Morton International, Inc.

S Mark Bunker

David J Green

J Kirk Storey

Brent K Olson

Davin G Saderholm

Daniel G Minert

Larry D Rose

Donald R Lauritzen

Walter A Moore

L John Pierotti

An airbag module and mounting. An inflator is received within the cushion, such that the cushion wraps around the back side of the inflator. The inflator includes an extending fastener, and possibly an extending tab. The inflator, or the tab, is partially retained by a receiving structure on the seat. The fastener extends through another section of the seat, such that securing the fastener secures the entire inflator. Additionally, since the cushion surrounds the inflator, the cushion is also secured. To maintain the cushion in the folded condition, a frangible wrap extends around the cushion and inflator. Upon inflation, the frangible wrap, and the seat covering, are torn by the expanding cushion to permit further expansion. This arrangement eliminates the need for a protective housing for the inflator and cushion. Other mounting arrangements are also provided.

Seat mounted side impact airbags

An airbag inflator assembly including an airbag inflator and an inflator attachment having a sleeve. The inflator includes an elongated sidewall and an end having a flange stop extending outwardly from the sidewall. The sleeve receives and supports the sidewall of the inflator with the flange stop butting against the sleeve. The sleeve has an inwardly extending resilient tab that faces away from the flange stop and engages a gas exhaust port defined by the sidewall to retain the inflator within the sleeve. At least one stud extends transversely to and outwardly from the sleeve for mounting the inflator attachment and inflator within an airbag module. The inflator attachment further includes at least two spaced-apart pairs of diametrically opposed ribs protruding inwardly from the sleeve and grippingly engaging the sidewall of the inflator. The sleeve also defines gas exhaust outlets, which on different versions of the sleeve may vary to accommodate different types of inflators. According to one alternative embodiment, the inflator does not include a flange stop. Instead, the sleeve includes an endwall that butts against the inflator, with the resilient tab facing the endwall. According to another embodiment, the inflator sidewall has a tapered neck, and the resilient tab engages the tapered neck instead of the gas exhaust port. According to an additional embodiment, the sleeve does not include the resilient tab but only includes the at least two spaced-apart pairs of diametrically opposed ribs for grippingly engaging and securing the inflator within the sleeve.

Airbag inflator attachment with snap-in sleeve

The reaction canister of an airbag module assembly is extruded to include a semicircular floor, first and second sidewalls, and first and second end plates closing the ends of the canister, with the floor extending uniformly between the sidewalls, and a bottom edge of each sidewall defining a channel along its length. A cylindrical inflator chamber is suspended beneath the floor of the canister by opposed parallel wings which are integral with the inflator chamber and are insertable into and slide in the channels to a position wherein the walls of the channel are staked to the wings. A plenum chamber is formed between the curved wall of the inflator chamber and the floor of the reaction canister. The plenum chamber separates gas exit vent holes of the inflator chamber from gas inlet passages or vent holes in the canister floor. The plenum chamber is closed by the canister end plates which seal the plenum chamber by engaging the adjacent ends of the wings of the inflator chamber and the adjacent ends of the canister floor and of the channels. The module assembly requires only eight fasteners, that is, four on each end of the canister.

Advanced passenger inflator with slide in attachment to extruded module

A pressurized gas inflator suited for side impact airbags comprises an elongated cylindrical bottle having a closed end and an open end defining an outlet opening. A diaphragm is sealed across the open end of the bottle to form a chamber containing pressurized gas. A cup-shaped diffuser also has an open end secured to the open end of the bottle with the periphery of the diaphragm therebetween. A squib is mounted in the diffuser for rupturing the diaphragm. An enhanced squib with 300-400 milligrams of ZPP is used in one disclosed inflator and an augmented directional initiator is used in another disclosed inflator. The enhanced squib and augmented directional initiator provide heating to offset adiabatic cooling of the gas. The diffuser defines outlet ports for delivering the inflation gas. The cylindrical bottle has a mounting flange on its closed end, and the mounting flange may be an end cap with a radially extending flange. The diameter of the bottle may be necked down at the open end defining the outlet opening. The squib may be mounted through the wall of the diffuser, with the squib terminals exposed for plug connection.

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Ogden, UT, United States of America

S Mark Bunker