Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Michael W Donegan

James Lloyd Webber

Jeffrey Alan Shepherd

Richard P Nuchols

Laura Adelle Hawthorn

Laura A Hawthorn

John A Lotspih

Daniel A Rhule

Jerry A Mc Cann

Thomas C Brown

John L Volz

Kenneth M Easter

Jerry A McCann

A frontal air bag system for a vehicle includes an air bag module having a housing for mounting to vehicle structure of the vehicle and an air bag operatively connected to the air bag module. The frontal air bag system also includes an inflator disposed in the housing for inflating the air bag with an inflation gas. The frontal air bag system further includes at least one tether interconnecting the air bag and either one of the housing and the inflator to cause some of the inflation gas to vent through the housing to atmosphere.

Frontal air bag system

An air bag module includes an inflation detection device. The air bag module includes an air bag, an inflator for generating inflator gas to inflate the air bag, and a breakable device disposed on the air bag. The breakable device has a broken condition when the air bag is inflated to a properly inflated condition and the breakable device has an unbroken condition when the air bag is inflated to less than the properly inflated condition. Upon air bag deployment, the breakable device is broken when the air bag is inflated to the properly inflated condition and the breakable device remains unbroken when the air bag is inflated to less than the properly inflated condition. Thus, the breakable device verifies that the air bag has been properly inflated after air bag deployment.

Air bag module with inflation detection device

An air bag assembly for an inflatable passenger vehicle restraint system comprises an inflatable air bag, a thrust neutral inflator for generating pressure gas and a reaction canister. The inflator has a cylindrical casing with a plurality of holes on opposite sides for discharging the gas to inflate the air bag. The reaction canister houses the inflator and has a part-cylindrical bottom wall terminating in upstanding side walls which operatively connect the inflator to the air bag. A plurality of aspiration holes are formed in the reaction canister side walls. A part-cylindrical baffle is mounted in the canister between the inflator and the bottom wall and has an outlet to direct gas discharged from the inflator away from the walls and to the air bag. Ambient air is aspirated through the aspirator holes upon gas delivery from the inflator discharge ports to augment the volume of gas delivered to the air bag. The aspirator holes also serve as pressure relief vents for the air bag.

Inflatable restraint system with gas augmentation

An air bag assembly includes an air bag module subassembly for installation in an air bag housing having a housing opening through which an air bag deploys. The air bag module subassembly includes a subassembly retainer which captures and holds an inflator and an air bag retainer in position relative to the housing and enables facile installation of the air bag module subassembly into the housing via the housing opening such that the subassembly retainer is restrained by the housing to prevent release of the air bag retainer.

Air bag module

An air bag module comprises an inflatable air bag, an inflator and a container for housing the inflator and the air bag. The container comprises an elongated reaction canister having a closed housing formed of a U-shaped body with end walls defining a rectangular top gas discharge opening. An air bag deployment chute comprises a rectangular body having a bottom gas transfer opening mating with the canister opening and a top air bag deployment opening. Cooperating flanges on the top side of the canister and on the bottom side of the chute are interengageable upon endwise sliding to assemble the chute to the canister. Surfaces on the chute and canister engage to locate the chute bottom opening in registry with the canister opening. Cooperating tabs on the canister are received in slots formed in the chute upon assembly and are deformed to lock the chute to the canister. The air bag is attached via loops to two rods which are received in closed channels formed by the cooperating flanges to secure the air bag to the module. Surfaces on the chute and canister engage to prevent endwise rod removal. The inflator has a pair of mounting lugs extending from one end and a single lug at the other end. These lugs may be formed on adapter end caps. The lugs are inserted into grooves in the canister end walls and are slid or rotated past spring barriers into mounting apertures where they are retained against removal.

Simplified air bag module

An air bag module comprises an air bag, an air bag retainer ring, a housing, an elongated inflator, and an inflator container. The retainer ring is secured to the air bag about its opening and has a mounting flange. The housing has spaced side and end walls defining a rectangular air bag storage chamber for storing a folded air bag and which has an upper air bag deployment opening and a bottom gas discharge opening. A mounting flange extends from each of the side walls, and four spaced straps span the gas discharge opening to interconnect the side walls and form an inflator cradle. The inflator is located on the straps and comprises a substantially cylindrical case having a plurality of gas discharge holes, a cap end and a blank end. The container comprises a U-shaped body forming bottom and side walls, two spaced raised ribs formed in the bottom wall, and a mounting flange extending from each of the side walls. Three pairs of aligned mounting apertures are formed in all of the mounting flanges. Threaded studs are staked to the retainer ring and extend through the aligned apertures. Nuts engage the stud ends to clamp the retainer ring, the housing and the container together, clamping the inflator between two straps and the ribs. The ribs space the inflator from the side and bottom walls of the container, which functions as a heat shield. The studs are the sole means used to fasten the module components together.

