Airbag module

• US 6,238,438 B1
• Filed: 06/04/1999
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Seitz, Martin, Wisslicen, Gitta, Fischer, Anton
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fleming, Faye M.
• Application Number:
  US09/319,377
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.1, 280/728.2, 280/730.1, 280/730.2, 280/743.1, 280/743.2
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23386 External tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

A gas bag module, in particular for head protection in case of a side impact, has an elongated mounting housing (10) having two opposing side walls (12, 14) running spaced apart from each other and a cross-piece (16) connecting the side walls (12, 14), and has a gas bag (20) accommodated in folded state in the mounting housing (10). Further provided is at least one spacer spaced apart from the cross-piece (16), which spacer extends between the side walls (12, 14) and connects them with each other such that a moving apart of the side walls (12, 14) is at least largely avoided when the mounting housing (10) is open and the gas bag (20) unfolds.

Claims

1. A gas bag module for use in a vehicle, for head protection in case of a side impact,

with an elongated mounting housing (10), which has two opposing side walls (12, 14) running spaced apart from each other and has a cross-piece (16) connecting the side walls (12, 14), and

with a gas bag (20) accommodated in folded state in the mounting housing (10),

characterized by at least one spacer spaced apart from the cross-piece (16),

which spacer extends between the side walls (12, 14) and connects them with each other such that a moving apart of the side walls (12, 14) is at least largely avoided when the mounting housing (10) is open and the gas bag (20) unfolds.

2. The gas bag module according to claim 1, characterized in that before the module is fastened to the vehicle, the spacer (222) prevents the side walls from moving apart.

3. The gas bag module according to claim 2, characterized in that each side wall (12, 14) has an outer and an inner face and the spacer has on each of its axial ends a collar by which it lies externally against the associated side wall (12, 14).

4. The gas bag module according to claim 1, characterized in that the spacer (222) is constructed as a body which is separate with respect to the mounting housing (10) and is able to be fastened to the mounting housing (10).

5. The gas bag module according to claim 1, characterized in that the spacer comprises a spacer sleeve (22;

122;

200) through which a fastening means extends for arresting the gas bag module on the vehicle.

6. The gas bag module according to claim 5, characterized in that the fastening means can be inserted from a side wall through the spacer sleeve (22;

122;

200).

7. The gas bag module according to claim 5, characterized in that the spacer sleeve (200) has an elongated cross-section.

8. The gas bag module according to claim 1, characterized in that in the side walls (12, 14) a mounting opening (244) is provided, into which the spacer can be inserted, and that the spacer can be displaced in the mounting opening (244) to balance out positional tolerances in the plane of the mounting opening (244).

9. The gas bag module according to claim 1, characterized in that the mounting housing (10) extends along part of a roof frame of a vehicle and in it a lateral gas bag is accommodated, which in the unfolded state covers at least part of a vehicle side window, several spacers (222) being provided over the length of the mounting housing, which penetrate the gas bag (20).

10. The gas bag module according to claim 9, characterized in that the gas bag module runs along the roof frame of the vehicle, is fastened thereon and extends from at least laterally of the vehicle front occupant to laterally of the vehicle rear occupant.

11. The gas bag module according to claim 10, characterized in that the spacers comprise spacer sleeves (22;

122;

200) and that handle fastening bolts extend through two spacer sleeves (22;

122;

200) in the arrested state of the gas bag module in the vehicle.

12. The gas bag module according to claim 9, characterized in that in the mounting housing (10) a gas inlet pipe is accommodated following the longitudinal extent of the mounting housing, which pipe is provided between the side walls (12, 14), the cross-piece (16) and the spacer (222) and runs inside the gas bag (20).

13. The gas bag module according to claim 1, characterized in that the spacer (222) has several individual parts (132, 152) which can be pushed axially into each other and in the mounted state are fastened to each other by a detent connection.

14. The gas bag module according to claim 13, characterized in that each individual part (132, 152) is associated with a side wall (12, 14) and is fastened to it and also projects toward the other side wall (12, 14) and lies against it on the end face.

15. The gas bag module according to claim 13, characterized in that each individual part (132, 152) extends through a mounting opening (144) in the side wall (12, 14) associated therewith, through which it is inserted from the exterior, and that the detent connection is provided between the side walls (12, 14) on the individual parts (132, 152).

16. The gas bag module according to claim 13, characterized in that the individual parts (132, 152) extend toward the opposite side wall (12, 14) and have elastically flexible fingers (136, 138, 156, 158, 160) in radial direction with teeth (140, 170) and recesses (142, 172), the teeth and recesses forming the detent connection.

17. The gas bag module according to claim 16, characterized in that one of the fingers (160) is constructed as a sleeve through which a fastening means can be inserted from the exterior for arresting the gas bag module on the vehicle.

18. The gas bag module according to claim 17, characterized in that on the individual part which has the sleeve-shaped finger (160) further fingers (156, 158) are formed and between these and the sleeve-shaped finger (160) fingers (136, 138) of the other individual part are clamped.