Base-mounted airbag inflator and related methods and systems

• US 9,421,939 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2014
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Smith, Bradley W., Jordan, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Condra, Darlene P
• Application Number:
  US14/300,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20150353046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 280/728.2, 280/728.1, 280/730.1, 280/731, 280/732, 280/743.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Abstract

Apparatus and systems for coupling a base of an airbag inflator with a housing, such as an airbag module housing or an adapter housing configured to be coupled with an airbag module housing. In some embodiments, a vehicle airbag assembly may comprise a housing comprising an opening and a plurality of notches. An inflator comprising an inflator base may be received in the opening such that at least a portion of the inflator base extends out of the opening. A plurality of tabs may be positioned about the inflator base. The plurality of tabs may be configured to be received in the plurality of notches and misaligned with the plurality of notches by rotating the plurality of notches with respect to at least one component of the vehicle airbag assembly, such as a retaining washer, to prevent the inflator base from being withdrawn from the opening.

Claims

1. A vehicle airbag assembly, comprising:

a housing comprising a housing opening, wherein the housing comprises an interior surface configured to receive an airbag cushion and an exterior surface opposite from the interior surface;

an inflator comprising an inflator base configured to be received in the housing opening, wherein the inflator base is configured to extend at least partially through the housing opening such that at least a portion of the inflator base extends out of the housing opening and is positioned adjacent to the exterior surface of the housing, wherein the housing opening comprises a plurality of notches, wherein the inflator base comprises a plurality of tabs, and wherein the plurality of tabs is configured to be received in the plurality of notches; and

a retaining washer comprising a retaining washer opening, wherein the retaining washer is configured to be positioned such that at least a portion of the inflator base extends through the retaining washer opening and such that at least a portion of the retaining washer contacts the exterior surface of the housing, wherein the retaining washer is configured to be rotated with respect to the inflator base to mount the inflator to the housing and to prevent the inflator base from being withdrawn from the housing opening, and wherein the retaining washer and the inflator base have a configuration such that rotation alone of the washer with respect to the inflator base mounts the inflator to the housing and prevents the inflator base from being withdrawn from the housing opening.

2. The vehicle airbag assembly of claim 1, further comprising an inflator base collar configured to be positioned about the inflator base, wherein the plurality of tabs is formed on the inflator base collar.

3. The vehicle airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the retaining washer further comprises a plurality of retaining washer notches configured to allow the retaining washer to be positioned over the plurality of tabs.

4. The vehicle airbag assembly of claim 3, wherein the retaining washer further comprises a plurality of mounting portions positioned in between the plurality of retaining washer notches, wherein the retaining washer is configured such that, following rotation of the retaining washer with respect to the inflator base to mount the inflator to the housing, the plurality of tabs engages the plurality of mounting portions such that the retaining washer is secured between the plurality of tabs and the housing.

5. The vehicle airbag assembly of claim 4, wherein at least one of the plurality of mounting portions comprises a stop projection configured to engage at least one of the plurality of tabs upon rotation of the retaining washer relative to the inflator base to prevent further rotation of the retaining washer relative to the inflator base.

6. The vehicle airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of tabs has a different size than at least one other tab of the plurality of tabs, and wherein at least one of the plurality of notches of the housing opening has a different size than at least one other notch of the plurality of notches of the housing opening such that the inflator base can only be inserted into the housing opening at a single, preconfigured rotational position.

7. The vehicle airbag assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a stop projection positioned adjacent to at least one of the plurality of notches, wherein the stop projection is configured to engage at least one of the plurality of tabs upon extending the inflator base at least partially through the housing opening such that at least a portion of the inflator base extends out of the housing opening to prevent rotation of the inflator base in at least one direction with respect to the housing.

