Recyclable airbag module housing

• US 6,422,589 B1
• Filed: 12/18/1998
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autoliv AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: Guthke, Detlev Wilhelm, Jacobs, Udo, Baert, Traci Carol, Ostermann, Folkert J, Hannemann, Jens, Shepherd, Jeffrey Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Boehler, Anne Marie
• Assistant Examiner(s): FISCHMANN, BRYAN R
• Application Number:
  US09/216,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20020067028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/732, 280/741
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• 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

A air bag module comprises an inflator, a unitary polymeric housing, and an air bag retainer of the same or similar material. The housing has integral walls forming an inflator chamber which include an inflator mounting stud aperture, a plurality of integral supports for the inflator, an integral peripheral rim forming an airbag chamber, and an integral upper wall having inflator gas diffuser apertures. An inflator stud fastener secures the inflator to the housing. The retainer and housing have integral cooperating fasteners for securing the retainer to the housing. A polymeric cover closes the retainer and confines the attached air bag. The housing and retainer are formed of the same recyclable material such that the air bag assembly can be recycled by simply removing only the stud fastener and the inflator. Several embodiments of the housing, retainer and fasteners are disclosed. In one embodiment, an inflator gas diffuser that is integral with the housing.

Claims

1. A recyclable air bag assembly comprising:

a) an inflator having an inflator stud;

b) a unitary housing having integral walls forming an inflator chamber, said inflator chamber including an inflator passage opening formed in the unitary housing, an inflator mounting stud aperture, a plurality of integral supports for the inflator, an integral peripheral rim forming an airbag chamber, an integral upper wall having inflator gas diffuser apertures formed therein, and a peripheral flange expanding outwardly from said airbag chamber;

c) an inflator stud fastener for securing the inflator to the housing, said inflator stud depending outwardly from said unitary housing when said inflator is inserted into said inflator chamber through said inflator chamber opening;

d) an air bag retainer having an inflatable cushion secured thereto; and

e) a plurality of fasteners for being secured into a plurality of fastener openings in said flange, wherein the housing, the retainer, the inflatable cushion, and the fasteners are formed of materials that are recyclable together such that the air bag assembly can be recycled as a single unit only after removing only the stud fastener from the inflator and passing the inflator from the inflator chamber through the inflator passage opening.

2. The recyclable air bag assembly as in claim 1, wherein the housing includes an integral inflator gas diffuser.

3. The recyclable air bag assembly as in claim 1, wherein the recyclable material is a plastic.

4. The recyclable air bag assembly as in claim 1, wherein the integral supports include a locating collar located opposite the inflator passage opening, the integral supports serving to align the inflator within the inflator cavity.

5. The recyclable air bag assembly as in claim 1, wherein said peripheral flange is located above said inflator cavity.

6. The recyclable air bag assembly as in claim 1, wherein said opening is configured, dimensioned and positioned to allow said inflator to be inserted and/or removed from said inflator cavity while said air bag retainer is secured to said housing assembly.

7. The recyclable air bag assembly as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of cooperating fasteners includes a plurality of securing members which are configured, dimensioned and positioned to be received within a plurality of apertures in said inflator housing.

8. The recyclable air bag housing assembly as in claim 7, wherein said plurality of securing members are heat staked to secure said air bag retainer to said inflator housing.

9. A method for providing a recyclable air bag module housing, comprising:

a) molding a housing of a recyclable material, said housing having an access opening, a securement opening and an inflation passageway;

b) inserting an inflator into said access opening in a first side wall of said housing, said inflator having a mounting stud that protrudes through said securement opening when said inflator is inserted into said housing, said securement opening being positioned in a second side wall of said housing; and

c) fixedly mounting an air bag retainer to an upper periphery of said housing via a plurality of mounting studs such that an inflatable cushion is in fluid communication with said inflator, said upper periphery providing a perimeter to said inflation passageway, said air bag retainer, and said mounting studs being formed of said recyclable material, wherein said inflatable cushion is formed of a second material that is recyclable together with said recyclable material.

10. The method as in claim 9, wherein said retainer is fixedly mounted to said upper periphery of said housing by heat staking said plurality of mounting studs of said retainer into a plurality of mounting openings in said housing.

11. The method as in claim 10, wherein said plurality of mounting openings are located on a peripheral flange extending outwardly from said housing.

12. A recyclable air bag housing assembly, comprising:

a) an inflator housing having an inflator cavity for receiving an inflator;

b) a diffuser with a plurality of diffuser openings for providing fluid communication to said inflator cavity;

c) an airbag cavity positioned above said inflator cavity and said diffuser, said airbag cavity being in fluid communication with said inflator cavity;

d) a flange disposed around the perimeter of said airbag cavity, said flange depending outwardly from said inflator housing and having a securement surface with a plurality of securement openings;

e) an air bag retainer for securing an air bag to said housing assembly so that said inflator may inflate said air bag, said air bag retainer having a plurality of securement studs for being received within said securement openings; and

f) an opening formed in said inflator housing, said opening being configured and dimensioned to allow said inflator to be inserted into said inflator cavity and be removed from said inflator cavity without having to remove said air bag retainer, said inflator being constructed out of a first material and said inflator housing, said securement studs, and said air bag retainer being constructed out of a second material, said inflatable cushion being constructed out of a third material, said third material and said second material being recyclable together, said inflator housing having integral supports for supporting the inflator in the inflator cavity.

