Curtain air bag module and mounting clip

• US 7,887,086 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2008
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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: Kalandek, Bruce A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, DREW J
• Application Number:
  US12/209,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20100066060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/730.2, 248/200, 248/225.11
• US Class Current: 280/728.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• 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 21/232 Curtain-type airbags deploying mainly in a vertical direction from their top edge

Abstract

An air bag module (50) comprising: a curtain air bag (20) having an inflatable portion and a mounting portion, the mounting portion or tab (30) including opposing first and second mounting sides or surfaces; a mounting bracket or clip (100) for the inflatable curtain air bag, comprising first and second plates (110, 120), each plate engagable with a respective first or second mounting side or surface (104, 106), the first plate having a first opening (160) and the second plate having a second opening (170); the first plate about the first opening, including a plurality of bendable first tabs (164a-d), each first tab deformable through the second opening to provide a crimp contact between the first plate (110) and the second plate (120) thereby trapping the mounting portion or tab (30) of the air bag between the first and second plates.

Claims

1. An air bag module comprising:

a curtain air bag having an inflatable portion and a mounting portion, the mounting portion including opposing first and second mounting sides or surfaces;

a mounting bracket for the inflatable curtain air bag, comprising first and second plates, each plate respectively positioned opposite one of the first or second mounting side or surface of the mounting portion,

the first plate having a first opening and the second plate having a second opening;

the first plate about the first opening, including a plurality of bendable first tabs, each first tab deformable through the second opening to be positioned against an exterior surface of the second plate.

2. The module according to claim 1 wherein the bendable first tabs are configured to provide a crimp contact between the first plate and the second plate thereby trapping the mounting portion of the air bag between the first and second plates.

3. The air bag module according to claim 1 wherein the mounting bracket is configured to receive a mounting fastener to mount the module to a mounting surface, and upon tightening of the mounting fastener, the mounting fastener loads the first tabs.

4. The air bag module according to claim 3 including a plurality of integrally formed hooks configured to be received within a mounting opening in the mounting surface to hold the air bag in place upon the mounting surface prior to tightening of the mounting fastener, the hooks configured to limit rotation of the mounting clip upon tightening of the mounting fastener.

5. The air bag module according to claim 4 wherein the first or second plate is configured to hold the mounting fastener in the mounting clip prior to hooking the mounting clip to the mounting surface.

6. The air bag module according to claim 1 including a plurality of integrally formed hooks configured to be received within the mounting opening in the mounting surface to hold the air bag in place upon the mounting surface prior to tightening of the mounting fastener and to limit rotation of the mounting clip upon tightening of the mounting fastener.

7. The air bag module according to claim 1 wherein the first or the second plate includes a plurality of fastener support tabs, each tab of the plurality of fastener support tabs extending radially inwardly from an outer edge of the first or second opening, distal ends of each fastener support tab spaced from each other, the distal ends configured to threadably receive a threaded fastener thereto.

8. The air bag module according to claim 1 wherein the first plate includes a plurality of fastener support first tabs, each first tab extending radially inwardly from an outer edge of the first opening, distal ends of each first tab spaced from each other;

and wherein the second plate includes a plurality of fastener support second tabs, each second tab extending radially inwardly from an outer edge of the second opening, distal ends of each second tab spaced from each other;

wherein spacing between the distal ends of the first tabs and the second tabs are relatively configurable to receive a threaded fastener.

9. The air bag module according to claim 8 wherein the pitch of the teeth of the threaded fastener is equal to a multiple of or a sub-multiple of the spacing between the plates (110, 120).

10. The air bag module according to claim 9 wherein the bracket is configured as a metal stamping or as an injection molding.

11. A mounting bracket for an inflatable curtain air bag comprising first and second plates for engaging a mounting portion of the air bag, each plate engagable with a respective opposing side or surface of the mounting portion of the air bag, the first plate having a first opening and the second plate having a second opening;

the first plate about the first opening including a plurality of bendable first tabs, each first tab, deformed through the second opening to provide a crimp contact between the first plate and the second plate thereby trapping the mounting portion of the air bag therebetween.

12. A mounting bracket for an inflatable curtain air bag comprising first and second plates for engaging a mounting portion of the air bag, the plates configured to provide:

a) prefixation of the air bag to a mounting surface, b) anti-twist of the mounting portion, c) anti-torque relaxation of a mounting fastener and d) retention of the mounting fastener.

13. The mounting bracket according to claim 12 wherein each plate is respectively positioned opposite one of a first or a second mounting side or surface of the mounting portion, and wherein

the first plate has a first opening and the second plate has a second opening;

the first plate about the first opening includes a plurality of bendable first tabs, each first tab deformable through the second opening to be positioned against an exterior surface of the second plate.

14. The air bag module according to claim 13 wherein the mounting bracket is configured to receive a mounting fastener to mount the mounting bracket to a mounting surface, and upon tightening of the mounting fastener, the mounting fastener loads the first tabs.

15. A mounting bracket for an inflatable curtain air bag:

the mounting bracket formed from a bendable flat metal plate, the plate having a first surface and an opposing second surface, the plate having a center portion and first and second members oppositely disposed and bendable about the center portion, the metal plate configured to be folded about the center portion to bring respective first surfaces of the first and second members from a planar orientation to a facing, spaced-apart orientation;

the first and second members each in the form of a geometric shape having a top, a bottom, and opposing first and second sides, each bottom being of a wider dimension than a corresponding top, the top of each of the first and second member being proximate to and forming part of the center portion;

the first member including integrally formed first and second hooks, each hook extending from a respective first or second side, distal ends of the first and second hooks extending near an imaginary line linking corresponding corners of the respective bottoms of the first and second members, the first and second hooks configured to be bendable perpendicularly to the first surface of the metal plate and once bent to extend over the second member;

the first member has a first opening and the second member has a second opening;

the first member about the first opening includes a plurality of bendable first tabs,

the bracket is configured that after the first and second members are placed in the spaced-apart orientation the end of each first tab is deformable through the second opening to provide a crimp contact between the first member and the second member to trap a mounting portion of the air bag therebetween;

the first member also including about the first opening a plurality of first fastener holding tabs, each first fastener holding tab located between two bendable first tabs, distal ends of each first fastener holding tab spaced from each other;

the second member includes a plurality of second fastener holding tabs, each second fastener holding tab extending radially inwardly from an outer edge of the second opening, distal ends of each second fastener holding tab spaced from each other;

wherein when the first and second members are in the spaced-apart orientation, the distal ends of the first and second fastener holding tabs are spaced apart and configured to receive a threaded fastener with a predetermined thread pitch, the spacing between the distal ends of the first or second fastener holding tabs or both of the first and second fastener holding tabs being correlated to the pitch of fastener thread.

16. The mounting bracket according to claim 15 wherein the first tabs are generally trapezoidal in shape.

17. The mounting bracket according to claim 15 wherein the first fastener holding tabs are narrow and generally rectangular in shape.

18. The mounting bracket according to claim 15 wherein the second fastener holding tabs are narrow and generally rectangular in shape.

19. The mounting bracket according to claim 15 wherein each hook does not extend beyond the imaginary line.

20. The mounting bracket according to claim 15 wherein the bracket is configured as a metal stamping or as an injection molding.