8. A vehicle airbag assembly, comprising:

a housing comprising an opening, wherein the opening comprises a plurality of notches;

an inflator comprising an inflator base configured to be received in the opening, wherein the inflator base comprises a collar extending from one end of the inflator, wherein the inflator comprises an initiator, wherein the initiator is at least partially housed within the collar, and wherein the collar is configured to extend at least partially through the opening such that at least a portion of the collar extends out of the opening; and

a retaining member comprising a retaining member opening, wherein the retaining member is configured to be positioned such that at least a portion of the collar extends through the retaining member opening and such that at least a portion of the retaining member contacts an exterior surface of the housing, and wherein the retaining member is configured to be rotated with respect to the collar to mount the inflator to the housing and to prevent the collar from being withdrawn from the housing opening;

a plurality of tabs positioned about the collar, wherein the plurality of tabs is configured to be received in the plurality of notches, and wherein the plurality of tabs is configured to be misaligned with the plurality of notches by rotating the plurality of notches with respect to at least one component of the vehicle airbag assembly to prevent the collar from being withdrawn from the opening after the collar has been positioned such that at least a portion of the collar extends out of the opening.

9. The vehicle airbag assembly of claim 8, wherein the retaining member comprises a retaining washer comprising a retaining washer opening, wherein the retaining washer is configured to be positioned such that at least a portion of the collar extends through the retaining washer opening, and wherein the at least one component of the vehicle airbag assembly comprises the retaining washer.

10. The vehicle airbag assembly of claim 9, wherein the retaining washer further comprises a plurality of retaining washer notches configured to allow the retaining washer to be positioned over the plurality of tabs.

11. The vehicle airbag assembly of claim 10, wherein the retaining washer further comprises a plurality of mounting portions positioned in between the plurality of retaining washer notches, wherein the retaining washer is configured such that, following rotation of the retaining washer with respect to the collar to mount the inflator to the housing, the plurality of tabs engages the plurality of mounting portions such that the retaining washer is secured between the plurality of tabs and the housing.

12. The vehicle airbag assembly of claim 11, wherein at least one of the plurality of mounting portions comprises a stop projection configured to engage at least one of the plurality of tabs upon rotation of the retaining washer relative to the collar to prevent further rotation of the retaining washer relative to the collar.

13. The vehicle airbag assembly of claim 10, wherein the housing further comprises a housing stop projection positioned adjacent to at least one of the plurality of notches of the opening, wherein the housing stop projection is configured to engage at least one of the plurality of tabs upon extending the collar at least partially through the opening such that at least a portion of the collar extends out of the opening to prevent rotation of the collar in at least one direction with respect to the housing.

14. The vehicle airbag assembly of claim 8, wherein the collar comprises a cylindrical shape.

15. The vehicle airbag assembly of claim 8, wherein the housing comprises an airbag module housing.

16. The vehicle airbag assembly of claim 8, further comprising an inflator base collar configured to be positioned about the inflator base, wherein the plurality of tabs is formed on the inflator base collar.

17. A vehicle airbag assembly, comprising:

an airbag module housing comprising a housing opening, wherein the housing opening comprises a plurality of notches, wherein the airbag module housing comprises an interior surface configured to receive an airbag cushion and an exterior surface opposite from the interior surface;

an inflator comprising an inflator collar extending from the inflator, wherein the inflator collar is configured to be received in the housing opening, wherein the inflator collar at least partially houses an initiator, wherein the inflator collar is narrowed relative to the inflator, and wherein the inflator collar is configured to extend at least partially through the housing opening such that at least a portion of the inflator collar and the initiator extends out of the housing opening and is positioned adjacent to the exterior surface of the airbag module housing;

a plurality of tabs positioned about the inflator collar and corresponding with the plurality of notches, wherein the plurality of tabs is configured to be received in the plurality of notches; and

a retaining washer configured to be positioned to contact the exterior surface of the airbag module housing, comprising;

a retaining washer opening;

a plurality of retaining washer notches corresponding with the plurality of notches and the plurality of tabs; and

a plurality of mounting portions positioned in between the plurality of retaining washer notches, wherein the retaining washer is configured such that, following rotation of the retaining washer with respect to the inflator collar to mount the inflator to the airbag module housing, the plurality of tabs engages the plurality of mounting portions such that at least a portion of the retaining washer is secured between the plurality of tabs and the airbag module housing to mount the inflator to the airbag module housing and to prevent the inflator collar from being withdrawn from the housing opening.