Airbag assembly load distributing structure
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An airbag assembly comprising:
- a housing defining a cavity and an aperture and comprising a mounting region that is spaced from the aperture, wherein the mounting region is configured to couple the housing with a vehicle structure, wherein the housing comprises a wall that includes a recess, and wherein the aperture of the housing is defined by a portion of the housing that defines at least a portion of the recess;
an inflatable airbag positioned within the cavity of the housing;
an inflator positioned within the cavity of the housing and fluidly coupled with the airbag;
a mounting stem fixedly attached to the inflator and extending through the aperture of the housing from a position at an interior of the cavity of the housing to a position at an exterior of the housing; and
a load distributing plate attached to the mounting stem at an exterior of the housing, wherein the load distributing plate is configured to transfer a force that arises in the mounting stem when the inflator is activated to a region of the housing that is spaced from the aperture, wherein the load distributing plate is spaced from the mounting region of the housing so as not to directly transfer the force from the mounting stem to the vehicle structure, and wherein the load distributing plate comprises an attachment flange that extends into the recess and comprises a base portion that rests against a portion of the wall of the housing that is spaced from the recess.
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Abstract
An airbag assembly can include an inflator that may exert forces on an airbag housing during deployment of an airbag from the housing. The airbag assembly can include a load distributing plate to distribute or delocalize the forces. In some arrangements, the load distributing plate can be attached to the inflator.
37 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An airbag assembly comprising:
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a housing defining a cavity and an aperture and comprising a mounting region that is spaced from the aperture, wherein the mounting region is configured to couple the housing with a vehicle structure, wherein the housing comprises a wall that includes a recess, and wherein the aperture of the housing is defined by a portion of the housing that defines at least a portion of the recess; an inflatable airbag positioned within the cavity of the housing; an inflator positioned within the cavity of the housing and fluidly coupled with the airbag; a mounting stem fixedly attached to the inflator and extending through the aperture of the housing from a position at an interior of the cavity of the housing to a position at an exterior of the housing; and a load distributing plate attached to the mounting stem at an exterior of the housing, wherein the load distributing plate is configured to transfer a force that arises in the mounting stem when the inflator is activated to a region of the housing that is spaced from the aperture, wherein the load distributing plate is spaced from the mounting region of the housing so as not to directly transfer the force from the mounting stem to the vehicle structure, and wherein the load distributing plate comprises an attachment flange that extends into the recess and comprises a base portion that rests against a portion of the wall of the housing that is spaced from the recess. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An airbag assembly comprising:
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a housing defining a cavity and comprising one or more mounting regions that are configured to couple the housing with a vehicle structure, wherein the housing comprises a wall that includes a recess, and wherein the aperture of the housing is defined by a portion of the housing that defines at least a portion of the recess; an inflatable airbag positioned within the cavity of the housing; an inflator positioned within the cavity of the housing and fluidly coupled with the airbag, wherein the inflator is attached to the housing; and a load distributing plate attached to the housing at a first portion of the housing, wherein the load distributing plate comprises an attachment flange that extends into the recess and comprises a base portion that rests against a portion of the wall of the housing that is spaced from the recess, wherein the load distributing plate is configured to transfer a force that arises when the inflator is activated from the first portion of the housing to a second portion of the housing that is spaced from the first portion of the housing, and wherein the load distributing plate is configured to transfer forces solely to regions of the housing that are spaced from the one or more mounting regions. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An airbag assembly comprising:
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a housing defining a cavity and comprising a mounting region that is spaced from the aperture, wherein the mounting region is configured to couple the housing with a vehicle structure; an inflatable airbag positioned within the cavity of the housing; an inflator positioned within the cavity of the housing and fluidly coupled with the airbag; a first mounting stem and a second mounting stem that are each fixedly attached to the inflator and extend through the housing from an interior of the cavity of the housing to an exterior of the housing; and a load distributing plate attached to the first mounting stem but not the second mounting stem, wherein the load distributing plate is configured to transfer a force that arises in the first mounting stem when the inflator is activated to a region of the housing that is spaced from the first mounting stem, and wherein the load distributing plate is spaced from the mounting region of the housing so as not to directly transfer the force from the first mounting stem to the vehicle structure. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification