Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.

Alliedsignal Inc.

Gerald M Fowler

Timothy W Hill

Markell Seitzman

John A Musiol

Paul Raymond Weber

Jovica J Jakovski

Tony B Popovski

James Ray Athon

Philip A Shishmian

A multi-chambered driver side air bag (,) including: a toroidal first chamber (,) facing an occupant to be protected; a second chamber (,) located at least partially within the first chamber; an inflator (,) for first inflating one of the first and second chambers or for inflating both first and second chambers relatively simultaneously.

Chambered driver side air bag and module attachment method

An air bag module (20) comprising: an air bag (42) including a neck (44) through which inflation gas is received, the neck having a plurality of ends or flaps (46a-d). The module further includes a housing (22) having upper (24) and lower (26) housing members each with a respective flange (28, 50), a respective one of the flaps (46a-d) is sandwiched between the flanges. The lower housing member (26) includes an inflator-receiving portion (60), comprising a side wall (62) and opposing first and second end walls (64a, 64b), wherein each end wall includes a respective opening (66, 68). An inflator (70) is received within and supported by the inflator-receiving portion (60), the inflator includes a first end (76, 78) a part of which is received with the opening (68) in a second end wall (64b) to close the opening (68), an outwardly movable threaded nut (80, 82) for securing the inflator to the first end wall (64a), for enclosing the opening (66) in the first end wall (64a) and for generating an outward load on the first end wall (64a) and in so doing generating an outward reaction load on the second end wall (64b).

Air bag module

A diffuser-retainer, incorporated in a sub-assembly (cushion pack) of an air bag module for the use in an inflatable air bag restraint system. The diffuser-retainer functions as an inflation gas diffuser and an air cushion retainer.

Inflator gas diffuser and air cushion retainer

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Troy, MI, United States of America

Gerald M Fowler