Morton International, Inc.

Autoliv Asp, Incorporated

Autoilv Asp, Inc.

Brett R Garner

Russell P Lee

Bradley W Smith

Bin Wang

Kurt Lawrence Gammill

Mark Sherman Hatfield

G Dean Mossi

Louis A Mueller

Rick L Halford

Brian Keith Czach

Edward Friery

Marc D Folsom

Charles Richards

Michael D Jones

Gilbert D Mossi

Alan L Clark

Bobby Lusk

Dwaine K Palmer

A side airbag module assembly for a vehicle seat back rest features a molded plastic cover () with a Class A surface constituting the outside of the cover visible after installation in the backrest (). A base plate () of an airbag holder () made of metal or plastic is rigidly connected to the cover () by insert-molding or a different method of attachment. A fastening bracket () is integrally formed onto the base plate (). An airbag () including a gas generator () is prepackaged in a soft pack () with fasteners () protruding from the soft pack (). The fasteners () and the fastening bracket () are configured to attach the soft pack () to the airbag holder (). Upon deployment of the airbag, the fastening bracket () will bend and thereby open the cover (), which allows the airbag () to inflate in a forward direction.

Side airbag module assembly

An airbag system for protecting a passenger in a motor vehicle including one or more ejection mitigation devices configured to substantially cover the inside of the front and/or rear window of the motor vehicle. Moreover, the one or more ejection mitigation devices may be attached to a driver's side inflatable airbag and a passenger's side inflatable airbag, wherein the ejection mitigation device is configured to be deployed by the inflation of the driver's and passenger's side inflatable airbags.

Ejection mitigation device

An airbag assembly including a tension mounting mechanism is disclosed. In one embodiment, an inflatable curtain is coupled to a one-way locking mechanism via an attaching element to provide tension along the longitudinal mounting surface of the inflatable curtain during its installation adjacent the vehicle roof rail.

Tension-based airbag mounting system

A novel cover for a safety restraint device is disclosed. The cover is well-adapted for use in vehicles with modular airbag components. The novel cover configuration of the present invention effectively hides any evidence of the seam through which the airbag deploys, thereby improving the appearance and tamper-resistance of the airbag. The cover includes a seam with a nonlinear portion that impedes folding or bending of the outer layer in conformance with the seam. The nonlinear portion of the seam may include bends and linear segments in a variety of shapes and sizes, in homogeneous or heterogeneous arrangements, as dictated by the design parameters of the airbag and the manufacturing processes used to make the cover. The cover module of the present invention may be used with an outer layer of material designed to conceal the seam. With such a configuration, the nonlinear portion of the seam may keep the outer layer from form fitting to the seam so that no visible indentation over the seam will be shown. Alternatively, the module may be made with a single-shot material, exclusive of any outer layer. An exposed surface of the airbag module may then be configured as a cosmetic surface, with the seam formed on the opposite side of the cosmetic surface. The nonlinear seam then reduces material deformation and obscures translucency to ensure that the cosmetic surface appears even and relatively flat, even without the use of a styling line.

Airbag products with nonlinear tear seams

A canister endwall for use as part of a reaction canister of an airbag module for securing an airbag inflator. The airbag inflator has a cylindrical inflator sidewall of a predetermined diameter that ends in a tapered portion of the inflator sidewall that tapers radially inwardly to one end of the airbag inflator having an inflator flange. The inflator flange extends radially outwardly from the tapered portion of the inflator sidewall but has a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the inflator sidewall. The canister endwall has an inner edge defining an airbag inflator mounting hole and a truncated conical array of a plurality of resilient fingers extending from the inner edge. The inner edge of the canister endwall is sized and shaped to allow passage of the inflator flange of the airbag inflator and engage the tapered portion of the inflator sidewall in a substantially gas-tight manner, and the truncated conical array of the plurality of resilient fingers is sized to butt against the inflator flange when the tapered portion of the inflator sidewall is engaged with the inner edge. The plurality of resilient fingers are bendable to allow passage of the inflator flange and, once the inflator flange passes through the truncated conical array of the plurality of resilient fingers, to spring back and butt against the inflator flange to prevent the inflator flange from being pulled out of the airbag inflator mounting hole.

Airbag module reaction canister endwall with airbag inflator mount

An air bag retention system for securing a gas filling or inlet end of an inflatable air bag during deployment along a delivery chute extended toward a panel opening in a motor vehicle, includes an air bag having at least one pocket on an outside surface opening toward the panel. The delivery chute includes at least one retaining tab having a free end extending into the air bag pocket toward the inlet end for preventing the inlet end of the air bag from moving out of the chute during the rapid inflation thereof in response to generated gas flowing rapidly into the air bag.

Air bag retention system

A new and improved multi-cell, partitioned, air bag for cushioning engagement with an occupant in a motor vehicle when the air bag is rapidly inflated with gas. The air bag is formed of thin, flexible, pervious sheet material having an inlet for receiving gas at a forward end and a rearwardly facing cushioning surface formed for engaging the vehicle occupant when the air bag is inflated. A flexible, internal wall or partition extends between the inlet and the cushioning surface for dividing the air bag into an upper or head cushioning cell or chamber adapted for engaging the occupant's head and a lower, or torso cushioning cell or chamber adapted for cushioning the occupant's torso. Vents are provided for reducing the inflation pressure in the upper chamber relative to the lower or torso chamber to reduce or prevent head injury and abrasion yet provide a desired level of energy absorption for cushioning the occupant's torso.

Partitioned multi-cell air bag

In a passenger side air bag module assembly, a reaction can is attached and correctly positioned with reference to a module cover or chute by providing a flange on the can with apertures into which protruberences on the module cover may be inserted, thereby joining the can to the cover without the use of screws or rivets or welding.

Reaction can to cover joining method

A retainer for attaching an inflator having a substantially constant cross section to an air bag canister is disclosed. The retainer comprises a coupling ring having a first rim adjacent to one end of the coupling ring and a second rim adjacent to the other end of the coupling ring. A band having a diameter less than the diameter of the rims is formed by a gap between the two rims. The coupling ring is inserted over one end of the inflator and the inflator is installed into an air bag canister through an aperture in one end of the canister. The canister side wall surrounding the aperture is held between the two rims thereby coupling one end of the inflator to the canister. The other end of the inflator is secured to the canister by a mounting stud integral to the inflator which stud passes through an opening in the other side wall of the canister.

Cylindrical inflator retainer ring

A retainer for attaching an inflator having a substantially constant cross section to an air bag canister. The retainer comprises a base and a number of tabs perpendicular to the base. The tabs engage and hold the wall of the inflator. The base of the retainer is fastened to an air bag canister wall thereby securing one end of the inflator.

Constant diameter inflator retainer

A passenger side airbag module assembly is formed from a plastic extrusion which includes both a trough and an integral cover. The airbag itself has a rectangular mouth bounded on two opposite sides by stiff rods. The inner surface of the trough includes channels into which the rods are inserted to secure the airbag.

Growing community of inventors

South Weber, UT, United States of America

Brett R Garner