Adjustable deployment door for airbag module

• US 5,564,732 A
• Filed: 04/20/1995
• Issued: 10/15/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FCA US LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Morton International Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated), Chrysler Corporation (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Steimke, Daniel L., Bauer, John G., Repp, James H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Boehler, Anne Marie
• Assistant Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US08/426,071
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.3, 280/728.2, 280/732, 280/731, 280/730.1, 280/728.1, 403/353, 220/324
• US Class Current: 280/728.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2172 the cover being connected to the surrounding part and to the module, e.g. floating mounts
• 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 airbag module installed in a vehicle comprises a deployment door which comprises a face panel which covers the open top of a reaction canister and is positioned at an opening in the instrument panel of the vehicle and further comprises key and keyway connecting structure for securely holding the deployment door to the reaction canister before and during deployment of an airbag. This connecting structure allows limited movement of the deployment door in three directions with respect to the reaction canister and thus permits adjustment of the position of the face panel of the deployment door to obtain accurate fit and finish at the instrument panel. In preferred embodiments the invention further comprises structure for immovably fixing the position of the deployment door at the instrument panel after the deployment door has been adjusted. Reaction forces acting on the deployment door during deployment and inflation of the airbag are transmitted to the reaction canister through the adjustable connection that fastens the deployment door to the reaction canister, thereby avoiding transmission of damaging reaction forces to the instrument panel.

Claims

1. An airbag module for installation in an instrument panel or dashboard of a vehicle comprising:

means for generating gas for inflation of an airbag;

a reaction canister housing said gas generating means;

an inflatable airbag attached to the reaction canister for inflation of the airbag by gas transmitted from the gas generating means;

an airbag container integral with the reaction canister and housing the inflatable airbag, said airbag container having an open top through which the airbag can be deployed when inflated;

a deployment door comprising a face panel covering said open top of the airbag container and a pair of side panels extending from the face panel;

connecting means for securely holding the deployment door to the reaction canister before and during deployment of the airbag,

said connecting means allowing limited movement of the deployment door in three directions with respect to the reaction canister for adjustment of the face panel of the deployment door with respect to the instrument panel or dashboard after the airbag module has been installed in a vehicle and comprising;

a plurality of longitudinal keyways in each of said side panels, each keyway comprising a wide section at one end of the keyway and a narrow section at an opposite end of the keyway;

a plurality of standing keys standing on outer surfaces of sidewalls of said reaction canister;

said standing keys being located for engagement of said keys with said keyways to connect the deployment door to the reaction canister, said standing keys each comprising a stem which can pass from the wide section into the narrow section of one of said keyways and a head at the distal end of said stem, which head can pass through said wide section of the keyway but cannot pass through said narrow section of the keyway, and wherein the connecting means comprises said keys on the reaction canister standing inside the narrow sections of said keyways in the side panels of the deployment door.

2. An airbag module according to claim 1 further comprising means for immovably fixing the deployment door to the instrument panel after adjustment of the face panel of the deployment door with respect to the instrument panel of the vehicle.

3. An airbag module according to claim 1 wherein the deployment door further comprises fastening members for fastening of the deployment door to the instrument panel of the vehicle to immovably fix the deployment door in position after adjustment of the face panel of the deployment door with respect to the instrument panel.

4. An airbag module according to claim 1 further comprising locking means for holding the standing keys in the narrow sections of the keyways by limiting lengthwise sliding of the deployment door after the stems have passed from the wide sections of the keyways into the narrow sections of the keyways.

5. An airbag module according to claim 4 wherein said locking means comprises a ramp on an underside of at least one of the side panels of the deployment door that engages an edge of the sidewalls of the reaction canister when the keys on the canister stand in the narrow sections of the keyways on the side panels of the deployment door.

6. An airbag module according to claim 4 wherein the deployment door further comprises fastening members for fastening of the deployment door to the instrument panel in the vehicle to immovably fix the deployment door in position after adjustment of the face panel of the deployment door with respect to the instrument panel.

7. An airbag module according to claim 1 further comprising a retaining screw groove running along a center line at the top of each of the keys.

8. An airbag module according to claim 7 further comprising a screw extending through a hole in an endwall of the reaction canister and screwed into at least one of the retaining screw grooves in the top of the keys on one of the sidewalls of the reaction canister.

