Airbag device

• US 7,604,250 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2006
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagata, Atsushi, Hotta, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilhelm; Timothy
• Application Number:
  US11/434,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20060279073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/730.1, 280/752, 280/753, 280/740
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23169 specially adapted for knee protection
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23324 Inner walls crating separate compartments, e.g. communicating with vents
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23382 Internal tether means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/205 in dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/206 in the lower part of dashboards, e.g. for protecting the knees
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/217 Inflation fluid source retainers, e.g. reaction canisters; Connection of bags, covers, diffusers or inflation fluid sources therewith or together
• 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 21/237 characterised by the way they are folded

Abstract

In an airbag device of the invention, by making use of a retainer which is made up of a retaining part which is provided on an outside of an inflator and bolt parts, an airbag and the inflator are fixed to a fixing wall portion of a case by fastening nuts onto the bolt parts which are caused to protrude from the fixing wall portion of the case in such a state the retaining part is housed within the airbag. A support projection is formed on the fixing wall portion in such a manner as to protrude therefrom toward the inflator side. When the nuts are fastened, the retainer moves the retaining part toward the fixing wall portion side, so that the inflator is held between and retained by abutment portions formed on the retaining part and the support projection.

Claims

1. A method of assembling an airbag device including a folded airbag, an inflator having a substantially cylinder shape for supplying a gas to the airbag, and a case made of a sheet metal in which the airbag and the inflator are housed, and a retainer made of a sheet metal including a retaining part having a substantially cylindrical shape in which the inflator is provided and a bolt part protruding perpendicularly to an axial direction of the retaining part, comprising the steps of:

housing the retainer in the airbag in a folded state such that the bolt part protrudes from the airbag;

housing the airbag in the case;

passing the bolt part through a passage hole formed on a fixing wall portion of the case;

fastening a nut onto the bolt part to fix the retainer to the fixing wall portion, wherein the inflator is retained by the retainer substantially at the same time that the retainer is fixed to the fixing wall portion; and

retaining the inflator only by a support projection formed on the fixing wall portion and an abutment portion in the retainer such that the support projection prevents the inflator from being in contact with an inner face of the retainer.

2. A method of assembling an airbag device, according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

folding the airbag such that the retaining part of the retainer is housed therein while a locking claw portion is protruded at an axial end of the retaining part;

housing the airbag in the case;

locking the locking claw portion at a circumferential edge of an insertion hole of the airbag to thereby substantially align a center axis of an inflator insertion opening of the retaining part with a center axis of the insertion hole of the airbag; and

inserting the inflator into the airbag from the insertion hole of the airbag through a passage hole in the case.

3. A method of assembling an airbag device, according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing a dislodgement preventing member having a securing plate portion, a locking hook formed on the securing plate portion and a fixing portion continuous from the securing plate portion;

inserting the locking hook in an opening on a side of the retainer; and

securing the fixing portion to the case by fastening the nut onto the bolt part such that the securing plate portion secures an end of the inflator.

4. An airbag device comprising:

a folded airbag;

an inflator having a substantially cylinder shape for supplying a gas to the airbag;

a case made of a sheet metal in which the airbag and the inflator are housed; and

a retainer made of a sheet metal including a retaining part having a substantially cylindrical shape in which the inflator is provided and a bolt part protruding perpendicularly to an axial direction of the retaining part;

wherein the retainer is housed in the airbag in a folded state such that the bolt part protrudes from the airbag;

the airbag having the retainer therein is housed in the case,

the bolt part is passed through a passage hole formed on a fixing wall portion of the case, and

a nut is fastened onto the bolt part to fix the retainer to the fixing wall portion, wherein the inflator is retained by the retainer substantially at the same time that the retainer is fixed to the fixing wall portion, wherein

a support projection protruding toward the inflator is formed on the fixing wall portion at a position deviated in an axial direction of the inflator from the passage hole,

when the retaining part is moved toward the fixing wall portion by fastening the nut, the inflator is fixed to the fixing wall portion by clamping a part of the inflator between an abutment portion formed in the retaining part and the support projection when the nut is fastened, and

the inflator is retained only by the support projection and the abutment portion such that the support projection prevents the inflator from being in contact with an inner face of the retainer.

5. An airbag device according to claim 4, wherein the abutment portion is one of a pair of abutment portions formed along a circumference of the retaining part in a cross section perpendicular to an axial direction of the retaining part, such that the abutment portions are opposed to the bolt part.

6. An airbag device according to claim 4, wherein the bolt part is one of a pair of bolt parts provided along the axial direction of the retaining part,

the passage hole is one of a pair of passage holes on the fixing wall portion, and

the support projection is provided so as to be located between the pair of passage holes on the fixing wall portion.

