Air bag housing and method of making

• US 6,834,883 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2002
• Issued: 12/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autoliv Development AB (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Visconti, Carl H., Damian, Steven A., Pinsenschaum, Ryan T.
• Primary Examiner(s): English, Peter C.
• Application Number:
  US10/095,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20020175443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/728.3, 280/731, 280/732, 280/728.1
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2793/0027 Cutting off
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/58 Snap connection
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/542 joining hollow covers or hollow bottoms to open ends of container bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/52 Pultrusion, i.e. forming and compressing by continuously pulling through a die
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/06 containing reinforcements, fillers or inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/08 of continuous length, e.g. cords, rovings, mats, fabrics, strands or yarns
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2022/027 Air bags
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/003 having a profiled transverse cross-section
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2176 the air bag components being completely enclosed in a soft or semi-rigid housing or cover

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a passenger airbag housing using a continuous flow or constant cross-section process, the process will enable maximum design flexibility when multiple materials are capable of being used. The method will have a short design and tooling lead-time providing lean processing and a common footprint over a family of designs. A method of structurally reinforcing a passenger air bag housing by inserting a structural member into the continuous flow or constant cross-section process.

Claims

1. An elongated housing for use in a passenger air bag module, comprising:

a pair of sidewalls and a bottom defining an internal cavity, said internal cavity having an opening configured to allow an inflatable cushion to deploy from said internal cavity;

a plurality of securement features formed in the housing;

a plurality of steel cables disposed within said pair of sidewalls, said plurality of steel cables being located proximate to said plurality of securement features during a process for forming the housing, wherein there is no thickening of said pair of sidewalls and bottom proximate to said plurality of steel cables.

2. The housing as in claim 1, wherein the process for forming the housing is a pultrusion process.

3. The housing as in claim 1, wherein the process for forming the housing is an extrusion process.

4. The elongated housing as in claim 1, wherein the process for forming the housing comprises the steps of:

forming said housing using a continuous flow process, wherein said continuous flow process provides said housing with a constant cross-sectional configuration.

5. The elongated housing as in claim 4, wherein the housing has a common configuration for use in a family of designs.

6. The elongated housing as in claim 4, wherein said continuous flow process is a pultrusion process.

7. The elongated housing as in claim 4, wherein said plurality of cables are fed into said housing as it is being formed by said continuous flow process.

8. the elongated housing as in claim 4, wherein said internal cavity has a channel shape configured for receiving and engaging components of an airbag module.

9. The elongated housing as in claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of securement features is a securing member depending away from said housing.

10. The elongated housing as in claim 1, wherein one of said securement features receives a portion of a cover of said housing.

11. The housing as in claim 1, wherein the process for forming the housing includes the step of preheating said plurality of steel cables by induction heating prior to their inclusion in said housing and said housing is formed with a thermoplastic material.

12. The housing as in claim 11, wherein said housing further comprises a protective cover and wherein said process is an extrusion process.

13. A housing for an airbag module, comprising:

a pair of opposing sidewalls and a bottom member disposed therebetween, said pair of opposing sidewalls and said bottom member defining an internal cavity, said housing being formed from a continuous flow process that allows the housing to be manufactured from multiple materials, wherein a continuous structural material is added to said pair of opposing sidewalls and said bottom member during said continuous flow process, said continuous structural material extending along the length of said housing, wherein said continuous structural material is a plurality of steel cables disposed within said pair of opposing sidewalls, said plurality of steel cables being located proximate to a plurality of securement features of said housing during said continuous flow process, wherein there is no thickening of said pair of opposing sidewalls and said bottom proximate to said plurality of steel cables.

14. The housing as in claim 13, wherein said continuous flow process is a pultrusion process wherein said pair of opposing sidewalls and said bottom member are formed from a thermoplastic material.

15. The housing as in claim 14, wherein said continuous flow process includes the step of preheating said plurality of steel cables prior to their inclusion in the thermoplastic material.

16. The housing as in claim 13, wherein said housing further comprises an interior wall with a plurality of openings, said interior wall being disposed in said internal cavity and defining an inflator cavity and an airbag cavity within said internal cavity.

17. The housing as in claim 13, wherein said housing further comprises a protective cover.

18. The housing as in claim 13, wherein said continuous flow process includes the step of preheating said plurality of steel cables prior to their inclusion in said housing.

19. The housing as in claim 18, wherein said plurality of steel cables are preheated by induction heating.

20. The housing as in claim 13, wherein said housing further comprises a protective cover and wherein said continuous flow process is an extrusion process.