Fastener for curtain airbag

• US 7,523,959 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2007
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Newfrey Llc (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Newfrey Llc (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nogami, Mitsuo, Okinaka, Shuichi, Kawasaki, Yoshiharu, Kawai, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; John Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sliteris; Joselynn Y.
• Application Number:
  US11/733,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20070246921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/282.2, 280/782.2, 411/508, 411/509, 411/510, 411/913, 411/80.5, 411/80.6, 411/175, 411/182, 411/41, 411/45, 411/46, 411/47, 411/48, 244/53, 242/97, 244/57, 244/58
• US Class Current: 280/730.2
• 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 37/005 into which threads are cut during screwing
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/0258 using resiliently deformable sleeves, grommets or inserts F16B43/001 takes precedence

Abstract

A fastener for fixing a curtain airbag to a body panel of an automobile comprises a screw grommet having a shank to be inserted into mounting holes of an airbag-anchor portion and a body panel, and a flange to press the airbag-anchor portion against the body panel. The flange has an opening and the shank has a shank hole continuous to the opening into which a tapping screw is driven. The shank has resilient fingers protruding outward from sides of the shank to engage edge regions of mounting holes in a temporary fixing state. The fingers are held in a permanent fixing state by screwing the tapping screw into the shank hole, preventing the fingers from being bent inward. The flange has an edge with an upstanding partition to allow a central region of the flange to be partitioned from a main body of the curtain airbag.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising a curtain airbag having an airbag-anchor portion, and a fastener for fixing the airbag-anchor portion of the curtain airbag to a body panel of a vehicle, wherein the fastener comprises a screw grommet having a flange with a shank extending from one side of the flange through a hole in the airbag-anchor portion and disposed for insertion into a mounting hole of the body panel, and a tapping screw,

wherein the flange has an opening and the shank has a shank hole continuous to the opening to allow the tapping screw to be screwed thereinto,

wherein the shank has resilient engagement fingers protruding outwardly from sides of the shank to engage edge regions of the mounting hole of the body panel, each finger being partially surrounded by a slot through a wall of the shank and projecting through the wall into the shank hole to engage the tapping screw, and

wherein the airbag has an inflatable portion extending from the airbag-anchor portion, and the screw grommet has an integrally formed partition plate extending from the flange between the inflatable portion and the flange opening and separating the inflatable portion from the flange opening.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a protective plate mounted on a side of the flange opposite to the side from which the shank extends and having a perimeter within a perimeter of the flange.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the protective plate is attached to the flange by spaced apart pawls extending from the flange and having portions that overlie respective regions of the protective plate between the pawls.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further including a support plate through which the shank passes at a side of the airbag-anchor portion opposite to the flange.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the airbag-anchor portion has a hole therein, and the shank of the screw grommet extends through the hole in the airbag-anchor portion and then through the mounting hole of the body panel so that the airbag-anchor portion is sandwiched between the flange of the screw grommet and the body panel.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the tapping screw is screwed into the shank hole.

7. Apparatus comprising a curtain airbag having an airbag-anchor portion with an opening therethrough, and a fastener for fixing the airbag-anchor portion of the curtain airbag to a body panel of a vehicle, wherein the fastener comprises a grommet having a flange with a shank extending from one side of the flange,

wherein the flange has an opening and the shank has a shank hole continuous to the opening,

wherein the flange is juxtaposed with the airbag-anchor portion, and the shank extends through the opening in the airbag-anchor portion,

wherein the shank has resilient engagement fingers protruding outwardly from sides of the shank to engage an edge of a mounting hole, and

wherein the airbag has an inflatable portion extending from the airbag-anchor portion, and the grommet has an integrally formed partition plate extending from the flange between the inflatable portion and the flange opening and separating the inflatable portion from the flange opening.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7, further comprising a protective plate mounted on a side of the flange opposite to the side from which the shank extends, having an opening aligned with the flange opening, and having a perimeter within a perimeter of the flange.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the protective plate is attached to the flange by spaced apart pawls extending from the flange and having portions that overlie respective regions of the protective plate between the pawls.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the fastener further comprises an elongated member received in the shank hole after passing through the flange opening and the opening in the airbag-anchor portion,

and wherein the airbag-anchor portion is sandwiched between the flange and the body panel, the shank of the grommet extends through a mounting hole in the body panel, and the resilient engagement fingers engage an edge of the mounting hole in the body panel.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the elongated member engages the resilient engagement fingers in the shank hole to prevent the resilient engagement fingers from moving inwardly of the shank hole.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 11, further comprising a support plate interposed between the airbag-anchor portion and the body panel and having an opening through which the shank extends.

13. Apparatus as defined in 11, wherein the elongated member is a tapping screw screwed into the shank hole.