Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Autoliv Development Ab

John Paul Sparkman

Graham Thornton Spencer

Shawn Gregory Ryan

Margaret Ann Fisher

James Lloyd Webber

Charles M Woods

Robert Raymond Niederman

Allen Richard Starner

John Clifford Hattery, Jr

William H Phipps

Jeffrey Allen Logan

Mark Thomas Winters

Laura Adelle Hawthorn

Patrick W Schatz

Stephanie L Dunkle

Timothy W Hill

David P Schenck

Daniel A Rhule

Ann L Kneisly

John E Gordon

Robert E Bowser

Robert E Huffman

Mark A Oleszko

Mark Harvey Doxey

Steven W Stukenborg

David Allan Pray

Sonya A Bates

A method is provided for filling an enclosure with an ignitable mixture of gases. The enclosure has an outer wall comprising an exterior surface, an interior surface, and a fill aperture extending therethrough. The method comprises delivering a predetermined amount of pressurized combustible gas into the enclosure through the fill aperture, delivering a first predetermined amount of pressurized inert gas into the enclosure through the fill aperture at a first pressurization rate, delivering a second predetermined amount of pressurized inert gas into the enclosure through the fill aperture at a second pressurization rate, welding a sealing member to the outer wall of the enclosure by a welding process to form a weld operable to seal the fill aperture and to permit the enclosure to store pressurized gas therein. The first pressurization rate allows the first predetermined amount of pressurized inert gas to mix with the predetermined amount of pressurized combustible gas to form an ignitable mixture. The second pressurization rate is lower than the first pressurization rate. The second pressurization rate allows stratification to form within the enclosure between a layer of the ignitable mixture and a layer of the second predetermined amount of pressurized inert gas. The layer of the second predetermined amount of pressurized inert gas is disposed between the layer of the ignitable mixture and the fill aperture.

Gas fill process and inflator weld design simplification

An inflator bottle adapted for controlled release of product gas to deploy an inflatable cushion and a method thereof is provided. The inflator bottle comprises a compartment filled with a combustible gas mixture having a partition that divides the compartment into a first region and a second region. Upon a crash event, an igniter on the inflator bottle ignites initiating combustion in the first region. Combustion propagates in the first region toward a nozzle building pressure in the first region sufficient to rupture a burst disk over the passage of the nozzle releasing product gas through the nozzle. The release of product gas through the nozzle draws combustible gas mixture from the second region flowing through the gas portal on the partition into the first region for combustion. The area of the gas portal between the regions is sized in relation to the size of the minimum area of the passage of the nozzle to supply the combustible gas mixture to the first region at a rate that maintains the flame front while preventing it from propagating out into the second region or out the nozzle until the remaining combustible gas mixture in the compartment is consumed.

Inflator bottle for combustible gas mixture

An airbag module is provided. The module includes a housing, an inflator, an inflatable cushion, a vent aperture defined in the housing, and a gas deflecting member. The vent aperture places the interior of the housing in fluid communication with the exterior of the housing. The vent aperture is offset from exhaust ports of the inflator. The gas deflecting member is movable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, a first portion of the deflecting member deflects a first amount of the inflation gas to the exterior of the housing. In the second position, a second portion of the deflecting member deflects the inflation gas towards the inflatable cushion. A second amount of the inflation gas is ventable from the housing through the vent aperture when the deflecting member is in the second position.

Apparatus and methods of venting gas in an airbag module

The present invention provides variable deployment performance by controlling the heat content of the inflator gas which exits an air bag sub-module, disposed in a module, into an air bag cushion. The air bag sub-module includes a sub-module housing which receives an inflator in a central cavity formed therein. The module housing includes low output module ports formed in the module housing and high output module ports. Heat sinking material is disposed within the sub-module housing between an outer wall of the sub-module housing and the inflator such that the heat sinking material surrounds the low output module ports. The air bag sub-module provides a first fluid flow path for the heated inflator gas to flow under high level deployment conditions and a second fluid flow path for the inflator gas to flow under reduced level deployment conditions. The first fluid flow path comprises a low resistance fluid flow path in which the heated inflator gas exits the inflator through the high output module ports. Little or no heated inflator gas will flow through the second fluid flow path, which comprises a high resistance fluid flow path, because in order for the inflator gas to flow according to the second fluid flow path, the inflator gas must pass through the high resistance heat sink material and the low output module ports. The heat content of the inflator gas is reduced by forcing the inflator gas to flow according to the second fluid flow path.

Variable output air bag module with PAV heat sink

The present invention presents an inflator providing variable output inflation of an air bag cushion in response to full or reduced level deployment conditions. The inflator of the present invention includes a first chamber for storing an inert gas, a second chamber in fluid communication with the first chamber, and a third chamber in selective fluid communication with the second chamber, the third chamber for storing a heat modifier for varying a heat value of the inert gas. The inflator also includes a pyrotechnic device having a combustible material for heating the inert gas and a first initiator for actuating the pyrotechnic device upon first and second deployment conditions. A second initiator for opening the third chamber to the second chamber is provided wherein actuation of the second initiator causing the heat modifier to fluidly communicate with the combustible material and vary the heat value of the inert gas during a combustion process. The second initiator is actuated during second deployment conditions.

