Rockwell International Corporation

Trw Vehicle Safety Systems Inc.

Mst Automotive of America

John W Wiers

Jeffrey A Jenkins

Richard F Johnson

William R Buchanan

Stanley B Good

Timothy D Slack

Norman A Ellsworth

Daniel W Roper

Jeffrey C Synor

Scott L Paquette

An airbag inflator assembly is disclosed that includes a container containing a charge of pressurized gas and having a peripheral surface surrounding an opening in the container. A burst disc member has one side capacitive discharge welded to the peripheral surface of the container to seal the opening and thus confine the pressurized gas within the container. An ignitor assembly includes an ignitor assembly housing and ignition elements constructed and arranged to generate sufficient force to break the seal formed by the burst disc member and release the pressurized gas from the container. The ignitor elements are disposed substantially within the ignitor assembly housing. The ignitor assembly housing is an integrally formed unitary construction capacitive discharge welded to a side of the burst disc member opposite to the one side. In a preferred embodiment, the welds are formed by (1) applying a force to urge i) the first side of the burst disc member into engagement with the peripheral surface of the container and ii) the peripheral surface of the ignitor assembly housing into engagement with the second side of the burst disc member. Also, pulses of electrical discharge are applied i) in a vicinity of the forceable engagement between the first side of the burst disc member and the peripheral surface of the container until welded to one another, and ii) in a vicinity of the forceable engagement between the peripheral surface of the ignitor assembly housing and the second side of the burst disc member until welded to one another.

Compressed air bag inflator

A method of manufacturing an airbag inflator assembly comprising placing a container, burst disc member, and housing for the ignitor assembly in a chamber; pressurizing the chamber to an appropriate pressure based upon a desired pressure to be contained within the container; applying force i) to urge a surface portion on one side of the burst disc member and the peripheral surface surrounding the opening in the container into forcible engagement with one another, and ii) to urge a surface portion on an opposite side of the burst disc member and an associated surface portion of the ignitor assembly housing into forcible engagement with one another; applying pulses of electrical discharge energy i) in the vicinity of the forcible engagement between the surface portion on one side of the burst disc member and the peripheral surface surrounding the opening in the container so that the surface portion on one side of the burst disc member and the peripheral surface surrounding the opening in the container are sealingly welded to one another, and 2) in the vicinity of the forcible engagement between the surface portion on the opposite side of the burst disc member and the associated surface portion of the ignitor assembly housing so that the surface portion on the opposite side of the burst disc member and the associated surface portion of the ignitor assembly housing are welded to one another.

Method for assembling a compressed air bag inflator

An air bag module (10) includes a housing (12) having upper and lower side walls (30, 38) and a central wall (50). An air bag (14) is folded and stored in the housing (12), An inflator (16) is disposed in the housing (12) between the air bag (14) and the central wall (50). A spring clip (20) is disposed between the air bag (14) and the inflator (16). The spring clip (20) has end portions (150, 152) connected with the upper and lower side walls (30, 38) of the housing (12). A central portion (148) of the spring clip (20) biases and holds the inflator (16) against the central wall (50) of the housing.

Air bag module

An air bag module (10) includes a housing (12), an air bag (14), and an inflator (16). A pair of wave springs (20, 22) are mounted on opposite end walls (40, 42) of the housing (12). The springs (20, 22) engage opposite end portions (132, 134) of the inflator (16) to secure the inflator to the housing (12). The inflator (16) extends through a cardboard plenum tube (18) in the housing (12). The plenum tube (18) keeps open a passage in the air bag (14) for insertion of the inflator (16) during assembly of the module (10).

An air bag module structure comprises a pair of subassemblies which are coupled together to form the module. The subassemblies comprise an air bag/cover subassembly and an inflator/reaction device subassembly. The air bag/cover subassembly comprises a cover with an air bag cavity, a folded air bag disposed within the cavity, and a retaining device connected directly to the cover to maintain the folded air bag within the cavity. The inflator/reaction device subassembly comprises an inflator with gas dispensing nozzles, and a reaction device with integrally formed structure for directly engaging the inflator and for coupling the inflator with the reaction device. The air bag/cover subassembly and the inflator/reaction device subassembly have respective integrally formed coupling structures for coupling the subassemblies together to form the air bag module.

Air bag module construction and assembly technique

An improved spring and locking mechanism for an automative seat adjusting device which includes a rod slidably for selective positioning within a locking mechanism fixed to the seat. The locking mechanism includes a hollow tubular steel fulcrum and a formed channel shaped spring having a web extending across the fulcrum and a plurality of lockwashers and a plurality of legs at each end of the web. The spring legs contact the outermost lockwashers and tilt or cant the lockwashers about the fulcrum.

Locking mechanism for seat adjuster

Washer control spring for a seat adjuster mechanism

A housing for the operative elements of a locking mechanism in a seat adjusting device of the type which includes a rod slidably received within a plurality of lockwashers canted about a fulcrum into locking engagement with the rod. A two-part self securing plastic housing is provided. Each part of the housing provides a cavity enclosing about one-half of the locking mechanism with the rod extending through circular apertures formed by semi-circular bosses at each end of each housing member.

Housing for seat adjuster locking mechanism

An automotive seat adjusting device which includes a rod slidably received within a plurality of lockwashers counted into locking engagement with the rod. The operative elements of the locking mechanism are enclosed within a housing and a hollow tubular steel fulcrum is supported by a pin projecting out of the housing and fixed to the seat frame.

Support for seat adjusting device

The invention consists of an infinitely variable seat reclining mechanism which is composed of a first arm attached to the seat cushion frame and a second arm attached to the seat back frame. A pivot pin rigidly secured to the second arm extends to at least one side thereof on an axis of rotation. The first arm is rotatably mounted on the pivot pin to be capable of relative rotation with respect to the second arm. A pair of locking pawls are rotatably mounted on the first arm. The locking pawls are capable of rotation toward and away from one another about separate pivot points and into contact with a circular friction surface on the second arm. The circular friction surface on the second arm has its center at the axis of rotation between the first and second arms. A spring is included for biasing the locking pawls toward one another. Each of the locking pawls has a substantially V-shaped groove on one end thereof which is capable of engaging the friction surface on the second arm. The friction surface also has a substantially V-shaped section with an included angle equal to the included angle of the grooves in the locking pawls. The interaction between the grooved surfaces on the locking pawls and on the second arm prevent relative rotation between the first and second arms. A lever arm is included for moving the locking pawls away from one another against the spring and out of engagement with the friction surface of the second arm thereby allowing relative rotation between the first and second arms.

Infinitely variable seat recliner mechanism

An automatic seat belt restraining system which is to be used in a vehicle of the type having a passenger compartment including a seat therein. The system is made up of a three point shoulder and lap belt assembly which has first ends attached to the body of the vehicle. The second ends of the shoulder and lap belts are separately attached to a continuous cable drive assembly. The shoulder and lap belt drive cable is contained in a guide track located outboard of the seat on an inner surface of the door of the vehicle. The cable is rigid enough to be driven forward and backward in the guide track. A motor-pinion gear drive assembly drives the cable through the guide track to simultaneously move the belts to a position which either restrains the occupant or permits him to leave the vehicle. A door switch and limit switches are used to activate and deactivate the system.

Growing community of inventors

Romeo, MI, United States of America

John W Wiers