9. An airbag module for installation in an opening in an instrument panel or dashboard of a vehicle comprising:

an inflator for generating inflation gas;

a reaction canister having an open top and opposed sidewalls and end walls and a bottom, said canister housing said inflator and a folded inflatable airbag having an open mouth positioned in said canister for receiving inflation gas from said inflator;

a deployment door having a face panel covering said open top of the reaction canister and two side panels extending from said face panel, said face panel being designed to fit in an opening in the instrument panel or dashboard of a vehicle;

connecting means for securely connecting said deployment door to the reaction canister while permitting limited movement of the deployment door in three directions with respect to the reaction canister to permit adjustment of the deployment door with respect to said opening in the instrument panel or dashboard of the vehicle to obtain an accurate fit and finish of the face panel in the instrument panel or dashboard, said connecting means comprising;

a plurality of longitudinal keyways in each of the side panels of the deployment door, each of said keyways having a narrow section at one end of said keyways and a wide section at an opposite end of said keyways;

a plurality of generally T-shaped standing keys on outer surfaces of the sidewalls of the reaction canisters, each of said T-shaped keys comprising a stem and head, each one of said heads capable of passing only through the wide section of one of said keyways and each one of said stems capable of passing through both the wide and narrow sections of one of said keyways; and

wherein said connecting means is defined by said stems of said keys on the reaction canister sidewalls standing inside the narrow sections of said keyways in said side panels of the deployment door.

10. An airbag module according to claim 9 wherein the deployment door further comprises fastening members for fastening of the deployment door to members of the instrument panel to immovably fix the deployment door in position after adjustment of the face panel of the deployment door with respect to the instrument panel or dashboard of the vehicle.

11. An airbag module according to claim 9 further comprising locking means for holding the standing keys in the narrow sections of the keyways by limiting lengthwise sliding of the deployment door after the stems have passed from the wide to the narrow sections of the keyways,

12. An airbag module according to claim 11 wherein said locking means comprises a ramp standing on an under surface of at least one of the side panels of the deployment door at a point where the ramp will slide over and catch an edge of at least one of the sidewalls of the canister as the stems of the keys are moved into the narrow sections of the keyways.

13. An airbag module according to claim 9 further comprising a retaining screw groove running along a center line at the top of each of the keys.

14. An airbag module according to claim 13 further comprising a screw extending through a hole in at least one end wall of the canister and screwed into at least one of the retaining screw grooves of the keys on one of the sidewalls of the canister.

15. An airbag module according to claim 14 wherein the deployment door further comprises fastening members for fastening of the deployment door to immovably fix the deployment door in position in the vehicle after adjustment of the face panel of the deployment door with respect to the instrument panel of the vehicle.

16. An airbag module according to claim 13 wherein the deployment door further comprises fastening members for fastening of the deployment door to immovably fix the deployment door in position after adjustment of the face panel of the deployment door with respect to the instrument panel of the vehicle.

17. In an airbag module comprising a reaction canister housing an inflatable airbag, an inflator for providing inflation gas and a deployment door to fit in an opening in an instrument panel or dashboard of a vehicle, said deployment door connected to said reaction canister before and during deployment of the airbag, the improvement comprising connecting means for connecting said deployment door to said reaction canister, said connecting means comprising:

a plurality of longitudinal keyways on said deployment door, each keyway comprising a wide section at one end of the keyway and a narrow section at an opposite end of the keyway, and

a plurality of standing keys on said reaction canister, each said standing keys being positioned for engagement of said key with one of said keyways whereby the key is insertable only into the wide section of the keyway and slidable therefrom into the narrow section of the keyway and said connecting means is defined by said keys on the reaction canister standing inside the narrow section of said keyways on the deployment door.

18. An airbag module according to claim 17 wherein each of said standing keys comprises T-shaped keys each having a stem and a head wider than the stem and wherein each one of said stems can pass longitudinally from the wide section into the narrow section of one of said keyways and said wider head can pass through said wide section of said one of said keyways but not through the narrow section of said one of said keyways, and wherein said connecting means further comprises locking means for holding the standing keys in the narrow sections of the keyways.