Airbag assembly mounting system

• US 7,267,361 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2005
• Issued: 09/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Key Safety Systems, Inc. (Ningbo Junsheng Investment Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hofmann, Volker, Schmidt, Bernhard, Volkmann, Matthias, Merzouk, Med, Verheugen, Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown; Drew J.
• Application Number:
  US11/078,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20050225061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/730.2, 24293-295, 244/58
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• 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: F16B 21/08 in which the stud, pin, or spigot has a resilient part F16B21/065, F16B21/125, F16B21/165, F16B37/043 take precedence; wall-dowels F16B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/0642 the plates being arranged one on top of the other and in full close contact with each other
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/0657 at least one of the plates providing a raised structure, e.g. of the doghouse type, for connection with the clamps or clips of the other plate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/304 Resilient metal type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/44026 for cooperating with aperture in supporting structure or structure-to-be-secured

Abstract

A fastener for fastening an airbag assembly to a structural member of a vehicle has an abutment element with a front side and a reverse side. An expansion element is arranged on the reverse side of the abutment element and is designed so as to clamp the structural member between the abutment element and the expansion element. The expansion element can be arranged on the structural member of the vehicle in a detachable manner and from the front side can be directly or indirectly detached from the structural member with the help of unlocking means.

Claims

1. An airbag assembly mounting system comprising:

a fastener having an abutment element with a front side and a reverse side, an expansion element is arranged on the reverse side of the abutment element and extends through an opening in a structural member of a vehicle so as to clamp the structural member of a vehicle and a component of an airbag or an airbag cover between the reverse side of the abutment element and the expansion element, wherein the expansion element comprises at least two spring arms that comprise two essentially symmetrical first legs originating or starting from a reverse side of the abutment element and extending from the reverse side of the abutment element when viewed in cross section, the first legs converge to a point of contact or at a point of shortest distance to one another to an end region of each first leg to form an essentially V-shape, from the end regions of which second legs extend toward the reverse side of the abutment element, the second legs diverging from one another toward the reverse side of the abutment element to an end of each second leg that is bent such that the end portions of each second leg point towards one another to be used as engagement or abutment regions of the expansion element for or on the structural member, whereby the expansion element can be arranged on the structural member in a detachable manner and from the front side can be directly or indirectly detached from the structural member using unlocking means.

2. The airbag assembly mounting system according to claim 1, wherein the mounting and dismounting direction of the fastener preferably lies essentially parallel to an axis of symmetry of the first legs.

3. The airbag assembly mounting system according to claim 2, wherein the abutment element has passages therein aligned with passages in the structural member of the vehicle to facilitate the dismounting of the airbag assembly using unlocking means that pass through the aligned passages.

4. The airbag assembly mounting system according to claim 2, wherein the expansion element further comprises at least one unlocking section, which projects beyond the front side of the abutment element.

5. The airbag assembly mounting system according to claim 1, wherein the abutment element has passages therein aligned with passages in the structural member of the vehicle to facilitate the dismounting of the airbag assembly using unlocking means that pass through the aligned passages.

6. The airbag assembly mounting system according to claim 1, wherein the expansion element further comprises at least one unlocking section, which projects beyond the front side of the abutment element.

7. The airbag assembly mounting system according to claim 6, wherein the unlocking section is a continuation of at least one second leg.

8. The airbag assembly mounting system according to claim 4, wherein the unlocking section is a continuation of at least one second leg.

9. The airbag assembly mounting system according to claim 1, wherein the abutment element is made resilient by the reverse side of the abutment element adjacent the structural member of the vehicle being concave, or by the reverse side of the abutment element having a spring or a block of a resilient material associated therewith.

10. The airbag assembly mounting system according to claim 1, wherein the abutment element is provided with a means for adhering to at least one of the component of the airbag or the airbag cover and the structural member of the vehicle.

11. An airbag assembly mounting system comprising:

a fastener having an abutment element with a front side and a reverse side, an expansion element is arranged on the reverse side and extends through an opening in a structural member of a vehicle to clamp the structural member of a vehicle and a component of an airbag or an airbag cover between the reverse side of the expansion element and the structural member of the vehicle, the abutment element has passages therein aligned with passages in the structural member of the vehicle to facilitate the dismounting of the airbag assembly using unlocking means that pass through the aligned passages; and

wherein the expansion element comprises at least two essentially symmetrical first legs that start or originate from the reverse side of the abutment element and extend from the reverse side of the abutment element and are positioned relative to one another such that in a cross section they converge to a point of contact or at a point of shortest distance to one another to form essentially a V pointing away from the reverse side the abutment element, each first leg being bent back to form second legs that extend from the first legs, the second legs diverging from one another as the second legs approach the reverse side of the abutment element.

12. The airbag assembly mounting system according to claim 11, wherein the reverse side of the abutment element adjacent the structural member of the vehicle is concave.

13. An airbag assembly mounting system comprising:

an airbag assembly comprising an airbag cover in which an airbag is accommodated, the airbag cover having a tab extending therefrom;

a fastener having an abutment element with a front side and a reverse side, an expansion element that comprises at least two essentially symmetrical first legs that orginate or start from the reverse side of the abutment element and extend from the reverse side of the abutment element and are positioned relative to one another such that in a cross section they converge to a point of contact or at a point of shortest distance to one another to form essentially a V pointing away from the reverse side of the abutment element, each first leg being bent back to form second legs that extend from the first legs, the second legs diverging from one another as the second legs approach the reverse side of the abutment element, the expansion element extends through an opening in the tab and an opening in a structural member of a vehicle to clamp the tab between the reverse side of the expansion element and the structural member of the vehicle, the abutment element has passages therein aligned with passages in the structural member of the vehicle to facilitate the dismounting of the airbag assembly using unlocking means that pass through the aligned passages.

14. The airbag assembly mounting system according to claim 13, wherein the reverse side of the abutment element adjacent the structural member of the vehicle is concave.