Assembly consisting of an inflator, a housing and a retainer

• US 6,796,582 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2002
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: TRW Occupant Restraint Systems GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Scholz, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): PRICE JR, RICHARD THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US10/195,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20030020267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 280/740-742, 280/728.1
• US Class Current: 280/741
• 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 assembly consisting of a cylindrical inflator , a housing and a retainer by means of which the inflator can be fixed in the housing. The inflator has a longitudinal centerline and a cirumferential surface area and the retainer comprises a circular opening with an edge. Protruding from the edge into the opening are tabs which engage the circumferential surface area of the inflator to fix the latter in the opening.

Claims

1. An assembly comprising:

a cylindrical inflator, a housing and a retainer fixing said inflator in said housing, said inflator featuring a longitudinal centerline and a circumferential surface area and said retainer comprising a circular opening with an edge, tabs protruding from said edge into said opening which engage said circumferential surface area of said inflator to fix the latter in said opening.

2. The assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said tabs are curved about an axis which is parallel to said longitudinal centerline.

3. The assembly as set forth in claim 2, wherein said tabs comprise a free end and a base at which they are connected to said edge of said opening, and wherein a radius of curvature of said tabs in the region of said base substantially corresponds to a radius of said circumferential surface area of said inflator.

4. The assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein said radius of curvature of said tabs increases towards said free end.

5. The assembly as set forth in claim 3, wherein said free end of said tabs is bent towards said longitudinal centerline.