Air bag module with gas augmentation
First Claim
1. An air bag module comprising:
- an inflatable air bag having an inflation opening;
an inflator for discharging inflation gas upwardly towards the inflation opening to inflate the air bag;
a container for housing the air bag and inflator, the container including longitudinally elongated side walls;
a longitudinally elongated and generally vertical segment on one of the side walls, the segment spaced above the inflator and spaced below the inflation opening of the air bag, the segment having a plurality of aspiration holes therein to aspirate ambient air;
a longitudinally extending lower rib on the one of the side walls, the rib projecting inwardly into the container and positioned directly subjacent the segment and positioned above the inflator;
a longitudinally extending upper rib on the one of the side walls, the upper rib being vertically spaced apart above the lower rib and positioned directly above the segment; and
an air bag retainer ring attached to the inflation opening of the air bag, the air bag retainer ring being seated on the upper rib when the air bag is mounted in the container.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
An air bag module includes an inflatable air bag having an inflation opening and an inflator for discharging inflation gas upwardly towards the inflation opening to inflate the air bag. The module includes a container for housing the inflator and air bag which includes elongated side walls. One of the side walls includes a longitudinally elongated and generally vertical segment spaced above the inflator and below the inflation opening of the air bag. The segment has a plurality of aspiration holes therein to aspirate ambient air. A longitudinally extending rib projects inwardly into the container and is positioned directly subjacent the segment and above the inflator. Advantageously, the rib strengthens the side wall and increases ambient air aspiration by directing discharging inflation gas over the aspiration holes of the segment.
36 Citations
13 Claims
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1. An air bag module comprising:
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an inflatable air bag having an inflation opening; an inflator for discharging inflation gas upwardly towards the inflation opening to inflate the air bag; a container for housing the air bag and inflator, the container including longitudinally elongated side walls; a longitudinally elongated and generally vertical segment on one of the side walls, the segment spaced above the inflator and spaced below the inflation opening of the air bag, the segment having a plurality of aspiration holes therein to aspirate ambient air; a longitudinally extending lower rib on the one of the side walls, the rib projecting inwardly into the container and positioned directly subjacent the segment and positioned above the inflator; a longitudinally extending upper rib on the one of the side walls, the upper rib being vertically spaced apart above the lower rib and positioned directly above the segment; and an air bag retainer ring attached to the inflation opening of the air bag, the air bag retainer ring being seated on the upper rib when the air bag is mounted in the container.
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2. An air bag module comprising:
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an inflatable air bag having an inflation opening; an inflator for discharging inflation gas upwardly towards the inflation opening to inflate the air bag; a container for housing the air bag and inflator, the container comprising longitudinally elongated side walls, a bottom wall, and end walls interconnecting the side walls and defining an upper air bag deployment opening; one of the side walls being generally planar in a vertical direction; first and second vertically-spaced and longitudinally extending ribs on the one of the side walls, the ribs projecting inwardly into the canister and dividing the one of the side walls into vertical segments; and the one of the side walls having a plurality of aspiration holes therein located between the first and second ribs to aspirate ambient air to augment the discharging inflation gas during air bag inflation and for venting the inflation gas to facilitate air bag collapse; whereby upwardly discharging inflation gas is directed over the aspiration holes by the ribs to cause augmentation of ambient air aspiration during air bag inflation. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4)
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5. An air bag module comprising:
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an inflatable air bag having an inflation opening; an inflator for discharging inflation gas upwardly towards the inflation opening to inflate the air bag; a container for housing the air bag and inflator, the container including longitudinally elongated side walls and end walls interconnecting the side walls and defining an upper air bag deployment opening; one of the side walls being generally planar in a vertical direction parallel to the discharging inflator gas, the side wall being laterally spaced apart from the inflator; the one of the side walls having a plurality of aspiration holes therein to aspirate ambient air to augment the discharging inflation gas during air bag inflation and for venting the inflation gas to facilitate air bag collapse; at least one longitudinally extending rib disposed on the one of the side walls and projecting inwardly into the container, the rib being located directly beneath the plurality of aspiration holes, the rib being vertically spaced above the inflator in the direction of the discharging inflation gas such that discharging inflation gas passes over the rib prior to passing over the plurality of aspiration holes and creates a pressure drop over the aspiration holes located above the rib to cause augmentation of ambient air aspiration during air bag inflation. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification