Air bag module
First Claim
1. Apparatus for restraining a vehicle occupant, said apparatus comprising:
- a canister having an outlet opening;
an inflator having an installed position in said canister;
an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint having an edge portion defining an inlet opening;
a retainer assembly comprising means for containing said restraint in an uninflated condition, said retainer assembly including a pair of retainers;
first fastener means for fastening said retainers to each other with said edge portion of said restraint being retained between said retainers; and
second fastener means for fastening said retainer assembly and said canister to each other in an assembled relationship in which said inlet opening is aligned with said outlet opening;
said second fastener means snapping into a locked condition to establish a mechanical interlock between said retainer assembly and said canister upon movement of said retainer assembly and said canister into said assembled relationship.
15 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An air bag module (12) includes an inflator (20), a canister (24) which contains the inflator (20), and an air bag (18). The air bag module (12) further includes a retainer assembly (26) which contains the air bag (18) in an uninflated condition. The retainer assembly (26) includes a pair of retainers (210,212) that are fastened together with an edge portion (192) of the air bag (18) retained between the retainers (210,212). The retainer assembly (26) and the canister (24) are fastened to each other in an assembled relationship in which an inlet opening (196) in the air bag (18) is aligned with an outlet opening (112) in the canister (24). The retainer assembly (26) and the canister (24) snap together into a mechanically interlocked condition when they are moved into their assembled relationship. The inflator (20) and the canister (24) also snap together into a mechanically interlocked condition when the inflator (20) is moved into the canister (24).
45 Citations
35 Claims
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1. Apparatus for restraining a vehicle occupant, said apparatus comprising:
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a canister having an outlet opening; an inflator having an installed position in said canister; an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint having an edge portion defining an inlet opening; a retainer assembly comprising means for containing said restraint in an uninflated condition, said retainer assembly including a pair of retainers; first fastener means for fastening said retainers to each other with said edge portion of said restraint being retained between said retainers; and second fastener means for fastening said retainer assembly and said canister to each other in an assembled relationship in which said inlet opening is aligned with said outlet opening; said second fastener means snapping into a locked condition to establish a mechanical interlock between said retainer assembly and said canister upon movement of said retainer assembly and said canister into said assembled relationship. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. Apparatus for restraining a vehicle occupant, said apparatus comprising:
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a canister having an outlet opening; an inflator having an installed position in said canister; an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint having an edge portion defining an inlet opening; a retainer assembly comprising means for containing said restraint in an uninflated condition, said retainer assembly including a pair of retainers; first fastener means for fastening said retainers to each other with said edge portion of said restraint being retained between said retainers; and second fastener means for fastening said retainer assembly and said canister to each other in an assembled relationship in which said inlet opening is aligned with said outlet opening; said canister comprising third fastener means for snapping into a locked condition to establish a mechanical interlock between said inflator and said canister upon movement of said inflator to said installed position in said canister. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. Apparatus for use with an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint, said apparatus comprising:
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a canister having a pair of opposed canister walls; inflator means for emitting inflation fluid for inflating the restraint, said inflator means comprising an elongated inflator structure having an installed position extending longitudinally between said opposed canister walls; and holder means for holding said inflator structure in said installed position, said holder means comprising an abutment member having an engaged position abutting an end wall of said inflator structure between said end wall and one of said opposed canister walls. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. Apparatus for restraining an occupant of a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
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a canister having an outlet opening; an inflator having an installed position in said canister; an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint having an edge portion defining an inlet opening; a retainer assembly comprising means for containing said restraint in an uninflated condition, said retainer assembly including a pair of retainers; first fastener means for fastening said retainers to each other with said edge portion of said restraint being retained between said retainers; second fastener means for fastening said retainer assembly and said canister to each other in an assembled relationship in which said inlet opening is aligned with said outlet opening; and mounting means for mounting said canister on the vehicle, said mounting means being flexible so as yield in a predetermined amount under a force transmitted from said restraint to said canister upon movement of the vehicle occupant forcefully against said restraint. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. Apparatus for restraining a vehicle occupant, said apparatus comprising:
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a canister having an outlet opening; an inflator having an installed position in said canister; an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint having an edge portion defining an inlet opening; a retainer assembly comprising means for containing said restraint in an uninflated condition, said retainer assembly including a pair of retainers; first fastener means for fastening said retainers to each other with said edge portion of said restraint being retained between said retainers; and second fastener means for fastening said retainer assembly and said canister to each other in an assembled relation in which said inlet opening is aligned with said outlet opening; said first fastener means comprising portions of said retainers which are in a condition of being fused together. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification