Air bag module

• US 5,498,025 A
• Filed: 06/15/1995
• Issued: 03/12/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Easter, Kenneth M., Donegan, Michael W., Lotspih, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Culbreth, Eric D.
• Application Number:
  US08/482,959
• Time in Patent Office: 271 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/728.1, 280/732, 280/731
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards
• 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 air bag assembly includes an air bag module subassembly for installation in an air bag housing having a housing opening through which an air bag deploys. The air bag module subassembly includes a subassembly retainer which captures and holds an inflator and an air bag retainer in position relative to the housing and enables facile installation of the air bag module subassembly into the housing via the housing opening such that the subassembly retainer is restrained by the housing to prevent release of the air bag retainer.

Claims

1. A method of assembling an air bag assembly which includes a housing having walls defining a contained housing interior and a rearward housing opening through which an air bag deploys, and an air bag module subassembly comprising an air bag, an inflator, an air bag retainer, and a subassembly retainer comprising a pair of axially spaced apart end supports each including an insertion slot, comprising the steps of:

a. securing the air bag to the air bag retainer,

b. axially capturing the air bag retainer between the end supports by sliding opposing ends of the air bag retainer into respective insertion slots of the end supports,

c. nonreleasably capturing the inflator between the end supports to form the air bag module subassembly,

d. inserting the air bag module subassembly into the housing by forwardly unidirectional insertion therein via the housing opening such that said end supports proximately abut the housing interior thereby restraining movement of the end supports relative the air bag retainer to prevent release of the air bag retainer, and

e. securing the subassembly retainer to the housing.

2. An air bag assembly comprising:

an air bag housing defining a contained housing interior, the housing having a rearward housing opening and axially spaced apart opposing end walls; and

an air bag module subassembly for forwardly unidirectional insertion into the housing via the housing opening, the air bag module subassembly including

an air bag for deployment through the housing opening,

first and second opposing end supports being separate and independent from each other and being axially spaced apart, the first and second end supports each proximately abutting the respective end walls of the housing when the air bag module subassembly is inserted in the housing to restrain outward axial movement of the end supports away from each other, the first and second end supports each having an axially inwardly facing insertion slot therein, and

an axially elongated air bag retainer secured to the air bag and having a first end seated in the insertion slot of the first end support and having a second end seated in the insertion slot of the second end support such that the air bag retainer is axially captured between the first and second end supports and held in position relative to the housing thereby.

3. The air bag assembly of claim 2 wherein the air bag module subassembly includes an inflator for generating gas to inflate the air bag, the inflator being nonreleasably captured between the first and second end supports to prevent axial movement of the end supports relative to each other prior to insertion of the air bag module subassembly into the housing.

4. The air bag assembly of claim 2 wherein the first and second end supports each include a forwardmost portion spaced apart forward of the insertion slots, the forwardmost portions being secured to the housing after insertion of the air bag module subassembly therein to prevent removal of the air bag module subassembly out through the housing opening during air bag inflation.

5. The air bag assembly of claim 2 wherein the air bag module subassembly includes an axially elongated inflator for generating inflator gas to inflate the air bag, the inflator having opposing inflator ends each engaging one of the first and second end supports, the end supports axially capturing the inflator therebetween to hold the inflator in position relative the housing.

6. The air bag assembly of claim 2 wherein the insertion slots of the first and second end supports are each defined by spaced apart opposing forward and rearward surfaces connected by an axially outward outermost surface and wherein the outermost surfaces of each of the insertion slots each proximately abut respective opposing end walls of the housing to restrain outward axial movement of the end supports away from each other during air bag inflation.

7. The air bag assembly of claim 2 wherein the insertion slots are each defined by spaced apart opposing forward and rearward surfaces integrally formed on each of the end supports and wherein the air bag retainer is captured between the forward and rearward surfaces of the insertion slots to restrain the air bag retainer from rearward and forward movement relative the housing when the air bag module subassembly is inserted in the housing.

8. The air bag assembly of claim 2 wherein the air bag module subassembly includes an inflator for generating gas to inflate the air bag and wherein each of the end supports nonreleasably engages at least one of the air bag retainer and inflator so that the air bag retainer and inflator remain axially captured between the end supports prior to insertion of the air bag module subassembly into the housing.

9. The air bag assembly of claim 2 wherein the end supports are each independently formed as a single integral piece.

10. An air bag assembly comprising:

an air bag housing defining a contained housing interior, the housing having a rearward housing opening and axially spaced apart opposing end walls; and

an air bag module subassembly for forwardly unidirectional insertion into the housing via the housing opening, the air bag module subassembly including

an air bag for deployment through the housing opening,

first and second opposing end supports being independent and separate from each other and being axially spaced apart, the end supports each including an axially inwardly facing insertion slot defined by spaced apart opposed forward and rearward surfaces connected by an axially outward outermost surface, the outermost surfaces each proximately abutting respective opposing end walls of the housing when the air bag module subassembly is inserted into the housing to restrain outward axial movement of the end supports away from each other, and

an axially elongated air bag retainer secured to the air bag and having a first end seated in the insertion slot of the first end support by slip-fitted axial insertion therein and having an opposite second end seated in the insertion slot of the second end support by slip-fitted axial insertion therein such that the air bag retainer is axially captured between the outermost surfaces of the insertion slots to prevent axial movement of the air bag retainer and is captured between the forward and rearward surfaces of the insertion slots to prevent forward and rearward movement of the air bag retainer whereby the end supports hold the air bag retainer in position relative the housing.

11. The air bag assembly of claim 10 wherein the air bag module subassembly includes an inflator for generating gas to inflate the air bag, the inflator being axially captured between the end supports to hold the inflator in position relative to the housing when the air bag module subassembly is inserted in the housing.

12. The air bag assembly of claim 11 wherein the end supports each nonreleasably engage at least one of the air bag retainer and inflator so that the air bag retainer and inflator remain captured by the end supports prior to insertion of the air bag module subassembly into the housing.

13. The air bag module of claim 11 wherein the end supports are each independently formed as a single integral piece.