13. The recyclable air bag housing assembly as in claim 12, wherein said plurality of securement studs are integral with said air bag retainer.

14. The recyclable air bag housing assembly as in claim 13, wherein said second material is plastic.

15. The recyclable air bag housing assembly as in claim 14, wherein said plurality of securement studs are heat staked to said flange.

16. The recyclable air bag housing assembly as in claim 12, wherein said plurality of securement studs are heat staked to said flange.

17. A recyclable air bag module for use with an inflator having an inflator mounting stud at an end, comprising:

a housing having walls, a base and an open top defining an inflation chamber, a first of said walls having an inflator passage opening, a second of said walls being opposite said first of said walls and having an inflator mounting stud aperture, the inflator being receivable through said inflator opening such that the end having the inflator mounting stud is receivable through said inflator mounting stud aperture, said housing being formed of a recyclable polymer material;

an inflatable cushion;

an air bag retainer being secured to said inflatable cushion and being configured to be secured to said housing above an axis defined through said inflator passage opening and said inflator mounting stud aperture, said air bag retainer being formed of said recyclable polymer material; and

fasteners for securing said air bag retainer to said housing, said fasteners being formed of said recyclable polymer material, wherein said inflatable cushion is formed of a material that is recyclable together with said recyclable polymer material such that the air bag module is recyclable as a single unit only after removing only the inflator mounting stud from said inflator mounting stud aperture and passing the inflator from said inflator chamber through said inflator passage opening.

18. The recyclable air bag module of claim 17, wherein said housing further comprises:

an inflator cavity defined in said inflation chamber, said inflator cavity being configured to receive the inflator along said axis; and

an airbag cavity defined in said inflation chamber, said airbag cavity being positioned above said inflator cavity, said airbag cavity being in fluid communication with said inflator cavity.

19. The recyclable air bag module of claim 18, herein said housing further comprises:

a diffuser disposed between said inflator cavity and said airbag cavity, said diffuser having a plurality of diffuser openings for providing fluid communication between said inflator cavity and said air bag cavity.

20. The recyclable air bag module of claim 19, wherein said housing further comprises:

a flange disposed around an upper perimeter of said air bag cavity, said flange depending outwardly from said housing and having a plurality of securement openings, and said fasteners being a plurality of securement studs extending from said air bag retainer and being receivable by said plurality of securement openings.

21. The recyclable air bag module of claim 20, wherein said fasteners are heat staked to secure said air bag retainer to said housing.

22. A air bag module for use with an inflator having an inflator mounting stud at an end, comprising:

a housing having walls, a base and an open top defining an inflation chamber, a first of said walls having an inflator passage opening, a second of said walls being opposite said first of said walls and having an inflator mounting stud aperture, the inflator being receivable through said inflator opening such that the end having the inflator mounting stud is receivable through said inflator mounting stud aperture, said housing being formed of a nylon or polyester material;

an air bag retainer being formed of said nylon or polyester material;

a plurality of fasteners being formed of said nylon or polyester material, said plurality of fasteners being configured to secure said air bag retainer to said housing across said open top of said inflation chamber; and

an inflatable cushion being secured by said air bag retainer across said open top of said inflation chamber, wherein said inflatable cushion is formed of a material such that said housing, said air bag retainer, said plurality of fasteners, and said inflatable cushion can be recycled together after removing the inflator mounting stud from said inflator mounting stud aperture and passing the inflator from said inflator chamber through said inflator opening.

23. The air bag module as in claim 22, further comprising:

a cover being secured over said air bag retainer, said cover also being formed of said nylon or polyester material such that said housing, said air bag retainer, said plurality of fasteners, said cover, and said inflatable cushion can be recycled together after removing the inflator mounting stud from said inflator mounting stud aperture and passing the inflator from said inflator chamber through said inflator opening.

24. A air bag module adapted for use with an inflator, comprising:

a housing, an air bag retainer, and a plurality of fasteners all being formed of a nylon or polyester material; and

an inflatable cushion being secured by said air bag retainer across an open top of said housing, wherein said inflatable cushion is formed of a material such that said housing, said air bag retainer, said plurality of fasteners, and said inflatable cushion can be recycled together without disassembly.

25. The air bag module as in claim 24, further comprising:

a cover being secured over said air bag retainer, said cover also being formed of said nylon or polyester material such that said housing, said air bag retainer, said plurality of fasteners, said cover, and said inflatable cushion can be recycled together without disassembly.

26. The air bag module as in claim 25, wherein said housing, said air bag retainer, said plurality of fasteners, and said cover are formed of nylon.