7. An airbag device comprising:

a folded airbag;

an inflator having a substantially cylinder shape for supplying a gas to the airbag;

a case made of a sheet metal in which the airbag and the inflator are housed; and

a retainer made of a sheet metal including a retaining part having a substantially cylindrical shape in which the inflator is provided and a bolt part protruding perpendicularly to an axial direction of the retaining part;

wherein the retainer is housed in the airbag in a folded state such that the bolt part protrudes from the airbag;

the airbag in which the retainer is housed is housed in the case,

the bolt part is passed through a passage hole formed on a fixing wall portion of the case, and

a nut is fastened onto the bolt part to fix the retainer to the fixing wall portion, wherein the inflator is retained by the retainer substantially at the same time that the retainer is fixed to the fixing wall portion; and

wherein the airbag is folded such that the retaining part of the retainer is housed therein while a locking claw portion is protruded at an axial end of the retaining part;

the airbag is housed in the case;

the locking claw portion is locked at a circumferential edge of an insertion hole of the airbag to thereby substantially align a center axis of an inflator insertion opening of the retaining part with a center axis of the insertion hole of the airbag; and

the inflator is inserted into the airbag from the insertion hole of the airbag through a passage hole in the case.

8. An airbag device according to claim 7, wherein the locking claw portion is provided at a position substantially symmetrical with the bolt part around a center of the insertion hole as center of point symmetry in a state that the retainer is housed within the airbag, when the locking claw portion and the bolt portion are projected onto a common plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the inflator.

9. An airbag device comprising:

a folded airbag;

an inflator having a substantially cylinder shape for supplying a gas to the airbag;

a case made of a sheet metal in which the airbag and the inflator are housed; and

a retainer made of a sheet metal including a retaining part having a substantially cylindrical shape in which the inflator is provided and a bolt part protruding perpendicularly to an axial direction of the retaining part, wherein

the inflator and the retainer are housed in the airbag such that the bolt part protrudes from the airbag and passes through a passage hole on a fixing wall portion of the case,

a nut is fastened onto the bolt part to thereby fix the airbag and the inflator to the fixing wall portion,

a support projection protruding toward the inflator is formed on the fixing wall portion at a position deviated in an axial direction of the inflator from the passage hole, and

when the retaining part is moved toward the fixing wall portion by fastening the nut,

the inflator is fixed to the fixing wall portion while clamping a part of the inflator between an abutment portion of the retaining part and the support projection, and

the inflator is retained only by the support projection and the abutment portion such that the support projection prevents the inflator from being in contact with an inner face of the retainer.

10. An airbag device according to claim 9, wherein the abutment portion is one of a pair of abutment portions formed along a circumference of the retaining part in a cross section perpendicular to an axial direction of the retaining part, such that the abutment portions are opposed to the bolt part.

11. An airbag according to claim 9, wherein the bolt part is one of a pair of bolt parts provided along the axial direction of the retaining part, and

the support projection is provided so as to be located between a pair of the passage holes on the fixing wall portion.

12. An airbag device comprising:

a folded airbag;

an inflator of a substantially cylinder shape, having a gas discharge port provided at a first end thereof for supplying a gas to the airbag and a part to which a connector connected to an airbag activation circuit through a lead wire is mounted at a second end thereof, wherein the inflator is housed within the case such that a bolt part provided on a retainer passes through a fixing wall portion of the case and the second end of the inflator protrudes from a passage hole formed in the case and then the inflator is fixed to the case with the retainer when a nut is fastened onto the bolt part;

a case made of a sheet metal in which the airbag and the inflator are housed; and

a dislodgement preventing member is provided on an outer side of the case for securing the first end of the inflator protruding from the passage hole so as to prevent a dislodgement of the inflator from the case, the dislodgement preventing member including;

a securing plate portion which extends perpendicularly to an axial direction of the inflator for securing the first end of the inflator and which includes an opening through which the connector is connected to the inflator, and

a fixing portion continuous from the securing plate portion extending along the axial direction of the inflator for being fixed to the case when the nut is fastened onto the bolt part; and

a locking hook provided on the securing plate portion for being locked on the case so as to suppress a movement of the securing plate portion in the axial direction of the inflator.

13. An airbag device according to claim 12, wherein the dislodgement preventing member is formed from a sheet metal, and

wherein an opening into which the locking hook is inserted is located such that the locking hook is brought into press contact with a wall portion on an inner surface of the case.

14. An airbag device comprising:

a folded airbag;

an inflator having a substantially cylinder shape for supplying a gas to the airbag;

a case made of a sheet metal in which the airbag and the inflator are housed; and

a retainer made of a sheet metal including a retaining part having a substantially cylindrical shape in which the inflator is provided and a bolt part protruding perpendicularly to an axial direction of the retaining part;

wherein the airbag is folded to house the retainer that is inserted through an insertion hole on the airbag and a passage hole on the case, and

wherein a locking claw portion protruded at an axial end of the retaining part is locked at a circumferential edge of the insertion hole of the airbag when the airbag is housed within the case to thereby substantially align a center axis of an inflator insertion opening of the retaining part with a center axis of the insertion hole.

15. An airbag device according to claim 14, wherein the locking claw portion is provided at a position substantially symmetrical with the bolt part around a center of the insertion hole as center of point symmetry in a state that the retainer is housed within the airbag, when the locking claw portion and the bolt portion are projected onto a common plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the inflator.