Mounting bracket for tether release mechanism

• US 7,938,444 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Williams, Jeffrey D., Rose, Larry
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown; Drew
• Application Number:
  US12/251,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20100090445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 280/743.2, 280/728.2, 280/743.1, 280/739
• US Class Current: 280/743.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/23384 having ends which are movable or detachable during deployment
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/2395 comprising means to control the venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/2338 Tethers

Abstract

An inflatable airbag cushion assembly with a release device and a release device mounting bracket. The release device is in electronic communication with at least one sensor in a vehicle and is configured to release one or more active vent tethers or airbag restraining tethers.

Claims

1. A release mechanism bracket configured to receive a tether release mechanism and further configured to be attached to an airbag housing, wherein the bracket and the release mechanism both comprise an aperture through which a tether may protrude,

wherein the bracket comprises a first end, a second end, and a body portion that forms a lumen, the bracket configured to receive the release mechanism into the lumen via the second end,

wherein the first end comprises a guide that is configured to interact with a complementary structure on the release mechanism such that the release mechanism adopts a predetermined orientation within the mounting bracket.

2. The release mechanism bracket of claim 1, wherein the first end comprises a stop such that the release device cannot be inserted into the bracket beyond a predetermined distance.

3. The release mechanism bracket of claim 1, wherein the second end comprises one or more clips that interact with complementary structures on the release mechanism.

4. The release mechanism of claim 3, wherein the complementary structures comprise one or more apertures for receiving the mounting bracket clips.

5. The release mechanism bracket of claim 1, wherein the guide comprises an extension and the corresponding structure on the release mechanism comprises a depression that is configured to receive at least a portion of the guide.

6. A release mechanism bracket configured to receive a tether release mechanism and further configured to be attached to an airbag housing, wherein the bracket and the release mechanism both comprise an aperture through which a tether may protrude,

wherein the bracket comprises a base portion and a vibration damping feature,

wherein the base portion and vibration damping feature are configured to form a gap between them that may receive a portion of the airbag housing and exert a squeezing force on the portion of the housing thereby at least partially allowing the bracket to be coupled to the housing.

7. The release mechanism bracket of claim 6, wherein the vibration damping feature comprises a resilient material such that a predetermined range of airbag housing thicknesses can be accommodated within the gap formed by the base and the vibration damping feature.

8. The release mechanism bracket of claim 6, wherein the bracket comprises one or more housing attachment features.

9. The release mechanism bracket of claim 8, wherein the attachment features comprise clips that are configured to interact with complementary features in the airbag housing.

10. An airbag assembly, comprising:

an airbag housing comprising an aperture for receiving an inflator and a slot that extends away from the aperture such that the slot is open on a first end and closed on a second end;

a release mechanism bracket configured to be attached to the housing; and

,

a release mechanism configured to be received by the release mechanism bracket,

wherein the slot in the housing comprises an enlarged portion that is configured to allow a tether to protrude through the enlarged portion.

11. The airbag assembly of claim 10, wherein the tether comprises a vent tether.

12. An assembled airbag assembly, comprising:

an inflatable cushion membrane, wherein the cushion membrane has been placed in a pre-deployment configuration by subjecting the cushion membrane to a packaging technique chosen from the group consisting of rolling, folding, and rolling and folding, the cushion membrane further comprising;

an active vent; and

,

a vent tether;

an airbag housing that at least partially surrounds the packaged inflatable cushion membrane, wherein the housing comprises a planar bottom portion with an inflator aperture and a slot that has a first end that is contiguous with the inflator aperture, a middle portion that extends away from the inflator aperture, and a second end that terminates before the slot extends through a side wall such that the middle portion and the second end are defined by rims of the bottom portion that are defined by the thickness of the planar bottom portion of the housing,

a release mechanism bracket comprising an aperture, a base and a vibration damping feature, wherein the base and the vibration damping feature define a gap that receives the rims of the housing that define the middle portion and the second end of the slot; and

,

a release mechanism received within the release mechanism bracket, wherein the release mechanism comprises an aperture that is aligned with the aperture in the release mechanism bracket.

13. The airbag assembly of claim 12, wherein a portion of the vent tether extends through the apertures in the release mechanism and release mechanism bracket and is anchored such that during airbag cushion membrane deployment, if the release mechanism does not release the vent tether, the vent tether may apply tension to the active vent.