Air bag and module

• US 6,364,341 B1
• Filed: 11/30/1999
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Breed Automotive Technology, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: He, Simon X., Perkins, Derek, Ennis, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson, Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DRAPER, DEANN L
• Application Number:
  US09/452,083
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/728.1, 280/728.3, 280/732, 280/743, 280/743.1
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/21525 the lid being fixed on the bag, or forming part of the bag wall, or the bag itself being used as wall liner
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2171 specially adapted for elongated cylindrical or bottle-like inflators with a symmetry axis perpendicular to the main direction of bag deployment, e.g. extruded reaction canisters B60R21/2176 takes precedence

Abstract

An air bag (22) having: an inflatable cushion portion (30) and a neck portion (32) in communication therewith, the neck portion defines a receiving opening to receive inflation gas, received from an inflator, to inflate the cushion portion (30). The air bag is made from flexible material and a retainer member(s) (70a,b; 100) and is preferably sewn to at least a part of the neck portion to reinforce the neck portion and to reduce the flexibility of the neck portion. The invention further includes an air bag module that utilizes the above air bag. The module includes a housing and an inflator. The housing has grooves (50a,b) for receiving a first edge of a retainer member and further includes a holding member (41a,b) formed as part of a wall of the housing (24) and which is bent or crimped over to hold a second edge of the retainer member.

Claims

1. An air bag assembly (20) comprising:

an air bag (22) including an inflatable cushion portion (30) and a neck portion (32) in communication therewith, the neck portion defining a receiving opening (33) to receive inflation gas to inflate the cushion portion (30);

the air bag being made from flexible material;

retainer means (70a,b;

100) secured to at least a part of the neck portion for reducing the flexibility of the neck portion;

a housing (24) including receiving means (50a,b) for receiving and holding the retainer means in a preferred orientation and position within the housing;

wherein the receiving means includes a groove (50a,b) formed in the housing (24) for receiving a first edge of the

retainer means and further includes a holding member (41a,b) formed by part of a wall of the housing (24).

2. The assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the holding member includes a portion of the housing that is bent or crimped over to hold a second edge of the retainer means.

3. The assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein in the holding member includes an extending tab into which a second edge of the retainer means snaps.

4. The assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the housing (24) includes a first (40a) and a second (40b) side, each side including a respective, integrally formed groove.

5. The module as defined in claim 4 wherein the housing includes an inflator-receiving chamber (60) and an air bag-receiving chamber (62).

6. The module as defined in claim 5, wherein the air bag subsequent to being attached to the housing is placed within the air bag receiving compartment.

7. An air bag assembly (20) comprising:

an air bag (22) including an inflatable cushion portion (30) and a neck portion (32) in communication therewith, the neck portion defining a receiving opening (33) to receive inflation gas to inflate the cushion portion (30);

the air bag being made from flexible material;

retainer means (70a,b;

100) secured to at least a part of the neck portion for reducing the flexibility of the neck portion;

a housing (24) including receiving means (50a,b) for receiving and holding the retainer means in a preferred orientation and position within the housing;

wherein the air bag when in a groove is positioned farther away from the housing side than the retainer means.

8. An air bag assembly (20) comprising:

an air bag (22), a housing (24) and a cover (202);

the air bag (22) including an inflatable cushion portion (30) and a neck portion (32) in communication therewith, the neck portion defining a receiving opening (33) to receive inflation gas to inflate the cushion portion (30);

the cover including at least one depending wall and a first mounting feature engageable with the housing to enable the cover to be mounted to the housing; and

at least a part of the neck portion is secured to the at least one depending wall;

wherein the depending wall, in part, defines a cavity into which the cushion portion is stored prior to deployment.