Variable output inflator for an air bag

An air bag module includes an inflator and an air bag for inflation upon the discharge of gas by the inflator. The module further includes a mounting and diffuser bracket for securing the inflator and air bag to the vehicle. The mounting and diffuser bracket includes a diffuser portion positioned radially outward of the discharge end of the inflator. The diffuser portion preferably includes wing portions substantially surrounding the discharge ports of the inflator such that upon discharge of gas by the inflator, the wing portions redirect and diffuse the discharging inflator gas into the air bag. Advantageously, the wing portions also provide a localized heat shield for the air bag.

Air bag module with mounting and diffuser bracket

An air bag module includes an inflator for generating inflator gas, an air bag deployable upon generation of inflator gas and secured to the inflator, and a mounting bracket attached to the inflator. The mounting bracket is adapted to secure the inflator to the vehicle. The inflator preferably includes opposing ends and the mounting bracket has a central portion secured to the vehicle. The mounting bracket advantageously includes first and second cantilevered portions, each of the cantilevered portions extending outwardly from the central portion and engaging an end of the inflator. The cantilevered portions each having a predetermined strength such that the cantilevered portions each deform in the direction of the deploying air bag such that the mounting bracket absorbs energy during air bag inflation by predetermined deformation of the cantilevered portions.

Air bag module with energy absorbing mounting bracket

An air bag module includes an inflator for generating gas and an air bag deployable upon generation of gas by the inflator. The module further includes a container for housing the air bag and inflator therein. Preferably, the container is integrally molded as one piece and includes at least two spaced apart integral living hinges. Preferably, the container has a clamshell construction including a first half and a second half pivotally connected to each other by a closure hinge portion. The container preferably includes deployment end portions opposite the closure hinge portion which are releasably connected to each other. Preferably, at least one of the deployment end portions is pivotally connected to the container.

Air bag module

An air bag module includes an inflator for generating gas and an air bag deployable upon generation of gas by the inflator. The air bag module further includes a canister for housing the inflator and a clamshell cover for housing the air bag. The clamshell cover is attached to the canister. Preferably, the clamshell cover includes first and second halves and a bendable thin hinge portion pivotally connecting the first and second halves. Upon air bag deployment, the air bag breaks open and deploys out through the hinge portion of the clamshell cover.

Air bag module with clamshell cover

A supplemental restraint system including an air bag for use in a vehicle to restrain an occupant during a sudden deceleration or collision. The air bag is folded in a fashion to facilitate reducing lateral deployment until the air bag deploys a predetermined distance when inflated by the inflator.

Air bag fold and method

A vehicle steering wheel and air bag module assembly includes a steering wheel and an air bag module. The steering wheel has a hub portion and a rim portion and at least one spoke portion connecting the hub portion to the rim portion. The air bag module is mounted to the hub portion and includes an air bag, an inflator for generating gas to inflate the air bag, and a bias apparatus. The bias apparatus is a flexible sheet of material attached to the air bag module and having an upper portion folded atop the air bag such that when the inflation of the deploying air bag is blocked, the upper portion of the bias apparatus biases the air bag partially underneath the rim portion of the steering wheel. In addition, when the inflation of the deploying air bag is unrestrained, the bias apparatus drops downwardly away from the deploying air bag permitting the air bag to freely deploy.

Air bag deployment bias apparatus

An air bag module includes an inflator for generating gas and an air bag coupled to the inflator and deployable upon generation of gas by the inflator. A pouch is made of a fabric material and serves as both the housing and cover of the module. The pouch has wall portions surrounding the air bag and inflator and defining a pouch interior containing the inflator and the air bag substantially therein such that the inflator and the air bag are housed within the pouch. The pouch also is provided with a frangible seam being breakable to form a pouch deployment opening. Upon air bag deployment, the air bag breaks open the frangible seam of the pouch to permit deployment of the air bag out through the pouch deployment opening such that the pouch guides the air bag during deployment.

A driver-side air bag module is mounted to a steering wheel assembly mounting bracket having three mounting apertures. The module comprises a cover, an inflator and a base plate, which are assembled without using fasteners. The base plate has a plurality of arcuately-spaced mounting apertures and mounts three studs. The cover includes a plurality of mating flexible tangs having locking shoulders. The inflator has a peripheral mounting flange which includes three arcuately-spaced locking blades and a plurality of locking tabs projecting from its surface. The base plate has three mating openings each having an adjacent locking abutment. The studs are first staked to the base plate. The cover is assembled by inserting the tangs through the base plate mounting apertures so that the shoulders snap over to engage the base plate. The inflator locking blades are pushed through the base plate mating openings and twisted to pass them over the locking abutments. This traps the base plate between the blades and the mounting flange and abuts the locking tabs with the cover tangs, preventing their removal. Three inflator mounting flange slots receive the studs during assembly. The air bag module is installed by projecting the studs through the steering wheel assembly mounting bracket apertures, where the spring fingers snap into the stud grooves to prevent removal. The locking tangs, tabs and base plate apertures are unequally spaced, and the studs and apertures are unequally spaced to assure a predetermined orientation of the module when installed.

Growing community of inventors

Dayton, OH, United States of America

John Paul Sparkman