Autoliv Asp, Incorporated

Morton International, Inc.

Other

Thiokol Corporation

Morton Thiokol Inc.

Autoliv Development Ab

Alliant Techsystems Inc.

Autolive Asp, Inc.

Autoilv Asp, Inc.

Atoliv Asp, Inc.

Robert Bosch G.m.b.h.

Bradley W Smith

Michael Perry Jordan

David W Parkinson

Matthew Alan Cox

Brent A Parks

Kirk H Rasmussen

Alan Ralph Larsen

David J Green

Earl Henry Nelson

Karl K Rink

Jeffrey Daniel Williams

Leland B Kort

Randall J Clark

Donald R Lauritzen

Marcus T Clark

Linda M Rink

Guy R Letendre

John E Allard

Larry D Rose

Mark Ludwig Enders

Michael R Schramm

Donald James Paxton

Gregory J Lang

Walter A Moore

Bin Wang

Brett Hussey

Brian H Fulmer

Gary V Adams

Mark Sherman Hatfield

Donald J Cunningham

Patrick Jamison

David W Lindsey

Todd S Parker

Scott A Jackson

Michael J Ravenberg

L John Pierotti

Mark B Woodbury

Dean C Youngkeit

Isaac Hoffman

Brian T Snyder

Eric S Buchanan

Saeed David Barbat

Bernhard Mattes

Werner Nitschke

Gary K Lund

Robert D Taylor

Ivan V Mendenhall

Jon E Burrow

Christopher Hock

Bradley D Harris

Richard Lawrence Matsu

Brent K Olson

Davin G Saderholm

Quin Soderquist

J Kirk Storey

Robert E Lewis

Kelly B Johnson

Brett R Garner

G Dean Mossi

Blake L Cheal

Harry W Miller, Ii

David B Monk

Steven R Fredin

Louis A Mueller

Dietrich Bergfried

Dario G Brisighella, Jr

Virginia E Chandler

Stephen Camm

Heath Knight-Newbury

William B Richardson

James D Erickson

Paul T Philpot

Jeff Kida

Brian Keith Czach

William G Lowe

Scott C Mitson

Geoffrey Russell

Charles Richards

Francois Peremarty

Brian A Laubacher

Christopher K Fischer

Michael H Wong

Robert Verhoven

Matt Cox

E Wayne Tackett

K Doyle Russell

Michael Jones

Ted J Bertacini

Canice P Boran

Bobby Lusk

Ronald E Lynch

Alan D Van Leer

Chris Erickson

Phillip R Anderson

Clint Staheli

Peter A Tyroller

Tim Cahill

Kelly Ellis

Patrick D Jamison

John N Parker

An inflatable restraint system inflator device having a housing defining an elongated chamber and containing an initial supply of stored inflation gas. An initiator is disposed proximate the first axial end of the housing and an operable closure is disposed proximate the second axial end of the housing. A slidable gas generator assembly is disposed within the chamber between the initiator and the closure and includes a supply of gas generant material reactable upon initiation to produce additional inflation gas. Upon actuation, the initiator and the slidable gas generator assembly cooperate to create a pressure wave to open the closure and to permit release of inflation gas. The slidable gas generator assembly slides within the elongated chamber and gas material reacts to form additional inflation gas.

Pressure wave generating inflator device with slidable gas generator

Airbag cushion assemblies for aspirating ambient air to enhance inflation. Some embodiments may comprise an inflation module comprising an inflator and a plurality of high-velocity nozzles fluidly coupled with the inflator and configured to deliver inflation gas from the inflator into an airbag cushion. A housing coupled to the airbag cushion, may comprise an aspiration inlet configured to allow for receipt of ambient air into the airbag cushion during inflation of the airbag cushion. The plurality of high-velocity nozzles may be configured to, upon actuation of the inflator, draw ambient air into the airbag cushion along with the inflation gas from the inflator. In some embodiments, a valve assembly may be provided that is configured to open upon actuation of the inflator and to close following inflation of the airbag cushion to prevent air and inflation gas from exiting through the aspiration inlet.

Aspirating airbag assemblies

Airbag assemblies are disclosed that comprise a frontal inflatable cushion that can deploy from a housing assembly to receive a head and/or a portion of a torso of a vehicle occupant moving from a vehicle occupant position in a forward direction relative to the vehicle during a vehicle impact event. The frontal inflatable cushion can be a curtain airbag. The frontal inflatable cushion can also be coupled to one or more support components within a passenger compartment of the vehicle, such that when the frontal inflatable cushion is in the deployed state the one or more support components support the frontal inflatable cushion in a rearward direction, relative to the vehicle, to enable the frontal inflatable cushion to restrain movement of the vehicle occupant in the forward direction during a vehicle impact event. The support components may include a side inflatable cushion, such as a curtain airbag.

Frontal airbag assemblies

An apparatus for filament wrapping a composite material around an object includes a fixture onto which the object can be rotationally fixed at a selected angle from vertical designated &#x3b1;, where 90&#xb0;&#x3e;&#x3b1;&#x3e;0&#xb0;. The fixture is secured to a rotatable planar platform. The rotatable platform permits the fixture to be rotated about an axis perpendicular to the planar platform. An eyelet is provided wherethrough a composite material filament can be released to wrap the object rotationally fixed onto the fixture. Also provided are corresponding or associated methods for filament wrapping a composite material around an object and helically wrapping a composite material filament around an inflator device subassembly.