Simplified passenger air bag module

A container for an air bag inflator comprises an open-ended cylindrical aluminum or magnesium extrusion having circumferentially-spaced internal ribs, an axial gas discharge opening and a pair of grooved mounting flanges flanking the opening. A cylindrical inflator is inserted through one end of the container on the ribs. An air bag deployment chute includes depending mounting flanges. An air bag, which includes mounting hems having loops, is placed in the chute. A U-shaped retainer is inserted into the hem loops and into the chute channels. This assembly is slid endwise into the container grooves. An end plate is attached to the retainer ends and has a notch to engage an orientation lug on the inflator. In another embodiment, the chute is omitted and the air bag hem loops each receive a mounting rod which are inserted radially into the container grooves. A mounting plate has flanges that are bolted to the container flanges, clamping flanges of an air bag cover in between. The mounting plate includes depending side flanges, which trap the hems and rods in the grooves, and depending end flanges which axially confine the inflator. The end flanges incorporate the orientation slot and protector for inflator wiring. The container ribs space the inflator from the container walls and create insulating air gaps. The air bag hems can also be sewn to the mounting plate flanges, eliminating the mounting rods and enabling use of a simpler container.

According to the invention, a vehicle body has a passenger seating position and an inflatable restraint system for restraining a passenger. The inflatable restraint system includes an inflatable restraint module mounted to the vehicle body. The module includes a module opening through which an inflatable restraint cushion is deployed. The module includes an inflator for discharging gas out through the module opening to inflate the cushion. The cushion includes a forward wall and a rearward wall. The longitudinal centerline of the module opening is offset in a lateral offset direction, such as inboard or outboard, from the longitudinal centerline of the passenger seating position so that initial cushion inflation occurs offset of the centerline of the passenger seating position. A first tether device extends diagonally from the forward wall towards the lateral offset direction to the rearward wall. The first tether device provides a lateral force to laterally steer further cushion inflation in the direction opposite the lateral offset direction and in front of the passenger.

Offset inflatable restraint system

An air bag assembly is mounted in a vehicle instrument panel recess located below an opening in the instrument panel upper surface which has a removable cover door normally closing the opening. The air bag assembly comprises an inflator, an air bag, a container mounting the inflator at its bottom and housing the folded air bag atop the inflator, and an air bag deployment chute. The deployment chute is a fabric rectangular tube having one end attached to the container around its deployment opening. The deployment chute is folded atop the air bag. A fabric tether connects the lower edge of the chute outer end to the container and is shorter than the tube. Upon actuation of the inflator, the deployment chute forces open the instrument panel door and extends outwardly of the instrument panel opening. The tether forces the chute to arch rearwardly and downwardly of the instrument panel opening. The inflating air bag forces its way through the narrow deployment chute until it emerges from the chute downwardly and rearwardly of the instrument panel and fully inflates. Upon emerging, the inflating air bag forces the chute to retract to a gathered position about the instrument panel opening, thus allowing full inflation of the air bag.

Air bag assembly with deployment chute

Air bag, canister and chute assembly

A container for an air bag inflator comprises an open-ended cylindrical aluminum or magnesium extrusion having circumferentially-spaced internal ribs, an axial gas discharge opening and a pair of grooved mounting flanges flanking the opening. A cylindrical inflator is inserted through one end of the container on the ribs. An air bag deployment chute includes depending mounting flanges. An air bag, which includes mounting hems having loops, is placed in the chute. A U-shaped retainer is inserted into the hem loops and into the chute channels. This assembly is slid endwise into the container grooves. An end plate is attached to the retainer ends and has a notch to engage an orientation lug on the inflator. In another embodiment, the chute is omitted and the air bag hem loops each receive a mounting rod which are inserted radially into the container grooves. A mounting plate has flanges that are bolted to the container flanges, clamping flanges of an air bag cover in between. The mounting plate includes depending side flanges, which trap the hems and rods in the grooves, and depending end flanges which axially confine the inflator. The end flanges incorporate the orientation slot a protector for inflator wiring. The container ribs space the inflator from the container walls and create insulating air gaps. The air bag hems can also be sewn to the mounting plate flanges, eliminating the mounting rods and enabling use of a simpler container.

Growing community of inventors

Bellbrook, OH, United States of America

Michael W Donegan