Steering wheel and air bag module

• US 5,806,883 A
• Filed: 07/26/1996
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: TRW Limited (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Cuevas, Jess A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Culbreth, Eric D.
• Application Number:
  US08/688,815
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 280/731, 280/728.2, 280/741, 280/737
• US Class Current: 280/731
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2633 with a plurality of inflation levels
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/203 in steering wheels or steering columns
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/272 with means for increasing the pressure of the gas just before or during liberation, e.g. hybrid inflators

Abstract

A vehicle steering wheel assembly (20) includes a steering wheel frame (40) with a tubular core (42) and an actuatable inflator (82) to inflate an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (84). The inflator (82) includes a container (100) which defines a chamber (120) for fluid under pressure and a portion (200) connectable to a steering shaft (26) of the vehicle. The container (100) is located within the tubular core (42) of the frame (40). The tubular core (42) engages a side wall (126) of the container (100) to reinforce the side wall against the pressure in the chamber (120). The inflator (82) is connected to the frame (40) by a connection, such as a portion (60) on the tubular core (42) deformed against the container (100).

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a vehicle steering wheel frame including a tubular core;

an inflator for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said inflator including (a) a container which defines a chamber and (b) a portion which is connectable with a steering shaft of the vehicle;

inflation fluid under pressure in the chamber for inflating the protection device, the pressure force of said inflation fluid acting against a portion of a side wall of said container;

said container being located within said tubular core of said steering wheel frame, said tubular core engaging said portion of said side wall of said container against which the pressure force of said inflation fluid acts to reinforce said side wall against the pressure force of said inflation fluid in the chamber;

means for connecting said inflator with said steering wheel frame; and

further including an inflatable occupant protection device and means for mounting said protection device to said inflator, said mounting means including a surface means defining a groove in said container, a mounting portion of said protection device in a first portion of the groove, and a guide ring having a base portion in a second portion of the groove and a wall portion retaining said mounting portion of said protection device in said first portion of the groove.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wall portion of said guide ring engages said tubular core of said steering wheel frame to retain said mounting portion of said protection device in the groove in said container.

3. An apparatus for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said apparatus comprising:

a container defining a chamber for material which is used to inflate the protection device, said container having surface means for defining a first recess in said container;

actuatable means in the first recess for, when actuated, effecting the flow of inflation fluid from the chamber to inflate the protection device, said actuatable means including a projection;

a lug connectable to a steering shaft of the vehicle, said lug including a flange; and

means for attaching said lug to said container, said flange of said lug engaging said projection of said actuatable means to retain said actuatable means in the recess.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said means for attaching said lug to said container comprises means for preventing relative rotation between said container and said lug and means for preventing relative axial movement between said inflator and said lug.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said container further includes surface means for defining a second recess in said container, said apparatus including second actuatable means in the second recess for producing combustion products which are releasable into the chamber upon actuation of said second actuatable means.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said surface means for defining a first recess in said container includes a chamfered edge extending at a first acute angle relative to a longitudinal central axis of the first recess, said actuatable means having a transition surface which extends relative to the longitudinal central axis of the first recess at a second acute angle less than the first acute angle, said chamfered edge on said container engaging said transition surface on said actuatable means to provide line contact between said container and said actuatable means.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a vehicle steering wheel frame including a tubular core;

an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device including a mounting portion;

an actuatable inflator which, upon actuation, provides fluid to inflate said protection device, said inflator comprising a container defining a chamber containing inflation fluid under pressure, said container having portions defining a recess in said container;

said container being located in said tubular core of said steering wheel frame with said tubular core engaging a side of said container to reinforce said container side against the pressure force of said fluid in the chamber;

means for connecting said inflator to said steering wheel frame, said connecting means including a portion on one of said container and said tubular core deformed into engagement with the other of said container and said tubular core;

means for mounting said inflatable device to said inflator, said mounting means including a groove in said container and a guide ring, said mounting portion of said protection device being located in the groove, said guide ring having a base portion in the groove and a wall portion retaining said mounting portion of said protection device in the groove;

actuatable means in said recess for, when actuated, effecting the flow of inflation fluid from said container to inflate the protection device, said actuatable means including a projection;

a lug connectable to a steering shaft of the vehicle, said lug including a flange; and

means for attaching said lug to said container, said flange of said lug engaging said projection of said actuatable means to retain said actuatable means in the recess.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said container includes a pair of spaced apart end walls connected by said side, said side having a peripheral surface extending between said end walls, said end walls having a first thickness and said side having a second thickness which is less than the first thickness, said side being engaged by said tubular core over substantially the entire peripheral surface of said side.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said deformed portion comprises at least one projection extending from an end of said tubular core of said steering wheel frame and through an opening in said container, said projection being deformed against a surface of said container.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the groove is formed in an outwardly facing end portion of said container.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said guide ring includes a tapered leading end which guides movement of said inflator into said tubular core of said steering wheel frame, said wall portion of said guide ring engaging said tubular core of said steering wheel frame to hold said mounting portion of said protection device in the groove in said container.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a vehicle steering wheel frame including a tubular core;

an inflator for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said inflator including (a) a container which defines a chamber and (b) a portion which is connectable with a steering shaft of the vehicle;

inflation fluid under pressure in the chamber for inflating the protection device, the pressure force of said inflation fluid acting against a portion of a side wall of said container;

said container being located within said tubular core of said steering wheel frame, said tubular core engaging said portion of said side wall of said container against which the pressure force of said inflation fluid acts to reinforce said side wall against the pressure force of said inflation fluid in the chamber;

means for connecting said inflator with said steering wheel frame; and

means for defining a recess in said container, an actuatable member in the recess and having a projection, a lug connectable to the steering shaft of the vehicle and having a flange, and means for attaching said lug to said container, said flange of said lug engaging said projection of said actuatable member to retain said actuatable member in the recess.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a vehicle steering wheel frame including a tubular core;

an inflator for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, said inflator including (a) a container which defines a chamber and (b) a portion which is connectable with a steering shaft of the vehicle;

inflation fluid under pressure in the chamber for inflating the protection device, the pressure force of said inflation fluid acting against a portion of a side wall of said container;

said container being located within said tubular core of said steering wheel frame, said tubular core engaging said portion of said side wall of said container against which the pressure force of said inflation fluid acts to reinforce said side wall against the pressure force of said inflation fluid in the chamber; and

means for connecting said inflator with said steering wheel frame;

said means for connecting said inflator with said steering wheel frame comprising at least one projection which extends from an end of said tubular core of said steering wheel frame and through an opening in a portion of said container, said projection being deformable against a surface of said portion of said container to block movement of said container relative to said steering wheel frame.