Filament wound inflators

Methods of forming a curable pre-impregnated composite precursor material with radiation (e.g., actinic or electron-beam) curable resin composition systems are provided, as are the curable pre-impregnated composite precursor materials themselves. The resin systems have reversible temperature-viscosity control, which are advantageously used to form curable pre-impregnated composite precursor materials (pre-preg) that can be cured to form a composite article. The uncured resin composition comprises: (a) an acrylate or a methacrylate monomer; (b) an oligomer species selected from the group consisting of: polyethers, polyesters, epoxies, and combinations thereof; and (c) a photoinitiator. The uncured resin has a first viscosity at 21&#xb0; C. (70&#xb0; F.) of &#x2267;about 200,000 centipoise (cP) and a second viscosity of &#x2266;about 5,000 cP at 65&#xb0; C. (149&#xb0; F.) or above.

Radiation curable resin systems for composite materials and methods for use thereof

An initiator assembly for placement in an associated opening in an initiator-containing device includes an initiator device having at least one igniter element and an elastomeric overmoulding. The initiator device includes at least one of a thermoplastic initiator base and a thermoplastic adapter integrally joined to a base of the initiator-containing device. The elastomeric overmoulding is integral with at least one structural component such as the initiator base, the adapter and the base of the initiator-containing device. The elastomeric overmoulding serves to sealingly mate the initiator assembly in an initiator-accepting opening in the initiator-containing device. Also provided are corresponding methods of making an initiator assembly.

Initiator assemblies

A system for pretensioning a seatbelt includes a minispool and a drive rod. The drive rod includes a spiral portion that, when driven along a longitudinal axis, causes the minispool to rotate about the longitudinal axis. The spiral portion of the drive rod engages the minispool, which includes corresponding structure that tracks the spiral portion. The minispool is restricted from longitudinal travel such that tracking the spiral portion causes the minispool to rotate and the drive rod passes through the minispool. In another form, the minispool can be arranged transverse to the longitudinal axis, with the translation of the drive rod causing the minispool to translate in the same direction of the drive rod. The minispool can include teeth that engage a bracket, such that the translation of the minispool causes the minispool to rotate as it translates.

Seatbelt pretensioner

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.

Base-mounted airbag inflator and related methods and systems

An airbag assembly may include an airbag and an inflator in fluid communication with the airbag. The inflator may have a gas source chamber containing a gas source and a centrifugal flow chamber into which the gas flows from the gas source chamber through a centrifugal flow barrier. As the gas moves through the centrifugal flow barrier, it may be urged to move along a pathway that encircles at least a part of a longitudinal axis of the inflator. The gas may then move toward the longitudinal axis to flow through an orifice of an inward flow barrier. this inward flow may occur at a velocity that is generally too large for entrained particulates. Thus, such particulates may remain in the centrifugal flow chamber. The gas may flow from the orifice into a plenum chamber that releases the gas to the airbag via a plurality of apertures.

Airbag inflation systems and methods

Methods, apparatus, and systems for coupling 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 implementations, a housing comprising an opening may be provided. An inflator comprising a collar may be positioned in the housing such that the collar of the inflator extends into, or in some cases through, the opening of the housing. The inflator may be fixedly coupled with the housing by engaging an exterior surface of the inflator collar with at least one engagement structure, such as a retainer clip or crimp formed in a collar sleeve of the housing.

Airbag inflator mounting apparatus, methods, and systems

Pressed and segmented gas generant grain assemblies formed from a plurality of symmetric gas generant pieces or segments are disclosed. The symmetric pieces or segments are arranged circumferentially to define a substantially round, segmented body. In certain variations, the symmetric segments are substantially free of polymeric binder and have a high density. The segmented pressed grain assemblies are more robust and less expensive to manufacture, while still exhibiting desired combustion performance. Methods of making such segmented gas generant grain assemblies are also provided.

Generant grain assembly formed of multiple symmetric pieces

A duplex firing inflator structural component and related assemblies are provided. The component includes a molded element that contains a duplex firing initiator assembly including a primary initiator operatively associated with a primary pyrotechnic output composition and a secondary initiator operatively associated with a secondary pyrotechnic output composition. The component also includes a single connector in electrical operative association with the primary and the secondary initiators.

Duplex firing inflator

An inflator including an initiator and a bulkhead molded around the initiator. The inflator includes a housing formed of two overlapping housing portions mechanically coupled together around a portion of the bulkhead. One of the housing portions includes cut tabs that are crimped into cut receivers of the other housing portion.

Inflator having a mechanically coupled two-piece housing

A duplex harness assembly for a motor vehicle airbag occupant restraint system. The system design incorporates a connector housing for connection via a cable with a restraint system controller. The connector housing having an integrated circuit provides a duplex restraint system control. The duplex control is provided by incorporating one or more electronic elements such as diodes mounted to the circuit. One or more electronic device attachments are remotely mounted from the connector housing via pairs of conductive wires.

Electrical harness assembly for duplex activation for motor vehicle restraint systems

A pyrotechnic inflator assembly including a shell member and an end cap joinable with the shell member to form a subassembly. The subassembly contains a quantity of pyrotechnic material and at least in part defines a combustion chamber wherein at least a portion of the quantity of pyrotechnic material is reactable to form product gas for inflation of an associated airbag cushion and to generate pressure therewithin. A diffuser assembly can be disposed adjacent an end of the shell member and includes flow control features for controlling flow of product gas from the inflator assembly. The inflator assembly further includes a composite overwrap about at least a portion of the subassembly and the diffuser assembly such that the pyrotechnic inflator assembly can withstand the pressure generated within the combustion chamber upon reaction of the pyrotechnic material. Corresponding methods of making a pyrotechnic inflator assembly are also provided.

Pyrotechnic inflator with central diffuser and composite overwrap

Growing community of inventors

Plain City, UT, United States of America

Bradley W Smith