Vehicle occupant protection apparatus

• US 5,692,771 A
• Filed: 03/12/1996
• Issued: 12/02/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Inc. (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TRW Inc. (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Bryant, Robyn, Milne, Kenneth T. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US08/614,089
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/731, 280/732, 280/728.3
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/217 Inflation fluid source retainers, e.g. reaction canisters; Connection of bags, covers, diffusers or inflation fluid sources therewith or together

Abstract

A vehicle occupant protection apparatus (10) includes a reaction plate (74), an inflator (12) supported on the reaction plate (74), and a cover (30). The cover (30) has at least one pivotal deployment door (34,36) extending over the inflator (12), and further has a pair of mounting flaps (50) overlying the reaction plate (74). A retainer (100) holds the mounting flaps (50) and the inflator (12) against the reaction plate (74). The mounting flaps (50) and the reaction plate (74) together define tongue-and-groove joints (144) for interlocking the mounting flaps (50) with the reaction plate (74) so as to block movement of the mounting flaps (50) across the reaction plate (74) when the inflator (12) is actuated.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

a reaction plate having a major upper side surface with a rectangular peripheral shape;

an inflator having a cylindrical housing projecting axially from said reaction plate;

an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device having an edge portion encircling said housing;

a cover for said protection device, said cover having a pair of generally parallel opposite side walls and a pair of mounting flaps projecting from said side walls in opposite directions over said rectangular upper side surface of said reaction plate; and

a retainer holding said edge portion of said protection device, said mounting flaps, and said inflator against said reaction plate with an axially directed clamping force;

said mounting flaps and said reaction plate together defining a pair of tongue-and-groove joints which comprise means for interlocking said mounting flaps with said reaction plate, said tongue-and-groove joints having linear configurations parallel to said opposite side walls of said cover.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said cover has a pair of secondary opposite side walls which are generally perpendicular to said tongue-and-groove joints, said secondary opposite side walls having thickened lower edge portions extending in said opposite directions alongside said mounting flaps.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said mounting flaps have upper and lower sides which are planar and parallel, said tongue-and-groove joints comprising tongues defined by ridge portions of said mounting flaps which project from said lower sides downward into grooves defined by said reaction plate.