Airbag cushion mounting and/or orientation features

• US 9,925,944 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2015
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Williams, Jeffrey D., Staheli, Derrick R., Hatfield, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Karen
• Application Number:
  US14/834,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20170057450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 2807282
• 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

Airbag cushion assemblies comprising cushion orientation features and related methods. Some embodiments may comprise an airbag cushion comprising a throat region comprising an inflator opening. An inflator comprising an inflator collar may be coupled with the airbag cushion. The inflator collar may comprise a non-circular shape. The assembly may further comprise an inflator coupling member coupled with the airbag cushion at the inflator opening. The inflator coupling member may similarly comprise a non-circular opening configured to be aligned with the inflator opening and to mate with the non-circular shape of the inflator collar so as to prevent the inflator from being coupled with the airbag cushion in a non-desired rotational orientation.

Claims

1. An airbag cushion assembly, comprising:

an airbag cushion comprising a throat region, wherein the throat region comprises an inflator opening;

an inflator comprising an inflator collar, wherein the inflator is coupled with the airbag cushion, wherein the inflator collar comprises a non-circular shape, and wherein the inflator collar extends through the inflator opening;

an inflator coupling member coupled with the airbag cushion at the inflator opening, wherein the inflator coupling member comprises an opening configured to be aligned with the inflator opening, and wherein the opening comprises a non-circular shape configured to mate with the non-circular shape of the inflator collar so as to prevent the inflator from being coupled with the airbag cushion in a non-desired rotational orientation; and

a pocket configured to receive at least a portion of the inflator coupling member.

2. The airbag cushion assembly of claim 1, wherein the inflator coupling member comprises a material having a stiffness greater than a material defining the airbag cushion.

3. The airbag cushion assembly of claim 1, wherein the pocket is formed by adjacent layers of a fabric material of the airbag cushion.

4. The airbag cushion assembly of claim 3, wherein the inflator coupling member comprises at least one leg, and wherein the pocket is configured to receive the at least one leg to maintain the inflator coupling member in a preconfigured rotational orientation with respect to the airbag cushion.

5. The airbag cushion assembly of claim 4, wherein the inflator coupling member comprises two opposing legs, wherein the pocket comprises a first region configured to receive a first leg of the two opposing legs, and wherein the pocket comprises a second region configured to receive a second leg of the two opposing legs.

6. The airbag cushion assembly of claim 4, wherein the at least one leg comprises a barb, and wherein the pocket comprises a barb-receiving portion configured to receive the barb to prevent the at least one leg from being removed from the pocket.

7. The airbag cushion assembly of claim 6, wherein the at least one leg is configured to be positioned in a first configuration with respect to a body of the inflator coupling member, wherein the at least one leg is configured to be positioned in a second configuration with respect to the body, and wherein the at least one leg is resiliently biased towards the first configuration.

8. The airbag cushion assembly of claim 7, wherein the at least one leg is configured to flex from the first configuration in which the at least one leg extends at a first distance from the body to the second configuration in which the at least one leg extends at a second distance from the body, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

9. The airbag cushion assembly of claim 1, wherein the inflator coupling member is coupled with the airbag cushion using at least one of a sew line and an adhesive.

10. An airbag cushion assembly, comprising:

an airbag cushion comprising an opening;

an inflator coupled with the airbag cushion, wherein only a portion of the inflator is configured to be received in the opening; and

means for restricting a rotational orientation of the inflator with respect to the airbag cushion, wherein the means for restricting a rotational orientation of the inflator with respect to the airbag cushion is configured to allow the portion of the inflator to be coupled with the airbag cushion in a preconfigured rotational orientation, and wherein the means for restricting a rotational orientation of the inflator with respect to the airbag cushion lacks radial symmetry.

11. The airbag cushion assembly of claim 10, wherein the means for restricting a rotational orientation of the inflator with respect to the airbag cushion comprises an inflator coupling member coupled with the airbag cushion at the opening.

12. The airbag cushion assembly of claim 11, wherein the inflator coupling member comprises an insert, wherein the insert comprises an insert opening configured to be aligned with the opening of the airbag cushion, wherein the insert opening comprises a non-circular shape, and wherein the at least a portion of the inflator comprises a non-circular shape configured to mate with the non-circular shape of the insert opening so as to prevent the inflator from being coupled with the airbag cushion in a non-desired rotational orientation.

13. The airbag cushion assembly of claim 12, wherein the airbag cushion comprises a pocket configured to receive at least a portion of the insert.

14. The airbag cushion assembly of claim 10, wherein the means for restricting a rotational orientation of the inflator with respect to the airbag cushion is stitched to the airbag cushion about the opening.

22. The airbag cushion assembly of claim 10, wherein the inflator is coupled with the airbag cushion such that only a base portion of the inflator is configured to be received in the opening.

23. The airbag cushion assembly of claim 22, wherein the inflator comprises an inflator collar, and wherein the inflator is coupled with the airbag cushion such that only the inflator collar is configured to be received in the opening.

24. The airbag cushion assembly of claim 10, wherein the means for restricting a rotational orientation of the inflator with respect to the airbag lacks radial symmetry about an axis of the opening.

15. An airbag cushion, comprising:

a first fabric layer;

an inflator opening formed in the first fabric layer;

a pocket formed at least in part by the first fabric layer, wherein the pocket is formed adjacent to the inflator opening; and

an inflator coupling member at least partially received in the pocket, wherein the inflator coupling member is configured to receive a portion of an inflator, and wherein the inflator coupling member is further configured to allow the at least a portion of the inflator to be coupled with the airbag cushion in a preconfigured rotational orientation.

16. The airbag cushion of claim 15, wherein the inflator coupling member comprises a body portion defining a non-circular opening configured to be aligned with the inflator opening.

17. The airbag cushion of claim 16, wherein the inflator coupling member further comprises at least one leg extending from the body portion, wherein the pocket is configured to receive the at least one leg to maintain the inflator coupling member in a preconfigured rotational orientation with respect to the airbag cushion.

18. The airbag cushion of claim 17, wherein the at least one leg comprises two opposing legs, wherein at least one of the two opposing legs comprises a barb configured to prevent the at least one of the two opposing legs from being removed from the pocket.

19. The airbag cushion of claim 18, wherein both of the opposing legs are configured to be positioned in a first configuration with respect to the body portion, wherein both of the opposing legs are configured to be positioned in a second configuration with respect to the body portion, and wherein both of the opposing legs are resiliently biased towards the first configuration.

20. The airbag cushion of claim 15, further comprising a second fabric layer, wherein the pocket is formed at least in part by the first fabric layer and the second fabric layer such that the inflator coupling member is at least partially positioned in between the first fabric layer and the second fabric layer.

21. An airbag cushion assembly, comprising:

an airbag cushion comprising a throat region, wherein the throat region comprises an inflator opening;

an inflator comprising an inflator collar, wherein the inflator is coupled with the airbag cushion, wherein the inflator collar comprises a non-circular shape, and wherein the inflator collar extends through the inflator opening; and

an inflator coupling member coupled with the airbag cushion at the inflator opening, wherein the inflator coupling member comprises an opening configured to be aligned with the inflator opening, and wherein the opening comprises a non-circular shape configured to mate with the non-circular shape of the inflator collar so as to prevent the inflator from being coupled with the airbag cushion in a non-desired rotational orientation, and wherein the inflator coupling member is coupled with the airbag cushion using at least one of a sew line and an adhesive.