted sections with curved walls that match and are disposed adjacent said slotted section of said module housing, a tubular inflator comprising a cylindrical housing and a diffuser that projects laterally outwardly from said inflator at a position intermediate the ends thereof, said tubular inflator being disposed in said slotted section of said module housing with said diffuser extending through said inflator diffuser opening, and a retaining bracket having a slotted section that matches and is disposed adjacent to and extends around the back side of said tubular inflator to hold said inflator in place thereagainst.
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11. An air bag module as defined by claim 11,
wherein said module housing, said inner periphery of the gas inlet opening of said cushion, said retaining ring, and said retaining bracket each include a plurality of holes that are in alignment with similar holes in the other components recited, and fastening means for holding said retaining bracket very firmly against the back side of said tubular inflator and for holding said module housing, said inner periphery of said cushion against the front side of said tubular inflator, said fastening means comprising a stud extending through each of said aligned holes in said components in the order recited, and a nut torqued down said retaining bracket on each of said studs.
Specification