Alliedsignal Inc.

Bendix Atlantic Inflator Co.

William E Rogerson

Richard L Frantom

Robert J Bishop

Robert M Kremer

James Michael Rose

David A Pickett

Klaus F Ocker

Donald W Renfroe

Teresa L Bazel

Charles D Woods

Roy G Brown

Daniel F Kopitzke

Robert Schubert

Sean P Donovan

William D Gaw, Jr

An air bag module (10) comprising: an extruded housing (12) having first and second side walls (24, 26) and ends (72, 74), and a bottom (23) linking the side walls, an integral hollow manifold (14) formed as an extending part of the first side wall (24), the manifold including a plurality of openings (18) therethrough, a first slot (32) formed as an integral part of the first side wall (24) proximate its top, a first notch (34) formed on an outside surface of the side wall (24) and a first rotatable flange (50) on the first side wall (24) movable toward the first notch (34), a first groove (52) formed between the first flange (50) and the outside surface of the first side wall, the second side wall (26) including a boss (60) at its top and a second slot(33) integrally formed therewith proximate the bottom (23), a wall portion (62) spaced from the second side wall (26) forms a second groove (66) therebetween, end plates (80a, 80b), each having an opening aligned with a hollowed portion (90) of the manifold for mating upon opposite ends of the housing, a cylindrical inflator and ring nut compressively load the end plates against the housing and an air bag (250) is located within the housing and a cover (160) protects the air bag.

Driver side air bag module with extruded housing

An air bag (32) adapted to be inflated comprising: an inlet portion (36) to receive inflation gas and a flexible walled portion (34,40) including at least one first vent hole (42) therein; a flexible member (50), joined at one end thereof to the walled portion on one side of the first vent hole and at another end thereof to the walled portion on an opposite side of the first vent hole, the flexible member including at least a second vent hole, expansion joints (60,70,62,72), formed in the flexible member and the walled portion for maintaining the first and second vent holes aligned during an initial phase of inflation so as to provide exhaust port (44) through which inflation gas may exit and for permitting the first and second holes to move relatively to one another during continued inflation so as to close of the exhaust port.

Air bag with inflation limiter

An air bag comprising: an upper panel (102) and a lower panel (104) both of woven material sewn together forming a generally circular structure and a tether unit or assembly (116, 118a, 118b, 130a, 130b) of the same material as one of the upper and lower panels for controlling the shape of the air bag as same is inflated by inflation gas and for absorbing a shock load created upon inflation. The tether assembly comprises a central portion (116) secured to the upper panel and only two tethers (118a, 188b) extending oppositely therefrom all of integral construction and being of sufficient strength such that each tether can separately withstand the shock load created upon inflation without being damaged. Fabric reinforcements (130a, 130b) are also provided to secure the tethers to the lower panel.

Air bag assembly

An air bag module (10) having a housing 12) having an open end (14) defined by first (20) and second (22) side walls and first (30) and second end walls (32); the first and second side walls and first and second end walls, proximate the open end, each comprising an extending boss (40a-d), each boss (40a-d) comprising at least one slit (42), each slit at a lower portion thereof including an enlarged portion (44); an air bag (50) including an inlet portion (52) approximately the size and shape of the housing open end (14), the air bag proximate ends of the inlet portion being formed with looped portions, each looped portion being inserted within a slit (42) in a corresponding boss (40a-d); a plurality of bars inserted within each looped portion of the air bag after the looped portion is within a designated slit, for preventing the looped portion from being dislodged therefrom; a cover (100) including a top (102) having a frangible tear portion (104) torn open upon inflation of the air bag, side walls (106a-d) and a lip portion (108) extending inwardly from each side wall (106a-d), the cover (100) fitted to the housing supporting each looped portion and bar within a corresponding slit.

Air bag module with top mounted bag

A device (20) for inflating an air bag (37) comprising: a pressure vessel (34) formed by a vessel part (22) and a generator body assembly (30). The generator body assembly is received within opposing openings (24, 26) in the vessel part (22) and secured thereto to provide a gas tight seal (28). The generator body assembly (30) includes: a first bore (38) to receive a quantity of propellant (150) and initiator assembly (120) to cause the propellant (150) to burn in response to a control signal indicative of a vehicle crash. Various passages are provided in the gas generator assembly and oriented to permit the products of combustion of the burning propellant to impinge on inner walls of the pressure vessel to reduce particulate emission.

Hybrid inflator for air bag

A device (60) for inflating an air bag (36) adapted within a steering wheel comprising: a pressure vessel (66; 166; 210) formed of a length of narrow tubing for storing a quantity of inert gas under pressure and a rupturable disk (80) for enclosing a first end of the tubing; an activator or initiator such as a squib (120) responsive to a control signal indicative of a vehicular crash situation for opening the seal means to permit the pressurized gas to inflate the air bag and a manifold (50) for communicating released gas to an air bag.

Driver side hybrid inflator and air bag module

An air bag (60) employing a method of fabrication in which the air bag is placed in an initially folded configuration and thereafter compressed and/or heated in a manner that the air bag achieves a set such a reduced size or volume is achieved.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester Hills, MI, United States of America

William E Rogerson